bloody brilliant job

while this isn't the best story in the history of the new who novels, it certainly kept my interest. i thought david tennant was FANTASTIC at the accents and mannerisms of each character, especially the doctor (of course) and as donna.

i purchased this after series 4 ended to cheer myself up and this book did the trick. if you want to spend some time with donna and the doctor and enjoy a good story, i highly recommend this.

If you like Doctor Who, you'll like this annual

Once again, the BBC have put together an excellent Doctor Who annual for all television fans of the programme, young and old. Gracing the front cover is the Doctor and the Red Dalek Supreme and Davros on the back cover, all on a silver foil backing which makes the annual 'stand out' amongst the rest!
Readers of BBC's Doctor Who Adventures comic will instantly recognise the format inside the annual. Every page is covered with facts and features on Series Four and readers are re-introduced to Donna, Martha, Sarah Jane, Rose and Jenny, as well as the Ood, Adipose, Master, Hath, Sontarans and, of course, Davros and his Daleks. With a mix of text story, comic strips and puzzles, this annual is a worthy accompaniment to the Doctor Who StorybookDoctor Who Storybook 2009 (Dr Who).

An enjoyable collection of Doctor Who stories

The Doctor Who Storybook from Panini Books is good value for money. There are seven text stories and one comic strip, all illustrated in full colour by different artists. With stories written from some of the television series writers, the Doctor and Donna have been captured perfectly and it is easy to imagine the characters enacting the parts described in the text. This book comes highly recommended and is a suitable companion to the Doctor Who AnnualThe Official"Doctor Who" Annual ("Doctor Who").

So good I bought it twice!

I bought this for my son for Xmas, but with a last minute birthday party invitation I had to give it away to his friend. When my son saw it he was absolutely rapt and said"I wish I'd put that on my list for Santa". Little does he know that Santa already knew he'd like it and is about to order a replacement for him. ;o) The book itself is nice and big and full of in depth detail which will keep Doctor Who fans engaged for hours. There's lots of full colour illustrations and, as the title suggests, it is laid out like an encyclopedia, so it's easy to look up those facts that may have slipped your mind. Well worth the money (and absolutely essential at £3.99!!).

Great Book

This book is great if you have brought and not read it then do so now. The setting is great if you like Edinburgh you must read it even if you are not a Dr Who fan.

the lucie miller show

latest audio story in the second season of doctor who audio plays featuring paul mcgann as the eighth doctor and sheridan smith as his companion, feisty northern lass lucie miller.

as usual:

the story lasts for roughly fifty minutes.
the disc has a few minutes of interviews with cast and crew right after the story.
and concludes with a trailer for the next in the season.
paul mcgann and sheridan smith have an excellent chemistry together and are highly entertaining to listen to.
and the story stands alone so you can get into it without having heard all the previous ones in the range.

mind you this one is the beginning of a two part story and ends on a big cliffhanger that will be resolved in the next release in the season.

like the current doctor series on tv, scheduling reasons leave this one as what they call a 'doctor lite' story, in that the actor playing the doctor doesnt appear in much of it, and it's up to the companion to carry the story. and this sheridan smith as lucie certainly does. when the tardis, escaping danger, lands on a spaceship and strange creatures kidnap the doctor, what can she do?

come out fighting, that's what. a superb performance from sheridan smith takes lucie through a whole gamut of feelings. and she's not the only one who's trying to find the doctor. a group whom the doctor met once long before [in a certain story from the tv show that will be familiar to fans but you don't need to have seen to understand this] have plans, and the universe is threatened as a result.

what will happen to our heroes?

we'll have to wait till the next release to find out.

This is very much part one of a bigger story and whilst it's here to set a lot of things up, it's a very entertaining listen. roll on part two

Upon Reflection...

"Martha In The Mirror", as a short novel/book (Only 244 pages) makes for a quick read. Which isn't that bad.

