BABYLON 5 THE PASSING OF THE TECHNO-MAGES BOOK III INVOKING DARKNESS BY JEANNE CAVELOS

Copyright 2001.

The techno-mages have successfully hidden themselves away on an asteroid. Galen is responsible for monitoring the galaxy as the Shadows continue their rampage to promote chaos. One day he watches as the Shadows attack his former home planet of Soom. The renegade mage Elizar has come to get the information of Galen’s spell of destruction. He uses a telepath to get it from an old friend. She dies and soon after a revolt occurs among the mages. This is what Galen needs to convince the Circle he needs to leave their sanctuary and kill three people. Elizar his sister Razeel and Morden the chief Shadow agent. His journey takes him to Babylon 5 and eventually the Shadow homeworld of Za’Ha’Dum. There he has an epic final confrontation that will alter the course of the Shadow War.

The final book in the trilogy comes to a satisfying conclusion. Galen has a confrontation with the murderer of his lover. He learns the secrets of the tech and helps Sheridan who is also on Za’Ha’Dum. We get some more background from the TV series that wasn’t shown. In this instance what happened to Anna Sheridan the wife of John Sheridan. She was joined to a Shadow ship and her personality was forever enslaved to the Shadow machine. We find out Morden was serving the Shadows on the chance they could rescue his wife and daughter who he though could be trapped in another dimension. We find out Galen was the one who managed to disable the great eye and allow Sheridan to plow his explosive laden ship into the Shadow city. Plus some insightful look into the Vorlon Kosh’s reasoning while part of his soul was inside Sheridan. Galen was not really part of the main series but a main figure in the short lived spin off Crusade. This was a great trilogy to give his story and the story of the mysterious techno-mages.

So this is also the last in the Babylon 5 book series. Except for 2 books it was a solid and enjoyable read. This is probably due to the creator J.M. Straczynski being very involved with it. In most if not all he sketched out the basic outlines to the stories. So they retain a firm basis in canon and don’t deviate all over the place like many more established series. Many of the books added more to the mythos and were enjoyable and informative. The second run under Del Rey really embraced filling in the stuff never covered in the series. If you are a fan of the series than you will probably enjoy reading these books.

BABYLON 5 THE PASSING OF THE TECHNO-MAGES BOOK II SUMMONING LIGHT BY JEANNE CAVELOS

Copyright 2001.

The techno-mages are going into hiding. The Shadows have basically given them an ultimatum. Join they or be destroyed. So the mages have decide to abandon their homes and gather at a secret hideout. The plan calls for an elaborate deception. They will gather on Babylon 5. They have to use misdirection to convince the Shadows they are on one vessel that will be destroyed by them. The reality is that they escape on another and convince the Shadows they have succeeded in destroying them.

As this is going on Galen is assigned to accompany one of the Circle to a Shadow stronghold on the rim of the galaxy. It is a mission of intelligence gathering but Galen does have the hope of meeting the renegade mage Elizar who is responsible for killing the woman he loved. A confrontation does occur with Galen finding out the secret of the techno-mages. That the tech they use originated from the Shadows.

The second book is an improvement over the first. We find out that the Shadows were the ones that gave the tech they use to the race that founded their order. Only the tech enhances aggression and need to compete which destroyed the race. The whole lie is they have been dependent on the Shadows for their tech. Now the Shadows are demanding payback and they know they have to flee. Galen discovers the truth and also the destructive power he has managed to uncover. The book skillfully integrates into the events of the TV series. So we get some behind the scenes of the events that happened. The book did at some places drag a bit but was for the most part an interesting read.

BABYLON 5 THE PASSING OF THE TECHNO-MAGES BOOK I CASTING SHADOWS BY JEANNE CAVELOS

Copyright 2001.

Galen is about to be initiated as a full Techno-mage. At the annual convocation on the planet Soom, Galen along with other apprentices will have tech fused with their bodies. Yet there are rumors of the Shadows the ancient beings that sow chaos have once again awakened. Galen who has discovered a destructive spell seriously injures a fellow apprentice. The Circle that rules the Techno-mages decide to assign him with another new mage to investigate the rumors of the Shadows return. With Isabelle they journey to Zafran 8. There they not only find that the Shadows have returned but some of the Techno-mages have joined them. Galen manages to escape but his love Isabelle is killed by the traitorous Elizar.

The final trilogy in the Babylon 5 books is another outline from the creator. This time it gives us the story of the mysterious Techno-mages and in particular Galen. Galen was prominent in the short lived spinoff Crusade so we never really got to know him well. We find out the Techno-mages were founded by an extinct race. They join the tech with their bodies. I enjoyed the book but it did seem a bit padded. The convocation took up the first third of the book and went on forever. After that the action picked up and it was quite enjoyable. I really enjoyed Cavelos last book and it wasn’t at all padded. Don’t know if that was some directive from the publisher because her books were much longer than the previous trilogies for Del Rey. Anyway an enjoyable story that tells us more about Galen and the Techno-mages.

BABYLON 5 LEGIONS OF FIRE BOOK III OUT OF THE DARKNESS BY PETER DAVID

Copyright 2000.

The Drakh’s plan is almost coming to fruition. Their unknowing tool Prime Minister Durla has assembled a huge fleet. It is ready to attack the Interstellar Alliance. The Drakh have also managed to kidnap David the teenage son of the Alliance’s President John Sheridan and Delenn. Now using him they have both Sheridan and Delenn their prisoners. Yet all is not lost. Vir Cotto has been building up a formidable resistance group called the Legions of Fire. They launch an attack that exposes the Drakh to the Centauri. In revenge they detonate a third of the hidden fusion bombs killing millions. Emperor Londo Mollari and G’kar make the ultimate sacrifice. Vir manages to become emperor and reconcile with the Alliance. A new golden age is ushered in and as a tribute to their sacrifices giant statues of Londo and G’kar are constructed at the capital city gate.

The final book in the trilogy was the best in the series. It had plenty of excitement and action. We get to find out how Vir became emperor. A look at Sheridan and Delenn’s later life. We are introduced to their son. We find out how Londo and G’kar came to the moment where they strangled each other to death that has always been glimpsed in the TV series. It managed to weave in stuff seamlessly from the series. A very enjoyable book that makes me want to check out the series after all these years.