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Halo #32

Halo: Divine Wind

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An original novel set in the Halo universe—based on the New York Times bestselling video game series!

October 2559. With the galaxy in the suffocating grip of a renegade artificial intelligence, another perilous threat has quietly emerged in the shadows: the Keepers of the One Freedom, a fanatical and merciless Covenant splinter group, has made its way beyond the borders of the galaxy to an ancient Forerunner installation known as the Ark. Led by an infamous Brute named Castor, the Keepers intend to achieve what the Covenant, in all its might, failed to: activate Halo and take the last steps on the path of the Great Journey into transcendence.

But unknown to Castor and his new, unexpected ally on the Ark, there are traitors to the cause in their midst—namely the Ferrets, composed of Office of Naval Intelligence operative Veta Lopis and her young team of Spartan-IIIs, who have been infiltrating the Keepers to lay the groundwork for Castor’s assassination. But with ONI’s field operations now splintered and cut off by the Guardian threat, Veta’s original mission has suddenly and dramatically escalated in scope. There’s simply no choice or fallback plan—either the Ferrets somehow stop the Keepers or the galaxy faces an extinction-level event….

384 pages, Paperback

First published October 19, 2021

64 people are currently reading
1145 people want to read

About the author

Troy Denning

186 books662 followers
Also known as Richard Awlinson.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Den...

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
Profile Image for Melisa Ramonda.
Author 21 books378 followers
October 26, 2021
Only two things save this book:
1- As a tie-in novel for an upcoming game, it's fine.
2- Veta's final conversation with Cutter.

You know? A reader expects to be surprised by the unexpected but within a carefully delimited margin of expected things. My interests weren't aligned at all with those of most people, it seems. I sincerely hope there's something else after this and that it brings me more joy, because right now I'm broken. I'm not going to justify my low rating because it's entirely personal.

Some things didn't have to go the way they did, that's all.
Profile Image for Chris The Lizard from Planet X.
460 reviews10 followers
November 1, 2021
Halo: Divine Wind: by Troy Denning is a video game tiein novel based on the Halo video game franchise, and the third book of the “Ferret Team” trilogy.

Set in October 2559, a year after the rouge AI Cortana betrayed the Master Chief and the UNSC, and used the Forerunner constructs known as Guardians to impose a marital law on key interstellar civilizations across the Galaxy. During this chaotic time a new threat has quietly emerged from the shadows the fanatical group known as Keepers Of the One Freedom.

For the last two years former law enforcement officer turned ONI undercover agent Veta Lopis and her Spartan-III ‘Ferret’ team have been in deep undercover as human religious followers in the Keepers of the One Freedom a religious ex-Covenant faction led by the fanatical Brute Chieftain Castor. When their undercover mission leads them to the mysterious Forerunner installation known as the Ark. Veta and the Spartans of Ferret team will face their greatest challenge yet: preventing the Halo Array from being fired by the unexpected alliance between Brute Chieftain Castor, a remnant of old Covenant loyalist led by a San’Shyuum Prelate Dhas Bhasvod, and a Forerunner AI Intrepid Eye, but Veta and the Spartans of Ferret Team will not be alone in this fight as they will find an unexpected ally on the Ark. Captain Cutter and the crew of lost UNSC warship Spirit Of Fire. It will be up to Veta and her new allies to save the galaxy from a Extinction level threat.

I have to admit to feeling some trepidation upon initially reading the summary for this book when it was revealed. We’ve done the story of going to the Ark to stop the Halo rings from being fired twice, in Halo 3 (2007) and Hunters in the Dark (2015)…
I don’t personally hold a lot of fondness for either of those entries’ narratives, so it came as a very welcome surprise to me that Divine Wind ended up telling the very best version of that kind of story.

The key to Denning’s magic here is character.
In the years since Denning’s debut with Last Light (2015), his own corner of the Halo universe has been populated with a lot of its own mythology: Veta, the Ferrets, Castor, the Keepers of the One Freedom, Intrepid Eye, and more…
If any of these things are at all familiar to your Halo lexicon, you’re going to get a lot out of Divine Wind.

