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Doctor Who: New Series Adventures #32
The Slitheen Excursion
1500BC - King Actaeus and his subjects live in mortal fear of the awesome gods who have come to visit their kingdom in ancient Greece. Except the Doctor, visiting with university student June, knows they're not gods at all. They're aliens.
For the aliens, it's the perfect holiday - they get to tour the sights of a primitive planet and even take part in local customs. Like gladiatorial games, or hunting down and killing humans who won't be missed.
With June's enthusiastic help, the Doctor soon meets the travel agents behind this deadly package holiday company - his old enemies the Slitheen. But can he bring the Slitheen excursion to an end without endangering more lives? And how are events in ancient Greece linked to a modern-day alien plot to destroy what's left of the Parthenon?
Featuring the Tenth Doctor as played by David Tennant in the hit Doctor Who BBC Television series.
For the aliens, it's the perfect holiday - they get to tour the sights of a primitive planet and even take part in local customs. Like gladiatorial games, or hunting down and killing humans who won't be missed.
With June's enthusiastic help, the Doctor soon meets the travel agents behind this deadly package holiday company - his old enemies the Slitheen. But can he bring the Slitheen excursion to an end without endangering more lives? And how are events in ancient Greece linked to a modern-day alien plot to destroy what's left of the Parthenon?
Featuring the Tenth Doctor as played by David Tennant in the hit Doctor Who BBC Television series.
Audio CD
First published April 2, 2009
19 people are currently reading
1594 people want to read
About the author
Simon Guerrier
168 books60 followersSimon Guerrier is a British science fiction author and dramatist, closely associated with the fictional universe of Doctor Who and its spinoffs. Although he has written three Doctor Who novels, for the BBC Books range, his work has mostly been for Big Finish Productions' audio drama and book ranges.
Guerrier's earliest published fiction appeared in Zodiac, the first of Big Finish's Short Trips range of Doctor Who short story anthologies. To date, his work has appeared in the majority of the Short Trips collections. He has also edited three volumes in the series, The History of Christmas, Time Signature and How The Doctor Changed My Life. The second of these takes as its starting-point Guerrier's short story An Overture Too Early in The Muses. The third anthology featured stories entirely by previously unpublished writers.
After contributing two stories to the anthology Life During Wartime in Big Finish's Bernice Summerfield range of books and audio dramas, Guerrier was invited to edit the subsequent year's short story collection, A Life Worth Living, and the novella collection Parallel Lives. After contributing two audio dramas to the series, Guerrier became the producer of the Bernice Summerfield range of plays and books, a post he held between January 2006 and June 2007.
His other Doctor Who work includes the audio dramas, The Settling and The Judgement of Isskar, in Big Finish's Doctor Who audio range, three Companion Chronicles and a contribution to the UNIT spinoff series. He has also written a play in Big Finish's Sapphire and Steel range.
Guerrier's work is characterised by character-driven humour and by an interest in unifying the continuity of the various Big Finish ranges through multiple references and reappearances of characters. As editor he has been a strong promoter of the work of various script writers from the Seventh Doctor era of the Doctor Who television series
Guerrier's earliest published fiction appeared in Zodiac, the first of Big Finish's Short Trips range of Doctor Who short story anthologies. To date, his work has appeared in the majority of the Short Trips collections. He has also edited three volumes in the series, The History of Christmas, Time Signature and How The Doctor Changed My Life. The second of these takes as its starting-point Guerrier's short story An Overture Too Early in The Muses. The third anthology featured stories entirely by previously unpublished writers.
After contributing two stories to the anthology Life During Wartime in Big Finish's Bernice Summerfield range of books and audio dramas, Guerrier was invited to edit the subsequent year's short story collection, A Life Worth Living, and the novella collection Parallel Lives. After contributing two audio dramas to the series, Guerrier became the producer of the Bernice Summerfield range of plays and books, a post he held between January 2006 and June 2007.
His other Doctor Who work includes the audio dramas, The Settling and The Judgement of Isskar, in Big Finish's Doctor Who audio range, three Companion Chronicles and a contribution to the UNIT spinoff series. He has also written a play in Big Finish's Sapphire and Steel range.
