Doctor Who: The Spear of Destiny: Third Doctor

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary E-Shorts #3

by Marcus Sedgwick

Eleven Doctors, eleven months, eleven stories: a year-long celebration of Doctor Who! The most exciting names in children's fiction each create their own unique adventure about the time-travelling Time Lord.

The Third Doctor and Jo Grant are trying to track down the magical spear of Odin when they find themselves caught up in a vicious battle between two Viking tribes. But one of the Vikings is even more dangerous than he appears to be. Can the Doctor stop the spear getting into the wrong hands before it's too late?

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Fiction, Short Stories, Time Travel, Fantasy, Media Tie In

60 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 23, 2013

About the author

Marcus Sedgwickwas a British writer and illustrator. He authored several young adult and children's books and picture books, a work of nonfiction and several novels for adults, and illustrated a collection of myths and a book of folk tales for adults.

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Third Doctor & Jo Grant attempt to steal the Spear of Destiny from a museum in 1973 London, before heading back in time to the Viking era, in this highly enjoyable sci fi short story.
Author Marcus Sedgwick provides a decent plot for the characters & brings Jon Pertwee's Doctor & his friends & enemies to life. Suddendly I felt like it was 1973 & I was nine years old again. Happy days!

[Richard Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

What this tiny celebration of the third era of Doctor Who does well lies in its tick box referencing of the tropes that defined the Pertwee years. The characters are simply drawn but instantly recognisable, particularly Pertwee's Doctor. The Brigadier and UNIT flash by in the background, Bessie makes an appearance, the Master strokes his beard and cackles - if you know the show, you'll feel that all is present and correct. Where the story falters in its brevity. There are a lot of potentially interesting things thrown into the mix, and to a fault they're all dropped as soon as the Doctor races on to the next place he needs to be. A paramilitary force in a museum? Dropped. The Time Lords scooping up powerful artifacts? Dropped. The origins of Norse myth? Dropped. The actual reason why a spear has become a powerful artifact in the first place (is it something to do with the birth of Christianity, or is that just thrown in)? Dropped. None of that does this fast paced adventure any harm, but it feels like a bit of a waste, as though all the best bits of a brilliant novel have been sliced away to focus on the running around. Still, it's all good fun, very nicely revitalising the Doctor's third life for younger readers and hitting some nostalgic notes for fans who have been around for a bit longer.

[Alejandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third short story in the 50th Anniversary event, presenting 11 stories, each with a different doctor. This is the turn of the Third Doctor. His companion in the adventure is Jo Grant. Also, there is a brief cameo of the Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, but since he is not a "companion" per se but more as an "ally" of the Doctor. There isn't problem in the apparent "rule" in this short story event of using just one companion per doctor.

The Good

Again, as in the tale of the Second Doctor, here, everything is good! Even better! Since this is an engaging adventure with more development and content than the second short story. Also, there are priceless humorous moments that it makes the reading even more richer. Moreover, it's evident that this short story required more researching to support the historical background presented in the plot.

New villains: Vikings!!!

I loved that the short story resulted in a "historical adventure" travelling back in time to a recognizable time period.

The adventure starts in 1973 and I felt an instant bond to it since it was the year that I born, so it was cool to read about something "happening" when I born, sort of speak. The short story must be set in some point after the TV episode The Three Doctors but before of The Green Death, not only because it's clearly stated that they are in 1973, and having Jo as his companion, but also because the Third Doctor already knows how to operate the time-space functions of the TARDIS.

The Bad

Nothing!

The Odd

Also Nothing. Marcus Sedgwick, the author, showed an accurate management of the elements in the particular period of the Third Doctor. So, I didn't notice anything odd in this great short story.

[Brooklyn Tayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. It featured the Third Doctor and Jo on a quest to track down the magical spear of Odin. Written really well and I enjoyed the Vikings being woven through the tale.

[F.R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jon Pertwee is possibly my favourite Doctor. There, I’ve said it. Okay, I could do without the Venusian karate and some of the plots are baggy and Jo Grant – although cute – asks us to believe that The Doctor would be happy with a simpleton for a companion. But I do like the love of science, the heart on the sleeve compassion and the derring-do nature of this incarnation. As for the oft criticised high-handedness, well, surely a highly advanced alien creature would be a bit supercilious if trapped with us primitive humans. I even – Lord help me – quite like the fashions.

This story, though, is something of a disappointment. Yes, the author does capture Pertwee’s voice, Jo Grant is as ditsy as ever and there is an appearance by The Master (I don’t think that counts as a spoiler, fans will see it sign-posted), but the tale itself is slight. There are Vikings, ancient and powerful weapons and heavily armed security guards in central London, but I never felt much of a sense of jeopardy. Now we all know that The Doctor (like James Bond) will ultimately survive, but a good Doctor Who story needs to make us believe that perhaps, maybe, this time he won’t. Otherwise it just becomes a shaggy dog story, and two thousand years in the past is a long way to travel for a shaggy dog story.

