There are 4,125 reviews so far. To add a review of your own, click on the item in question, then click the Vote link.
| What: | The Deadstone Memorial (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | The Voter from Vortos, Vortos, Nebula Galaxy |
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| Date: | Sunday 10 April 2005 |
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| Rating: |   2 |
This book has been one of my biggest disappointments during my time reading hundreds of Doctor Who books.
I found the book constantly shifted to scenes too many times, made an emphasis on blood and gore, kept the repeating "oh my eyes are big and black", and was a horror story, not Doctor Who (and a bad horror story at that!). As for how it becomes sci-fi, you might as take the entity from another universe and turn it into a demon trapped between heaven and hell, and needs the Doctor's help to make him return! And, another thing, you can't stop reading it because you have to get to the end, which is not good considering what the book is like. Full of occult and modern life. Not a good combination.
Two vote-points, thought, for the Doctor showing Hazel the stars (can we have more of that type of Doctor??) and the bookcover, and the little snippits of comedy.
Trevor's worst book yet. I seriously hope I can see a better ...DOCTOR WHO... book from him in future.
| What: | Fear of the Dark (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Monday 4 April 2005 |
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| Rating: | 6 |
The previous reviewers liked this book much more than I did. The book does have some things going for it. First, it is very much in the traditional Doctor Who style - a small cast of characters isolated in a limited number of places; a gradually gathering evil; characters with conflicting motives. The first half of the novel is quite good, very creepy. The trouble with it, in my view, is in the second half. For instance, Baxendale seems to forget that a ship has a crew, so that the Doctor makes a foolhardy rescue of one, but totally ignores the rest. The Dark, the villain of the story, is evil to no greater degree than any other DW villain, yet there is repeated insistence on just how evil it is, as though saying evil forty times makes it forty times more evil. Pointlessly, everyone but the three main characters dies. There are numerous overly melodramatic scenes in the second half, which conflicts with the ruthless, level realism of the first half. Still, Baxendale knows how to keep the story moving at a brisk pace, build to cliffhangers, and slip in teasers.
An excellent story that draws you in and keeps you wanting to read just one more page. Once you pick this book up you will not want to put it down.
Very well written. A well developed and original story line. And finally a story that gives you a little better understanding of the TARDIS and its relationship with the Doctor. I also enjoyed the fact that ACE was written as a very strong character. Not a whinney "what have you gotten us into now Doctor?" character. I am looking forward to the next book. I hope it is as well written.
| What: | The Holy Terror (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | James, UK |
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| Date: | Thursday 24 March 2005 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
I chose this NAA because it was highly rated here and seemed less predictable than some of the other titles. I wasn't disappointed.
The first episode is a bit shakey, with some wooden voice acting. The humourous and serious aspects of the plot also jar a bit at this stage, before being smoothed out later. Episode 2 sets a better pace though and 3 & 4 are superb, with the Doctor and Frobisher trapped in a Freudian nightmare. The ending is very powerful.
What I liked most here was the natural combination of a pacy (at times quite scary!) story with integral wry humour (the rituals) and some cracking one-liners (my favourite being "The lying blasphmer speaks the truth, your holiness"). The setting smacked a bit of Gormenghast though.
Colin Baker is well-suited to audio. Having not read the comics I didn't know what to expect of Frobisher, but everything you need to know is elegantly explained and I got to like him. It is strange having the 6th Dr paired with somebody sharp and sarcastic (rather than Peri or Mel), allowing some interesting interaction.
Overall the ideal companion to a long train journey!
After the disappointing Sleep of Reason, I was scared to pick up the remaining three books in the 8th Doctor adventures. To my surprise, I couldn't put this book down. Now this is what Doctor Who is all about. It was full of suspense and mystery. It showed the human side of all of the characters without destroying the mystery that the Doctor brings with him to every situation. My hats off to Trevor and his excellent save for the 8th Doctor's final days!!!
If I'd have seen this DVD when I was 10 years old I would have loved it! Pertwee serials were always my favorite unfortunately after all these years I think pales at the side of the Target book which is great.
Never tire of this one! One of the very best ever.
| What: | The Game (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Clive Wright, Jersey |
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| Date: | Sunday 13 March 2005 |
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| Rating: | 6 |
This one hits all the classical notes of a good Doctor Who plot, with the added flash back to 6 part stories.
On this CD the sounds and dialog of Naxy bring it completely to life and the sports anouncer brings everything together.
The time line plot was handled well, if not very orginal. A good listen.
An excelt Stroy that leaves you smiling and feeling good when you close the book. A well thought out story that never once has you saying, "yeah, right." or "only in Doctor Who." Very beleivable characters. Trevor Baxendale is a very good writer that makes it very easy to share in the emotions of all his characters. He knows the difference between giving you enough details to make you feel like you know the character personally and boring you with pointless facts. If your the sensitive type the last couple of chapters might bring a tear to your eye before leaving you with a smile on your face.
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 | Base under siege - again!!! |
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Straight out of season 6 this one - not bad but needed a spark which wasn't there. Justin Richards seems to have got his plot straight out of Plutarch. A good Jamie story, if you like that kind of thing.
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| Well at least he had Daleks |
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| What: | The Time of the Daleks (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | George , Culcheth |
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| Date: | Thursday 10 March 2005 |
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| Rating: | 6 |
McGann got his Dalek Episode as all Doctors should have BUT it was not to there standerds because if you could make a time portal out of mirrors the Doctor would have Fixed his Tardis Eons ago. So yes it had daleks no it was'nt up to there standerds
| What: | Storm Warning (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | George, Culcheth |
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| Date: | Thursday 10 March 2005 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
Well it can be said he should have the new TV Series but it was not to be oh well. However but and nevertheless he got this far in the audio ad ventres we should treat like like his TV Series but without the picture
I was very disillusioned by all the hype this book received. The first 200 pages were truthfully a total bore and the story really didn't become outstanding until the last 60 pages or so. Personally speaking, I would have rather enjoyed seeing this story as a novella instead of a full-length feature novel.
