Captives in Space - the Second Dig Allen Space Explorer Adventure

I went into this book a bit tentative, as I finished the first book with a bit of ambivalence.  It wasn't that great, but it wasn't that bad either.  As such, I was not sure what to expect from this second Dig Allen Space Explorer Adventure.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to find I enjoyed this story far more than I did the first.  Sure, it has some very unbelievable elements, and the interior illustrations are by a different artist than the first book - but it definitely has a faster paced, more action-oriented story with just a hint of a mystery, and thus, it kept my attention from beginning to end.  I also notice the tagline above the title actually reads "A Dig Allen Space Explorer Adventure" rather than the generic "A Science Fiction Adventure" on the cover of the first book.  It's nice to see the series is identified by its main character now.

 

Captives in Space takes place just six month since the events retold in the first book (p. 12). Dig Allen and his two friends, Ken and Jim Barry, are now full-fledged Space Explorers with their very own spaceship, the Starover.  As fate would have it, as the boys take the ship out on its first space flight after spending time on Earth studying intensely (p. 12), they come across a space wreck.  They try to hail a fleeing escape vessel, but the other ship flies off without any response.  The boys keep hearing voices coming from the wrecked ship, but when they board it, they find no one aboard.  They can't make any sense out of it, especially when they come across some crates of mechanical toys that appear to function just as real sized vehicles would.  After a harrowing escapade removing the engine portion of the ship before it explodes, taking them all with it, the boys manage to two the wreckage back to Mars to report it to the Space Guards and let them handle it.  But the mystery is only beginning...

 

Author Joseph Greene (who is not given any credit whatsoever on the cover to the book) manages to create a rather interesting plot for this second adventure.  The boys, while on Mars, meet up with Old Dorkas once again (that old space pirate from the first book), and he gives them some hints regarding the so-called "toys" they discovered on that abandoned ship.  They quickly find out the ship was not quite as abandoned as they thought; instead, there was two small aliens, no more than six or seven inches in height, hiding on board.  Despite a language barrier, the boys manage to befriend the aliens and quickly figure out the humans who took off from the wreckage were actually pirates, who had kidnapped not just these two aliens, but 28 other of their species for nefarious reasons!  Dig, Ken, and Jim are determined to help find those other aliens and return them to their home planet (which is a mystery as well, since they cannot speak the language of these small creatures!).  Along the way, they are aided by a disreputable space trader who ultimately betrays them, and are very nearly sent rocketing into the sun to meet certain death!

 

Now, while this is a science fiction adventure (with emphasis on the "fiction" part!), Greene does throw in some actual facts.  When trying to figure out where the aliens are from, the boys posit the idea that they might hail from another star system, such as Alpha Centauri. "...that's four and a half years away if you travel with the speed of light," Dig says (p. 69).  This is pretty accurate, as that system is located approximately 4.37 light-years away from our own.  Of course, in the real world, we do not have technology to travel at the speed of light, so with current technology, it would take over 100,000 years to reach that system!  Later, there is reference to Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, and Dig comments, "Mercury's year is equal to 88 days on Earth" (p. 124), which is accurate; however, Dig also says, "The Mercury day is just as long" (p. 124), which is not accurate, since Mercury rotates on its axis very slowly, taking 59 of our Earth days just to complete one full rotation.  I suppose you can't get every fact right!

 

There are plenty of fictional "facts" within the story, such as the breathable air on both Mars and Mercury, and the fact that Mercury has plant light growing on the equator between the hot and cold sides of the planet (and the fact that these little aliens are indigenous to Mercury!).  One thing that did strike me as funny is the Barry brothers' father inventing a computer called the "Langivac" (p. 69) that can translate languages.  My first reaction was, "yeah, right, like that could ever work" - then I stopped and remembered that we have phones with apps now that will translate language as someone is speaking it!  So, I suppose these fictional ideas from 60 years ago aren't quite so fictional any more (I mean, the video calls from the Jetsons, the flip-communicators from Star Trek, and who knows how many other sci-fi gadgets that people thought were futuristic back in the day are now common-place in the world today!). 

 

The interior art is provided in this book by Herb Mott (1923 - 2017), who in the early days of his career provided pen and ink drawings for a number of pulp magazines.  He is probably best known for his cover paintings that graced the covers of Railroad Magazine (painting 52 covers from 1949 to 1954).  Alongside his painted illustrations for men's magazines in the 1950s, he illustrated various books for Grosset & Dunlap. He also did the internal illustrations for The Three Investigators no. 28, The Mystery of the Deadly Double.  This is the only book in the series illustrated by Mott.  The illustrations begin with a purplish color, but as the book progresses, the illustrations turn more of a reddish color.  It is assumed Mott also provided the cover art, which depicts a scene from the opening adventure, where they work to rescue the wreckage of the space ship.

 

Interesting enough, the back of the book features a display of various series published by Golden Press, listing a couple of new titles in the Kathy Martin and Dig Allen series, which are not pictured.  Since there are far less titles on this back advertisement than there are on the back of the first book (which merely has lists and no pictures), I am guessing my copy of the first book is a later printing (since it lists all of the Dig Allen books), while this one is an early printing (since it only lists to itself).

 

This book definitely amped up my interest in the series, and I now find myself looking forward to book 3.

 

RATING:  8 large, rough log cabins out of 10 for a fun-filled romp through space, with planet-hopping, language-learning, and dire emergencies that only three teenage Space Explorers could possibly work their way out of! 

Donna Noble: Kidnapped (From the Worlds of Doctor Who)

As those who know me already know, Donna Noble, as played by the superbly talented Catherine Tate, is my absolute favorite companion that has ever graced the world of Doctor Who.  From her introduction in "The Runaway Bride" Christmas special some years ago, to her full season of episodes, to her return in the last two David Tenant specials, to the numerous books and audio books, and now in the upcoming mini-series of episodes once again starring David Tenant, I have loved this character without end!  A few years ago, Big Finish Productions, who has been producing Doctor Who audio books for many years now, as well as Dark Shadows audio stories continuing and building upon the original series, put out a five-disc special audio series starring none other than Donna Noble herself!  I immediately bought the box set, but unfortunately, as my car CD player had quit working by then, I did not have the opportunity to listen to it.  Well, a recent vacation with a rental car gave me plenty of driving time within which to listen to the CDs, and I can say the story (and hearing Catherine Tate's voice once again!) was well worth the wait!

Donna Noble: Kidnapped is a four-part story that is made up of four short stories with an over-arching tale of alien invasion.  While each of the four tales is written by a different author, the characterization remains consistent throughout all of them.  Catherine Tate, of course, reprises her role as Donna Noble, while Jacqueline King once again plays Donna's mother.  Dan Starkey, who is a long time Doctor Who actor who has played numerous roles over the years, takes on a couple of characters in the stories.  Wrapping up the main cast is Niky Wardley as Donna's best mate, Natalie, and Isla Blair as a speed dating organizer named Marge.  Most of the other characters are specific to each of the four tales, and at the very end, there is a special appearance by David Tennant as the 10th Doctor!

 

The story takes place shortly after the two-part "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead" episodes in series four, in which Donna finds herself in an alternate reality where she is married and has two children.  Coming back to this reality has left Donna a bit rattled, as she still remembers her husband and children and must deal with the loss of them as mere memories for a reality that no longer exists.  These four short audio tales touch upon that loss and further Donna's relationship with her overly-controlling mother (although, admittedly, we see a side of Sylvia Noble that we haven't seen before, which may alter the view of those who find the character not likable at all!).  They work seamlessly into the "between episodes" of the fourth series, and it's loads of fun to see Donna take all that she has learned while traveling with the Doctor and basically ask herself, "What Would the Doctor Do?"

