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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
I read this book in two days. It was an easy and entertaining read, especially because it was an adventure starring my favourite Doctor and the villains were the Daleks, being their classic single-minded cruel selves.
What I liked the most about this book was the setting. Unfortunately, when we talk about the tv show, a lot of ideas of scenery and creatures can not be filmed because of budget reasons, but when you are reading a book, the author can go wild and describe alien planets and people that are completely different than anything seen before.
The background story was very interesting and it was detailed enough that you understood why things were happening, but not too much that you get tired of reading about it. It is a complicated balance, after all, especially when we talk about Doctor Who, that offers the opportunity for any writer to choose not only the place but also the time the story will happen.
The Tenth Doctor's voice is also very present, and it definitely could have been an episode of the show. I missed seeing a companion of the show, of course, but it was a great story.
What I liked the most about this book was the setting. Unfortunately, when we talk about the tv show, a lot of ideas of scenery and creatures can not be filmed because of budget reasons, but when you are reading a book, the author can go wild and describe alien planets and people that are completely different than anything seen before.
The background story was very interesting and it was detailed enough that you understood why things were happening, but not too much that you get tired of reading about it. It is a complicated balance, after all, especially when we talk about Doctor Who, that offers the opportunity for any writer to choose not only the place but also the time the story will happen.
The Tenth Doctor's voice is also very present, and it definitely could have been an episode of the show. I missed seeing a companion of the show, of course, but it was a great story.
step one of clearing my shelves of middle school books: complete
This was an amazing ride. I wish this could be an actual episode. 10 and the Daleks were always on character and the arc was very exciting.
the daleks, the tenth doctor, and one heck of a storyline... perfect sidestory that goes so well with the show!!
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A wonderful read for Doctor Who fans, maybe not an amazing book on it's own merit, but extremely readable and competent, with a faithful depiction of the 10th Doctor and the Daleks. Overall tense and dark with some interesting ethical questions worthy of Who, the climax pulls everything together with one laugh out loud hilarious line that also functions as the turning point of the plot. Great fan fiction.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Torture
This is a travelling audiobook. Find out more at
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/11775977
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/11775977
This is the first Doctor Who book I've read rather than listen to David Tennant's narration thereof. His voice and performance certainly do add something subtantial to the experience. But I've listened to all the ones he read, so what else can I do?
I thought this book would be really exciting with the plot centering around a confrontation with the Daleks, and I was not disappointed. The interactions between the eternal enemies were intense and interesting. The level of danger was very high with a number of sympathetic characters dying and others, including the Doctor, in extreme jeopardy. Of course I felt sure that he would find a way out, but he seemed pretty well caught and I couldn't imagine how. But the resolution was satisfying and not as absurd as some of the endings on the actual show (New Earth and Last of the Time Lords being among the least convincing in my view).
I thought this book would be really exciting with the plot centering around a confrontation with the Daleks, and I was not disappointed. The interactions between the eternal enemies were intense and interesting. The level of danger was very high with a number of sympathetic characters dying and others, including the Doctor, in extreme jeopardy. Of course I felt sure that he would find a way out, but he seemed pretty well caught and I couldn't imagine how. But the resolution was satisfying and not as absurd as some of the endings on the actual show (New Earth and Last of the Time Lords being among the least convincing in my view).
Baxendale may write Ten's dialogue better than anyone if you based your assessment on this book; every "Oh, yes," "Allons-y" and "Well..." are preserved, and the action is fast-paced enough to jump over the somewhat down nature of the material with the Daleks, which, as always, has a lot of death and pain in it. Like all of these 6.99 pound editions of these Tenth Doctor books, this one was a rapid read and fun, and comes close to the feel of watching the actual show. Recommended for fans of the show and specifically the Tenth Doctor, perhaps not for too many others.
So. Looks like I'm in the minority on this one.
I’ve read a lot of Doctor Who novels (a dozen or more?), and “Prisoner of the Daleks” is unlike any of them, for reasons both good and bad. You’ve noticed I gave a two-star rating. I agree that the premise and execution is better than most DW novels, but I think Ten could have been more Ten-ish and the graphic violence was unnecessary/sensationalist.
First, the writing is superb. This author knows how to write, and how to write horror and sci-fi specifically. The story doesn’t rely on stereotypes or tropes, although a few of the supporting characters don’t always feel three-dimensional. The Doctor gets into some deep ****, where neither his charm nor his sonic screwdriver can save him.
On the other hand, the Doctor gets into some deep ****. And it gets pretty dark. Surprisingly dark, compared to the other DW books I’ve read and compared to the series itself. It almost feels like fanfic, because I can’t imagine it being canon, especially when it’s considered by many to be a “kids’ show”. The Doctor seems adamant in his convictions, but not so much that he’s willing to die for them, which is problematic. Usually he’s willing to die to do what’s right, or admit that he’s conflicted about a cause and unwilling to die for it. Here, he’s very vocal about how utterly wrong something is, but when push comes to shove, he backs away and lets everyone do it anyway. Reading that part, I thought, “Hmmmmmm no, I don’t buy it. He would have figured something out.” (Actually I thought that several times while reading, and the circumstances didn’t seem any more ridiculous or hopeless than any other DW story).
