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burruss's review against another edition
4.0
This was one of the best Doctor Who adventures I've read or seen lately. I'm not usually a fan of movie or television tie-in novels but Reynolds is a great author and the book had good reviews so I took a chance on it. I'm glad I did because this was just enjoyable from beginning to end.
Reynolds clearly has a lot of love for Doctor Who which shines through. But it's also a great science-fiction/horror story in its own right and very true (in my opinion) to the style and mood of the Third Doctor era. It was nice to dip back into that and pretend I was watching in my mind's eye an uncovered episode of the old show. I'd particularly like to compliment the many scenes in the book between the Doctor and the Master. Reynolds does a fantastic job writing both characters to seem true to who they were on the show, even incorporating a couple elements about their relationship from the new (current) television series that tie in very well.
For any Doctor Who fans out there, even casual fans, I'd recommend this book. It's just a fun read and a great addition to the universe of Doctor Who stories.
Reynolds clearly has a lot of love for Doctor Who which shines through. But it's also a great science-fiction/horror story in its own right and very true (in my opinion) to the style and mood of the Third Doctor era. It was nice to dip back into that and pretend I was watching in my mind's eye an uncovered episode of the old show. I'd particularly like to compliment the many scenes in the book between the Doctor and the Master. Reynolds does a fantastic job writing both characters to seem true to who they were on the show, even incorporating a couple elements about their relationship from the new (current) television series that tie in very well.
For any Doctor Who fans out there, even casual fans, I'd recommend this book. It's just a fun read and a great addition to the universe of Doctor Who stories.
h3dakota's review against another edition
4.0
The author perfectly captured the Third Doctor, my second favorite Doctor (he dropped to 2nd place only to Ten). The story kept my attention, it jumps around quite a bit, but it all gels together in the end.
theevampyre's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
saroz162's review against another edition
3.0
Over the past few years, the BBC has been complementing its regular series of shorter, viewer-friendly Doctor Who novels with occasional "prestige" releases, generally about twice the length and penned by popular and established authors from outside the Doctor Who world. At first, these focused on the then-current eleventh Doctor as portrayed by Matt Smith, but more recently, authors have been allowed to select their own preferred Doctor from the show's history. (The results, while interesting, have been less diverse than one might expect.) Harvest of Time, published during Doctor Who's 50th anniversary year, sees award-winning hard sci-fi author Alastair Reynolds try his hand at a 1970s-era story, featuring his childhood team of the third Doctor, Jo, UNIT, and of course, the Master.
It is obvious from the very beginning how much affection Reynolds has for this era of the program; his take on both the Doctor and the Master feels remarkably true to the TV performances, and if his Jo is a little more grown-up than usual and his Brigadier a little more cold, they're hardly the greatest deviations of character I've ever read. Reynolds' plot, involving an oil rig, mysterious government affairs, and an invasion by the crab-like Sild, feels exactly like the sort of thing we might have seen in 1972 if Barry Letts had been provided with a limitless budget. The first half of the novel is extremely entertaining, especially if you can turn your fan brain off and keep it from asking questions like, "How did the Master go from this intense high-security prison to the genial environment we saw in 'The Sea Devils'?" As fans, these are the things we wonder about, but of course it won't make a bit of difference to the casual reader.
What affects Harvest of Time a lot more negatively is the second half of the novel, where Reynolds greatly slows down the action. Once the Doctor and the Master join forces (did you ever expect anything else?), there are some very interesting plot developments - and then Reynolds is content to let them spend most of the rest of the book conversing with each other (or with one other character). The Jo/UNIT plotline, while relatively simplistic, at least has a sense of urgency; the Doctor and the Master investigating a derelict ship...well, it just doesn't, especially when it's a foregone conclusion that Reynolds will eventually have to restore status quo, get the Doctor home, return the Master to prison, and so on. The inclusion of a time paradox doesn't make things much better, and I, at least, found myself waiting impatiently through the last fifty pages or so for everything to line up and be resolved.
I'm not sure quite what needs to change for the Doctor Who prestige line. I've read about half a dozen of them now - Dan Abnett's The Silent Stars Go By probably being the most successful - and they all feel a little bit too long, a little bit too much in need of an editor. Perhaps a reduced page count (around 250 instead of 350) would help. I really like the idea behind the line, and I hope they continue to attract interesting and varied authors. There's a lot of potential involved. Right now, though, something is keeping the results from being truly great.
