Halo: Glasslands by Karen Traviss - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

May 10, 2013 Eric rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

The first thing that I should mention is that I will have to re-read Ghosts of Onyx. I had started reading the book, but had taken a rather long break midway through. When I went back to it, I picked up where I left off instead of going back to the beginning. That said, I enjoyed how Glasslands was connected to Ghosts of Onyx.

I thoroughly enjoyed the different viewpoints of characters, those more recognizable than others and even ones introduced in the book (or that I simply don't remember readi...more

like · see review

Feb 03, 2013 Manrix rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the seventh novel in the Halo franchise that I've read, meaning there is a lot of back story that plays a part in this novel. Sadly, it's been several years since I read any of the earlier books, so not all of the things looked back on in the novel actually ring a bell. Dr. Catherine Halsey's story is prominent in The Fall of Reach and Ghosts of Onyx, but its finer points elude me.
It is quite obviously a first installment in a series (within a series) as it established a newly formed tea...more This is the seventh novel in the Halo franchise that I've read, meaning there is a lot of back story that plays a part in this novel. Sadly, it's been several years since I read any of the earlier books, so not all of the things looked back on in the novel actually ring a bell. Dr. Catherine Halsey's story is prominent in The Fall of Reach and Ghosts of Onyx, but its finer points elude me.
It is quite obviously a first installment in a series (within a series) as it established a newly formed team, some interesting new characters, while also allowing expansion on the old characters, and manages to balance that very well.
Another interesting thing is that you get to see what the Covenant is like after the Schism, and what its weak points were. The Sangheili culture is given some more depth, and is quite interestingly put together. They are, however, still a threat, so ONI goes to some lenghts to make sure they keep fighting amongst themselves, which seems a very logical step, making this a very good plot point. However, throughout the novel, not a whole lot happens. It starts in the lull of the post-Halo 3 cease-fire, and by the end the scene is set for a lot of things to go down, but that's not until the next installment. The possibilities are intriguing, both in the mythology of the novel as well as where the story might go in the next book.
From what I can remember, this novel is also by far the one that asks the most (and the most difficult) ethical questions about the Spartan-II program (and the Spartan-IIIs as well) by introducing charaters that are outside of it, so the reader has the viewpoint of someone not a part of the project.
The characters are also interesting in themselves, and seem well put together. It will be very interesting to see how their relationships develop.
The ending of the novel was too much of a cliffhanger epilogue, in my opinion. After the resolution of most of the major plot archs, there is some form of closure, but at the very end there is some action and mystery that is too obviously put there so you'll buy the next novel. The last chapter could have waited till book two. (which I will be reading, btw)(less)

like · see review

Dec 18, 2012 Scrittevolmente rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Bentornati a tutti i lettori e agli eventuali assidui che ansiosamente attendono le recensioni aperiodiche delle opere edite dagli amici della Multiplayer.it edizioni.

Partiamo subito con una premessa: l’opera di oggi non avrà un voto. Perché questa decisione? Perché nonostante voglia recensire questo libro, il mio voto è influenzato da diversi fattori, primi fra tutti l’essere indietro con l’intera saga di Halo sia in termini letterari che videoludici.

Detto questo possiamo iniziare con il dire c...more

like · see review

Dec 13, 2012 Jerry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I first saw Glasslands while I was searching for a sequel to my favorite Halo book: Ghosts of Onyx and I was delighted when the search came up. After I played all the Halo Games including the highly-anticipated Halo 4, I though this would be the perfect book. Halo: Glasslands revolves around three conjoining stories with their own characters; Dr Halsey and her genetically-augmented Spartan II and III team trapped in a dimension built by the technologically advanced ancients known as the Forerunn...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 27, 2012 Bom1221 rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Honestly painful for me to read. The whole book seems completely forced, from the interactions between the characters, to the aside comments from their thoughts, to their ensuing actions. Towards the end, I just skipped the small parts/comments which I knew were going to be generic or repetitive that had to do with what the characters were feeling or thinking, because it was all under the same basic idea. Either:

How can I face what I have done?
What is left to humanity?
What will they think of me...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 14, 2012 Alexander rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

It wasn't bad, but it was no "Fall of Reach". I realllllllly enjoyed Karen Traviss' work with the Star Wars Republic Commando series, and I'm frustrated that George Lucas is such a money-grubbing asshole because her work on Mandalorian culture was top-notch world building.

