By the time I finish writing this article, another book will undoubtedly be added to the ever-expanding series of theHalouniverse. There are some fantastic and some not-so-fantastic entries in the list, but if you’re looking to fully grasp the lore of the series, you should take a read. Here is the order in which I think you should read theHalobooks for the most rounded experience.
So many Halo books
The world ofHaloopens itself to a lot of expansion,looking at the prelude, the histories of both races, the flood, and the list goes on. Because of this, there are a lot of books expanding on the universe. It’s understandably overwhelming, so start with his definitive list of Halo literature reading order and go from there.
I believe that the Halo books should be read in release order. The chronology jumps backward and forwards, but not in a confusing or disjointed way. The books reference one another as they are published, fleshing out the Halo universe fully. Trying to read them in chronological order becomes very complex very quickly and can often miss details.
Every Halo book, in order of release
This is a monstrous list, but there are a few you could skip if you have recently played the games. To shorten this list a little, it is possible to overlookHalo: The Floodas it just covers the plot ofHalo 1. If you have recently played through the game or want to get the same information but from the convenience of gaming, skip this read in theHaloorder and just play the game instead.
What are the Halo books all about
If you’re a fan of the video game franchise, you’ll already be aware of a lot of the lore that goes into the games. Old histories and battles spanning eons flesh out the action-packed scenes that develop as you follow the story of Master Chief and beyond.
Many histories and events can be picked up from simply playing the game and listening tovarious clips around the games. Characters cleverly provide exposition through dialogue and situations. However, this has left me and many other writers and readers wanting something more.
TheHalobook series sets the universe in order while you read them. They dig much deeper into the world, history, politics, and battles of the franchise, giving the fans the content they want. History and expansion around the games are built throughout the narratives.
Are the Halo books canon?
The ever-changing team behind the Halo franchise states that “the Official”Halocanon can only be created by developers of the Halo franchise.” This means that for a book to be considered in the official reading order of the Halo canon, it needs to be officially sanctioned by the team. This helps stop any inconsistencies, although there are a few.
Of course, like any huge gaming franchise, there are many excellent fanfiction additions to the reading list. However, if you really want to start digging into those, it is best to finish off the games and official book series first. This will give you the context and knowledge to spot something wildly off track or sticks to the source material. You don’t want to accidentally reference something off-canon without knowing it; that would be embarrassing.
There are manyamazing video game tie-in booksout there, ranging from Assassins Creed to the Souls games. Halo, although maybe one of the most extensive, isn’t the only good one out there.
