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To Dream in the City of Sorrows (Babylon 5 #9)
Ambassador to the alien world of Minbar, former Babylon 5 commander Jeffrey Sinclair is one of the first to learn the truth about the Shadows, the ancient race pursuing the destruction of the galaxy. Sinclair also discovers a startling secret: he is the linchpin in the plan to stop them. Now, Sinclair is asked to revive the legendary Minbari warrior group, the Rangers, but...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
July 29th 2003
by Del Rey
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For starters: Marcus Cole fans - PICK UP THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW! YOU'LL HATE YOUR LIFE AFTERWARD, AND TV COMPANIES IN GENERAL, BUT DARN IT, YOU WON'T REGRET IT!
-Ahem-
BB5 fans - pick up the book, because it rounds out a number of loose ends. At least most of this book is considered canon for the series, so it's a good guide to go by.
The writing was pretty good, although I have read better fan works. Part of the problem was probably some of the more threadbare bits of the BB5 universe that I already...more
-Ahem-
BB5 fans - pick up the book, because it rounds out a number of loose ends. At least most of this book is considered canon for the series, so it's a good guide to go by.
The writing was pretty good, although I have read better fan works. Part of the problem was probably some of the more threadbare bits of the BB5 universe that I already...more
by Kathryn M. Drennan, published in 1997.
This Babylon 5 novel, ‘To Dream In The City Of Sorrows’, is considered, in every way, canonical to the Babylon 5 Universe. So says J. Michael Straczynski in his introduction to this novel, and so it is. All the other novels to date are simply licenced products in the Babylon 5 Universe.
‘To Dream In The City Of Sorrows’ answers and explores those nagging questions I’m sure we were all asking after the start of Season 2 of the TV show. What happened to Sinc...more
This Babylon 5 novel, ‘To Dream In The City Of Sorrows’, is considered, in every way, canonical to the Babylon 5 Universe. So says J. Michael Straczynski in his introduction to this novel, and so it is. All the other novels to date are simply licenced products in the Babylon 5 Universe.
‘To Dream In The City Of Sorrows’ answers and explores those nagging questions I’m sure we were all asking after the start of Season 2 of the TV show. What happened to Sinc...more
This was the final novel to be published under the original book contract, and it is by far the shining jewel of the collection. In a very real sense, this book presages the kind of tight continuity that marks the trilogies that followed. The story of what happened to Sinclair between his arrival on Minbar and his eventual return to Babylon 5 in “War Without End”, this is a gift to any dedicated Babylon 5 and Jeffrey Sinclair fan.
The author spends a great deal of time reconciling some apparent c...more
The author spends a great deal of time reconciling some apparent c...more
I picked up this book for a couple bucks somewhere because I had heard it was one of the few decent books in the B5 novel series. As it turns out, "decent" is a pretty good word for it - I enjoyed reading it, but ultimately it's pretty forgettable. It was fun to learn more about Jeffrey Sinclair, a character I would have liked to have seen more of on the show.
I though the book's weakest point was its lack of a cohesive central arc. While it's often hard to give characters a good storyline withou...more
I though the book's weakest point was its lack of a cohesive central arc. While it's often hard to give characters a good storyline withou...more
I first read this years ago, but after a recent discussion about it on The Babylon Podcast ( www.babylonpodcast.com ) I figured I'd try and get a hold of a copy and give it another go.
This book does a lot to fill in the time between Sinclair leaving B5 and when he returns in 'War Without End', and also fills out Catherine Sakai's continuing story, and Marcus Cole's backstory before he appears in Season 3. It's well written and keeps you invested in the characters, but there's a bit of a "crops-o...more
This book does a lot to fill in the time between Sinclair leaving B5 and when he returns in 'War Without End', and also fills out Catherine Sakai's continuing story, and Marcus Cole's backstory before he appears in Season 3. It's well written and keeps you invested in the characters, but there's a bit of a "crops-o...more
". . . it is said that to dream in the city of sorrows, is to dream of a better future."