Guerrier's work is characterised by character-driven humour and by an interest in unifying the continuity of the various Big Finish ranges through multiple references and reappearances of characters. As editor he has been a strong promoter of the work of various script writers from the Seventh Doctor era of the Doctor Who television series
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
January 22, 2021
an absolute embarrassment to the doctor who extended universe, to be honest. in addition to these nitpicky errors:
- as with all 'big cats', lions necessarily do not purr
- it's kohl, not mascara (nitpicky but it's different OK)
- "thousands of years before the invention of toothpaste"?? the Egyptians were using it in 5000BC
there was also a BIG error to do with Doctor Who - the Slitheen are described as "silica-based life forms," upon which a lot of this book's plot rests. the problem is that previously in the TV show, the Slitheen were described as calcium-based life forms, which is also very important because the manner of their defeat was based on them being calcium-based. guerrier has changed the fundamental biology of an alien species to suit his own plot and, quite frankly, his stupid deus ex machina.
definitely one to be missed, unless you're a completist or a masochist, both of which i am. it should be noted that along with autonomy, in my 60+ DW books i've read, this is one of the very few of them i have rated one star.
- as with all 'big cats', lions necessarily do not purr
- it's kohl, not mascara (nitpicky but it's different OK)
- "thousands of years before the invention of toothpaste"?? the Egyptians were using it in 5000BC
there was also a BIG error to do with Doctor Who - the Slitheen are described as "silica-based life forms," upon which a lot of this book's plot rests. the problem is that previously in the TV show, the Slitheen were described as calcium-based life forms, which is also very important because the manner of their defeat was based on them being calcium-based. guerrier has changed the fundamental biology of an alien species to suit his own plot and, quite frankly, his stupid deus ex machina.
definitely one to be missed, unless you're a completist or a masochist, both of which i am. it should be noted that along with autonomy, in my 60+ DW books i've read, this is one of the very few of them i have rated one star.
July 15, 2011
Declaration of interest: Simon's one of my best mates. Occasionally, we've even been known to hug.
I read this in draft during the writing, but only now got around to revisiting it in its finished form. It's a fun, clever romp, leaning towards the lighter side of Who, unafraid of jokes and silliness but with a serious plot at its heart and no shortage of on- and off-screen carnage.
The book's temporary companion, June, is instantly likeable and competent, and Tennant's Doctor leaps off the page, perfectly captured. Add a lot of interesting stuff courtesy of Simon's wife, a classicist and Very Clever Person, whose passions inform the ancient setting, and you've got an entertaining book that manages to sneak a bit of education in on the sly.
More please.
(Simon: just bung the fiver in the post, yeah?)
I read this in draft during the writing, but only now got around to revisiting it in its finished form. It's a fun, clever romp, leaning towards the lighter side of Who, unafraid of jokes and silliness but with a serious plot at its heart and no shortage of on- and off-screen carnage.
The book's temporary companion, June, is instantly likeable and competent, and Tennant's Doctor leaps off the page, perfectly captured. Add a lot of interesting stuff courtesy of Simon's wife, a classicist and Very Clever Person, whose passions inform the ancient setting, and you've got an entertaining book that manages to sneak a bit of education in on the sly.
More please.
(Simon: just bung the fiver in the post, yeah?)
July 16, 2016
A book based on the television series. This one features the Tenth Doctor and he has no companion. He does pick up a companion in this book to share the adventure as he visits ancient Greece. When he gets there he discovers the Slitheen are there running a human gladiator arena for the enjoyment of aliens.
This was a decent entry into this universe. I thought the author did a so-so job with the portrayal of the Doctor. There were times he was portrayed perfectly as one gets to see his eternal sadness but also this is a man not to be reckoned with. There were other times where I just said "no". I liked the other characters as I commend the author with the portrayal of the Slitheen as he did away with the juvenile humor and actually made them a formidable foe. The story was a nice change of pace. It seems to me most of these books are aliens who want to conquer the Earth but it was nice to see an adventure on a smaller scale.
This was a quick read that allowed me to spend some more time with the Tenth Doctor. There are better books in this universe but there are also worse. It was a middle of the road novel that I did like.