The first story, "Out of this World," sets the stage for the whole adventure.  Donna reluctantly joins her friend Natalie for a night of speed dating - in which the two meet a mysterious young man who takes a rather healthy interest in Donna.  She wonders if perhaps he was sent by the Doctor, but it quickly becomes clear that aliens are involved, and when she, Natalie, and a couple of others are beamed aboard a spaceship, Donna is shocked to find herself face-to-face with the TARDIS!

"Spinvasion" continues the adventures of the Doctor ... er, I mean Donna (who is now passing herself off as "The Doctor") her companion (a/k/a best friend) Nat.  Donna manages to get her and Nat away from the alien spaceship, but they crash onto a planet that is being invaded - willingly!  A marketing team has convinced the citizens of the planet that they actually want to to be invaded, and Donna knows that she must free these people - after all, it's what the Doctor would do!

The next tale, "The Sorcerer of Albion," find Donna and Nat trying desperately to get back home - and they manage to get to Earth, only a few centuries too early.  It's the Middle Ages, and an aging sorcerer mistakes Donna for an incarnation of Merlin - and he captures her, doing everything in his power to steal her "magic" so he can defeat the monsters that are attacking his realm.  But Donna and Nat quickly come to question who is the real monster here?

The adventures of Donna and Nat conclude with "The Chiswick Cuckoos," as the troublemaking twosome manage to get home - only to discover that an alien plot has already hatched, and Donna is smack dab at the center of it!  There's only one person who can save Earth, and Donna and Nat are the only two who can free the Doctor so he can put an end to the machinations of ... well, no, that would be telling!  Let's just say in this four-part story, you can't really be sure that anyone is who they say they are...

So much adventures, so much danger, so much alien action, and so much fun - we definitely need more adventures of Donna Noble!  Are you paying attention, Big Finish?  MORE DONNA NOBLE!  After all, she's so much more than just a temp from Chiswick!

RATING:  10 mail flyers advertising speed dating out of 10 for giving fans a much needed fix of Donna Noble - but definitely leaving us all wanting for more!

The Nice House on the Lake - A DC Comics Black Label Maxi-Series

Ten people are invited to a beautiful lake house for a vacation.  The house is isolated, alone overlooking a quiet lake with a magnificent view of mountains and woods all around.  The ten people know each other somewhat (some better than others), but they all have one person in common.  Walter.  An enigmatic man with glasses, who in one way or another has touched each of these people's life and loved them in a way no one else has.  Walter.  A man of mystery who they can't help but love and for whom they are willing to do pretty much anything.  Including walk away from their life for a vacation that he promises will be one they will never forget.  And he's right.  NOW, doesn't that sound like the perfect description of a horror film?  That's what I thought, and that's why I picked up the series.  A 12-issue comic book series published under DC's "Black Label" imprint, likely because of the darker nature of the story.  But it turns out this tale was much more than horror.  Oh, sure, it definitely had the horror elements; but it also had elements of mystery ... elements of suspense and humor ... and elements of science fiction that came as an unexpected surprise.

The Nice House on the Lake is everything you want to read in a great story, but nothing at all what you would expect from the opening issues.  Writer James Tynion IV and artist Alvaro Martinez Bueno, who created the concept and brought it to life on the comic page, have a true masterpiece on their hands here.  I can't even begin to tell you how drawn in I was with the characters, with the story, with the twists and turns, with the cliffhangers, and ... well, you get the idea.  I am familiar with Tynion's work from DC's Justice League Dark series not so long ago, and I loved his writing on that series.  Obviously, Tynion is skilled at writing dark stories.  I am not familiar at all with Bueno's work, but his art clearly fits for this series.

As I indicated, The Nice House on the Lake tells the story of ten very different individuals - Norah Jakobs (the writer); Ryan Cane (the artist); Sarah Radnitz (the consultant); Naya Radia (the doctor); Molly Reynolds (the accountant); Veronica Wright (the scientist); Sam Nguyen (the reporter); Arturo Perez (the acupuncturist); Rick MacEwan (the pianist); and David Daye (the comedian).  Ten very different people with very different backgrounds, both culturally and professionally.  But all ten of them know Walter, and through Walter, they have connections - some slight, but some much stronger and deeper.  Walter invites all ten of them up to that very nice house on the lake for a vacation get-away, and while at first, it seems like a week of fun and games, it quickly turns to terror when they suddenly start seeing messages and reports on social media of the world beyond that lake facing utter destruction - fire raining from the sky, people literally melting in the streets, destruction happening all around the world, and friends, family, and loved ones dying in such horrible ways - all just beyond the reach of these ten people (well, eleven, counting Walter - but he doesn't really count).

And when Norah gets angry enough at Walter for trying to calm them all and encouraging them to be grateful that they were spared the destruction of the world out there, she grabs a fire poker and slams it right through Walter's head!  The only problem is, it doesn't kill him; rather, it reveals to the ten unsuspecting guests that Walter is not at all who they though him to be.  In fact, Walter doesn't appear to be human at all!  And with that concluding shock of the first issue, readers are left to wonder just what is really going on at the nice house on the lake?  Is this some kind of nightmare they will wake up from?  Is it actually some supernatural force that has taken control of them?  Is it some governmental experiment gone wrong?  Is it an alien experiment gone wrong?  Or, is it something that none of them can begin to comprehend?

Tynion slowly builds the story throughout the 12-issue series, with each of the cast revealing how they met Walter, how they engaged with Walter, and how they were ultimately pulled to the lake house.  Their memories of Walter provides background on why Walter specifically chose these ten individuals to survive the destruction that was to come - but there are also the memories that Walter took from them, and continues to take from them whenever they get too close to the truth.  Like when they discover the weird statues scattered on the grounds that surround the house ... and when they find the strange house made of black glass with no doors or windows ... and when they accidentally uncover the fact that they can hurt themselves (or each other) and heal as if they were never hurt at all!  With each issue, with each new discovery, the suspense builds, the terror builds, and their distrust of Walter builds.  Until they find a way to open a door into that strange building - and their friend Reggie bounds out, grateful they finally found the way to let him out of that place!

But, with Reggie there, that makes eleven people at the nice house on the lake - and according to Walter, there can only be ten ...

Some of the characters you will like ... some of them you will dislike ... some of them you won't really get to know as much as others ... some of them you will root for ... some of them you will realize are not who you think they are ... but one things is sure, you will definitely want to make it to the twelfth issue, because there are some major surprises in store about Walter, about the cast of characters, and about the entire situation that is happening to them and the world.  Because this is definitely not over, and sadly, one of them won't make it out of this alive.

 

This series will definitely make you think, and it will definitely make you question - if you had the opportunity to live out your life in the perfect paradise while the rest of the world (and humanity!) perishes, would you?

RATING:  9 copies of Action Comics No. 1 out of 10 for a truly unique apocalyptic tale of tragedy, friendship, survival, betrayal, and love.

The Prescient Wisdom of Nancy Drew

The word "prescient" is defined at www.dictionary.com as "having knowledge of things or events before they exist or happen; having foresight."  Thus, the title of this book leads one to assume that the book will be about the uncanny ability of that famous teen girl detective to anticipate things and figure things out before they actually are revealed.  I mean, after all, the name "Nancy Drew" in the title of the book is the sole reason I bought the book.  As an avid collector of Nancy Drew (among other children's mystery series), if her name pops up in a title of a book, I'm pretty apt to buy it.  This was no exception.  But I will honestly say, nothing - and I do mean NOTHING - could have possibly prepared me for the story I was going to read!

