Book Review: Babylon 5 - Out of the Darkness by Peter David (Legions of Fire #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Engaging story that answers long held fan questions

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

End of a saga

A loop back to season 3

Answering questions

Finally the Pieces Fall into Place

Out of the Darkness is the final book in the Centauri Prime trilogy. Based on the television series Babylon 5, it follows the events only hinted at during the series, but never fully explained. Now, the questions fans have had since the third season are answered as Centauri emperor Londo faces his destiny while ambassador Vir attempts to break the stronghold of Drakh power on his planet.

Centauri Prime is a hot bed of activity. Prime Minister Durla has gone power mad, trying to overthrow Londo, and with that has come paranoia. Londo still does what he can to fight the Drakh, but with their Keeper in place and monitoring every thing he does, there is little he can do. Vir, meanwhile, slowly builds an army of revolutionaries. But can they gain strength in time to avoid an all out war with the Alliance of Planets taking aim at Centauri Prime because of their illegal activities? All bets are off when the Alliance President's son, David Sheridan, is implanted with his own keeper and heads to Centauri Prime.

This is the book that Babylon 5 fans have been waiting for. It finally fills in the gaps left between season 5 and War Without End from the third season. As with the series itself, even though we know the final outcome, getting there is half the journey. The pace never lags, and there are several surprises along the way. I thought I knew what was happening in those flash forward scenes from the series, but it turns out I only had the smallest clue. Once again, Mr. David has captured the characters and series perfectly. The scenes between Londo and G'Kar, another character from the series, are some of the best anywhere, and Londo's struggle to redeem himself has never been more touching.

Out of the Darkness is an absolute must for Babylon 5 fans. You will love every minute of the story and leave satisfied. Non-fans will also enjoy the story and characters, but won't have the same connection.

Book Review: Babylon 5 - Armies of Light and Dark by Peter David (Legions of Fire #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good characterizations and storyline

Cons: Feels like a place holder between the two first books in the series.

The Bottom Line:

Middle trilogy

Yes, it advances story

But too much set up

The Transformation of Vir

Armies of Light and Dark is the middle book of the Centauri Prime trilogy based on the television program Babylon 5. The story focuses on the events happening to the Centauri race on and off their home world. Specifically, it focuses on their emperor, Londo, and their ambassador to space station Babylon 5, Vir.

Picking up where the first book in the trilogy left off, this book focuses on Vir. At the end of The Long Night of Centauri Prime, Vir had been banished from the palace by Londo. This book opens as the techno-mages find him. Making only one appearance in the original series, the techno-mages are a race that uses technology to create magic like things happen. The techno-mages have heard rumors of problems with a Centauri excavation on a distant planet, and they set off to find the truth. But that is not the end of the evil influence of the Drakh race over Centauri Prime. Slowly, Vir realizes he must start taking action if he is to save his world. Londo, meanwhile, does what he can to destroy the Drakh who have control over his every thought. Will it ever be enough?

Peter David continues to shine as a writer in this book. Once again, the characterizations from the series are perfect, and the references to events in both Babylon 5 and spin-off series Crusade, where techno-mages play a more important roll, make the book lots of fun for the devoted fan. Vir changes dramatically in this book into a leader. Yet he powerfully retains his innocence and soul. The book leaves you anxious to pick up the last book in the series to get the full picture of the events from the third season two parter War without End.

That is my main problem with the story, however. After the build up of the first book, this one seems to drag in spots. It's like it knows it's just the placeholder between the opening and ending of the trilogy. It's still worth reading; I was just expecting a bit more after the excellent first book.

Once again, the devoted Babylon 5 fan will enjoy this look into the story hinted at but never told in the series itself. Readers not familiar with the series will still enjoy the story without being lost, but they won't fully grasp everything happening. Either way, Armies of Light and Dark will leave the reader anxious for the conclusion to the story of Centauri Prime.

Book Review: Babylon 5 - The Long Night of Centauri Prime by Peter David (Legions of Fire Trilogy #1)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Good storytelling that expertly captures the characters from the series.

Cons: Some fans might be bothered by a timeline changed from the series

The Bottom Line:

Season 5 is start

In the next chapter for these

Well loved characters

Great Continuation of the Babylon 5 Television Series

The Long Night of Centauri Prime is the first of the Centauri Prime trilogy. Based on the television series Babylon 5, this series fills in some of the gaps between seasons 5 and 3. Yes, you read that right. It focuses on the events on the alien planet Centauri Prime and the characters of Londo and Vir from the show.

