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Doctor Who NSA Anthologies #2
Doctor Who: Tales of Trenzalore: An 11th Doctor Novel
As it had been foretold, the armies of the Universe gathered at Trenzalore. Only one thing stood between the planet and destruction – the Doctor. For nine hundred years, he defended the planet, and the tiny town of Christmas, against the forces that would destroy it.
He never knew how long he could keep the peace. He never knew what creatures would emerge from the snowy night to threaten him next. He knew only that at the end he would die on Trenzalore.
Some of what happened during those terrible years is well documented. But most of it remains shrouded in mystery and darkness.
Until now.
This is a glimpse of just some of the terrors the people faced, the monstrous threats the Doctor defeated. These are the tales of the monsters who found themselves afraid - and of the one man who was not.
(Tales of Trenzalore documents four of the Doctor’s adventures from different periods during the Siege of Trenzalore and the ensuing battle:
Let it Snow by Justin Richards
An Apple a Day by George Mann
Strangers in the Outland by Paul Finch
The Dreaming by Mark Morris)
He never knew how long he could keep the peace. He never knew what creatures would emerge from the snowy night to threaten him next. He knew only that at the end he would die on Trenzalore.
Some of what happened during those terrible years is well documented. But most of it remains shrouded in mystery and darkness.
Until now.
This is a glimpse of just some of the terrors the people faced, the monstrous threats the Doctor defeated. These are the tales of the monsters who found themselves afraid - and of the one man who was not.
(Tales of Trenzalore documents four of the Doctor’s adventures from different periods during the Siege of Trenzalore and the ensuing battle:
Let it Snow by Justin Richards
An Apple a Day by George Mann
Strangers in the Outland by Paul Finch
The Dreaming by Mark Morris)
1 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2014
77 people are currently reading
1286 people want to read
About the author
Justin Richards
331 books241 followersJustin Richards is a British writer. He has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, and he is Creative Director for the BBC Books range. He has also written for television, contributing to Five's soap opera Family Affairs. He is also the author of a series of crime novels for children about the Invisible Detective, and novels for older children. His Doctor Who novel The Burning was placed sixth in the Top 10 of SFX magazine's "Best SF/Fantasy novelisation or TV tie-in novel" category of 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
September 1, 2014
The Time of the Doctor only scratched the surface of what happened during the Doctor's centuries on Trenzalore.
Let it Snow by Justin Richards: Mysterious ice meteors rain down on Trenzalore and the Ice Warriors are responsible. But what do they have in mind for the town of Christmas and the Doctor?
Justin Richards utilzes the Church of the Papal Mainframe's truth field to the utmost in this tale. The Doctor proves to be as clever as a mongoose and Christmas is saved.
An Apple a Day by George Mann: A bizarre seed pod crashes through the roof of a glasshouse orchard and soon a Krynoid is running amuck in Christmas! Can the Doctor stop the Krynoid before it kills and devours everyone in Chrismas? Of course he can. He's the Doctor!
An Apple a Day is a fun tale that hearkens back to the era when all you needed in a Doctor Who episode was a monster and some running. The Krynoid was actually a little scary and reminded me of similar creature in Day of the Triffids and The Ruins.
Strangers in the Outland by Paul Finch: A prospector gets ambushed and his daughter wanders the forty miles back to Christmas, only to say that his attackers looked just like The Doctor?
The Autons are the villains this time. While I liked some of the Doctor's dialog and the Lifeboat, it was kind of weak compared to the previous story. The Autons are as creepy as ever, however.
The Dreaming by Mark Morris: A malign intelligence threatens the people of Christmas. But can even the Doctor stop an evil that attacks in the victim's dreams?
The final story in the collection is the creepiest and features the Mara. As always, the Doctor saved the day.
Tales of Tenzalore did a good job filling in a few gaps during the Doctor's time on Trenzalore in The Time of the Doctor. As the foreword said, there is ample room for hundreds if not thousands more like it so we'll probably see a sequel. The first two stories were my favorites but it's a pretty good collection overall. Three out of five stars.
Let it Snow by Justin Richards: Mysterious ice meteors rain down on Trenzalore and the Ice Warriors are responsible. But what do they have in mind for the town of Christmas and the Doctor?
Justin Richards utilzes the Church of the Papal Mainframe's truth field to the utmost in this tale. The Doctor proves to be as clever as a mongoose and Christmas is saved.
An Apple a Day by George Mann: A bizarre seed pod crashes through the roof of a glasshouse orchard and soon a Krynoid is running amuck in Christmas! Can the Doctor stop the Krynoid before it kills and devours everyone in Chrismas? Of course he can. He's the Doctor!
An Apple a Day is a fun tale that hearkens back to the era when all you needed in a Doctor Who episode was a monster and some running. The Krynoid was actually a little scary and reminded me of similar creature in Day of the Triffids and The Ruins.
