Cameron Mason's Reviews - Eighth Doctor Adventures Reviews Condensed

The Burning
Justin Richards kicks off a new era of the EDAs with a story that is traditional in setting, and new in villain. The Doctor is is on Earth, without his memories, with the TARDIS slowly rebuilding itself after the events of The Ancestor Cell. The TARDIS has lead him to Middleton where the mysterious Roger Nepath has apparently discovered a seam of a material that retains the memory of the shape which it has been fashioned into, not matter how badly it is damaged. A well told story, which is an excellent start to the 'Caught on Earth' story arc, and a good starting point for new readers.
Preliminary Rating: 8 - 9/10

Casualties of War
It's World War One, and the Doctor has arrived in English village near a convelesant home for returned servicemen, where strange things are going on. Steve Emmerson's debut novel makes a good pair with the previous month's The Burning, both are set in rural English villages and the 'monster' is elemental with a human agent, but Casualties of War takes a different approach to the story. A smaller scale novel, that contrasts well with the events of arc setting and Doctor reinvention ofThe Burning and the larger scale events of The Turing Test. Casualties of War is great debut novel that works well with in the Earth arc.
Preliminary Rating: 7.5 - 8.5/10

The Turing Test
Paul Leonard's latest novel is rather different from the majority of Doctor Who novels. Being told from three perspectives - Alan Turing, Graham Greene and Joseph Heller, The Turing Test allows readers to experience the Doctor from a different perspective than normal. The characterisation of the Doctor is quite good, logically progressing his character arc; the Doctor knows he isn't human, and is willing to try anything to leave the Earth, even kill. The writing style is very readable, with Leonard managing to differentiate the prose style for each section. A winner, and the strongest novel so far in the Earth arc.
Preliminary Rating: 9 - 10/10

Endgame
The Doctor unwilling gets caught up in international espionage as some old enemies play out an endgame that could destory the world. Terrance Dick's latest novel is a bit of a let down from his previous novel, Players, and is also a lot shorter than most other novels; a fact explained by Dicks in his foreword. Dicks chooses to bring back the Players from his previous work Players, developing the concept a little, but still leaving much of their past, their culture, their whole reason a mystery. A positive feature is that the Doctor's character arc continues; here he is morose, spending most of his time researching anything and everything, trying to find something to spark his memory. A short, light read from the veteran of Doctor Who.
Preliminary Rating: 7 - 8/10

Father Time
It's now 1980, and the Doctor is a recluse, living in England. Events leading him to adopting a young girl named Miranda, who has two hearts, and a family heritage that will see them both caught up in events that affect the far future of the universe... Lance Parkin's latest novel is a fantastic read. The structure of the story has many different layers to it: going by internal dating, the story covers length of John Nathan-Turner's reign as producer; the novel is divided into three parts, each part given the title of a 1980s cartoon series; and each third is written in the style of story Miranda would read at the age she is at in each third - a children's fantasy, a teenage romance and an adult blockbuster. The Doctor is well characterised, Miranda is an excellent character and the glimpes into the far future seem to be a taster for future stories. Unmissable.
Preliminary Rating: 9 - 10/10

Escape Velocity
As two rival alien factions fight over the fate of Earth, Fitz is reunited with the Doctor. Colin Brake's debut novel can be summed up as being a major disappointment. Much of Escape Velocity comes off a being a five minute re-write of Father Time, the linkages between the Earth Arc novel being less subtle this time. The Doctor's character, rather continuing the character arc that has developed through the Earth arc, feels like the Doctor arrived on Earth a week before Fitz, rather than over 100 years before. New companion Anji makes a strong debut.
Preliminary Rating: 5.5 - 6.5/10

Earthworld
The TARDIS arrives on New Jupiter, whose main feature is a themepark that takes in aspects of Earth's history, and revolution fever is spreading... Jaqueline Rayner's debut novel is a blast. At first appearing to be a light-hearted read, Earthworld has some serious moments and serious theme at heart: identity. Fitz ponders who he is, after all that has happended to him; and the triplet's identity is a bit of a mystery. Anji continues to be used well, and her emails to Dave are a good way of getting her thoughts and feelings across to the reader. A funny, thoughtful and tragic start to the Eighth Doctor's new wanderings.
Preliminary Rating: 8 - 9/10