This was a decent entry into this universe. I thought the author did a so-so job with the portrayal of the Doctor. There were times he was portrayed perfectly as one gets to see his eternal sadness but also this is a man not to be reckoned with. There were other times where I just said "no". I liked the other characters as I commend the author with the portrayal of the Slitheen as he did away with the juvenile humor and actually made them a formidable foe. The story was a nice change of pace. It seems to me most of these books are aliens who want to conquer the Earth but it was nice to see an adventure on a smaller scale.
This was a quick read that allowed me to spend some more time with the Tenth Doctor. There are better books in this universe but there are also worse. It was a middle of the road novel that I did like.
April 5, 2025
2025 52 Book Challenge - 49) Set In A Country With An Active Volcano
Well, this was an interesting Doctor Who novel, I enjoyed the plot, and the setting, and I actually really liked the companion for the book, June (and its not just because she's from the same city as me, though that did make me happy). In general, the writing was decent.
However, there were a few annoyance, most notably that the author has changed the Slitheen from calcium based lifeforms to silicon based lifeforms. I don't know if the author doesn't know the difference between silicon and calcium, or if he just hadn't done his research, but when something like that is basically the way that aliens get defeated and a major plot point in the TV series, its not exactly something that can be messed around with, so yeah, there was great research done into Ancient Greece, but poor research done into Doctor Who, and as this is a Doctor Who novel, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Well, this was an interesting Doctor Who novel, I enjoyed the plot, and the setting, and I actually really liked the companion for the book, June (and its not just because she's from the same city as me, though that did make me happy). In general, the writing was decent.
However, there were a few annoyance, most notably that the author has changed the Slitheen from calcium based lifeforms to silicon based lifeforms. I don't know if the author doesn't know the difference between silicon and calcium, or if he just hadn't done his research, but when something like that is basically the way that aliens get defeated and a major plot point in the TV series, its not exactly something that can be messed around with, so yeah, there was great research done into Ancient Greece, but poor research done into Doctor Who, and as this is a Doctor Who novel, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
January 16, 2016
It's a bit of a come down after the epic heights of Mr. Guerrier's "The Time Travellers" & giddy "Pirate Loop"...but it's a fairly solid, enjoyable, if unremarkable adventure. The substitute, one-off companion created for this novel didn't leave much of an impression on me, but kudos to Mr. Guerrier for making the Slitheen (my least favourite addition to the "Doctor Who" canon in the last ten years) something other than irritating.
February 11, 2016
Set during Tennant's last year as The Doctor, The Specials series had 10 meeting one of companions and in this novel the story is told through June.
Not a massive fan of the Slitheen from the TV episodes, they never really worked well and havn't appeared again since, but they do work alot better in print.
The historical location is fun and The Tenth Doctor himself is well written. Very enjoyable.
Not a massive fan of the Slitheen from the TV episodes, they never really worked well and havn't appeared again since, but they do work alot better in print.
The historical location is fun and The Tenth Doctor himself is well written. Very enjoyable.
June 24, 2016
Definitely up there with my favourite DW novels. This was so hilarious, and I felt all the feels.
February 6, 2021
June's time in the city of Athens was winding down. Soon she would be returning to England so one more time around the Acropolis seemed like a good idea. The ruins themselves were thousands of years old and, for the most part, tended to stay pretty much the way they were from one day to the next so it was a little strange when that stability changed abruptly. And, why would they put a big blue British police call box in the middle of a Greek ruin? And who was that tall skinny guy in a
slightly rumpled brown suit and...trainers???...who stepped out of its strangely dark interior?
Soon June was chasing strange creatures through the Acropolis...taking a "trip" in that same strange blue box...and finding herself in a past that had startlingly changed from what every history book said was...well...history. And that strange tall skinny guy? He would change her life forever.
At the publication of this book, the phenomenon that is Doctor Who is celebrating its 53rd birthday. There have been many and varied stories that gave us the adventures of currently 9 different doctors and dozens and dozens of companions traveling by his side. And, while the Doctor has had solo adventures of his own, those journeys that he shares with companions are some of the most fun and exciting. In this story, author Simon Guerrier gives his readers the best of both worlds as we see a solitary timelord once more find a new companion with all the fun of discovery and excitement that comes with those stories.
