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Halo #14
Halo: Der zerbrochene Kreis
Centuries before the Human-Covenant War would rage across the galaxy, a similar conflict erupted between the Prophets and the Elites—two alien races at odds over the sacred artifacts left by the powerful Forerunners, who disappeared eons ago. Although they would eventually form a stable alliance called the Covenant, there are those on both sides who question this fateful union. From an Elite splinter group rebelling against the Covenant during the time of its founding...to a brave Prophet caught in the machinations of the new leadership...to the root of the betrayal that would ultimately shatter the Covenant many years later, this is the untold chapter of the most unexpected heroes emerging from a realm filled with shocking treachery and ceaseless wonder.
Paperback
First published November 4, 2014
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About the author
John Shirley
320 books463 followersJohn Shirley won the Bram Stoker Award for his story collection Black Butterflies, and is the author of numerous novels, including the best-seller DEMONS, the cyberpunk classics CITY COME A-WALKIN', ECLIPSE, and BLACK GLASS, and his newest novels STORMLAND and A SORCERER OF ATLANTIS.
He is also a screenwriter, having written for television and movies; he was co-screenwriter of THE CROW. He has been several Year's Best anthologies including Prime Books' THE YEAR'S BEST DARK FANTASY AND HORROR anthology, and his nwest story collection is IN EXTREMIS: THE MOST EXTREME SHORT STORIES OF JOHN SHIRLEY. His novel BIOSHOCK: RAPTURE telling the story of the creation and undoing of Rapture, from the hit videogame BIOSHOCK is out from TOR books; his Halo novel, HALO: BROKEN CIRCLE is coming out from Pocket Books.
His most recent novels are STORMLAND and (forthcoming) AXLE BUST CREEK. His new story collection is THE FEVERISH STARS. STORMLAND and other John Shirley novels are available as audiobooks.
He is also a lyricist, having written lyrics for 18 songs recorded by the Blue Oyster Cult (especially on their albums Heaven Forbidden and Curse of the Hidden Mirror), and his own recordings.
John Shirley has written only one nonfiction book, GURDJIEFF: AN INTRODUCTION TO HIS LIFE AND IDEAS, published by Penguin/Jeremy Tarcher.
John Shirley story collections include BLACK BUTTERFLIES, IN EXTREMIS, REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY WEIRD STORIES, and LIVING SHADOWS.
source: Amazon
He is also a screenwriter, having written for television and movies; he was co-screenwriter of THE CROW. He has been several Year's Best anthologies including Prime Books' THE YEAR'S BEST DARK FANTASY AND HORROR anthology, and his nwest story collection is IN EXTREMIS: THE MOST EXTREME SHORT STORIES OF JOHN SHIRLEY. His novel BIOSHOCK: RAPTURE telling the story of the creation and undoing of Rapture, from the hit videogame BIOSHOCK is out from TOR books; his Halo novel, HALO: BROKEN CIRCLE is coming out from Pocket Books.
His most recent novels are STORMLAND and (forthcoming) AXLE BUST CREEK. His new story collection is THE FEVERISH STARS. STORMLAND and other John Shirley novels are available as audiobooks.
He is also a lyricist, having written lyrics for 18 songs recorded by the Blue Oyster Cult (especially on their albums Heaven Forbidden and Curse of the Hidden Mirror), and his own recordings.
John Shirley has written only one nonfiction book, GURDJIEFF: AN INTRODUCTION TO HIS LIFE AND IDEAS, published by Penguin/Jeremy Tarcher.
John Shirley story collections include BLACK BUTTERFLIES, IN EXTREMIS, REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY WEIRD STORIES, and LIVING SHADOWS.
source: Amazon
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
November 12, 2015
I listened to this book via Audible.
If you enjoy the Halo books because you get to learn more about the Master Chief and humanity taking on the Covenant, this is not the book for you. It focuses almost entirely on the Sangheili (Elites) and San 'Shyuum (Prophets) from the games, and a good chunk of it takes place millennia before the events of the series. It does a great job fleshing out the Halo universe and gives you quite a different perspective on the aliens you spend so much time killing.
The first half of the book takes place around 900 BCE, which is about 3,400 years before the events of the first Halo game. It covers the end of the war between the Prophets and the Elites and the signing of the Writ of Union. A group of Elites refuses to join the Covenant and journeys to an uncharted system to hide. At the same time there are political machinations going on amongst the prophets. I won't give away too much, but this is certainly the most thorough look we've gotten at both cultures.
Eventually, the story fast-forwards to 2553, around the events of Halo 2 and 3, with the discovery of Delta Halo and the Ark as well as the Covenant Civil War. We get to learn what was going on with the Covenant while the Chief and Arbiter were fighting Gravemind and stopping Tartarus from firing the Halo rings. The two parts eventually find a way to reconcile with each other, and there are some very satisfying moments when it happens.
I enjoyed the book a lot - I thought the characters were particularly well-fleshed-out. You get to see these species that are usually only enemies in a very different light and learn more about their cultures and motivations. As a long-time fan of the Halo universe I appreciated the peek behind the curtain and the turning back of time.
If you enjoy the Halo series, especially parts like Greg Bear's Forerunner trilogy, then you will probably enjoy Broken Circle. It could definitely appeal to science fiction fans in general as well since it only has some tangential relations to the game and the main story.
If you enjoy the Halo books because you get to learn more about the Master Chief and humanity taking on the Covenant, this is not the book for you. It focuses almost entirely on the Sangheili (Elites) and San 'Shyuum (Prophets) from the games, and a good chunk of it takes place millennia before the events of the series. It does a great job fleshing out the Halo universe and gives you quite a different perspective on the aliens you spend so much time killing.
The first half of the book takes place around 900 BCE, which is about 3,400 years before the events of the first Halo game. It covers the end of the war between the Prophets and the Elites and the signing of the Writ of Union. A group of Elites refuses to join the Covenant and journeys to an uncharted system to hide. At the same time there are political machinations going on amongst the prophets. I won't give away too much, but this is certainly the most thorough look we've gotten at both cultures.
Eventually, the story fast-forwards to 2553, around the events of Halo 2 and 3, with the discovery of Delta Halo and the Ark as well as the Covenant Civil War. We get to learn what was going on with the Covenant while the Chief and Arbiter were fighting Gravemind and stopping Tartarus from firing the Halo rings. The two parts eventually find a way to reconcile with each other, and there are some very satisfying moments when it happens.
I enjoyed the book a lot - I thought the characters were particularly well-fleshed-out. You get to see these species that are usually only enemies in a very different light and learn more about their cultures and motivations. As a long-time fan of the Halo universe I appreciated the peek behind the curtain and the turning back of time.
If you enjoy the Halo series, especially parts like Greg Bear's Forerunner trilogy, then you will probably enjoy Broken Circle. It could definitely appeal to science fiction fans in general as well since it only has some tangential relations to the game and the main story.
