Canon Fodder

Fiction

Alex Wakeford

Issue 164

Canon Fodder: Falcon Fiction Flight

Community

As part of our <a href="https://www.aka.ms/AudiobookClubGiveaway" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">audiobook giveaway series</a> with Simon & Schuster, we’re inviting Halo fans to join a community book club in our <a href="https://discord.gg/halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">official Discord server</a>, where we’ll focus on a new novel from the Halo canon each month. Join the #audio-book-club channel to listen along!



This month’s book club title is Halo: New Blood, a tale that covers the lengthy service record of ODST-turned-Spartan Edward Buck as he recounts some of the most important moments in his life. Join Buck, Veronica Dare, and the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers of squad Alpha-Nine as a conflict with the United Rebel Front pushes their friendships to the breaking point.



Halo: New Blood is written by Matt Forbeck, a New York Times bestselling author and game designer. The audiobook edition is narrated by acclaimed actor and writer Scott Brick.



Listen to an exclusive excerpt from the audiobook edition below:



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="New Blood | Audiobook Preview | Available Now from Simon & Schuster" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wJOSg0qyjNU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<a href="https://bit.ly/44NldoH" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Purchase your copy of Halo: New Blood from Simon & Schuster.</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">PLOT PREVIEW</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2400" height="2400" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/New-Blood.jpg" alt="Halo: New Blood cover. Text: "The New York Times bestelling series based on the blockbuster Xbox games! MATT FORBECK. Read by Scott Brick."" class="wp-image-146122" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/New-Blood.jpg 2400w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/New-Blood-300x300.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/New-Blood-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/New-Blood-150x150.jpg 150w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/New-Blood-768x768.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/New-Blood-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/New-Blood-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/New-Blood-1568x1568.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px" /></figure>



Spartan Edward Buck recounts his extensive military career, starting in the latter years of the Covenant War and detailing the fraught political tensions that followed as Buck’s homeworld, Draco III, comes under attack by a human rebel group.



Along the way, Buck tells the story of his troubled romance with Veronica Dare, explores his journey to the SPARTAN-IV program, and relays the tragic events that led to the dissolution of the Alpha-Nine ODST squad.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CHARACTER GUIDE</h2>



Learn more about the events of Halo: New Blood with these brief character bios.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1280" height="360" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Buck.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-146066" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Buck.jpg 1280w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Buck-300x84.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Buck-1024x288.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Buck-768x216.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Edward “Eddy” Buck</h3>



Former UNSC marine, erstwhile ODST gunnery sergeant, and reluctant SPARTAN-IV.



Buck hails from Draco III, a human colony devastated by Covenant invasion shortly after the <a href="https://aka.ms/AudiobookClubJune">attack on Harvest</a>. Upon learning of his family’s massacre and the destruction of the tight-knit, maritime community he’d known in Karnak, Buck enlisted in the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, where he soon became the leader of Alpha-Nine squad.



He is later inducted into the SPARTAN-IV program by Jun-A266 after suffering a loss.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1280" height="360" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Dare.jpg" alt="Veronica Dare" class="wp-image-146080" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Dare.jpg 1280w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Dare-300x84.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Dare-1024x288.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Dare-768x216.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Veronica Dare</h3>



As an agent of the Office of Naval Intelligence, the strictly “need-to-know” basis of Veronica Dare’s work has put understandable strain on her romance with Eddy Buck. Dare acts as ONI’s mission liaison during the events on Talitsa, tasking the Spartans in Buck’s command to save Vergil and Sadie from their Insurrectionist captors.



Halo: New Blood recounts their troubled first meeting on a furlough near Saturn, their fiery reunion during the Battle of New Mombasa, and a series of uncertain rendezvous as they try to maintain a relationship within the confines of their separate military careers.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1280" height="360" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Palmer.jpg" alt="Spartan Commander Sarah Palmer" class="wp-image-146108" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Palmer.jpg 1280w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Palmer-300x84.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Palmer-1024x288.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Palmer-768x216.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Sarah Palmer</h3>



Long before she signed up for the SPARTAN-IV program, Sarah Palmer served as an ODST, distinguishing herself as a ruthless frontlines combatant. She first met Buck during a failed mission to defend a UNSC munitions factory from the Covenant. When her position was overrun, Buck disobeyed Dare’s orders to mount a foolhardy rescue—but the rest of Palmer’s squad had already been eliminated.



Their fateful second meeting occurs on Draco III years later, after Palmer had become a Spartan-IV.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1280" height="360" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Jun.jpg" alt="Jun-A266" class="wp-image-146094" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Jun.jpg 1280w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Jun-300x84.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Jun-1024x288.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/Jun-768x216.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Jun-A266</h3>



A Spartan-III of Alpha Company and the only member of Noble Team to survive the fall of Reach. In the aftermath of the Covenant War, Jun served as an advisor and recruiter for the burgeoning SPARTAN-IV program, an initiative that used revolutionary technological advancements to turn adult volunteers into super-soldiers.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1280" height="360" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/AlphaNine.jpg" alt="Alpha-Nine" class="wp-image-146052" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/AlphaNine.jpg 1280w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/AlphaNine-300x84.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/AlphaNine-1024x288.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/08/AlphaNine-768x216.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Kojo Agu (“Romeo”)</h3>



Ace sniper, former ODST, and current Spartan-IV. After suffering critical wounds during the Battle of New Mombasa, Buck worked tirelessly to save Romeo’s life, thereby earning his unwavering loyalty, even in the face of a changing wartime political landscape.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Jonathan Doherty (“The Rookie”)</h3>



The youngest member of Alpha-Nine and the nameless protagonist of Halo 3: ODST. Though relatively inexperienced, the Rookie proved himself during the Covenant occupation of New Mombasa and became a highly valued member of Alpha-Nine in the years to come. On Draco III, he takes part in a mission that forever alters the trajectory of the squad’s lives and careers.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Taylor Miles (“Dutch”)</h3>



A hardened ODST and a God-fearing man, despite all his time in hell. After witnessing the glassing of Earth firsthand, Dutch grew beleaguered by war against human separatists. The ONI-led operation on Draco III ultimately tests his resolve more than any other mission.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Michael Crespo (“Mickey”)</h3>



Demolitions expert and former ODST. As the UNSC turns its attention to insurrectionists in the wake of the Covenant War’s end, Mickey joins the SPARTAN-IV program seeking a more noble appointment. Soon the reignited flames of civil war and a traumatic event lead him to question his personal loyalties.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Quick to Adjust (“Vergil”)</h3>



A Huragok who defected from the Covenant. Known to humanity as “Vergil” (after the Superintendent AI whose data he assimilated in New Mombasa), he is best known for providing valuable intel on the Covenant’s quarry during the Battle of Earth.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Sadie Endesha</h3>



Vergil’s companion and assigned handler. As a child, her father programmed the “Vergil” subroutine of New Mombasa’s Superintendent AI to watch over her. Sadie later helped rescue the Huragok Quick to Adjust, who inherited the absorbed AI’s affinity for Sadie, leading them to become inseparable.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">GAME CONNECTIONS</h2>



Halo: New Blood connects several plot threads from the Halo universe.



Told in the style of a memoir, Buck’s recollections form a time-hopping narrative that bridges the gap between Halo 3 and Halo 4, in the years when the Master Chief had been declared MIA (still adrift on the wreckage of the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn), and explores the troubled “peace” that followed the end of the Human-Covenant War.



Buck revisits Alpha-Nine’s pivotal rescue of Vergil, as experienced in Halo 3: ODST, and outlines the personal tragedies that culminated in his desire to move away from leadership and reassignment to Fireteam Osiris (a story that continues in Halo 5: Guardians).



Along the way, we are reunited with Jun-A266, the last surviving member of Noble Team (the tragic Spartan heroes of Halo: Reach), who now recruits candidates for the SPARTAN-IV program. We also encounter Sarah Palmer in her early years as an ODST, well before she attains the rank of Spartan Commander aboard the UNSC Infinity in Halo 4.



To learn more about the Halo novels, visit our <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/official-halo-book-guide">Official Halo Book Guide</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ABOUT THE AUTHOR</h2>



Matt Forbeck is a New York Times bestselling author with over thirty-five novels and the designer of countless published games. His projects have won a Peabody Award, a Scribe Award, and numerous ENNIE and Origins Awards. He is also the president of the Diana Jones Award Foundation, which celebrates excellence in gaming.



Matt continues Buck’s story in <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Halo-Bad-Blood/Matt-Forbeck/Halo/9781508244790">Halo: Bad Blood</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ABOUT THE READER</h2>



Actor, writer, and award-winning audiobook narrator Scott Brick has narrated almost 900 audiobooks, including over a dozen Halo-universe titles. To date, his narrations have earned him over 65 Earphones Awards, five Audie Awards, five SOVAS Awards for voiceover, and a Grammy nomination for the multi-cast recording of The Mark of Zorro (2011). Scott reads Halo: New Blood and its sequel, Halo: Bad Blood.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">AUDIOBOOK GIVEAWAY</h2>



Enter to win an audiobook copy of a new book-club title each month now through October! To participate, react to the Halo: New Blood post in the #giveaways channel of the <a href="https://www.discord.gg/halo">official Halo Discord server</a> before August 8.



Stay tuned to <a href="https://www.x.com/halo">@Halo on X</a> later this month for more ways to win! <a href="https://www.aka.ms/AudiobookClubGiveaway">See full contest rules and entry directions</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">JOIN THE BOOK CLUB</h2>



Listen to a new Halo title every month in our Discord book club! To participate, simply join the #audio-book-club channel of the <a href="https://www.discord.gg/halo">official Halo Discord server</a>, where we’ll select a new title from the Halo universe to discuss each month now through October.



Share your favorite moments and engage in discussion topics for a chance to find your words featured in an upcoming Halo Waypoint post! At the end of the month, we’ll host a special Spartan Chatter episode on Discord to discuss the audiobook and answer questions from the Halo community.



<a href="https://bit.ly/44NldoH">Purchase your copy of Halo: New Blood from Simon & Schuster.</a>

Mutinous Core

Audiobook Club: New Blood

Waypoint Chronicles

Halo Studios

Halo: Moonrise Over Mombasa

Book Preview

Games

Halo Infinite

A new Halo short story anthology is on its way!



For almost three years, the series of online short stories known as “Waypoint Chronicles” have been released in support of Halo Infinite’s ongoing updates, notable game anniversaries, and even the odd Flood-infested Halloween special.



Coming in March 2026, all of these stories and more will be collected in the print edition of Halo: Waypoint Chronicles – Volume One.



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Delve once more into stories of legendary heroism and star-spanning conflicts—from the time of the ancient Forerunners to the perils of a twenty-sixth century clash between the United Nations Space Command and the Banished alien alliance.   Halo: Waypoint Chronicles – Volume One collects over thirty short stories from all corners of the Halo universe, including twenty-four adventures previously only available online, plus ten brand-new tales exclusive to this collected volume! Also included are dozens of additional pieces of lore-laden intel items and story vignettes connected to the Halo Infinite game experience.



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The cover art was made by Levi “Leviathan” Hoffmeier, who has previously contributed illustrations to the likes of the Halo Encyclopedia (2022) and Halo: Evolutions.



