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Doctor Who: New Series Adventures #7
Doctor Who: The Stone Rose
Mickey is startled to find a statue of Rose in a museum - a statue that is 2,000 years old. The Doctor realises that this means the TARDIS will shortly take them to ancient Rome, but when it does, he and Rose soon have more on their minds than sculpture.
While the Doctor searches for a missing boy, Rose befriends a girl who claims to know the future - a girl whose predictions are surprisingly accurate. But then the Doctor stumbles on the hideous truth behind the statue of Rose - and Rose herself learns that you have to be very careful what you wish for...
Featuring the Doctor and Rose as played by David Tennant and Billie Piper in the acclaimed hit series from BBC Television.
While the Doctor searches for a missing boy, Rose befriends a girl who claims to know the future - a girl whose predictions are surprisingly accurate. But then the Doctor stumbles on the hideous truth behind the statue of Rose - and Rose herself learns that you have to be very careful what you wish for...
Featuring the Doctor and Rose as played by David Tennant and Billie Piper in the acclaimed hit series from BBC Television.
249 pages, Hardcover
First published April 13, 2006
137 people are currently reading
4674 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Rayner
133 books168 followersJacqueline Rayner is a best selling British author, best known for her work with the licensed fiction based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.
Her first professional writing credit came when she adapted Paul Cornell's Virgin New Adventure novel Oh No It Isn't! for the audio format, the first release by Big Finish. (The novel featured the character of Bernice Summerfield and was part of a spin-off series from Doctor Who.) She went on to do five of the six Bernice Summerfield audio adaptations and further work for Big Finish before going to work for BBC Books on their Doctor Who lines.
Her first novels came in 2001, with the Eighth Doctor Adventures novel EarthWorld for BBC Books and the Bernice Summerfield novel The Squire's Crystal for Big Finish. Rayner has written several other Doctor Who spin-offs and was also for a period the executive producer for the BBC on the Big Finish range of Doctor Who audio dramas. She has also contributed to the audio range as a writer. In all, her Doctor Who and related work (Bernice Summerfield stories), consists of five novels, a number of short stories and four original audio plays.
Rayner has edited several anthologies of Doctor Who short stories, mainly for Big Finish, and done work for Doctor Who Magazine. Beyond Doctor Who, her work includes the children's television tie-in book Horses Like Blaze.
With the start of the new television series of Doctor Who in 2005 and a shift in the BBC's Doctor Who related book output, Rayner has become, along with Justin Richards and Stephen Cole, one of the regular authors of the BBC's New Series Adventures. She has also abridged several of the books to be made into audiobooks.
She was also a member of Doctor Who Magazine's original Time Team.
Her first professional writing credit came when she adapted Paul Cornell's Virgin New Adventure novel Oh No It Isn't! for the audio format, the first release by Big Finish. (The novel featured the character of Bernice Summerfield and was part of a spin-off series from Doctor Who.) She went on to do five of the six Bernice Summerfield audio adaptations and further work for Big Finish before going to work for BBC Books on their Doctor Who lines.
Her first novels came in 2001, with the Eighth Doctor Adventures novel EarthWorld for BBC Books and the Bernice Summerfield novel The Squire's Crystal for Big Finish. Rayner has written several other Doctor Who spin-offs and was also for a period the executive producer for the BBC on the Big Finish range of Doctor Who audio dramas. She has also contributed to the audio range as a writer. In all, her Doctor Who and related work (Bernice Summerfield stories), consists of five novels, a number of short stories and four original audio plays.
Rayner has edited several anthologies of Doctor Who short stories, mainly for Big Finish, and done work for Doctor Who Magazine. Beyond Doctor Who, her work includes the children's television tie-in book Horses Like Blaze.
With the start of the new television series of Doctor Who in 2005 and a shift in the BBC's Doctor Who related book output, Rayner has become, along with Justin Richards and Stephen Cole, one of the regular authors of the BBC's New Series Adventures. She has also abridged several of the books to be made into audiobooks.
She was also a member of Doctor Who Magazine's original Time Team.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 767 reviews
September 14, 2007
I listened to the audio book and flailed around in my car for most of it. David Tennant is an astoundingly good reader, and there's something delightful about how pitch-perfect his character voices are (and how fun to have him actually sound like the Doctor.) Packed with Doctor-and-Rose moments, and with a fun plot twist and lots of close brushes with time paradoxes that make up for the seemingly interminable and gruesome time the Doctor spends in the Flavian Amphitheater.
April 25, 2009
Timey-wimey, wibbley-wobbley sort of thing.
September 21, 2007
Who cares about the plot? Doctor/Rose banter!
October 4, 2020
I’m only giving this 4 stars because it was an audio book that was supposed to be narrated by David Tennant and Billie Piper and it’s was narrated by David only Billie was not even in it at all. I thought it would be like a radio show or a play your just hearing but it wasn’t. But I love Dr.Who and I thoroughly enjoyed the story . My favorite episodes are when “Rose” aka Billie Piper was on the show.its still a good listen if you have the chance I got it from audible.
February 21, 2016
3,5 stars
*shudders*
Oh wait, wrong season.
Anyway. My favorite doctor's new adventure read my favorite doctor. How could I said no?
Narrator: David Tennant
Duration: 2 hours and 22 minutes long.
Featuring: the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler as the companion. Mickey and Rose's mother also make cameos.
The Story: 'Be Careful What You Wish For' or you'll find yourself in an adventure set in Roman times.
