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Halo #15
New Blood
When the United Nations Space Command decide to create a new generation of Spartans to defend humanity from threats both outside and within, they come to Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck with an extraordinary proposition. With the Covenant War finally over, is it time for him to retire to the sidelines for a life he could only dream about...or is he prepared to step up and become part of the military's new blood?
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 2, 2015
289 people are currently reading
3029 people want to read
About the author
Matt Forbeck
210 books314 followersI'm an award-winning, New York Times-bestselling author and game designer and happily married father of five, including a set of quadruplets. For more on my work, see Forbeck.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews
March 26, 2018
The plot itself is fine: fast paced, full of action and good enough characters. The problem stems from the narrator’s voice for me—it was far too “I’m a jaded military man drawling to you my life story while I smoke a cigar.” Ever seen the movie Tropic Thunder? Nick Nolte’s character, the guy the movie is supposedly based on? Our narrator is that guy.
March 15, 2015
I was going to go with 4 stars but I loved the ending too much. I have not read a whole lot of military sci fi but this is some of the best I have read. As a former marine, I must say that Matt Forbeck has done his research.
March 17, 2015
Fast, but great read for the Halo junkie.
Am I the only one who read this with Nathan Fillion's voice in their head? LOL, I Loved Buck from Halo: ODST and I really enjoyed finding out how he came to be there, and eventually become a Spartan IV.
Am I the only one who read this with Nathan Fillion's voice in their head? LOL, I Loved Buck from Halo: ODST and I really enjoyed finding out how he came to be there, and eventually become a Spartan IV.
June 9, 2015
I'm truly surprised by the depth in this, really awesome writing too. I picked it up purely because I liked halo ODST. I would definitely read further instalments written by Forbeck.
March 9, 2022
Wow, this is an incredible book. For context's sake, I have never played any of the Halo games, except a 20 minutes splitscreen thing with a friend a few years ago, so I knew absolutely nothing about the games, the worldbuilding, or the characters. So jumping into this book blind was a big leap for me.
And it was worth it, because this book is fantastic!
At only 200 pages, this book is really fast paced and really utilizes the pages present. This book is primarily the backstory of the point of view character, Gunnery Sergeant Eward Buck, who works as an ODST for the UNSC (say that five times fast), who is recruited to become a member of the SPARTANs. The book goes through several missions as single chapters, essentially serving as vignettes, while other chapters bridge the gap and discuss Buck's relationship with Veronica Dare.
I loved Matt Forbeck's writing style quite a bit. It is definitely a military based style, but the attitudes he uses for his characters and the style of dialogue was really intriguing to me. I found myself wanting to read every word of every page because it was so entertaining. That is definitely a rarity in books for me.
I mentioned that I was not familiar with anything Halo related when I started this review. Despite my lack of knowledge, I was able to pick everything up really fast. Forbeck does exactly what a tie-in book should do and fills in as much as possible. There were a few times where I had to google a character or species' image, but I was able to overall determine what everything was supposed to look like. There were a few points near the end where I was particularly impressed with Forbeck's ability to use descriptions.
If this book has any faults, its that it falls into the "tell-don't-show" trope, and i it had been longer, could have been written as a more straightforward narrative in the third person where events are happening in the now as opposed to being described in someone's memory. I still found the style entertaining, but it might have been considered "better" with more substance within each individual 'story'(chapter).
Overall, I really loved this book. I am pleased that my first read in the series was so good, because it is making me want to read more. I not only will read more Halo novels, but I want to read more of Forbeck's books because I loved his style and because I want to know what happens to his characters. Overall, I give this book a 9.5 out of 10! Excellent job Forbeck!
And it was worth it, because this book is fantastic!
At only 200 pages, this book is really fast paced and really utilizes the pages present. This book is primarily the backstory of the point of view character, Gunnery Sergeant Eward Buck, who works as an ODST for the UNSC (say that five times fast), who is recruited to become a member of the SPARTANs. The book goes through several missions as single chapters, essentially serving as vignettes, while other chapters bridge the gap and discuss Buck's relationship with Veronica Dare.
I loved Matt Forbeck's writing style quite a bit. It is definitely a military based style, but the attitudes he uses for his characters and the style of dialogue was really intriguing to me. I found myself wanting to read every word of every page because it was so entertaining. That is definitely a rarity in books for me.
I mentioned that I was not familiar with anything Halo related when I started this review. Despite my lack of knowledge, I was able to pick everything up really fast. Forbeck does exactly what a tie-in book should do and fills in as much as possible. There were a few times where I had to google a character or species' image, but I was able to overall determine what everything was supposed to look like. There were a few points near the end where I was particularly impressed with Forbeck's ability to use descriptions.
If this book has any faults, its that it falls into the "tell-don't-show" trope, and i it had been longer, could have been written as a more straightforward narrative in the third person where events are happening in the now as opposed to being described in someone's memory. I still found the style entertaining, but it might have been considered "better" with more substance within each individual 'story'(chapter).
Overall, I really loved this book. I am pleased that my first read in the series was so good, because it is making me want to read more. I not only will read more Halo novels, but I want to read more of Forbeck's books because I loved his style and because I want to know what happens to his characters. Overall, I give this book a 9.5 out of 10! Excellent job Forbeck!
March 24, 2016
Halo: New Blood by Matt Forbeck is an interesting novel following the life of Ex-ODST, now SPARTAN IV Edward Buck. The story is narrated from Buck's perspective, and covers in small moments the soldier's life from childhood to enlistment to the mission he was currently on. The different events in the book lead into the video game Halo 5:Guardians well, explaining as to why Buck was only a member of his team in the game, despite previous appearances as a commanding officer. Halo: New Blood is a great story that focuses well on character development.