The Prescient Wisdom of Nancy Drew is probably - no, is DEFINITELY - the oddest, weirdest, strangest, most unusual book I have ever read.  In fact, all of those words combined really do not do this book justice.  Now, don't get me wrong.  Just because this book is so ... unique, shall I say ... it does not make it a bad book.  Far from it.  If you can get past the opening chapters, which are rather dense and leave the reader with a bit of uncertainty as to the direction of the book, then you will find yourself in for one heck of a wild ride!  This book has everything from aliens to talking dogs to invisible coyotes to giant boys to glowing orbs of light to all-powerful stones ... well, you get the idea.  And to think, it all starts with a little dog being sent up inside a rocket from Russia....

Set in the final months of 1957, the story opens in Russia where a young dog by the name of Laika is getting ready to be launched into space on a rocket by the name of Sputnik II.  The scientist who has been working with the dog, one Sergei Berezin, had recently come to have his daughter in his custody after the young girl's mother died and she had nowhere else to go.  Unsure what to do with her, he allowed her to stay in his apartment home, and for a brief while, she was able to share the apartment with Laika.  But her father warned her not to become attached.  So, when he took the dog away so it could be sent up into space, to orbit around the Earth, his daughter, Kisa, found herself missing the dog.  But that's okay, because she has found a stone down by the river that talks to her.  Now, you may be asking yourself at this point - what in the world does this have to do with Nancy Drew???  Well, be warned - the author, Rhyscary Wade, specifically indicates in the synopsis on the back of the book that you won't find out until the very end where Nancy Drew comes into the story!  And he's not kidding!

Well, some unexpected events transpire that lead Sergei, Kisa, and her school teacher, Pytor Glinka, to be kidnapped, reunited, and taken - well, let's just say they get taken.  Meanwhile, half a world away, in an airport in the United States, a family waits for the plane that will take them on the first leg of their journey to London.  Lars Angstrom is a university profession with a penchant for getting himself into trouble with his female students.  By now, his wife has become used to their suddenly being forced to move away when he gets fired from one university after another.  His three daughters - Stormy, Bubbles, and Molly (self-given nicknames, not their real names, by the way) - just go with the flow.  Bubbles is oblivious to her rather suddenly enlarged endowments; Molly is rough and tough, but she is learning as she gets older how to use her feminine wiles; and Stormy - well, Stormy is frustrated that she looks younger than her two sisters, even though she is the oldest!  What none of them realize is that one of the other passengers is on a very deadly mission to assassinate Lars!  Nor that the doctor on board, who looks way too young to be a doctor, has seen things that no human should ever see.  Nor that another passenger was sent on the plane to watch out for something.  Nor that Lars has a very special stone in his pocket that has the same wonderful properties as Kisa's stone...

So, what do you think happens when the plane, mid-flight, is suddenly surrounded by orbs of light that circle the plane, attach to the plane, fly in front of and behind the plane?  And worse, what happens when passengers start to disappear?  Or, at least, they seem to ... because Molly and Bubbles can still see everyone, but no one can see them, and apparently, the passengers and crew can't seem to see each other.  And where in the world did Stormy and the doctor go?  And how in the world is this flight connected to the Russian scientist, his little daughter, and the dog that presumably died in Sputnik II?  So many questions!  Yet, Wade does indeed answer them, although not necessarily in the expected or usual way!  The story will startle you, surprise you, and have you laughing out loud - and before the end, you will find yourself caring for the characters, even if you don't want to.  There are some deaths in the book, some changes in relationships, some new beginnings, some endings, and a fun-filled romp through *******land (yeah, you didn't really think I was going to spoil THAT one, did you?).  All I can really say about this book is - expect the unexpected!!!

Now, if you are thinking that there is absolutely no mention of Nancy Drew until that very last page, let me set your mind at rest.  Wade isn't that cruel.  There are three references within the story itself:

"Though genial, bright, and friendly, at heart Bubbles was a serious pensive girl who always had her nose in a book, even if that book was the latest in a series of young adult mysteries.  Nancy Drew had had her way with all the Angstrom girls, and Bubbles was no exception" (p. 68).

"Seven years of Nancy Drew had taught her loads about interrogation" (p. 106).

"Then, though he knew it was ridiculous, he looked under the seat, where he found Nancy Drew's Clue of the Velvet Mask, but nothing in the way of blonde teenagers" (p. 139).

While these three quotes may not seem much in and of themselves, trust me - they make perfect sense in the context of the story.  And as for that ending?  Well, Wade certainly was telling the truth, as the last line of the book is the entire reason for the title.  But don't cheat and ruin it for yourself - making your way through the story is the whole fun of it all!

I didn't really know what to think when I bought the book (as I bought it simply because it had Nancy Drew in the title), and my head is still spinning somewhat from everything I read - but I would certainly recommend it for some great, out-of-this-world kind of fun you won't read anywhere else.  (Although, this book is apparently book 6 of Wade's UFO Sex Comedy series of books, so perhaps if you read some of the other books, you might find more of this kind of fun - who knows?)

RATING:  10 wild goose chases out of 10 for being the most unusual, unique, crazy, out-of-this-world book that I have ever and probably will ever read in my life!

Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious - All Flesh is Grass

I thoroughly enjoyed the first "Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious" novel, so I came into this second novel with high hopes.  The first book has such a strong feel of an episode of the TV show, I could actually 'watch' it in my mind as I was reading the book.  I mean, any time BBC and its various writers bring together more than just two Doctors for a special story, it's bound to be good.  Right?  I mean, here we have the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann), the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston, my favorite!), and the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant), coming together - the Tenth Doctor to stop the Kotturuh, and the Eighth and Ninth Doctors to stop the Tenth Doctor from genocide.  And the Eighth Doctor has brought along the Daleks, the sworn enemy of the Doctor, and the Ninth Doctor has brought a horde of vampires.  Who is actually fighting on the right side here?   Such a great premise, such a great build up in the last book....and such a huge let-down with this second part.

All Flesh is Grass, written by Uma McCormack, lacks almost everything the previous book had that made it such a great Doctor Who story.  While the story picks up right where the previous "Time Lord Victorious" book left off, it's as different as night is from day.  First, and probably foremost, is the fact that the author does not have a grasp on the personalities for the various Doctors.  One of the things about Doctor Who that has made it fascinating, for me at least, is that each incarnation of the Doctor has a very different, very distinct personality that sets him (or her, as the case may now be) from every other version.  The Ninth Doctor was serious; the Tenth Doctor was adventurous; the Eleventh Doctor was fun; the Twelfth Doctor was grave; the Thirteenth Doctor is surprising; and so on.  But in this book, none of the Doctors have their personality.  Rather, they read very stiff and dry.  As I read their dialogue, I don't hear any of their voices like I did in the previous book.  It's just dialogue that, quite frankly, any character could have said and it would have had the same impact.  There was nothing that made any of them feel like the Doctor.