<a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Halo-Waypoint-Chronicles/Jeff-Easterling/Halo/9781668215227" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PRE-ORDER HALO: WAYPOINT CHRONICLES – VOLUME ONE</a> 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Halo-Waypoint-Chronicles/Jeff-Easterling/Halo/9781668215227"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1080" height="1680" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/WaypointChroniclesVolumeOneSocialTall.jpg" alt="Halo: Waypoint Chronicles - Volume One cover art with mechanicals illustrated by Levi Hoffmeier depicting Despondent Pyre, a Promethean Knight, Ilsa Zane, a Flood-infected Spartan, Laurette Agryna, Escharum, Fahl 'Nto, and Jun-A266" class="wp-image-142567" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/WaypointChroniclesVolumeOneSocialTall.jpg 1080w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/WaypointChroniclesVolumeOneSocialTall-193x300.jpg 193w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/WaypointChroniclesVolumeOneSocialTall-658x1024.jpg 658w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/WaypointChroniclesVolumeOneSocialTall-768x1195.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/WaypointChroniclesVolumeOneSocialTall-987x1536.jpg 987w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" /></a></figure>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT’S IN THE BOOK?</h2>



Waypoint Chronicles seek to provide greater texture to the grand tapestry of the Halo universe.



These stories explore concepts that have lived in the periphery of the franchise’s extensive lore, expanding on moments referenced or only glimpsed in the games, or simply spending more time with beloved characters in the gaps between their grand battles against overwhelming odds.



What does a typical day look like for the UNSC Spirit of Fire’s crew on the Ark, or the humans and Sangheili working together on Anvil Station? What did Noble Team look like before the fall of Reach when Thom-A293 and Rosenda-A344 were around? How does a Promethean Knight see the world? What happens when a Spartan is compromised and infected by the Flood? What are the Created up to in the wake of Cortana’s demise on Zeta Halo?



And, perhaps most importantly… what did the Master Chief and the Arbiter discuss after that legendary barbeque on Sanghelios at the end of Halo 5?



All this and more is explored within!



Included in this anthology are the following short stories from 2022-2025:



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Vertical Umbrage</td><td>Winter Contention</td><td>Precipice</td><td>Duality</td></tr><tr><td>Sunrise on Sanghelios</td><td>Saturn Devouring His Son</td><td>Battle for the Blood-Moon</td><td>Trial of Reckoning</td></tr><tr><td>Hippocratica</td><td>Fireside</td><td>The Third Life</td><td>Anvil Accord</td></tr><tr><td>The Machine Breaks</td><td>Venezian Sonata</td><td>Age of Retribution</td><td>Whispers from the Pyre</td></tr><tr><td>From the Soil to the Stars</td><td>Tulpamancy</td><td>Battle for the Academy – Part 1</td><td>Battle for the Academy – Part 2</td></tr><tr><td>Moonrise Over Mombasa</td><td>‘Ghosts & Glass’ by B. Giraud</td><td>Ascension on Atropos</td><td>Fifth Canticle</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



There are also ten new short stories that will be added to this print anthology novel.



Further additional content includes all of the Halo Infinite Intel drops that spanned Season 2: Lone Wolves through Season 5: Reckoning, along with every Armory Infinitum entry from the last few years of Canon Fodder issues—micro-stories that detail a moment in time when the special weapons in Halo Infinite were used.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>



Published by Gallery Books and our friends over at Simon & Schuster, Halo: Waypoint Chronicles – Volume One is currently scheduled for release in March 2026.



Stay tuned as there are still four more Waypoint Chronicles to be released over the next few months, concluding in October with a story celebrating the tenth anniversary of Halo 5.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Halo-Waypoint-Chronicles/Jeff-Easterling/Halo/9781668215227"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2048" height="1420" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/WC_FullCover.jpg" alt="Full Halo: Waypoint Chronicles - Volume One cover art illustrated by Levi Hoffmeier depicting a Halo ring, a UNSC frigate, a Warthog driving past a Forerunner beam tower, Despondent Pyre, a Promethean Knight, Ilsa Zane, a Flood-infected Spartan, Laurette Agryna, Escharum, Fahl 'Nto, and Jun-A266" class="wp-image-142581" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/WC_FullCover.jpg 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/WC_FullCover-300x208.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/WC_FullCover-1024x710.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/WC_FullCover-768x533.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/WC_FullCover-1536x1065.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/WC_FullCover-1568x1087.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /></a></figure>

Halo: Waypoint Chronicles – Volume One | Cover Reveal

As part of our <a href="https://www.aka.ms/AudiobookClubGiveaway">audiobook giveaway series</a> with Simon & Schuster, we’re inviting Halo fans to join a community book club in our <a href="https://discord.gg/halo">official Discord server</a>, where we’ll focus on a new novel from Halo’s expansive canon each month. Join the #audio-book-club channel to listen along!



This month’s book club title is Halo: Cryptum, the first entry of the Forerunner Saga penned by sci-fi pioneer Greg Bear. This novel details the Didact’s revival and tutelage of a young Forerunner manipular, leading up to a confrontation with his rival, the Master Builder. The audiobook edition of Halo: Cryptum is narrated by actor Holter Graham.



Listen to an exclusive excerpt from Halo: Cryptum below.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Cryptum | Audiobook Preview | Available Now from Simon & Schuster" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1s1mv_uiPrU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<a href="https://bit.ly/3FMiJND">Purchase your copy of Halo: Cryptum from Simon & Schuster.</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">PLOT PREVIEW</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/07/Cryptum-686423b999de3-1024x1024.jpg" alt="The New York Times Bestselling Series: HALO: Cryptum. Hugo and Nebula Award Winner & New York Times Bestselling Author Greg Bear. Book One of the Forerunner Saga, Read by Holter Graham." class="wp-image-142705" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/07/Cryptum-686423b999de3-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/07/Cryptum-686423b999de3-300x300.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/07/Cryptum-686423b999de3-150x150.jpg 150w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/07/Cryptum-686423b999de3-768x768.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/07/Cryptum-686423b999de3-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/07/Cryptum-686423b999de3-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/07/Cryptum-686423b999de3-1568x1568.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



After escaping an exile imposed by his father to be taught the discipline required to join his family’s prestigious Builder rate, a young Forerunner named Bornstellar-Makes-Eternal-Lasting embarks on an adventure in pursuit of ancient treasure from the long-vanished Precursors.



