• The new B5TV.COM is here. We've replaced our 16 year old software with flashy new XenForo install. Registration is open again. Password resets will work again. More info here.

Invoking Darkness

E

Elizar

Beyond the rim
For those of you who have read the book, what did you think of

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black> Galen's experiences on Za'ha'dum </font></td></tr></table>

?

------------------
-With every light is born a shadow-
 
<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black>
i just wanna know what happened to that shadow ship he used...
</font></td></tr></table>

in general, everything that happened there was *very* interesting indeed... i love how both this book and the previous one "fleshed out" stuff seen in the show

------------------
### Hi, I'm a sig virus. Please add me to the end of your signature so I can take over the world.### - caught from Saps @ B5MG
 
As I've posted before, I think I'm the only person on the planet who didn't enjoy the Technomage Trilogy.

Specifically, in reply to your question, I liked finding out more about Z'Ha'Dum and who was there and what they did. But I liked it the same way I would like a documentary that spoon-feeds science or history facts. As a dramatic story however, the trilogy, including Galen's experience on Z'Ha'Dum, was not exciting and was hard to visualize in my head.

When I read, I try to "see" the story in my head as if the words in the book are a script of a movie or TV episode. It was hard for me to visualize the flying platforms, organelles, the micro probes, the scouring by fire, or the

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black> one-term spell of destruction and the retractable Shadow body armor </font></td></tr></table>

since we never saw those things in B5 or Crusade. It's not so much that descriptions of those things were written that badly; I just couldn't really get into it.

------------------
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.

[This message has been edited by Ninja_Squirrel (edited February 10, 2002).]
 
Oh, I *loved* the Technomage books! Cavelos did a great job. I also thought that Keyes did a great job on the Psi-Corps. trilogy. Despite the fact that I'm such a G'Kar & Londo fan, I thought the Centauri trilogy wasn't as good as the other trilogies. Peter David did okay, but it seemed weaker than the other two, probably because the writing was better in the other two trilogies.

Tammy

------------------
Tirk: Citizen G'Kar, Captain Martell would like to speak to you.
G'Kar: Of course. Love to stay. Can't. Have to go. Kiss-kiss. Love-love. Bye.

Tammy's Station
http://community.webtv.net/gkarfan/TammysStation
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>since we never saw those things in B5 or Crusade. It's not so much that descriptions of those things were written that badly; I just couldn't really get into it.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

i like books even better when its that way... i can let my imagination run wild without being 'polluted' by someone elses ideas
smile.gif


------------------
### Hi, I'm a sig virus. Please add me to the end of your signature so I can take over the world.### - caught from Saps @ B5MG
 
but he still was able to put 2 and 2 together... anyway, it doesnt make me think any less of sheridan at all... he's falable, just like anyone else

------------------
### Hi, I'm a sig virus. Please add me to the end of your signature so I can take over the world.### - caught from Saps @ B5MG
 
I liked "Invoking Darkness".

It gave me lots of good material for speculation and was, in my opinion, a very interesting read. Some of what Galen saw on Z'ha'dum was unexpected, but some quite expectable.

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black>And it was a nice touch to hint that at some stage in history, even the Shadows might have thought differently.</font></td></tr></table>



------------------
"We are the universe, trying to figure itself out.
Unfortunately we as software lack any coherent documentation."
-- Delenn
 
Don't get me wrong,I loved the book, and the whole series of books. I really liked how Galen found

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black>Weirden in the center of the Eye. And how she only thought of herself as a white pillar. </font></td></tr></table>

That whole scene was a nice touch!

------------------
-With every light is born a shadow-
 
I thought the Trilogy was

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black>FABULOUS!
I'm also glad Weirden was really a good person. Ofcourse the Kosh scenes were great, also when Galen met with Lorien, that was neat.</font></td></tr></table>



------------------
Martin: "I should have brought my gun."
Debi: "What?!"
Martin: "Should be fun!" - Grosse Pointe Blank
Slappy's Solar System!
 
I thought that the book took away Sheridan's "God-like" image. The book shown that

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black>Sheridan didn't figure out on his own that the shadows had a pattern to the attacks, and that he didn't actually kill the Shadow on Za'ha'dum. </font></td></tr></table>



------------------
-With every light is born a shadow-
 
I felt that the Techno-Mage trilogy, although definitely a must-read, was the weakest of the trilogies. In part, I think the reason I feel this way is that it was almost entirely "the story of Galen." The tie-in with B5 was wonderful, but the tie-in with Alwyn in Crusade was, in my opinion, very, very weak. In fact, Alwyn seems more interesting to me than Galen does. I am glad, however, that the books did push Alwyn - in the second book - in the direction of the character we saw in Crusade.