And this whole idea that the Tenth Doctor would purposefully set out to wipe out an entire species?  I'm sorry, but that does not at all fit with the Tenth Doctor's characterization.  The Ninth Doctor?  Maybe.  The Eighth Doctor?  Probably not.  In fact, I don't know of ANY Doctor that would set out to wipe out a species, except maybe the War Doctor (John Hurt).  So, the entire premise just did not work.  The Doctor ALWAYS finds a way around it.  I was so put off by the characterization, that I had to push myself to get through the book and finish it, which rarely happens to me when I'm reading.  Honestly, I got more enjoyment out of he Daleks and the vampires than I did out of the Doctors.  And there were no companions in this story (unless you count Brian, the Ood, but he had his own agenda - and, quite frankly, he was more interesting to read than any of the Doctors - I found myself wanting to see where his story was going to take him).  Maybe that's why the Doctors' characterization was so off?  I think it was Donna who told the Doctor at the end of her first story (the Christmas special) that he needed to find himself someone, that he needed someone to keep him grounded.  And I think this book is a perfect example of just how right she was!

And speaking of Donna...

Probably the best thing about this book was on page 72, when the Eighth Doctor gets aboard the ship the Tenth Doctor had commandeered.  When Eight comments about a ship like that never appealing to him, Ten responds with: "Well, it's come in handy ... Took me a while to name it but I've settled on HMS Donna because, well, there's no arguing with it." Not only does my all-time favorite companion get a mention and a ship named after her, but she's the one character that McCormack actually got right!  Because, let's face it, there really was no arguing with Donna Noble - you always knew she would win in the end!  So, with this, the book had at least one redeeming quality.

As for the story itself - McCormack jumped back and forth among the Doctors and various characters so often, that it became somewhat hard to follow the story.  Just when you start getting into one part of the adventure, the story jumps to another scene - then to another - then back to the first - then to the third - then to the second - then to the third again - then back to the first - and so on, and so on.  It felt very jumbled, and sadly, did not flow smoothly as you are reading it.  And when the three Doctors finally meet, and you think this is going to lead up to a big battle, nope - they get separated, and we start jumping around again.  The writing lacked the cohesion and flow necessary to make it a good read, and felt more like the author simply was throwing one action sequence after another at the reader in the hopes the reader will ignore the lack of proper characterization and transitions.

At least this is the final "Time Lord Victorious" novel, so if there are any Doctor Who books in the future that I buy (depending on who the companions are), I hope they find better authors to handle them!

RATING:  4 slowly dying spider plants out of 10 for bringing three Doctors together in a story that at least gives a nod to Donna Noble - the best companion of all time!

Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious - The Knight, The Fool, and The Dead

While I normally do not get any Doctor Who books that don't feature a companion I like - such as Donna Noble, Rory Williams, Bill Potts - but with this new "Time Lord Victorious" multi-media cross-over story, I had to pick up the two novels that are part of the cross-over.  I've read the comic issues, and we have a couple of the Doctor Who Magazine issues that have short comic tales connected to the overall story.  And now that I have read the first of the two novels, a lot of what happened in those comic stories makes much more sense.

The Knight, The Fool, and the Dead is the first of the two novels.  Written by Steve Cole, the story follows the Tenth Doctor no long after his "Waters of Mars" adventure (the third special following the third series of the new Doctor Who show).  Cole does not shy away from the Tenth Doctor's dilemma following what happened in that TV special.  He saved a group of scientists who were meant to die on Mars - only to have the captain from that group kill herself at the end to prevent time from changing.  He had already faced the reality of Davros' observation of how he was so adverse to weapons of any kind, yet he managed to fashion himself an army of companions who would be his weapons for him.  Plus, how many warnings did he get that his time was coming to an end?  He survived the Time War, he defeated the Daleks' plan to wipe out reality, and he had to wipe the memories of one of his beloved companions.  This book is a prime example of why Donna made the Doctor promise her he would find someone (after "The Runaway Bride" Christmas special), because he should never travel alone.  Cole shares the story of what happens when the Doctor travels alone...

The Kotturuh are creatures that are spreading judgment throughout the universe.  When they arrive on a planet, it is to pass sentence on the life form there and to provide a limitation on the lifespan of those living on the planet.  For some, it is hundreds of year.  For others, it is only a few years, a few months, or in some cases, a few days.  No one has opposed them, although there is one who seeks to make a profit from these death sentences.  And there is one ... the last of his kind ... who has traveled back in time to the Dark Ages to explore ... but who realizes that by putting a stop to the Kotturuh in this far past, he could potentially save millions upon millions of lives in the future.  The question isn't whether he can do it or not - he's the Doctor, so of course he CAN do it.  The real question is - should he do it?

It starts out innocently enough.  The Doctor is witness to the fate the Kotturuh have passed upon the people of Andalia.  He witnesses an Ood attack a young girl, Estinee, who is wearing an armor of sorts that could protect people from the effects of the Kotturuh.  And he does what the Doctor always does - he sets out to protect the innocent.  Or so he thinks.  For not everything is what it seems with Estinee, nor is everything what it seems with the Ood (whose name, oddly enough, is "Brian").  As the Doctor and Brian soar through space to find and rescue Estinee, the Doctor discovers he has the opportunity to put a stop to the Kotturuh - to turn their own curse upon them.  But even Estinee questions the idea of extinguishing a race, no matter how awful they may be.  But who can stop the Doctor when he has his mind set on something?  Well, only the Doctor can, of course!

Cole's tale is a dark one, no doubt, but it is spattered with interludes featuring the First Doctor with Ian and Barbara, the Ninth Doctor with Rose, and the Eighth Doctor.  As hinted at by the previous comic stories by Titan and the Doctor Who Magazine, the "Time Lord Victorious" is a story that spans all of the Doctors' lifetimes, and this book solidifies that.  And if your were expecting a nice, tidy resolution at the end of this book, well think again - Cole leaves us with a huge cliffhanger that rivals any cliffhanger the television show has ever had.  As I said above, this story shows us what happens when the Doctor does not have a companion to keep him in check - to remind him of what it means to be human - to remind him of what it's like for those who can't regenerate, for those who only have one life to live.  I think we all know that the Doctor could very easily be victorious in anything he chooses to do, but now we see what could potentially happen when a Time Lord is victorious!

The Doctors are converging and the story is building to a climax .... can't wait to see what happens next in All Flesh is Grass.

RATING:  10 original bulky Lifesuits out of 10 for taking the Doctor down a whole new path and giving fans a chance to see a totally different side to the Time Lord!

Doctor Who - Combat Magicks

I managed to get around to reading the third book in this first trilogy of stories from the thirteenth Doctor, and while I did enjoy it, I would not say it was one of my favorites. It's interesting to note that of all the Doctor Who books I have read to date - those with Donna Noble, those with Rory and Amy, those with Bill, and now these with the Thirteenth Doctor and her companions - there has been a large variety, with many different authors, but for the most part, the authors have captured the essence of the show and the characters (though there have been some bad exceptions).  Some, though, like this one, while capturing the essence of the show, did not quite hit the mark when it comes to the characters themselves.  Author Steve Cole provides a story that I could easily envision as an episode - maybe even a two-parter - on the television; but the characterization felt a bit too stiff and forced, and the interaction among the companions and the Doctor didn't feel as natural as it has in other books.

Combat Magicks takes the Doctor, Graham, Ryan, and Yaz to the Fifth Century Earth, where they find themselves facing the forces of Atilla the Hun and the Roman Empire who is fighting to keep him from overtaking their land.  As usual, the group gets separated - the Doctor and Yaz end up with Attila the Hun, who mistakes them for witches who he believes can help him win the upcoming battle; Graham ends up with the Roman soldiers, where the healing salve he has from the TARDIS is seen as a miracle cure that can save their king; and Ryan ends up with the mysterious Legion of Smoke, who he soon discovers has a lot of knowledge about things they should not know about in 451 AD.  As you can see, the plot definitely has all the elements necessary for a good story, as the Doctor must not only save all of her companions, but she must find a way to stop the upcoming war - a war that is being instigated by some very mysterious witches who are not at all what they appear to be.