Strangers in the Outland by Paul Finch: A prospector gets ambushed and his daughter wanders the forty miles back to Christmas, only to say that his attackers looked just like The Doctor?
The Autons are the villains this time. While I liked some of the Doctor's dialog and the Lifeboat, it was kind of weak compared to the previous story. The Autons are as creepy as ever, however.
The Dreaming by Mark Morris: A malign intelligence threatens the people of Christmas. But can even the Doctor stop an evil that attacks in the victim's dreams?
The final story in the collection is the creepiest and features the Mara. As always, the Doctor saved the day.
Tales of Tenzalore did a good job filling in a few gaps during the Doctor's time on Trenzalore in The Time of the Doctor. As the foreword said, there is ample room for hundreds if not thousands more like it so we'll probably see a sequel. The first two stories were my favorites but it's a pretty good collection overall. Three out of five stars.
January 6, 2015
2.5 stars. Enjoyable, but the stories seemed too short. Or maybe there weren't enough of them? I can't really tell. I guess would have liked to learn about some more things, too (like how the Doctor lost his leg, etc.).
March 3, 2026
TALES OF TRENZALORE contains 4 short stories by different authors. It depicts the 11th Doctor protecting village Christmas and its time rift.
After reading the stories, I wonder if the Doctor was a protector or a curse for the village. Some monsters attacked the village because their main target was the Doctor himself. Four short stories also revealed how much death the Doctor's presence brought. Every monster killed at least 1 innocent villager after landing on the planet. And when the Doctor saved the day again, nobody mourned the death of that villager as if the victory was totally bloodless.
After reading the stories, I wonder if the Doctor was a protector or a curse for the village. Some monsters attacked the village because their main target was the Doctor himself. Four short stories also revealed how much death the Doctor's presence brought. Every monster killed at least 1 innocent villager after landing on the planet. And when the Doctor saved the day again, nobody mourned the death of that villager as if the victory was totally bloodless.
July 20, 2016
*4YILDIZ*✨Gerenimo✨
"Harika bir soru daha!Bugün tam formundasın Clara."
Kız gözlerini devirdi.''Benim adım Teskia,Doktor.''
Dalga geçermişçesine bir kapakla karşı karşıyayız.Böyle müthiş bir karakter ancak bu kadar saçma bir kapakla mahvedilebilir.Dört farklı pencereden bakıyoruz bu kitapta.O dört hikayede geçen yaratık yada düşmanların fotoğrafları öylesine kapağa yapıştırılmış.
Hikayelerin fazla resmi yazılması ve basite indirgenmesi beni fazlaca rahatsız etti.Doktor hikayelerde sadece huysuz,yaşlı,gizemli ordan oraya koşup insanları kurtaran bir kahraman gibi gösterilmiş.Doktor asla böyle olmadı.Doktor bundan çok daha fazlası.Kitapta ciddi şekilde beğendiğim tek yer ''Gerenimo'' sözcüğünün olduğu kısımlardı.
Bu konuyu içeren dizi bölümlerinde her ne kadar içim parçalansa da beni tatmin etti.Bu kitap tatmin etmenin yanından bile geçmedi.Bu kadar eleştirdiğim ve beğenmediğim için rahatsız oluyorum.Fakat memmun kalamıyorum.Dört yazarın farklı bir şekilde yazmasını yada benzer şekilde yazıp ilgi çekici olmasını istedim.Bana göre tüm yazarlar sınıfta kaldı.Zorlama vardı.Olay akışı fazla hızlıydı.Yavaşça işlenmesi daha hoş olabilirdi.Dört yıldızı değer görmemin sebebi diziye ve oyuculuğuna hayran olduğum Matt'e saygım.Dizilerin kitaplarına karşı ön yargım oluştu.Bu hoş değil.
Anlam veremediğim kısımlar olduğu gibi bir yanım da Doktor'un çocuklarla olan ilişkisini hep destekledi.Boş zamanında Tardis ile bahçemize konsa ya.
TAVSİYE ETMİYORUM!
"Harika bir soru daha!Bugün tam formundasın Clara."
Kız gözlerini devirdi.''Benim adım Teskia,Doktor.''
Dalga geçermişçesine bir kapakla karşı karşıyayız.Böyle müthiş bir karakter ancak bu kadar saçma bir kapakla mahvedilebilir.Dört farklı pencereden bakıyoruz bu kitapta.O dört hikayede geçen yaratık yada düşmanların fotoğrafları öylesine kapağa yapıştırılmış.
Hikayelerin fazla resmi yazılması ve basite indirgenmesi beni fazlaca rahatsız etti.Doktor hikayelerde sadece huysuz,yaşlı,gizemli ordan oraya koşup insanları kurtaran bir kahraman gibi gösterilmiş.Doktor asla böyle olmadı.Doktor bundan çok daha fazlası.Kitapta ciddi şekilde beğendiğim tek yer ''Gerenimo'' sözcüğünün olduğu kısımlardı.