In terms that are more easily understood,


<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black> I liked the fact that Alwyn retained a bit of the humor we saw in the early books, but was battle-scarred and weary, likely stemming from the loss of Carvin. </font></td></tr></table>

The inclusion of

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black> Anna, as the ship, </font></td></tr></table>

throughout the first two books is among the things I like the least, but seems almost necessary to set up the third book.

And while the story of the technomages while on the B5 station certainly adds to the story, I felt that they really added to the depth of darkness of Londo, and I don't know if, at that point, Londo had fallen that far. Even so, that part of it still seems a stretch.

I'm aware he's your favorite character, Dark Archon, and I'd be particularly interested in your take when you've read the second book of the Technomage trilogy. Knowing how you love Londo, your reaction would tell me more than anything whether some of the critical parts of the trilogy was hit or miss.

In other words, I liked the story, but in some places, I think it stretched the story a bit far.

I don't see as many stretches made in the other two trilogies. That's why I liked this trilogy the least.

Plus, I think it hurt the trilogy that the main characters, all the way through, were characters that we really never got to know all that well.

And yes, I'm saying we know Bester from B5 better than we know Galen from Crusade.

Joe


------------------
 
Since I don't know how to do the box (and I just got up, and I hate mornings, so too lazy to do it anyway)...

Spoilers below....
.
.
.
..
.
.
..
.
..
.
..
..
..
.
.
..
.
.

Ok, I enjoyed the technomage trilogy a great deal, as it opened up a whole new side of the technomages never seen. For those who read the unfilmed Crusade episodes, we find out in there a lot of what we found out in the books, but not all of it. It really helped to expand our knowledge of them, and gave us SOME indication on how the magic works, without truely revealing all.

I agree partly on some of what was earlier said. The fact that the technomages were there in some shape or form to help the others like Sheridan and all was somehow making him a bit less, but it wasn't really a major concern of mine.

I had always wondered where the defenses around Zha'Ha'Dum were when the White Star came crashing down, and this book helped to explain that. My only problem is that the Eye was back like one or two episodes later, trying to convince Ivanova and Delenn and the rest to go down to the planet. So either the shadows made quick time in replacing the eye (I suppose something they had to have done in order to maintain control over the ships they had out there) or it was a hole. Probably the former, but it still seemed kinda quick. Who controlled the new eye? How did they get so many people to become the eye again so quickly.

Throughout most of the trilogy, I saw none of Galen as he was in Crusade. None of the dry humor he usually had, just all of the anger and hate, along with his total seriousness Thankfully, while I don't think that the last book in the end allowed his character to become the one we saw in Crusade, I think it laid the foundation for what he would become 6 or so years later. He wasn't there yet, but I could see how he would eventually get there.

As for the details on the armor and stuff, I could see fairly clearly what she was going at. The thing about this perticular author is she did go into great detail (almost too much at times for me) about most scenes, and a huge amount into the thought processes of Galen and the others. I could see it fairly well, but to be fair, not everyone just has the capability to see in books what they have not already seen.

Ok....that was a pretty long one. I think I'm done now.

------------------
It's like I've always said, you can get more with a kind word and a 2 by 4 than you can with just a kind word.
 
In general, what did you think of Elizar in the book? Not counting being evil and bloodsucking.

------------------
-With every light is born a shadow-
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Elizar:
In general, what did you think of Elizar in the book? Not counting being evil and bloodsucking.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Elizar,

I found Galen wanting to believe in Elizar over and over again, and understandingly so. I can't entirely count Elizar's motivations as being "evil" until the utter end.

In my opinion, Elizar shows the problem with philosophy running unchecked, philosophy without anyone looking at the motivation behind it.

I'm sure that's far from the message that was meant to be conveyed, though.

