I have to say the writing put me off. The substance doesn't seem bad, but the style is. Personally, I found Staten's book the most interesting (although I didn't actually read it but got the audiobook, so that might change things), but then again I still found Halo: The Flood a good read- so if the preview doesn't catch me, it's worrisome. Really, the novels should forge ahead to stories that games can't easily tell. What happens to the Covenant after Truth is beaten? Does war persist among the member races? What about the remaining rings? Are search parties sent out to find and disable them before they could be activated by another race? We don't need stories that feel like spinoffs.