Doctor Who: Terror of the Vervoids [Paperback]

Pip Baker (Author), Jane Baker (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Carol Pub Group (March 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0426203135
• ISBN-13: 978-0426203131
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,848,114 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars A companion from the future?, February 21, 2001

By 

"grrreg" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Doctor Who: Terror of the Vervoids (Paperback)

The third part of 'The Trial of a Time Lord', which means you should be looking to ensure you have the rest (that's 'The Mysterious Planet', 'Mindwarp' and 'The Ultimate Foe'). There is an overarching storyline that continues and develops the four and the whole makes more sense together.

The first two parts represent the prosecution's case against the Doctor. Now, he presents his defence with an adventure from his own future - his defence being that he improves. In this adventure, modelled on the tried-and-true 'Murder on the Orient Express' style, is fairly straightforward. The bad news is that the story is quite muddies by the trial sequence: it is regularly intrusive and the questions about the veracity of the story are very much at the forefront.

In this story we meet Mel, the Doctor's new companion who he has yet to meet. Mel is a computer programmer and a fitness fanatic, and is sadly portrayed in a fairly one-dimensional way - a trait that characterised Mel during the vast majority of her TV serials. I have been pleased that she has become a better developed character in the original novels and her one Big Finish audio - 'Fires of Vulcan'.

I wasn't too happy with the introduction of an "old friend" of the Doctor, who we have never seen before. While this is fine, I don't think it actually added anything to then story.

A problem with this book is that the final understanding of what happens doesn't come until you read 'The Ultimate Foe', which is a rather sad thing.

3.0 out of 5 stars Good... And bad..., December 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Doctor Who: Terror of the Vervoids (Paperback)

This is part 3 of the massave "Trial of a Time Lord". And it has its high points. Pip and Jane Baker have told this story well, and it moves along at a quick pace. It has low points, as well. Lack of physical description, lack of character, and just a feeling of... something missing, dynamo, semi-spoil the plot. Ah, well. Still very good. You'll also want to read "The Mysterious Planet", "Mindwarp", and "The Ultimate Foe", the other parts of "Trial of a Time Lord".