November 9, 2014
This book is very well written, and is an excellent addition to the Halo Universe. The book is full of good stuff, but seems to have a heavy focus on betrayal. Which makes sense, since the second half of the book comes right into play during the events of Halo 2 when the Brutes replace the Elites, and the Arbiter begins leading his faction.
The first half of the book takes place roughly 1000 years earlier, and gives us an exciting tale about the last Forerunner Shield World ever created. I do find it ironic that the Forerunners never utilized its capabilities before their untimely demise. I won't give any spoilers here, but the shield world ends up doing some pretty cool stuff, and it was a strong plot line.
The characters were great. We get an even greater understanding how conniving the Prophet of Truth really was, and this helps push the Halo 2/3 story along well.
Definitely a must read for Halo fans. You don't need to read any of the other Halo books to understand this one. Fans of Halo 2/3 will appreciate the story.
The first half of the book takes place roughly 1000 years earlier, and gives us an exciting tale about the last Forerunner Shield World ever created. I do find it ironic that the Forerunners never utilized its capabilities before their untimely demise. I won't give any spoilers here, but the shield world ends up doing some pretty cool stuff, and it was a strong plot line.
The characters were great. We get an even greater understanding how conniving the Prophet of Truth really was, and this helps push the Halo 2/3 story along well.
Definitely a must read for Halo fans. You don't need to read any of the other Halo books to understand this one. Fans of Halo 2/3 will appreciate the story.
October 15, 2021
Halo: Broken Circle by John Shirley is a video game tie-in novel based on the Halo video game franchise.
Ever wonder how the honorable warrior species Sangheili (the Elites) became a part of the Covenant ? Halo: Broken Circle is the story of how that came to be. Broken Circle takes place hundreds of years before the Human-Covenant War began. Because of the history of the Halo universe is rich in this book and the characters who are the oddest protagonists vital to the eventual fall of the Covenant, I could not put this book down. Because I was so enticed, I read this book in just three days. The way Shirley portrays these new characters the Halo fan has never heard of was brilliantly written in a way that not only makes the plot flow easily, but also has the reader empathise with the characters. I did not expect to like any of the characters since I’ve fought against the Covenant for so many years in the games. I expected to hate the characters. Instead, I found myself liking the alien protagonists because of their respectable character and common enemy—the Hierarch Prophets. If you’re interested in reading the back story of how the Elites allied with the Covenant, and how the Great Schism that started in Halo 2 came about, this book tells the story.
The book starts off in the midst of the San’Shyuum-Sangheili War (Prophet-Elite War) on the Planet of Red and Blue during the Covenant’s “First Age of Conflict” (the first of 39). After this, the story continues many years later during the Covenant’s Age of Reconciliation, which is the age when the San’Shyuum shared the information they had learnt about the Forerunners with the Sangheili. During this age is when the two species formulated a truce called the Writ of Union in order to have a unified Covenant. There are two prominent figures in this story, one a San’Shyuum and the other a Sangheili. The San’Shyuum is Mken, who is the Prophet of Inner Conviction and Minister of Relic Safety. The Sangheili is Ussa ‘Xellus, who is adamant to join the Covenant and recruits other Sangheili to continue the rebellion against them. As the plot unfolds, the reader gains some insight not just into the birth of the Covenant, but also the beginning politics of the Hierarchs and the culture of the Sangheili.
After a significant battle on their home planet Sangheilios, ‘Xellus and his rebel Sangheili flee and find refuge on a Forerunner shield world, where they encounter its AI called Enduring Bias. Enduring Bias allows them to stay as they try to find a way to get back to Sangheilios. Back on High Charity, the Covenant’s main base of operations, the Hierarch called Qurlom tells Mken of a new Ministry the Hierachs created: the Ministry of Anticipatory Security. This becomes a problem for Mken because the San’Shyuum in charge of it, R’Noh Custo, is his political nemesis who warns Mken that the Ministry was created to remove any possible threats to the High Prophet of Excellent Redolence’s authority. Later on, Excellent Redolence selects Mken to lead a mission on the planet Janjur Qom to find a Luminary. A Luminary is a Forerunner device that locates other nearby Forerunner artifacts. Thus, a Luminary was an extremely prized value for the Covenant for religious and technological purposes. Mken did not want to participate in the mission, but Excellent Redolence, knowing Mken’s wife was in her fertile cycle, threatened that if Mken refused he would put him on trial and would more than likely be put back on the Roll of Celibates. (The Roll of Celibates was the Hierarchy’s method of controlling San’Shyuum procreation.) So, Mken reluctantly accepted the mission. Unfortunately, the mission doesn’t go as planned and Mken ends up on trial anyway. Fortunately, the trial goes well for this unlikely hero. Afterwards, Mken is put in charge of a fleet to destroy ‘Xellus and his rebels. Having compassion for the Sangheili, Mken offers him a merciful negotiation: if he and his wife, Sooln, turn themselves in, he will allow the rest of his rebels to go free. However, ‘Xellus refuses, the battle ensues, and Mken’s fleet wins. Yet in the midst of the debris, Mken notices odd movements and chooses to ignore them as he hopes ‘Xellus survived the onslaught. If you’re shocked at a Prophet’s mercy and hope for his supposed “enemy,” so was I. Perhaps Mken knew the Covenant and its cause was corrupt, so knowing he was powerless to stand against it, maybe this is why he hoped ‘Xellus survived so that someone may stop the Hierarchs. Little did he know about ‘Xellus’s true fate and the humans’ later involvement in taking out the Covenant.
Over 3,400 years later during the 9th Age of Reclamation, a descendent of Mken called Zo Resken is collecting together a record of the history of the Covenant where he learns of Mken and his involvement with Ussa ‘Xellus. He also suspects ‘Xellus and his rebels are still alive on the shield world. Just like his ancestor, Resken has good relations with high ranking Sangheili. After learning a conspiracy the Prophet of Truth concocted to cast the Sangheili out of the Covenant, he warns his Sangheili friends. The story continues as Resken experiences what the gamer experiences in Halo 2 & 3—the Changing of the Guard, the Great Schism, the Battle of Installation 05, and the fall of High Charity. Are Ussa ‘Xellus and his rebels still alive on the shield world? Do they get to return to Sangheilios? Does Mken’s ancestor, Zo Resken, survive the Great Schism? What does this lead to? If you’re interested in these answers, then I highly recommend this book.
I really enjoyed Shirley’s style of writing, the way he jumped back and forth between the perspectives of the San’Shyuum prophets and the rebel Sangheili. It felt like I was reading a TV series, so every time the perspectives changed, I felt myself wanting to read more like reaching the end of an episode to find out what would happen to the protagonists. I’m also surprised that I found myself caring for the main characters, since they were mostly all associated with the Covenant. After playing the Halo games so much, I of course found myself hating the Covenant and anyone who sided with them. Of course, it was easy to like the rebel Sangheili since they wanted nothing to do with the Covenant. However, I found myself rooting for Mken and Resken in spite of their loyalty to the Covenant. It’s true marks of a greater writer, in my opinion, to force you to abandon your biased feelings and come to a growing empathy and respect for characters associated with an enemy you loathe.
