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Doctor Who: Virgin New Adventures #5
Doctor Who: Cat's Cradle - Time's Crucible
'You’re on your own, Ace.'
The TARDIS is invaded by an alien presence, and is then destroyed. The Doctor disappears. Ace, lost and alone, finds herself in a bizarre deserted city ruled by the tyrannical, leech-like monster known as the Process.
Lost voyagers drawn forward from Ancient Gallifrey perform obsessive rituals in the ruins. The strands of time are tangled in a cat’s cradle of dimensions. Only the Doctor can challenge the rule of the Process and restore the stolen Future.
But the Doctor was destroyed long ago, before Time began.
The TARDIS is invaded by an alien presence, and is then destroyed. The Doctor disappears. Ace, lost and alone, finds herself in a bizarre deserted city ruled by the tyrannical, leech-like monster known as the Process.
Lost voyagers drawn forward from Ancient Gallifrey perform obsessive rituals in the ruins. The strands of time are tangled in a cat’s cradle of dimensions. Only the Doctor can challenge the rule of the Process and restore the stolen Future.
But the Doctor was destroyed long ago, before Time began.
275 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 20, 1992
14 people are currently reading
931 people want to read
About the author
Marc Platt
111 books48 followersMarc Platt is a British writer. He is most known for his work with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who.
After studying catering at a technical college, Platt worked first for Trust House Forte, and then in administration for the BBC. He wrote the Doctor Who serial Ghost Light based on two proposals, one of which later became the novel Lungbarrow. That novel was greatly anticipated by fans as it was the culmination of the so-called "Cartmel Masterplan", revealing details of the Doctor's background and family.
After the original series' cancellation Platt wrote the script for the audio Doctor Who drama Spare Parts. The script was the inspiration for the 2006 Doctor Who television story "Rise of the Cybermen"/"The Age of Steel", for which Platt received a screen credit and a fee.
He lives in London.
After studying catering at a technical college, Platt worked first for Trust House Forte, and then in administration for the BBC. He wrote the Doctor Who serial Ghost Light based on two proposals, one of which later became the novel Lungbarrow. That novel was greatly anticipated by fans as it was the culmination of the so-called "Cartmel Masterplan", revealing details of the Doctor's background and family.
After the original series' cancellation Platt wrote the script for the audio Doctor Who drama Spare Parts. The script was the inspiration for the 2006 Doctor Who television story "Rise of the Cybermen"/"The Age of Steel", for which Platt received a screen credit and a fee.
He lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
July 23, 2013
A very complicated book, particularly the first 100 pages which frequently throw you in at the deep end and then expect you to keep up. Quite frequently does it introduce a mind-bending idea without actually explaining it to you and once you've figured out what idea actually means, another idea gets pushed in your face and then the process repeats (quite ironically/fittingly considering the book's plot).
If you are able to keep up with the book though, you'll find that most of the book is actually surprisingly simple (or at least it's simpler than it's trying to make itself seem). Indeed the ending is slightly underwhelming if only because it feels a bit too easy compared to what's led up to it.
It is a Doctor Who book with scale though - it goes out of it's way to fulfil the Virgin New Adventures quota of being a story "too broad and too deep for the small screen", being actively mind-blowing in concept and featuring things you'd never have been able to do on a BBC drama budget.
Seeing this book in terms of the wider Doctor Who mythos, it does also seem to have had a heavy influence on Steven Moffat's version of Doctor Who, particularly when it comes to the TARDIS. Here the TARDIS is a living machine, permanently linked to the Doctor so much that it's now impossible to have one without the other. Those who've watched "The Doctor's Wife" and "Journey to the Center of the TARDIS" will find this idea much more familiar than those who read this book having only watched the classic series.
It's good, definitely. Overly unclear at points and perhaps trying a bit too hard to be complex, it's nevertheless an entertaining read and a worthy part of the Doctor Who canon.
If you are able to keep up with the book though, you'll find that most of the book is actually surprisingly simple (or at least it's simpler than it's trying to make itself seem). Indeed the ending is slightly underwhelming if only because it feels a bit too easy compared to what's led up to it.
It is a Doctor Who book with scale though - it goes out of it's way to fulfil the Virgin New Adventures quota of being a story "too broad and too deep for the small screen", being actively mind-blowing in concept and featuring things you'd never have been able to do on a BBC drama budget.
Seeing this book in terms of the wider Doctor Who mythos, it does also seem to have had a heavy influence on Steven Moffat's version of Doctor Who, particularly when it comes to the TARDIS. Here the TARDIS is a living machine, permanently linked to the Doctor so much that it's now impossible to have one without the other. Those who've watched "The Doctor's Wife" and "Journey to the Center of the TARDIS" will find this idea much more familiar than those who read this book having only watched the classic series.
It's good, definitely. Overly unclear at points and perhaps trying a bit too hard to be complex, it's nevertheless an entertaining read and a worthy part of the Doctor Who canon.
December 7, 2013
It took me ages to read this even though its easily my favourite of the New Adventures I've read so far. (I'm reading them in order. There are about 80. Pity me.) Marc Platt describes ancient, pre-time travel Gallifrey in wonderful depth, and links it to the story of the Seventh Doctor and Ace (easily my favourite Doctor and companion) expertly. We follow Ace for much of the story, trying to discover what has happened to both the Doctor and the TARDIS, and we learn as she does, giving the novel a great pace.
One problem I found was that there is so much happening in the book, both in terms of actions and conceptually, that it's difficult to keep up! I found it very difficult to visualise the movements of the giant clockwork tower at the centre of the city Ace finds herself in, and indeed the odd worm monsters that inhabit said tower (as seen on the cover of the book).
Another problem was that I found the characters who weren't The Doctor or Ace to be a little under-developed, with no real reasons or motivations given for anything they were doing, late on in the book I was surprised when two characters announced they were getting married, I hadn't even noticed they were interested in each other prior to this!
Overall though, 'Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible' is an excellent book, and I feel very optimistic that the New Adventures are going to go from strength to strength from here. Also, there's only two more 'Cats Cradle' books before the editors decide the whole 'mini-series within a series' thing is a massive waste of time, which will be lovely.
One problem I found was that there is so much happening in the book, both in terms of actions and conceptually, that it's difficult to keep up! I found it very difficult to visualise the movements of the giant clockwork tower at the centre of the city Ace finds herself in, and indeed the odd worm monsters that inhabit said tower (as seen on the cover of the book).
Another problem was that I found the characters who weren't The Doctor or Ace to be a little under-developed, with no real reasons or motivations given for anything they were doing, late on in the book I was surprised when two characters announced they were getting married, I hadn't even noticed they were interested in each other prior to this!
Overall though, 'Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible' is an excellent book, and I feel very optimistic that the New Adventures are going to go from strength to strength from here. Also, there's only two more 'Cats Cradle' books before the editors decide the whole 'mini-series within a series' thing is a massive waste of time, which will be lovely.
