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Doctor Who: New Series Adventures #38
La notte degli Umani
“Benvenuti su Gyre, il luogo più ostile della galassia.” Nato da detriti in orbita nello spazio profondo da 250,000 anni, dimora dei naufraghi Sittuun, dei carnivori Sollog e, ancora peggio, degli Umani. Il Dottore e Amy arrivano in questo terrificante pianeta teatro di una guerra senza quartiere fra i Sittuun e gli Umani, e il conto alla rovescia è già iniziato. C’è una cometa, nel cielo, in rotta di collisione con Gyre. Quando il Dottore viene rapito, tocca ad Amy e al ‘fanfarone interplanetario’ Dirk Slipstream salvare la situazione. Ma chi è in realtà Slipstream? E cosa sta davvero facendo in quel pianeta?
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 10, 2010
21 people are currently reading
1789 people want to read
About the author
David Llewellyn
111 books33 followersDavid Llewellyn is a Welsh novelist and script writer. He grew up in Pontypool and graduated from Dartington College of Arts in 2000. His first novel, Eleven, was published by Seren Press in 2006. His second, Trace Memory, a spin-off from the BBC drama series Torchwood, was published in March 2008. Everything Is Sinister was published by Seren in May 2008. He has written two novels for the Doctor Who New Series Adventures: The Taking of Chelsea 426, featuring the Tenth Doctor, and Night of the Humans, featuring the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond.
In addition to writing novels, Llewellyn wrote the Bernice Summerfield audio play Paradise Frost and the Dark Shadows audio drama The Last Stop for Big Finish Productions.
Llewellyn lives in Cardiff.
In addition to writing novels, Llewellyn wrote the Bernice Summerfield audio play Paradise Frost and the Dark Shadows audio drama The Last Stop for Big Finish Productions.
Llewellyn lives in Cardiff.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
August 8, 2019
Probably the pick of the first batch of Eleventh Doctor novels.
Being set just after Victory of the Daleks, it’s easy to forget that it was just Amy traveling with The Doctor at this point.
(The fact that Arthur Darvill narrates the audiobook makes me miss Rory more!)
There’s some nice months as The Doctor and Amy arrive on Gyre in 250,0339. Both the Sittuun and the humans are at war on this flat junk planet and the TARDIS has landed the Time Lord and he’s friend in the middle of it.
The story itself is pretty average fair that has some nice Doctor moments.
Whilst the humans religious beliefs from their descendants was easily my favourite part of the book.
Being set just after Victory of the Daleks, it’s easy to forget that it was just Amy traveling with The Doctor at this point.
(The fact that Arthur Darvill narrates the audiobook makes me miss Rory more!)
There’s some nice months as The Doctor and Amy arrive on Gyre in 250,0339. Both the Sittuun and the humans are at war on this flat junk planet and the TARDIS has landed the Time Lord and he’s friend in the middle of it.
The story itself is pretty average fair that has some nice Doctor moments.
Whilst the humans religious beliefs from their descendants was easily my favourite part of the book.
February 20, 2021
"My friend's grandmother still thinks you can tell somebody's future by looking at tea leaves," said Amy. "And you're telling me we're more advanced than you?"
[The alien] shrugged. "You know what I think?" he said. "A part of me thinks it was your superstitions and your myths that got you there in the first place. We had nothing like that. We had our science and our history, but we didn't ask too many questions. We had no sense of mystery. On Earth you were making up stories about the stars and planets hundreds, no thousands of years before you went there.
Definitely one of the best Nu Who books. Wraps up all the themes of Doctor Who - the dual-nature of humans as both vicious and warmongering, yet star-struck dreamers who don't stop until they've explored everything there is to explore, understood everything there is to understand; the unflinchingly heroic nature of the Doctor (and his companion) who doesn't hesitate to save the life of someone who tried to kill him but still has that edge of darkness, that Time Lord Victorious - all wrapped up in a fantastic little sci-fi adventure.
[The alien] shrugged. "You know what I think?" he said. "A part of me thinks it was your superstitions and your myths that got you there in the first place. We had nothing like that. We had our science and our history, but we didn't ask too many questions. We had no sense of mystery. On Earth you were making up stories about the stars and planets hundreds, no thousands of years before you went there.
Definitely one of the best Nu Who books. Wraps up all the themes of Doctor Who - the dual-nature of humans as both vicious and warmongering, yet star-struck dreamers who don't stop until they've explored everything there is to explore, understood everything there is to understand; the unflinchingly heroic nature of the Doctor (and his companion) who doesn't hesitate to save the life of someone who tried to kill him but still has that edge of darkness, that Time Lord Victorious - all wrapped up in a fantastic little sci-fi adventure.
November 29, 2019
Night of the Humans was a fun Doctor Who story set during series five which features Amy Pond and the 11th Doctor. I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Arthur Darvill and the production is excellent. I think he's quickly becoming one of my favorite audiobook narrators. The only way this story could be better would be if his character from the tv series, Rory, appeared in this story.
