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Halo #22
HALO: Retribution
An original full-length novel set in the Halo universe and based on the New York Times bestselling video game series!
December 2553. Less than a year after the end of the Covenant War, a string of violent incidents continues to threaten the tenuous peace in human-held space, culminating in the assassination of UNSC fleet admiral Graselyn Tuwa and the abduction of her family. It is a provocation so outrageous that the Office of Naval Intelligence must retaliate swiftly and ferociously—but only after its operatives identify her killer and rescue the hostages.
This mission will be the first for homicide-detective-turned-ONI-operative Veta Lopis and her young team of Spartan-IIIs, and something feels wrong from the start. The obvious suspect is an infamous Brute who leads the Keepers of the One Freedom, an ex-Covenant splinter group in fierce opposition to the UNSC. But Lopis and her team soon realize that the truth is much more insidious than they could ever have imagined, and with Fred-104, Kelly-087, and Linda-058 of Blue Team for combat support, they must stop a plan hatched in the bowels of the secret research station Argent Moon—a plan so sinister it could destroy all those still reeling from thirty years of intergalactic conflict….
December 2553. Less than a year after the end of the Covenant War, a string of violent incidents continues to threaten the tenuous peace in human-held space, culminating in the assassination of UNSC fleet admiral Graselyn Tuwa and the abduction of her family. It is a provocation so outrageous that the Office of Naval Intelligence must retaliate swiftly and ferociously—but only after its operatives identify her killer and rescue the hostages.
This mission will be the first for homicide-detective-turned-ONI-operative Veta Lopis and her young team of Spartan-IIIs, and something feels wrong from the start. The obvious suspect is an infamous Brute who leads the Keepers of the One Freedom, an ex-Covenant splinter group in fierce opposition to the UNSC. But Lopis and her team soon realize that the truth is much more insidious than they could ever have imagined, and with Fred-104, Kelly-087, and Linda-058 of Blue Team for combat support, they must stop a plan hatched in the bowels of the secret research station Argent Moon—a plan so sinister it could destroy all those still reeling from thirty years of intergalactic conflict….
368 pages, ebook
First published August 29, 2017
105 people are currently reading
2001 people want to read
About the author
Troy Denning
185 books662 followersAlso known as Richard Awlinson.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Den...
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Den...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
March 24, 2020
I really really love the way the author is fleshing out Veta and Fred, especially Fred and his developing admiration and cherish for her. Spartans are not emotionless machines, they never were. The Ferrets are as badass as ever and I'm glad for these adventures. Troy Denning has brought new blood, new life and new perspectives to the franchise.
Very much recommended.
RE-READING 3/24/2020
Quarantine, goddammit. These two keep my hopes up, I seriously want at least one of my Spartans to have something NICE in their lives. This might be it.
Very much recommended.
RE-READING 3/24/2020
Quarantine, goddammit. These two keep my hopes up, I seriously want at least one of my Spartans to have something NICE in their lives. This might be it.
November 8, 2017
"Just doing my job, Inspector," he said. "Same as you."
I received a copy of this book from a goodreads first reads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I've been pleasantly surprised by a number of Halo books recently and this story was no exception.
I mentioned in another review but think it rings true here too that what makes these stories great is how they expand on the Halo world. They're a bit cheesy and full of military protocol with sarcastic but lovable characters and reminiscent of Star Wars at times. But they're also adventurous and sad and cram a lot into a quick read.
This book dives into the action early on and hardly lets up from start to finish. I was able to read it in a few sittings because it's hard to put down. From a hostage situation to punchy one liners this book has a lot of promise and delivers on them all. It's a gritty look at the Halo world that doesn't focus solely on the Spartans. We get intense battle scenes and split second decisions made by new and familiar characters in an intriguing story.
It's a read that pulls you into space and sends you off into a day in the UNSC.
I received a copy of this book from a goodreads first reads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I've been pleasantly surprised by a number of Halo books recently and this story was no exception.
I mentioned in another review but think it rings true here too that what makes these stories great is how they expand on the Halo world. They're a bit cheesy and full of military protocol with sarcastic but lovable characters and reminiscent of Star Wars at times. But they're also adventurous and sad and cram a lot into a quick read.
