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starryworlds's review against another edition
5.0
I have enjoyed reading all these short stories. They were exhausting to read with jumping to different voices of the Doctor but it was a fun read. Also I was a bit disappointed that there isn't a story in this book that featured the War Doctor. This review will be long as I am going to review each story separately.
The First Doctor: A Big Hand for the Doctor.
4 stars.
Having only seen two serials from the first Doctor era, I thought I was going to struggle capturing the voice of the 1st Doctor but I didn't which I am glad for. I enjoyed this short story that consisted of soul pirates and only had the one companion, Susan. This short story was filled with action and weirdness in that he has to rely on a bio-hybrid hand that isn't a proper hand and this adds a comical element to the beginning of the story.
The Second Doctor: The Nameless City.
5 stars.
This story was enjoyable throughout and explores the question of what if the Time Lords didn't create the idea of TARDISes, what if it was a different alien lifeform and I feel like the 2nd Doctor was the best Doctor to explore this question.
The Third Doctor: The Spear of Destiny.
5 stars.
The third Doctor is one of my favourite Doctors and I have enjoyed all of his serials and this short story also included a similar pattern to the TV show serials in the way that UNIT is involved in the story. I enjoyed the way that it has included a lot of history with norse Gods but within this story the author put them as people living in tribes, which was really interesting for me.
The Fourth Doctor: The Roots of Evil.
5 stars.
The fourth Doctor is also one of my favourite Doctors and Philip Reeve has captured the fourth Doctors voice perfectly and it has sarcastic humour at the beginning when he lands on this planet where the inhabitants want to kill him.
The fifth Doctor: Tip of the Tongue.
3 stars.
This short story was my least favourite out of the 12 stories, which kind of worries me since he is the showrunner of the spin off show Class. Anyway back to the short story, it got a bit confusing due to the way that it swapped perspectives every few pages and at the end of the story it gave me a headache. Also the storyline didn't really grab my attention to the full focus of the story therefore I didn't pay full attention while I was reading it but I enjoyed the end of the story.
The Sixth Doctor: Something Borrowed.
4.5 stars.
I really enjoyed this short story which grabbed my attention straight away due to the flying lizards and I wanted to find out who was responsible for doing that. I have to admit this is the first story I have read of Doctor Who that is in 1st person and I actually quite enjoyed seeing it from Peri's perspective alone.
The Seventh Doctor: The Ripple Effect.
4.5 stars.
I really enjoyed the concept of this story as it explores a race of good Daleks which was actually worrying for me because for ten pages I kept thinking that the Daleks were planning something evil against the children.
The Eighth Doctor: Spore.
5 stars.
Even though I haven't watched the movie or the short clips with the eighth Doctor (only YouTube clips), I really enjoyed this story which features an alien virus that has a simplistic intelligence like a computer. I feel like there should be a TV show for the eighth Doctor that shows more of his adventures.
The Ninth Doctor: The Beast of Babylon.
5 stars.
I really enjoyed the fact that this short story features what happened after Rose Tyler said no the first time he asked her to travel with him and I always thought that he would have gone on adventures and this story explores it perfectly.
The Tenth Doctor: The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage.
4.5 stars.
The Tenth Doctor is also one of my favourite Doctors and this story explores fictional stories being in a different universe to some degree as in this case, it was a lifeform that was bringing people's imagination alive, which made it an interesting story and I feel like it should be explored more in the TV show.
The Eleventh Doctor: Nothing O'clock.
4.5 stars.
This story surprised me a little bit due to the fact that in other books, I can never capture the eleventh Doctor's voice but in this story I can capture his voice perfectly which could be to do with the writer of the story, Neil Gaiman. Anyway, I really enjoyed this story due to it exploring what could be in the prisons on Gallifrey.
The twelfth Doctor: Lights Out.
4.5 stars.