If they’re not, this book does a good job of catching you up on the highlights to keep you in the loop, but I would say that this story demands you get the full depth of what’s been going on in its predecessors.
While I have enjoyed the foray into the early years of the Covenant war that we got with “A Master Chief Story Trilogy” Silent Storm(2018)and Oblivion (2019), there is a degree to which they felt like a bit of a ‘detour’ for me because it’s Denning’s post-war stories and characters that I have found most gripping.

I hold Veta Lopis in the esteem of being among the Great Halo Protagonists, standing alongside the likes of Thel ‘Vadam and Bornstellar. Her journey from criminal inspector to the parent and squad leader of a trio of teenage supersoldiers as a deep cover ONI agent has been amazing. It’s fair to say that both Veta and Rion Forge have become the ‘face’ for what many consider to be the post-war era’s very best stories.
As a result, I found that Divine Wind was a welcome return to a lot of things that made Troy Denning the fan-favourite name he very quickly became from his debut.

But that roster of great characters has only expanded over the years. As the cover of the novel depicts, we’ve got Castor and the much-beloved Inslaan ‘Gadogai — introduced in last year’s Shadows of Reach as Castor’s advisor, would-be assassin, and loyal frenemy.
Their dynamic is endlessly fascinating and continues to be a highlight of this book as we learn more about ‘Gadogai’s backstory and the source of the devotion he now shows Castor.

As we’re heading to the Ark, you can certainly make the logical deduction that some characters from Halo Wars 2 — both UNSC and Banished — make some kind of substantial appearances here.
And then there’s the San’Shyuum Prelate (the Prophets’ analog to Spartans), Dhas Bhasvod, who proves to be a fascinating new addition not just for this story, but for the next ‘phase’ of Halo stories to come.

If that sounds like a lot to juggle (it is), then one of the highest compliments I can pay to Troy Denning as a writer is that he makes the act of doing so look easy.
That’s really what sets Divine Wind apart from our previous outings to the Ark to stop the Halos from being fired. The complex, interweaving motivations of these characters drives the story to so many interesting and unexpected places.
Zealotry is a key theme in Divine Wind, and Denning pushes these characters well beyond their limits in exploring their devotion through their relationship with faith and loyalty.

Castor is besieged from all sides. His closest friend is a cynical atheist who constantly questions him; he puts great trust in Veta and the Ferrets, not knowing they have infiltrated his faction for two years (and we see how they are affected by maintaining such deep cover for so long); Dhas Bhasvod is not quite the ally he was expecting, and Intrepid Eye — the ‘oracle’ he worships — has her own goals she is using him for.

This interplay between characters, the grand masquerade of verbal sparring and strategic theatre, is what I love most about Denning’s writing. That’s here in abundance, and there comes a turning point where we get more of the militaristic side of Silent Storm, Oblivion, and Shadows of Reach as well.
In many ways, Divine Wind is a tour de force of Denning’s style that demonstrates the kind of mastery you hope to see in what almost feels like the end of a series. At no point does it take its eye off the ball, constantly making the most interesting advances for its character writing.
That’s why it hits the mark so strongly for me, and it’s the key area in which I feel Halo 3 and Hunters in the Dark didn’t succeed.

To conclude, my overall assessment of Divine Wind is that it’s a melting pot of many of the best things from Troy Denning’s previous work.
Like with Kelly Gay’s books, 343 has been using recent media to open new doors for future stories. There are some long-hanging threads that are primed for a huge return, and one of them actually manages to make sense of the Prophet of Truth’s characterisation shift in Halo 3.
(Yeah, that got your attention!)
I feel like I’ve been on a Great Journey with these characters that I’ve come to love over the last six years. The expanded universe of Halo has been greatly enriched by Veta Lopis and the stories and characters surrounding her, and a solid case can be made for Divine Wind being their finest hour.

