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| What: | Silhouette (BBC New Series Adventures novels) |
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| By: | August Markvard Kjrsgaard, Bagsvrd, Denmark |
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| Date: | Monday 16 March 2015 |
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| Rating: |   6 |
I was looking forward to reading this book, as it was the first 12th doctor novel i was going to read. It started out quite well. I liked the mystery of the story and when Silhouette was introduced, I immediatly thought that she was going to be the main antagonist in the story, because of the title of the book. I was very wrong. Other antagonists were introduced quickly after and it wasn't long before she became very unimportant. I think Justin tried to make her more important in the end, by making her kill Milton (the actual main antagonist).
I was also very dissapointed to not see any humour or funny exclamations from Strax in any way. The only time being, when he got confused about the genders of other people. I did though like the scene, where Affinity tries to trick the Doctor by trying to turn himself into past incarnations of the Doctor.
All in all it looked like a good story, but did dissapoint me a bit.
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 | Mixed bag of episodes; superb extras |
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| What: | The Beginning (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
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| By: | Christopher Kelley, Manassas, United States |
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| Date: | Saturday 7 March 2015 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
The DVD is worth owning for having the earliest days of the show and its extremely insightful extras. The episodes themselves are a mixed bag of quality but an interesting look back to the birth of the show.
I have been highly critical of Paul Magrs' writing elsewhere on this site. However, this little adventure I actually like. That is probably because Magrs tones down significantly all the little irrelevant bits that usually make his writing so irksome, and focuses on telling the story. It is a vast improvement over "Hornets' Nest," in which everything seemed to have been written just so he could get in a mildly clever pun or show off his talent for alliteration. The structure of "Demon Quest" seems to be basically the same as in "Hornets' Nest." We start at Nest Cottage, something strange happens, and this forces the Doctor to travel in time to get little bits of the story, presumably to put it all together at the end. This particular bit of the story involves the Doctor and Mrs. Wibbsey, the apparent cause of his trouble this time, to travel to Roman Britain and negotiate with some Britons so he can find out how a Roman mosaic tile of his likeness ended up there. This adventure has less narrating and more dramatizing than "Hornets' Nest," which is also an improvement. Still, some of the Magrs quirks are still there, such as the Doctor's being left with an elephant that he must take care of in an offhand manner. This is typical of Magrs' inability to take care of the many loose ends he tends to leave untied.
| What: | Torchwood: Asylum (Torchwood radio dramas) |
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| By: | Trevor S, Vancouver, Canada |
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| Date: | Monday 16 February 2015 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Everything about this makes you feel like your watching a episode of Torchwood, AMAZING!
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| A great 1st Doctor story! |
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I am by far not a First Doctor fan, but this story is pretty damn awesome!
| What: | Terror Firma (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Friday 6 February 2015 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
I really enjoyed this story. Nice twists and lots of nice references and filling in blanks of the 8th Doctors past such as how he was alone when he first met Charlie. Great that Gemma and Samson are now cannon. Terry Malloy is as excellent as ever as Davros. Reccomended.
| What: | Other Lives (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Friday 6 February 2015 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
Really enjoyed this. A different 8th Doctor story, no aliens or criminal masterminds, just people who's loves collide. All the TARDIS crew are used well and the support cast are excellent. Reccomended.
| What: | Just War (New Adventures novels) |
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| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 29 January 2015 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
I'm a newcomber to the Virgin New Adventures so while I'm familiar with Benny, Roz and Forrester are new charcthers to me but despite that I really enjoyed this book.
A cracking story with some excellent scenes particularly between the Doctor and a leading Nazi towards the end.
This is a very adult book with some graphic scenes of violence particularly with Benny being tortuted by the Nazis.
A clever story with good ideas and neat twists.
