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hidekisohma's review
3.0
I was honestly not looking forward to this one. i saw who the author was and the only other book i ready by this guy was "The Eleventh Tiger" which was one of the only doctor who books i ever gave a 1 star to. (the others being Seeing I, Invasion of the Cat People, and Vanderdeken's Children) and also seeing it was ANOTHER world war two story, i was rather less than excited.
Was it as bad as his other one? Actually...nah. Was it anywhere near good?.... meh?
This story is essentially, Doc, Sam, and Fitz end up in World war two and get embroiled in a WW2 battle and get separated and end up with different groups. they don't reconnect until like 3/4 of the way through the book so get used to three groups of people dealing with the war.
Also there's weird sci-fi shenanigans as per usual which is causing havoc with the war. and no, they're not interesting sci-fi shenanigans.
This book is just... meh. That's what i would say about this book. It's just meh. The characters are all in character and the Doc's in his usual "worried about Sam" state while Fitz is off taking care of himself.
This story falls into the standard "yep...this is another standard adventure" category. The only thing even remotely worth of note about this book is the fact that this is the final wacky adventure with Sam as we know that she will be leaving in the next two parter "Interference". And honestly, i couldn't be happier. This was the thing i was most excited about when reading this book. Just knowing that once i finish Autumn mist, I get to get into the two parter when Sam finally leaves.
Sam truly overstayed her welcome. 24 books is WAY too much for this character. I feel like i would have had a better time with her if she left during Seeing I. Bringing her back into the fold for another ~10 books was way too much. She did a Clara and overstayed. It's sad that the only true joy i had from this book was realizing "just make it through this book and you don't ever have to see her again after the next two parter"
The book in itself is entirely forgettable. WW2 and interdimensional aliens. Minus the last 2 pages, if you removed this book from the series, you wouldn't even know you missed anything. It seems i'm not alone though as by far and large the average rating on this book is a 3/5 and yeah... that's kind of exactly where i would put it. Not good, not bad, but serviceable.
Of course since it's WW2 there's gross war violence and the like and i wasn't really on board with that. I'm TIRED of WW2 and doctor who. we get it. you guys were brave and awesome in WW2 England. we get it. you don't need to have 15 DW stories about it. move on.
The side characters were all stereotypes and several of them had big red death flags that hung over them like this was a cheesy 80's cop movie. they got mixed in my brain so when one died i was like "Wait, which guy was that?"
The book was mercifully short (only about 235 pages) and the language wasn't painful like a Jim Mortimore or Daniel O Mahoney, so at least there's that. all in all, i mean...it was fine. it was serviceable. and that's all i can really say.
So with that, i'll give Autumn mist a 2.5 rounded up to a 3.
Was it as bad as his other one? Actually...nah. Was it anywhere near good?.... meh?
This story is essentially, Doc, Sam, and Fitz end up in World war two and get embroiled in a WW2 battle and get separated and end up with different groups. they don't reconnect until like 3/4 of the way through the book so get used to three groups of people dealing with the war.
Also there's weird sci-fi shenanigans as per usual which is causing havoc with the war. and no, they're not interesting sci-fi shenanigans.
This book is just... meh. That's what i would say about this book. It's just meh. The characters are all in character and the Doc's in his usual "worried about Sam" state while Fitz is off taking care of himself.
This story falls into the standard "yep...this is another standard adventure" category. The only thing even remotely worth of note about this book is the fact that this is the final wacky adventure with Sam as we know that she will be leaving in the next two parter "Interference". And honestly, i couldn't be happier. This was the thing i was most excited about when reading this book. Just knowing that once i finish Autumn mist, I get to get into the two parter when Sam finally leaves.
Sam truly overstayed her welcome. 24 books is WAY too much for this character. I feel like i would have had a better time with her if she left during Seeing I. Bringing her back into the fold for another ~10 books was way too much. She did a Clara and overstayed. It's sad that the only true joy i had from this book was realizing "just make it through this book and you don't ever have to see her again after the next two parter"
The book in itself is entirely forgettable. WW2 and interdimensional aliens. Minus the last 2 pages, if you removed this book from the series, you wouldn't even know you missed anything. It seems i'm not alone though as by far and large the average rating on this book is a 3/5 and yeah... that's kind of exactly where i would put it. Not good, not bad, but serviceable.
Of course since it's WW2 there's gross war violence and the like and i wasn't really on board with that. I'm TIRED of WW2 and doctor who. we get it. you guys were brave and awesome in WW2 England. we get it. you don't need to have 15 DW stories about it. move on.
The side characters were all stereotypes and several of them had big red death flags that hung over them like this was a cheesy 80's cop movie. they got mixed in my brain so when one died i was like "Wait, which guy was that?"
The book was mercifully short (only about 235 pages) and the language wasn't painful like a Jim Mortimore or Daniel O Mahoney, so at least there's that. all in all, i mean...it was fine. it was serviceable. and that's all i can really say.
So with that, i'll give Autumn mist a 2.5 rounded up to a 3.
rebelbelle13's review
3.0
A fine, but ultimately forgettable installment in the EDAs. We're back in WWII era *again* and there's a weird mist on the battlefield that is taking bodies, transporting soldiers and causing all kinds of supernatural mischief. The alien race is elf-like, which you would think would lead to a much more interesting story. Sadly, it doesn't, and most of the book is historical-war-type fiction and battles. Sam gets whisked away by the mist elf people and we do learn a bit more about their world, but it comes across as too techn0-babbly to truly understand. There's lots of war violence, so if that's not your jam I'd encourage you to skip this one. Fitz does do quite a bit here so there's that- he doesn't often get to be a major part of the story. There's a lot of characters to keep track of, and I often confused them for one another. The villain's motive is convoluted and uninspiring. There are a few shining moments; one where the Doctor references River/Iris (let's be fair, they're the same person) and a plot point involving the disappearance of the USS Eldridge which history buffs will love. The Doctor is rather heavily involved in the plot, unlike some books where he plays second fiddle to the passing side characters.
Otherwise, this EDA is serviceable but ultimately not fantastic.
Otherwise, this EDA is serviceable but ultimately not fantastic.
nwhyte's review
3.0
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1843279.html
The very first Who story set in my adopted country, an Eighth Doctor Adventure published in 1999 and set during the Battle of the Bulge around Bastogne. Though to be honest there's not much Belgian about it apart from the weather and the landscape; the extra characters are mainly German and American soldiers, and the rulers of the otherworldly realm reached by Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night's Dream and which is threatening to leak into our world here. So it's an interesting Whovian treatment of what I now recognise as a classic fantasy trope, but also an important moment in the character development of poor Sam who has been put through a lot in the last few Eighth Doctor novels and understandably now just wants to go home.
The very first Who story set in my adopted country, an Eighth Doctor Adventure published in 1999 and set during the Battle of the Bulge around Bastogne. Though to be honest there's not much Belgian about it apart from the weather and the landscape; the extra characters are mainly German and American soldiers, and the rulers of the otherworldly realm reached by Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night's Dream and which is threatening to leak into our world here. So it's an interesting Whovian treatment of what I now recognise as a classic fantasy trope, but also an important moment in the character development of poor Sam who has been put through a lot in the last few Eighth Doctor novels and understandably now just wants to go home.
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