Overall, the story proved to be quite interesting.  It was obvious from the beginning that the "witches" helping both the Huns and the Romans were not actual witches, considering the technology that both sides had that should not even exist in that period.  So, following along with the Doctor and her team as they try to figure out exactly what is going on, who the witches are, and how to stop them is part of the fun (as it is with any good episode of Doctor Who).  I just wish Cole had been able to better nail down the characterization.  Yaz does not come across as very strong at all - in fact, she seems to constantly be the damsel in distress in this book.  Ryan's dialogue does not read like Ryan at all - and his constant stumbling over himself was a little too much.  He has come a long way since he first met the Doctor, and it's like in this story, all of those uncertainties and awkward balance issues all came flooding back for no reason at all.  The Doctor has her ever-present desire to find a solution and her non-stop intent to save everyone she can - but as with Ryan, her dialogue felt off throughout the whole book, and she didn't read like the Doctor at all.  I got a better feel of the Doctor from her actions, not her dialogue.  I would say of all of them, Graham was probably the only one who actually felt true to his on-screen character in this book.

Overall, not the best, but by far, not the worst.  Just a shame that this is the last of the Doctor Who books for a while - not quite the way I wanted to end off my reading of this character, but I suppose it will do until the "Time Lord Victorious" books come out...

RATING:  7 ghostly blue caskets out of 10 for taking the Doctor to a time she's never visited, yet acknowledging the times around it where she has been!

Doctor Who, the 10th Doctor with Donna Audio Book - Volume 3.3 - The Creeping Death

I recently took a trip up to Jacksonville with a friend to visit the Chamblin Book Mine (a huge, huge, HUGE used book store).  Normally, I have the radio blaring, but with my friend in the car - someone who also happens to be a big Doctor Who fan, and who loves Donna Noble nearly as much as me! - we decided to listen to the third of the three 10th Doctor/Donna Noble audio stories.  The two hour trip there and return trip home gave us plenty of time to enjoy this latest story of my favorite Doctor/companion pairing.

The Creeping Death, written by Roy Gill, takes the Doctor and Donna to London in the early 1950s. Donna is hoping to have a vacation, but as it always turns out, the TARDIS has other plans for the Doctor and his companion! The Doctor and Donna arrive in London to find it enveloped with a deadly smog, so thick one can barely breathe. Donna is ready to go back into the TARDIS and head for someplace sunny and relaxing, but the Doctor knows they were pulled to this place and time for a reason - and anyone who knows the Doctor knows he will never pass up the chance to right a wrong, fix a problem, or help out those in need. So, off he goes, and before you can say, "Wait a minute," the the Doctor and Donna get separated in the ever swirling smog that makes it nearly impossible to see where you are going.

The Doctor meets up with young Ivy Clark, who works in a movie theater. But something strange has happened in there, and Ivy is crying out for help.  The Doctor can't help himself, and he runs to investigate, only to find the theater filled with dead people - all of whom seem to have died of suffocation.  Ivy tells the Doctor that things came into the theater - tiny, like insects - and killed all of those people. And when those shadowy things show up again, with their buzzing, the Doctor and Ivy do the one thing the Doctor does best - they run!

Meanwhile, Donna bumps into someone of her own - literally!  As she searches for the Doctor, a gentleman by the name of Terry Hopkins knocks into Donna, as he doesn't see her in the smog.  After a rather rocky start, Donna comes to like Terry (not in that way!) and joins him as he heads off to meet Richard Cooper, who just so happens to be his boyfriend (shhhh!  don't say that too loud - after all, it's only 1952, and their love is not something people of that time take too kindly to!).

It isn't long before circumstances reunite the Doctor and Donna and bring Ivy, Terry, and Richard, along with an overly dramatic stage actress named Alice and an out-of-shape vacuum salesman named Malcolm together at the bus station, where they find themselves trapped against an unknown enemy who seems intent on killing more people.  But the Doctor has a plan - he's ALWAYS got a plan - and soon enough, the survivors from the bus station (you don't really think I'm going to give things away, do you?) head over to the local museum for a final confrontation with these alien smog creatures (and before you ask - no, it is not those crab-like creatures from the Martha Jones season).  The final confrontation is serious, but fun, with plenty of danger and excitement, and provides a spectacular ending in true Doctor Who fashion!

Gill has a very firm grip on the characters of the 10th Doctor and Donna Noble - their dialogue and actions are so consistent with the television show that this feels very much like a missing episode from series 4 of the new Doctor Who.  The sound effects and music do not overpower the dialogue, as a previous audio or two have done in the past, and it makes for much easier listening and much greater enjoyment of the story.  Of all the Doctor/Donna audios to date, this one could very well be my favorite so far.

Now, to patiently wait for the Donna Noble solo audio stories to come out...

RATING:  10 glowing rocks from outer space out of 10 for continuing the adventures of Donna Noble's time with the Doctor in such a wonderful way!

Doctor Who, the 10th Doctor with Donna Audio Book - Volume 3.2 - One Mile Down

Each and every chance I get to see/hear/read a new story with Donna Noble as the Doctor's companion, I'm going to be there! I love me some Donna Noble, and it's a shame that actress Catherine Tate only stayed with the show for the one season. I am happy, however, that she has come back twice now to do audio stories with David Tennant, and that there are even some upcoming stories of Donna on her own (I'm assuming those will be set in the time period before she found the Doctor again in that fourth season opening episode, "Partners in Crime"). While the first of these new audio stories was not exactly the best, this second one more than made up for it.

"One Mile Down" finds the Doctor taking Donna to the underwater city of Vallarasee.This is supposed to be a pleasant little vacation, but, as usual, anything with the Doctor involved is anything but. There is something strange going on in Vallarassee. The entire city has been sealed off, and the natural citizens are forced to wear helmets to allow them to breathe so that all of the above-world dwellers can see the wonderful sites of this city. At the same time, there are quite a number of Judoon patrolling the streets, which is unusual where there is no criminal activity. The Doctor is suspicious, but Donna joins right along with the other tourists to see the historic sites and enjoy the tours offered by the native Fins.

But cracks are forming in the protective shell that keeps the city safe from all of the water surrounding it. And the city officials are pretending there is nothing wrong. Anyone who says otherwise is thrown in prison as a dissenter. And when a portion of the shell breaks, allowing water to come rushing in, nearly drowning a number of tourists, the Doctor and Donna are off to save the day!

Catherine Tate really shines in this audio drama as Donna, with her typical sarcasm, her strong-willed, headstrong personality, and her no-nonsense attitude that isn't afraid to question anything or anyone that doesn't seem right. David Tennant is his jovial self as the Doctor, with his willingness to help those in need, but at the same time, his unwillingness to allow anyone to endanger the life of others simply for profit and self-gain.  This story is a perfect example of why the Doctor-Donna team was such a perfect pairing, and I'm truly thankful that Big Finish continues to provide us with more stories of these two - that one season on TV was simply not enough.

The production of this audio is much better than the last - the music is not quite so overpowering, and the dialogue is much easier to hear and understand.  The characters are clearly differentiated and easily identified when they are speaking, and the action sequences are powerfully performed. I am a bit disappointed that the Judoon spoke in regular dialogue rather than their standard "No To Fro To Po Lo" language. Of course, with the TARDIS translation thing in effect, I guess Donna would understand them...