August 28, 2016
This is the first Doctor Who book I've read with Eleven. And I loved it, of course. I love everything Doctor Who related. There is only one thing that bugged me, it's also the reason why I gave it 3 stars in stead of 4.
The POV switch.
Too many, and something (a lot of the times) it wasn't very clear from which POV I was reading. So that was very confusing. But apart from that I loved it. It was kinda weird to read humans as savages in the year 250.000. You would think we would be extremely smart by then. So it's refreshing to read it the other way around.
The POV switch.
Too many, and something (a lot of the times) it wasn't very clear from which POV I was reading. So that was very confusing. But apart from that I loved it. It was kinda weird to read humans as savages in the year 250.000. You would think we would be extremely smart by then. So it's refreshing to read it the other way around.
June 17, 2017
This is a typical piece of teen Doctor Who and while it is not my cup of tea compared to other books in the range, it wins on one unique feature. This is a perfect Matt Smith episode. He as captured the mannerisms of his Doctor perfectly of which very few can lay claim. You could convince yourself that this was one of your favourite episodes years later only to realise that duh!
Recommended for people who want to capture the essence of the new Doctors.
Recommended for people who want to capture the essence of the new Doctors.
March 30, 2025
2025 Alphabet Challenge - The Letter N
This is one of the worst Doctor Who novels that I've ever read. I honestly didn't want to finish it.
This is one of the worst Doctor Who novels that I've ever read. I honestly didn't want to finish it.
February 27, 2022
If there was a graveyard in space, it would be the Gyre. Ships...space junk...the lost...are pulled to a final resting where the universe has created a world made entirely of those things lost in the depths of space. The Doctor and Amy had no intention of visiting, but a dire distress signal changes their plans and soon the TARDIS sets down among the detritus and trash of the universe where they open the doors to find a crew stranded and a colony ship lost and confused...the first with a fatal mission, the second welcoming a lost god. And the Gyre itself is counting down to an ending that may destroy more than those lost on its expanse.
David Llewellyn is an author of 4 books in the Whoniverse with this being his 3rd journey through space and time. As with most of these books, the writer has two main goals to accomplish. 1) write a story that feels like it Whoish...one that readers could imagine being part of the ongoing TV series...and...2) Present the Doctor and companion(s) in a way that captures the feel and eccentricities of the actors and their portrayals on the TV screen.
In the first, Llewellyn crafts a story that I can see being brought into my home on a weekend viewing night. A mixture of the original series type characters and creatures hits it on the nose with strange monsters and looming disasters coupled with the bigger feel and span of the current modern series. Definitely 10 out of 10 on that front.
For the second, he hits the portrayal of Amy 5 by 5 with her attitude and personality. The Doctor...in this case the Matt Smith version...is a little more vague, especially at the beginning, but, by the last 3rd of the story Llewellyn has Smith's quirks and eccentricities pretty much down.
A nicely done story and a good addition to the BBC Books line of DW novels.
David Llewellyn is an author of 4 books in the Whoniverse with this being his 3rd journey through space and time. As with most of these books, the writer has two main goals to accomplish. 1) write a story that feels like it Whoish...one that readers could imagine being part of the ongoing TV series...and...2) Present the Doctor and companion(s) in a way that captures the feel and eccentricities of the actors and their portrayals on the TV screen.
In the first, Llewellyn crafts a story that I can see being brought into my home on a weekend viewing night. A mixture of the original series type characters and creatures hits it on the nose with strange monsters and looming disasters coupled with the bigger feel and span of the current modern series. Definitely 10 out of 10 on that front.
For the second, he hits the portrayal of Amy 5 by 5 with her attitude and personality. The Doctor...in this case the Matt Smith version...is a little more vague, especially at the beginning, but, by the last 3rd of the story Llewellyn has Smith's quirks and eccentricities pretty much down.
A nicely done story and a good addition to the BBC Books line of DW novels.
May 19, 2010
So, for a Doctor Who serial based on the TV show (actors and all) and written by someone who is intimately associated with the subject, I would give this five stars. It's a pretty good story for doctor who, not as good as midnight or blink or silence in the library or in the time of angels or the eleventh hour or the impossible planet. But, those were all episodes, so whatever.
As a novel, though,
Even as a chapter book,
I found this grotesque.
And this coming from the guy who read Pendragon and Twilight and all three Young Merlin series. I've read a lot of YA books. This reads AT BEST like a YA book. It's utter shit. This author uses all the old tricks. He's bestial in his scene-setting and the execution of action sequences reads like a five-year-old telling about his favorite power rangers episode. I would think that the novelizations of one of the most widely-aclaimed television shows world-wide would set the bar a tad higher. But, foiled again, I guess...
As a novel, though,
Even as a chapter book,
I found this grotesque.
