BBC Books Martha in the Mirror

Author	Justin Richards
ISBN	1 846 07420 7
Published	2008

Synopsis: Castle Extremis: whoever holds it can control the provinces either side that have been at war for centuries. Now the castle is about to play host to the signing of a peace treaty. But as the Doctor and Martha find out, not everyone wants the war to end.

• Could not put down by Nathan Mullins

Could not put down by Nathan Mullins 20/4/10

Martha in the Mirror succeeds almost right of the mark. Once you pick the book up, you just can't put the book down. I only bought the book not long ago, and at first I was dubious of how the book would hold up but it only took me a couple of days to complete.

In reading the context of the book, the characters are splendid and completely true to form. You can really imagine David Tennant and Freema Agyeman saying their lines whilst you are reading the book. It's obvious that the author had studied the pair of them before, their characters are so lifelike; it's as though they are outside of your imagination. As though they were really doing the things they were doing, not just within the writing, and the story you've picked up.

The plot was really clued up. At the beginning, I hadn't a clue what was going on but I adjusted to the format and began to understand what was happening. Its plot became something more in what was made from all the chaos that was going on. All the supporting characters really brings Castle Extremis to life. The TARDIS team, made up of only the Doctor and Martha, are just like how they are on television. Martha's amazing, she and the Doctor are on top form here and this only goes to prove that the 'classic series', mixed with the new series, has not changed that much over the years, that's for sure. What I mean by that is that the story reminds me of Dreams of Empire, set in just about the same place, and the characters, including the Doctors and his companions, are given just the amount of attention their given here, along with their credibility and how they're portrayed.

If you're a collector of the new series range, or any of the Doctor Who ranges, this has got to be bought. It's one of the best New Series novels they've brought out and serves up a good few hours of your time. None of your time will be wasted. On a high note, moving away from this, the New Series book look set to be a treat. Especially the New Series novel Prisoner of the Daleks. Though, honestly, this book is superb and not one to be missed.