Doctor Who The Blood Cell Book Review

Doctor Who: The Blood Cell

James Goss

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Science Fiction

Release Date: September 9, 2014

Series: Doctor Who 

Profanity: Mild

Violence: Mild

Sexual Content: None 

Age Recommendation: 15 +

Author Information: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/g/james-goss/




Summary:

"Release the Doctor - or the killing will start." 

An asteroid in the furthest reaches of space - the most secure prison for the most dangerous of criminals. The Governor is responsible for the worst fraudsters and the cruelest murderers. So he's certainly not impressed by the arrival of the man they're calling the most dangerous criminal in the quadrant. Or, as he prefers to be known, the Doctor.

What does impress the Governor is the way the new prisoner immediately sets about trying to escape. And keeps trying. Finally, he sends for the Doctor and asks him why? But the answer surprises even the Governor. And then there's the threat - unless the Governor listens to the Doctor, a lot of people will die.

Who is the Doctor and what's he really doing here? Why does he want to help the Governor? And who is the young woman who comes every day to visit him, only to be turned away by the guards?

When the killing finally starts, the Governor begins to get his answers...

Review:

The first thing to capture my attention about The Blood Cell was the blurb on the front cover promising death if the Doctor wasn't released. It was all I needed to want to dive headfirst into the story to see where the story would take me. From the blurb to the last line The Blood Cell had me hooked, so hooked that I read the entire book in one sitting.


This Doctor Who story is told from a different point of view than most of the Doctor Who books I've come across. It's written in first person from a man simply known as "the Governor." While I was reading I was reminded of when I listened to the Doctor Who Audio book Dead Air (read by David Tennant). The first person narrative is pulled off through the clever use of it being a journal of what had happened, which is similar to the recorded narrative of Dead Air. This takes some of the focus off of the Doctor in the beginning of the story, but because of the nature of the prison and my curiosity to find out more about the Governor I didn't mind. 

James Goss did an excellent job writing both the Doctor and Clara. He masterfully incorporated the 12th Doctor into the story and I loved getting to see more of one of my favorite Doctors. Clara is brilliant in her parts as well, easily stepping into each new situation with the Doctor. As with all the Doctor Who books I've read recently featuring Clara I'd love to see more of her but for this story she fit just fine. The other characters in this book were also well written and interesting. I found myself really liking a few, and really disliking others. The Governor interested me from the very beginning and I truly enjoyed getting to know him and his back story.

The Blood Cell is a little darker than most of the Doctor Who books, but this doesn't at all take away from it's enjoyment. It balances the dark with the Doctor's quirky and often laugh out loud funny reactions to situations and people. Can anyone say sonic spoon?

Overall I was very pleased with The Blood Cell. It was a great chance to get to see more of 12 and Clara as well as give me an entertaining read between DW episodes. I'd recommend it to anyone in need of a good Doctor Who fix.

Note: I received an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley for my fair and honest review which I have stated above.

~Dawn 

A Tale of Light and Shadow Review

A Tale of Light and Shadow

Jacob Gowans

Rating (out of 5): 4

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Release Date: Sept 9, 2014

Series: Blithmor

Series Volume: 1

Profanity: None

Violence:Mild

Sexual Content:Very Mild

Age Recommendation: 12+

Author Website:
http://www.jacobgowans.com/

and

http://www.blithmore.com/ 

  
Summary:

Enter Atolas, a world where swords and daggers both extend life and end it; where magic is feared by all but a few; where feuds and friendships influence kingdoms and courtships. Henry and Isabelle have secretly sworn to marry despite his lowly station. Though Henry is but a carpenter, his devotion drives him to commit an unthinkable act that may cost both of them their lives. Unknown to either, a dark prophecy has set in motion events which will affect not only them, but the thrones of rulers throughout all of Atolas by eclipsing the world in shadow. But all is not lost while hope remains in the guise of an unlikely hero and the strength of friendship.

Review:

I was very excited to be able to read a Tale of Light and Shadow. After reading it’s short prequel, The Fool and the Dragonox (previously reviewed on Amazon found here) I was very interested in reading more from Jacob Gowans, all that to say, I really enjoyed reading this book.

A Tale of Light and Shadow is a light fantasy adventure set in a world of magic and adventure. All Henry wants to do is marry his childhood sweetheart, Isabell and live a normal life. His plans however are interrupted not only by a scheming father, but by an emperor and a prophecy that if allowed to be fulfilled will have dire consequences for the entire land. Through the book Henry’s bravery and leadership are tested while his friendships are pushed to the limit. But overall there is still hope.

Jacob Gowans writing is excellent easily pulling readers into his world and is never jarring or sloppy. His descriptions are wonderful always painting a clear picture in my mind of what’s going on. A Tale of Light and Shadow is engaging tying together elements of adventure and fantasy. I found myself on the edge of my seat at times eager to see what happened next and how the characters would get out of whatever situation they’d landed in. I often laughed at Maggie and Ruther’s banters and I was pleasantly surprised to meet James.