June 15, 2015
So far this is the most mind-bending Doctor a Who story I have read or experienced to date. It's not surprising either coming from the mind of its author, Marc Platt, who also penned the surreal TV story, Ghostlight.
There are some very complicated layers to the story, as Platt bends time and space to weave a very interesting tale.
I would recommend this novel only to the seasoned fan, however. There are a lot of tiny references to the past history of the Doctor Who series mythos as well as some grand connections to the history of Gallifrey, Rassilon, and the Time Lords. This story will clearly tie into Lungburrow, a story later in the series also written by Platt.
There are some very complicated layers to the story, as Platt bends time and space to weave a very interesting tale.
I would recommend this novel only to the seasoned fan, however. There are a lot of tiny references to the past history of the Doctor Who series mythos as well as some grand connections to the history of Gallifrey, Rassilon, and the Time Lords. This story will clearly tie into Lungburrow, a story later in the series also written by Platt.
March 11, 2010
I think it's fair to say that I've never been so totally confused by a book as with this one!
August 21, 2016
Time's Crucible is the literary equivalent of a black-light poster.
I can clearly picture Marc Platt sitting in an early 90's goth club, dressed all in black, enveloped by thumping bass, bent over a notepad making vigorous notes for his upcoming surreal Doctor Who novel.
"Don't you see! The TARDIS explodes leaving Ace and the Doctor transcendentally trapped in its dimensions which happen to include elements of Gallifrey's deep past, and there's an ancient sorceress named The Pythia who led the Gallifreyens before the age of Rassilon, and BLAH BLAH ancient mysticism BLAH BLAH giant slug creature BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH."
Suffice to say, Time's Crucible is the absolute worst book I have ever finished.
I can clearly picture Marc Platt sitting in an early 90's goth club, dressed all in black, enveloped by thumping bass, bent over a notepad making vigorous notes for his upcoming surreal Doctor Who novel.
"Don't you see! The TARDIS explodes leaving Ace and the Doctor transcendentally trapped in its dimensions which happen to include elements of Gallifrey's deep past, and there's an ancient sorceress named The Pythia who led the Gallifreyens before the age of Rassilon, and BLAH BLAH ancient mysticism BLAH BLAH giant slug creature BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH."
Suffice to say, Time's Crucible is the absolute worst book I have ever finished.
September 15, 2008
Whereas I argued that you could read Timewyrm: Revelation without knowing anything about Doctor Who, and you'd be confused but not baffled, Time's Crucible is close to being what is now known as "fanwank". It's not just a major attempt to define whole aspects of the Who mythos, drawing on multiple trivial details from the series, it also tries to be an intricate time-travel story operating in multiple time-periods at once.
And it has to be judged a failure. Even though I've given it four stars! But then I'm a fan, and I love so many of the ideas found in here, but the execution is far, far more confusing than it should be.
Marc Platt wrote Ghostlight, which is now one of the most respected old Who stories, in which he helped to create what became the NA Seventh Doctor - a devious manipulator who never even starts a game he can't win, even if that involves cheating. But at the time it was received with polite bafflement, as time pressures meant that a complex plot became semi-incoherent through editing.
Time's Crucible is semi-incoherent without needing that editing. Like Ghostlight, it does in fact make perfect sense if you are able to hold all the minor details in your head and are willing to take the effort to keep track of where the story is and how the different parts relate to one another. But that's a very difficult job, and generally not something that you (as a reader) expect to do with what is "only" a book, and definitely not a great classic.
So it's flawed. And the whole underpinning story on Gallifrey is really only of any interest to Doctor Who fans; it doesn't really make much difference to the main plot (which would have worked satisfactorily without it), and some aspects of it (notably "The Other") would confuse even fans who weren't intimately acquainted with what didn't actually happen on-screen.
But I still admire the attempt and there is much to enjoy here: the imagery of the City is remarkably vivid, and most of the characters are well-drawn. As long as you go in knowing that you will have to work whilst reading, this is perfectly fine. But of course that's not what most people want from their "casual" reading...
Next up: Cat's Cradle: Warhead, in which the last script editor of Doctor Who on tv, and architect of much of what Platt writes about here, has his take on the series.
And it has to be judged a failure. Even though I've given it four stars! But then I'm a fan, and I love so many of the ideas found in here, but the execution is far, far more confusing than it should be.
Marc Platt wrote Ghostlight, which is now one of the most respected old Who stories, in which he helped to create what became the NA Seventh Doctor - a devious manipulator who never even starts a game he can't win, even if that involves cheating. But at the time it was received with polite bafflement, as time pressures meant that a complex plot became semi-incoherent through editing.
Time's Crucible is semi-incoherent without needing that editing. Like Ghostlight, it does in fact make perfect sense if you are able to hold all the minor details in your head and are willing to take the effort to keep track of where the story is and how the different parts relate to one another. But that's a very difficult job, and generally not something that you (as a reader) expect to do with what is "only" a book, and definitely not a great classic.
So it's flawed. And the whole underpinning story on Gallifrey is really only of any interest to Doctor Who fans; it doesn't really make much difference to the main plot (which would have worked satisfactorily without it), and some aspects of it (notably "The Other") would confuse even fans who weren't intimately acquainted with what didn't actually happen on-screen.
But I still admire the attempt and there is much to enjoy here: the imagery of the City is remarkably vivid, and most of the characters are well-drawn. As long as you go in knowing that you will have to work whilst reading, this is perfectly fine. But of course that's not what most people want from their "casual" reading...
Next up: Cat's Cradle: Warhead, in which the last script editor of Doctor Who on tv, and architect of much of what Platt writes about here, has his take on the series.
November 7, 2022
Oh my god was this a chore.
Normally a doctor who book takes me around 2-5 days to read. this one took me 15. Every page felt like a chore and it felt like this book would never end. which is a shame, because there was a good idea buried somewhere in this muddle.
Short version, TARDIS is dying and becomes a giant city that's separated into 3 time frames. There's 5 ancient gallifreyan astronauts that get trapped there and a giant worm thing called the process.
That's the best way to describe the plot concisely i can think of. On its own it doesn't sound that confusing, but trust me, it gets stupidly confusing for no reason.
I don't understand why some authors who write for who feel like they need to write the novel like they're writing a scientific dissertation. it's a who novel, just have fun with it. It doesn't need to be written like
"The mutual pool of people's thought, impossible to ignore, chittered with unquiet rumor" is basically the level of lines you'll get in this book. this is actually one of the easier ones to just give you a sort of example.
It's not impossible to understand, just unnecessary. it isn't like this is my first forray into old school doctor who novels either. i've read more than a few dozen so i know what to expect.