Halo Glasslands takes place after Halo 3 / after Ghosts of Onyx. It picks up with Catherine Halsey and Chief Mendez and various leftover Spartan IIs and Spartan IIIs trapped in a Forerunner Dyson sphere. Also introduced is a te...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 07, 2012 Tristan Norton rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is a science-fiction novel based in the Halo universe and set after the human-covenant war which lasted twenty-five years and has left both sides weak. The covenant, once a powerful juggernaut made up of multiple alien races has fractured. The Sangheili cast out their religious leaders, The San'Shyuum, for lies which led them to the verge of wiping out the human race. The Sangheili and humans agreed to a cease-fire, but there are still people on both sides who disagree with the leaders...more This book is a science-fiction novel based in the Halo universe and set after the human-covenant war which lasted twenty-five years and has left both sides weak. The covenant, once a powerful juggernaut made up of multiple alien races has fractured. The Sangheili cast out their religious leaders, The San'Shyuum, for lies which led them to the verge of wiping out the human race. The Sangheili and humans agreed to a cease-fire, but there are still people on both sides who disagree with the leadership's decision to end hostilities. Thus team Kilo-five is created by ONI (Office of Naval Intelligence) and sent to provoke a Sangheili civil war in any way possible. On the other side, Sangheili extremists still loyal to the old ways search for ways to dethrone their leader, The Arbiter, and gain power in order to crush the remainder of humanity. I really liked this book for two reasons. One, that the mood and overall genre of the book is very different from other Halo fiction books. Not saying I don't like the tone of the other books, I actually really enjoy all Halo fiction. But while books like The Flood and First Strike are very concentrated on fantastic battles between fleets of destroyers and carriers and incorporate complex hand-to-hand combat sequences, this kind of action isn't present in Glasslands. Thus this makes Glasslands more of a drama with some action than an action adventure like previous novels. Second, this book is a spinning web of moral conflictions and twists. The main characters on both sides are doing the opposite of what moral beliefs say is right but the book still makes you want to root for these people. Also, on the side is a third faction made up of Dr.Catherine Halsey, Chief Petty Officer Mendez, three Spartan II's, Kelly, Fred, and Linda, and five Spartan III's, Olivia, Ash, Lucy, and a couple of others all trapped in a Forerunner shield world called Onyx. Dr. Halsey's mental struggles with the morality of what she has done, i.e. kidnapped six year old children and turned them into augmented super-soldiers but in doing so probably saved humanity and the universe from utter obliteration, are refreshing and interesting. Overall, a good book and one I recommend to read, even if you haven't read any Halo fiction or played any of the games.(less)

1 like · like · see review

May 09, 2012 Josh Salchert rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: please-avoid-if-you-value-this-seri

Ok... I'm going to shoot straight with this book.
I have not finished it.
I doubt I will be ABLE to finish it.

I played the first game in my early childhood, and the whole snafu about M-rated games influencing a child beside, I was in awe. This was a world and a setting that totally opened my eyes to the sheer grandeur and wonder that non star wars sci fi could instill in me. I genuinely cared about the details of life that had brought these characters to make the decisions that they made.
So, fi...more Ok... I'm going to shoot straight with this book.
I have not finished it.
I doubt I will be ABLE to finish it.

I played the first game in my early childhood, and the whole snafu about M-rated games influencing a child beside, I was in awe. This was a world and a setting that totally opened my eyes to the sheer grandeur and wonder that non star wars sci fi could instill in me. I genuinely cared about the details of life that had brought these characters to make the decisions that they made.
So, finding out about the books of halo, and the potential to learn more about the world and the fiction surrounding it, I dove right in.
The Fall of Reach, it added depth to the masked hero Master Chief, who I could now call John. I learned of his childhood struggles, his comrades in arms, his teachers, and early enemies, and most importantly, it made what he was fighting for personal.
The other books in that particular trilogy made me happy, they kept up a breakneck speed run kind of feel. With highly detailed scenarios, and tight, military coordination. You figured out how the Spartans moved, and how they would react in any given situation.

Then there was Ghosts of Onyx. Wow, this book left me wide open with excitement. It was pretty much entirely made up of, and supported by, non game characters, and represented the first real dive into non master chief story telling. I loved it.

The comes Glasslands.
In case you didn't know what had happened during the time that Ghosts had come out, to when Glasslands hit, there was a switching over of studios, authors, and in a very horrible way, direction.
This book literally has felt like someone had taken a monkey wrench and thrown it directly into the well oiled machine that was the halo universe.
343 industries took over from Bungie, and hired an author, Karen Traviss, to make a new trilogy of books, to continue the saga of Halo. I would beg them. Please stop her. Please.
Gone, are they characters that we know. They've been replaced with mere shades of themselves. Similar in name only. Out goes any sort of reasoning, military training, or even respect for ones past actions, and in comes blind judgment, that honestly feels like it comes from the Author herself. She seems to delight in butchering the people I know in these books beyond recognition.
*phew*
Ok, I'm done, this book honestly isn't worth the time it takes for me to finish writing the review.
I got to "She's a nazi doctor". Oye... Done. :)(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Mar 23, 2012 Craiguss rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'd like to start this with my experience of Travis' past writing.

