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Lethbridge-Stewart #1.1
Lethbridge-Stewart: The Forgotten Son Special Edition
The Great Intelligence has been defeated. And Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart’s world has changed.
For Colonel Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart his life in the Scots Guards was straightforward enough; rising in the ranks through nineteen years of military service. But then his regiment was assigned to help combat the Yeti incursion in London, the robotic soldiers of an alien entity known as the Great Intelligence. For Lethbridge-Stewart, life would never be the same again.
Now he has a mammoth task ahead of him – the repopulating of London; millions of civilians need to be returned home after being evacuated so suddenly. On top of that, he also has his engagement to think about.
Meanwhile in the small Cornish village of Bledoe a man is haunted by the memory of an accident thirty years old. The Hollow Man of Remington Manor seems to have woken once more. And in Coleshill, Buckinghamshire, Mary Gore is plagued by the voice of a small boy, calling her home.
What connects these strange events to the recent Yeti incursion, and just what has it all to do with Lethbridge-Stewart?
A brand-new series of novels set just after the Doctor Who serial The Web of Fear, featuring the characters and concepts created by Mervyn Haisman & Henry Lincoln.
For Colonel Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart his life in the Scots Guards was straightforward enough; rising in the ranks through nineteen years of military service. But then his regiment was assigned to help combat the Yeti incursion in London, the robotic soldiers of an alien entity known as the Great Intelligence. For Lethbridge-Stewart, life would never be the same again.
Now he has a mammoth task ahead of him – the repopulating of London; millions of civilians need to be returned home after being evacuated so suddenly. On top of that, he also has his engagement to think about.
Meanwhile in the small Cornish village of Bledoe a man is haunted by the memory of an accident thirty years old. The Hollow Man of Remington Manor seems to have woken once more. And in Coleshill, Buckinghamshire, Mary Gore is plagued by the voice of a small boy, calling her home.
What connects these strange events to the recent Yeti incursion, and just what has it all to do with Lethbridge-Stewart?
A brand-new series of novels set just after the Doctor Who serial The Web of Fear, featuring the characters and concepts created by Mervyn Haisman & Henry Lincoln.
Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2015
6 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
Andy Frankham-Allen
65 books46 followersWelsh-born Andy Frankham-Allen's passion for writing began with a love of Doctor Who. He's been writing since as far back as he can remember, and, although unsuccessful, he wrote a Doctor Who novel for BBC Books in 1996 after an accident caused him to be out of work for four months. Following that writing fell back into a hobby until 2001 when he began an ongoing fan-fiction series called Doctor Who: The Legacy, which carried on until 2006.
He has been writing professionally since 2004, through several official Doctor Who short stories, and since 2010 with horror shorts of Untreed Reads Publishing. March 2011 saw the release of his novel, 'Seeker', the first book in The Garden Saga, published in print by Hirst Publishing and in all digital formats by Untreed Reads.
He has been writing professionally since 2004, through several official Doctor Who short stories, and since 2010 with horror shorts of Untreed Reads Publishing. March 2011 saw the release of his novel, 'Seeker', the first book in The Garden Saga, published in print by Hirst Publishing and in all digital formats by Untreed Reads.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 14, 2015
A really good read. I like that it picked up some threads from New Who, and also touched on some stuff happening in late 60s Britain. It's also nice seeing the Brig as being able to accomplish stuff and not just buying time until The Doctor shows up.
July 2, 2015
The first in a series focussing on Doctor Who's legendary Brigadier, this story follows shortly after the character's first appearance in Doctor Who, The Web of Fear. Still only a Colonel, Lethbridge-Stewart is tasked with returning everyone back to London. But when a body goes missing he soon realises the Great Intelligence is still at large and up to something in the town Lethbridge-Stewart grew up in. But why can't he remember his childhood clearly.
I thought this book did many things well. It is a decent sequel to The Web of Fear and tells Lethbridge-Stewart's backstory, something we have never had before. I wasn't entirely convinced on the Great Intelligence being at all involved with his childhood but it was just about explained through timey-wimey stuff. Without wanting to spoil things, the Great Intelligence plotline is closely linked to the modern episodes to feature the 'creature', especially The Name of the Doctor. I thought this was a good idea as it means this book is accessible to fans of New Who as well as the classic series.
