Reviews

Doctor Who: Engines of War by George Mann

gingerreader99's review against another edition

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4.0

A really solid outing for the War Doctor. I particularly liked the characterization of the Time Lords and the Doctor being at odds with them and with Rassilon throughout the story while fighting the Daleks. Of course the War Doctor feels unworthy of the name Doctor but the plot shows he is always worthy of the name through his actions.

mary_r_m's review against another edition

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4.0

Thank you to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for allowing me access to this title.

If you've seen Doctor Who and can't get enough then try this out!

Reading it was like watching the show. Great Fun!

kitvaria_sarene's review against another edition

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4.0

I loved to get to know more about the Wardoctor!
This tells the story of how he got to the point were "No more" was his motto.
I enjoyed getting a it more insight into the timewar and how it got as desperate. Also it has a really good insight into the time more society after so long a time of fighting.
We get a new companion for this story too - and I do love that character!
Some points of the story felt a bit too long, others a bit too vague - so I'll only give it 4 stars - but I'd still definitely recommend it to Doctor Who fans!

duncan_mcguire's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

bigotterbooks's review against another edition

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5.0

The WAR DOCTOR! That tells the whole story of the character and strikes fear into the enemies heart all at the same time! This is NOT a warm and fuzzy Doctor Who book. It’s a fabulous telling of the story of the Doctor we don’t talk about-kind of like Valdemort but with a sonic screwdriver.

I feel like I’m getting into a rut with my reviews and the use of the phrase ‘little gem of a book’, but honestly, if THIS book were an actual gem I would put it at the end of a lovely chunky gold necklace and wear it every day! This book is a perfect example of why so many people adore Doctor Who. He is flawed, violent, haunted and not human; but we cheer for him, cry for him and want him to conquer his demons and be happy.

The demons in Engines of War are the dreaded Daleks. Enemies of the Doctor since forever, in this book we revisit the Great Time War where the Daleks have some nasty tricks up their sleeves. From his crashed TARDIS on Moldox to Gallifrey, this incarnation of the Doctor as played onscreen by John Hurt is everything we want our Doctor to be and more. There is some backstory that features more of our old favorites …shhh… don’t give it away!! Newbies may find parts of the book a bit confusing but just stick with it and you’ll soon be an old fan like the rest of us. George Mann is also another old timer Doctor author and this is probably my very favorite of his books.

david_agranoff's review against another edition

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3.0

Story of the war doctor. Full review coming.

felinity's review against another edition

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4.0

This first (for me, anyway) glimpse into the Great Time War between the Time Lords and the Daleks, with the enigmatic War Doctor (played by John Hurt), although the Time Lord whose TARDIS crash-lands no longer claims the name; he's a different man now.

Bumping into Cinder, almost literally, they search out the horrifying true intent of the Daleks on Moldox, but find the truth of their own lives at the same time.

With the growing realization of the full extent of the Daleks' plan - hiding in time, multiplying in quiet eras till the right time to strike - we also see the Doctor from the Daleks' perspective and a unique view from Cinder: someone who knows the arrogance and hubris of the Time Lords, and can recognize the importance of the schism between him and the rest of his kind.

We know what's going to happen, but as always with the Doctor, we can't see how, and therein lies his genius.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

ghostmuppet's review against another edition

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3.0

The quality of this audiobook is excellent, and the narrator was brilliant - bringing to life a doctor we hardly knew.
The story started off well, but suffers the same as the TV series. They just need to make everything grander - to beat what has gone on before. We get the Daleks back again - but new ones (as far as i know - as this is my first Doctor Who book). If they just had some normal Daleks and a toned down plot then this would have increased by a star.
I may listen to more in the future - but only if they are on offer like this one.

melsage1823's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I'll try keep this review spoiler free but reading this book has made me really appreciate Doctor Who extended media a lot more. This book made me appreciate the character development of the War Doctor a lot more. Without spoiling anything this book will help you understand why The War Doctor wanted to end the timelords and daleks. Also Manns characterisation of the War Doctor was pure genius, all dialogue made me able to picture John Hurts War Doctor saying it. 

Also I really loved The War Doctors companion Cinder. They built up her story very well and the chapters from her pov were very entertaining to read. Stakes were really high with this character and I was rooting for her the whole way through. I also loved how it showed how the war had affected other beings across the Galaxy similar to Cas in Night Of The Doctor. 

The villains were fantastically written which had me in shock. Lately on our television screens the Daleks have had very poor writing but here Mann manages to actually make me terrified of them and seem like a threat. Seeing the Daleks menacing behaviour actually increases the stake of the story overall. I don't want to spoil the plotline with the timelords but this book beautiful displays how corrupted they had become and how similar they are to the Daleks. It doesn't sugar coat the actions of both sides of the war and has alot of allegories with real life.

Overall a very interesting and enjoyable book that expands on whovian lore extensively. This a masterpiece and is also a great place to start when it comes to Doctor Who books.

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writingwwolves's review against another edition

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4.0

I was skeptical about how this book would pan out as we haven't *seen* much of the War Doctor at all, but George Mann portrayed John Hurt's version of the Doctor incredibly. Right from his very first lines I could hear the War Doctor's voice perfectly clear in my mind - Mann managed to get his character and personality exactly how he was in The Day of the Doctor and for that I applaud him.

As for the story itself; I loved it. I loved visiting Gallifrey and all the Time Lords from the show were represented wonderfully. I also LOVED Cinder to pieces (especially her name) and how she interacted with the War Doctor. The adventure Cinder and the War Doctor had together was fast moving and exciting. Although, the ending did break my heart. As someone who has mainly focused on Modern Who I loved learning about Gallifrey from a book and I'd love to read more books set there.

This is definitely one of my favourite Doctor Who novels, I'm very pleased I bought it. A round of applause for George Mann!