More Babylon 5, Yeah!
580614
I enjoyed the stories. They fit in well with the B5 universe with a minimum of cast. (sigh)  The DVD extras generally were not worth the time spent watching them.
3477765
This is episode 3 of the Beast Arises series, with another half dozen yet to be published on a monthly basis. Up to now at least, the momentum initiated in the first title of the Series had been holding up strong, with both this episode and the previous one remaining fast-paced, action-packed and exciting, regardless of authors.

As for the books title, it is indeed derived from a dramatically short and to the point speech given by the High Admiral to his fleet just before the beginning of a crucial do or die space battle against an Ork fleet and one of their moon-fortresses. The whole quotation (The Emperor expects every man to do his duty) is itself  as a number of UK readers will recognise - a paraphrase of Nelsons own speech and quotation (replace The Emperor by England) just before the battle of Trafalgar. The battle itself is quite gripping, with the Orks continuing to surprise.

Also included are the next step in the machinations, plots and violence taking place between factions on Terra. Without wanting to introduce spoilers, you can expect some rather extreme infighting and more murder at the crossroads, as you have already experienced in a previous episode.

The third continuing stand of the series is the story of Space Marine Captain Koorland, the sole survivor of his Chapter (the Imperial Fists  the Defenders of Terra) with the rest having been wiped out by the Orks. As he tries to rally those that made up Dorns old legion, you will come across four Successor Chapters and some rather interesting characters leading them, including one larger-than-life Marshall Bohemond who seems inspired by the Norman warlord and Crusader of the same name who carved out the Principality of Antioch for himself during the First Crusadebut again, Ill stop here to avoid spoilers.

Another interesting feature of this book relates to the characterisation. A number of new characters appear, especially among the fleet officers and senior commanders, the Inquisition and the Space Marines. As you will see, most of them are rather well drawn. The human naval officers are presented with their flaws, weaknesses and limitations. Some manage to overcome them while others somewhat fail. The ruthlessness and self-righteousness of the Inquisitors  irrespective of the faction that they belong to  is also well displayed.

The sense of loss, sorrow and honour among the descendants of Dorn in general, and as expressed by Captain Koorland in particular, is also well presented and so is his rather sympathetic but also unbending attitude towards humans. His interaction with a young scared but brave Navy Lieutenant is particularly interesting and quite different from the ambivalent or even disdainful attitude that some Space Marine characters may display in other books.

There are two more things to add, perhaps. One is that you do need or at least it is strongly advisable to read the previous episodes before picking up this one. The second point is just my little rant. This book has only slightly over two hundred pages. The advantage is, of course, that it can be read from cover to cover pretty quickly, and this is not negligible given that the story is exciting. However (and here is the rant!) and because it is exciting, I ended up wanting more, much more
3496003
The Future Chronicle Series looks like shaping up to be a solid anthology series, first Robot now Alien. Standout offerings from Howey, Wells, Cawdron & Babylon. SF is alive and well, thank you.
86864
Great extension to the original series! Ties in well with favorite characters, adds new ones and new aliens. Great twists and multiple interesting plots developing. Will definitely be getting the rest of the series.
1376674
I am hooked on The Expanse! I love the tv series and now reading the books on which it is based gives me a lot more background. Can't wait for next season! The books are a fantastic blend of science and sci-fi but written in a style that allows a non-techie like me to understand the technology (to the extent my brain can!) I am so curious about the intentions of the protomolecule and it's impact on the future of humanity. Just started reading book 3 and the plots continue to evolve and thicken!
3093970
I started with Spinward Fringe - then Broadcast 0 - and then and then and then! The characters have me wanting to know more and caring how it's going to work out for them. It's great science fiction!  I read Renegades with the same enjoyment as the previous books in the series. I don't re-read books often but I will this series!