There were a few problems though. I wasn't keen on the way the book was set out, lots of switching between scenes. I felt it would have worked much better with shorter chapters which focused on one group of characters rather than continually switching between perspectives. And for a short book, I think there should be lots of short chapters rather than only a few long ones.
I also wasn't entirely enamoured with the writing style. It read very much like it was written in the late 1960s, feeling almost like a Target novelisation. I liked the period details but the style felt old fashioned and along with the long chapter and switching of perspectives made the pace feel slower than it could have been.
I thought this was a really good story which was not written as well as it deserved to be. Great to have a series focussing on Lethbridge-Stewart and I look forward to the next few books!
I thought this book did many things well. It is a decent sequel to The Web of Fear and tells Lethbridge-Stewart's backstory, something we have never had before. I wasn't entirely convinced on the Great Intelligence being at all involved with his childhood but it was just about explained through timey-wimey stuff. Without wanting to spoil things, the Great Intelligence plotline is closely linked to the modern episodes to feature the 'creature', especially The Name of the Doctor. I thought this was a good idea as it means this book is accessible to fans of New Who as well as the classic series.
There were a few problems though. I wasn't keen on the way the book was set out, lots of switching between scenes. I felt it would have worked much better with shorter chapters which focused on one group of characters rather than continually switching between perspectives. And for a short book, I think there should be lots of short chapters rather than only a few long ones.
I also wasn't entirely enamoured with the writing style. It read very much like it was written in the late 1960s, feeling almost like a Target novelisation. I liked the period details but the style felt old fashioned and along with the long chapter and switching of perspectives made the pace feel slower than it could have been.
I thought this was a really good story which was not written as well as it deserved to be. Great to have a series focussing on Lethbridge-Stewart and I look forward to the next few books!
February 7, 2018
Nice how it all fitted with The Web of Fear, excited to see where they go next...
September 23, 2017
I found this confusing. It jumps quickly between places and times and it is difficult to work out immediately whether it's the next scene in the same location/time, or a contemporary scene in another place, or another place and time.
I've just started reading the second in the series, and found that it suffers from the same problem. I've come to the conclusion that the writers and/or editors have failed to understand the difference between writing for the screen and writing a novel. With the screen you have a host of visual clues to spot where and when you are. With a novel, this needs to be expressed verbally and promptly, otherwise the whole thing becomes too disjointed.
I liked the idea of the series - the Brig is a favourite character in the Whoniverse and it's interesting to explore his life - but the writing style gets in the way too much and I don't think I am going to bother with any further titles.
I've just started reading the second in the series, and found that it suffers from the same problem. I've come to the conclusion that the writers and/or editors have failed to understand the difference between writing for the screen and writing a novel. With the screen you have a host of visual clues to spot where and when you are. With a novel, this needs to be expressed verbally and promptly, otherwise the whole thing becomes too disjointed.
I liked the idea of the series - the Brig is a favourite character in the Whoniverse and it's interesting to explore his life - but the writing style gets in the way too much and I don't think I am going to bother with any further titles.
July 7, 2015
If there's one thing that Doctor Who lends itself to quite well, it's the nearly-endless possibility for spin-offs from the universe (just ask Big Finish). And now that I've read on of these Lethbridge-Stewart novels, I'm kind of wondering what took them so long to delve into the Brigadier's backstory (yes, yes - I know he's not the Brigadier in this story yet - but he's the Brigadier to me and you can't convince me otherwise :) ) I love that this story carries on from "The Web of Fear" and branches out into what other shenanigans the Great Intelligence got up to afterward and what the Brigadier had to do with it. I will admit, the story was a little slow getting-going (hence, only the three stars), but the last five or six chapters really trucked through and now I want to read the next one (add it to the insanely huge pile of stuff I'm reading - it never ends).
May 16, 2015
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2446107...
This is the first in a new line of Who spinoff novels, this time prequelling UNIT by looking at Alastair Lethbridge-Stewart's life and adventures in the gap between The Web of Fear and The Invasion (nine months for the viewer which we are told has been four years in continuity). I was a bit worried about this one, having been underwhelmed by the same author's look at Doctor Who companions in the history of the series, but in fact it's a competently done tale of clearing up after the events of The Web of Fear which also quite neatly salutes the Matt Smith era version of the Great Intelligence as well.