It is obvious from the very beginning how much affection Reynolds has for this era of the program; his take on both the Doctor and the Master feels remarkably true to the TV performances, and if his Jo is a little more grown-up than usual and his Brigadier a little more cold, they're hardly the greatest deviations of character I've ever read. Reynolds' plot, involving an oil rig, mysterious government affairs, and an invasion by the crab-like Sild, feels exactly like the sort of thing we might have seen in 1972 if Barry Letts had been provided with a limitless budget. The first half of the novel is extremely entertaining, especially if you can turn your fan brain off and keep it from asking questions like, "How did the Master go from this intense high-security prison to the genial environment we saw in 'The Sea Devils'?" As fans, these are the things we wonder about, but of course it won't make a bit of difference to the casual reader.
What affects Harvest of Time a lot more negatively is the second half of the novel, where Reynolds greatly slows down the action. Once the Doctor and the Master join forces (did you ever expect anything else?), there are some very interesting plot developments - and then Reynolds is content to let them spend most of the rest of the book conversing with each other (or with one other character). The Jo/UNIT plotline, while relatively simplistic, at least has a sense of urgency; the Doctor and the Master investigating a derelict ship...well, it just doesn't, especially when it's a foregone conclusion that Reynolds will eventually have to restore status quo, get the Doctor home, return the Master to prison, and so on. The inclusion of a time paradox doesn't make things much better, and I, at least, found myself waiting impatiently through the last fifty pages or so for everything to line up and be resolved.
I'm not sure quite what needs to change for the Doctor Who prestige line. I've read about half a dozen of them now - Dan Abnett's The Silent Stars Go By probably being the most successful - and they all feel a little bit too long, a little bit too much in need of an editor. Perhaps a reduced page count (around 250 instead of 350) would help. I really like the idea behind the line, and I hope they continue to attract interesting and varied authors. There's a lot of potential involved. Right now, though, something is keeping the results from being truly great.
tandemjon's review against another edition
4.0
One of my favourite authors writing about one of my favourite TV series, can't get much better than that! a good Doctor who plot with John Pertwee series doctor being so real on the page and the master was fabulous, really good interaction between these two. Clever story but way to expensive for TV!!
blessedbamboo's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Body horror
violettwilight's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book!! I am big Whovian, but have only seen the 9th through the 11th doctors shows. This book was set in the 3rd doctors timeline and even though I was not as familiar with his personality and companions, I really liked the story. There was a great twist towards the end that I didn't expect, but it really was a typical Doctor Who twist.
zmftimelord's review against another edition
4.0
A fun trip down third doctor memory lane. It captured the mood and bikinis of the era perfectly.
kilcannon's review against another edition
2.0
It's starting to look as if it is just impossible for anyone to write a good Third Doctor story.
Humor, characterization and plot were all over the place in this one.
The Master had some good moments and plot turns, though. I almost gave it an additional star for those.
Humor, characterization and plot were all over the place in this one.
The Master had some good moments and plot turns, though. I almost gave it an additional star for those.
mschlat's review against another edition
3.0
I love Doctor Who. I love Alastair Reynolds (especially the Revelation Space books). So I thought I would love this. Sadly, not so much.
One big issue is the choice of Doctor; I'm very partial to Tom Baker and David Tennant, but Reynolds is focusing on the third Doctor (Pertwee) and his relationship with the Master. I don't think I've ever seen a Pertwee episode, and --- when I've seen clips of the Master --- I always thought him the equivalent of the mustache-twirling villain of an old Western serial.
The other issue for me was one of pacing. There's a great start involving a fantastically old ship with super-powerful weapons being deciphered by an alien civilization (almost stereotypically Reynolds), but then the action turns to Earth and slows down. Honestly, I almost gave up a time or two.
There's a lot at the end about the relationship between the Doctor and the Master, and if you are a fan of that era of Doctor Who, you may get a lot out of it. However, it was not a good fit for me.
One big issue is the choice of Doctor; I'm very partial to Tom Baker and David Tennant, but Reynolds is focusing on the third Doctor (Pertwee) and his relationship with the Master. I don't think I've ever seen a Pertwee episode, and --- when I've seen clips of the Master --- I always thought him the equivalent of the mustache-twirling villain of an old Western serial.
The other issue for me was one of pacing. There's a great start involving a fantastically old ship with super-powerful weapons being deciphered by an alien civilization (almost stereotypically Reynolds), but then the action turns to Earth and slows down. Honestly, I almost gave up a time or two.
There's a lot at the end about the relationship between the Doctor and the Master, and if you are a fan of that era of Doctor Who, you may get a lot out of it. However, it was not a good fit for me.