Reviews

Full disclosure: I am not a fan of 13, or her era. I read this as part of a buddy-read situation, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The hook was interesting and the story plodded along at a decent pace with enough happening that it kept my attention. 13 and her groupies arrive on a planet that has a world underneath its surface, and people don't know there's more above their heads, or even that space or other worlds exist. Things are going horribly wrong for these beings made of rock, including their lava pits drying up and deadly seawater getting into their sphere. The crew run into a scientist and his daughter who believe there's more out there and challenge the society's authority on the matter, even though it's forbidden. The typical chases, discoveries and captures ensue, while the Tardis crew attempts to save this society and their world. There's the usual preachiness that this era is famous for, but it's not laid on so thick that it's nauseating.
McCormack does a great job with the team's characterization, to the point where I found myself tolerating Graham, ignoring Yaz and being completely irritated by Ryan, just like the show. The latter was constantly whining and complaining about one thing or another, and I couldn't wait for his scenes to be over. I think with better companions and better interactions with the Doctor, this story could have easily been a 4.
As it stands, I had a decent time with it. I'm glad I gave 13 a chance in novel format, even though she isn't one of my favorites. If you're looking for a light but interesting DW story, this might just fit the bill.

titeryakova's review

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5.0

4.5

saoki's review against another edition

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3.0

This one has some great visuals.

sabregirl's review against another edition

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4.0

Cute, but not all that interesting. The really good thing though was the the author got the voices of Team Tardis really well. I could picture all of them talking and interacting with everyone in the novel. I think this would've been a lot more interesting if the resolution wasn't so quick.

bekrecka's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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? Yes

3.0

helenaeoftroy's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

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