I was a fan of her Gears of War novels, being a fan of Gears itself.
While a couple of her books tended to drag in parts, in others I found her ability to create a good sense of emotion about characters who in the games seemed more statue-like or cookie-cutter military boneheads.

In Glasslands, she did just that.
The Halo franchise is something I hold close to my heart, be it the games, or the books, comics and all other aspects.

And...more

like · see review

May 29, 2013 Callum Shephard rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you want to see the worst way in which to behave in relation to writing for an expanded universe you need only look at the works of Karen Traviss. Infamous for her borderline preaching, infighting with other authors, bloated tumorous additions to series’ plotlines for the sake of pure self-satisfaction, mass fan insults and a sheer lack of research or respect for the canon; how she retains not only a career but also a fandom is a complete mystery.

Having written for both the Star Wars expanded ...more

like · see review

Oct 10, 2012 Broken_fingers rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Meh... Disappointment. This is my first Karen Traviss book. I will not be buying her next Halo book. She obviously hates a specific character and spends too much time on the subject, neglecting the characters previously established personalities, so that she can berate one specific character.

The Good: KIlo 5 story arc was really good.

The Bad: The Elites

The Ugly: Anything that brings up Halsey, and everything that happened in the Dyson Sphere, with the exception of the brief moment with Lucy.

Rea...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 12, 2012 Dylan *Rocket-Raj* rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: recommended-reads, asha-must-read

In the past year of my life, I have read over 300+ novels. Out of those novels, I hated many, liked some, and loved even more. Halo: Glasslands has got to be on the top of the latter category. This novel took such a different approach to characters that I had already fallen in love with, and believe me, I now consider Eric Nylund only ONE of TWO amazing authors, who can accurately, and perfectly portray my lovely Spartans as NOT ONLY emotionless, killing machines, but also as the characters that...more In the past year of my life, I have read over 300+ novels. Out of those novels, I hated many, liked some, and loved even more. Halo: Glasslands has got to be on the top of the latter category. This novel took such a different approach to characters that I had already fallen in love with, and believe me, I now consider Eric Nylund only ONE of TWO amazing authors, who can accurately, and perfectly portray my lovely Spartans as NOT ONLY emotionless, killing machines, but also as the characters that I LOVE (the other author is now Karen Traviss, DUH).

These Spartans are not Human. They are MORE than Human, and THAT is what makes them amazing. They are the ones who had their Humanity STOLEN from them and they were FORCED to fight for our own Humanity (f-ed-up, right?). And they still won. That’s why I love them.

Now, here, in this AMAZING novel, the war is over, and the reader sees these incredible Spartans for what they truly are. They were not human. They were the EPITOME of Human! They were bred, born, and built for war. ...But, now the war is over. ...So, what now? ...I'll tell you what! ...You get to see them do something other than be complete and utter badasses! We get to see them ACTUALLY INTERACT with other, and their environment! I LOVED it!

I delved so deep into my favorite characters’ minds, that I thought I might drown (in awesomeness)! My favorite mental insight? Dr. Catherine Halsey. You are Jesus. You are Satan. You are Mother Teresa, and Dr. Mengele all wrapped into one, viciously violent, incredibly intelligent, character, and getting any and all the views into your mind that I could, I was happier than I could ever have imagined! Oh, Christ (or, if you prefer, Yaweh, Allah, Ram, Shiva, Lakshmi, Gehova, Buddha—I pray to them all, as they are all the same person, yadda yadda yadda, for religious views of D.R. David [that's me], please message my profile), her mind was incredible to look at.

I saw the one quote that made me squee like the inner fangirl in me wanted me to (which made my girlfriend “test me,” to make sure I was, in fact, heterosexual). That quote was when Kelly said: “Do you think John made it?” Her other best quote: “Damn. I’ve finally been outrun. Oh, the shame of it.” Ah, how I love that girl. (Facetiously of course).

…And, then we have the little psychos. Ah, Ash. How you crack me up (with the ONE line you had in the novel). And then Lucy. She, is without a doubt, a very close second for my favorite Halo female (perhaps for favorite female character of all-time, right next to Linda-058, Kelly-087, and Lyra Belacqua).

This book was so full of philosophy, amazing quotes, and some of the BEST characters to EVER grace my literary life, that I don’t think my majorly massive mind could even absorb all of the amazing literary superiority, that is this novel. Karen Traviss, my praise to thee. Truly, your reputation has preceded you. I cannot wait until The Thursday War is released. I want to so badly to continue this trilogy, and see what happens to my favorite characters.