This is the first in a new line of Who spinoff novels, this time prequelling UNIT by looking at Alastair Lethbridge-Stewart's life and adventures in the gap between The Web of Fear and The Invasion (nine months for the viewer which we are told has been four years in continuity). I was a bit worried about this one, having been underwhelmed by the same author's look at Doctor Who companions in the history of the series, but in fact it's a competently done tale of clearing up after the events of The Web of Fear which also quite neatly salutes the Matt Smith era version of the Great Intelligence as well.
February 11, 2017
This doesn't feel like the real Lethbridge-Stewart. Not speaking to his mother for years, forgetting a brother, possibly playing with a finance's heart (not to mention fraternization) seems inconsistent with the Brig we get a sense of in the series. He may not be a touchy-feeley type but this all feels a bit cold. Also, he came off as rather upper-class in the show, which this background doesn't seem to entirely fit. The link with the Yeti and great intelligence seems intriguing but doesn't play out to be as interesting as expected.
June 13, 2016
I have seen most of Doctor Who episodes, all the way back from William Hartnell (1st doctor), but I cannot remember watching Web of Fear for which this story is the continuation of. Because I lacked the background I didn't quite know what was happening and did not enjoy the story quite as much. I was also looking for the formation of UNIT. I guess that's coming in future novels.
Good start to a new series to a much beloved and deserving character.
Good start to a new series to a much beloved and deserving character.
February 22, 2015
A very good launch to a new series of books looking at Lethbridge-Stewart's history between Web of Fear and The Invasion. Very well written, if you know your Who you'll probably be one step ahead of Alistair, if you don't you'll enjoy it just the same. Well recommended.
May 16, 2016
Wow can't wait for book 2. Lethbridge Stewart brought to life.
December 8, 2020
The Forgotten Son (Lethbridge – Stewart - Season 1-01) by Andy Frankham-Allen
My grateful thanks to Shaun, Will and Keren at Candy Jar Books for a review copy.
I am very glad that I delayed starting the Lethbridge-Stewart series until now as my wife and I have just finished watching ‘The Web of Fear.’ She is watching the classic Dr Who stories for the first time and it is an ongoing pleasure for me to see how she reacts to them, not knowing what comes next.
This first Lethbridge-Stewart novel picks up in the aftermath of the TV serial as Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart is organising the return to London of the evacuated population. Things are all proceeding smoothly and he is planning to pass the running of the operation to a colleague and enjoy a few days away with his fiancée when, inevitably, all hell breaks loose.
The action soon moves down to the village of Bledoe in Cornwall which we learn is where Lethbridge-Stewart spent his early years. The Great Intelligence is back for another assault on Earth and Bledoe is at the centre of events.
The book was much more character driven and in depth than I expected. Although there is plenty of excitement and suspense this is not a Third Doctor Target novel with ‘Action by HAVOC.’ The Colonel is shown to be a thoughtful and efficient career soldier who is well capable of taking command and doing what needs to be done. He also comes across as much more open minded than he sometimes appeared to be on television and is quite prepared to accept the alien nature (and threat) of the Intelligence at face value.
We learn a good deal more about the early life of the young Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart as well as his family and friends some of whom will, I suspect, become series regulars. There are also some lovely appearances of characters from the TV series (old and new) which firmly lock the book into the wider Dr Who universe.
The Great Intelligence is much more of a ‘character’ in this story than it was in the events of the two TV Yeti stories. More is revealed of its origins which surprised me as I had thought (obviously incorrectly!) that it was generally assumed in Dr Who lore that the Intelligence along with the Animus, The Toymaker and Fenric were all survivors of the collapse of a previous universe and, hence, had enormous power in our reality due to the difference in physical constants between the old and the new creations. I have also seen them equated with various ‘Old Ones’ from the Cthulhu Mythos but a wholly different (and very interesting) origin story is gradually revealed here.
The Colonel’s age and year of his birth are definitively stated and there is also some definite dating events in the novel which may go some way towards resolving the long running controversy as to when the UNIT stories are actually set, at least as far as this spin off series is concerned – though no doubt this will upset some purists.
Andy Frankham-Allen has done a splendid job in this novel, coping masterfully with the unenviable task of penning a gripping story whilst also setting up a long running series. That being said this is very much a spin off novel from Dr Who and would not be easily accessible to those not at least partially familiar with both the classic and new TV series. I would recommend that anyone who is not well versed in the source material should, at the very least, read (or listen to) the Target Novelisations of ‘Doctor Who and The Abominable Snowmen*’ and ‘Doctor Who and The Web of Fear*’ both by Terrance Dicks and watch the new TV episodes ‘The Snowmen’ and ‘The Name of the Doctor**.’ There are other more incidental references to the TV series in the book but these stories really form the backdrop against which the plot is set.
