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miriamgpo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
dawnlizreads's review
4.0
I do enjoy Doctor Who novels - they're normally very well written and, like the TV show, not that taxing. While there is always some drama and element of danger, you know the Doctor and his companion (if one from the show) is going to get to the end relatively unscathed. Sometimes, you just want a bit of escapism and Doctor Who novel is a guarantee of that.
hidekisohma's review against another edition
3.0
*Light spoilers*
So this was my first Doctor/Bill book and it was.....eh?
Here's the thing. the characterization was spot on. The characters acted like they should have and it read very well. So what was the problem?
Well...the story wasn't very interesting. You'd think a story involving the Fae would be cool, but it really wasn't. the whole thing felt kind of dull and lifeless. Bill and the doctor separate about halfway through and it amounts to Bill having to babysit 2 kids as they look for their mom while the doctor hangs out with a policewoman in the fae.
Despite this book only being 256 pages it actually took me quite a while to finish it. I would read a chapter, put it down, read a chapter, put it down. This is basically why it took me 2 weeks to finish this one. It was just very....not exciting.
I really like the bill/doctor dynamic, but that wasn't the issue. it was the actual premise of the book that wasn't interesting from the start. it's VERY hard to make a fantasy-esc story work for doctor who as they say time and time again that magic doesn't exist. kind of takes the wonder out of a lot of the stuff.
All in all, it was fine, but i really didn't care about any of the side characters and the story itself was very meh.
2.5/5 rounded up to a 3.
So this was my first Doctor/Bill book and it was.....eh?
Here's the thing. the characterization was spot on. The characters acted like they should have and it read very well. So what was the problem?
Well...the story wasn't very interesting. You'd think a story involving the Fae would be cool, but it really wasn't. the whole thing felt kind of dull and lifeless. Bill and the doctor separate about halfway through and it amounts to Bill having to babysit 2 kids as they look for their mom while the doctor hangs out with a policewoman in the fae.
Despite this book only being 256 pages it actually took me quite a while to finish it. I would read a chapter, put it down, read a chapter, put it down. This is basically why it took me 2 weeks to finish this one. It was just very....not exciting.
I really like the bill/doctor dynamic, but that wasn't the issue. it was the actual premise of the book that wasn't interesting from the start. it's VERY hard to make a fantasy-esc story work for doctor who as they say time and time again that magic doesn't exist. kind of takes the wonder out of a lot of the stuff.
All in all, it was fine, but i really didn't care about any of the side characters and the story itself was very meh.
2.5/5 rounded up to a 3.
punchofwishes's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Eh, not a huge fan of the solution to this monster-of-the-week. The characters were decently done most of the time (although what was that hashtag talk?) and I liked the setting, but the fairy realm and all the shifting POVs didn't really work too well for me.
eve_whitby's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.5
mountford14's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
thoroughlymodernreviewer's review against another edition
5.0
So, I finally managed to finish a Doctor Who book that didn't involve the War Doctor. And I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I went into this book with low expectations. I've only read and enjoyed one Doctor Who book prior to this, and that was George Mann's Engines of War, but I was honestly blown out of the water with this. The Shadow Man feels like an episode of Doctor Who from the very first chapter and manages to retain that feeling all the way through the final chapter. This is largely due to how well the characters are written. Naturally, you'd hope the Doctor and Bill would be written well - and they were; I'll touch on that in a bit -, but even the side characters are well written and have things to do. You've got the children who are looking for their lost mother (the event that sets the mystery in motion), Maisie and Noah; you've got their stern, no-nonsense grandmother, Hilary; you've got a police constable who's exasperated with the case and struggling to follow the Doctor's logic, PC Jane Schofield; and you've got a paranormal vlogger (think online ghost hunter), Charlotte, who really wants to uncover the mystery behind this viral urban legend (and have her vlogs go viral in the process). All of these characters go on their own journeys throughout the story, each of them growing and changing and possessing their own urgency which moves the plot forward. Even though it's a mystery novel, it's very character driven. This isn't a book where characters passively have things happen to then, it's a book where characters have urgency in what they're doing and experiencing as weird things happen to them and they react accordingly, with even more urgency. They're all compelling and different and it strengthens the book a lot.