Which brings the one continuity problem - if Donna met the Judoon in this story, which clearly takes place before her final two-part episode in the fourth season of the television show, then why did she not recognize them when she and the Doctor went to the Shadow Proclamation, and why did she hear them talk in their native language, rather than translated by the TARDIS? Ah, the whole suspension of disbelief thing comes into play here, I suppose.  Regardless, this was a great story and gives me high hopes for the third audio drama in this set.

RATING:  8 junior Judoons-in-training out of 10 for keeping with the style, form, and characterization of the Russel T. Davies' Doctor/Donna relationship and using it to tell a great story!

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!

Doctor Who, the 10th Doctor with Donna Audio Book - Volume 3.1 - No Place

Anything with Donna Noble - and I do mean ANYTHING - I am going to get! She was, is, and always will be my favorite companion of the Doctor. So, when Big Finish announced another set of Doctor Who audio adventures starring Catherine Tate as the oh-so-lovable Donna Noble, I could not wait.  I pre-ordered them, and as soon as I got them, I plopped the first one in. I was so excited to hear David Tennant and Catherine Tate reprise their roles, along with Bernard Cribbins and Jacqueline King as Donna's grandfather and mother, respectively, that I could hardly contain myself. Unfortunately, this first story was a bit of a let-down...

No Place finds the Doctor, Donna, Sylvia, and Wilfred taking part in a reality, ghost-hunting show at a supposed haunted house. As the story opens, listeners are basically thrown into the middle of it - the Doctor, Donna, Sylvia, and Wilfred are already in the house, and the ghost hunters have set up shop and are following the four "family" members as they go about their business. Justin, who is the lead ghost hunter, is determined to find out whether this house is truly haunted, or if there is a logical explanation for everything that happens. Of course, we know - if the Doctor is involved, there is a pretty good chance - 100% chance! - that something is going on. But what is it, why is it, and who is it - those are the questions to be answered.

While the premise behind the story is actually pretty cool, the execution leaves a bit to be desired. Perhaps if this were an actual episode with visuals, it might have been easier to enjoy. But with just audio, it is a bit jumbled, particularly in the beginning, trying to figure out who is who. There are no real introduction to the ghost hunter cast, and honestly, I found it difficult at times to determine just who was speaking. Catherine Tate was obvious (she has that distinctive style about her voice), and Sylvia was fairly easy to spot. Wilfred is sounding a bit older, so it made his voice relatively easy to discern. Surprisingly, it was the Doctor who was not always clear, making me wonder if David Tennant did voices for more than just one character in the audio. Plus, with a number of supporting characters within the ghost hunting crew, it just made it all the more confusing when listening.

That being said, it was really nice to hear the Noble family all together again. David Tennant's third season as the Doctor was by far my favorite, and Donna - - well, she's Donna, how can she not be my favorite? So any chance to hear her and the Doctor I will take, regardless of how good it is. The interaction between Tate, Cribbins, and King is priceless, as they truly have a chemistry that makes them sound like and feel like a real family, with all the squabbles, the annoyances, but ultimately, the love and concern for one another. It was a bit surprising to see Sylvia actually go along with one of the Doctor's plans, considering how little she thought of him in the series.  Not really sure where this is set within the time frame of Donna's journeys with the Doctor, but I would assume it was likely to have occurred after the "atmos" Sontaran storyline, since that was the time when Sylvia really got to see the Doctor at work.

The "ghost" in the story, of course, turns out to be alien in nature, and I will admit, that was probably one of the most interesting parts of the story.  I'm not going to spoil it, but I will say that it does give the writers a chance to show just who the Doctor is and what he is made of (and also gives that growing part of Donna's caring side to shine through).  So, again, while the execution was a bit rough, the underlying story was definitely Doctor Who through and through.

Only two more Donna stories to listen to ... so I'm spacing them out, so as not to run out of Donna Noble too soon!

RATING:  6 holes in the ground out of 10 for satisfying, all too briefly, that need for a Donna-fix!

Doctor Who - Molten Heart

When any series of books are written by different authors, you never really know how each book will turn out. Will the author capture the characters’ personalities? Will the author pace the story appropriately and keep the reader interested? Will the author give the story a great payoff in the end? And when you are talking about a series based upon an established television show or movie, then the bar is even higher for the authors. So, with each Doctor Who book, I always go into it wondering if the author will have a real grasp on this particular iteration of the Doctor, and whether he or she will be able to get the companions right.

One of the more recent Doctor Who books, Molten Heart, definitely succeeds. Author Una McCormack must be a true fan of the show, and particularly of the new Doctor. She had Jodie Whittaker’s version of the Doctor down pat, with her blabbering, her confusion, and her ultimate saving ideas at the last moment; and she also managed to write the companions (Yaz, Ryan, and Graham) with their three distinct personalities, although admittedly, Ryan did not have his usual balance issues that he faces in the show.  However, that was not enough to detract from my enjoyment of the story.

The Doctor and her three companions land on a planet that seems void of any life – at least, on the outside.  Take a look at the inside, however, and the travelers discover a world inside the world, where rock-like beings have lived out their lives never realizing there was a surface beyond their inner-globe. The problem is – one of the species was beginning to realize that something was wrong, and (like Jor-El and the doomed planet of Krypton), no one believed him.  So, he set off on his own to discover what is causing the fissures, the seething pools, and the decreasing of their seas of magma.  But he hasn’t come back, and his daughter is beginning to worry. Enter: the Doctor and her companions!

This adventure has plenty of what makes Doctor Who so…well, Doctor Who! There are unusual aliens, startling off-world adventures, dangers, misguided rulers, dungeons, last minute rescues, and, oh, yes, plenty of running. I mean, let’s face it – it wouldn’t be Doctor Who without the Doctor and her companions running, now would it? And when the Doctor discovers that other aliens have come before them, and that something happening on the surface is creating the fissures that threaten to crack the planet wide open, she takes it upon herself to find the cause and put a stop to it, even if that means facing down an interstellar corporation that has deadly security measures in place to keep outsiders from tampering with their technology.

McCormack provides a very satisfying adventure that could easily be translated to the small screen. In fact, as I was reading the book, I felt like I was watching an episode of Doctor Who, the images so clear and vivid in my mind (and it’s not easy for any author to write such a vivid picture, no matter how good one’s imagination is). I hope BBC books brings McCormack back to write more of Jodie Whittaker’s adventures as Doctor Who, as she certainly has a hold of what makes Doctor Who so special.

One interesting tidbit about the story is that the alien life forms that they discover within the planet are never actually given a species name. The characters have individual names (Ash, Onyx, Emerald, etc. – get the theme here?), but there is no identification of the actual species, which is rare, since Doctor Who normally knows pretty much every species she encounters on her adventures.  I’m not sure if this was intentional by McCormack to keep it a bit unique, or if she simply didn’t have a name for them.  Either way, it’s still a fun story and well worth the read.

RATING:  10 hungry lavasharks out of 10 for a thoroughly enjoyable Doctor Who tale that makes me even more excited about Jodie Whittaker's second season as the Doctor!

Doctor Who - The Secret in Vault 13

It's funny - I was never a fan of Doctor Who back in the '70s, when some American channels ran reruns of the Tom Baker episodes. I thought, even back then, they were cheesy and boring. So, I was surprised when the series returned in 2005 and I found that I liked it.  Although I still don't like the pre-Eccleston years, I have enjoyed the various series and incarnations of the Doctor since then. This newest Doctor, Jodi Whittaker, has really taken the Doctor and the show to entirely new ground, and the books that have come out recently about this 13th Doctor and her companions have been just as enjoyable as the show.