Not only do we learn of the Sangheili faction who have fought the Covenant for centuries and the Covenant’s early roots of corruption, but we also learn that even within the Covenant there was reluctance about the Covenant’s supposed “holy” cause. The Prophet Mken saw this early on, centuries before the Covenant disbanded. Somehow, down his lineage, one of his descendants developed a similar suspicion through Mken’s records, and leads toward a victorious ending. At the end of this book, the reader can see how the Hierarchy’s arrogance and corruption was the cause of their eventual downfall.
Ever wonder how the honorable warrior species Sangheili (the Elites) became a part of the Covenant ? Halo: Broken Circle is the story of how that came to be. Broken Circle takes place hundreds of years before the Human-Covenant War began. Because of the history of the Halo universe is rich in this book and the characters who are the oddest protagonists vital to the eventual fall of the Covenant, I could not put this book down. Because I was so enticed, I read this book in just three days. The way Shirley portrays these new characters the Halo fan has never heard of was brilliantly written in a way that not only makes the plot flow easily, but also has the reader empathise with the characters. I did not expect to like any of the characters since I’ve fought against the Covenant for so many years in the games. I expected to hate the characters. Instead, I found myself liking the alien protagonists because of their respectable character and common enemy—the Hierarch Prophets. If you’re interested in reading the back story of how the Elites allied with the Covenant, and how the Great Schism that started in Halo 2 came about, this book tells the story.
The book starts off in the midst of the San’Shyuum-Sangheili War (Prophet-Elite War) on the Planet of Red and Blue during the Covenant’s “First Age of Conflict” (the first of 39). After this, the story continues many years later during the Covenant’s Age of Reconciliation, which is the age when the San’Shyuum shared the information they had learnt about the Forerunners with the Sangheili. During this age is when the two species formulated a truce called the Writ of Union in order to have a unified Covenant. There are two prominent figures in this story, one a San’Shyuum and the other a Sangheili. The San’Shyuum is Mken, who is the Prophet of Inner Conviction and Minister of Relic Safety. The Sangheili is Ussa ‘Xellus, who is adamant to join the Covenant and recruits other Sangheili to continue the rebellion against them. As the plot unfolds, the reader gains some insight not just into the birth of the Covenant, but also the beginning politics of the Hierarchs and the culture of the Sangheili.
After a significant battle on their home planet Sangheilios, ‘Xellus and his rebel Sangheili flee and find refuge on a Forerunner shield world, where they encounter its AI called Enduring Bias. Enduring Bias allows them to stay as they try to find a way to get back to Sangheilios. Back on High Charity, the Covenant’s main base of operations, the Hierarch called Qurlom tells Mken of a new Ministry the Hierachs created: the Ministry of Anticipatory Security. This becomes a problem for Mken because the San’Shyuum in charge of it, R’Noh Custo, is his political nemesis who warns Mken that the Ministry was created to remove any possible threats to the High Prophet of Excellent Redolence’s authority. Later on, Excellent Redolence selects Mken to lead a mission on the planet Janjur Qom to find a Luminary. A Luminary is a Forerunner device that locates other nearby Forerunner artifacts. Thus, a Luminary was an extremely prized value for the Covenant for religious and technological purposes. Mken did not want to participate in the mission, but Excellent Redolence, knowing Mken’s wife was in her fertile cycle, threatened that if Mken refused he would put him on trial and would more than likely be put back on the Roll of Celibates. (The Roll of Celibates was the Hierarchy’s method of controlling San’Shyuum procreation.) So, Mken reluctantly accepted the mission. Unfortunately, the mission doesn’t go as planned and Mken ends up on trial anyway. Fortunately, the trial goes well for this unlikely hero. Afterwards, Mken is put in charge of a fleet to destroy ‘Xellus and his rebels. Having compassion for the Sangheili, Mken offers him a merciful negotiation: if he and his wife, Sooln, turn themselves in, he will allow the rest of his rebels to go free. However, ‘Xellus refuses, the battle ensues, and Mken’s fleet wins. Yet in the midst of the debris, Mken notices odd movements and chooses to ignore them as he hopes ‘Xellus survived the onslaught. If you’re shocked at a Prophet’s mercy and hope for his supposed “enemy,” so was I. Perhaps Mken knew the Covenant and its cause was corrupt, so knowing he was powerless to stand against it, maybe this is why he hoped ‘Xellus survived so that someone may stop the Hierarchs. Little did he know about ‘Xellus’s true fate and the humans’ later involvement in taking out the Covenant.
Over 3,400 years later during the 9th Age of Reclamation, a descendent of Mken called Zo Resken is collecting together a record of the history of the Covenant where he learns of Mken and his involvement with Ussa ‘Xellus. He also suspects ‘Xellus and his rebels are still alive on the shield world. Just like his ancestor, Resken has good relations with high ranking Sangheili. After learning a conspiracy the Prophet of Truth concocted to cast the Sangheili out of the Covenant, he warns his Sangheili friends. The story continues as Resken experiences what the gamer experiences in Halo 2 & 3—the Changing of the Guard, the Great Schism, the Battle of Installation 05, and the fall of High Charity. Are Ussa ‘Xellus and his rebels still alive on the shield world? Do they get to return to Sangheilios? Does Mken’s ancestor, Zo Resken, survive the Great Schism? What does this lead to? If you’re interested in these answers, then I highly recommend this book.
I really enjoyed Shirley’s style of writing, the way he jumped back and forth between the perspectives of the San’Shyuum prophets and the rebel Sangheili. It felt like I was reading a TV series, so every time the perspectives changed, I felt myself wanting to read more like reaching the end of an episode to find out what would happen to the protagonists. I’m also surprised that I found myself caring for the main characters, since they were mostly all associated with the Covenant. After playing the Halo games so much, I of course found myself hating the Covenant and anyone who sided with them. Of course, it was easy to like the rebel Sangheili since they wanted nothing to do with the Covenant. However, I found myself rooting for Mken and Resken in spite of their loyalty to the Covenant. It’s true marks of a greater writer, in my opinion, to force you to abandon your biased feelings and come to a growing empathy and respect for characters associated with an enemy you loathe.
Not only do we learn of the Sangheili faction who have fought the Covenant for centuries and the Covenant’s early roots of corruption, but we also learn that even within the Covenant there was reluctance about the Covenant’s supposed “holy” cause. The Prophet Mken saw this early on, centuries before the Covenant disbanded. Somehow, down his lineage, one of his descendants developed a similar suspicion through Mken’s records, and leads toward a victorious ending. At the end of this book, the reader can see how the Hierarchy’s arrogance and corruption was the cause of their eventual downfall.