One of the biggest issues i have with this story is that the doctor is honestly not in it a lot. after the first 30-40 pages he goes away for legit 130 pages and we're left with Ace and side characters. Ace is a fine character but without the doctor to explain what's going on, well, it certainly didn't help the confusing storyline.
The side story with Rassilon was boring and unnecessary and i definitely zoned out when he was up in the story as well as the evil old lady who ran old school gallifrey.
A story about a time machine crashing into the TARDIS and causing it to nearly be destroyed an malfunction wildly is actually a really cool premise but this author took the convolutedness WAYYYYY too far to the point of not being comprehensive. This guy wrote Ghost Light and from what i've heard people say of that arc, nonsensical confusion is right up this guy's alley. i'm just happy i don't have to read another one of this guy's stories until i take out a second mortgage and get Lungbarrow down the line.
All in all, this was not good. It had some good Ace development, but we just had some of that in the previous book and we didn't need another Ace driven story right off the bat. The doctor was barely in it and a good chunk of when he was, he had amnesia (surprise surprise) and it was just WAYYYYY too complicated. Definitely never picking this one up again.
2 out of 5.
Normally a doctor who book takes me around 2-5 days to read. this one took me 15. Every page felt like a chore and it felt like this book would never end. which is a shame, because there was a good idea buried somewhere in this muddle.
Short version, TARDIS is dying and becomes a giant city that's separated into 3 time frames. There's 5 ancient gallifreyan astronauts that get trapped there and a giant worm thing called the process.
That's the best way to describe the plot concisely i can think of. On its own it doesn't sound that confusing, but trust me, it gets stupidly confusing for no reason.
I don't understand why some authors who write for who feel like they need to write the novel like they're writing a scientific dissertation. it's a who novel, just have fun with it. It doesn't need to be written like
"The mutual pool of people's thought, impossible to ignore, chittered with unquiet rumor" is basically the level of lines you'll get in this book. this is actually one of the easier ones to just give you a sort of example.
It's not impossible to understand, just unnecessary. it isn't like this is my first forray into old school doctor who novels either. i've read more than a few dozen so i know what to expect.
One of the biggest issues i have with this story is that the doctor is honestly not in it a lot. after the first 30-40 pages he goes away for legit 130 pages and we're left with Ace and side characters. Ace is a fine character but without the doctor to explain what's going on, well, it certainly didn't help the confusing storyline.
The side story with Rassilon was boring and unnecessary and i definitely zoned out when he was up in the story as well as the evil old lady who ran old school gallifrey.
A story about a time machine crashing into the TARDIS and causing it to nearly be destroyed an malfunction wildly is actually a really cool premise but this author took the convolutedness WAYYYYY too far to the point of not being comprehensive. This guy wrote Ghost Light and from what i've heard people say of that arc, nonsensical confusion is right up this guy's alley. i'm just happy i don't have to read another one of this guy's stories until i take out a second mortgage and get Lungbarrow down the line.
All in all, this was not good. It had some good Ace development, but we just had some of that in the previous book and we didn't need another Ace driven story right off the bat. The doctor was barely in it and a good chunk of when he was, he had amnesia (surprise surprise) and it was just WAYYYYY too complicated. Definitely never picking this one up again.
2 out of 5.
Read
July 27, 2017I approached this with trepidation after my experience of reading the Timewyrm books last year, a bit of a car crash from start to finish (see previous notes). But this one is actually pretty good. Yes, it's still weighed down with continuity and an ambitious muddle of sci-fi/fantasy conceptual stuff that gets in the way of actual storytelling. Yes, in places it is dull, repetitive and a wee bit humourless. But, crucially, it is both well-written and coherent, a combination which none of its predecessors achieved. Whilst the set-up is (deliberately) confusing and (over) complex, there's a solid sci-fi concept at its centre that gradually coalesces into a satisfying whole; Marc Platt really knows how to write and at last it feels like the series is in the hands of a competent, careful driver.
In retrospect, especially in the light of Doctor Who's resurrection on television, it seems a little baffling that the New Adventures were launched with such high-concept, continuity dependent novels. Why the obsession with Gallifrey and the Doctor's past? Even more oddly, why so many stories in which the Doctor is largely absent and Ace is left wandering ignorant and alone? Not that I agree with other comments that this book could only be understood by a fan of the TV series - there's precious little in here that would give even the most die-hard fan an advantage - it's more a question of whether any other kind of reader would bother.
And, since it seems to be aimed at the die-hard fan, let these things also be said in its favour: firstly, it really feels like Doctor Who, from its opening in Ealing Broadway to the vein of eccentricity that litters the pages. Secondly, the characters of the Doctor and Ace are (at last!) well drawn. Thirdly, this version of Gallifreyan ancient history and Time Lord folklore is REALLY good - if you persevere with it, the unlikely mix of religion, politics, magic and science unfolds into a really fascinating and tragic canvas, far more rich and rewarding than the new TV series' Time War. In a way, it would have been nice to see a cycle of books properly unpack this potential, but the mix of writers and unevenness of writing would never have allowed for that; at least, though, this acts as an unexpected prequel to Platt's other New Adventure 'Lungbarrow'.
In the meantime, with its apparently less restrictive 'umbrella' arc, I find I am rather looking forward to the next book.
In retrospect, especially in the light of Doctor Who's resurrection on television, it seems a little baffling that the New Adventures were launched with such high-concept, continuity dependent novels. Why the obsession with Gallifrey and the Doctor's past? Even more oddly, why so many stories in which the Doctor is largely absent and Ace is left wandering ignorant and alone? Not that I agree with other comments that this book could only be understood by a fan of the TV series - there's precious little in here that would give even the most die-hard fan an advantage - it's more a question of whether any other kind of reader would bother.
And, since it seems to be aimed at the die-hard fan, let these things also be said in its favour: firstly, it really feels like Doctor Who, from its opening in Ealing Broadway to the vein of eccentricity that litters the pages. Secondly, the characters of the Doctor and Ace are (at last!) well drawn. Thirdly, this version of Gallifreyan ancient history and Time Lord folklore is REALLY good - if you persevere with it, the unlikely mix of religion, politics, magic and science unfolds into a really fascinating and tragic canvas, far more rich and rewarding than the new TV series' Time War. In a way, it would have been nice to see a cycle of books properly unpack this potential, but the mix of writers and unevenness of writing would never have allowed for that; at least, though, this acts as an unexpected prequel to Platt's other New Adventure 'Lungbarrow'.
In the meantime, with its apparently less restrictive 'umbrella' arc, I find I am rather looking forward to the next book.
