Doctor Who: The Reign of Terror (No. 119)
by Ian Marter

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Book Reviews of Doctor Who: The Reign of Terror (No. 119)

Book Review: A good novelisation of a classic story
Summary: 4 Stars

In this story, the TARDIS arrives back on Earth - not, as Ian and Barbara hope, back in the London of 1963 but just outside of Paris in 1794, during the French Revolution. Captured (other than the Doctor) by soldiers, they are cast into prison as suspected spies and get caught up in various political machinations within the complex and paranoid French society.

While The Reign of Terror was probably the first Doctor Who story with deliberate comedy included, I don't think this translated well to the written word. Perhaps this is no bad thing.

The standout aspect of this novelisation, when compared to many others of Doctor Who stories, is the comparative richness of the text. Mr Marter could have written this book with less words, but rather than ignoring the detail of the world in which the travellers find themselves, he embroiders detail which assist in making this far more than many of its fellow novelisations. Given the often grimness of the period in which it is set, this helps in bringing the story to life.

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