This book dives into the action early on and hardly lets up from start to finish. I was able to read it in a few sittings because it's hard to put down. From a hostage situation to punchy one liners this book has a lot of promise and delivers on them all. It's a gritty look at the Halo world that doesn't focus solely on the Spartans. We get intense battle scenes and split second decisions made by new and familiar characters in an intriguing story.
It's a read that pulls you into space and sends you off into a day in the UNSC.
December 11, 2017
Another excellent addition to the Halo series.
HALO: Retribution picks up right where HALO: Last Light drops off. It flawlessly continues the adventures of inspector Veta Lopis and her three lethally augmented teenage Gammas. In this book she's yanked suddenly from ONI training to investigate the murders of UNSC fleet admiral Graselyn Tuwa and the abduction of her family.
Not everything is as it seems, though, and the plot thickens into a multilayered scheme for freedom by Intrepid Eye. ( <----- Not a spoiler because its bloody obvious.)
Blue team gets involved and it's all one big, bad, (mostly) Spartan family again.
I still ship Veta and Fred.
I still love reading about the gammas and how nifty all their augmentations are.
And the books written by Troy Denning still satisfy my Halo craving (even though Master Chief and Cortana aren't involved).
Bring on the next book!
HALO: Retribution picks up right where HALO: Last Light drops off. It flawlessly continues the adventures of inspector Veta Lopis and her three lethally augmented teenage Gammas. In this book she's yanked suddenly from ONI training to investigate the murders of UNSC fleet admiral Graselyn Tuwa and the abduction of her family.
Not everything is as it seems, though, and the plot thickens into a multilayered scheme for freedom by Intrepid Eye. ( <----- Not a spoiler because its bloody obvious.)
Blue team gets involved and it's all one big, bad, (mostly) Spartan family again.
I still ship Veta and Fred.
I still love reading about the gammas and how nifty all their augmentations are.
And the books written by Troy Denning still satisfy my Halo craving (even though Master Chief and Cortana aren't involved).
Bring on the next book!
August 29, 2018
HALO: RETRIBUTION is the sequel to HALO: LAST LIGHT. In that book, a group of Spartan-IIIs, accompanied by Fred-104, made friends with a local investigator (Veta Lopis) in order to stop a murderous A.I. Here, about six months later, Veta is now serving as an ONI agent in order to continue the fight against humanity's enemies. This includes an incredibly entertaining undercover sting operation that involves her pretending to be a pirate and arms trafficker in a Russian bar similar to the Mos Eisley Cantina.
I didn't quite enjoy this book as much as LAST LIGHT because it lacked interaction between Fred and Veta. They're one of my favorite Halo couples and I really wish Troy would get those two together (even if Spartans lack most of the human sex drive). Veta serving as Team Mom is always entertaining but I think she'd be more suspicious of ONI given they're, well, pretty much evil incarnate. While the rare agent is a decent person, ONI really needs someone working on the inside against them.
The best part of the book is when Veta is pretending to be an arms trafficker and trying to stay under the radar. I was sad when the story switched from that and to a more tradition shoot-em up storyline. Still, nobody writes Halo action quite like Troy Denning and I didn't mind them resolving things with plasma blasters versus their wits. I also enjoyed seeing the return of the Keepers since they're one of the best villain groups in Halo (if you can call them villains).
In conclusion, I very much enjoyed this and I hope Troy will write another Halo novel with Fred and Veta.
9/10
I didn't quite enjoy this book as much as LAST LIGHT because it lacked interaction between Fred and Veta. They're one of my favorite Halo couples and I really wish Troy would get those two together (even if Spartans lack most of the human sex drive). Veta serving as Team Mom is always entertaining but I think she'd be more suspicious of ONI given they're, well, pretty much evil incarnate. While the rare agent is a decent person, ONI really needs someone working on the inside against them.