This story, for the most part is told from the point of view of that companion, June, as she finds her way through a typical up and down adventure with a strange being from another world. While Guerrier captures a little of the David Tennant portrayal, those are secondary to the story itself which seems like one that would have been on TV screens during the early 60s.
In other words, a good old fashion story of the Doctor as they used to be.
slightly rumpled brown suit and...trainers???...who stepped out of its strangely dark interior?
Soon June was chasing strange creatures through the Acropolis...taking a "trip" in that same strange blue box...and finding herself in a past that had startlingly changed from what every history book said was...well...history. And that strange tall skinny guy? He would change her life forever.
At the publication of this book, the phenomenon that is Doctor Who is celebrating its 53rd birthday. There have been many and varied stories that gave us the adventures of currently 9 different doctors and dozens and dozens of companions traveling by his side. And, while the Doctor has had solo adventures of his own, those journeys that he shares with companions are some of the most fun and exciting. In this story, author Simon Guerrier gives his readers the best of both worlds as we see a solitary timelord once more find a new companion with all the fun of discovery and excitement that comes with those stories.
This story, for the most part is told from the point of view of that companion, June, as she finds her way through a typical up and down adventure with a strange being from another world. While Guerrier captures a little of the David Tennant portrayal, those are secondary to the story itself which seems like one that would have been on TV screens during the early 60s.
In other words, a good old fashion story of the Doctor as they used to be.
May 17, 2019
Set near the end of the Tenth Doctor's time, this takes place when he's traveling alone, without a steady companion, fighting his fate. The temporary companion here is June, a grad student in Greece to study the ruins. Well, what better way to get to know history than to go there?
The Doctor becomes aware that the Slitheen are running essentially an alien travel bureau, letting various extraterrestrials go back to 1500 BC Greece, see the sights, and take part in fun things like hunting down humans or making them fight to the death in games of various kinds. Clearly, this is exactly the kind of thing the Doctor isn't going to let happen, even if he's preoccupied with his own coming death.
It was a decent story, and could have worked as a Doctor Who episode. June was an engaging companion I wouldn't mind seeing more of. A decent, not great, addition to the Doctor Who canon.
The Doctor becomes aware that the Slitheen are running essentially an alien travel bureau, letting various extraterrestrials go back to 1500 BC Greece, see the sights, and take part in fun things like hunting down humans or making them fight to the death in games of various kinds. Clearly, this is exactly the kind of thing the Doctor isn't going to let happen, even if he's preoccupied with his own coming death.
It was a decent story, and could have worked as a Doctor Who episode. June was an engaging companion I wouldn't mind seeing more of. A decent, not great, addition to the Doctor Who canon.
May 18, 2024
Worst Doctor Who novel I've ever listened to. I couldn't even bring myself to finishing it..
August 12, 2024
2.5 stars.
September 28, 2023
This was not as good as I probably thought it once was
December 4, 2011
I picked up a job lot of Doctor Who novels recently as I decided to try and complete reading all the ones featuring the Doctor in his Tenth incarnation. I ended up with 7 novels in total! I've never been a big fan of the Slitheen so this was the first one I read. It's one of the later novels with Ten so he's without a longterm companion and finds a temporary associate in June.
June is quite likeable and seems well-written. She's very much in the Rose style of companion; young, clever in her own right, and not adverse to joining in and getting her hands dirty. She does spend the majority of the book barefoot, something which the reader is reminded of every so often but certainly something the author would have done well to remember too! The Doctor wasn't too bad, there were some parts that didn't ring true at all, such as his method of winning at the bullfight. His babble was almost there, just needed to be a bit more manic and full of jargon. I actually felt a lot like the Doctor wasn't the main character in this book, but that June was. She was certainly the stronger character of the two.
I was actually ill when I read this and low on sleep so I don't know if that's why the plotline didn't make a great deal of sense. I did spend a lot of the book wondering why the story was progressing the way it was and what had started it all off in the first place. The storyline felt very thin and incredibly dragged out, with a whole host of secondary characters, the majority of which had no name and were just referred to en masse. The Slitheen felt a bit wishywashy and no real threat at all. They flipped between being comic fodder, a serious monster and a vague reason for the plot to move along. Not the best novel I've read but certainly not one of the worst.
