The New York Times bestseller—area of the expanded universe based on the award-winning gaming series Halo!

2524. Harvest is normally a peaceful, successful farming colony on the very advantage of human-controlled space. But mankind has unknowingly trespassed on holy floor—straying in to the path from the aggressive, theocratic empire referred to as the Covenant. What begins as a possibility encounter between an alien privateer and a human being freighter quickly catapults most of mankind right into a struggle because of its extremely existence.

But humanity is also currently locked inside a bitter civil battle of its own: the Insurrection. With assets strained to the breaking stage, the ultimate success of Harvest’s residents falls to a squad of battle-weary UNSC Marines and their inexperienced colonial militia trainees. With this unlikely band of heroes, one will stand above the rest—a Marine staff sergeant called Avery Johnson….