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| Magrs and Sense Just Do Not Mix |
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We have to be thankful that this series brought Tom Baker back to playing the Doctor. It is a testament to how well he fits the role that there seems to be no break from 1981. That is all very good. After that first thrill, though, we have the thing itself to deal with. And the thing itself suffers mostly from its writer. Paul Magrs simply sees no reason to craft a plot that makes sense. This one seems to work by crafting what amounts to three short inside a frame tale comprising part 1 and part 5. We get a silly villain, many throw-away bits that are just there because Magrs thought it was clever or funny, and a very 19th-century feel to the whole thing even though it supposedly takes place in the 2000s. The cast is great; the vehicle disappointing.
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| A new Rani with padded shoulders |
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| What: | The Rani Elite (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Clive T Wright, St Lawrence, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 22 January 2015 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
Bringing back the Rani was always going to be hard and Rani elite is a good attempt. The new incarnation is cold and calculating with a plot that matches her TV appearances.
The story isn't over complex, perhaps too simple with lots of dialog making the plot feel padded. So welcome back Rani let's hope the next one is a little more exciting.
If you plan on getting 'The Romance of Crime and The English Way of Death" I suggest grabbing this limited edition set. The two Gareth Roberts Missing Adventures adaptions are both excellent with The English Way of Death getting a slight nod over Romance. Well worth it to spring for the LE set.
| What: | The English Way of Death (Big Finish novel adaptations) |
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| By: | Marty Dallas, Franklin, United States |
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| Date: | Wednesday 21 January 2015 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
The Tardis crew of the 4th Doctor,Romana2 and K-9 are at last re-united to the excitement of many fans(myself included). The question most have asked themselves is how will Tom and Lalla come across considering their past. Wait no more!! The magic between them is still there and it feels as f they were never apart not skipping a beat.
I am not going to have any spoilers as this is brand new and I am sure many have yet to find the time to listen. This story will appeal to not only Doctor Who fans but fans of the "walker" genre. If you are fan of the classic 'City of Death" team then you will not want to pass up the Gareth Roberts set.
| What: | Speed of Flight (Missing Adventures novels) |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Tuesday 20 January 2015 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
This is the third Paul Leonard novel I have read, and I can see a pattern emerging. This, like the others, is quite violent. As in the others, Leonard has aliens cocoon or cover one or more of the TARDIS crew in muck that takes over their minds. As in the others, Leonard strives very hard to create an alien culture that is both alien and culture. The idea for this one is interesting, sort of a more complicated and more thought-out version of the idea of a transformative life-cycle on the human scale that was in "Full Circle." In "Speed of Flight," we get a full birth-death-rebirth cycle, organic material constantly recycled. Leonard provides a fairly logical reason for this, and I am not giving away too much to say that it is artificially created, since that seems fairly obvious from early in the novel. The question for all this would be why, and therein lies another interesting idea. So, why can't I give this novel a higher rating? There are a couple of problems with the mechanics of the world he has created. The gravity is supposed to be similar to the Moon's. Leonard seems to remember this only when it is convenient for him to do so; otherwise, our TARDIS crew act as if everything were Earth-normal. The early part of the novel that involves getting Jo and Mike into the TARDIS is rather contrived and clearly designed only for the function just mentioned. The ending is unnecessarily ambiguous about who killed whom and whether certain people really died or not. If they had died and been resurrected, which is strongly hinted at, then that poses a whole new set of problems that the novel just does not deal with. So, I like the concepts that are built into this world, but don't think the plot holds together as well as it should.
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| Moving through the wasteland |
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| What: | Masters of Earth (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Clive T Wright, St Lawrence, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Sunday 18 January 2015 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
The best big finish stories capture a real sense of atmosphere, masters of earth is no exception. a clever plot puts the Doctor in earth during the Dalek invasion but at the far edges trying to do everything he can to hide his identy and get away. Masters of earth is a steady paced story, hunted by the daleks and old monsters from Skaro, betrayal and plot twists abound as they move through the wasteland of earth under the daleks, all delivered with real atmosphere. In the latest run of stories involving Peri her character is more confident having a real a voice, this story tests and develops her relationship. All in all an excellent story.
| What: | Unnatural Selection: (Miscellaneous factual books) |
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| By: | Nicholas Caluda, Mandeville, United States |
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| Date: | Wednesday 14 January 2015 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
I've got good news: this book is absolutely fantastic.