October 3, 2023
This sucked. This sucked so hard. Big worm is angry is all I need to describe the book with the upmost detail. A overcomplicated, pretentious, and dull book (the longest one in the run of Virgin novels?!?!!?), I could feel my brain cells melting away each time I sat down to read it. The start of an arc that seems so boring and uninspired with nothing remotely clever about it, which makes me laugh given, after the first Timewyrm novel I was so excited to see the arc continue. There’s a cat, and Tardis go boom. The Doctor is absent from most of the novel for really clever (definitely not just stupid ‘I’m Marc Platt and I’m so clever’ reasons) meaning we follow ace around with her ragtag group of pre-time lord Gallifreyans. Ace is characterised as frustrated the whole way through which is just so tedious as you just can’t enjoy her as a character as you are usually able to in every portrayal other than this one, and her companions are even more boring. A group of generic character traits obeying the angry big worm, and some technobabble to mask this mess as intelligent writing, and a plot so unnecessarily drawn out and painful that it leaves you wanting to set fire to the book.. then yourself. Traditionally I’ve enjoyed writing more in depth (I hope they come across that way) reviews but this book was so shit that I do not want to waste words on it.
August 9, 2016
Very dreamlike and psychedelic, but in a confusing way and it is related to a fault most of the Virgin New Adventures books so far have. The show has just ended but there was one advantage to continuing the series in the form of novels, the show was not limited by TV, the writers could make the Doctor and Ace do anything as long as they could imagine and describe it, the writers wanted to seize that advantage, but sadly didn't manage to do it right. Marc Platt wanted a dreamlike adventure that would be hard to visualize let alone show on TV, but instead he created a confusing mess of a story.
The book also has a flaw that it shares with modern Doctor Who, it tries to use the infinite potential of the series, but it doesn't know how. I did not understand how the monster was feeding on data or destroying the future or taking control of the TARDIS at all, I thought it would be something similar to a computer virus infecting the TARDIS, but no, it was a physical being, a big ugly leach no less. Just because you can have anything happen in Doctor Who doesn't mean you can make up shit that doesn't make any sense.
That being said, it does have some good moments, mostly because of the style, and it isn't as bad as the previous two books, it was OK and gets two stars.
The book also has a flaw that it shares with modern Doctor Who, it tries to use the infinite potential of the series, but it doesn't know how. I did not understand how the monster was feeding on data or destroying the future or taking control of the TARDIS at all, I thought it would be something similar to a computer virus infecting the TARDIS, but no, it was a physical being, a big ugly leach no less. Just because you can have anything happen in Doctor Who doesn't mean you can make up shit that doesn't make any sense.
That being said, it does have some good moments, mostly because of the style, and it isn't as bad as the previous two books, it was OK and gets two stars.
March 20, 2019
Hope you like marmite. This book is well known for its grand ideas about Time Lords and how their race works; I can see why it’s “important” in an overall sort of way.
Trouble is, it’s a novel, not a guide book. And as a novel it’s practically unreadable. From an early sequence where reality goes haywire in a cafe, which reads like an audio-described Dali painting, the story moves to the inside of the TARDIS after it fractures. Much weird is piled on more weird, strange patterns emerge, a large and befuddled lamprey lumbers about talking to itself and... it just goes on, revelling in weird imagery.
I need character and plot, and Time’s Crucible lacks both. I found it genuinely difficult to read. Three cheers for the folk who liked it - it’s not for me.
2/10
NB: Cat’s Cradle isn’t much of an arc. The TARDIS suffers some damage in this, and that is somewhat referenced in the next two. That’s it. Good or bad, the three books can be read in isolation.
Trouble is, it’s a novel, not a guide book. And as a novel it’s practically unreadable. From an early sequence where reality goes haywire in a cafe, which reads like an audio-described Dali painting, the story moves to the inside of the TARDIS after it fractures. Much weird is piled on more weird, strange patterns emerge, a large and befuddled lamprey lumbers about talking to itself and... it just goes on, revelling in weird imagery.
I need character and plot, and Time’s Crucible lacks both. I found it genuinely difficult to read. Three cheers for the folk who liked it - it’s not for me.
2/10
NB: Cat’s Cradle isn’t much of an arc. The TARDIS suffers some damage in this, and that is somewhat referenced in the next two. That’s it. Good or bad, the three books can be read in isolation.
December 11, 2014
Very, very confusing story for me about Ace and the Seventh Doctor undergoing an attack in the Tardis and meeting ancient Gallyfreans.
May 2, 2012
I'm a "visual" reader - I see what's going on in the pages. This one made my brain work extra hard, and I enjoyed it.
May 7, 2024
Too overwrought for its own good.
February 23, 2025
"You're on your own again, Ace," said God.
"Thanks for that, God. Cheers."
"Thanks for that, God. Cheers."
June 7, 2020
Virgin Books’ Doctor Who: New Adventures series was, back in the day, meant to provide fans of Doctor Who the thing they wanted after the show was put on indefinite hiatus after the serial Survival. Time’s Crucible is the 6th book in the series, part of a pair of thematically linked stories under the heading of “Cat’s Cradle”.
The story involves the TARDIS basically having a temporal collision with an early prototype Time Ship from Gallifrey from just before the rise of Rassilon. This gets into material that doctors from Tom Baker on had explored directly, but which Sylvester McCoy’s doctor had only explored obliquely – the history of the Time Lords.
Conceptually, telling the story as a novel lets you do some stuff that would be really hard to do in live-action television. The mixed up TARDIS interior is described with a weird surrealistic and claustrophobic interior that you could do with comics or animation (as was demonstrated by the anime Id:Invaded), but would be very difficult to do with a TV budget for the time (even modern Doctor Who might stumble a bit with that).
Additionally, the book puts Ace at the forefront in some interesting ways – she’s always been an active character in Doctor Who stories, but here for 3/4th of the book she’s the driving force of the resolution of the plot.
The book’s not without some real problems though. The elements of the plot with time folding in on itself and alternative versions of characters from different places in their timelines running into each other works very awkwardly in prose. By the end of the book I’ve completely lost track of some of these characters timelines. This, on the other hand, is something that a visual presentation would work strongly with – through showing the same character in different physical states to indicate where they are in their life and their timeline (or timelines).
Additionally, the opening portions of this book are something of a slog – when the book gets going, it really gets going. It’s just that it takes almost a quarter of the book to get there.
(This book review originally appeared on my blog)
The story involves the TARDIS basically having a temporal collision with an early prototype Time Ship from Gallifrey from just before the rise of Rassilon. This gets into material that doctors from Tom Baker on had explored directly, but which Sylvester McCoy’s doctor had only explored obliquely – the history of the Time Lords.
Conceptually, telling the story as a novel lets you do some stuff that would be really hard to do in live-action television. The mixed up TARDIS interior is described with a weird surrealistic and claustrophobic interior that you could do with comics or animation (as was demonstrated by the anime Id:Invaded), but would be very difficult to do with a TV budget for the time (even modern Doctor Who might stumble a bit with that).