One suggestion. READ THIS BOOK!
(less)

like · see review

Jan 03, 2012 Phillip Nguyen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked this book. I've been waiting quite awhile to find out what happens to Dr. Catherine Halsey, Spartans Fred, Linda, Kelly, CPO Mendez, and the Spartan III's so it was really satisfying to see them actually trying to cope within the Dyson Sphere. Following the story of the ODSTs, the Spartan Naomi and the Spartan dropout, Osman, who were all on a mission to edge the Elites into civil war, sanctioned by ONI, was another interesting twist. After the events of Halo 3, with the Covenant...more I really liked this book. I've been waiting quite awhile to find out what happens to Dr. Catherine Halsey, Spartans Fred, Linda, Kelly, CPO Mendez, and the Spartan III's so it was really satisfying to see them actually trying to cope within the Dyson Sphere. Following the story of the ODSTs, the Spartan Naomi and the Spartan dropout, Osman, who were all on a mission to edge the Elites into civil war, sanctioned by ONI, was another interesting twist. After the events of Halo 3, with the Covenant disbanded, the Master Chief floating off in space and humanity rebuilding, I had expected it to be an period of peace. I was very interested to find that the Insurrectionists that Earth had been dealing with from it's colonies were back. I think that it's very possible that the remnants of the Covenant aren't so much a threat as the Insurrectionists. On another note, Karen Traviss is one of my favorite authors when it comes to militaristic novels because of the way she creates the minds of the characters. The past author of Halo novels, Eric Nylund, did a good job of writing out Dr. Halsey's thought process but the way Karen did it made it seem more in depth. To see both the doctor and Chief Mendez, dealing with themselves and each other with what they did to the Spartans as youth was incredibly fascinating. The reactions of the Spartan Naomi and of the ODSTs when they found out the truth about the Spartan II project was a very expected response however I was a bit disappointed when Fred, Kelly and Linda didn't really push the subject about their failed clones and their families. However it was good to see how all four of the Spartans and Dr. Halsey reacted to the news of John being officially declared dead after being MIA for 5 months. It just goes to show how high they all held him. Even the ODSTs were shocked to hear that the Master Chief was to be included on the Memorial at Voi. The only disappointing thing I found about this book was the story of the Elites. While I found the fact that they were struggling to come to terms with the fact that the war was over and that they had a planet full of warriors who weren't needed very interesting. I just didn't find the Elite's side of the story that interesting. Their obvious hate for humans is probably foreshadowing to another future conflict but I find it strange that they focus on more fighting rather than recuperating and rebuilding their planet. Still, as a whole, this book was very enjoyable and I look forward to the next book.(less)

like · see review

Oct 23, 2012 Jacob rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book takes a series that is essentially "Okay. So we're being mobbed on all sides by aliens, crazy plant monsters, and disenfranchised humans. We're ultimately going to be making a last stand somewhere. We're opening the betting pool to see which bit of the team actually survives." and adds politics, intrigue, backstabbing, and working towards the start of a civil war among your enemies. It multiplies the number of Spartans in the world by at least eight. The books work very well to clean u...more

like · see review

Feb 19, 2013 Chris Ennen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pleasure

I did not hate the book, but I did not love the book. Honestly that’s probably a good thing. In previous Halo novels we have Catherine Halsey. She has a dichotomy and a mission that we believe in. Save mankind at all costs. She did it. The Spartan program is the reason humanity survived, but did the end justify the means? The means involved kidnapping children and replacing them with clones that died soon after. In all the previous Halo novels this is just a given. It’s what had to be done to sa...more

like · see review

Nov 27, 2012 Tina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Better. That's the word I have for this novel. It's better than its predecessors (forerunners? hahaha!) and also better than Traviss' Star Wars novels. Her writing is tighter and her characters have more depth. Her stories were always addictive, don't get me wrong, but this one was closer to "well-done" as opposed to "entertaining". Her pacing was spot on, actually. There wasn't a lot of action in this novel, but I didn't mind that - I really enjoyed the small cast of characters and the backgrou...more Better. That's the word I have for this novel. It's better than its predecessors (forerunners? hahaha!) and also better than Traviss' Star Wars novels. Her writing is tighter and her characters have more depth. Her stories were always addictive, don't get me wrong, but this one was closer to "well-done" as opposed to "entertaining". Her pacing was spot on, actually. There wasn't a lot of action in this novel, but I didn't mind that - I really enjoyed the small cast of characters and the background into Sangheili culture. That being said, she tended to repeat herself QUITE often about how the Sangheili were a warrior culture under the command of the Prophets for so long that they can't maintain their own properties anymore - Traviss must have reiterated said point like thirty times. Same with her AIs. BB was great. He was hilarious at times and his own personality actually grew as the story went along, which is something Traviss doesn't usually excel at (her characters usually don't have any progression), yet, how many damn times do you need to explain how freaky it is that AIs can be in more than one spot at once? According to Travis: about fifty.
She also had Halsey and Mendez have the damn argument like fifty times.
My other point of annoyance: the time period wasn't very clear. I mean, how much time had passed between scenes. It seemed to me that they were on that ship for like a week, but apparently it had been months? I didn't get that time span from her writing. She also told us how close the crew was getting at the end, but never really showed us. Sure, there's something going on between Vaz and Naomi, but we learn nothing about Mal or Deveroux; every character should be memorable with a cast this small, but oh well.
Still, I enjoyed the story itself; enough happened to make it interesting but it wasn't too jammed with plot twists. Traviss also did a good job keeping the characters similar to what they were like in the previous books (then again, cardboard cutouts aren't too hard to mimic) and her new characters were pretty well-rounded. I liked Phillips very much - he reminded me of me with his interests in the Sangheili culture. Jul was cool too and way better depicted than the bastardized Sangheili in Cole Protocol. And of course the Huragok are always sweethearts; they remind me of my dog.
In no way will I say this is an emotion-driven novel of stellar writing and depth, but I will say that I enjoyed it, and I look forward to more to come.
(I also got a kick out of the Red vs. Blue reference in the forward. Blarg!) (less)