Vanishing Point
The TARDIS arrives on an unnamed world, where an unknown element is interfering in the Creator's design killing people before their time. As the Doctor and his companions work to prevent the collapse of the Design, a priest works through his crisis of faith... Steve Cole's last (co-written) novel was a big 'event' novel, with too much to tie up to work properly; here, dealing with the themes and issues he wants to explore, Cole suceeds. Although there are some standard EDA clich�s in the story (such as Fitz having sex), Cole works them into Vanishing Point so that they have some meaning within the story, rather than just using them to give the regulars something to do. Vanishing Point is Steve Cole's best novel to date.
Preliminary Rating: 7.5 - 8.5/10

Eater of Wasps
The TARDIS lands in Marpling, where the TARDIS crew soon encounters other time travellers, searching for a dangerous artifact... Trevor Baxendale keeps improving with every novel - in Eater of Wasps the plotting comes together well, as does the prose. The characters are well rounded, with details developed well and not coming off as clich�s used to try and develop cardbaord cutout stereotypes. Eater of Wasps is deceptively traditional in style, with the time travel element of the story pointing towards the direction the post Earth-arc EDAs are taking.
Preliminary Rating: 8 - 9/10

The Year of Intelligent Tigers
The TARDIS has arrived on the world of Hitchemus, home to an Earth colony and an indegenous species similar to tigers. As the mystery of the tigers becomes clear, the Doctor must convince both humans and tigers to work together, or risk losing their world...The Year of Intelligent Tigers takes the music elements of Father Time to a whole new level - The Year of Intelligent Tigers appears to be composed, rather than written; there are slow sections, and there are fast paced sections, such as the four chapters that run together. Music is also an important part of Hitchemus, such as providing the Doctor and Fitz with a way of connecting with the colony. All the characters are well rounded, and the mystery of the tigers interesting and well developed. An excellent novel, which should not be missed.
Preliminary Rating: 8.5 - 9.5/10

The Slow Empire
After being overrun by creatures from the Vortex, the TARDIS lands in a region of space where faster than light travel is impossible; the Doctor and his companions must discover who caused this while evading the Empire's authorities... This is a typical Dave Stone novel in nature, but some elements (such as the slightly annoying narrator) feel recycled from his previous novels, making parts of The Slow Empire feel like they've been done before, and better. The Collector is fun character, and although it's not told explicitly, long term readers can guess that it is part of an earlier Dave Stone creation. An interesting story, but some sections of the novel have been done previously, and better, by the author.
Preliminary Rating: 7.5 - 8.5/10

Dark Progeny
On the Earth colony of Ceres Alpha alien children are born to human parents, can the Doctor save them from humans bent on experimenting on them in the name of science? Steve Emmerson has written a novel that is a contrast to his previous novel Casualties of War - creating his own world, rather than basing his story in history. This works both positively and negativelty in Dark Progeny - Emmerson is free to explore other issues through his own world, but spends too much time on world-building, leaving the main plot of the novel too long to develop, and therefore little time to wrapped up adequately. In conclusion, Dark Progeny is slow paced, which allows for characters to be well developed and explored; however this makes for a slightly rushed and abrupt end to the story.
Preliminary Rating: 7 - 8/10

City of the Dead
The TARDIS has arrived in New Orleans, and the Doctor is searching for a stranded water elemental, while he and his companions become a part of the lives of local residents. Lloyd Rose has written an impressive debut novel. Her writing is atmospheric, bringing to life the locations, events and people of City of the Dead. Her characters are well rounded people, each with their own good points and vices, such as the mysterious Mrs Flood and the tragic Jonas Rust. The only criticism I can make is that the climax is a little confusing, with the resolution not explained claerly enough. City of the Dead is another novel I can highly recommend.
Preliminary Rating: 8.5 - 9.5/10

Grimm Reality
The TARDIS has arrived on a world where fairytales are reality, and all sorts of fantasy creatures exist. Orbiting this planet is a quantum white hole, a rare source of materials and a human vessal wishes to exploit its wealth, and whatever materials from it that have ended up on the planet. Simon Bucher-Jones and newcomer Kelly Hale have collaborated on a great novel, creating interesting new fairytale-type characters. For the most part it feels like they wrote Grimm Reality together in the same room, even though the authors live on either side of the Atlantic Ocean.
Preliminary Rating: 8 - 9/10

