Heart of TARDIS (Doctor Who Series) by Dave Stone Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Heart of TARDIS (Doctor Who Series)
Book Review: You What?
Summary: 2 Stars
Well now, what can we say?This book appears to have been written by at least two different Mr Stone's and neither of themn has the slightest idea what the other is writing about.
The story meanders through a succession of late 70's jokes before coming to a halt.
I had to read the ending twice because I thought I had missed something. The sign of either hurried writing or poor editing.
For what it's worth it still makes no sense at all, but them I'm nonplussed as to why it's called Heart Of Tardis.
Needed another edit.
Book Review: The Best Multi-Doctor Story Ever
Summary: 5 Stars
What a wonderful book from Mr Stone. Great fun all the way through, I honestly couldn't put it down.This is how multi-doctor stories should work - subtly and without the usual shoving together for a half-hearted plot (or, in the case of BBC books first release 'The Eight Doctors', no plot at all).
If you've been put off the Past Doctor BBC books by the atrocities such as 'Divided Loyalties' then give it another go with Heart of TARDIS. The Past Doctor books certainly seem to be coming out of the quality rut they've been stuck in the the last year or so...'Heart of TARDIS' and before that 'Verdigris' and 'Tomb of Valdemar'...it's a good time to be reading Who.
btw, to the Guy who doesn't know why it's called HoT....hint - try thinking about what happens at the climax of the book. ;-)
Book Review: Good Ideas...Poor Execution
Summary: 2 Stars
Seeing the Second Doctor in Middle America opens possibilities that are nearly endless. The pairing of the Second and Fourth Doctors is a great combination even though they never meet in this book, and given the plot, don't really need to either. Reading the synopsis of this book will get any Who fan excited, but unfortunately here the fantastic ideas fall by the wayside of either hurried writing, poor editing, or a lack of sound exposition. Honestly, there are about seven or eight stories happening at once and not enough time is given to any of them. I'll be the first to admit that some Doctor Who episodes and adventure books have baffled me, but a second round with the material usually clears up previous confusion. If you are puzzled with this book, you are not alone. The end goes at a mile a minute, giving no time to explain what is happening, where it's happening, and to whom it's happening. In the prelude, Stone reinforces his affinity for stopping prose in climatic midstream for the sake of dramatic zest. Unfortunately, he does it so often and so inappropriately that it totally loses its affect and more often than not perplexes and frustrates the reader. This book goes everywhere all at once and it's regrettable that the reader can't come along.Book Review: A very disappointing book
Summary: 1 Stars
This is the worst Past Doctor book that I have read since Virgin introduced the novelisations.You would imagine that an author writing a tie-in novel for a cult 70s series would know better than to run down another cult 70s series since the audiences may well overlap. This mickey-taking would be excusable if the end result were amusing as intended, but the attempted jokes fall flat, one after the other. I could also do without having the author's political opinions rammed down my throat at regular intervals. Again, this would be acceptable if the plot of the novel were in any way politics-related, but it isn't. The author simply takes the opportunity now and then to randomly throw in an overt and pointless political attack. And while the annoyance factor is high, the plot falls below expectations aswell, rambling around in a lost way, making little sense until the author attempts to drag it all together rapidly at the end, but leaves plot holes behind. There is some decent characterisation here of the Doctors and their various companions, but it's not worth buying the book for that alone.
Book Review: Fantastic stuff. Great fun.
Summary: 5 Stars
If you liked Paul Magrs' 3rd Doctor novel 'Verdigris', you'll love this. If you're the sort who can talk about contradictions in Dalek history for seven hours or until someone bludgeons you to death with your own duffel coat, then let's be honest, you probably won't.
Yes, the author takes the startlingly original stance that Reagan and Thatcher's politics might have been a bit, you know, evil. But if you grew up exposed to the (mostly Left wing) 80s/90s British media then you'll probably be surprised at how little he actually touches upon it. He confines it to the narrative rather than place words in the characters mouths, and it really isn't jarring. The ending has been mentioned negatively in several reviews, but I personally believe that if you complain about the ending(s) you've missed the point, just a tad.
Overall, this book shines with love for it's subject matter, even after spending 280 pages subverting and poking fun at 'Dr Who?' it was never cruel, and managed to turn out a Second Doctor passage that in a few sentences was more genuinely touching than many of the 'serious' 'Dr Who?' novels I've read.
And let's be honest. Anyone who can attempt to raise Vince to a canonical character gets my lifelong repect and admiration.
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