Book Review: Tales Of Trenzalore

Author: Various
Title: Tales Of Trenzalore
Publisher: BBC Books
Publish Date: Feb 27,2104
Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb: 

The Eleventh Doctor's Last Stand: never-before-told exploits from the Doctor's 900 years protecting the town of Christmas.

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.

Some of what happened during those terrible years is well documented. But most of it has remained 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 collects 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)

Review:  First let me say, if you haven't watched The Time Of The Doctor, do not read this. Because, as River Song would say...SPOILERS! Not to mention the authors take some liberties with an alternate ending. The stories in this book fill in the gaps of time that the episode didn't show.

The seize of Trenzalore lasted hundreds of years with every Doctor Who foe imaginable showing up to try to kill the Doctor one last time.

In Let It Snow, it is the Ice Warriors that land. I have to say, their appearance in this story was much better than their appearance in Series 7 episode Cold War. I also liked that this story was early on, in the Doctor's stay on the planet.

As each story progresses, you get closer to the time where Eleven regenerates and truthfully that makes me sad, because I really felt close to this particular incarnation of the Doctor.

An Apple a Day features the Krynoids and those things are quite creepy. These are pod creatures that take over a body and devour all the animals on the planet until they are no more 'Nuff said there, right? I felt so bad for Pieter being taken over by one of those nasty things.

I think this was my favorite of the four stories. I loved The Doctor's interaction with Theol as they attempt to save Christmas.

The Autons are the foe in Strangers In The Outland. These guys are just as scary now as they were back when they first appeared in the Jon Pertwee days of Who in Terror Of The Autons.

Lastly there's The Dreaming..which features The Mara. Another creepy foe. I almost thought that the foe was going to be The Dream Lord.

The last two stories are actually a bit depressing because you see Eleven aging. He's lost his leg!! And that disturbs me. Who wants to think of the Doctor dying? Not me.

All in all these four stories are a great addition to Doctor Who canon.

Rating: 4 flowers

TLC Book Tours Book Review: Dark Horizons

Author: Jenny T. Colgan
Title:Doctor Who: Dark Horizons
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: BBC Books (August 13, 2013)
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb: “Now, you may or may not have noticed, but we appear to be on fire…” On a windswept northern shore, at the very tip of what will one day become Scotland, the islanders believe the worst they have to fear is a Viking attack. Then the burning comes. They cannot run from it. Water will not stop it. It consumes everything in its path – yet the burned still speak. The Doctor is just looking for a game on the famous Lewis chess set. Instead he encounters a people under attack from a power they cannot possibly understand. They have no weapons, no strategy and no protection against a fire sent to engulf them all. Add in some marauding Vikings with very bad timing, a kidnapped princess with a secret of her own and a TARDIS that seems to have developed an inexplicable fear of water, and they all have a battle on their hands. The islanders must take on a ruthless alien force in a world without technology; without communications; without tea that isn’t made out of bark. Still at least they have the Doctor on their side… Don’t they? A thrilling new adventure starring the Doctor, as played by Matt Smith in the acclaimed Doctor Who series from BBC Television.

Review: Wooo hee ooooo

Oh wait..just listen



You can't start any discussion of Doctor Who without the theme playing in your head.

So let the episode begin. Jenny Colgan has given us a companionless story, or at least companionless in the vein that the 11th Doctor doesn't have The Ponds or Clara (in any of her incarnations) with him on this adventure.

This book is perfect for those of us waiting for the next episode to air. (And it allows us to have some extra time with the 11th Doctor before he regenerates)

The writing seems geared for a younger audience, which can be distracting for older fans who are possibly expecting something more grown up.

The Doctor finds himself in Viking times. You get Viking warriors, island people that want no parts of them and a princess that would rather be on her way to Valhalla. Oh and don't forget a fire-like alien that is burning up animals and humans alike.

The Doctor Who geek in me was trying to figure out where in his timeline this story occurred, because the the TARDIS under water thing was dealt with in the episode Cold War in part two of series 7 with Clara as the companion...

But I'm not going to nit pick. Jenny really had Matt's Doctor spot on...and I loved one scene where he envisions his former self with K-9. Big sigh there. I also love his interaction with Luag. From the very beginning, 11 has had a way with children, and I loved that Jenny kept that up here.

The budding romance between Henrik and Freydis was a nice touch and something done well by Jenny who usually writes some awesome chicklit.

This is what Doctor Who is all about. I could easily envision this book as an episode. It was fun and fast paced and Jenny has Matt Smith's Doctor down perfectly. (I only wish Amy and Rory had been with him)

If you are a Who fan (like me) you'll gobble up the story and all the others too

Rating: 4 flowers