Customer Reviews

Casting Shadows (Babylon 5: The Passing of the Techno-Mages, Book 1)

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

WOW! What a great book! My hat goes off to Jeanne Cavelos.

First off, it's the first TV tie-in novel I've read since "Star Trek: The Next Generation" books back in high school. Those were good. Pretty good. The big drawback was that they didn't really matter -- they were isolated stories, like watching an episode. And they weren't canon.

That's "Baylon 5" / "Crusade" creator J. Michael Straczynski's first stroke of brilliance: B5 novels are canon! They're officially a part of the "Babylon 5" universe. Second stroke? They matter! "Casting Shadows" fills in important backstory -- interweaving it with events we've seen on the small screen -- to create a story I really want to read. I want to know what happened to Isabelle. I want to know how Galen became the man he is. I want to know why the Techno-Mages left when they did (especially considering the fact that we know from "Crusade" that there was dissenting opinion) ... and when they're coming back.

"Casting Shadows" is the best TV tie-in novel I've read.

The story is absolutely engaging. I don't think I've ever read a novel so fast! I'd plan on reading one chapter, and end up reading two or three or four. (I can't think of the last book I read about which I could actually say, "I couldn't put it down.")

The author handles the subject matter with suberb skill, explaining much of how a Techno-Mage does what he or she does, but still retaining much of the mystery behind their order. The details were vital, and I think they came in just the right dose.

Understanding the larger scope of the Shadow War is important to reading "Casting Shadows," so folks who haven't seen the television series might not follow as easily. Character descriptions are also not as detailed as in the average novel; I think the author assumes that the reader is already somewhat familiar with the characters from the TV shows.

But it's still a great read. And for B5 fans, it's an absolute must.

Of all of the beings in the B5 universe, the TechnoMages were some of the most intriguing and least known. This book helps you to understand them very well, and you will be surprised at what you find out. I know I was. I didn't realise how diverse a group they were, and I always wondered about their origins.

The book tells the story of Galen, Elric's apprentice, and how he came to be a TechnoMage. I enjoyed his character very much and seeing the TechnoMages and the upcoming Shadow war from his eyes was interesting. We gain lots of insight into TechnoMage culture, what it takes to be one, and how powerful they are. We learn much about their origins and the "tech" that gives them their power.

This book is just plain fun to read. I have read the Centauri Trilogy and the Psi-Corp trilogies, but this one has a very different feel to it. I actually found it similar to Harry Potter books in a way. Don't shoot me! It's true! The beginning of the book got me thinking of the 4th Potter book in that it was a great gathering of technomages of all sorts, and at its core it's the story of two mage initiates who are trying to solve a mystery involving a powerful enemy.

You don't need to know much back story to understand what happens here. It can stand alone as it's own miniseries. So, you don't have to be a rabid B5 fan to enjoy this book. If you enjoy fantasy stories of powerful wizards and evil forces, of magic and mystery, you will enjoy this book, too.

Trust me.

Casting Shadows is a novel that, in my opinion, should be at the top of any must-read book list.

As with her previous work, Shadow Within, a knowledge of the Babylon 5 universe is not required to enjoy this, but for those who have been following the series for some time, Casting adds a new depth, new layers, that have not been shown in any previous tie-in book.

It is the rare book that not only matches the quality of the material it is based upon, but surpasses it.

While I would recommend reading Shadow Within before Casting, it is not required to enjoy the novel.

The majority of the action takes place in November and December of 2258, the end of the first season of B5, and the ending leads into the events seen in Geometry of Shadows, which featured Elric - Galen's mentor and teacher.

There are appearances by many people we've seen within the B5 and Crusade universe, including Galen, Elric, Alwyn, Isabelle, Blaylock, Morden, Anna Sheridan, and "Johnny" Sheridan.

Something I found highly unusual was the author's characterizations. They were ALL dead-on, portrayed exactly as seen on-screen, in a very three-dimensional light. The characters were, quite simply, brought to life.

Events range from falling-out-of-your-chair laughter (just picturing Alwyn in a probe-spitting contest was deadly for the mountain dew I'd just swallowed!) to ripping-your-hear-out sadness.

I have heard people talk before about books they just couldn't put down, that they needed "just one more chapter" before bed, but I had never experienced that feeling. Until now.

It's almost twice as long as Shadow Within, and it leaves you waiting with breathless anticipation for the next one, due in July. I don't know how we will survive the wait.

Would I recommend this to others? Without a Shadow of a doubt.

I enjoyed this book on two different levels.

First, as always, it's interesting to read a story where you're not sure about the outcome. Sure, we do know the Shadows really *are* gathering at the rim, we know how the upcoming war will end, and we know what decision the techno-mages will make. Still, getting from point A to point B kept me in suspense. This was truly a "trust no one" story. I also enjoyed the characterizations of Galen and Isabelle, as well as Burrell, Morden, Elric, Alwyn, and others. They were true to all we know about the B5 universe. The "Johnny" demon made me laugh out loud. It was a subtle, but nice touch.

Secondly, and perhaps more important, I enjoyed finally getting to know more about the techno mages, who they are, their concerns, cultures, idiosyncracies, corruption, tricks, etc.