As the last Halo story to release before we dive into Halo: Infinite, a key impression that Divine Wind left on me was how intrigued and excited I am for what’s coming next as 343’s narrative plan for the future takes shape.
Profile Image for Matthew Ochal.
449 reviews9 followers
December 12, 2021
This is not going to be a review of Halo Divine wind, even though it’s in the review section on this book. This just needs. Place to live and that’s the best place for it.

This is, as of writing, the final Halo book in the series. I’m sure there will be more, but this is where I take my leave. I’m sure I’ll notice new ones announced, but I will not be reading them. So lets take this opportunity to talk about my year, this journey, and the series as a whole.

PART 1: Alex Chapman

This was a stupid thing to do, a stupid stupid thing to do. Last year, October, November maybe. My good buddy Alex Chapman and I had a conversation that went something along the lines of;

Alex: Oh yeah did you see that Brian David Gilbert Video?
Me: Yeah the one where he reads all the Halo books? Wild time I didn’t know there were so many.
Alex: Yeah crazy.
Me: I should do that. Maybe that’ll be my big series next year.


Well… I’d read about 100 books that year, there were about 30 halo books, making a third of my books halo books seemed like a not entirely unreasonable bit.

It was.

I bit off more than I could chew. I chewed it anyways.

PART 2: A Year In Review

I started reading immediately January 2021, the first Halo was my first book. And I read 4 books through January. Other important events, my film getting pushed mid shoot day, me DP’ing another film. There was Halo the whole time.
I read one Halo book in February. And at this point I was still kinda enjoying the series. Theres something fun and silly about it. I also actually shot my film. Which was neat.
I read two in March, in which I also worked a fair bit and was on another Thesis film. Moreso than that, I spent a bunch of time with Mili. She was kinda cool I guess. We’d stay out after set until the wee hours. It was a good month.
I read another two in April. I remember still having an interesting love for this bit. The books were fine, there werent that many, some were even kind of good. I produced a thesis film and things were good.
I only read one in May. I was on set a lot as a PA, and I was distracted by other books. It felt silly to think that I’d ever be cutting it close, there was so much time still. I spent days with Mili, we went to the dentist, had picnics. A lovely spring with a lovely friend.
I read one in June. Mili and I started dating. Didn’t know I could feel this way about someone. I started working as a Production Coordinator. Finally felt like things were starting to piece together after so much time hating working as a PA.
I read three in July, one of them was great. One of them I can’t remember a single part from. The high’s and lows of Halo.
I read 4 in August, some on Mili and my’s first trip together. It’s one of my happiest memories. I produce a short film which turns out… well it hasn’t been released yet.
Another 4 in September. I feel behind. I produce a short film but don’t work much. It’s stressful but I have a person and that makes me feel a lot better.
5 in October. I need to pick up the pace.
4 in November. Another busy month but lots of time to read on set.
1 in December. This one! I didn’t really have it in me to wait until the end of the year. I couldn’t really take that. They’re too much, they need to stop. I miss enjoying reading books. Every time I see a halo book I’m filled with dread, and every time I real anything else I feel guilty because I need to have this done.
And now I am done, December 12th. Just under a year for all of them. Ill call it a year. It seems fair.

PART 3: SPACE MAN GO SHOOTY

I don’t like these books, for the most part. They’re too full of boring shooting that Is hard for me to not skim over. I’m sure its for some people but that’s not me.
The universe is fascinating though. The worldbuilding, though sparse in most books, is extremely deep, and being able to learn about the history through bits and pieces of these books has been wonderful.
Though this whole process I’ve been saying that I think there should be a book set in the Halo universe that doesn’t focus on the typical events that the books and games do. I want The Goldfinch or A Gentleman in Moscow or The Dutch Hosue with the halo world building as a backdrop. I think that would be brilliant. In November I realized that Kazuo Ishiguro is a great pick to write this. But I don’t think he will… Maybe someday I’ll have to.
My favourite books told stories that talked about real issues.
Mortal Dictata delved into the actual ethics of the Spartan program in a way that none of the other books ever did.
Bad Blood talks about insurgency, and the ethics of standing up to oppressors.
Point of Light told a beautiful story of spark being able to re-find his humanity through the help of friends.
This is a series with potential outside of shoot the alien. It deserves to have that potential explored.

