By the time I finish writing this article, another book will undoubtedly have been added to the ever-growing series of halo Universe. There are some fantastic and some not so fantastic entries in the list, but if you want to fully understand the history of the series, you should read them. Here is the order in which I think you should watch the halo Books for the most comprehensive experience possible.
So many Halo books
The world of halo opens up for a lot of expansion when you look at the prelude, the history of both races, the Flood, and so on. Because of this, there are a lot of books that expand the universe. It’s understandably overwhelming, so start with his definitive list of Halo literature in reading order and go from there.
I believe the Halo books should be read in the order in which they were published. The chronology jumps back and forth, but not in a confusing or disjointed way. The books reference each other as they are published, completing the Halo universe. Trying to read them in chronological order gets very complex very quickly and often details can be missed.
All Halo books in order of publication
- Halo: Fall of Reach (October 30, 2001)
- Halo: The Flood (April 1, 2003)
- Halo: First Strike (December 2, 2003)
- Halo: Ghosts of Onyx (October 31, 2006)
- Halo: Contact Harvest (October 30, 2007)
- Halo: The Cole Protocol (November 25, 2008)
- Halo: Evolutions (November 24, 2009)
- Halo: Cryptum (January 4, 2011)
- Halo: Glasslands (October 25, 2011)
- Halo: Primordium (January 3, 2012)
- Halo: The Thursday War (October 2, 2012)
- Halo: Silentium (March 19, 2013)
- Halo: Mortal Dictata (January 21, 2014)
- Halo: Broken Circle (November 4, 2014)
- Halo: New Blood (March 2, 2015)
- Halo: Hunters in the Dark (June 16, 2015)
- Halo: Testimony of the Saint (July 27, 2015)
- Halo: Last Light (September 15, 2015)
- Halo: Shadow of Intent (December 7, 2015)
- Halo: Fractures (September 20, 2016)
- Halo: Smoke and Shadow (November 28, 2016)
- Halo: Envoy (April 25, 2017)
- Halo: Retribution (August 29, 2017)
- Halo: Legacy of Onyx (November 15, 2017)
- Halo: Bad Blood (June 26, 2018)
- Halo: Silent Storm (September 4, 2018)
- Halo: Battle Born (January 1, 2019)
- Halo: Renegades (February 19, 2019)
- Halo: Oblivion (September 24, 2019)
- Halo: Meridian Divide (October 1, 2019)
- Halo: Shadows of Reach (September 22, 2020)
- Halo: Point of Light (March 2, 2021)
- Halo: Divine Wind (October 19, 2021)
- Halo: The Rubicon Protocol (August 9, 2022)
- Halo: Epitaph (February 27, 2024)
This is a monstrous list, but there are some you can skip if you have played the games recently. To shorten this list a bit, it is possible to miss Halo: The Flood because it is only the plot of Halo 1. If you have recently completed the game or would like to get the same information but from the comfort of the game, skip this section in the halo order and just play the game instead.
What are the Halo books about
If you’re a fan of the video game series, you’ll already be familiar with many of the stories that go into the games. Ancient tales and battles spanning eons inform the action-packed scenes that unfold as you follow the story of Master Chief and beyond.
Many stories and events can be learned simply by playing the game and listening to various clips related to the games. The characters provide clever explanations through dialogue and situations. However, this left me and many other authors and readers wanting more.
The halo Book series organize the universe as you read them. They delve much deeper into the world, history, politics, and battles of the franchise, giving fans the content they want. History and expansions surrounding the games are built in the narratives.
Are the Halo books canon?
The ever-changing team behind the Halo series explains that “the official” halo Canon can only be created by developers of the Halo franchise.” This means that in order for a book to be included in the official reading order of the Halo canon, it must be officially approved by the team. This helps avoid inconsistencies, although there are some.
Of course, as with any major gaming franchise, there are plenty of excellent fanfiction additions to the reading list, but if you really want to delve into this one, you should finish reading the games and the official book series first. This will give you the context and knowledge to spot something that’s completely off-topic or sticks to the source material. You don’t want to accidentally reference something outside of canon without knowing it; that would be embarrassing.
There are many great companion books to video games, from Assassin’s Creed to the Souls games. While Halo may be one of the most comprehensive, it’s not the only good book out there.
