Rating: 
Summary: A Wonderful Prequal
Review: A long awaited book which explains in great detail some of the mysteries of that most elusive and interesting of B5 groups; the Technomages.We find out much of what the Technomages were involved with before heading to the Rim in advance of the Shadow War.This author has gone to great lengths to weave story lines and information from the B5 series, with her own stories. The continuity is impressive and appreciated. This story concerning the early days of Galen as a Mage is wonderful in its own right, but is obviously the springboard to further adventures in future books. I'm looking forward to them!
Rating: 
Summary: Falls short for me...
Review: After reading J. Gregory Keyes' "Psi Corps/Bester" trilogy, and then Peter David's "Legions of Fire" I was expecting something amazing with "The Passing of the Techno-Mages" that just did not come to be. Don't get me wrong, it's not as poorly written, and anoying as the current Star Wars "Yuuzhan Vong" war/saga! But this just did not have many characters that I cared about (so far). But, it's B5 and I'll continue the trilogy, but I wish it had MORE.. Can't explain it, but it fell short...
Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: An excellent addition to the Babylon 5 universe. Reveals lots of information about the technomages, including some that was supposed to be revealed in the cancelled Crusade series. A must-read if you're a Babylon 5 fan or just like good science fiction. Most of the story will still make sense even if you're new to the Babylon 5 world.
Rating:
Summary: Insanely Engrossing
Review: Any fan of Babylon 5 MUST read this series. It ties up all (ok, most) loose-ends and mystery surrounding the Technomages. And anyone new to the series (poor deprived souls! Get caught up!) will love it too. HIGHLY addictive, engaging story lines that bring the characters flying off the page. Emotion is high, feelings are real and intense.
And Galen!... well, this is Galen at his most frustrating, endearing and far too fallible and human. The relationship between Galen and his mentor Elric is touching yet frustrating because of its restraint. And another example of masterful writing.
Read carefully, for Jeanne likes to foreshadow and hint at things to come with details.
Not merely episode tie-ins, this series incorporates scenes from episodes smoothly (Book 2, with "the Geometry of Shadows") while creating depth of character and personality for all characters the author creates with the stroke of her pen.
Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: spidey it ain"t
Review: As a longtime fan of b5 "the Show" I expected little from this tome, but it was recommended to me. I was very pleasantly surprised by its skill. As a believer in story over writing skill I was instantly hooked. It helps if you've watched both b5 and excalibur (so you have an understanding of Galen) but this story stands alone. Better than Straczynki's "Spiderman" and that's saying something! Looking forward to books 2 @ 3!
Rating:
Summary: The best - without a Shadow of a doubt!
Review: Casting Shadows is a novel that, in my opinion, should be at the top of any must-read book list. As with her previous work, Shadow Within, a knowledge of the Babylon 5 universe is not required to enjoy this, but for those who have been following the series for some time, Casting adds a new depth, new layers, that have not been shown in any previous tie-in book. It is the rare book that not only matches the quality of the material it is based upon, but surpasses it. While I would recommend reading Shadow Within before Casting, it is not required to enjoy the novel. The majority of the action takes place in November and December of 2258, the end of the first season of B5, and the ending leads into the events seen in Geometry of Shadows, which featured Elric - Galen's mentor and teacher. There are appearances by many people we've seen within the B5 and Crusade universe, including Galen, Elric, Alwyn, Isabelle, Blaylock, Morden, Anna Sheridan, and "Johnny" Sheridan. Something I found highly unusual was the author's characterizations. They were ALL dead-on, portrayed exactly as seen on-screen, in a very three-dimensional light. The characters were, quite simply, brought to life. Events range from falling-out-of-your-chair laughter (just picturing Alwyn in a probe-spitting contest was deadly for the mountain dew I'd just swallowed!) to ripping-your-hear-out sadness. I have heard people talk before about books they just couldn't put down, that they needed "just one more chapter" before bed, but I had never experienced that feeling. Until now. It's almost twice as long as Shadow Within, and it leaves you waiting with breathless anticipation for the next one, due in July. I don't know how we will survive the wait. Would I recommend this to others? Without a Shadow of a doubt.
Rating:
Summary: A FINE INTRODUCTION TO OLD FAVORITES
Review: Ever since our first glimpse into the world of Mages in the episode; THE GEOMETRY OF SHADOWS-I have wondered about the role of the Techno-Mages in the universe of B5. Galen made his important contributions in the short-lived "B5 Excalibur", but there was no explanation of the eerie in and out cuts of him and his ilk or any real exploration of their seats of power. Thank you Jeanne Cavelos for this first book in a Babylo-trilogy that cuts through shadows and subterfuge to cast character and depth onto a two dimensional group becoming -in retro- an important force in the development of the Shadow war, if only to point to the frailties of uncertain logic plaguing even the seemingly powerful magicians of the age. I was able to visualise the interaction between Elric and Galen because I had seen them on screen. Even though we know the outcome of the Shadow war, This work is like a journalists' eye account of what happened behind the scenes. THE PASSING OF THE TECHNOMAGES(1) is another fleshing out of the New Legend Of Our Times-Babylon 5. Admirable work by Jeanne Cavelos. I look foreward to this series.
Rating: 
Summary: Did not like this
Review: I did not like this book. I was a fan of Babylon 5 for its hard science and wheels within wheels plot lines. This book is more properly a fantasy book not a hard scifi book. I will not buy any more in this series.
Rating:
Summary: Good: looking forward to more
Review: I enjoyed this book on two different levels. First, as always, it's interesting to read a story where you're not sure about the outcome. Sure, we do know the Shadows really *are* gathering at the rim, we know how the upcoming war will end, and we know what decision the techno-mages will make. Still, getting from point A to point B kept me in suspense. This was truly a "trust no one" story. I also enjoyed the characterizations of Galen and Isabelle, as well as Burrell, Morden, Elric, Alwyn, and others. They were true to all we know about the B5 universe. The "Johnny" demon made me laugh out loud. It was a subtle, but nice touch. Secondly, and perhaps more important, I enjoyed finally getting to know more about the techno mages, who they are, their concerns, cultures, idiosyncracies, corruption, tricks, etc. I'm not sure I agree that this book is for people who don't follow Babylon 5. It's not a necessity to understand the story, but it makes it more understandable. If I were new to B5, I would start with the Psi Corps trilogy. (Well, I'd start with the TV show...) I would say the first 100 pages or so of the book moved too slowly for me. As stated above, I did like the depth which Cavelos brought to the techno mages...but then there's a point where the story needs to get rolling! She should have started the story moving about 40 pages before she did. Overall, an excellent book. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
Rating:
Summary: Not your average TV spinoff book ...
Review: I have read several books based on TV series and it seems that the pleasure in reading such books is usually based in the ability to have new experiences with familiar characters and settings. On occasion, there is also an absorbing plot which functions as icing on the cake. However, the 3 trilogies (thus far) which follow the end of the _Babylon 5_ series have set a new standard. The Psi Corps and Centauri Prime trilogies have greatly surpassed expectations and are solid books whether one is familiar with the _Babylon 5_ universe or not. This first book in The Passing of the Technomages series brings the quality up yet another notch. While there are references to both Babylon 5 and its short-lived sequel Crusade, it is not necessary to be familiar with these shows to enjoy the characters and the story which they occupy. Though they are not completely original creations, the technomages are quite well-conceived and their culture is absolutely fascinating. The characters of Galen and Isabelle are truly realistic. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I look forward to the conclusion of the series. If she can keep up this level of quality, Jeanne Cavelos has quite a career ahead.
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