The Halo games are known for being some of the most enjoyable FPS titles of their generation. This is because they provide exciting gunplay, well-designed levels, and fun vehicles. But the storytelling of the series shouldn’t be overlooked, either.
Many of the best campaigns in the series contain great narratives, written on the back of the series’ deep lore. While the games explore some of the lore, the Halo books go even deeper. That is why they’re essential reads for fans of the series. Or at least, you must read the following, which are the best titles in the series.
Updated November 20, 2023, 2023 By Ben Jessey: The Halo franchise offers more than just games. For example, there is also a large collection of compelling novels based on the series. We created this piece to highlight the greatest ones. In this update, we’ve added a few more to the group.
Halo: Silent Storm – A Master Chief Story
A Key Story In The Rise Of John-117
This book is set fairly early in the Halo timeline. It sees a teenage John-117 lead a team of Spartans in a few battles against the Covenant. They aren’t the only ones he has to deal with, though, as a group of human insurrectionists are also causing problems.
- Author
- Troy Denning
- Pages
- 400
- Publication Date
- July 30, 2019
- Cool to see a young John finding his feet in the military
- Sergeant Johnson plays a significant role in the story
- The inclusion of insurgents creates a unique dynamic
- Some of the Spartan characters are underdeveloped
When the games begin, Master Chief is already a formidable warrior, but he wasn’t always that way. In Silent Storm, he is just a teenager who is still learning about life in the military. He’s not doing too bad, though, as he’s already a Petty Officer leading a team of Spartans.
So, it isn’t a complete origin story, but it’s still fascinating to see a young and fairly inexperienced Master Chief in action. What’s also interesting is the inclusion of the insurgents in the story. They’re a group of humans who aren’t big fans of the UNSC and want to deal with the Covenant their own way. This is a cool dynamic.
Halo: Last Light
A Murder On Gao
A serial killer is on the loose on the planet Gao, and they’re killing locals. This started happening once the UNSC and Spartan Blue Team arrived on the scene. Is this a coincidence?
- Publication Date
- September 15, 2015
- Author
- Troy Denning
- Pages
- 400
- Different sort of Halo story
- Entertaining characters
Most Halo tales revolve around warfare of some sort, usually between the UNSC and another group. Therefore, any title that strays from that typical type of plot stands out immediately. This is the case for Halo: Last Light. It’s more of a murder mystery novel than a typical Halo book. It makes for a nice change of pace.
Another nice change is the focus the novel puts on characters that don’t always get the spotlight, such as the non-Master Chief Blue Team Spartans. Plus, most of them are well-written and interesting.
Halo: Contact Harvest
The Origins Of The Human-Covenant War
This novel is set long before the first Halo game and chronicles the UNSC’s first confrontation with the Covenant. This encounter takes place on the colony world of Harvest, where a young Avery Johnson is stationed.
- Publication Date
- October 30, 2007
- Author
- Joseph Staten
- Pages
- 416
- Gives insight into how the war with the Covenant began
- Includes the future Sergeant Johnson in a major role
- We get to see both the human and alien sides of the conflict
- Contains a completely unnecessary and explicit love-making scene
Neither the first game nor the Halo: Reach prequel delve too deep into exactly how the war between the humans and the Covenant began. It was already well underway when the games started.
That is what’s great about the Contact Harvest book, as it gives more insight into the war’s origins. Plus, it provides extra backstory to a few of Halo’s most notable characters, such as Sergeant Johnson and the Prophets. All of this occurs amid an engaging and exciting sci-fi military tale.
Halo: Cryptum
Get To Know The Forerunners
The Forerunners are an important part of the overall Halo story. They were a once dominant race that is no longer around in the Halo games. This book serves as the first part of their story.
- Publication Date
- January 4, 2011
- Author
- Greg Bear
- Pages
- 336
- Teaches us a lot about the Forerunners
- Fleshes out the early part of the Halo timeline
- Refreshing Halo story about neither humans nor the Covenant
- Slow at times
- After finishing it, you feel obligated to read the two sequels (Primordium and Silentium)
The Forerunner race was around long before the events of the games. Yet, their impact is felt throughout the series, particularly in the later games, where they are mentioned a lot. While playing the games, though, it’s hard to really understand who they were and what they did.
This book is the first of a three-part series that delves deep into their story. As a result, it helps you understand the overall narrative a lot more. As it’s about the Forerunners, the actual plot isn’t as fast-paced as you maybe expect from a Halo tale. But it still makes for a fascinating read.
Halo: New Blood
From ODST To Spartan
Outside of Master Chief, Edward Buck is among the most popular characters in the series. And this book capitalizes on that by making it all about him and his life after the Human-Covenant war is over.
