Halo novels

A compilation of cover art for all of the Halo novels released between 2001 and early 2024.

The Halo novels are books that have expanded heavily on the Halo universe. This page documents the various novels, their series', and their orders. 343 Industries also maintains an official, regularly-updated guide to the novels of the Halo series, which can be accessed here.

Development

A box set of the first three Halo novels.

The Halo novel project was initiated with the intent of establishing an "expanded universe" for future content. Contrary to popular belief, the project was overseen by Microsoft Game Studios Franchise Development Group and not by Bungie Studios (though they were given a significant degree of creative control). The relationship between Bungie and Microsoft was somewhat rocky at this time, with the former resenting Microsoft's creative interference in the Halo story and nearly having the first novel, Halo: The Fall of Reach, canceled.

Although the novels have always been considered canonical, the stories they told were generally regarded as distinct from the Halo games' stories in some respects, with both games and the "expanded universe" forming their own standalone narratives. Additionally, there were sometimes creative differences between Bungie and the novels' authors; for example, Bungie's writing staff disliked the notion of Avery Johnson's immunity to the Flood introduced in Halo: First Strike and retconned the circumstances of his survival in the Halo Graphic Novel. However, Bungie would nonetheless introduce several elements originating from the novels into their games; an example of this are the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers and the orbital defense platforms. Following the advent of 343 Industries and their philosophy of expanded connectivity between Halo media, the writing process of the novels has become more extensively intertwined with the planning of the stories of the games and other fiction.

The first three novels were published by Del Rey Books. Microsoft Studios' next publishing partner was Tor Books, which published all Halo novels from 2006 to early 2014. The three initial Halo novels were reissued by Tor in 2010. While mostly unchanged, the new versions feature additional content and several alterations. In 2014, 343 Industries entered a contract with Gallery Books as the publisher of subsequent Halo literature.

List of novels

The Original Series

Main article: The Original Series

Title	Cover	Author	Audio book narrators	Publication	Summary
Halo: The Fall of Reach		Eric Nylund	Todd McLaren	2001	Details the SPARTAN-II program, the Covenant attack on Reach, and how the UNSC Pillar of Autumn escaped to Halo.
Halo: The Flood		William C. Dietz	Todd McLaren	2003	The novelization of Halo: Combat Evolved. Also features a number of additional subplots which expand on the events on Installation 04.
Halo: First Strike		Eric Nylund	Todd McLaren	2003	Fills in the gap between Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, explaining the Master Chief's return to Earth and the survival of a number of characters from Reach and Halo.
Halo: Ghosts of Onyx		Eric Nylund	Jonathan Davis	2006	Follows Kurt-051, the training of the Spartan-IIIs on Onyx, and the three-sided battle for the planet in 2552.

Gray Team series

Main article: Gray Team series

Title	Cover	Author	Audio book narrators	Publication	Summary
Halo: The Cole Protocol		Tobias Buckell	Jonathan Davis	2008	Introduces Gray Team and details the backstories of Jacob Keyes and Thel 'Vadam.
Halo: Envoy		Tobias Buckell	Scott Brick	2017	Follows Melody Azikiwe on a diplomatic mission on Carrow, while searching for a way to rescue Gray Team from captivity.

The Forerunner Saga

Main article: The Forerunner Saga

Title	Cover	Author	Audio book narrators	Publication	Summary
Halo: Cryptum		Greg Bear	Holter Graham	2011	Describes the experiences of the Forerunner Manipular known as Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting and the Didact during the Forerunner-Flood war.
Halo: Primordium		Greg Bear	Tim Dadabo	2012	Details the story of a human known as Chakas and his odyssey across Installation 07.
Halo: Silentium		Greg Bear	Euan Morton	2013	Recounts the twilight years of the Forerunner civilization, the Ur-Didact's descent into insanity, and the firing of the Halo Array.

