Лето на исходе и другие рассказы

Doctor Who New Series anthologies

by James Goss, Justin Richards, Мария Шмидт (Translator)

Сборник состоит из трех рассказов, каждый из которых служит дополнением к историям о Докторе Кто и повествует о приключениях его друзей. Кроме того, из предисловия Амелии Уильямс можно узнать о ее знакомстве с другой спутницей Доктора, а из послесловия - о судьбе Амелии и ее мужа Рори после того, как они вынуждены были навсегда остаться жить в прошлом.

"Лето на исходе" (Амелия Уильямс) В прибрежном городке Уотчкомб юная Кейт твердо намерена провести последнюю неделю летних каникул с пользой. Но найденная в благотворительном магазине загадочная картина под названием "Властелин Зимы" приводит Кейт к приключению, которого она никак не ожидала.

"Поцелуй ангела" (Мелоди Мелоун) Киноактер Рок Рейлтон подозревает, что его хотят убить, - и частный детектив Мелоди Мелоун берется за дело. На вечеринке в честь очередного фильма владелец студии Макс Клинер предлагает Мелоди стать их новой звездой, но цена славы оказывается выше, чем можно вообразить.

"Дьявол в дыму" (мистер Джастин Ричардс) Холодным декабрьским днем два мальчика лепят снеговика. Но вдруг происходит нечто ужасное и невозможное - снеговик начинает истекать кровью… Гарри отправляется искать ответы, и его ждет самое опасное и головокружительное приключение в жизни.

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories, Mystery, Time Travel

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 24, 2013

About the author

James Goss has written two Torchwood novels and a radio play, as well as a Being Human book. His Doctor Who audiobook Dead Air won Best Audiobook 2010. James also spent seven years working on the BBC's official Doctor Who website and co-wrote the website for Torchwood Series One. In 2007, he won the Best Adaptation category in the annual LA Weekly Theatre Awards for his version of Douglas Adams' novel Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.

Reviews

[Annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

"They've all stopped reading. Apart from you. It is just you, isn't it? I knew it would be. I knew that some day you'd find an old, jam-stained copy in a second-hand bookshop, brown pages smelling of caramel. I knew you'd pick it up and you'd smile that little smile. You'd check the last page, and then you'd just wonder if there was anything else meant here for you, you lovely, silly raggedy man. Well, there is."

My inner fangirl is currently lying on the floor, crying her heart out.
I've been wanting to read this for such a long time now (since we saw our lovely Clara holding this book) and it did not disappoint me! The first two stories had me literally sobbing. I recommend this to every Doctor Who Fan, and also everyone else, because those stories were awesome and you will still love them without having watched Doctor Who (Although, let's be honest - go watch Doctor Who. Seriously.).

1. Summer Falls by Amelia Williams 5/5 Stars
"Kate stood, watching the sea for a long time. She'd never seen anything so impossible, so beautiful. She looked out at the waves frozen into mounatin peaks, stretching towards a distant, dark sky, and she felt afraid. She was alone in a world that was a dream."

Such a beautiful writing! I loved it so much. It left me all warm inside with a tear in my eye and it definitely had some christmas-ish vibes.


2. The Angel's Kiss by Melody Malone 5/5 Stars
"But I am Melody Malone, with ice in my heart and a kiss on my lips. In the city that never sleeps and should never blink, mysteries are my business."

Easily my favourite story out of the three! I guess we all know who Melody Malone is, don't we? Written in her point of view, she was so totally in her character that at times I couldn't stop myself from laughing!


3. Devil in the Smoke by Justin Richards 3/5 Stars
"Madame Vastra leaned back in her chair and clasped her hands in front of her on the table, for all the world like Sherlock Holmes. Only female. And green."

I didn't like that story as much as the other two, but it was still very good. Unfortunately, I was a little bit bored at times and I didn't care much about Harry or Strax (I've never really like Strax, to be honest). But Jenny and Vastra were as awesome as ever!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fangirl in me has just collapsed from the overload of feels in this collection. I need a moment, thank you.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

To Whovains and non-Whovians alike, this book is a wonderful book including 3 short stories that will make sense and make you love the plot and characters whether or not you watch Doctor Who (but seriously, watch it anyway - it's about an alien that travels the galaxy in TIME and SPACE). It's not a real heavy book (which is always good) and each story is short and to the point (which is excellent) but still keeps its air of mystery.