Canon?: Yes.
The Chronological Placement: After the events of Christmas special called The Christmas Invasion (Jackie mentions the Doctor's new face).
Verdict: The book is full of great lines and the typical dry humor that is scattered throughout Doctor Who TV episodes. However, the story is not one of strongest DW stories,a bit silly if you ask me, even though there are some nice twists and turns (and the starting premise was great).
David Tennant's narration was excellent. He was so in character and I especially enjoyed hearing him play the secondary characters. We have the Doctor fighting wild animals, gladiators and Roman soldiers (at once) in the Amphitheatre, all while freeing a bunch of slaves and causing general havoc. There’s also timey-wimey stuff galore as timelines become so convoluted Moffatt himself won’t be able to unravel them.
Overall, I did have a lot of fun listening this. I highly recommend it!!
“I've seen a lot of strange things...Abominable snowmen, Werewolves, Demons. Vampires. But Roman gods with mystical powers?”HA. Come on doctor, nothing can be scarier than Weeping Angels.
*shudders*
Oh wait, wrong season.
Anyway. My favorite doctor's new adventure read my favorite doctor. How could I said no?
Narrator: David Tennant
Duration: 2 hours and 22 minutes long.
Featuring: the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler as the companion. Mickey and Rose's mother also make cameos.
The Story: 'Be Careful What You Wish For' or you'll find yourself in an adventure set in Roman times.
Canon?: Yes.
The Chronological Placement: After the events of Christmas special called The Christmas Invasion (Jackie mentions the Doctor's new face).
Verdict: The book is full of great lines and the typical dry humor that is scattered throughout Doctor Who TV episodes. However, the story is not one of strongest DW stories,a bit silly if you ask me, even though there are some nice twists and turns (and the starting premise was great).
David Tennant's narration was excellent. He was so in character and I especially enjoyed hearing him play the secondary characters. We have the Doctor fighting wild animals, gladiators and Roman soldiers (at once) in the Amphitheatre, all while freeing a bunch of slaves and causing general havoc. There’s also timey-wimey stuff galore as timelines become so convoluted Moffatt himself won’t be able to unravel them.
Overall, I did have a lot of fun listening this. I highly recommend it!!
June 18, 2012
This had to be one of the cutest Doctor Who stories I've read/watched!
Jacqui Rayner has captured the essence of the 10th Doctor; quirky, manic, fiercely intelligent and prone to the occasional burst of terrible anger.
I listened to the audio book as well and was very impressed! David Tennant did a terrific job. He does wonderful character voices, and you can definitely hear the distinctions between Rose and her mother for example, it was also great hearing him as the Doctor!
Thoroughly recommend it to lovers of Dr Who and David Tennant!
Jacqui Rayner has captured the essence of the 10th Doctor; quirky, manic, fiercely intelligent and prone to the occasional burst of terrible anger.
I listened to the audio book as well and was very impressed! David Tennant did a terrific job. He does wonderful character voices, and you can definitely hear the distinctions between Rose and her mother for example, it was also great hearing him as the Doctor!
Thoroughly recommend it to lovers of Dr Who and David Tennant!
April 15, 2019
The tenth doctor and rose are everything!
December 9, 2023
A memorable entry that really captures the essence of the show. It feels like an episode has been perfectly pulled from the screen and slapped onto and absorbed by the pages. The Doctor and Rose bounce wonderfully off each other and the premise, whilst predictable, does its job well. Definitely for fans of this particular duo, the audiobook is the way to go here as Tennant delivers a greatly immersive performance.
actual rating 3.5 stars
actual rating 3.5 stars
November 27, 2021
4 Stars for Doctor Who: The Stone Rose (audiobook) by Jacqueline Rayner read by David Tennant.
This is a fun story. But what really make it special is David Tennant’s voice. He is definitely one of my favorite Doctor Whos.
This is a fun story. But what really make it special is David Tennant’s voice. He is definitely one of my favorite Doctor Whos.
January 14, 2019
I absolutely love the Doctor & Rose pairing, so I was really hoping to love this one, but it didn't quite meet my expectations. I'm on the fence about the rating, but it's somewhere between a 2.5 - 3 stars
First off the format of this book just annoyed me at times. There would be time lapses, and rather than having a line break to show that time gap instead they just mashed the paragraphs together and I'd get all confused because it wouldn't make sense since it seemed like it was a continuation of current time. This happened frequently throughout the book, so it was quite annoying.
Also the writing itself was at times fun and quirky, everything you expect between the Doctor and Rose, but at other times it just felt kinda choppy and not thought out well.
Onto the story; I loved them going to ancient Rome. Who doesn't find that time period fascinating?! And I did initially enjoy the plot in the beginning. The idea from the synopsis was intriguing for sure, but the execution of it? Not so much. So barely into the story you already know who the villain is & that he's . And I was sooooooooo disappointed to have that figured out at just 17% of the book -_- I like a bit of confusion thrown in there, a bit of deflection to keep the reader on their toes, but alas, this was not the case. Now how the villain got their powers, that actually remained under wraps till the end luckily. But by that point I didn't really care.
Other than having the main plot point laid nicely wrapped at our feet, the rest of the story was mildly intriguing, but just lacked the riveting grip of not knowing stuff. It was more out of frustration to keep reading to find out the motives/ability that things were done. And the side plot with Vanessa was only mildly interesting as well. And the ending was a bit confusing with all the knotted up time paradoxes that had to be avoided, and yet when everything was supposedly answered & everyone was out of danger, it seemed like things were just stuck on a loop. I dunno. I just overall did find this to be an exceptionally enjoyable book =/
One thing I amusingly enjoyed was the ending with the GENIE I thought that was really cute.
