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Doctor Who NSA Anthologies #4
Doctor Who: The Legends of Ashildr
Ashildr, a young Viking girl, died helping the Doctor and Clara to save the village she loved. And for her heroism, the Doctor used alien technology to bring her back to life. Ashildr is now immortal – The Woman Who Lived.
Since that day, Ashildr has kept journals to chronicle her extraordinary life. The Legends of Ashildr is a glimpse of some of those the terrors she has faced, the battles she has won, and the treasures she has found.
These are tales of a woman who lived longer than she should ever have lived – and lost more than she can even remember.
An original novel featuring the Twelfth Doctor as played by Peter Capaldi, and Ashildr as played by Maisie Williams.
Since that day, Ashildr has kept journals to chronicle her extraordinary life. The Legends of Ashildr is a glimpse of some of those the terrors she has faced, the battles she has won, and the treasures she has found.
These are tales of a woman who lived longer than she should ever have lived – and lost more than she can even remember.
An original novel featuring the Twelfth Doctor as played by Peter Capaldi, and Ashildr as played by Maisie Williams.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 10, 2015
31 people are currently reading
704 people want to read
About the author
Justin Richards
330 books241 followersJustin Richards is a British writer. He has written many spin off novels based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, and he is Creative Director for the BBC Books range. He has also written for television, contributing to Five's soap opera Family Affairs. He is also the author of a series of crime novels for children about the Invisible Detective, and novels for older children. His Doctor Who novel The Burning was placed sixth in the Top 10 of SFX magazine's "Best SF/Fantasy novelisation or TV tie-in novel" category of 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
May 14, 2023
This is a book that is based on the television series. This one contains four short stories written by four different writers. Each story covers a different time period and the one constant is the character Ashildr from the show.
I have to be honest here as I really do not remember this character at all from the show. So going into this book I cannot say I was overly excited. There is no Doctor in this book. He is mentioned a couple of times but this is all about Ashildr as she covers different time periods. These stories range from a cover to The Arabian Nights to science fiction. Each story is definitely different from each other. I liked all the stories and the standout was written by Jenny Colgan as this dealt with the plague. There was some serious gravitas in that story. As for the main character I am still in the same exact spot as I was when I started this collection. I know a little more about her but I am ambivalent towards her.
Usually when I read a collection of short stories I end up with a three star rating. There are some stories that I like and some I don't. There really wasn't a bad story in this book. But nothing really stood out for me. This is a rare instance where the sum of all the stories is much better than each story. The sum deals with the dark side of immortality and I liked that aspect. If only the stories were as enthralling as the theme of this entire collection.
I have to be honest here as I really do not remember this character at all from the show. So going into this book I cannot say I was overly excited. There is no Doctor in this book. He is mentioned a couple of times but this is all about Ashildr as she covers different time periods. These stories range from a cover to The Arabian Nights to science fiction. Each story is definitely different from each other. I liked all the stories and the standout was written by Jenny Colgan as this dealt with the plague. There was some serious gravitas in that story. As for the main character I am still in the same exact spot as I was when I started this collection. I know a little more about her but I am ambivalent towards her.
Usually when I read a collection of short stories I end up with a three star rating. There are some stories that I like and some I don't. There really wasn't a bad story in this book. But nothing really stood out for me. This is a rare instance where the sum of all the stories is much better than each story. The sum deals with the dark side of immortality and I liked that aspect. If only the stories were as enthralling as the theme of this entire collection.
March 28, 2017
I bought a copy of this and re-read Jenny Colgan's story again. It had me crying on the tube. Perfect, perfect story.
Legends of Ashildr contained 4 different short stories by 4 different authors. The first two seemed to fall into the Star wars mistake of thinking if you have one main woman character you don't need any other women in the story.
The fist story by James Goss though was still entertaining. It was a reimagining of the Arabian Nights with Ashildir helping and guiding the characters through their adventures. It was fun and had some really great moments. Normally I find these tiresome but JG did a great job with this.
The 2nd story was the weakest of the lot. Ashildr got mixed up with some explorers and ended up in a magical kingdom/trouble with aliens. She hardly spoke in it and nearly all the agency was given to the men she travelled with.