And this coming from the guy who read Pendragon and Twilight and all three Young Merlin series. I've read a lot of YA books. This reads AT BEST like a YA book. It's utter shit. This author uses all the old tricks. He's bestial in his scene-setting and the execution of action sequences reads like a five-year-old telling about his favorite power rangers episode. I would think that the novelizations of one of the most widely-aclaimed television shows world-wide would set the bar a tad higher. But, foiled again, I guess...
August 14, 2022
Enjoyable for the most part, could have been about 49 pages shorter to my taste and certainly struggled towards the later part of the book.
I'm guessing this book was written while the first few episodes of Matt Smith was in production as none of the character of Doctor or Amy are transposed in this story.
the being said interesting premise and the other characters our colourful enough to make it readable.
I'm guessing this book was written while the first few episodes of Matt Smith was in production as none of the character of Doctor or Amy are transposed in this story.
the being said interesting premise and the other characters our colourful enough to make it readable.
June 24, 2015
kinda mad max in space.
February 8, 2020
Fun book to read. It was nice to read an Amy doctor story before Rory. I missed him though because I always thought he brought humor to Amy and the doctor.
June 14, 2011
Two hundred fifty thousand years in the future, a comet by the name Schuler-Khan is headed straight for the Gyre, a magnetic plain fashioned out of space debris and refuse. A war is waging between the inhabitants of the Gyre, the so-called “humans,” and the Sittuun, a team of aliens armed with a bomb large enough to destroy the Gyre before Schuler-Khan’s impact obliterates the surrounding galaxy. The Doctor and Amy are pulled into the situation when they land on the Gyre at the summons of a mysterious distress signal.
As suspected, this media tie-in was decent but paled in comparison to the show. Dialogue and characterization lagged, surely due to the freshness of Matt Smith’s incarnation; conversely, it can be seen as the Doctor ‘still cooking,’ as this story took place somewhere after “The Beast Below.” It also explains why more time was devoted to original characters inconsequential to the TV program’s continuity.
While separations are common on the show, Amy and the Doctor were apart for over half of the novel and that is too long, especially as their scenes together were priceless, building on the natural chemistry Matt Smith and Karen Gillan bring to their characters’ interaction. The high-five bit was indicative of a friendship still finding its footing, even as the hand-holding moment drew on their intermittent fourteen-year relationship.
If I can get my hands on them, I’ll read more of these tie-ins. I am just that enamored with the adventures of this Doctor and his companion.
As suspected, this media tie-in was decent but paled in comparison to the show. Dialogue and characterization lagged, surely due to the freshness of Matt Smith’s incarnation; conversely, it can be seen as the Doctor ‘still cooking,’ as this story took place somewhere after “The Beast Below.” It also explains why more time was devoted to original characters inconsequential to the TV program’s continuity.
While separations are common on the show, Amy and the Doctor were apart for over half of the novel and that is too long, especially as their scenes together were priceless, building on the natural chemistry Matt Smith and Karen Gillan bring to their characters’ interaction. The high-five bit was indicative of a friendship still finding its footing, even as the hand-holding moment drew on their intermittent fourteen-year relationship.
If I can get my hands on them, I’ll read more of these tie-ins. I am just that enamored with the adventures of this Doctor and his companion.
May 5, 2010
This is more like it! The second brand new Who book with Eleven and Amy Pond reads like a rollicking pulp sci-fi novel, but of course with that true Doctor dilemma that leaves him having to make a choice over the safety of a few versus the safety of many. I hope that the next lot of books are as satisfying as this one.
February 25, 2023
Doctor Who has such a wealth of storytelling potential behind it’s franchise. The concept of being able to travel anywhere in time and space gives so many opportunities to present many a unique and varied story. One thing I’ve come to recognise when it comes to the franchise though is there’s far more creative scope that is able to be explored through the expanded media. Don’t get me wrong, I love the show to death and adore how much they’ve improved over the decades in production value, but we all know at the end of the day the creative potential behind an episode is limited to the budget set to it. Expanded media can side step this issue quite easily as audio dramas or written novels can build a story without any concessions due to a budgetary aspect. When you can ask the audience to imagine the world you’re presenting to them with detailed descriptions there’s a lot more you can get away with. That positive capability is never more prevalent than in the latest Doctor Who book I’ve read called Night of the Humans.
David Llewellyn is a notable name in the expanded media world of Doctor Who. He’s got a list of credits on a number of books and Big Finish audio drama based around the show. Night of the Humans was released back in 2010 as part of the first series of New Series Adventures books based on the 11th Doctor’s (Played by Matt Smith on screen) adventures with his companion at the time, Amy Pond (Played by Karen Gillan on screen).
The narrative of Night of the Humans follows the Doctor and Amy as they land on a massive formation of junk floating in space called the Gyre in the year 250,339. The Doctor notices quite quickly that the Gyre is set to be struck by a comet called Schuler-Khan but before he and Amy can get back into the TARDIS they are captured by a group of aliens called Sittuun. As they are being escorted back to their base, the group are ambushed by a force of mutated humans who end up kidnapping the Doctor and taking them back to their own settlement. As the story progresses, we learn that the humans on the Gyre have lost all recollection of their own history and have formed a new, more primitive ideology in which they pay tribute to a distorted history based on the ship their descendants crashed landed on. As time runs out before the comet is set to collide with the Gyre, tensions rise as Amy attempts to rescue the Doctor from the savage humans all the while the Doctor is attempting to rescue them from their own prophesized demise.
