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hidekisohma's review
3.0
This is my 10th First doctor novel and it seems to me that they tend to fall under a very similar pattern. They either focus heavily on religion, or the doctor complaining about how they "can't change the past" there are a few that are a little different, but overall this seems to be what authors do with the first doctor. And this one, sadly is no exception.
This novel was, in all essence, a "lol you can't change the past" story. and i thought it was going to be something different as that is what the story seemed to be leading up to until about 2/3 of the way there. And then they figured "naw, it'll be fine." and threw in a lame normal ending.
The story is essentially 1, Dodo, and Steven go back to the mongol times and stop in on Kiev. The mongols are going to attack Kiev and dodo and steven want to stop it, but of course 1 is like "nah, can't do that sorry." When they get there they find a monster killing a bunch of people. (the monster is sadly only quasi-important"
I actually quite enjoyed it for the first 1/2 thinking that it was going to be different. then it wasn't. and it dropped a whole star because of it.
There's a LOT of talking in this one. like a lot of back and forth of the the people in charge of Kiev chatting with one another about what to do, the one guy doesn't want to listen to the doctor while the other does, but of course people don't REALLY listen to him and they screw themselves over, you know par for the course. Overall, this was just a very SAFE story. like it didn't do anything to wow the reader or anything out of the mundane and ordinary.
The only thing i can say is that the writing style is fine. This was my first Martin Day book and his style is very readable. My most recent First doctor book i read before this one was "Man in the Velvet Mask" and oh my god this is night and day with the style in this one. At least i understand what's going on in this. It's not too complicated and basically just tells a story which is nice.
One narrative choice i thought was weird was that overall it's in 3rd person, except for Steven's sections which jump to first person. No other parts of the book are in 1st, only with Steven. I thought this was an odd decision and never really learned WHY they did this, but it wasn't terrible, just left me a little confused on why Martin did it this way.
The book in itself is fine. It's not great, it's not terrible, it's fine. It's a normal, acceptable book that you're going to forget 2 days after you read it. It could have been great, as the writing style lends it to it, but Martin wanted to keep this book too safe, and it suffered for it.
The doc and Steven are separated for most of second half of the book, and it's of course, a lot of talking. Steven with the russians and Doc with the mongols. you'll be forgiven if you forget about Dodo though as the book itself does for long stretches of time as she just disappears for big chunks and then shows up and you're like "oh yeah she IS in this book, isn't she?"
No one is really out of character and i suppose everything makes sense, i just....didn't really care very much. it was a safe, dull experience, if inoffensive story i won't be revisiting any time soon.
Even 3 out of 5.
This novel was, in all essence, a "lol you can't change the past" story. and i thought it was going to be something different as that is what the story seemed to be leading up to until about 2/3 of the way there. And then they figured "naw, it'll be fine." and threw in a lame normal ending.
The story is essentially 1, Dodo, and Steven go back to the mongol times and stop in on Kiev. The mongols are going to attack Kiev and dodo and steven want to stop it, but of course 1 is like "nah, can't do that sorry." When they get there they find a monster killing a bunch of people. (the monster is sadly only quasi-important"
I actually quite enjoyed it for the first 1/2 thinking that it was going to be different. then it wasn't. and it dropped a whole star because of it.
There's a LOT of talking in this one. like a lot of back and forth of the the people in charge of Kiev chatting with one another about what to do, the one guy doesn't want to listen to the doctor while the other does, but of course people don't REALLY listen to him and they screw themselves over, you know par for the course. Overall, this was just a very SAFE story. like it didn't do anything to wow the reader or anything out of the mundane and ordinary.
The only thing i can say is that the writing style is fine. This was my first Martin Day book and his style is very readable. My most recent First doctor book i read before this one was "Man in the Velvet Mask" and oh my god this is night and day with the style in this one. At least i understand what's going on in this. It's not too complicated and basically just tells a story which is nice.
One narrative choice i thought was weird was that overall it's in 3rd person, except for Steven's sections which jump to first person. No other parts of the book are in 1st, only with Steven. I thought this was an odd decision and never really learned WHY they did this, but it wasn't terrible, just left me a little confused on why Martin did it this way.
The book in itself is fine. It's not great, it's not terrible, it's fine. It's a normal, acceptable book that you're going to forget 2 days after you read it. It could have been great, as the writing style lends it to it, but Martin wanted to keep this book too safe, and it suffered for it.
The doc and Steven are separated for most of second half of the book, and it's of course, a lot of talking. Steven with the russians and Doc with the mongols. you'll be forgiven if you forget about Dodo though as the book itself does for long stretches of time as she just disappears for big chunks and then shows up and you're like "oh yeah she IS in this book, isn't she?"
No one is really out of character and i suppose everything makes sense, i just....didn't really care very much. it was a safe, dull experience, if inoffensive story i won't be revisiting any time soon.
Even 3 out of 5.
gingerreader99's review
4.0
Wow!! What a story! I already love the Mongols and the history surrounding their empire and conquests so the setting for me was just perfect! The story itself kept me guessing the whole way through and I did not expect the ending at all. All in all terrific.
scampr's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Historical stories are a particular strength of the first Doctor's era, both on screen and in the stories that have since been contributed by novels and audio dramas, etc.
Despite the fact this book isn't a pure historical like the majority of such serials from the 60s, it does follow suit in exploring an interesting area of history - in this case the domineering expansion of the Mongol Empire into Europe.