I'm not sure I agree that this book is for people who don't follow Babylon 5. It's not a necessity to understand the story, but it makes it more understandable. If I were new to B5, I would start with the Psi Corps trilogy. (Well, I'd start with the TV show...)

I would say the first 100 pages or so of the book moved too slowly for me. As stated above, I did like the depth which Cavelos brought to the techno mages...but then there's a point where the story needs to get rolling! She should have started the story moving about 40 pages before she did.

Overall, an excellent book. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

In Casting Shadows, Miss Cavelos begins the trilogy of the Technomages. I must admit that I loved the idea of Technomages from the first time we saw them in Geometry of Shadows. So seeing a new book in a trilogy dedicated only to the Technomages starts out on a good footing with me.

The book tells the story of Galen (from Crusade), and his moving from an initiate to a full Technomage. We gain a fuller understanding of what the Technomages are, several characters that we have seen in episodes, including Morden.

The story itself is very compelling and seems much shorter than the 300+ pages it takes up. Ms. Cavelos shows herself to be an excellent writer here, able to handle the demands of continuity, while still telling a fresh story.

I recommend this book to all B5 fans. The novel expands on our understanding of the B5 universe, and tells a wonderful story.

Jeanne Cavelos wrote the first true Babylon 5 tie in novel with "The Shadow Within" and she does it again with the Techno-Mage series.

Jeanne has taken what little was known about the Techno-mages themselves and expanded it, drawing from her own background in science. This makes the book work and leaves the reader feeling that they not only finished a wonderful first installment, but were given an explaination for how the magic worked with the science that was "believeable" (unlike stories that leave a reading thinking "that doesn't work").

We also get a wonderful side story that expands upon what we were shown in the television series.

Fans of Babylon 5 and Crusade will find this series a pleasure to read and anxious for the next book to be out to see how the story continues. Jeanne has taken excellent care of the B5 Universe the fans, and JMS, should be pleased.

Thanks Jeanne!

Oh WOW!! I am biased,I admit that now. I love the idea, code, and mystique of the techno-mages in general and Galen in particular. His back-story is fascinating and explained in the book. It also gives insights into the workings of the techno-mage circle and its varied members. Questions are answered and some in quite surprising ways! Familiar faces from Babylon 5 like the infamous Mr. Morden drop in to shake up this enchanting tapestry of secrecy, adventure, betrayl, and, of course, technomancy! This book is a must read for anyone interested in Galen or Elric. Seeing the events of Babylon 5's first year from the techno-mage's point of was a real treat! Many thanks to Jeanne Cavelos for her superb portrayl of Galen!

The Techno-Mages were always a corner of the Babylon 5 Universe I found quite interesting, but not one that I ever thought was explored to its fullest potential. Jeanne Cavelos's trilogy seems ready to fix that.

"Casting Shadows," the first of three books, is the story of the initiation of Galen, a young Techno-Mage, and of how the Mages react to the news of the return of the Shadows.

I enjoyed this book a lot, on two levels. First, it gave a wonderful insight into the workings of the Techno-Mages, how the sect evolved and how they viewed themselves. Second, it was a good character study of Galen, his teacher Elric and of other Mages. It is a tragic love story disguised as a political sci-fi thriller, and I am quite anxious to see how the rest of the trilogy plays out.

I picked this book up in an airport, and didn't expect much of it, frankly. It was just something to do on a flight. Boy was I surprised.

I've read a few of the Babylon 5 books and they suffer from the malady that most TV series or movie spinoff books do: Very little active characterization or plot surprises. When dealing with someone else's characters, an author not only doesn't need to introduce the reader to individuals' character traits, he usually isn't even allowed to.

Not so here. Almost all the characters are fully realized within the confines of the novel. A couple of majour characters appeared briefly in the show, but Cavelos has been given wide leeway to build upon that limited exposure to present a fully detailed novel that could easily stand alone in its own right.

This is no ordinary TV spinoff book, it's a downright good read and almost a must for any B5 fan as it explores one of the little nuances of the show's arc that most of us always wanted to know more about but, with the cancellation of Crusade, never really got to fully explore: the Technomages.

Recommended wholeheartedly for B5 fans and with little reservation for other who might find the idea of technomages intriguing.

This book is a classic - Jeanne manages the difficult task of filling in the gaps in the Technomage story with consumate ease, and as for Galen, she describes this character's persona so with such feeling and care that I am desperate to watch the Crusade episodes again to get as much info on him as possible!! The only let down in the tale was the...piece at the beginning with farmer X and farmer Y, "simple folk" who are looked after by the wise parental Technomage Elric - memories of Ewoks rapidly sprang to mind during this chapter but thankfully after this the book recovered - and how!! To be honest,whilst I'm not a SCI-FI geek in, I've never felt such empathy for a character in a book as Galen. The way Cavelos describes his pent-up, suppressed, self-critical attitude just makes you want to tell him to trust himself, but of course you can't, and she doesn't take the easy way out of having him see the light at the end of the book (maybe in book 2 or 3 though I hope!). As for the firefight in the Inn between Galen & Isabel and the Draak, 2 Technomages and a human, well it was truely amazing, the tension fell out of every line on the page. Well done Jeanne, I look forward to Book 2 with anticipation....!