Scan barcode
nateyboyo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
geekwayne's review against another edition
4.0
'Silhouette' by Justin Richards is the first 12th Doctor book I've read in the Doctor Who series and I liked it. It didn't hurt that it also took place in the Victorian era and featured the Paternoster gang of Madame Vastra, Jenny, and Strax.
When the Doctor and Clara visit a carnival, they find things are not as they should be. There are a series of strange murders and some suspicious characters. There is a strange woman who seems to be able to create animated objects out of paper, and a man who can make his face appear to be anyone else. Heading up this group is a strange man who doesn't seem to belong in Victorian London, or even on the planet Earth. With everyone following different leads, it all culminates in the revealing of the evil plot at the center. Can the Doctor and Clara save the day?
I liked it. The twelfth Doctor, at the point when this novel came out last fall, didn't seem to have any broad quirks like his predecessors. Having seen some episodes with Peter Capaldi, I'd say the book gets his character down pretty good. I like the strange characters that can manipulate objects or even their own faces. The bad guy came across as a bit too stereotyped, but it was all in good fun. And you can't go wrong with Strax, except there's just never enough of him. I liked it.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Crown Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
When the Doctor and Clara visit a carnival, they find things are not as they should be. There are a series of strange murders and some suspicious characters. There is a strange woman who seems to be able to create animated objects out of paper, and a man who can make his face appear to be anyone else. Heading up this group is a strange man who doesn't seem to belong in Victorian London, or even on the planet Earth. With everyone following different leads, it all culminates in the revealing of the evil plot at the center. Can the Doctor and Clara save the day?
I liked it. The twelfth Doctor, at the point when this novel came out last fall, didn't seem to have any broad quirks like his predecessors. Having seen some episodes with Peter Capaldi, I'd say the book gets his character down pretty good. I like the strange characters that can manipulate objects or even their own faces. The bad guy came across as a bit too stereotyped, but it was all in good fun. And you can't go wrong with Strax, except there's just never enough of him. I liked it.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Crown Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
breakfastgrey's review against another edition
4.0
This is not quality literature, but it is exactly what I wanted: a fun Doctor Who adventure with my favorite iteration that I’ve never experienced before. And for that I loved it despite the numerous editing errors, villain monologues, and female characters getting captured.
joe16210's review against another edition
5.0
Simply amazing! This was the best of the Doctor Who books I've read so far. I loved the atmosphere, the characters and the plot twists...
_ellisnoble_'s review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
h3dakota's review against another edition
3.0
Good story for the most part - loved the characters (except for the bad guy, utterly predictable). Also love any story with Madame Vastra, Jenny & Strax, though this one didn't have enough hilarity from Strax for my liking.
saroz162's review against another edition
2.0
I think by the time Doctor Who got past the 50th anniversary and to the Peter Capaldi era, the BBC were in a bit of a pickle. They had reinvented the Who book range for kids in 2005, but in 2014 the audience was increasingly veering older, with a lot more attraction for older fans who remembered the old days - and the much darker, more complex novels.
This is a book that is probably passingly successful in the 2005 framework but feels very wanting almost ten years later. The premise is intriguing, but it never gets beyond feeling like a TV episode on paper. At 11 or 12 years I would have really liked that, I think. As an adult in my 30s, it feels thin. It feels thin even as a kids' story.
When I was actually 11 and 12, Justin Richards was writing books for that more complex 1990s range. I liked them a lot - they were straightforward stories, probably with much of the same "TV on paper" qualities. The difference is I always remember Richards doing a great job of replicating the dialogue of the Doctor and other regulars. They sounded right. His Doctor in this book, on the other hand, is completely generic - doubtless a product of his only getting to read a script or script sections including the new Doctor, and without seeing Capaldi's performance. If I had to make a stab at it, he comes over like an intensely serious Tom Baker - or maybe a humorless Matt Smith. (And maybe one of those is what Richards went for.)
I can even understand the limits of writing for a brand new Doctor, but I'm utterly baffled at the inclusion of Vastra, Jenny, and Strax, all of whom Richards has written for before and all of whom appear prominently on the cover. Sadly, they are only really utilized as plot shortcuts. Vastra barely appears at all, and only Strax makes an impact because, yes, he's the one character blessed with unique and interesting speech patterns.
I wanted to like Silhouette, and there's probably an 11-year-old out there who finds it pretty ripping. That's good! I was disappointed because of the underutilized potential: in the ideas, in the characters, and in the writing. It all felt, to me, like a very tepid version of something that could have been much more fun.