September 24, 2025
Oddly paced, a bit dry, and a bit of a departure from traditional halo novels. But I found myself by the end enjoying it more than I thought I would,
March 28, 2022
Getting really sucked into this after reading two trilogies was genuinely difficult initially. I was already familiar with the main characters in Kilo-5 and the Forerunner Saga, so getting invested in new characters - particularly San 'Shyuum who have never once been likable in the games or novels - was a big ask. Once this book started to click with me, however, I ended up liking it quite a bit.
Essentially divided into two halves, this novel tells the story of the early days of The Covenant and contrasts that period with the finals days of The Covenant, nearly 3000 years later.
I'll get this out of the way first: in no way does this book really do anything to emphasize the vastness of the 3000 years between the two storylines. Technology apparently didn't advance much, and people are able to piece together events from 3000 years in the past as if they had happened yesterday. That is likely a stylistic choice, but after the Forerunner saga which is also a bit murky in its timeline, this was a bit hard to ignore.
Basically the first half is fine, and the second half is great.
This book does something I did not know was possible: make San 'Shyuum character that is not only interesting, but actually likable. And I think this book does that twice!
The San 'Shyuum character in the first half seems like a bit of a bastard at times, but he has understandable motives and there is some genuinely nice moments of affection between him and his wife that add a nice bit of romance that is sorely lacking from these Halo novels.
The second half of the novel is told primarily from the perspective of his ancestor 3000 years later, and this character seems to be entirely a good guy, in comparison to the mixed morality of the first half.
This book is a great way to get an understanding of the inner politics of The Covenant, while also providing the reader with a perspective we simply had not seen before. There was a bit of gratuitous, graphic violence that was extremely jarring after how tame both Kilo-5 and the Forerunner Saga were, but they came not from dull action sequences but instead from moments meant to be shocking to the reader. It works, but it toed the line of bad taste pretty closely.
Overall, this is quite a good book. Plus there's some good Huragok content in here which I of course was very happy with. I love those floaty little fellas so much.
Next book is Halo: New Blood, which I believe is about Buck from Halo 3: ODST. He's fine I guess, I believe this book is pretty popular which makes sense because of the whole Nathan Fillion thing.
Essentially divided into two halves, this novel tells the story of the early days of The Covenant and contrasts that period with the finals days of The Covenant, nearly 3000 years later.
I'll get this out of the way first: in no way does this book really do anything to emphasize the vastness of the 3000 years between the two storylines. Technology apparently didn't advance much, and people are able to piece together events from 3000 years in the past as if they had happened yesterday. That is likely a stylistic choice, but after the Forerunner saga which is also a bit murky in its timeline, this was a bit hard to ignore.
Basically the first half is fine, and the second half is great.
This book does something I did not know was possible: make San 'Shyuum character that is not only interesting, but actually likable. And I think this book does that twice!
The San 'Shyuum character in the first half seems like a bit of a bastard at times, but he has understandable motives and there is some genuinely nice moments of affection between him and his wife that add a nice bit of romance that is sorely lacking from these Halo novels.
The second half of the novel is told primarily from the perspective of his ancestor 3000 years later, and this character seems to be entirely a good guy, in comparison to the mixed morality of the first half.
This book is a great way to get an understanding of the inner politics of The Covenant, while also providing the reader with a perspective we simply had not seen before. There was a bit of gratuitous, graphic violence that was extremely jarring after how tame both Kilo-5 and the Forerunner Saga were, but they came not from dull action sequences but instead from moments meant to be shocking to the reader. It works, but it toed the line of bad taste pretty closely.
Overall, this is quite a good book. Plus there's some good Huragok content in here which I of course was very happy with. I love those floaty little fellas so much.
Next book is Halo: New Blood, which I believe is about Buck from Halo 3: ODST. He's fine I guess, I believe this book is pretty popular which makes sense because of the whole Nathan Fillion thing.
December 27, 2014
For fans of the series, Halo books tend to deliver. As the Halo universe has expanded, fans have been encouraged to empathize with the Elites. Now Shirley helps readers empathize with the Prophets. As with many other war stories, enemies eventually form alliances. Clearly that's being set up here.
Well written and engaging, but a short torture scene is more graphic than necessary. It jumps the shark at trying to draw a clear separation between moral Covenant and sociopathic Covenant.
Well written and engaging, but a short torture scene is more graphic than necessary. It jumps the shark at trying to draw a clear separation between moral Covenant and sociopathic Covenant.
May 17, 2025
4.5
Este libro me gustó mucho, ya llevaba tiempo que los anteriores me parecían muy meh, pero este tiene todo lo que estaba buscando sobre la historia de Halo.
El libro lo leí súper rápido y en ningún momento lo sentí aburrido a pesar de toda la información que se da. En especial sobre el Covenant y todas las especies que lo conforman.
En la segunda parte se menciona cómo es que fueron conquistadas y dominadas las diferentes especies que agregaron al Covenant. Además, de las distintas eras que hubo, como la Era del Descubrimiento, la Era de la Reconciliación y la Era de la Conversión.
Esta parte fue la que más me gustó porque tenía interés en saber cómo se formó el Covenant por distintas especies y el porqué obedecían a los Profetas.
Ya casi hasta el final perdí un poco el hilo de la historia, pero aún así había cosas interesantes. Se mencionó a grandes rasgos el porqué el Covenant perdió la guerra contra los humanos.
El final me dejó con ganas de saber más sobre lo que ocurrirá en el futuro respecto a los Sangheilis.
Este libro me gustó mucho, ya llevaba tiempo que los anteriores me parecían muy meh, pero este tiene todo lo que estaba buscando sobre la historia de Halo.
El libro lo leí súper rápido y en ningún momento lo sentí aburrido a pesar de toda la información que se da. En especial sobre el Covenant y todas las especies que lo conforman.
En la segunda parte se menciona cómo es que fueron conquistadas y dominadas las diferentes especies que agregaron al Covenant. Además, de las distintas eras que hubo, como la Era del Descubrimiento, la Era de la Reconciliación y la Era de la Conversión.
Esta parte fue la que más me gustó porque tenía interés en saber cómo se formó el Covenant por distintas especies y el porqué obedecían a los Profetas.
Ya casi hasta el final perdí un poco el hilo de la historia, pero aún así había cosas interesantes. Se mencionó a grandes rasgos el porqué el Covenant perdió la guerra contra los humanos.
El final me dejó con ganas de saber más sobre lo que ocurrirá en el futuro respecto a los Sangheilis.
December 9, 2014
Definitely the worst of the Halo novels, barring the tedious nonsense published by Greg Bear.
The occasional interesting story thread rescued it from being awarded just the one star.
The occasional interesting story thread rescued it from being awarded just the one star.
July 31, 2025
The first half of this book had me in a snooze-fest. It was such literal writing and while the content was interesting, the way it was delivered was just really boring. Which is a shame and a little confusing because the back half is really good. Seeing the events of the Halo trilogy from the Covenant perspective was so so cool, I wish the whole book was that honestly. While I understand this was meant to flesh out the Covenant hierarchy, specifically the Elites and Prophets, the delivery of it just wasn’t all there.
