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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
This was honestly a very good, very fun read. I've known about this novel for awhile but put it off because I thought it would be depressing, and quite honestly, not very interesting. I'm really glad I gave it a shot, because I wanted to know more about the Time War- as it's been referenced often in New Who, and of course we got to see the very end of it in Day of the Doctor. But of the 400 years the time war actually raged on, we know very little. Engines of War goes into detail about how battles were fought, what weapons were used, and how strategies and plans of attack were developed on both sides. We also get a bit of a companion dynamic here with Cinder, a teenage girl who is wrapped up in the war on the planet Moldox fighting the Daleks. She's certainly capable and plays the role of reminding the Doctor who he used to be, and what kind of person he should be in the future.
One thing I will say that surprised me- there is an arc that you should watch before getting into this story (besides, of course, Day of the Doctor) and that is The Five Doctors (with Peter Davison). Borusa, the villain from that arc, plays a major role here, as does the Game of Rassilon, and the tomb of Rassilon. You can certainly read and enjoy this novel without watching that special from the 80's, but it helps for context and visual clarity, so in that sense, I'd recommend it.
Timing-wise, this novel takes place right before the 50th anniversary special.
I really had fun with this, and enjoyed seeing the War Doctor in action, more than just chastising his future counterparts, and actually fighting the war. If you loved Day of the Doctor and want to see more of John Hurt's incarnation, and the Time War itself, I'd heartily recommend it.
One thing I will say that surprised me- there is an arc that you should watch before getting into this story (besides, of course, Day of the Doctor) and that is The Five Doctors (with Peter Davison). Borusa, the villain from that arc, plays a major role here, as does the Game of Rassilon, and the tomb of Rassilon. You can certainly read and enjoy this novel without watching that special from the 80's, but it helps for context and visual clarity, so in that sense, I'd recommend it.
Timing-wise, this novel takes place right before the 50th anniversary special.
I really had fun with this, and enjoyed seeing the War Doctor in action, more than just chastising his future counterparts, and actually fighting the war. If you loved Day of the Doctor and want to see more of John Hurt's incarnation, and the Time War itself, I'd heartily recommend it.
Yes, it's a Doctor Who tie-in novel. It was on sale cheap, and I'd heard it was pretty good. And it was! A fairly short read, but it centers on the War Doctor, fleshing out both him and the Time War some. It ties nicely into both Day of the Doctor and The End of Time (remember, when the Time Lords came back via the Master's head drums and tangled with Ten?) It also features a companion I really liked named Cinder, a young woman who grew up knowing only war as part of a rebel group on a planet conquered by the Daleks. Spoilers: You know where the War Doctor ends up. This isn't what I would call a happy book.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Great story. The reader got some new perspective on an old character.
I am a huge fan of Doctor Who so I couldn't wait to read this book.
I read this one night when there was nothing on tv that interested me. I am so glad I read this because it is so good and couldn't put it down. It is so very well written and I now want to read more books by George Mann.
If you are a fan of Doctor Who I highly recommend you read this book.
I read this one night when there was nothing on tv that interested me. I am so glad I read this because it is so good and couldn't put it down. It is so very well written and I now want to read more books by George Mann.
If you are a fan of Doctor Who I highly recommend you read this book.
I loved getting a look at the Doctor none of us know. He is the "in between" Doctor, and although he was in a two parter and appears in my complete Doctor Who magnet set, I know very little about him. Well, I know John Hurt plays him and that's a coup right there!
This was a terrific Doctor book. Mann really ran with the idea of this being the unknown Doctor and gave us a gritty story we would never read about Tennant's or Smith's Doctors. Maybe Capaldi's, but I'm not sure yet. Certainly none of the older Doctors. There was loss of life, war, hurting, maiming, shooting and emotional angst. Real angst. Hard choices, which are certianly not unknown to the Doctor, but choices we have not seen him make before.
Mann let us glimpse the Time Lords in a way we have not before. They are not the perfectly benevolent beings we have been led to believe (excepting the Master). They have flaws, are not universally kind, and certainly do not share our Doctor's love for humans and pretty much any other species he runs across. He shows us how depraved they were before and during the time war. We see how they reacted to it and how little they regarded the collateral damage. He does so in a way that doesn't interfere with what we do know. Sheer genius, in my opinion. I hate nothing more than when an author tells a story that gives lie to the stories we've been told by others. Behind the scenes details that change my opinion are ok, but changing actual facts is not. Mann walked that tightrope perfectly here.
This was a terrific Doctor book. Mann really ran with the idea of this being the unknown Doctor and gave us a gritty story we would never read about Tennant's or Smith's Doctors. Maybe Capaldi's, but I'm not sure yet. Certainly none of the older Doctors. There was loss of life, war, hurting, maiming, shooting and emotional angst. Real angst. Hard choices, which are certianly not unknown to the Doctor, but choices we have not seen him make before.
Mann let us glimpse the Time Lords in a way we have not before. They are not the perfectly benevolent beings we have been led to believe (excepting the Master). They have flaws, are not universally kind, and certainly do not share our Doctor's love for humans and pretty much any other species he runs across. He shows us how depraved they were before and during the time war. We see how they reacted to it and how little they regarded the collateral damage. He does so in a way that doesn't interfere with what we do know. Sheer genius, in my opinion. I hate nothing more than when an author tells a story that gives lie to the stories we've been told by others. Behind the scenes details that change my opinion are ok, but changing actual facts is not. Mann walked that tightrope perfectly here.
Nice lead up to the 50th anniversary special. Interesting read, though it probably could've been told in a shorter story. And it was blatantly obvious that the mutant time lords were like Bad Wolf!Rose being able to see everything and manipulate everything. Was a a bit disappointed in that, but it was a good read where you get the War Doctor a bit more flushed out, even though it was almost like all of his incarnations into one which makes sense since it took all of his Eleven Regenerations to stop the time war. Leads directly up to his decision to use The Moment as well which was interesting.
Gave me pretty much what I wanted, plus a bunch of extra continuity teases.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes