Reviews

Doctor Who: Love and War by Paul Cornell

tempus's review against another edition

3.25

I really like Benny. Lisa Bowerman is incredibly funny.

This adaptation wasn't very satisfying to listen to. I love that the actors involvement make this story feel more tangible, but I wish they'd reprint the book so I could read it.

kmelion72's review

adventurous dark

4.0

spacephilosopher's review

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

philosopher_kj's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

philosopher_kj's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

isayhourwrong's review

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Benny my beloved 

plaidbrarian's review against another edition

3.0

This book holds a pretty important place in the "canon" of the New Adventures series of Doctor Who novels. It firmly establishes the Seventh Doctor as more than a cosmic chessmaster, but a real manipulator, willing to do whatever is needed to preserve the "good" no matter the cost. It breaks the bond between the Seventh Doctor and Ace, but good. And it introduces Berniece "Benny" Summerfield, a character who rivals many "official" companions in popularity, and indeed proved appealing enough to get her own spin-off series once Virgin Publishing lost the rights to put out books featuring the Doctor himself. And yet, most of what we get here is fungus, moping, and Ace thoroughly rutting a space hippie.

And it's disappointing, because I generally enjoy Paul Cornell's writing, as well as the few other TNAs I've read (as big of a Who fan as I am, I never got into these at the time), but this all seems so very... average. Particularly Benny. I know she becomes a great character, but besides a few moments of personality, she's mostly just there. She doesn't seem "special" enough to come on as the new companion, she just happens to be standing around when the job opens up. Also, I'm confused as to why the Doctor seems kind of Alzheimersy... he seems to keep thinking he's back in his original incarnation, confusing Ace with Susan and Dodo. But, again, I haven't read a lot of these, maybe that's explained elsewhere.

So, yeah, perfectly adequate Doctor Who and all, but not really worthy of the reputation it has achieved/

scampr's review

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Paul Cornell has a pretty great track record when it comes to his Doctor Who content. This book serves as the introduction to Bernice Summerfield, and is a solid story as well! 
While this story is a little dense, and has some high concept and arty tendencies, it's still engaging and feels sincere. The great character work, themes and emotions brought a real balance to the complexities of the plot and cool sci-fi ideas that were explored.
The biggest strength for me was in the building of Bernice's new friendship with the Doctor, but delving into Ace's backstory and character growth was another highlight.

tenthplanet1's review against another edition

3.0

3.5

I can never take it seriously when Ace is given emotional stuff to do, even in the TV show. This one picks up the more manipulative Sylvester McCoy is, but it is overall a story with some good sci fi twists on horror tropes and disturbing villains, even if the characters aren’t the most interesting.

nwhyte's review

http://nhw.livejournal.com/1095536.html[return][return]This is the debut adventure of Bernice "Benny" Summerfield, one of the more memorable companions of Who spinoff fiction - future archaeologist, hard drinker, unsuccessful lover, heroine of numerous spinoff books and audio plays in her own right. The Seventh Doctor and Ace arrive to explore the planet of Heaven; Ace falls in love with a Celtic crusty; the Doctor has difficulty distinguishing her from Susan and, of all past companions to pick, Dodo; and religious cults and various other locals and visitors are dealing, whether they know it or not, with a horrible intelligent fungus which is infecting their bodies.[return][return]Quite apart from Benny, whose debut is as memorable as I hoped it would be, this is a good novel for Ace, whose doomed love affair, recollections of her youth in Perivale, and tentative renegotiation of her relationship with the Doctor combine to make her much more interesting and compelling here than she ever was on screen. Some of the familiar Paul Cornell motifs are here - people trapped in a church or local equivalent; owls - but there are some very pleasing nods to the space opera future portrayed in Pertwee-era Who (the Draconians; the IMC) and the planet itself, and the gruesome invasive fungoids, are convincingly attention-grabbing. One of the better New Adventures, I suspect (not that I have read many of them).[return]