| TIMEWYRM : REVELATION by Paul Cornell |
| Story 4 Synopsis: It's the final showdown, and the stakes couldn't be higher. In a London school playground, Chad Boyle smashes the skull of another child, Dorothy. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Ace find themselves in a happy community, only for Ace to discover that they are actually on the Moon. The Doctor finds that the Timewyrm's traps are getting fiercer. A small section of Norfolk, Cheldon Bonniface is obliterated, and the church from there is brought to the Moon, with one or two guests inside. The Doctor knows the Priest, and that the church is sentient. Ace finds herself in a mysterious landscape, where she meets a variety of oddball characters, and has a nasty run-in with Nazi Lieutenant Hemmings. But she keeps winning through, until she meets the Timewyrm again. She reveals that Ace is in the Doctor's mind. The Doctor has been trying to rescue her, but his plan fails, when Ace realises that he can't overcome his guilt. She helps him find himself, and, renewed, he goes for Plan B. Flying the TARDIS into his own mind, he faces the Timewyrm, and beats her. Having already stolen a genetically-modified human baby from the 22nd century, he is able to return the TARDIS to the church, which is sent back to Earth, and put the mind (and powers) of the Timewyrm into the baby, whom he insists on naming Ishtar. |
| Review:- Here we are - Paul Cornell's first DW book, and the book that arguably made the name of Virgin's New Adventures. There is much to commend in this book, which only perhaps has its reputation for Paul Cornell having not written for the TV show, or previous Dr Who novelisations. I wouldn't decry it as run of the mill, and a lot of the philosophy is questionable, but it zips along at a fair old pace, providing neat cliffhangers, incredible vistas of action, cameos of familiar Dr Who legends, and still manages to squeeze in discourses on finding yourself/being true to yourself/blahblahblah. It has to be said that I was given this book by a schoolfriend who had it given to him, and he didn't rate it at all. It was the 2nd New Adventure I had. I got them all. I suppose I can say that I like this book. It has possibly one of the finest uses of Ace in any medium of the last 15 years. And the Doctor wins! What more do you want? |
| Disclaimer: I own a copy. |