T.R. Preston's Reviews > Halo: The Cole Protocol

I was originally going to give this book 4 stars because I do not enjoy how the Spartans have been written here, however, the final two acts of the book were good enough for me to feel unsatisfied with giving it anything under five. This book was good stuff. It didn't blow my mind like some other Halo books, but it was certainly a quality story.

Back to the Spartans for a moment. These soldiers have been trained from the age of six to kill people (later Covenant). They cannot comprehend the ways in which other humans interact with each other in social circles. Master Chief has always reflected this kind of stoic detachment quite well. The man is not like most men. He is almost machine (but not entirely). I strongly dislike how some of the Spartan IIs are written in a handful of these books. They are far too unprofessional. They make jokes, for god's sake. JOKES! Spartan IIs should be focused on getting the job done and that is literally all. These Spartans have far too much personality. They are instruments of war, not relatable war buddies taking on the alien baddies. I wish they were written with more attention to their upbringing.

Now let's talk about Thel: one of the best characters in gaming history. I was thrilled to see him in here. And I'll be transparent with you; he is arguably the main reason why this book is a 5 and not a 4. Already there are seeds of doubt in him when it comes to how much the prophets can be trusted. He kills his own brothers in defence of the great journey in this book. It makes you wonder how often Thel must think about that after the Great Schism happens. His devotion to a twisted religion will likely haunt him forever, and it is always written in such a thought-provoking way.

Overall I really enjoyed the book.

P.S. It was also very sad how it ends with Keyes and Miranda going for ice cream. They both go through so much. Knowing how their lives end in the future makes the concept of their relationship all the more painful.