Books Read in November, 2024
The start of a new month. Thus, as is my standard usage of my blog space at or near the beginning of the month, I present the listing of my November, 2024 reads.
*****
Books Read in November, 2024
Doctor Who and the Crusaders by David Whitaker
Inversions by Iain M. Banks
April, 2024 Reader's Digest
Doctor Who and The Time Witch (Comic)
Doctor Who: The Space Museum by Glyn Jones
Doctor Who: The Chase by John Peel\
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (r)
May, 2024 Reader's Digest
Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma To¨rzs
*****
And that was my reading for November, 2024. This was a pretty decent month of reading for me, around my average for what I usually read book-wise in a month, and definitely was about average in terms of the quality of the books read this month. I read a pretty decent amount of books this past month, but no roleplaying game related stuff at all, many Doctor Who books and the like, but it was pretty good for a month where my health issues reached some new lows. This month included just one re-read, and a couple of newer releases. As I've always maintained in these monthly book reading reports, it's all about the quality of the books, not the quantity, and this was true of November's reads in spades. Regardless, my bookcases are still stacked with a pretty large To Read Queue (TRQ). The books I enjoyed the most were:
Doctor Who and the Crusaders by David Whitaker
Within minutes of the TARDIS's arrival on Twelfth Century Earth, the Doctor and his companions are in serious trouble. They happen to intercept a Saracen attack on King Richard the Lionheart, thereby enabling the English King to escape otherwise certain capture. But Barbara is kidnapped and carried off by the Saracen attackers to the Sultan Saladin's court. Saladin spares her life - on condition she entertains his court by telling stories. And like Scheherazade, if she fails, then she must die... However, whie the Doctor and Vicki must survive the cut-throat politics of the English court at Jaffa, Barbara is kidnapped by a cruel Emir whose enmity she has earned when she makes a fool of him, and it is up to Sir Ian Chesterton to come to her rescue. Even if Ian escapes from a peril of his own and rescues her, will he and Barbara ever see the Doctor, Vicki, and the TARDIS again?
This book is the novelisation of The Crusaders, the sixth serial of the Second Season of Doctor Who and the fourteenth serial overall, featuring the First Doctor, as portrayed by William Hartnell, and his companions Barbara Wright, Ian Chesterton, and Vicki. This novelisation is penned by David Whitaker, based on the television serial (teleplay) by David Whitaker. One of the things that made the Hartnell years of Doctor Who so enjoyable for many was that while it presented stories of the future and with all manner of aliens, it also was down-to-Earth telling historical adventures as well. This book is the second of three very early, pre-Target novels, novelisations that was intended for a juvenile audience. Set in 12th Century Palestine during the Third Crusade, the story is one of the early educational historicals in which the crew of the TARDIS meet Richard the Lionheart and Saladin, and the reader is intended to learn about that time period during the events of the adventures that Ian and Barbara have. (For the most part, the Doctor and Vicki aren't as involved all that much in this story.) Author David Whitaker expanded his script here to include a bit of religious philosophy and a much more developed romance for Ian and Barbara. Throw in the terrific Henry Fox illustrations, and this is a wonderful book and a fine read. The Crusaders is one of the more history focused serials in the Hartnell period of the tv series, and Doctor Who and the Crusaders is even moreso in many respects as the serial writer, David Whitaker, has been able to focus on the historical elements of the time period a whole lot more and in more detail than the serial itself allowed him to do. While this novelisation has a great deal of weighty prose to it, notably in the prologue that is quite superb, the long conversation the Doctor has (not present in the original script), trying to come to grips with the immutability of time is still pretty hard going and not a little confusing with its rock climbing analogies, accompanied by Clive of India, Rasputin, Kennedy, Lincoln, Hitler and Napoleon. I'm still not sure how it all ties in with how certain Earth history can't be changed due to what is right and wrong, and how it all ties in with wondering what would happen in a situation where two historic figures opposed each other, both for their own right reasons. From what I can recall of the serial, as several of the episodes are missing, the novelisation of The Crusaders is essentially the same, but many of the events have been rearranged; for instance, Ian doesn't get staked out in the sand until much later in the story. There are also a number of events which occur differently in the book and in the serial; for instance, Ian never meets Saladin in the serial. The novelisation is also much more philosophical - there is a whole discussion in the prologue about how the Doctor can change history on some planets, but not on Earth (the reference is axtually to our version of recorded history). Ian also has a discussion with Saladin about Christianity versus Islam versus Buddhism, etc.. Some of the events in the book are probably more graphic than what would have been allowed on TV - Barbara actually gets whipped (to the point of needing salve on her wounds) in the book while she's in El Akir's harem. As noted above, Doctor Who and the Crusaders adds an extensive prologue and more action compared to the tv serial and depicts two historical events: King Richard's attempt at peace by offering his sister in marriage to Saladin's brother, Saphadin, in October 1191, and the ambush of King Richard near Jaffa in November 1191, although the timing of both was rearranged for dramatic purposes. Characterisation-wise, love is a major motivator for Ian's actions as a knight in the book. His (reciprocated) love for Barbara is explicitly stated in a way it never was on television or other Target novels written later by different authors. When compared to the approach taken by Donald Cotton in his novelisation of The Romans, Ian and Barbara feel like two very different characters, characters who know each other well, love each other, and don't seem all that...detached from one another as they did in Cotton's book (and script). The Doctor is written as he was seen on television: crotchety but intelligent, affectionate and loyal to his friends. Vicki doesn't do too much, rather like Susan before her, but this is not surprising. The novelisation of The Crusaders serial is very much Ian and Barbara's story. In the novelisation of the story, both Richard and Saladin are treated with respect as civilised men in an uncivilised time. The Islamic religion is respected in a way that I suspect it would not be if the serial and novelisation were written today. The character of El Akir is the villain of the piece, a misogynist and thief, only tolerated by Saladin because of his army. On the Christian side, Leicester disrupts the King's plan to marry his sister Joanna to Saladin's brother Saphadin, causing problems for the Doctor, possibly because of his (Leicester's) own love for her. Some maintain that the story manages to avoid racism, but not misogyny. I don't agree with this for the most part. The definition of misogyny is a hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that keeps women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. The story doesn't feel misogynistic to me per sé, although I appreciate that some female characters are abused. In the historical context of the story, the plan to marry Joanna to Saphadin was the kind of political manouevering using both sexes in marriage that went on for centuries as part of keeping the peace. I found that El Akir's mistreatment of Barbara (and I was surprised by the whipping in the novel, but not seen in the serial at all) was part of his cowardice and insecurity. He mistreated her (and presumably all women) to make himself feel more powerful and therefore he became more despicable. He got what he had coming to him because he was irredeemable - and I suspect most readers were pleased at this. Overall, Doctor Who and the Crusaders is a terrific novel that is filled with lots of prose and explanatory material explaining matters of the Third Crusade and some of the other historical events that surrounded it, but is definitely an Ian and Barbara story, though the (First) Doctor does get a few highlight moments. David Whitaker does a terrific job of bringing his script/teleplay to life on the printed page, and expands his story by getting somewhat into the heads of the main protagonists as well as Richard the Lionheart and Saladin, the main villain of El Akir, and a couple of other minor characters. But the book is also a fine example of what the historical Doctor Who serials could be, and is just a well written novel when it comes down to it. I highly recommend this book.