The third story by Jenny Colgan was simply the BEST doctor who story I have EVER read!!! It was incredibly dark, depressing and conveyed such a sense of despair and hopelessness. I absolutely loved it. This beautifully captured the complex personality of Ahhildr. Here she went through such an emotional journey. To the very worst that could possibly happen to her. It was heartbreaking and powerful. The historical setting was perfect. It showed how immortality and skills aren't enough. I very highly recommend this book on the basis of this story.
Justin Richards had a hard job following such a moving story. What was interesting (and must have been intentionally done) was the little discrepancies between his story and Jenny's. The fact that over the centuries things had changed for Ashildr so she no longer remembered things as she had originally lived them but that they'd been changed. The story was a more stereotypical DW idea. But it was done very well, and showed how isolated and cold Ahildr had become.
I borrowed this from the library but am definitely going to have to buy a copy.
Legends of Ashildr contained 4 different short stories by 4 different authors. The first two seemed to fall into the Star wars mistake of thinking if you have one main woman character you don't need any other women in the story.
The fist story by James Goss though was still entertaining. It was a reimagining of the Arabian Nights with Ashildir helping and guiding the characters through their adventures. It was fun and had some really great moments. Normally I find these tiresome but JG did a great job with this.
The 2nd story was the weakest of the lot. Ashildr got mixed up with some explorers and ended up in a magical kingdom/trouble with aliens. She hardly spoke in it and nearly all the agency was given to the men she travelled with.
The third story by Jenny Colgan was simply the BEST doctor who story I have EVER read!!! It was incredibly dark, depressing and conveyed such a sense of despair and hopelessness. I absolutely loved it. This beautifully captured the complex personality of Ahhildr. Here she went through such an emotional journey. To the very worst that could possibly happen to her. It was heartbreaking and powerful. The historical setting was perfect. It showed how immortality and skills aren't enough. I very highly recommend this book on the basis of this story.
Justin Richards had a hard job following such a moving story. What was interesting (and must have been intentionally done) was the little discrepancies between his story and Jenny's. The fact that over the centuries things had changed for Ashildr so she no longer remembered things as she had originally lived them but that they'd been changed. The story was a more stereotypical DW idea. But it was done very well, and showed how isolated and cold Ahildr had become.
I borrowed this from the library but am definitely going to have to buy a copy.
September 8, 2016
3.75 out of 5 Stars
1. The Arabian Knightmare by James Goss - 2/5
2. The Fortunate Isles by David Llewellyn - 5/5
3. The Triple Knife by Jenny T. Colgan - 3/5
4. The Ghosts of Branscombe Wood by Justin Richards - 5/5
1. The Arabian Knightmare by James Goss - 2/5
2. The Fortunate Isles by David Llewellyn - 5/5
3. The Triple Knife by Jenny T. Colgan - 3/5
4. The Ghosts of Branscombe Wood by Justin Richards - 5/5
Read
August 29, 2016Four tales of Maisie Williams' immortal, who livened up that mess of a 2015 season nicely and really didn't deserve to be consigned to an eternity with Smuggy McSmugface. It's worth reading for the Jenny Colgan story alone, a heartbreaking 14th century vignette which fleshes out the long, lonely centuries and countless losses that Ashildr suffered to turn her from spunky Norse girl to alienated aristo Me. None of the other stories are on that level, but nor are they remotely bad. James Goss' opener suffers from my already having read another Who spin-off book which couched Osiran survivals in an Arabian Nights pastiche; also, the dates don't work (though a foreword handwaves that; also, timey-wimey &c). David Llewellyn riffs on mediaeval travellers' tales of strange and distant lands, and Justin Richards' ghost story is predictable but well executed. My main objection is that, like the modern series in general, it's never content just to do a straight historical, which also means alien elements lose any surprise value.
July 8, 2022
To live forever would appear to be an adventure, but as 'Doctor Who' has shown in this fascinating character, it is a desperate curse and there is a sense of Ashildr's growing disillusionment with her life and its awful catalogue of losses as well as her resentment of the being who changed her life forever.
The short stories are well written and are true to the scripted character and storylines from the television series, but can be enjoyed on their own.
The short stories are well written and are true to the scripted character and storylines from the television series, but can be enjoyed on their own.
February 10, 2016
Interesting back story (or continuing story, rather) for the character.