 I am currently on Randolph Lalonde's mailing list and watch for his posting that the next book is for sale! I can't think of a higher review...I don't spend my money lightly.
2480897
Book 10 picks up where 9 left off with the continuing saga of the  Excalibur crew. This book focuses on Selar, Burgoyne, Robin, and her  mother. In addition it continues the story of the Si Cwan story. Also you  finaly learn why the Excalibur exploded. There are also a couple of guest  appearances in this one as well. I can't wait for the upcoming hard cover  as well as the upcoming comic book from Wildstorm press. In case you have  not heard about it, it should be out on SEPT 27.
Peter David continues  the series that he created with some great books, he shows once again that  he will always have a place in the Star Trek universe.
3296693
The movies span the time from prequels through the shadow war and beyond.  If you love Babylon5, this is a collection you MUST have!
2350300
Awesome series, very few episodes are not 10/10.
Some *spoilers* but it's been almost 20 years so,

They introduced Ensign Ro during this season;
Counselor Troi got to grow as a character;
Spoc, the borg and Wesley make an appearance,
They brought back characters or situations that were mentioned in previous seasons which gave the sense of continuity and a close universe.
They took opportunities to try new things which made this particular series more memorable.
A few of my favorite episodes are "Cause and Effect", "Ensign Ro", "Disaster", "Hero Worship", "Conundrum" and "I, Borg", it is really good story telling for a TV show from late 80s.
I liked how ensign Ro, the new character, brought a good new dynamic to the series.
The series ends with "Time's Arrow" part 1, which I think is the better of the two parts.
1897863
Vir Cotto, Hero!  Vir Cotto, Emperor!  Of course, Babylon V fans knew that Vir would become Emperor after Londo.  We also knew that G'Kar would kill Londo and that the capital city of Centauri Prime would be in flames.  We also knew that Sheridan would be in time limbo.  However, this book, which covers the years 2274-2278 tells us how we got to that point.

The Centauri, under the malevolent guidence of the Drakh, have been building their war machine and are just about ready to strike.  Vir has been leading an underground that has cause minor irritation to the plans of Durla, and ultimately, the Drakh, but it didn't put an end to them.  That is until Durla was at the final moment of triumph when the underground attacked Durla in his position of strength.

However, getting there, what was the trick.  Along the way, there was intrigue, betrayal, and love both won and lost.  This was a wonderful storyline, completely consistant with what we already knew about the Babylon V timeline.  In fact, this novel fills in a lot of holes that were left in the series, especially considering that this covers the future from the perspective of the Babylon TV series, a future that we got only a glimpse of through prophecy and time distortions.

For the Babylon V fan, this entire trilogy is a must read.  I will definately be reading some more Babylon V books, hoping they are as good as this series has been.
3940539
Another excellent season that builds solidly on themes introduced in Seasons 4 and 5 without slipping into serialization. There is still a new and unique idea/adventure in each episode, but individual characters develop more depth through excellent storytelling. In Season 6, the focus seems to be on Seven of Nine, B'Elanna, the Doctor and Captain Janeway.

My Season 6 favorites include:

Episode 3  Barge of the Dead  The eighth of my Voyager Top Ten. An exceptionally creative presentation of the Klingon afterlife and Klingon lore. This story pairs with Season 1s Faces episode as an inquiry into self-acceptance as told through BElanna Torres. This story very tenderly touches on what its like being the child of divorced parents.

Episode 8  One Small Step  An homage to early space exploration. A good episode for space geeks, not only for a good story, but also for sneaking some real space science terms into the dialog. The episode concludes with a stirring speech from Captain Janeway about how space literally means nothing, but opens the door to everything.

Episode 12  Blink of an Eye  This episode proves that its possible to tell an interesting and credible story with a time anomaly without resorting to gimmickry. A great study of a civilizations growth from Stone Age to Post-Modern Age with a little general relativity tossed in. Star Treks trademark optimism about the future is highlighted.

Episode 22  Muse  The ninth of my Voyager Top Ten. Can art influence politics? Can messages conveyed through drama and poetry make a difference in peoples lives? Well, you're a Star Trek fan  Star Trek inspires cooperation and acceptance of differences  Star Trek is a series of dramatic episodes with a message -- see where this is going?  Bonus points for the use of ancient Greek theater as a model.