Doctor Who: The Space Museum by Glyn Jones
The TARDIS materialises on what, at first sight appears to be a dry and lifeless planet, serving only as a graveyard for spaceships. Then the TARDIS crew discovers a magnificent museum housing relics from every corner of the galaxy. These have been assembled by the Moroks, a race of cruel conquerors who have invaded the planet Xeros and enslaved its inhabitants. Upon further exploration, the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki seem to stumble upon the impossible. For suddenly facing them in an exhibit case they find - themselves.
This book is the novelisation of The Space Museum, the seventh serial of the Second Season of Doctor Who and the fifteenth serial overall, featuring the First Doctor, as portrayed by William Hartnell, and his companions Barbara Wright, Ian Chesterton, and Vicki. This novelisation is penned by Glyn Jones, based on the television serial (teleplay) by Glyn Jones. The Space Museum is one of the less fondly remembered serials of Doctor Who's original second series tales, but is given a very good re-telling in novel form by its original writer. The television book and the serial have an interesting beginning, with the crew discovering themselves as exhibits in a future museum due to having been temporarily side-tracked as the TARDIS jumps a time track, and the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki resolve to avoid this fate but get caught up in a rather pedestrian conflict between the ruling Moroks and the enslaved Xerons (but see below).
I seem to recall reading that scripter Glyn Jones (who was also the only person to both write for and act in the early years of the show) wasn't happy at the many changes that had been made to his original script, and took this novelisation opportunity to re-insert much of his original material, primarily of a humourous nature, back into the story. The Moroks and Xerons are fleshed out, making them all fully rounded characters that are believably alien yet sympathetic. Of particular note here are Governor Lobos and his second-in-command, Ogrek, who are fleshed out quite nicely and given personalities and individual quirks. Similarly, the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki are given countless humourous asides in the form of their internal responses to situations and dialogue. The cover art for Doctor Who: The Space Museum is by David McAllister. I'm not too sure (or fond) about the cover; as piece of Whovian art it's fine, but it doesn't really convey a sense of the story. While there is a Dalek casing in the museum in which the Doctor hides to avoid some Xerons (and it's a lovely, humourous moment), I don't think it's a significant enough reason to include them on the cover. I would have thought a Morok and/or Xeron would have been a better choice for inclusion here. The story told in Doctor Who: The Space Museum is pretty close to The Space Museum television serial, but with some subtle differences, most of them enhancements (to my mind). To start with, there's a quite brutal massacre of Xerons at the start which probably wouldn't have got past the censors at the time if it had been in the filmed version. However, it's important as it does show a future the Xerons need to avoid as much as the Doctor and his companions need to avoid becoming exhibits in glass display cases. The Xerons are made more alien by sensory additions which couldn't be conveyed through television at the time. They are cold to the touch, can see in the dark, and have no sense of smell. This alien-ness was highlighted by Vicki and Barbara in some additional book scenes. It's interesting that the First Doctor is referred to as a Time Lord multiple times throughout this novelisation (though he wasn't in the serial), as this is a part of the Doctor Who mythos that was introduced well after his time. It's made even odder by the fact that the Moroks are described as having two hearts more than once in the story, without reference to the fact The Doctor is similarly blessed. Another bit that I enjoyed was Vicki's journey through the wall crawl space, as it gave a much better sense of sneaking around behind the scenes than the televised serial did. One thing I didn't like, however, was the addition of patches of out of sync time track bits. Particularly, this is the bit where Vicki is being carted off by Morok guards and Ian saves her. The two then both vanish from the guards' point of view as they step back into the alternate time track sequence. It just doesn't make sense. The televised version in which the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki are unable to interact with anything until they have fully arrived is much cleaner and simpler and more credible. Something that I don't recall seeing in the televised version of the serial is the Morok, Pluton, being a Xeron sympathiser who saves a couple of the Xerons. However, I do remember a guard being particularly ineffectual in the serial, and this is played even more over the top in the novelisation. Both details are interesting, as they show more of the Morok people than the serial managed to do. The story told in both the television serial and the novelisation may at first seem interesting, with the mystery of what has happened to the Doctor and his companions, why they are out of time, and the horrific revelation of their being museum exhibits, but the latter three-quarters of the story comes across as humourous, with a modicum of danger, and some interesting character moments. But it's not quite as bad as it seems... While the resolution of the story may seem weak, not really involving the Doctor and his companions, the Doctor Who: The Space Museum novelisation makes things clearer on paper. The Doctor, as has been pointed out in several serials (and novelisations) prior, has stated time and time again that they cannot change time. However, it is not the Doctor and his companions who make the difference here, and prevent the time travellers from ending up as museum exhibits: it is the Xerons who do so, incited to revolt against their Morok masters by Vicki, thus ensuring the demolition of the museum and thus preventing the Doctor and his friends from becoming exhibits in a museum that no longer exists! The resolution is a little weak but there’s plenty of other Doctor Who stories where this has also been the case. A quite brilliant stroke of writing, I have to say, and an interesting approach to altering the future to prevent something (pretty nasty) from happening. Overall, Doctor Who: The Space Museum is a very good novelisation of the television serial, presenting a slightly different take on the story and adding some characterisation that was really missing from the serial and offering some insight into the Doctor and his companions, also giving new companion Vicki a bit of a spotlight. An easy to read book, this is one of the better offerings in the novelisations from this period for a story that really doesn't receive some of the praise that it does deserve. I highly recommend this novelisation.