Four very different tales in the life of Ashildr. In all, a very insightful look at the life she led following the Doctor's first departure. The first two lend to the development of Ashildr as an adventurer. The last two, into her character as a person. Quite an enjoyable read.
Four very different tales in the life of Ashildr. In all, a very insightful look at the life she led following the Doctor's first departure. The first two lend to the development of Ashildr as an adventurer. The last two, into her character as a person. Quite an enjoyable read.
March 6, 2016
This book gives us four stories featuring the virtually-immortal Ashildr, as played by Maisie Williams in Series 9 of Doctor Who.
The Arabian Knightmare by James Goss: The least enjoyable of the collection in my opinion but not awful by any means. It sees Ashildr, here known as Ash El Dir, tell a version of the Arabian Nights which she was part of. The framing was awkward and I'm not sure the concept totally worked. I think if you are going to re-tell a known story in the Doctor Who universe you need to add at least a sci-fi twist, like in Time Lord Fairy Tales.
The Fortunate Isles by David Llewellyn: Ashildr stows away on a ship in 1485 as a way of escaping from a robbery. It turns out the ship is going on much longer voyage than expected. It starts as a great tale of explorers and has a massive twist where suddenly it becomes very science-fiction.
The Triple Knife by Jenny T. Colgan: Colgan has yet to write a poor Doctor Who story so far and this doesn't break that rule. Ashildr brings her three young children from France to London in 1348. But she brings the plague with her and only the mysterious scientists, based on the bird-like costumes plague doctors wore, might be able to help. The most emotional story here which is truly gut-wrenching.
The Ghosts of Branscombe Woods by Justin Richards: It's gone 1600 and Me finds herself in the village of Branscombe somewhere near London. There ghosts haunt the local woods and Me decides to investigate. I liked the idea of the ghosts themselves but the lack of explanation for the ship that caused them was disappointing.
A good collection of stories featuring an enigmatic character. Lots to enjoy.
The Arabian Knightmare by James Goss: The least enjoyable of the collection in my opinion but not awful by any means. It sees Ashildr, here known as Ash El Dir, tell a version of the Arabian Nights which she was part of. The framing was awkward and I'm not sure the concept totally worked. I think if you are going to re-tell a known story in the Doctor Who universe you need to add at least a sci-fi twist, like in Time Lord Fairy Tales.
The Fortunate Isles by David Llewellyn: Ashildr stows away on a ship in 1485 as a way of escaping from a robbery. It turns out the ship is going on much longer voyage than expected. It starts as a great tale of explorers and has a massive twist where suddenly it becomes very science-fiction.
The Triple Knife by Jenny T. Colgan: Colgan has yet to write a poor Doctor Who story so far and this doesn't break that rule. Ashildr brings her three young children from France to London in 1348. But she brings the plague with her and only the mysterious scientists, based on the bird-like costumes plague doctors wore, might be able to help. The most emotional story here which is truly gut-wrenching.
The Ghosts of Branscombe Woods by Justin Richards: It's gone 1600 and Me finds herself in the village of Branscombe somewhere near London. There ghosts haunt the local woods and Me decides to investigate. I liked the idea of the ghosts themselves but the lack of explanation for the ship that caused them was disappointing.
A good collection of stories featuring an enigmatic character. Lots to enjoy.
March 3, 2016
Fun stories for the Doctor Who fan but nothing to get worked up about in my opinion. I enjoyed the last two stories much more than the first two. I feel as though the last two actual gave better insight into the character of Ashildr, or Me as she prefers. Then again, the last two are also supposed to be accounts from her own journals.
All in all it was an easy read and a nice backstory into the life of Ashildr(Me).
All in all it was an easy read and a nice backstory into the life of Ashildr(Me).
April 22, 2017
Some Doctor Who novels are pretty lame.
This is not one of them.
This one is compelling and gives a cool insight into the lives of people once the Doctor has sauntered off to save the day elsewhere.
I enjoyed it.
This is not one of them.
This one is compelling and gives a cool insight into the lives of people once the Doctor has sauntered off to save the day elsewhere.
I enjoyed it.
July 27, 2017
3.5 stars - 2 good stories, one okay story and one not worth reading... Dr Who did not make an appearance - this book was all about Me...