I also had a hard time imagining this as the Tenth Doctor. Nine, maybe, I can see that. Much more dour and less goofy/geeky. If there wasn’t a picture of Tennant on the cover, I would have thought it was Nine. Despite a few cries of “allons-y!” and “molto bene!”, he just didn’t seem to have Ten’s personality. At least, not until the last twenty pages or so.
As you can guess from the title, there are Daleks. A lot of Daleks. And we get a chance to see them interacting with each other as they normally would, without the Doctor’s presence. They’re a bunch of jerks, but the author and the Doctor “humanize” them, or rather, they show that these aliens are sentient beings with a unique history and culture. And it’s this empathy that kicks you in the heart when they’re tortured, when they’re disabled then killed. And that makes it all the more terrifying to imagine its suffering when one is squished in its metal casing and its soft body squeezes through the cracks in “ribbons” of “juice”.
Listen, I love horror as much as anyone, but I would have preferred less gore and torture and more character development. Either it should have abandoned the charade of trying to be a canon-worthy DW novel and embraced the fanfic-y horror crossover, or emphasized the relationships without the gratuitous violence and focused on being true to the Tenth Doctor’s character.
Koral’s confession at the end is cheesy as hell, and completely out of character for her compared to the entire rest of the book. Not what she confesses, but the way she confesses. That whole scene is imbued with the good old DW campiness that was missing in the rest of the book, so it felt out of place. The whole book felt weirdly inconsistent.
Two stars. The writing itself was good, the basic story was good, but I didn’t feel like I got a real Ten, and the gore was unnecessary.
I’ve read a lot of Doctor Who novels (a dozen or more?), and “Prisoner of the Daleks” is unlike any of them, for reasons both good and bad. You’ve noticed I gave a two-star rating. I agree that the premise and execution is better than most DW novels, but I think Ten could have been more Ten-ish and the graphic violence was unnecessary/sensationalist.
First, the writing is superb. This author knows how to write, and how to write horror and sci-fi specifically. The story doesn’t rely on stereotypes or tropes, although a few of the supporting characters don’t always feel three-dimensional. The Doctor gets into some deep ****, where neither his charm nor his sonic screwdriver can save him.
On the other hand, the Doctor gets into some deep ****. And it gets pretty dark. Surprisingly dark, compared to the other DW books I’ve read and compared to the series itself. It almost feels like fanfic, because I can’t imagine it being canon, especially when it’s considered by many to be a “kids’ show”. The Doctor seems adamant in his convictions, but not so much that he’s willing to die for them, which is problematic. Usually he’s willing to die to do what’s right, or admit that he’s conflicted about a cause and unwilling to die for it. Here, he’s very vocal about how utterly wrong something is, but when push comes to shove, he backs away and lets everyone do it anyway. Reading that part, I thought, “Hmmmmmm no, I don’t buy it. He would have figured something out.” (Actually I thought that several times while reading, and the circumstances didn’t seem any more ridiculous or hopeless than any other DW story).
I also had a hard time imagining this as the Tenth Doctor. Nine, maybe, I can see that. Much more dour and less goofy/geeky. If there wasn’t a picture of Tennant on the cover, I would have thought it was Nine. Despite a few cries of “allons-y!” and “molto bene!”, he just didn’t seem to have Ten’s personality. At least, not until the last twenty pages or so.
As you can guess from the title, there are Daleks. A lot of Daleks. And we get a chance to see them interacting with each other as they normally would, without the Doctor’s presence. They’re a bunch of jerks, but the author and the Doctor “humanize” them, or rather, they show that these aliens are sentient beings with a unique history and culture. And it’s this empathy that kicks you in the heart when they’re tortured, when they’re disabled then killed. And that makes it all the more terrifying to imagine its suffering when one is squished in its metal casing and its soft body squeezes through the cracks in “ribbons” of “juice”.
Listen, I love horror as much as anyone, but I would have preferred less gore and torture and more character development. Either it should have abandoned the charade of trying to be a canon-worthy DW novel and embraced the fanfic-y horror crossover, or emphasized the relationships without the gratuitous violence and focused on being true to the Tenth Doctor’s character.
Koral’s confession at the end is cheesy as hell, and completely out of character for her compared to the entire rest of the book. Not what she confesses, but the way she confesses. That whole scene is imbued with the good old DW campiness that was missing in the rest of the book, so it felt out of place. The whole book felt weirdly inconsistent.
Two stars. The writing itself was good, the basic story was good, but I didn’t feel like I got a real Ten, and the gore was unnecessary.