Doctor Who: The Chase by John Peel
Through a Space-Time Visualiser, the Doctor and his companions are horrified to see an execution squad of Daleks about to leave Skaro on a mission to find the TARDIS and exterminate the time travellers. Eluding the Daleks on the barren planet Aridius, the Doctor and his friends escape in the TARDIS. But this is only the beginning of an epic journey. As they travel through space and time, they try to shake off their pursuers by making a series of random landings - but the Daleks don't give up easily. This is a chase to the death...
This book is the novelisation of The Chase, the eighth serial of the Second Season of Doctor Who and the sixteenth serial overall, featuring the First Doctor, as portrayed by William Hartnell, and his companions Barbara Wright, Ian Chesterton (both of whom depart at the end of the story), and Vicki, and introduces the soon-to-be new companion Steven Taylor. This novelisation is penned by John Peel, based on the television serial (teleplay) by Terry Nation. The Chase is a very odd television serial from the second series of Doctor Who. While it's a story that is even grander in scope than the previous two Dalek serials, Terry Nation's scripts got a sprucing up in the humour department from script editor Dennis Spooner on their way to the television screen. The result was a somewhat tonal mess across much of its six episodes, and worse, it gradually turned the Daleks from not much of a threat to more of a minor nuisance tolerated to get to the week's cliffhanger. In keeping with several serials in the later years of the Target book novelisations, The Chase thankfully got a second look thanks to John Peel in 1989. Having established a rapport with Terry Nation while writing The Official Doctor Who and the Daleks Book, author John Peel got hold of Nation's original scripts for The Chase. Those scripts (rather than the Spooner rewrites) became the basis for Peel's novelisation, something that is apparent from practically the opening page. Many of the cringe inducing moments, from Vicki's story about the glass castle to the excesses of Morton Dill and the haunted house sequence are gone. Elsewhere in the novelisation, the scene of the Mary Celeste boarded by the Daleks as they pursue the TARDIS and her crew (which was played for laughs on-screen) is far more darkly portrayed here, and with more reflection by Ian and Barbara when they recognise what has actually happened. When it comes down to it, Doctor Who: The Chase is a very different beast in tone and style than it's television serial basis, and much better for it. This is not to say that the aforementioned scenes are gone for good. There are flashes of humour in what remains of them, and the novelisation version of Morton Dill (played by Peter Purves, who will also become astronaut Steven Taylor in the final sequence of the story) is still here for laughs. However, it's less cringe-y and actually funny here because it doesn't overplay its hand (and frankly, the accent isn't over the top on the page as it was in the tv serial). What does change is the emphasis as author Peel finds a better way of pacing the story. Very wisely, he affords more page count to the opening and closing installments of the television serial, trimming down the somewhat bloated (or flabby) middle episodes. The focus of the story shifts from comedy to suspense, something that Terry Nation (as a writer of thrillers outside of his Doctor Who work) excelled in and which author Peel nicely realises on the page. The Daleks also come across as more threatening, and their demises in sequences such as the haunted house feel more like actual threats to them rather than being played for laughs as came across in the serial itself. It is a good choice on author Peel's part to focus on the "bookending" portions of the narrative, as it suits their locations. Aridius and Mechanus are far grander worlds on the written page than they could have been on screen with the constraints of the 1960s BBC TV studio(s). The once underwater cities of Aridius have a faded grandeur to them, the jungles of Mechanus feel far more threatening, and the Mechanoid's city can be the utopia in waiting it was so clearly meant to be. The tale on Aridius is much more compelling than it is in the television serial, the mire beasts being actually dangerous, semi-intelligent creatures (rather than the poor rubber suits of tv). While I missed the scintillating dialogue of the Mechanoids ("Enter, enter, zero, stop") [Note: they are referred to as "Mechonoids" in the novelisation] and the noises they make in the serial, they come across as rather "regular" here, but don't really have the visual "flavour" that they had on the small screen. The Doctor's android double (though it is claimed to be a robot in the serial and here in the novelisation) is more convincing, and more threatening on the written page. In all of this, it's the ideas, rather than the execution and misplaced humour, that shine through. The concluding chapters of the novelisation also offer surprises, notably in the companions department. Ian and Barbara still leave, and Steven Taylor is still introduced as the about-to-be companion, but the handling of both are different here. Steven Taylor receives a far more central role in the escape from the Mechanoid city and a fleshing out of just how on Earth (or rather, Mechanus) he ended up at the TARDIS in time for his appearance in The Time Meddler. Ian and Barbara's farewell plays out slightly differently, as the Doctor is less confrontational and abrasive (and it is minus the "time and Spain" slip of Hartnell's), but nonetheless still poignant. Sadly, that now iconic line from Ian ("Look, Barbara, we made it! London, 1965!") is missing, though the literary equivalent of that wonderful final montage remains present in the novel. When it comes right down to it, Doctor Who: The Chase offers a vision of a television serial that might have been. It is a hybrid of the actual broadcast episodes of the First Doctor serial combined with inspiration from Terry Nation's first draft scripts. (John Peel even goes into some interesting details in Author's Note, a first for the Target novelisations, about how he came to write this novelisation the way he did, and why.) I feel that it is a version that proves to be more in keeping with Nation's original intentions, rather than copying and pasting what viewers would have seen in the 1965 tv serial. The end result is one of John Peel's best Target novelisations, worthy of being compared to Terrance Dicks's work at its best. It takes one of Doctor Who's most infamous shaggy dog stories (some readers may have to look that term up!) and turns it into a quite respectable and exciting tale of the First Doctor and the last of Ian Chesterton's and Barbara Wright's travels with the Doctor, while introducing soon-to-be companion Steven Taylor. I highly recommend this novelisation, as it will make the reader re-think what they have come to know about the original television serial.
Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs
For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a collection of ancient and rare books. Books that let a person walk through walls or manipulate the elements - books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther have been raised to revere and protect. All magic comes with a price, though, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has fled to a remote base in Antarctica to escape the fate that killed her mother, and Joanna's isolated herself in their family home in Vermont, devoting her life to the study of these cherished volumes. But after their father dies suddenly while reading a book Joanna has never seen before, the sisters must reunite to preserve their family legacy. In the process, they'll uncover a world of magic far bigger and more dangerous than they ever imagined, and all the secrets their parents kept hidden; secrets that span centuries, continents, and even other libraries...
As most of those who've followed my blog and reviews of books knows, I'm a huge fan, nay a sucker, for novels and stories involving libraries, magic books, and the like. So when I heard about this book by author Emma Törzs it was only natural that I'd buy a copy of it to read. And I have to say, I'm really glad that I did! In the world of Ink Blood Sister Scribe, books possess the power to grant individuals extraordinary powers - books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther were raised to honour and protect. However, a is the case a lot of the time, all magic exacts a price, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has been on the run for ten years, fleeing the same fate that claimed the life of her mother. Joanna isolates herself in her home, all alone, save for the company of the magical tomes. But when Esther makes a grave mistake, the sisters are thrown into a fight for their lives, against an evil that they can't seem to identify. The first half of this novel paints a wonderfully vivid picture of the three main characters - Joanna, Esther and Nicholas - by showing the reader their present lives, and gives us heart-felt, tender and sometimes horrific glimpses into their back stories. Joanna and Esther both recall memories of their childhood when the pair had been so close, when their family had been whole, when magic and wonder filled their home. A spell to create blooming flowers and vines in their bedroom, another to make them swing high into the air, both girls had grown up with books which had the power to bring them so much joy. Before it all fell apart. Before magic divided them. Nicholas similarly has paid the cost of magic, though creating spells has its own honour and sense of purpose; using blood to create magical spells takes a significant toll on one's health, meaning the more Nicholas creates the more he deteriorates. It was terrific for this reader to explore these various sides of magic. This is a story that is so multi-layered, so richly woven together, that the narrative entertainingly meanders through puzzle solving, uncovering long hidden family secrets and self discovery. Throughout author Törzs blends together the contemporary with classic faerie tale staples such as various enchantments, magic mirrors, forest animals, a quest, absent parents and even a stepmother in a deliciously readable fashion. Like any dark faerie tale, it is also drenched in blood. There is a fascinating twist on witches and mages as instead of spells just being read aloud and cast, blood is the key to activating the magic or for creating it. There are those who can feel and even hear magic but cannot create it, and there are those who can create it but never feel or hear it. And then there are some spells that are ongoing, that are a work in progress, that hold the power to drain the user's blood dry. Also impressive in the story is the clever manner in which the author writes each different point of view in a different tone and style that fits the character whose viewpoint the reader is seeing. Joanna is written in an almost faerie tale-esque way, Esther holds a contemporary style with breezy dialogue, and Nicholas has a scholarly tone to him. The contrast between Nicholas's British posh manner and his more surly Boston bodyguard, Collins, is rather amusing whenever the pair banter with one another. Lovely stuff! While I won't mention the identity of the villain here (no spoilers from me!) in Ink Blood Sister Scribe, I will say that they are absolutely well-written. Their motivations aren't clear to start with, but their manipulation is subtle, sugar coated with love and false affection, they hold the power of wealth, privilege and dominance over others, they orchestrate plans on a level to get exactly what they want no matter how cruel, how deceitful. They thrive on others' dependence upon them, they are a true narcissist. One thing I will mention here is that a significant theme within the book is that of isolation. Through these characters, author Törzs reflects upon various ways one can experience loneliness. Nicholas is trapped within his warded mansion, he's surrounded by employed staff, but feels he has never made deep connections with any of them, not even his former tutor Maram, Collins, or his uncle, Richard. Similarly, Joanna is isolated in her warded cottage in Vermont but she is completely alone with only the occasional contact with her mother, and she desperately seeks companionship with animals such as the elusive cat who scratches at her door. And then Esther is free to roam the world as she pleases, but never being able to stay in one place for long brings its own loneliness too, as she eventually has to leave the ones she gets attached to behind. Protecting these books has caused these characters to exist but not truly live, and as the novel progresses and their lives entwine as they experience love and companionship, they slowly begin to realise that perhaps magic was never meant to be theirs alone. Maybe some spells were meant to be broken. Overall, the plot of Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe is well-paced, has balancing moments of action and suspense while building the magic and world system. The story unfolds gradually, which gives the reader time to absorb the intricate details of the plot while building tension toward the climactic moments. With decadently rich prose and an intriguing mix of magic and mystery, the author explores loyalty, sisterhood, betrayal and obsession. This is an evocative and utterly spellbinding (no pun intended!) literary fantasy that's full of vibrant, compelling characters potential readers will hard pressed not to root for. This book was also a reminder to me of why I love reading in the first place. I highly recommend this novel!
Overall, I managed to read 6 novels, 0 RPGs and RPG products, 2 magazines, 1 comics, and 0 graphic novels in November. This brings the year total in 2024 to a set of numbers that look like this: 67 books, 14 RPGs and RPG products, 16 magazines, 65 comics, and 0 graphic novels.
