Halo: Outcasts

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Halo: Outcasts
Attribution information
Author(s):	Troy Denning
Cover artist(s):	Isaac Hannaford
Publication information
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	August 8, 2023
Media type:	Print
Pages:	464 pages
ISBN:	9781668003282

Halo: Outcasts is a print novel by Troy Denning that was released on August 8, 2023. The novel was originally set to release on October 18, 2022, but was ultimately delayed to July 25th, 2023 due to Denning's own personal health complications. In March 2023, the novel was delayed once more seemingly due to supply chain issues, this time to August 8, 2023.

The novel follows Thel 'Vadam and Olympia Vale's efforts to recover a rumored artifact on Netherop that could stop Cortana, unaware that they're being manipulated by someone else. The novel's focus on Netherop follows on from the planet's establishment and heavy feature in previous Denning novels Silent Storm and Oblivion. Several of the novel's Sangheili cast of characters follow on from the 2015 novel Halo: Hunters in the Dark and some of the other characters were ones introduced in Silent Storm and Oblivion.

Official summary

“

2559. Formerly one of the Covenant's greatest and most fearsome warriors, Arbiter Thel 'Vadam is now allied with his former human enemies while deeply entrenched in leading the Sangheili people to a new era of unification. But his aspirations are under constant threat, whether by the dangerous, warring factions of rival Sangheili keeps, or the relentless shadow of oppression spread by the renegade artificial intelligence Cortana. An opportunity to break Cortana's chains has suddenly presented itself through the rumored existence of an ancient artifact located on the hostile world of Netherop. Spartan Olympia Vale, trained with the skills to live and thrive among the Sangheili, also recognizes this alien prize as an essential means to aid humanity in reaching the same goal of freedom. But behind the scenes, both 'Vadam and Vale are being manipulated by a mysterious figure with their own agenda. And to make matters worse, all involved are unknowingly placing themselves at perilous odds with forces beyond their comprehension.

”