April 17, 2016
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2612517.html
I had high hopes for this collection of novellas, since James Goss and Justin Richards, on form, are the best regular Who writers for print, and Jenny Colgan (here adopting a Banksian middle initial as Jenny T. Colgan) is one of the most visible of the big name writers who have been brought in of late - a generally successful initiative.
And I wasn't disappointed. Goss in particular inserts Ashildr into the Thousand and One Nights,in a story that both respects the original tradition of nested and linked narratives, but also throws in some gender subversion. Colgan's story of the Black Death is surprisingly bleak. Llewellyn mashes up Columbus and the Hunger Games. Richards wraps it all up at the end. It's a good collection, perhaps aimed at a more mature readership than is immediately apparent. Let's hope for more.
I had high hopes for this collection of novellas, since James Goss and Justin Richards, on form, are the best regular Who writers for print, and Jenny Colgan (here adopting a Banksian middle initial as Jenny T. Colgan) is one of the most visible of the big name writers who have been brought in of late - a generally successful initiative.
And I wasn't disappointed. Goss in particular inserts Ashildr into the Thousand and One Nights,in a story that both respects the original tradition of nested and linked narratives, but also throws in some gender subversion. Colgan's story of the Black Death is surprisingly bleak. Llewellyn mashes up Columbus and the Hunger Games. Richards wraps it all up at the end. It's a good collection, perhaps aimed at a more mature readership than is immediately apparent. Let's hope for more.
January 13, 2016
Considering its brief page count, I was expecting this to be a quick cash-in on Ashildr's character arc from the most recent season of "Doctor Who". It turned out to be much more enjoyable, with an interesting colletion of writing styles, and a range of emotions from thrilling to amusing to heartbreaking. It's much more than the sum of its parts.
February 7, 2016
Ashildr was my favorite part of the recent season of Doctor Who, so I enjoyed getting to read some of her "journals" mentioned during the season. Many are just re-imaginings of old stories with Ashildr/Me as the central character (during her many "lives").
The book contains 4 stories - my favorites being "The Arabian Nightmare" and "The Triple Knife."
The book contains 4 stories - my favorites being "The Arabian Nightmare" and "The Triple Knife."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2016
The first story felt cumbersome, although some of that was due to its attempts to imitate the style of the Arabian Nights. The other three stories were well done, with varying degrees of emotional impact.
March 25, 2016
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13921234
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13921234
April 24, 2019
Would you really want to live forever?
Ashildr is a young Viking woman. The day she encountered the enigmatic being called the Doctor, she did not survive. Using alien technology, the Doctor restored Ashildr to life. Now she is The Woman Who Lived, and for all intents and purposes, she is immortal…
The stories in this book are accounts of the adventures Ashildr had over the centuries of her life…
The Arabian Knightmare by James Goss
Ashildr lived many lives, as many different people. In this account, Ash El Dir lived as the woman called Sherade, spinning stories in Baghdad for the King…
The Fortunate Isles by David Llewellyn
It is 1485 and Ash has stowed away on the ship Galgo, captained by Francisco Lopez. The ship and Captain are searching for a Western passage to Asia. After taking on a man, the sole survivor on a derelict ship, they sail Southwest and get more than they bargained for…
The Triple Knife by Jenny T Colgan
It is 1348, and Alys has three children. They travel to a new home in an undisclosed city. There, the run into the Black Death—Bubonic Plague!
The Ghosts of Branscombe Wood by Justin Richards
It is a simple enough challenge, walk through Branscombe Wood to the village. But there are ghosts who always persuade the hiker to take another path. If you don’t obey, you might be driven mad…
I found the stories and the character very well developed. There could be an endless number of stories based on the condition of unending life. I do hope there are more of these tales to come!
I give the book five stars!
Ashildr is a young Viking woman. The day she encountered the enigmatic being called the Doctor, she did not survive. Using alien technology, the Doctor restored Ashildr to life. Now she is The Woman Who Lived, and for all intents and purposes, she is immortal…
The stories in this book are accounts of the adventures Ashildr had over the centuries of her life…
The Arabian Knightmare by James Goss
Ashildr lived many lives, as many different people. In this account, Ash El Dir lived as the woman called Sherade, spinning stories in Baghdad for the King…
The Fortunate Isles by David Llewellyn
It is 1485 and Ash has stowed away on the ship Galgo, captained by Francisco Lopez. The ship and Captain are searching for a Western passage to Asia. After taking on a man, the sole survivor on a derelict ship, they sail Southwest and get more than they bargained for…
The Triple Knife by Jenny T Colgan
It is 1348, and Alys has three children. They travel to a new home in an undisclosed city. There, the run into the Black Death—Bubonic Plague!