May 4, 2017
Humanity has been at war with aliens for decades and now that the war has ended are fighting among themselves. Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck gives a debrief of his career as he is given the opportunity to become an enhanced elite warrior. The work is based on the Halo game series.
March 17, 2016
Really liked it! It's completely different from a narrative point of view then the other Halo books, but tells a very good story the whole time!
August 28, 2018
It is a rare book which kills you, the reader. I don't recall any book where I've been killed before, actually. However, I die in HALO: NEW BLOOD. It's a rather interesting experience. Specifically, my character, "Rookie", is killed within the pages of this novel about halfway through. I played Rookie extensively in HALO: ODST which I really enjoyed. I bonded with the characters and was briefly a part of the HALO universe. This is technically the second time I've died in the Halo universe but I won't spoil which game that happens in. It's kind of surreal to have your character have a funeral and hear what the characters think of your digital avatar but that happens too.
Halo: New Blood is the story of Captain Edward Buck, former ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper) and now Spartan-IV hero. The fact he's portrayed by Nathan Fillion in Halo: ODTS and Halo 5: Guardians is probably why he was selected to be the star of his own short novel. This is about 200 pages long and mostly consists of Buck's backstory. We discover he's from a fishing world colony, it was glassed by the Covenant then resettled, and he's in a romantic relationship with Office of Naval Intelligence agent Veronica Dare. She was, notably, portrayed by Tricia Helfer in ODST and I kind of wish she'd shown up in Halo 5.
It's an entertaining novel about a relatively minor character but not something I would consider to be an essential part of the Halo franchise. I do like the fact they went with the most unexpected SPARTAN-IV to be a traitor, though. It nicely expands on the dangers of Human Insurrectionists as a threat equal to the Covenant.
9/10
Halo: New Blood is the story of Captain Edward Buck, former ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper) and now Spartan-IV hero. The fact he's portrayed by Nathan Fillion in Halo: ODTS and Halo 5: Guardians is probably why he was selected to be the star of his own short novel. This is about 200 pages long and mostly consists of Buck's backstory. We discover he's from a fishing world colony, it was glassed by the Covenant then resettled, and he's in a romantic relationship with Office of Naval Intelligence agent Veronica Dare. She was, notably, portrayed by Tricia Helfer in ODST and I kind of wish she'd shown up in Halo 5.
It's an entertaining novel about a relatively minor character but not something I would consider to be an essential part of the Halo franchise. I do like the fact they went with the most unexpected SPARTAN-IV to be a traitor, though. It nicely expands on the dangers of Human Insurrectionists as a threat equal to the Covenant.
9/10
April 3, 2016
Zu aller erst. Schaut euch mal die Spartans an. Wenn das nicht cool ist, was dann?
Also, vorab: Ich habe Halo nie gespielt. Deshalb kann ich nicht sagen, in wie fern das Buch einem der Spiele gleicht. Aber ich weiß, dass die Spartaner eigentlich Spartans heißen (ebenso wie die Programme), einige Sachen wurden nun mal eingedeutscht, damit muss man leben.
Ich habe fünf Sterne (4,5) für dieses Buch gegeben, weil:
-Matt Forbeck wirklich wundervoll schreibt und ich mich sofort in seinen Stil "verliebt"habe.
-Der Hauptcharakter (Gunnery Sergant Edward Buck) sehr gut ausgearbeitet ist und man seine Handlungen nach voll ziehen kann. Er gefällt mir schlichtweg auch einfach.
-All diese kleinen Geschichten die die Handlung bestimmen perfekt aufeinander abgestimmt sind und ich so etwas noch nie gelesen habe.
-Mir die Welt...ach was! Das Universum unnormal gefällt. Alles passt. (Und normalerweise habe ich es nicht so mit Sci-Fi Büchern, ich bin da eher zurückhaltend.)
Ich wünschte der Autor würde mehrere Bücher über Buck schreiben oder Halo allgemein...
Aber ein was negatives muss ich doch bemerken:
Die ganzen Szenenwechsel waren am Anfang sehr anstregend für mich ,(obwohl sich der Autor in Form von Buck dafür öfter als ein Mal entschuldigt hat), und ich musste erstmal lernen damit klar zu kommen. In meinem "Reading Progress" könnt ihr sehen, wie ich damit gekämpft habe. Aber als ich dann wirklich Ruhe hatte und mich komplett auf die Geschichte rund um Buck eingelassen habe, wurde es nur immer besser.
Und eben fand ich dieses Bild wie Buck wohl im Spiel aussieht (bitte überspringt das einfach, wenn ihr das nicht sehen wollt.)
Ehem! Jedenfalls, ich empfehle es wirklich dieses Buch zu lesen. Buck ist etwas für jeden. Glaubt mir.
Mit den folgenden Zitaten werde ich, durch Buck natürlich, werde ich einige Dinger näher beschreiben, damit ihr einen Eindruck von dem Buch bekommt. Ich werde jetzt nicht jeden Charakter hervorheben, aber so einige Textstellen könnten schon lohnenswert zu lesen sein (abgesehen vom ganzen Buch).
Buck über seine Vergangenheit:
Ich finde die Vergangenheit vom Sergant einfach schlichtweg traurig. Aber sie gibt einem immerhin ein Gefühl für ihn und erklärt manchmal auch, wieso er so ist, wie er eben ist.
Die Beziehung zwischen Buck und Veronica
Über den MND & die Geheimhaltung die mit der Arbeit für ihn verbunden ist
Also ich kann wirklich schlecht in Worte fassen, wie sehr mir dieses Buch gefallen hat, aber ich hoffe, ihr könnt mich trotzdem verstehen.
So sehen übrigens Huragok aus
hab' ich mir auch anders vorgestellt, aber sieht doch ganz cool aus.