Bu konuyu içeren dizi bölümlerinde her ne kadar içim parçalansa da beni tatmin etti.Bu kitap tatmin etmenin yanından bile geçmedi.Bu kadar eleştirdiğim ve beğenmediğim için rahatsız oluyorum.Fakat memmun kalamıyorum.Dört yazarın farklı bir şekilde yazmasını yada benzer şekilde yazıp ilgi çekici olmasını istedim.Bana göre tüm yazarlar sınıfta kaldı.Zorlama vardı.Olay akışı fazla hızlıydı.Yavaşça işlenmesi daha hoş olabilirdi.Dört yıldızı değer görmemin sebebi diziye ve oyuculuğuna hayran olduğum Matt'e saygım.Dizilerin kitaplarına karşı ön yargım oluştu.Bu hoş değil.
Anlam veremediğim kısımlar olduğu gibi bir yanım da Doktor'un çocuklarla olan ilişkisini hep destekledi.Boş zamanında Tardis ile bahçemize konsa ya.
TAVSİYE ETMİYORUM!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2015
11i ne kadar özlediğimi farkettim her whovianın okuması gerek bence
October 1, 2014
На русском языке внезапно издали сборник рассказов про Доктора Кто. И даже не просто сборник, а официальную антологию из четырех повестей, полностью посвященную одному из самых мутных эпизодов в истории последнего таймлорда. Если вы смотрели седьмой сезон ребута, то прекрасно помните, что такое “осада Трензалора”. Почти тысячу лет Одиннадцатый при поддержке Папского Манфрейма защищал городок Кристмас и скрытую в его башне трещину во времени от бесконечных попыток своих врагов спровоцировать новый Time War.
Если вы не в курсе вышеизложенных событий (или, что хуже, эта фраза показалась вам полной ахинеей) - брать книгу в руки, наверное, нет особого смысла. Она полностью зациклена на трензалорском эпизоде и за её пределы не выходит.
Пусть эпизод совсем не маленький (тыща лет - не шутка), но авторы сборника подошли к задаче без особого воображения. Каждая новелла написана по одинаковой схеме: враг тайно высаживается на планете и пытается устроить всем большой бадабум, но Доктор пусть и хром, но всеведущ, хитёр и, сцуко, отважен, поэтому бадабум либо отменяется, либо полностью выходит из под контроля. Из врагов присутствуют ледяные воины, автоны, криноиды и какая-то злобная дрянь под названием Мара.
Читабельно, но пресно. Будем надеяться, что последующие переводные книги про Доктора будут отбираться более тщательно. Если они, разумеется, последуют.
Если вы не в курсе вышеизложенных событий (или, что хуже, эта фраза показалась вам полной ахинеей) - брать книгу в руки, наверное, нет особого смысла. Она полностью зациклена на трензалорском эпизоде и за её пределы не выходит.
Пусть эпизод совсем не маленький (тыща лет - не шутка), но авторы сборника подошли к задаче без особого воображения. Каждая новелла написана по одинаковой схеме: враг тайно высаживается на планете и пытается устроить всем большой бадабум, но Доктор пусть и хром, но всеведущ, хитёр и, сцуко, отважен, поэтому бадабум либо отменяется, либо полностью выходит из под контроля. Из врагов присутствуют ледяные воины, автоны, криноиды и какая-то злобная дрянь под названием Мара.
Читабельно, но пресно. Будем надеяться, что последующие переводные книги про Доктора будут отбираться более тщательно. Если они, разумеется, последуют.
April 5, 2020
3.75 stars
This was a lot of fun. All the stories were a little too short for my own liking, but overall they were pretty enjoyable.
This was a lot of fun. All the stories were a little too short for my own liking, but overall they were pretty enjoyable.
January 11, 2016
Tales of Trenzalore is a collection of four stories that attempt to give a little more insight into the life of the Doctor during the centuries-long siege of Trenzalore. These are very lightweight adventures, just a few notches above the little vignettes that appeared in The Name of the Doctor (the wooden Cyberman, the Sontarans in the invisible vehicle). Essentially, they attempt to give readers an idea of the continual struggle between the Doctor and the various alien races that forever try and fail to reignite the Time War. Of course, since we know the Doctor lives beyond Trenzalore, it isn’t a spoiler to say that each story ends with the Doctor victorious.
Let it Snow by Justin Richards
An “invasion” (if four is an invasion) of Ice Warriors threatens to bury the town of Christmas. This one had an interesting introductory sequence and a nice plot twist, though the Warriors themselves were incredibly underwhelming.