Luckily this was a quick read. And even though this one wasn't quite my cup of tea, I'll definitely continue reading the rest of the Doctor Who books :D There's gotta be some great ones out of that long list.
First off the format of this book just annoyed me at times. There would be time lapses, and rather than having a line break to show that time gap instead they just mashed the paragraphs together and I'd get all confused because it wouldn't make sense since it seemed like it was a continuation of current time. This happened frequently throughout the book, so it was quite annoying.
Also the writing itself was at times fun and quirky, everything you expect between the Doctor and Rose, but at other times it just felt kinda choppy and not thought out well.
Onto the story; I loved them going to ancient Rome. Who doesn't find that time period fascinating?! And I did initially enjoy the plot in the beginning. The idea from the synopsis was intriguing for sure, but the execution of it? Not so much. So barely into the story you already know who the villain is & that he's . And I was sooooooooo disappointed to have that figured out at just 17% of the book -_- I like a bit of confusion thrown in there, a bit of deflection to keep the reader on their toes, but alas, this was not the case. Now how the villain got their powers, that actually remained under wraps till the end luckily. But by that point I didn't really care.
Other than having the main plot point laid nicely wrapped at our feet, the rest of the story was mildly intriguing, but just lacked the riveting grip of not knowing stuff. It was more out of frustration to keep reading to find out the motives/ability that things were done. And the side plot with Vanessa was only mildly interesting as well. And the ending was a bit confusing with all the knotted up time paradoxes that had to be avoided, and yet when everything was supposedly answered & everyone was out of danger, it seemed like things were just stuck on a loop. I dunno. I just overall did find this to be an exceptionally enjoyable book =/
One thing I amusingly enjoyed was the ending with the GENIE I thought that was really cute.
Luckily this was a quick read. And even though this one wasn't quite my cup of tea, I'll definitely continue reading the rest of the Doctor Who books :D There's gotta be some great ones out of that long list.
June 11, 2015
gives power to the saying be careful what you wish for.
August 8, 2015
Rating: 1.5 - This review does have spoilers.
This was a disappointing book to say the least. The reasons are listed below:
1. The Doctor
In the foreword the writer mentions that the she started writing this book before the tenth doctor had been fully created. And you can tell. Every other character from the show is written on the nose - you can hear that character speaking when you read. That's just not the case with the tenth doctor. It's like he is an unfinished statue - he's got the general shape of the tenth doctor, but none of the details, nothing that makes him feel like the tenth doctor. This can be fixed to a degree if you listen to the audiobook (read by David Tenant) but it still feels like he is trying to make this generic doctor like his doctor. It's a shame that this wasn't written later, after the tenth doctor had been filmed at the very least, because of solid tenth doctor would have at least provided enjoyment when the books plot failed to.
2. The Resolution
I won't say the plot in totality. There was something potentially interesting going on with the human's turned statues, even if it treaded on the boring side at times. But the ending was completely nonsensically and utterly dull. Time-whimey plots can be amazing (Look at Touched by An Angel - another Doctor Who novel for an example), but done wrong they can feel like utter cheats. The author had already tested my interest with the utterly unnecessary arena scene (seriously it added nothing to the plot and affected it in no way), but once the GENIE showed up I 100% lost interest. The wishing thing was silly, poorly executed and felt divorced from the main trust of the plot (aka the turning people to stone!). I just wanted to skip to the end because I had nothing emotionally invested in dealing with the GENIE. Even the attempts at foreshadow with Vanessa fell flat. It made it clear that something else was going on, but didn't actual hint in any real way, at the GENIE's presence.
3. Vanessa
First of all, the name made it super obvious that she wasn't from ancient Rome (though that would have been 100x more interesting that her actual backstory) which made her big reveal dull to say the least. I am still disappointed that she didn't have visions, but I could have dealt with it if the resolution of her character had been interesting in any way. There was a lot you could have done with an out-of-time character, but instead she got a cry, then was apparently fine. The character in the first half (the shy, terrified slave) had nothing to do with the character in the second half (the chatty, daydreamer who was apparently unaffected by the trauma of her enslavement) and really nothing to do with the character at the end of the novel - who for NO APPARENT REASON suddenly thinks that rome was AWESOME and she needed to go back and her dad needed to make a GENIE again. Seriously. SERIOUSLY. This character makes no sense, has NO interesting developments, and by the end I lost any sympathy I might have possibility had for her. SERIOUSLY.
Writing a character that could see the future would have been a ton more interesting. It would have cause the doctor to doubt himself, to cause a fundamental clash of beliefs between this ancient roman slave and Rose and the Doctor. I am seriously so disappointed and frustrated with this character. Especially given, other then their attitudes on slavery, no one much acted like ancient romans in this novel. This could have been an really interest examination of cultural dissidence. Instead I got vanessa. (Also, how was she so great at telling the future, if she didn't apparently even know that much about Rome? Like if she doesn't even now the dates of pompeii and hadrien's wall, what possible useful future knowledge would she have that convince anyone she was a fortune teller?) (Also, a book is a fantastic opportunity to have historical companions. It allows for a lot more subtle in characterization then the TV show generally can. This wasn't a wasted character at all, no. I am not bitter, I swear.)