All three stories follow the genre of science fiction, which, while I'm not always the greatest fan of, was excellently written!

Amy's wonderful introduction just left me breathless as she said her final goodbye to the raggedy man that she loved to follow Rory into a past world they knew nothing of.

I have heard a lot of mixed reviews about this book, so I (sadly) didn't know what to expect when I first started Summer Falls by Amelia Williams. But the author was able to impress me when it took the reader along the journey of Kate, who had just moved to an unknown town, and her unlikely friends (and dog), along with a character that was obviously based on the Doctor, and a grey cat.

The Angel's Kiss by Melody Malone, however, I was a little disappointed in. Maybe it was due to the fact that I just really don't like detective stories, or the fact that I don't like reading things set in the 30's, or the fact that it seemed predictable and I was able to guess what was going to happen halfway through the story. However, despite that I absolutely loved Melody, you could feel River Song's confident, flirty, and sexy personality come through. It was because of Melody's wit I was able to like it so much.

Devil in the Smoke by Mr Justin Richards was a whole other story which I loved. What's not to love? Put together Strax's inappropriate talk about death, enemies, and sacrifice, along with his elaborate plans and ideas. Jenny's wit, charisma, caring personality, and overall badassness. And Vastra's amazing calming but scary (when need be) protective personality to both her team and the young boy, Harry. Together they fight literal smoke, and it had me guessing how it would be defeated.

This was an amazing book with three totally different types of writing styles and stories.
I apologise for the long review (sort of) but I felt it to be necessary.

Go read it! :D

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this book was a nice lightheaded collection of quick reads. The first installment: Summer Falls, featured the likeable Kate and her adventures in the summer holidays, when she meets the enigmatic Curator, who is obviously an homage to the eleventh doctor. The story had Famous Five vibes, and I really like the fact that the story is technically in-universe. The Melody Malone story was fun, however I was slightly annoyed at the new ability that the Weeping Angels are given, something that has never been exhibited on the show. Also it would have been great if the novel included that which featured in The Angels Take Manhattan. The final story was my favourite- the paternoster gang were present in full force and true to character, Strax was very amusing in parts. The plot itself was pretty solid, and I would say the most engaging of the three.

[Branwen Sedai *of the Brown Ajah* · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is actually a collection of three short stories pertaining to Doctor Who. The first story, Summer Falls, was written by Amelia Williams and depicts the events that are set in motion by a young girl who is captivated by a mysterious painting. The second story, The Angel's Kiss, follows detective Melody Malone while she tries to protect a movie star from someone who is trying to kill him. And the third (and best, in my opinion) story centers around the trio of Paternoster Row as they hunt to find a killer.

This is a fun, fast read, that is beautifully constructed and well worth reading. It left me with a sense of warmth and adventurous spirit and is actually a great read even if you are not a huge Doctor Who fan.

[Brooklyn Tayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talia and myself have used this book to kick off what is an epic bunch of buddy reads :D

I enjoyed these three fabulous stories. It's great being able to read the Amelia Williams novel referenced in "The Bells of Saint John."

The other two stories were such fun too. Great to read and they featured some favourite characters :)

[Cassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love when fictional TV show characters write books, and then they actually publish real versions of those books!!

[Lydia Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a 'Whovian' as they call it. I was in love with the story of Amy and Rory's beautiful heartwarming fairytale love. When I got bought this novel for my 19th birthday not too long ago (26.10.2013) I couldn't wait to begin to take action and get my head stuck into it.
The introduction by Amelia Williams played with my heart strings. Amy's beautiful words directed at her raggedy man shown her passion and heartache of letting go of him for him to be alone. What I loved about this beginning of the novel that contained these amazing short stories was the tone of voice. I could hear Amy's words as I read along. I fell in love with this.

I began with the first short story within the novel; Summer Falls's by Amelia Williams. I didn't know what to expect in all honesty when I started the novel. However, in some sense of science fiction narrative I enjoyed this little story of a painting and monster. It was an interesting read that started off a good novel.

The Angel's Kiss by Melody Malone, of course was brilliant! It was my favourite story from the three included in the book. I could feel the River Song charisma behind the protagonist; Melody. I was impressed with the overall outcome within this narrative.

