Halo: Empty Throne

By: Jeremy Patenaude

Narrated by: Scott Brick

An original novel set in the Halo universe—based on the New York Times bestselling video game series!

2559. It has been a year since the rogue artificial intelligence Cortana seized control of the Domain, an otherworldly dimension housing a vast information network. With an array of Forerunner weapons at her disposal, Cortana set out to enforce an authoritarian peace on the civilizations of the galaxy. But as the United Nations Space Command flagship Infinity prepares to strike against Cortana at Zeta Halo, another plan has also been set in motion.

An ancient access point hidden on a seemingly insignificant human colony has become the focus of a parallel effort to claim the Domain and its immeasurable capabilities. The UNSC, however, needs a key: a living, forsaken product of an old war. As a new generation of heroes rise to meet this challenge, and Cortana's pursuit of control reaches a desperate and sudden crescendo, a cunning, ruthless warrior emerges from the shadows of the Banished, who has vowed to fill the new power vacuum by any means necessary…

Good Halo book, but not a true halo book.

In this book there is a Spartan 2 who works as a privet mercenary for money under ONI’s blessing.

This fails everything Spartan 2s stand for and ruins the character. There were even many work around to this the author could have incorporated. Overall, it killed the honor of the characters within the story for me. The rest is a solid halo book.

Book Review: Halo: The Empty Throne the endless series

Overall, this book was amazing loved the detail, the pacing, and how deeply it immersed me in the universe. The atmosphere was rich, and the character moments truly shined.

That said, I had a few mixed feelings. Maybe I missed something, but I was really hoping this book would add something new to the bigger Halo story. Something that would deepen our understanding of the broader narrative like finally shedding light on what happened to the Infinity or who the Endless truly are. Instead, it kept those mysteries intact… maybe a little too well.

If the intention was to keep it a standalone series or maintain the mystery for future installments, then it did its job. But as a longtime fan, I wanted more than reinforcement of what we already knew. I wanted a breakthrough.

Still, it’s a beautifully written addition to the Halo canon, and I’d recommend it especially for fans craving more from the universe, even if the answers remain just out of reach.

good listen, definitely worth the time.

I must say.... this should have been in the game. but I know 343 is physically incapable of doing so. but at least we got these books. Definitely worth a listen.

Another great story

The halo books recently have all been great and this is no exception. Scott Brick still reads in the same mono tone and I wish they would find some else to read. Overall another great addition to the Halo universe.

Empty Throne

Great story that helps bridge the gaps of Halo Infinite. This story ties in previous stories as well.