The Ghosts of Branscombe Wood by Justin Richards
It is a simple enough challenge, walk through Branscombe Wood to the village. But there are ghosts who always persuade the hiker to take another path. If you don’t obey, you might be driven mad…
I found the stories and the character very well developed. There could be an endless number of stories based on the condition of unending life. I do hope there are more of these tales to come!
I give the book five stars!
July 31, 2021
Brilliant set of short stories featuring ashildr a young Viking girl the doctor implanted with alien technology to save her but which gave her immortality. I will now go into more detail about each of the stories.
The first story was a retelling of the Arabian nights stories with ashildr or lady sherade as she is in this story marrying the king to stop him killing the wives he married and gets bored of within a night. This was a good story and I gave it 4 stars.
The second story was a pirate story treasure island rip off that I didn't really connect with as all the characters were just horrible except the doctor who ashildr connected with. This was just ok and I gave it three stars as it was definitely the weakest of the four stories.
The third story was by far my favourite and the best within this collection. Jenny t colgan writes this from a mothers perspective. This story was beautiful, emotional and hearbreaking and told the story of what happened to ashildrs children. It is a really emotive story and beautifully written. 5 stars.
The fourth and final story was a good rounding out of this collection and I loved the call backs to ashildrs past and how they affected how she dealt with the big bad within this story. Quite good 4 stars.
The first story was a retelling of the Arabian nights stories with ashildr or lady sherade as she is in this story marrying the king to stop him killing the wives he married and gets bored of within a night. This was a good story and I gave it 4 stars.
The second story was a pirate story treasure island rip off that I didn't really connect with as all the characters were just horrible except the doctor who ashildr connected with. This was just ok and I gave it three stars as it was definitely the weakest of the four stories.
The third story was by far my favourite and the best within this collection. Jenny t colgan writes this from a mothers perspective. This story was beautiful, emotional and hearbreaking and told the story of what happened to ashildrs children. It is a really emotive story and beautifully written. 5 stars.
The fourth and final story was a good rounding out of this collection and I loved the call backs to ashildrs past and how they affected how she dealt with the big bad within this story. Quite good 4 stars.
November 1, 2025
Hello, yes. It’s me.
Do you like me? No, not me. *Me*.
Let’s try that again.
Do you like Me? Do you want to know more about what made her the woman she is today? What events she’s lived through? Then you’ll love this.
Do you not really care about Me? Well… maybe pass on it.
Oddly enough, I was reading the Time Lord Fairytales at the same time as this one, and opening onto a retelling of “A thousand and one nights” was jarring. I was genuinely confused as to which book I had blindly grabbed in the darkness of my room. But this story was done well, and had me hooked. Much like the original tale. However, a common theme I’ve noticed in these ‘character anthology’ books is that the last story always seems to be the weakest. It doesn’t feel like an ‘end’. And I mean, I know it isn’t, because anthology. But this had the same issue I had with the Missy Chronicles, it ends on a story that can easily (and arguably is) placed in canon, and just sort of…. Trails off. I don’t know why it bothers me that much, it shouldn’t. I’m sure there was some reason for them to end this way, but I can’t help but wonder if my impression of the stories and the book as a whole would have been better if the stories were told in the opposite order, or maybe even shuffled around.
Do you like me? No, not me. *Me*.
Let’s try that again.
Do you like Me? Do you want to know more about what made her the woman she is today? What events she’s lived through? Then you’ll love this.
Do you not really care about Me? Well… maybe pass on it.