The final short story was Devil in the Smoke. It was an interesting read that I was not too thrilled about starting, however I grew to enjoy the storyline and of course Madame Vastra was an interesting character to anyone. It was a brilliant story and reminded me of the snowman monsters within the episodes that have aired.

Overall, I was greatly impressed with this selection of short stories and loved the journeys that each of these narratives took me on.

[James Haigh-Kenworthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously, if you're a fan of Matt Smith era DW you'll love this! All parts of this book are lovely little Easter eggs, it's a shame the stories don't get their legs to stretch a bit more; but for nostalgia purposes and a nice little getaway in the first story, this book is a must for fans of the show!

[Rain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some nice short Stories. I would have liked for Summer Falls to be a bit longer maybe a little more substance and i would love to read a book about Madam Vastra's and friends andventures.
All in all the three Stories in one book felt kind of weird. Still i had fun enough reading them !

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Words can’t describe how excited I was to purchase a copy of Summer Falls. I might seem like a childish geek, but I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a book that appeared on my favourite show, and was written by fictional characters from that show. Just to clarify, the paperback copy includes Summer Falls by Amelia Williams (fictional), The Angel’s Kiss by River Song (alias Melody Malone, another fictional character, and Justin Richards (a frequent and very much real author of many Doctor Who books).
Summer Falls is the first story in this book, and features Kate, a young girl who has just moved into the area with her rather oblivious mother, and who stumbles straight into a mystery involving magic, a very helpful grey cat, and a whole lot of adventure. While Kate is very similar to her fictional creator, and is a well drafted character, I found her somewhat annoying. I also have to wonder what young male readers would make of this story. Kate is a very strong determined girl, and this is contrasted heavily with the boys in the story, who are shown as being rather useless anti-heroes. This saddens me, and I feel for at least one of the boys, this characterisation could have been changed without damage to the plot. In fact, in my opinion, this would have been an improvement to the plot, and I would have enjoyed a strong equal bond between the two main protagonists more than the inequality that was presented. I also had one other quibble with the story. While the author has for the most part written a text that is accessible to young readers, he at times wrote in a chunky abrupt style that felt unnatural and jarring. Three stars.

The second story, Angel’s Kiss is a complete deviation from the first story. Anyone who has watched Doctor Who will know River Song as a feisty character, who isn’t ashamed to flirt a little to get what she wants. To write a first person story for children featuring such a character must have been a challenge. It’s one that the author has largely succeeded at, hinting at the risqué without openly portraying it, and young fans of the show should enjoy reading it and discovering a little of what River got up to in 1930’s New York. However, kids who are new to Doctor Who may not enjoy it as much, as despite being written successfully for young readers, it still didn’t feel like a children’s book. Perhaps this is due to the story’s content and the all-adult cast. Three stars.

Devil in the Smoke was my favourite story in this collection, featuring a young protagonist called Harry, who has the misfortune to come between the villain and his evil plot to take over the world. Readers will enjoy reconnecting with the Paternoster Gang, and especially with Strax who as usual provides plenty of good laughs. The voicing and interaction between the characters is spot on, and young Harry provides a useful connection for readers to both the story and the strange world he has stumbled onto. This is a fun adventurous story and is right on target for the audience it was written for. Four stars.

The hero of this collection has to be the Introduction and the short extract, The Girl Who Never Grew Up. Though brief, these are totally fan-worthy, giving that extra taste of well-loved characters and what might have been. I can safely promise that readers will savour these few extra moments with Amy and Rory. Five stars.

[Gavin Felgate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compilation of three novellas, each loosely connected with the TV series, Doctor Who.

The first story is Summer Falls supposedly written by the Doctor's assistant Amy. It appeared as a prop novel in an episode of the show, and was subsequently adapted into a story my James Goss. It is a bizarre fantasy that feels like it could be from the pen of Neil Gaiman, as the young heroine discovers a painting of "The Lord of Winter" while on her summer holiday. Subseqently, she starts finding objects from the painting and suddenly it becomes winter overnight, and it becomes apparent that the Lord of Winter is returning.