Most of the adventure takes Place in 13th century Kiev, which makes for a unique setting. Throughout the story you learn a fair bit about the culture of Kiev's people, the Mongols and the time period as a whole, which was very in keeping with the informative approach of 60s Who. Although there is an alien presence within the plot, the story upholds a really effective balance between that and the actual details of history.
The actions and agency of the people from that time are still their own, and the alien elements are simply a side problem that provides a further layer to those events. There's some brutal stuff here but it's handled with due seriousness and never loses balance of where to play into the fantasy/sci-fi and where to ground itself.
With the Doctor and his companions' presence quickly discovered shortly after their arrival, he forbids anyone including himself from entering the Tardis again, for fear of what damage could be done to the timeline. The Doctor is acutely aware of the fate of this time, and remains absolutely stubborn in his defence of the course of history.
This motivation and stubborn quality is a big reason why the first Doctor is characterised so well in this novel, but there is importantly some contrast to him, with aspects of wisdom, foolhardiness and empathy to his depiction that feel rather on point.
Dodo doesn't play a major role in this story but is solid enough where she is involved. Steven on the other hand is another highlight when it comes to characterisation. With much of his considerable time on the show missing I enjoy getting a deeper look into Steven whenever he pops up in expanded media - and in this book he is a key player and the emotional heart, with several chapters/sections being told from his perspective.
Beyond our protagonists there are a number of well rounded, believable side characters from the time period, all with their own agendas/personalities and well developed for the roles they need to serve in the plot.
The story features some good worldbuilding/setup for the city of Kiev as it anticipates the Mongol attack, weaving in increasing tension but also mystery as the alien elements become apparent. There are some cool moments of horror and action, and interesting conflicts and obstacles both personal and physical along the way. My only nit-picks come in the conclusion/explanation not being as satisfying as the build-up, and the density of the novel making things drag slightly.
Despite the fact this book isn't a pure historical like the majority of such serials from the 60s, it does follow suit in exploring an interesting area of history - in this case the domineering expansion of the Mongol Empire into Europe.
Most of the adventure takes Place in 13th century Kiev, which makes for a unique setting. Throughout the story you learn a fair bit about the culture of Kiev's people, the Mongols and the time period as a whole, which was very in keeping with the informative approach of 60s Who. Although there is an alien presence within the plot, the story upholds a really effective balance between that and the actual details of history.
The actions and agency of the people from that time are still their own, and the alien elements are simply a side problem that provides a further layer to those events. There's some brutal stuff here but it's handled with due seriousness and never loses balance of where to play into the fantasy/sci-fi and where to ground itself.
With the Doctor and his companions' presence quickly discovered shortly after their arrival, he forbids anyone including himself from entering the Tardis again, for fear of what damage could be done to the timeline. The Doctor is acutely aware of the fate of this time, and remains absolutely stubborn in his defence of the course of history.
This motivation and stubborn quality is a big reason why the first Doctor is characterised so well in this novel, but there is importantly some contrast to him, with aspects of wisdom, foolhardiness and empathy to his depiction that feel rather on point.
Dodo doesn't play a major role in this story but is solid enough where she is involved. Steven on the other hand is another highlight when it comes to characterisation. With much of his considerable time on the show missing I enjoy getting a deeper look into Steven whenever he pops up in expanded media - and in this book he is a key player and the emotional heart, with several chapters/sections being told from his perspective.
Beyond our protagonists there are a number of well rounded, believable side characters from the time period, all with their own agendas/personalities and well developed for the roles they need to serve in the plot.
The story features some good worldbuilding/setup for the city of Kiev as it anticipates the Mongol attack, weaving in increasing tension but also mystery as the alien elements become apparent. There are some cool moments of horror and action, and interesting conflicts and obstacles both personal and physical along the way. My only nit-picks come in the conclusion/explanation not being as satisfying as the build-up, and the density of the novel making things drag slightly.
frakalot's review
4.0
This is a pretty good First Doctor adventure told mostly by Steven. The setting is fun (save for the brutality of history) and the characters are fairly recognisable. Steven gets himself framed for a murder, The Doctor meets the Mongols and Dodo well, she makes some friends, she could have been given a better role. The Doctor does take a moment to recall some advice given to him by Dodo showing respect for the wisdom of her contrasting views. And who doesn't love finding out that aliens had their sneaky fingers in our history? Of course we do.
nwhyte's review
http://nhw.livejournal.com/810487.html?#cutid2[return][return]In some ways a very First Doctor-ish story: the crew land in Kiev in the year 1240, with the city about to be attacked and sacked by the Mongol hordes, and its defenders internally divided about how best to respond. However there is an element from later Who as well: under the city lurks an alien killer, working to its own agenda. Lots to like in this book: the descriptions took me back to my visit to Kiev in late 2005, and there is much good characterisation - even the bad guys have comprehensible agendas, and everyone gets something to do (the Doctor, at one point, riding off to plea for peace with the Mongol horde). Also, while Salvation was in part about belief, Bunker Soldiers addresses religion - the defenders of Kiev are weakened by tension between bigoted Christians and loyal Jews. About half the story is told in the first person by Steven, a tactic used also by Juliet E. McKenna in her novels (at least, in her novels that I have read). I've been very critical of this approach in Doctor Who novels elsewhere, it nearly works here, but not quite for me. (Also NB that the liturgical language of Kiev was not Latin.)
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