For a spin-off novel adventure, this is a Doctor Who story I was fully engaged on from start to finish. The foundation of this narrative that Llewellyn sets up feels both smart and mature in a lot of ways. It also feels very akin to a classic Doctor Who story too. I like how the Doctor and Amy are split off quite quickly within the confines of this story to help give the reader different perspectives on both sides of the story to allow them to paint a clearer picture of the conflict being waged and the danger all who reside on the Gyre are in. I found a lot of the characters in this story interesting with a great sense of characterization too. The supporting cast and the factions they are a part of reflect the grim reality these people are facing and what forces them to appose one another. The only irk I have with the narrative is the sudden inclusion of a character halfway through who ends up feeling more of a cliché then he does a genuine character. He exists only to give the plot it’s momentum to keep going towards the climax and it’s hard not to find him awfully generic in a lot of ways.
As far as pacing and tone goes, I have nothing but good things to say in regards to Night of the Humans. For a 250-page story, Llewellyn paces out the structure of this story superbly. He wastes no time with the setup yet he also gives enough breathing room to allow the plot revelations to transpire naturally. As I mentioned in regards to the narrative this book does a fantastic job in being approachable for all audiences but also utilizing a mature tone all throughout. Tragedy is layered into the heart of this narrative so smoothly that you feel the pain the Doctor feels as the stakes truly become apparent. It’s got a perfect blend of emotions to give the reader a very thorough reading experience from beginning to end.
On the whole, Night of the Humans may be one of my new favourite Doctor Who novels. It delivers a brilliant adventure, filled to the brim with so many twists and turns all the while utilising a well stocked cast of characters to deliver it’s narrative. This is the core strength novels have over TV episodes because you have a much larger field to play about with when a monetary budget doesn’t stand in the way of the scale of the story you’re trying to tell. If you’re a Doctor Who fan please give this book a read, it really is worth it!
David Llewellyn is a notable name in the expanded media world of Doctor Who. He’s got a list of credits on a number of books and Big Finish audio drama based around the show. Night of the Humans was released back in 2010 as part of the first series of New Series Adventures books based on the 11th Doctor’s (Played by Matt Smith on screen) adventures with his companion at the time, Amy Pond (Played by Karen Gillan on screen).
The narrative of Night of the Humans follows the Doctor and Amy as they land on a massive formation of junk floating in space called the Gyre in the year 250,339. The Doctor notices quite quickly that the Gyre is set to be struck by a comet called Schuler-Khan but before he and Amy can get back into the TARDIS they are captured by a group of aliens called Sittuun. As they are being escorted back to their base, the group are ambushed by a force of mutated humans who end up kidnapping the Doctor and taking them back to their own settlement. As the story progresses, we learn that the humans on the Gyre have lost all recollection of their own history and have formed a new, more primitive ideology in which they pay tribute to a distorted history based on the ship their descendants crashed landed on. As time runs out before the comet is set to collide with the Gyre, tensions rise as Amy attempts to rescue the Doctor from the savage humans all the while the Doctor is attempting to rescue them from their own prophesized demise.
For a spin-off novel adventure, this is a Doctor Who story I was fully engaged on from start to finish. The foundation of this narrative that Llewellyn sets up feels both smart and mature in a lot of ways. It also feels very akin to a classic Doctor Who story too. I like how the Doctor and Amy are split off quite quickly within the confines of this story to help give the reader different perspectives on both sides of the story to allow them to paint a clearer picture of the conflict being waged and the danger all who reside on the Gyre are in. I found a lot of the characters in this story interesting with a great sense of characterization too. The supporting cast and the factions they are a part of reflect the grim reality these people are facing and what forces them to appose one another. The only irk I have with the narrative is the sudden inclusion of a character halfway through who ends up feeling more of a cliché then he does a genuine character. He exists only to give the plot it’s momentum to keep going towards the climax and it’s hard not to find him awfully generic in a lot of ways.
As far as pacing and tone goes, I have nothing but good things to say in regards to Night of the Humans. For a 250-page story, Llewellyn paces out the structure of this story superbly. He wastes no time with the setup yet he also gives enough breathing room to allow the plot revelations to transpire naturally. As I mentioned in regards to the narrative this book does a fantastic job in being approachable for all audiences but also utilizing a mature tone all throughout. Tragedy is layered into the heart of this narrative so smoothly that you feel the pain the Doctor feels as the stakes truly become apparent. It’s got a perfect blend of emotions to give the reader a very thorough reading experience from beginning to end.