I wish there was more I could say about this series. Theres so much info in my head that I’ve been living with for so long, but I don’t have it in me to write more about the world right now. And nobody is coming to my reviews for that anyways, if you want lore theres better places to find it than here.

PART 4: AFTERMATH

This is a the longest review I’ve ever written, easily. Over 1200 words. The second place also going to a halo book.
It’s tricky for me to speak to the role that this series, which I’ve so often spoken down on during this process, has played in my life.
This year, likely the biggest year of changes, has seen me finishing school, starting a career that I might actually be happy in, and falling in love. And through all of that these books have been there as a constant. It is insane to think that I was reading these just last January, it feels like I’m a whole different person from the guy who started this. Like years have passed since that first book. I’m proud of myself, even though this whole thing was kind of dumb.

This bit was approximately 11,000 pages (according to goodreads book page counts).

It’s insane that I did it. It’s insane that It’s done.
Part of me is going to miss this constant, but I think I’m ready to enjoy some books again.

So long Halo universe, I wish you well. Maybe I will revisit someday. But I think some time our separate ways is earned.


As for Divine Wind. It was fine. The ending was surprisingly emotional. 3 stars.
Profile Image for Ethan.
84 reviews2 followers
October 31, 2021
Troy Denning has delivered yet another solid entry to the Halo universe that any fan of Halo is sure to enjoy.

When Divine Wind was announced I was cautiously optimistic. The story as a whole, saving the galaxy from the activation of the Halo Array from the Ark has been done twice before in Halo 3 and Halo: Hunters in the Dark and I was worried this story wouldn't deliver anything new. On one front my worries were valid. You effectively know how this story ends in terms of the major plot points which takes away a lot of tension and mystery.

However, I must admit that this was still a very rewarding and relevant story. It continues the plot points and character stories that Denning has set up and explored in Last Light to Retribution and more recently Shadows of Reach (and the short story Sacrifice). We get to follow characters and groups that we have grown to love and admire including Veta and her Ferrets, Castor and his Keepers and The Banished. We are also introduced to a new group that is quite interesting (although whether their existence is justified in the Halo lore is a contentious issue - see the short story Sacrifice) and seeing a Prelate in a mainline full length novel is a very nice way to expand and cement odd bits of lore. Oh and the connections to Halo Wars 2, very nice.

All these groups have their own motivations and it's fun seeing how they all interact with each other. One problem I have here though is the book is quite short so we don't get quite enough exploration of these interactions or a very detailed look at the operations of some of the less mentioned groups. I really did crave more. But in saying this I was less of a fan of Denning's Shadow of Reach because the longer length novel felt like it dragged on a lot so maybe I should just appreciate this short, concise yet still good story.

Overall, the story is solid, it furthers Denning's stories and characters in a believable and enjoyable way. In one sense it feels like a conclusion to all these threads but there is still lots left open for future stories. I look forward to anything else Denning contributes to the Halo Universe.
Profile Image for Brendan Kraus.
91 reviews5 followers
October 27, 2021
Halo: Divine Wind is Troy Denning's follow up to Shadows of Reach and the third book in his Veta Lopis Ferret trilogy.

Following the events of Shadows of Reach Veta and the team find themselves on the Ark. Once on the Ark they realize that once again they will have to work to stop Castor and his dangerous new ally from activating every Halo ring.

