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kcdigangi2112's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-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? Yes
4.5
zmull's review against another edition
3.0
Let me just start by saying I love Ace and I think Sophie Aldred is just great. Like a lot of Doctor Who fans I was excited to hear that Aldred was writing (sort of) her first novel and that it would feature her TV character Ace meeting the Thirteenth Doctor (as played by Jodie Whitaker). I tend to forget these books have plots until I start reading them and have the realization, "Oh yeah, there's going to some dumb aliens and a bunch of shouting and running," getting in the way of what I really want, which is hanging out with the best companion from the classic series and the newest Doctor. So, yeah, there's a plot. Is it good? Not really. Which leaves us with the point of the whole thing, Ace and the Doctor. Ace isn't just the best companion from the classic series, she makes up half of the best Doctor/companion pairing with Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor. Not only do the two actors have great chemistry together, but the characters themselves spark off each other. Ace is young and impulsive. Seven is sly and manipulative. They love each other, but Ace is wary of him and the Doctor is aloof with her. In At Childhood's End, Ace, now going by her given name Dorothy, is fifty years old and quite sly herself. The new Doctor on the other hand is now a much warmer, seemingly younger woman. And sadly the chemistry is mostly gone. Ace is still angry at her Doctor for the way he treated her in the past. But very little of that sticks to the Thirteenth Doctor. These two old friends barely seem to know one another. It's disappointing. The modern companions don't do much better. Yaz has a character arc dealing with the insecurities that Ace triggers in her. Ryan and Graham are basically interchangeable here. (Speaking of Graham, Sophie Aldred narrates the audio version and does a great job with all of the characters, except for Graham. His part is so generic and Aldred sounds so little like him that I'd often forget he was in a scene and wonder who was speaking.) I said that Aldred "sort of" wrote this because it was done in collaboration with Mike Tucker and Steve Cole, two Doctor Who-lit pros. Neither of them have ever wowed me and unfortunately this book doesn't change that.
iamdwg's review against another edition
3.0
Not bad
This isn't a bad book, it certainly contains the right spirit and voice of the contained characters and surrounding world(s), but having no real connection to Classic Who or ACE, I found a lot of this story to be a bit boring and I wasn't very pulled in or engaged. Doesn't make it bad, like I said. It is written well enough. So, if you're a fan of the classic series AND current series, this'll probably work for you. Not me, though.
This isn't a bad book, it certainly contains the right spirit and voice of the contained characters and surrounding world(s), but having no real connection to Classic Who or ACE, I found a lot of this story to be a bit boring and I wasn't very pulled in or engaged. Doesn't make it bad, like I said. It is written well enough. So, if you're a fan of the classic series AND current series, this'll probably work for you. Not me, though.
stampedlizzy's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
ogreart's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I always like crossovers between Classic Who and current Who. Alsred, who played ace in the 90's when Sylvester McCoy was the Seventh Doctor, both wrote and narrated the book. I guess playing the character for several years gave he some insights into who Ace, now Dorothy, is. It was fun and heartfelt. A good combination for Doctor Who.
fosully's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
annauq's review against another edition
3.0
I would give this four stars but I can't bring myself to because WHY WOULD YOU WRITE ACE AS STRAIGHT WHY
Anyway aside from the aggressive heterosexuality the characters display, this book is actually a pretty enjoyable read. The alien plot is a bit generic 'theyre bad oh no wait maybe they arent', but it is well-executed and the plethora of good character moments more than make up for it.
Ace as a multi-millionaire CEO of a charity instead of, you know, a queer anti-capitalist community activist, also isn't exactly inspired, but I'm just gonna chalk that one up to pre-established lore and get on with it.
So yeah, where the book really shines is in the interactions between the Fam, Thirteen and Ace, and in particular Ace and/or Fam calling out Thirteen. "The Doctor has no problems using weapons of mass destruction when it suits her" is quite possibly one of my favourite character call-outs, right up there with Rory's "you make people so dangerous around themselves" and Martha's "stand too close and people get burned". Coming from Ace? Delicious, delicious stuff.
Ace and Yaz seeing parallels in each other and finding it difficult to get on is not something I'd personally thought of, but I loved it. Only wish it'd had been explored further: Ace tells Yaz she dislikes cops bc the cops did dick all when her (girl)friend was murdered by racists, but then Yaz being a (queer) woman of colour and a cop herself isn't really touched upon.
Similarly, the Doctor's astonishingly poor job at parenting Ace is touched on multiple times, and she's definitely called out on it, but it doesn't really resolve itself to a satisfactory point (in my humble opinion, anyway, but then maybe that's because my favourite Doctor Who fanfic ever written is pretty much exactly this book except Ace is gay and she and Eleven take A Lot longer to be okay again).
Still, all in all, I basically listened to this in one sitting, and had a mostly great time while doing so. Can't wait for Thirteen to be held that viciously accountable for her actions in the show itself.
So, tl; dr: fun story, interesting characters and plenty of nods to bygone eras. Shame about the heterosexuality of it all.
Anyway aside from the aggressive heterosexuality the characters display, this book is actually a pretty enjoyable read. The alien plot is a bit generic 'theyre bad oh no wait maybe they arent', but it is well-executed and the plethora of good character moments more than make up for it.
Ace as a multi-millionaire CEO of a charity instead of, you know, a queer anti-capitalist community activist, also isn't exactly inspired, but I'm just gonna chalk that one up to pre-established lore and get on with it.
So yeah, where the book really shines is in the interactions between the Fam, Thirteen and Ace, and in particular Ace and/or Fam calling out Thirteen. "The Doctor has no problems using weapons of mass destruction when it suits her" is quite possibly one of my favourite character call-outs, right up there with Rory's "you make people so dangerous around themselves" and Martha's "stand too close and people get burned". Coming from Ace? Delicious, delicious stuff.
Ace and Yaz seeing parallels in each other and finding it difficult to get on is not something I'd personally thought of, but I loved it. Only wish it'd had been explored further: Ace tells Yaz she dislikes cops bc the cops did dick all when her (girl)friend was murdered by racists, but then Yaz being a (queer) woman of colour and a cop herself isn't really touched upon.
Similarly, the Doctor's astonishingly poor job at parenting Ace is touched on multiple times, and she's definitely called out on it, but it doesn't really resolve itself to a satisfactory point (in my humble opinion, anyway, but then maybe that's because my favourite Doctor Who fanfic ever written is pretty much exactly this book except Ace is gay and she and Eleven take A Lot longer to be okay again).
Still, all in all, I basically listened to this in one sitting, and had a mostly great time while doing so. Can't wait for Thirteen to be held that viciously accountable for her actions in the show itself.
So, tl; dr: fun story, interesting characters and plenty of nods to bygone eras. Shame about the heterosexuality of it all.
spacecaptain's review
5.0
A fun book and a nice resolution to Ace's journeys with the Doctor. Some nice call backs. Simple plot but fun.
banjo_bunny's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
3.25