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Doctor Who: The Maze of Death
An ancient artifact buried deep within the TARDIS leads the Doctor back to London, where a deadly predator prowls the tunnels beneath the city. As the Time Lord and her friends investigate, they uncover a mystery that will take them from a secret mountain base to the depths of the ocean - and if they cannot solve it, one of them will perish.
In order to save her friend, the Doctor must solve the riddle of... The Maze of Doom!
In order to save her friend, the Doctor must solve the riddle of... The Maze of Doom!
272 pages, Paperback
Published November 7, 2019
10 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
David Solomons
45 books56 followersDavid Solomons has been writing screenplays for many years. His first feature film was an adaptation of ‘Five Children and It’ (starring Kenneth Branagh and Eddie Izzard, with gala screenings at the Toronto and Tribeca Film Festivals). His latest film is a romantic comedy set in the world of publishing, ‘Not Another Happy Ending’ (Karen Gillan, Iain de Caestecker), which closed the Edinburgh International Film Festival. My Brother is a Superhero is his first novel for children. He was born in Glasgow and now lives in Dorset with his wife (and novelist) Natasha, and son, Luke.
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February 2, 2022“She’d often thought about the Doctor’s two hearts. One wasn’t enough to hold the universe.”
very fun very cute! love how david solomans writes these characters.
very fun very cute! love how david solomans writes these characters.
November 28, 2023
Not quite as good as The Secret in Vault 13, but still a strong example of how to write a Thirteenth Doctor adventure.
Doctor Who: The Maze of Doom (or should that be The Maze of Death?) is equally reverential of the show's past, revealing a particular fascination for the Nimon species from The Horns of Nimon serial. In this book, these man-bull aliens become involved with human history in Crete under King Minos' rule. A Nimon becomes the minotaur of Ancient Greek legend and its spacecraft the labyrinth. If no-one else has ever written this concept into Doctor Who canon before, I would be very surprised.
Solomons follows the original legend as closely as Whovian continuity, which is impressive though not what kept me reading. The main plot was more interesting sci-fi with a green streak, but I didn't enjoy these details as much as the intrinsic understanding of the Thirteenth Doctor and her 'fam'.
Like in The Secret in Vault 13, Solomons finds a use for every companion in this somewhat overcrowded TARDIS team and shows how Jodie Whittaker's Doctor can be a technical genius with edge. All the while, he maintains each character's voice from the show, having most fun with Graham and his endless supply of dad jokes.
My main criticism of The Maze of Doom/Death is that it went on a bit too long. The Secret in Vault 13 could be accused of similar though I think it managed to pull it off as a nod to Classic Series arcs such as The Key to Time. Meanwhile The Maze of Doom/Death feels like two novella squished together. Of course, these plots follow on from each other but not quite as seamlessly as they should.
Even so I enjoyed Solomons' interpretation of the outgoing era of Doctor Who and the potential it could have had in a more assured writer's hands. The Maze of Doom/Death is a reliable sequel to The Secret in Vault 13 and both books deserve to be considered as good Thirteenth Doctor adventures with educational flair. Though we're going to enter the world of the Fifteenth Doctor at year's end, I do hope Solomons completes his trilogy with one last hurrah.
For now though I recommend Doctor Who: The Maze of Doom/Death to loyal readers of Solomons and any Whovian who needs proof that the Thirteenth Doctor had some entertaining stories written for her.
Doctor Who: The Maze of Doom (or should that be The Maze of Death?) is equally reverential of the show's past, revealing a particular fascination for the Nimon species from The Horns of Nimon serial. In this book, these man-bull aliens become involved with human history in Crete under King Minos' rule. A Nimon becomes the minotaur of Ancient Greek legend and its spacecraft the labyrinth. If no-one else has ever written this concept into Doctor Who canon before, I would be very surprised.
Solomons follows the original legend as closely as Whovian continuity, which is impressive though not what kept me reading. The main plot was more interesting sci-fi with a green streak, but I didn't enjoy these details as much as the intrinsic understanding of the Thirteenth Doctor and her 'fam'.
Like in The Secret in Vault 13, Solomons finds a use for every companion in this somewhat overcrowded TARDIS team and shows how Jodie Whittaker's Doctor can be a technical genius with edge. All the while, he maintains each character's voice from the show, having most fun with Graham and his endless supply of dad jokes.
My main criticism of The Maze of Doom/Death is that it went on a bit too long. The Secret in Vault 13 could be accused of similar though I think it managed to pull it off as a nod to Classic Series arcs such as The Key to Time. Meanwhile The Maze of Doom/Death feels like two novella squished together. Of course, these plots follow on from each other but not quite as seamlessly as they should.