Also, vorab: Ich habe Halo nie gespielt. Deshalb kann ich nicht sagen, in wie fern das Buch einem der Spiele gleicht. Aber ich weiß, dass die Spartaner eigentlich Spartans heißen (ebenso wie die Programme), einige Sachen wurden nun mal eingedeutscht, damit muss man leben.
Ich habe fünf Sterne (4,5) für dieses Buch gegeben, weil:
-Matt Forbeck wirklich wundervoll schreibt und ich mich sofort in seinen Stil "verliebt"habe.
-Der Hauptcharakter (Gunnery Sergant Edward Buck) sehr gut ausgearbeitet ist und man seine Handlungen nach voll ziehen kann. Er gefällt mir schlichtweg auch einfach.
-All diese kleinen Geschichten die die Handlung bestimmen perfekt aufeinander abgestimmt sind und ich so etwas noch nie gelesen habe.
-Mir die Welt...ach was! Das Universum unnormal gefällt. Alles passt. (Und normalerweise habe ich es nicht so mit Sci-Fi Büchern, ich bin da eher zurückhaltend.)
Ich wünschte der Autor würde mehrere Bücher über Buck schreiben oder Halo allgemein...
Aber ein was negatives muss ich doch bemerken:
Die ganzen Szenenwechsel waren am Anfang sehr anstregend für mich ,(obwohl sich der Autor in Form von Buck dafür öfter als ein Mal entschuldigt hat), und ich musste erstmal lernen damit klar zu kommen. In meinem "Reading Progress" könnt ihr sehen, wie ich damit gekämpft habe. Aber als ich dann wirklich Ruhe hatte und mich komplett auf die Geschichte rund um Buck eingelassen habe, wurde es nur immer besser.
Und eben fand ich dieses Bild wie Buck wohl im Spiel aussieht (bitte überspringt das einfach, wenn ihr das nicht sehen wollt.)
Ehem! Jedenfalls, ich empfehle es wirklich dieses Buch zu lesen. Buck ist etwas für jeden. Glaubt mir.
Mit den folgenden Zitaten werde ich, durch Buck natürlich, werde ich einige Dinger näher beschreiben, damit ihr einen Eindruck von dem Buch bekommt. Ich werde jetzt nicht jeden Charakter hervorheben, aber so einige Textstellen könnten schon lohnenswert zu lesen sein (abgesehen vom ganzen Buch).
Buck über seine Vergangenheit:
Ich richtete den Zeigefinger auf diese selbstherrliche, feige Möchtegernrevoluzzerin und stieß ihn bei jedem satz anklagend nach vorne: "Und wo zum Teufel wart ihr, als die Allianz Draco zerstört hat? Wo wart ihr, als sie ihre Soldaten schickten, um meine Familie und Freunde zu jagen? Wo wart ihr, als diese gottverdammten Bastarde meine Schwester und ihre kleinen Kinder fraßen?
Ich finde die Vergangenheit vom Sergant einfach schlichtweg traurig. Aber sie gibt einem immerhin ein Gefühl für ihn und erklärt manchmal auch, wieso er so ist, wie er eben ist.
Die Beziehung zwischen Buck und Veronica
Obwohl wir von Zerstörung und Wahnsinn umgeben waren-oder vielleicht gerade deswegen-m fragte ich Veronica, wie es denn nun um uns stünde, um sie und mich.
"Frag mich noch mal, wenn wir diesen Krieg gewonnen haben", erwiederte sie nur.
Keine schlechte Antwort, wenn ich das sagen darf. Sie weiß eben genau, wie man jemanden motiviert.
Über den MND & die Geheimhaltung die mit der Arbeit für ihn verbunden ist
Das ist aber noch nicht das Schlimmste. Der MND ist nicht bekannt dafür, das Leben seiner Handlager übermäßig zu schätzen- jedenfalls längst nicht so sehr, wie die Handlager selbst es schätzen. Für den Geheimdienst waren wir Teil einer mathematischen Gleichung, und wenn Hunderte oder Tausende gerettet werden konnten, indem man ein paar wenige opferte, dann zögerten sie nicht. Nur würde man, wenn man einer dieser wenigen ist, gerne vorab wissen, worauf man sich da einlässt, ansttat völlig im Dunkeln gelassen zu werden.
Da ist es plötzlich gar nicht mehr so toll, ein Held zu sein,
Also ich kann wirklich schlecht in Worte fassen, wie sehr mir dieses Buch gefallen hat, aber ich hoffe, ihr könnt mich trotzdem verstehen.
So sehen übrigens Huragok aus
hab' ich mir auch anders vorgestellt, aber sieht doch ganz cool aus.
January 29, 2016
Overall? Entertaining, but flawed. As I always pretentiously say when I review these novels, I'm assessing it under the lens of what it is - a video game spin-off novel (so I cut it some slack). What I appreciated about the Forerunner saga, in contrast, was how it was less about the action and more about the prose. This novel was the complete opposite, as it was definitely about the action and the prose was just there to tell the story. Now, it wasn't a bad novel at all. In fact, in a fight it would kick the ass of all three of Karen Traviss' abyssal novels by itself.
It was funny. Buck is a hilarious narrator and he thought and talked like a real person; he was rough around the edges, he acted out of emotions as well as could keep it cool, and he was likable. The other characters were flat as hell. I couldn't tell any of his buddies from one another - we are never shown anything about their personalities other than what Buck deliberately tells us. Even Veronica, though you could tell why Buck was smitten (because she was kinda bad ass), had no personality either.
But, the novel was very entertaining. The fight scenes were fun, the action moved at a quick pace, and I flew through this novel. I read it in like two hours.
