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jfkaess's review against another edition
4.0
According to J. Michael Straczynski, the show runner, writer, and producer of the Babylon 5 TV series, the contents of this book are canon. The book is the story of Jeffrey Sinclair from the time he leaves Babylon 5 to become the Ambassador to Minbar until the key event of his taking Babylon 4 through the time rift 1,000 years into the past to enable the defeat of the Shadows in the past and the founding of the Rangers and the Grey Council. It's an interesting story and it does fill in many holes about things you likely had wondered about. At the same time, it left me unsettled. I wanted to know much much more about Sinclair's activities in the past after he took Babylon 4 back into history. There is so much that could have been told, but isn't. That's why this is a 4 star book and not a 5 star book. However, if, like me, you love Babylon 5, you will like this book.
ryanpfw's review
5.0
I’ve been a fan of Babylon 5 since it’s first airing. I polished off the three canon series in the early 2000s, namely the Psi Corps, Technomage, and Centauri Prime trilogy.
I’ve always known there were two more canon novels that I picked up on eBay this year. My copy of this novel had a Star Wars bookmark inside it, and the pages of the inner cover were entirely darkened aside from the shape of the bookmark. No one had opened this particular novel in many, many years.
I feel like Babylon 5 towards the end, with the echoes of all of the past conversations, when everyone else has moved on. It’s clearly not the case. The series has new life with the HBO Max up scaling and hints from JMS that the story isn’t over yet.
And yet here I am, reading a canon tale that is so long out of print.
In effect, it was wonderful. It couldn’t not be. Drennan, married to JMS during the writing, had her own ties to the source, and everything written here was described as fully true to the plot line. We get backstory to Marcus, and most importantly, the untold story of Jeffrey Sinclair. It ends cryptically, and I also read the In Valen’s Name comic, which provides more clarity, although what I read here can stand on its own. It was a joy to be back into the universe, and know what I read really happened by the rules of that universe.
Five stars. Go find it.
I’ve always known there were two more canon novels that I picked up on eBay this year. My copy of this novel had a Star Wars bookmark inside it, and the pages of the inner cover were entirely darkened aside from the shape of the bookmark. No one had opened this particular novel in many, many years.
I feel like Babylon 5 towards the end, with the echoes of all of the past conversations, when everyone else has moved on. It’s clearly not the case. The series has new life with the HBO Max up scaling and hints from JMS that the story isn’t over yet.
And yet here I am, reading a canon tale that is so long out of print.
In effect, it was wonderful. It couldn’t not be. Drennan, married to JMS during the writing, had her own ties to the source, and everything written here was described as fully true to the plot line. We get backstory to Marcus, and most importantly, the untold story of Jeffrey Sinclair. It ends cryptically, and I also read the In Valen’s Name comic, which provides more clarity, although what I read here can stand on its own. It was a joy to be back into the universe, and know what I read really happened by the rules of that universe.
Five stars. Go find it.
shiradest's review against another edition
3.0
This book fits well with the B5 story, mostly explaining what happened to Sinclair and his Sakai, his fiancee. It does well in reminding us of many of the sayings of various Minbari. It also does well in reminding us of the themes for which I enjoyed B5: workers rights, equality, compassion.
"delight, respect, and compassion" : Christian-Jewish Deut.4:24 views via shared struggle, as portrayed using Minbari and 'Earth' religions (I am reminded of the episode in which Sinclair lines up all of the 'dominant religions' of earth, as represented by an alphabetically ordered line of people stretching all the way down the main corridor. That was brilliant. And while this book may not be the best in literary style, it is certainly worth reading, if only to remember that duty and honor are based in respect and compassion.
Peace,
ShiraDestinie
William-James-MEOW Date: 1 September 12,014 H.E. (Holocene/Human Era)
"delight, respect, and compassion" : Christian-Jewish Deut.4:24 views via shared struggle, as portrayed using Minbari and 'Earth' religions (I am reminded of the episode in which Sinclair lines up all of the 'dominant religions' of earth, as represented by an alphabetically ordered line of people stretching all the way down the main corridor. That was brilliant. And while this book may not be the best in literary style, it is certainly worth reading, if only to remember that duty and honor are based in respect and compassion.
Peace,
ShiraDestinie
William-James-MEOW Date: 1 September 12,014 H.E. (Holocene/Human Era)
molokov's review against another edition
4.0
I first read this years ago, but after a recent discussion about it on The Babylon Podcast ( www.babylonpodcast.com ) I figured I'd try and get a hold of a copy and give it another go.
This book does a lot to fill in the time between Sinclair leaving B5 and when he returns in 'War Without End', and also fills out Catherine Sakai's continuing story, and Marcus Cole's backstory before he appears in Season 3. It's well written and keeps you invested in the characters, but there's a bit of a "crops-out-of-nowhere" climax in the last six or so chapters, which is a little jarring.
Still, definitely worth a read for fans of the TV show who want a bit more story.
This book does a lot to fill in the time between Sinclair leaving B5 and when he returns in 'War Without End', and also fills out Catherine Sakai's continuing story, and Marcus Cole's backstory before he appears in Season 3. It's well written and keeps you invested in the characters, but there's a bit of a "crops-out-of-nowhere" climax in the last six or so chapters, which is a little jarring.
Still, definitely worth a read for fans of the TV show who want a bit more story.
redheadbeans's review against another edition
4.0
For starters: Marcus Cole fans - PICK UP THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW! YOU'LL HATE YOUR LIFE AFTERWARD, AND TV COMPANIES IN GENERAL, BUT DARN IT, YOU WON'T REGRET IT!
-Ahem-
BB5 fans - pick up the book, because it rounds out a number of loose ends. At least most of this book is considered canon for the series, so it's a good guide to go by.
The writing was pretty good, although I have read better fan works. Part of the problem was probably some of the more threadbare bits of the BB5 universe that I already knew about, glaring at me as I read, and I cannot blame the author of the book for that. She did a pretty good job with what she had.
I loved hearing more about Marcus' backstory, especially about his brother and his time before he was a Ranger. I felt that he spent a little too little time training before he (presumably) went to BB5 - it didn't feel like he had all that much time to become the experienced, hardened person he was - but that was about the only nitpicky thing I remember popping out. Well, some of the climax didn't sit right with me, but I'll live with it. It explains things, and it leads to nice things down the line (even if they don't really make sense), and that's all that matters to me.
-Ahem-
BB5 fans - pick up the book, because it rounds out a number of loose ends. At least most of this book is considered canon for the series, so it's a good guide to go by.
The writing was pretty good, although I have read better fan works. Part of the problem was probably some of the more threadbare bits of the BB5 universe that I already knew about, glaring at me as I read, and I cannot blame the author of the book for that. She did a pretty good job with what she had.
I loved hearing more about Marcus' backstory, especially about his brother and his time before he was a Ranger. I felt that he spent a little too little time training before he (presumably) went to BB5 - it didn't feel like he had all that much time to become the experienced, hardened person he was - but that was about the only nitpicky thing I remember popping out. Well, some of the climax didn't sit right with me, but I'll live with it. It explains things, and it leads to nice things down the line (even if they don't really make sense), and that's all that matters to me.
jennjuniper's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not weeping, you're weeping.
Also: THIS WAS SO GOOD FOR MEEEEEEEE.
Also: THIS WAS SO GOOD FOR MEEEEEEEE.
andicbuchanan's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this. It has some of my favourite characters in, and it was really good to find out what happened to Catherine. But, despite some enjoyable interaction between Sinclair and Marcus, the writing style was clunky and I struggled to get through it.
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