like · see review

Oct 05, 2012 Jarad rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Halo Glasslands
Halo Glasslands is a great book, and an exciting and thrilling story. It is set after the end of The Human Covenant War, a war that carried on for over 20 years against two different races of species throughout the galaxy. It covers the political situations and the after effects of the war. Even though the galaxy seems in peace, the two sides of the war are still corrupt and society is running itself in the ground. In this book, there are two parallel stories going on at the same...more Halo Glasslands
Halo Glasslands is a great book, and an exciting and thrilling story. It is set after the end of The Human Covenant War, a war that carried on for over 20 years against two different races of species throughout the galaxy. It covers the political situations and the after effects of the war. Even though the galaxy seems in peace, the two sides of the war are still corrupt and society is running itself in the ground. In this book, there are two parallel stories going on at the same.
On the home planet of the Sangheilis, since there leaders were killed in the war and most of the people that are at a high rank in society perished in battles and invasions. The arbiter, who is the highest ranking soldier in the whole planet, is elected as the new leader; however, the rest of the planet is not satisfied with this leader. He is spreading lies and rumors about the god that they all worship, an ancient extinct alien race called the Forerunners. He claims that a long time ago, in the Forerunners existence, they were terrible beings and killers of other species. This is the god that all the Sangheilis worship, and a lot of them remain loyal even though these accusations and assumptions may be true.

On Earth, people are still recovering from the invasions and bombings of there planet. Most of Africa remains ruins, with people living in caves. It would cost hundreds of trillions of dollars to just get started on repairs. People are devastated. Families are waiting for loved ones to come home from space while they were defending earths other colonies on other planets.

Between the two governments of the Covenant and the Humans, tension is heating up again and people are anxious that another war between the two races will erupt. On one hand, the Humans do not want a war, but are demanding that the other race send bac the millions of soldiers stranded on their planet from the envision, but they refuse. The covenant wouldn’t mind another war. They find the human race disgusting and that they should be exterminated. Tension is getting hot while both worlds are still trying to recover. It is a thrilling story and it will leave you wanting more.
(less)

like · see review

Jul 01, 2012 Zach rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: military-fiction

4 1/2 stars, really. It was a book of highs and lows--the highs were really high, and the lows were really boring, but in the end the good much outweighed the bad. The book takes place after Halo 3 and is the first in a series intended to bridge the ending of 3--five years ago, now!--with the beginning of Halo 4, out later this year. The war with the Covenant is at an uneasy truce, but many Elites want to continue and wipe out humanity while we're weak and others want to wait, build up, and then...more 4 1/2 stars, really. It was a book of highs and lows--the highs were really high, and the lows were really boring, but in the end the good much outweighed the bad. The book takes place after Halo 3 and is the first in a series intended to bridge the ending of 3--five years ago, now!--with the beginning of Halo 4, out later this year. The war with the Covenant is at an uneasy truce, but many Elites want to continue and wipe out humanity while we're weak and others want to wait, build up, and then wipe out humanity, and very few actually want lasting peace. So ONI (think CIA in space) sends a team consisting of a SPARTAN-II supersoldier, three ODSTs (think Mobile Infantry from Starship Troopers), and a professor of xenoanthropology, under an ONI operative and former SPARTAN candidate and her quintessential smart-ass AI to stir up as much trouble between the different Elite factions as possible, arming dissidents and planting evidence to keep them fighting each other rather than us. Meanwhile, Dr. Halsey (creator of the SPARTAN program), Chief Mendez (the man who trained the SPARTANs) and a team of her SPARTAN-IIs and the SPARTAN-IIIs created without her knowledge, are still trapped inside the Forerunner "shield world" from the previous book, Ghosts of Onyx, and Lucy B-091, a SPARTAN-III rendered mute by PTSD suffered in the beginning of the last book, gets lost among the crazy advanced technology and must find her way back to her comrades.

