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The Passing of the Techno-Mages

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**DONOTDELETE**

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What do ppl think of The Passing of the Techno-Mages Trilogy by Jeanne Cavelos? I've been thinking about getting it sometime...

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"And so it begins..." - Kosh
 
Get them cos they're bloody excellent.
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"And you, madam, are ugly. But I shall be sober in the morning." - Winston Churchill
--
yan@ranger.b5lr.com
 
I found it to be very interesting. Galen was one of my favourite characters and so when the book came out, it gave me the opportunity to find out more about him. I recommend it.

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"To live is to risk"
Lenonn - ItB
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Kosh:
I've been thinking about getting it sometime... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Do.

-g

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I read them with a significant amount of interest.

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"We are the universe, trying to figure itself out.
Unfortunately we as software lack any coherent documentation."
-- Delenn
 
There's a lot of threads about all three novel trilogies -- as well as novels 7 & 9 from the original Dell series -- sprinkled throughout this site.

Though different people have different opinions, I think quite a few of us agree that the Techno-Mage trilogy is the best of the three trilogies, and well worth the efort of reading them...


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"What's up, Drakh?"

Michael Garibaldi
 
You must get it. You learn so much about Galen, and the entire order of techno-mages. I think its full of more action than the other books. But it still has great plot.

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-With every light is born a shadow-
 
I hate to be the voice of dissent, but I found the Technomage Trilogy slow, depressing, and somewhat hard to read at times. Don't get me wrong, it was just interesting enough for me to want to finish the whole trilogy, and I'm now just a few chapters away from finishing the third book. However, there's something about the style of writing that just doesn't appeal much to me.

I think it may have something to do with how descriptive the books are. It seems there a lot of words to describe every feeling, every spell, every action, but not enough dialogue beween characters. I guess I like books that keep a quicker pace by being more conversational. I'd rather hear the characters tell the story by what they say and how they say it than by analyzing every adjective and descriptive clause that the author can crank out in third person.

Hopefully, if the TM trilogy is anything like the Centauri Prime Trilogy, the payoff in the last few chapters will be worth the rest of the trilogy put together.

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An Old Egyptian Blessing: May God stand between you and harm in all the empty places that you must walk.

Thoughts & prayers to soldiers fighting overseas and to their families.
 
A bit too descriptive indeed, as Ninja_Squirrel said, but excellent books in any case.

I wasn't sure if I'd like them at first since I wasn't that interested in the technomages - or so I thought. Well, I read the books in three days 'cause I just couldn't wait to know what happens next...
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"Isn't the universe an amazing place? I wouldn't live anywhere else." - G'Kar, B5: Rangers
Kribu's Lounge | kribu@ranger.b5lr.com
 
To quote myself...

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR> Hopefully, if the TM trilogy is anything like the Centauri Prime Trilogy, the payoff in the last few chapters will be worth the rest of the trilogy put together. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I finished reading it all, and it wasn't worth it. All three books really dragged for me, and now that I've seen what the ending is like, I barely considered it worth reading all three books.

Not stepping on any toes here; if you guys loved it, I'm not going to put you down for it. Besides, I'm not the best reader in the world. I disliked the first Psi Corps book so bad, I haven't bothered with the other two yet.

However, I would recommend the Centauri Prime Trilogy. Peter David doesn't have quite the fast pace and expertise with characters that he does in his Star Trek books, but his work on the CP Trilogy is still very well done and enjoyable and has an awesome payoff at the end. It almost changes the entire aspect of the Babylon 5 story we've been told (see spoiler box).

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black> The last few chapters of the CP Trilogy involve the scenes of him as emperor in ItB, explain why he gives the beginning voiceover in The Gathering, and basically makes the entire B5 timeline feel like one long story told by Emperor Mollari. Metaphorically, it puts Londo at the center of the universe and almost makes you wonder if JMS intended B5 to be Londo's story with all the other characters just along for the ride (or at the very least makes you wonder if Londo was JMS's favorite character or the one he related to the most). </font></td></tr></table>



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An Old Egyptian Blessing: May God stand between you and harm in all the empty places that you must walk.

Thoughts & prayers to soldiers fighting overseas and to their families.
 
I've read all three of the Del Rey trilogies and thought the Cavelos books were the best of the lot. The Psi Corps books are very interesting, tell much about the B5 universe, and paint a rounded picture of Bester. But over all I found them a bit dry and even a little dull in places, and Keyes's habit of giving everybody in the first book at least one alias and then referring to them by different names at different points in the story struck me as affected and off-putting. (Not to mention confusing. I think good fiction makes demands on the reader, but when you're making me work just to keep the characters straight I think you've gone too far.)

OTOH I know people who think the Teep books are the best of the lot, and make fun of the Technomage volumes. Curiously very few people seem to be really passionate about the Centauri books. Everybody seems to like them, but nobody seems really crazy about 'em. Which is pretty much how I feel. Peter David is a good, but not outstanding, writer. He has a great feel for the character of Londo, and a great ear for the way Londo speaks. But I don't think he's terribly good with other characters or with plot. His B5 and Crusade scripts were among the weaker entries, IMHO, and there are some small lapses and errors in the Centauri books (which admittedly should have been caught in editing) that just strike me as sloppy or lazy.

Regards,

Joe

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Joseph DeMartino
Sigh Corps
Pat Tallman Division
joseph-demartino@att.net
 
I found the Centauri trilogy dull in places. The first book was far too long. The last few chapters of the third one were exciting, though.
I have read the first book of the telepath trilogy, barely. It was incredibly dull. The characters were two-dimensional.
The 'mage books, though, are excellent.
Eagerly awaiting the Night Watch trilogy.
laugh.gif
 
I was initially more interested in the Centauri books than the Technomage trilogy, but I'd say I liked them about equally.

Londo was great in Peter David's books, but I have to agree that some of the characterisations were a bit off. And there wasn't nearly enough of G'Kar (I do think he should get his own trilogy...
blush.gif
) although certain parts of the last book almost made up for that.
laugh.gif


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"Isn't the universe an amazing place? I wouldn't live anywhere else." - G'Kar, B5: Rangers
Kribu's Lounge | kribu@ranger.b5lr.com
 
Just to be different, I enjoyed the first of the Telepath books best, and got fed up with the other two because I really wasn't that interested in Bester.

I liked the Centauri trilogy, because it tied up a lot of loose ends, and it was nice to see Vir grow into a serious character.

The technomage series was IMO good enough to be a standalone series for someone not familiar with B5. The only thing that bothered me was too many long descriptive chapters of Galen's feelings. I read it because I didn't want to miss anything, but I felt like saying, "Give me some credit for being able to understand instead of pounding it into my brain."

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I always seem to be diagonally parked in a parallel universe.
 
I say get them all.I've only just started on the telepath trilogy and enjoyed the technomage and centauri trilogies very much....

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"When it is time, come to this place, call our name, we will be here" -Walkers of Sigma957
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by breen:

Eagerly awaiting the Night Watch trilogy.
laugh.gif
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Another trilogy? Is this speculation, wishful thinking, or official. Please elaborate! Must have more B5 books!
shocked.gif


Cheers,

Eirik

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It never ends; it only changes!
 
the first tech book was rather long and boring in the first bit..then it picked up rather well, and i grasped why it was so long and boring in the first bit.

but the last book was very cool.

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Remember folks, you to can be another victim! contributed by DW.:)
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Shaal Mayan:
you have to get em baceause I couldn't put them down .

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Was that because they were glued to your feet?
tongue.gif


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"And so it begins..." - Kosh, "Chrysalis," Babylon 5
 
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