An Apple a Day by George Mann
An old-fashioned monster chase, this one sees a Krynoid- a flesh-eating, plant-based life form- land in one of the few heated spaces on the planet and attempt to consume all the living things on Trenzalore. The Doctor works with a young boy, Theol, to save the day. The less recognizable foe was a nice touch, though the solution could be seen a mile away. (This author also wrote the full-length Engines of War, featuring the War Doctor).
Strangers in the Outland by Paul Finch
We finally see a little bit more of what Trenzalore is like outside of the town of Christmas, as a lone trapper and his daughter find trouble in the subarctic tundra miles away from civilization. This one brought back a foe that we haven’t seen since the earliest days of the New Series, and the Doctor’s battle with them felt a little weightier than the preceding two.
The Dreaming by Mark Morris
An enemy familiar to fans of the Fifth Doctor makes an appearance, threatening to destroy Christmas from the inside. This one had a very Tommyknockers/pod people feeling, and seemed to be resolved the quickest, though the menace felt the most powerful of the four.
Taken all together, the stories are fun but not terribly substantial. We know that many, many instances like these had to have occurred over the centuries the Doctor spent defending the town of Christmas, and most of them had to have been fairly undramatic, as he survived for so long. It’s a nice read if you’re looking to bridge that gap in the timeline, and it does make The Name of the Doctor feel a little more substantial in retrospect, but none of them felt particularly memorable. Recommended if you just can’t let go of Eleven and need a few more adventures to help you along.
(Cross-posted at Booklikes: http://atroskity.booklikes.com/post/9...)
Let it Snow by Justin Richards
An “invasion” (if four is an invasion) of Ice Warriors threatens to bury the town of Christmas. This one had an interesting introductory sequence and a nice plot twist, though the Warriors themselves were incredibly underwhelming.
An Apple a Day by George Mann
An old-fashioned monster chase, this one sees a Krynoid- a flesh-eating, plant-based life form- land in one of the few heated spaces on the planet and attempt to consume all the living things on Trenzalore. The Doctor works with a young boy, Theol, to save the day. The less recognizable foe was a nice touch, though the solution could be seen a mile away. (This author also wrote the full-length Engines of War, featuring the War Doctor).
Strangers in the Outland by Paul Finch
We finally see a little bit more of what Trenzalore is like outside of the town of Christmas, as a lone trapper and his daughter find trouble in the subarctic tundra miles away from civilization. This one brought back a foe that we haven’t seen since the earliest days of the New Series, and the Doctor’s battle with them felt a little weightier than the preceding two.
The Dreaming by Mark Morris
An enemy familiar to fans of the Fifth Doctor makes an appearance, threatening to destroy Christmas from the inside. This one had a very Tommyknockers/pod people feeling, and seemed to be resolved the quickest, though the menace felt the most powerful of the four.
Taken all together, the stories are fun but not terribly substantial. We know that many, many instances like these had to have occurred over the centuries the Doctor spent defending the town of Christmas, and most of them had to have been fairly undramatic, as he survived for so long. It’s a nice read if you’re looking to bridge that gap in the timeline, and it does make The Name of the Doctor feel a little more substantial in retrospect, but none of them felt particularly memorable. Recommended if you just can’t let go of Eleven and need a few more adventures to help you along.
(Cross-posted at Booklikes: http://atroskity.booklikes.com/post/9...)
March 8, 2026
The problem with these stories is that they’ve no real need to exist. They’re part of the backstory of ‘The Time of the Doctor’ that we never saw – the alien invasions that the Eleventh Doctor sacrificed centuries of his life to fight off. These stories fill gaps left by Steven Moffat to attempt to provide an epic, sweeping feel for Matt Smith’s finale, where the viewer’s imagination was left to drive the story. Filling in those gaps feels a prosaic undertaking, watching other people complete a dot to dot puzzle. It’s similar to the Time War used by Russell T Davies – what we can imagine is only diminished by the dull details being filled in.
Additionally, even more so than in other Who stories, we know what the outcome will be. The authors therefore have to engage interest by using their chosen old enemies ingeniously and providing equal ingenuity in the Doctor’s solutions. As with any volume of collected story, it’s a mixed bag. Justin Richards has written so much Who over the years (and I’ve read all of it) that he’s become infinitely predictable in style and structure – it’s a solid story, but lacks verve. The other writers fare better, though they’re all experienced Who authors there’s a high degree of ingenuity in their reasons for employing the monsters they do. Paul Finch in particular follows the logic of the Trenzalore scenario and how the Nestenes might subvert it. Mark Morris also tries, but I always felt the use of the Mara jarred a little with what we knew about it from Kinda and Snakedance.
In line with the BBC charter, this isn’t a book that’s crucial to understanding the parent story – it’s simply not allowed to be (though we find the detail, forgotten on TV, of the Doctor having a false leg). That just adds to the inconsequential feeling, that none of this really matters. It’s what it’s allowed to be, a pleasant enough diversion that doesn’t really matter one way or the other. I might still be mourning the long gone days when the books were the creative pulse of Doctor Who (which they can never be with a TV series about) but with this I felt the books had finally descended to a pure cash-in on the show’s success.
