Customer Reviews

The Long Night of Centauri Prime (Babylon 5: Legions of Fire, Book 1)

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Peter David. A lot of readers know this name from the cover of Star Trek novels. It was a surprise to see he writes Babylon 5 fiction as well. At first, I picked up "Thirdspace", a tie-in to the second B5 movie and was quite disappointed as I always are with tie-ins in which the author provides the reader with the story of the film without giving any additional information. A friend recommended to read "Legions of Fire" series and told me I wouldn't regret it. He was absolutely right!

The story of the first book is a continuation of the events shown in the last season of Babylon 5. Centauri Prime is virtually destroyed and must be rebuilt. Londo Mollari, the former Centauri Ambassador on Babylon 5, has become emperor. Nevertheless life isn't easy for him, and he even thinks to commit suicide. The reason for such moods is the presence of the Drakh, the servants of the Shadows, who try to conquer the galaxy. They threaten to destroy Centauri Prime if Londo doesn't agree to serve them. To control their new slave, they join the emperor with a creature known as a keeper.

Londo is supposed to be the most powerful Centauri, but in fact he is the weakest. He loses his free will. Everything he does is somehow ordered by his masters, the Drakh. And as if that was not enough, there are Centauri who try to undermine his authority. One of this bunch is Minister Durla, a personage seeking greatness for himself and his species. Gradually he transforms Centauri Prime into a police state comparable to Nazi Germany (there are a lot of metaphors and comparisons throughout the book which make it more valuable from the artistic point of view), and Londo can do nothing to stop him. The emperor is utterly helpless; he only hopes that G'Kar will come soon and kill him whereas Vir, his former attaché at Babylon 5, will become emperor as was predicted.

B5 ended with many questions unanswered. This book answers some of them. It presents Londo who must pay for his sins committed during the Shadow War. It's really horrible to see how he has changed since his appearance in Babylon 5. He is a broken, aging man who desperately tries to resist but can't make any difference. Passages describing him are full of tragic and sadness.

I particularly liked the atmosphere of the novel. David is a great storyteller and his writing experience made all parts of the book come together and fit in like it is supposed to be in a good book. Descriptions of life in the palace on Centauri Prime were particularly enjoyable and had a realistic touch about them.

Unfortunately there were negative points as well. David seems to watch a lot of TV so that certain dialogues appear as if they were stolen from several TV shows, which they probably are. Often words don't match with characters who speak them out. As usual in David's books the supportive characters are real stereotypes you get fed up with quickly (if you don't believe me, read this book and pay particular attention to Durla!) I would have given this book 4 stars, but the positive simply outweighs the negative, so I couldn't do it. This is a great book that truly continues the Babylon 5 legacy. I can only hope the entire trilogy will be like its beginning.

OK, let's be blunt. This is not "Stranger in a Strange Land," but it's pretty darn good. It may be the best book of its type (novelized spinoff of a successful TV series, that is) that I've read.

The odd thing about this book (and the second book in this series as well) is that while I was reading it, I could almost see it play out as an episode in my imagination. The plotting, the characters, and the dialogue are very, very consistent with the series. In spite of the fact that the book is allegedly done by Peter David "from outlines by J. Michael Straczynski," some of the dialogue seems almost certainly taken from unpublished or unused B5 scripts. There are many instances where Vir or Londo says something that has the ring of Straczynski's writing to it. Not to short Peter David in any way; his writing is quite adept and vivid, and keeps the story moving.

I ripped through this book in a day; I couldn't stop reading it! I can't really say that about most books I read, but for me this one was a real page-turner. I thought the world of B5, although I'm not one of those fans who dress up as Minbari to go to science fiction conventions, and for me this book was an entirely satisfactory and very interesting expansion on one of the many unfinished storylines of Babylon 5. I would recommend this book unreservedly for any B5 fans, and even for those who are not familiar with the series (and shame on you if you aren't; it was the best science fiction series ever, and I've seen 'em all) it will prove a fascinating diversion.