On the whole, Night of the Humans may be one of my new favourite Doctor Who novels. It delivers a brilliant adventure, filled to the brim with so many twists and turns all the while utilising a well stocked cast of characters to deliver it’s narrative. This is the core strength novels have over TV episodes because you have a much larger field to play about with when a monetary budget doesn’t stand in the way of the scale of the story you’re trying to tell. If you’re a Doctor Who fan please give this book a read, it really is worth it!
March 2, 2024
Currently rewatching Matt Smith's run on Doctor Who, so it seems like a good time to finally get around to reading some of the tie-in books from this era.
Night of the Humans takes place early in Season 31 (2010), just after Victory of the Daleks. The Doctor and Amy land on a giant mass of trash floating in space and encounter a crew of dolphin-like aliens who are in conflict with a society of humans who have reverted to a violent, nearly prehistoric nature.
The Doctor gets captured by these humans and discovers that they are the descendants of survivors of a shipwreck from a thousand years earlier who have lost all of their knowledge and culture, and worship a cartoon clown mascot on the side of their ship. Of course, the Doctor is jailed as a heretic (something that has happened to him a lot over the years . . .)
Amy is meanwhile with the dolphin-like Sittuun, who tell her:
"Humans are superstitious, unpredictable and violent. You were an apex predator on Earth, and you spread it around wherever you go. Back on our home world, before the humans turned up, there were no predators. Can you imagine that? Not a single carnivorous life form on the entire planet. Quite rare, apparently. But do you know something? It means we evolved without fear. Without fear there is no superstition. We have no myths, no religions, no monsters in our closets. But humans . . . you're scared of absolutely everything. And look where it's got you." (p. 50)
Interesting thought that - reminded me a bit of Season Thirty-Two's The God Complex.
Next, a character who seems torn right out of a pulpy golden age sci-fi story literally rockets into the plot - Dirk Slipstream on his ship "The Golden Bough" (a reference to the study of magic in religion) and seems keen to team up with Amy to rescue the Doctor. But Slipstream is not quite what he seems . . .
This was FUN. It felt like an extra episode of Season 31 which was, of course, exactly what I wanted. It also felt a lot like a 1950s-era pulp sci-fi book.
Llewellyn did a great job capturing the 11th Doctor's rambling, bubbly personality. There's a part where he just starts going on about frogs for no reason and it felt very in-character! But the author also manages to capture Eleven's compassion in the midst of the eccentricities. If you're a fan of the Matt Smith-era I would definitely recommend this!
Night of the Humans takes place early in Season 31 (2010), just after Victory of the Daleks. The Doctor and Amy land on a giant mass of trash floating in space and encounter a crew of dolphin-like aliens who are in conflict with a society of humans who have reverted to a violent, nearly prehistoric nature.
The Doctor gets captured by these humans and discovers that they are the descendants of survivors of a shipwreck from a thousand years earlier who have lost all of their knowledge and culture, and worship a cartoon clown mascot on the side of their ship. Of course, the Doctor is jailed as a heretic (something that has happened to him a lot over the years . . .)
Amy is meanwhile with the dolphin-like Sittuun, who tell her:
"Humans are superstitious, unpredictable and violent. You were an apex predator on Earth, and you spread it around wherever you go. Back on our home world, before the humans turned up, there were no predators. Can you imagine that? Not a single carnivorous life form on the entire planet. Quite rare, apparently. But do you know something? It means we evolved without fear. Without fear there is no superstition. We have no myths, no religions, no monsters in our closets. But humans . . . you're scared of absolutely everything. And look where it's got you." (p. 50)
Interesting thought that - reminded me a bit of Season Thirty-Two's The God Complex.
Next, a character who seems torn right out of a pulpy golden age sci-fi story literally rockets into the plot - Dirk Slipstream on his ship "The Golden Bough" (a reference to the study of magic in religion) and seems keen to team up with Amy to rescue the Doctor. But Slipstream is not quite what he seems . . .
This was FUN. It felt like an extra episode of Season 31 which was, of course, exactly what I wanted. It also felt a lot like a 1950s-era pulp sci-fi book.
Llewellyn did a great job capturing the 11th Doctor's rambling, bubbly personality. There's a part where he just starts going on about frogs for no reason and it felt very in-character! But the author also manages to capture Eleven's compassion in the midst of the eccentricities. If you're a fan of the Matt Smith-era I would definitely recommend this!
February 18, 2025
‘Doctor Who: Night of the Humans’ is an exciting and fast-paced adventure that perfectly captures the essence of the beloved sci-fi series. With an engaging plot, well-developed characters, and an immersive setting, this audiobook is a must-listen for ‘Doctor Who’ fans.
Plot: ★★★★★
The story delivers exactly what you’d hope for from a ‘Doctor Who’ adventure - thrilling action, intriguing alien cultures, and just the right amount of humour and heart. The pacing keeps you hooked from start to finish, making for an exhilarating experience.