The year is 2262 and Londo has just become Emperor of Centauri Prime. But what might have been his best chance to help his people and make up for his past becomes an exercise in frustration for him, as he must submit to the will of the evil Drakh Entire. Watched over by his parasitic keeper, he is only fully able to do what they desire. Meanwhile, Vir suspects something might be wrong with his friend and mentor. But can he find out what is really happening in the palace?

Peter David has done a wonderful job with this book. Londo becomes a truly sympathetic character. The climax is almost painful it's so well written and leaves the reader anxious to pick up the next book. Mr. David has captured each character exactly as they appear in the series. It's very easy to "hear" the actors deliver the lines and picture the settings as they appeared on the show. He also works in references to several pivotal and obscure moments in the show, making this seem to fit perfectly in the Babylon 5 universe. The characters not from the series are also fully developed and help advance the story. Interestingly, two of Londo's wives, from an episode of the show that Mr. David wrote, also play important parts in the story.

There is one small detraction for fans of the series. The book plays a little loosely with the timeline of season 5. However, I find the timeline as presented here to be a little more realistic and something only worth noting in passing.

Fans of Babylon 5 who haven't read this book are in for a real treat. This novel is strong enough that people who haven't seen the show will enjoy this book as well, but might be confused by a few things mentioned in passing. Personally, I had trouble putting The Long Night of Centauri Prime down and can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy. A truly top notch read.

Book Review: A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers (Mark of the Lion #1)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Characters, plot, writing - pretty much everything

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Trip to ancient Rome

Danger romance adventure

Keep pages turning

Why Did I Wait So Long?

The year is 70 AD. Hadassah, a young Jewish woman, has been captured at the fall of Jerusalem. Taken to Rome, she is bought to serve the Valerian family. The Valerians are having their own problems. Decimus, the father, is very traditional, yet his children, Marcus and Julia, embrace all the decadence Rome has to offer. Hadassah wants to share her faith in Jesus the Messiah with this family, but she cannot find the courage to do so. Meanwhile, Atretes has been captured in Germany and taken to Rome as a gladiator. As their lives intertwine, they will all face problems that will challenge who they are and what they believe.

I just read this book for the first time, and can't believe I waited so long to do so. This is an amazing novel. The characters are strong, the writing is crisp, the plots are remarkable, and the detail given to ancient Rome makes it come alive. Every time I picked up this novel, I was drawn into its world by the engrossing writing style and had a hard time putting it down. There were no downsides to this engrossing tale.

A Voice in the Wind was my introduction to the books of Francine Rivers, but by no means will this be my last. I am looking forward to finishing this series and exploring her other novels. She is truly a gifted author.

TV Show Review: Davy Crockett - Walt Disney Treasures

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun programs from 50 years ago.

Cons: Picture quality shows its age

The Bottom Line:

Started 50's craze

With tales of Davy Crockett

And still fun today

Davy Crockett: Still King of the Wild Frontier

I have a confession to make. Even with as big a Disney fan as I am, I had never seen any of the Davy Crockett movies before this set came out. I'd seen pictures and heard stories of the Crockett craze, but had no idea what these movies were really all about.

This set of DVD's contains all five of the Davy Crockett episodes from the TV show Disneyland as they originally aired in the 50's. This includes the opening show animation, Walt's intros and outros, and promos for next week's episode. They are presented here unedited and in their original order. Leonard Maltin introduces each episode and hosts the interviews on the second disc. Of those, the one about the Davy Crockett craze is ok, but hearing Fess Parker's memories of playing the title characters is interesting, especially to a Disney fan like me. The picture and sound quality could be better but is great for something from the 50's, although I did notice that the picture does go to black and white once per episode.

These five episodes cover Davy Crockett's life. The first three are fairly factual and follow his life as he fights Indians on the frontier, becomes a representative in Congress and fights at the Alamo. Disc two features some legends from Davy Crockett's life on the might Mississippi and introduce Mike Fink as they compete in a keelboat race and fight river pirates.

Watching these for the first time over the weekend, I was captivated by the movies. The scenery is beautiful and the acting is good. There are a couple spots where a couple stories seem to drag, but they never last long. My favorites are the two on the second disc, particularly the keel boat race. Still, I plan to rewatch all the episodes on these DVDs many more times.

