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Doctor Who E-Books
Doctor Who: Summer Falls
"In the seaside village of Watchcombe, young Kate is determined to make the most of her last week of summer holiday. But when she discovers a mysterious painting entitled 'The Lord of Winter' in a charity shop, it leads her on an adventure she never could have planned. Kate soon realises that the painting is a puzzle and with the help of a museum curator's magical cat, a miserable neighbour and a lonely boy she plans to solve it.
And then, one morning Kate wakes up to a world changed forever. For the Lord of Winter is coming and Kate has a very important decision to make."
This book is referred to in the Dr Who episode 'The Bells of St Johns"
And then, one morning Kate wakes up to a world changed forever. For the Lord of Winter is coming and Kate has a very important decision to make."
This book is referred to in the Dr Who episode 'The Bells of St Johns"
80 pages, ebook
First published April 2, 2013
62 people are currently reading
2389 people want to read
About the author
James Goss
231 books181 followersJames Goss has written two Torchwood novels and a radio play, as well as a Being Human book. His Doctor Who audiobook Dead Air won Best Audiobook 2010. James also spent seven years working on the BBC's official Doctor Who website and co-wrote the website for Torchwood Series One. In 2007, he won the Best Adaptation category in the annual LA Weekly Theatre Awards for his version of Douglas Adams' novel Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
June 9, 2023
This book is part of the Doctor Who universe. In one of the episodes from the television show a character writes this book. The powers to be decided to make it a real book as it was written from that fictional character. In this one we see a child named Kate who has school in about a week. The next thing you know her town is suddenly thrown into winter and she is all alone.
I liked this book. I would classify this book as children's fantasy that reminded me somewhat of the Narnia adventures. I am not saying it is on the same level of those books. I do believe children will enjoy this book as they get to ride along with Kate and her adventure. This is a short story so it is a very quick read. I do believe this affected my enjoyment a little. I wish it was a little more drawn out. What I really enjoyed about this book is how the author James Goss puts himself into the fictional character's shoes. It really felt like the voice of Amy. One can tell her adventures with The Doctor has influenced her writing and it shows in this book. Fans of the show will love this aspect. Characters in this book are representations of characters from the show.
This was a nice quick read. Be forewarned though if you did not read the summary or you expect a Doctor adventure. This is not that. The tie-in with that universe is that a character is the "author" of this children's fantasy book.
I liked this book. I would classify this book as children's fantasy that reminded me somewhat of the Narnia adventures. I am not saying it is on the same level of those books. I do believe children will enjoy this book as they get to ride along with Kate and her adventure. This is a short story so it is a very quick read. I do believe this affected my enjoyment a little. I wish it was a little more drawn out. What I really enjoyed about this book is how the author James Goss puts himself into the fictional character's shoes. It really felt like the voice of Amy. One can tell her adventures with The Doctor has influenced her writing and it shows in this book. Fans of the show will love this aspect. Characters in this book are representations of characters from the show.
This was a nice quick read. Be forewarned though if you did not read the summary or you expect a Doctor adventure. This is not that. The tie-in with that universe is that a character is the "author" of this children's fantasy book.
October 9, 2014
Admittedly I did not have high expectations, having read another Doctor Who tie in book 'the Angel's Kiss' prior to this and being very let down. However this isn't another story centring on a character, it's one written by a character and what I love about this is that it reads like Amy wrote it.
The subtle reference to future technology and my favourite inclusion is that of 'the Curator' who we all know is a character based off the Doctor, Amy has used her own experiences travelling with the Doctor to add to her fiction.
I enjoyed the writing style, it read like a fairytale in a way and admittedly quite a few parts of it reminded me of Neil Gaiman's novel 'Coraline'. Unlike Clara mentioned in the Bells of Saint John I didn't cry my eyes out at chapter 11, however it was a sad chapter, I think the reason it was less successful at making me weep is because of how short it is, the scene I'm referring to lasted a page and if the writing was different it would definitely have been a sad chapter. This isn't a criticism of that particularly scene however because the novel overall is very short, I read it only in the space of a couple of hours, but this is also reminiscent of a children's story.
The character's were all very distinctive, despite that the Curator was an obvious replica of the Doctor the rest were quite individual and likable, particularly Kate, our Heroine.
Overall I really enjoyed this book, I loved the subtle nods to travelling with the Doctor, but the story is enjoyable not only as part of the Doctor Who universe but as it's own sweet little children's story and I don't think you'd have to have seen Doctor Who to enjoy it
The subtle reference to future technology and my favourite inclusion is that of 'the Curator' who we all know is a character based off the Doctor, Amy has used her own experiences travelling with the Doctor to add to her fiction.