I am very much looking forward to working my way through the rest of the series and meeting more returning characters and new friends and enemies. As I write future reviews I will include any Dr Who stories that I regard as essential watching or reading to help those who want to spend more time with Lethbridge-Stewart and less with the good Doctor(s)!
*These novels are easily available as paperbacks or ebooks from Amazon and the excellent audio readings, both by David Troughton are available on Audible.
** Available on iplayer and Netflix at time of writing.
My grateful thanks to Shaun, Will and Keren at Candy Jar Books for a review copy.
I am very glad that I delayed starting the Lethbridge-Stewart series until now as my wife and I have just finished watching ‘The Web of Fear.’ She is watching the classic Dr Who stories for the first time and it is an ongoing pleasure for me to see how she reacts to them, not knowing what comes next.
This first Lethbridge-Stewart novel picks up in the aftermath of the TV serial as Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart is organising the return to London of the evacuated population. Things are all proceeding smoothly and he is planning to pass the running of the operation to a colleague and enjoy a few days away with his fiancée when, inevitably, all hell breaks loose.
The action soon moves down to the village of Bledoe in Cornwall which we learn is where Lethbridge-Stewart spent his early years. The Great Intelligence is back for another assault on Earth and Bledoe is at the centre of events.
The book was much more character driven and in depth than I expected. Although there is plenty of excitement and suspense this is not a Third Doctor Target novel with ‘Action by HAVOC.’ The Colonel is shown to be a thoughtful and efficient career soldier who is well capable of taking command and doing what needs to be done. He also comes across as much more open minded than he sometimes appeared to be on television and is quite prepared to accept the alien nature (and threat) of the Intelligence at face value.
We learn a good deal more about the early life of the young Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart as well as his family and friends some of whom will, I suspect, become series regulars. There are also some lovely appearances of characters from the TV series (old and new) which firmly lock the book into the wider Dr Who universe.
The Great Intelligence is much more of a ‘character’ in this story than it was in the events of the two TV Yeti stories. More is revealed of its origins which surprised me as I had thought (obviously incorrectly!) that it was generally assumed in Dr Who lore that the Intelligence along with the Animus, The Toymaker and Fenric were all survivors of the collapse of a previous universe and, hence, had enormous power in our reality due to the difference in physical constants between the old and the new creations. I have also seen them equated with various ‘Old Ones’ from the Cthulhu Mythos but a wholly different (and very interesting) origin story is gradually revealed here.
The Colonel’s age and year of his birth are definitively stated and there is also some definite dating events in the novel which may go some way towards resolving the long running controversy as to when the UNIT stories are actually set, at least as far as this spin off series is concerned – though no doubt this will upset some purists.
Andy Frankham-Allen has done a splendid job in this novel, coping masterfully with the unenviable task of penning a gripping story whilst also setting up a long running series. That being said this is very much a spin off novel from Dr Who and would not be easily accessible to those not at least partially familiar with both the classic and new TV series. I would recommend that anyone who is not well versed in the source material should, at the very least, read (or listen to) the Target Novelisations of ‘Doctor Who and The Abominable Snowmen*’ and ‘Doctor Who and The Web of Fear*’ both by Terrance Dicks and watch the new TV episodes ‘The Snowmen’ and ‘The Name of the Doctor**.’ There are other more incidental references to the TV series in the book but these stories really form the backdrop against which the plot is set.
I am very much looking forward to working my way through the rest of the series and meeting more returning characters and new friends and enemies. As I write future reviews I will include any Dr Who stories that I regard as essential watching or reading to help those who want to spend more time with Lethbridge-Stewart and less with the good Doctor(s)!
*These novels are easily available as paperbacks or ebooks from Amazon and the excellent audio readings, both by David Troughton are available on Audible.
** Available on iplayer and Netflix at time of writing.
February 11, 2025
The first book of the Lethbridge-Stewart series, following directly on from the events of the Doctor Who serial 'The Web of Fear'.
Colonel Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart oversees the return to normality for London following the attack there by the Great Intelligence and its robot Yeti but soon discovers that the strange events have not yet ended. Following a trail that takes him into the Cornish countryside, Lethbridge-Stewart finds himself returning to the childhood home that he has mysteriously forgotten, where the Great Intelligence seems to be at work in the minds of the local people.