Character: ★★★★★
The characters are exceptionally well-written and feel true to the ‘Doctor Who’ universe. The Doctor is his usual charismatic and unpredictable self, while Amy and the supporting cast shine with distinct personalities and engaging interactions. Every character feels fully realised, adding depth to the narrative.
Setting: ★★★★★
The world-building is fantastic, with a setting that feels vivid and immersive. The story takes full advantage of its sci-fi elements, delivering an environment that is both strange and fascinating, yet still grounded enough to feel believable within the ‘Doctor Who’ lore.
Engagement: ★★★★★
From the very first scene, the audiobook pulls you in and doesn’t let go. The combination of gripping storytelling, dynamic characters, and Arthur Darvill’s stellar narration makes it incredibly easy to stay engaged throughout. Whether you're a longtime ‘Doctor Who’ fan or a newcomer, this story is impossible to ignore.
Listenability: ★★★★★
Arthur Darvill’s narration is absolutely top-notch. His voice is perfectly suited for audiobooks, delivering clear, engaging storytelling with a great balance of energy and nuance. He captures the essence of each character wonderfully, making it feel like a fully immersive experience.
Enjoyment: ★★★★★
Simply put, this audiobook is a joy to listen to. The combination of a strong plot, great characters, and Darvill’s fantastic performance makes it an absolute treat for ‘Doctor Who’ fans. It’s an exciting ride from start to finish, and one that leaves you wanting more.
‘Doctor Who: Night of the Humans’ is everything a ‘Doctor Who’ audiobook should be - fun, thrilling, and expertly narrated. David Llewellyn delivers a fantastic adventure that feels right at home in the ‘Doctor Who’ universe, and Arthur Darvill’s performance elevates it even further. Highly recommended for both dedicated Whovians and casual sci-fi fans alike!
Plot: ★★★★★
The story delivers exactly what you’d hope for from a ‘Doctor Who’ adventure - thrilling action, intriguing alien cultures, and just the right amount of humour and heart. The pacing keeps you hooked from start to finish, making for an exhilarating experience.
Character: ★★★★★
The characters are exceptionally well-written and feel true to the ‘Doctor Who’ universe. The Doctor is his usual charismatic and unpredictable self, while Amy and the supporting cast shine with distinct personalities and engaging interactions. Every character feels fully realised, adding depth to the narrative.
Setting: ★★★★★
The world-building is fantastic, with a setting that feels vivid and immersive. The story takes full advantage of its sci-fi elements, delivering an environment that is both strange and fascinating, yet still grounded enough to feel believable within the ‘Doctor Who’ lore.
Engagement: ★★★★★
From the very first scene, the audiobook pulls you in and doesn’t let go. The combination of gripping storytelling, dynamic characters, and Arthur Darvill’s stellar narration makes it incredibly easy to stay engaged throughout. Whether you're a longtime ‘Doctor Who’ fan or a newcomer, this story is impossible to ignore.
Listenability: ★★★★★
Arthur Darvill’s narration is absolutely top-notch. His voice is perfectly suited for audiobooks, delivering clear, engaging storytelling with a great balance of energy and nuance. He captures the essence of each character wonderfully, making it feel like a fully immersive experience.
Enjoyment: ★★★★★
Simply put, this audiobook is a joy to listen to. The combination of a strong plot, great characters, and Darvill’s fantastic performance makes it an absolute treat for ‘Doctor Who’ fans. It’s an exciting ride from start to finish, and one that leaves you wanting more.
‘Doctor Who: Night of the Humans’ is everything a ‘Doctor Who’ audiobook should be - fun, thrilling, and expertly narrated. David Llewellyn delivers a fantastic adventure that feels right at home in the ‘Doctor Who’ universe, and Arthur Darvill’s performance elevates it even further. Highly recommended for both dedicated Whovians and casual sci-fi fans alike!
December 20, 2024
The main gimmick in this book, as indicated by the title, is the role reversal of the humans being the villains, having devolved over thousands of years into a primitive murderous tribe, while its the aliens we follow and identify with as the main protagonists. I like that while the humans encountered in the story may be quite far removed from human society as we know it, aspects of their behaviour are very relatable and do serve as a commentary on human nature, in particular their sheer stubbornness and wilful ignorance. The absurdity of the fact they've formed a whole religion around fanatically worshipping a cartoon clown I believe is very deliberate. It's just a pity that Llewellyn feels the need to somewhat heavy-handedly spell this point out for the reader toward the end.
Also the way the Doctor reacts to the humans and his frustration and desperation to get through to them and save them from their impending doom, especially in one particular scene involving a projector, is so utterly Doctorly and in character. It's difficult to sympathise with the human characters due to their stupidity and refusal to listen when told that a comet is about to crash into their world, but of course the Doctor just sees people who need saving. Reading it again now, it reminds me a lot of Ncuti Gatwa's scene from Dot and Bubble in the latest series and his despair at not being able to save a bunch of vapid, clueless white supremacists from themselves.
