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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Doctor Who book that reads like a... book!,
By Andrew McCaffrey "The Grumpy Young Man" (Satellite of Love, Maryland) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Timewyrm: Revelation (The New Doctor Who Adventures) (Paperback)
The Virgin New Adventures promised much upon their initial release. Unfortunately, while the first three books had varying degrees of success at holding the readers' interest, they hadn't done much in the way of fulfilling their back cover promise. The closest thing they'd done to being "too broad and too deep for the small screen" was (apart from having a lot of night filming) to include characters who had been played by on television by actors who were now dead.And then, on the fourth book, came TIMEWYRM: REVELATION. Instead of cleverly sidestepping the Timewyrm Arc in the way that EXODUS and APOCALYPSE had, Paul Cornell dove right into the elements and constructed the story right around the Timewyrm and her mysterious powers. Instead of having cameos of previous Doctors just for the sake of it, here we have the Doctor's past popping up to give us a different point of view. These sections are excellent. These are enduring images that capture the very essence of the Doctors that they are displaying. Apart from a few places of awkwardness at the conclusion, this whole concept works very well -- which is a relief, since in the hands of a lesser writer one could imagine this going horribly, horribly wrong. Thankfully, it works well here. The book splits its time between doing things that don't work well if you think about them too hard and doing things that work exponentially better the more you think about them. It's a strange combination, but one that ultimately succeeds. Several characters are drawn quite realistically. We really get inside the Doctor's head, of course, but we also get some excellent characterization out of Ace and a handful of the secondary characters. The Reverend Trelaw and Saul are some of the most interesting people we've seen in Who. Even the characters without much to do have several enjoyable exchanges, although one wonders while reading if Emily and Peter are ever going to have anything to do. This is a story about growing up, about transforming oneself from one thing into another, while still retaining the core and beliefs of the person that was there before. (Any similarities to the process that the books were going through -- trying to establish themselves after the glories of the television series -- can only be entirely circumstantial, I'm sure.) For the most part, the book succeeds at what it's doing. The sections where Ace grows up, both physically (due to age regression and progression) and emotionally are quite well done, being powerful and surprisingly subtle in places. The difference in viewpoint between the child Ace and the grown woman are done quite well. Cornell had a lot to say about growing up and everything works exactly as it should in the context given. There are a few areas where the TV series background of the book is apparent. The action is very fast and there are many quick-cut scenes. It's an odd mixture of literary Who blended with televisual Who, but I think it's an experiment that mostly succeeds. The book is fast, furious and surrealistic. It's a head trip that almost completely works. So, what we end up with is a book for which it is impossible to downplay its long-term influence. REVELATION left its mark on the books from that point forward. The books suddenly looked like they really could hit that goal of being "too broad and too deep for the small screen". The future was bright.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Where The New Adventures Really Began.,
By
This review is from: Timewyrm: Revelation (The New Doctor Who Adventures) (Paperback)
It's hard to imagine that nearly twenty years ago the idea of original Doctor Who novels was just getting going. With four novels, Virgin launched a continuation of the then canceled TV series with four novels connected by the title villain called the Timewyrm. The first three books had their hits (Timewyrm: Exodus) and misses (Timewyrm Genesys and Timewyrm: Apocalypse). It was with the fourth novel, Revelation, written by newcomer Paul Cornell, that the New Adventures really got their start. And what a beginning it turned out to be as Timewyrm Revelation would prove not only to be the end of the Timewyrm saga but the true beginning of the New Adventure stories.
