Scan barcode
katemeany's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kaitlyn312399's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.75
tandemjon's review against another edition
3.0
I thoroughly enjoyed about 80% of this then (for me) it seemed o lose its way a bit, not mention needing a flow chart to keep track of all the characters and who they actually we're and wern't. It's more a 3.5 than a 3 and someone with a younger mind than me will undoubtedly find the end much less confusing!
bookswithleigh's review against another edition
3.0
The Ruby's Curse is a pulp murder mystery with a Whovian twist. What may be most unique about it -- among murder mysteries, that is -- is that it was written, at least in part, by Alex Kingston, better known to Doctor Who fans as River Song herself.
There's little point in discussing the plot of this novel -- it's as quirky, ridiculous, and pomp as any Doctor Who episode. If you enjoy the antics of the show, you won't be put off by the pacing or twists of this book. I will, however, discuss the writing itself: it's...alright. It's certainly better than I expected, and better than most tie-in novels I've read for other shows and games in the past. But I think it fell into dangerous waters by splitting the story between Melody Malone and River Song, because at least for me, the first several chapters/POV sections we actually get for Melody Malone were a slough to get through. There was so little "living in the story" and so much "telling you what happened in 5 sentences or less" every paragraph, and it remained this way until River discovered the edited manuscript further along in the book. The River Song POV was much more polished in comparison, and I'd have rather read that the entire way through the book than go back and forth the way The Ruby's Curse did.
HOWEVER! It still wasn't bad. Yes, some of the twists were predictable. Yes, there were layers upon layers upon layers of time and dimension travel. Yes, there was a talking cat at one point. Yes, you probably do need a healthy understanding of the River Song arc in Doctor Who before you read this book to enjoy it to its fullest. But, as a Doctor Who fan myself (...well, some seasons), I was still entertained throughout most of this novel. And I appreciated the blink-or-you'll-miss-it reference to River discovering the existence of the 13th Doctor's...shall we say changes?
There's little point in discussing the plot of this novel -- it's as quirky, ridiculous, and pomp as any Doctor Who episode. If you enjoy the antics of the show, you won't be put off by the pacing or twists of this book. I will, however, discuss the writing itself: it's...alright. It's certainly better than I expected, and better than most tie-in novels I've read for other shows and games in the past. But I think it fell into dangerous waters by splitting the story between Melody Malone and River Song, because at least for me, the first several chapters/POV sections we actually get for Melody Malone were a slough to get through. There was so little "living in the story" and so much "telling you what happened in 5 sentences or less" every paragraph, and it remained this way until River discovered the edited manuscript further along in the book. The River Song POV was much more polished in comparison, and I'd have rather read that the entire way through the book than go back and forth the way The Ruby's Curse did.
HOWEVER! It still wasn't bad. Yes, some of the twists were predictable. Yes, there were layers upon layers upon layers of time and dimension travel. Yes, there was a talking cat at one point. Yes, you probably do need a healthy understanding of the River Song arc in Doctor Who before you read this book to enjoy it to its fullest. But, as a Doctor Who fan myself (...well, some seasons), I was still entertained throughout most of this novel. And I appreciated the blink-or-you'll-miss-it reference to River discovering the existence of the 13th Doctor's...shall we say changes?
philosopher_kj's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Confinement
bahlamber's review against another edition
5.0
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Alex Kingston herself. Wonderful performance! I love audiobooks that have sound effects
indubidablyali's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
smitchy's review against another edition
3.0
Convoluted.... That is the word that best describes this whole situation. I know, I know, it's Doctor Who so of course it has to be convoluted but this one is on another level.
So this is a book written by Alex Kingston who played River Song in the TV show. So far so good, she knows the character well. This is also book about River Song writing a detective novel featuring her own alter ego Melody Malone (who was a character in the episode "The Angels take Manhattan" - the one where Rory and Amy get angel-ed back in time to 1930s New York and get stuck there unable to be rescued and then have to live out their lives from then on). Melody Malone is a pulp-fiction private detective in the best gumshoe style, a classy dame and all round kick-arse femme fatale.
River decides the best place to get some peace and quiet to write her novel is back in her cell in Stormcage in the 52nd century but a little quirk of the ventilation system leads her to speaking with a new prisoner, Ventrian. Ventrian is in prison for finding a device that gives ultimate power but also corrupts your soul at the same time. After accidentally (sort of) destroying lives and worlds he realised that it had to be hidden and destroyed but only got as far as hiding it before being caught. Now there are very bad people wanting to get their hands on it. In between chapters of River and Ventrian, we get Melody Malone in the book River is writing chasing a missing artifact for her client. People are dropping dead all over the place and the ruby Melody is said to be cursed!
As the book progresses things get a bit, well, meta would be the right word. As the device Ventrian is hiding mixes fiction and reality and Melody and River meet face to face in both real life and the fictional world of Melody Malone while moving between 30BCE, 1939CE (real and fictional). We have perspective change from Melody to River and back again. Melody becomes a cat and also River's twin sister. So like I said at the start, it is convoluted.
There is one point where I think Kingston herself got confused because Melody mentions how she has spent so much time in the New York Library researching detective novels but Melody is a detective and it should be River is researching.
This is one for the fans.
So this is a book written by Alex Kingston who played River Song in the TV show. So far so good, she knows the character well. This is also book about River Song writing a detective novel featuring her own alter ego Melody Malone (who was a character in the episode "The Angels take Manhattan" - the one where Rory and Amy get angel-ed back in time to 1930s New York and get stuck there unable to be rescued and then have to live out their lives from then on). Melody Malone is a pulp-fiction private detective in the best gumshoe style, a classy dame and all round kick-arse femme fatale.
River decides the best place to get some peace and quiet to write her novel is back in her cell in Stormcage in the 52nd century but a little quirk of the ventilation system leads her to speaking with a new prisoner, Ventrian. Ventrian is in prison for finding a device that gives ultimate power but also corrupts your soul at the same time. After accidentally (sort of) destroying lives and worlds he realised that it had to be hidden and destroyed but only got as far as hiding it before being caught. Now there are very bad people wanting to get their hands on it. In between chapters of River and Ventrian, we get Melody Malone in the book River is writing chasing a missing artifact for her client. People are dropping dead all over the place and the ruby Melody is said to be cursed!
As the book progresses things get a bit, well, meta would be the right word. As the device Ventrian is hiding mixes fiction and reality and Melody and River meet face to face in both real life and the fictional world of Melody Malone while moving between 30BCE, 1939CE (real and fictional). We have perspective change from Melody to River and back again. Melody becomes a cat and also River's twin sister. So like I said at the start, it is convoluted.
There is one point where I think Kingston herself got confused because Melody mentions how she has spent so much time in the New York Library researching detective novels but Melody is a detective and it should be River is researching.
This is one for the fans.
sophira's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
cls6's review against another edition
5.0
A fun book. Campy and silly with enough references and Easter eggs to make me smile. Can't wait to read it again knowing the ending and pick up on all the clues I missed.