The best part of the book is when Veta is pretending to be an arms trafficker and trying to stay under the radar. I was sad when the story switched from that and to a more tradition shoot-em up storyline. Still, nobody writes Halo action quite like Troy Denning and I didn't mind them resolving things with plasma blasters versus their wits. I also enjoyed seeing the return of the Keepers since they're one of the best villain groups in Halo (if you can call them villains).
In conclusion, I very much enjoyed this and I hope Troy will write another Halo novel with Fred and Veta.
9/10
September 5, 2017
I listened to this book via Audible.
Halo: Retribution is a followup to Last Light, Troy Denning's previous novel set in the Halo universe. It follows Veta Lopis and her ferret team as they use their detective skills to track down the killer of a UNSC admiral. It turns out things aren't as simple as they seem and help in the form of Spartan Blue Team becomes required as well.
If you're a fan of the Halo universe and Last Light in particular you'll find a lot of familiar people and places in the story. It was nice to see Gamma Company again as they continue to hone their skills and fit into their new roles. The story takes you to new and old locations as they track down the people responsible for the admiral's assassination, which is a nice change compared to the single locale of the previous story.
As far as the plot goes, there's a lot going on, and several different threads to keep track of. It's interesting watching the interplay between the characters as their stories touch and diverge over the course of the narrative. In the end, you're left wanting more, in a good way that has me excited for Denning's next entry in the series.
All in all, I enjoyed Retribution a lot and look forward to seeing what's next for the ferrets as well as the other characters. It's nice to see this different side of the Halo universe and I can't wait to come back!
Halo: Retribution is a followup to Last Light, Troy Denning's previous novel set in the Halo universe. It follows Veta Lopis and her ferret team as they use their detective skills to track down the killer of a UNSC admiral. It turns out things aren't as simple as they seem and help in the form of Spartan Blue Team becomes required as well.
If you're a fan of the Halo universe and Last Light in particular you'll find a lot of familiar people and places in the story. It was nice to see Gamma Company again as they continue to hone their skills and fit into their new roles. The story takes you to new and old locations as they track down the people responsible for the admiral's assassination, which is a nice change compared to the single locale of the previous story.
As far as the plot goes, there's a lot going on, and several different threads to keep track of. It's interesting watching the interplay between the characters as their stories touch and diverge over the course of the narrative. In the end, you're left wanting more, in a good way that has me excited for Denning's next entry in the series.
All in all, I enjoyed Retribution a lot and look forward to seeing what's next for the ferrets as well as the other characters. It's nice to see this different side of the Halo universe and I can't wait to come back!
September 5, 2020
From what I've read so far, the Halo canon is actually surprisingly well written and in depth. I found Retribution to be meh overall. It wasn't bad, but it felt like it was going through the motions and didn't have much to say, despite the intriguing set up and a protagonist that's an investigator. But it didn't do much with this concept and largely felt familiar and even rushed at times.
June 6, 2025
I liked parts of this book but overall it was underwhelming and disappointing. I feel like there was no character development for literally anyone. The plot was all over the place. Parts of it were just boring.
September 26, 2021
I stg i marked this as read like 2 days ago but… apparently not? Ah well i do it now
May 1, 2024
Another great one from Denning. Veta is becoming more enjoyable. Blue Team is great as always.
September 19, 2024
Read a while ago, but from what I read I did like the book.
