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Halo: The Cole Protocol

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Halo: The Cole Protocol

By: Tobias S. Buckell
Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
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About this listen

 The New York Times bestseller—part of the expanded universe based on the award-winning video game series Halo!

2535. It is the first, desperate days of the Human-Covenant War, and the United Nations Space Command has enacted “the Cole Protocol” to safeguard Earth and its inner colonies from discovery by its merciless alien foe. Many are called upon to rid the galaxy of lingering navigation data that could potentially reveal the location of Earth and ensure the destruction of humanity. Among those tasked with eliminating any trace of such dangerous information is Navy Lieutenant Jacob Keyes—now saddled with a top-secret mission by the Office of Naval Intelligence…one that will take him to a corner of the galaxy where nothing is as it seems.

Out beyond the Outer Colonies lies the planet Hesiod, a gas giant surrounded by a vast asteroid belt. As the Covenant continues to glass the human-occupied planets near Hesiod, many of the survivors, aided by a stronghold of human insurrectionists, are fleeing to the asteroids for refuge. They have transformed the tumbling satellites into a tenuous yet ingenious settlement known as the Rubble—and have come face-to-face with a Covenant settlement of Kig-Yar…yet somehow survived. News of this unlikely treaty has spread to the warring factions. Luckily for the UNSC, this uneasy alliance is in the path of the Spartan Gray Team, a three-person renegade squad whose simple task is to wreak havoc from behind enemy lines in any way they see fit. But the Prophets have also sent their very best—an ambitious and ruthless Elite whose quest for nobility and rank is matched only by his brutality… Adventure Genre Fiction Military Movie, TV & Video Game Tie-Ins Science Fiction
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Some interesting back ground information on Keyes and Thel. Story does feel rushed at times as there is so much going on. It could have been stretched out to potentially 2-3 books.
Overall good book from the Halo series with interesting story line exploring the earlier days of the human-covenant war.

Great backstory to many important characters of series

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Normally I reserve 5 Star Performance reviews for audio books with multiple cast members or sound effects. But the voice acting in this, by just one guy, was AMAZING. Across species and genders, he had me forgetting it was just him. Every character had a unique voice. You could tell who was talking just by the sound.
Excellent story as well. The to a few characters that appear later in the universe was great, really expand on their characters in a way you just don't see anywhere else.

One of the best voice actors.

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Background music during fight scenes ruined the flow of the book for me. Still enjoyed.

Background Music.

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Only thing that broke the immersion was the music during battle scenes but great story and well read.

Great story

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The plot was compelling and engaging, an excellent addition to the lore. The narrator was excellent.

The randomly placed out of place music during (some of) the battle scenes ruined my experience, and the background woosh during space scenes (majority of the book) made my ears tired, Save that rubbish for full foleyed audiodramas, not book readings.

Great plot and narration, ruined by music

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