The Adventuress of Henrietta Street
Lawrence Miles is best known for being controversial with his novels, and this one continues the trend. Told in the form of a piece of historical research, Adventuress is a vast story, covering a year in time, and from England to the horizon of human understanding. The nameless researcher presents their evidence in a variety of ways: diary entries, letters and witness accounts. It is not a conventional account, and Adventuress is not a conventional Doctor Who story. Overall, it will be remembered for its controversy, and for introducing Sabbath, but I will remember it for covering some much in so little space.
Preliminary Rating: 9 - 10/10

Mad Dogs and Englishmen
Paul Magrs has done it again! Celebrating the 100th BBC Doctor Who novel, Mad Dogs and Englishman isn't an self-congratulatory knees-up, but instead resonates of the themes that have flowing through many BBC novels. The Dogworld and its inhabitants are well crafted, with the society as a whole coming off as being very realistic. Magrs gently satirises The Lord of the Rings and it's writer JRR Tolkien, this succeeds because it is the crux of the plot of the novel. Mad Dogs and Englishmen is a fun romp, and the cover is the weirdest so far on a BBC novel.
Preliminary Rating: 8 - 9/10

Hope
Mark Clapham's first solo novel is a very strong piece of writing. The TARDIS has arrived at Endpoint, and the TARDIS crew are immediately caught up in a series of murders, and with the 'owner' of Endpoint, Silver. Anji gets a strong chunk of the story, dealing with her feelings for Dave. The change in Silver when he realises he can control more than Endpoint is astonishing. Some sections of Hope seem a little weak, but on the whole it is a well constructed story and a well written novel.
Preliminary Rating: 7.5 - 8.5/10

Anachrophobia
The TARDIS crew arrive on a planet where time is used as a weapon, and an experiment could lead to an alien species breaking into our universe. Johnathan Morris's second novel is a marked change from the first, this is a very dramatic novel, compared to the humour of The Festival of Death. The characters of Isolation Station 40 are well crafted individuals, and the concept of time as a weapon is well portrayed throught the novel. Look out for the cliffhanger-type end to the novel. A final point of note: the character in disguise is not unmasked by the Doctor or his companions. Hints to their identity are throughout the novel, and it was surprising to see him show up again so soon. One quesion though: when do we find out who is Sabbath working for?
Preliminary Rating: 8.5 - 9.5/10

Trading Futures
Someone is selling an illegal time machine on Earth of the near future. The world's power blocs are after it, as are Sabbath's agents, alien beings and the Doctor... Lance Parkin's latest novel does Doctor Who James Bond style, with lots of gadgets, fast cars, many foreign location and beautiful women. It's lighter in tone than Father Time and just as impressive. The most amusing sequences involve Fitz and the Onihr, who have mistaken Fitz for the Doctor. Trading Futures is a fast paced novel design to be read in one sitting, and another winner from Lance Parkin
Preliminary Rating: 8.5 - 9.5/10

The Book of the Still
There exists a special book. If you are a stranded time-traveller, all you need to do is write your name in it, and you will be instantly rescued. The Doctor is interested in the book, but so are others... Paul Ebbs has written a well plotted first novel. All the regulars get good material, but the best part would have to be Anji's Bollywood-type romp, after being drugged by the villains. The climax is a bit confusing though, as are the Book's origins - the time loop works well, but I'm still not sure how the way the loop was broken works. An impressive debut novel that just manages to leave a few small, but significant details too confusing to make sense.
Preliminary Rating: 7.5 - 8.5/10

The Crooked World
The TARDIS lands on a cartoon-like world, where the presense of the TARDIS crew upsets the balance of its inhabitants. Steve Lyon's latest novel is a vast improvement on The Space Age. The fun of The Crooked World is working out which cartoons the characters are based on, with Tom and Jerry, Loony Tunes, The Wacky Races and Penelope Pitstop being amongst the inhabitants of and its surrounds. Some of the best material can be found in the spoofing of Scooby Doo, with Anji joining the Skeleton Gang. The Crooked World may be put in the same category as Pleasantville, but is much more digestible and thought provoking.
Preliminary Rating: 8 - 9/10

History 101
Someone has altered history in such a way that Picasso's Guernica no longer has the same impact to people. The Doctor is determined to restore history, but Sabbath is also in Spain of 1937, observing and influencing events. Mags L Halliday's debut novel is a fascinating story about perspective, and how people see the same event differently. The Absolute is an interesting creation, a group who observe events from all participants perspectives, documenting all events. Fitz gets a good chunk of the action, sent to observe the bombing of Guernica, with Anji and the Doctor staying in Barcelona, tracking down who has altered history. History 101 is an impressive debut novel.
Preliminary Rating: 8 - 9/10