Additionally, the book puts Ace at the forefront in some interesting ways – she’s always been an active character in Doctor Who stories, but here for 3/4th of the book she’s the driving force of the resolution of the plot.
The book’s not without some real problems though. The elements of the plot with time folding in on itself and alternative versions of characters from different places in their timelines running into each other works very awkwardly in prose. By the end of the book I’ve completely lost track of some of these characters timelines. This, on the other hand, is something that a visual presentation would work strongly with – through showing the same character in different physical states to indicate where they are in their life and their timeline (or timelines).
Additionally, the opening portions of this book are something of a slog – when the book gets going, it really gets going. It’s just that it takes almost a quarter of the book to get there.
(This book review originally appeared on my blog)
May 16, 2021
Much heavier going than any of the Timewyrm books that preceded it, Time's Crucible is possibly a glimpse of what Marc Platt would have written for the TV series is the production team hasn't reined him in.
Part of me is continually fascinated by the many insights into ancient Gallifrey, the birth of the Time Lords and hints of hitherto unseen elements of the Doctor's past. However, I do feel that, by showing these things, particularly so early in the New Adventures' run, it removes some of the essential mystery at the core of Doctor Who. That said, the mythos that Platt creates is hugely imaginative and beyond anything that could ever be realised on the screen.
Just like Ghost Light the story itself is actually a fairly simple one, made complicated in the telling. It's pretty bleak though, and not helped by a prolonged absence of the Doctor. I know there are many that love Platt's prose, full of allusions and references as it is, but too often I found it just a bit boring.
The book suffers by sharing some concepts with the Timewyrm Revelation. And like Revelation probably it's biggest fault is that it plays to the fan audience. Rather than making Doctor Who accessible to a broader crowd, I think this is Platt writing the book that he desperately wants to read (and when it first came out I desperately wanted to read it too).
Ultimately, whether you think this is pure poetry or a bit of a slog it's not a New Adventure to skip, because it seeds many of the concepts which run throughout the range and beyond.
Part of me is continually fascinated by the many insights into ancient Gallifrey, the birth of the Time Lords and hints of hitherto unseen elements of the Doctor's past. However, I do feel that, by showing these things, particularly so early in the New Adventures' run, it removes some of the essential mystery at the core of Doctor Who. That said, the mythos that Platt creates is hugely imaginative and beyond anything that could ever be realised on the screen.
Just like Ghost Light the story itself is actually a fairly simple one, made complicated in the telling. It's pretty bleak though, and not helped by a prolonged absence of the Doctor. I know there are many that love Platt's prose, full of allusions and references as it is, but too often I found it just a bit boring.
The book suffers by sharing some concepts with the Timewyrm Revelation. And like Revelation probably it's biggest fault is that it plays to the fan audience. Rather than making Doctor Who accessible to a broader crowd, I think this is Platt writing the book that he desperately wants to read (and when it first came out I desperately wanted to read it too).
Ultimately, whether you think this is pure poetry or a bit of a slog it's not a New Adventure to skip, because it seeds many of the concepts which run throughout the range and beyond.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2024
So boring. Some small fun bits of worldbuilding but mostly confusing and boring.
April 26, 2025
Cat’s Cradle: Time’s Crucible establishes yet another near-impenetrable, dense, meta-textual series that’s sure to scare off any newcomers to Doctor Who. Of course, that matters little to anyone reading the book in the present, as simply obtaining this book poses a challenge (certainly as an Australian). But three decades ago, and five books into a new era of Doctor Who, it is both shocking and exciting to see editorial director Peter Darvill-Evans send the series in this highly experimental direction.
Cat’s Cradle: Time’s Crucible explores a pre-Time Lord Gallifrey, steeped in spiritualism, religion, and legendary adventure. It follows several of these intrepid adventurers on their journey into a new domain of travel - the domain of time! However, a cataclysmic encounter with the Doctor, Ace, and his malfunctioning time machine maroons them all on a cyclical stretch of desolate land ruled by a mad gargantuan space slug. The Doctor is missing, a mythical figure presumed dead, while Ace must navigate a grisly new world populated by enslaved Gallifreyans. What follows is a long, cryptic journey for answers in an increasingly bizarre and shifting landscape captained by prolific author Marc Platt, author of Ghost Light, Spare Parts, and many other notable Big Finish stories. Turbulent, astronomically intricate and wildly imaginative, Time’s Crucible stands apart as distinctly eccentric.
At its core, Time’s Crucible is for the most dedicated fans, providing tantalising fragments of Gallifrey’s past, and brief allusions to the Doctor’s role in its history. Abundant with links to classic episodes and brimming with provocative characterization, the book twists and turns itself up in over-indulgent knots and ultimately, the pacing suffers as a result. Compounding this complexity is writer Marc Platt’s florid and convoluted prose. His writing rendered the theoretically spectacular shifting environment as a monotonous, grey, crumbling cacophony. In turn, he displaced the characters from their surroundings and sent my eyes wandering back and forth over the same words again and again. Of course, not all of the prose is overwhelmingly intricate. There were many spectacular instances where Platt’s language dazzled and soared. For example, he infused a chilling level of terror into the TARDIS’s climatic deterioration, bringing an entire world to a halt for one brutal collision. Alternatively, he brilliantly anchored the lofty mass of flesh, the Process, to reality by hilariously sending its gross bulk cartwheeling across the dead plains.
Interestingly, although Cat’s Cradle is indeed the beginning of a new brief series of interconnected books in the New Adventures, it scarcely establishes any continuing narratives or characters aside from a reclusive silver cat. The book is more concerned by fleshing out the mythos of Gallifrey, featuring compelling snippets of Rassilon through the wizened eye of the Pythia, the ruler of proto-Gallifrey; an evocatively devoted upholder of a mystical order that would one day become the Sisterhood of Karn. These tantalizing segments of pre-Time Lord Gallifrey are utterly fascinating, and refreshingly weird. Although he borrows components from traditional medieval themes and settings, Platt instills Gallifrey with a plethora of bizarre, ostentatious, and arrogant traditions. This world harkens back to early Who when Gallifrey was austere and terrifying, further fleshing out a believable and alien past. Rassilon and Pythia themselves are both larger-than-life characters that feel lifted straight from legend, and each scene set in Gallifrey (all Doctor-less, I should add) is dripping with atmosphere. Unfortunately, little of the witchy splendour of Gallifrey migrates over to the main setting of the book - of which I won’t name for the sake of spoilers. Instead of Pythia or Rassilon, Ace and the readers are saddled with the Gallifreyan B-team - a team of stock-standard confused pedestrians with the exception of a select few.