There is a lot to like about Divine Wind. First off the ticking time aspect of the whole thing really keeps the plot moving. Veta and her team have to stop Castor from activating the Ark. Additionally Veta has to worry about her own team. Mark, Olivia and Ash are Spartan 3's and due to their enhancements they need special smoothing drugs to keep their mind in check. Without them they will literally start to lose their mind. On top of having to worry about Castor, Veta has to worry about her own team falling apart.

The strength and weaknesses of this book is the strengths and weaknesses of Denning's other Halo books. Great character work, decent plot, weak action and sometimes hard to follow descriptions.

The character work is as good as ever. Castor and the Prelates back and forth, Veta and her Ferrets. It's all good. I will say that the Ferrets do seem to be lacking a little personality in this one. I put that down to them not having as much time to talk. We get some major developments with them that will change things forever. I wish we could have let these things build a little to have more of an emotional connection.

I think the story structure could have been better. Vordius and Pavium from Halo Wars 2 are back and really do not need to be in this. They are just kinda there for the entire time. Additionally Denning struggles with those descriptions again. Often I found myself trying to picture what exactly the scenery and action looked like.

It's the weakest of the Veta books but is still a fun time. Going forward there are some GREAT story opportunities to build off of. Excited to see what is next for the team

3/5
Profile Image for Tom Feeney.
18 reviews
December 1, 2023
Good Halo lore filled novel. Includes multiple cool characters from other Halo media and the story all comes together in exciting fashion for the climax
Profile Image for Daniel.
110 reviews
August 6, 2022
3.75/5 stars

Honestly, pleasantly surprised with this one. Wasn't a huge fan of the first two books in the Ferrets series, but this one developed the characters more I thought and had a good close of the story.
210 reviews4 followers
December 13, 2024
This is the seventeenth Halo novel I have read and is one of a box set of ten Halo novels I bought after giving up any idea of reading the novels in chronological order. Now I’m jumping all over the galaxy with no idea of where I’ve been or where I’m going. I’ve since discovered that Goodreads has a definitive list of Halo novels giving the order in which they should be read, and now that I have finished my box set I will try to read the remaining twenty-plus novels in the series in some kind of logical order.
That is especially important with Divine Wind, which is the third novel I have read with Vita Lopis and her three Spartans front and centre. I made a big mistake reading this novel before I read Halo: Shadows of Reach, which also involves Vita and ends just a few hours before this novel begins. By jumping over it like a spaceship ducking down a wormhole, I missed a lot of context. The “Historian’s Note” at the start of this novel also refers to Halo 5: Guardians, which I assume gives some background to the rogue AI Cortana’s attempt to take over the galaxy, and that is another narrative thread in Divine Wind.
In this volume, Vita and her Spartans are on the mysterious Ark, which is located somewhere outside the Milky Way and can only be reached via an obscure portal. They are tracking the religious fanatic Castor, who is determined to activate the Halo and end all sentient life in the galaxy, in the belief that that event will be the catalyst for the great journey to wherever. Much to the dismay of all these alien species – the Jiralhanae, the Sangheili and even the San’Shyuum – it has become clear that human beings were given some kind of preferential status by the Forerunners. That means that human beings find it easier to engage with Forerunner technology than other species and – crucially – only a human being can activate the Halo…..
I’ll say no more about the plot. There is the usual mix of action and explosions and derring do and precise details of the model numbers of various bits of military kit.
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 the correct order, otherwise it’s easy to get lost in space.
Profile Image for Andrew.
532 reviews15 followers
October 29, 2021
I listened to this book via Audible.

Divine Wind continues the story that began with Last Light and was followed by Retribution and Shadows of Reach. It takes place almost immediately after the last book, and while Master Chief isn't there, Veta Lopis and her team of Ferrets are planning to do whatever it takes to keep Castor from firing the Halo rings. And so another adventure begins!

This story ties in to the greater Halo universe in a lot of places beyond the three books I mentioned above. It has connections to the Halo Wars videogame series, the main games, and I'm sure other things I missed or have forgotten. As such, it's not really the best jumping-in point for someone new to the franchise, but for those versed in the lore, you'll start getting excited for Halo Infinite and the journeys yet to come.

