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markk's review
2.0
I sought out this Doctor Who novel in the Virgin New Adventures line after enjoying [b:The Face of the Enemy|882838|Doctor Who The Face of the Enemy|David A. McIntee|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1507472009s/882838.jpg|868115] and [b:The Time Travellers|74472|Doctor Who The Time Travellers|Simon Guerrier|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1387743133s/74472.jpg|72030] in the Past Doctor Adventures series, the plots of both of which also involved alternate timelines in the Who universe. It was my first VNA novel, and unfortunately it will probably be the last, as it just wasn't as good as the PDA books I've read. Part of this may be attributable to elements unique to Jim Mortimore’s writing, or perhaps to the fact that I just didn’t warm to the characters of Bernice Summerfield and the more warrior-like Ace in the VNAs. Or perhaps it was because the story wasn't resolved within the novel, as the events in it proved part of some overarching contest between the Doctor and some unnamed Big Bad whom he would face again in the next novel. But with so many Doctor Who novels out there to choose from and only a finite amount of time available to read, I think I will invest it in other series that seem truer to what it is I enjoy most in a Doctor Who novel.
hammard's review
5.0
This was one of the first VNAs I ever read (I can't remember if it was the very first but was in a bulk lot I got) and continue to be very impressed with it. This is still very fannish as a lot of the early ones are but for good narrative purposes. This is more or less the setup for Turn Left, where an outside force creates an alternative timeline where The Doctor died. However, in Blood Heat the turning point is from the Third Doctor era, and The Seventh Doctor, Benny and Ace arrive in it decades later. It manages to be horrifying and tense but also has quiet philosophical moments.
My main issue I recall from my first reading was the level of tension in the TARDIS team but on this reading it feels less prominent and fits with the ongoing arcs.
My main issue I recall from my first reading was the level of tension in the TARDIS team but on this reading it feels less prominent and fits with the ongoing arcs.
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