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| Not Your Ordinary Everyday Adventure |
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I really enjoyed this story. Even though more of the story did not include the Doctor or his companions then did. It still was above par. For most of the story I was wondering how are they going to turn this into a true Doctor Who story?
How are they going to explain him being involved at a psychatric rehab facility in England? But I was impressed with the way it was done. The characters were well thought out and well developed. I will really miss the true main character of the story, Laska. She would make a great companion. Truely better then some the Doctor has had in the past.
The story had an almost Sherloc Holmes feeling to it. It has been one of the few so far that I kept wanting to read one more page to see what would happen next. It is also the first Doctor Who story I have read that the full potenial of the story was achieved. I was left with wanting nothing more then the story to continue. Definatly a story I will read agian and again.
| What: | The Deadstone Memorial (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | John Ellison, Atlanta, USA |
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| Date: | Sunday 6 March 2005 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Although I think this title would have benefited by being distanced in sequence from the Lovecraftian "Sleep of Reason" it is very different and holds it's own superbly. The pacing is lightning quick with solid three dimensional character interaction driving the plot!
Fitz and Trix both play interesting roles in the story and Fitz's loyalty to the Doctor has never been better portrayed. Likewise, Trix has finally started to seem as if she wants to belong as well. And the Doctor has never seemed more himself (caring, eccentric, charming, and such).
All in all, a roaring good romp that satisfies on all levels!
| What: | Colditz (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | George M. Atkinson, Culcheth |
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| Date: | Saturday 5 March 2005 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
Colditz shows well rather lets you listen to the doctor and ace at coldits i think it's very well done and there is a map shown at the back of colditz
| What: | The Blue Angel (BBC Eighth Doctor novels) |
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| By: | Stephen Carlin, Huddersfield, England |
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| Date: | Friday 4 March 2005 |
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| Rating: | 1 |
What can I say about this book? Nothing good, I'm afraid. Basically, I wouldn't want to be one of Paul Magrs' students - if his writing is anything to go by. Imagine various story elements which end up going nowhere, imagine that those story elements simply fail to engage the imagination. Somehow I get the impression that Magrs is a fan of the worst of Doctor Who and The Tomorrow People. I come away with the uneasy feeling that here is someone who really likes A Man for Emily - which springs to mind when I struggle through this book, its such a mire of ideas and words. Take my advice, don't even bother with this dross.
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| One of the best Big Finish stories yet |
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| What: | Davros (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | The Admiral, Perth, Australia |
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| Date: | Friday 4 March 2005 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
A good Dr. Who story tends to follow the usual rehashed storyline with a few surprises. A great Dr. Who story is usually experimental with somethings you absolutely never expected. This story starts out as a good Dr. Who story that turns into a great Dr. Who story.
Bringing back an old villian (Daleks, Cybermen, the Master, etc.) usually means a story very similar to what happened in the previous stories. Of course, Davros falls into that category and you expect a rehash of the old storylines.
Instead, you get Davros without the Daleks, half of the story showing unexpected things about his past on Skaro, and a perfect foil to the 6th Doctor. Colin Baker and Terry Malloy both shine in their performances. I expected the 6th Doctor to be the hero to Davros's villian but was shocked to see him as humorous to Davros's darkness.
This story is character driven. Even the secondary characters are fascinating. The story flows from the characters and the events build to an exciting and satisfying finish.
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| Read it with the light on |
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I read this one on a flight back from Japan and can say that it was a very enjoyable way to while away 12 hours! I dont normally go for the 6th Doctor stories but the Colin Baker / Peri double act were well suited to this adventure, if fact I can think of only Pertwee of the other Doctors who could have fitted into this one.
Highly recomended.
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| Too Many Balls In The Air |
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| What: | Zeta Major (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Wednesday 2 March 2005 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
This novel, for the first 3/4 of it, reads like a political thriller. I happen to like political thrillers, so I enjoyed that part of the book immensely. One of the previous viewers remarked on the strenghts of the villains, and I agree with that statement. Even the most evil of them, Krystian Fall the Zero Man, is not made out to be a raving nut bent on universal conquest. I also agree that the companions get very strong parts in this story. I would have liked to have seen this Tegan in the TV series. She is much smarter in this book.
Here are my knocks against the book. First, its premise is another of the "it's all the Doctor's fault" ideas. That idea was done well in "The Face of Evil," but it is now time to move on, and I am getting quite sick of its showing up again and again in the BBC novels and Big Finish CDs. In this case, it turns out that the Doctor's proposal to Sorenson in "Planet of Evil" to harness the kinetic energy of planetary motion was a blind alley. As a result, the Morestrans have wasted 2000 years (interesting number there and more about it later) building a gigantic "Energy Tower" to make that possible. In the process, Morestran society has split into an Imperial faction and a Church faction. This society is apparently based upon Renaissance Italy, principally, and Messingham does an interesting job of converting the historical society into a future society. This offers Messingham the opportunity to take some swipes at organized religion, particularly those based on prophecy, hence the 2000 year number. As I said, this part of the book works well for me. What happens, though, is that now that the deadline for the Energy Tower to be switched on has come up, the entire society falls apart into civil war. At this point, Messingham loses control of the story, mainly because he has too many things going on for a novel of this length, too many characters, too many motives. If the novel were twice as long, and much more detailed, these complications could have been worked out. As it is, the novel ends in a great bloody mess of bodies, and so many names thrown out that it becomes impossible to keep track of them in a single reading. Tighter control of the story would have made the last 1/4 as good as the first 3/4.