The characters in this book are very well written, each one shining with their own unique personalities. I found myself drawn to each of them in different ways, which is odd for me. I tend to really like one or two characters in a book but Jacob Gowans has managed to make each of his characters shine in a way that was delightfully unexpected. The more minor characters all also had charm to them as well, as soon as I met the King I liked him. The Emperor really stood out as a villain as well.

A few characters did stand out a little more to me however, those being James and Ruther. I found myself wondering about both of them through the book and I was always eager to see another glimpse of their past or personalities.

There were a few things that I really enjoyed about this book. The first is a small thing, but I was delighted when I realized that Atolos was an acronym for the books title, A Tale of Light and Shadow. I thought it was very witty and I can’t help but smile every time I see either the title or the name Atolos. I love it when author’s do things that that, because it just adds to the book. Speaking of the book, the ending blew me away and has left me desperately wanting to read the next book this this series.

My biggest problem with this book was the pacing in the beginning. It wasn't until almost halfway through the book that I really felt the story start to really move. I kept waiting for something to happen as Henry and Isabella continually put off leaving town. It was suspenseful in the beginning, and there were quite a few times where I thought, "Things are finally going to start happening!" but after a while their stagnation in town just got old.

Overall I loved A Tale of Light and Shadow. I am still eager to see more from Jacob Gowans and I cannot wait until the next book in this series comes out. I’d recommend this book for anyone interested in fantasy or adventure. The magic element is light and so it will still appeal to fans who aren’t experienced with fantasy.

Note: I received an advanced readers edition of this book from the publisher for my fair and honest opinion which I have stated above.

~Dawn

Doctor Who The Crawling Terror Review

Doctor Who: The Crawling Terror

Mike Tucker

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Science Fiction

Release Date: September 9, 2014

Series: Doctor Who 

Profanity:Mild

Violence: Mild

Sexual Content: None 

Age Recommendation: 15 +

Author Information:
http://www.themodelunit.co.uk/
and
http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Mike_Tucker


 Summary:

"Well, I doubt you'll ever see a bigger insect."
Gabby Nichols is putting her son to bed when she hears her daughter cry out. 'Mummy there's a daddy longlegs in my room!' Then the screaming starts... Alan Travers is heading home from the pub when something rushes his face - a  spider's web. Then something huge and deadly lumbers from the shadows... Kevin Alperton is on his way to school when he is attacked by a mosquito. A big one. Then things get dangerous.

But it isn't the dead man cocooned inside a huge mass of web that worries the Doctor. It isn't the swarming, mutated insects that make him nervous. It isn't an old man's garbled memories of past dangers that intrigue him.

With the village cut off from the outside world, and the insects becoming more and more dangerous, the Doctor knows that no one is safe. Not unless he can decode the strange symbols engraved on an ancient stone circle, and unravel a mystery dating back to the Second World War.

Review:

The Crawling Terror is the first Doctor Who book I've read featuring the 12th Doctor as portrayed by Peter Capaldi. This book did a great job of highlighting some of the new Doctor's personality traits and using them to really fuel the story. It follows a basic Who plot line, with the Doctor and Clara getting involved in a situation that is far larger than they first realized. The story starts fast paced and never lets up pulling readers along on an adventure that takes them from a tiny town to far off planets and back in time to WWII.

Despite the basic plot the story really takes off and deals with some of the more interesting qualities of the new Doctor. Mainly his aversion to/ irritation with soldiers.Soldiers play a key role in the entire plot of The Crawling Terror and it's wonderful to see how the Doctor reacts to each new situation with them. Clara's relationship with the Doctor is also explored briefly. For a lot of the book I felt like Clara wasn't getting as much time seen as she could, but by the end she really got her chance to shine and I felt like it made up for the lack of her in the beginning.

This story takes place sometime after the second episode of the new series of Doctor Who. I began reading it shortly after watching the first episode and I was a little confused on a few points because there are a few things mentioned that take place in Into the Dalek. I would recommend watching at least the first two episodes before diving into this book and not using it as an introduction to Capaldi's doctor.

I really liked the fact that the Doctor did use the TARDIS to go back in time in this book. It's the first time I've seen him do that in one of the DW novels and I really enjoyed getting to see it utilized for more than just the opening and closing of a book. Not to say that the TARDIS doesn't play key roles in other Doctor Who novels, I just really liked the way it was used here.

Overall The Crawling Terror was a great addition to the Doctor Who franchise. I really enjoyed it and would read it again. I was introduced to the Doctor Who novels with Mike Tucker's earlier DW book The Nightmare of Black Island and I'm glad to have had my first 12th Doctor book experience from the same talented author.

I would recommended this book to any Doctor Who fan, just as long as you've seen a few episodes of the new season. It truly has the feel of Doctor Who.

Note: I received an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley for my fair and honest review which I have stated above.

~Dawn