After being disappointed by the last Psi Corps book and left hanging over the fate of Crusade, I was feeling a waning of my Babylon 5 obsession. This book brought it back.

Anyone who has watched the show knows the final fate of Londo Mollari, the unfortunate emporer of Centauri Prime, but the questions of how and why were left in the air. This book starts with Londo being trapped into becoming the emperor by the Drakh and then watching as his homeworld becomes fascist. As the book progresses you see Londo discovering things and beginning to challenge the Drakh, both overtly and subtly. This book also shows the beginnings of Vir's transition from nervous ambassador to heir apparent.

I personally found the scenes with the secondary characters extremely compelling. Vir trying to make sense of the changes in his homeworld, Senna becoming a lady of the palace (to whom Londo tells the story of the Minbari-Earth war in another chapter of this saga) and Durla the fascist Internal Affairs officer playing into the hands of the Drakh without knowledge are all intriguing. This is a great book for all Babylon 5 and general science fiction fans.

It's obvious that Peter David has done his homework, and its also obvious that Joe Straczynski had outlined alot more of the Babylon 5 universe than he was letting on.

Most Babylon 5 fans know that JMS had been working on B5 for about 6 years (or more) before it hit the TV screen. During that time, he refined his thoughts, and bounced ideas off off the 'LURKERS' on the old GEnie online service. With the final demise of that service, its good to know that 'Grid Epsilon' will always be alive in the Babylon 5 universe.

When Babylon 5 reached the viewscreens of the US and abroad, you'd have thought that JMS would take time off. Fat chance, Joe continued to write the series, eventually doing over 95% of the scripts himself. Its obvious that his outlines for the series encompassed much more than was economically feasable to show on the screen. The result are the current and future series of Babylon 5 SF novels.

Peter David has done a superb job of taking Joe's story idea and fleshed it out in 'LEGIONS OF FIRE', the first of 'THE LONG NIGHT OF CENTAURI PRIME' series. The characters act and 'speak' in the same manner as we have grown accustomed to on the series. We are introduced to new characters, as well as reacquainted with some peripheral ones from the series, that portent changes that, while hinted on the series, either are finalized in this volume or will be continued into the next 2 books.

Mr. David's previous working relationship with JMS on the B5 comics, and other B5 projects (with Bill Mumy) shows in his knowledge of the B5 universe, and the characters within it. Its also obvious that he has gone back and either reviewed some series episodes, or had access to the original scripts to insure that his timeline, and his character's recollections are accurate. I'm eagerly looking forward to 'ARMIES OF LIGHT AND DARK', the next volume of the series.

What more can one say ... A GREAT READ !

The year is 2262 and Londo has just become Emperor of Centauri Prime. But what might have been his best chance to help his people and make up for his past becomes an exercise in frustration for him, as he must submit to the will of the Drakh Entire. Watched over by his keeper, he is only fully able to do what they desire. Meanwhile, Vir suspects something might be wrong with his friend. But can he find out what is really happening in the palace?

Peter David has done a wonderful job with this book. Londo becomes a truly sympathetic character. The climax is almost painful it's so well written and leaves the reader anxious to pick up the next book. Mr. David has captured each character exactly as they appear in the series. It's very easy to "hear" the actors deliver the lines and picture the settings from the series. He also works in references to several pivotal and obscure moments in the show, making this seem to fit perfectly in the Babylon 5 universe. The new characters are fully developed and help advance the story. Interesting, two of Londo's wives, from an episode of the show that Mr. David wrote, also play important parts in the story.

There is one small detraction for fans of the series. The book plays a little loosely with the timeline of season 5. However, I find the timeline presented here to be a little more realistic and something only worth noting in passing.

Fans of Babylon 5 who haven't read this book are in for a real treat. People who haven't seen the show will enjoy this book as well, but might be confused by a few things mentioned in passing. Personally, I had trouble putting this book down and can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy. A truly top notch read.