I enjoyed the writing style, it read like a fairytale in a way and admittedly quite a few parts of it reminded me of Neil Gaiman's novel 'Coraline'. Unlike Clara mentioned in the Bells of Saint John I didn't cry my eyes out at chapter 11, however it was a sad chapter, I think the reason it was less successful at making me weep is because of how short it is, the scene I'm referring to lasted a page and if the writing was different it would definitely have been a sad chapter. This isn't a criticism of that particularly scene however because the novel overall is very short, I read it only in the space of a couple of hours, but this is also reminiscent of a children's story.
The character's were all very distinctive, despite that the Curator was an obvious replica of the Doctor the rest were quite individual and likable, particularly Kate, our Heroine.
Overall I really enjoyed this book, I loved the subtle nods to travelling with the Doctor, but the story is enjoyable not only as part of the Doctor Who universe but as it's own sweet little children's story and I don't think you'd have to have seen Doctor Who to enjoy it
May 11, 2013
If this book were released in a print version (even without the Doctor Who tie-in), I would give it four stars and make sure my granddaughter had a copy. On the surface, it's an absolutely wonderful children's story that compares quite well to some of the best children's literature. On that level, it is pure fantasy. It completely captures what it's like to be a child. My favorite line was on page 33 of the epub edition:
Kate realised she was the only grown-up in the world?
What bright kid doesn't feel like that? At some point, they all start feeling smarter than the adults around them.
The other level it works on is the Doctor Who fan level. This "author" of this book is Amy Pond who travels through time and space with her husband Rory Williams and the Doctor. The Curator is obviously the Doctor. You can tell by the way he talks. The Doctor Who tie in is definitely there for the fans, but it's delightful even if you've never seen a single episode.
Kate realised she was the only grown-up in the world?
What bright kid doesn't feel like that? At some point, they all start feeling smarter than the adults around them.
The other level it works on is the Doctor Who fan level. This "author" of this book is Amy Pond who travels through time and space with her husband Rory Williams and the Doctor. The Curator is obviously the Doctor. You can tell by the way he talks. The Doctor Who tie in is definitely there for the fans, but it's delightful even if you've never seen a single episode.
January 15, 2019
Just like an episode of Doctor Who.
April 5, 2013
'Magic?' Kate snorted. 'There's no such thing. Is there?'
'Magic?' Barnabas shrugged. 'Why not? Magic is cool.'
'But there has to be a rational explanation.'
'Oh there is,' Barnabas led her our of the cave and back to the shore. 'But a rational explanation is rather complex. We're dealing with a psycho-temporal entity manifesting through a critical mass of its sentient shell...um. Magic sounds more fun.'
This was a fun little romp, and it was a delight to read something written by Amy, and spoken so highly of by Clara. I didn't cry my eyes out during chapter 11 like Clara did, but then I'm not really a crier. There were many little easter eggs in this for sharp-eyed Whovians, but if you haven't seen this series' episodes or you're not a fan of Doctor Who, you probably won't enjoy this.
Seeing a book written by our dear Amy was such a fun discovery in the episode, "The Bells of St. John." Also, a fun little reference, that the chapter mentioned by Clara is chapter Eleven. :-) It's just so much more awesome that they actually made this a readable book for fans. Maybe we'll see more of Amy's books in the future?
Given the Kindle edition is only $2.80, this is a must-buy for any Whovian.
'Magic?' Barnabas shrugged. 'Why not? Magic is cool.'
'But there has to be a rational explanation.'
'Oh there is,' Barnabas led her our of the cave and back to the shore. 'But a rational explanation is rather complex. We're dealing with a psycho-temporal entity manifesting through a critical mass of its sentient shell...um. Magic sounds more fun.'
This was a fun little romp, and it was a delight to read something written by Amy, and spoken so highly of by Clara. I didn't cry my eyes out during chapter 11 like Clara did, but then I'm not really a crier. There were many little easter eggs in this for sharp-eyed Whovians, but if you haven't seen this series' episodes or you're not a fan of Doctor Who, you probably won't enjoy this.
Seeing a book written by our dear Amy was such a fun discovery in the episode, "The Bells of St. John." Also, a fun little reference, that the chapter mentioned by Clara is chapter Eleven. :-) It's just so much more awesome that they actually made this a readable book for fans. Maybe we'll see more of Amy's books in the future?
Given the Kindle edition is only $2.80, this is a must-buy for any Whovian.
December 17, 2021
3.5 stars
June 25, 2013
I read this book in a couple of hours during a layover. It was a very simple read and I did enjoy it. The story is good enough to be a book on its own but I honestly wouldn't have read it if it wasn't by Amelia Pond - I still can't refer to her as a Williams!