Maybe it's just because I spent the majority of high school reading any and all Star Wars expanded universe novels I could get my hands on, or maybe it's because I'm a big fat snob with a Master's Degree now, but I'm embarrassed of how embarrassed I am to be reading this book. In my head second-hand fiction about a dead television show (or film series) is now associated in my mind with the social pariahdom of...more
Maybe it's just because I spent the majority of high school reading any and all Star Wars expanded universe novels I could get my hands on, or maybe it's because I'm a big fat snob with a Master's Degree now, but I'm embarrassed of how embarrassed I am to be reading this book. In my head second-hand fiction about a dead television show (or film series) is now associated in my mind with the social pariahdom of...more
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It's called 'summer reading' ;-) The story is more interesting in its first half with three concurrent narratives of Catherine Sakai, Jeffrey Sinclair and Marcus Cole, told in separate alternating chapters. Catherine's and Marcus' solo exploits are the more interesting chapters. One wonders if the author felt a bit hamstrung with the Sinclair narrative of dull, planet-bound politics with the implacable and ritual-obsessed Mimbari, all within a time frame well-circumscribed by events in the telev...more
I watched maybe the first three seasons of Babylon Five, and really, really liked this book. I was always curious about the Sinclair character, especially given his eventual (past?) destiny. This book did a great job of continuing his story (and filling in some backstory) after he was shipped off to Minbar. I even find that I've reread it a couple of times, even though I didn't stick with the television series itself.
Another attempt to fill a mysterious Babylon 5 continuity gap. But unlike the tragic & brooding "Shadow Within", this novel simply doesn't have the same power, or develop a similar interest in the characters. Even on TV, Michael O'Hare was wooden in the extreme as Commander Sinclair...and that translate with unfortunate consequences to print.
I really wanted to like this. It has some of my favourite characters in, and it was really good to find out what happened to Catherine. But, despite some enjoyable interaction between Sinclair and Marcus, the writing style was clunky and I struggled to get through it.
In my opinion this book was so much better than the first 8 books.... I enjoyed them all but this one was true to the story created in the tv show and it was great reading more about Jeff after he is appointed to Minbar and Ranger One and finding out what happened to Catherine.... Fan-friggen-tastic.... Abso-fragen-lutly......
I loved this book. I liked seeing life on Minbar for the Rangers. I really liked seeing the training they went through.
This Babylon 5 tie-in novel delves into the mystery of what happened to Commander Jeffery Sinclair after being recalled to Earth after the assassination of President Santiago on Earth Forth One and his eventual destiny as Ranger One and beyond.
This book is pretty good as tie-in novels go and fills in a lot of what happens to Sinclair after he left Babylon 5, although some events alluded to in the book are only glossed over.
Branded with the JMS Seal of Approval as being as close to canon as one c...more
This book is pretty good as tie-in novels go and fills in a lot of what happens to Sinclair after he left Babylon 5, although some events alluded to in the book are only glossed over.
Branded with the JMS Seal of Approval as being as close to canon as one c...more
This is a B5 spin off, and really is more like an episode of the show (or several) in print form. Since JMS and his wife, Kathryn Drennan, wrote it, and since he created and wrote almost the entire show there is a conspicuous lack of the inconsistencies in plot and characterization that annoy me when I read this type of thing.
It explains a lot about what went on with Sinclair, Marcus, and a lot of other characters, and there is also a good bit about Neroon, who I like.
It explains a lot about what went on with Sinclair, Marcus, and a lot of other characters, and there is also a good bit about Neroon, who I like.
Feb 22, 2008
Azar
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Babylon 5 fans, especially fans of Marcus and/or Sinclair
I understand now why this is considered not only one of the best of the B5 tie-in books, but also the only one to be 100% part of the series canon. I've been fascinated by Sinclair's destiny for almost as long as I've known about it, and this provided a much-needed "missing chapter" in his journey to accepting that destiny.
Jun 18, 2013
Nick Sheridan
marked it as to-read
May 15, 2013
Christopher York
marked it as to-read
May 12, 2013
Margaret
added it
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