June is quite likeable and seems well-written. She's very much in the Rose style of companion; young, clever in her own right, and not adverse to joining in and getting her hands dirty. She does spend the majority of the book barefoot, something which the reader is reminded of every so often but certainly something the author would have done well to remember too! The Doctor wasn't too bad, there were some parts that didn't ring true at all, such as his method of winning at the bullfight. His babble was almost there, just needed to be a bit more manic and full of jargon. I actually felt a lot like the Doctor wasn't the main character in this book, but that June was. She was certainly the stronger character of the two.
I was actually ill when I read this and low on sleep so I don't know if that's why the plotline didn't make a great deal of sense. I did spend a lot of the book wondering why the story was progressing the way it was and what had started it all off in the first place. The storyline felt very thin and incredibly dragged out, with a whole host of secondary characters, the majority of which had no name and were just referred to en masse. The Slitheen felt a bit wishywashy and no real threat at all. They flipped between being comic fodder, a serious monster and a vague reason for the plot to move along. Not the best novel I've read but certainly not one of the worst.
March 19, 2024
Everyone's least favorite alien race aside, The Slitheen Excursion is a decent story, if a little long in the tooth. Full disclosure, I listened to this as an audiobook, and I have to hand it to the narrator-she did a great job with the Raxicoricofallipatorians (race of the Slitheen). Guerrier nails Ten's incarnation, and I could easily visualize him in the narrative.
Ten is solo here, but quickly picks up a temporary companion in June, a college student on her summer break in Greece. She's curious, brave, capable, and is a quick learner, all important qualities in a companion. They end up traveling back to ancient times, before the city of Athens was established, only to discover the Slitheen have set up a tourist venture for alien species to visit the cradle of western earth civilization, and are sacrificing humans in the process.
This would have been great as a short story (and I would have rated it about 4 stars) but as it stands, it's too long, and feels like it's been padded to reach the length of a novel. The last several chapters make it feel like it overstays its welcome on top of it.
This would have been better had it been part of a short story collection, like Short Trips or 13 Doctors 13 Stories.
Ten is solo here, but quickly picks up a temporary companion in June, a college student on her summer break in Greece. She's curious, brave, capable, and is a quick learner, all important qualities in a companion. They end up traveling back to ancient times, before the city of Athens was established, only to discover the Slitheen have set up a tourist venture for alien species to visit the cradle of western earth civilization, and are sacrificing humans in the process.
This would have been great as a short story (and I would have rated it about 4 stars) but as it stands, it's too long, and feels like it's been padded to reach the length of a novel. The last several chapters make it feel like it overstays its welcome on top of it.
This would have been better had it been part of a short story collection, like Short Trips or 13 Doctors 13 Stories.
August 11, 2011
It's so bad it's almost insulting that the BBC have put this out. Forget the dreadful story, the poor characterisation, the stilted dialogue etc for a moment - even the editing was atrocious. The editor missed a lot of poor grammar and basic spelling mistakes (for example - you're instead of your). The whole thing reads like a rushed first draft.
It's a shame really because there's an opportunity to expand the franchise and take it in directions not possible on TV instead of just shamelessly cashing in.
It's a shame really because there's an opportunity to expand the franchise and take it in directions not possible on TV instead of just shamelessly cashing in.
November 2, 2015
Really good story! I liked the new "companion", thought she added a nice depth to this story.
April 26, 2023
Boring. Uninsprired. No atmosphere. Too many unnecessary deaths. No fun allowed. The first 100 pages could be empty, it would make no difference but shorten the reader’s suffering.
Do I sound a bit harsh?
That’s because I would’ve never have finished this book if it wasn’t for my "Read all RTD era novels" challenge.
