Technomage Novels

[Sycamore Evenstar]

Thanks, Sind!

I have the first book already. I'll have to order the second one! I'm afraid I "hoard" my B5 books like good chocolate since there just isn't enough of it!

[Wizz]

<font face="Georgia" font size="+4">***SPOILERS*** </font>

(Just can't provide any better spoiler-protection than that)</p><font face="verdana">


Read the second book. Good story! Explains a lot about Galen's dour attitude. I remember a quote from "Crusade" where he claims that he doesn't have grudges against anyone alive. Looks like Elizar has until book three at this point. And Kosh...good ol' Kosh. Willing to sacrifice himself to determine if the fabulists could control what they were. Nice way to do it, too. If Kosh goes out, the rest of the Vorlons will take out the technomages to keep them from joining the Shadows. Well, all but one technomage, I guess.
There was one continuity glitch, I think. When the mages headed out from Babylon 5, I don't recall the series showing a ship blowing up when they left. Sad ending for Carvin, too. While not being a replacement for Isabelle, I think she could have provided a bit of levity(sp?) for Galen. At least they seemed to play well together.
I have to wonder about the Circle's decision to run off and hide had they understood the serious detriment of leaving their places of power. I get the impression that they had no idea of the physical cost to themselves, Elric especially. If they knew then, what they know now...
I also find it ironic that the circle will take Galen to task over his use of his weapon. Tell him not to use it, but thankyouverymuchforsavingourbutts! I can't help but wonder if Galen's interfacing with Anna gives him some clue on how to defeat the Shadows "off-button" for the future. I'm sure the Drakh have some inkling of how that works, and in the future, could be used against the mages (that have returned) as long as the Drakh remain around.
So, it would appear that the Shadows have their secret modified people, the technomages, like the Vorlons had theirs...telepaths. Oy! Can you imagine a technomage telepath? Probably something the Vorlons and Shadows would run from!</p>

Now, just have to wait for the next book to arrive, sometime in November. BTW, anyone have the book, "The Shadow Within"? Actually, I should ask "have it and can lend it out"? I've tried all the resources I know to buy it, and it appears out of print. Or, if anyone knows where I can buy it, let me know, too. Thanks, <font color="88ff00">Wizzard </font></p></font>

[AsIs]

The mages had to leave. Since they are dependant on the Shadows, when it came down to war and push came to shove they would have had to aid the Shadows. Something that went against what they stood for. So they left.

I think they had some clue what would happen when they left their power bases, but I think they overestimated thier recovery abilities.

Book 2 was very interesting and I am still po'd that they killed off Carvin. Even the fact that they iced Tilar doesn't make up for that. Dag nabit, they are killing off all the nice chicks. *grumble*

[Wizz]

Yup. They had to leave. Thinking about it some more, the Shadows controlled the tech. They made the implants, the chrysalis, and knew how to turn it off. Just like when Galen went into the room with Elizar...oops! No telling what other means of control the Shadows had up their sleeves.

It appears that the ones who had to leave their places of power lost their chrysalis, if Elric's departure is any indication. But for some odd reason, he chose to destroy his things rather than disengage them. I know he had his reasons, but if he knew the cost to himself and the other mages, I would have expected him to do differently. Then again, maybe Soom would have suffered too much. However, it's in the script that way...

Carvin is a sad loss, IMHO. However, you can appreciate the Shadows who got taken out by Galen. I'm surprised that they didn't turn out his lights when the tech was turned off, but as long as they controlled the on/off switch, I guess it was worth the risk to try and turn him. Still, knowing they were being taken out and having no recourse must've rattled their collective cages a bit. Wasn't what they had intended originally, that's for sure. The long road for Galen is going to be one of maintaining control. Now he knows how strong it is once it gets moving. Now, if he can get together with a healer, and work out his equations to the first element for healing, then he'd really be on to something. Ah, more to come in November.

[sindatur]

Well, I'm still only 2/3 of the way through it. Watched Geometry of Shadows again today, now that I've gotten through most of the pertinent stuff in the book on that epsode (Elric just had his Great hand conversation with Londo.