Joe


------------------
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>
joev5638 said

I'm aware he's your favorite character, Dark Archon, and I'd be particularly interested in your take when you've read the second book of the Technomage trilogy. Knowing how you love Londo, your reaction would tell me more than anything whether some of the critical parts of the trilogy was hit or miss.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Seeing as how I've picked up on finishing Dark Genesis, the first book of the Telepath trilogy. It'll be a while before I'm up to the second Technomage book. I'll tell you what though, you were right about this first book. It's painstakingly slow through the first 120 pages (probably why I put it down so long), but it really has picked up.

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black>
It's awesome how we get to see Lyta's family (the 4 generations previous) and one of Ironhearts relatives.
</font></td></tr></table>

Still no where near the Centauri trilogy though.

------------------
YOU ARE NOT READY FOR IMMORTALITY!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dark Archon:
Seeing as how I've picked up on finishing Dark Genesis, the first book of the Telepath trilogy. It'll be a while before I'm up to the second Technomage book. I'll tell you what though, you were right about this first book. It's painstakingly slow through the first 120 pages (probably why I put it down so long), but it really has picked up.

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black>
It's awesome how we get to see Lyta's family (the 4 generations previous) and one of Ironhearts relatives.
</font></td></tr></table>


<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Dark Archon,
And that's not all...

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black> Since telepaths keep the name of the female ancestors most often, you'll get to see what is presumably one of Talia's ancestors as well. </font></td></tr></table>

Joe


------------------
 
I loved the armor,flying platforms and organelles

The eye itself was confusing to try to visualize...




<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black> A big deep pit of writhing engineered techno-slaves all working as part of a great machine? </font></td></tr></table>


Neat idea though.
I think above all my biggest "HUH?" was




<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black> MORDEN. Why the heck would he go out of his way to save that guy.. On B5 after he wasted those 2 shadows was bad enough, but why give him another undeserved chance and let him go again at z'ha'dum? to redeem him? because galen had killed enough already? puhleese... </font></td></tr></table>

I'm sure this point could be argued to some extent, but it really seemed out of character to me...

Was Bunny from an episode or another book? Seems strangely familiar, but that might just be my imagination.
smile.gif



------------------
-----Khurzhor-----

"Farewell friend. I was a thousand times as evil as thou."
-Stormbringer

[This message has been edited by Khurzhor (edited February 12, 2002).]
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Khurzhor:


<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black> MORDEN. Why the heck would he go out of his way to save that guy.. On B5 after he wasted those 2 shadows was bad enough, but why give him another undeserved chance and let him go again at z'ha'dum? to redeem him? because galen had killed enough already? puhleese... </font></td></tr></table>

Was Bunny from an episode or another book? Seems strangely familiar, but that might just be my imagination.
smile.gif


<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm okay with

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black> Galen saving Morden on Z'hadum because Galen had just moments earlier freed hundreds of scencient (sp?) beings from Shadow technology. I expect I'd be feeling quite euphoric and charitable at having done that. Remember, earlier, Galen suspected that Morden may be under control or very subtle manipulation by the Shadows. Even though Morden denied it, I imagine Galen always had his doubts. So, having just done the impossible, escaping the Eye, I can see him thinking he might save Morden from Shadow control. Plus, Galen was in the process of killing thousands of beings. He already suffered greatly from the previous deaths he killed. He was tired of it.</font></td></tr></table>

As for Bunny,

<table bgcolor=black><tr><td bgcolor=black><font size=1 color=white>Spoiler:</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size=2 color=black> I believe she was pulled out of one of those tubes by Elizar on Thenokh (sp?) because he had need of a powerful telepath to handle Kell, to get information out of him. So, we initially meet her in the beginning of book 2 of the mage trilogy. I don't believe she is referenced anywhere else in the B5 universe prior to that. Later in book 2, she scans Galen. And, of course, in book 3 she performs a painful, deep scan on our little friend Fa. I actually find Galen's saving Bunny less credible than his saving Morden, though I can accept that he was still in a state of extreme emotional duress when he did so, explaining it. After all, Galen suspected that Galen might be under control of the Shadows. Bunny was a ruthless, psychopathic killer in her own right. She truly deserved to die. I hope Lorien let her bake in the radiation.</font></td></tr></table>

I love the mage trilogy. My favorite of the three.

Cheers,

Eirik


------------------
It never ends; it only changes!
 
Good point, man... he was sort of delerious after all that happened on z'ha'dum

------------------
-----Khurzhor-----

"Farewell friend. I was a thousand times as evil as thou."
-Stormbringer
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 210 (members: 1, guests: 209)

Share this page

Back
Top