Sunday 4 December 2016

Book Review - Doctor Who The Deviant Strain by Justin Richards



A few years ago, around 2010 to 2012 I bought from The Book People who visited work two Doctor Who book box sets.  Each box containing ten Doctor Who books.
Having read the first two in the first box set (although I never reviewed them on here as it may have been before my blog). I decided to read another one even though they are aimed at the YA market but I have still got them and they are easy reads between the bigger epics I normally take on.

Justin Richards The Deviant Strain takes Christopher Eccelston's ninth Doctor along with Billie Pipers Rose and John Barrowmans Captain Jack to the Novrosk Peninsula in Russia.
It is an almost deserted submarine graveyard with only a few villagers living nearby and a Soviet naval Base.  Nearby are some mysterious Stones which drain the life force out of anybody that touches them.

With life-force draining blue blobs, zombie scientists and a crashed spaceship there is more than enough action and peril for the Doctor, his companions and secondary characters.
With some fun action scenes, end of chapter cliffhangers and intrigue the book rattles on at a fast pace and at only 251 pages does seem a bit short.

The characterisation of the Doctor and Rose are spot on and made me wish Christopher Eccelston had stopped on as the Doctor at least one more series. Jack is handled well but there isn't enough of him here.

The book shows how much Doctor Who has changed since his relaunch in 2005!
Well I still 17 of them to read plus over 100 of my bigger books ha!

Overall -  Justin Richards captures the spirit of the series in a fast paced adventure that harkens back to 1950s B Movies.  Some of it can be a little cliché and not enough of Jack.

Score  -   7/10
See below for Doctor Who book box sets 

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