Wizz,

I re-read The Shadow Within while waiting for Technomage book 2 to come out, it worked very well for me. I'm only in Sacramento, so mailing shouldn't take more than a day travel time. Send me an email at [email protected] with your RL addy and I'll shoot it off to you, although it may take me several days to actually get it in the mail.

Can't wait until I finish the other 100 pages.

[sindatur]

Well, I finished book 2. Really good stuff.

Spoilers Below:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

I've read the spoilers in this topic, but I wasn't surprised at all when I read PC saying the Tech came from the Shadows. I had already come to that conclusion in the first book. The thing that did take me by surprise though is that the Circle still had an active relationship with the Shadows (or their Dark minions)and they were well aware of this continued relationship.

Galen, poor ripped apart tortured soul of a man. I cringed everytime he brought the fire upon himself. In Crusade we thought he was such a moody wretch (BTW I loved his character in Crusade) but now we see, that he has actually recovered quite well by the Crusade timeline.

The TV ep. Geometry of Shadows had so much going on in it behind the scenes that we never saw. It was great pulling out that episode and watching it while reading the book. Picturing the Drazi who started the fight as Alwyn (The televised fight in the bar is the one he started wasn't it). Reading TM book two versus watching Geometry of Shadows was another of those seeing both sides episodes (ala B4 and WWE or Sky full of Stars and In The Beginning).

Elizar almost has me convinced that he really does believe he's doing the right thing and that he could get away with trying to fool the Shadows into believing he's loyal to them but really only using them. The Shadows are far too advanced for him to get away with that and discuss it as openly with Galen, Blaylock and Kell as he did. So I gotta believe he's still just messin' with Galen's head. Next book Galen and Elizar gotta either mend their fences or Elizar is toast, because in Crusade (Well of Forever?) Galen very specifically states that none of his enemies are alive (or something to that effect).

Azziz, Carvin broke my heart as well. But at least G'leel survived although who knows for how long, she's on a mission to say the very least, plus the Narn Centauri war still isn't in full swing yet, is it? I just about threw the book against the wall after seeing in POsts that Carvin died and then read in the book that G'leel had benn blasted, I thought she was dead until they said she had recovered. I didn't trust that Galen knew she was still alive when he kept worrying about getting her out.

Eagerly awaiting book 3 (due in November?). According to the snippet, looks like he does come back out of hiding in book 3 to fight the shadows afterall. Will the battered mages who destroyed their Places of power recover now that their hiding? If not who will the new circle members be and what will be their Philosophy and how does that tie into the Mages in the Centauri Prime Trilogy in their Cloister stage?

[This message has been edited by sindatur (edited July 31, 2001).]

[Sycamore Evenstar]

Wizz--Try the University Bookstore (in Seattle). 800-335-READ. (No shipping, no tax.) If they don't have it, they are very good at getting hard to locate books!

Good luck!

[Wizz]

Thanks, Sycamore. Kimball has offered to loan me his as well, but I'll give them a call. If they can find one, that'd be great.

[ianviking]

I have at last received and read book 2 Here are my random musings in no particular order LOL..... ...SPOILERS...

Someone was asking why Carvin had to be killed off. Very simple answer to that one - had the only mages to die been those barely even mentioned (other than Ing-Radi) would you have posted to ask why they had to die? A mage who you had gotten to know throughout the book had to die to get the reader more envolved in that aspect of the plan. Plus it screws up Londo some more LOL!

Will the mages cease to exits after the Shadows have gone? They left the Drakh and some planet-killers behind, and it was Drakh who delivered the tech, so there is still a chance for them. Perhaps that's why Galen and the cloistered mages were about in the Centauri trilogy of novels.

Are the Shadows stupid? Or do they just not care what Elizar's true plans are? I cannot believe that they are unable/unwilling to evesdrop on his conversations and messages. How often is he going to have to say that he intends to save the mages and fight the Shadows before they get the idea that he's not just saying this to gain the trust of others?

Last question - Why did Bunny (a P12) have such trouble with Galen and Anna combined? We know much lower level teeps can block Shadow vessels (aka humans merged with Shadow vessels) from a much greater distance. Oh well, back to waiting for book 3 now I suppose .........

[AsIs]

If I recall correctly, even a normal human can merge with a Shadow Vessal.

I'd have to reread that tho.