- Publication Date
- March 2, 2015
- Author
- Matt Forbeck
- Pages
- 208
- Bridges the gap in Buck’s story between Halo 3: ODST and Halo 5
- Includes other members of Buck’s old ODST team
- Provides interesting information about the Spartan-4 program
These days, Edward Buck is one of the best Spartans in the Halo universe. But before that, he was the most popular member of the titular team in Halo 3: ODST. His transformation from ODST to Spartan is shown in this book, as you get to see what the character is up to after the war with the Covenant.
As the book mostly focuses on Buck, it’s a more personal and grounded tale than Halo usually tells. Yet, it still deals with some things that are important to the overall series, such as the Spartan-4 program.
Halo Encyclopedia
Everything You Need To Know About Halo
The Halo universe has all sorts of different races, characters, organizations, planets, weapons, vehicles, and more. So, it can be quite hard to keep track unless you have this Halo Encyclopedia, which houses all that information in one place.
- Publication Date
- April 12, 2022
- Author
- Microsoft
- Pages
- 488
- Answers pretty much any question you will have about Halo
- Includes a full Halo timeline
- Well-organized
- Much of the information is unnecessary for the average Halo fan
You learn a lot about the Halo universe by playing the games and reading the books. In fact, the amount of information thrown at you can be overwhelming due to the long-running nature of the series. As such, it’s easy to forget some things, especially the small details.
This is where the Halo Encyclopedia comes in handy, as it contains all the information you could ever want to know about Halo. It covers humans, the Covenant, the Forerunners, the Flood, and the Banished. The book provides plenty of detail on their worlds, equipment, and societies.
Halo: First Strike
The Bridge Between Halo: Combat Evolved And Halo 2
First Strike tells the tale of Master Chief and Cortana’s exploits after Combat Evolved and shows how they got to where they are at the beginning of Halo 2.
- Publication Date
- December 2, 2003
- Author
- Eric Nylund
- Pages
- 464
- Shows what the Chief and Cortana did before Halo 2
- Gives more attention to characters such as Fred-104 and Kelly-087
- Fun action sequences
It isn’t abundantly clear when playing the games, but the events of Halo 2 don’t immediately happen after Combat Evolved. Chief and Cortana have some escapades in-between, including the one depicted in this action-packed book.
It isn’t all about them, though, as Fred-104, Kelly-087, and Dr. Elizabeth Halsey also feature in the novel. So, the narrative is filled with important characters. And while the plot isn’t vital to the overall Halo story, it’s still enjoyable.
Halo: Ghosts Of Onyx
Onyx Is A Dangerous Place
Onyx is a good world for Spartans to train. At least, it seems that way until both the Covenant and a mysterious force begin to create problems. At this point, a major conflict breaks out.
- Publication Date
- October 31, 2006
- Author
- Eric Nylund
- Pages
- 432
- Get to know Spartans that aren’t Master Chief
- Plenty of exciting action
- Grounded story
- The new Spartans aren’t as interesting as Chief
Most of the great Halo stories involve Master Chief in some way. That is not the case with this one, though. Another set of Spartans take the lead in this novel. While none of them are quite as dynamic as Chief, they’re still a pretty interesting bunch.
The book does a great job of introducing them and fleshing out their characters. So much so that you can’t help but grow fond of some of them, at least. It helps that their fight for survival on the world of Onyx is intense and thrilling.
Halo: The Fall Of Reach
Every Hero Has An Origin Story
The Fall of Reach novel focuses on one of the most significant moments in the Halo story: the creation of Master Chief. It chronicles the beginning of the Spartan-2 program and how the iconic hero became who he is.
- Publication Date
- October 30, 2001
- Author
- Eric Nylund
- Pages
- 464
- Chronicles the fascinating beginning of Master Chief’s journey
- Gives more insight into the Spartan-2 program
- Perfect set-up for the games
- Cortana’s absence for most of the book leaves a major hole in Master Chief’s character
Every fan knows that Reach falling to the Covenant is one of the most memorable and heartbreaking moments in the Halo universe. Telling that tale isn’t the most significant part of this novel, though. Instead, it’s more about the Spartan-2 program and the origin of one of gaming’s greatest heroes, Master Chief.
As such, you get to see what he went through before the events of the games. The result is a fascinating and thrilling narrative that is a must-read for fans of the series.
FAQ
Are any of the Halo books canon?
The Halo franchise doesn’t deal in non-canon content too often. All the Halo novels are canon, and some of their events are actually referenced in the games.
What is the first Halo book I should read?
You don’t have to read the Halo books in the exact chronological order. Yet, there is nothing wrong with starting at the beginning of the timeline with Halo: Cryptum. Alternatively, Halo: Fall of Reach is also a good starting point as it was the first novel published.