A review by whovian2711
Doctor Who: Timewyrm: Apocalypse by Nigel Robinson
4.0
After seeing so many negative reviews for Timewyrm Apocalypse, I went in with very low expectations. These appeared to be validated by the confusing opening chapter, which introduces a bewildering amount of names, titles and concepts with very little explanation (and high demands of the reader's memory!). However, once these necessary elements had been established, I actually found Apocalypse to be very enjoyable and a great example of traditional, fantasy-influenced Doctor Who. As such, minus some of the gore and sexual references, and with a significantly reduced budget, it felt like this could have been a story from the tv show itself.
The characters of the Doctor and Ace are particularly well presented; they act in character, have recognisably accurate dialogue, and the deeper explorations of their inner thoughts and motivations are enlightening at times. Although the novel's secondary characters are archetypical, they feel believable and likeable/unlikeable as intended. The descriptions of the setting are evocative and atmospheric, and the pacing is excellent, with a slow building of intrigue leading to a dramatic conclusion that (mostly) ties up loose ends in a satisfying way.
Unlike in the previous VNAs, I was surprised to find that I wasn't irritated by the callbacks to previous Doctor Who stories, which, as I've come to expect of the range, were fairly frequent. Thankfully, these references and plot threads didn't feel obtrusive or alienating, and the more prominent sections concerning the Second Doctor were interesting and made sense within the wider plot.
A criticism that could be levelled at this novel is that the story gets a bit… wacky. I'm also not entirely sure that I understand how the different antagonists' grand schemes fit together. However, I felt that these points were very much in the spirit of Classic Who, and not much of a problem in light of how enjoyable the story was as a whole.
The characters of the Doctor and Ace are particularly well presented; they act in character, have recognisably accurate dialogue, and the deeper explorations of their inner thoughts and motivations are enlightening at times. Although the novel's secondary characters are archetypical, they feel believable and likeable/unlikeable as intended. The descriptions of the setting are evocative and atmospheric, and the pacing is excellent, with a slow building of intrigue leading to a dramatic conclusion that (mostly) ties up loose ends in a satisfying way.
Unlike in the previous VNAs, I was surprised to find that I wasn't irritated by the callbacks to previous Doctor Who stories, which, as I've come to expect of the range, were fairly frequent. Thankfully, these references and plot threads didn't feel obtrusive or alienating, and the more prominent sections concerning the Second Doctor were interesting and made sense within the wider plot.
A criticism that could be levelled at this novel is that the story gets a bit… wacky. I'm also not entirely sure that I understand how the different antagonists' grand schemes fit together. However, I felt that these points were very much in the spirit of Classic Who, and not much of a problem in light of how enjoyable the story was as a whole.