Halo: Cryptum
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| Author | Greg Bear |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Halo |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Tor |
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Publication date
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January 4, 2011 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover), E-book, Audiobook (9 hours) |
| Pages | 342 |
| ISBN | |
| Preceded by | Halo: Evolutions |
| Followed by | Halo: Primordium |
Halo: Cryptum is a military science fiction novel by Greg Bear, based on the Halo series of video games. The book was released in January 2011 and is the eighth Halo book (the seventh novel) and the first in the trilogy of novels focusing on the Forerunners, called The Forerunner Saga. Cryptum was released in hardcover, e-book, and audiobook following 2009's Halo: Evolutions, a collection of Halo short stories. It is succeeded by Primordium, published in January 2012, and Silentium, in March 2013. Bear was given little restriction on the story of the novel; the Halo universe had not yet been explored in that time period.
Set approximately 100,000 years before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved, the novel tells the story of a young Forerunner's adventure on prehistoric Earth and across the galaxy. The protagonist, named Bornstellar, awakens an exiled warrior, the Didact, who recruits Bornstellar and his companions, reveals the history of Forerunner-human war and the existence of Halo superweapons, giant rings with the potential to kill every conscious being in the galaxy. The group is captured by the Master Builder, the most powerful individual Forerunner and creator of the Halos, but he is arrested and Bornstellar is called to provide evidence at the Master Builder's trial. Before the trial begins however, a rogue artificial intelligence attempts to use the Halos to commit genocide against the Forerunners, and Bornstellar escapes to the Ark.
Cryptum received mixed reviews; some critics liked the Forerunner culture and suspense that Bear created, but others disliked the characters, found the plot too slow and concluded that the novel was suited only to existing fans of the Halo series. Cryptum appeared on multiple bestseller lists after promotion on Halo Waypoint, a website that serves as a hub for Halo-related information.
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