Last light is better, but I love the Ferret series, and looking forward to reading Divine Wind
Last light is better, but I love the Ferret series, and looking forward to reading Divine Wind
March 5, 2018
This book was a good combination of excitement and lore since it is a book from the halo franchise. In this book the main characters are Veta Lopis, Mark-G313, Ash-099, and Olivia-G291as well as Blue Team minus John-117. They start in a bar and Veta was trying to make a deal with a mercenary named The Goliath. She told them that her and her crew had stole some Havok nukes when Blue Team came through the door and a firefight. Veta and her team tried to make it look realistic an escaped after everybody else fighting had died. They ran down the street and some Kig-Yar picked them up. They brought the team to their spacecraft. Then it goes to a flashback from a couple of weeks earlier where an entire ship had been killed off and the admiral in charge of the ship was murdered and her family taken by a Covenant split of group called The Keepers of the One Freedom. It comes back to the present and they are in slipspace. Upon exit the captain of the Kig-Yar ship tried to kill Veta and her crew of Ferrets but ended up dying themselves. But a boarding party from the planet took them prisoner but once planetside were incapacitated as well. On the planet they kill their captures and go look for the admiral’s family. They find an ONI classified ship called a Turaco and and Veta and Mrk soon find the owners but decide not to question them and look in the cells for the family. They are found mutilated in a cell but was faked. They Rally up with Blue Team and the go back to the Silent Joe and chase the turaco and on the mission Fred injured but is alright and they find the culprit of the admirals family murderers. They make it back and Admiral Osman already wants them back to continue training but Veta says goodbye to fred and they leave. That is my summarization of the book Halo: Retribution
In this book the characters are very tough, intelligent, and use their training to be in a combat situation efficiently. The Gamma Ferret Squad of Spartan III’s were strong and individually different and had their own quirks and stories. Veta was a strong and independent as well as very intelligent and was able to come up with plans off the top of her head. In the beginning they are in a bustling city on a far outer colony. Then they are in a retrofitted covenant ship with a large hangar with an assortment of different vehicle. They are next in a forerunner construct with a shear and gigantic cliff and a big sweeping lake. Finally they are in a large stealth corvette with high tech everything in the ship and complicated cloaking devices. These settings and characters are displayed with such passion and complacency.
This book in my opinion was pretty good and the author was good at making my imagination conjure up an image of each character and the settings. I found that this book didn’t have many flaws other than it was a bit dry at times but I’d say that was because some information had to be put across that was essential but slowed the story down a small bit. I would definitely read this book again and recommend this to someone. This book had an intriguing plot and there were many things to contemplate throughout the book. I found that I was able to use my creativity in this book and could imagine what each place looked like. Overall I enjoyed this book and am glad that I read it.
In this book the characters are very tough, intelligent, and use their training to be in a combat situation efficiently. The Gamma Ferret Squad of Spartan III’s were strong and individually different and had their own quirks and stories. Veta was a strong and independent as well as very intelligent and was able to come up with plans off the top of her head. In the beginning they are in a bustling city on a far outer colony. Then they are in a retrofitted covenant ship with a large hangar with an assortment of different vehicle. They are next in a forerunner construct with a shear and gigantic cliff and a big sweeping lake. Finally they are in a large stealth corvette with high tech everything in the ship and complicated cloaking devices. These settings and characters are displayed with such passion and complacency.
This book in my opinion was pretty good and the author was good at making my imagination conjure up an image of each character and the settings. I found that this book didn’t have many flaws other than it was a bit dry at times but I’d say that was because some information had to be put across that was essential but slowed the story down a small bit. I would definitely read this book again and recommend this to someone. This book had an intriguing plot and there were many things to contemplate throughout the book. I found that I was able to use my creativity in this book and could imagine what each place looked like. Overall I enjoyed this book and am glad that I read it.
August 3, 2018
Great book
Whether you played the games or just like miltiary sci-fi this is a great read. If this is your first book of the Halo world I recommend starting with something else and trying to get up to speed on what the Spartans and different alien species are
Whether you played the games or just like miltiary sci-fi this is a great read. If this is your first book of the Halo world I recommend starting with something else and trying to get up to speed on what the Spartans and different alien species are
September 29, 2017
The Halo realm is vividly upheld here.
A haunting and thrilling mystery whose layers unfold with unexpected machinations and disturbing results for an Admiral’s family. A resilient female inspector and her formidable young team overcome numerous impediments on their way to reaching the astounding truth of what actually is going on.
Well written battle encounters are expressed richly and intensely. Giving the reader the sensation of being right in the middle of the action. This easy to read, page turning escaped was a pleasure to be immersed in.
A haunting and thrilling mystery whose layers unfold with unexpected machinations and disturbing results for an Admiral’s family. A resilient female inspector and her formidable young team overcome numerous impediments on their way to reaching the astounding truth of what actually is going on.
Well written battle encounters are expressed richly and intensely. Giving the reader the sensation of being right in the middle of the action. This easy to read, page turning escaped was a pleasure to be immersed in.