Justin Richard's depiction of the Doctor and Martha are spot on and move the plot along at a suitable pace. He really seems to capture the essence of their relationship together and shows this through the comedic banter between them. Clearly utilizing the fact that the reader knows who the Doctor and Martha are and have experienced their adventures before.
The at times 'Bouncy' story plays on some simple themes; The need and fear of War & Peace, the differences in cultures and the struggle of the young coming to turns with loss. But perhaps bogging down one over the other, as i felt the plight of the young girl Jana was more memorable because of the mystery surrounding her and her heartwarming resolution.
The use of the mirror as a dramatic device, often over-utilized in Sci-fi/Horror genres, seems to take a back seat to the actions of the supporting characters. Who in themselves seem under-described and lacking detail compared to other works in the Doctor Who series. But the mixture of description and narrative seems just right to let the imagination of the reader fill in the blanks. A lot of the important back story is covered when the Doctor finds and reads a diary written by another character, allowing the reader to form a fuller mental picture.
The few moments where the story takes on more confusing twists, is where Richards tries to describe the 'Mirror World". Having to re-read several sections myself, like this, to be sure as to who and whose reflection is doing what, was slightly distracting but really didn't detract from the page turner it turned into.
All in All, 'Martha In The Mirror' was a wonderful way to spend a long weekend, in-between cups of tea and other distractions.
In my opinion, as I was expecting a story of doppelgangers and ,the albeit cliche, 'Evil twins' (Another Sci-fi classic), This was a pleasant surprise to be pleasantly surprised.
If this was 100 pages longer, by adding more descriptive detail and extending the basic plot of the peace conference, this might not have been such an enjoyable read.

An easy read for Time Lord enthusiasts

Doctor Who - Snowglobe 7 is a new series adventure featuring the Doctor and Martha Jones. Not exactly a fast pacing adventure, the story tells of how the TARDIS lands in Snowglobe 7 at the moment when the Gappa, last of its race (where have we heard that before?), and seemingly similar to a Metebelis III spider (hmm!) is seeking to populate the Earth with its own species (not again!), after spending years trapped in ice, having been brought accidentally to Earth by some alien conservationists. You can draw your own conclusions to the plot line but at the end of the story, in order to defeat the Gappa, enter...The TARDIS! Thank God for the TARDIS! How many times was it used to save the world in the television series?
On a positive note, it is nice to see BBC Books have retained the hardback covers and with the text divided into short chapters, it is easy to pick the book up during an odd spare half hour and read a little more and do a catch-up at bedtime. It is just a shame BBC Books don't relaunch their successful classic Doctor Who novel series...

doctor who rocks!!!!!!_

This book can provide you with many facts and information, covering most of the past Doctors. It also takes you through the journeys of the Doctor and his TARDIS... but it fails to mension any information about the future... therefore this is why it failed to achieve the 5 star rating. Overall it's a great book to buy for kids... a must have for all Doctor Who fans!!!

Another brilliant Doctor Who Quick-Read from Terrance Dicks

Barcode: 9781846073724

In 2007 Terrance Dicks provided us Who fans with the ace 'Made Of Steel' - it was well paced, fun and exciting - everything a good Doctor Who story should be. And now we have 'Revenge of the Judoon', which if anything, is even better!

Set in 1902 at the dawn of the 20th century the Doctor and Martha get to meet King Edward VII in the form of a ace adventure taking the form of the classic Who scenario - psuedo-historical setting where advanced technology is being involved way before its time.

It's a great idea updated very well. Martha is utilised well and Terrance Dicks has toned down the slight cheesiness of the 10th Doctor found in 'Made of Steel' and he now comes across as a far more serious character, befitting of his title as a Time Lord. The supporting roles are really well done too, Captain Harry Carruthers, a man in the employ of the King stepping in to fill one of those crucial 'one-off-companion-esque' roles.