Kilo-Five Trilogy

Main article: Kilo-Five Trilogy

Title	Cover	Author	Audio book narrators	Publication	Summary
Halo: Glasslands		Karen Traviss	Euan Morton	2011	Details the state of the Halo universe after the end of the Human-Covenant War and serves as a follow-up to Ghosts of Onyx.
Halo: The Thursday War		Karen Traviss	Euan Morton	2012	Continues the story of Kilo-Five and humanity's involvement in the Blooding Years.
Halo: Mortal Dictata		Karen Traviss	Euan Morton	2014	Focuses on the Venezian rebel movement threatening Earth and the terrorist Staffan Sentzke's connection to Kilo-Five's Naomi-010.

Alpha-Nine series

Main article: Alpha-Nine series

Title	Cover	Author	Audio book narrators	Publication	Summary
Halo: New Blood		Matt Forbeck	Scott Brick	2015	Explores the story of the Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck and his squad Alpha-Nine during and after the Human-Covenant War.
Halo: Bad Blood		Matt Forbeck	Scott Brick	2018	Sees Spartan Edward Buck reform his old squad Alpha-Nine to undertake a daring mission following the rise of Cortana's Created.

The Ferrets series

Main article: The Ferrets series

Title	Cover	Author	Audio book narrators	Publication	Summary
Halo: Last Light		Troy Denning	Scott Brick	2015	A detective story following Blue Team and Special Inspector Veta Lopis as they investigate murders on a human colony which harbors Forerunner technology.
Halo: Retribution		Troy Denning	Scott Brick	2017	Returns to Veta Lopis and the Ferrets on a joint mission with Blue Team to identify the assassin of Admiral Graselyn Tuwa.
Halo: Divine Wind		Troy Denning	Aida Reluzco	2021	Sequel to Halo: Shadows of Reach. Follows Veta Lopis and the Ferrets in their attempts to stop the Keepers of the One Freedom from firing the Halo Array.

Rion Forge & Ace Of Spades series

Main article: Rion Forge & Ace Of Spades series

Title	Cover	Author	Audio book narrators	Publication	Summary
Halo: Smoke and Shadow		Kelly Gay	Scott Brick	2016	Follows Rion Forge on her quest to discover the fate of her father and his ship, the UNSC Spirit of Fire.
Halo: Renegades		Kelly Gay	Justine Eyre	2019	Sequel of Halo: Smoke and Shadow, and follows Rion Forge and the Ace of Spades crew to find Rion's father and the Spirit of Fire, while are pursued by ONI and Covenant remnants.
Halo: Point of Light		Kelly Gay	Scott Brick, Tim Dadabo	2021	Sequel of Halo: Renegades, and follows Rion Forge, Spark and the Ace of Spades crew being pursued by ONI, while they try to complete the Librarian's plan.

A Master Chief Story

Main article: A Master Chief Story

Title	Cover	Author	Audio book narrators	Publication	Summary
Halo: Silent Storm		Troy Denning	Scott Brick	2018	Sees John-117 and some SPARTAN-IIs trying to gather information about the Covenant in the first year of the Human-Covenant War, and the insurrectionists' attempts to stop their mission.
Halo: Oblivion		Troy Denning	Scott Brick	2019	Sequel to Silent Storm, sees John-117 and some SPARTAN-IIs trying to capture a Covenant frigate, while Fleetmaster Nizat 'Kvarosee tries to kill them.
Halo: Shadows of Reach		Troy Denning	Sean Patrick Hopkins	2020	Taking place one year after the events of Halo 5: Guardians, sees Blue Team returning to Reach to recover assets hidden in Dr. Halsey's abandoned laboratory on CASTLE Base that could be humanity's last chance against Cortana and the Created.

Battle Born: A Halo Young Adult Novel Series

Main article: Battle Born: A Halo Young Adult Novel Series

Title	Cover	Author	Audio book narrators	Publication	Summary
Halo: Battle Born		Cassandra Rose Clarke	Therese Plummer	2019	Sees a group of four teens and a Spartan supersoldier surviving during the Battle of Meridian.
Halo: Meridian Divide		Cassandra Rose Clarke	Therese Plummer	2019	Sequel to Halo: Battle Born, follows Saskia, Dorian, Evie, and Victor in their return to Meridian and monitor the Covenant's efforts to retrieve an ancient Forerunner artifact.

A Halo Infinite Story

Main article: A Halo Infinite Story

Title	Cover	Author	Audio book narrators	Publication	Summary
Halo: The Rubicon Protocol		Kelly Gay	Scott Brick	2022	Follows members of the United Nations Space Command as they fight back against the Banished on Installation 07.

Individual novels

Title	Cover	Author	Audio book narrators	Publication	Summary
Halo: Contact Harvest		Joseph Staten	Holter Graham, Jen Taylor	2007	Follows Sergeant Avery Johnson and features the events leading up to first contact with the Covenant at Harvest and the beginning of the Human-Covenant War.
Halo: Broken Circle		John Shirley	Scott Brick	2014	A story told from the perspective of several Sangheili and San'Shyuum characters during both the beginnings of the Covenant and the Great Schism.
Halo: Hunters in the Dark		Peter David	Scott Brick	2015	Follows a joint human-Sangheili expedition to the Ark in the post-war era.
Halo: Legacy of Onyx		Matt Forbeck	Scott Brick	2017	Follows Molly Patel as she adjusts to her new life living inside the Onyx Forerunner shield world and deals with a looming threat from the Servants of the Abiding Truth.
Halo: Outcasts		Troy Denning	Scott Brick	2023	Follows Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and Spartan Olympia Vale as they seek out a rumored ancient artifact capable of liberating their peoples from Cortana and the Created's rule.
Halo: Epitaph		Kelly Gay	Keith Szarabajka	2024	Follows the Ur-Didact after the events of Halo 4 and Halo: Escalation's The Next 72 Hours arc.
Halo: Empty Throne		Jeremy Patenaude	Scott Brick	2025	Follows the UNSC's attempts to steal the Domain from Cortana through an ancient access point on a seemingly insignificant human colony.

Individual novellas

Title	Cover	Author	Audio book narrators	Publication	Summary
Halo: Saint's Testimony		Frank O'Connor	Scott Brick	2015	Explores the world of smart AIs through the eyes of Iona as she attempts to prevent her own decommissioning.
Halo: Shadow of Intent		Joseph Staten	Scott Brick	2015	Focuses on a conflict between Tem'Bhetek, a vengeful San'Shyuum Prelate, and Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum several months after the Covenant War.

Anthologies

Title	Cover	Author	Audio book narrators	Publication	Summary
Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe		Eric Nylund, Tobias Buckell, Karen Traviss, Robert McLees, B.K. Evenson, Jonathan Goff, Kevin Grace, Frank O'Connor, Eric Raab, Fred Van Lente, Jeff VanderMeer and Tessa Kum	Steve Downes, Holter Graham, Frank O'Connor, and Jen Taylor	2009	When humanity expanded beyond the safety of Earth to new stars and horizons, they never dreamed what dangers they would encounter there. When the alien juggernaut known as the Covenant declared holy war upon the fragile human empire, millions of lives were lost—but, millions of heroes rose to the challenge. In such a far-reaching conflict, not many of the stories of these heroes, both human and alien, have a chance to become legend. This collection holds eleven stories that dive into the depths of the vast Halo universe, not only from the perspective of those who fought and died to save humanity, but also those who vowed to wipe humanity out of existence.
Halo: Fractures		Tobias Buckell, Troy Denning, Matt Forbeck, Kelly Gay, Christie Golden, Kevin Grace, Morgan Lockhart, John Jackson Miller, Frank O'Connor, Brian Reed, James Swallow, Joseph Staten, Jeremy Patenaude	Scott Brick	2016	Launch once more into galaxy-spanning conflict and legendary heroism…shards of an ever-expanding journey where human and alien alike find their finest hours in facing their greatest challenges. These scattered stories span untold millennia, from the age of the ancient custodial race known as the Forerunners…to the aftermath of the Covenant’s bloody war against humanity…and even the shocking events surrounding the resurrection of the mysterious Guardians. Halo: Fractures explores mythic tales of bravery and sacrifice that blaze brightly at the very heart of the Halo universe.

Box sets

• Halo Box Set, the box set featuring the three first Halo novels by Del Rey Books.
• Halo Boxed Set, featuring the first three novels by Tor Books.

External links

• Halo Waypoint - Official Halo Book Guide - an officially-published list of Halo novels.