Halo Audiobooks

Narrated by Euan Morton

The Halo Universe

Halo is a military science fiction franchise created by Microsoft and developed by Bungie Studios and later Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries). Launched in 2001 with the first-person shooter Halo: Combat Evolved, the franchise has expanded into one of gaming's most successful properties.

The Halo story centers on humanity's 26th-century war against an alien alliance called the Covenant and the discovery of ancient ringworld megastructures created by a long-extinct race known as the Forerunners. The main protagonist, Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, is a genetically enhanced supersoldier known as a Spartan-II.

Games and Expanded Universe

The Halo franchise spans multiple media formats, creating an interconnected narrative universe. The core video game series includes Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 4, Halo 5: Guardians, and Halo Infinite, along with spin-offs like Halo: Reach, Halo Wars, and Halo 3: ODST.

The expanded universe extends the Halo narrative through novels, comics, animated films, and live-action productions. Since 2001, over thirty novels have explored different periods of Halo history, from the ancient Forerunner civilization to events occurring after the main game trilogy. These novels are considered canonical and have been written by authors including Eric Nylund, Karen Traviss, Greg Bear, Joseph Staten, Tobias S. Buckell, and others.

The novels serve multiple purposes: they provide backstory for game events, develop characters beyond their in-game appearances, explore different perspectives in the Halo universe, and chronicle periods not covered by the games. This approach has created one of gaming's most extensive and cohesive expanded universes.

Euan Morton's Halo Narrations

Euan Morton has narrated four novels in the Halo expanded universe: the complete Kilo-Five Trilogy by #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Traviss—Glasslands, The Thursday War, and Mortal Dictata—and Silentium by Greg Bear, the concluding volume of the Forerunner Saga. All four audiobooks were released in January 2019 by Simon & Schuster Audio / Halo Books.

Halo: Glasslands

Author: Karen Traviss

The first novel of the Kilo-Five Trilogy takes place in 2553, immediately following the end of the thirty-year Human-Covenant War. The Office of Naval Intelligence assembles Kilo-Five, a black-ops team consisting of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, a Spartan supersoldier, and an AI, tasked with preventing the Sangheili (formerly the Covenant's military leaders) from regrouping. The novel explores the political aftermath of the war and introduces tensions between former enemies as humanity begins to rebuild.

Halo: The Thursday War

Author: Karen Traviss

The second novel of the Kilo-Five Trilogy continues in 2553 as Kilo-Five faces escalating challenges. What begins as a covert operation to destabilize the Sangheili becomes a desperate rescue mission when one team member becomes trapped in the center of an alien civil war. The novel also addresses colonial terrorism resurfacing on human worlds that survived the Covenant War, with personal connections to members of Kilo-Five.

Halo: Mortal Dictata

Author: Karen Traviss

The final novel of the Kilo-Five Trilogy concludes in 2553 as the Office of Naval Intelligence confronts old grievances threatening Earth. Colonists seeking justice for decades-old conflicts and a father searching for his daughter, who was taken for the SPARTAN-II program, create a crisis that tests Kilo-Five's loyalty. The novel examines the ethical questions surrounding the Spartan program and the moral complexities of ONI's operations.

Halo: Silentium

Author: Greg Bear

Unlike the Kilo-Five Trilogy, which follows post-war events in 2553, Silentium is the third and final volume of the Forerunner Saga—a separate trilogy by Greg Bear set 100,000 years before the main Halo timeline. While Euan Morton narrated all three Kilo-Five novels, he narrated only Silentium from the Forerunner Saga (the first two volumes, Cryptum and Primordium, were narrated by Timothy Dadabo). The novel takes place during the final days of the Forerunner empire, as the Flood parasite arrives in force and internal conflicts weaken Forerunner defenses. The Ur-Didact and the Librarian reveal the relationship between the ancient Precursors and the Flood, exploring the origins of the Halo Array and the decisions that shaped the galaxy's future.

About Karen Traviss

Karen Traviss is a #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, screenwriter, and comic book author. A former defense correspondent and television and newspaper journalist, she has received critical acclaim for her Wess'har series and Ringer series. Beyond Halo, she has written for the Star Wars and Gears of War franchises and served as lead writer on the video game Gears of War 3. She lives in Wiltshire, England.

About Greg Bear

Greg Bear is a science fiction author of more than thirty books. His work has won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards. The Forerunner Saga represents Bear's contribution to the Halo universe. His other notable works include The Forge of God, Eon, and Darwin's Radio.

Publication Details

Links

Halo: Glasslands: Audible | Apple Books | Amazon

Halo: The Thursday War: Audible | Apple Books | Amazon

Halo: Mortal Dictata: Audible | Apple Books | Amazon

Halo: Silentium: Audible | Apple Books | Amazon