There wasn't much action in the book, especially considering what series it's based on, but the story was a real page-turner with a lot of twists, the characters were interesting (Lucy being my favorite), and it was written at least as well as anything Eric Nylund wrote (I'm a pretty big fan of Nylund so that was nice to see). However, I can definitely understand why the reviews are mixed. Some chapters really drag (starting a new chapter only to see that it was one of Jul's [an Elite plotting against The Arbiter, the Elite who wants lasting peace with mankind] was often enough to make me put the Kindle down and find something else to do), there are way too many pop-culture references to the 20th- and 21st-centuries even if she does have a character refer to "that old movie" or not get the reference, and the aliens' speech is filled with too many "as the humans would say" or "what the humans would call;" we're already assuming the aliens' speech is translated for us, I don't think we'll freak out if that involves them using a few English idioms. The worst though was that Traviss seems to have a personal beef with Halsey, so that all the characters suddenly turn against her for her actions in creating the SPARTANs. Admittedly, her actions were pretty despicable, but other books took a "it was terrible, but all mankind would have been wiped out by the Covenant if it weren't for the SPARTANs" approach, until Traviss took over at which point she's constantly being put down and berated by all the characters comparing her to Mengele and insult after indignity is just piled on her and it feels more like Traviss herself screaming at you than any realistic character development. I also wish the UNSC Infinity starship and the SPARTAN-IVs made an appearance rather than just being mentioned, but there's still a couple books to be released before they make an appearance in the next game, so that didn't factor into my score at all.

Like I said, though, those were the occasional glitches and bumps along an excellent story with compelling characters, so 4 stars it is.(less)

like · see review

Sep 26, 2012 Daena rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nook

This story picks up after Onyx. I was hoping the Master Chief would make an appearance, but he didn't. I thought perhaps he would land on this Dyson sphere, but that would be too easy and it would reveal the storyline for Halo 4 too early.

Between Halsey and Parangosky: I think Parangosky is more monstrous, letting children fight her war. At least Halsey invested time in her Spartans and didn't use them as suicide troops.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 21, 2012 Ben Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: halo, science-fiction

Halo: Glasslands is an okay Halo book, but I don't think it matches up to the level of some of the previous Nylund books in the series like Fall of Reach. First of all, there is a lot less action going in this one. Traviss focuses less on fight scenes and combat, and more on dialogue between different characters. On this note, I feel she did a lot better with her own newly created characters (i.e. Kilo-Five, the ONI black-ops team) than with preexisting characters from previous novels. Traviss h...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 20, 2012 Martin Húbek rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my first book from Karen Traviss. I don't know her previous pieces but what I know for sure is that for me, hands down, this is the best HALO book I've ever read (with only HALO: The Cole Protocol ranking close behind). If you want to fully understand this book and enjoy every last bit of the information it provides, you NEED TO read all of the HALO novels before for complete experience. Following lines are full of spoilers so if you like your deal spoiler-free, stop reading now.

From all...more This is my first book from Karen Traviss. I don't know her previous pieces but what I know for sure is that for me, hands down, this is the best HALO book I've ever read (with only HALO: The Cole Protocol ranking close behind). If you want to fully understand this book and enjoy every last bit of the information it provides, you NEED TO read all of the HALO novels before for complete experience. Following lines are full of spoilers so if you like your deal spoiler-free, stop reading now.

From all the HALO books, this one seems to be the most human. The war between the Covenant and humans is over but the peace treaty is still far away and the stillness that has settled over the galaxy won't last long as plans on both sides are set into motion with rogue Sangheili warriors terrorizing the unfaithful and ONI undermining efforts both of humans and the covenant.

Doctor Halsey, Chief Mendez and a small surviving detachment of Spartan IIs and Spartan IIIs locked in the Dyson Sphere on former planet Onyx, searching for a mean of escape while getting acquainted with the only original inhabitants of the Forerunner's shield world. With the information on Spartan programs beginning to surface, ONI's Admiral Parangosky is following her own agenda in order to bring doctor Halsey to justice and wreak havoc in the ranks of the Covenant by any means necessary.

Admiral Parangosky's protege and "the successor to the ONI throne", Osman, an ex-Spartan, tasked to do what ONI's best at. Assigned with the team Kilo-Five consisting of three battle hardened ODSTs, or Helljumpers if you wish, a Spartan called Naomi, diabolical and genious AI called BB and a Covenant culture enthusiast, doctor Phillips, they find their way to fulfil all of the tasks and some of them bringing their old lives to a closure so they can continue in their new ones.

John 117, Master Chief and Cortana have been missing for over 5 months now and are declared KIA and commemorated at the hill memorial in Kenya, Earth, together with Miranda Keyes and her father, Jacob Keyes, Sergeant Avery Johnson and all others, where Admiral Lord Hood salutes all the heroes that never dies. He's accompanied by the Arbiter ho also comes to pay tribute to his former enemy, now newfound allies.
To remember this scene visually, it was reenacted at the end of HALO 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdYI3a...

