Scan barcode
leafblade's review against another edition
4.0
This was so fucked up I loved every second of it, oh my god. Also I missed ninth and jack and rose SO MUCH it actually hurts to let them go again. idk I'm just so emotional over them, they mean so much to me and words will never be able to explain how _home_ they feel to me
christian_jeanne's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
❤️❤️+🔷
gjeebus_k's review against another edition
4.0
My first Doctor Who novel, featuring the Ninth Doctor. By chance, this story also featured one of the most beloved characters named Captain Jack Harkness.
The concept of the story interested me from the beginning. Why would anyone want to steal your dreams? Aren't dreams also the result of our imagination? Well... Looks like I was right.
In the year 2775, people aren't allowed to have any imagination or anything that could give you the slightest idea of fantasy. That means comic books, television, books and everything you can think about are forbidden. Which is a bit hard for characters like the Doctor and Jack who burst of imagination.
Although Nine wasn't my favourite Doctor, I liked his more brutal character towards enemies. Even in this story, you can clearly see how compassionate he handles with the children and how unforgiven he acts against the government.
The characters are well-written in this novel, with alot of appreciation going to Jack. It's not easy to put his magical character on paper, but Steve Lyons did a pretty good job in this book.
The concept of the story interested me from the beginning. Why would anyone want to steal your dreams? Aren't dreams also the result of our imagination? Well... Looks like I was right.
In the year 2775, people aren't allowed to have any imagination or anything that could give you the slightest idea of fantasy. That means comic books, television, books and everything you can think about are forbidden. Which is a bit hard for characters like the Doctor and Jack who burst of imagination.
Although Nine wasn't my favourite Doctor, I liked his more brutal character towards enemies. Even in this story, you can clearly see how compassionate he handles with the children and how unforgiven he acts against the government.
The characters are well-written in this novel, with alot of appreciation going to Jack. It's not easy to put his magical character on paper, but Steve Lyons did a pretty good job in this book.
casihamilton's review against another edition
4.0
This was, by far, one of the most exciting and clever Doctor Who books I've read so far.
milkfran's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
2.75
Sometimes you wanna read something highbrow and sometimes you just want a huge dollop of nostalgia…
As far as Doctor Who novels go this is one of the better ones, borrowing heavily from Ninteen Eighty Four.
The dystopian setting is white ambitious for a Doctor Who novel and it does get somewhat dark at times: dealing with madness, the human capacity to dream and the very nature of reality itself.
Firstly, the strengths: Steve Lyons has the characters down to a tee and Rose and the Ninth Doctor leap off the page. (Apparently this is set inbetween episode 11, Boomtown, and episode 12, Bad Wolf.
Firstly, the strengths: Steve Lyons has the characters down to a tee and Rose and the Ninth Doctor leap off the page. (Apparently this is set inbetween episode 11, Boomtown, and episode 12, Bad Wolf.
Lines like
“Rose had eyes for only that, had thoughts for only the Doctor.” -p.127
leads me to the conclusion that they were definitely fucking…)
Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the secondary characters of Inspector Waller and Domnic, who felt wooden and 2D.
Nevertheless, it’s only 137 pages long and for a pdf you can borrow for free from archive.org it’s a fun way to indulge the inner Doctor Who obsessed eight year old that lives in all of us.
In fact, I’d have loved this as a child which is why I hesitated so much on the 2.75 ⭐️ rating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Medical trauma
Moderate: Violence
thunderstrikes's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
dawnlizreads's review against another edition
3.0
A quick, easy read. After reading In Cold Blood, I needed something lighthearted where I could guarantee the good guys would save the day and this fitted the bill perfectly.
izumisano's review against another edition
4.0
These novels really like to separate the Doctor from his companions. I'm happy that Jack had a real presence in this book unlike the previous ones.
hidekisohma's review against another edition
4.0
So that's it! i've finally read all 6 of the 9th doctor books. And I have to say, i'd glad it ended on a good note.
I was a little skeptical going into this one as the author was the one who wrote "The Witch Hunters" which is my most disliked 1st doctor book to date, but thank goodness, I was pleasantly surprised with this one.