Additionally, even more so than in other Who stories, we know what the outcome will be. The authors therefore have to engage interest by using their chosen old enemies ingeniously and providing equal ingenuity in the Doctor’s solutions. As with any volume of collected story, it’s a mixed bag. Justin Richards has written so much Who over the years (and I’ve read all of it) that he’s become infinitely predictable in style and structure – it’s a solid story, but lacks verve. The other writers fare better, though they’re all experienced Who authors there’s a high degree of ingenuity in their reasons for employing the monsters they do. Paul Finch in particular follows the logic of the Trenzalore scenario and how the Nestenes might subvert it. Mark Morris also tries, but I always felt the use of the Mara jarred a little with what we knew about it from Kinda and Snakedance.
In line with the BBC charter, this isn’t a book that’s crucial to understanding the parent story – it’s simply not allowed to be (though we find the detail, forgotten on TV, of the Doctor having a false leg). That just adds to the inconsequential feeling, that none of this really matters. It’s what it’s allowed to be, a pleasant enough diversion that doesn’t really matter one way or the other. I might still be mourning the long gone days when the books were the creative pulse of Doctor Who (which they can never be with a TV series about) but with this I felt the books had finally descended to a pure cash-in on the show’s success.
October 12, 2018
Anthologies always suffer from a lack of consistent voice I think, which makes it hard for them to excel. I hadn't even realised this was an anthology when I started it, but the rule holds true despite an attempt to tie the four stories to a single place - if not a single time (this is Doctor Who after all). Each story is set on the planet Trenzalore, in the town of Christmas, where the Doctor held his 2013 Christmas special episode: The Time of the Doctor. It's a neat way to do an anthology - the Doctor after all spent a long, long time in Christmas so a number of shorter stories is easy to fit in. This them though also becomes a problem: each story follows an almost identical format; each author seems to struggle to describe the unending snow in a unique way; and none of the stories really feel like they have any sense of real tension - even the deaths of random villagers feels a little too 'meh'...
December 13, 2017
Not recommended, even for Whovians such as me. Four poorly written and not particularly interesting short stories about various attacks on the Doctor and the town of Christmas during the Siege of Trenzalore depicted in "The Time of the Doctor."
You need to be broadly familiar with the original Doctor Who in order to fully appreciate the stories, because all the alien monsters are drawn from it and only two of the four have appeared in the contemporary Doctor Who. If you're not familiar with Krynoids or the Mara, two of the four stories will be even more a waste of your time.
You can have a better experience reading a full-length Doctor Who novel, especially one of the old New Adventures. These short stories give the impression that the four writers cranked them out over one weekend.
You need to be broadly familiar with the original Doctor Who in order to fully appreciate the stories, because all the alien monsters are drawn from it and only two of the four have appeared in the contemporary Doctor Who. If you're not familiar with Krynoids or the Mara, two of the four stories will be even more a waste of your time.
You can have a better experience reading a full-length Doctor Who novel, especially one of the old New Adventures. These short stories give the impression that the four writers cranked them out over one weekend.
March 8, 2014
This book is for the Whovians who have seen The Time of The Doctor, who are like me and wondered what happened during the Doctor's time on Trenzalore. This book contains four short stories of the Doctor fighting four unique monsters intent on killing him. I'd like to review each story individually, but I don't want to give away the plots as part of the book is discovering what will happen when the town of Christmas faces the alien threats.
Written brilliantly, each author bringing depth to the Doctor and the people around him. I was not disappointed by this book in the least. My only tribulation is in the second story. THE DOCTOR DOES NOT EAT APPLES!
I highly recommend this book for all Doctor Who fans who have seen The Time of The Doctor!
Written brilliantly, each author bringing depth to the Doctor and the people around him. I was not disappointed by this book in the least. My only tribulation is in the second story. THE DOCTOR DOES NOT EAT APPLES!
I highly recommend this book for all Doctor Who fans who have seen The Time of The Doctor!
January 16, 2015
Well, I have this dumb issue with the fact that I've already seen so much of the show and read hardly any of the Doctor Who-inspired books, so basically I missed actual-Matt-Smith. However, George Mann is one of my favorite authors and it was easy to like his story :) And I feel like all the authors did a good job with the dialogue (the Doctor's dialogue was the most important thing to me). This book was actually quite good all together.