With two human companions as his guides, Bornstellar stumbles upon the resting place of an exiled Forerunner Warrior-Servant known as the Didact. Upon awakening, the Didact kidnaps the unlikely trio and sets out on a star-spanning search to learn what has happened in his thousand-year absence concerning the activities of his wife, the return of the Flood, and the nature of the ultimate weapon that will silence the galaxy—Halo.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CHARACTER GUIDE</h2>



Learn more about the events of Halo: Cryptum with these brief character bios.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Bornstellar-Makes-Eternal-Lasting</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="288" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Bornstellar-1024x288.jpg" alt="Bornstellar character banner" class="wp-image-142342" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Bornstellar-1024x288.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Bornstellar-300x84.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Bornstellar-768x216.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Bornstellar.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



A wayward and incorrigible Forerunner youth, sent by his father to live among the Miners of Edom (Mars). After languishing there for three years, he escapes to nearby Erde-Tyrene (Earth) on the oddly rebellious advice of his personal ancilla, where the promise of treasure, glory, and adventure await.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Chakas</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="288" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Chakas-1024x288.jpg" alt="Chakas character banner" class="wp-image-142356" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Chakas-1024x288.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Chakas-300x84.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Chakas-768x216.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Chakas.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Beyond his prowess as a navigator of waters, Chakas proves especially perceptive to the motivations of those around him. The awakening of the Didact sets Chakas on a path to rediscover truths about the ancient space-faring human empire that was laid low in a cataclysmic war with the Forerunners.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Riser</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="288" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Riser-1024x288.jpg" alt="Riser character banner" class="wp-image-142426" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Riser-1024x288.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Riser-300x84.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Riser-768x216.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Riser.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



A Florian (also known as a hamanune, or Homo foloresiensis), this “short fellow” bears a long name—Day-Chaser Makes Paths Long-stretch Morning Riser—and an equally stout pride for the works of his people. Possessed of great cheer, wisdom, and loyalty, even by the Didact’s estimation, this curious human represents the best of his species.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Didact</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="288" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Didact-1024x288.jpg" alt="Didact character banner" class="wp-image-142370" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Didact-1024x288.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Didact-300x84.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Didact-768x216.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Didact.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Imprisoned in a Cryptum for his fervent opposition to the Halo Array’s construction, the Didact awakens from his imposed meditations and seeks to learn all that has transpired in his absence. While serving as the reluctant mentor to the young Forerunner who released him, he soon deduces that his wife, the Librarian, must have intended their meeting, setting them on a journey to find answers.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Librarian</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="288" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Librarian-1024x288.jpg" alt="Librarian character banner" class="wp-image-142398" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Librarian-1024x288.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Librarian-300x84.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Librarian-768x216.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Librarian.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



The visionary Forerunner Lifeshaper with a great affinity for humanity, the Librarian endowed her favored human subjects with genetic tendencies (geas) that would guide successive generations to eventual conclusions of her own design. She has purposefully manipulated the wayward Bornstellar into awakening her exiled husband—but to what end?



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Master Builder</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="288" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Faber-1024x288.jpg" alt="Master Builder Faber character banner" class="wp-image-142384" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Faber-1024x288.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Faber-300x84.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Faber-768x216.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Faber.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Faber-of-Will-and-Might holds the title of Master Builder, positioning him as one of the most powerful Forerunners in the ecumene—and one of the most corrupt. In the aftermath of the war against humanity, preparations for the Flood’s inevitable return turn the Master Builder and the Didact into archrivals. Despite the Didact’s counterproposals, the Master Builder’s promises of glory and profit eventually culminate in the creation of the Halo rings.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Mendicant Bias</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="288" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/MendicantBias-1024x288.jpg" alt="Mendicant Bias character banner" class="wp-image-142412" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/MendicantBias-1024x288.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/MendicantBias-300x84.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/MendicantBias-768x216.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/MendicantBias.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



An artificial intelligence co-created by the Didact and the Master Builder, and the most advanced ancilla ever devised. Medicant Bias was charged with assuming control over the protection of the ecumene in the Forerunners’ absence. However, after forty-three years of discourse with an ancient being known as the Primordial, Mendicant Bias defected and disappeared, taking an entire Halo installation—and the mysterious creature—with him for unknown purposes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THE FORERUNNER SAGA</h2>



Halo: Cryptum is the first act of a three-part tale that culminates in the firing of the Halo rings.



This novel introduces the primary concept of the Mantle of Responsibility and fleshes out the culture of the proud, doomed Forerunner civilization, along with their connections to humanity. 



In the sequels Halo: Primordium and Halo: Silentium, we learn more about:



<ul>
<li>The Conservation Measure. A galaxy-spanning indexing process led by the Librarian that collected genetic information from countless species in order to reseed the galaxy with life after the activation of Halo. Through her testimonies, we also learn about her inquiries into the origins of the Flood and the revelations she uncovers on a voyage beyond the Milky Way galaxy.</li>



<li>Zeta Halo. The ancient ringworld that serves as a laboratory for horrific experiments with the Flood conducted on humans and Forerunners alike.</li>



<li>Chakas’s future. Formerly a con man and a small-time crook, Chakas had initially sought to rob the impressionable Bornstellar, in hopes of using the ill-gotten gains to reunite his family. He soon finds himself on an interstellar odyssey, exploring the ruins of humanity’s old empire, enduring the terrifying Palace of Pain, meeting the enigmatic being known as the Primordial, and how he becomes somebody who will play a pivotal role in the Master Chief’s journey a hundred thousand years later.</li>



<li>The Didact’s descent. Discovery, capture, and betrayal set the Didact on a dark path to madness as a cosmic game of vengeance nears its dire terminus.</li>
</ul>



Stay tuned to hear an exclusive excerpt from the sequel, Halo: Primordium, later this month!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">GAME CONNECTIONS</h2>



Halo: Cryptum occurs nearly 100,000 years before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved, in the declining Forerunner ecumene, where political turmoil in the wake of a costly war with humanity has left them exposed to a greater menace: the Flood.