This is a book that is probably passingly successful in the 2005 framework but feels very wanting almost ten years later. The premise is intriguing, but it never gets beyond feeling like a TV episode on paper. At 11 or 12 years I would have really liked that, I think. As an adult in my 30s, it feels thin. It feels thin even as a kids' story.
When I was actually 11 and 12, Justin Richards was writing books for that more complex 1990s range. I liked them a lot - they were straightforward stories, probably with much of the same "TV on paper" qualities. The difference is I always remember Richards doing a great job of replicating the dialogue of the Doctor and other regulars. They sounded right. His Doctor in this book, on the other hand, is completely generic - doubtless a product of his only getting to read a script or script sections including the new Doctor, and without seeing Capaldi's performance. If I had to make a stab at it, he comes over like an intensely serious Tom Baker - or maybe a humorless Matt Smith. (And maybe one of those is what Richards went for.)
I can even understand the limits of writing for a brand new Doctor, but I'm utterly baffled at the inclusion of Vastra, Jenny, and Strax, all of whom Richards has written for before and all of whom appear prominently on the cover. Sadly, they are only really utilized as plot shortcuts. Vastra barely appears at all, and only Strax makes an impact because, yes, he's the one character blessed with unique and interesting speech patterns.
I wanted to like Silhouette, and there's probably an 11-year-old out there who finds it pretty ripping. That's good! I was disappointed because of the underutilized potential: in the ideas, in the characters, and in the writing. It all felt, to me, like a very tepid version of something that could have been much more fun.
tandemjon's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. I felt the characters - especially Strax - were just as they are portrayed by the actors, easy to picture them staying their lines. Good plot, maybe a bit weak ta times but throughout enjoyable romp. More Strax pleas.
dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
When the Doctor and Clara visit a carnival in Victorian London after the Doctor detects a power spike, they cross paths with Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint, and Strax. Vastra and Jenny are attempting to solve a locked room mystery while Strax is on the trail of someone who murdered a friend of his. How are the cases linked with the mysterious power spike the Doctor detected and what do they have to do with origami birds and the carnival?
I got this from Netgalley.
This is the second Twelfth Doctor novel I've read and it's pretty damn good. Since we haven't seen much of Doctor Capaldi so far, I can't vouch for the accuracy of Richards' portrayal but it didn't feel like a book written for a different version of the Doctor that was hastily modified. Clara rang true to character and the Paternoster Gang were well done, especially Strax, not surprising since Justin Richards also wrote Devil in the Smoke, a novella featuring the trio.
Orestes Milton proved to be a good foil for The Doctor and company, as did his weaponized carnies. Without a doubt, my favorite part was when the shapeshifter tried to distract the Doctor by assuming the forms of past Doctors, which the Doctor ignored.
The plot was like a greased pig at first. It took me a little while to grab hold of it. When you combine a carnival, a weapons dealer in hiding, a shapeshifter, and a creature that drains emotions, you've got a certain amount of fiddling to do to get everything into the proper place. Richards proved himself a good fiddler. Everything game together in the end and it was a pretty satisfying Doctor Who adventure.
However, it wasn't without a minor hiccup. I thought Madame Vastra made a stupid mistake around the midpoint of the story, funny considering she's The World's Greatest Detective.
Anyway, Doctor Who: Silhouette is a worthy addition to any Doctor Who fan's library. Four out of five stars.
I got this from Netgalley.
This is the second Twelfth Doctor novel I've read and it's pretty damn good. Since we haven't seen much of Doctor Capaldi so far, I can't vouch for the accuracy of Richards' portrayal but it didn't feel like a book written for a different version of the Doctor that was hastily modified. Clara rang true to character and the Paternoster Gang were well done, especially Strax, not surprising since Justin Richards also wrote Devil in the Smoke, a novella featuring the trio.
Orestes Milton proved to be a good foil for The Doctor and company, as did his weaponized carnies. Without a doubt, my favorite part was when the shapeshifter tried to distract the Doctor by assuming the forms of past Doctors, which the Doctor ignored.
The plot was like a greased pig at first. It took me a little while to grab hold of it. When you combine a carnival, a weapons dealer in hiding, a shapeshifter, and a creature that drains emotions, you've got a certain amount of fiddling to do to get everything into the proper place. Richards proved himself a good fiddler. Everything game together in the end and it was a pretty satisfying Doctor Who adventure.
However, it wasn't without a minor hiccup. I thought Madame Vastra made a stupid mistake around the midpoint of the story, funny considering she's The World's Greatest Detective.
Anyway, Doctor Who: Silhouette is a worthy addition to any Doctor Who fan's library. Four out of five stars.
giuiawho's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0