Camera Obscura
The Doctor and Sabbath are on 19th century Earth, tracking down a malfunctioning time machine in order to shut it down (or using it for their own purpose). The storyline regarding the Doctor's second heart is resolved, with both the Doctor and Sabbath using and (in some cases attempting to) abusing the unique link between them. the character arc of the TARDIS crew continues, with the seeds to Fitz's storyline in Time Zero told here. Anji is well used here, with her and Fitz's role in story working well within the Doctor's story. Camera Obscura is another winner from Lloyd Rose.
Preliminary Rating: 9 - 10/10

Time Zero
The TARDIS crew go their separate ways, but throughout the course of Time Zero their storylines interlink: Fitz's expedition to Siberia, Anji's return to her 'normal' life and the Doctor's own investigation into the fate of Fitz's expedition. The backwards count of the chapter numbers helps to heighten the tension within the novel. Sabbath isn't as well used here as he has been in previous novels, he comes across as a bit of a 'poor man's' Master in parts of Time Zero. The tie into The Burning works well, making these two novels a themic duo. The conclusion of Time Zero is astonishing, setting up the next direction for the Eighth Doctor novels.
Preliminary Rating: 8.5 - 9.5/10

The Infinity Race
Sabbath's gift leads the Doctor to the planet Selonart, where Sabbath hopes to harness the planet's unique properties to remold the universe as he pleases, but his last efforts have a nasty surprise in store... As a followup to the events of Time Zero, The Infinity Race is a bit weak, but makes a fairly interesting story in it;s own right. Sabbath may have got his wish, but the shift in universes gives birth to the Service, an organisation whose sole purpose is to track down Sabbath and kill him. The first person narration sections from the perspectives of Fitz and Anji work well, but some parts of Anji sections felt a bit 'off' character-wise, in particular her feelings about Fitz. One final point of interest, The Infinity Race is the 61st EDA, so now the BBC have equalled Virgin's run.
Preliminary Rating: 7 - 8/10

The Domino Effect
THe TARDIS arrives in Edinburgh 2002, but the TARDIS crew soon discover that they are in the wrong universe: one without computers, and with a secret society that has been controlling the development of the British Empire for centuries... David Bishop has written an interesting story, creating a fairly believable universe populated by characters familiar to long term fans of Doctor Who. An old enemy also shows up, being led astray by an alien intelligence - with the whole scheme revolving around a mysterious prisoner in the Tower, another old friend of the Doctor's. A complex plan, which makes sense when told throughout the novel, rather than just summed up in one sentance here. The Domino Effect starts to make clear the direction of the current storyline, with an ending that raises the stakes for the Doctor...
Preliminary Rating: 7 - 8/10

Reckless Engineering
The TARDIS arrives in Bristol, and once more in the wrong universe. Humanity is barely surviving, having been decimated by something 160 years ago. The man who caused it all is still alive, temporal distortions slowing down time around his house. In order to restore the universe, the Doctor travels back to 1843 and encounters Isambard Kingdom. The effects of the current storyline on the regulars really hits home here, as Fitz gains memories of having grown up in this universe; the longer the TARDIS crew spends in the 'wrong' universe, the more suseptable they are to being made 'native'. The current storyline still feels like it's crawling along, despite the cutback.
Preliminary Rating: 7.5 - 8.5/10

The Last Resort
The TARDIS crew arriver on a version of Earth where time travel is the basis of a huge tourist industry. As events spiral out of control, and divergent timelines collapse, the Doctor must rely on one man to help them solve the problem: Sabbath... The Last Resort can be summed up as a story about a man trying to save his son, but it is the multiple versions of most characters that makes the story confusing at times; but is well written and the characters are well structured. At last it feels like the current storyline is starting to pick up the pace, as the multiverse starts to completely collapse in on itself. Watch out for the end as the stowaway finally gets caught by the Doctor...
Preliminary Rating: 7.5 - 8.5/10

Timeless
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Emotional Chemistry
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Sometime Never...
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Halflife
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The Tomorrow Windows
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The Sleep of Reason
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The Deadstone Memorial
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To the Slaughter

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The Gallifrey Chronicles

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