The second story is The Angel's Kiss, which also appeared as a prop novel in the show, written under the pseudonym "Melody Malone" (here it is written by Justin Richards, using the same pseudonym). The story opens with Melody Malone, also the story's heroine, being asked to protect a movie actor who is receiving death threats. It feels like a typical noir-style novel, but quickly veers into science fiction territory involving cloning. While the first story seemed to take itself quite seriously, this one is quite flippant and the writing style almost made me think of Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next books. I also thought that Melody Malone should return for more adventures in a whole series of stories.

The third story is Devil in the Smoke and is a Doctor Who spin-off, starring the new recurring characters, Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax. The tone feels quite dark from the start, as some children build a snowman which begins to bleed, and subsequently a dead woman falls out. How she came to be there forms the initial mystery, which is solved about half-way through, but it does lead to an even more sinister tale involving smoke monsters.

I enjoyed all three stories overall, and was glad I found out that they existed. I liked the fact that the book also opened with in introduction supposedly written by Amy, and a mock interview with her at the end, entitled The Girl Who Never Grew Up.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summer Falls. An enjoyable kid's adventure story. The author gets the YA feel right and creates an evocative world of magic [7/10].

The Angel's Kiss. Richards is a good writer, so I wasn't surprised to like this story. He has a strong sense of River Song's voice, and a good ear for noir, making this a fun read if not a very deep one. Folks concerned that the Angel in this story has a different power-set than the Angels in Doctor Who entirely miss the point. It's not a Doctor Who adventure per se, but a story intended as a message to the future, and that's exactly what it delivers, along with some fun along the way [7/10].

Devil in the Smoke. Richards does a great job of capturing the voice of Vastra, Jenny, and Strax (especially Strax!) and presents a fun Victorian adventure. It drags a bit at the end, but still feels very much a part of the series [7/10].

Each of the stories in this volume is good, but I find it an argument for the whole being less than its parts. For one, these stories don't make a coherent whole. The first two are meant to be stories written by characters in the Doctor Who universe, while the last is a prequel to "The Snowmen" and so an actual Doctor Who story. But beyond that, when you put them all together, they seem even fluffier and more forgettable. I'm happy that these three stories were published, as otherwise I would have never seen them. However, they could have used a more honest title ("The Ebooks") and nice intros to each that put them in their correct place. As is, the poor organization hurts, but even without that issue, these would still be pretty forgettable as a whole.

[Piepie | The Napping Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read! Allen found it at a Half Price Books, and he picked it out for me for a reading challenge I've been doing this year.

All 3 stories are definitely different. After the Introduction (written by Amelia Williams) there is "Summer Falls," also written by Amelia. It features a character called the Caretaker -- not unlike the Doctor.

Next is a Melody Malone novella, "The Angel's Kiss." Melody is fresh and funny, and her story was full of murder and intrigue in the land of Hollywood, including something which could resemble a Weeping Angel.

Lastly, Madame Vastra, Jenny, and Strax appear in a story about a bleeding snowman (maybe??) called "Devil in the Smoke." This was a fast-paced, heart in your throat type of story, and I loved Strax!

What was special to me was the concluding interview at the end with famous novelist, Amelia Williams. Her husband is on hand as well, with bacon sandwiches and a successful career in medicine. Amelia is well-known for her stories of magic and fantasy, and she has never stopped believing...

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were three entertaining novelettes (large print and really would only have been half as long normally), nothing too complex and little characterization (which for most of the characters was done in shows). Each story has a different writing voice and unique characters with nothing connecting them except for being other adventures tangentially related to Dr. Who episodes. I would say that these would fall solidly into the YA portion of Doctor Who fiction.
Summer Falls reads a bit like a lost episode of Dr. Who, where the Doctor is very much not the center of the story. The Angel's Kiss is set before the episode Angels take Manhattan an tells another adventure of Melody Malone (still not explaining why she is there in the first place). Devil in Smoke is everyone's anticipated adventure involving Straxx, Madame Vastra, and Jenny and lives up to the billing. Overall, quick & enjoyable reads.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book rates high for some features, low for others. I loved the dialogue and overall narration style. I reminds me of some of my favorite authors, including E. Nesbit.

(Be warned that the next paragraph contains some spoilers).

However, the plot is lackluster. The plot twist is not well addressed, and the resolution is too quick and easy. (Quick resolutions are the bane of my existence.) I also would have liked some explanation about where the Lord of Winter came from, what the cat was, and who the three girls who made the ring and the key were, and how they knew how to banish the Lord of Winter. For that matter, what did the key, ring, and lighthouse have to do with anything?

