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hidekisohma's review against another edition
4.0
So after reading "The Witch Hunters", which is another first doctor book, i did not have very high expectations for this one. Thank god i was proven wrong. This one was far and above WAY better than witch hunters. For one thing, this book was actually fun.
Ian and the Doctor get separated from Susan and Barbara on a planet where the moon is going to fall on it in a very short time and a rocket is being constructed by the people to get off the planet. and what's worse, the doctor lost his key to the Tardis.
The great thing about this book was that every character actually did something. Ian and the doctor had their own adventure as did Susan and Barbara. Susan was far less annoying than she was in Witch Hunters and actually contributed to the story.
The characters also talked and acted like the characters. While i was reading this, I was imagining Hartnell grabbing onto his jacket and talking in his uppity voice among the other actors saying their lines in turn. It was basically written like an episode of the show which i appreciated, while Witch Hunters was written more like a novel.
I can totally see why this book could NEVER have been an episode in the 60's show though as the production value would have been WAYYYY too high and they did things that could have never made it to TV at that time.
The only thing that was in detriment to the book was the little vignettes of side characters. There were a few scenes or chapters here and there where they would go off on side characters that don't really matter to the plot. A few times i would mix up who was who as there were a bunch of these side characters without any real personality that i just didn't care about. To be fair, they do this in the show all the time too. However, saying that, Bulis really nailed the way that Ian, the doctor, Barbara, and Susan acted. I definitely want to read more of his Who books and look forward to his next one.
Rating 4.5/5 rounded down to a 4.
Ian and the Doctor get separated from Susan and Barbara on a planet where the moon is going to fall on it in a very short time and a rocket is being constructed by the people to get off the planet. and what's worse, the doctor lost his key to the Tardis.
The great thing about this book was that every character actually did something. Ian and the doctor had their own adventure as did Susan and Barbara. Susan was far less annoying than she was in Witch Hunters and actually contributed to the story.
The characters also talked and acted like the characters. While i was reading this, I was imagining Hartnell grabbing onto his jacket and talking in his uppity voice among the other actors saying their lines in turn. It was basically written like an episode of the show which i appreciated, while Witch Hunters was written more like a novel.
I can totally see why this book could NEVER have been an episode in the 60's show though as the production value would have been WAYYYY too high and they did things that could have never made it to TV at that time.
The only thing that was in detriment to the book was the little vignettes of side characters. There were a few scenes or chapters here and there where they would go off on side characters that don't really matter to the plot. A few times i would mix up who was who as there were a bunch of these side characters without any real personality that i just didn't care about. To be fair, they do this in the show all the time too. However, saying that, Bulis really nailed the way that Ian, the doctor, Barbara, and Susan acted. I definitely want to read more of his Who books and look forward to his next one.
Rating 4.5/5 rounded down to a 4.
chicafrom3's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The First Doctor, Susan, Ian, and Barbara land on a planet on the verge of destruction, get separated, and get mixed up in conspiracy and intrigue. Some interesting worldbuilding bogged down by poor characterization of the TARDIS team and gratuitous torture of the female characters (legitimately, why did Barbara have to be brainwashed? What did that add to the plot?)
frakalot's review
5.0
Another fantastic adventure by Bulis, he definitely does a wonderful job with this line up. Again the characters were on point, although I tend to think this plot was a little deeper than many of the First Doctor's televised adventures.
I was engaged throughout the story and although I was anticipating the surprise I wasn't able to guess it. I liked the ending for the most part but was a little surprised by the Doctor's 'gift'.
I was engaged throughout the story and although I was anticipating the surprise I wasn't able to guess it. I liked the ending for the most part but was a little surprised by the Doctor's 'gift'.
nwhyte's review
http://nhw.livejournal.com/900116.html[return][return]I thought Bulis had done very well in portraying the setting, a rain-drenched planet which is doomed to destruction in the near future, and the populace hoping to escape rather as in Utopia. But the various human (and AI) factions were rather confusingly portrayed as to their means and motivation. There's a nice nod to Planet of Giants at the end (the novel is set before that and immediately after The Reign of Terror).
kateofmind's review
4.0
As with a lot of Doctor Who stories (but especially the modern ones), there might be one too many adversaries/complications to what wanted to be a truly classic science fiction story, but the characterizations were good (and yes, Ian redeemed himself a little) and a mystery beyond the central mystery kept my interest when the main plot dragged. A worthy effort.
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