Just like Clara warns, something sad does happen in Chapter 11, but it wasn't sad enough to actually make me cry. So I guess "Chapter 11 is the best, you'll cry your eyes out" was a reference to the 11th doctor after all.
I really love that they've managed to tell us what Amy is up to after being sent back in time, extend her story into our reality, refer to that reality in one of the episodes, and still deliver a good story while at it. Kudos to the new-who writers :)
By itself the book's plot is good. But it does lack a certain level of je ne sais quoi that makes other fantacy books really exciting (that's why it's getting 3 stars instead of 4).
Just like Clara warns, something sad does happen in Chapter 11, but it wasn't sad enough to actually make me cry. So I guess "Chapter 11 is the best, you'll cry your eyes out" was a reference to the 11th doctor after all.
I really love that they've managed to tell us what Amy is up to after being sent back in time, extend her story into our reality, refer to that reality in one of the episodes, and still deliver a good story while at it. Kudos to the new-who writers :)
By itself the book's plot is good. But it does lack a certain level of je ne sais quoi that makes other fantacy books really exciting (that's why it's getting 3 stars instead of 4).
April 4, 2013
This is a short story about a brave, headstrong little girl, named Kate, who saves the world with a little help from "The Curator", but fans should recognize who he really is and hear The Eleventh Doctor's voice when they read his dialogue. And, yes, the end of Chapter 10 and beginning of Chapter 11 has a sad part in it, as Clara warned the boy about in the TV series season opener in which this book appeared.
The "author" of this book is supposed to be "Amelia Williams", aka Amy Pond, who was sent to the past by a Weeping Angel. The book was supposedly written in 1954. It's funny, because the book alludes to pocket cameras and cell phones and at one point says the 1950s aren't so bad. :-)
The "author" of this book is supposed to be "Amelia Williams", aka Amy Pond, who was sent to the past by a Weeping Angel. The book was supposedly written in 1954. It's funny, because the book alludes to pocket cameras and cell phones and at one point says the 1950s aren't so bad. :-)
April 4, 2013
"Magic? There's no such thing as magic, is there?"
"Magic?", Barnabas shrugged, "Why not, magic is cool."
"You have a talking cat", Kate pointed out, "There's no logical explanation for that."
The grey cat yawned. "Yes there is, I've spent too much time sleeping in his shed." The grey cat said.
"There we are", said Barnabas, "magic. Now then, let's go walk on the sea."
By the bye...should I be concerned that there were ONLY twelve chapters?
*MOFFAT!*
"Magic?", Barnabas shrugged, "Why not, magic is cool."
"You have a talking cat", Kate pointed out, "There's no logical explanation for that."
The grey cat yawned. "Yes there is, I've spent too much time sleeping in his shed." The grey cat said.
"There we are", said Barnabas, "magic. Now then, let's go walk on the sea."
By the bye...should I be concerned that there were ONLY twelve chapters?
*MOFFAT!*
April 8, 2013
This book appears briefly in the episode "The Bells of St. John" (season 7 part 2) of Doctor Who and is ostensibly written by previous companion Amy Pond. I do love this new trend to feature books in the Doctor Who episodes and have them actually exist! It reads like a children's adventure tale, but also like a Doctor Who adventure with the helpful "Curator" appearing to help the children as the Lord of Winter comes. Kate is an unusually determined and focused girl who doesn't have a lot of faith in grown-ups, and when she wakes up in a wintry landscape with no adults around, she has to step up and figure out how to thwart the Lord of Winter. This story is very exciting and fast-paced and while Kate bears some similarities to Amy Pond's spunkiness in my mind, Kate is a great character on her own. I was disappointed that Kate's friend, Armand, doesn't do too much in this story - his inclusion in the story seemed unnecessary, but if this is going to be a sort of series of books, then maybe he'll have more of a part to play later on.
The suspense of the Lord of Winter's arrival was very creepy and well done, and made this book well worth the read. Especially the twist in the end which I did not see coming. The nods to Amy Pond's original life in the future (brief mention of a cell phone like invention, and the very Doctor-like Curator) was very entertaining for me, and it seemed like the story worked on two levels for me - the narrative, and the glimpse into Amy's life. The story is a great, quick and suspenseful read and I hope to read more of Kate's adventures!
The suspense of the Lord of Winter's arrival was very creepy and well done, and made this book well worth the read. Especially the twist in the end which I did not see coming. The nods to Amy Pond's original life in the future (brief mention of a cell phone like invention, and the very Doctor-like Curator) was very entertaining for me, and it seemed like the story worked on two levels for me - the narrative, and the glimpse into Amy's life. The story is a great, quick and suspenseful read and I hope to read more of Kate's adventures!