October 9, 2019
I liked the characters but I didn't care too much for the story. It felt unimportant in the grand scheme of the Halo universe and the story seemed to only serve as a stepping stone for something bigger that has yet to come. I would rather just get to that story. I liked Last Light and I also liked the short story "A Necessary Truth" in Halo Fractures which featured the same characters and should be read after Last Light and before this novel. Retribution is not as good but it is not bad and should still be read by die-hard Halo universe enthusiasts.
January 9, 2018
I'm loving the Ferrets, and Troy Denning is killing it with HALO right now. Veta is a refreshing character in the canon, and the sense of Ash, Olivia, and Mark growing up as time passes adds great depth to the story. Otherwise, it was a pretty standard sci-fi military thriller, albeit one of high quality for the universe. Recommended.
November 28, 2018
Excellent!
A very solid addition to the Halo universe. This is a well written, action packed novel that should please any Halo fan. I look forward to reading the next installment, and to find out what Intrepid Eye has up her sleeve.
A very solid addition to the Halo universe. This is a well written, action packed novel that should please any Halo fan. I look forward to reading the next installment, and to find out what Intrepid Eye has up her sleeve.
August 4, 2020
A great addition to the Halo family of books. Love the action and characterization. Thanks for the opportunity!
June 21, 2018
Not as strong as the prior novels. It struggles to keep continuity in check, and didn't play as much with the post-war relations as it could have
October 22, 2021
Halo: Retribution by Troy Denning is a video game tie-in novel based on the Halo video game franchise, and the second book of the “Ferret Team” Trilogy.
Set in December 2553. Less than a year after the events of Halo 3. Former investigator turned ONI agent Veta Lopis and the Spartan-III Gamma company members Mark-G313, Ash-G099, and Olivia-G291, form a top secret Ferret team, and are deployed to investigate the murder of a UNSC vice admiral and the kidnapping of her family. The team stumbles on a plot to use the kidnapped family members to to create a vaccine against a powerful bio-weapon being developed in a secret ONI facility.
First of all I want to say that I have read the first book in the trilogy, I did love the first one the tone and overall feel of the book. That is something that is very much continued in the second book, Troy Denning does a great job of opening up the world from a Forerunner base/ Moon Taram to the mains in Meridian and planet Gao. Each place has its own feel, Moon Taram is a mysterious place unknown and it feels like it hadn't been touched in years to Gao a place filled with distain for Lopis after what Arlo Casille did to her and the people she knew.
I loved how Troy made the story still feel like an investigation, the story is about fighting the Keepers of the One Freedom but he keeps Lopis always looking out for clues about what could help her next. She's always thinking about what, when and why.
I also love the interaction with her team members.... And the Gammas calling her mom which makes me laugh all the time. I love the interaction with Spartan Fred-104 and the hug they shared at the end of the story, it shows you how much they have grown to like each other. Its a more human touch to make Fred feel more human character it was nice to see that.
The Keepers as the antagonist are nice though you don't get much time with them collectively, Castor is a good villan to knows how to get what he wants and doesn't wast much time in doing so made his character much more alive and threatening, someone you shouldn't annoy without having a plan. Intrepid Eye is also a good antagonist cool calm and evil out for himself makes me wonder if we will see him again? You also find out what been happening to Arlo Casille I won't spoil it for people who haven't read it but I like how he got screwed over.
Overall, I thought this was a great read and seriously can't wait to read more from Denning. I don't even really have any major complaints. It's just that well rounded as a Halo novel, and would definitely recommend it to any fellow Halo fans or lovers of Military sci-fi.
Set in December 2553. Less than a year after the events of Halo 3. Former investigator turned ONI agent Veta Lopis and the Spartan-III Gamma company members Mark-G313, Ash-G099, and Olivia-G291, form a top secret Ferret team, and are deployed to investigate the murder of a UNSC vice admiral and the kidnapping of her family. The team stumbles on a plot to use the kidnapped family members to to create a vaccine against a powerful bio-weapon being developed in a secret ONI facility.