The Story: It’s ancient Greece (but you won’t notice apart from the characters’ names). A lot have suffered, people mourn their loved ones, the companion (June, basically half Rose half Martha) wants to help, but the Doctor is like "Nah, not this time, let’s leave!". Sorry, what?! Finally he changes his mind and a long, long unnecessary journey starts which involves 70 people drowning in the sea. Great. I always love when the companion gets traumatized on their first trip… and then spend the rest of the book barefoot and in wet clothes as if the author never heard of bladder infections… So this is when June and the Doctor finally arrive on the island where the story actually starts and we’re already like 95 pages into that book. Well done. We all love slow starts. Now we learn:
And the Doctor solves it by:
Then there’s a big fight, again more unnecessary deaths, and - here comes my favourite part - June (remember her? the companion?) gets a MASSIVE wound in her abdomen! At that point I was almost proud at how brave the author was to kill(!) the companion. But no, June wakes up and has a bunch of stitches. You might wonder: Oh, are we back in the present now? Or did the Doctor bring her to the hospital of New Earth? No. We’re still in ancient Greece and somehow this young woman survived getting almost cut in half and then getting stitched up by I don’t know who! No fever, no infection, no pus, no nothing. And a few days later she runs around and sits at the campfire yaddayadda. Sorry (not sorry) but she met people who had lost their families, she sees 70 people drowning while she almost drowns herself, she sees people getting killed in an arena and by the Slitheen, she gets an almost fatal wound, almost dies the second time, and ends up with a flipping huge scar on her belly for the rest of her life! That girl! That young woman! That student who had lived a carefree life now must be mentally and physically destroyed! Hey, Doctor, guess what she needs? A hospital and a therapy, not another trip!
Do I still sound… a bit… harsh?
Do I sound a bit harsh?
That’s because I would’ve never have finished this book if it wasn’t for my "Read all RTD era novels" challenge.
The Story: It’s ancient Greece (but you won’t notice apart from the characters’ names). A lot have suffered, people mourn their loved ones, the companion (June, basically half Rose half Martha) wants to help, but the Doctor is like "Nah, not this time, let’s leave!". Sorry, what?! Finally he changes his mind and a long, long unnecessary journey starts which involves 70 people drowning in the sea. Great. I always love when the companion gets traumatized on their first trip… and then spend the rest of the book barefoot and in wet clothes as if the author never heard of bladder infections… So this is when June and the Doctor finally arrive on the island where the story actually starts and we’re already like 95 pages into that book. Well done. We all love slow starts. Now we learn:
And the Doctor solves it by:
Then there’s a big fight, again more unnecessary deaths, and - here comes my favourite part - June (remember her? the companion?) gets a MASSIVE wound in her abdomen! At that point I was almost proud at how brave the author was to kill(!) the companion. But no, June wakes up and has a bunch of stitches. You might wonder: Oh, are we back in the present now? Or did the Doctor bring her to the hospital of New Earth? No. We’re still in ancient Greece and somehow this young woman survived getting almost cut in half and then getting stitched up by I don’t know who! No fever, no infection, no pus, no nothing. And a few days later she runs around and sits at the campfire yaddayadda. Sorry (not sorry) but she met people who had lost their families, she sees 70 people drowning while she almost drowns herself, she sees people getting killed in an arena and by the Slitheen, she gets an almost fatal wound, almost dies the second time, and ends up with a flipping huge scar on her belly for the rest of her life! That girl! That young woman! That student who had lived a carefree life now must be mentally and physically destroyed! Hey, Doctor, guess what she needs? A hospital and a therapy, not another trip!
Do I still sound… a bit… harsh?
April 20, 2025
Twenty-something Jane encounters the Doctor being held captive by the Slitheen in Greece and helps him escape, leading to him taking her with him to ancient Greece to find that the Slitheen are using ancient humans in games for the amusement of other alien species. Old Earth has been turned into a lethal amusement park for aliens. The Doctor and Jane do what they can to stop the aliens and set human history right.
A fun, fast paced read that I was able to complete in one sitting. The Doctor's dialogue is spot on: you can hear David Tennant's voice and tone in every line. It was brilliant! I also enjoyed Jane and would love to see her in other adventures of the Doctor.
There was a lot of history in this, but it was given very naturally and didn't feel like author Guerrier was preaching to the reader. I loved the Slitheen who were jointly vicious and conniving.
I did think the book could have ended with the pair leaving ancient Greece, as the final chapter came off as unnecessary and forced.
Still, this was fun for all ages and I would recommend it to fans of the Time Lord's travels.
A fun, fast paced read that I was able to complete in one sitting. The Doctor's dialogue is spot on: you can hear David Tennant's voice and tone in every line. It was brilliant! I also enjoyed Jane and would love to see her in other adventures of the Doctor.
