The Doctor's Adventures on Paper

“I’m just browsing” I told my Dad, “I only have seven dollars with me anyway.”

But there it was sitting on the sale shelf in all its glory. I gasped as I walked over to it and flipped it over to check the price, 6.98. Oh, this was fate. I didn’t even bother reading the blurp inside. If I had I would have read this:

“Now you may or may not have noticed, but we appear to be on fire.”

On a windswept Northern shore, at the very tip of what will one day become Scotland, the islanders believe the worst they have to fear is a Viking attack. Then the burning comes. They cannot run from it. Water will not stop it. It consumes everything in its path - yet the burned still speak.

The Doctor is just looking for a game on the famous Lewis chess set. Instead he encounters a people under attack from a power they cannot possibly understand. They have no weapons, no strategy and no protection against a fire sent to engulf them all.

Add in some marauding Vikings with very bad timing, a kidnapped princess with a secret of her own and a TARDIS that seems to have developed an inexplicable fear of water, and they all have a battle on their hands.

 The islanders must take on a ruthless alien force in a world without technology; without communications; without tea that isn't made out of bark. Still at least they have the Doctor on their side... Don't they?

Be forewarned: I dedicate this paragraph to Doctor Who fangirl ramblings.

Okay… THIS BOOK WAS SO GREAT!!! J. T. Colgan captured The Doctor’s wit, charm, and intelligence perfectly. I even had some page markers on hand while reading to mark all the hilarious lines. So, I have to share a few…

“Is that your brother?” asked The Doctor.

Luag nodded. “He’s amazing at fighting” he said confidingly. “But a bit grumpy.”

The Doctor nodded. ‘He’s a teenager. That’s not a concept that’s due to become fashionable for about twelve hundred years, but it really means grumpy. And reckless, without impulse control, occasionally aggressive…”

*  *  *

“What is your plan now, Doctor?” asked Henrik hopefully.

‘I have an excellent plan,” said The Doctor. “And we shall all be perfectly safe.”

“Oh good.” Said Henrik.

“Don’t you want to know what it is?”

“No, just knowing you are taking care of everything makes me feel better.” Said Henrik. There was a long pause.

“You know there is no plan?” said The Doctor finally.

“Yes,” said Henrik.

*  *  *

I could insert more but I’ll stop there. Those of you who completely spaced out for that part…hello and welcome back! This is the first Doctor Who novel I have read and there were a few grammatical things that were distracting at first. Like, some of the paragraphs weren’t indented (Which may have been an editing mistake) and they used apostrophes in place of quotations. 

             Maybe that’s standard with British grammar or with BBC publishing? I don’t know, but what I do know is that I enjoyed this book immensely and hope to pick up another Doctor Who novel soon.

Language: Mild (I actually can’t remember any but if there is it’s a only a few words)

Alcohol: I think they drink a type of rum at a large feast they have

Violence: 2

Sexual content: There are a couple kisses shared

Spiritual Content: Norse gods and beliefs is a key religion in the lives of the people in this book so it is discussed frequently. 

Currently Reading: The Warrior Spy By Dony Jay

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