Review: Halo New Blood

[DISCLAIMER: This may contain spoilers to those not familiar with Halo 3: ODST]

Let’s start things off with what we know about this novel. It’s the first “digital-first” novel that has been offered within the Halo universe, creating some mixed feelings inside me that someone else might confuse for indigestion. That’s not to say that it’s a bad novel, but I’m a fan of having a physical copy of my books. Regardless of the format, because this is a “digital-first” (and I keep reiterating “digital-first” because there seems to be no mention of a “physical-second” coming) you’ll find yourself only set back a mere $5 for a copy. That, and the fact that it’s classified as a short-novel, weighing in at 173 pages of pure gold. In the end, none of this information is really going to impact the review as a whole, but I thought I’d share a little extra stuff someone might find informative for a purchase.

To answer your question: yes, it’s worth the purchase. This story is focused around a character we haven’t seen since Halo 3: ODST. A man voiced by the great, Nathan Fillion. This is the story of Buck.

Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck is back and tells some stories about his life before, during, and after the events of New Mombasa. Although the focus is around Buck, he has a lot to say about his buddies Dutch, Mickey, Romeo, and the Rookie in Alpha-Nine. Heck, there’s even a lot to learn about the romance between Buck and Veronica (don’t go expecting Fifty Shades of Grey here).

From the first chapter alone you’ll find yourself engaged as some bombshells are dropped - only to leave you hanging. Throughout my read I had to take some notes for some context chronologically because author Matt Forbeck felt the need to tell these stories in a very A.D.D.-like fashion. It can get a little confusing every now and then, but it all starts tying together as you progress. As this novel is written as if Buck were giving a report to an officer, he'll come out and apologize for the constant jumping around as that's how his brain is wired. A little line that I actually found humorous and refreshing from all the back and forth.

I did have one bit of disappointment with the novel, and that was the chapter that was dedicated to retelling the story of Halo 3: ODST in its entirety. Most of which is told from the perspective of Buck (of course), but he does go into detail into what his other teammates were doing at the time. The chapter wasn't bad, especially for someone who hasn't played the game in some time and forgot a lot of that story line, but it took me longer to reach that chapter than any other. Other than that specific chapter, (I think it was 8?) I couldn't stop reading.

A few more characters from the Halo universe also make appearances along the way, not only keeping me excited for what was to come from one page to the next, but from whats to come from the future of the franchise. I have some theories currently, but I don't really want to spoil anything major here. Anyways, this novel entry was really refreshing as we got to see a character we haven't really heard from or seen in a while, get some backstory, and tell some interesting tales along the way. I really felt as if Buck were telling me the story himself. Matt Forbeck did a fantastic job and really did his research on the ODSTs. Great read, and if it ever does come to physical book form, you can bet I'll be first in line to buy a copy.

Review Score: 

4.5 / 5