Contrary to Clara Oswald's assertion that " Eleven’s the best. You’ll cry your eyes out," eleven is perhaps the shortest, most emotionless chapter in the book. Definitely the least likely to make any normal person tearful.

The other two stories in this volume are even lower on my scale than Summer Falls.

[Danica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being the die hard Doctor Who fan that I am, I was thrilled to find a physical copy of this when I went to visit the Doctor Who shop in London. Long story short, I am in love with the continuity that runs through Doctor Who. I was absolutely screaming inside when the Doctor said he would like to be a curator, all I could think of was Summer Falls and ever since the episode- I have been DYING to read The Angel's Kiss but have never got round to it. I also thought Devil in the Smoke was a good read too, Jenny's adorable!

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between 3.5 and 4 stars.

This was the first book in a massive group of Buddy Reads I'm doing with Brooklyn. :)

The Good:
I liked the stories, but I have to say, the Devil in the Smoke had to be my favorite! I could probably read an entire book with just Jenny, Madame Vastra and Strax. They are fabulous characters!

The Bad:
In all three stories, some of the writing wasn't the best. Seriously, some sentences downright drove me nuts because they didn't make sense. It bothered me like hell.

Overall, very fun! I'm glad I finally got around to reading this. :)

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rather dull trio of Dr. Who related adventures, of interest only to devoted fans of the show. Those who have watched the Matt Smith series closely will find a few chuckles in the tie-ins to "Angels in Manhattan" and nicely-honed interpretations of Madame Vastra & her associates. But the stories are little more than chase-driven vignettes.

[Leslie Hester · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited to read Amy Williams’s novel and couldn’t wait till it came out! She is a wonderful story teller and who knows who the raggedy man is but I hope he finds his copy of this ;)

[Rosa · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are three short stories in this collection, plus a foreword and a short excerpt from a "magazine interview" with Amelia Williams in 1969 at the end. Of these multiple entries, the only stories that were worth reading were the foreword and (surprisingly, to me) the Paternoster Gang story "The Devil in the Smoke."

The first story -- "Summer Falls" by Amelia Pond -- is interesting, but is an example of a book for children that does not age very well. I can see it as the kind of story I would enjoy as a kid, but the narrative is pithy and the negative style of nonsensical. It's nonsense in the way that, if you read this as a story written in a universe where Doctor Who is not a show and therefore people don't know who the Doctor is, so much of what happens in the story makes no sense and isn't adequately explained. When read as a Doctor Who short story, it works; when read as a story written within the Doctor Who universe by one of the Doctor's former companions, it doesn't. It reads like a story with a lot of inside references for the author's immediate friends and family that a wider reading audience would not get and therefore would not sell particularly well or be remembered. Which means that when Clara sees the girl she babysits reading this book in "The Bells of St. John," it makes little sense that chapter 11 made her cry; there is nothing within that chapter this emotional, especially when you don't understand Amelia's relationship with the Doctor.

The Angel's Kiss by "Melody Malone" is even worse. Is this the story that the Doctor is supposed to be reading in "Angels Take Manhattan" or are we to believe that Melody Malone has a whole series of pulp noir novels out there? If it *is* the story within the episode, then they did a piss poor job of having what happens in the book correspond to the Doctor's responses throughout. I read nothing that would lead to the Doctor randomly yelling "Yowza" as he reads through it, and considering that the Doctor is mentioned *by name* in the story, I find his confusion at being surprised that Melody Malone is River Song to be very strange. (Granted, it wouldn't be the first or last time that Steven Moffat wrote the Doctor as an idiot.) Also, half of the chapters that show up in the book within the episode do not exist in the short story. But, if it's a completely separate story than the one the Doctor is reading in the episode, then it still left a lot to be desired. River kind of sounds like herself, but only in the way that exacerbates her more annoying and unlikable characteristics. There were parts about River that I liked within the visual canon of the programme, but none of those few traits were present in "Melody Malone." Her inner headspace read like what a man assumes an attractive woman who is aware of her physical appeal would think of herself. And while that may be the case -- I am more than willing to admit that there are plenty of conceited and vain women out in the world -- I find it hard to believe that a woman is so focused on those thoughts when faced with the situation Melody Malone is writing about.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the adventure with the Paternoster Gang. Unlike most Whovians, I don't feel like their characters added much to the episodes they were in. While I didn't hate them as characters, I was never left caring much about them in visual canon. This story actually changed that for me. The mystery was fun, and the 19th century setting took my mind straight to Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist" and I finally felt like Strax was more than just a clown of a Sontaran. I was actually finding myself tempted to check out the audios of the Paternoster Gang because, if they're like this short story, I may actually really appreciate them. And also, it's the only story where the Doctor is not mentioned at all and so it feels as though it's a story that can easily stand on its own and be read by people who don't even know anything about Doctor Who. It reads kind of like an authentic Penny Dreadful novel of the story's original period and that's just...fun.