Continuity-wise, the book takes place at some point after the third episode of this season, Thin Ice, as there are references to the events that happened in those first three episodes. But, really, it doesn't matter if you've seen them. It's one line references that make literally no difference in the actual story of the novel; it just helps keep the characterization of Bill and the Doctor consistent. Speaking of consistency in characterization, I think that's one of the things I really liked about this book. Even though when these books were published, Bill had only been in one episode - and when I read this book, she'd only been in four -, her characterization feels consistent with what's been set up in the main show, which impresses me a lot. Oftentimes with these spin-off novels, the characterization is off. Either something happened on the main show (either during or after the writing of the novel) that changed the character or the author just doesn't get the voice of the characters right. But that's not the case with The Shining Man. You can tell that Cavan Scott put a lot of time and effort into making sure that Bill and the Doctor felt like Bill and the Doctor. I'm sure the editorial team helped, but ultimately had Cavan Scott been super off base with his characterization, the book would've been doomed. That's not the case.
The other really great thing about the novel is the plot itself. It sets up a really interesting mystery with really compelling and varied characters. I always enjoy when Doctor Who touches on earth's Urban Legends, and this book definitely does that, but in various ways. Obviously, from the summary, you can tell that Scott is going for the kind of Slenderman urban legend feel, but that's not the only kind of earth folklore he tackles. There's an interesting twist that happens that fans of a certain first season episode of Torchwood might enjoy. It's not exactly the same kind of folklore that episode dealt with, but it's very much in a similar vein, while also massively different and a lot denser. But the familiarity will strike people who have seen the episode. It struck me, and I found the connection rather enjoyable.
The pacing of the novel is another really strong point. The book plays out like a mystery novel, as most good Doctor Who stories do. The thing happens at the beginning that starts the mystery, the Doctor arrives in the midst of things, investigates, has slow progress for a bit, finds lots of clues, chases a red herring, ends up solving it by the end. And, like most good mysteries, once the mystery starts unraveling, it becomes very hard to put down the book. I had no intention of reading it in one sitting, but that's what happened. I picked it up after dinner, and the next thing I knew, it was 11 at night and I had just finished the book. That's a testament to the quality of this book - I have a bad attention span. If something isn't very engaging, I cannot sit there and read it for hours at a time. This book is engaging from the moment you start it.
The atmosphere of the book is perfect spooky horror. Imagine an episode of Supernatural mashed with an episode of Doctor Who. It has that spooky, horror feeling from Supernatural - plus the elements of earth-based supernatural activity - and the investigation and twists and characters of a Doctor Who episode. That's a really winning combination. Urban legends and Doctor Who are a match made in heaven, and that's the case with The Shining Man.
Overall, The Shining Man really surprised me. I expected a typical, mediocre tie-in novel, and ended up getting an engaging, entertaining, captivating mystery with dynamic characters who instantly drew me into their stories and lives. The book had me on the edge of my seat, desperately wanting to know what would happen next. Cavan Scott should feel proud of what he accomplished with the book. It's as good as some of the best stand-alone episodes of Doctor Who are.