Even so I enjoyed Solomons' interpretation of the outgoing era of Doctor Who and the potential it could have had in a more assured writer's hands. The Maze of Doom/Death is a reliable sequel to The Secret in Vault 13 and both books deserve to be considered as good Thirteenth Doctor adventures with educational flair. Though we're going to enter the world of the Fifteenth Doctor at year's end, I do hope Solomons completes his trilogy with one last hurrah.
For now though I recommend Doctor Who: The Maze of Doom/Death to loyal readers of Solomons and any Whovian who needs proof that the Thirteenth Doctor had some entertaining stories written for her.
October 7, 2020
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3481932.html
Of all stories from the classic era, I had not really expected The Horns of Nimon to provide material for a New Who novel. (Bearing in mind that even The Smugglers got a sort-of sequel in The Curse of the Black Spot.) Much adventuring for our team in a secret Mediterranean base where dire things are being plotted for humanity and particularly for poor Ryan. Great fun again, not very deep.
Of all stories from the classic era, I had not really expected The Horns of Nimon to provide material for a New Who novel. (Bearing in mind that even The Smugglers got a sort-of sequel in The Curse of the Black Spot.) Much adventuring for our team in a secret Mediterranean base where dire things are being plotted for humanity and particularly for poor Ryan. Great fun again, not very deep.
April 30, 2020
I would like to thank Netgalley and Puffin for an advance copy of Doctor Who: The Maze Of Doom.
I really enjoy this story, full of action and adventure with some really funny lines along the way. This is my first Dr Who book and it it so much more enjoyable than the TV series. The description of what’s happening is really clear.
This author is fabulous.
I really enjoy this story, full of action and adventure with some really funny lines along the way. This is my first Dr Who book and it it so much more enjoyable than the TV series. The description of what’s happening is really clear.
This author is fabulous.
January 1, 2025
This was pretty good! This is my first 13th doctor novel and you know what it's brilliant. I have always been a supporter of 13 I just felt like she "jodie" just had bad writers and this book proves how you can write a brilliant story for this doctor and the fam and make them fun and interesting and have the doctor feel like the doctor! This was amazing really well done, I definitely recommend
May 31, 2023
i got half way through and i was so confused why it was still going on ngl but it was enjoyable!
September 18, 2020
Please let David Solomons write for the TV show. Please. He's good at characterization, he's good with plots, and he knows how to use whoniverse elements to make the story amazing. I really want him to write an episode for 13th because her doctor deserves a writer like him.
April 11, 2020
Well, this proved to be a pretty satisfactory adventure, whatever the reader's age or experience with The Doctor. It's definitely the current one, featuring the latest multi-ethnic iteration of the TARDIS crew – with a brief allusion to lesbian affection at one point, as if the BBC's social engineering experiment isn't enough already. It also alludes to an adventure from the distant past, as far as we see it, when the fourth Doctor had what seemed to be a certain Mediterranean-based enemy of ancient myth. And that's what I liked about this, the way it seemed to have a handle on bringing in so much from multiple myths – there is a mention of zombies at one point, but you could also see The Golem in these pages, and even the Antikythera Mechanism is evoked in the thingummy that the baddies are trying to use. The narrative manages to do quite a bit the series wouldn't, with almost a Bond-styled travel round the continent (and attendant big set where the baddie can just stand there and say to everyone what he's doing) upping the scope. Now, I haven't watched the TV series since they replaced The Good One with The Ugly One, but I found the book tallied with what I've learnt about the characterisation of the companions and this generation, and even if that was not the case I think the action is breathless enough to make this a most satisfying page-turner. Of course it comes with a major slip-up when the timey-wimey stuff is used, tying itself into Terminator-styled knots, but that's par for the course. The quality of this, though, isn't.
February 14, 2022
A very fun Doctor Who novel, with some real gravitas to it. The story is involving and pretty gripping in places, with a mixture of light and dark moments mixed in (although never so dark that it becomes stifling).
The characterisation of the companions (Yaz, Ryan and Graham) has definitely been expanded upon, as we see more of their internal thoughts and how they view their time with the Doctor. While Ryan and Graham are growing more exhausted and disillusioned with their time aboard the TARDIS, Yaz has not lost that initial enjoyment of her time with Doctor, showing a deep joy and love towards her alien friend. And, yes, I mean love in the romantic sense too; it's not the focus of the novel, but it is made clear that Yaz's feelings for the Doctor are not strictly platonic. It's handled in a very matter-of-fact way, which I appreciate.
