[quote]While Spartans get all the glory, no soldier―not even the legendary Master Chief―wins a war on his or her own. Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck and his team of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers played a major role in saving the Earth from all-out invasion at the end of the Covenant War―acts of bravery and ingenuity that did not go unnoticed by the United Nations Space Command. Now, after many Spartans have been killed in battle and the Master Chief is listed as MIA, the UNSC decides to create a new generation of Spartans to defend humanity from threats both outside―and within. When they come to Buck with an extraordinary proposition, he is forced to make a life-altering decision. With the Covenant War finally over, is it time for him to finally retire to the sidelines for a life he could only dream about... or is he prepared to step up and become part of the military’s new blood?[/quote] The next Halo novel, New Blood, releases tomorrow and will pick up on the story of Buck from Halo 3: ODST, examining his life post-Human-Covenant war and his integration into the Spartan-IV program leading right into Halo 5: Guardians. A preview of the first chapter has already been released, and has offered some interesting lore. [b]Lore notes:[/b] [quote]- Buck talks about how he did not want to become a Spartan because of the preconceived notions he had of them being unnatural, in-keeping with the attitude ODSTs had towards Spartan-IIs following John's little incident with four of them in The Fall of Reach. - Buck has fought alongside John-117, but he notes that he's been lucky enough not to have encountered the Flood. - Buck respectfully acknowledges Thel's involvement along with the Covenant Separatists in helping humanity win the war. - Musa-096 from Initiation, a Spartan-II washout-turned-ONI Commander and overseer of the Spartan branch, is mentioned. - Buck calls out a good deal about humanity going back to squabbling over their own issues in the wake of the Human-Covenant war's conclusion. He is also sceptical about the Spartan branch having no rank structure, while at the same time some Spartans are "more equal than others". - Vergil and Sadie Endesha are in the story, having been kidnapped by rebels in 2555. Veronica Dare sends Buck, Romeo, and Mickey (all of whom have become Spartan-IVs) to rescue them - though there is discussion about how Vergil is the priority, and how ONI would not send them on a rescue mission if it were just Sadie who had been kidnapped. - Romeo is still an ass and Buck wants to hit him all the time. - Buck has some positive feelings about developing relations with at least some of the Covenant species, he says that they have come a long way together.[/quote]