April 5, 2013
To be honest I probably would have rated this three and a half if we were allowed a half star just based on the story alone, but because I was happy to have another clue and Dr. Who story I rounded it up to four stars.
I like the idea of getting more Dr. Who stories outside of the regular tv show stories and that it tied in to the show satisfied my inner geek to no end.
Those who pay attention should get rewarded.
I like the idea of getting more Dr. Who stories outside of the regular tv show stories and that it tied in to the show satisfied my inner geek to no end.
Those who pay attention should get rewarded.
May 11, 2016
Loved it from the introduction, was such a fabulous romp to be able to read Amelia Pond's book as mentioned in "The Bells of Saint John."
A must read for any Whovian, this story follows Kate, who lives in the seaside village of Watchcombe, and is determined to enjoy her summer holidays.
Add a mysterious painting, a curator named Barnabas, a grey cat that's much more than meets the eye, and a boy named Armand, this makes for an adventure that Kate could have never planned.
A must read for any Whovian, this story follows Kate, who lives in the seaside village of Watchcombe, and is determined to enjoy her summer holidays.
Add a mysterious painting, a curator named Barnabas, a grey cat that's much more than meets the eye, and a boy named Armand, this makes for an adventure that Kate could have never planned.
June 9, 2013
In which Amy (Pond) Williams writes a story (in 1954, WOE) about a little girl who, three pages in, meets a man who sounds suspiciously similar to The Doctor. Basically, wonderful.
April 17, 2019
Summer Falls is supposed to be a book written by Amelia Williams so of course Kate is just like Amy! She's no-nonsense and smart. And the Curator is supposed to be a character based on the Doctor so it's great. But the characters are a little bit two dimensional. Maybe because it's a short story. I don't know.
May 22, 2020
یه داستان کوتاه و جذاب.به جز ایدهی داستان که شبیه به کارهای موفات بود خیلی به دنیای دکتر هو مرتبط نبود و اگر دوست داشته باشید میتونید بخونیدش و لذت ببرید.
April 17, 2013
This was another enjoyable novella of the new era. I have to say that I have greatly enjoyed the way that Moffat has literally meta'd about stories within post modern stories in the actual show and it's cool that he's extending that reality, much like Snicket did with ASOUE, in expanding the way the tale is told by going across mediums.
Summer Falls by Amelia Williams is seen in The Bells of Saint John and I do love that Amy Pond went on to write sweet tales such as this one, complete with a strong and forthright young female lead, Kate, and the Rory stand in, Armand. The Doctor makes a subtle appearance as The Caretaker, Barnabas, and there are hints of both the sonic and the TARDIS.
The style is definitely in the tradition of the Famous Five and Enid Blyton. I used to love her books and I can imagine Amy writing similar in the 1950s (though with less racism and classicism and if Summer Falls is anything to go by, Amelia Williams was neither). The genre is children's fantasy which fits right in with Moffat's fairy story tenure as head writer.
There may even be hints for the 50th anniversary with the Lord of Winter and the cat of nine lives...
I take away some stars for the books short length, though having said that, if I were a kid I would have loved this tale of adventure, magic and friendship.
Summer Falls by Amelia Williams is seen in The Bells of Saint John and I do love that Amy Pond went on to write sweet tales such as this one, complete with a strong and forthright young female lead, Kate, and the Rory stand in, Armand. The Doctor makes a subtle appearance as The Caretaker, Barnabas, and there are hints of both the sonic and the TARDIS.
The style is definitely in the tradition of the Famous Five and Enid Blyton. I used to love her books and I can imagine Amy writing similar in the 1950s (though with less racism and classicism and if Summer Falls is anything to go by, Amelia Williams was neither). The genre is children's fantasy which fits right in with Moffat's fairy story tenure as head writer.
There may even be hints for the 50th anniversary with the Lord of Winter and the cat of nine lives...
I take away some stars for the books short length, though having said that, if I were a kid I would have loved this tale of adventure, magic and friendship.
April 11, 2013
I've been reading all the little tie-in e-books that have come out lately and of the three this is by far my favourite! It was all kinds of fun. First of all it's not a bad kids story. A young girl moving to a new town, and having a magical adventure. It's very atmospheric particularly when winter arrives. But then you can also enjoy it on an entirely meta level when you think that this is a book supposedly written by Amy, so all the stuff she writes about the Curator/Doctor character is really very amusing given that it's a companions perspective on the Doctor that's intended for children. Clearly all of Amy's childhood writing stories about the Raggedy Doctor weren't wasted. Then there are some more curious and perplexing things such as who the cat is supposed to be. (I have a few theories). Chapter 11 is indeed as sad as Clara said and INCREDIBLY WORRYING for what it could be forshadowing. But considering it's less than £2 and takes less than an hour to read this is one I'd recommend people read as I think it is lots of fun and gets you thinking about all kinds of things.