[Kosztadinovszki Vanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories were interesting and good for what they are. Obviously, the stories are simple and easy to understand since this is supposed to be a children's book. Clara even says this in the series that Summer Falls was her favourite as a child. Well, it really is a good story and the only one in which the Doctor actually appears.

The introduction to the book was just as interesting as the actual stories in the book. I liked that Clara appeared in it. I had a hunch that the old woman mentioned was her, but the ending made it evident. I just loved this, as it gave a frame to the stories and fit into the Doctor Who universe quite well.

Summer Falls was interesting, perhaps not as entertaining, but then again, this is clearly a story meant for children. It wasn't that interesting for me, but as a child, I probably would've liked it. The Angel's Kiss was fairly interesting, though the outcome was a bit ridiculous for me. I didn't really like Melody Malone's arrogance, but the author portrayed her quite well and captured River Song's characteristic personality and attitude in a film-noir setting. At least that's what the story reminded me of.

I liked The Devil in the Smoke the best, the author portrayed Madame Vastra, Jenny, and Strax the same as they appear in the series. I especially loved Strax's not-meant-to-be-funny yet still funny responses, and they made me laugh every time. It's a pity there's no film called "The Lizard Woman, the Troll and the Parlour Maid" as they're collectively called in the story, because that could be an interesting one to watch. This story was not just the most enjoyable but also the most interesting in the book. Its only shortcoming is that it reminded me too much of the DW episode The Snowmen. The only difference is that here, snow is not the nemesis, but the one that helps defeat the villain. But both the beginning scene with children making a snowman and the villain and its henchmen being a creature filled with smoke, etc., even the atmosphere of the story felt pretty similar, too. Not to mention that both stories include Madame Vastra, Jenny, and Strax as well, though the extent of their involvement in the stories is different. The Doctor doesn't make an appearance here, but everything else is just too similar. If it were not for this, I would be totally satisfied with this story. It's still my favourite, though.

I liked The Girl Who Never Grew Up the least. This chapter was boring, the interviewer was annoyingly biased and inwardly criticised Amy and Rory all the time, and only the last two or three pages were mildly interesting. And that mention of Rory singing about aliens in New York got stuck Englishman in New York in my head. I had to listen to some music to make it disappear. Still, I probably wouldn't mind that if this chapter were at least interesting.

[Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picking up this book for the first time, I didn’t expect much. I liked it for the gimmick of owning a book written by my favourite Doctor Who companion. However, what I got was three simple, but fun short stories.
Firstly, that introduction was amazing. Amy saying goodbye to her imaginary friend was great, and the surprise connection to Clara was a shock, but fit so well into Doctor Who.
Summer Falls was my favourite story. Kate, the Grey cat, and the Doc… I mean the Curator were a lot of fun. The mystery was also be interesting, and the looming threat of The Lord of Winter made this story hard to put down. 9/10
The Angels Kiss, though my least favourite story, was still a lot of fun. The mystery and adventure was fun, but what kept me reading was Melody Malone. The wit, charisma, and badassness of professor Song is a joy to follow, and it had me laughing non stop. 7/10
Finally, The Devil in the Smoke. I was looking forward to this story the most because I love Paternoster Gang. Thankfully, this story does a great job at capturing what made the characters so memorable. Jenny was as kind as always, Madame Vastra was great, and Strax stole the show every time he appeared. The mystery, and the villain were also great and, just like the last stories, made it hard to put the book down. 8.5/10

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am definitely a Doctor Who fan. Amy, Rory and River are my favorite of the companions. I was so excited to start this book. It is a collection of 3 short stories. The first two are supposed to be written by Amy and River respectively. The last one one is set in Victorian London and features Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax (from the show). But there is also a fourth story. It is in the prologue and in the notes afterwards. It is more information about Amy, and her life with Rory after the Angels take them back. It is well worth the read.

