Halo: Primordium (2012)
by Greg Bear
REVIEW BY JASON HAMILTON
BRIEF SYNOPSIS: The human Chakas is stranded on a rogue Halo ring.
PROS: More personal, great surprises for Halo fans, interesting ending.
CONS: The plot goes nowhere, little to appreciate for those unfamiliar with the franchise.
BOTTOM LINE: Better than the first book but still not something I'd recommend to anyone unfamiliar with the Halo universe.
Halo: Primordium is a big improvement on the previous book. It reveals a lot more of the backstory of humans, Forerunners, and Flood which will be very interesting to a fan of the Halo franchise. The ending will also make much more of an impression. However, more so with Primordium than with Cryptum, a lot will be lost on those who are not already somewhat familiar with the Halo universe, especially the original game.
The book moves to the point of view of the human Chakas. This fixes the problem of the first book being a bit inhuman. Primordium certainly feels more connected to humanity through the eyes of this human. However, the plot doesn't really go anywhere important until the very end. The book could have been much shorter, even meshed with the first book and it would have been much better.
The book, despite being placed 100,000 years before the games, has a Halo feel to it. It takes place almost completely on the Halo ring and for someone familiar with the games it is easy to imagine the sprawling landscapes and lush open feel.
The ending is also very interesting and a big improvement on the ending for Cryptum which was stunted and anticlimactic. I can't give away too much here but the subtle integration with the future of Halo and the connections with the Halo monitor 343 Guilty Spark, are really cool. There is a significant amount of foreshadowing of events that will probably be made clearer in Halo 4
Overall, this book is not for someone unfamiliar with the Halo franchise. The plot is weak and might seem boring at places, but for those who are familiar with the games, this book will probably be very exciting.
| 
