Somewhat Lazy

Almost a quarter of the story was retelling Halo : ODST's storyline. If I wanted to hear that I would just play the game again. The rookie's plight was bull added to bring some ill faded depth to a mediocre addition to the Halo universe. Not to mention the creators of this audiobook should have had Nathan Fallon "Buck" from the game narrate the freaking boo seeing as it Is written entirely from his point of view!!!!!

You may think my critique to harsh, but Eric Nylund has some large shoes to fill and these new writers are disappointing me left and right. Magazines are called clips more than 20 times I a freaking chapter, and there is barley and mention of the advanced technology we crave to hear details about.

If this is the direction the Halo universe is being taken in I may have to take to writing my own fan fiction. It will hold more closely to the universe and feature more fantasy detail about the Spartan equipment and training we all love to read about.

Get it together people, we love this universe and these poor additions are not going to fly for long.

17 people found this helpful

no more Scott Brick!

a good story that was tarnished by a monotone narrator. Please stop with this narrator!

9 people found this helpful

Decent story, let down by a few factors.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The narrator - overall (once things got moving) he was good, but there's something about his tone of voice, the way he finishes sentences etc. that didn't excite the text like other narrators do.

Then there's the amount of metaphors and similes that colour the book - at some times it felt like the author was trying to squeeze too many 'descriptors' into one paragraph, and was more like a collection of metaphors and similes strung together by other text. It wasn't horrible, but made it feel more teenage than young adult / adult in audience.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Halo: New Blood?

It was great to go on such a journey across the Halo timeline and tie in so many things - the twist near the end was good, showing some raw emotion which up until then had just been bottled up into characters that were constantly "on mission". Dont want to spoil anything though.

Did Halo: New Blood inspire you to do anything?

Not particularly - was happy to go onto the next audiobook, where the difference in Narrator is like chalk and cheese (currently listening to No Country for Old Men).

I'll still be listening to future Halo books, even if narrated by Scott Brick.

7 people found this helpful

Halo New Blood was gorgeous.

This euphoric experience is a must for any fan of halo 3: ODST, or halo in general.
I was compelled the whole time, this was the story telling I've been dying to hear. I was skeptical about the pacing at first, but then it all flawlessly full circled. The way Buck explained his way of story telling really was amazing, I could relate, being a somewhat controlled scatter brain when it comes to telling long tales of the past times.
Matt Forbeck really pulled on my heart strings, making me hate yet love his plot choices. it never felt like certain characters were made just to be a plot device. All the new and old characters were given a breath of fresh air, delving deep into the psychology of just why they're, the way they're. Expanding onto Buck, showing a side that couldn't be portrayed in the video game. It let you feel the weight he carried around, the loss, the longing for veronica, the helplessness and betrayal.
Finally giving Dutch what he truly wanted, made me tear up. After following all his journeys through the years, it felt like a well deserved reward, not only for him but the fans.
with out spoiling anymore, I will say, I truly loved this novel and hope matt can make more in the future. thank you so much for putting so much heart into the ODSTs that I've grown to love and admire through the years. A big shout out to Scott Brick, you did an amazing job narrating.

6 people found this helpful

Good book, poorly chosen narrator

Scott Brick doesn't change pitch ever which makes all the character personality suffer. Wish Holter Graham had narrated this, or even Johnathan Davis. They've both proven to be able to add flavor to the Halo audiobook experience whereas Scott Brick doesn't even try.

5 people found this helpful

Disappointing performance from a good story.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would pick a different narrator. I have listened to Scott Brick narrate many of the Dune audiobooks, which I enjoyed. I don't exactly know what was different about this story, but his voice just did not go well when portraying these characters. I know it is a huge stretch, but Nathan Fillion performing his ODST character would have made my month.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved getting the backstory on Gunny Buck and his crew, and hearing a new, original story with these characters

Would you be willing to try another one of Scott Brick’s performances?

Yes, I have enjoyed his performances in the past, but for some reason I don't feel he is a good fit for this particular book.

Do you think Halo: New Blood needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, but that does not take away from Halo: New Blood by itself. I enjoyed the story, felt it used these characters well to tell a new story and chapter of Halo, and effectively wrapped up their story arc. Another book may make these characters booring and overstayed their welcome.

5 people found this helpful

Scott BrickzzzzZZZZzz

If you want to fall asleep to his narration then go for it. zZz zZz.

4 people found this helpful

Yea! For Buck!

It was nice to hear the afterstory for Alpha 9! Was only disappointed that Nathan Fillion didn't narrate it himself!

4 people found this helpful

Fantastic book. Not my favorite reader tho

Fantastic book. Amazing story. Reader doesn’t grab my attention super well however. Very easy to space out and miss parts. Doesn’t sound much like Nathan fillian either

3 people found this helpful

Story was good, but ...

The performance was monotone and boring. I listen while driving to help keep me focused and the narrattor's voice kept making me tired.

3 people found this helpful