As far as the novel goes, I enjoyed going between the different factions and getting inside the heads of many characters. You see their motivations and reactions to different situations while also keeping certain bits of information a secret or revealing them at the perfect time for the best effect. It was a solid adventure with the high stakes we've come to expect from Halo. While the overall plot was a little formulaic, there were some interesting twists that leave some story threads dangling that I hope get revisited in the future.

If you're interested in Halo and want to get excited for Halo Infinite and learn every bit of lore there is to know, then you should definitely pick this up. Even more casual fans who have just played the games will be able to follow along for the most part, but if you've never ventured into the universe before, you should start somewhere else like Halo: The Fall of Reach.
12 reviews
October 9, 2025
JEROME OFF THE TOP ROPE WITH A STEEL CHAIR!

ok ferret series was fantastic. I love that they have made blue team a sort of catch all for the best Spartans and operatives. The developing relationship between Fred and Veta was sweet and made a ton of sense for how it would progress. A literal child soldier isn’t gonna be a suave lover boy. Even if he’s 40 something years old now.

The ferrets were fantastic and I thought that the paternal sort of relationship that developed between Veta and the gammas was done well. Three 15-20 year old child soldiers who have to take drugs to stay functional would definitely have a benefit from some kind of paternal relationship to stabilize them.

Kelly and Linda barely show up but they’re great ballast to blue team as a set of characters. I would like to see some more books focusing on them specifically because Kelly while having a fair amount of characterization still tends to be boiled down to “fast af boi”. And Linda isn’t characterized much beyond being a zen master trick shot specialist.

The keepers and particularly Castor and Gadogai were fantastic I love the way the banished and post covenant factions have been built up.

All in all I’m curious how the ferrets and spirit of fire are going to become relevant in later installments because they’re probably the most intriguing storyline in the franchise at the moment. They could do a really interesting convergence event between the full blue team, red team + ferrets and potentially Rion forge and the SOF crew. Hell you could even get Osiris and alpha 9 in on it if you wanted.
Profile Image for LGM-30 stan.
11 reviews
May 4, 2024
I'm so sad that two stars is all I can give this book. Until now, I've never read a book by Mr. Denning that I didn't absolutely love. The man writes bangers every single time, and at first, this book felt like it would be the same. There certainly were many promising threads at the start, and Veta's poor mental state at the beginning of the book could've been a great set-up for developing her sense of duty, both to the Gammas and against Castor. Within the last 100-150 pages, though, the book just kind of falls flat. Character interactions become stale, action sequences hold no tension, and overall there's just a total lack of emotion.

In fact, it feels like the whole resolution was kind of contrived — save for a few inconsequential character deaths, nothing really happens or changes. Not even the heavily built-up stakes of smoother deprivation have any real effect on the Gammas or on the story, which I honestly found so disappointing and lame. What happened to the sort of story beats that Mr. Denning wrote in Shadows of Reach and almost made me cry? Honestly, this book felt like it was written by someone completely other than Mr. Denning. I'll still pick up his next Halo novel for sure, but let's hope it's better than this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ricky Beckett.
224 reviews13 followers
August 20, 2024
‘Divine Wind’ takes place just hours after its prequel, ‘Shadows of Reach.’ We rejoin Veta Lopis and her Ferret team made up of Spartan-IIIs—Mark-G313, Olivia-G291, and Ash-G099. Having been undercover as faithful followers of the Keepers of the One Freedom for two years, Lopis and her Ferrets arrive on the Ark via a portal from Reach, where the Jiralhanae Castor and his followers plan to activate the Halo Array to initiate the Great Journey to godlike transcendence. The Ferrets’ goal is to prevent this from happening, as they are also plunged into a battle between the Banished and a remnant of the Covenant left behind on the Ark after the events of Halo 3.