This is a very fast story, taking place on an epic global scale going from Scotland to London to the Middle East all in the space of a day. But where Dicks succeeds is boiling this epic scale down to tightly paced dialogue and snappy action scenes where we see our heroes forced to make fast decisions in order to save the day.

My only criticisms would be in the title of the book itself. The Judoon are neither the main 'villains' in this story and while their upwards-rain-building-transport technology appears early on, they themselves don't appear till much later. For a story called 'Revenge of the Judoon', they neither do much revenge or even feature in the story that much.

That said though, it's only a minor quibble and on the whole this is a fantastic book, quick to read and at a great price too. Well worth getting!

good pace but disapointing end

the book flowed well and was well detailed in description but i found the 'monster in the well' to be dull and pretty uneventful - comparing it to other doctor who books that kept you gripped, the ending for me was a bit predictable - sorry!

A dreadful adaptation of a lousy film

Considering how appalling the TV movie was, why should the BBC think that we would wish to purchase not only the video but also: a) the script b) a talking tape c) a novel of the film?

Gary Russell's lumpen prose style makes this book very heavy reading and he has added nothing new to the narrative so, apart from a few lack-lustre photographs - I would not advise anyone to buy this shoddy little text.

What the devil are you waiting for?

What a marvellous addition to the thoroughly excellent BBC Doctor Who Classic Novels audiobook series this is.

Of course, it's based on top-drawer source material: the 1971 Jon Pertwee TV serial is fondly remembered as the finest example of that golden era, and producer Barry Letts later developed his own script into the much-loved, Alan Willow-illustrated Target novelisation (1974) this is based on. Now Letts is able to add another dimension, drawing on his past life as a jobbing actor to add colour and dimension to a thrilling retelling of the third Doctor's battle with the Master and forces of black magic - or is it dark science? - in the English village of Devil's End.

Letts' abiding faith in humanity informs a tale that is at turns spooky, electrifying and laugh-out-loud funny, and there're five discs worth, too (though the five-plus hours fly by all too soon). Long-term fans will delight at the way Letts, after a slightly-hesitant start, quickly finds the voices of characters he helped shape: the first, and best, suave incarnation of the Master; the blustering-but-human Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart, never a mere blimp or cipher; and of the course, the dashing, dandy, heroic high-and-mighty third Doctor (though no one in this series has quite captured the quicksilver magic of Pertwee's delivery... but then, who could?).

The extended running time allows plenty of time for quiet character moments amid the action, and Letts' compassionate view of human nature (and others) means there's sympathy and understanding for the minor characters - even the bad 'uns. The regulars get fleshed out, too (Sergeant Benton is revealed as a twinkle-toed ballroom dancer, for example), but if you don't know this era don't worry: outside the DVDs (and The Daemons in still on the wish list) this is the perfect place to start. And you should!

The highpoint of a brilliant series so far then, though there are no real clunkers; the Tom Baker readings of his early adventures are delightful (start with Brain of Morbius, perhaps) and the Malcolm Hulke authored Pertwee-era readings are winners, too, ...Space War perhaps the slowest going. In some cases - Dinosaur Invasion, Black Orchid - these sets arguably even supplant the telly stories as definitive versions, though that is a debate for another day.

Recommended, then: shop carefully, bide your time, get 'em for under a tenner all-in and you'll certainly never regret it... in fact the only thing you'll be sorry about is the sudden shortness of the daily commute... but then there are about 150 of these titles to go at. Can't wait.

Intergalactic Jolly Rogering!

A straightforward comic space opera for young and old. Kids will love the humour and easily identifiable characters; adults will appreciate the joie-de-vivre of it all. Guerrier tells his audience a simple parable of emancipation and redemption, while mucking around with pink ray-guns, space badgers, and quantum scrambled egg - and for the"Doctor Who" fans, he gets the regular characters spot-on, particularly the it's-cool-to-be-clever Martha Jones. Enjoy!