Despite the strong emphasis placed on Gallifreyan politics, the Doctor and mostly Ace, remain the heroes of the novel. Their ongoing and evolving relationship continues to be deeply compelling and subtle foreboding. Platt doesn’t shy away from the Doctor’s more selfish and abrasive side as he continues to confront Ace with her past in a sincere attempt to provide guidance. More so than ever, the Doctor rides the line between beloved teacher and conflicted, dark alien, and it is engrossing. At least, when he is available. Great care is taken to separate the Doctor and Ace for nearly three-quarters of the novel, creating immense anticipation. However, Platt rides the line between anticipation and impatience too closely as Ace spends great swathes of time aimlessly pursuing the Doctor instead of actively participating in the strange world she’s found herself in. Furthermore, their eventual reunion is complicated, suffice to say, only distancing Ace and the Doctor further. This successfully compels Ace to tackle her problems face on, but simultaneously has the unfortunate effect of further removing the Doctor from a story deeply tied to his own culture and history. As for Ace, she remains the central point of view throughout the novel and serves as the connective tissue between the disparate lands of the book’s setting. Ace continues to mature and evolve as she takes charge of the various squabbling supporting characters. Her headstrong approach to solving problems is both endearing and cathartic, even when she’s running short on Nitro-9. It is thrilling to see her uphold the Doctor’s principals in her absence and watching her practically assess her surroundings does her character justice.
In contrast to Ace and the Doctor, the quality of the book’s supporting cast swings back and forth like a pendulum. Seven Gallifreyans and a giant grey slug occupy the shifting grey setting of the Time’s Crucible, but four of them contribute nearly nothing to the narrative. Known as the Phazels, the marooned Gallifreyans are scarcely surviving, torn between a life of servitude under the cruel space slug, the Process, and an independent life of scavenging. Simply, there were too many characters to meaningfully develop. There was truly no need for seven different Gallifreyan characters. I can scarcely recollect any specific details about four of them with the exception of a hamfisted relationship that itself emerged from nowhere. The book would have been better served with fewer Phazels, such that they could have been purposefully fleshed out, allowing them to contribute anything to the plot.
Just three of the Phazels stand out: their earnest and admirable leader, Captain Pekkary, the unscrupulous betrayer Vael, and the child pilot Shonzi, who has grown up in the novel’s bleak timeless world. Each of these undergo significant character arcs and contribute meaningfully to the story, culminating in a trio of evocative and cathartic resolutions. Vael receives the most attention, serving as a perspective character and a servant of the devious Pythia. His strong, vicious presence supplements the less coherent antagonism of the Process, providing Ace and the Phazels a more tangible, adaptive threat to engage with. Captain Pekkary plays a more modest role, but of all the Phazels, he undergoes the most change. The burden of responsibility weighs heavily on him, compelling him to take action and risks, whereas the other Gallifreyans remain in a state of paralysis. Shonzi begins as just a young boy, fated to be the pilot of the Gallifreyan’s prototype timeship. Little is explained why a child is required in this endeavor, and the story is all the better for it. These incidences of eccentricity contribute greatly to the mystique of the Time Lords’ early society. For the main portion of the book however, Shonzi is a similar age to Ace, having grown up in the disturbing reality he’s trapped in. This premise is deeply intriguing, and Shonzi’s early characterization shaped by his curious upbringing is promising. But, his development meanders off track as his burgeoning relationship with Ace becomes mired in jealousy and flimsy infatuation.
In sum, Cat’s Cradle: Time’s Crucible is a strikingly imaginative undertaking that buckles under the weight of its lofty ambitions. Hauntingly atmospheric and deviously cyclical, Marc Platt’s visions of Gallifrey and early Time Lord culture are delightfully mad. And despite his densely woven prose, Ace’s evolving journey remains a powerfully resilient narrative thread to follow from beginning to end. Ultimately, Time’s Crucible offers many rewards for those willing to navigate its sluggish dreamscapes.
Cat’s Cradle: Time’s Crucible explores a pre-Time Lord Gallifrey, steeped in spiritualism, religion, and legendary adventure. It follows several of these intrepid adventurers on their journey into a new domain of travel - the domain of time! However, a cataclysmic encounter with the Doctor, Ace, and his malfunctioning time machine maroons them all on a cyclical stretch of desolate land ruled by a mad gargantuan space slug. The Doctor is missing, a mythical figure presumed dead, while Ace must navigate a grisly new world populated by enslaved Gallifreyans. What follows is a long, cryptic journey for answers in an increasingly bizarre and shifting landscape captained by prolific author Marc Platt, author of Ghost Light, Spare Parts, and many other notable Big Finish stories. Turbulent, astronomically intricate and wildly imaginative, Time’s Crucible stands apart as distinctly eccentric.
At its core, Time’s Crucible is for the most dedicated fans, providing tantalising fragments of Gallifrey’s past, and brief allusions to the Doctor’s role in its history. Abundant with links to classic episodes and brimming with provocative characterization, the book twists and turns itself up in over-indulgent knots and ultimately, the pacing suffers as a result. Compounding this complexity is writer Marc Platt’s florid and convoluted prose. His writing rendered the theoretically spectacular shifting environment as a monotonous, grey, crumbling cacophony. In turn, he displaced the characters from their surroundings and sent my eyes wandering back and forth over the same words again and again. Of course, not all of the prose is overwhelmingly intricate. There were many spectacular instances where Platt’s language dazzled and soared. For example, he infused a chilling level of terror into the TARDIS’s climatic deterioration, bringing an entire world to a halt for one brutal collision. Alternatively, he brilliantly anchored the lofty mass of flesh, the Process, to reality by hilariously sending its gross bulk cartwheeling across the dead plains.
Interestingly, although Cat’s Cradle is indeed the beginning of a new brief series of interconnected books in the New Adventures, it scarcely establishes any continuing narratives or characters aside from a reclusive silver cat. The book is more concerned by fleshing out the mythos of Gallifrey, featuring compelling snippets of Rassilon through the wizened eye of the Pythia, the ruler of proto-Gallifrey; an evocatively devoted upholder of a mystical order that would one day become the Sisterhood of Karn. These tantalizing segments of pre-Time Lord Gallifrey are utterly fascinating, and refreshingly weird. Although he borrows components from traditional medieval themes and settings, Platt instills Gallifrey with a plethora of bizarre, ostentatious, and arrogant traditions. This world harkens back to early Who when Gallifrey was austere and terrifying, further fleshing out a believable and alien past. Rassilon and Pythia themselves are both larger-than-life characters that feel lifted straight from legend, and each scene set in Gallifrey (all Doctor-less, I should add) is dripping with atmosphere. Unfortunately, little of the witchy splendour of Gallifrey migrates over to the main setting of the book - of which I won’t name for the sake of spoilers. Instead of Pythia or Rassilon, Ace and the readers are saddled with the Gallifreyan B-team - a team of stock-standard confused pedestrians with the exception of a select few.