First of all I want to say that I have read the first book in the trilogy, I did love the first one the tone and overall feel of the book. That is something that is very much continued in the second book, Troy Denning does a great job of opening up the world from a Forerunner base/ Moon Taram to the mains in Meridian and planet Gao. Each place has its own feel, Moon Taram is a mysterious place unknown and it feels like it hadn't been touched in years to Gao a place filled with distain for Lopis after what Arlo Casille did to her and the people she knew.
I loved how Troy made the story still feel like an investigation, the story is about fighting the Keepers of the One Freedom but he keeps Lopis always looking out for clues about what could help her next. She's always thinking about what, when and why.
I also love the interaction with her team members.... And the Gammas calling her mom which makes me laugh all the time. I love the interaction with Spartan Fred-104 and the hug they shared at the end of the story, it shows you how much they have grown to like each other. Its a more human touch to make Fred feel more human character it was nice to see that.
The Keepers as the antagonist are nice though you don't get much time with them collectively, Castor is a good villan to knows how to get what he wants and doesn't wast much time in doing so made his character much more alive and threatening, someone you shouldn't annoy without having a plan. Intrepid Eye is also a good antagonist cool calm and evil out for himself makes me wonder if we will see him again? You also find out what been happening to Arlo Casille I won't spoil it for people who haven't read it but I like how he got screwed over.
Overall, I thought this was a great read and seriously can't wait to read more from Denning. I don't even really have any major complaints. It's just that well rounded as a Halo novel, and would definitely recommend it to any fellow Halo fans or lovers of Military sci-fi.
March 25, 2020
I wanted This book to be a 5/5. It was really exciting and the pacing was phenomenal. It was great to discover New Tyne in this story and to get a better look at the The Keepers of The One Freedom. The murder mystery was even more mysterious than in the first book and you were always wondering who the murderers were and why they’ve done it. That was until...
Rant incoming
...Entrepid eye was behind it all. Boom. Big suprise (not). What was the authour thinking? This was a truelly dirty way to rehash used ideas. In the last book we wondered who the murderer was. Perhaps it was the Keepers? No, it was this archeon class ancilla. That’s amazing. It’s not that interesting the second time though. They even wanted you to believe that the Keepers were the murderers in beginning. It’s like they ran out of ideas.
Now, the thing I enjoyed the most about the first book, was the inspectors relationship with Gamma. When they can’t get the murder mystery right, at least they could’ve gotten that right. Right? No, their relationship is not fleshed out at all. Their relationship is supposed to be the most interesting part of Veta’s story. It’s super interesting that an ordinary inspector gets a team of, unstable, 15 year old, spartan III’s that look up to her as their mother figure. I want to see more of that. The missed potential here felt a lot like what Brian Reed did to Halo 5.
A couple of negatives to finish of this rant with is 1, why do they keep reminding us that Veta has severe claustrophobia but never show us how it negativly impacts the mission? And 2, the short visit to Gao felt like a lazy nod to the last book. If you’re going back to Veta’s home planet, it just feels right to flesh out her emotions a bit more, on the fact of coming back to a planet that despices you.
Now why did I give it a 4/5 instead of a 3/5? Because Fred’s and Veta’s relationship got its redemption in the last chapter. I giggled quite a bit, not gonna lie.
Rant incoming
...Entrepid eye was behind it all. Boom. Big suprise (not). What was the authour thinking? This was a truelly dirty way to rehash used ideas. In the last book we wondered who the murderer was. Perhaps it was the Keepers? No, it was this archeon class ancilla. That’s amazing. It’s not that interesting the second time though. They even wanted you to believe that the Keepers were the murderers in beginning. It’s like they ran out of ideas.
Now, the thing I enjoyed the most about the first book, was the inspectors relationship with Gamma. When they can’t get the murder mystery right, at least they could’ve gotten that right. Right? No, their relationship is not fleshed out at all. Their relationship is supposed to be the most interesting part of Veta’s story. It’s super interesting that an ordinary inspector gets a team of, unstable, 15 year old, spartan III’s that look up to her as their mother figure. I want to see more of that. The missed potential here felt a lot like what Brian Reed did to Halo 5.
