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A review by rebelbelle13
Doctor Who: The Taking of Planet 5 by Simon Bucher-Jones, Mark Clapham
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
If you ever wondered what would happen if someone decided to write a Doctor Who novel based on a scholarly paper on theoretical physics, I would point you to The Taking of Planet 5. If the theory of predator universes and "swimmers" wasn't complicated enough, the authors throw in multiple character perspectives, Time Lords from different eras in wildly differing bodies, and wrap the whole package in a Lovecraftian homage. I had to read every line of this novel, very carefully, to even begin to grasp the concepts and goings on.
That's not to say there aren't some great moments here- the Doctor plays a key part and at one point leads an army of slave Tardises to destroy a universe, Compassion finally comes into her own- rather like Ripley from Alien, and Fitz is slowly gaining more confidence and composure, and even plays a pivotal role in the finale.
The complicated nature of the story will probably turn casual readers of Who off. The villain monologue alone had my head swimming. As it stands, it's a fine addition to the Whoniverse, if a little pompous. Side note: I tried to find Bucher-Jones' paper on cosmo-biology that was quoted in the annexe. If anyone has a line on that, could they send it my way? I'd be interested in taking a look at it.
For those who have not read this novel yet, I actually encourage you to read the annexe first- it might help unravel the complicated nature and themes for you as you read the narrative itself.
That's not to say there aren't some great moments here- the Doctor plays a key part and at one point leads an army of slave Tardises to destroy a universe, Compassion finally comes into her own- rather like Ripley from Alien, and Fitz is slowly gaining more confidence and composure, and even plays a pivotal role in the finale.
The complicated nature of the story will probably turn casual readers of Who off. The villain monologue alone had my head swimming. As it stands, it's a fine addition to the Whoniverse, if a little pompous. Side note: I tried to find Bucher-Jones' paper on cosmo-biology that was quoted in the annexe. If anyone has a line on that, could they send it my way? I'd be interested in taking a look at it.
For those who have not read this novel yet, I actually encourage you to read the annexe first- it might help unravel the complicated nature and themes for you as you read the narrative itself.