INCLUSION
If all you want is Rose and Tenth banter and flirting, you will probably love this book. (That is not a judgement statement, as I think they are adorable together, I just like that to be wrap in a well writing and entertain stories.) Otherwise read one of the other great doctor who novel (seriously check out Touched by An Angel - super good).
This was a disappointing book to say the least. The reasons are listed below:
1. The Doctor
In the foreword the writer mentions that the she started writing this book before the tenth doctor had been fully created. And you can tell. Every other character from the show is written on the nose - you can hear that character speaking when you read. That's just not the case with the tenth doctor. It's like he is an unfinished statue - he's got the general shape of the tenth doctor, but none of the details, nothing that makes him feel like the tenth doctor. This can be fixed to a degree if you listen to the audiobook (read by David Tenant) but it still feels like he is trying to make this generic doctor like his doctor. It's a shame that this wasn't written later, after the tenth doctor had been filmed at the very least, because of solid tenth doctor would have at least provided enjoyment when the books plot failed to.
2. The Resolution
I won't say the plot in totality. There was something potentially interesting going on with the human's turned statues, even if it treaded on the boring side at times. But the ending was completely nonsensically and utterly dull. Time-whimey plots can be amazing (Look at Touched by An Angel - another Doctor Who novel for an example), but done wrong they can feel like utter cheats. The author had already tested my interest with the utterly unnecessary arena scene (seriously it added nothing to the plot and affected it in no way), but once the GENIE showed up I 100% lost interest. The wishing thing was silly, poorly executed and felt divorced from the main trust of the plot (aka the turning people to stone!). I just wanted to skip to the end because I had nothing emotionally invested in dealing with the GENIE. Even the attempts at foreshadow with Vanessa fell flat. It made it clear that something else was going on, but didn't actual hint in any real way, at the GENIE's presence.
3. Vanessa
First of all, the name made it super obvious that she wasn't from ancient Rome (though that would have been 100x more interesting that her actual backstory) which made her big reveal dull to say the least. I am still disappointed that she didn't have visions, but I could have dealt with it if the resolution of her character had been interesting in any way. There was a lot you could have done with an out-of-time character, but instead she got a cry, then was apparently fine. The character in the first half (the shy, terrified slave) had nothing to do with the character in the second half (the chatty, daydreamer who was apparently unaffected by the trauma of her enslavement) and really nothing to do with the character at the end of the novel - who for NO APPARENT REASON suddenly thinks that rome was AWESOME and she needed to go back and her dad needed to make a GENIE again. Seriously. SERIOUSLY. This character makes no sense, has NO interesting developments, and by the end I lost any sympathy I might have possibility had for her. SERIOUSLY.
Writing a character that could see the future would have been a ton more interesting. It would have cause the doctor to doubt himself, to cause a fundamental clash of beliefs between this ancient roman slave and Rose and the Doctor. I am seriously so disappointed and frustrated with this character. Especially given, other then their attitudes on slavery, no one much acted like ancient romans in this novel. This could have been an really interest examination of cultural dissidence. Instead I got vanessa. (Also, how was she so great at telling the future, if she didn't apparently even know that much about Rome? Like if she doesn't even now the dates of pompeii and hadrien's wall, what possible useful future knowledge would she have that convince anyone she was a fortune teller?) (Also, a book is a fantastic opportunity to have historical companions. It allows for a lot more subtle in characterization then the TV show generally can. This wasn't a wasted character at all, no. I am not bitter, I swear.)
INCLUSION
If all you want is Rose and Tenth banter and flirting, you will probably love this book. (That is not a judgement statement, as I think they are adorable together, I just like that to be wrap in a well writing and entertain stories.) Otherwise read one of the other great doctor who novel (seriously check out Touched by An Angel - super good).
May 22, 2013
The Stone Rose
Ah I miss Ten and Rose- that’s why I lept at the chance to listen to a, as yet, untold adventure of their’s on Audible. In this short story, (About 2 and ½ hrs listening time), part time Time-Traveling Doctor’s companion Mickey Smith shows The Doctor and Rose something odd at the museum- a perfect replica of Rose as the Goddess Fortuna in marble… from 1st Century Rome.
Realizing that’s Rome is their next trip, The Doctor takes Rose back in time with him to discover the creator of the statue. The thin plot thickens later when we discover the true source of the piece of art- altho, any fan of BBC’s Doctor Who can figure that out pretty easily. Slightly less difficult to wade through is the amateurish prose with the Doctor saying and doing some rather odd things- wehll, for Tennant’s Doctor anyway. Also the somewhat conspicuously missing TARDIS (The iconic time traveling machine masquerading as Blue Police Telephone Box from 60’s era London) once they land in Rome circa 124 AD didn’t help this story much either. (I kept saying, “use the TARDIS. Why aren’t they using the TARDIS- USE THE TARDIS DUMMY!” But then, I suppose that would have made this novel even shorter. )
It gets even weirder by the end- I can hear Davies and Moffat groaning from here- BUT with some nice gentle touches of Ten/Rose ‘shipping and the fact that, (hold your breath Tenth Doctor fangirls), David Tennant narrates the tale hisself ‘fank you very much luv’…
Screw the plotholes and silly prose- this book gets 5 stars from me! heh heh
And that my friends is what it means to be a Whovian- wehll, a Tenth Doctor Whovian anyway. :)
(btw, Billie Piper does NOT narrate in this one, by Tennant does a fab job of voicing all the characters mimicing their chav'ian accents just fine.)