A couple of negatives to finish of this rant with is 1, why do they keep reminding us that Veta has severe claustrophobia but never show us how it negativly impacts the mission? And 2, the short visit to Gao felt like a lazy nod to the last book. If you’re going back to Veta’s home planet, it just feels right to flesh out her emotions a bit more, on the fact of coming back to a planet that despices you.
Now why did I give it a 4/5 instead of a 3/5? Because Fred’s and Veta’s relationship got its redemption in the last chapter. I giggled quite a bit, not gonna lie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2024
This is the fifteenth Halo novel I have read and is one of a box set of ten Halo novels that I bought after giving up any idea of reading the novels in chronological order. Now I’m jumping all over the galaxy like a renegade ONI agent planning biological warfare. I’ve since discovered that Goodreads has a definitive list of Halo novels in some kind of logical order. However, I will stick with the box set for the time being.
Retribution is the twenty-second volume in the expanding Halo universe. It is set in 2553, one year after the end of the Covenant war and six months after Halo: Last Light in which we met the indomitable murder detective, Veta Lopis. At the end of that novel, Veta was whisked away from her home planet of Gao to be trained up as a special agent for the Office of Naval Intelligence. She is in charge of the trio of young Spartan-IIIs she encountered in Last Light. Now they have been given an urgent mission: to rescue the family of a murdered UNSC admiral who have been kidnapped by persons or creatures unknown.
Veta leaps into the investigation and discovers that what’s going on is far more sinister than a simple kidnapping for vengeance or ransom…….
I’ll say no more about the plot. There is the usual mix of action and explosions and derring-do but some surprises as well.
I’d recommend this book to Halo fans or anyone who enjoys a bit of science fiction escapism. However, I suggest you try to read the novels in some kind of chronological order, otherwise it’s easy to get lost in space.
Retribution is the twenty-second volume in the expanding Halo universe. It is set in 2553, one year after the end of the Covenant war and six months after Halo: Last Light in which we met the indomitable murder detective, Veta Lopis. At the end of that novel, Veta was whisked away from her home planet of Gao to be trained up as a special agent for the Office of Naval Intelligence. She is in charge of the trio of young Spartan-IIIs she encountered in Last Light. Now they have been given an urgent mission: to rescue the family of a murdered UNSC admiral who have been kidnapped by persons or creatures unknown.
Veta leaps into the investigation and discovers that what’s going on is far more sinister than a simple kidnapping for vengeance or ransom…….
I’ll say no more about the plot. There is the usual mix of action and explosions and derring-do but some surprises as well.
I’d recommend this book to Halo fans or anyone who enjoys a bit of science fiction escapism. However, I suggest you try to read the novels in some kind of chronological order, otherwise it’s easy to get lost in space.
February 20, 2024
Blue Team, our Spartan-III regulars, and Veta Lopis return in this detective meets spy novel. It is the direct sequel to ‘Last Light’ and continues the character development begun in ‘Ghosts of Onyx.’ The Jiralhanae, Castor, also returns from ‘Last Light,’ as does the evil Forerunner AI, Intrepid Eye, who has a rather portentous plan to “help” Humanity assume the Mantle of Responsibility.
I really enjoyed the book, though I’m getting tired of reading body movements of grabbing someone by the elbow and the redundancy of the SPARTAN-IIIs tumultuous enhancements. But I did find myself liking Veta Lopis much more than the previous book she was introduced in. Despite her petite size compared to her team Spartans, she is a force to be reckoned with.
I really enjoyed the book, though I’m getting tired of reading body movements of grabbing someone by the elbow and the redundancy of the SPARTAN-IIIs tumultuous enhancements. But I did find myself liking Veta Lopis much more than the previous book she was introduced in. Despite her petite size compared to her team Spartans, she is a force to be reckoned with.
December 6, 2025
Published 2 years after Halo 5 released, Denning creates a story utilizing two settings from the game that ultimately make Halo 5's plot even more infuriating.
The Ferrets are one of the best pieces of Halo lore to come out post Halo 3. "Retribution" is a nice espionage story that showcases ONI and the post war political climate.