Holy shit, there was a romance! Not a particularly sexy one by any means, but at least it was there. Why does this matter? Because it's human. People fall in love, they have attractions, they sleep with other people, they get distracted by DAT ASS, and, while there are exceptions, most people like a little romance in a story. In fact, it's unrealistic when a character tells a story that spans decades and they never once had a sexual thought. The previous Halo novels featuring humans (aside from Contact Harvest) have never had a main character in a relationship, which is just stupid. Also, one of the other soldier's "romantic proclivities" was also mentioned at one point, which was something that the other novel glossed over for some reason (because soldiers don't have random sex, apparently. *rolls eyes*)
The biggest flaw was that this novel was too fast. Like whirlwind. Everything is rushed. This novel had so much going on that it easily could have been 400 pages, not 200, and it still would have needed more depth. Hell, this would have been a good trilogy. Beef up the romance angle to make it more tragic (their struggle to have a relationship given their devotion to their jobs) and beef up the other characters so we actually care about them (and the twist at the end would be more emotionally involved). To be honest, I didn't give two shits what happened to anyone in this novel. Even the battle scenes were rushed. Oh, there's a tank in our way. Well, we beat it. Moving on. WTF.
The format. At first the jumping around really annoyed me and felt sloppy, but by the middle it kinda made sense and I forgave it. It could have been done better - in fact, I have no idea WHY it was written this way as it didn't make the twist any different had the novel been just a typical A-Z plot. I wasn't sure whether it was a stream-of-consciousness where the narrator was thinking about his life and various memories spawned past ones or whether it was an oral history. Either way, it wasn't entirely successful, but the fact that it was done in a different style than the rest of this ever-growing series was kinda remarkable.
Lastly, this is a personal peeve of mine - I'm not fond of first-person narration. But, that's just me.
Oh, and where the hell were all the aliens!? But they appear to be on the cover art of the next one, so here's hoping we get some Elites with dialogue.
Overall, a fun time!
It was funny. Buck is a hilarious narrator and he thought and talked like a real person; he was rough around the edges, he acted out of emotions as well as could keep it cool, and he was likable. The other characters were flat as hell. I couldn't tell any of his buddies from one another - we are never shown anything about their personalities other than what Buck deliberately tells us. Even Veronica, though you could tell why Buck was smitten (because she was kinda bad ass), had no personality either.
But, the novel was very entertaining. The fight scenes were fun, the action moved at a quick pace, and I flew through this novel. I read it in like two hours.
Holy shit, there was a romance! Not a particularly sexy one by any means, but at least it was there. Why does this matter? Because it's human. People fall in love, they have attractions, they sleep with other people, they get distracted by DAT ASS, and, while there are exceptions, most people like a little romance in a story. In fact, it's unrealistic when a character tells a story that spans decades and they never once had a sexual thought. The previous Halo novels featuring humans (aside from Contact Harvest) have never had a main character in a relationship, which is just stupid. Also, one of the other soldier's "romantic proclivities" was also mentioned at one point, which was something that the other novel glossed over for some reason (because soldiers don't have random sex, apparently. *rolls eyes*)
The biggest flaw was that this novel was too fast. Like whirlwind. Everything is rushed. This novel had so much going on that it easily could have been 400 pages, not 200, and it still would have needed more depth. Hell, this would have been a good trilogy. Beef up the romance angle to make it more tragic (their struggle to have a relationship given their devotion to their jobs) and beef up the other characters so we actually care about them (and the twist at the end would be more emotionally involved). To be honest, I didn't give two shits what happened to anyone in this novel. Even the battle scenes were rushed. Oh, there's a tank in our way. Well, we beat it. Moving on. WTF.
The format. At first the jumping around really annoyed me and felt sloppy, but by the middle it kinda made sense and I forgave it. It could have been done better - in fact, I have no idea WHY it was written this way as it didn't make the twist any different had the novel been just a typical A-Z plot. I wasn't sure whether it was a stream-of-consciousness where the narrator was thinking about his life and various memories spawned past ones or whether it was an oral history. Either way, it wasn't entirely successful, but the fact that it was done in a different style than the rest of this ever-growing series was kinda remarkable.
Lastly, this is a personal peeve of mine - I'm not fond of first-person narration. But, that's just me.
Oh, and where the hell were all the aliens!? But they appear to be on the cover art of the next one, so here's hoping we get some Elites with dialogue.
Overall, a fun time!
May 31, 2015
The best Halo novel since Ghosts of Onyx. It might just be the best one overall.
What makes New Blood so special, you ask? Humanity. It's got so much human flaw in it. Flaws that don't come of as preachy as in so many Halo novels before.
It's been a while since I have written up a review, so bear with me if you will.
Buck our main protagonist is a ODST, if you have no clue what that means you really need to start the Halo series from scratch and catch up. Though now that I think about it, New Blood could be read as a stand alone novel. It purposefully skims around spoilers and keeps key information in the Haloverse to broad strokes. It can do this because the author makes you care about the protagonist and his feelings. Whether it be toward his team, the war going on or other interests. You genuinely want to concur with his perspective. At least I did.
Key to this novel is Buck's running relationship with an ONI officer named Veronica. I have to say it had the same sort of emotional swing you expect from Military Scifi book but without any of the cheesy dialogue or awfully awkward intimate descriptors. Kudos for that alone Mr. Forbeck.
All in all I have say, while this didn't end on a adrenaline fueled, romp of mayhem, topped of with a ticker tape victory parade. The ending was tense and gut wrenching, added up everything that came before and made you feel.
What makes New Blood so special, you ask? Humanity. It's got so much human flaw in it. Flaws that don't come of as preachy as in so many Halo novels before.
It's been a while since I have written up a review, so bear with me if you will.