Overall would still recommend as I’m sure others will find it more engaging than me, and it adds depth to the Covenant. Unfortunately for me it falls flat in its delivery of the story. Oh well, onto the next one.
Overall would still recommend as I’m sure others will find it more engaging than me, and it adds depth to the Covenant. Unfortunately for me it falls flat in its delivery of the story. Oh well, onto the next one.
July 30, 2021
I dont know what happened in this book
July 30, 2025
I really liked the history!! The beginning of the covenant was great, Xusa’s journey, and the transition to halo 3 was peak
June 16, 2024
Last Halo book I will read. It's alright.
November 9, 2015
A fun, albeit flawed, read. 100% better than the last two books in the Kilo-Five trilogy, thankfully, though that’s not saying much.
Truth be told, I really enjoyed the first half, even though character development is next to nothing and there is no exposition as to why Ussa feels so strongly about not joining the Covenant. But I could ignore these flaws because I really enjoy reading about the Sangheili and because the story moved at a very crisp pace with some fun action scenes. Also, the writing wasn’t bad – not overly repetitive and though the dialogue was a little stilted, nothing jarred me from the story.
There were two aspects that made the first half immensely better than the second.
1. The prophet (forgive me, I can’t remember his name – I read this over a week ago). He was actually fleshed out (a little), his motivations were clear, and he goes through a transformation. I found him interesting and he carried the story. I also enjoyed the little love story between him and his wife - I found it have the novel a bit more depth and it's nice to see that aliens also have emotions (something these books tend to glide over, much to their detriment).
2. The gender politics. The author’s jabs at the patriarchy of the Sangheili and Lnur’s revelation that she was training to fight made me wonder whether the topic of Sangheili sexism was going to be a major part in this. But (and this is one of the main reasons the book plummets in the second half) nope – it’s never brought up again. In fact, this really annoys me – why even bring it up if it’s going to go nowhere? That’s like someone in another novel saying to another character “I have this really cool magical sword in my house that can summon dragons” and then it’s never mentioned again. Ever. Seriously, it’s kind of weird. It’s like he finished the first half of the novel and then was told he had to fill 100 more pages so he skipped 1000 years and started anew, but with even less interesting characters and a very rushed plot. And he forgot about the gender politics part despite how much focus there was in the first half.
I realize I’m pretentious and I make no apology for that, but, come on, this book was sloppy at best, despite how entertaining it was at times. First half 4 stars. Second half, 2 stars. So 3 stars.
Truth be told, I really enjoyed the first half, even though character development is next to nothing and there is no exposition as to why Ussa feels so strongly about not joining the Covenant. But I could ignore these flaws because I really enjoy reading about the Sangheili and because the story moved at a very crisp pace with some fun action scenes. Also, the writing wasn’t bad – not overly repetitive and though the dialogue was a little stilted, nothing jarred me from the story.
There were two aspects that made the first half immensely better than the second.
1. The prophet (forgive me, I can’t remember his name – I read this over a week ago). He was actually fleshed out (a little), his motivations were clear, and he goes through a transformation. I found him interesting and he carried the story. I also enjoyed the little love story between him and his wife - I found it have the novel a bit more depth and it's nice to see that aliens also have emotions (something these books tend to glide over, much to their detriment).
2. The gender politics. The author’s jabs at the patriarchy of the Sangheili and Lnur’s revelation that she was training to fight made me wonder whether the topic of Sangheili sexism was going to be a major part in this. But (and this is one of the main reasons the book plummets in the second half) nope – it’s never brought up again. In fact, this really annoys me – why even bring it up if it’s going to go nowhere? That’s like someone in another novel saying to another character “I have this really cool magical sword in my house that can summon dragons” and then it’s never mentioned again. Ever. Seriously, it’s kind of weird. It’s like he finished the first half of the novel and then was told he had to fill 100 more pages so he skipped 1000 years and started anew, but with even less interesting characters and a very rushed plot. And he forgot about the gender politics part despite how much focus there was in the first half.
I realize I’m pretentious and I make no apology for that, but, come on, this book was sloppy at best, despite how entertaining it was at times. First half 4 stars. Second half, 2 stars. So 3 stars.
December 18, 2014
Big fan of this universe in general even though some of the novels have been virtually unreadable. Looks like it has a new home with a different publisher which may be a change for the better. Broken Circle was very interesting: a triptych of sorts over several generations of Elites and Prophets. Very refreshing to see something new done with a universe that has a lot of possibilities. If this became an ongoing series or if Mr. Shirley wrote another in the Halo universe, I would read that book as well. Well done, sir.
April 26, 2024
“‘As you well know, Alpha Halo has been destroyed,’ Zo Resken said glumly as they paused by a pond. Something finned and golden wriggled in the water, like a bright thought in a dark mind.”
Unlike most Halo novels, this book spends much more time on political intrigue and world building, which is a very nice change of pace. If you’re looking for an action-packed, high-stakes story of super soldiers and aliens, this is not the book for you. This book is for the Halo fans who love world building, particularly when it relates to the aliens. It can get rather confusing at times, but it’s so worth it. It’s much more reminiscent of hard science fiction, as opposed to the action military sci-fi that most Halo novels are. That’s not a dis on traditional Halo novels by any means, I love the character work and themes that they bring to the literary canon of the universe, but Broken Circle brings something different and unique, which is nice.
I rather enjoyed the dual perspectives of Ussa and M’Ken in the first half of the novel and how they each dealt with the politics of their respective factions. They were also fantastic foils; both dedicated to honor, truth, and faith, with differing perspectives on faith and subsequently truth. Their ideologies aligned when it came to honor, though, making them great opposing foils.
The book spends more than half of the time with Ussa and M’Ken, and when their story ends, it feels complete. I felt like Shirley spent just enough time with them and ended that story right where it should have ended.
Speaking of the time jump, I loved Zo Resken and seeing his part in the Great Schism. I loved how Zo did what M’Ken couldn’t by siding completely with the Sanghili and doing what he knew was right, and I love that he found the courage to do that through M’Ken’s writings.
The theme of finding home is a very strong one in this novel, arguably the main thematic point of the novel. Every character is searching for either a home or somewhere to belong, and while some don’t get the home they want, they find a place that accepts them. I loved the arc of Ussa and the colony being broken, then to be reforged millennia later with the help of M’Ken’s ancestor. And it was a very nice touch that the reforged colony resembled a Halo ring, reaffirming the thematic sacredness of home. And even though Bal’Tol wasn’t able to go back to Sanghelios, many of his people did, and they carried the message of Ussa with them.
The main characters of this book are those who have doubts about the Covenant. Of course the rebel factions of Ussa and his descendants, but also M’Ken and Zo. Both of the main San’Shyuum characters believe in the religion, but hate how the hierarchs are going about the doctrine. I don’t believe the intention of Shirley was allegorical, but it feels very much like people being driven away from a fundamentalist religion due to the church’s actions, but still believing in the spirituality of it.
