Doctor Who: Sting Of The Zygons (Doctor Who (BBC Hardcover)) (Hardcover)

~ Stephen Cole (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The TARDIS lands the Doctor and Martha in the Lake District in 1909, where a small village has been terrorised by a giant, scaly monster. The search is on for the elusive "Beast of Westmorland," and explorers, naturalists and hunters from across the country are descending on the fells. King Edward VII himself is on his way to join the search, with a knighthood for whoever finds the Beast. But there is a more sinister presence at work in the Lakes than a mere monster on the rampage, and the Doctor is soon embroiled in the plans of an old and terrifying enemy. And as the hunters become the hunted, a desperate battle of wits begins - with the future of the entire world at stake...

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Random House UK (July 19, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1846072255
• ISBN-13: 978-1846072253
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #354,092 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "But that was ages ago, up in Loch Ness and about seventy years from now.", December 8, 2007

By	Crazy Fox (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

As science fiction novels based on a TV series go, "Sting of the Zygons" is an enjoyable adventure story. The mood and pace of the show in its third series (Doctor Who - The Complete Third Series) is translated into narrative prose skillfully enough and the characters of the Doctor and Martha are captured convincingly well even if the tensions in their relationship go unspoken here. Lots of memorable if uncomplicated supporting characters populate the tale and impel it forwards, and the Zygons and their cybernetic leviathans make for interesting antagonists. In that regard, it's nice to see a reasonably well known but not overhyped race of aliens from the heyday of the Fourth Doctor back in 1975 show up again here with the Tenth, and their portrayal is true to their original appearance without overly relying upon it and merely rehashing "Terror of the Zygons" (Doctor Who - Terror of the Zygons) in pumped-up 21st-century form. The plot has some nice twists and turns and keeps the reader guessing quite well at the beginning, though the author resorts to the shape-shifting abilities of the Zygons for shock value a few too many times so that it ceases to be much of a surprise. Besides Zygon metamorphosis, though, what you see is what you get, a straightforward sci-fi adventure with no real subtexts or thought-provoking themes. In terms of writing level and sophistication, then, "Sting" seems to be geared especially for older children and young adults, though a few clever touches make it accessible for older adults in a frivolous frame of mind--especially, as I can personally attest, if they're whiling away the creeping hours in airports or passing the time quietly while nursing a cold.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Story, July 25, 2008

By	Peter Deadman (Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Now, I've reviewed four of the new adventures with Martha and 10th Doctor, and this is my favourite so far by a long way. It feels very much like an old series adventure, and very in tune with the original Tom Baker one as well. Stephen Cole used the length of the story (2h 20min on audio) to good effect, and there is surprisingly little padding.

The supporting characters were good (some not so good, some better), and the villains were actually quite good in this one. Although the shape changing is overused a bit, it helps distinguish this race from other monsters.

The Doctor and Martha actually gets quite a lot to do, and there's very few Deus Ex Machina plot points in this story. Even the resolution was good, and I think that the historical setting is a good way to ground the story's background so the author can concentrate on other things.

Overall, a good story, the best of the new adventures I've encountered so far.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Old Enemy, New Doctor, May 1, 2008

By	Sharilyn (Somewhere in Time and Space) - See all my reviews

The Tenth Doctor and companion Martha battle Zygons in England's Lake District in 1909.

If my basic plot summary sounds ho-hum, it's not meant to. It is not easy to resurrect old monsters (the Zygons first appeared in the 1975 Tom Baker adventure "Terror the Zygons"), much less keep them true to form while still making them fresh and interesting. Stephen Cole has done a good job; he's crafted a tale that, while firmly rooted in the "new" Doctor Who style, evokes fond memories of the "classic" era.

This is one of the better books in this series of tie-in novels--well paced with interesting characters. This Doctor Who fan thought it was great fun!