Oddly enough, I was reading the Time Lord Fairytales at the same time as this one, and opening onto a retelling of “A thousand and one nights” was jarring. I was genuinely confused as to which book I had blindly grabbed in the darkness of my room. But this story was done well, and had me hooked. Much like the original tale. However, a common theme I’ve noticed in these ‘character anthology’ books is that the last story always seems to be the weakest. It doesn’t feel like an ‘end’. And I mean, I know it isn’t, because anthology. But this had the same issue I had with the Missy Chronicles, it ends on a story that can easily (and arguably is) placed in canon, and just sort of…. Trails off. I don’t know why it bothers me that much, it shouldn’t. I’m sure there was some reason for them to end this way, but I can’t help but wonder if my impression of the stories and the book as a whole would have been better if the stories were told in the opposite order, or maybe even shuffled around.
June 23, 2020
Ashildr/Me had been a remarkable character in Doctor Who, brought to life by the amazing Maisie Williams. When I discovered that there was a book detailing more of her singular adventures I knew I had to read it as soon as possible.
Four stories, all with different styles of narrative. The first two stories were recountings from onlookers of the life of Ashildr/Me/Lady Sherade/Ash, while the last two were directly from her journals. Each story takes place in a different part of her life, a different time period, all with different stakes. In the end though, it is always Ashildr who lives on.
The first story of the book was my least favorite, followed closely by the second. I had feared I wasn't going to be able to finish this collection of short stories, but by the third story I knew I had to keep going - as The Triple Knife was definitely my favorite. It was such an emotional story I almost shed a tear while reading it, something I never do.
All in all, a wonderful read about a mysterious character that deserves a lot more attention.
Four stories, all with different styles of narrative. The first two stories were recountings from onlookers of the life of Ashildr/Me/Lady Sherade/Ash, while the last two were directly from her journals. Each story takes place in a different part of her life, a different time period, all with different stakes. In the end though, it is always Ashildr who lives on.
The first story of the book was my least favorite, followed closely by the second. I had feared I wasn't going to be able to finish this collection of short stories, but by the third story I knew I had to keep going - as The Triple Knife was definitely my favorite. It was such an emotional story I almost shed a tear while reading it, something I never do.
All in all, a wonderful read about a mysterious character that deserves a lot more attention.
March 3, 2018
Definite Whovian fan fiction to add into the timeline of Ashildr made immortal by the Doctor in “The Woman Who Died” played by Maisie Williams in series nine.
A collection of four short stories that picks up on the fact that Ashildr lost her children in the Great Plague. This revelation came out in another series nine episode called “The Woman Who Lived.” Without issuing spoilers it tracks her loss and pain at losing them, issues an interesting take on the arrival of it into London and draws in an alien race that acts as medical researchers looking for cures. Or are they? Spoilers, go fund out!
I struggled with the first story, it didn’t grab me. I’m glad I persevered though as the remaining three offered some interesting insights into the life of Ashildr and the loneliness that can be seen in the Doctor himself.
Worth a read IF, you have watched series nine and are aware of Ashildr.
A collection of four short stories that picks up on the fact that Ashildr lost her children in the Great Plague. This revelation came out in another series nine episode called “The Woman Who Lived.” Without issuing spoilers it tracks her loss and pain at losing them, issues an interesting take on the arrival of it into London and draws in an alien race that acts as medical researchers looking for cures. Or are they? Spoilers, go fund out!
I struggled with the first story, it didn’t grab me. I’m glad I persevered though as the remaining three offered some interesting insights into the life of Ashildr and the loneliness that can be seen in the Doctor himself.
Worth a read IF, you have watched series nine and are aware of Ashildr.
June 9, 2017
Truly legendary
I loved this collection of stories, I feel that they fleshed out more of Ashildr than that was previously shown on her third appearance on Doctor Who and why she had grown into a bitter young woman. I especially loved the last two because unlike the first set they were more ground, they showed that beneath her icy exterior she still had a warm heart. The only downfall is this collection of short stories leaves you wanting like her first adventure and she left her Viking, the Battle of Agincourt, and the time after her second encounter with the Doctor and before their next meeting in "Face the Raven"
I loved this collection of stories, I feel that they fleshed out more of Ashildr than that was previously shown on her third appearance on Doctor Who and why she had grown into a bitter young woman. I especially loved the last two because unlike the first set they were more ground, they showed that beneath her icy exterior she still had a warm heart. The only downfall is this collection of short stories leaves you wanting like her first adventure and she left her Viking, the Battle of Agincourt, and the time after her second encounter with the Doctor and before their next meeting in "Face the Raven"
July 18, 2024
4.5 loved this!! i so enjoy getting to see more of doctor whos side characters
in order of preference:
3. The Triple Knife by Jenny T. Colgan - really explores the impacts of ashilldr's immortality, v sad
2. The Fortunate Isles by David Llewellyn - thought the plot twist was quite fun! reminds me of the recent ncuti episode
1. The Arabian Knightmare by James Goss - fun little story - i liked the story inside of stories
4. The Ghosts of Branscombe Wood by Justin Richards - i actually enjoyed reading this and further seeing the impacts of ashildr's immortality, but for some reason im ranking it last haha idk maybe bc it felt not much happened?
in order of preference:
3. The Triple Knife by Jenny T. Colgan - really explores the impacts of ashilldr's immortality, v sad
2. The Fortunate Isles by David Llewellyn - thought the plot twist was quite fun! reminds me of the recent ncuti episode
1. The Arabian Knightmare by James Goss - fun little story - i liked the story inside of stories
4. The Ghosts of Branscombe Wood by Justin Richards - i actually enjoyed reading this and further seeing the impacts of ashildr's immortality, but for some reason im ranking it last haha idk maybe bc it felt not much happened?
December 29, 2017
Four generally unrelated short stories about the immortal character Maisie Williams played on Doctor Who in 2015, all set between her first two appearances there (The Girl Who Died and The Woman Who Lived). It’s a solid but not particularly revelatory collection, with the strongest entry being Jenny T. Colgan’s story about the woman facing a plague outbreak alongside her mortal children. Overall a nice quick read for anyone wanting to see more of this character.
March 15, 2021
As a tie-in book, it was well written and interesting to see how Ashildr went from the optimistic daughter of a Norse Chieftain to the apathetic Me, encountering people and seeing both good and awful of humanity and alien races. As a whole, it is well-written and conveys how without any sort of tether, even the most selfless individual can become indifferent to the suffering of the world, focusing instead on only protecting themselves from those who would inflict misery and pain upon others.
October 28, 2021
3.75
So you’re telling me that this girl lived for centuries but only fell for men? Come on this is too straight.
Jokes aside. I really loved the third and fourth stories. I love how we understand how much she is resentful. I mean the Doctor wanted to save her but he destroyed her life. I really loved this character. I hope there’ll be a book with her adventures later in her life or even with Clara
So you’re telling me that this girl lived for centuries but only fell for men? Come on this is too straight.
Jokes aside. I really loved the third and fourth stories. I love how we understand how much she is resentful. I mean the Doctor wanted to save her but he destroyed her life. I really loved this character. I hope there’ll be a book with her adventures later in her life or even with Clara
March 7, 2024
Four short stories chronicling some of the stories of Ashildr, an (accidentally) immortal woman. The first of the four is a bit shaky, but the latter stories are better, eventually coming together with some light nods to the previous world building in the fourth.
For someone who hadn’t seen the relevant episodes of Doctor Who, the character and backstory might be a bit ill-defined, but it’s engaging and presented well nonetheless.
For someone who hadn’t seen the relevant episodes of Doctor Who, the character and backstory might be a bit ill-defined, but it’s engaging and presented well nonetheless.
July 20, 2022
Overall, good. I think the first story was my favorite. But the one about her kids and the plague was awful and completely unnecessary. We knew about it from Clara reading her journal in the episode. We really didn't need all of the details. As a mother, it was horrible and painful to read. I wish I had recognized what it was when I started it so I could have skipped it completely.
July 12, 2018
One of My Favorite Characters
4 stories about Ashildr in different times. Warning: one of them is about her three children. Read this book when you can stand some sadness. But if you know Ashildr, do read it.
4 stories about Ashildr in different times. Warning: one of them is about her three children. Read this book when you can stand some sadness. But if you know Ashildr, do read it.
March 21, 2020
The stories...? Well... Nah. But something I've really enjoyed is the striking evolution that Ashildr develops through this anthology, demonstrating that immortality isn't as precious as many might think...
December 7, 2023
A must-read for anyone who watched the Capaldi era of Doctor Who to meet Ashildr! I am so glad this book exists because I always wanted to know more about Ashildr’s tragic tale - or at least to see some of her adventures.
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