So, clarification for anyone who doesn't know: this is not an official Doctor Who novel, despite featuring characters and referencing events from Doctor Who.
Due to the weird way BBC licencing used to work, the writers of episodes of Who retained the rights to the original characters and situations they created, separate to the licence rights of Doctor Who itself. What this means is that those characters etc. can be licenced out for new stories, so long as the Doctor (or UNIT) doesn't actually feature. Which makes for a pretty weird set-up, going in to this book.
One of the biggest downsides to this book is just how heavily it depends on you knowing the story of 'Web of Fear', without ever actually giving us a full run-down of what has come before (presumably due to those self-same weird licencing rights). The front end of this book is almost entirely focused on the fallout from the events of 'Web of Fear' and even for me, who has read the novelisation (but not yet seen the TV version), it was a bit hard to get engaged with this story. It then switches to a slow-burn exploration of the events in Bledoe, Cornwall, which felt the wrong choice of pacing to me, going from a ponderous section of Lethbridge-Stewart's administrative duties into a vague build-up of mysteries, leaving the first half of this book feeling like very slow going.
To its credit, things do eventually pick up the pace nicely as the village finds itself besieged by robot Yeti whilst Lethbridge-Stewart tries to unravel the connection between the Great Intelligence's presence and his own murky past.
The final thing that redeemed a lot of the book's failings for me was that it, eventually, acknowledged the role of the Doctor in relation to these events.
Most of the book has sideways comments about Police Boxes and a scruffy little man in checked trousers (the Second Doctor, if you were unsure) but it felt very silly to be telling a sequel to a Doctor Who story without actually being able to reference the vitally important role the Doctor played in it. However, at the eleventh hour, the book does finally explore where the Doctor fits into all this, even going so far as to reference the episodes where the Great Intelligence confronted Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor from New Who (Old New Who, now, I suppose).
I also particularly liked the moment where Lethbridge-Stewart has a brief vision of his own future adventures, including receiving a final salute from the Twelfth Doctor.
All this made the book feel like it really is part of the Whoniverse, even if in an unofficial capacity.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
Colonel Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart oversees the return to normality for London following the attack there by the Great Intelligence and its robot Yeti but soon discovers that the strange events have not yet ended. Following a trail that takes him into the Cornish countryside, Lethbridge-Stewart finds himself returning to the childhood home that he has mysteriously forgotten, where the Great Intelligence seems to be at work in the minds of the local people.
So, clarification for anyone who doesn't know: this is not an official Doctor Who novel, despite featuring characters and referencing events from Doctor Who.
Due to the weird way BBC licencing used to work, the writers of episodes of Who retained the rights to the original characters and situations they created, separate to the licence rights of Doctor Who itself. What this means is that those characters etc. can be licenced out for new stories, so long as the Doctor (or UNIT) doesn't actually feature. Which makes for a pretty weird set-up, going in to this book.
One of the biggest downsides to this book is just how heavily it depends on you knowing the story of 'Web of Fear', without ever actually giving us a full run-down of what has come before (presumably due to those self-same weird licencing rights). The front end of this book is almost entirely focused on the fallout from the events of 'Web of Fear' and even for me, who has read the novelisation (but not yet seen the TV version), it was a bit hard to get engaged with this story. It then switches to a slow-burn exploration of the events in Bledoe, Cornwall, which felt the wrong choice of pacing to me, going from a ponderous section of Lethbridge-Stewart's administrative duties into a vague build-up of mysteries, leaving the first half of this book feeling like very slow going.
To its credit, things do eventually pick up the pace nicely as the village finds itself besieged by robot Yeti whilst Lethbridge-Stewart tries to unravel the connection between the Great Intelligence's presence and his own murky past.
The final thing that redeemed a lot of the book's failings for me was that it, eventually, acknowledged the role of the Doctor in relation to these events.
Most of the book has sideways comments about Police Boxes and a scruffy little man in checked trousers (the Second Doctor, if you were unsure) but it felt very silly to be telling a sequel to a Doctor Who story without actually being able to reference the vitally important role the Doctor played in it. However, at the eleventh hour, the book does finally explore where the Doctor fits into all this, even going so far as to reference the episodes where the Great Intelligence confronted Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor from New Who (Old New Who, now, I suppose).