Buck our main protagonist is a ODST, if you have no clue what that means you really need to start the Halo series from scratch and catch up. Though now that I think about it, New Blood could be read as a stand alone novel. It purposefully skims around spoilers and keeps key information in the Haloverse to broad strokes. It can do this because the author makes you care about the protagonist and his feelings. Whether it be toward his team, the war going on or other interests. You genuinely want to concur with his perspective. At least I did.
Key to this novel is Buck's running relationship with an ONI officer named Veronica. I have to say it had the same sort of emotional swing you expect from Military Scifi book but without any of the cheesy dialogue or awfully awkward intimate descriptors. Kudos for that alone Mr. Forbeck.
All in all I have say, while this didn't end on a adrenaline fueled, romp of mayhem, topped of with a ticker tape victory parade. The ending was tense and gut wrenching, added up everything that came before and made you feel.
March 30, 2016
I listened to this book on Audible.
If Halo 3: ODST was a day in the life of Buck and his Alpha-Nine fireteam, New Blood is their life story. We get to learn all the details from what came before the Invasion of Earth and what came after, including how Buck made it into the Spartan 4 program and what happened to the Rookie.
As a framed narrative, the story jumps around a bit, telling bits and pieces from several key encounters from over the course of Buck's career and his relationship with the UNSC and his fellow soldiers. If you enjoyed the characters of Buck, Dare, Mickey, Romeo, and Dutch, then you'll enjoy this book. It was great to get to learn more about each of them, and reading New Blood made me both want to play ODST again and to see the book brought to life visually in some way - preferably with the original cast reprising their roles as voice actors.
I'm not sure what else to say about the story - it sucked me in and took me on a fun ride. If you're a Halo fan - especially if you loved Halo 3: ODST, you'll love this book.
If Halo 3: ODST was a day in the life of Buck and his Alpha-Nine fireteam, New Blood is their life story. We get to learn all the details from what came before the Invasion of Earth and what came after, including how Buck made it into the Spartan 4 program and what happened to the Rookie.
As a framed narrative, the story jumps around a bit, telling bits and pieces from several key encounters from over the course of Buck's career and his relationship with the UNSC and his fellow soldiers. If you enjoyed the characters of Buck, Dare, Mickey, Romeo, and Dutch, then you'll enjoy this book. It was great to get to learn more about each of them, and reading New Blood made me both want to play ODST again and to see the book brought to life visually in some way - preferably with the original cast reprising their roles as voice actors.
I'm not sure what else to say about the story - it sucked me in and took me on a fun ride. If you're a Halo fan - especially if you loved Halo 3: ODST, you'll love this book.
November 3, 2015
Spartan Buck!
Was super excited to find they'd written a book detailing what became of the characters from ODST. I loved that game and the characters a lot, so to read about their adventures after said game and as Spartan IVs was extremely entertaining. It also gives a good glimpse of what makes up the new breed of Spartans in a way that hasn't really been given in either Spartan Ops or the comics. The jumping timeline was a bit odd at times, and it would be nice to know exactly who Buck is addressing in the narrative. Is it Veronica or a journal record? Either way it's an exciting read especially with ODST set for a re-release in The MCC on Xbox One. Now is there any way Nathan Fillion can do the audio book narration?
Was super excited to find they'd written a book detailing what became of the characters from ODST. I loved that game and the characters a lot, so to read about their adventures after said game and as Spartan IVs was extremely entertaining. It also gives a good glimpse of what makes up the new breed of Spartans in a way that hasn't really been given in either Spartan Ops or the comics. The jumping timeline was a bit odd at times, and it would be nice to know exactly who Buck is addressing in the narrative. Is it Veronica or a journal record? Either way it's an exciting read especially with ODST set for a re-release in The MCC on Xbox One. Now is there any way Nathan Fillion can do the audio book narration?
June 4, 2021
*Spoilers*
Surprisingly great for such a short book. It's less than 200 pages and yet has a few moments that have changed the fandom forever. That's really impressive. These two events are:
1. The death of Rookie
2. The betrayal of Mickey
The first one I was spoiled for, so I knew it was coming. The second one, however, really caught me off guard. I did not see that coming at all. ODST came out in 2009 and much of my teenage experience was spent playing it with friends. I genuinely felt like I was the one being betrayed. Normally a decision like this would make me angry. It would make me think the character was acting outside of their true depiction. This time I feel it worked. It added to the experiences of the other characters from Alpha-Nine. Romeo and Buck are actually better for this. The way in which they deal with it made me care more about them both as characters; especially Romeo. When I was a kid I didn't really love Romeo that much. Now I've gained a ton of respect for him. I've always liked Buck, but now he has jumped to one of my favourites in the franchise. There was so much in this small book that made everyone just a bit more intriguing. Jun benefits from this treatment as well. I'm glad to see him still around. He's the only surviving member of Noble Team and yet he doesn't sit around crying about it. He just gets his job done. He's a Spartan III. That is exactly how he should be depicted.
Now, the Rookie. Let us talk about him for a moment, shall we?
I know some people are still mad to this day. Me? I'm okay with this choice. Rookie was never a character. He doesn't have a single line of dialogue in the entire game (as far as I can recall). I really hate when games do that. The Halo universe has many lively characters with interesting backstories. Why the hell does Rookie not speak in ODST? It's just stupid and makes me not care about him at all. When Rookie died in this book I felt almost nothing at all. I say 'almost' only because I have many memories of him from my childhood. And it made you feel the same way as if a dog was hurt in a scene. When a character never talks it allows you to see them as innocent or kind. I don't know why the brain does that, but it does. Rookie could've been a secret fascist or something, who knows? My point is that he was never very important. But his death acts as the thing that breaks up Alpha-Nine. So now, Finally, he is important to the plot in some fashion. I'll take it.