Plot summary

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Appearances

Characters Artificial intelligence 2401 Penitent Tangent (Indirect mention) 343 Guilty Spark (Indirect mention) Cortana (Mentioned only) Kathara (First appearance) Sloan Forerunner Ur-Didact (Mentioned only) Human Abovian (First appearance) Amalea Petrov Arnaldo (First appearance) Arturo Ramus (First appearance) Benjamin Giraud (Indirect mention) Cadence (First mentioned) Caleb Aagard (Mentioned only) Duval (First appearance) Ellie Gracio (First appearance) Grim Bear (First appearance) Jameson Locke (Mentioned only) John-117 (Mentioned only) Jonah Marcus (First appearance) Hoi (First appearance) Kane (First appearance) Keely Iyuska (First appearance) Martinez (First appearance) Nerina Vale (First mentioned by name) Olympia Vale P. Barnes (First appearance) Rolph Chudzik (First appearance) Rosa Fuertes Samson (Mentioned only) Serin Osman (Mentioned only) Slim Sahir (First appearance) Small Bear (First mentioned) S. Legowski (First appearance) Thisbe Marchal (First appearance) Jiralhanae Atriox Kallo (First appearance) Tovarus Voridus (Mentioned only) San'Shyuum Minor Minister of Artifact Survey (Mentioned only) Prophet of Truth (Mentioned only) Prophet of Mercy (Indirect mention) Prophet of Regret (Indirect mention) Sangheili Avu Med 'Telcam (Mentioned only) Balyasi (First appearance) Charut 'Quvadamii (First appearance) Crei 'Ayomuu (First appearance) Democ (First appearance) Eto 'Saljhoo (First appearance) Ghe 'Talot (First appearance) Hul 'Xiaqt (First appearance) Klemas 'Teodoree (First appearance) Kleon (First appearance) Kola 'Baoth Meduz 'Ra'ashai (First appearance) N'tho 'Sraom N'thil 'Susl (First appearance) Nizat 'Kvarosee Olabisi Varo'dai (First appearance) Rtas 'Vadum (Mentioned only) Tam 'Lakosee Thel 'Vadam Ther 'Vadam (Mentioned only) Usze 'Taham Others Chynndokahli (First appearance) Species Sapient Forerunner (Mentioned only) Flood (Mentioned only) Gravemind (Mentioned only) Human Lurker (First appearance) Jiralhanae Kig-Yar Netherop original inhabitants Precursor San'Shyuum (Mentioned only) Sangheili Non-sapient Apocritii (Mentioned only) Blood mot (First appearance) Colo (Mentioned only) Dengkra (Mentioned only) Fleg (Mentioned only) Gatt (First mentioned) Namth (First mentioned) Nightgyr (First appearance) Nuktl (First mentioned) Pilgot (First mentioned) Pitho (First mentioned) Slood (First mentioned) Teop (First mentioned) Terok (First mentioned) Terret (First mentioned) Tetht (First mentioned) Theza (First mentioned) Thumb bird (First mentioned) Flora Abbu (First mentioned) Banaq (First mentioned) Pek (First mentioned) Rishe (First mentioned) Wuff (First mentioned) Wukelnut (First mentioned) Organizations Castoffs Covenant (Mentioned only) Covenant fleet Fleet of Particular Justice (Mentioned only) Fleet of Inexorable Obedience (Mentioned only) Covenant Special Warfare Group Covenant Special Operations Silent Shadow Covenant remnants Banished Jul 'Mdama's Covenant (Indirect mention) Defenders of the Sanctum Flotilla of Unsung Piety (Mentioned only) San'Shyuum flotilla (Mentioned only) Servants of the Abiding Truth (Mentioned only) Swords of Sanghelios Created Concert of Worlds (First mentioned) Gao Republic Gao Ministry of Justice (First mentioned) Gao Ministry of Protection (Mentioned only) Insurrectionist (Mentioned only) Committee to Preserve Gao Independence (Mentioned only) Iruiru Armory (Mentioned only) Khabnathwa (First mentioned) Kolaar Manufactorum (Mentioned only) United Nations Space Command UNSC Armed Forces Spartan Operations SPARTAN-IV program Fireteam Osiris (Mentioned only) UNSC Marine Corps Orbital Drop Shock Troopers Tango Team (First appearance) First Squad (First appearance) Second Squad (First appearance) 21st Space Assault Battalion (Mentioned only) UNSC Navy Naval Special Warfare Command Naval Special Weapons SPARTAN-II program Blue Team (Mentioned only) Office of Naval Intelligence (Mentioned only) Locations Intergalactic space Installation 00 (Mentioned only) Milky Way Orion Arm Buta system Zhoist Ring of Mighty Abundance (Mentioned only) Ten Cities of Edification (Mentioned only) Outer Colonies Vevina sector (Mentioned only) Cordoba system Gao Hospital de Neiva (First mentioned) Paraiso (First appearance) Polona sector Igdras system Igdras system (First appearance) Ephyra system Netherop Cave Cities (Mentioned only) Forgotten Highway (Mentioned only) Sanctum of the Ancients (First appearance) Inner Sanctum Out Sectors (First appearance) Emauzs system Om'a'Varo (First mentioned) Heian (Mentioned only) Luyten 726-8 system Luyten (Mentioned only) Hoodoo Gorges (First mentioned) Oth Sonin system Doisac (Mentioned only) Salia system Saepon'kal (Mentioned only) Soell system Installation 04 (Indirect mention) Sol system Earth Africa Mount Kilimanjaro (Mentioned only) Australia Sydney (Mentioned only) Sydney University (Mentioned only) Britain Scotland Edinburgh University of Edinburgh (Mentioned only) University of Oxford (Mentioned only) South America Amazon (First mentioned) Luna Academy at Mare Nubium (Mentioned only) Mars (Mentioned only) Urs system Sanghelios Csurdon Sea (Mentioned only) Yermo Vadam Dalkesu Sea (First appearance) Kolaar Mountain Vadam Keep Vadam Harbor New Harbor (First appearance) Vadam Dockyards (First appearance) Vadam Valley Council House (First appearance) Old Borough (First appearance) Villa of Long Views (First appearance) Young Borough (First appearance) Zethro'Kal system Feldokra (Mentioned only) Khael'mothka (Mentioned only) Baotoi (First mentioned) Xhulama System Stellar Observatory (First mentioned) High Charity (Mentioned only) University of Calippus (Mentioned only) Wedob (First mentioned) Ephsu system Installation 07 (Mentioned only) Events War Great Schism (Mentioned only) Human-Covenant War (Mentioned only) Netherop conflict Battle for Earth (Mentioned only) Battle of Installation 04 (Indirect mention) Battle of Netherop (Mentioned only) Operation: SILENT STORM (Mentioned only) Battle of Zhoist (Mentioned only) Raid on the Threshold gas mine (Indirect mention) Skirmish over Netherop (Mentioned only) Post-Covenant War conflicts Blooding Years (Mentioned only) Siege at Kolaar (Mentioned only) Sanghelios global war (Mentioned only) Battle of Sunaion (Mentioned only) Created conflict High Gathering (First mentioned) Battle of Netherop (First appearance) Razing of Oth Sonin (Mentioned only) Subjugation of Sanghelios Operation: FAR STORM (Mentioned only) Sangheili-Jiralhanae war (Mentioned only) Second Ark Conflict (Mentioned only) Outbreak on Installation 00 (Mentioned only)