Unlike Only human, All 3 of the characters are useful and actually do stuff. It's definitely one of those "they get split up and have their own adventures" book, but really, that's okay, as all three of their stories were relevant to the plot and helped end the conflict in their own way. And it also divides them evenly. Each of the three really got their own third. So if you want to see a book where the Doctor, Rose, AND Jack get a chance to shine, this is it.
I also liked how there was no real "Big baddie" or "monster of the week". It was more of a situational thing. For comparison, it felt a lot like the "Are you my mummy?" storyline from the Eccleston era.
I think the only issue i had with this book was that the doctor was not in it enough. Since SO much time was given to Jack and Rose, it left the Doc out a bit in the cold sometimes, as well as the fact that it wasn't the BEST 9th doctor characterization. I mean, you could TELL it was Eccleston, but he didn't have as many funny quips or dialogue moments as he has in others.
Still though, the book was good enough that I could really overlook it.
In order from worst to best, this is my list for 9th doctor books
6th: Monsters Inside
5th: Winner Takes All
4th: Only Human
3rd: Deviant Strain
2nd: Clockwise Man
1st: Stealer of Dreams.
I'm really going back in forth in my brain to decide whether stealer or clockwise man is better, but i'm gonna go with Stealer as I had a better initial reaction to the story rather than Clockwise. But both these 2 are worth a read. The rest you can skip.
If you want a good book where they're on earth, Clockwise. Outer space? Stealer.
All in all, a fun, non-body count doctor novel. 4 out of 5.
I was a little skeptical going into this one as the author was the one who wrote "The Witch Hunters" which is my most disliked 1st doctor book to date, but thank goodness, I was pleasantly surprised with this one.
Unlike Only human, All 3 of the characters are useful and actually do stuff. It's definitely one of those "they get split up and have their own adventures" book, but really, that's okay, as all three of their stories were relevant to the plot and helped end the conflict in their own way. And it also divides them evenly. Each of the three really got their own third. So if you want to see a book where the Doctor, Rose, AND Jack get a chance to shine, this is it.
I also liked how there was no real "Big baddie" or "monster of the week". It was more of a situational thing. For comparison, it felt a lot like the "Are you my mummy?" storyline from the Eccleston era.
I think the only issue i had with this book was that the doctor was not in it enough. Since SO much time was given to Jack and Rose, it left the Doc out a bit in the cold sometimes, as well as the fact that it wasn't the BEST 9th doctor characterization. I mean, you could TELL it was Eccleston, but he didn't have as many funny quips or dialogue moments as he has in others.
Still though, the book was good enough that I could really overlook it.
In order from worst to best, this is my list for 9th doctor books
6th: Monsters Inside
5th: Winner Takes All
4th: Only Human
3rd: Deviant Strain
2nd: Clockwise Man
1st: Stealer of Dreams.
I'm really going back in forth in my brain to decide whether stealer or clockwise man is better, but i'm gonna go with Stealer as I had a better initial reaction to the story rather than Clockwise. But both these 2 are worth a read. The rest you can skip.
If you want a good book where they're on earth, Clockwise. Outer space? Stealer.
All in all, a fun, non-body count doctor novel. 4 out of 5.
rebelbelle13's review against another edition
3.0
This was my first 9th Doctor novel, and it was just fine. It was very middling and forgettable. That's not to say that it was bad, but nothing really stood out to me either on the positive or the negative end. Jack and Rose are present and very capable of handling themselves. The trio is split for most of the book and come together near the very end. The plot centers around an Earth colony in the future that doesn't allow its inhabitants to read/watch/listen to/create lies or any type of fantasy. Their world is boring, straight forward, and without any creativity, lest the inhabitants go 'fantasy crazy'. It's a different concept, but dragged out a bit too long before the 'why' reveal. There's no real sense of urgency like in other Who novels, so that's a plus if you're just coming off of a heavy story and are looking for something light, and the stakes aren't world-ending. Lyons did a good job of writing Rose, Jack and 9, and I had no problem envisioning the scenes playing out like an episode. Bonus: if you listen to the audiobook, Camille Caduri (Jackie Tyler) narrates, so that's a treat. I also liked the bit of the twist that was revealed at the end- it caught me off guard and surprised me. So overall? Ok, decent, scratches certain itches, but not completely.