HALO: EMPTY THRONE

An original novel set in the Halo universebased 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.

Halo: Empty Throne passes the baton between the old guard that defines Halo's past and the new, cutting-edge characters that comprise its futuretold through the eyes of four distinct main characters: Captain Abigail Cole of UNSC Victory of Samothrace, who has been selected to lead the operation to seize the Lithos for humanity and is the daughter of naval legend Admiral Preston Cole; Severan, a Banished war chief and leader of the Vanguard of Zaladon, secretly allied with High Lord Dovo Nesto of the Order of Restoration; James Solomon, a war-wearied PMC for the Office of Naval Intelligence, formerly known as James-005 of the SPARTAN-II program, who has been MIA since the Battle of Reach; and Tul 'Juran, a young female warrior on a mission to apprehend San'Shyuum war criminals and who hopes to mete out personal justice on behalf of her family. Together, these characters are woven into an exciting and deeply satisfying new adventure for dedicated Halo fans everywhere. Jeremy Patenaude was the lead writer for the Halo franchise team at 343 Industries, where his duties involved writing miscellaneous fiction as well as managing the Halo universe continuity. He began at 343 Industries as a Content Creator for the Halo Waypoint team, authoring most of Waypoint's fiction content and campaign gameplay videos. He also authored Halo: The Essential Visual Guide and he is one of three authors of Halo Mythos, alongside Jeff Easterling and Kenneth Peters. He lives in Orlando, Florida.