April 19, 2013
I have to admit, I didn't think I would enjoy this as much as I did. The recent Doctor Who digital novellas have been a tad overwhelming, and some even a bit too meta what with being shown in an episode and then released for reading in the same week. This is supposedly a children's book written by Amy Pond, while she and Rory were living their lives out in the New York of the past. I think what I enjoyed most was the story behind the story - Rory and Amy are happy and well, and Amy is obviously looking back on their adventures with fondness, using them as the basis of her fiction. The Doctor has become 'The Curator', and Rory has become 'Armand', the young boy next door drawn into 'Kate's' adventures.
Be warned, as Clara said in the episode the book was featured, Chapter 11 is a sad one. In the end the book made me miss Rory and Amy even more, and wish their for return.
This is one instance where multi-platform branding works. I only wish they were consistent with it.
Be warned, as Clara said in the episode the book was featured, Chapter 11 is a sad one. In the end the book made me miss Rory and Amy even more, and wish their for return.
This is one instance where multi-platform branding works. I only wish they were consistent with it.
January 27, 2014
Now this is how you do mid-series Doctor Who novellas. This was charming and lovely, it had an actual story to it, and it wasn't trying too hard to be something; it just was.
Given that this is supposed to be a book that exists in-universe, I love that fans of the show will recognize the Doctor (and the TARDIS) without beating you over the head with the Doctorness of him. Also, I like how the Doctor character mostly doesn't feel specifically like the Eleventh Doctor (the only one Amy knows, though maybe River has told her about other ones) while still being very much the Doctor. It takes a careful touch to get it right, and I think the author definitely pulled it off.
Even if you were less than than impressed with the seventh series, this is absolutely a worthy addition to the Doctor Who universe.
Given that this is supposed to be a book that exists in-universe, I love that fans of the show will recognize the Doctor (and the TARDIS) without beating you over the head with the Doctorness of him. Also, I like how the Doctor character mostly doesn't feel specifically like the Eleventh Doctor (the only one Amy knows, though maybe River has told her about other ones) while still being very much the Doctor. It takes a careful touch to get it right, and I think the author definitely pulled it off.
Even if you were less than than impressed with the seventh series, this is absolutely a worthy addition to the Doctor Who universe.
April 6, 2013
This is quite enjoyable! For something as potentially crass as this idea is - releasing books that appear in an episode - the BBC have done well. The author of Summer Falls has done a good job of capturing Amelia Pond's voice in the writing, at least, it reads like something she might have written: wry and quick-witted, with a distrust of the capability of boys to accomplish much. :) I hope that they eventually release an audio book with Karen Gillan reading it. The story is interesting, with indirect references to anachronistic technology and, of course, to the Doctor. I imagine this as how Amy came to terms with not being able to see her raggedy man again. And yes, the eleventh chapter is sad...
April 6, 2013
Like reading a mini-episode of Doctor Who in print, this novella by "Amelia (Pond) Williams" is a quick, fun read that ties into the current season and story-line well, rewarding the reader with many subtle clues and inside references.
Not as well edited as I might have desired, it's obvious that the BBC rushed a bit to get this on the market, but it still proves an entertaining and enjoyable read.
"Summer Falls" is also miles above the previous e-book offering, "The Angel's Kiss," which although entertaining enough for a die-hard fan, was really not believably written in the voice of River Song.
I would not suggest "Summer Falls" to anyone who is not already familiar with the reboot of Doctor Who and the 11th Doctor, but for those who are, it's worth the two bucks.
Not as well edited as I might have desired, it's obvious that the BBC rushed a bit to get this on the market, but it still proves an entertaining and enjoyable read.
"Summer Falls" is also miles above the previous e-book offering, "The Angel's Kiss," which although entertaining enough for a die-hard fan, was really not believably written in the voice of River Song.
I would not suggest "Summer Falls" to anyone who is not already familiar with the reboot of Doctor Who and the 11th Doctor, but for those who are, it's worth the two bucks.
May 29, 2013
pointless.
I am a Dr Who fan and hoped for something relevant to the current Plot on the TV. I knew it wouldn't be directly relevant but there was no relevance at all and I wouldn't have minded if I liked this book & story. However, this story is not interesting and I don't think it is told very well either. For example, when characters do or say something the reader seldom knows why, other than to move the plot along. I think it is written for children but I'm not sure that I would have enjoyed it as a child either.
