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just_fighting_censorship's review
3.0
For what it is, it's pretty good with a few extra special awesome moments.
The story itself is average, if feels a little rushed, but it is a short story after all.
The Doctor's companion for this story is a girl named Ali whom I almost instantly liked, but not everything is as it seems and the twist that is slowly revealed is more interesting than the actual plot.
BUT, here is the real reason this short story is a MUST-READ: Canon! Remember episode 1, season 1 of the new series entitled Rose? Remember how at the end of that episode the Doctor offers Rose the chance to travel with him and she responsibly turns him down to stay home and take care of her mother and Mickey? Remember how the Doctor leaves but then reappears to mention that he can also time travel and Rose runs to the TARDIS?
Well this story takes place in between the Doctor's disappearance and reappearance! Yes it is timey wimey and so awesome!
The story itself is average, if feels a little rushed, but it is a short story after all.
The Doctor's companion for this story is a girl named Ali whom I almost instantly liked, but not everything is as it seems and the twist that is slowly revealed is more interesting than the actual plot.
BUT, here is the real reason this short story is a MUST-READ: Canon! Remember episode 1, season 1 of the new series entitled Rose? Remember how at the end of that episode the Doctor offers Rose the chance to travel with him and she responsibly turns him down to stay home and take care of her mother and Mickey? Remember how the Doctor leaves but then reappears to mention that he can also time travel and Rose runs to the TARDIS?
Well this story takes place in between the Doctor's disappearance and reappearance! Yes it is timey wimey and so awesome!
tardislibrarian's review
3.0
The very last chapter was the BEST part of the entire story. Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.
skyepieonthefly's review
3.0
I really liked how they placed this story in the Doctor Who continuum. Very interesting plot choice and think that it works.
However I had some issues with their authors choices. I know that many others like that we didn't know that the Doctor's new companion was a giant red cockroach, but that's something that I like to know ahead of time to picture the story better. Kinda bugged me and I couldn't switch over to her being a bug thing even after I was told that she was.
Also I feel that the villains have had more depth in some of the previous stories, and this guy just seemed like a matter of coincidence.
I did like the historical setting of the story, and the writing was good. But the choices he picked for the flow of the story was off for me and I found it a bit rushed.
However I had some issues with their authors choices. I know that many others like that we didn't know that the Doctor's new companion was a giant red cockroach, but that's something that I like to know ahead of time to picture the story better. Kinda bugged me and I couldn't switch over to her being a bug thing even after I was told that she was.
Also I feel that the villains have had more depth in some of the previous stories, and this guy just seemed like a matter of coincidence.
I did like the historical setting of the story, and the writing was good. But the choices he picked for the flow of the story was off for me and I found it a bit rushed.
erudani's review
4.0
Quisiera ponerle 10 estrellas, porque 9th, pero estuvo un poco flojo, igual muy buen cuento.
sapphic's review
3.0
This is the first one of the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary E-Shorts I've read, because the Ninth Doctor is awesome. The story was okay, nothing really special but still a good, quick read for Whovians.
slayra's review
3.0
The ninth doctor is my favourite so I had to read this. The story takes place shortly after the doctor's regeneration when he meets a bright alien named Ali while searching for a Starman. I enjoyed Ali as she transformed from a bored bystander to a warrior while helping the doctor, I felt the Starman was not half as scary as Ali was. Ancient Babylon was a great scenery, but unfortunately everything felt rushed. I really liked the bit in the end when Rose Tyler comes up in a familiar scene.
kribu's review
3.0
Not a bad story at all, but it suffered from the same problem I've had with nearly all of these stories - a lengthy, relatively detailed introduction followed by the middle part (where the actual plot happens) that is hurried and not nearly meaty enough, and a short, rushed ending.
I wasn't initially happy to find out Nine wouldn't have Rose as his companion in this one, both because I liked Rose a lot better with the Ninth Doctor than with Ten and because I expect this means she'll be in Ten's story instead of Martha or Donna (both of whom I liked much better in Ten's era), and, well, Nine & Rose just seem like an inseparable package deal.
That said, and slight disappointment aside, I actually ended up liking the way this was handled. It was nice to get an alien as a companioneven though she thought and acted a bit too human-like for me to suspend disbelief entirely - I assume it was part of the whole reveal, to make Ali sound like a regular human girl to start with and then only gradually reveal that she's not from Earth and then, in a way clearly designed to surprise the reader, describe her very much alien looks and beliefs. And also, it fit into the canon TV timeline better than I'd expected, and Rose was certainly present enough in spirit, if not in body.
The plot itself... not the worst I've read and not the best I've read. Ancient Babylon was a cool destination, but I felt the Starman part of the plot was rather weak.
On the plus side, I could actually hear Christopher Eccleston's voice for Nine's dialogue, so at least to me, Higson got Nine's voice down just right.
I wasn't initially happy to find out Nine wouldn't have Rose as his companion in this one, both because I liked Rose a lot better with the Ninth Doctor than with Ten and because I expect this means she'll be in Ten's story instead of Martha or Donna (both of whom I liked much better in Ten's era), and, well, Nine & Rose just seem like an inseparable package deal.
That said, and slight disappointment aside, I actually ended up liking the way this was handled. It was nice to get an alien as a companion
The plot itself... not the worst I've read and not the best I've read. Ancient Babylon was a cool destination, but I felt the Starman part of the plot was rather weak.
On the plus side, I could actually hear Christopher Eccleston's voice for Nine's dialogue, so at least to me, Higson got Nine's voice down just right.