Ah I miss Ten and Rose- that’s why I lept at the chance to listen to a, as yet, untold adventure of their’s on Audible. In this short story, (About 2 and ½ hrs listening time), part time Time-Traveling Doctor’s companion Mickey Smith shows The Doctor and Rose something odd at the museum- a perfect replica of Rose as the Goddess Fortuna in marble… from 1st Century Rome.
Realizing that’s Rome is their next trip, The Doctor takes Rose back in time with him to discover the creator of the statue. The thin plot thickens later when we discover the true source of the piece of art- altho, any fan of BBC’s Doctor Who can figure that out pretty easily. Slightly less difficult to wade through is the amateurish prose with the Doctor saying and doing some rather odd things- wehll, for Tennant’s Doctor anyway. Also the somewhat conspicuously missing TARDIS (The iconic time traveling machine masquerading as Blue Police Telephone Box from 60’s era London) once they land in Rome circa 124 AD didn’t help this story much either. (I kept saying, “use the TARDIS. Why aren’t they using the TARDIS- USE THE TARDIS DUMMY!” But then, I suppose that would have made this novel even shorter. )
It gets even weirder by the end- I can hear Davies and Moffat groaning from here- BUT with some nice gentle touches of Ten/Rose ‘shipping and the fact that, (hold your breath Tenth Doctor fangirls), David Tennant narrates the tale hisself ‘fank you very much luv’…
Screw the plotholes and silly prose- this book gets 5 stars from me! heh heh
And that my friends is what it means to be a Whovian- wehll, a Tenth Doctor Whovian anyway. :)
(btw, Billie Piper does NOT narrate in this one, by Tennant does a fab job of voicing all the characters mimicing their chav'ian accents just fine.)
February 2, 2024
“Because she deserved more than me. She deserved someone who could give her the whole universe.”
August 1, 2013
Uh yeah. I think I may have officially reached a new level of geekdom -- Doctor Who TV show-based novelizations? The next thing you know I'll be attending Comic-Con as a Dalek. Not... that... there's anything wrong with that. *whispers confidentially* Between you and me, I think I'm just still coming to terms with true reality and scope of my nerdiness. Don't worry, I'll get there eventually. Maybe not dressed as a Dalek, but anyway...
David Tennant. DAVID TENNANT. The man is amazing, and he narrates this (abridged) audiobook, which is why I HAD to get it from Audible upon discovering it. As far as the story goes it's a super fun romp through ancient Rome with some really great Rose/Ten moments... and possibly a-- Well. I really can't say, can I?
The narration is fantastic. It's obvious Rayner gets these characters and Tennant has all their inflections and tones down perfectly. It's just SO MUCH FUN to hear the Doctor sound like the Doctor. :)
P.S. - I'd like to just say that this recent infatuation with Doctor Who is all Heather's (my co-blogger's) fault. I've purposely avoided this show for years, convinced it was the height of utter ridiculousness and JUST. TOO. CAMPY. And while in some ways it is exactly that, the characters are just so compelling and I cannot stop watching. Like, seriously, I cannot stop watching. Help.
P.S.S. - Heather, you were right.
David Tennant. DAVID TENNANT. The man is amazing, and he narrates this (abridged) audiobook, which is why I HAD to get it from Audible upon discovering it. As far as the story goes it's a super fun romp through ancient Rome with some really great Rose/Ten moments... and possibly a-- Well. I really can't say, can I?
The narration is fantastic. It's obvious Rayner gets these characters and Tennant has all their inflections and tones down perfectly. It's just SO MUCH FUN to hear the Doctor sound like the Doctor. :)
P.S. - I'd like to just say that this recent infatuation with Doctor Who is all Heather's (my co-blogger's) fault. I've purposely avoided this show for years, convinced it was the height of utter ridiculousness and JUST. TOO. CAMPY. And while in some ways it is exactly that, the characters are just so compelling and I cannot stop watching. Like, seriously, I cannot stop watching. Help.
P.S.S. - Heather, you were right.
March 18, 2013
I'll be honest here, I bought this audio book simply because I seen it was read by David Tennant and it was Doctor Who. I mean, it's pretty impossible not to like anything that involves those two, am I right? I've read TV-to-Book's before when I was younger, so I had an idea of what I was getting into. If you're expecting extensive character development, don't look here.
BUT, if you're like me, and looking for something entertaining to listen to on your way to work, then go for it! David's voices of Rose and Mickey were spot on. It was like "watching" a Doctor Who episode right in my car. The plot was interesting and kept up with the usual plots of the TV series, which I really loved. And you don't have to read the other books in the series before this one. I just happened to stumble across it and bought it, without having read any previous ones. The only thing is, if you haven't watched Doctor Who before, don't bother with this audio book. You'll be completely lost!
BUT, if you're like me, and looking for something entertaining to listen to on your way to work, then go for it! David's voices of Rose and Mickey were spot on. It was like "watching" a Doctor Who episode right in my car. The plot was interesting and kept up with the usual plots of the TV series, which I really loved. And you don't have to read the other books in the series before this one. I just happened to stumble across it and bought it, without having read any previous ones. The only thing is, if you haven't watched Doctor Who before, don't bother with this audio book. You'll be completely lost!