Any Disney fan will be pleased to have these Davy Crockett movies in their collection. They are a fun trip to yesteryear for every generation to enjoy.

Book Review: Drop Dead My Lovely by Ellis Weiner

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Funny spoof of the PI genre
Cons: More language and sex than I like, but in keeping with genre
The Bottom Line:
Fan of PI books?
You'll laugh at this spoof of them
Spot on and funny




Drop Dead Funny

All Pete Ingalls remembers is waking up in the hospital. He has no recollection of the case that put him there. Still, he figures that the best thing to do is get back to work, so he finds a new office, hires a secretary, and does just that.

See, Pete thinks he's a hardboiled PI in the very classic sense. And the two dames in distress that come calling seem to need him. One is looking for a missing lover. The other wants proof that her husband is having an affair. And while Pete has no clue what he's doing, his secretary, fortunately, does. But will it be enough to get them both through this in one piece?

I'm not familiar with the classic hardboiled detectives of the past, but the little I do know makes it obvious they were the inspiration for this hilarious tale. It's rather obvious to us early on that Pete has amnesia and is delusional. We keep getting clues about his past that put the pieces of that puzzle into place. The mystery plot of the story is also done extremely well. There were several nice twists up until the very end, when everything was wrapped up nice and neat. And the humor! I was laughing out loud the entire way through the book at the confusion of the other characters to Pete, his own confusion over literal interpretations, and his hilarious commentary on life. The sarcasm, word play, and literal misunderstandings were right up my sense of humor.

So why the four stars? This book had foul language that I'm not used to running into in a book. Lots and lots of it. It seemed to get better as the book went along, which I appreciated. There were also several cases of sexual innuendo I didn't care for and a rather long sex scene that I skipped over but still could have done without. I'm well aware this will not bother most people, but it bothered me and lowered my enjoyment of the book. Since I'm the one rating it, I took that into account.

Overall, I enjoyed Drop Dead, My Lovely enough to give the sequel a chance. Here's hoping that it's as funny as this one was.

What's on my Nightstand? Feb. 2013 Edition

I’ve done this particular once a month meme for years.  Okay, I’ve done it off and on for years.  Hosted by 5 Minutes for Books, it’s a chance to talk about what we’re currently reading, just read, plan to read soon.  You know, basically anything we want.

Right now, I’m reading Cana Rising: by Dinah Swan. Yes, I’m enjoying it.  I just am not finding much time to read right now.  It’s a mystery set in a Mississippi town and filled with some good characters.

I need to get reading since Sunday I will be going to a book signing for Red Velvet Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke.  You’d better believe I will want to read that as soon as I get my hands on it.  But at the rate I’m moving through Cana Rising, it will be some time next week before I get to start this one.

TV Show Review: Babylon 5 - The Gathering/In the Beginning

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good introductions to a great series

Cons: Doesn't stand on its own

The Bottom Line:

A saga begins

And a good introduction

Doesn't stand alone

And So It Began....

Warner Brothers decided to test the market for science fiction show Babylon 5 on DVD with this initial offering. It includes three hours of story on a two-sided disc.

Side A is the re-edit of the 1993 pilot as shown on TNT in 1998. Presented in its original full frame aspect ration, "The Gathering" is an introduction to the space station Babylon 5. When the last of the major races sends an ambassador to this port of call, someone tries to assassinate him. Things really heat up after station commander Jeffery Sinclair is accused of the crime, and our last best hope for peace just might become the starting point for another war.

It's interesting to watch this movie as a fan of the series. It seems slow, many characters didn't make it back when the series started, and the special effects aren't up to par. But I've used it to hook several friends on the show recently, and each time I'm amazed at the groundwork that was laid down and the story arcs that were introduced at this early date. Of course, part of the pacing problems is because we don't know the characters or even the alien species involved. The background provided is necessary for the original viewing and not needed if a viewer is familiar with the series already, making the movie slower.

Side B contains the movie "In the Beginning." Filmed after season 4, it tells the story pivotal back story of the Earth-Minbari War which happened 10 years before the series started but had major implications on the events of the show. Presented here in its original wide screen, it combines all the stories of the war that we've learned over the first four seasons, from the misunderstanding that started it to the climatic Battle of the Line. But it's not all familiar; we get to see the entire story, not just the parts that were important to later happenings on the show. Along the way, we see series characters Delenn, Sheridan, Franklin, G'Kar, and Londo in the time before the series started.