I also particularly liked the moment where Lethbridge-Stewart has a brief vision of his own future adventures, including receiving a final salute from the Twelfth Doctor.
All this made the book feel like it really is part of the Whoniverse, even if in an unofficial capacity.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
November 14, 2018
Nostalgia ain't what it used to be, it's BETTER!
Now that Dr Who is no longer on our screens, and may not be for a couple of years, (yes, i've heard that the Tardis is being piloted - well, crashed, mostly - by some fatuous Sukeban and her "friends" - but it isn't the doctor. ) it is gratifying to find a series of spin-off books dedicated to that most stalwart of Companions, The Brig.
Set in the aftermath of the Web of Fear, we get to see the beginnings of the setting up of U.N.I.T. and the Brig's coming to terms with the reality of earth being repeatedly under attack by real Alien Invaders, all the while keeping an unflappable miltary posture and a stiff upper lip and moustache
the wonderful thing about the brig is that he is the prime paradoxical man! He can deal with the weirdness of the alien threats (admitedly by shooting them) but he cannot really figure ou the opposite sex
About Lance Corporal Sally Wright, one of his officers...
"He rolled his eyes. What was he going to do with her? Probably marry the woman"
as a long time who fan, I can safely say that Nichols Courtney/Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, you are sorely missed. but with these novels, your voice is ever present
And speaking of voice - I'm sure that if the non-doctor landed the tardis near the Brig, I'd hear the curtly barked order...
"Soldier...Female Alien with 'Friends'...Five rounds rapid!"
After all, he is an expert on the Doctor - "The Doctor? Splendid Chap! All of them"
Now that Dr Who is no longer on our screens, and may not be for a couple of years, (yes, i've heard that the Tardis is being piloted - well, crashed, mostly - by some fatuous Sukeban and her "friends" - but it isn't the doctor. ) it is gratifying to find a series of spin-off books dedicated to that most stalwart of Companions, The Brig.
Set in the aftermath of the Web of Fear, we get to see the beginnings of the setting up of U.N.I.T. and the Brig's coming to terms with the reality of earth being repeatedly under attack by real Alien Invaders, all the while keeping an unflappable miltary posture and a stiff upper lip and moustache
the wonderful thing about the brig is that he is the prime paradoxical man! He can deal with the weirdness of the alien threats (admitedly by shooting them) but he cannot really figure ou the opposite sex
About Lance Corporal Sally Wright, one of his officers...
"He rolled his eyes. What was he going to do with her? Probably marry the woman"
as a long time who fan, I can safely say that Nichols Courtney/Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, you are sorely missed. but with these novels, your voice is ever present
And speaking of voice - I'm sure that if the non-doctor landed the tardis near the Brig, I'd hear the curtly barked order...
"Soldier...Female Alien with 'Friends'...Five rounds rapid!"
After all, he is an expert on the Doctor - "The Doctor? Splendid Chap! All of them"
April 2, 2022
The first book in the Candy Jar Brig-verse, The Forgotten Son was a really good read. Because it's not liscenced as Doctor Who, it can only circle Doctor Who proper. Instead, it's made up of characters created by writers Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln as well as new characters. Taking place nearly immediately after Doctor Who: The Web of Fear (a second Doctor serial), this sees Colonel Alistair Gordon Lethbridge Stewart (he isn't the Brigadier yet) deal with the aftermath of the London Event (the in-universe term for the events of The Web of Fear) and return to his hometown on the trail of a mystery.
While slow at first, it does pick up and becomes a book that's hard to put down. While I don't think it's absolutely necessary to have seen The Web of Fear to enjoy this novel (a passing familiarity with the Brig would probably be sufficient), you'll get a lot more enjoyment out of this if you have seen the Doctor Who story. First of all, this novel does spoil key plot points of the TV story. Second, the TV story is heavily referernced in this. Third, having recently watched the TV story, I had the characters from TV's voice much more firmly in my head. I thoroughly enjoyed this and plan on eventually looking at more of this series. (One side note: the book mentioned at the end as being next in the series doesn't exist. It ended up being cancelled for various reasons. The next book in the series is Lethbridge-Stewart: The Schizoid Earth)
While slow at first, it does pick up and becomes a book that's hard to put down. While I don't think it's absolutely necessary to have seen The Web of Fear to enjoy this novel (a passing familiarity with the Brig would probably be sufficient), you'll get a lot more enjoyment out of this if you have seen the Doctor Who story. First of all, this novel does spoil key plot points of the TV story. Second, the TV story is heavily referernced in this. Third, having recently watched the TV story, I had the characters from TV's voice much more firmly in my head. I thoroughly enjoyed this and plan on eventually looking at more of this series. (One side note: the book mentioned at the end as being next in the series doesn't exist. It ended up being cancelled for various reasons. The next book in the series is Lethbridge-Stewart: The Schizoid Earth)
September 22, 2018
Grandioser Auftakt der Reihe.