One of the strongest attributes of the novel is in its characterization of its lead characters the seventh Doctor and Ace. While the previous novels had been very much off on the characterization and a good reproduction of them at best, Revelation (for the first time) really pushed these two characters to their limit. For the first time we are given insight into the seventh Doctor, the grand manipulator, who we all thought we knew so well. The seventh Doctor isn't just the grand manipulator he is a man haunted by his past and by what he may have to do not only in the present but in the future as well. For the first time the Doctor isn't just a mysterious time traveler but an actual person and it is this insight into the Doctor that makes the novel so revealing. Cornell also takes Ace to her limit as well as she faces threats not only from her past (in the form of a childhood bully) and present but from the Doctor himself. Yet it is Ace who brings out what is best in the Doctor in the end in one of the most dramatic pieces of Doctor Who writing ever. Yet despite all this new material the characters fell and even sound like they are continuations of the characters as played by Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred which makes the illusion complete so to speak. The characterization of other characters fares well for the most part too. At last the Timewyrm comes into her own as villain and it is far from the almost cliché writing of some of the previous novels. The Timewyrm is at last a genuine threat and ahs considerable presence within the pages she occupies. Cornell takes us inside the mind of a child bully whose thoughts are taken to horrific extremes by the Timewyrm. Cornell also manages to bring back a character from Exodus who gets a fine exit not to mention a nice bit of fleshing out as well. While all this is good Cornell then brings us some ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances in the forms of Emily Hutchings, her husband Peter and the Reverend Trelawn. Even more surprising is how well Cornell makes a truly odd character work in the form of the sentient church Saul. While some of these characters do very little for much of the novel (true especially in the case of Emily and Peter) they each get a moment to shine and Cornell doesn't waste it. Cornell also handles two of the biggest problems of the previous novels very well and turns them into pluses: previous Doctors and continuity references. While these two items had caused considerable problems previously here they are put to fantastic use. The revelation of the title also refers to the previous Doctors as well and especially the third Doctor (which will make you watch Inferno in a different light to be sure) and the fifth Doctor. Cornell takes the series mythology (as it was in the early 90's) and creates some truly chilling sequences including one where the Doctor faces those who have died because of his actions. Cornell doesn't litter the novel with references but when he makes one he sues it for maximum effect. Cornell even manages to slip in a reference to The Other who would later on play an intriguing role in the Doctor's history as the New Adventures went on. Combined together the results are truly amazing for a fan of the series to behold as things that had previously weighed down novels lift this one up in ways truly unexpected. If the previous Timewyrm novels were conventional stories, Revelation goes as far in the opposite direction as possible. It is a surreal story where nothing is quite what it seems and the line between reality and fantasy becomes increasingly blurred until the final pages. Much of this is down to the novels' two major settings: the church on the Moon and the twisted landscape that the Doctor and Ace find themselves in (which will come as something as a shock if you aren't all ready aware of it). The novel also gets off to an start which leaves the reader guessing as a major character dies off TWICE in short succession. Yet despite all this Cornell never loses sight of his characters though there is some rather odd naming of characters after fellow fans and writers (some more obvious then others). Or to put it all another way: Revelation is a page-turner and paced very quickly. While it does have some minor faults Timewyrm Revelation is still a fantastic read. It also represents a rather historic moment in Doctor Who fiction as well. For the first time the story's lead characters had been pushed there limits and given some major development along the way. It also very much set the tone for which other more experimental novels were to follow in the years to come. It also represents the first "official" piece of Doctor Who writing by Paul Cornell whose reputation as a writer on the series should speak for itself. But above Timewyrm Revelation represents one thing: the place where the New Adventures really began.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A solid ending to a bold idea...,
By
This review is from: Timewyrm: Revelation (The New Doctor Who Adventures) (Paperback)
Paul Cornell has written a great ending to a series of books that were risky to begin with. It's not too often you see a line of books, even one based on a popular tv series, begin with a multi-part storyline. And while the story went from simple to (the first book in the series whose name eludes me at the moment) to silly (Timewyrm: Apolcalypse, the third in the series, Cornell not only offers a great story, but also sets the stage and mood for future chapters in this series, which has either been embraced or repulsed by Doctor Who fandom. The nice thing about this work is that it stands alone, if you are unwilling to read the others in the series. Take a look and then you decide.
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