Also the way the Doctor reacts to the humans and his frustration and desperation to get through to them and save them from their impending doom, especially in one particular scene involving a projector, is so utterly Doctorly and in character. It's difficult to sympathise with the human characters due to their stupidity and refusal to listen when told that a comet is about to crash into their world, but of course the Doctor just sees people who need saving. Reading it again now, it reminds me a lot of Ncuti Gatwa's scene from Dot and Bubble in the latest series and his despair at not being able to save a bunch of vapid, clueless white supremacists from themselves.
May 20, 2018
The story-line is rather creative, but I feel like there were several moments that were out-of-character from the TV series. Granted, this was one of the earlier books from the Eleventh Doctor's run so that may be part of the problem. Like, the scene with Amy asking the Doctor if he was jealous of her new friend, I could not see that ever actually being a scene between Amy and the Doctor. It felt more like a conversation between Ten and Rose.
Also, the Doctor made a couple very poor decisions near the end of the book. Why on earth, if you are the only one with the knowledge to do something, would you cave in when the man who wants you to share your knowledge threatens you? I mean, why would that man kill you if you are the only man in the universe who can solve his problem? It's an empty threat.
Slipstream was an enjoyable villain, even if he was a bit see-through. I wish he had been a bit more mysterious and I wish it had a taken a while longer to discover that he was a villain. But his posh attitude was quite funny!
So this may not be the best of the Doctor Who novels, but it was definitely enjoyable and unique.
Also, the Doctor made a couple very poor decisions near the end of the book. Why on earth, if you are the only one with the knowledge to do something, would you cave in when the man who wants you to share your knowledge threatens you? I mean, why would that man kill you if you are the only man in the universe who can solve his problem? It's an empty threat.
Slipstream was an enjoyable villain, even if he was a bit see-through. I wish he had been a bit more mysterious and I wish it had a taken a while longer to discover that he was a villain. But his posh attitude was quite funny!
So this may not be the best of the Doctor Who novels, but it was definitely enjoyable and unique.
July 21, 2021
Another exciting adventure for the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond. It works because the Tardis team are split up early. Amy makes friends with the Sittuum, shipwrecked aliens on a mission to save the galaxy from a comet about to collide with planet of junk.
The Doctor meets crashed humans who have been stuck on an asteroid made of junk. The humans have devolved into chaos and are led by a religious zealot called Django; who is obsessed with stopping the Sittuum from completing their mission. There's also Dirk Slipstream; rogue treasure hunter looking for a super weapon. It's a race against rime to escape the impending disaster.
The humans led by DJango remind me of the humans led by General Cobb featured in " The Doctor's daughter" A post apocolyptic society based on myths and lies.
The novel as a whole reminded me of Galaxy Four. The Doctor and Amy have to escape and convince others to leave before they die either from the comet impact or from the Sittuum nanobomb; designed to devour the junk that will become dangerous debris if the comet collides with a huge flying junkpile.
The Doctor meets crashed humans who have been stuck on an asteroid made of junk. The humans have devolved into chaos and are led by a religious zealot called Django; who is obsessed with stopping the Sittuum from completing their mission. There's also Dirk Slipstream; rogue treasure hunter looking for a super weapon. It's a race against rime to escape the impending disaster.
The humans led by DJango remind me of the humans led by General Cobb featured in " The Doctor's daughter" A post apocolyptic society based on myths and lies.
The novel as a whole reminded me of Galaxy Four. The Doctor and Amy have to escape and convince others to leave before they die either from the comet impact or from the Sittuum nanobomb; designed to devour the junk that will become dangerous debris if the comet collides with a huge flying junkpile.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2020
It was nice to go back and visit my favourite doctor, Eleven after a long, long time.
As you can see from the blurb, the Doctor and Amy travels to a place called the Gyre, where the gravitational forces act strangely and attract all kinds of space junk. Even ships crash into it. Now a comet is on its way to crashing the Gyre and the outcome is going to be catastrophic for the planets and systems nearby. The Sittun, inhabitants of one of these planets have a nanobomb that can destroy the Gyre before the comet hits it. Unfortunately, there are a few setbacks to this plan. One of the reasons being the humans, devolved into savages thousands of years after crashing into the Gyre.
It was a fast read and interesting. Like I said before, it was lovely visiting Eleven after years. But I wasn't too hooked into the story itself. May be I wanted more creepy villains.
Overall it was an okay story. Read it if you are a fan of Doctor Who and scifi.
As you can see from the blurb, the Doctor and Amy travels to a place called the Gyre, where the gravitational forces act strangely and attract all kinds of space junk. Even ships crash into it. Now a comet is on its way to crashing the Gyre and the outcome is going to be catastrophic for the planets and systems nearby. The Sittun, inhabitants of one of these planets have a nanobomb that can destroy the Gyre before the comet hits it. Unfortunately, there are a few setbacks to this plan. One of the reasons being the humans, devolved into savages thousands of years after crashing into the Gyre.