[Polly Batchelor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrated by Marcus Sedgwick

The Doctor and Jo are tasked to try and steal a spear that is believed to be Odin's (Norse God's). They decide to go to the known last sighting of the spear. Where they are caught in a crossfire between two Viking tribes. I absolutely love anything to do with Norse Mythology. I find it fascinating. I loved the appearance of the Master as is probably most known during the 3rd Doctor period.

[Agnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doctor Who, Vikings, Norse gods, just cant be better then this. Excelent short story.

[Kristína · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5
Toto sa mi celkom páčilo! :) Bolo to zaujímavé... Som rada, že mi to nik nepolial dnes.

[Trin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Third Doctor vs. Vikings (and the Master!), which is a fun idea. Unfortunately, I found the writing style a bit flat.

[Adam Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Spear of Destiny is a third Doctor adventure. This is easily the best of the e-book series so far as it fits into its era seamlessly, which is always what I am looking for in a Doctor Who story, and the depiction of the regulars from the era that it is set are pitch perfect and, to use an oft used phrase, you can imagine Pertwee and Manning speaking the lines.

It is set after The Three Doctors, as the Doctor is now able to freely travel in the TARDIS, and features the Doctor on a mission for the Time Lords to steal an exhibit (the titular spear) from a museum which is in fact much more powerful and dangerous that it was considered to be.

Of course things don't go to plan and the Doctor has to change his initial plans and get hold of the spear another way, the way that only he can.

This story is slightly longer than the previous two e-books and I think that the extra length allows there to be much more a story and the result is much better.

It also reads like a TARGET novelisation of a story from that era would as this is definitely a story that would not seem out of place in the original TV series.

[Kribu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this was fun. My one and only gripe about this was that it was so short!

Yes, I know, these stories all are, and they're supposed to be, but... I'd have loved for this particular one to be longer. Especially as it felt a little bit unbalanced, as if setting up the story (as well as explaining this incarnation of the Doctor and his circumstances to new/young readers not familiar with him) took up considerably more time - and was actually more detailed and more satisfying, in a way - than the ending/resolution, which all happened a bit too suddenly.

But that aside, I loved it. The Third Doctor was recognisably himself, Jo was adorable, the Master's appearance, while far too brief, was appreciated, and there were some really lovely moments with the Doctor and Jo.

[Leilani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfectly captures the personalities of the Third Doctor and Jo, and manages to be feel like a typical story of the period and still be a bit surprising. The writing is strong and even - overall the best short Who story I've read so far, and I'm glad they did so well by one of my favorite Doctors.

[Myrthe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5*
I've never seen an episode with this Doctor, so I think I missed quite a few references. However, I still enjoyed this and it's about Norwegian gods so that's awesome.

[Jules (Never enough time to read) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh, it was just another ok story.

[Cal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the story to be a bit weak, starting with the TARDIS not landing where she was supposed to, followed by a couple of other unlikely actions that necessitated the rest of the story.

Things that could have done with detail:

While the Doctor's sparse description is enough that someone who hadn't seen him could build a blurry picture, there is no description of Jo or The Master. I haven't seen many Classic episodes in 30 years, so vaguely remember Jo having brown hair in a ponytail and have to assume that the only Master I remember is the right one.

Jo is scathing of how The Doctor dresses. An example of what she wears would give context.

The Doctor says that Jo is special. Flat statements are frustrating.

And then there are these inaccuracies and contradictions:

Freyr does NOT mean Master. It means Lord, with context implying that this refers to a warlord. The application of master then would have been as in master craftsman, and one would not translate into the other

Jo said that she never studied the Vikings at school and therefore knows nothing about them. She then knows Old Norse, Norse mythology, and can identify a specific ship type.

King Othen of Sweden was around in the latter part of 1800BC, and his name was sometimes written as Odin in jest. He is therefore the likely source of the 2AD encounter.

The Aesir and Vanir are the Oldest Norse myths, and I've seen runes with their names on that are known to date back to at least 2000BC. It was implied that it was an established design, and it is thought that the myths are as old as the Germanic nations. There is no way that Othen could be a source of myth, and the clumsy suggestion feels insulting.

Freyr got his ship as a gift either as part of his coronation or not long after, and so he wouldn't have had it when his father was king.

[Monique Hausser · Rating 4 out of 5]

As each story goes so far, they seem to get better and better which is great standards as The First Doctor failed. And so Jon Pertwee, the Third Doctor, stars in this and I daresay I do like him as The Doctor. Once again, the perspective is mainly though his companion, Jo, which once again works well as us readers need to read a voice that asks the questions for us.

