Cameron Mason's Reviews - Telos Novellas Reviews Condensed

Time and Relative
1st Doctor and Susan
The range of Telos Novellas is launched with an impressive story from Kim Newman, set a few months before 100 000 BC. Newman tells his story, of an unusual winter in England, through Susan; making Susan a more rounded character. Newman's version of the Doctor is every bit as mysterious as he appeared in the closing moments of An Unearthly Child. The villains of the novella, the Cold, are a mysterious force, their presence and menace building as the novella progresses. Newman's prose style works well to convey the atmosphere of winter and the horror of the Cold's attack. The first novella in Telos's range is one I can recommend to all fans of Doctor Who.
Preliminary Rating: 8.5 - 9.5/10

Citadel of Dreams
7th Doctor and Ace
Preliminary Rating: 8 - 9/10

Nightdreamers
3rd Doctor and Jo
Preliminary Rating: 7.5 - 8.5/10

Ghost Ship
4th Doctor
The TARDIS takes a moody Fourth Doctor to the Queen Mary, where he discovers the reason why the ship is haunted. Keith Topping's haunting novella attempts to do something different by telling the story in first person from the Doctor's perspective; a not entirely successful decision. The secondary characters are well drawn out, making their fates more tragic. The explaination for the hauntings on the Queen Mary is rather original and inventive. A more experimental novella, which has some slight failings, but ultimately succeeds.
Preliminary Rating: 7 - 8/10

Foreign Devils
2nd Doctor, Jamie and Zoe

Preliminary Rating: 9 - 10/10

Rip Tide
8th Doctor

Preliminary Rating: 9 - 10/10

Wonderland
2nd Doctor, Ben and Polly

Preliminary Rating: 8.5 - 9.5/10

Shell Shock
6th Doctor and Peri
On a nameless world, the Doctor is trapped on the only stretch of land to found, Peri is being absorbed by a sponge-like being, and the story of a beast intent on murdering semi-intelligent crabs is about to be told... Simon A Forward is a prolific writer, having previously written for the BBC and Big Finish, his work for Telos continues to show his skills as a writer, creating a story that comfortably fits the novella format. Forward adds to the characterisation of the Sixth Doctor,
Preliminary Rating: 8.5 - 9.5/10

The Cabinet of Light
The Doctor
It's 1949, and in London black marketeer Honore Lechaseur is hired by a woman to find her missing husband: the Doctor. As Lechaseur's investigation goes on, he gets drawn into the myth and legend of the Doctor, an 'underworld' of gangsters and machine-men and meets a woman who can't even remember her own name... This is quite possible the Doctor Who of 2003, in which Daniel O'Mahoney gets to the heart of who the Doctor is, not by giving an intense account of the Doctor actions, but how his actions have affected people and mark he has left where ever he had gone. Lechaseur is a fascinating character, and it's easy to see why editor David J Howe saw the potential for a spin-off series with Lechaseur as one of its two central characters. If you only buy one 'new' Doctor Who story this year, make sure it's this one.
Preliminary Rating: 10/10

Fallen Gods
8th Doctor
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Frayed
1st Doctor and Susan
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Eye of the Tyger
8th Doctor
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Companion Piece
7th Doctor and Cat
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Blood and Hope
5th Doctor, Peri and Erimem
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The Dalek Factor
The Doctor
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Time Hunter

The Winning Side
Honore Lechaseur and Emily Blandish

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The Tunnel at the End of the Light
Honore Lechaseur and Emily Blandish

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The Clockwork Woman
Honore Lechaseur and Emily Blandish

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Kitsune
Honore Lechaseur and Emily Blandish

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The Severed Man
Honore Lechaseur and Emily Blandish

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Echoes
Honore Lechaseur and Emily Blandish

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Peculiar Lives
Honore Lechaseur and Emily Blandish

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Deus Le Volt
Honore Lechaseur and Emily Blandish

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The Albino's Dancer
Honore Lechaseur and Emily Blandish

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