One thing I’ve noticed in other Halo books which have Covenant perspectives is the uncanny parallel between the Covenant and fundamentalist christianity, and that’s still very much prevalent here, as is apparent with the point directly above. While this book doesn’t dive into the social politics of their system all too much, we know that the San’Shyuum and Sanghili culture are very patriarchal and structuralist, so it’s nice to see the main characters break away from that system, be it in action (like Ussa) or in thought (like M’Ken or Zo).
Overall, this is the best Halo book I have read so far. It’s so incredibly deep in its world building, themes, and characters. While it was confusing at times, the wiki was a great tool for a quick summary. If you’re a fan of political science fiction and themes of finding home, you’ll love this. If you’re intrigued by the aliens of Halo and how they function, this is the book for you.
Unlike most Halo novels, this book spends much more time on political intrigue and world building, which is a very nice change of pace. If you’re looking for an action-packed, high-stakes story of super soldiers and aliens, this is not the book for you. This book is for the Halo fans who love world building, particularly when it relates to the aliens. It can get rather confusing at times, but it’s so worth it. It’s much more reminiscent of hard science fiction, as opposed to the action military sci-fi that most Halo novels are. That’s not a dis on traditional Halo novels by any means, I love the character work and themes that they bring to the literary canon of the universe, but Broken Circle brings something different and unique, which is nice.
I rather enjoyed the dual perspectives of Ussa and M’Ken in the first half of the novel and how they each dealt with the politics of their respective factions. They were also fantastic foils; both dedicated to honor, truth, and faith, with differing perspectives on faith and subsequently truth. Their ideologies aligned when it came to honor, though, making them great opposing foils.
The book spends more than half of the time with Ussa and M’Ken, and when their story ends, it feels complete. I felt like Shirley spent just enough time with them and ended that story right where it should have ended.
Speaking of the time jump, I loved Zo Resken and seeing his part in the Great Schism. I loved how Zo did what M’Ken couldn’t by siding completely with the Sanghili and doing what he knew was right, and I love that he found the courage to do that through M’Ken’s writings.
The theme of finding home is a very strong one in this novel, arguably the main thematic point of the novel. Every character is searching for either a home or somewhere to belong, and while some don’t get the home they want, they find a place that accepts them. I loved the arc of Ussa and the colony being broken, then to be reforged millennia later with the help of M’Ken’s ancestor. And it was a very nice touch that the reforged colony resembled a Halo ring, reaffirming the thematic sacredness of home. And even though Bal’Tol wasn’t able to go back to Sanghelios, many of his people did, and they carried the message of Ussa with them.
The main characters of this book are those who have doubts about the Covenant. Of course the rebel factions of Ussa and his descendants, but also M’Ken and Zo. Both of the main San’Shyuum characters believe in the religion, but hate how the hierarchs are going about the doctrine. I don’t believe the intention of Shirley was allegorical, but it feels very much like people being driven away from a fundamentalist religion due to the church’s actions, but still believing in the spirituality of it.
One thing I’ve noticed in other Halo books which have Covenant perspectives is the uncanny parallel between the Covenant and fundamentalist christianity, and that’s still very much prevalent here, as is apparent with the point directly above. While this book doesn’t dive into the social politics of their system all too much, we know that the San’Shyuum and Sanghili culture are very patriarchal and structuralist, so it’s nice to see the main characters break away from that system, be it in action (like Ussa) or in thought (like M’Ken or Zo).
Overall, this is the best Halo book I have read so far. It’s so incredibly deep in its world building, themes, and characters. While it was confusing at times, the wiki was a great tool for a quick summary. If you’re a fan of political science fiction and themes of finding home, you’ll love this. If you’re intrigued by the aliens of Halo and how they function, this is the book for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2025
I went into this book expecting an action-packed military Sci-Fi, but instead I got more of a Sci-Fi political thriller. Now, that isn't to say that a political thriller set in the Halo universe doesn't work, but it is saying that because I come to read the Halo universe for exciting action scenes and larger than life set pieces, a story set in the Halo universe that focuses more on political intrigue and espionage is going to be a bit disappointing to me almost every time. Despite this, I would still call this book an okay read, even if a bit average, with some of the suspense and action scenes still being genuinely entertaining.
Firstly, let's go over everything I liked about this story. The plot structure of this narrative is very unique, as it's divided into essentially two smaller sub-stories, with the first one covering the early wars and formation of the Covenant, and the second one covering the Great Schism and the fall of the Covenant. I also liked how there aren't any human characters in the book at all, since it gives us an opportunity to focus exclusively on the Covenant aliens and what their culture, values, and perspectives are like; something I wish more speculative fiction stories would do. Some of the suspense and intrigue scenes in this book also managed to actually enthrall me, such as in the first main plot where a Covenant expedition is sent to the prophet home world by a corrupt minister, and in the second plot where a prophet is found to be an informant to the elites during the Great Schism and must escape High Charity.
Now for what I didn't really care for in this book. My main problem with this narrative is the problem I Mentioned earlier, that it's not as much of a military Sci-Fi as it is a political thriller. Even though I did end up liking some of the political thriller aspects of this story, military Sci-Fi is still my bread and butter when it comes to the Halo franchise, and so, I found this story very lacking in intense action scenes and grand Sci-Fi concepts; those things are still present here and there, but not enough to put this book anywhere above an average read. One smaller complaint, I found the prose in this book somewhat more plain and generic compared to the previous books, with descriptions and internal dialogue coming off in a highly matter-of-fact style, and not sounding very poetic or artistic.
Now, like I said before, with me being a Halo fan for the military Sci-Fi content, I still rate this more political thriller leaning book as an okay average three star read. If you like political thrillers you'll probably have much more fun with this story than me, but if you like military Sci-Fi like me, then I would recommend you either skip this entry or read with highly managed expectations.
Firstly, let's go over everything I liked about this story. The plot structure of this narrative is very unique, as it's divided into essentially two smaller sub-stories, with the first one covering the early wars and formation of the Covenant, and the second one covering the Great Schism and the fall of the Covenant. I also liked how there aren't any human characters in the book at all, since it gives us an opportunity to focus exclusively on the Covenant aliens and what their culture, values, and perspectives are like; something I wish more speculative fiction stories would do. Some of the suspense and intrigue scenes in this book also managed to actually enthrall me, such as in the first main plot where a Covenant expedition is sent to the prophet home world by a corrupt minister, and in the second plot where a prophet is found to be an informant to the elites during the Great Schism and must escape High Charity.
Now for what I didn't really care for in this book. My main problem with this narrative is the problem I Mentioned earlier, that it's not as much of a military Sci-Fi as it is a political thriller. Even though I did end up liking some of the political thriller aspects of this story, military Sci-Fi is still my bread and butter when it comes to the Halo franchise, and so, I found this story very lacking in intense action scenes and grand Sci-Fi concepts; those things are still present here and there, but not enough to put this book anywhere above an average read. One smaller complaint, I found the prose in this book somewhat more plain and generic compared to the previous books, with descriptions and internal dialogue coming off in a highly matter-of-fact style, and not sounding very poetic or artistic.