The Doctor herself is also characterised well; the time lord's kindness is on display here a lot, although -as is always the case with the Doctor- that doesn't mean that she is a cuddly bunny all the time.
All-in-all, a pretty great book. No complaints.
The characterisation of the companions (Yaz, Ryan and Graham) has definitely been expanded upon, as we see more of their internal thoughts and how they view their time with the Doctor. While Ryan and Graham are growing more exhausted and disillusioned with their time aboard the TARDIS, Yaz has not lost that initial enjoyment of her time with Doctor, showing a deep joy and love towards her alien friend. And, yes, I mean love in the romantic sense too; it's not the focus of the novel, but it is made clear that Yaz's feelings for the Doctor are not strictly platonic. It's handled in a very matter-of-fact way, which I appreciate.
The Doctor herself is also characterised well; the time lord's kindness is on display here a lot, although -as is always the case with the Doctor- that doesn't mean that she is a cuddly bunny all the time.
All-in-all, a pretty great book. No complaints.
July 24, 2020
Like The Secret in Vault 13 this is another fast-paced and fun adventure for 13 + the fam - the story’s a lot more focused this time as opposed to the jumping around of the previous one, and it does it rather nicely.
The characters are all very well done, and once again Yaz gets a fair bit of focus which is always lovely - pretty interesting in particular is a few little moments where we see Yaz and the Doctor’s interactions and Yaz’s thoughts about her.
There’s some really nice humour in here too - a highlight for me is the moment that
Also nice is how Solomons ties this in as a sort of sequel to a particularly surprising Classic story!
Timeline-wise, it follows on right after The Secret in Vault 13 - while the latest TV story that gets referenced is Resolution, I’m still inclined to say these two books just about fit in best in early Series 12, round about Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror.
The characters are all very well done, and once again Yaz gets a fair bit of focus which is always lovely - pretty interesting in particular is a few little moments where we see Yaz and the Doctor’s interactions and Yaz’s thoughts about her.
There’s some really nice humour in here too - a highlight for me is the moment that
Also nice is how Solomons ties this in as a sort of sequel to a particularly surprising Classic story!
Timeline-wise, it follows on right after The Secret in Vault 13 - while the latest TV story that gets referenced is Resolution, I’m still inclined to say these two books just about fit in best in early Series 12, round about Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror.
August 18, 2022
A fun adventure featuring something fun for all the Fam to do. Graham gets to channel the Sound of Music to help the Fam sneak into a research station. Yaz gets to use her police training to rescue someone from a monster on the loose in the London Underground and Ryan gets to be the bait to catch that monster.
The middle of the story is about the race to save Ryan from exposure to Nimon technology. This is a decent sequel to the classic Doctor Who story The Horns of Nimon. It even has an easter egg in the form of a reference to the previous events of Horns of Nimon, as there is a depiction of the Fourth Doctor, Romana, and K-9 on the walls of the Nimon ship.
I only have two complaints, the all too brief cameos from Icarus and Dedalus; and the far too quick or convenient resolution to Ryan's Nimon induced sickness. Despite these short comings, I enjoyed the plot of this book.
The middle of the story is about the race to save Ryan from exposure to Nimon technology. This is a decent sequel to the classic Doctor Who story The Horns of Nimon. It even has an easter egg in the form of a reference to the previous events of Horns of Nimon, as there is a depiction of the Fourth Doctor, Romana, and K-9 on the walls of the Nimon ship.
I only have two complaints, the all too brief cameos from Icarus and Dedalus; and the far too quick or convenient resolution to Ryan's Nimon induced sickness. Despite these short comings, I enjoyed the plot of this book.
March 6, 2022
Definitely written as babies first Who with lots of fun classic!Who references for a parent reading to their kid to indulge in. Right off the bat there were also many references to Thasmin which makes me think that Solomons had insider knowledge. These moment are beautifully written including some heart wrenching moments towards the end but do not overpower the main plot. The plot is compelling and interesting to read. A regen scare obviously doesn't have stakes in a books but reading Yaz’s reaction to it was incredibly emotional. The only thing I would request is some cool down time at the end.
May 12, 2020
Sci-Fi Mystery Action
Stories of icarus and the labyrinth Minotaur are in this adventure. A power source that breaks the laws of physics. Space Invaders and the ancients defeating them.
Review (non spoilers)
This is my first Doctor Who and I was pleasantly surprised. It's just a mystery novel with great action. Every incident is overcome while simply thinking about options. This is just a fun read that has great pacing. Nothing earth-shattering, but nice nonetheless.