This novel follows the story of the Didact and Bornstellar, two legendary Forerunners who have shaped events in the Milky Way for untold millennia. We learn more about the Librarian’s contributions to the preservation of all galactic life in the ensuing installments of the Forerunner Saga—and in Halo 4, where both the Didact and Librarian return for a new chapter in the Master Chief’s journey.



To learn more about the Halo novels, visit our <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/official-halo-book-guide">Official Halo Book Guide</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ABOUT THE READERS</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Holter Graham</h3>



Holter Graham is a stage, film, and television actor based in New York. He has also narrated over 200 audiobooks, including works by Stephen King, Nicholas Sparks, and prolific Halo writer Greg Bear, as well as several other works in the Halo series. <a href="https://bit.ly/3FMiJND">Reader of Halo: Cryptum.</a>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Timothy Dadabo</h3>



Timothy Dadabo is a prolific voice actor and singer. After appearing as 343 Guilty Spark in Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and Halo 3, Tim once again lent his voice talents to the Halo universe as the audiobook narrator of Halo: Primordium, the second entry in Greg Bear’s Forerunner Saga, and Halo: Point of Light by Kelly Gay. <a href="https://bit.ly/44n5Gvh">Reader of Halo: Primordium.</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">AUDIOBOOK GIVEAWAY</h2>



Enter to win an audiobook copy of a new book-club title each month now through October! To participate, react to the Halo: Cryptum post in the #giveaways channel of the <a href="https://www.discord.gg/halo">official Halo Discord server</a> before July 7.



Stay tuned<a> </a>to <a href="https://https/www.x.com/halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@Halo on X</a> later this month for more ways to win! <a href="https://www.aka.ms/AudiobookClubGiveaway">See full contest rules and entry directions.</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">JOIN THE BOOK CLUB</h2>



Listen to a new Halo title every month in our Discord book club! To participate, simply join the #audio-book-club channel of the <a href="https://discord.gg/halo">official Halo Discord server,</a> where we’ll select a new title from the Halo universe to discuss each month now through October.



Share your favorite moments and engage in discussion topics for a chance to find your words featured in an upcoming Halo Waypoint post! At the end of the month, we’ll host a special Spartan Chatter episode on Discord to discuss the audiobook and answer questions from the Halo community.



<a href="https://bit.ly/3FMiJND">Purchase your copy of Halo: Cryptum from Simon & Schuster.</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS</h2>



Interested in catching up with the community audiobook club? Check out our recent <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/halo-contact-harvest-spartan-chatter">Spartan Chatter blog</a> to read great submissions from Discord members about last month’s title, Halo: Contact Harvest.



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Audiobook Club: Cryptum

Back in my day we had two sticks and a book… And we had to share the book!



While Sgt. Johnson might have had a rock to share, we had a great novel to chit chat about during the latest Spartan Chatter. As part of the ongoing <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/audiobook-club">Audiobook Club in partnership with Simon & Schuster</a>, we kicked things off with Joseph Staten’s Halo: Contact Harvest. Franchise member Alex ‘Haruspis’ Wakeford, joined us to talk about Sgt. Johnson’s auspicious beginnings.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Spartan Chatter: Halo: Contact Harvest" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tgwpgfstIuE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



Some Halo fans might say Contact Harvest is required reading and if you don’t have a copy of your own yet, <a href="https://adbl.co/4kWm63v">you can head to Audible and grab your own</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS</h2>



Catch up on the community book club with great shouts from folks in our <a href="https://discord.gg/halo">official Discord server</a>!



<ul>
<li>DDog Dazamaan: Loved this book, especially the story of the two unlikely friends in the Covenant.</li>



<li>No pings please: Out of all the Halo novels, this is my favorite, hands down! I don’t re-read stuff often, but I’ll make an exception for Contact Harvest.</li>



<li>Massctrl: Listened to this book for the first time many years ago. Excellent read!</li>



<li>SporkHALO: Eight chapters in, I think I’m more hooked than I was with Fall of Reach!</li>



<li>GuyverTronNIИ: Good choice! Contact Harvest is a great place to begin for new readers or anyone wanting to revisit the stories. One of my favorite parts is getting a behind-the-scenes look at the politics of the Covenant and seeing how the Prophets we know in the games come to power.</li>



<li>CIA391WIKI: That prologue, I dare say, is haunting! I totally get why it makes some folks uncomfortable.</li>



<li>Austin @ JumperScape: That prologue made me really consider the idea that maybe humanity needed this conflict. Something to pull it away from eating itself.</li>



<li>NsanittyyJUMP: I loved finding out how the Choppers were originally plowing tools meant as a peace offering to the colonists. The Engineers are so kind!</li>



<li>EnderfortYT: I loved Contact Harvest. It’s the fifth book I read in the Halo series after The Forerunner Saga and Broken Circle.</li>



<li>Twogood4hisown: I liked all the details on interstellar logistics, planetary AI, and colonial farming. I also liked the view of the pre-Covenant Insurrectionist conflict. It was messy, and one could easily see UNSC efforts doing more harm than good.</li>



<li>Woodsgump: This was one good read, and my first Halo novel. I liked how Contact Harvest focused on Johnson’s early days and his travels on Harvest, while we also get to see a bit of Jenkins himself.</li>



<li>pins before posting: There’s an interesting feeling in this novel. The “vibe” of life itself feels different in the Halo universe before the Human-Covenant war.</li>
</ul>



We’ll be doing 4 more novels between now and October so stay tuned for the reveal of the July selection!

snickerdoodle

Halo: Contact Harvest | Spartan Chatter

The Master Chief’s fight against the Banished continues in Halo: Edge of Dawn!



Coming this December, the next novel by acclaimed author Kelly Gay picks up in the immediate aftermath of Halo Infinite’s ending.