I hadn't seen this movie since its initial airing until I got the DVD. I was amazed at how much history and suspense series creator J. Michael Straczynski was able to put into the movie even though we knew the basics. It is interesting to note that it was included here, since it contains major spoilers for the first few seasons of the show. It can be watched early, but it does spoil those early seasons.

Unfortunately, Warner decided to test the DVD market for Babylon 5 with a product that features no extras. This is one series where I would love to see more behinds the scenes information. Commentaries and bloopers would make my day. Still, I found the picture and sound quality to be good.

Fortunately, this initial release did well enough to convince Warner Brothers to release the rest of the series. This disc is now obsolete because both movies got better releases in the movie collection released in 2005.

Book Review: Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow #1)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Funny situations and characters

Cons: Mystery gets lost in the weddings

The Bottom Line:

Dead body, weddings

Mystery gets lost in the fun

But there's lots of fun

Light on the Mystery; Heavy on the Fun

Meg Langslow has agreed to be the maid of honor at three separate weddings - her best friend, her brother, and her mother's remarriage. All three of the brides place the planning in her capable hands, leaving her running around trying to make sure all three weddings go smoothly. Which isn't easy when one wants a theme wedding but won't decide on dresses and another wants peacocks. Then, an out-of-town visitor coming to one of the weddings turns up dead under mysterious circumstances. Meg's father is convinced it's murder and drags her into his investigation. Soon, mysterious accidents convince Meg that her dad is right. But can she find the murderer before anyone else dies and still make sure the weddings go as planned?

This is a fun debut mystery novel. It's filled with eccentric characters that make it a pleasure to read. I often found myself chuckling or laughing at their behavior. The characters come off as believable and not caricatures.

However, as a mystery it leaves a little to be desired since solving the murder often takes a back seat to the antics of the brides and Meg's efforts to deal with their latest ideas. Still, I found the book a pleasure to read. The story is narrated first person, and Meg's asides on the action contain some of the sharpest humor. The romantic sub-plot with Michael is amusing because we as the reader know what's going on, even if Meg has no clue. By the end of the book, the mystery has been solved and all the plots tied up, leaving me anxious for more.

An interesting note is that instead of chapters, the author breaks the action down by day. It makes for rather uneven breaks in the narrative. Some days take only a couple of paragraphs while others go on for 15 pages. Since the plot takes place over two months, this makes it much easier to keep track of the passing time.

In lesser hands, Murder with Peacocks would have fallen flat, but in her debut, Donna Andrews proves what a superb writer she is. It is obvious why this book not only won a contest to get published but also the Agatha Award for best first novel. It's been the start of a great career.

And once you start, you'll want to read the rest of the Meg Langslow Mysteries in order.

Movie Review: Cats and Dogs

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun, original tale that should entertain the entire family

Cons: At times a little childish

The Bottom Line:

Great cinema?  No

But it is very funny

Perfect for the kids

Fun, Clever Family Movie

Unknown to humans, cats and dogs have been waging a very real war over our fate for years. The latest battle is over Professor Brody's (Jeff Goldblum) discovery that would cure all humans of their allergies to dogs. Naturally, the cats can't have this. Lead by the diabolical Mr. Tinkles (voiced by Sean Hayes), they plot to stop Professor Brody at all costs. Standing in his way is Lou (voiced by Tobey Maguire), an untrained puppy, who is struggling with his love for his new family and his completely unexpected duty to help the dogs. Can Lou save the Brody's and prevent Mr. Tinkles' plan to take over the world?

I was very pleasantly surprised by this movie. The story is original and clever. The humans are a bit two dimensional, but since the animals are the stars, this really doesn't matter and it's still easy to get caught up in the fun. The special effects are very well done, with one or two exceptions. They quite obviously are first steps toward such movies as the recent Narnia film. Mr. Tinkles gets some of the best lines, but the movie provides many laughs from the situations with a minimum of bathroom humor. I went to see this in the theater with two friends and all three of us were captivated and laughing during the entire movie.

Cats & Dogs is definitely worth a look. Gather the whole family together and enjoy this easily diverting movie.