Anyway, thoughts and comments are always welcome. :)
*****
Books Read in November, 2024
Doctor Who and the Crusaders by David Whitaker
Inversions by Iain M. Banks
April, 2024 Reader's Digest
Doctor Who and The Time Witch (Comic)
Doctor Who: The Space Museum by Glyn Jones
Doctor Who: The Chase by John Peel\
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (r)
May, 2024 Reader's Digest
Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma To¨rzs
*****
And that was my reading for November, 2024. This was a pretty decent month of reading for me, around my average for what I usually read book-wise in a month, and definitely was about average in terms of the quality of the books read this month. I read a pretty decent amount of books this past month, but no roleplaying game related stuff at all, many Doctor Who books and the like, but it was pretty good for a month where my health issues reached some new lows. This month included just one re-read, and a couple of newer releases. As I've always maintained in these monthly book reading reports, it's all about the quality of the books, not the quantity, and this was true of November's reads in spades. Regardless, my bookcases are still stacked with a pretty large To Read Queue (TRQ). The books I enjoyed the most were:
Doctor Who and the Crusaders by David Whitaker
Within minutes of the TARDIS's arrival on Twelfth Century Earth, the Doctor and his companions are in serious trouble. They happen to intercept a Saracen attack on King Richard the Lionheart, thereby enabling the English King to escape otherwise certain capture. But Barbara is kidnapped and carried off by the Saracen attackers to the Sultan Saladin's court. Saladin spares her life - on condition she entertains his court by telling stories. And like Scheherazade, if she fails, then she must die... However, whie the Doctor and Vicki must survive the cut-throat politics of the English court at Jaffa, Barbara is kidnapped by a cruel Emir whose enmity she has earned when she makes a fool of him, and it is up to Sir Ian Chesterton to come to her rescue. Even if Ian escapes from a peril of his own and rescues her, will he and Barbara ever see the Doctor, Vicki, and the TARDIS again?
This book is the novelisation of The Crusaders, the sixth serial of the Second Season of Doctor Who and the fourteenth serial overall, featuring the First Doctor, as portrayed by William Hartnell, and his companions Barbara Wright, Ian Chesterton, and Vicki. This novelisation is penned by David Whitaker, based on the television serial (teleplay) by David Whitaker. One of the things that made the Hartnell years of Doctor Who so enjoyable for many was that while it presented stories of the future and with all manner of aliens, it also was down-to-Earth telling historical adventures as well. This book is the second of three very early, pre-Target novels, novelisations that was intended for a juvenile audience. Set in 12th Century Palestine during the Third Crusade, the story is one of the early educational historicals in which the crew of the TARDIS meet Richard the Lionheart and Saladin, and the reader is intended to learn about that time period during the events of the adventures that Ian and Barbara have. (For the most part, the Doctor and Vicki aren't as involved all that much in this story.) Author David Whitaker expanded his script here to include a bit of religious philosophy and a much more developed romance for Ian and Barbara. Throw in the terrific Henry Fox illustrations, and this is a wonderful book and a fine read. The Crusaders is one of the more history focused serials in the Hartnell period of the tv series, and Doctor Who and the Crusaders is even moreso in many respects as the serial writer, David Whitaker, has been able to focus on the historical elements of the time period a whole lot more and in more detail than the serial itself allowed him to do. While this novelisation has a great deal of weighty prose to it, notably in the prologue that is quite superb, the long conversation the Doctor has (not present in the original script), trying to come to grips with the immutability of time is still pretty hard going and not a little confusing with its rock climbing analogies, accompanied by Clive of India, Rasputin, Kennedy, Lincoln, Hitler and Napoleon. I'm still not sure how it all ties in with how certain Earth history can't be changed due to what is right and wrong, and how it all ties in with wondering what would happen in a situation where two historic figures opposed each other, both for their own right reasons. From what I can recall of the serial, as several of the episodes are missing, the novelisation of The Crusaders is essentially the same, but many of the events have been rearranged; for instance, Ian doesn't get staked out in the sand until much later in the story. There are also a number of events which occur differently in the book and in the serial; for instance, Ian never meets Saladin in the serial. The novelisation is also much more philosophical - there is a whole discussion in the prologue about how the Doctor can change history on some planets, but not on Earth (the reference is axtually to our version of recorded history). Ian also has a discussion with Saladin about Christianity versus Islam versus Buddhism, etc.. Some of the events in the book are probably more graphic than what would have been allowed on TV - Barbara actually gets whipped (to the point of needing salve on her wounds) in the book while she's in El Akir's harem. As noted above, Doctor Who and the Crusaders adds an extensive prologue and more action compared to the tv serial and depicts two historical events: King Richard's attempt at peace by offering his sister in marriage to Saladin's brother, Saphadin, in October 1191, and the ambush of King Richard near Jaffa in November 1191, although the timing of both was rearranged for dramatic purposes. Characterisation-wise, love is a major motivator for Ian's actions as a knight in the book. His (reciprocated) love for Barbara is explicitly stated in a way it never was on television or other Target novels written later by different authors. When compared to the approach taken by Donald Cotton in his novelisation of The Romans, Ian and Barbara feel like two very different characters, characters who know each other well, love each other, and don't seem all that...detached from one another as they did in Cotton's book (and script). The Doctor is written as he was seen on television: crotchety but intelligent, affectionate and loyal to his friends. Vicki doesn't do too much, rather like Susan before her, but this is not surprising. The novelisation of The Crusaders serial is very much Ian and Barbara's story. In the novelisation of the story, both Richard and Saladin are treated with respect as civilised men in an uncivilised time. The Islamic religion is respected in a way that I suspect it would not be if the serial and novelisation were written today. The character of El Akir is the villain of the piece, a misogynist and thief, only tolerated by Saladin because of his army. On the Christian side, Leicester disrupts the King's plan to marry his sister Joanna to Saladin's brother Saphadin, causing problems for the Doctor, possibly because of his (Leicester's) own love for her. Some maintain that the story manages to avoid racism, but not misogyny. I don't agree with this for the most part. The definition of misogyny is a hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that keeps women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. The story doesn't feel misogynistic to me per sé, although I appreciate that some female characters are abused. In the historical context of the story, the plan to marry Joanna to Saphadin was the kind of political manouevering using both sexes in marriage that went on for centuries as part of keeping the peace. I found that El Akir's mistreatment of Barbara (and I was surprised by the whipping in the novel, but not seen in the serial at all) was part of his cowardice and insecurity. He mistreated her (and presumably all women) to make himself feel more powerful and therefore he became more despicable. He got what he had coming to him because he was irredeemable - and I suspect most readers were pleased at this. Overall, Doctor Who and the Crusaders is a terrific novel that is filled with lots of prose and explanatory material explaining matters of the Third Crusade and some of the other historical events that surrounded it, but is definitely an Ian and Barbara story, though the (First) Doctor does get a few highlight moments. David Whitaker does a terrific job of bringing his script/teleplay to life on the printed page, and expands his story by getting somewhat into the heads of the main protagonists as well as Richard the Lionheart and Saladin, the main villain of El Akir, and a couple of other minor characters. But the book is also a fine example of what the historical Doctor Who serials could be, and is just a well written novel when it comes down to it. I highly recommend this book.
