#1 on the Amazon.com media-related bestseller list
#1 on the LOCUS magazine media-related bestseller list
#1 on the Portsmouth HERALD paperback bestseller list
#20 on the Syracuse HERALD AMERICAN bestseller list


Babylon 5 novel Casting Shadows cover
Babylon 5: Casting Shadows
Babylon 5: Casting Shadows
Book 1 of The Passing of the Techno-Mages trilogy ; by Jeanne Cavelos;
Based on an original outline by J. Michael Straczynski; Del Rey; NY; 352 pp.; paperback; $6.50 US, $9.99 Can.
ISBN 0-345-42721-1


ATTENTION: Some bookstores have the book title listed incorrectly on their computers. If your local bookstore can't find Babylon 5: Casting Shadows, ask them to look under the title The Passing of the Techno-Mages. A number of bookstore databases mistakenly have the title listed as this. Or to bypass any confusion, just provide your bookstore with the ISBN 0-345-42721-1.


Praise for Babylon 5: Casting Shadows
Book 1 of The Passing of the Techno-Mages trilogy

"The best [Babylon 5 novel] of the bunch . . ."
    --J. Michael Straczynski, executive producer, creator/writer of Babylon 5
"Should be at the top of any must-read book list. . . .
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. . . .
Events range from falling-out-of-your-chair laughter . . . to ripping-your-heart-out sadness.
I have heard people talk before about books they just couldn't put down . . . but I had never experienced that feeling.
Until now."
    --THE ZOCALO TODAY
"The best BABYLON 5 book to date. . . .
In fact, CASTING SHADOWS is probably the best novel with which to introduce new readers to BABYLON 5.
It is a strong novel in its own right and doesn't deserve to be classed as a mere 'media novel.'"
    --About.com
"A revelation for Babylon 5 fans. . . .
Not 'television episodic' in look and feel.
They are truly novels in their own right."
    --Scifi.com
"Well written and evocative."
    --Science Fiction Chronicle
"Engrossing. Galen becomes a sympathetic yet unpredictable seeker of self and truth in grim circumstances. . . . Powerfully written."
    --SPECULATIVE VISION
"Sheer magical and emotional wonder."
    --Crescent Blues
"Spellbinding prose. . . . Detailed and vivid."
    --Cinescape
"Fascinating. . . . Cavelos has set the scene for a colossal, inescapable conflict, one that could truly be the war to end all wars. . . . Villains, heroes, innocents, and pawns, she shows us a complete picture of each character, leaving us with subtle shades of gray painting in every personality. . . . Even if you've never heard of this BABYLON 5 program you'll find plenty to relish in CASTING SHADOWS. High adventure. Drama. Aliens. Magic. Hmmm . . . With Cavelos wielding the pen you might never think about your TV again."
    --Lisa DuMond, SF Site, MEviews.com
"Author Jeanne Cavelos makes a point with this book that novels based on other media--TV shows, movies--need not be hack-work, but might boast all the levels of meaning and rich characterization of non-"tie-in" novels. Galen on CRUSADE was a bald, berobed question mark; here, he's a literary character, fully fleshed out, worried about revealing himself and troubled by a universe which would allow his parents to die. . . . The beginning of an epic. . . . If the writer set out to prove that media tie-ins could fulfill the demanding art of original storytelling and not just capitalize on a brand name, then she's succeeded brilliantly here."
    --Wigglefish

Back Cover:


The spectacular space epic continues, as the techno-mages face the growing threat of the Shadows...

As Elric and his student Galen watch with taut anticipation, dragons, angels, and shooting stars rain from the sky, heralding the arrival of the techno-mages on the planet Soom. It's the first time Elric--a member of the ruling Circle--has hosted such a gathering, and if all goes well, Galen and the other apprentices will emerge triumphant from the grueling initiation rites, ready to embrace their roles as full mages among the most powerful beings in the known universe.

But rumors fly of approaching danger and Galen and his young lover, Isabelle, are chosen to investigate the dark tidings. An ancient race has awakened after a thousand years, thirsty for war, slaughter, and annihilation. Will the techno-mages be the deciding factor in the war ahead? Or the first casualties?



THE PASSING OF THE TECHNO-MAGES, a BABYLON 5 trilogy:

Book 1: Casting Shadows--March 2001
Book 2: Summoning Light--July 2001
Book 3: Invoking Darkness--December 2001

The Shadow Within, my first Babylon 5 novel,
serves as a sort of "prequel" to the trilogy.


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< jcavelos@odysseyworkshop.org >
Updated June 5, 2003
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