Besides the direct prequel mentioned above, reading the other books featuring Veta Lopis and her Spartan-III Ferrets would be largely beneficial: ‘Last Light’ and ‘Retribution.’ I’d also recommend reading ‘Ghosts of Onyx’ before all these. Anyway, although ‘Divine Wind’ is written by the same author as ‘Shadows of Reach,’ the narrative style is quite the departure from its prequel; it’s not as detailed with the environments. In that sense, it reads much more like a Halo novel, and there are many twists that maintain the pace and excitement of the novel.
Profile Image for Lukas Kawika.
102 reviews5 followers
May 26, 2022
This was another one where I wish I could give a half-star rating - it was certainly better than three stars, but I don't think it quite hit the mark for 4. This one was quite a bit more straightforward than the two before, following a more standard Halo-style sci-fi action plot instead of the twisting mystery we saw in the other books in the Ferrets series, but it was still a fun time! I will say, though, I went right through the trilogy on its own, though Divine Wind has a special note that very clearly states it takes place after a different book from a different subseries within the novels, so I know there's some context I'm missing there - though in the usual spirit of things, the important bits are covered within the context of this story.

I liked this subseries quite a bit, and it's super cool to revisit the Ark after departing it in Halo 3. That's really one of the best parts about reading the books: seeing and visiting locations that we're already familiar with, either from the past or, in some cases, in a future instance, and exploring these locations in ways that we didn't get to before.
86 reviews
November 21, 2021
While Troy Denning’s last Halo novel, Shadows of Reach, set this book up as a spin-off, it’s also the end of a trilogy which includes Halo: Last Light and Retribution and was the story I’ve been waiting for since Retribution. It did not disappoint. It starts intense and rarely lets up the fast paced action and drama until it ends. This is definitely not meant to be someone’s first Halo novel. Sure, there’s some exposition to catch people up and explain a few things, but it’s more like the Halo 3 of Halo novels. The previous stories set up the characters and the world, the stakes are very high, but there’s plenty of great personal moments between the undercover Ferret team as well as the antagonists, Castor, Inslaan ‘Gadogai, and the Prelate, Dhas Bhasvod. All make for compelling characters especially Castor who readers have seen develop through 4 novels including this one. Like any great installment in a long running series, Divine Wind does a great job of wrapping up the story from previous books while still laying interesting seeds for the future.
Profile Image for Ben LaBelle.
50 reviews
May 15, 2024
I'm torn. On one hand the writing is extremely good but on the other hand it felt like Troy was trying to gaslight me into thinking the events of Hunters in the Dark didn't occur. Am I tweaking? Absolutely no mention of the Rubicon or the solitude guy? Also no mention on the fact that they set up a research station there after the events of Hunters in the Dark? I understand that communicating with other authors for previous books can be difficult but did NO ONE think to tell Troy about it since the entire book takes place on Installation 00? I feel like maybe mentioning it would help me not be as confused about it. Also why did he make Olivia a totally different character from the previous books? It pains me to give this book such a low score when the writing is phenomenal but there's just so many plot holes it's hard to ignore.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ian.
20 reviews3 followers
December 27, 2022
Troy Denning is easily the worst Halo writer (you know for those of us English nerds who care about good writing), but finally Troy Denning gives us a SOLID book, it's not amazing and it still has elements of what I dislike about his style. However I think his familiarity with these characters and the political nature of this books allowed him to actually make me care about characters, even some of the "antagonists". When you put time effort and care over decades into characters and settings you can make some truly great art and so far I'd argue this is the best book Troy Denning has written. I was just as surprised as the rest of you.
Profile Image for Joe Joe Birdwell.
25 reviews
April 14, 2023
I loved the book as the third book of the Ferret Team trilogy, but I’m removing a star because I had higher expectations with the ending of Shadows of Reach. I love these characters and story, and their presence on the Ark was amazing. However, I really thought Blue Team would make an appearance and tie some loose ends together between these two books and Halo Infinite. Also, Gadogai is an incredible character, but we really missed an opportunity for his skills as a fighter to get put on display. Anyway, fantastic book, one of the best of the Halo series, it just didn’t quite live up to its potential.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
339 reviews13 followers
August 25, 2024
I am realizing, that The Halo universe is going to move forwards by the games. The novels are just going to be side stories. While there might be big possibilities, nothing much is going to change at the end of a halo novel. No Cortana being defeated, no Master Chief coming back, no huge forerunner object found.
That said, this novel about a group of Spartans infiltrating a group, bent on firing a halo, and destroying life in the universe, does have lots of action. It's also a novel, where a lot of the complicating factors just seem added, to make the story more interesting, rather than tell a more realistic story. Maybe I should have read the previous ferret team novels.
Profile Image for Thijs.
387 reviews5 followers
November 11, 2021
This book is a mixed bag.