December 22, 2008
My first Tenth Doctor novel, recommended to me by LJ user eveshka, started off a bit slow--but picked up considerably in the second half. It also had the distinction of being the first Doctor story I can remember encountering that's set in actively ancient Earth history, which was a refreshing change of pace. Yet despite the historical setting, there's a nice twining in of futuristic technology as well, and I liked that the scope of this story was more of a "solving a time mystery" rather than "saving the world from imminent destruction". We've gotten quite a bit of the latter in the Ninth and Tenth Doctor episodes, after all.
Writing-wise, I liked this author better than Justin Richards, even if her prose came across a bit insubstantial for my tastes. But her pacing was good, her grasps of both Ten and Rose were overall splendid, and she had some nice touches as well with the brief appearances of both Mickey and Jackie. And for fangirls like me, her one or two light little touches hinting at the romantic link between the Doctor and Rose were sweet. Three and a half stars.
Writing-wise, I liked this author better than Justin Richards, even if her prose came across a bit insubstantial for my tastes. But her pacing was good, her grasps of both Ten and Rose were overall splendid, and she had some nice touches as well with the brief appearances of both Mickey and Jackie. And for fangirls like me, her one or two light little touches hinting at the romantic link between the Doctor and Rose were sweet. Three and a half stars.
December 18, 2015
It started OK, but soon after the Doctor and Rose arrived in Rome, it went downhill. I could guess what happened with the missing boy as soon as the sculptor was introduced. You probably can too ;D
And it got only worse (!)
I've perfect gif for Ten/Rose kiss, Ten going back in time to save Rose, all that Vanessa & GENIE story, ridiculous (and competently pointless) scene in Colosseum, and for making Ten say "But some slaves do lead happy lives. Or they're given their freedom, or buy it"
perfect gif is perfect
And it got only worse (!)
I've perfect gif for Ten/Rose kiss, Ten going back in time to save Rose, all that Vanessa & GENIE story, ridiculous (and competently pointless) scene in Colosseum, and for making Ten say "But some slaves do lead happy lives. Or they're given their freedom, or buy it"
perfect gif is perfect
April 23, 2016
The short review:
Starts off predictable.
Begins to lead you to believe that it's not predictable.
Becomes predictable again.
Shows some heart and emotion (briefly)
Turns silly.
Ends as predicted (with a well established trope, none-the-less)
The longer review coming in a few weeks on the podcast.
Starts off predictable.
Begins to lead you to believe that it's not predictable.
Becomes predictable again.
Shows some heart and emotion (briefly)
Turns silly.
Ends as predicted (with a well established trope, none-the-less)
The longer review coming in a few weeks on the podcast.
January 14, 2024
I read/listened to this book a long while ago and revisited it now in 2024 for the sake of a nostalgia rush. No regrets whatsoever tbh.
May 23, 2025
ten and rose bantering, kissing, and being cute together? WHO CARES if the plot is messy?!?!?
May 21, 2015
El audiolibro más corto de la historia u.u,lo escuché en tan sólo 2 horas non stop con muchos elementos wibbly wobbly timey wimey.
Escogí este título porque no sabía en qué gastar mi último crédito gratis en audible (Fueron 2 meses en que lo nuestro fue puro amor,pero creo que la membresía es muy cara porque a ese precio encuentro un libro bonito y hardback en book depository,aunque igual os extrañaré "Please don't go girl" (8) XD ) y entonces haciendo scroll bang!!!, me sale está sugerencia y como el narrador es David Tennant era una oportunidad que no podía dejar pasar.Cómo decirle no a una narración con ese scotish accent >.<.
Ahora sí pasa contarles de qué se trata la historia; Rose Tyler (la acompañante del 9th y 10th doctor) estaba paseando en el Museo con su Madre (Jackie) y Mickey The idiot (su ex) cuando se encuentra con una estatua con más de 2000 años de identidad y que es exactamente igual a ella #HolyShit.
Luego aparece el décimo doctor, ella le cuenta lo pasó y viajan a la antigua Roma.Ahí pasan muchas cosas Timey Wimey,paradojas y de verdad sientes que es un episodio de larga duración de DW y la trama del libro es incluso es mejor que varios episodios de relleno,tiene un cliffhanger que te deja pensando cómo van a resolver esa situación pero tampoco es algo denso o enredado.
Recomendado para todos los whovians en especial los que shippean Tenth /Rose
Escogí este título porque no sabía en qué gastar mi último crédito gratis en audible (Fueron 2 meses en que lo nuestro fue puro amor,pero creo que la membresía es muy cara porque a ese precio encuentro un libro bonito y hardback en book depository,aunque igual os extrañaré "Please don't go girl" (8) XD ) y entonces haciendo scroll bang!!!, me sale está sugerencia y como el narrador es David Tennant era una oportunidad que no podía dejar pasar.Cómo decirle no a una narración con ese scotish accent >.<.
Ahora sí pasa contarles de qué se trata la historia; Rose Tyler (la acompañante del 9th y 10th doctor) estaba paseando en el Museo con su Madre (Jackie) y Mickey The idiot (su ex) cuando se encuentra con una estatua con más de 2000 años de identidad y que es exactamente igual a ella #HolyShit.
Luego aparece el décimo doctor, ella le cuenta lo pasó y viajan a la antigua Roma.Ahí pasan muchas cosas Timey Wimey,paradojas y de verdad sientes que es un episodio de larga duración de DW y la trama del libro es incluso es mejor que varios episodios de relleno,tiene un cliffhanger que te deja pensando cómo van a resolver esa situación pero tampoco es algo denso o enredado.