Doctor Who: The Space Museum by Glyn Jones
The TARDIS materialises on what, at first sight appears to be a dry and lifeless planet, serving only as a graveyard for spaceships. Then the TARDIS crew discovers a magnificent museum housing relics from every corner of the galaxy. These have been assembled by the Moroks, a race of cruel conquerors who have invaded the planet Xeros and enslaved its inhabitants. Upon further exploration, the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki seem to stumble upon the impossible. For suddenly facing them in an exhibit case they find - themselves.
This book is the novelisation of The Space Museum, the seventh serial of the Second Season of Doctor Who and the fifteenth serial overall, featuring the First Doctor, as portrayed by William Hartnell, and his companions Barbara Wright, Ian Chesterton, and Vicki. This novelisation is penned by Glyn Jones, based on the television serial (teleplay) by Glyn Jones. The Space Museum is one of the less fondly remembered serials of Doctor Who's original second series tales, but is given a very good re-telling in novel form by its original writer. The television book and the serial have an interesting beginning, with the crew discovering themselves as exhibits in a future museum due to having been temporarily side-tracked as the TARDIS jumps a time track, and the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki resolve to avoid this fate but get caught up in a rather pedestrian conflict between the ruling Moroks and the enslaved Xerons (but see below).
I seem to recall reading that scripter Glyn Jones (who was also the only person to both write for and act in the early years of the show) wasn't happy at the many changes that had been made to his original script, and took this novelisation opportunity to re-insert much of his original material, primarily of a humourous nature, back into the story. The Moroks and Xerons are fleshed out, making them all fully rounded characters that are believably alien yet sympathetic. Of particular note here are Governor Lobos and his second-in-command, Ogrek, who are fleshed out quite nicely and given personalities and individual quirks. Similarly, the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki are given countless humourous asides in the form of their internal responses to situations and dialogue. The cover art for Doctor Who: The Space Museum is by David McAllister. I'm not too sure (or fond) about the cover; as piece of Whovian art it's fine, but it doesn't really convey a sense of the story. While there is a Dalek casing in the museum in which the Doctor hides to avoid some Xerons (and it's a lovely, humourous moment), I don't think it's a significant enough reason to include them on the cover. I would have thought a Morok and/or Xeron would have been a better choice for inclusion here. The story told in Doctor Who: The Space Museum is pretty close to The Space Museum television serial, but with some subtle differences, most of them enhancements (to my mind). To start with, there's a quite brutal massacre of Xerons at the start which probably wouldn't have got past the censors at the time if it had been in the filmed version. However, it's important as it does show a future the Xerons need to avoid as much as the Doctor and his companions need to avoid becoming exhibits in glass display cases. The Xerons are made more alien by sensory additions which couldn't be conveyed through television at the time. They are cold to the touch, can see in the dark, and have no sense of smell. This alien-ness was highlighted by Vicki and Barbara in some additional book scenes. It's interesting that the First Doctor is referred to as a Time Lord multiple times throughout this novelisation (though he wasn't in the serial), as this is a part of the Doctor Who mythos that was introduced well after his time. It's made even odder by the fact that the Moroks are described as having two hearts more than once in the story, without reference to the fact The Doctor is similarly blessed. Another bit that I enjoyed was Vicki's journey through the wall crawl space, as it gave a much better sense of sneaking around behind the scenes than the televised serial did. One thing I didn't like, however, was the addition of patches of out of sync time track bits. Particularly, this is the bit where Vicki is being carted off by Morok guards and Ian saves her. The two then both vanish from the guards' point of view as they step back into the alternate time track sequence. It just doesn't make sense. The televised version in which the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki are unable to interact with anything until they have fully arrived is much cleaner and simpler and more credible. Something that I don't recall seeing in the televised version of the serial is the Morok, Pluton, being a Xeron sympathiser who saves a couple of the Xerons. However, I do remember a guard being particularly ineffectual in the serial, and this is played even more over the top in the novelisation. Both details are interesting, as they show more of the Morok people than the serial managed to do. The story told in both the television serial and the novelisation may at first seem interesting, with the mystery of what has happened to the Doctor and his companions, why they are out of time, and the horrific revelation of their being museum exhibits, but the latter three-quarters of the story comes across as humourous, with a modicum of danger, and some interesting character moments. But it's not quite as bad as it seems... While the resolution of the story may seem weak, not really involving the Doctor and his companions, the Doctor Who: The Space Museum novelisation makes things clearer on paper. The Doctor, as has been pointed out in several serials (and novelisations) prior, has stated time and time again that they cannot change time. However, it is not the Doctor and his companions who make the difference here, and prevent the time travellers from ending up as museum exhibits: it is the Xerons who do so, incited to revolt against their Morok masters by Vicki, thus ensuring the demolition of the museum and thus preventing the Doctor and his friends from becoming exhibits in a museum that no longer exists! The resolution is a little weak but there’s plenty of other Doctor Who stories where this has also been the case. A quite brilliant stroke of writing, I have to say, and an interesting approach to altering the future to prevent something (pretty nasty) from happening. Overall, Doctor Who: The Space Museum is a very good novelisation of the television serial, presenting a slightly different take on the story and adding some characterisation that was really missing from the serial and offering some insight into the Doctor and his companions, also giving new companion Vicki a bit of a spotlight. An easy to read book, this is one of the better offerings in the novelisations from this period for a story that really doesn't receive some of the praise that it does deserve. I highly recommend this novelisation.