Now, like I said before, with me being a Halo fan for the military Sci-Fi content, I still rate this more political thriller leaning book as an okay average three star read. If you like political thrillers you'll probably have much more fun with this story than me, but if you like military Sci-Fi like me, then I would recommend you either skip this entry or read with highly managed expectations.
February 7, 2025
i was kinda annoyed at first at the sudden switch in the timeline around the halfway mark, cos i was actually really invested in the first half's timeline, with the birth of the covenant and the conflict of ideologies and aliens who are struggling to keep this new belief afloat. while the second half of the book grew on me, i still don't think we needed that portion at all if i was given a choice, cos i don't care for books rehashing what we already saw partially in game, halo 2-3 in this case, even if this is of course more fleshed out from another perspective we barely see. it would've been nice if we could've just stayed in the past, seeing their relationships develop, especially cross-species inclination and trust we see so little of, the birthing of a new culture which is isolated from everything they know... it is a cheaper route to show ''evil'' covenant and rebels fleeing it, when it could've been smarter and boast more intellectual and/or spiritual conversations in the past with mken, someone who believes in their journey, but is still entranced by his enemy in ussa. there was so much here that could've been explored; their beliefs, their lack of a homeworld after leaving from both sides, patriarchy and birthing, where both sides you have women sidelined.. i'm upset it was let go and we're propelled into a millennia later. it's why i think the forerunner trilogy remains the best halo books, cos we got so much new information we never knew before, a universe so vast it was near unfathomable. still, it was a nice pov into the covenant, and it definitely ends on a strong note, the entire last act of the novel is certainly good and poetic enough to warrant the title broken circle in more ways than one.
October 21, 2019
This is essentially two books. The first starts out with the San'Shyuum at war with the Sangheili. If you're familiar with the games, the Prophets vs the Arbiter's people.
Though a cease-fire is agreed to and the Covenant is eventually established a Sangheili named Ussa gathers his people that will not join the Covenant and flees to one of the Didact's uncharted shield worlds.
So the first story switches back and forth between the Prophet's, specifically High Lord Mken, and Ussa.
With Mken, the story moves around a couple of Prophet's that seek greater power above the council by creating a department of Anticipatory Security – thought police. Mken is disliked by these two and he's sent on various tasks that he's intended to fail.
With Ussa, it's learning about the shield world through Enduring Bias, a machine that was left behind to run the place. He also has to deal with attempts to disrupt the people, to turn them against him.
The second book takes place seventeen hundred years later and focuses on Mken's ancestor and is pretty cool if you played the games, but might be confusing for someone who hasn't. The demon (Master Chief) has destroyed the first ring, and they've discovered the Flood.
Once again there are those plotting behind the scene. All of the other races have joined the Covenant, including the Brutes who have been used to replace the Sangheili as the Royal Guard who've been blamed for the loss of the Halo.
This is when the Sangheili revolt, the Arbiter comes on to the scene, but only in passing, and High Charity is ultimately lost.
I really did enjoy this book and look forward to the next installment.
Though a cease-fire is agreed to and the Covenant is eventually established a Sangheili named Ussa gathers his people that will not join the Covenant and flees to one of the Didact's uncharted shield worlds.
So the first story switches back and forth between the Prophet's, specifically High Lord Mken, and Ussa.
With Mken, the story moves around a couple of Prophet's that seek greater power above the council by creating a department of Anticipatory Security – thought police. Mken is disliked by these two and he's sent on various tasks that he's intended to fail.
With Ussa, it's learning about the shield world through Enduring Bias, a machine that was left behind to run the place. He also has to deal with attempts to disrupt the people, to turn them against him.
The second book takes place seventeen hundred years later and focuses on Mken's ancestor and is pretty cool if you played the games, but might be confusing for someone who hasn't. The demon (Master Chief) has destroyed the first ring, and they've discovered the Flood.
Once again there are those plotting behind the scene. All of the other races have joined the Covenant, including the Brutes who have been used to replace the Sangheili as the Royal Guard who've been blamed for the loss of the Halo.
This is when the Sangheili revolt, the Arbiter comes on to the scene, but only in passing, and High Charity is ultimately lost.
I really did enjoy this book and look forward to the next installment.
April 18, 2019
Creo fue un libro sensacional, que al principio no me atrapó tanto la historia, pero a medida que iba a avanzando me atrapaba más y más, conocemos dos partes de la historia, una por parte de los san'shyuum, y otra por parte de los sangheilis, y sentí que esto enriqueció bastante al relato que se nos cuentan, empezamos viendo la guerra san'shyuum sangheilis, y vemos cómo era los motivos de estos, y en lo personal es algo que me gusta bastante ya que siempre quise saber cómo fue que los élites se unieron al Covenant, tiempo después vemos que como cualquier ser vivo es sometido a algo, hay rebeliones, me causo felicidad por qué quiere decir que no toda la facción de los sangheilis, creían en el gran viaje, y aún así vemos cómo tienen sus propios problemas viendo que aún tienen el Covenant sobre de ellos, por parte de los san'shyuum que puedo decir, siempre odie esta raza y ahora la odio más exceptuando a tres, y ver que aún tenían ese rastro de humanidad, que no solo pensaban en algo por ellos mismos si no por sus demás, me gustó demaciado, otra parte que le doy calificación es que el libro nos lleva a tiempo el que se desarrolla los juegos de halo 2, y halo 3, pero a comparación del libro halo the flood, aqui no nos cuentan la narrativa de los juegos si no que nos lo cuentan a la par de ellos, ya que se dicen menciones de los sucesos más importantes en estos juegos, así que me quedo con muy buen libro
April 17, 2022
Broken Circle is an interesting addition to the Halo universe. Serving to flesh out pivotal moments at the beginning and ending of The Covenant.
Unfortunately, it suffers from shoving 4 disparate stories, taking place in two time periods 3000 years apart, into one book. The second half especially suffers from pacing issues and the need to off handedly refer to plot points of the original video game trilogy.
Billing the novel as an anthology of Covenant stories could have improved the quality of the stories and set the readers expectations at a more appropriate level.
The alien characters are sometimes written a little two human for my liking; earlier books do a better job of depicting the Elites as part of a strict military society.
Another gripe is how absurdly quickly the Huragok repairs Enduring Bias, who in turn quells the rebellion, cures the Blood Sickness, and reunites the Refuge.
I enjoy reading the Covenant perspective and any Halo fan can find something to enjoy in Broken Circle. Well written and vividly descriptive prose saves the book from being relegated to less than 3 stars
Unfortunately, it suffers from shoving 4 disparate stories, taking place in two time periods 3000 years apart, into one book. The second half especially suffers from pacing issues and the need to off handedly refer to plot points of the original video game trilogy.
