Leela4 40. OR, USA

• New Adventure (NA) with Ace. It was hard to stop reading each night, as I was having such a good time. In many ways it's a dark comedy. On the downside, the climax is disappointing and gets tedious, as it's very B-movie whereas the bulk of the book is about playing people. Far fewer spelling and ... (continue)

  New Adventure (NA) with Ace. It was hard to stop reading each night, as I was having such a good time. In many ways it's a dark comedy. On the downside, the climax is disappointing and gets tedious, as it's very B-movie whereas the bulk of the book is about playing people. Far fewer spelling and printing errors than most NAs.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Dec 22, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Eighth Doctor Adventure (EDA) without companion, a filler story in the Earth arc. One of a loose trilogy of stories concerning the Players (the others are 'Players' with the sixth Doctor and 'World Game' with the second Doctor), but each can stand alone. One of the few grown up Doctor Who 'origina ... (continue)

  Eighth Doctor Adventure (EDA) without companion, a filler story in the Earth arc. One of a loose trilogy of stories concerning the Players (the others are 'Players' with the sixth Doctor and 'World Game' with the second Doctor), but each can stand alone. One of the few grown up Doctor Who 'original novels'. The first half was really sweated over (Frederick Forsyth lite), the second half is more typical of the author and not so involving and a tad too easily resolved. The editor missed a few of the author's in-text rewrites.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Jun 10, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Audio adventure with the seventh Doctor. A good choice for the newcomer but artfully sprinkled with little things for the longtime fan too. At first I felt whiplashed by the rather clever characters alternating with the rather dense ones, but it was nice to encounter a story with characters who ha ... (continue)

  Audio adventure with the seventh Doctor. A good choice for the newcomer but artfully sprinkled with little things for the longtime fan too. At first I felt whiplashed by the rather clever characters alternating with the rather dense ones, but it was nice to encounter a story with characters who have reasons behind their actions other than 'the author makes me do it'. The plot itself is a standard one.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Dec 18, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Audio adventure with, er, the Professor and Ace. A standard 'B movie'-type sci-fi tale. All around well done, but there's nothing remarkable about it either. Starts with an off-colour joke.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Dec 17, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Audio adventure with, er, the Professor and Ace. 'Republica' has none of the horror elements The Time Travellers series is generally known for, but listeners who want Doctor Who-like shows to be inconsequential probably won't like it. Fast moving and sometimes nicely done. On the other hand the a ... (continue)

  Audio adventure with, er, the Professor and Ace. 'Republica' has none of the horror elements The Time Travellers series is generally known for, but listeners who want Doctor Who-like shows to be inconsequential probably won't like it. Fast moving and sometimes nicely done. On the other hand the author takes shortcuts in development of incidental characters and has a weak grasp of scientific detail. It's a standard changing history story--the kind of thing Doctor Who was never ever supposed to be about--but just barely gets away with it because of what's actually going on. Sophie Aldred is in particularly good form.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Dec 1, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Eighth Doctor Adventure (EDA) with Fitz and Trix. Non-arc, although like all EDAs it makes reference to other adventures. Somewhat Douglas Adams-esque in writing style, with a Dave Stone-esque body count. I like it.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Jun 21, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Past Doctor Adventure (PDA) with the sixth Doctor and Peri. If you want to read a competently written Doctor Who book, you can skip this one with a clear conscience. Luck takes a hand too often, there are sequences that turn out to have no point or relevance or which don't mesh with others, and th ... (continue)

  Past Doctor Adventure (PDA) with the sixth Doctor and Peri. If you want to read a competently written Doctor Who book, you can skip this one with a clear conscience. Luck takes a hand too often, there are sequences that turn out to have no point or relevance or which don't mesh with others, and the climax fails to convince. The author keeps tossing in puzzling little irrelevancies that seem to contradict the show, including one bafflingly irrelevant subplot that never comes to a point because it's forgotten about halfway through the book. You can tell where the editor(s) left off: It's a pleasant enough read for the first six chapters, although sometimes it feels staged. It's refreshing to encounter a culture that has history and reason behind its quirks--I can't recall reading any other Doctor Who 'original novels' that bothered to try. It's VERY refreshing to encounter a BBC Book with so few spelling errors (most during the climax).