I am a Dr Who fan and hoped for something relevant to the current Plot on the TV. I knew it wouldn't be directly relevant but there was no relevance at all and I wouldn't have minded if I liked this book & story. However, this story is not interesting and I don't think it is told very well either. For example, when characters do or say something the reader seldom knows why, other than to move the plot along. I think it is written for children but I'm not sure that I would have enjoyed it as a child either.
April 8, 2013
This was a super cute little novella. The plot was light and crackly, although with some very sad and grown-up threads woven in gently. The protagonist, Kate, is quite clearly a young Amelia Pond, and the Doctor - or should I say of course The Curator - was perfectly written. It was funny and sharp and, yes, chapter 11 did contain a very sad scene! Overall, while it's slight, it's a very pleasant read and I think it was a nice companion to the series.
January 6, 2017
Really short, nice and entertaining "book".
While for me the story itself lacked a bit, and was predictable for me - the main character more than made up for it! And Bo, that's not the Doctor in this one, but a young girl, with the perfect personality for my taste!
The Doctor actually didn't get much pagetime at all in this story - and as it IS a Doctor Who story, that is where my missing star stems from.
Still quite an entertaining read - if a bit very short. ;)
While for me the story itself lacked a bit, and was predictable for me - the main character more than made up for it! And Bo, that's not the Doctor in this one, but a young girl, with the perfect personality for my taste!
The Doctor actually didn't get much pagetime at all in this story - and as it IS a Doctor Who story, that is where my missing star stems from.
Still quite an entertaining read - if a bit very short. ;)
April 4, 2013
"11 is the best. You'll cry your eyes out."
This short story was exactly what I would have hoped for. While nothing in here is explicitly Doctor Who, you can see the influences that the character of Amy Pond would have put in this book if she were the actual author. All in all, a cute story and a great quick read.
This short story was exactly what I would have hoped for. While nothing in here is explicitly Doctor Who, you can see the influences that the character of Amy Pond would have put in this book if she were the actual author. All in all, a cute story and a great quick read.
April 26, 2013
I wasn't sure what to expect with this story but I loved it, its set in the 9050's in a seaside town and there's a mystery to solve - its not at all doctor who and very doctor who all at the same time! A very enjoyable read
April 9, 2013
Adorable little tie-in story. Lots of amusingly veiled continuity references.
July 28, 2013
Any book written by Amy Pond is going to be amazing. :)
June 9, 2015
A light diversion, but I enjoyed it -- especially because in my head I was hearing Karen Gillan read it to me, with Matt Smith taking the Curator's lines. That alone wins me over.
December 11, 2013
"Summer Falls and Other Stories" is how my copy is titled, the "other stories" being "The Angel's Kiss", purportedly by 'Melody Malone and Justin Richards' (the former of whom isn't, in fact, a real person, just as 'Amelia Williams' is used here as a pen-name for James Goss, who has written Doctor Who books in the past), and "Devil in the Smoke" by Justin Richards.
As anyone who has seen the series 7 episodes "The Angels Take Manhattan" and "The Bells of Saint John" will be aware, Melody Malone is an alias of the regularly recurring character River Song, and Amelia Williams is Amy Pond by her formal married name, "Summer Falls" being Clara Oswald's favourite book from childhood. Now, the tricky part here is that "The Angel's Kiss" - inside, anyway - the ebook cover looks the same - is NOT the book we see the Doctor reading during "The Angels Take Manhattan". I knew that, having read the ebook before this edition came out, but I wasn't exactly pleased to find it was the case to begin with. That's part of why I rated this as I did. It's not a bad story, but it isn't the same story - more of a prequel to the episode from River.
With that cleared up, I'll move on.
"Summer Falls and Other Stories" has an introductory chapter from Amy, that turns into something slightly unexpected. I advise that you watch "The Bells of Saint John" before you read the intro, in case you haven't by then, as Amy deliberately attempts to bore everyone else away with fake thank-you credits before writing a message to the Doctor, when she assumes he will be the only person left reading. James Goss catches her voice here beautifully, especially as she tells the Doctor he'll be "smiling that smile that says Fond while your eyes are doing Three Moves Ahead". Perfect, isn't it? The book also closes with the inclusion of a fictional interview from "Brooklyn Fayre", featuring Amy and Rory in New York some time after Amy's adopted writing as her profession, which is a third-person view of the couple that's again done really well, I think.
In between...
"Summer Falls" is the tale of Kate Webster, who moves to a new town with her very absent-minded mother, tries making friends and quickly ends up doing something that museum curator 'Barnabas', who lives in his shed that no-one ever sees, has told her she really shouldn't do when a cat who has been sleeping in his mysterious shed exhibits more curiosity than sense. She falls asleep, and wakes to find her world enveloped in winter -- in September. No adults can be found, and Kate is left to work out what's gone wrong and how to fix it before the world is destroyed completely by the Lord of Winter...
