Reviews

Doctor Who: The Evil of the Daleks by John Peel

nwhyte's review

http://nhw.livejournal.com/1028958.html?#cutid1[return][return]This was the last official Target/Virgin adaptatation (a few remaining stories were produced in book form by fans subsequently) and therefore also the last Second Doctor novelisation and the last in the impressive series of five Dalek novelisation by John Peel. I have to say that I am among that heretical minority who regard the original story here as of less than top quality: the plot is absurdly convoluted, requiring both the Doctor and the Daleks to behave out of character, and Victoria as a new companion is awfully wet. But having said that, Peel improves on the original in a number of ways, giving the characters more comprehensible motivations, and embedding the narrative in the Dalek continuity he has been developing. I still preferred his others, but this is a good effort.

belbonnie's review

4.0

Maybe I'm biased because this is a serial that's very near and dear to my heart, but I loved this novelization. I think the combination of the serial being really good and the serial being missing makes it perfect for a novelization, and this one did really well filling in imagery and characters' internal narration.

I feel like the characters were all written well, and I love the plot. The Victorian setting, which is part of what draws me so much to this story in the first place, was really apparent atmospherically, so that was awesome. Also I think this novelization did well giving some depth to Kemel, who's like. a lowkey one-time favourite of mine, so I was excited to see that.