The structure was also quite good as they were very short chapters. This allows for a longer yet quick story but a lot more events can follow which could be turned into an episode in our minds. I thought that was pretty cool.

The story begins in present time then moves into the time of the Vikings. The author has crafted the origins of Odin and Thor pretty well. It was better than the Peter Pan legend from the First Doctor and this idea reminded me of historical episodes of New Who. So a round of applause to the author for that one.

Again, the characters were really good and felt really true. The only problem I had was the Master and this is either due to the sake of involving him or my lack of watching the classics. Was the Master often a one off villain? Because in New Who he/she was always the massive villain. But hey, how would I know right?

This is a definite full story which is also entertaining and is a must read for fans.

[Eduardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diversão e todo o espírito da série presente.

Até agora, ao meu ver, o conto que mais se aproximou do ritmo e do espírito presente na atual série de TV. A pequena história com o terceiro Doutor traz sua relação com os militares, uma da principais marcas da série no início dos anos 70. Já o protagonista, vai, aos poucos, se aproximando cada vez mais de sua versão atual, espirituoso e sagaz. A ambientação e a proporção que o conto toma é digno de um filme ou especial da série.

[Kylle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I jumped into this book expecting more of the Doctor's influences in more commonly known history and/or lore, but this one focused on Norwegian mythology more than the Doctor. Which is fine! Maybe I'm just a bit.....knackered (happy New Year!)......but I'd have really appreciated more of the Doctor and less of the stories we already know and love. It was nonetheless still better than the first HAHA I'M SO SORRY EOIN ARTEMIS FOWL WAS ALRIGHT 🤍

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Doctor and Jo are sent by the Time Lords to retrieve a spear. They end up going to Viking times. This is a fun short story that feels like one of the traditional stories of that time. The Master turns up, the Brigadier features and there's lots of action. The idea could have worked better in a longer book though. A good read.

[Ilse · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was definitely more interesting then the first two,
I liked the origin story of Norse Mythology according to doctor who it was really interesting and a fun twist on it.
To be honest I didn't see the I guess sort of twist coming which was fun.
Wasn't very sure what to think of the whole spear that was used on Jesus part but I suppose they needed a plot.

[Anna From Gustine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jon Pertwee is my favorite of the pre-Eccleston Doctor Whos. He's so debonair and witty. He also has great chemistry with his sidekick Jo. This short work encompasses the feel of the show and the dialogue sounds just like the characters. Other than that, it's an absurd story but aren't all the Doctor Who stories to a certain extent?

[Nayeli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the other books in this e-shorts (?) collection, the story is fun and short. The narration lost me at times but I unexpectedly learned about Norse mythology, so there’s that. I’m familiar with the 3rd Doctor although I haven’t seen many of his TV stories, but I don’t think that matters much. I liked how it started in London and ended in the past, and the familiar villain… wink wink.

[The Bookseller · Rating 4 out of 5]

For something that is only 86 pages, I was surprised at how many plot elements it managed to encapsulate. It made the story very exciting and bigger than it actually was. A nice little read for the day.

[Ronald Schoedel III · Rating 4 out of 5]

All good fun, though it would have been nice to get more background on some of the exiting background details. Of course I realise that’s not possible in a short like this. It’d be fun to see this one fleshed out into a full novel.

[Helen (they or he) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shut the front door, the Doctor can raise his temperature at will and his normal body temperature is lower than that of humans? What? Also the Master's reveal is just... *chef's kiss*

[rené lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

This covers an adventure of The (3rd) Doctor and Jo Grant. In it, The Doctor and Jo are trying to recover an ancient artifact that has dangerous repercussions for all time streams. Unfortunately, the story was silly and did not endear me to this incarnation of The Doctor or his companion.

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a reason why the call the 3rd doctor, the most like james bond as he is suave and cool and a total badass! And add in incredibly smart and you have a doctor who looks at the master as no more a threat then a chocolate hobnob! And this story is the warm tea to dunk it in 🤗

[Joe Clegg Prada · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best so far in this series of 12 stories. As with others, it’s fun getting to know characters I’m less familiar with. And who doesn’t love a good Viking tale? My only ailment being the weak motives of the villain. This depiction pales in comparison to others across TV and audio.

[H.J. Swinford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story had a lot going on in it. I was surprised to be thrust into a situation surrounded by Norse Mythology characters, but it was fun! I've never been big on the Third Doctor, but his craftiness and his love for Jo in this story was endearing.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story proves that magic can happen when you pair a wonderful writer and fan fiction, mostly because Sedgwick obviously loved the 3rd Doctor and Jo Grant. His comments on the Doctor's clothing were spot on and added humor. As an added bonus, author Marcus Sedgwick reads the audio edition.