There was a lot of history in this, but it was given very naturally and didn't feel like author Guerrier was preaching to the reader. I loved the Slitheen who were jointly vicious and conniving.
I did think the book could have ended with the pair leaving ancient Greece, as the final chapter came off as unnecessary and forced.
Still, this was fun for all ages and I would recommend it to fans of the Time Lord's travels.
August 19, 2018
I came to Doctor Who by way of the "New Who" and have really enjoyed most of the episodes I've seen. As such, any novels I read are done through the lens of the television series. The Slitheen have mostly struck me as comical, without actually being dangerous. Think Ferengi on Star Trek.
You know the Doctor and his companion are going to survive, it's just a matter of what is learned along the way and what cool historical tidbits can be dropped in.
Book was decent enough. If this were an episode, it's not one that you think about often or come back to, but it had enough of the boxes checked to enjoy it as a stand alone. I wouldn't recommend it as your first foray into Doctor Who though.
You know the Doctor and his companion are going to survive, it's just a matter of what is learned along the way and what cool historical tidbits can be dropped in.
Book was decent enough. If this were an episode, it's not one that you think about often or come back to, but it had enough of the boxes checked to enjoy it as a stand alone. I wouldn't recommend it as your first foray into Doctor Who though.
October 20, 2020
This book was really interesting, part of me would like to see more of this companion, June, because I found her to be a really compelling character, but another part of me is just really relieved that she makes it out of this alive and wants her protected at all costs & therefore she should stay safe and away from the Doctor for the rest of her life. This was a really thrilling adventure but at the same time there is just an enormous and devastating number of lost lives, as there always are in Doctor Who, and while the story feels upbeat in some ways in others I just have to take a step back and say "wow" because the stakes are just so high, even for Who. Still, a very enjoyable read, and I very much am getting the urge to write fanfic about June because she is just such a great character, it's such a shame that this is the only place she gets to shine.
April 21, 2025
Nice to have more Slitheen content since they've ultimately been quite hard done by, even 20 years after their debut (and only) story. Nice to see them against the Tenth Doctor as well, and I liked the one-off companion, June.
However, it's ultimately not a very exciting story. It's a good concept to have the Slitheen trying to make a profit by using Earth as an alien holiday ground, but that does take away from how much can actually be done with them since they are bound to a more primitive age, and I definitely preferred the political subtext of "Aliens Of London"/"World War Three" to this more generic setting which could've suited any old villain.
However, it's ultimately not a very exciting story. It's a good concept to have the Slitheen trying to make a profit by using Earth as an alien holiday ground, but that does take away from how much can actually be done with them since they are bound to a more primitive age, and I definitely preferred the political subtext of "Aliens Of London"/"World War Three" to this more generic setting which could've suited any old villain.
July 4, 2020
2.5 stars. I was very intrigued by the premise and this being set in Ancient Greece but I thought the plot of this was very chaotic and sometimes not very clear as to why things were happening the way they were. I found it quite hard to care about any of the side characters and also the Doctor felt a little out of character sometimes, though I really liked the new companion June in this and also enjoyed how the Slitheen were written. Other than that, this is sadly not my favourite out of the Doctor Who novels I have read.