Stories of icarus and the labyrinth Minotaur are in this adventure. A power source that breaks the laws of physics. Space Invaders and the ancients defeating them.
Review (non spoilers)
This is my first Doctor Who and I was pleasantly surprised. It's just a mystery novel with great action. Every incident is overcome while simply thinking about options. This is just a fun read that has great pacing. Nothing earth-shattering, but nice nonetheless.
May 17, 2020
Lightweight media tie-in for children, featuring Jodi Whittaker's 13th Doctor and her usual helpers. Expect several types of maze, a futuristic mechanical minotaur, a downed alien spacecraft in Ancient Crete, Daedalus and Icarus, modern London, and a monster in the underground. This reads pretty much like a self-contained TV episode with no major revelations.
August 23, 2024
This is definitely a contender for my favorite Thirteenth Doctor story and I cannot recommend it enough! Teaser below.
Featuring: SpaceCop!Yaz, Chicken!Doctor, Hot!Ryan, Moses!Graham, wardrobe changes, Man-dip, Greek mythology, cheese toasties, Roman(a), Capitalism, Cybermansplaining, robot dogs, and screaming (that last one is you)
Featuring: SpaceCop!Yaz, Chicken!Doctor, Hot!Ryan, Moses!Graham, wardrobe changes, Man-dip, Greek mythology, cheese toasties, Roman(a), Capitalism, Cybermansplaining, robot dogs, and screaming (that last one is you)
August 8, 2025
Extremely engaging the whole way through. I absolutely loved the development of relationships- particularly between Ryan and Graham, alongside the Doctor and Yaz. The plot is consistent and not too predictable; its creative inclusion of references to classical mythology and past parts of the show really elevate this text's quality.
April 3, 2020
This was a lot of fun and such a quick paced and exciting read. I loved the interaction between the doctor and all her companions. This was such a fun book and I would pick up more like this!
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 18, 2020
Perfectly average with some strong character moments, a marked improvement from its predecessor.
January 31, 2022
the scene where the doctor says she has to regenerate and yaz’s reaction oh my god i’m gonna be ill
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2022
absolute masterpiece of a Doctor Who book 🙏 keeping us thassies fed with the cute content 😭💖
September 8, 2020
A very lovely person on Twitter bought this book for me & I am so incredibly grateful that they did! I’ve been wanting to get my hands on David Solomons’ Doctor Who novels ever since I first heard about them & I was not at all disappointed by The Maze of Doom. I loved this story so much & I have no doubts that it’s a much better story than some of the adult Doctor Who novels I’ve read. The 13th Doctor & her fam were all written brilliantly & I adored how much attention Graham got in the story because he’s my fav. The writing was also excellent & the story kept me engaged the entire time with humour, high stakes & general Doctor Who brilliance. I really, really hope David writes more Doctor Who middlegrade adventures, & I hope we get some from other authors too!! I hate that I can’t afford a copy of David’s other Doctor Who book whilst I’m furloughed but I will be buying it as soon as I can.
Extended Review: https://wp.me/p8MbIo-3ff
Extended Review: https://wp.me/p8MbIo-3ff
March 6, 2022
Quite simply one of the most delightful books I've read in years, and easily one of the best Doctor Who literary adventures I've had the pleasure of laying my eyes upon. Absolutely brilliant!
December 18, 2022
"She's often thought about the Doctor's two hearts. One wasn't enough to hold the universe."
I listened to the audiobook read by Sophie Aldred who played Ace. After finding an ancient artefact inside an old bag of jelly babies within an coat- no guess to which Doctor this was. The Thirteenth Doctor along with Yaz, Graham and Ryan end up in an adventure that takes them to Ancient Greece, London, Switzerland and the Aegean Sea.
The book is engaging and was written well. It was very interesting especially about the Greek Mythology . There was also a few references to classic who.
I listened to the audiobook read by Sophie Aldred who played Ace. After finding an ancient artefact inside an old bag of jelly babies within an coat- no guess to which Doctor this was. The Thirteenth Doctor along with Yaz, Graham and Ryan end up in an adventure that takes them to Ancient Greece, London, Switzerland and the Aegean Sea.
The book is engaging and was written well. It was very interesting especially about the Greek Mythology . There was also a few references to classic who.
August 31, 2022
I am a huge fan of Ancient Greece, and an even bigger fan of Doctor Who, so needless to say this was right up my ally. I loved the writing, I loved how they twisted in the Greek mythology and all in all throughly enjoyed reading this book
April 4, 2023
thasmin <3
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