Here is the official description of what awaits in the Master Chief’s next adventure:



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2560. After eliminating War Chief Escharum and sending the Banished leadership into chaos, the Master Chief continues the fight on Zeta Halo, accompanied by his new AI companion and their loyal pilot Fernando Esparza.   As Spartan-117 searches for scattered allied forces, a young combat medic—tortured and imprisoned for months by the Banished and the enigmatic Harbinger—may hold the key to unlocking deeper mysteries within this ancient ringworld. But every step toward answers is haunted by the sinister and elusive blademaster Jega ‘Rdomnai, who is hellbent on vengeance…



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We are thrilled to also reveal the cover art by Chris McGrath, who has previously illustrated the covers for the novels Halo: Epitaph, Shadows of Reach, Oblivion, and Silent Storm.



<a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Halo-Edge-of-Dawn/Kelly-Gay/Halo/9781668017555" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PRE-ORDER HALO: EDGE OF DAWN</a>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Halo-Edge-of-Dawn/Kelly-Gay/Halo/9781668017555"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1080" height="1676" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/EdgeOfDawnCover_TallFinal.jpg" alt="Halo: Edge of Dawn novel cover depicting the Master Chief and the Weapon" class="wp-image-142242" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/EdgeOfDawnCover_TallFinal.jpg 1080w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/EdgeOfDawnCover_TallFinal-193x300.jpg 193w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/EdgeOfDawnCover_TallFinal-660x1024.jpg 660w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/EdgeOfDawnCover_TallFinal-768x1192.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/EdgeOfDawnCover_TallFinal-990x1536.jpg 990w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" /></a></figure>



Akin in many ways to Halo: First Strike, this story serves as a glimpse into the aftermath of its preceding events, the novel dealing with the immediate fallout of what took place in Halo Infinite‘s campaign while embarking on its own new, self-contained adventure.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">RECOMMENDED REVISITING</h2>



Edge of Dawn will ostensibly serve as a standalone story that any reader can jump into, whether this is your first Halo novel or if you’ve been following along for years.



Of course, December is a while away, so in the months leading up to publication here are some stories you can explore for maximum context around the Master Chief’s journey leading into this book and the mysteries of Zeta Halo.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/halo-infinite?msockid=10fb3b4054ab63a132432e3e554b6279#purchaseoptions"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1280" height="360" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/HaloInfiniteCampaignBanner.jpg" alt="Crop of Halo Infinite cover art depicting the Master Chief on Zeta Halo" class="wp-image-141853" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/HaloInfiniteCampaignBanner.jpg 1280w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/HaloInfiniteCampaignBanner-300x84.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/HaloInfiniteCampaignBanner-1024x288.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/HaloInfiniteCampaignBanner-768x216.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /></a></figure>



<a href="https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/halo-infinite?msockid=10fb3b4054ab63a132432e3e554b6279#purchaseoptions">HALO INFINITE CAMPAIGN</a>



Experience the Master Chief’s epic return as he battles against the Banished forces occupying Zeta Halo, uncovers the truth about Cortana’s demise, faces a mysterious new threat in the form of the Harbinger, and builds a new partnership with his AI companion “the Weapon” and a reluctant Pelican pilot out of his depth.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Halo-The-Rubicon-Protocol/Kelly-Gay/Halo/9781982147884"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1280" height="360" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/08/34TheRubiconProtocol-2.jpg" alt="Cover art of Halo: The Rubicon Protocol" class="wp-image-78128" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/08/34TheRubiconProtocol-2.jpg 1280w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/08/34TheRubiconProtocol-2-300x84.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/08/34TheRubiconProtocol-2-1024x288.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/08/34TheRubiconProtocol-2-768x216.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /></a></figure>



<a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Halo-The-Rubicon-Protocol/Kelly-Gay/Halo/9781982147884">HALO: THE RUBICON PROTOCOL</a>



Follow the events of the battle for Zeta Halo through the eyes of other members of the UNSC Infinity’s crew as they evacuate to the surface of the ringworld and must survive as they are hunted by the Banished.



Building on many of the audio logs found in Halo Infinite’s campaign, The Rubicon Protocol is the perfect way to get acquainted with combat medic Lucas Browning.



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Published by Gallery Books and our friends over at Simon & Schuster, Halo: Edge of Dawn is currently scheduled for release in December 2025.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Halo-Edge-of-Dawn/Kelly-Gay/Halo/9781668017555"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2160" height="1465" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/EdgeOfDawn_FullCover.jpg" alt="Full Halo: Edge of Dawn cover art depicting the Master Chief, the Weapon, Jega 'Rdomnai, and Zeta Halo, illustrated by Chris McGrath" class="wp-image-141970" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/EdgeOfDawn_FullCover.jpg 2160w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/EdgeOfDawn_FullCover-300x203.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/EdgeOfDawn_FullCover-1024x695.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/EdgeOfDawn_FullCover-768x521.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/EdgeOfDawn_FullCover-1536x1042.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/EdgeOfDawn_FullCover-2048x1389.jpg 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/EdgeOfDawn_FullCover-1568x1063.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 2160px) 100vw, 2160px" /></a></figure>

Halo: Edge of Dawn | Cover Reveal

Halo: Battle for the Academy – Part 2

As part of our <a href="https://www.aka.ms/AudiobookClubGiveaway">audiobook giveaway series</a> with Simon & Schuster, we’re inviting Halo fans to join a community book club in our <a href="https://discord.gg/halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">official Discord server</a>, where we’ll focus on a new novel from Halo’s expansive canon each month. Join the #audio-book-club channel to listen along!