Recomendado para todos los whovians en especial los que shippean Tenth /Rose
July 27, 2012
The plot and setting of this story were promising, Mickey discovers a sculpture of Rose from ancient Rome in a museum. Upon showing it to the Doctor and Rose they decide that they must make a trip to Rome 120AD so that the sculpture can be made thus avoiding a time paradox.
Everything starts out fine, slight spoiler (happens relatively quickly), Rose is actually turned into stone instead of modeling for a sculpture being made in her image and the Doctor must find her and bring her back to her fleshy state. Along the way he is imprisoned and forced to fight in the Coliseum, fun!
HOWEVER, I did not feel satisfied with how the Doctor finds Rose’s statue and brings her back from stone. The Doctor uses the Tardis to travel back to the day she is turned into stone, thus returning back to a day that should be locked in his current timeline. Doing such has always been presented as a huge Doctor Who no-no. If he could just constantly go back into his own timeline then every story would have a pretty simple conclusion. All of the solutions to the problems in this story were a bit contrived; deus ex machina.
Needless to say I was not blown away by the cleverness of the Doctor thus leaving me feeling very disappointed.
Good points, I found the characterization of Mickey, Jackie, and Rose to be spot on. SPOLIER I found the GENIE character to be hilarious. The scenes with the Doctor in the dungeon and coliseum were the best bit.
There is also some great dialouge between Mickey and the Doctor about Rose where you can see how much they both love her, quote worthy!
Everything starts out fine, slight spoiler (happens relatively quickly), Rose is actually turned into stone instead of modeling for a sculpture being made in her image and the Doctor must find her and bring her back to her fleshy state. Along the way he is imprisoned and forced to fight in the Coliseum, fun!
HOWEVER, I did not feel satisfied with how the Doctor finds Rose’s statue and brings her back from stone. The Doctor uses the Tardis to travel back to the day she is turned into stone, thus returning back to a day that should be locked in his current timeline. Doing such has always been presented as a huge Doctor Who no-no. If he could just constantly go back into his own timeline then every story would have a pretty simple conclusion. All of the solutions to the problems in this story were a bit contrived; deus ex machina.
Needless to say I was not blown away by the cleverness of the Doctor thus leaving me feeling very disappointed.
Good points, I found the characterization of Mickey, Jackie, and Rose to be spot on. SPOLIER I found the GENIE character to be hilarious. The scenes with the Doctor in the dungeon and coliseum were the best bit.
There is also some great dialouge between Mickey and the Doctor about Rose where you can see how much they both love her, quote worthy!
December 10, 2007
When you find that the only enjoyment you are getting from a book is the thought of reviewing it on Goodreads, it is a bad sign.
This is a Doctor Who book. Now, if I were an author, before writing a book in a television series that has had 737 episodes, I would attempt to watch at least one. Clearly, I am not Jaqueline Rayner, the author. Ahem, the Doctor is not just a dude with a time machine! And, before having your characters talk about the "laws of time", it would be nice if you actually knew what they were!
The writing quality of this book noticeably declines as it goes on, as if the editor had decided her life was too short to continue. A character can be a genius in one chapter, and an idiot the next. There is even one conversation in which the speakers refer back to a previous part of the same conversation, which didn't happen! Really!
Now, indeed, some plot details come as a surprise. Unfortunately, the surprises are because the characters have done something totally mindbogglingly strange and difficult, for no reason.
The author comes across as being incredibly proud of herself for her "clever" use of time travel, even though the plot is much simpler, in fact, that Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.
However, I should point out that this book is still much better than The Thread That Binds The Bones.
This is a Doctor Who book. Now, if I were an author, before writing a book in a television series that has had 737 episodes, I would attempt to watch at least one. Clearly, I am not Jaqueline Rayner, the author. Ahem, the Doctor is not just a dude with a time machine! And, before having your characters talk about the "laws of time", it would be nice if you actually knew what they were!
The writing quality of this book noticeably declines as it goes on, as if the editor had decided her life was too short to continue. A character can be a genius in one chapter, and an idiot the next. There is even one conversation in which the speakers refer back to a previous part of the same conversation, which didn't happen! Really!
Now, indeed, some plot details come as a surprise. Unfortunately, the surprises are because the characters have done something totally mindbogglingly strange and difficult, for no reason.
The author comes across as being incredibly proud of herself for her "clever" use of time travel, even though the plot is much simpler, in fact, that Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.
However, I should point out that this book is still much better than The Thread That Binds The Bones.
May 26, 2012
Oh! Oh, oh, oh, OOOOOHHH!!!
I am squirming and bouncing in my seat! I can't help it!!! Giant, stupid grin plastered across my face... I have to admit... Ten & Rose? Mmmmmm happy place! ;D
I've read and listened to several Who books - mind, usually I only listen to David Tennant read. Acause?! Hello! I love me some gorgeous, pretty boy Scotsman. Yes, please! Ooops. Blush... That was a bit of a detour. Ahem. I'm good. Back to the review. Wait. I need another sec. Hmmmm David Yummy Tennant. Siiiiiiiiigh. Happy happy place!
Anywho, let's try again. Yes! I've read and listened to many of the Doctor's adventures (through the years, space and time), but so far, The Stone Rose is my fav! Why? The simplicity, the ancient setting, all that Ten/Rose shippiness and a fair dash of wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey. Ah and good amount of Rickey the Idiot and Jackie T high jinks.
It's sweet and fun, with just the right amount of smartness for a quick, light read. Something you need to treat yourself with after mounds of best sellers and that, umm, Fifty Shades , ummm yeah...