There is one thing that bugged me in this book. It is something I see a noticeable amount of in the 343 era of Halo. It's the fact that people keep trying to make it seem like things are worse now than they were when fighting both the Covenant and the Flood. NO! Stop writing that in here, please. Not a single person who reads these books or plays the new games is under the illusion that things are anywhere near as bad as the Human-Covenant war. 23 Billion humans died and Earth was literally the last stand before the species was wiped out. And let's not even bring up the Flood. Stop feeding us this crap about how the 'new' Covenant is anywhere near as much a threat as the original Covenant was. No. The Korean War was not as dire as WWII. No matter how many times you say it, it will never be the case. I know they have to keep people interested in the events of the galaxy, but this is just lying to us. Veronica literally has a bloody line in this book where she says things are worse and more dangerous now than ever for humanity.
She's on crack.
Surprisingly great for such a short book. It's less than 200 pages and yet has a few moments that have changed the fandom forever. That's really impressive. These two events are:
1. The death of Rookie
2. The betrayal of Mickey
The first one I was spoiled for, so I knew it was coming. The second one, however, really caught me off guard. I did not see that coming at all. ODST came out in 2009 and much of my teenage experience was spent playing it with friends. I genuinely felt like I was the one being betrayed. Normally a decision like this would make me angry. It would make me think the character was acting outside of their true depiction. This time I feel it worked. It added to the experiences of the other characters from Alpha-Nine. Romeo and Buck are actually better for this. The way in which they deal with it made me care more about them both as characters; especially Romeo. When I was a kid I didn't really love Romeo that much. Now I've gained a ton of respect for him. I've always liked Buck, but now he has jumped to one of my favourites in the franchise. There was so much in this small book that made everyone just a bit more intriguing. Jun benefits from this treatment as well. I'm glad to see him still around. He's the only surviving member of Noble Team and yet he doesn't sit around crying about it. He just gets his job done. He's a Spartan III. That is exactly how he should be depicted.
Now, the Rookie. Let us talk about him for a moment, shall we?
I know some people are still mad to this day. Me? I'm okay with this choice. Rookie was never a character. He doesn't have a single line of dialogue in the entire game (as far as I can recall). I really hate when games do that. The Halo universe has many lively characters with interesting backstories. Why the hell does Rookie not speak in ODST? It's just stupid and makes me not care about him at all. When Rookie died in this book I felt almost nothing at all. I say 'almost' only because I have many memories of him from my childhood. And it made you feel the same way as if a dog was hurt in a scene. When a character never talks it allows you to see them as innocent or kind. I don't know why the brain does that, but it does. Rookie could've been a secret fascist or something, who knows? My point is that he was never very important. But his death acts as the thing that breaks up Alpha-Nine. So now, Finally, he is important to the plot in some fashion. I'll take it.
There is one thing that bugged me in this book. It is something I see a noticeable amount of in the 343 era of Halo. It's the fact that people keep trying to make it seem like things are worse now than they were when fighting both the Covenant and the Flood. NO! Stop writing that in here, please. Not a single person who reads these books or plays the new games is under the illusion that things are anywhere near as bad as the Human-Covenant war. 23 Billion humans died and Earth was literally the last stand before the species was wiped out. And let's not even bring up the Flood. Stop feeding us this crap about how the 'new' Covenant is anywhere near as much a threat as the original Covenant was. No. The Korean War was not as dire as WWII. No matter how many times you say it, it will never be the case. I know they have to keep people interested in the events of the galaxy, but this is just lying to us. Veronica literally has a bloody line in this book where she says things are worse and more dangerous now than ever for humanity.
She's on crack.
November 10, 2021
Halo: New Blood by Matt Forbeck is a video game tie-in short novella based on the Halo game “Halo 3: ODST”.
Halo: New Blood is a fantastic novel that serves as a formidable sequel to Halo 3: ODST and as a prelude to Halo 5: Guardians. it tells the story of Sargent Buck and his squad of ODSTs troopers (as well as Veronica Dare from ONI) and what transpired in New Mombasa, after New Mombasa and the Covenant war, and also how Buck and his squad of ODSTs all became Spartan 4s. Not only that, it re-introduces JUN, a Spartan III that fought on Reach that we last saw in Halo: Reach, who escaped and is now a part of the recruiting program for Spartan IVs.
I will not spoil any major plot points, but I will briefly go over some of my favourite things about this book and why I recommend it to anyone who wants to get their Halo fix before Halo: Infinite comes out. Right away, the tone of this book makes itself very clear. It is all told from the perspective of Buck, who is on Fireteam Osiris in Halo 5, and is the Gunnery Sergeant (a.k.a., why they call him ‘Gunny’) in Halo 3: ODST. The entire story is told in a ‘campfire’ kind of way where it is descriptive, but still entertaining and has a casual undertone even in very serious content. You feel as he is talking directly to you, the reader, not just words on a page like so many other books feel like.
Also, the story of how his squad all becomes Spartan IVs is very interesting and sets up the backstory for Buck in Halo 5: Guardians very well. You learn about the processes of how they become a Spartan IV, you learn about the relationship between Buck and Dare as well as ONI, and most importantly you learn about what happened to The Rookie (the playable main character in Halo 3: ODST). Romeo, Dutch, and Mickey are also along for the ride, but Dutch only partially so as he retired after the Covenant war. The interesting and entertaining dynamic between Buck, Mickey, and Romeo is still very much there and carries over nicely from ODST, and it serves to play an important role in the overall story of New Blood. Learning what happened to Spartan Jun was nice fan service.
My only real gripe with it being a sizable portion of this short story being dedicated to summarizing the events of “Halo 3: ODST”, the same events that you would already know a lot about if you played Halo 3: ODST. It isn’t bad, but it takes up space in an already short book.