Even as a physical product alone, it's something special. The dual cover it features is extremely clever, as is the "autograph". It's the little things that make Miwk Books that much more special.
Which is not to say that the text itself isn't magnificent, because it absolutely is. These pages showcase not just the development of one of the most thought-provoking stories in all of Doctor Who but also some of Jim's other pitches. These proposals are fascinating and showcase just how special a talent Jim is. The annotated script of the play itself is another treat, especially for those interested in writing. In addition, one particular revelation about cuts from the script will no doubt shock readers – it certainly shocked me!
Every page is loaded with new information. If, as Stephen Sondheim is fond of saying, "God is in the details," then this book's as close to heaven on earth as you're likely to get.
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| Confusing, silly but sometimes funny |
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| What: | The Widow's Assassin (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Clive T Wright, St Lawrence, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Thursday 1 January 2015 |
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| Rating: | 5 |
Peri's exit and how they would get back together is one of the stories we've all been waiting for. This mad capped confusing and silly plot, with far too many twists (in one moment the random voice of sil pops up) is just a big wasted opportunity. With just a few moments of humour and only part 4 pulling the story back this is the worst Big Finish production for a long time.
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| Breathing life into an old classic |
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| What: | Revenge of the Swarm (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Clive T Wright, St Lawrence, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 27 December 2014 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
Bringing the doctor back to a classic enemy has become a growing trend both on TV and audio, which doesn't always work. In this case it does and closes the circle with a cleverly paced story. Hector/Hex continues to struggle with his new world as do the Tardis crew.
| What: | Mask of Tragedy (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Clive T Wright, St Lawrence, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 27 December 2014 |
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| Rating: | 8 |
Arriving in Athens in the middle of a war with Sparta, during peak alien visiting season feels silly. Well it is silly but the pace of dialog mixed with light hearted banter makes this a very enjoyable story which seems to glide along. Hex starts to find himself and continues to challenge ace and the doctor.
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| how many can you fit in the same planet |
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| What: | Signs and Wonders (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
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| By: | Clive T Wright, St Lawrence, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 27 December 2014 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
Signs and wonders is an excellent story with just one flaw, which is eventually there has to be a limit on the number of Gods/aliens/monsters from the past bursting out of the planet.
Putting that aside, this is a great story, bringing two plot lines to conclusion whilst continuing to develop those left behind. Difficult to say much without spoiling it for others, so listen, enjoy and just ignore the fact that there must be thousands of gods, aliens, monsters still left buried in the earth.
| What: | Domain of the Voord (The Early Adventures audio dramas) |
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| By: | Marty Dallas, Franklin, United States |
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| Date: | Friday 12 December 2014 |
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| Rating: | 9 |
Big Finish has fine tuned the art of creating wonderful Doctor Who audio dramas. For years now the 5th,6th,7th and 8th Doctors have been travelling through time and space giving us brand new adventures. A Very successful range for Big Finish but there was always something missing. What could be missing one may ask. The answer to that question is; the first 4 Doctors are not represented. So what you want but Hartnell,Troughton,Pertwee and Baker are what I consider to be the "Classic Quartet". Then BF hit the jackpot when Tommy Boy finally decided to stop being so damn difficult and once again helm the controls of the tardis. The stories,acting and overall feeling that Doctor Who is officially back in full force. Now the question is how to represent the 3 deceased doctors. The "Companion Chronicles"!!!!!! What a wonderful idea! The door was opened for not only the 3 doctors but all the companions too.
The Early Adventures to me is a great mix of full cast adventures and companion chronicles rolled into one. Half narration and half flashbacks helps to immerse you into the stories setting and plot. Domain of the Voord hits a bullseye with this story capturing the first doctor's demeanour perfectly . I highly recommend this new range. Fans of "classic" will not be disappointed.