Doctor Who: The Chase by John Peel
Through a Space-Time Visualiser, the Doctor and his companions are horrified to see an execution squad of Daleks about to leave Skaro on a mission to find the TARDIS and exterminate the time travellers. Eluding the Daleks on the barren planet Aridius, the Doctor and his friends escape in the TARDIS. But this is only the beginning of an epic journey. As they travel through space and time, they try to shake off their pursuers by making a series of random landings - but the Daleks don't give up easily. This is a chase to the death...
This book is the novelisation of The Chase, the eighth serial of the Second Season of Doctor Who and the sixteenth serial overall, featuring the First Doctor, as portrayed by William Hartnell, and his companions Barbara Wright, Ian Chesterton (both of whom depart at the end of the story), and Vicki, and introduces the soon-to-be new companion Steven Taylor. This novelisation is penned by John Peel, based on the television serial (teleplay) by Terry Nation. The Chase is a very odd television serial from the second series of Doctor Who. While it's a story that is even grander in scope than the previous two Dalek serials, Terry Nation's scripts got a sprucing up in the humour department from script editor Dennis Spooner on their way to the television screen. The result was a somewhat tonal mess across much of its six episodes, and worse, it gradually turned the Daleks from not much of a threat to more of a minor nuisance tolerated to get to the week's cliffhanger. In keeping with several serials in the later years of the Target book novelisations, The Chase thankfully got a second look thanks to John Peel in 1989. Having established a rapport with Terry Nation while writing The Official Doctor Who and the Daleks Book, author John Peel got hold of Nation's original scripts for The Chase. Those scripts (rather than the Spooner rewrites) became the basis for Peel's novelisation, something that is apparent from practically the opening page. Many of the cringe inducing moments, from Vicki's story about the glass castle to the excesses of Morton Dill and the haunted house sequence are gone. Elsewhere in the novelisation, the scene of the Mary Celeste boarded by the Daleks as they pursue the TARDIS and her crew (which was played for laughs on-screen) is far more darkly portrayed here, and with more reflection by Ian and Barbara when they recognise what has actually happened. When it comes down to it, Doctor Who: The Chase is a very different beast in tone and style than it's television serial basis, and much better for it. This is not to say that the aforementioned scenes are gone for good. There are flashes of humour in what remains of them, and the novelisation version of Morton Dill (played by Peter Purves, who will also become astronaut Steven Taylor in the final sequence of the story) is still here for laughs. However, it's less cringe-y and actually funny here because it doesn't overplay its hand (and frankly, the accent isn't over the top on the page as it was in the tv serial). What does change is the emphasis as author Peel finds a better way of pacing the story. Very wisely, he affords more page count to the opening and closing installments of the television serial, trimming down the somewhat bloated (or flabby) middle episodes. The focus of the story shifts from comedy to suspense, something that Terry Nation (as a writer of thrillers outside of his Doctor Who work) excelled in and which author Peel nicely realises on the page. The Daleks also come across as more threatening, and their demises in sequences such as the haunted house feel more like actual threats to them rather than being played for laughs as came across in the serial itself. It is a good choice on author Peel's part to focus on the "bookending" portions of the narrative, as it suits their locations. Aridius and Mechanus are far grander worlds on the written page than they could have been on screen with the constraints of the 1960s BBC TV studio(s). The once underwater cities of Aridius have a faded grandeur to them, the jungles of Mechanus feel far more threatening, and the Mechanoid's city can be the utopia in waiting it was so clearly meant to be. The tale on Aridius is much more compelling than it is in the television serial, the mire beasts being actually dangerous, semi-intelligent creatures (rather than the poor rubber suits of tv). While I missed the scintillating dialogue of the Mechanoids ("Enter, enter, zero, stop") [Note: they are referred to as "Mechonoids" in the novelisation] and the noises they make in the serial, they come across as rather "regular" here, but don't really have the visual "flavour" that they had on the small screen. The Doctor's android double (though it is claimed to be a robot in the serial and here in the novelisation) is more convincing, and more threatening on the written page. In all of this, it's the ideas, rather than the execution and misplaced humour, that shine through. The concluding chapters of the novelisation also offer surprises, notably in the companions department. Ian and Barbara still leave, and Steven Taylor is still introduced as the about-to-be companion, but the handling of both are different here. Steven Taylor receives a far more central role in the escape from the Mechanoid city and a fleshing out of just how on Earth (or rather, Mechanus) he ended up at the TARDIS in time for his appearance in The Time Meddler. Ian and Barbara's farewell plays out slightly differently, as the Doctor is less confrontational and abrasive (and it is minus the "time and Spain" slip of Hartnell's), but nonetheless still poignant. Sadly, that now iconic line from Ian ("Look, Barbara, we made it! London, 1965!") is missing, though the literary equivalent of that wonderful final montage remains present in the novel. When it comes right down to it, Doctor Who: The Chase offers a vision of a television serial that might have been. It is a hybrid of the actual broadcast episodes of the First Doctor serial combined with inspiration from Terry Nation's first draft scripts. (John Peel even goes into some interesting details in Author's Note, a first for the Target novelisations, about how he came to write this novelisation the way he did, and why.) I feel that it is a version that proves to be more in keeping with Nation's original intentions, rather than copying and pasting what viewers would have seen in the 1965 tv serial. The end result is one of John Peel's best Target novelisations, worthy of being compared to Terrance Dicks's work at its best. It takes one of Doctor Who's most infamous shaggy dog stories (some readers may have to look that term up!) and turns it into a quite respectable and exciting tale of the First Doctor and the last of Ian Chesterton's and Barbara Wright's travels with the Doctor, while introducing soon-to-be companion Steven Taylor. I highly recommend this novelisation, as it will make the reader re-think what they have come to know about the original television serial.
Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs
For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a collection of ancient and rare books. Books that let a person walk through walls or manipulate the elements - books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther have been raised to revere and protect. All magic comes with a price, though, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has fled to a remote base in Antarctica to escape the fate that killed her mother, and Joanna's isolated herself in their family home in Vermont, devoting her life to the study of these cherished volumes. But after their father dies suddenly while reading a book Joanna has never seen before, the sisters must reunite to preserve their family legacy. In the process, they'll uncover a world of magic far bigger and more dangerous than they ever imagined, and all the secrets their parents kept hidden; secrets that span centuries, continents, and even other libraries...
As most of those who've followed my blog and reviews of books knows, I'm a huge fan, nay a sucker, for novels and stories involving libraries, magic books, and the like. So when I heard about this book by author Emma Törzs it was only natural that I'd buy a copy of it to read. And I have to say, I'm really glad that I did! In the world of Ink Blood Sister Scribe, books possess the power to grant individuals extraordinary powers - books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther were raised to honour and protect. However, a is the case a lot of the time, all magic exacts a price, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has been on the run for ten years, fleeing the same fate that claimed the life of her mother. Joanna isolates herself in her home, all alone, save for the company of the magical tomes. But when Esther makes a grave mistake, the sisters are thrown into a fight for their lives, against an evil that they can't seem to identify. The first half of this novel paints a wonderfully vivid picture of the three main characters - Joanna, Esther and Nicholas - by showing the reader their present lives, and gives us heart-felt, tender and sometimes horrific glimpses into their back stories. Joanna and Esther both recall memories of their childhood when the pair had been so close, when their family had been whole, when magic and wonder filled their home. A spell to create blooming flowers and vines in their bedroom, another to make them swing high into the air, both girls had grown up with books which had the power to bring them so much joy. Before it all fell apart. Before magic divided them. Nicholas similarly has paid the cost of magic, though creating spells has its own honour and sense of purpose; using blood to create magical spells takes a significant toll on one's health, meaning the more Nicholas creates the more he deteriorates. It was terrific for this reader to explore these various sides of magic. This is a story that is so multi-layered, so richly woven together, that the narrative entertainingly meanders through puzzle solving, uncovering long hidden family secrets and self discovery. Throughout author Törzs blends together the contemporary with classic faerie tale staples such as various enchantments, magic mirrors, forest animals, a quest, absent parents and even a stepmother in a deliciously readable fashion. Like any dark faerie tale, it is also drenched in blood. There is a fascinating twist on witches and mages as instead of spells just being read aloud and cast, blood is the key to activating the magic or for creating it. There are those who can feel and even hear magic but cannot create it, and there are those who can create it but never feel or hear it. And then there are some spells that are ongoing, that are a work in progress, that hold the power to drain the user's blood dry. Also impressive in the story is the clever manner in which the author writes each different point of view in a different tone and style that fits the character whose viewpoint the reader is seeing. Joanna is written in an almost faerie tale-esque way, Esther holds a contemporary style with breezy dialogue, and Nicholas has a scholarly tone to him. The contrast between Nicholas's British posh manner and his more surly Boston bodyguard, Collins, is rather amusing whenever the pair banter with one another. Lovely stuff! While I won't mention the identity of the villain here (no spoilers from me!) in Ink Blood Sister Scribe, I will say that they are absolutely well-written. Their motivations aren't clear to start with, but their manipulation is subtle, sugar coated with love and false affection, they hold the power of wealth, privilege and dominance over others, they orchestrate plans on a level to get exactly what they want no matter how cruel, how deceitful. They thrive on others' dependence upon them, they are a true narcissist. One thing I will mention here is that a significant theme within the book is that of isolation. Through these characters, author Törzs reflects upon various ways one can experience loneliness. Nicholas is trapped within his warded mansion, he's surrounded by employed staff, but feels he has never made deep connections with any of them, not even his former tutor Maram, Collins, or his uncle, Richard. Similarly, Joanna is isolated in her warded cottage in Vermont but she is completely alone with only the occasional contact with her mother, and she desperately seeks companionship with animals such as the elusive cat who scratches at her door. And then Esther is free to roam the world as she pleases, but never being able to stay in one place for long brings its own loneliness too, as she eventually has to leave the ones she gets attached to behind. Protecting these books has caused these characters to exist but not truly live, and as the novel progresses and their lives entwine as they experience love and companionship, they slowly begin to realise that perhaps magic was never meant to be theirs alone. Maybe some spells were meant to be broken. Overall, the plot of Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe is well-paced, has balancing moments of action and suspense while building the magic and world system. The story unfolds gradually, which gives the reader time to absorb the intricate details of the plot while building tension toward the climactic moments. With decadently rich prose and an intriguing mix of magic and mystery, the author explores loyalty, sisterhood, betrayal and obsession. This is an evocative and utterly spellbinding (no pun intended!) literary fantasy that's full of vibrant, compelling characters potential readers will hard pressed not to root for. This book was also a reminder to me of why I love reading in the first place. I highly recommend this novel!
Overall, I managed to read 6 novels, 0 RPGs and RPG products, 2 magazines, 1 comics, and 0 graphic novels in November. This brings the year total in 2024 to a set of numbers that look like this: 67 books, 14 RPGs and RPG products, 16 magazines, 65 comics, and 0 graphic novels.
Anyway, thoughts and comments are always welcome. :)