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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
hidekisohma's review against another edition
4.0
So this was my first full novel with the 12th doctor, and i have to say, I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's the only novel to my knowledge with the doctor, clara, vastra, jenny, and strax, and, despite having that many characters, i have to say, the author managed to balance out the screen time very well.
It wasn't until about 2/3 of the way through the novel that i realized the author was the same as "the deviant strain" which was a 9th doctor novel i read just earlier this month. and honestly, I was shocked it was the same author. This read was much faster, and overall it was very fun to read. It seems that when Justin isn't focusing on Russian related stuff, he's actually quite a good author. Just no one should let him anywhere near a Russia based location.
The characters were absolutely spot on from the show. I could definitely see the actors saying these lines and there were quite a few back and forths that made me laugh and go "yep, that's capaldi".
I was quite happy how fast the book was too. It read extremely fast as i managed to get through the whole thing in about 2 1/2 days.
The villain was pretty stock, and he was a villain of the week, so don't expect like a cybermen or weeping angels plot. There wasn't a whole lot of substance, but, while there was murder, it wasn't as mean spirited or as high of a body count as say deviant strain.
Overall, fun read which i'm actually very surprised came from the same author as the previous book of his i read. He's definitely gotten better over those 9 years. Good for him.
This book is exactly what it set out to be. A fun 12th doctor standalone book that's just wacky fun. I enjoyed it, (especially Strax's stuff) and I would say that if you like Capaldi's 12th, this is a good one to read quickly for fun. 4.5/5 rounded down to a 4.
It wasn't until about 2/3 of the way through the novel that i realized the author was the same as "the deviant strain" which was a 9th doctor novel i read just earlier this month. and honestly, I was shocked it was the same author. This read was much faster, and overall it was very fun to read. It seems that when Justin isn't focusing on Russian related stuff, he's actually quite a good author. Just no one should let him anywhere near a Russia based location.
The characters were absolutely spot on from the show. I could definitely see the actors saying these lines and there were quite a few back and forths that made me laugh and go "yep, that's capaldi".
I was quite happy how fast the book was too. It read extremely fast as i managed to get through the whole thing in about 2 1/2 days.
The villain was pretty stock, and he was a villain of the week, so don't expect like a cybermen or weeping angels plot. There wasn't a whole lot of substance, but, while there was murder, it wasn't as mean spirited or as high of a body count as say deviant strain.
Overall, fun read which i'm actually very surprised came from the same author as the previous book of his i read. He's definitely gotten better over those 9 years. Good for him.
This book is exactly what it set out to be. A fun 12th doctor standalone book that's just wacky fun. I enjoyed it, (especially Strax's stuff) and I would say that if you like Capaldi's 12th, this is a good one to read quickly for fun. 4.5/5 rounded down to a 4.
rebelbelle13's review against another edition
2.0
I'm sad to say I was not overly impressed by this 12th Doctor entry. The YA approach didn't help the story very much and I believe it would have been better had it been longer, more detailed and geared towards an adult audience. Capaldi's Doctor fails at most points to materialize, and Vastra and Jenny are generic and useless here, to the point where random Victorian stand-ins wouldn't have made any difference to the story. The only characterization that feels right is Strax and Clara. The three "monsters" of the book, Silhouette, Affinity, and Empath, are left feeling very two dimensional and underused. They have such amazing abilities and yet we see very little of them until 2/3 of the way through the novel. Despite the setting and the huge cast of characters involved in this short story, I had trouble getting engaged and interested. Had the story been longer, the three 'monsters' abilities and backstories truly explored, the setting was made full use of and the characterization was better, this could have been a memorable and poignant story. As it is, it doesn't do much for me.
There were a few things that redeemed the story. I enjoyed Affinity changing into all of the Doctor's past faces- that's always a treat when his past incarnations are given a nod. I enjoyed the Frost Fair, and the setting of Victorian London. Strax was quite amusing, and I found myself giggling when he was on the page. Silhouette's use of origami was different and interesting. Clara was capable of handling her side of things. Beyond that, there's not much here that really grips and stays. It's fine for a quick, surface read, but not very memorable beyond that. Here's hoping the next 12th Doctor novel is better.
There were a few things that redeemed the story. I enjoyed Affinity changing into all of the Doctor's past faces- that's always a treat when his past incarnations are given a nod. I enjoyed the Frost Fair, and the setting of Victorian London. Strax was quite amusing, and I found myself giggling when he was on the page. Silhouette's use of origami was different and interesting. Clara was capable of handling her side of things. Beyond that, there's not much here that really grips and stays. It's fine for a quick, surface read, but not very memorable beyond that. Here's hoping the next 12th Doctor novel is better.
huntercamp's review against another edition
4.0
Not the most exhilarating story, but a fun an intriguing story that fits perfectly as "an untold story of the 12th Doctor." Can't wait to read more!
readerreborn's review against another edition
3.0
A fun little adventure, but lacking in character and missing the wit of the show.
canadianbookaddict's review against another edition
4.0
I very much enjoyed this Doctor Who book and I can't wait to read more Doctor Who books by Justin Richards because this book is very well writen.