On the one hand, I like the different plot threads that they wove together from the various media, and I liked finding out what happened to the characters. Though it was not a groundbreaking book.

On the other hand, the book felt rather messy. Especially at the beginning and ending. The character dialogue could have been a bit better. And a big one is in the comments to prevent spoilers.

This book was also a risky one, because I don't know how it's going to impact any future game, without rehashing the plot points of this. Feels convoluted and complicated.
Profile Image for Spen Cer.
227 reviews4 followers
November 27, 2021
It’s not really the authors fault. I’ve read all the halo books and the cannon has got so diluted that it’s getting hard to really see the point anymore. Why does each one have to be about saving the world? This is a pretty normal novel and worth it to get a sense before halo infinite. The twist of Castor for some reason just deciding that he no longer believes is pretty fast and silly, as if he hasn’t had doubts before. It seems to be a small story dragged out. The authors seems hemmed in by additional cannon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Tiamike Dudley.
4 reviews
January 7, 2024
The characters were all one dimensional throughout. The closest we get to character development is the Spartans smoother withdrawal. There wasn’t much of any high stakes excitement until the final act and the final ending reduces the entire book to a Brute gets disillusioned, a monitor dies, the halo rings don’t get fired (obviously, that was never going to happen), and everyone goes home to lick their wounds and fight another day. I feel like the book was so small in scope that it didn’t add much to the universe, but to one dimensional that I never got invested in any characters
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Andy.
5 reviews
March 6, 2023
It’s time for Troy Denning to be retired from writing Halo books. An utter snooze fest for the majority of the book.

If you’re listening to the audiobook version then even worse than Denning’s drab writing is Aida Reluzco’s narration, totally unfit for a Halo narration and by far the worst narration of any of the Halo novels so far, please no more of Aida, please and thank you.
Profile Image for Tom Donovan.
23 reviews
March 10, 2023
Troy's more interested in describing the exact length and weight of an alien tree than expression of, what should be, emotional moments. The great struggle between Veta and Castor almost feels like a burden, getting in the way of more military jargon and weapon serial numbers. A disappointing end to some interesting characters.
Profile Image for Kelvin.
79 reviews8 followers
October 23, 2021
Troy Denning hits it out of the park again with Halo Divine Wind. Arguably his best contribution to the Halo universe thus far. Great action, great character moments and a brutal final sequence that will remain in my conscience for quite a while.
Profile Image for Ivana Hernandez.
1 review
April 26, 2022
You never see it coming how invested you become in the characters

The book follows the career of the gammas with veta lopis. The story is gripping and ultimately heart breaking. An amazing victory against all odds. A book I had a hard time accepting was over.
7 reviews
Read
November 26, 2021
This book along with Halo: Point of Light are all set around the time of Halo: Infinite. It makes me excited to play the game and see if they all tie together.
Profile Image for Will Crudge.
7 reviews
December 8, 2021
Amazing

Revelations, betrayals, action, and intrigue. This was a joy to read. I almost forgot to pick up my kids because I got so sucked into it. A must read.
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