Despite the strong emphasis placed on Gallifreyan politics, the Doctor and mostly Ace, remain the heroes of the novel. Their ongoing and evolving relationship continues to be deeply compelling and subtle foreboding. Platt doesn’t shy away from the Doctor’s more selfish and abrasive side as he continues to confront Ace with her past in a sincere attempt to provide guidance. More so than ever, the Doctor rides the line between beloved teacher and conflicted, dark alien, and it is engrossing. At least, when he is available. Great care is taken to separate the Doctor and Ace for nearly three-quarters of the novel, creating immense anticipation. However, Platt rides the line between anticipation and impatience too closely as Ace spends great swathes of time aimlessly pursuing the Doctor instead of actively participating in the strange world she’s found herself in. Furthermore, their eventual reunion is complicated, suffice to say, only distancing Ace and the Doctor further. This successfully compels Ace to tackle her problems face on, but simultaneously has the unfortunate effect of further removing the Doctor from a story deeply tied to his own culture and history. As for Ace, she remains the central point of view throughout the novel and serves as the connective tissue between the disparate lands of the book’s setting. Ace continues to mature and evolve as she takes charge of the various squabbling supporting characters. Her headstrong approach to solving problems is both endearing and cathartic, even when she’s running short on Nitro-9. It is thrilling to see her uphold the Doctor’s principals in her absence and watching her practically assess her surroundings does her character justice.
In contrast to Ace and the Doctor, the quality of the book’s supporting cast swings back and forth like a pendulum. Seven Gallifreyans and a giant grey slug occupy the shifting grey setting of the Time’s Crucible, but four of them contribute nearly nothing to the narrative. Known as the Phazels, the marooned Gallifreyans are scarcely surviving, torn between a life of servitude under the cruel space slug, the Process, and an independent life of scavenging. Simply, there were too many characters to meaningfully develop. There was truly no need for seven different Gallifreyan characters. I can scarcely recollect any specific details about four of them with the exception of a hamfisted relationship that itself emerged from nowhere. The book would have been better served with fewer Phazels, such that they could have been purposefully fleshed out, allowing them to contribute anything to the plot.
Just three of the Phazels stand out: their earnest and admirable leader, Captain Pekkary, the unscrupulous betrayer Vael, and the child pilot Shonzi, who has grown up in the novel’s bleak timeless world. Each of these undergo significant character arcs and contribute meaningfully to the story, culminating in a trio of evocative and cathartic resolutions. Vael receives the most attention, serving as a perspective character and a servant of the devious Pythia. His strong, vicious presence supplements the less coherent antagonism of the Process, providing Ace and the Phazels a more tangible, adaptive threat to engage with. Captain Pekkary plays a more modest role, but of all the Phazels, he undergoes the most change. The burden of responsibility weighs heavily on him, compelling him to take action and risks, whereas the other Gallifreyans remain in a state of paralysis. Shonzi begins as just a young boy, fated to be the pilot of the Gallifreyan’s prototype timeship. Little is explained why a child is required in this endeavor, and the story is all the better for it. These incidences of eccentricity contribute greatly to the mystique of the Time Lords’ early society. For the main portion of the book however, Shonzi is a similar age to Ace, having grown up in the disturbing reality he’s trapped in. This premise is deeply intriguing, and Shonzi’s early characterization shaped by his curious upbringing is promising. But, his development meanders off track as his burgeoning relationship with Ace becomes mired in jealousy and flimsy infatuation.
In sum, Cat’s Cradle: Time’s Crucible is a strikingly imaginative undertaking that buckles under the weight of its lofty ambitions. Hauntingly atmospheric and deviously cyclical, Marc Platt’s visions of Gallifrey and early Time Lord culture are delightfully mad. And despite his densely woven prose, Ace’s evolving journey remains a powerfully resilient narrative thread to follow from beginning to end. Ultimately, Time’s Crucible offers many rewards for those willing to navigate its sluggish dreamscapes.
March 10, 2024
There are some chunks of this book that I thoroughly enjoyed. The early passages depicting ancient Gallifrey and the Chronauts were captivating and, generally, I thought there were some fantastic ideas.
The issue is that the novel itself is borderline indecipherable. Sure, if you read it at an agonizing pace, with 100% of your brain, and written notes, you can piece together the narrative, but on the wh0le I think the way it was written was hugely detrimental to the novel as a whole. When presenting such complicated idea, and such a non-linear structure, I really think it's best to keep your prose as simple as possible such that they don't clash, and this book did none of that.
I find it a shame as I think Platt is a good writer, but there are clear signs here of a young author giving into his excesses far too often, instead of showing necessary constraint. As mentioned at the start, the passages that were more narratively coherent were thoroughly enjoyable, and I think somewhere in here would be a good novel.
As it stands however, I really don't think this novel is worth your time unless you are a die hard completest like myself.
The issue is that the novel itself is borderline indecipherable. Sure, if you read it at an agonizing pace, with 100% of your brain, and written notes, you can piece together the narrative, but on the wh0le I think the way it was written was hugely detrimental to the novel as a whole. When presenting such complicated idea, and such a non-linear structure, I really think it's best to keep your prose as simple as possible such that they don't clash, and this book did none of that.
I find it a shame as I think Platt is a good writer, but there are clear signs here of a young author giving into his excesses far too often, instead of showing necessary constraint. As mentioned at the start, the passages that were more narratively coherent were thoroughly enjoyable, and I think somewhere in here would be a good novel.
As it stands however, I really don't think this novel is worth your time unless you are a die hard completest like myself.
August 12, 2024
Frustratingly bad. While there are some fun concepts here (different time zones that are actually time zones of different parts of the same time continuum living side by side, pre-rise of Rassilon Gallifery, etc.), the pace is just glacial, and the fun bits are far too few & far between. I went in this determined to find out about the Looms on Gallifrey, how they came about & what their story was. They're a throwaway line or two in Act III. UGH.
Basically a cat blows up the TARDIS & Ace and the Doctor fight a big caterpillar thing. As usual, it seems, the Doctor isn't the Doctor. Not sure why a lot of the New Adventure stuff seem to like taking what we love about the show & jettisoning it. Some really good bits with Ace without seeming too maudlin (like the last book), but still, overall kind of meh.
Basically a cat blows up the TARDIS & Ace and the Doctor fight a big caterpillar thing. As usual, it seems, the Doctor isn't the Doctor. Not sure why a lot of the New Adventure stuff seem to like taking what we love about the show & jettisoning it. Some really good bits with Ace without seeming too maudlin (like the last book), but still, overall kind of meh.
