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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
medium-paced
One thing I noticed right away with King's Dragon was that Amy and Rory's characterization were a bit off. They weren't completely out of character, but there were parts of their personality that were exaggerated. Thankfully, it got better -- more "stable" -- from the middle to the end.
The unique thing about this story was its setting of a pre-industrial alien world. I don't remember a Doctor Who episode/story set in such a world, so that's a plus for King's Dragon. The story about an enchanting substance, the civil war it caused in an advanced alien race, and its culmination in this pre-industrial alien world should be quite interesting, if you think about it. However, it came out a bit bland in this book. There's very little of that quality in good books that draws the reader to the story.
King's Dragon does have a good, very Doctor Who-like resolution, so it wasn't exactly terrible.
The unique thing about this story was its setting of a pre-industrial alien world. I don't remember a Doctor Who episode/story set in such a world, so that's a plus for King's Dragon. The story about an enchanting substance, the civil war it caused in an advanced alien race, and its culmination in this pre-industrial alien world should be quite interesting, if you think about it. However, it came out a bit bland in this book. There's very little of that quality in good books that draws the reader to the story.
King's Dragon does have a good, very Doctor Who-like resolution, so it wasn't exactly terrible.
The King's Dragon was the first book I have read by author Una McCormack. Before this novel, she had not written anything from Whoverse however, McCormack has penned a few Star Trek novels and essays.
This novel wasn't fantastic nor was it completely terrible. It was just average.
The author writes the trio very well, especially Rory. If you ship Rory/Amy you'll be in for a treat because there were a few make-out scenes between the couple.
The plot is also almost an exact copy of Beowulf so be prepared for that. Perhaps that was a big reason why I disliked this book. I love my fairytale retellings, but I am not a fan of Beowulf by any means.
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This novel wasn't fantastic nor was it completely terrible. It was just average.
The author writes the trio very well, especially Rory. If you ship Rory/Amy you'll be in for a treat because there were a few make-out scenes between the couple.
The plot is also almost an exact copy of Beowulf so be prepared for that. Perhaps that was a big reason why I disliked this book. I love my fairytale retellings, but I am not a fan of Beowulf by any means.
Find more reviews @ http://booksaz.wordpress.com/
So this book was interesting... I think that reading books about Doctor Who is soo much more different than watching the tv show. I loved that Rory was in it. Love Eleven.
I read this in a single sitting, so yes, it's on the brief side, but it's packed with goodness, especially if you're a fan of the Amy Pond of, say, "The Beast Below", wherein she still has agency and guts and curiosity and moxie. The Doctor, Amy and Rory (this is set during Rory's infinite stag party, so the Ponds aren't married yet) pay a visit to the universe's greatest and most stable and democratic civilization, only to find it trashed out with bling and turned into a personality cult-cum-monarchy. The allegories are not as heavy-handed as they sound; the incidental characters are absolutely delightful, the Alien Menace is wholly original, and did I mention this is the real Amy and she's awesome? And The Eleventh Doctor is entertaining and everything but also wise enough to let Amy (and, to a degree, Rory, but this is really Amy's show) be awesome?
I demand someone hijack the TARDIS and go back to when Russel T. Davies stepped down and make Una McCormack the next show-runner instead. That's how good she is.
Go read this one.
I demand someone hijack the TARDIS and go back to when Russel T. Davies stepped down and make Una McCormack the next show-runner instead. That's how good she is.
Go read this one.
5-star Who.
Doctor Who adventures are not “Great Literature” by any means, but they sure are fun! There is nothing better than a few hours travelling with the Doctor to distant times and places to help me cope with the real world. To successfully create a good Who novel, you just need a few simple elements:
1. Select a time: Past, Present or Future
2. Select a place: Earth, outer space or foreign planet
3. Add companions, either travelling in the TARDIS or picked up temporarily during the course of the episode (or in this case, volume)
4. Add threat: alien attack or invasion, time-continuum related conundrums, bad humans using technology (or aliens) to their own ends, or arriving in a hostile time/place
5. And, of course, add some incarnation of the Doctor
Ok, so The King’s Dragon uses this formula: present, foreign planet, travelling companions Amy and Rory, 11th Doctor and alien attack and alien tech . And it uses it well, adding enough twists to make it feel less like a paint-by-numbers than many of the Who novels out there.
The Doctor, Amy and Rory arrive on a distant world, home to the city of Geath (I’m unsure of the spelling as this was an audiobook, but it’s pronounced ghee-ahth). Geath is a pre-industrial, democratic city with a centuries-long history of peace and a reputation for hospitality and enlightenment. But something unusual has happened in the city since the Doctor’s last visit. A 12,000-year-old republic has suddenly embraced a king. A once sociable community is silent and subdued behind locked doors. And a golden dragon sits in pride of place in the king’s court- on a world in which gold doesn’t exist.