To those familiar with the Doctor, it's pretty clear all along this third-person-subjective novella fits in a Doctor Who anthology more than it might seem to at first, once you start reading it - but I think it could stand alone just as well. It isn't flawless - I feel it goes off-course a time or two - but it is very good.
"The Angel's Kiss", the second (or arguably third) piece in this book, is much more for adults and older teenagers, with the usual level of innuendo and flirty sass that River Song brings to the table, this time under the alias of Melody Malone, as seen in "The Angels Take Manhattan". This novella is in first person, from River's point of view, and captures quite well Alex Kingston's tone, joking and hints of sarcasm in-character. I could really hear some of the lines, though from time to time it seemed also to slip a bit - River's constant references to pointing things in the right direction come off as out of place, and the inside of her head rather belies her established canonical bisexuality with the way the (male) author writes the way she thinks about the people she meets. It isn't balanced, that way, which irritated me just a bit as it didn't fit with River in canon (her comments about Cleopatra, etc.).
As for the story itself...it's interesting, and decently done, but a bit...strange. It doesn't fit with existing show canon on the way Weeping Angels work, though the way it deviates is a thought that I suppose might come from what they have been known to do... The only really strongly-drawn character in the whole thing is River herself, in my personal opinion, and as I've already said, even that doesn't always come off as it's apparently intended to do. The story is simplistic - it throws a couple of mysteries at River, then has her either brush them off or solve them with no apparent thought or clues, which doesn't agree at all well with her intelligence in the show canon, part-Time Lord and rarely more than a couple of seconds behind the Doctor once she's learned how he thinks. She's an older version of herself in her own timeline here, so this makes no sense for her. I came away from this story frustrated and rather puzzled as to why the author chose to write her in such a way.
The third story, "Devil in the Smoke", is much better and more in character for its canonical characters, being a story set in Victorian London that begins in the midst of an investigation by the Paternoster Row Gang - Madame Vastra, Jenny, and Strax. At first it's almost reminiscent of "The Snowmen", as two young workhouse boys are shocked when the bleeding body of a murdered woman falls out of the snowman they're building, but that deliberate impression is quickly dispelled as the story moves forward.
Strax, Jenny and Vastra are (mostly) well in character here, though I got the very strong impression that the author was deliberately trying to avoid acknowledging the true relationship between the women - at one point Jenny is referred to as Vastra's "housemaid and friend", and given that the narrative doesn't use any other Victorian-style euphemisms or language, I find it off-putting and genuinely annoying that Mr. Richards chose to do so in this case. Even in canon Jenny has been referred to as Vastra's wife, so this move makes no sense at all, especially when anyone likely to be reading the story is just as likely to have seen all the episodes of 2013 and already be aware of the nature of their relationship. Also missing from the tale were the characteristic little touches of affection they display casually on-screen, and they were missed.
Of course, this story was by the same author who wrote "The Angel's Kiss", so that I find similar annoyances in both isn't as unexpected as it might otherwise be. His apparent attitude towards female bisexuality and lesbianism in "family" fiction really gets up my nose. Particularly because it is purposeful erasure when done in such a fashion, and even the show itself tries never to do *that*. This is 2013!
Apart from this - which lost this book at least one star of the two and perhaps half the second - the story is well-written and works toward a clear, cheerful conclusion quite typical of Doctor Who at present.
As a whole, it's not a bad little collection, and of course it fits into Amelia Williams/Amy Pond's future and past very cleanly, with our little glimpse of New Yorkers Amy & Rory quite welcome in at the end there. (No author label on this one. Though now I think about it, "The Angel's Kiss" would arguably have been much better had Moffat written it. River is his character, after all...)
As anyone who has seen the series 7 episodes "The Angels Take Manhattan" and "The Bells of Saint John" will be aware, Melody Malone is an alias of the regularly recurring character River Song, and Amelia Williams is Amy Pond by her formal married name, "Summer Falls" being Clara Oswald's favourite book from childhood. Now, the tricky part here is that "The Angel's Kiss" - inside, anyway - the ebook cover looks the same - is NOT the book we see the Doctor reading during "The Angels Take Manhattan". I knew that, having read the ebook before this edition came out, but I wasn't exactly pleased to find it was the case to begin with. That's part of why I rated this as I did. It's not a bad story, but it isn't the same story - more of a prequel to the episode from River.
With that cleared up, I'll move on.