I am squirming and bouncing in my seat! I can't help it!!! Giant, stupid grin plastered across my face... I have to admit... Ten & Rose? Mmmmmm happy place! ;D
I've read and listened to several Who books - mind, usually I only listen to David Tennant read. Acause?! Hello! I love me some gorgeous, pretty boy Scotsman. Yes, please! Ooops. Blush... That was a bit of a detour. Ahem. I'm good. Back to the review. Wait. I need another sec. Hmmmm David Yummy Tennant. Siiiiiiiiigh. Happy happy place!
Anywho, let's try again. Yes! I've read and listened to many of the Doctor's adventures (through the years, space and time), but so far, The Stone Rose is my fav! Why? The simplicity, the ancient setting, all that Ten/Rose shippiness and a fair dash of wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey. Ah and good amount of Rickey the Idiot and Jackie T high jinks.
It's sweet and fun, with just the right amount of smartness for a quick, light read. Something you need to treat yourself with after mounds of best sellers and that, umm, Fifty Shades , ummm yeah...
March 4, 2015
I listened to the audio book in the car today. David Tennant is by far one of the best readers I've ever come across. It's worth listening to just for his on point Jackie impression, or the Mickey voice, that he gets perfectly. Seriously, nothing wrong with that one.
As for the plot: you know how these books are usually terrible?
Having read the supernatural book series before listening to this, I was expecting something equally shit. That the authour didn't know anything about the characters, or that the plot wasn't interesting at all. I was wrong. The only problem I faced what so ever, was that I had a hard time getting into the story, as the descriptions of ancient rome was pretty awful.
As for the plot: you know how these books are usually terrible?
Having read the supernatural book series before listening to this, I was expecting something equally shit. That the authour didn't know anything about the characters, or that the plot wasn't interesting at all. I was wrong. The only problem I faced what so ever, was that I had a hard time getting into the story, as the descriptions of ancient rome was pretty awful.
December 18, 2024
The plot is really enjoyable and some parts in it reminds me of what Twelfth said about Beethoven's fifth. (Bootstrap Paradox, google it) And as Tenth said, better not think about it too much. On a side note, I have no idea how David Tennant makes all the characters sounds so different from each other. But I loved it.
Reading this for the 5th time: Everytime, every single time before I listen to this book, I think "oh, maybe I might've rated this book too high" but everytime I finish this book, I go "No! This absolutely deserves 5 plus stars. I was right!"
Reading this for the 5th time: Everytime, every single time before I listen to this book, I think "oh, maybe I might've rated this book too high" but everytime I finish this book, I go "No! This absolutely deserves 5 plus stars. I was right!"
November 25, 2014
Yes. It's a book based off a TV show. I really liked it. It was like finding a lost episode. And not just any lost episode, but an episode from one of my favorite seasons. Not surprisingly, since it is sci-fi, it was full of out of order time travel and paradoxes. Thumbs up :).
September 7, 2021
Mickey discoverers a statue of Rose in the British Museum, The Doctor decides to take he’s companion back to Ancient Rome so time can stay on the correct path.
It’s s fun adventure, Rayner has great fun with the characters jumping around with time.
And enjoyable adventure with this TARDIS team.
It’s s fun adventure, Rayner has great fun with the characters jumping around with time.
And enjoyable adventure with this TARDIS team.
June 6, 2023
(Synopsis) - Mickey is startled to find a statue of Rose in a museum - a statue that is 2,000 years old. The Doctor realises that this means the TARDIS will shortly take them to ancient Rome, but when it does, he and Rose soon have more on their minds than sculpture.
(Review) - A good old fashioned historical adventure, no aliens or monsters just historical times and people with a really interesting 5 children and It type of twist near the end. I loved it, a great adventure with the 10th doctor and rose, the doctor isn't completely Tennant-ish and there where times he felt like Christopher Ecclestons version, but i put that down to the book being written and published before season 2 came out so people wasn't to know how David would play the character, only how RTD wanted him to be and act like. Which is here in full you can see the sparks of that silly humour and that twist of the dark side of the doctor the time lord victorious type. But im sure as the books go on more of Tennant will shine through and will feel more like him so i can't really criticise the book for that. Afterall you can't really be mad at a book that shows you the doctor in the arena fighting a lion, you don't get any better than that! So overall I'd say that this is a fantastic historical adventure that I really enjoyed and I can't wait to read more adventures with 10 and rose. So allons-y!
4.5/5 Stars GoodReads ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
97/100 GingerPoints 🔥🔥
(Review) - A good old fashioned historical adventure, no aliens or monsters just historical times and people with a really interesting 5 children and It type of twist near the end. I loved it, a great adventure with the 10th doctor and rose, the doctor isn't completely Tennant-ish and there where times he felt like Christopher Ecclestons version, but i put that down to the book being written and published before season 2 came out so people wasn't to know how David would play the character, only how RTD wanted him to be and act like. Which is here in full you can see the sparks of that silly humour and that twist of the dark side of the doctor the time lord victorious type. But im sure as the books go on more of Tennant will shine through and will feel more like him so i can't really criticise the book for that. Afterall you can't really be mad at a book that shows you the doctor in the arena fighting a lion, you don't get any better than that! So overall I'd say that this is a fantastic historical adventure that I really enjoyed and I can't wait to read more adventures with 10 and rose. So allons-y!
4.5/5 Stars GoodReads ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
97/100 GingerPoints 🔥🔥
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