I stood on the verge of tears throughout this book. As the end of B5 itself saw the demise and descent into despair of Londo Mollari, so it continues here in this wonderful book by Peter David. I felt Londo's pain in ways I cannot find words to express. Through Londo, all of the Centauri people's dreams are expressed- their desire for a return of glory, to step forward again. And as he struggles, so does his people. With the Drakh on one front, and the classic power machinations of Centauri politics on the other, Emperor Mollari seems a beaten and defeated man. But, in addition to all of this, is his own personal struggle of inescapable enslavement to the Drakh verses the freedom of millions of Centauri. Never giving up through pain, loss, and unbearable heartbreak, he fights for his first love, Centauri Prime, and places his hopes in the one man most would find impossible to believe in- the sheepish Vir Cotto.

Much praise for Peter's awesome and insightful treatment of the B5 universe, and special thanks for capturing the spirit of my favorite, Londo Mollari!

I've been itching for this book since the end of the TV series. JMS left many stones unturned in his conclusion to the series, and the Drakh's plot on Sheridan and son is one of the key events that has kept my friends and I endlessly speculating for over a year.

I liked the way Peter David picked up the storyline in the middle of events covered by Season 5. This way I don't feel as if I missed anything. Most of the book reads like an extended prologue leading into the next two installments; however, there are enough revelations and confrontations to keep the story moving.

Vir is given plenty to do in this book, which is great. He undergoes an emotional shock that is almost as poignant as Londo's plight. And how can you not like Londo? He and G'Kar made the series for me, but consider that however much the authors try to soften Londo's personality, this is the same character who told Morden (in the TV series) to "let the rest of the galaxy burn". His suffering is not undeserved.

My gripes about the book are few. The characters seem too chatty, even in dangerous situations. Some of the plot turns I didn't quite believe, such as the scene near the end of the book in which Londo confronts Drakh with a sword. There are a few too many references to heads on pikes. And Garibaldi's cameo was too short. A good Garibaldi fix should run at least five pages.

One thing really bugged me, though. I couldn't stop picturing Niles Crane as Durla. Weird.

Once again Peter David enters the B5 universe in this first book dealing with the fate of Centauri Prime. It is obvious he has a good handle on Londo Mollari, and if you know what happens to him and Centauri Prime this novel tears at the heart to see the beginning of the final fall of Londo. I hope they find a way to end the trilogy on an upbeat note, but in B5 life doesnt always go how we might want.

This book did an excellent job of setting the stage for the rest of the trilogy. The use of some of the previously established minor characters was greatly appreciated, and the more substantial characterization of the Drakh helped to further explain their motivations.

However, there was one lapse that I noticed. The book very clearly states that eight months pass from the time of Londo's first encounter with the Drakh and the time when Londo travels to Minbar to give Sheridan and Delenn his "gift". Unfortunately, this does not make sense in relation to the series. Unless I am mistaken, the events fall within a few weeks of each other at most, according to the episodes. At any rate, it cannot be eight months because both events occur during the year 2262 (as shown in the series) and both occur after the telepath mess, which ended somewhere near the middle of the year 2262.

Still, despite this slight continuity error, the book is quite good. As usual, Peter David manages to take events that seem unconnected and thread them together.

Am I the only one who got/ gave this book for Hanukkah/ Christmas?

I *loved* Keyes' Psi Corps series and when I finished that I eagerly awaited Peter David's series about Londo & the Centauri. I hope he doesn't take as long to write/ publish these as I feel like I have waited for the New Frontier Trek series. (Hint: B5 readers, even if you've thought Trek books had nowhere else to go check out David's New Frontier. It's not your Dad's (or your) Enterprise.)

Back to this book, Londo is a tragic character, like Macbeth, ruled by events outside his purview. Waiting for a stronger man to rule. This is a sad, remorse-filled book, with moments of hope and humor. Read this book.

Julia Walter