This month’s book club title is Halo: Contact Harvest, written by Halo chronicler Joseph Staten and covering humanity’s first tragic contact with the Covenant. The audiobook is narrated by Holter Graham and Jen Taylor. Listen to an exclusive excerpt from the audiobook edition below:



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Contact Harvest | Audiobook Preview | Available Now from Simon & Schuster" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1C_xMw8V9qg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<a href="https://bit.ly/4kme4B4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Purchase your copy of Contact Harvest from Simon & Schuster.</a>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">PLOT PREVIEW</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Halo-Contact-Harvest/Joseph-Staten/HALO/9781508284543?utm_source=halo_waypoint&utm_medium=audio_author_outlet&utm_content=audio_buy_link&utm_campaign=halocontactharvest#buy-from"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2560" height="2560" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact-Harvest-scaled.jpg" alt="The New York Times bestselling series. Halo: Contact Harvest. New York Times bestselling author Joseph Staten. Read by Holter Graham and Jen Taylor." class="wp-image-138880" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact-Harvest-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact-Harvest-300x300.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact-Harvest-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact-Harvest-150x150.jpg 150w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact-Harvest-768x768.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact-Harvest-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact-Harvest-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact-Harvest-1568x1568.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></a></figure>



In the year 2524, the colony world of Harvest prospers at the edge of human-controlled space. Elsewhere in the galaxy, the United Nations Space Command contends with a bitter civil war against the Insurrection, a colonial rebellion resistant to UNSC authority.



The agrarian society of Harvest has been untouched by war—until now. 



Humanity has unknowingly trespassed on holy ground sought by a theocratic alien empire. When a Covenant vessel captures a freighter bound from Harvest, a squad of war-weary UNSC marines must rally the colonists to take arms against a new and deadly foe. 



Follow Staff Sergeant Avery Johnson as he finds himself thrust into a fight for humanity’s survival.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CHARACTER GUIDE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="450" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact_Harvest_Chaper_16_Still.png" alt="San'Shyuum Prophets meet the AI Construct Mendicant Bias. The illuminated face of the AI Construct looks down on the Prophet of Truth, who raises his hands in holy ecstasy." class="wp-image-138708" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact_Harvest_Chaper_16_Still.png 800w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact_Harvest_Chaper_16_Still-300x169.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact_Harvest_Chaper_16_Still-768x432.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></figure>



If you enjoyed the chapter excerpt embedded above, check out these brief intros to prominent characters to learn more about the events of Halo: Contact Harvest.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Avery Johnson</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1280" height="360" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Johnson.jpg" alt="Halo Encyclopedia 2022 art of Avery Johnson" class="wp-image-139500" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Johnson.jpg 1280w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Johnson-300x84.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Johnson-1024x288.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Johnson-768x216.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /></figure>



Wearied from years fighting Insurrectionist cells across human-occupied space, Avery Johnson returns to Earth for a much-needed furlough. But when he discovers that his last family relation has died alone and uncelebrated, he succumbs to his grief and falls afoul of local law enforcement. 



A last-minute transfer to Harvest saves him from disgrace—but who authorized it? 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Nolan Byrne</h3>



Johnson’s comrade in arms during Operation: TREBUCHET, a covert strike against Insurrectionist munitions factories, and his unwitting partner in a new mission on Harvest. After a moment of hesitation resulted in tragedy, Byrne has lost the respect he once had for Johnson. Who knows how the coming conflict might change his mind?



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Jilan al-Cygni</h3>



A decorated officer of the Office of Naval Intelligence and a clandestine operative of its Section Three subdivision. Though she arrived in the sector under other pretenses, Lieutenant Commander al-Cygni has secretly bootstrapped Byrne and Johnson into a covert mission against Insurrectionists operating near Harvest.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Maccabeus and Tartarus</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1280" height="360" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/MaccabeusAndTartarus.jpg" alt="Halo Mythos art of Maccabeus and Tartarus" class="wp-image-139514" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/MaccabeusAndTartarus.jpg 1280w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/MaccabeusAndTartarus-300x84.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/MaccabeusAndTartarus-1024x288.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/MaccabeusAndTartarus-768x216.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /></figure>



Chieftain of the Jiralhanae and shipmaster of the Covenant vessel Rapid Conversion. Esteemed as much for his naval and martial prowess as his religious zeal, Maccabeus takes a personal interest in the reports of Forerunner relics on Harvest and the possibility of encountering a sacred oracle—even against the orders of the Covenant high command. He is accompanied by his young nephew, the ruthlessly ambitious Tartarus.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Dadab and Lighter Than Some</h3>



An Unggoy deacon assigned to Minor Transgression, the Covenant missionary vessel that first encounters humanity. When a raid on a human freighter goes wrong, Dadab escapes with his Huragok companion, Lighter Than Some, to the cruiser Rapid Conversion, where he preaches the divine word of the Covenant—and finds ways to excuse his friend’s insatiable desire for tinkering.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Sif and Mack</h3>



An artificial intelligence aboard Harvest’s orbital station, the Tiara, and tasked with freight logistics for its shipyards. After encountering a distress beacon from the human freighter Horn of Plenty, Sif coordinates with fellow AI Mack—responsible for Harvest’s agricultural operations and heavy machinery—to evacuate the colony during the ensuing invasion.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Minister of Fortitude</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1280" height="360" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Fortitude.jpg" alt="Halo 2: Anniversary screenshot crop of the Prophet of Truth" class="wp-image-139486" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Fortitude.jpg 1280w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Fortitude-300x84.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Fortitude-1024x288.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Fortitude-768x216.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /></figure>



A San’Shyuum minister holding court on the Covenant’s holy city of High Charity. When a Forerunner oracle reveals the truth about the supposed “relics” discovered on Harvest, Fortitude’s schemes lead him and his co-conspirators to the coveted rank of hierarch.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">GAME CONNECTIONS</h2>



Halo: Contact Harvest introduces us to Sergeant Johnson as a young man, 28 years before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved. Over the course of the novel, Johnson takes part in the earliest events of the Human-Covenant War and becomes the hardened warfighter who eventually helps the Master Chief finish the fight.



The Minister of Fortitude is perhaps better known as the Prophet of Truth, a major antagonist in both Halo 2 and Halo 3. Chieftain Maccabeus is the uncle of Tartarus, who appears in both Halo 2 and as a minor character in Contact Harvest. (No spoilers! You’ll have to read the novel to learn what part he plays in its exciting events.)