"Summer Falls and Other Stories" has an introductory chapter from Amy, that turns into something slightly unexpected. I advise that you watch "The Bells of Saint John" before you read the intro, in case you haven't by then, as Amy deliberately attempts to bore everyone else away with fake thank-you credits before writing a message to the Doctor, when she assumes he will be the only person left reading. James Goss catches her voice here beautifully, especially as she tells the Doctor he'll be "smiling that smile that says Fond while your eyes are doing Three Moves Ahead". Perfect, isn't it? The book also closes with the inclusion of a fictional interview from "Brooklyn Fayre", featuring Amy and Rory in New York some time after Amy's adopted writing as her profession, which is a third-person view of the couple that's again done really well, I think.
In between...
"Summer Falls" is the tale of Kate Webster, who moves to a new town with her very absent-minded mother, tries making friends and quickly ends up doing something that museum curator 'Barnabas', who lives in his shed that no-one ever sees, has told her she really shouldn't do when a cat who has been sleeping in his mysterious shed exhibits more curiosity than sense. She falls asleep, and wakes to find her world enveloped in winter -- in September. No adults can be found, and Kate is left to work out what's gone wrong and how to fix it before the world is destroyed completely by the Lord of Winter...
To those familiar with the Doctor, it's pretty clear all along this third-person-subjective novella fits in a Doctor Who anthology more than it might seem to at first, once you start reading it - but I think it could stand alone just as well. It isn't flawless - I feel it goes off-course a time or two - but it is very good.
"The Angel's Kiss", the second (or arguably third) piece in this book, is much more for adults and older teenagers, with the usual level of innuendo and flirty sass that River Song brings to the table, this time under the alias of Melody Malone, as seen in "The Angels Take Manhattan". This novella is in first person, from River's point of view, and captures quite well Alex Kingston's tone, joking and hints of sarcasm in-character. I could really hear some of the lines, though from time to time it seemed also to slip a bit - River's constant references to pointing things in the right direction come off as out of place, and the inside of her head rather belies her established canonical bisexuality with the way the (male) author writes the way she thinks about the people she meets. It isn't balanced, that way, which irritated me just a bit as it didn't fit with River in canon (her comments about Cleopatra, etc.).
As for the story itself...it's interesting, and decently done, but a bit...strange. It doesn't fit with existing show canon on the way Weeping Angels work, though the way it deviates is a thought that I suppose might come from what they have been known to do... The only really strongly-drawn character in the whole thing is River herself, in my personal opinion, and as I've already said, even that doesn't always come off as it's apparently intended to do. The story is simplistic - it throws a couple of mysteries at River, then has her either brush them off or solve them with no apparent thought or clues, which doesn't agree at all well with her intelligence in the show canon, part-Time Lord and rarely more than a couple of seconds behind the Doctor once she's learned how he thinks. She's an older version of herself in her own timeline here, so this makes no sense for her. I came away from this story frustrated and rather puzzled as to why the author chose to write her in such a way.
The third story, "Devil in the Smoke", is much better and more in character for its canonical characters, being a story set in Victorian London that begins in the midst of an investigation by the Paternoster Row Gang - Madame Vastra, Jenny, and Strax. At first it's almost reminiscent of "The Snowmen", as two young workhouse boys are shocked when the bleeding body of a murdered woman falls out of the snowman they're building, but that deliberate impression is quickly dispelled as the story moves forward.
Strax, Jenny and Vastra are (mostly) well in character here, though I got the very strong impression that the author was deliberately trying to avoid acknowledging the true relationship between the women - at one point Jenny is referred to as Vastra's "housemaid and friend", and given that the narrative doesn't use any other Victorian-style euphemisms or language, I find it off-putting and genuinely annoying that Mr. Richards chose to do so in this case. Even in canon Jenny has been referred to as Vastra's wife, so this move makes no sense at all, especially when anyone likely to be reading the story is just as likely to have seen all the episodes of 2013 and already be aware of the nature of their relationship. Also missing from the tale were the characteristic little touches of affection they display casually on-screen, and they were missed.
Of course, this story was by the same author who wrote "The Angel's Kiss", so that I find similar annoyances in both isn't as unexpected as it might otherwise be. His apparent attitude towards female bisexuality and lesbianism in "family" fiction really gets up my nose. Particularly because it is purposeful erasure when done in such a fashion, and even the show itself tries never to do *that*. This is 2013!
Apart from this - which lost this book at least one star of the two and perhaps half the second - the story is well-written and works toward a clear, cheerful conclusion quite typical of Doctor Who at present.
As a whole, it's not a bad little collection, and of course it fits into Amelia Williams/Amy Pond's future and past very cleanly, with our little glimpse of New Yorkers Amy & Rory quite welcome in at the end there. (No author label on this one. Though now I think about it, "The Angel's Kiss" would arguably have been much better had Moffat written it. River is his character, after all...)
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