This week, BBC America released three books in relation to the Eleventh Doctor during his break. Plague of the Cybermen by Justin Richards was the first, The Dalek Generation by Nicholas Briggs was second and Shroud of Sorrow by Tommy Donbavand (which also featured newest companion Clara) was third. These books are being released as canon to the series, so for any hardcore Doctor Who fan they will be worth a read.
As a reading fan though, I can’t say I would rush out to the stores to buy them. While each of them are entertaining in their own right, I didn’t feel them to be fulfilling in any way. The did their purpose of putting a place on the Doctor between companions, but I felt there could always be more to it. I’m didn’t feel as if I was the target audience, meant more for a Young Adult crowd. I am however, target audience for being a Doctor Who fan.
Plague of the Cybermen is set in the 19th Century as plague hits a small town. But this is no ordinary plague, with bodies being torn apart. The Doctor intervenes, but as things rapidly change he doesn’t realize the foe he actually is up against. Which, we actually do. Personally I would have left the name of Cybermen out of the title. The beginning of the book starts strong, and would have more of an air of mystery to it if the Cybermen were not mentioned in the title. Next to that, I felt the story was very Eleventh Doctor feeling, which to me is good, but could be stronger. It read to me as more of an idea, sort of like Fan Fiction, as to what was going on in that time period. An interesting read, good for a younger fan. It is definitely fun, but I would not go to it for a deep emotional book.
Next up is The Dalek Generation, which I personally enjoyed the story of more. I had the same feeling that I did with Plague of the Cybermen in the terms of writing, but I did much prefer the story and found myself reading it much quicker. The more quickly I read it, the more interested I am. Featuring, you guessed it, The Daleks, the Doctor finds himself on Sunlight 349, a Dalek Foundation world who is suffering through an economic downfall. The difference between these Daleks and the ones we are familiar with? These Daleks are good, and are known for their good deeds. Much more quickly paced and far more an interesting dynamic, I would recommend The Dalek Generation just to see the new take on The Doctors greatest enemy.
Finally we have Shroud of Sorrow, featuring Clara, The Doctors latest companion. I’m not quite sure where this fits in with the series, but it was interesting none the less. I still am not quite sold on Clara and The Doctor, so I have my own reservations about it. The novel takes place the day after John F.
Kennedy’s assassination. There are faces appearing, but not just any faces. Faces of the dead. With a single scream, they appear in our world. For the first time of the three novels, there actually was mystery to this one. While I felt it as being more of homage to the Tenth Doctor in Army of Ghosts, I was strangely okay with it. It was more gripping and compelling, and told a fulfilling story to me. Out of the three novels released, I felt this was the strongest one of the bunch.
There you have it. These books are great for during the week while you are shaking for your fix of our favorite Time Lord. They are quick reads and even quicker if you are emotionally invested into them. I recommend them as fun reads and not something to take too seriously. Entertaining and worth a go, any Doctor Who fan will enjoy them.