Vehicles Banished Drekar (First appearance) Hammer of Fate (First appearance) Eklon'Dal Workshop Lich Karve Yawl (First appearance) Covenant Covenant corvette Covenant destroyer Raider's Creche (First appearance) Covenant frigate A'uzr-pattern sword frigate (First appearance) Sword of Harmony (First appearance) Radiant Arrow (Mentioned only) Steadfast Strike (Mentioned only) Crav (First appearance) Kerel-pattern assault carrier Shadow of Intent (Mentioned only) Phantom (Mentioned only) Mikpramu-pattern Phantom Seraph Worik (First appearance) Forerunner Aethra (First appearance) Fortress-class vessel Long Reverence (First mentioned) Harrier-class vessel Acolyte-class harrier (First appearance) Phaeton Human D102 Owl D81-LRT Condor Infinity-class supercarrier UNSC Infinity (Mentioned only) Mongoose Pelican Point Blank-class prowler UNSC Hidden Point UNSC corvette UNSC Alpina (First mentioned) VTOL Pipistrelle (First appearance) Others Mountain runners Weapons Covenant Covenant carbine Orbital mine shell Gadulo-pattern needle rifle Gravity hammer Jaet-pattern plasma torpedo Nakata'vho-pattern plasma repeater Plasma cannon (Mentioned only) Tufasumo-pattern plasma caster (Mentioned only) Plasma Pistol Zo'klada-pattern plasma pistol Okarda'phaa-pattern plasma rifle Energy sword Bloodblade Prophets' Bane Forerunner Z-130 Suppressor (Mentioned only) Z-250 lightrifle Z-520 splinter turret Human BR55 battle rifle C-12 shaped charge HiMeX (First appearance) M20 PDW M305 grenade launcher (First appearance) MA40 assault rifle M6H magnum M7 SMG MA3A assault rifle MA5B assault rifle NOVA bomb (Mentioned only) Technology and equipment Arbiter body armor Armiger Armiger Soldier Armiger Officer Artificial intelligence Smart AI Cryptum (Mentioned only) Data disc Data pad Divine Hand (First appearance) Domain (Mentioned only) Expectation Effect (First appearance) Eyes (Mentioned only) Gigoog (First mentioned) Guardian Custode Luminal Beacon (Mentioned only) MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor GEN2 COPPERHEAD-class Mjolnir Nanolaminate ODST armor Rampancy (Mentioned only) Sanctum's Hide (First appearance) Tambo (First mentioned) Technological Achievement Tiers Tenement island (First appearance) Tracking tetht (First appearance) Translation disk Trysting pod (First appearance) UNSC Marine Corps Battle Dress Uniform Miscellaneous Covenant World Registry (First mentioned) Sangheili (language) Mantle (Mentioned only) Missing in action Military Survey of Uninhabited Planets (Mentioned only) Project BOOKWORM (Indirect mention)

Trivia

• The novel's existence was first hinted at in an Easter Egg on the Halo Infinite multiplayer map Streets. Various books placed near the map's arcade room reference real Halo novels, with one particular title bearing the word "Outcast".
• Rosa Fuertes' internal thoughts in chapter 16 were inspired by Denning's own dream-like experience during his recovery from a surgery he had undergone when he was penning Halo: Outcasts.

Gallery

• 

  Full cover art without logos.

• 

  A parody of the novel's cover art created by community writer Alex Wakeford.

• 

  Another parody of the novel's cover art, with several Troy Dennings pointing relevant elements.

• 

  An official illustration of the state of Vadam, done for the novel.

External links

Text previews

• Halo Waypoint, Halo: Outcasts - Preview 1
• Halo Waypoint, Halo: Outcasts - Preview 2
• Halo Waypoint, Halo: Outcasts - Preview 3

Audiobook previews

• YouTube, Halo: Outcasts – Preview #1 - Audio Excerpt
• YouTube, Halo: Outcasts – Preview #2: Arbiter Thel 'Vadam - Audio Excerpt
• YouTube, Halo: Outcasts - Preview #3: Spartan Olympia Vale - Audio Excerpt