January 8, 2016
An Apple A Day
All I can think is How Did He Lost His Leg?! Answer please :/
This was a fun DW read, thanks for enlargening Trenzalore stuff :)
All I can think is How Did He Lost His Leg?! Answer please :/
This was a fun DW read, thanks for enlargening Trenzalore stuff :)
July 2, 2022
Doctor Who: Tales of Trenzalore: The Eleventh Doctor's Last Stand - 3.5/5
Let it Snow by Justin Richards - 5/5
An Apple a Day... by George Mann - 3/5
Strangers in the Outland by Paul Finch - 2/5
The Dreaming by Mark Morris - 4/5
This is a neat little extension to the last episode with the 11th Doctor. With a strong start, the structure of each story is the same from each story.
Let it Snow by Justin Richards - 5/5
An Apple a Day... by George Mann - 3/5
Strangers in the Outland by Paul Finch - 2/5
The Dreaming by Mark Morris - 4/5
This is a neat little extension to the last episode with the 11th Doctor. With a strong start, the structure of each story is the same from each story.
July 28, 2022
The Doctor stands on Trenzalore against all the evils of the universe. Aging and on his last body, he watches for centuries over the colony of Christmas, protecting them from harm.
These four novellas are well written and each writer is faithful in their interpretation of the Eleventh Doctor.
These four novellas are well written and each writer is faithful in their interpretation of the Eleventh Doctor.
April 10, 2025
I wouldn't think I'd be the target market for spin-off stories of this nature, but I enjoyed this more than I expected to. The various writers really captured the tone and the feel of the 11th Doctor.
April 4, 2022
LOVE Doctor Who!! Would love to read more of Trenzalore
March 8, 2014
Tales of Trenzalore tells some of the stories of the Doctor defending the town of Christmas on the planet Trenzalore during his long stint there. You really need to have seen the Eleventh Doctor's final story "The Time of the Doctor" for the context.
Let it Snow by Justin Richards: This is a decent story featuring the Ice Warriors as the aggressors. It's great that we get a well characterised Ice Lord and they have a decent plan but it does feel like any alien race could have taken their place, like the Cybermen. Seeing the Doctor's relationship with the people of Christmas also works really well in this story. It's a strong start to the collection.
An Apple a Day by George Mann: Having the Krynoids is an interesting choice for this story. They are the least well known of the aliens to feature here, having appeared in just one TV story, and the seed pods can't germinate in the cold and Trenzalore rarely reaches above freezing temperatures. Somehow though Mann manages to make it work wonderfully well and he just about gets away with his way round the temperature issues. My favorite of the stories.
Strangers in the Outland by Paul Finch: Perhaps the weakest of the stories, largely because it doesn't reach it's potential. It's an Auton story and the Nestene Consciousness' plan is to send in Auton replicas of the Doctor. Strangely though the author decides to make the plan not really work- barely any Autons survive and the replica side of things never comes into play, and that's really the main reason for having the Autons around outside of an environment when there are shop dummies.
The Dreaming by Mark Morris: Morris shows his horror credentials in this story featuring the Mara. It's genuinely creepy and I felt the story really got into the Eleventh Doctor's character and his thoughts about being stuck on Trenzalore better than the other stories here. My one issue with it though is that it feels like it drifts a little from the character of the Mara shown on TV in the 80s.
Overall this is a good collection and I'm really pleased that Justin Richards and BBC Books have been coming up with lots of clever ideas for e-books which tie more directly into the TV series than most Doctor Who books. A great idea with four decent stories which make it work.
Let it Snow by Justin Richards: This is a decent story featuring the Ice Warriors as the aggressors. It's great that we get a well characterised Ice Lord and they have a decent plan but it does feel like any alien race could have taken their place, like the Cybermen. Seeing the Doctor's relationship with the people of Christmas also works really well in this story. It's a strong start to the collection.
An Apple a Day by George Mann: Having the Krynoids is an interesting choice for this story. They are the least well known of the aliens to feature here, having appeared in just one TV story, and the seed pods can't germinate in the cold and Trenzalore rarely reaches above freezing temperatures. Somehow though Mann manages to make it work wonderfully well and he just about gets away with his way round the temperature issues. My favorite of the stories.
Strangers in the Outland by Paul Finch: Perhaps the weakest of the stories, largely because it doesn't reach it's potential. It's an Auton story and the Nestene Consciousness' plan is to send in Auton replicas of the Doctor. Strangely though the author decides to make the plan not really work- barely any Autons survive and the replica side of things never comes into play, and that's really the main reason for having the Autons around outside of an environment when there are shop dummies.
The Dreaming by Mark Morris: Morris shows his horror credentials in this story featuring the Mara. It's genuinely creepy and I felt the story really got into the Eleventh Doctor's character and his thoughts about being stuck on Trenzalore better than the other stories here. My one issue with it though is that it feels like it drifts a little from the character of the Mara shown on TV in the 80s.
Overall this is a good collection and I'm really pleased that Justin Richards and BBC Books have been coming up with lots of clever ideas for e-books which tie more directly into the TV series than most Doctor Who books. A great idea with four decent stories which make it work.