The Secret in Vault 13 is the first Doctor Who novel I have seen that is specifically aimed at a younger reading audience. What surprises me about this book, however, is not just that author David Solomons has captured the personality of each of the characters - no, what surprises me is that truly, there is no difference between this book for young adults and the regular books that come out for adults to read.  The story has the same amount of sci-fi wonder, the same amount of humor interjected throughout, and the same danger, evil villains, and high energy rescues that you find in the regular Doctor Who adventures.

Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The adventure centers around the Genesis seed (which reminded me very much of the whole Genesis project from the second Star Trek movie...) and the planet where it is being held for safekeeping, along with the seeds of pretty much every other plant life that has ever existed. Just, in case, you know, some evil villain decides to wipe out all life in existence - then someone can use these seeds to recreate life. Of course, the fact that someone knows where this place is makes it dangerous. And danger is what the Doctor and her companions do best!

Solomons sends the Doctor and her companions on a fun quest to find the necessary keys that will unlock the door to the container where the Genesis seed is hidden. To a school where graduation means death. And to a garden in London where when you are invited to dinner, you are actually invited to BE dinner! Of course, the Doctor, Graham, Yaz, and Ryan are up for the challenge as they face a lying artificial intelligence and a giant mole who demands a sacrifice, as well as ... a potted plant?  Yes, I said that right - a potted plant who is out for revenge against Graham! I mean, let's face it: where else could you possibly read a story like this, except in Doctor Who?

By the time I finished this book, I felt like I had watched a fantastic episode of Doctor Who. Characterization was spot-on, the dangers and challenges were faced with bravery and logic, and the Doctor, in her usual style, outwitted the bad guys with her own special style of ingenuity. I know there are some fans out there who are not pleased with the idea that the Doctor has swapped genders and is now a woman, but quite frankly it's not the gender that makes the Doctor - it's the heart(s) that make the Doctor who and what (s)he is. And Solomons has without a doubt provided a story of the Doctor that will please just about any fan of the series.

Hope there are more books like this for young adults - I'll definitely read them!

RATING:  10 strands of unstoppable noughtweed out of 10 for branching out the world of Doctor Who for younger audiences!

Doctor Who - The Good Doctor

Doctor Who - the 13th Doctor
The Good Doctor
Publisher: BBC (Penguin Group UK)
Publication Date (November 2018)
ISBN 10 - 1785943847
ISBN 13 - 978-1785943843
230 Pages of Story

I have been very selective about the Doctor Who books that I buy. Initially, I bought only those books that featured Donna Noble as the companion (as she is, and always will be, my favorite!). Then I bought the books with Rory Williams as a companion (even though I disliked Amy, I liked Rory's character enough to buy them). Then along came the 12th Doctor, who I enjoyed immensely, so I picked up his books (even though I found his first companion, Clara, to be very boring - did like his second companion, Bill, but she only lasted one season, sadly). Now, enter the 13th Doctor and her three companions.

That's right - HER! BBC decided to go with the times, and when Peter Capaldi's Doctor regenerated, for the first time, Doctor Who became a female Doctor! Joining her in this new era are three new companions - police officer Yasmin, young Ryan, and his step-grandfather, Graham. An odd mix of characters, to be sure; however, from the first episode that introduced all four of them, I've been hooked. So, when I discovered new books with these characters at Barnes and Noble, I snatched them up right away.

This first book, The Good Doctor, is written by Juno Dawson, who is a new author to me in the Doctor Who universe. It seems a number of the previous books were written by many of the same authors, so it is nice to see a new author (at least, new to me) step in and breathe some new life into the Doctor and her companions. And Dawson doesn't fail the Doctor Who fans, as she manages to nicely capture the voice of the characters, despite how new they all are.

In this adventure, the Doctor and her companions help broker a peace treaty between a race of humans and a race of canine-type aliens who are sharing the same planet. Everything seems to have turned out nicely as the Doctor, Yasmin, Ryan, and Graham leave in the TARDIS - only for Ryan to discover that he left his cell phone behind on the planet. Not wanting such Earth-technology to be left in a place and time where it could greatly affect the people, the Doctor goes back to the planet Lobos. The plan is to sneak back to the tower where he left his cell, grab it, and leave before they make any further impact on the planet.

But they soon discover it's too late for that...

The Good Doctor answers the question to what happens to a planet and its inhabitants after the Doctor does some good there, thus changing the course of their lives? What happens if the Doctor's actions are, perhaps, misinterpreted, or even changed in the course of translation? And how will generations down the road look back and view the Doctor, her companions, and what they have done to their society? In this case - they worship the Doctor. The only problem is, it is now hundreds of years later, and the current generation of humans worship the Good Doctor - or rather, the man who they think is the Good Doctor - Graham! Talk about a case of mistaken identity!

This book also addresses some of the unique factors that the Doctor must face, now that she (he?) is a woman - how people and aliens view the female of a species, how a hero is automatically viewed as male, and what it takes to change that point of view.  The television episodes have briefly been touching on this, but this book faces the issue head-on, with a society that now worships the Doctor - but the Graham "Doctor," not the actual Doctor, as this race cannot possibly conceive of a woman being their Good Doctor. On top of that, the book also looks at organized religion, how it begins, and how it can be abused and misinterpreted over the years. Dawson handles the story nicely, and even manages to equal out the time for the three companions, so that no one hogs all the spotlight in the adventure.

A great start to a new era of Doctor Who, and I'm looking forward to seeing what future stories of the 13th Doctor hold in store!

RATING:  10 teddy bears with only one eye out of 10 for taking the newest Doctor on a fantastic, most brilliant adventure on her first outing in prose form!

Doctor Who - The Shining Man

With the new season of Doctor Who just around the corner, and the introduction of the Thirteenth Doctor, I thought I should probably read the last novel of the Twelfth Doctor and his companion, Bill Potts. I was sorry to see Peter Capaldi's run as the Doctor come to an end, and even more disappointed to see that Pearl Mackie's Bill would not be around for more than just the one season. It seems the more I enjoy a character on this show, the shorter period of time they stay.

Ah, well, after all, this show is all about change, if nothing else.

The Shining Man finds the Doctor and Bill back on Earth, this time in the small town of Huckensall, where there has been an unusual number of sightings of the mysterious "Shining Men," described as tall and thin, with shaggy long hair and bright lights for eyes. No one takes them too seriously, but for young Noah Holland, a run in with one scares the living daylights out of him. No one believes him.  Not his school teachers. Not his sister. Not even his grandmother. But, his mother - well, that's a different story. She believes he saw something. So, when she sees a Shining Man outside the window of her flat, she goes out to confront him. She firmly believes whoever is dressing up in these costumes and scaring children should be taught a lesson. However, Sammy Holland quickly discovers she is the one to be schooled, when the Shining Man turns on her, his eyes brighter than ever, and swallows her up into the night...

As usual, the Doctor and his companion step off the TARDIS and right into the middle of things. Author Cavan Scott gives Doctor Who fans a roller coaster ride of what's going to happen next! And, befitting of the upcoming holiday, the tale certainly has its fair share of scares. Sammy Holland is missing, and her children think a Shining Man took her. Charlotte Sadler thinks the Shining Men are just what her vlog needs to get more followers - until she meets the Doctor and Bill. Hilary Holland thinks it is all one big hoax and that her daughter will be back home any moment. But Bill suspects there is something alien, something sinister hiding in the woods of Huckensall, and if even the Doctor is unsure, then everyone would do well to be frightened.