In conclusion, I'd say this is an enjoyable read. It provides an unexpectedly emotional and powerful sendoff of sorts to the cast of Halo 3: ODST, and it acts as a good lead into Halo 5: Guardians. I would definitely recommend any fan of the Halo franchise or Military sci-fi to give Halo: New Blood a read.
Halo: New Blood is a fantastic novel that serves as a formidable sequel to Halo 3: ODST and as a prelude to Halo 5: Guardians. it tells the story of Sargent Buck and his squad of ODSTs troopers (as well as Veronica Dare from ONI) and what transpired in New Mombasa, after New Mombasa and the Covenant war, and also how Buck and his squad of ODSTs all became Spartan 4s. Not only that, it re-introduces JUN, a Spartan III that fought on Reach that we last saw in Halo: Reach, who escaped and is now a part of the recruiting program for Spartan IVs.
I will not spoil any major plot points, but I will briefly go over some of my favourite things about this book and why I recommend it to anyone who wants to get their Halo fix before Halo: Infinite comes out. Right away, the tone of this book makes itself very clear. It is all told from the perspective of Buck, who is on Fireteam Osiris in Halo 5, and is the Gunnery Sergeant (a.k.a., why they call him ‘Gunny’) in Halo 3: ODST. The entire story is told in a ‘campfire’ kind of way where it is descriptive, but still entertaining and has a casual undertone even in very serious content. You feel as he is talking directly to you, the reader, not just words on a page like so many other books feel like.
Also, the story of how his squad all becomes Spartan IVs is very interesting and sets up the backstory for Buck in Halo 5: Guardians very well. You learn about the processes of how they become a Spartan IV, you learn about the relationship between Buck and Dare as well as ONI, and most importantly you learn about what happened to The Rookie (the playable main character in Halo 3: ODST). Romeo, Dutch, and Mickey are also along for the ride, but Dutch only partially so as he retired after the Covenant war. The interesting and entertaining dynamic between Buck, Mickey, and Romeo is still very much there and carries over nicely from ODST, and it serves to play an important role in the overall story of New Blood. Learning what happened to Spartan Jun was nice fan service.
My only real gripe with it being a sizable portion of this short story being dedicated to summarizing the events of “Halo 3: ODST”, the same events that you would already know a lot about if you played Halo 3: ODST. It isn’t bad, but it takes up space in an already short book.
In conclusion, I'd say this is an enjoyable read. It provides an unexpectedly emotional and powerful sendoff of sorts to the cast of Halo 3: ODST, and it acts as a good lead into Halo 5: Guardians. I would definitely recommend any fan of the Halo franchise or Military sci-fi to give Halo: New Blood a read.
May 21, 2025
Amé este libro, sin duda es de mis favoritos. Se lee súper rápido y la historia es adictiva, aunque al principio me perdí un poco entre los cambios de tiempo. Pero luego todo cobró sentido.
Me gustó mucho conocer un poco más sobre la vitrificación de los planetas y lo que sucede con estos cuando son cristalizados o cuando no se cristalizan por completo.
Por otra parte, hay un capítulo en el que explican muy bien los cambios que se hacen para que una persona se convierta en un Spartan IV y las diferencias que hay entre los diversos programas.
Por cierto, me encantó que Jun apareció en este libro, ya lo extrañaba 😭😭 y también se menciona a Noble 6 (sólo una línea sjjajaj), lo cual me encantó porque si han jugado Halo Reach sabrán quien es él, ya que a los jugadores se les asigna su personaje para jugar.
En cuanto a los personajes Romeo y Buck son mis favoritos, la personalidad de ambos es diferente, pero se complementan muy bien entre sí. Me gustó la hermandad que se formó en el equipo Alfa 9 y cómo cada uno aportaba algo al equipo.
El final me sorprendió, no me esperaba eso, incluso cuando lo muestran en las primeras páginas, ya que en las últimas podemos leer como concluyó todo.
De todos los libros de Halo, este lo amé de inicio a fin. Valió la pena leer los anteriores libros para llegar a este, espero que los siguientes sean igual de buenos o mejores.
Me gustó mucho conocer un poco más sobre la vitrificación de los planetas y lo que sucede con estos cuando son cristalizados o cuando no se cristalizan por completo.
Por otra parte, hay un capítulo en el que explican muy bien los cambios que se hacen para que una persona se convierta en un Spartan IV y las diferencias que hay entre los diversos programas.
Por cierto, me encantó que Jun apareció en este libro, ya lo extrañaba 😭😭 y también se menciona a Noble 6 (sólo una línea sjjajaj), lo cual me encantó porque si han jugado Halo Reach sabrán quien es él, ya que a los jugadores se les asigna su personaje para jugar.
En cuanto a los personajes Romeo y Buck son mis favoritos, la personalidad de ambos es diferente, pero se complementan muy bien entre sí. Me gustó la hermandad que se formó en el equipo Alfa 9 y cómo cada uno aportaba algo al equipo.
El final me sorprendió, no me esperaba eso, incluso cuando lo muestran en las primeras páginas, ya que en las últimas podemos leer como concluyó todo.
De todos los libros de Halo, este lo amé de inicio a fin. Valió la pena leer los anteriores libros para llegar a este, espero que los siguientes sean igual de buenos o mejores.
August 28, 2020
It's been a while since I read any book in Halo universe!
New Blood told you about an interesting story about the (then-ODST) Alpha Nine SPARTAN IV Team under Spartan Edward Buck. The events told in this book are spanning from before Halo 3 ODST and just before Halo 5 timeline. You could say that this book is both the novelization prequel and sequel of Halo 3 ODST featuring Spartan Edward Buck as the main characters.