May 28, 2014
f you haven't seen "The Time of the Doctor" (the last Christmas Special with Matt Smith), I strongly suggest watching it before you read these 4 tales for full appreciation and minimal confusion.
These tales, in a chronological order (though not back-to-back) tell of some of the Doctor's exploits while defending Trenzalore and the town of Christmas from all of his enemies.
Here the Doctor is tricksy as old enemies evade the Church and come to him, and with typical high-speed delivery stuns the townsfolk into silence with bad news while leaving them hanging for his brilliant plans. (Later on, of course, they've figured out - as Clara and other companions do - that he generally makes it up as he goes along!) Some of the enemies I vaguely remembered from the old series, but one was completely new to me.
We learn why he really needs a walking stick, and where it came from, and see an unusual variety of methods for dispatching his enemies along with the incredible inventions the people of Trenzalore have made to keep them living on such an inhospitable planet. Some mysteries are unraveled, but we also see the Doctor gradually fading, losing the seemingly inexhaustible energy that made the Eleventh Doctor who he was. Only the knowledge of the overall ending made that part better.
They were well-written, with a good choice of foe and resolution, and all gave a little more insight into that interminable period while the Doctor gave up everything for the planet. I'd like to read more like this!
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
These tales, in a chronological order (though not back-to-back) tell of some of the Doctor's exploits while defending Trenzalore and the town of Christmas from all of his enemies.
Here the Doctor is tricksy as old enemies evade the Church and come to him, and with typical high-speed delivery stuns the townsfolk into silence with bad news while leaving them hanging for his brilliant plans. (Later on, of course, they've figured out - as Clara and other companions do - that he generally makes it up as he goes along!) Some of the enemies I vaguely remembered from the old series, but one was completely new to me.
We learn why he really needs a walking stick, and where it came from, and see an unusual variety of methods for dispatching his enemies along with the incredible inventions the people of Trenzalore have made to keep them living on such an inhospitable planet. Some mysteries are unraveled, but we also see the Doctor gradually fading, losing the seemingly inexhaustible energy that made the Eleventh Doctor who he was. Only the knowledge of the overall ending made that part better.
They were well-written, with a good choice of foe and resolution, and all gave a little more insight into that interminable period while the Doctor gave up everything for the planet. I'd like to read more like this!
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 13, 2014
This is a collection of four short stories that are based on the eleventh Doctor's last episode. If you have watched that episode you know he spent a long time on Trenzalore and these are four stories of different events while he was there. I would advise watching the episode to understand this book.
This was a nice collection but nothing spectacular. These four stories were separate incidents but they basically boiled down to the same thing. An enemy of the Doctor comes to Trenzalore and it is up to the Doctor to save the day. I did enjoy that these stories had enemies that do not receive much air time on the television show. The authors did a nice job portraying Matt Smith as the Doctor. I was hoping one of these stories would explain what happened to the Doctor's leg but these stories just mentioned it.
This book did capture the Doctor Who vibe and if you are missing Matt Smith as the Doctor this book will fill that void.
This was a nice collection but nothing spectacular. These four stories were separate incidents but they basically boiled down to the same thing. An enemy of the Doctor comes to Trenzalore and it is up to the Doctor to save the day. I did enjoy that these stories had enemies that do not receive much air time on the television show. The authors did a nice job portraying Matt Smith as the Doctor. I was hoping one of these stories would explain what happened to the Doctor's leg but these stories just mentioned it.
This book did capture the Doctor Who vibe and if you are missing Matt Smith as the Doctor this book will fill that void.
February 28, 2014
Loved it. This book contains four stories set during the long period while the Doctor was stuck in the town of Christmas on the planet Trenzalore before his most recent regeneration. Four villains from the classic series return to bedevil him in these stories: the Ice Warriors, the Autons, a Krynoid, and the Mara. I particularly liked the Auton story which emphasized the plastic creatures' toughness and unstoppability. The Ice Warrior story is also excellent, with a well-characterised Ice Lord. The other two stories were a little weaker I thought, but had their moments. A great effort overall.
July 6, 2016
Yoruma 11. Doktor'u cidden çok özlediğimi söyleyerek başlamalıyım. 11 benim favori doktorumdur ve bu kitabı okurken onu çok sevdiğimi bir kere daha anladım. Bir ara tekrar 11 & Amy & Rory ve 11 & Clara bölümlerini izlemeliyim. :)
Kitap 4 hikayeden oluşuyor ve hepsi Trenzalore'da geçiyor. Eğer Doctor Who izlediyseniz Doktor'un orada yüzyıllar boyu kaldığını ve oradaki halkı düşmanlardan koruduğunu bilirsiniz. Kitaptaki hikayeler güzeldi ama en iyileri 'Dolu Yağmuru' ve 'Rüyalar' idi. Doctor Who hayranları mutlaka bu kitabı alsın, okusun. İthaki'nin basmış olduğu diğer Doctor Who kitaplarını okumak için sabırsızlanıyorum!
