Customer Reviews

Doctor Who and the Masque of Mandragora: A Classic Doctor Who Novel

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A great, fun old Who adventure. In this novel, Doctor Who gets knocked out twice, Sarah captured four times, and then the doctor sets up a trap that kills hundreds of peasents because they were dupped into a cult. Does the Doctor feel shame or sadness? No, he just asks for a salami sandwich. A fast read, and a good one. Enjoy it for what it is.

This episode of the Doctor has quite a bit going on with two significant foes to be dispatched. First there is the political intrigue, a brother who is trying to steal his sibling's rule by killing said sibling and his son. Then there is the evil intelligence (the Mandragora) the Doctor has unwittingly brought with him. Its goal is (of course) to rule the universe.

The Doctor is aided by Sarah in this one, which takes place in Italy in 1492. No mention of Columbus though :) I found the political plot to be a bit distracting at times, it seemed more time was spent on it than the Mandragora. Personally I would have prefered more emphasis on the Mandragora.

All in all an OK book, and a quick read.

The TARDIS takes the Doctor and Sarah close to the Mandragora Helix as they travel through the Vortex. Forced to materialise there temporarily, the TARDIS picks up an unwelcome passenger in the form of a ball of Mandragora energy, which forces the TARDIS off course to 15th century Italy.

There, Prince Giuliano is in a precarious position politically, under threat from his uncle Count Frederico, and the second, hidden threat of the Brotherhood of Demnos, a black-magic cult that Mandragora plans to use for its own ends... Caught up in political intrigue and the manipulations of a secret society, the Doctor and Sarah must prevent the annexation of Earth by the Mandragora Helix.

'The Masque of Mandragora' was an excellent TV serial, and makes the transition to the written page under the pen of its producer, Philip Hinchcliffe. The adaptation is a reasonable one, but perhaps suffers from the lack of the wonderful scenery of Portmeirion, where the serial was shot. However, the story is a strong one and makes a good transition to the novel form.