Rating: 
Summary: Contradicts TV Series
Review: Everything about Peter David's writing is accurate---he does excel at writing/expanding on great television shows, and this book is no exception. However, I found it very difficult to enjoy since there a gross contradictions in the Babylon 5 timeline. Fans of the series will remember Londo visiting Sheridan and Delenn on Minbar to give them the urn at the end of Season 5. That season is 2262. For some reason, Peter David places this in 2264 or 2265. Why? I have no idea, but how can these books be considered canon with such contradictions rampant? Also, Garibaldi appears to still have his job with the Alliance after a point in the series where he was placed on suspension for being drunk. If the Great Maker himself J. Michael Straczynski proofreads and sanctions these manuscripts, how and why are such inconsistencies in print? For these inexcusable oversights, I have no choice but to rate this book 1 star.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book!
Review: I really enjoyed this book, and can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy. I was disappointed in the final season of B5, particularly because it left so many unanswered questions. Like other reviewers, I found myself playing the book out as a really good episode of the series. I have always enjoyed Peter David's writing, his blending of seriousness and humor. Londo's story is very tragic because he ever understood the consequences of his actions. He never thought beyond what felt right to him at the moment. Asking the Shadows to destroy G'Kar and the Narn, he didn't know the evil he was unleashing into the universe, or how he was destroying his own people in the process. There were always hints of this tragedy in the series, but none so clear as the events described in this book. You can feel sorry for Londo, and this is due to the great accomplishment of the author. These books help to wrap up a wonderful series that changed the way we want to watch TV. Very few shows have a beginning, a middle and an end in mind even before the show begins. Congratulations to Peter David for helping to tell this compelling story.
Rating:
Summary: B5 Lives On
Review: This book (and the other two in the trilogy) are terrific. It was like having a long-awaited, "missing" episode of B5 suddenly appear. The characters' personalities and voices are so true, it is very easy to visualize everything that is happening. The trilogy certainly "fills in" some of those missing years that we all have wondered about. I doubt that a non-B5-fan would "get it", but for those of us who loved and dearly miss the series, these books are wonderful!
Rating: 
Summary: Almost like watching an episode that never was...
Review: OK, let's be blunt. This is not "Stranger in a Strange Land," but it's pretty darn good. It may be the best book of its type (novelized spinoff of a successful TV series, that is) that I've read. The odd thing about this book (and the second book in this series as well) is that while I was reading it, I could almost see it play out as an episode in my imagination. The plotting, the characters, and the dialogue are very, very consistent with the series. In spite of the fact that the book is allegedly done by Peter David "from outlines by J. Michael Straczynski," some of the dialogue seems almost certainly taken from unpublished or unused B5 scripts. There are many instances where Vir or Londo says something that has the ring of Straczynski's writing to it. Not to short Peter David in any way; his writing is quite adept and vivid, and keeps the story moving. I ripped through this book in a day; I couldn't stop reading it! I can't really say that about most books I read, but for me this one was a real page-turner. I thought the world of B5, although I'm not one of those fans who dress up as Minbari to go to science fiction conventions, and for me this book was an entirely satisfactory and very interesting expansion on one of the many unfinished storylines of Babylon 5. I would recommend this book unreservedly for any B5 fans, and even for those who are not familiar with the series (and shame on you if you aren't; it was the best science fiction series ever, and I've seen 'em all) it will prove a fascinating diversion.
Rating:
Summary: Londo's Fall, Centauri Prime's 'Long Night'
Review: I stood on the verge of tears throughout this book. As the end of B5 itself saw the demise and descent into despair of Londo Mollari, so it continues here in this wonderful book by Peter David. I felt Londo's pain in ways I cannot find words to express. Through Londo, all of the Centauri people's dreams are expressed- their desire for a return of glory, to step forward again. And as he struggles, so does his people. With the Drakh on one front, and the classic power machinations of Centauri politics on the other, Emperor Mollari seems a beaten and defeated man. But, in addition to all of this, is his own personal struggle of inescapable enslavement to the Drakh verses the freedom of millions of Centauri. Never giving up through pain, loss, and unbearable heartbreak, he fights for his first love, Centauri Prime, and places his hopes in the one man most would find impossible to believe in- the sheepish Vir Cotto. Much praise for Peter's awesome and insightful treatment of the B5 universe, and special thanks for capturing the spirit of my favorite, Londo Mollari!
Rating:
Summary: characters faithful to the show
Review: Nice continuation of the show. Thoughts and tone of the characters match smoothly with the show. Unfortunately, this is not true with the next volume.
Rating:
Summary: Quack quack went the cat
Review: B5 Fans, I believe, will love this book. If you are not a B5 fan I think it will still hold your interest quite well. As a fan, I loved it because it fleshed out the Drakh and began a technomage story thread. Its nice to see those magical guys getting some run again. Londo, Vir, and Timov are characterized nicely and in a way that is consistent with the rest of the series. The interplay between Drakh plans and natural tendencies of the Centauri ruling class is well shown. I especially appreciated the many times when we get the "average" Joe Centauri perspective on the planet's devastation, Londo as emporer, and the government's new isolationist policies. On a deeper level, the book delves into the internal struggle of a man (Londo) who wants to do right but has lost his ability to fully act on that desire. The author showed nicely that although Londo has been mostly reduced to a mere puppet, he is still capable of little acts of rebellion. I wish I could have seen depicted on a screen (by Wayne Alexander of course) the expression of the Drakh when Londo said "Quack, Quack" to him. This book made me aware once more of the richness and originality of the B5 universe. If you are a B5 fan why are you still here when you could be reading the book?
Rating:
Summary: An excellent continuation and an even better beginning
Review: I typically do not like books about television shows. But this is a very definate exception. (Along with the Telepath trilogy) Peter David definately has a good grasp of the characters. This isn't Londo as written by some guy. THIS IS LONDO. The same applies to the rest of the characters that we knew from the series. The only real complaints I have are to do with continuity, and those have already been expressed by other reviews here. For a fan of the show, this book is a must. If you're not a fan, I still strongly recommend it. Londo is a strong, very compelling character who knows through prophesy that he is going to end up badly. He will be responsible for the deaths of millions. He already is, and more will fall before he is done. But through it all, he only tries to do what is right for his people. The events happen in spite of him AND because of him. And now I prepare to read part II...
Rating:
Summary: The best b5 book yet
Review: All I have to say is that I couldn't put this book down for 2 days. great book! can't wait for the next one
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down.
Review: After the fabulous Psi Corps Trilogy, I waited with eager anticipation for the Centauri Prime trilogy. I was not to be disappointed. "The Long Night of Centauri Prime" is a gripping novel. The characterisation is excellent, and you can almost see and hear the story as well as read it. A must read for any Babylon 5 fan. I look forward to the next book in the trilogy.
| 