Billing the novel as an anthology of Covenant stories could have improved the quality of the stories and set the readers expectations at a more appropriate level.
The alien characters are sometimes written a little two human for my liking; earlier books do a better job of depicting the Elites as part of a strict military society.
Another gripe is how absurdly quickly the Huragok repairs Enduring Bias, who in turn quells the rebellion, cures the Blood Sickness, and reunites the Refuge.
I enjoy reading the Covenant perspective and any Halo fan can find something to enjoy in Broken Circle. Well written and vividly descriptive prose saves the book from being relegated to less than 3 stars
April 22, 2023
Approach this book only if you are interested about learning of the dynamics of the Covenant and their creation. I have to say it was a great break of events from the other books.
The book is split in two parts. The first at the creation of the Covenant (around 3000 years from the events in the videogames), I have to say quite interesting, I wish we could know more of the San’Shyuum home planet too, but I understand this would be outside of the story. It managed to make me like one San’Shyuum, incredible feat I have to say.
The second part if the book is in 2552 after the event of Reach and the first Videogame, and throughout the book the events of Halo 2 unravel. By the end of the book we are in 2553. Here they manage to make you like a second San’Shyuum (descendant of the first).
I think the book is a light read and does good in showing how religious zealotism and political power fight and mix each other. I loved the parallelism of the two halves, one at the creation and one at the end of the Covenant group. Closing the story with the descendants of the characters that started it in the beginning. Really a circle closing after being broken.
The book is split in two parts. The first at the creation of the Covenant (around 3000 years from the events in the videogames), I have to say quite interesting, I wish we could know more of the San’Shyuum home planet too, but I understand this would be outside of the story. It managed to make me like one San’Shyuum, incredible feat I have to say.
The second part if the book is in 2552 after the event of Reach and the first Videogame, and throughout the book the events of Halo 2 unravel. By the end of the book we are in 2553. Here they manage to make you like a second San’Shyuum (descendant of the first).
I think the book is a light read and does good in showing how religious zealotism and political power fight and mix each other. I loved the parallelism of the two halves, one at the creation and one at the end of the Covenant group. Closing the story with the descendants of the characters that started it in the beginning. Really a circle closing after being broken.
July 28, 2019
Fortunately I read Broken Circle after completing the forerunner trilogy so I found this to be an excellent companion to those books. Without having read those books I think I would have had trouble understanding a lot of the first half of this book which takes place 3500 years ago and tells the story of the formation of the covenant.The second to third half of the book picks up during the time of Halo 2 - Halo 3. For this section of the book a new prophet is introduced who fills in a lot of blanks for true Halo fans. Broken circle is somewhat two separate companion books which help complete one another providing a new layer and texture to the Halo universe which is both welcomed and appreciated by this reader.
April 5, 2021
A heck of a lot better than Hunters in the Dark. Both timelines, as one would expect, are somewhat relevant to other stories set in the 26th century, which is entirely fair. But I would have loved to read more about those earlier events, stuff that's not necessarily relevant to the through-line of Covenant history as it relates to humans and the Schism and stuff.
Mken and Zo are an interesting characters to follow through pretty much any San 'Shyuum politics, and (at least through Mken's eyes) Ussa 'Xellus seems like an interesting character. More about any of them might be great, whether or not their other activities are important for any reason.
Mken and Zo are an interesting characters to follow through pretty much any San 'Shyuum politics, and (at least through Mken's eyes) Ussa 'Xellus seems like an interesting character. More about any of them might be great, whether or not their other activities are important for any reason.
June 27, 2021
I feel bad rating anything badly when the quality of the prose is as good as this was. A talented writer was assigned to write this, but clearly got a bit too absorbed in the "Halo bible" side of things.
There was a bit too much of a spread of very obscurely-named Prophets and Sangheili characters, which made parts of this book extremely hard to follow when read quickly. As well as that, there wasn't much of a sense of grandeur, which is what makes Halo so special. Overall, it was hard to finish because it made me feel a bit lost, but that seems to have been more of a by-product of whatever constraints were placed on the author.
There was a bit too much of a spread of very obscurely-named Prophets and Sangheili characters, which made parts of this book extremely hard to follow when read quickly. As well as that, there wasn't much of a sense of grandeur, which is what makes Halo so special. Overall, it was hard to finish because it made me feel a bit lost, but that seems to have been more of a by-product of whatever constraints were placed on the author.
April 11, 2022
Um círculo quebrado que vai do nada ao nada. Estava gostando do começo que mostra um pouco das origens do Covenant mais de 1700 anos antes dos eventos dos jogos, mas esta trama acaba subitamente por volta dos 70% do livro. De repente passaram 1700 anos e temos personagens completamente novos muito mal desenvolvidos e com quem não me importava nada, as soluções dos conflitos parecem todas deus ex machina , tudo que é mais importante e interessante que acontece nesse ponto da história está nos jogos e não no livro.
July 12, 2025
This was a book I began to regret after starting. What I really wanted to read was another Star Wars book but I decided to do what I typically do and space out my series with a book in between. But as it went on, this book grew on me more and more. I didn’t love the plot of the Sanghelli on the shield world, but I really enjoyed reading about sympathetic Prophets, it was nice to see and makes the universe feel bigger and more lived in. I especially like hearing about the early days of the Covenant, and a new perspective on the Great Schism from Halo 2. All around a pleasant and enjoyable read.
August 26, 2022
Personally I absolutely love this book and have marked it as one of my favorites. I’ve always been really into Halo and it’s lore! This book has connection between Broken Circle and The game universe of Halo 2. I’m not entirely a fan of the jumping around between the rouge Sangheili colony and the Covenant. It sometimes gets confusing and with each section there’s loads of new information. I personally would recommend this to my halo fan friends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2024
This is a must read for anybody who is especially interested in Halo 2 or the lore behind The Covenant. It can be difficult to write alien cultures that feel truly alien. This book takes the culture of the Elites and makes it more analogues to feudal Japan. The Prophets on the other hand are treated like a kind of decadent, very hierarchical priest class for the Covenant. I think both fit very well! The story is unusually but pretty enjoyable!
October 13, 2025
Para quem veio até esse livro procurando o Master Chief, irá se depcionar. Esse livro está do outro lado do jogo, numa narrativa de conflitos entre os 'Shyuum (profetas) e os Sangueili (elites). Brevemente um dos capítulos irá até abordar o combate com os humanos e termina por aí mesmo. Intrigas entre facções, dispolita por poder, a busca por artefatos Forerunners, mas no contexto geral, um complemento, fraco na minha opinião que esperava algo a mais.
October 18, 2017
Halo: Broken Circle holds a place in my heart as my first Halo book. The text on the back is misleading because (SPOILER ALERT) Urssa's faction was not the main contributor the fall of the Covenant. I expected more about the history of the Covenant. The first part of the book is great but the second half falls flat.
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