Kitap 4 hikayeden oluşuyor ve hepsi Trenzalore'da geçiyor. Eğer Doctor Who izlediyseniz Doktor'un orada yüzyıllar boyu kaldığını ve oradaki halkı düşmanlardan koruduğunu bilirsiniz. Kitaptaki hikayeler güzeldi ama en iyileri 'Dolu Yağmuru' ve 'Rüyalar' idi. Doctor Who hayranları mutlaka bu kitabı alsın, okusun. İthaki'nin basmış olduğu diğer Doctor Who kitaplarını okumak için sabırsızlanıyorum!
July 20, 2014
A small, efficient little collection of stories that manages to punch well above its weight by communicating the tragedy of the ever aging, ever fragile Doctor defending the people of Christmas town: he's merely delaying the (apparently) inevitable finale cataclysm. You'll need to be familiar with the Matt Smith finale, "The Time of the Doctor", to comprehend the situation fully...but once you do, you will be well rewarded. The final story, featuring the dream-manipulating Mara, is particularly creepy.
May 28, 2016
Gerçekten harikaydı! Doktor'un Trenzalore'da ne yaptığını merak edenler için birebir.Kitapta , TTOTD bölümünden küçük detaylar gizli , bu kısmını sevdim.Öyküler de çok güzel ve çok eğlenceliydi ama çok kısalar.Zaten 4 tane öykü var ve bu öyküler de Doktor'a yakışamayacak kadar kısaydı.Bu yüzden bir yıldız puan kırdım.
Bence ilk önce The Time Of The Doctor bölümünü izleyin , sonra okuyun.Ben izlemeden önce okudum ve kitap bitince bölümü izledim ve tekrar gözyaşlarıma hakim olamadım.Doctor Who evrenin en iyi dizisi!
Bence ilk önce The Time Of The Doctor bölümünü izleyin , sonra okuyun.Ben izlemeden önce okudum ve kitap bitince bölümü izledim ve tekrar gözyaşlarıma hakim olamadım.Doctor Who evrenin en iyi dizisi!
July 7, 2016
Yorumun aslı ve devamı Yorum Cadısı'nda.
Trenzolare Öyküleri, olay örgülerini zayıf bulduğum ve birbirine benzeyen birçok ögenin kullanıldığını düşündüğüm hikayelerden oluşan bir kitaptı. Son öykü olmasaydı, kitaba çok daha düşük bir puan verecektim. Fakat son öykünün yaratıcılığı ve aksiyonu ile şaşırtıcılığının yüksek olması, iyi bir kapanış yapmamı sağladı. Kitabı, Doctor Who sevenlere tavsiye ederim :)
Trenzolare Öyküleri, olay örgülerini zayıf bulduğum ve birbirine benzeyen birçok ögenin kullanıldığını düşündüğüm hikayelerden oluşan bir kitaptı. Son öykü olmasaydı, kitaba çok daha düşük bir puan verecektim. Fakat son öykünün yaratıcılığı ve aksiyonu ile şaşırtıcılığının yüksek olması, iyi bir kapanış yapmamı sağladı. Kitabı, Doctor Who sevenlere tavsiye ederim :)
July 8, 2014
Lost one star only because I wanted to know how he lost his leg gosh darn it!
All the stories were fun and highly entertaining from start to finish. There was a bit of childish silliness, but that's just the Eleventh Doctor for you. It stayed very true to his character. There are even some good quotes.
All the stories were fun and highly entertaining from start to finish. There was a bit of childish silliness, but that's just the Eleventh Doctor for you. It stayed very true to his character. There are even some good quotes.
September 4, 2015
Muhteşem olduğundan bahsetmeye bile gerek yok. Kötü olan şey ise izlemenin çok daha zevkli olması. Daha heyecanlı daha aksiyonlu. Ama yine de kitap bitmesin diye uğraşmadım değil.
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Don't need to say it was awesome. But the bad thing is watching is better than reading, if our subject is Doctor Who. More exciting, full of action. And other side, i really didn't want to finish this book.
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Don't need to say it was awesome. But the bad thing is watching is better than reading, if our subject is Doctor Who. More exciting, full of action. And other side, i really didn't want to finish this book.
October 1, 2015
Kitaptaki öykülerin, olayların dizide yer almasını isterdim. Okumak kadar izlemekte keyifli olurdu. Kitabın baskısına ise bayıldım! Son olarak on birinci doktoru sevenlerin okuması gerektiğini düşünüyorum. :)
January 6, 2019
Disappointing
This wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be. Didn't really get into the stories that were being told.
This wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be. Didn't really get into the stories that were being told.
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