I went into this book with low expectations. I've only read and enjoyed one Doctor Who book prior to this, and that was George Mann's Engines of War, but I was honestly blown out of the water with this. The Shadow Man feels like an episode of Doctor Who from the very first chapter and manages to retain that feeling all the way through the final chapter. This is largely due to how well the characters are written. Naturally, you'd hope the Doctor and Bill would be written well - and they were; I'll touch on that in a bit -, but even the side characters are well written and have things to do. You've got the children who are looking for their lost mother (the event that sets the mystery in motion), Maisie and Noah; you've got their stern, no-nonsense grandmother, Hilary; you've got a police constable who's exasperated with the case and struggling to follow the Doctor's logic, PC Jane Schofield; and you've got a paranormal vlogger (think online ghost hunter), Charlotte, who really wants to uncover the mystery behind this viral urban legend (and have her vlogs go viral in the process). All of these characters go on their own journeys throughout the story, each of them growing and changing and possessing their own urgency which moves the plot forward. Even though it's a mystery novel, it's very character driven. This isn't a book where characters passively have things happen to then, it's a book where characters have urgency in what they're doing and experiencing as weird things happen to them and they react accordingly, with even more urgency. They're all compelling and different and it strengthens the book a lot.
Continuity-wise, the book takes place at some point after the third episode of this season, Thin Ice, as there are references to the events that happened in those first three episodes. But, really, it doesn't matter if you've seen them. It's one line references that make literally no difference in the actual story of the novel; it just helps keep the characterization of Bill and the Doctor consistent. Speaking of consistency in characterization, I think that's one of the things I really liked about this book. Even though when these books were published, Bill had only been in one episode - and when I read this book, she'd only been in four -, her characterization feels consistent with what's been set up in the main show, which impresses me a lot. Oftentimes with these spin-off novels, the characterization is off. Either something happened on the main show (either during or after the writing of the novel) that changed the character or the author just doesn't get the voice of the characters right. But that's not the case with The Shining Man. You can tell that Cavan Scott put a lot of time and effort into making sure that Bill and the Doctor felt like Bill and the Doctor. I'm sure the editorial team helped, but ultimately had Cavan Scott been super off base with his characterization, the book would've been doomed. That's not the case.
The other really great thing about the novel is the plot itself. It sets up a really interesting mystery with really compelling and varied characters. I always enjoy when Doctor Who touches on earth's Urban Legends, and this book definitely does that, but in various ways. Obviously, from the summary, you can tell that Scott is going for the kind of Slenderman urban legend feel, but that's not the only kind of earth folklore he tackles. There's an interesting twist that happens that fans of a certain first season episode of Torchwood might enjoy. It's not exactly the same kind of folklore that episode dealt with, but it's very much in a similar vein, while also massively different and a lot denser. But the familiarity will strike people who have seen the episode. It struck me, and I found the connection rather enjoyable.
The pacing of the novel is another really strong point. The book plays out like a mystery novel, as most good Doctor Who stories do. The thing happens at the beginning that starts the mystery, the Doctor arrives in the midst of things, investigates, has slow progress for a bit, finds lots of clues, chases a red herring, ends up solving it by the end. And, like most good mysteries, once the mystery starts unraveling, it becomes very hard to put down the book. I had no intention of reading it in one sitting, but that's what happened. I picked it up after dinner, and the next thing I knew, it was 11 at night and I had just finished the book. That's a testament to the quality of this book - I have a bad attention span. If something isn't very engaging, I cannot sit there and read it for hours at a time. This book is engaging from the moment you start it.
The atmosphere of the book is perfect spooky horror. Imagine an episode of Supernatural mashed with an episode of Doctor Who. It has that spooky, horror feeling from Supernatural - plus the elements of earth-based supernatural activity - and the investigation and twists and characters of a Doctor Who episode. That's a really winning combination. Urban legends and Doctor Who are a match made in heaven, and that's the case with The Shining Man.