Doctor Halsey facing her darkest hour, being questioned by Admiral Parangosky, a new project emerges, which Halsey wasn't aware of. Infinity, a new UNSC vessel upgraded with reclaimed Forerunner technology and housing new Spartan IVs, being secretly constructed on a faraway planet for years, is set to explore new planets and unseen planets of the galaxy. This is where HALO 4 takes place -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG6mmC...

And this all is just a tip of the iceberg...
(less)

like · see review

May 17, 2013 Kahawihson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I like this book, but if you like reading the halo books you'll probably see why I can't put it on the same level as say The Fall of Reach or Contact Harvest, but I like it better than say, The Cole Protocol. The writing style was different in ways I could appreciate, and even though I know given the circumstances of the book's universe that it is unreasonable, I spent the whole book wanting the conflict to happen, but that's probably because I'm the kind of person who'd rather see two people wh...more

like · see review

Oct 18, 2012 Joe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Halo fans, Karen Traviss fans, fans of military science fiction

When I read that Karen Traviss was going to be doing a series in the Halo setting, I was pretty happy. I’d enjoyed her Gears of War books already, and she brings a similar grounded, military-focused storytelling to Halo. Now, it’s not that I think the earlier Halo books were bad - well, a couple were pretty bad - but while I enjoyed all of Eric Nylund’s work, it wasn’t always of the highest quality. It was pulp fun. In Glasslands, a large part of Traviss’ mission seems to be one of housekeeping:...more

like · see review

Sep 27, 2012 Bobby Vandenberg rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First off, you have to read Eric Nylund's work. While I was quite bereft to see that he wasn't writing the sequel to Ghosts of Onyx, Traviss does great work not only holding up his work, but giving a controversial take. The book has a slower pace than previous Halo fictions, but Traviss makes full use of that fact with great focus on the characters themselves, both Nylund's and her own.

:: Possible Spoilers ::

There's some negativity about how she treated Nylund's characters - plenty of readers...more

like · see review

Apr 23, 2012 Reem Alshatti rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I absolutely love Karen Travis for writing this book for the halo series. I found her writing style to be very clear. only a few hard lines. (I'm a young reader not on a very high level yet)

I was very satisfied with how the story had gone on after the destruction of Installation 00 and the halo event. It fulfilled my needs as a fan! I've been waiting for so long to find out what happened after the array and I did!

I was also glad that the story went out between both Human and Sangheili perspectiv...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 02, 2012 Fred Hughes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the eigth book in this series we have 3 interwoven stories.

In the first story we find Doctor Halsey, creator of the Spartan (augmented human soldiers) program and some of her Spartans and some Spartan II’s (newer version) hiding from the end of the world. They have found themselves inside a large Dyson Sphere. The sphere has a breathable atmosphere, buildings which are all abandoned, and flora and fauna unlike anything seen on Earth.

While investigating their surroundings they are reminded tha...more In the eigth book in this series we have 3 interwoven stories.

In the first story we find Doctor Halsey, creator of the Spartan (augmented human soldiers) program and some of her Spartans and some Spartan II’s (newer version) hiding from the end of the world. They have found themselves inside a large Dyson Sphere. The sphere has a breathable atmosphere, buildings which are all abandoned, and flora and fauna unlike anything seen on Earth.

While investigating their surroundings they are reminded that they only have provisions for 15 days and beyond that time they are going to have to find something to drink and eat. When they discover a tall tower, all in black, the mysteries of the Dyson Sphere just compounds. Who built the sphere ? where are they now ? why isn’t there any furniture in any of the buildings ? and particularly why is everything so clean, not a spec of dust anywhere ?

When one of the Spartans disappears in the black tower their fellow Spartans and Doctor Halsey work to discover the secrets of the world they have found themselves in.

In the second story; with the defeat of the Covenant (our mortal enemy) the war appears over however there are just too many radical factions still out there. In particular the warriors used in the battle by the Convenant called the Sangheili are definitely a potential future hazard.

So Admiral Parangosky has hired Captain Osman to create tension with the various Sengheili clans to incite an internal conflict. The classic thinking being that if the Sangheili are involved in a civil war they are less likely to get organized and attack mankind. So outfitted with a stealth ship, and a top notch crew, Osman goes out to Sangheili to see what trouble she can stir up.

The third story is about Shipmaster Jul who is a Sangheili. He is still bitter about the defeat of his people by mankind and believes that mankind will not just let everyone get back to peace but in fact will eventually attack them.

So you can imagine what happens when one of the high ranking Sengheili, called the Arbiter, calls for a peace treaty with Earth. Jul will have none of it and plots with other Sengheili with like thinking to assassinate the Arbiter and if possible also the high ranking Earth officer sent to negotiate the peace treaty.

