The Doctor decides it's safe to go back in time to find Varlos before he died. From what Gisella recalls of her father's plans, they head for Paris in 1895 where they discover a city in fear. Why will hardly anyone dare venture out after dark? Who is stealing time from their victims? What will the Doctor do when he realises the killer is also after him? Find out by reading the next thrilling adventure in..."The Darksmith Legacy".
Stephen Cole (born 1971) is an English author of children's books and science fiction. He was also in charge of BBC Worldwide's merchandising of the BBC Television series Doctor Who between 1997 and 1999: this was a role which found him deciding on which stories should be released on video, commissioning and editing a range of fiction and non-fiction titles, producing audiobooks and acting as executive producer on the Big Finish Productions range of Doctor Who audio dramas.
5 books into the Darksmith legacy, this is the best of the series so far. Brilliant characterisation and a fast and frenetic plot. Thoroughly enjoyed this and re-invigorated for the series which I have to be honest, although I have enjoyed I've fought my way through to this point.
For the middle of the Darksmith series this book certainly felt like it's a middle segment. An interesting story which had a nice conclusion but it felt it dragged in places when it came to the pacing. Overall it's left me looking forward to what is next!
A great entry in the Darksmith Legacy series. Great plot and some good characters takes us to the halfway point of the set. Only one continuity reference, this time to "The Christmas Invasion".
Personally I didn't like it too much, because I found it a bit confusing and hard to follow. I also prefer realistic books, It's the first book in the science fiction genre I've read and I already think I don't like the genre. I'm not saying it was a bad book but I just didn't like it and I know others might. In the Doctor Who books he travels to the past with his friend Gissela. In this book he went to Paris in 1895, when he got there he met an old man who really wasn't old he was a 9 year old boy, well he thought like one but was old, because a monster was going around sucking the life out of everyone. He was in an orphage one minute and the next thing he knew he was in an retirement village. Doctor Who has to solve the mystery of stolen time.
Doctor Who is always best when it does gothic horror, and that is something this Darksmith series has really focused upon, despite being intended for younger readers. Oddly, the main range of novels, intended for an older readership, has dallied very little with horror elements.
This is another very good read. As a novella rather than a novel, the plot isn't particularly convoluted, but the characters are well drawn and there are some effective set pieces. The plot is satisfying, with a gruesome and unpleasant villain and a steady escalation of menace, and it also advances the plot of the overall arc.
Not quite reaching the heights of the first two books in the series, but a very worthy read nonetheless.
The Vampires of Paris has been the most interesting Darksmith Legacy book so far. While all the books have had a mystery for the Doctor to solve, I feel that this one has been much more mysterious than the others. Even though it wasn't longer -they've all had a similar amount of pages- it did feel longer. Also, you can read it like a short murder mystery, which may have added to my enjoyment of this book.
We don't learn much about the general plot, but a few secrets are discovered. Not many and what we learn is not particularly relevant, but it's another piece in the puzzle of the Darksmiths and the Crystal.
Suitable for 8 - 11 year olds. A vampire in 19th century Paris. The Doctor looks for the creator of the Eternity Crystal. Ther re some nice atmospheric moments running about in the nighttime Paris streets. It's a shame that this was a childrens book because the ideas could have worked better in an adult one.
In my opinion he best of the The Darksmith Legacy so far. In this chapter we finally meet Varlos in 19th Century Paris where the life energy is being taken from people and animals by a time Vampire. The Plot is executed well and once again the gothic horror works well. The plot also continues well from the previous chapters and some great twists that connect back to previous chapters too.
"The Darksmith Legacy"-series wouldn't be a true Doctor Who experience without a journey into Earth's history. "The Vampire of Paris" takes us to medieval France where a sickness spreads like a pandemic. Nothing particularly innovative here, but the story flows well enough.