This story also surprised me because I can't capture 12's voice in other books but I could for this one. I just want to say want to say that I really want Holly Black to be a writer on the Doctor Who TV show. Also she has done something in a short story which Moffat has never done for the twelfth Doctor. Anyway I really enjoyed the way she explored fear of darkness within this story and how one person's life can be effected with this fear.
The First Doctor: A Big Hand for the Doctor.
4 stars.
Having only seen two serials from the first Doctor era, I thought I was going to struggle capturing the voice of the 1st Doctor but I didn't which I am glad for. I enjoyed this short story that consisted of soul pirates and only had the one companion, Susan. This short story was filled with action and weirdness in that he has to rely on a bio-hybrid hand that isn't a proper hand and this adds a comical element to the beginning of the story.
The Second Doctor: The Nameless City.
5 stars.
This story was enjoyable throughout and explores the question of what if the Time Lords didn't create the idea of TARDISes, what if it was a different alien lifeform and I feel like the 2nd Doctor was the best Doctor to explore this question.
The Third Doctor: The Spear of Destiny.
5 stars.
The third Doctor is one of my favourite Doctors and I have enjoyed all of his serials and this short story also included a similar pattern to the TV show serials in the way that UNIT is involved in the story. I enjoyed the way that it has included a lot of history with norse Gods but within this story the author put them as people living in tribes, which was really interesting for me.
The Fourth Doctor: The Roots of Evil.
5 stars.
The fourth Doctor is also one of my favourite Doctors and Philip Reeve has captured the fourth Doctors voice perfectly and it has sarcastic humour at the beginning when he lands on this planet where the inhabitants want to kill him.
The fifth Doctor: Tip of the Tongue.
3 stars.
This short story was my least favourite out of the 12 stories, which kind of worries me since he is the showrunner of the spin off show Class. Anyway back to the short story, it got a bit confusing due to the way that it swapped perspectives every few pages and at the end of the story it gave me a headache. Also the storyline didn't really grab my attention to the full focus of the story therefore I didn't pay full attention while I was reading it but I enjoyed the end of the story.
The Sixth Doctor: Something Borrowed.
4.5 stars.
I really enjoyed this short story which grabbed my attention straight away due to the flying lizards and I wanted to find out who was responsible for doing that. I have to admit this is the first story I have read of Doctor Who that is in 1st person and I actually quite enjoyed seeing it from Peri's perspective alone.
The Seventh Doctor: The Ripple Effect.
4.5 stars.
I really enjoyed the concept of this story as it explores a race of good Daleks which was actually worrying for me because for ten pages I kept thinking that the Daleks were planning something evil against the children.
The Eighth Doctor: Spore.
5 stars.
Even though I haven't watched the movie or the short clips with the eighth Doctor (only YouTube clips), I really enjoyed this story which features an alien virus that has a simplistic intelligence like a computer. I feel like there should be a TV show for the eighth Doctor that shows more of his adventures.
The Ninth Doctor: The Beast of Babylon.
5 stars.
I really enjoyed the fact that this short story features what happened after Rose Tyler said no the first time he asked her to travel with him and I always thought that he would have gone on adventures and this story explores it perfectly.
The Tenth Doctor: The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage.
4.5 stars.
The Tenth Doctor is also one of my favourite Doctors and this story explores fictional stories being in a different universe to some degree as in this case, it was a lifeform that was bringing people's imagination alive, which made it an interesting story and I feel like it should be explored more in the TV show.
The Eleventh Doctor: Nothing O'clock.
4.5 stars.
This story surprised me a little bit due to the fact that in other books, I can never capture the eleventh Doctor's voice but in this story I can capture his voice perfectly which could be to do with the writer of the story, Neil Gaiman. Anyway, I really enjoyed this story due to it exploring what could be in the prisons on Gallifrey.
The twelfth Doctor: Lights Out.
4.5 stars.
This story also surprised me because I can't capture 12's voice in other books but I could for this one. I just want to say want to say that I really want Holly Black to be a writer on the Doctor Who TV show. Also she has done something in a short story which Moffat has never done for the twelfth Doctor. Anyway I really enjoyed the way she explored fear of darkness within this story and how one person's life can be effected with this fear.
bookish_redpanda15's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
densar64's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed it more than I expected. This is a series of short stories, one for each of the 12 doctors (it helps if you are a fan of Doctor Who, of course).
cesar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Esse foi meu primeiro contato com Doctor Who e me diverti bastante conhecendo este universo através dos 12 contos e dos 12 doutores.
Engraçado, estranho, curioso e cheio de inteligência, os contos conseguem explicar um pouco desse universo super interessante de Doctor Who.
Engraçado, estranho, curioso e cheio de inteligência, os contos conseguem explicar um pouco desse universo super interessante de Doctor Who.
bymeme's review against another edition
I wasn't ready to read the second half of the short stories yet.
pandaroboto's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
littleelfman's review
4.0
Highlights were: Patrick Ness (the best), as well as Derek Landy and Neil Gaiman. Some good Doctor Fun!
aelsherif's review
4.0
I quite enjoyed this collection of short stories, featuring a story for each of the first 12 Doctors. Not being familiar with some of the reincarnations and villains of the classic Doctor Who, this served as a nice introduction to some elements I wasn’t aware of without being too overwhelming given the stories’ short length.
For the most part, the writers were able to capture their reincarnations’ essences, definitely the collection I needed to rekindle my Doctor Who enthusiasm and maybe encourage me to do a quick rewatch.
A Big Hand For The Doctor by Eoin Colfer:
I didn’t like this one, apart from the Doctor’s affection towards his granddaughter, neither the plot nor the sci-fi was anything close to remarkable.
The Nameless City by Michael Scott:
Really nice, I find this book igniting my desire to know as much of Doctor Who as possible, being introduced to Jamie who seems theoretically to be a very good match to the Doctor, and the Archons, villains in the age where Gallifrey was relevant and their origins still explored. The writing was really good, characters are nice but I felt the ending in this one came a bit out of nowhere.
The Spear of Destiny by Marcus Sedgwick:
One of my favourites; vikings, fake history, mythology, the Master and a very good companion in Jo.
The Roots of Evil by Philip Reeve:
The Fourth Doctor is the one I know the most out of ClassicWho, and he didn’t disappoint as a character, not a big fan of Leela though. I found the story amusing and the tree plot was creative along with the reference to Eleven’s episode which I quite enjoyed. Wanted something more for Four, but I guess that was ok.
Tip of the Tongue by Patrick Ness:
I like the stories where the Doctor is not heavily involved, this one was weak though. Felt like a Goosebumps story.
Something Borrowed by Richelle Mead:
My introduction to the Rani, quite an interesting character, I’m surprised she didn’t turn up in NuWho. Not very original but it’s always nice to see people who had known the Doctor for some time. Not very memorable.
The Ripple Effect by Malorie Blackman:
I liked this one, good Daleks which are actually good and not acting part of a plan posed for a good plot. I always find stories where the Doctor actually changes his mind about something even so slightly proves to be an interesting read. I also liked the style of the writing, I may try out something by Malorie Blackman sometime.
Spore by Alex Scarrow:
I found the concept of a bacterial-type organism that preserves intelligent beings quite interesting. The resolution was not the most satisfying and it all went down a bit too easily.
The Beast of Babylon by Charlie Higson:
My least favourite, there isn’t a real story and it reminded me of series eleven’s writing. I didn’t like the Starmen not Babylon. I enjoyed the new companion and incorporating the plot into the storyline of series 1 was a nice touch.
The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage by Derek Landy:
The story about how the Doctor and Martha are trapped into a storybook out of Martha’s childhood reads. Loved it, Ten’s character was captured perfectly and the plot, while not really original, was so much fun. Seemed to have one too many references to books and stories for a moment there, Martha’s character here was so much cooler than the boring, lame one I remember from the series. The writing in this one was so good, another author I will be keeping an eye for.
