Doctor Who: The Art Of Destruction (Doctor Who (BBC Hardcover)) (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The TARDIS lands in 22nd century Africa in the shadow of a dormant volcano. Agri-teams are growing new foodstuffs in the baking soil to help feed the world's starving millions - but the Doctor and Rose have detected an alien signal somewhere close by. When a nightmare force starts surging along the dark volcanic tunnels, the Doctor realizes an ancient trap has been sprung. But who was it meant for? And what is the secret of the eerie statues that stand at the heart of the volcano? Dragged into a centuries-old conflict, Rose and the Doctor are soon elevating survival to an art form - as ancient, alien hands practice arts of destruction all around them...

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Random House UK (May 16, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0563486511
• ISBN-13: 978-0563486510
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #110,326 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 Good story, some flaws, September 9, 2007

By	NTG85 (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This is overall a good book, with an excellent story, but some flaws in the writing.
The book follows Rose and the Doctor to 22nd century Earth, where Africa is still stricken with poverty and famine, and a small research farm is trying to grow new, hardier fruits and vegetables that survive in the desert. But they stumble across an ancient alien, which begins attacking things, turning them into living gold statues. It up to the Doctor and Rose, of course, to sort it out.
The story is excellent, with plenty of twists and turns that aren't easy to predict. Rose, contrary to her character in the series, every once in a while does something useful instead of shouting at the Doctor; The Doctor is for the most part in character. The aliens introduced here, from giant worms to multi-armed, -eyed, and -tongued space centipedes, are interesting and different.

But there are a few annoying bits that stick out. While the Doctor is for the most part in character, he's more bipolar than ever before, going from hyperactive to full of rage to thoughtful within a sentence or two. Maybe he forgot to take his lithium? Second, the book is full of terrible puns at the worst moments. For example at one point, the Doctor, deadly serious, tells a character to be more alert- "Earth needs more lerts." It's not just that it's groan-worthy, it's that it's placed at the most inappropriate moment. This hasn't been a problem in the other Stephen Cole novel I've read; perhaps he just was feeling silly when he wrote this.

Overall, this is a fine book, and well worth a read, though I think before I re-read this one, I'll go through with a sharpie and mark out a few bad jokes; I don't want to strain my eyes from all the rolling.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another trip in time and space, September 11, 2007

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

The TARDIS materializes in 22nd-century Chad. An Agricultural Technology Unit growing an experimental fungus in a dormant volcano has encountered a strange substance that turns living creatures into a menacing golden army. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Rose discover a strange alien static...

If you are a fan of the new Doctor Who series, chances are you'll like this little hardcover tie-in novel. Author Stephen Cole does a good job capturing the spirit of the television show, creating a memorable alien enemy and throwing in some great one-liners and a few bad ones. It may not be great literature, but it sure is fun.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read Book!, March 20, 2009

By	Laurie A. Mayo "Laurie A Mayo" (Florida) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a must read book from the Doctor Who series. It is great.