It was a fast read and interesting. Like I said before, it was lovely visiting Eleven after years. But I wasn't too hooked into the story itself. May be I wanted more creepy villains.
Overall it was an okay story. Read it if you are a fan of Doctor Who and scifi.
November 26, 2017
An interesting premise, with the Tardis materialising on a morass of solidified junk floating in space - rather like the Sargasso Sea. Aliens whose language is so unpronounceable to humans they adopt human names (it was bizarre having aliens with Syrian names, but I got used to it after a while) and whose culture was significantly different from human cultures made a nice change from a lot of DW novels where the aliens seldom have much of a culture to speak of.
The plot rolls along at a fair pace and manages to create a convincingly bizarre "planet" with a devolved human population - not exactly the inbred cannibals of the Wrong Turn franchise, but bordering on it. A fun story, suitable for adult and younger readers alike.
The plot rolls along at a fair pace and manages to create a convincingly bizarre "planet" with a devolved human population - not exactly the inbred cannibals of the Wrong Turn franchise, but bordering on it. A fun story, suitable for adult and younger readers alike.
August 3, 2023
Similar book to the last one, involving a colony in space. Much like Apollo 23, there are a few too many random characters to follow but David Llewellyn manages to craft a few more memorable ones in this adventure. In particular, Dirk Slipstream was an enjoyable nemesis whose personality was a close approximation to Ace Rimmer from Red Dwarf, albeit a darker one.
All in all, the characterisations of Amy and Eleven are pretty good considering the early placement of this novel in this Doctor's timeline. There's a lot of emotion in this story compared to the last book and it is these later moments that really bring out the depth of Matt Smith's portrayal of the doctor. It didn't blow me away but was a thoroughly enjoyable read throughout.
All in all, the characterisations of Amy and Eleven are pretty good considering the early placement of this novel in this Doctor's timeline. There's a lot of emotion in this story compared to the last book and it is these later moments that really bring out the depth of Matt Smith's portrayal of the doctor. It didn't blow me away but was a thoroughly enjoyable read throughout.
June 21, 2018
Set during the long night before Amy's Wedding, this is an Eleventh Doctor and Amy story, where they encounter interesting aliens and humans.
There was a lot I liked about this book; the Sittun, the gyre, the background to the story, but I felt that a couple of the characters were too obviously just there to be killed off horribly, and a few of the allegories were a little too heavy-handed.
Enjoyable but not essential.
There was a lot I liked about this book; the Sittun, the gyre, the background to the story, but I felt that a couple of the characters were too obviously just there to be killed off horribly, and a few of the allegories were a little too heavy-handed.
Enjoyable but not essential.
August 12, 2019
Not much to say about this book it was another awesome Doctor Who story full of really fleshed out characters from both species and it was great but sad to see the Doctor go through some anguish and hurt, while also in this book his more serious side which Matt Smith who I see every time I read one of his Doctor's novels, does a fantastic job of portraying during his run on the show he's one of my favourite Doctors.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2023
in a story where the doctor can't save everyone, we see that the doctor is also just a person and isn't omnipotent, i think it explores deeper into the doctor's personality and it just made me love him more. the human settlement on the gyre reminded me of the scary and eerie atmosphere of oceania from 1984, i could totally see this happening 2500 centuries from now. overall i think it was a good read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2026
While I enjoyed the first half of this story the second half seemed to lack the pacing necessary to make it more engaging than it was.
A comet on a crash course to the setting the book takes place in would have been fine but the inclusion of a bomb countdown as well really made the pacing not feel like it was moving fast enough, despite knowing at least the main two character would definitely survive.
A comet on a crash course to the setting the book takes place in would have been fine but the inclusion of a bomb countdown as well really made the pacing not feel like it was moving fast enough, despite knowing at least the main two character would definitely survive.
July 23, 2017
What a pile of crap - 2*
Snore. This book definitely helped me to sleep. The plot was drivel and just so lackluster. The humans were the enemies and yeah I got it. It had some promise but The 11th Doctor and Amy were separated, which seemed to also mean that their personalities were separated.
Dull. I can't even be bothered to write a decent review about this.
Snore. This book definitely helped me to sleep. The plot was drivel and just so lackluster. The humans were the enemies and yeah I got it. It had some promise but The 11th Doctor and Amy were separated, which seemed to also mean that their personalities were separated.
Dull. I can't even be bothered to write a decent review about this.
September 3, 2020
I wonder why so many of the books separate the Doctor from his companions in their stories. I'm assuming they feel it adds to the drama, but I much prefer it when they're together and bounce their personalities off one another. This one was ok. A little heavy handed with its message at times, but the characterizations were pretty good.
November 8, 2021
I adored this book. As a huge Doctor Who fan I loved being able to immerse myself in a story of my favourite character through my favourite medium. The plot was epic, and I love how it really represented the type of person the Doctor is.
April 28, 2022
A perfect doctor who adventure: the right amount of action, humour, melancholy, and overarching themes about how histories stories are told and how they can influence different culture and generations.
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