As you can imagine story 2 and 3 are closely linked.

Karen Traviss does an incredible job of continuing the action and wide ranging thinking that has been the Halo series. There are wonders inside the Dyson Sphere to discover and they are eventually. Truly a great read that stands on its own.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 28, 2013 Drago DT rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was an amazeing story, the atention to detail and consistoncie of the story to the Halo universe kept me interested in the story throuout its captive padges. The immagry practally burned the idea into your mind, for example when they first entered the unknown planet, their description of the lavash jungle like environment felt like a painting to me. Also, their journy into the unknown was so believable (For Halo). However it was somewhat difficult to keep up with the story since they had th...more

like · see review

Oct 16, 2012 Justin(e) Mungoway rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Takes place after the events of Halo 3 and the novel Halo: The Ghost of Onxys, this book is a great prequel to Halo 4 and it's a should-read if you are going to get the upcoming Halo 4 releasing November 6th. This book shows the type of story telling that the Halo series in general always generates that makes the gamer/reader feel so awesome. It moves back and forth from the antagonist to the protagonist sides of the story and it sometimes confuses you a little but it doesn't detract from the ep...more

like · see review

Jun 13, 2013 Clifford Quattlander rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's impossible for me to review "Halo: Glasslands" without noting that there is a marked difference between Eric Nylund and Karen Traviss. Nylund wrote three "Halo" novels with a distinctive tone. According to Wikipedia, he's a technical writer, and his stories reflect this. In fact, his novels almost feel like "Halo" games themselves. Karen Traviss has been a journalist and defense correspondent, and has served in the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service. She also has apparently gained a reputation f...more It's impossible for me to review "Halo: Glasslands" without noting that there is a marked difference between Eric Nylund and Karen Traviss. Nylund wrote three "Halo" novels with a distinctive tone. According to Wikipedia, he's a technical writer, and his stories reflect this. In fact, his novels almost feel like "Halo" games themselves. Karen Traviss has been a journalist and defense correspondent, and has served in the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service. She also has apparently gained a reputation for polarizing fan bases and re-writing backstories in favor of a "different perspective". There is also a certain amount of cynicism within her works, especially for "Star Wars" and in "Glasslands".
Selecting her to continue the storyline started by Nylund was bound to cause some controversy.
That being said, there was a lot of anticipation for a "Halo" story after the events of "Ghosts of Onyx". Ms. Traviss delivers that, delving into moral territory and the environment that exists after the events of the "Halo 3" video game. Pacing is a bit slow at some points, and anyone expecting the sort of action found in Nylund's novels is going to be disappointed. The main focus of the novel is on the characters, their actions and thoughts and motivations, to an extent.
There are three story arcs that blend into one another towards the end of the book: the team left in the Forerunner "Dyson's Sphere" at the end of "Ghosts of Onyx", a black-ops team codenamed "Kilo-Five", and an Elite, one of the alien races that comprised the Covenant, the villains of the "Halo" games. There's a peek at Elite society, although there is one glaring problem: I didn't feel like I was reading about aliens. The Elites don't act like aliens, they act like humans.
I read one review on Amazon.com which had the title of "Book should have been titled 'Let's Crucify Halsey!'". The author of that review had a point. Moral arguments weren't the focus of the previous "Halo" novels, especially with the "ends justify means" environment that seemed to suffuse the higher ranks of the UNSC military and intelligence service, the ONI. Most of the moral arguments in this book are directed against Halsey with some vehemence.
I'm not sure where Ms. Traviss is taking this story arc, but I am interested in finding out. Passing judgment will have to wait until all three books are published.
I will say this: A lot of effort was focused on "Kilo-Five", especially on garnering sympathy for the team.
I have more sympathy for Doctor Catherine Halsey, the creator of the Spartan II program, than I have for Admiral Margaret Parangonsky or her "Kilo-Five" team. (Well, maybe some sympathy for Naomi, a Spartan II who wound up in ONI, but I get the feeling Ms. Traviss wanted to have a Spartan side with other humans against Halsey.)(less)

like · see review

Nov 27, 2012 Jack Boyd rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

More than simply a science fiction novel this really does set the stage for serious questions about the future of the human species. If faced with near annihilation and brought back from the brink of the abyss, what are the new objectives of our security agencies? Do we abandon our morals of decency and goodwill and replace them with pragmatic subversion against our former executioners? Are our decisions of whittling down the capabilities of this old foe embittered vengeance? Or is it based on t...more

like · see review

title link	preview: Halo: Glasslands
avg rating	preview: Halo: Glasslands Goodreads rating: 4.04 (1049 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12439561-halo?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320385581l/12439561.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12439561-halo?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Halo: Glasslands by Karen Traviss[/url]

Halo: Glasslands (Halo #8)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (6)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Karen Traviss

Books by Karen Traviss

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Halo: Glasslands