January 17, 2010
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1381420.html
It's actually rather fascinating, just after watching The End of Time, to experience a completely different reinterpretation of the Time Lords and Gallifrey, the combination of Cartmel Masterplan and Marc Platt's imagination which culminates in Lungbarrow (which is itself mentioned here as a concept for the first time). Like a lot of Platt's writing it is eerie and confusing, early Gallifreyans and peculiar deserted cities, but with some fascinating insights and ideas, and some decent character development for Ace who has to carry most of the plot with the Doctor being in cold storage for much of the book. I do wish I'd been picking these up when they first came out in 1992.
It's actually rather fascinating, just after watching The End of Time, to experience a completely different reinterpretation of the Time Lords and Gallifrey, the combination of Cartmel Masterplan and Marc Platt's imagination which culminates in Lungbarrow (which is itself mentioned here as a concept for the first time). Like a lot of Platt's writing it is eerie and confusing, early Gallifreyans and peculiar deserted cities, but with some fascinating insights and ideas, and some decent character development for Ace who has to carry most of the plot with the Doctor being in cold storage for much of the book. I do wish I'd been picking these up when they first came out in 1992.
December 20, 2025
December 2019
(3 stars)
Had an interesting concept but for some reason I just couldn't get that much into it. It's confusing, sure, but so is Ghostlight and I really enjoyed that. I will say that I'm not all that invested in ancient Gallifreyan lore, though. There are many reasons I choose to consume Doctor Who content and that doesn't rank among them.
December 2025
I really clicked with this a lot more on reread. On the higher concept end of Doctor Who so I can see why I found it a bit difficult to follow the first time round but once I was on board with it I was on board. That being said, I think it's SO concept focused that some of the early Gallifreyans end up a bit thinly sketched.
(3 stars)
Had an interesting concept but for some reason I just couldn't get that much into it. It's confusing, sure, but so is Ghostlight and I really enjoyed that. I will say that I'm not all that invested in ancient Gallifreyan lore, though. There are many reasons I choose to consume Doctor Who content and that doesn't rank among them.
December 2025
I really clicked with this a lot more on reread. On the higher concept end of Doctor Who so I can see why I found it a bit difficult to follow the first time round but once I was on board with it I was on board. That being said, I think it's SO concept focused that some of the early Gallifreyans end up a bit thinly sketched.
Read
February 28, 2021No stars. I haven't read this since first publication. I got through a lot more this time. But unimpressed overall.
A rather good opening that caught my attention. But then we're brought back to ancient Gallifrey, and sadly, the story deteriorated.
I just didn't care about the characters or their plight.
Ace was good, but she couldn't save the story. The other characters, including the Doctor, didn't have any appeal. When Rassilon entered the story I left.
If people really want to make the Doctor mysterious, stop talking about him/ her. Go back to the original format of a traveller who reveals little/ nothing about themselves. And this goes for the TV series as well.
Of course many like it, and I'm pleased for them. But not for me.
A rather good opening that caught my attention. But then we're brought back to ancient Gallifrey, and sadly, the story deteriorated.
I just didn't care about the characters or their plight.
Ace was good, but she couldn't save the story. The other characters, including the Doctor, didn't have any appeal. When Rassilon entered the story I left.
If people really want to make the Doctor mysterious, stop talking about him/ her. Go back to the original format of a traveller who reveals little/ nothing about themselves. And this goes for the TV series as well.
Of course many like it, and I'm pleased for them. But not for me.
August 26, 2024
A difficult read. It took me a very long time to get through, and my mind just keep wandering because the events being described were just too hard for me to follow. I still feel like I only understood about a quarter of the plot.
That said, it's clearly clever, and I almost want to read it a third time to see if it finally reads smoothly and clearly to me, and that cleverness is ultimately why I'm giving the book a 3 star rating rather than a 2 star rating, but I just can't justify the time for another re-read when there's so much more to read. Perhaps I'll revisit again in another twenty years if I'm still around.
That said, it's clearly clever, and I almost want to read it a third time to see if it finally reads smoothly and clearly to me, and that cleverness is ultimately why I'm giving the book a 3 star rating rather than a 2 star rating, but I just can't justify the time for another re-read when there's so much more to read. Perhaps I'll revisit again in another twenty years if I'm still around.
May 6, 2024
I want to rate this book slightly higher because there’s a lot of really great ideas in this book. Sadly, it was a bit of a slog despite the occasional glimpses of brilliance. It wasn’t until I was two thirds into the book that I started to really enjoy it, although the rest of the book isn’t terrible but it didn’t always grab my attention. To be fair, the book juggles a few really interesting ideas and I think it all comes together very nicely at the end, with a couple little twists thrown in as well. Overall, it might be tough going, but this is a book I’d recommend to any fan of wilderness years Doctor Who, but a lot of other people will not like this it.
August 20, 2015
It was like reading a Salvador Dali painting. Visually stimulating but ultimately just a whole lot of weird. The plot isn't nonexistent, but it's hard to pick apart under all that . . . surrealism.
I really enjoyed the bits about Gallifrey and the Time Lords. (Though my friends on Tumblr have spoiled most of it for me.)(No hard feelings guys.)(It's cool.)
It was so obvious that the city was the TARDIS that I'm not even going to rate that as a spoiler. That was literally the ONE obvious thing about this entire story and it was just hilarious how he saved it for the end like a big reveal.
I really enjoyed the bits about Gallifrey and the Time Lords. (Though my friends on Tumblr have spoiled most of it for me.)(No hard feelings guys.)(It's cool.)
It was so obvious that the city was the TARDIS that I'm not even going to rate that as a spoiler. That was literally the ONE obvious thing about this entire story and it was just hilarious how he saved it for the end like a big reveal.
November 18, 2022
A surreal novel, that I truly loved. It was one which I bought when it was released. I have to admit that I love nearly all of the VNA's as they we're released during a time when classic Who was absent from the television. I particularly enjoyed the Timelord history, and the plots interwoven in the story. I liked the nature of a world split into different time-zones and the alien entity known as the Process. It was a great, original novel and I'd highly recommend it. I am surprised by this book not being more popular than it should be. Everyone is different I suppose.
June 13, 2020
Ace has really been coming out of her shell since the Curse of Fenric with these books. Since Platt was involved during Sophies time it's good to see some development of the character along the lines he, Cartmel and Aaronovitch planned. The idea of the Tardis being blown up by its own past is wonderfully metaphysical and the development of Ancient Gallifrey intrigues me for more from Platt. My one criticism would be the length and as good as the main storyline was I wanted much more of Ancient Gallifrey than that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2011
I was expecting much better from the author of the classic serial Ghost Light. But whereas much that impressed there was the dizzying speed with which the myriad ideas unfolded into a story, challenging the viewer to keep up, this book has far less story and takes FAR too much time. Not bad per se, but so much excess that it begins to bore really quickly.
The next book in the trilogy is by Andrew Cartmel, whose work I've liked. Might give that a try. Might not.
The next book in the trilogy is by Andrew Cartmel, whose work I've liked. Might give that a try. Might not.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews