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cecesloth's review
5.0
Every time I try to sum up my thoughts the resulting paragraph just seems so... inadequate? Unnecessary?
Anyway, this book is so good that I now feel obliged to go and spend hundreds of dollars on a nice physical copy so I can read it again.
Anyway, this book is so good that I now feel obliged to go and spend hundreds of dollars on a nice physical copy so I can read it again.
zmull's review
4.0
I spent about half of this book expecting the body in the casket to actually be Laika, in the end. No luck. I guess that's more of a Gareth Roberts ending. Still, this is a great Doctor Who story. recommended
decembera's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
+1 star just for the prologue. god.
hidekisohma's review
2.0
So after reading the okayness that was 'War of the Daleks' it was time to jump into Alien Bodies. And what do i have to say about Alien Bodies? Um.... it was very very confusing.
This book has to do with a bunch of people bidding on an auction for a relic. 8 and Sam show up and realize what they're bidding on and have to stop them from getting it. That seems like a very straightforward story, but this book is anything but straightforward.
The biggest issue i had with this book was that because there were so many groups of people bidding on the relic, there were a LOT of characters, and the book decided it was a great idea to have a chapter dedicated to EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEIR BACKSTORIES. And yes, they are pretty much all boring and pointless. I know that 1 of the races is important for later, but other than that, everyone else was super boring and unimportant.
Not only was it dragged out because of this, it got very confusing. The reason for wanting the relic got very convoluted and the powers each of the different groups of aliens had didn't help things as well as the defenses for the relic itself.
I read the last few who books in a few days. This one took me about a week. I had to keep taking breaks from this one as i zoned out a LOT. My mind would drift off only for me realize i didn't take in a word of the past page. Even having read the entire thing and finishing it today, i honestly can't remember a good half of what happened. It was very dull, confusing, and written in a way that made me lose interest.
When the doctor was on screen it was much better and i was able to keep my focus, but when it jumped to the side character, i honestly just didn't care. The villains of the story were all over the place and we went into existential territory more than once which only furthered the confusion.
The ending was okay and i wish more of the book was written like it, but by that point I just didn't really care. All in all, it had a great idea, but the execution was very lacking. This is one of, if not THE longest EDA with Sam, and you feel every page. I checked more than a few times to see if i was almost done.
2 out of 5.
This book has to do with a bunch of people bidding on an auction for a relic. 8 and Sam show up and realize what they're bidding on and have to stop them from getting it. That seems like a very straightforward story, but this book is anything but straightforward.
The biggest issue i had with this book was that because there were so many groups of people bidding on the relic, there were a LOT of characters, and the book decided it was a great idea to have a chapter dedicated to EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEIR BACKSTORIES. And yes, they are pretty much all boring and pointless. I know that 1 of the races is important for later, but other than that, everyone else was super boring and unimportant.
Not only was it dragged out because of this, it got very confusing. The reason for wanting the relic got very convoluted and the powers each of the different groups of aliens had didn't help things as well as the defenses for the relic itself.
I read the last few who books in a few days. This one took me about a week. I had to keep taking breaks from this one as i zoned out a LOT. My mind would drift off only for me realize i didn't take in a word of the past page. Even having read the entire thing and finishing it today, i honestly can't remember a good half of what happened. It was very dull, confusing, and written in a way that made me lose interest.
When the doctor was on screen it was much better and i was able to keep my focus, but when it jumped to the side character, i honestly just didn't care. The villains of the story were all over the place and we went into existential territory more than once which only furthered the confusion.
The ending was okay and i wish more of the book was written like it, but by that point I just didn't really care. All in all, it had a great idea, but the execution was very lacking. This is one of, if not THE longest EDA with Sam, and you feel every page. I checked more than a few times to see if i was almost done.
2 out of 5.
rebelbelle13's review
4.0
This was so much fun. Alien Bodies is my first foray into the Eighth Doctor novels, and I loved it. The Eighth Doctor is calm, cool, collected, sophisticated, honest and brave. He doesn't get riled or raise his voice and solves problems rationally while being kind. Sam, his companion, is young but does her job admirably. She supports the Doctor, (both physically and metaphorically) she isn't afraid of anything and doesn't hesitate to investigate or do what needs to be done. This particular story focused on the auction of a highly sought after and powerful relic, and brought together many alien species to bid on such an item. Things go awry quickly (as they usually do) and it's up to the Doctor to prevent as many deaths as possible while also preventing the relic from falling into the wrong hands. It's fast paced and action-packed, and I had a hard time putting it down. I enjoyed all the nods to the Who fans- past places, past events, and past Doctor incarnations. That being said, the story was way more complex than it needed to be, and it wasn't necessary to put every single character's backstory into the novel. There were more than a few that I really didn't care about- so if anything was going to slow the novel down and bring it down a few pegs, it would be that. I also wish there was more of the Doctor in this- which goes hand in hand with the huge cast and unnecessary backstories. I hope there's much more of the Doctor in the next novel. I certainly wouldn't recommend this book to someone who's not a fan of Doctor Who- they wouldn't appreciate or recognize all the nods to the Whoniverse, and they'd get lost in the minutiae of the plot, when, really, it's all about the Doctor.
jennasvape's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
joshulkin's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
1outside's review
5.0
The best Who book I've read yet, I think. The form and style are very 90's but the themes definitely feel very New Who.
Don't know if it deserves a 5/5 on its own, hut it definitely deserves that rating in the context of the EDA so far.
Don't know if it deserves a 5/5 on its own, hut it definitely deserves that rating in the context of the EDA so far.
eightfitz's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
wynnifer's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Good story, first 1/4 was a LOT tho so maybe I’ll reread at some point and the rating will probs be higher tbh