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Nov 23, 2009 | Add your feedback

• It's about what the title says: Phule and his company. So disregard any blurbs that suggest it's about alien invasion or combat.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Jun 17, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Second Doctor, Jamie. Novelisation of a season 4 story of which only one part out of seven has been recovered. A proper novel, albeit by a rather poor writer and not really intended for readers not already a little familiar with Doctor Who. For a novelisation, the Doctor and companion are unusual ... (continue)

  Second Doctor, Jamie. Novelisation of a season 4 story of which only one part out of seven has been recovered. A proper novel, albeit by a rather poor writer and not really intended for readers not already a little familiar with Doctor Who. For a novelisation, the Doctor and companion are unusually strong in character. A story in three parts; unfortunately the author doesn't prep us for the middle part, which just didn't interest me much, as very little developed, motivations were either monotonous or nonsensical and too many things were ever-so-convenient.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Nov 22, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Audio adventure with the sixth Doctor and Peri. Word-witty but the plot is conveyed poorly: Cumulatively it is philosophically interesting, but the individual bits of exposition tend not to stand up to scrutiny, and there are convenient leaps to correct answers. Because of the inadequate writing, ... (continue)

  Audio adventure with the sixth Doctor and Peri. Word-witty but the plot is conveyed poorly: Cumulatively it is philosophically interesting, but the individual bits of exposition tend not to stand up to scrutiny, and there are convenient leaps to correct answers. Because of the inadequate writing, it's difficult to tell how seriously to take it until quite late; until then it just seems rather random and surreal. The sixth Doctor and Peri bounce off each other well, as usual. Would-be buyers who need to pick and choose which audio adventures they obtain should probably skip this one.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Aug 14, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Missing Adventure (MA) with the second Doctor, Victoria, Jamie. I had mixed feelings: What's actually going on is interesting and original, but unfortunately the author chooses to unfold the story using the cliches of drama salted with the 'stupid bad guys' cliche.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Jun 19, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Second Doctor, Victoria, Jamie. Gives a lot of characterisation to the Doctor, Victoria, and Jamie. Unusually true to the episode's dialogue. One of the rare writers who acknowledges Victoria's scientific and technical background, depicting her as naive but quick and resilient.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Aug 13, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Missing Episode with the sixth Doctor and Peri. Worth reading for the sake of reading but not if you're looking for something with any weight. Not much actually happens and the ending is a rushed deus ex machina. There is one two-page bit that is the very essence of the Toymaker; it's the most ef ... (continue)

  Missing Episode with the sixth Doctor and Peri. Worth reading for the sake of reading but not if you're looking for something with any weight. Not much actually happens and the ending is a rushed deus ex machina. There is one two-page bit that is the very essence of the Toymaker; it's the most effectively written part of the book. Peri is well served even though she doesn't get much in the way of character. The prose is somewhat overdone, so it's more of a slog than I like, but plenty of popular books have thicker. Some sentences could do with some rearranging of their clauses. There's a sonic screwdriver cum magic wand that wouldn't be present. The resolution is too convenient, as we were given no grounds to buy into it. (A simple 'The Doctor fiddled with the device for a moment.' would have been an improvement.) And just what WAS Geoff doing during all this?

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Aug 12, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe. Novelisation of a season 6 story of which only one part out of six has been recovered. Good writing, bad plot. Terrance Dicks has made it readable, but this has to be the worst classic Doctor Who episode--stupid and monotonous. If it included some senseless teen angst ... (continue)

  Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe. Novelisation of a season 6 story of which only one part out of six has been recovered. Good writing, bad plot. Terrance Dicks has made it readable, but this has to be the worst classic Doctor Who episode--stupid and monotonous. If it included some senseless teen angst it would fit perfectly into Virgin's New Adventures line.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Aug 11, 2009 | Add your feedback

• 1 person find this helpful

  Second Doctor, Jamie, Ben, Polly. Novelisation of a season 4 story of which only the soundtrack has been recovered. I enjoyed most of it, mainly due the characterisation of the Doctor; unfortunately the climax and end are rushed and not well described. The occasional minor jump in a scene makes y ... (continue)

  Second Doctor, Jamie, Ben, Polly. Novelisation of a season 4 story of which only the soundtrack has been recovered. I enjoyed most of it, mainly due the characterisation of the Doctor; unfortunately the climax and end are rushed and not well described. The occasional minor jump in a scene makes you wonder if the author forgot to describe something or if it somehow got deleted.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Aug 10, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Audio adventure with the seventh Doctor and Mel. I enjoyed it. Very well performed and timed.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Apr 25, 2009 | Add your feedback

• 1 person find this helpful

  Audio adventure with the fifth Doctor, Peri, Erimem. Historical comedy in the vein of 'The Romans'. For full appreciation, review a synopsis of Shakespeare's 'Richard III' before listening.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Apr 12, 2009 | Add your feedback

• The author's best composition, judging by the other two books of his I've read. Takes awhile to get going, but then it's fun.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Jun 19, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Past Doctor Adventure (PDA) with the second Doctor. The story is rather a stroll compared to the other two Players books, hence the disappointed reaction from reviewers who expected the three books to form a trilogy simply because they have the same foe. Nevertheless I enjoyed it. Not really one ... (continue)