So, needless to say, it’s up to the Doctor and his intrepid companions to solve the mystery and save the day. Nothing new there, but that’s just how I like it. There are some particularly interesting twists in this tale, especially when the true identity of the “gold” is revealed to be a mind controlling substance banned throughout the galaxies and the situation becomes about much more than simply rampant greed or a troubled political structure. Aliens! BUREAUCRATIC aliens!!! Office Space…in space!!
Some reviewers have complained that a story like this could have been accomplished by simply travelling to Earth’s past, but this is a ridiculous complaint for a couple of reasons. First of all, no city on Earth has a 12,000 year history, much less a 12,000 year reign of peace . Secondly, gold exists on Earth, so where would the mystery be? Duh.
Anyway, this was a strong entry in the 11th Doctor’s foray into print.
Overall: 5 stars
• The Doctor, Amy and Rory are characterized perfectly in their speech and mannerisms
• The plot is engrossing and the pacing is spot-on
• The blending of pre-industrial limitations and alien technology (and the implications of such an interaction) were interesting and mostly believable
• Narrator of the audio book was clear and engaging
• Several really great supporting characters
Doctor Who adventures are not “Great Literature” by any means, but they sure are fun! There is nothing better than a few hours travelling with the Doctor to distant times and places to help me cope with the real world. To successfully create a good Who novel, you just need a few simple elements:
1. Select a time: Past, Present or Future
2. Select a place: Earth, outer space or foreign planet
3. Add companions, either travelling in the TARDIS or picked up temporarily during the course of the episode (or in this case, volume)
4. Add threat: alien attack or invasion, time-continuum related conundrums, bad humans using technology (or aliens) to their own ends, or arriving in a hostile time/place
5. And, of course, add some incarnation of the Doctor
Ok, so The King’s Dragon uses this formula: present, foreign planet, travelling companions Amy and Rory, 11th Doctor and
The Doctor, Amy and Rory arrive on a distant world, home to the city of Geath (I’m unsure of the spelling as this was an audiobook, but it’s pronounced ghee-ahth). Geath is a pre-industrial, democratic city with a centuries-long history of peace and a reputation for hospitality and enlightenment. But something unusual has happened in the city since the Doctor’s last visit. A 12,000-year-old republic has suddenly embraced a king. A once sociable community is silent and subdued behind locked doors. And a golden dragon sits in pride of place in the king’s court- on a world in which gold doesn’t exist.
So, needless to say, it’s up to the Doctor and his intrepid companions to solve the mystery and save the day. Nothing new there, but that’s just how I like it. There are some particularly interesting twists in this tale, especially when the true identity of the “gold” is revealed
Some reviewers have complained that a story like this could have been accomplished by simply travelling to Earth’s past, but this is a ridiculous complaint for a couple of reasons. First of all, no city on Earth has a 12,000 year history, much less a 12,000 year reign of peace . Secondly, gold exists on Earth, so where would the mystery be? Duh.
Anyway, this was a strong entry in the 11th Doctor’s foray into print.
Overall: 5 stars
• The Doctor, Amy and Rory are characterized perfectly in their speech and mannerisms
• The plot is engrossing and the pacing is spot-on
• The blending of pre-industrial limitations and alien technology (and the implications of such an interaction) were interesting and mostly believable
• Narrator of the audio book was clear and engaging
• Several really great supporting characters
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was hoping this would be my new favorite Doctor Who book, but sadly, it just didn't do it for me. Amy's strong-headedness was true to the character, but both she and Rory seemed more childish (perhaps it was the Enamour??), and the Doctor didn't seem as active as usual. Thinking back on it, I feel like there was a lot of standing around and looking at the "gold". I also felt lost in the storyline a few times; I don't know if this is because the story itself was too complex (doubtful), or there weren't enough words, formed into sentences and paragraphs, that clearly expressed what was going on. And there were too many words and paragraphs that muddled things up more. The Doctor's explanation of everything to Hilthe was short and sweet, but I suppose that wouldn't have given enough pages to make a book, hence the more pages of muddlement.
Overall, it was a pale Doctor Who story, like a carbon copy or veiled, but it satisfied my Doctor Who fix while we're on hiatus, so three stars it is.
Overall, it was a pale Doctor Who story, like a carbon copy or veiled, but it satisfied my Doctor Who fix while we're on hiatus, so three stars it is.