Doctor Who: The Day She Saved the Doctor

***Four Stories From the TARDIS***

One of the best things about Doctor Who has always been the Doctor's companions.From Ian, Barbara, and Susan all the way to Yaz, Graham, and Ryan - the companions are always the ones who keep the Doctor grounded. They remind the Doctor of his/her need for compassion, but at the same time, they exhibit the best traits of humanity - loyalty, determination, and a willingness to fight for what is right. And let's face it - with the situations the Doctor seems to always get into, those are qualities that are much needed!

"Sarah Jane and the Temple of Eyes" by Jacqueline Rayner features the Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith, a companion that has met multiple incarnations of the Doctor and who has definitely touched the hearts of many generations of fans throughout the years. The story finds them in Ancient Rome, where they must find out why the wives of some of the influential men of the city are going blind. It all seems to lead to the cult of the Bona Dea, which was a cult of women about which very, VERY little is known and nothing is recorded.  Sarah Jane shines as she must conquer two of her greatest fears if she is to save the Doctor's life from a new alien threat...

"Rose and the Snow Window" by Jenny T. Colgan (whose name I recognize from other Doctor Who novels) tells the story of the Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler, who find themselves in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in search of a rip in time. From an apartment window of a high rise building, Rose spots an anomaly across the way - in one of the windows in the other building, she seems to be watching a man from early 19th century Russia in his castle. But when they run across the street to check, the apartment appears to be normal. Of course, with the help of the TARDIS, the Doctor and Rose can go back in time to St. Petersburg to see if they can ferret out the reason they can see this man through the window. In order to save the Doctor and the universe, Rose must not only find a way to get the Russian prince back to his own time, but she must convince him to potentially sacrifice his family's future for the sake of time itself...

"Clara and the Maze of Cui Pulta" by Susan Calman is a tale of the Eleventh Doctor and Clara Oswald, wherein they visit Cui Pulta, who the Doctor says has been voted the most beautiful city in the galaxy three times in a row! It is beautiful, and the sun glimmers off of all the buildings - but Clara begins to grow uneasy as she realizes that there is absolutely no one in the city. In fact, it is very oddly empty of life. The Doctor shrugs it off, but Clara can't shake the feeling that something is wrong. Until they find the maze. Clara gets excited at the prospect of finding their way through a maze; but after convincing the Doctor to go in, they both quickly learn that everything is not what it seems. They continue to go in circles, and there appears to be no way out! Then they find the skeleton. And they find writing on the walls to indicate others tried to find their way out. And then, Clara and the Doctor get separated - and Clara uncovers the secret that has been holding them in the maze...

"Bill and the Three Jackets" by Dorothy Koomson finds the Twelfth Doctor and Bill Potts back on Earth, where Bill is getting ready for a date. But she must have the perfect outfit, so she leaves the TARDIS to go shopping and happens across a new little shop where the clerk helps her try on three of the most amazing jackets she has ever seen. No selfies are allowed, so Bill is unable to see them on herself to compare, but the clerk does use an old Polaroid to take photos. However, when Bill goes to a nearby coffee shop to consider her choices, something strange happens - she closes her eyes and wakes up to find that she is not herself - literally! No one recognizes her, not even the Doctor! How can she stop whatever machinations are in the works before her doppelganger takes over her life for good? Only someone from her past will be able to help Bill save the Doctor before it's too late...

Each story has its own voice, and each author manages to capture the various companions nicely. It really felt like reading episodes from the television show - all four of these ladies (the authors, not the companions!) should be writing for the show!  A thoroughly good read and a great way to satisfy that Doctor Who fix until the next season comes around.

RATING:  9 pieces of sticky caramel corn out of 10 for showing the strength of the Doctor's companions!