And that honestly is what makes this book so infuriating, because with how pivotal Argent Moon and Governor Sloan are set up as, it's crazy that this is just interesting trivia on two minor aspects of the Halo 5 game. It's just crazy that all of Halo literature focuses on amazing stories about post-Covanent factions and insurrectionists, but 343I did the Reclaimer saga without any of it.
The Ferrets are one of the best pieces of Halo lore to come out post Halo 3. "Retribution" is a nice espionage story that showcases ONI and the post war political climate.
And that honestly is what makes this book so infuriating, because with how pivotal Argent Moon and Governor Sloan are set up as, it's crazy that this is just interesting trivia on two minor aspects of the Halo 5 game. It's just crazy that all of Halo literature focuses on amazing stories about post-Covanent factions and insurrectionists, but 343I did the Reclaimer saga without any of it.
July 16, 2021
Трой Деннинг хорошо пишет, у него получаются умные персонажи, рассуждения которых он интересно излагает.
Эта книга вышла через два года после Halo 5, но из всех прочитанных книг она наиболее близка к ней. В Halo 5 вместо сценария, только обрывки из которых очень мало можно понять. В этой книге мы посещаем две локации из Halo 5 и узнаём о них больше чем из игры. Думаю в заключительной книге трилогии Divine Wind будут ещё попытки объяснить Halo 5, пока не плохо полчается.
Кажется это первое произведение во вселенной Halo где люди и бруты действуют за одно.
Эта книга вышла через два года после Halo 5, но из всех прочитанных книг она наиболее близка к ней. В Halo 5 вместо сценария, только обрывки из которых очень мало можно понять. В этой книге мы посещаем две локации из Halo 5 и узнаём о них больше чем из игры. Думаю в заключительной книге трилогии Divine Wind будут ещё попытки объяснить Halo 5, пока не плохо полчается.
Кажется это первое произведение во вселенной Halo где люди и бруты действуют за одно.
November 20, 2021
Retribution picks up after Last Light and dives right into the action. Once again I found the opening chapters to be exciting and I was drawn in to the story rather quickly. However, I did find that the middle of the book dragged again. I really think the story should have been trimmed down.
Our main cast of characters remain both likeable and fun. I was hoping for some more emotional depth on Veta's part on this installment of her story, but her relationship with the Spartan-IIIs stopped her from reading as a totally flat character.
Our main cast of characters remain both likeable and fun. I was hoping for some more emotional depth on Veta's part on this installment of her story, but her relationship with the Spartan-IIIs stopped her from reading as a totally flat character.
October 27, 2025
This was much better than Last Light! I really enjoyed the story more, but I think it falls in a similar way about the mystery of the book... everything is revealed too soon. And it is a shame because compared to Last Light everything seemed to point a different directions and different culprits. But everything is revealed half-way through the book. Everything after that is seeing the events unfolding in a predictable action book way. A step in a better direction towards and investigation/mystery situation in the Halo universe, but still not great at that in my opinion!
January 5, 2021
Solid detective story that serves as a redeeming sequel following the slow story in Halo: Last Light. The characterization of Fred and the Ferret team of Spartan IIIs were particularly entertaining. Veta Lopis has become one of my favorite non-game characters. The A.I. conversations were particularly interesting and leave the door open for bigger stories in the future. The pacing was slow for the first half, just like it’s predecessor, but picked up immensely. The second half saves this book from being a 2-star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2021
I’ve been reading Halo books for longer than I care to admit and what I will say for them is that their capable of multi book spanning plots that can be mysteries, thrillers, or sci fi adventures. This one is almost a murder mystery, where the case doesn’t feel right and our investigative team winds up on a multi-planet adventure against the unknown. I’m not sure people who aren’t fans of the games will get much out of it, but as a Halo fan it’s a great read.
July 3, 2021
While I enjoyed the book somewhat, I felt like the story had a HUGE plot hole that made me really confused. Like one character is mentioned early in the book and then doesn't appear again until late in the book and is now fully invested in this crazy plot REALLY far down the line of the plot. And suddenly the plot is super developed. I was just really confused as to when the plot started in the first place...
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