Nothing O’Clock by Neil Gaiman:
That was brilliant, the Kin were fantastic as the villain and the plot and story would make an incredible episode, especially since it fits so well with what was happening in series 5 and 6. Hands down the best story in the collection.
Lights Out by Holly Black:
I guess it was ok but I felt that the author didn’t really get the tone of Twelve correctly, and it turns out this was published a mere two month after his first episode, so I guess that makes sense. The story is weak but very well told, the impact of the Doctor was very small and I wasn’t sure which episode was the one referenced in the story.
For the most part, the writers were able to capture their reincarnations’ essences, definitely the collection I needed to rekindle my Doctor Who enthusiasm and maybe encourage me to do a quick rewatch.
A Big Hand For The Doctor by Eoin Colfer:
I didn’t like this one, apart from the Doctor’s affection towards his granddaughter, neither the plot nor the sci-fi was anything close to remarkable.
The Nameless City by Michael Scott:
Really nice, I find this book igniting my desire to know as much of Doctor Who as possible, being introduced to Jamie who seems theoretically to be a very good match to the Doctor, and the Archons, villains in the age where Gallifrey was relevant and their origins still explored. The writing was really good, characters are nice but I felt the ending in this one came a bit out of nowhere.
The Spear of Destiny by Marcus Sedgwick:
One of my favourites; vikings, fake history, mythology, the Master and a very good companion in Jo.
The Roots of Evil by Philip Reeve:
The Fourth Doctor is the one I know the most out of ClassicWho, and he didn’t disappoint as a character, not a big fan of Leela though. I found the story amusing and the tree plot was creative along with the reference to Eleven’s episode which I quite enjoyed. Wanted something more for Four, but I guess that was ok.
Tip of the Tongue by Patrick Ness:
I like the stories where the Doctor is not heavily involved, this one was weak though. Felt like a Goosebumps story.
Something Borrowed by Richelle Mead:
My introduction to the Rani, quite an interesting character, I’m surprised she didn’t turn up in NuWho. Not very original but it’s always nice to see people who had known the Doctor for some time. Not very memorable.
The Ripple Effect by Malorie Blackman:
I liked this one, good Daleks which are actually good and not acting part of a plan posed for a good plot. I always find stories where the Doctor actually changes his mind about something even so slightly proves to be an interesting read. I also liked the style of the writing, I may try out something by Malorie Blackman sometime.
Spore by Alex Scarrow:
I found the concept of a bacterial-type organism that preserves intelligent beings quite interesting. The resolution was not the most satisfying and it all went down a bit too easily.
The Beast of Babylon by Charlie Higson:
My least favourite, there isn’t a real story and it reminded me of series eleven’s writing. I didn’t like the Starmen not Babylon. I enjoyed the new companion and incorporating the plot into the storyline of series 1 was a nice touch.
The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage by Derek Landy:
The story about how the Doctor and Martha are trapped into a storybook out of Martha’s childhood reads. Loved it, Ten’s character was captured perfectly and the plot, while not really original, was so much fun. Seemed to have one too many references to books and stories for a moment there, Martha’s character here was so much cooler than the boring, lame one I remember from the series. The writing in this one was so good, another author I will be keeping an eye for.
Nothing O’Clock by Neil Gaiman:
That was brilliant, the Kin were fantastic as the villain and the plot and story would make an incredible episode, especially since it fits so well with what was happening in series 5 and 6. Hands down the best story in the collection.
Lights Out by Holly Black:
I guess it was ok but I felt that the author didn’t really get the tone of Twelve correctly, and it turns out this was published a mere two month after his first episode, so I guess that makes sense. The story is weak but very well told, the impact of the Doctor was very small and I wasn’t sure which episode was the one referenced in the story.