Doctor Who: The Blood Cell
by James Goss
Publisher: Broadway Books
Pub. Date: September 9, 2014
ISBN: 978-0804140928
Pages: 256
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

I've been a Doctor Who fan ever since I saw the first episodes of the first series (season) of the current incarnation back when it aired on the Scfi Channel (now known as Syfy). Though I have been well aware of all the novelization out there, I only started reading a few of the Doctor Who books this year.

 Doctor Who: The Blood Cell centers on the Doctor being stuck on an asteroid prison where he is known as Prisoner 428. The book primarly focuses on the warden - the Governor. The prison is cut off from civilians, so the Governor is a bit shocked when a young woman shows up pleading for Prisoner 428's release. Of course this woman is the Doctor's current companion, Clara.

While I have enjoyed reading the other recently released Doctor Who books, this one is a little bit of a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, there are a few entertaining parts here and there, but as a whole it was quite boring.


About the Author:

AMES GOSS has written three Torchwood novels, a Doctor Who novel, and two radio plays, and is the co-author, with Steve Tribe of The Dalek Handbook and Doctor Who: A History of the Universe in 100 Objects. His books Dead of Winter and First Born were both nominated for the 2012 British Fantasy Society Awards.  

Doctor Who: The Crawling Terror
by Mike Tucker
Publisher: Broadway Books
Pub. Date: September 9, 2014
ISBN: 9780804140904
Pages: 256
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Doctor Who fans have a lot of time to waste waiting for the 9th series (season) to begin, but luckily we have a few Doctor Who novels to keep us busy, including Doctor Who: The Crawling Terror by Mike Tucker.

Set during the 12th Doctor's time-line, the book centers on the Doctor and his companion, Clara, arriving in the small village of Ringstone, which is being overruled by alien bugs! With the UNIT preoccupied with something else, the British Army decides to take matters into their own hands by cutting off the village from the outside world, followed by a possible airstrike.

Of course the Doctor isn't going to standby and let innocent people get killed. Besides from being angry at the British Army, things get even more complicated when the Doctor gets separated from Clara.

After celebrating its 50th Anniversary last year, Doctor Who has returned for an eight season (series) with Peter Capaldi taking over the title reigns from Matt Smith. The eight season (series) premiered on August 23rd on BBC One and BBC America with the 80-minute episode, titled Deep Breath. Typically a DW fan would have to wait until the full season (series) DVD or Blu-ray release to own the first episode, but BBC America will be releasing Doctor Who: Deep Breath on a single-disc DVD and Blu-ray today, September 9, 2014. Bonus Features include: a Prequel Scene, Behind the Scenes, Doctor Who Lives: The Next Doctor and The Real History of Science Fiction: Episode 4 - Time.

Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Clara (Jenna Coleman)

Deep Breath picks up shortly after the ending of The Time of the Doctor with newly regenerated Doctor suffering from a bit of post-regenerative trauma. The adventure beings with the TARDIS being spit out of the mouth of a Tyrannosaurus Rex that is causing chaos in Victorian London. The Doctor's latest companion, Clara Oswald (played by Jenna Coleman), is still in shock about the Doctor's new incarnation and seeks help from the Paternoster Gang - Silurian Madame Vastra (played by Neve McIntosh), her human maid/wife Jenny Flint (played by Catrin Stewart), and the Sontaran butler Strax (played by Dan Starkey).

While the Doctor tries to rest, the Paternoster Gang helps the local police deal with the Tyrannosaurus Rex problem.  Out of nowhere the Tyrannosaurus Rex spontaneously combusted into thin air.

The Doctor, along with Clara and the Paternoster Gang, investigates the strange occurrences, which leads them on the trail of human-like robots that is lead by a cyborg who wants to become human.

Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor
Director: Jamie Payne
Starring: Matt Smith, Jenna Coleman and Peter Capaladi
Studio: BBC
Release Date: March 4, 2013
Retail: $14.98
ASIN: B00HCK7THS
Running Time: 63 minutes
Rating: NOT RATED

Review:

BBC's Doctor Who franchise celebrated its 50th anniversary last year with a slue of DVD/Blu-ray releases, the second half of Series 7 and the 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor. It all ended with Matt Smith's final adventure in the Christmas Special Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor, which is arriving on Blu-ray and DVD this Tuesday, March 4th. Special features include "The Time of the Doctor - Behind the Lens," "Farewell to Matt Smith," and "Tales of the TARDIS."

Picking up shortly after the events in "The Day of the Doctor" that revealed the possible survival of the Doctor's home planet, Gallifrey, the Doctor's Cyberman head "Handles" picks up an odd signal coming from an unknown planet, which the planet is orbited by thousands of aliens, all wanting to know who or what sent the signal.

Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor; the Doctor (Matt Smith) and Clara (Jenna Coleman) Photo Credit: © BBC

The Doctor's latest companion, Clara Oswald (AKA - the impossible girl), is trying to have a normal Christmas dinner with her family, when the Doctor magically shows up, once again dragging her into the TARDIS to travel to the unknown world to figure out what the signal is coming from. With the use of Handles, they track down the strange signal which is located in a town called Christmas, where the Doctor encounters a familiar mystery - the crack in the wall, which was thought to have been closed in "The Big Bang."

Doctor Who: The Doctor's Revisited Ninth-Eleventh
Starring: Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith
Studio: BBC America
Release Date: December 3, 2013
Retail: $39.98
ASIN: B00EZQH11G
Running Time: 339 minutes
Rating: Not Rated

Review:

Doctor Who turned the big 50 last weekend and BBC is continuing the celebration by releasing Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited - Ninth-Eleventh featuring a 2-part story for each actor's (Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith) tenure as the Doctor. Each story is presented in its original 2-part version, a feature film version with an introduction by Steven Moffat and a 25-minute documentary on each Doctor. Additionally, there are four magnets included with the set.

Christopher Eccleston's stay as the ninth Doctor may have been short, but he did help reboot the franchise for a new generation of fans. His final two episodes, Bad Wolf & The Parting of Ways) are presented in this set. The Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack Harkness suddenly find themselves separated on various game shows (The Weakest Link, Big Brother and What Not To Wear), only for a few minor changes - the losers are exterminated. As the Doctor escapes the game show, he soon learns his enemy - Daleks are responsible. The Parting of Ways finds The Doctor sending Rose in the TARDIS back to Earth while he tries to stop a Dalek invasion, all leading to his regeneration.

The Stolen Earth and Journey's End are the two final episodes of the tenth Doctor's (David Tennant) third season (series) which brings former companions Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, Captain Jack Harkness and Sarah Jane Smith, to help him stop another Dalek invasion (created and led by Davros and the red supreme Dalek), but this time the Daleks are a step ahead the Doctor, as the Daleks have literally stolen Earth and have relocated it. It almost seems the Doctor will finally be defeated by his nemesis, but everyone's fate lies in the hands of Donna Noble.