The Worst of Season 6:

Episode 9  The Voyager Conspiracy - Wherein Seven of Nine joins the Alex Jones fringe. I appreciate the point that most conspiracy theories can be connected to a handful of supporting facts. However, the devolution of the story into a Keystone Cops chase scene diminishes what otherwise would have been a decent message.

Episodes 11 and 17  Fair Haven & Spirit Folk -  These episodes lose touch with science fiction and suffer for it. It is ironic that a holodeck program created to relieve crew boredom is itself, remarkably boring to the viewer. Spirit Folk also suffers badly in comparison to the similar Next Generation episode that creates a self-aware Moriarty from Datas Sherlock Holmes holodeck program.

Episode 20 - Good Shepherd - Oh please! Rudolph, Herbie and the Island of Misfit Toys do not translate to Voyager story ideas. Barf!

Episode 23  Fury - Another inexplicable application of time concepts. If the temporal mechanics in this plot were accurate, the plot itself would never exist because it would have been fixed in some earlier timeline. [SPOILER ALERT] I am also really tired of crew being killed and brought back to life through time paradoxes.
955810
I got season one first and after watching the first few episodes. I order the next four seasons. Can't wait for the other 2 to come out to finish the series. They did a very good job upgrading the show. I know some people are mad because its not in wide screen but the show was filed before wide screen really took off. I watch this show on a 55 inch TV and the black bars on the side don't bother me one bit. The amount of detail on the upgrade is awesome. You can def see it when they show anything scene in space, the ships and even the planet view. Can't wait to see how ds9 and voyager will look like. They had more CGI scenes so it show look good when upgraded to HD. One show I'm hoping the will upgrade just like this but better CGI is Babylon 5.
1882009
This was great - even better than series 1 as the pace picked up a lot. The ONLY thing that knocked me off my marathon was seeing 'reigns' (of the company) instead of 'reins'. Other than that one small thing, I was lost in the book for the entire read (although I had to go back and re-read series 1 again first to re-acquaint myself with the characters). I'm now frothing at the mouth (not literally, that would be disturbing..) for the next series and trust me, you can't write it fast enough! lol More, more, I want more, and I want it NOW.
Great job as usual guys. I wanted to add that I like this even MORE than Yesterday's Gone - yes it's that good.
1962616
I am LOVING this series.  Incredible fleet actions.  Non-stop Marine vs. alien firefights.  This has it ALL.

Evan, you will need to write faster.  The Great Unwashed Masses will be calling for more, sooner than later!

Great job!
1944017
Very glad to hear this series is continuing. It is a great take on the colony saga. 5000 years in space is an impressive feat for the humans in the story! I love the interactions between crew members and other forces they have to work with.
The story is a believable one and sets the scene for further intrigue  and trouble for our young heroes to face. Looking forward to diving right into Book 2 and keep this party going!!!
2870566
Lorien's Elder has brought to us more of the continuing story of the planet. This thrilling and humorous book has out shined previous books. With new characters, bigger battles, and more Legacies. Now, fans wait in promising anticipation for Five. Good luck to Ella, John, Marina, Six, Eight, and Nine!
3541585
Any series like this grows old eventually. The last few have been good but only if you are already a fan, and just want to have another visit to a universe where sail-equipped spaceships steer between bubble universes, and Daniel and his cohort solve problems, defeat the bad guys, and have a lot of fun doing so.

This volume tries something new. Didn't like it at first, but loved it in the end. It's all told from the point of view of a new character, sort of another, younger Daniel. The key characters from the rest of the series are just bit players, and for the large middle of the book aren't even there. But it all works out in the end, and it makes a complete and satisfying read.

I do expect Drake to pull a Scalzi on us, and write the same story again but from the point of view of Daniel and the rest of the gang. Looking forward to it.