I highly recommend
I highly recommend
kandicez's review against another edition
2.0
When I read these books I want two things:
1.) To get to know the Doctor (and his companion(s)) a little better.
2.) To read a story that may be too expensive to film, but comes across the page beautifully.
This book hit neither mark. Granted, we don’t know Capaldi’s Doctor that well, so almost anything would have been a bit “more”, but he barely appears. When he is part of the narrative, he is incredibly bland. Anyone with a passing familiarity with the Doctor knows he is anything but bland. Come on!
Richards does give us realistic versions of Clara, Jenny, Vastra and Strath, but I know them. I know THEM well. I wanted the Doctor. Also, if you take away Clara, the other three are pretty much caricatures. Their characters have large, stock personalities with plenty of quirks so they seem pretty easy to write in a recognizable way. Clara probably proved a bit more difficult as “The Impossible Girl”, but I just didn't feel Richards gave me enough to make reading this worth my time.
I also have a bone to pick with him regarding the title. Silhouette was a player, no doubt, but not a major character and certainly not worthy of the title! Granted Silhouette sounds cool and caught my interest. There are a LOT of Doctor Who books out there and I can understand his desire to be catchy, but the title was incredibly misleading, especially once the character was introduced. That may have attributed to my not enjoying the book as much as I might. I kept expecting her to figure more largely in the plot and when she did not I was disappointed.
1.) To get to know the Doctor (and his companion(s)) a little better.
2.) To read a story that may be too expensive to film, but comes across the page beautifully.
This book hit neither mark. Granted, we don’t know Capaldi’s Doctor that well, so almost anything would have been a bit “more”, but he barely appears. When he is part of the narrative, he is incredibly bland. Anyone with a passing familiarity with the Doctor knows he is anything but bland. Come on!
Richards does give us realistic versions of Clara, Jenny, Vastra and Strath, but I know them. I know THEM well. I wanted the Doctor. Also, if you take away Clara, the other three are pretty much caricatures. Their characters have large, stock personalities with plenty of quirks so they seem pretty easy to write in a recognizable way. Clara probably proved a bit more difficult as “The Impossible Girl”, but I just didn't feel Richards gave me enough to make reading this worth my time.
I also have a bone to pick with him regarding the title. Silhouette was a player, no doubt, but not a major character and certainly not worthy of the title! Granted Silhouette sounds cool and caught my interest. There are a LOT of Doctor Who books out there and I can understand his desire to be catchy, but the title was incredibly misleading, especially once the character was introduced. That may have attributed to my not enjoying the book as much as I might. I kept expecting her to figure more largely in the plot and when she did not I was disappointed.
missyssippi's review against another edition
4.0
All of my favorite characters assembled into one well written story. It was easy to read, well paced narrative. The main villain was a bit disappointing but his « weapons » were really interesting. The Doctor was well written I believe and not too much out of character. I liked the part about his anger ! I wish Clara would have been more of a help to him, for she was in the background a lot.
Loved this story nevertheless.
Loved this story nevertheless.
kilcannon's review against another edition
3.0
Not sure the author, or the writers of the show, have a full grasp of Capaldi yet. This was decent enough, though. Justin Richards is reliably entertaining.
jarichan's review against another edition
3.0
Zuerst dachte ich, hierbei handle es sich um eine der bereits ausgestrahlten Folgen, da das Setting dasselbe ist: der Wintermarkt auf der zugefrorenen Themse. Doch die Handlung des Buches geht ganz schnell in eine andere Richtung, sodass man vielleicht davon ausgehen kann, dass es eine Folgenidee war, die dann nicht umgesetzt wurde.
Das Buch lässt sich sehr einfach lesen, fast schon ein wenig zu einfach. Grundsätzlich lassen die Bücher um Dr. Who bisher leider die Tiefe z.B. der Star Wars-Bücher vermissen. Muss wohl an der Zielgruppe liegen oder daran, dass ich noch nicht die richtigen Titel in die Hand bekommen habe.
Trotzdem macht "Silhouette" viel Spass, was vor allem an Drax liegt, der von Richards herrlich gut getroffen ist. Der Inhalt ist eine typische Folge Dr. Who in Buchform, sodass garantiert keine Langeweile aufkommt. Zu lesen entweder im tiefsten Winter mit heisser Schokolade oder im Juli im Freibad.
Das Buch lässt sich sehr einfach lesen, fast schon ein wenig zu einfach. Grundsätzlich lassen die Bücher um Dr. Who bisher leider die Tiefe z.B. der Star Wars-Bücher vermissen. Muss wohl an der Zielgruppe liegen oder daran, dass ich noch nicht die richtigen Titel in die Hand bekommen habe.
Trotzdem macht "Silhouette" viel Spass, was vor allem an Drax liegt, der von Richards herrlich gut getroffen ist. Der Inhalt ist eine typische Folge Dr. Who in Buchform, sodass garantiert keine Langeweile aufkommt. Zu lesen entweder im tiefsten Winter mit heisser Schokolade oder im Juli im Freibad.