Halo: Cryptum: Book One of the Forerunner Saga

The best book I have ever read. Thought provoking, mind expanding, I loved it so much I immediately read it again. If you love science fiction, this is the ultimate. If you love Halo, this book is a must read, as it fills in history and starts an entirely new chapter in the universe. I can't find many faults here, except for the fact that i wish it was longer. After i read it, my brain kept dreaming, kept thinking of the possibilities. This book was perfect for me. If i had to choose one phrase, it would be mind expanding.

Easily the best thus far. Greg bear has become one of my favourite authors because of this book.

Dune. While not as ground breaking and eternally memorable as Herbert's work, the comparison gives a potential reader the echelon of tale about to be spun. Like Herbert, Bear is obviously highly intelligent and takes the matter of his story to be a four dimensional fluid concept, and not merely a 300 page jaunt down a-few-bucks lane. Things, all of them, are thought out.

The Didact. Part army sergeant, part Gadalf, part man who knows his race is about to be extinguished, I thought he was mesmerising like the Grey wizard, but far closer to someone you mourn for in passing.

Extreme in the sense that one truly never knew what to expect, especially not at the end. Upon that final paragraph the height of reaction was 'WTF?!' in a tremendous way. Unlike almost any Science Fiction attempt I've seen, that has tread the minefield of prequel eras, this story actually enhances what happens 100 000 years later, in feeling and in depth.

I'd recommend this book to any lover of fiction, especially those who've grown stale on what they thought was Sci-Fi. From Dune to the Ender series, Verne to Asimov, Bear and this work belong on the path of 'fiction to reshape fiction'. I hope other Halo and established universe writers take note of what can be done.

Greg Bear's work is absolutely a must for any Halo fan who has wondered about the Forerunners and their society. His writing is phenomenal, and the narrator was absolutely perfect for young Born. Although he went a little Scottish at the end, but the rest of the book was captivating and amazing!

Honestly, I didn't like the book in written form. So as a true Halo and Greg Bear Fan, I tried it on audible. Its significantly better in audio form. The plot truly came alive in this venue. He's no Eric Nylund when it comes to Halo Novels, but still pretty good.

Its an alternate approach to Halo, focusing on the Forerunners. Although the Forerunners are a plot point in the Halo book and comic series (as well as the games), they aren't developed characters until Greg Bear takes a swing at it here.

No

The invisible maze to the Cryptum is well developed.

Worth a listen for a Halo fan.

I enjoy the medium of audiobooks, and Halo: Cryptum is among the very best in this medium, and certainly the best of the Science Fiction audiobooks I have listened to.

The Moon Maze Game - somewhat juvenile and predictable
Robopocalypse - pretty standard fare
Pandora's Star - The first book of this series - a charming tale
Judas Unchained - The books in this series seemed to be a series of pot-boilers
The Dreaming Void - The books in this series seemed to be a series of pot-boilers
The Temporal Void - The books in this series seemed to be a series of pot-boilers
The Evolutionary Void - The books in this series seemed to be a series of pot-boilers
The Memory of Earth - Just as good as Halo: Cryptum
The Mote in God's Eye - A real classic and a great story
Impact - Predicable, but enjoyable nonetheless
Blackout and All Clear - Loved this time travel tale - an Anglophile's dream
The Draco Tavern - just plain fun to listen to

Excellent voice and dialect control, but occaisionally dialog between characters became a bit of a challenge to the listener

Forerunners are powerful, but even they need all the help they can get.

Keep adding classic SciFi titles to the Audible library.

story was so captivating i couldn't stop listening to it

the first description of the halo rings blew my mind

yes

Yes, a growing plot throughout, starts somewhat confusing and slow but builds and builds into an enthrawling novel full of realizations.

Brings the Halo series into a whole new light.

The words of the captive... so cool.

Many surprises kept me riveted and interested.

This novel provided a believable and fascinating origin story for many races from the Halo games, including a great history for humanity that I did not expect. I would not recommend it for those who are looking for an action-oriented title as there is little of that here but it can be surprisingly gripping to learn of the decisions and events leading up to the world of the games. I do believe anyone who enjoys the Halo story will get their money's worth out of this book.

Cryptum gives the reader a much broader view of the Forerunner civilisation. I felt the story draged on in many places, possibly due to its writing style being less action packed and not as relatable as the previous novels involving humans.

Still very enjoyable and a must read for Halo fans.

The first 4-5 chapters were very slow, I even fell asleep at one point. BUT if you can get past the start it speeds up quite a bit. Ends up being a very good listen.