And when the Doctor and a local constable are pulled into the faerie realm - well, let's just say that's when the adventure REALLY begins!

I can easily envision this book as a television episode, and because of that, it makes me long all the more for Capaldi and Mackie, as they really had such a wonderful rapport on the show, and I'm going to really miss them. Thankfully, there will always be more opportunities to see them (or, at least, read about them) in future books - I hope! But, if this turns out to have been the final adventure of the twelfth Doctor and Bill, then a fine adventure it was. Scott captured every element that makes Doctor Who the successful show that it is - there is adventure, fun, some scares, aliens, believers, disbelievers, awe-inspiring moments, daring rescues, and a victorious Doctor who proves that, once again, nothing can keep a good man (or soon to be, woman) down!

RATING:  10 camera phones out of 10 for giving Peter Capaldi and Pearl Mackie a very nice send-off!

Class - from the Universe of Doctor Who: What She Does Next Will Astound You

It was with a heavy heart that I picked up this book to read - as I knew this was going to be my last chance to spend time with April, Ram, Tanya, Charlie, Matteusz, and of course, the devilishly sadistic Quill.  The television show on BBC was short-lived (only one season), but it showed so much potential, had some excellent (and good looking!) actors, and was yet another spin-off from Doctor Who that expanded on that growing universe of characters and shows.  Now, after having read the previous two books, I picked up the third book, ready to enjoy this last bit of time with the stars of Class.

Sadly, What She Does Next Will Astound You fell flat, and it was a disheartening final farewell to the show and its characters.  Author James Goss has written a lot of BBC material - from Doctor Who to Torchwood to Being Human.  He has even written a fairly decent audio story for the Dark Shadows series from Big Finish Productions.  So I really expected more from the story than what I got.

The premise was not altogether bad.  Students have been disappearing from Coal Hill School, but everyone is so caught up with the crazy internet challenges to help stop the disease known as Skandis that no one notices.  No one except April.  She realizes something is off.  The oh-so-handsome Seraphin, who has a vlog online that urges people to take up the challenges, seems to be placing hidden messages in his videos.  And the teenagers who are doing the challenges are becoming more and more reckless, with some getting seriously injured and others putting their lives in mortal danger - all for what?  To help raise money for a disease no one has heard of?  When April gets frustrated that no one is listening to her, she places her own online challenge - and ends up in the Void.

What is the Void?  Well, it's someplace.  A place with white walls, white floors, white furniture, white ceilings, where the doors blend into the walls, and it is challenging to find your way around.  What is more challenging, though, is the truth - the truth about Skandis.  The truth about the internet challenges.  And the truth about where those teenagers have been disappearing and what they are being forced to do.

Sounds interesting, right?  Well, it might have been, if it had been written as a normal prose novel.  Instead, for reasons unknown (perhaps because he thought it might appeal to the teenage audience?), Goss decided to tell the story in an unusual way - a sort-of stream-of-consciousness, changing points of view, sudden interjections of news flashes or memory blips, every day conversational style of writing.  And for me, this did not work at all.  It is not until page 119, when April wakes up in the Void, that the writing begins to be a little more straightforward storytelling.  The first 118 pages, though, jump around so much, it is jarring, in places disjointed, and quite frankly, annoying.  It does nothing to provide characterization, it doesn't garner any sympathy for any of the characters, and it leaves the reader (well, at least me) feeling rather bored.

Which is not the way I wanted to feel reading the final story of Class and its characters.

But, it is what it is, and so the final tale does little to build any of the relationship among the characters, provides no character growth for any of them, and while it was admittedly fun to watch Quill enter the Void to discover she is able to kill the enemy (she still can't kill Charlie, though), which she then does with relish and enjoyment, by the end of the book, I was left only with a feeling that I was glad it was over.  It's a shame that this is my final farewell to Charlie and the gang, but at least I have the DVDs I can go back and watch again - - and who knows, maybe BBC will be brave enough to allow authors to venture into the world of Class again in the future and take Quill and her students beyond that first season, so we can see what happens next (although I just discovered that Big Finish Productions has gained the rights to do audio stories to continue the adventures!  Yay!!!)

RATING:  5 bowls of bland porridge-stew out of 10 for pointing out that society's addiction to the internet and technology could very well be their downfall.

Doctor Who: Tales of Terror

Most days, I still can’t believe what a fan of Doctor Who I’ve become.  From those days of listening to my best friend talk about it (and me sitting there letting it go in one ear and out the other), to now, when I know all about the different incarnations of the character, the actors who have portrayed him, all his various companions, and the villainous creatures he has faced over the years.  It’s definitely surprising, but in a good way.

This newest anthology of stories, Doctor Who: Tales of Terror, I purchased for one reason and one reason only – it has a story where Donna Noble is the Doctor’s companion.  As soon as I saw her name on the pages of the 10^th Doctor’s story, I knew I would be buying this book.  But, since I bought it, I was determined to read all twelve stories, not just the one about my all-time favorite companion.  And while the tales may have been written to terrify the readers, they did the exact opposite for me – they thoroughly entertained me.

From the 1^st Doctor’s face-off with the Toymaker (with the help of Steven and Dodo), to the 2^nd Doctor’s battle with a dark creature from the time vortex (alongside Ben, Polly, and his latest companion, Jamie), to the 3^rd Doctor and Jo Grant’s encounter with one of the Doctor’s oldest enemies. Sarah Jane and Harry find themselves in danger that only the 4^th Doctor can save them from, while Tegan and Turlough are saved from the Mara by the 5^th Doctor’s genius nature.  The 6^th Doctor finds himself haunted by his past, and the 7^th Doctor and Ace confront a haunting in the past.  The 8^th Doctor discovers that everyone is not who they seem onboard a pleasure cruise, and the 9^th Doctor reveals where everyone that has disappeared from a travelling circus have really gone!

Then there’s the 10^th Doctor and Donna Noble.  The story I was waiting for.  The sole reason I bought this book.  And author Richard Dungworth did not let me down.  The Doctor-Donna team play a deadly game with the ever-vicious Family of Blood, who have discovered they no longer need the Doctor to find immortality, but rather, his TARDIS.  Dungworth captures the clever dynamic that make the Doctor-Donna so enjoyable to watch and read, and I could almost hear Catherine Tate’s voice speaking the somewhat put-off, never one to be put-down lines of Donna every time she thinks the Doctor is getting the better of her.  And her snipes to the Family are spot-on!  Of course, it goes without saying that they outwit the Family and reunite them in a fitting punishment before the dynamic duo head off for their next adventure…

Leaving the 11^th Doctor to dispel the purple haze that nearly places a family in mortal danger at the hands of the Weeping Angels, with the 12^th Doctor rounding things out as he puts an end to Nestene’s attempt to raise an army of autons to take over the Earth!

Each story has a pen and ink illustration that highlights the “monster of the tale,” so to speak, and while some do include and Doctor and his companions, sadly, the Donna story does not – we simply get a taste of how innocent real horror can be when it wants to be!  Although I’ve finished these twelves tales of terror, I know it won’t be long until the newest Doctor hits the small screen (and if I can’t wait, well, I still have a few more Doctor Who books that I haven’t read yet to tide me over until then…)

RATING:  10 games of twenty questions out of 10 for reminding readers that no matter which Doctor you like, ultimately, there’s no villain too terrifying for the Doctor and his companions to defeat!