Prisoner of the Daleks
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BBC Books Prisoner of the Daleks |
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| Author | Trevor Baxendale |  |
| ISBN | 1 846 075641 2 | |
| Published | 2009 |
| Synopsis: The Daleks are advancing, their empire constantly expanding into Earth's space. |
Magnifico by Nathan Mullins 22/3/11
Yesterday, my mum bought me a Doctor Who book, as a treat. I picked out what it was that I wanted. It was a new series book, featuring the Daleks, with the tenth Doctor on the cover, and guess what? I happened to read the whole book in one whole day. The book is a real treat, in that it grabs the reader sharply by the collar, and sets the scene quicker than any other new series book I have read. The tenth Doctor, David Tennant, has been awesome. He has brought his own unique attitude to the role of the Doctor, and his persona has rubbed of and onto the book. Prisoner of the Daleks captures his Doctor's personality traits well. This has not always been the case, for example in Peacemaker, the Doctor's personality is sometimes varied, and so is hard to imagine David Tennat saying his lines. However, the writers usually get it right and, when they do, they get a result. The Last Dodo, Sting of the Zygons, The Pirate Loop, Martha in the Mirror and Wetworld capture the Doctor's personality perfectly. However, in some parts of Prisoner of the Daleks, it felt as though the writer was a little muddled as bits of Tennants lines seemed to remind me of Sylvester McCoy saying the lines. There were also some very dark scenes, and the Doctor's personality has gotten darker both on tele and in written form. Like the seventh Doctor, the tenth has gone down that same path.
The characters throughout are real enough to be brought to life on the TV screen. Bowman, the head of the Wayfarer is a bossy brute with an attitude problem and, when he and the Doctor meet, there is trouble at hand. Stella, rubs off on the Doctor, as she reminds the Doctor of both Martha and Donna, and of someone in his past. Her mention throughout the book is brought up a lot, but is because half of what goes on in the book has a subtle reference back to her. Another character, by the name of Cuttin' Edge, is also very unusual. He is only a kid, but he obeys only Bowman, who is like a father to him, as he was to Stella. The other characters aren't as important as those who I have mentioned, though one character to watch out for is the character who makes the Doctor want to punch the air with joy. The Doctor in this is also as tight-lipped as Tennant on the tele. His sentences are short and always kept to the point. I feel it's best to say that you should only read this story after Planet of the Dead. You get a better understanding of the Doctor's loneliness, and his actions.
The Daleks have also been used to the extent that you wanna find out more about them. There is an unusual creation in this, known as Dalek X. His character is very dark and unnerving. The character of Dalek X reminds me a little of what we saw in Planet of the Daleks, or when in Resurrection of the Daleks, one lot of Daleks shot the other lot. Dalek X shows that his power is absolute, and also that the other Daleks are his pets and do only what he commands. When Dalek X comes up against the Doctor, however, the Doctor makes mincemeat out of him. He is made out to be the scariest Dalek around, and for a while he is, but when the Doctor fools hm and traps him, Dalek X seems almost wasted. However, I would love for Dalek X to return on television and, if not on the tele, then again in another novel. I had been waiting ages to see when they'd bring a novel out, featuring David Tennant, coming up against the Daleks. This novel is one to watch out for. Of course, I chose this over Judgement of the Judoon, and the other novel featuring the Slitheen, since of course it had to be the Daleks. They are simply the number one enemy. I for one have waited to see how well they'd be done justice in one of the tenth Doctor's novels.
The scenes are all set b-e-a-utifully. The fact that the novel does not have the Doctor set on earth is almost a blessing. This novel required a real sense of a tense situation building up throughout. The fact that the Daleks are advancing and destroying whole worlds is simply horrifying. The fact that planets are blowing themselves up before the Daleks have arrived is just reminiscent of what Martha had planned for when the Daleks were attacking earth in The Stolen Earth/Journey's End. There are many nods to the past, that just filled me with much happiness. I do like a few references made to the past. This book successfully delivered. Something that made me smile. It think that not having the Doctor paired up with a companion is just fantastic. His time whilst he is alone is what I have wanted for a while. There isn't a lot of banter between Doctor & companion. The Doctor just gets on with what he has to do.
I have never gone as far as to have read a whole Doctor Who book in one day, but I have now, and having read the whole of Prisoner of the Daleks, it has made me want to collect the other books, and see how good they are. Trevor Baxendale is a superb author and he should be given permission to write another Doctor Who novel. With the success that will be brought to him, via Prisoner of the Daleks, he has got to write another. I hope to get the other two books soon and review those when I do bother to fork out #6.99. They ought to lower the cost, that is my only criticism!
Prisoner of fate by Noe Geric 16/2/21
After their forgettable appearances in War of the Daleks and Legacy of the Daleks, the Daleks are back for a third novel. But is it better than the previous two? Written by Trevor Baxendale, author of the terrible Something Inside, Prisoner of the Daleks is perhaps one of the best NSA so far. It's a pile of Dalek cliches turned into a gripping story where the Doctor find himself in a Dalek prison.
The plot is rather simple: the Daleks wants to kill everybody, and they capture the Doctor. They've got loads of chances to kill him, but they rather prefer to explain their whole plans, and then, unsurprisingly, the Doctor tricks them and run away. He saves the day in a big explosion, and that's all. But some elements turn that into a great book: the characterization of every character is rather interesting. But the Doctor is the best; he is exactly the Tenth Doctor we see in the 2009 special, the lonely Time Lord victorious. Sometimes it feels as if he is over-characterized, but it's okay. The incredible amount of ''I'm sorry, I'm so sorry'' is a bit irritating, though.
Another little misstep for the book is the repetition in the prose. If it isn't a word that is repeated, it's a situation. After four mentions, I think I get it that Cuttin'Edge's legs were painful! The prose isn't perfect, and it looks like it repeats itself just for the book to reach the exact word count.
The Daleks are scary again! Their slaughter of everybody is what makes the Daleks interesting. Their ''leader'', Dalek X, is apparently the worst Dalek ever. He's evil, and even the Daleks are scared of him. Of course, when a Dalek is powerful, he gets beaten in the most ridiculous and funny scene ever. The Doctor tells him he lost the TARDIS keys, and Dalek X believes him! The crew of the Wayfarer is incredibly annoying at the beginning, but the more the novel goes, the more I learnt to like each of them. The death of Stella at the beginning is a good moment that lets the characters develop around that event through the book. But a plot point is quickly forgotten: the Doctor landing somewhere he can't be, before the Time War. It's largely forgotten and barely mentioned. There's nothing done with that, and it's sad.
The best Dalek book written yet. An homage to Terry Nation and a traditional Dalek story turned into a big blockbuster. Lots of death, lots of tragedy, but the end is left open for most of the characters to return or have a future. And the book has a beautiful cover too!
An impressive book from Baxendale: 9/10, recommended!