December 1, 2020
大学の休暇中アクロポリスを堪能していたジェーンは最終日、劇場跡に突然現れたターディスから飛び出してきたドクターを目撃。好奇心から後を追いかけると、得体の知れぬ化け物に捕まっているドクターを行きがかり上助けることに。お礼にドクターから過去のアクロポリス旅行をオファーされ、同行するジェーン。しかし、ターディスが突然動作不良を起こし、ドクターは半昏睡状態に。
俄かコンパニオンのジェーンとドクターの冒険。ドクターが突然半昏睡状態に陥ったので何事！とドキドキしたら単に睡眠が必要だっただけって、タイムロードの生態って謎すぎる。宇宙人観光客とその見世物にされている古代ギリシア人。武器を使うことなく、ことを丸く収めようと頑張るドクター。うまく行きかかると、途端に何かが台無しになっての繰り返し。そのたびにしょんぼり落ち込むドクターがなかなか可哀想でこんなことを900年も繰り返しているのかーと。タイムロードが本気出したらどのくらい怖いのか未知数のままに。殺されてリジェネレーションする覚悟までしていたので、本気で怒ったらどうなったのかちょっと見たい気もしたけど、でもどちら側サイドでもないドクターがやっぱりかっこいいかな。ジェーンがよいキャラでこの旅だけではおわらなさそうな。1人でいるのが苦手なドクターだからしばらく一緒に旅するんじゃないかと予感させる終わり方に好感。
俄かコンパニオンのジェーンとドクターの冒険。ドクターが突然半昏睡状態に陥ったので何事！とドキドキしたら単に睡眠が必要だっただけって、タイムロードの生態って謎すぎる。宇宙人観光客とその見世物にされている古代ギリシア人。武器を使うことなく、ことを丸く収めようと頑張るドクター。うまく行きかかると、途端に何かが台無しになっての繰り返し。そのたびにしょんぼり落ち込むドクターがなかなか可哀想でこんなことを900年も繰り返しているのかーと。タイムロードが本気出したらどのくらい怖いのか未知数のままに。殺されてリジェネレーションする覚悟までしていたので、本気で怒ったらどうなったのかちょっと見たい気もしたけど、でもどちら側サイドでもないドクターがやっぱりかっこいいかな。ジェーンがよいキャラでこの旅だけではおわらなさそうな。1人でいるのが苦手なドクターだからしばらく一緒に旅するんじゃないかと予感させる終わり方に好感。
August 1, 2021
Really liked this one! I thought June was a great addition as a companion and I liked that she was really proactive in the plot and did a lot of things on her own and got herself and the Doctor out of a few scrapes as well. I think some authors just use the companions to stand around and tell the Doctor how great he is while he saves them and that's just so boring to me so I always appreciate adventures like this where the companion really takes center stage as well. Overall just a really fun read.
April 19, 2022
A nice read - 3*
I didn't think that the Slitheens could be the big bad for a book as I'm pretty sure where I've read where the Slitheens are the big bad and then it just couldn't stretch out. I liked the idea of this book. Nice story. I didn't really care for June but I suppose the 10th Doctor needed someone to speak to.
This will be my last Doctor Who book for a while. I do love the escapism of this series.
I didn't think that the Slitheens could be the big bad for a book as I'm pretty sure where I've read where the Slitheens are the big bad and then it just couldn't stretch out. I liked the idea of this book. Nice story. I didn't really care for June but I suppose the 10th Doctor needed someone to speak to.
This will be my last Doctor Who book for a while. I do love the escapism of this series.
December 16, 2019
This was a good book for the series. I enjoyed the temporary compainion played by June. I thought she got along well with the Doctor I would've liked to see her in the show. I loved the historical setting and the plot was interesting. I thougt it was a bit annoying how reluctant the Doctor was to get involved for a pretty good chunk of the beginning. Overall I liked it!
July 25, 2020
As much as I enjoyed watching Dr Who, reading it hasn't had the same life to it. This tries to capture David's quirks in the role, but they feel too much like you have to have seen him work to make them live, rather than be able to hold on their own.
It's not bad, but I may just give up trying on these as I am rarely satisfied and I have a lot of prose to catch up on.
It's not bad, but I may just give up trying on these as I am rarely satisfied and I have a lot of prose to catch up on.
December 19, 2017
Fun read. Doctor Who plus archaeology, can anyone want more?
Well, there are some minor flaws, like Slitheen being called silicon based because it is necessary for the story while in the show they are calcium based. Still nothing major, therefore an enjoyable book.
Well, there are some minor flaws, like Slitheen being called silicon based because it is necessary for the story while in the show they are calcium based. Still nothing major, therefore an enjoyable book.
June 30, 2017
Not my favorite Doctor Who book. It seemed like there were too many plot holes (and trust me, I can deal with a lot of plot holes without being too bothered) and it felt a little drawn out to me. Could have been shorter and it would have been a bit more succinct and better.
February 28, 2018
It's ok! This title in the Doctor Who book franchise isn't the best but not the worst. If you don't watch Doctor Who then don't even think about reading this! There were a few funny lines but not enough for me to recommend the book to anyone. It's ok, that's all I have to say!
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