A review by scampr
Doctor Who: Goth Opera by Paul Cornell, Peter Darvill-Evans
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.75
Goth Opera sees the return of the Great Vampires, first seen in 4th Doctor story State of Decay and since then, an ever growing part of Gallifreyan mythos/history. I'm a big fan of their original appearance, so I was excited to see how the 5th Doctor era would approach them, along with what connections there were to the previous story I read.
This story forms a paradoxical sequel/prequel connection with the 7th Doctor novel Blood Harvest. The events of Blood Harvest in regards to the vampires and some other details are what cause the plot of this book, but the Doctor encounters them in the opposite order. Chronologically there are more references to be found in reading Goth Opera second, but you do not necessarily need to read one to understand the other, and they can be done in either order and still be just as rewarding.
Paul Cornell is a writer I continue to praise each time I encounter his work, and you can tell here that he really understands the 5th Doctor, Tegan and Nyssa. The characterisation is great, with some particularly good development & emotional insight for the companions.
Compared to Blood Harvest's stronger connections to State of Decay, this story has a much more distinct personality and original ideas at play. When Nyssa is secretly turned into a vampire, the Doctor and friends soon uncover a group of fanatical vampires in 1990s Manchester with nefarious plans at work. There's some good sci-fi ideas, and really interesting inclusions and lore developed in regards to Vampire and Gallifreyan history/society. Plenty of great references and some fun surprises in there too.
This novel has a neat balance between the gothic atmosphere and fantastical, evocative writing style of Cornell with his effortless dialogue and wittiness. It's a perfect mix of gory horror mystery, character drama, fun romp and high concept, epic world ending scenario.
This story forms a paradoxical sequel/prequel connection with the 7th Doctor novel Blood Harvest. The events of Blood Harvest in regards to the vampires and some other details are what cause the plot of this book, but the Doctor encounters them in the opposite order. Chronologically there are more references to be found in reading Goth Opera second, but you do not necessarily need to read one to understand the other, and they can be done in either order and still be just as rewarding.
Paul Cornell is a writer I continue to praise each time I encounter his work, and you can tell here that he really understands the 5th Doctor, Tegan and Nyssa. The characterisation is great, with some particularly good development & emotional insight for the companions.
Compared to Blood Harvest's stronger connections to State of Decay, this story has a much more distinct personality and original ideas at play. When Nyssa is secretly turned into a vampire, the Doctor and friends soon uncover a group of fanatical vampires in 1990s Manchester with nefarious plans at work. There's some good sci-fi ideas, and really interesting inclusions and lore developed in regards to Vampire and Gallifreyan history/society. Plenty of great references and some fun surprises in there too.
This novel has a neat balance between the gothic atmosphere and fantastical, evocative writing style of Cornell with his effortless dialogue and wittiness. It's a perfect mix of gory horror mystery, character drama, fun romp and high concept, epic world ending scenario.