Overall, The Shining Man really surprised me. I expected a typical, mediocre tie-in novel, and ended up getting an engaging, entertaining, captivating mystery with dynamic characters who instantly drew me into their stories and lives. The book had me on the edge of my seat, desperately wanting to know what would happen next. Cavan Scott should feel proud of what he accomplished with the book. It's as good as some of the best stand-alone episodes of Doctor Who are.
bookish_brooklyn's review against another edition
5.0
This book was freaking amazing! It was dark, and spooky, and fanatical and had a brilliant supporting cast of characters: and not only all this, but 12 and Bill were written perfectly! And this book also had fae and boggarts, and a reference to Krusty the Clown from The Simpsons – yes, I kid you not
I love how the author wasted no time in getting to the story; it opens with a young mother dealing with her young son, traumatized as he tells her about “The Shining Man”. I was instantly intrugued, and had all of the goosebumps, I couldn’t get enough – there was instant word building, as the author goes on to elaborate on The Shining Man, but are they more than just a mere urban legend made up to scare children? Well, you’ll have to read this book to find out
I loved learning about the whole concept of The Shining Man, I was constantly kept guessing as to who or what they truly were, because as I’m sure my fellow Whovians would know, in Doctor Who, when it comes to monsters, there’s more than often meets the eye, and as things were revealed, it was brilliant, and slightly terrifying.
The author captured 12 and Bill perfectly, I felt like both characters leapt off the page perfectly, I could hear them reading the lines and performing the actions described in the book – and I loved their interactions with the supporting characters – some of which were the most memorable amongst the Doctor Who books! I mean, we have Sammy, a mother of two young children – Noah and Masie, both of whom I was impressed with both character’s growth, what started out with sibling bickering developed into the two relying on one another for support and comfort after something devastating. I loved 12’s interactions with Noah, it was so precious! And Bill was great with them too, and she had some super cute interactions with Charlotte, who I also loved in her nerdy vlogger ways, and actually given the ending of this book, a follow up one would be fabulous! I actually feel like this book joins the rank of the best Doctor Who books that I’ve read; I mean I started it Thursday night and finished it Friday morning! I felt like I was watching a Doctor Who episode in my mind as I was reading! Flawless, and I can’t fault it – it’s definitley one I’d read again.
I couldn’t recommend this book enough; for Whovians and anyone who wants a spooky but fanatical read;
‘Fairies, elves and boggarts, oh my!’
I love how the author wasted no time in getting to the story; it opens with a young mother dealing with her young son, traumatized as he tells her about “The Shining Man”. I was instantly intrugued, and had all of the goosebumps, I couldn’t get enough – there was instant word building, as the author goes on to elaborate on The Shining Man, but are they more than just a mere urban legend made up to scare children? Well, you’ll have to read this book to find out
I loved learning about the whole concept of The Shining Man, I was constantly kept guessing as to who or what they truly were, because as I’m sure my fellow Whovians would know, in Doctor Who, when it comes to monsters, there’s more than often meets the eye, and as things were revealed, it was brilliant, and slightly terrifying.
The author captured 12 and Bill perfectly, I felt like both characters leapt off the page perfectly, I could hear them reading the lines and performing the actions described in the book – and I loved their interactions with the supporting characters – some of which were the most memorable amongst the Doctor Who books! I mean, we have Sammy, a mother of two young children – Noah and Masie, both of whom I was impressed with both character’s growth, what started out with sibling bickering developed into the two relying on one another for support and comfort after something devastating. I loved 12’s interactions with Noah, it was so precious! And Bill was great with them too, and she had some super cute interactions with Charlotte, who I also loved in her nerdy vlogger ways, and actually given the ending of this book, a follow up one would be fabulous! I actually feel like this book joins the rank of the best Doctor Who books that I’ve read; I mean I started it Thursday night and finished it Friday morning! I felt like I was watching a Doctor Who episode in my mind as I was reading! Flawless, and I can’t fault it – it’s definitley one I’d read again.
I couldn’t recommend this book enough; for Whovians and anyone who wants a spooky but fanatical read;
‘Fairies, elves and boggarts, oh my!’
talv_loeb's review against another edition
2.0
For the first time in a very long time it felt as if this book was very much rushed to get published. I don't mind typos from time to time (they happen and ...who doesn't make mistakes, right?), but when even name gets wrong, it makes impossible and very distracting to follow the story even with good plot, cause you simply start looking for yet another mistake instead of following the story itself.
Poor quality brought down the good.
Poor quality brought down the good.