Rating: 
Summary: wheres my war!
Review: first of all, ill try and keep it short. 1 this is by far the best of the 3 books, this one, and the second made pushing thru the 1st one worth wile. the main reasons i was interested in these books is that im a diehard b5 fan, and thrue season 4, and at the end of season 5 i there was a lot of build up for the teep war, and i was realiy interested in knowing how that would go, i know from b5 what lead up to it, and from crusade what haponed as a resalt. but i would still like to know about the war itsself, i find my self in much the same situation as when i was fits waching B5 and there were several referals the the 'earth - minbari war' and was verryt happy when 'in the begining' come out, not to mention satisfied by the way they pulled it off. not only did i have my war, but they revaled a great mystery and made it a good movie experiance. most of the time when u long for something and finaly get it you are disapointed, because it is not what u expected, not so with 'in the begining', i just hope that if/when some one finaly wrights something about the teep war it is as good, and not disapointing like most mysterys revaled... other than that, i recon this is a great book on its own, better if read as part of the trilagy, but best enjoyd if you know what haponed between book 2, and book 3. when book2 ends it says he has never been to B5 before, and that is where most of us met him, and there is almost a nother book or 2 in that alown that need to be seen for full effect... well that is my bit.. cya btw i had to travel over 3500K to get the dam books, and im glad i did, now i have to wait upto 8 weeks for the 'legions of fire' books,. i hope there atleast half as good as the psi corps books. i do warn one thing, you will feal sorry for Bester, if you dont i think you have less hart than evan he did
Rating:
Summary: "Deadly Relations" steps too close but keeps its balance
Review: Gregory Keyes' novel, "Deadly Relations: Bester Ascendent" is the most detailed literature on the character of Psi Cop Alfred Bester to date. The author does a wonderful job of showing the internal workings of Psi Corps, and also in getting into its main character. At times, it misses the mark on the external appearance of Al Bester, however-- Bester is an evil, ruthless character by all "Babylon 5" accounts, but you don't get that perception through Keyes' work.
Rating: 
Summary: Enthralling from beginning to end
Review: I liked this novel even better than part one. Right from the opening page I found I couldn't put it down. The DEPTH that the author (and JMS through his outline) went into the inner workings of the Psi Corps was amazing. One could really get a sense of what it would be like to be a telepath living in the B5 universe. The way Bester was portrayed was perfect. At times you could also feel some sympathy for him but in the end he remains solidly the villain that he has been know to be. I thought the inclusion of characters such as Byron and Lyta was a nice touch. My only disappointment is the exclusion of Carolyn Sanderson, Bester's lover but of course, she may appear in part three.
Rating:
Summary: The truth about the psi core is finaly revealed and bester
Review: I thought it was a great book on how bester grew up and why he is the way he is. It also shows what the pci core did to mundane. ALso it had a little Lyta Alexander.Bester was also part of the shadow ship found on mars. well if u want a good book this is it
Rating:
Summary: a wonderful weave that challenged my preconceived notions
Review: I've never been fond of books that take a character I already knew and try to add a history to them. This book creates the character of Alfred Bester who Babylon 5 fans know of as the evil PSI-Corpse agent but who readers will learn is so much more complicated. While the story of Alfred becoming Mr. Bester is extremely intriguing there are a few moments where I feel as though they rushed some other known characters in and out of the story too fast. But even with that...this book still deserves 5 stars
Rating:
Summary: Excellent characterization; low on details and tie-ins
Review: In my opinion, this is the best Babylon 5 spinoff book written yet. Keys obviously made a point to get in some detail from the show, unlike other authors I could name. I know a book is good with characterization when I feel sympathetic for a bad guy by the time I'm done--and now I just pity Bester. :) Two gripes: First, no mention of Carolyn or Sofie Ivanov. Second, what was Lyta doing there? An obvious desperate tie-in to the show
Rating:
Summary: The B5 Ideal: Enjoyable on its Own yet a Part of the Whole
Review: J. Gregory Keyes's second installment of the Psi Corp trilogy 'Deadly Relation -Bester Ascendant' is a wonderful addition the Babylon 5 tapestry. The first book of the trilogy, 'Dark Genesis -The Birth of the Psi Corps', explores the Psi Corps itself, its conception, birth and the struggles faced during its adolescence. The second installment focuses on a single character, the celebrated antihero Al Bester. We learn of Bester's childhood, education, adolescence and development into the Psi Cop Babylon 5 fans love to hate. Keyes's excellent writing provides the loyal Babylon 5 fan with a superbly convincing treatment of Al Bester offering character development and dimensions unattainable in the television show. Considering what Walter Koenig's acting and Straczynski's writing have brought to this character, this is saying a lot. The non-Babylon 5 fan should enjoy this installment of the trilogy as much as the first. Fitting the ideal of a Babylon 5 story, the novel is thoroughly enjoyable in its own yet brilliantly connected to the larger Babylon 5 universe. The only aspect that might appear strained to the non-B5 fan is an out-of-the-blue reference to the Earth-Minbari war. For the non-fan, this war is the subject of the film and novel 'In The Beginning' and an essential part of the series Babylon 5. The true Babylon 5 fan will appreciate the story even more. Series creator J. M. Straczynski provided the outline for the story and reviewed the final product; series editor Fiona Avery provided some assistance and control as well. Besides the mentioned reference to 'In The Beginning' there are tie-ins to the television series spanning from the first to the fifth year, a nice connection to the 7th novel 'The Shadow Within', and a nod to DC comic #11 'The Psi Corps and You' that is a real grabber. We also see the events of comic series #5 to 8 from Bester's point-of-view. The connections are not forced, strained or redundant making the story wonderfully satisfying in its own right. Finally, some additional credit should go to Keyes's care as a writer and the assistance he received from members of Nasa's Jet Propulsion Lab. The Martian climate and geology are accurate (compared to one of the early B5 novels) and he does a convincing job describing Lunar and Martian colonization. The combination of science fiction, mystery and politics together with outstanding character development makes this novel a worthy addition to the Babylon 5 universe.
Rating:
Summary: Now an In-Depth look at the Psi Cop you Love to Hate!
Review: Just finished this book over the weekend. Loved it!!! Gave a really inside look of how Al Bester was raised by the Psi Corps and how Psi Corps is as corrupt as anything else!
Rating:
Summary: I tore through this book.
Review: Much better than "Dark Genesis" (which in and of itself was a good book), "Deadly Relations" is a very well-crafted novel that tells the story of Al Bester from his childhood up to the 1st season B5 episode "Mind War." It also gives some back-story on Lyta (we find out why she never became a Psi Cop) and Byron. Keyes' characterization of Bester is dead-on -- the way he talked in the novel is perfect if you watched the show. The story also owes a little bit to Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" during its first third, but you realize when Keyes name-checks Card that it's meant as an hommage, not as a rip-off. Well done, and I'm seriously looking forward to part III.
Rating:
Summary: I tore through this book.
Review: Much better than "Dark Genesis" (which in and of itself was a good book), "Deadly Relations" is a very well-crafted novel that tells the story of Al Bester from his childhood up to the 1st season B5 episode "Mind War." It also gives some back-story on Lyta (we find out why she never became a Psi Cop) and Byron. Keyes' characterization of Bester is dead-on -- the way he talked in the novel is perfect if you watched the show. The story also owes a little bit to Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" during its first third, but you realize when Keyes name-checks Card that it's meant as an hommage, not as a rip-off. Well done, and I'm seriously looking forward to part III.
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