To learn more about the Halo novels, visit our <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/official-halo-book-guide" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Official Halo Book Guide</a>.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ABOUT THE AUTHOR</h2>



Joseph Staten was the writer and creative lead for Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo: Reach, and the Head of Creative for Halo Infinite. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Halo: Contact Harvest and the novella Halo: Shadow of Intent.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ABOUT THE READERS</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Holter Graham </h3>



Holter Graham is a stage, film, and television actor based in New York. He has also narrated over 200 audiobooks, including works by Stephen King, Nicholas Sparks, and prolific Halo writer Greg Bear, as well as several other works in the Halo series.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Jen Taylor </h3>



Jen Taylor is the voice of Cortana, Dr. Catherine Halsey, and The Weapon in the Halo series, as well as numerous other recognizable video game characters. Beyond her voice acting career, Jen has performed in theatrical productions, appeared in television series, and narrated over 30 audiobooks, including Halo: Contact Harvest and Halo: Evolutions.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">AUDIOBOOK GIVEAWAY</h2>



Enter to win an audiobook copy of a new book-club title each month now through October! To participate, react to the Contact Harvest post in the #giveaways channel of the <a href="https://www.discord.gg/halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">official Halo Discord server</a> before June 6.



Stay tuned to <a href="https://https/www.x.com/halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@Halo on X</a> later this month for more ways to win! <a href="https://www.aka.ms/AudiobookClubGiveaway" data-type="link" data-id="https://halowaypoint.com/news/audiobook-club">See full contest rules and entry directions.</a>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">JOIN THE BOOK CLUB</h2>



Listen to a new Halo title every month with the Halo community in our Discord book club! To participate, simply join the #audio-book-club channel of the <a href="https://discord.gg/halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">official Halo Discord server,</a> where we’ll select a new title from the Halo universe to discuss each month through October.



Share your favorite moments and engage in discussion topics for a chance to find your words featured in an upcoming Halo Waypoint post! At the end of every month, we’ll host a special Spartan Chatter episode on Discord to discuss the audiobook and answer questions from the Halo community.



<a href="https://bit.ly/4kme4B4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Purchase your copy of Contact Harvest from Simon & Schuster.</a>

Audiobook Club: Contact Harvest

Halo’s lore is as expansive as the universe in which it takes place. To celebrate the many novels that have helped deepen our understanding of the UNSC, the Forerunners, and the many alien factions that occupy our Milky Way, we’ve partnered with Simon & Schuster to showcase a selection of audiobooks from the Halo canon in a community book club and an ongoing giveaway series.



Read on for details on joining the book club and all the ways you can enter to win Halo audiobooks this month!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Community Book Club</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2560" height="2560" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact-Harvest-scaled.jpg" alt="The New York Times bestselling series. Halo: Contact Harvest. New York Times bestselling author Joseph Staten. Read by Holter Graham and Jen Taylor." class="wp-image-138880" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact-Harvest-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact-Harvest-300x300.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact-Harvest-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact-Harvest-150x150.jpg 150w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact-Harvest-768x768.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact-Harvest-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact-Harvest-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/06/Contact-Harvest-1568x1568.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></figure>



Starting this month, we’ll be listening to the fan-favorite novel Halo: Contact Harvest in our community book club. To listen along, <a href="https://bit.ly/4kme4B4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pick up a copy from Simon & Schuster</a> and join the #audio-book-club channel of our <a href="https://discord.gg/halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">official Discord server</a>, where you can share your favorite moments and engage in discussion topics for a chance to find your words featured in an upcoming Halo Waypoint post!



At the end of every month now through October, we’ll also be hosting a special Spartan Chatter episode on Discord to discuss the audiobook and answer questions from the Halo community. Head to the Discord Stage voice channel to listen in.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Audiobook Giveaways</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/05/Contact-Harvest-16x9-Cover.png" alt="Halo: Contact Harvest book cover. Sergeant Avery Johnson, a man in army fatigues and sunglasses, turns away from a burning grain field and raises his rifle. A cigar dangles from his lips. Marines rush toward the flames ahead of Johnson." class="wp-image-138579" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/05/Contact-Harvest-16x9-Cover.png 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/05/Contact-Harvest-16x9-Cover-300x169.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/05/Contact-Harvest-16x9-Cover-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/05/Contact-Harvest-16x9-Cover-768x432.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/05/Contact-Harvest-16x9-Cover-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2025/05/Contact-Harvest-16x9-Cover-1568x882.png 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



Enter to win an audiobook copy of a new book club title each month now through October! To participate, watch the #giveaways channel of the <a href="https://www.discord.gg/halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">official Halo Discord server</a> and stay tuned to <a href="https://https/www.x.com/halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@Halo on X</a> later this month.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Discord Entry</h3>



Now through October, we’ll give away five (5) audiobook editions of our selected book club title on Discord every month! To enter to win Halo audiobooks, simply join the <a href="https://discord.gg/halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">official Halo Discord server</a> and react to our new giveaway post in the #giveaways channel during the first week of each month.



UPDATE: The Halo: Shadows of Reach giveaway post will appear in the #giveaways channel on September 2, 2025. React to the post by Monday, September 8 for a chance to win!



Winners will be randomly selected later in the same month. Winners will be notified and tagged in a follow-up post by the GiveawayBot in the #giveaways channel of the Halo Discord server.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Social Entry</h3>



Follow <a href="https://x.com/halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@Halo on X</a> and comment on our monthly giveaway posts for a chance to win one of five (5) Halo audiobooks every month. Look out for the next giveaway post on September 10, where lucky Spartans can enter to win the audiobook edition of Halo: Shadows of Reach!



Entry period lasts until 8:00 a.m. (PT) on September June 12. Winners will be contacted via direct message on the X platform.