Review - Doctor Who: Engines of War (Doctor Who: New Series Adventure Specials, #4) by George Mann

Title: Doctor Who: Engines of War (Doctor Who: New Series Adventure Specials, #4)

Author: George Mann

Pages: 352

Publisher: BBC Digital

Release date: 31st July 2014

Blurb from Goodreads:

"The death of billions is as nothing to us Doctor, if it helps defeat the Daleks."
The Great Time War has raged for centuries, ravaging the universe. Scores of human colony planets are now overrun by Dalek occupation forces. A weary, angry Doctor leads a flotilla of Battle TARDISes against the Dalek stronghold but in the midst of the carnage, the Doctor's TARDIS crashes to a planet below: Moldox.
As the Doctor is trapped in an apocalyptic landscape, Dalek patrols roam amongst the wreckage, rounding up the remaining civilians. But why haven't the Daleks simply killed the humans?
Searching for answers the Doctor meets 'Cinder', a young Dalek hunter. Their struggles to discover the Dalek plan take them from the ruins of Moldox to the halls of Gallifrey, and set in motion a chain of events that will change everything. And everyone.

An epic novel of the Great Time War featuring the War Doctor as played by John Hurt.

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My Review:

*I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Random House UK, Ebury Publishing and NetGalley*

3.5/5 stars

The Great Time War has affected hundreds of planets including Moldox home to Cinder a young woman who hunts Daleks. 

Her life is turned upside down when a blue box falls from the sky and she meets the Doctor. 

Can they stop the Daleks from winning the war?

I really enjoyed this. It was interesting to read about the War Doctor and to see what events led to him using the Moment. 

I liked Cinder and thought she was a good companion.

Overall this was a good, interesting read that I would definitely recommend for Doctor Who fans.

Review: Doctor Who: Tales of Trenzalore by Justin Richards, Mark Morris, George Mann and Paul Finch

Title: Doctor Who: Tales of Trenzalore: The Eleventh Doctor’s Last Stand (Doctor Who: New Series Adventures, #52)

Authors: Justin Richards, Mark Morris, George Mann and Paul Finch

Pages: 192

Release date: 27th February 2014

Publisher: BBC Digital

Blurb from Goodreads:

As it had been foretold, the armies of the Universe gathered at Trenzalore. Only one thing stood between the planet and destruction – the Doctor. For nine hundred years, he defended the planet, and the tiny town of Christmas, against the forces that would destroy it.
He never knew how long he could keep the peace. He never knew what creatures would emerge from the snowy night to threaten him next. He knew only that at the end he would die on Trenzalore.
Some of what happened during those terrible years is well documented. But most of it remains shrouded in mystery and darkness.
Until now.
This is a glimpse of just some of the terrors the people faced, the monstrous threats the Doctor defeated. These are the tales of the monsters who found themselves afraid - and of the one man who was not.
(Tales of Trenzalore documents four of the Doctor’s adventures from different periods during the Siege of Trenzalore and the ensuing battle:
Let it Snow by Justin Richards

An Apple a Day by George Mann

Strangers in the Outland by Paul Finch

The Dreaming by Mark Morris).

Goodreads

Amazon UK

Amazon US 

My Review:

*I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Random House UK, Ebury Publishing and Netgalley*

4/5 stars

Tales of Trenzalore includes four short stories of some of the many times that the Eleventh Doctor protected the town of Christmas from alien invaders during his 900 year stay on Trenzalore.

I enjoyed all four of these short stories - They were all unique tales that grabbed my attention.

I especially liked that Handles was mentioned in some of the stories.

My favourite was the first story - Let it Snow by Justin Richards.

This is a must read for all Doctor Who fans.

 

Review - Doctor Who: Salt of the Earth (Time Trips) by Trudi Canavan

Title: Doctor Who: Salt of the Earth (Time Trips)

Author: Trudi Canavan

Pages: 44

Release date: 6th March 2014

Publisher: BBC Digital

Blurb from Goodreads:

The Third Doctor and Jo Grant arrive for a well-deserved holiday of sun and 'blokarting' on a salt lake in Australia in 2028. Weird sculptures adorn the landscape - statues carved from the salt. People have been leaving them in the salt lakes for years - but these look different. Grotesque, distorted figures twisted in pain. They don't last long in the rain and the wind, but they're just made of salt... Aren't they?

Goodreads

Amazon UK

Amazon US

My Review:

*I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Random House UK, Ebury Publishing and Trudi Canavan*

3/5 stars

The Third Doctor and Jo Grant go to Australia on holiday but end up at a salt lake and not the beach like Jo wanted. 

But this is no ordinary salt lake. 

Strange statues scatter the lake that don't survive in wind or rain.

Is there more to these statues than meets the eye?

This was a very quick read that I enjoyed but for me the problem was resolved too quickly and could have been elaborated. 

Despite this I liked the book overall.

  

Review - Doctor Who: Keeping Up with the Joneses (Time Trips) by Nick Harkaway

Title: Doctor Who: Keeping Up with the Joneses (Time Trips)

Author: Nick Harkaway

Publisher: BBC Digital

Pages: 62

Release date: 6th February 2014

Blurb from Goodreads:

Deep in the gap between the stars, the TARDIS is damaged by a temporal mine. It's not life-threatening, but the Tenth Doctor will need a while to repair the damage. But he's not alone. The strangely familiar-looking Christina thinks the Doctor has arrived in her bed and breakfast, somewhere in Wales. In fact, the TARDIS seems to have enveloped Christina's entire town - and something else is trapped inside with it. A violent, unnatural storm threatens them all and - unless it's stopped - the entire universe.

Goodreads 

Amazon UK 

Amazon US 

My Review:

*I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Random House UK, Ebury Publishing and Nick Harkaway*

3.5/5 stars

When the TARDIS is suddenly attacked by a temporal mine, the Tenth Doctor suddenly finds himself in the Welsh town of Jonestown whose residents are strangely familiar. 

With help from Christina de Souza, who may or may not be the real Christina, The Doctor must stop the temporal mine from ripping the TARDIS apart.

This was a fun book that I enjoyed. 

The Tenth Doctor is my favourite so I might be a bit biased but I found the plot clever and intriguing and it held my attention well. 

A good read.

 

Review - Doctor Who: Into the Nowhere (Time Trips) by Jenny Colgan

The Eleventh Doctor and Clara land on an unknown alien planet. To the Doctor's delight and Clara's astonishment, it really is unknown. It's a planet the Doctor has never seen. It's not on any maps, it's not referenced on any star charts or in the TARDIS data banks. It doesn't even have a name. What could be so terrible that its existence has been erased?

Goodreads 

Amazon UK  

Amazon US 

My Review:

*I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Randon House UK, Ebury Publishing and Jenny Colgan*

2.5/5 stars

The Eleventh Doctor and Clara arrive on a planet that doesn't exist but they soon discover how dangerous it is.

There were parts of this story that I liked (seeing more of the Eleventh Doctor with Clara and certain points of the plot) and parts that I didn't (certain points of the plot and I didn't find the story as engaging towards the end) but overall this was an alright read.