  Past Doctor Adventure (PDA) with the second Doctor. The story is rather a stroll compared to the other two Players books, hence the disappointed reaction from reviewers who expected the three books to form a trilogy simply because they have the same foe. Nevertheless I enjoyed it. Not really one for the newcomer, as there are some devices dating from various books--unless you don't mind some rather wild random elements.
  This is one of the author's best-composed books--unusually strong on character, dialogue that at critical points is so well chosen that it doesn't need further characterisation, and a story that continues to hold interest despite that it's really a series of mini-plots chained together. You can really hear the second Doctor in some scenes. The author also does a brilliant job of reminding alert readers about things mentioned earlier without bashing over the head. This one makes me want to read more Terrance Dicks books! The book's only two inherent flaws (which may be major for some readers) are the chained mini-plot structure which doesn't really require much protagonist initiative until the last fifth, and the occasional ambushing with elements from other books.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Jul 25, 2009 | Add your feedback

• I just didn't find it very interesting. But I did read and finish it at my usual rate, so I can't say I 'disliked' it. Cameos by Jason and Braxiatel.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Apr 21, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Audio adventure with the fifth Doctor and Turlough.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Aug 8, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Past Doctor Adventure (PDA) with the fifth Doctor and Peri.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Jun 29, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Audio adventure with the eighth Doctor, Romana, K-9. Uses the script for the unfinished fourth Doctor episode, slightly updated to fit the eighth Doctor's timeline.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Aug 3, 2009 | Add your feedback

• New Adventure (NA) with Benny, Roz and Chris. A mix of love it and loathe it. I found the Benny and Jason chapters so repulsive I skipped them--they're strictly for those who love tragic Mar(t)y Sues. The science and history should be taken with a grain of salt.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Apr 15, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Fourth Doctor, Romana, K-9. Conveys the show well and clarifies some obscure points. In fact in many ways it's an improvement on the show, although from time to time the word count limitation gets a little TOO tight. Don't read a single word of the back cover if you don't want the entire plot giv ... (continue)

  Fourth Doctor, Romana, K-9. Conveys the show well and clarifies some obscure points. In fact in many ways it's an improvement on the show, although from time to time the word count limitation gets a little TOO tight. Don't read a single word of the back cover if you don't want the entire plot given away!

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Apr 15, 2009 | Add your feedback

• New Adventure (NA) with Ace. I wanted to like it for its unique setting at least, but the author made all the characters too stupid to bear. That isn't Doctor Who. (Well, maybe it is NOW, but it wasn't when this book was published.) And that's on top of the seventh Doctor seeming to be the sixth ... (continue)

  New Adventure (NA) with Ace. I wanted to like it for its unique setting at least, but the author made all the characters too stupid to bear. That isn't Doctor Who. (Well, maybe it is NOW, but it wasn't when this book was published.) And that's on top of the seventh Doctor seeming to be the sixth Doctor for much of the book, and Ace a monotonous co-dependent brat. And what's with the characters never having a plan? Quite a lot of print errors.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Jun 11, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Audio adventure with the eighth Doctor and Charley. A well-constructed plot badly written, and the directing doesn't improve on it. You're better off finding a detailed outline to read.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Aug 2, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Audio adventure with the seventh Doctor, Ace, Hex. The author has a keen sense of how people use public speaking to manipulate, but the plot relies heavily on cliche. The acting suffers somewhat from the actors being given long monologues with no movement.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Jun 21, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Eighth Doctor Adventure (EDA) with Fitz and Sam. The book that set the tone for many of Fitz's misadventures. A pleasant enough read, although if you're an experienced reader there are no surprises; the circumstances are just extraordinary enough that you keep reading out of curiosity as to how it ... (continue)

  Eighth Doctor Adventure (EDA) with Fitz and Sam. The book that set the tone for many of Fitz's misadventures. A pleasant enough read, although if you're an experienced reader there are no surprises; the circumstances are just extraordinary enough that you keep reading out of curiosity as to how it's all going to work. It is occasionally obvious that the author is making characters thick just to stretch out the time. The climax is bad; worse, it doesn't fit with the rest of the book and it doesn't add up. As usual Sam is a jerk, but fortunately she has little to do.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Aug 1, 2009 | Add your feedback

• Missing Adventure (MA) with the sixth Doctor and Peri. At the nasty end of the spectrum. I can't say I like it, and it isn't very good, but it does have its moments and the sixth Doctor is much himself. The one that was originally drafted as a Judge Dredd crossover.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Apr 15, 2009 | Add your feedback

Leela4 has this up for trade. Trade with Leela4 for this.

• Audio adventure with the seventh Doctor.

  Is this helpful?

  ― Posted on Jul 27, 2009 | Add your feedback