The story is quite good with a good surprise toward the end. I have to say that it is thinly narrated but on second thought this book is really dedicated to those who are well versed with Halo lore. If you don't mind the ever shifting timelines of the story, you'd find this book a really interesting and a good addition to the lore. (I didn't really like that it took almost the entire book to come to the conclusion of the first chapter's cliffhanger though.)
Highly recommended for all Halo fans!
PS:
My actually rating would be 3/5 stars, but since I'm a Halo fan I'm giving it 3.5/5 stars rounded up. ;)
New Blood told you about an interesting story about the (then-ODST) Alpha Nine SPARTAN IV Team under Spartan Edward Buck. The events told in this book are spanning from before Halo 3 ODST and just before Halo 5 timeline. You could say that this book is both the novelization prequel and sequel of Halo 3 ODST featuring Spartan Edward Buck as the main characters.
The story is quite good with a good surprise toward the end. I have to say that it is thinly narrated but on second thought this book is really dedicated to those who are well versed with Halo lore. If you don't mind the ever shifting timelines of the story, you'd find this book a really interesting and a good addition to the lore. (I didn't really like that it took almost the entire book to come to the conclusion of the first chapter's cliffhanger though.)
Highly recommended for all Halo fans!
PS:
My actually rating would be 3/5 stars, but since I'm a Halo fan I'm giving it 3.5/5 stars rounded up. ;)
August 12, 2025
A novel by Matt Forbeck set in the Halo universe focuses on Halo 3's character Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck. This volume works as a bridge between the events of Halo 3 and Halo 4 (the period after the Human-Covenant War, where the Master Chief is listed as MIA and the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) is in the process of forming a new generation of Spartans).
Buck PoV recounts his military career, including his time as an ODST leading the Alpha-Nine squad and his experiences during the Human-Covenant War. His complex relationship with Veronica and the discovery of traitors.
Perfect for fans with a deeper understanding of Edward Buck's character, his journey from an ODST to a Spartan-IV, and the challenges faced by the UNSC in the aftermath of the Human-Covenant War. It also provides insight into the SPARTAN-IV program and introduces elements that set the stage for Halo 5: Guardians, which will be released soon. As a game in October.
Buck PoV recounts his military career, including his time as an ODST leading the Alpha-Nine squad and his experiences during the Human-Covenant War. His complex relationship with Veronica and the discovery of traitors.
Perfect for fans with a deeper understanding of Edward Buck's character, his journey from an ODST to a Spartan-IV, and the challenges faced by the UNSC in the aftermath of the Human-Covenant War. It also provides insight into the SPARTAN-IV program and introduces elements that set the stage for Halo 5: Guardians, which will be released soon. As a game in October.
March 27, 2024
Ok, so I’ve gotta clear up one thing: this is the book where the Rookie dies. Now, I know that made a lot of fans upset, since he was both a player character of a fan-favorite game abd a fan-favorite character in and of himself, and dumping his death in a book instead of a game feels tone-deaf. I get that, and I kinda felt the same way- right up until one of the major characters goes turncoat in the third act as a result of his death. Then it all clicks into place: [i]Halo: New Blood[/i]’s entire plot hinges on the Rookie’s death. That’s a baller move on the writer’s part, and paired with a genuinely compelling little story and prose that captures Edward Buck’s tone to an almost shocking degree, you’ve got an entry into this series you shouldn’t pass up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2019
A surprisingly great science fiction book, written as if the primary character, Buck, was talking directly to you. This is definitely a novella and a quick read at just under 200 pages, but it's still thoroughly engaging. The only thing I can criticize is that during his narration, Buck tends to jump around the timeline quite a bit, going from current events to past at the drop of a hat. Easy to get a little lost.
September 26, 2023
Love this universe; probably one of my favorite characters. Really enjoyed the game O.D.S.T. & all the characters. I like the Master Chief, but i like the other characters in this universe as much, if not even better. This book is up there with “The Fall of Reach” & “Ghosts of Onyx” in how involved i got with the story & characters. Very enjoyable. If you like reading Halo books, this a ‘must read’.
August 8, 2018
Halo New Blood was exciting and action packed. I think, since I played the game a little bit, a while back, I was able to visualize things better. Forbeck does a decent job of trying to describe the Halo world to his audience but for a new recruit to the UNSC or The Spartans, I'd say play the video games or look up some Halo stuff online, then attack this title.
August 17, 2021
This was good. Give it 3 thumbs out of 5
April 23, 2024
What the actual f...?
First the Rookie...
And then Mickey. Mickey... MICKEY?!
Once a Spartan, always a Spartan ✨
First the Rookie...
And then Mickey. Mickey... MICKEY?!
Once a Spartan, always a Spartan ✨
October 18, 2025
Fun to read how Nathan Fillion went from an ODST to a Spartan IV. It was impossible to see Buck as anyone else.
April 26, 2025
Likeable characters and an engaging storyline in a fascinating universe. Albeit a little short, definitely an enjoyable read.
August 5, 2025
I’ve been meaning to get to this because it really is important for the lore of the Halo games. A player character dies in this book and Alpha Nine basically falls apart. I do wish the Rookie hadn’t been killed off in a book, I kinda wish they had just made him fade into obscurity after the war, but whatever what’s done is done. The book is incredibly short, and I like Buck in it, he was a shining light for me in Halo 5 and he certainly does a lot to make this book feel more palatable. I did enjoy it, but I certainly wouldn’t count it among my favorite Halo novels, just a fairly good story.
October 22, 2022
I liked it a lot. It has a lot of issues holding it back from being great but I think more of the Halo books should go into this direction
April 7, 2024
I'm no book expert, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. Being a huge fan of the halo 3 odst game, hearing about those beloved characters back in actions was super neat, the sporadic and cluttered story telling fit bucks character very well, only way it could have been improved is if Nathan Fillion was reading it to me
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