This books evoked all the feelings from the 11th Doctor's series. The Angel's Kiss by Melody Malone was super fun and really felt like it was written by River. Summer Falls was an interesting mystery that would be at home as a Doctor Who episode. Devil in the Smoke was a great Madame Vastra adventure. She really needs her own stand alone movie or something.

I definitely recommend this to all Doctor Who fans. Even if you have never watched Doctor Who, this is still a good fantasy/sci fi collection. I thought it was wonderful.

[Mai · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh this book. i’m a huge fan of the pond era in the show so this book meant a lot to me. that era of the show always makes me feel so at home and nostalgic and this book captured that perfectly and also brought some comfortable closure to some parts of the pond’s storyline that i always felt needed something more.

this book perfectly captures the aspect of amy writing and it reads just like that. i really felt i was experiencing amy’s journey as she wrote through both the story and the added author interaction within the introduction and the interview, which did make me ugly cry.

even if i weren’t a fan of doctor who the story ‘summer falls’ would still be so enjoyable and i would recommend even to those who haven’t seen the show. it’s a beautiful story and i found it very relatable, nostalgic, and exciting, amongst a number of other things. it does add to be a fan of the show as you can enjoy amy’s clear references to her time with the doctor, such as the character of the curator. i think this story was beautifully written and i really enjoyed it.

the other two stories were also very enjoyable. ‘the angel’s kiss’ did also read as river which is always exciting as i find she’s a great character to read from the perspective of as she’s so interesting. very exciting story! and the story of ‘devil in the smoke’ was great, i really revelled in the mystery of that story and found it exciting to follow.

overall, this book is one of my all-time favourites! it brings to light the feelings i always get when watching the series 5-7a era of doctor who which will forever remain my favourite, and helped me find more comfort in the pond’s ending. i love this book.

[Ricardo Sousa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Algumas produções citam livros que só existem em seu universo. Em algumas ocasiões, essas obras ultrapassam o universo ficcional, como é o caso de Quando cair o Verão, saído diretamente do Universo de Doctor Who.

Inspirado no episódio The Angels Take Manhattan, da sétima temporada, a obra teria sido escrita por Amelie Williams, uma das Companions do Doutor cuja a despedida foi uma das mais emocionantes da série que é a mais longa da TV.

Pode-se imaginar que o livro aborde diretamente a série, mas a única referência é a autora e uma ou outra citação indireta. Os três contos apresentam histórias interessantes com finais surpreendentes.

Uma boa pedida para os fãs de Doctor Who e para quem procura contos rápidos e interessantes.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rage quit this book years ago and it’s been haunting my “currently reading” shelf ever since. I refused to not finish it because I bought it in the prime of my Doctor Who mania for full list price, and I rarely if ever pay full list price. I remember enjoying the nostalgia and storybook feeling of the first half with Amelia, and then becoming super pissed at the portrayal of River Song. I finished the final story recently and enjoyed it well enough, but the writing was simplistic and didn’t have the same twist that I usually expect from Doctor Who. Overall I found this to be pretty disappointing. I guess I got my money’s worth though since I stretched this out for seven years.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, it’s not literature. The only Doctor Who books I’ve read before were audiobooks, frequently even voiced by actors from the show. And I power through audiobooks quickly, which really improves books like this. If I could have read each short story in one siting, they would have been better. But I can’t sit because kids, so it took a painful 3 weeks to get through. The introduction and epilogue were good, and I enjoyed the setup of the River story; film noir is fun. But why invent new powers for established villains?

[Gabriella Shell · Rating 4 out of 5]

After seeing this book appear in a Doctor Who episode I began looking for the story. I finally found it on a used book website and was so happy when I realized that The Angels Kiss and Devil in the Smoke were included. From the moment I read the foreword that tied Amelia and Clara together I was thrilled. This book was amazing from start to finish and I highly recommend it for any Whovian.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm bit dissapointed by the collection, to be honest. Over all it is not bad. It just doesn't quite live up to the series...