Ich habe den ersten Teil vor einiger Zeit gelesen und muss sagen, ich fand ihn grandios. Für mich eins der besten Doctor Who bezogenen Bücher der letzten Jahre, wenn nicht sogar DAS beste.
Die kleinen Ungereimtheiten können mir da nichts vermiesen, da ich bei Doctor Who schon lange aufgehört habe Dinge verknüpfen zu wollen, welche über Jahrzehnte immer wieder neu erfunden wurden. Erzwungen fand ich hier auch nichts, aber vielleicht lag das auch etwas daran, dass ich mich im Bezug auf James selbst etwas gespoilert habe in dem ich die kostenlose Kurzgeschichte In His Kiss direkt davor gelesen habe (was in zweierlei Hinsicht doof war, da die Story auch nicht wirklich Sinn ergibt wenn man The Forgotten Son vorher nicht kennt). Also Vorsicht! Auf keinen Fall die HAVOC Files davor lesen. ;)
Alles in allem bin ich hellauf begeistert.
Ich habe den ersten Teil vor einiger Zeit gelesen und muss sagen, ich fand ihn grandios. Für mich eins der besten Doctor Who bezogenen Bücher der letzten Jahre, wenn nicht sogar DAS beste.
Die kleinen Ungereimtheiten können mir da nichts vermiesen, da ich bei Doctor Who schon lange aufgehört habe Dinge verknüpfen zu wollen, welche über Jahrzehnte immer wieder neu erfunden wurden. Erzwungen fand ich hier auch nichts, aber vielleicht lag das auch etwas daran, dass ich mich im Bezug auf James selbst etwas gespoilert habe in dem ich die kostenlose Kurzgeschichte In His Kiss direkt davor gelesen habe (was in zweierlei Hinsicht doof war, da die Story auch nicht wirklich Sinn ergibt wenn man The Forgotten Son vorher nicht kennt). Also Vorsicht! Auf keinen Fall die HAVOC Files davor lesen. ;)
Alles in allem bin ich hellauf begeistert.
July 2, 2017
Lethbridge-Stewart is having to clean up after the London yeti invasion. One of the dead bodies has gone missing and strange things are happening. This is a really good story, it neatly puts together all the Great Intelligence stories and makes a lot of sense. A lot about Lethbridge-Stewarts background is explained, and we meet his mother. It has a feeling of the 1960s, so some characters treat women a bit , erm, like things. But that doesn't jar much as it is a period piece. The plot and characters made it a page turner. I am really looking forward to where this series goes next. A very good read.
June 23, 2022
Yetis return!
Having grown up with Lethbridge -Stewart working with Doctor Who, I couldn't wait for him to have his own adventure. I love the Yetis but found this was a very complicated plot to seek revenge using Alistair LS. There was some explanation about Alistair's background and how he became the character we know and love but too complicated.
Having grown up with Lethbridge -Stewart working with Doctor Who, I couldn't wait for him to have his own adventure. I love the Yetis but found this was a very complicated plot to seek revenge using Alistair LS. There was some explanation about Alistair's background and how he became the character we know and love but too complicated.
June 25, 2018
Backstory for the Brigadier
I barely remember the original Great Intelligence stories, back in the Troughton era of Doctor Who. This story wraps around them in a satisfyingly timey-wimey way and respectfully marks the importance of the Brigadier to the entire Doctor Who canon.
I barely remember the original Great Intelligence stories, back in the Troughton era of Doctor Who. This story wraps around them in a satisfyingly timey-wimey way and respectfully marks the importance of the Brigadier to the entire Doctor Who canon.
April 21, 2020
Lethbridge-Stewart: This is a very exciting SciFi read. Set about 1967 or 1968. It is about a week or two after The Web of Fear and Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart has more work in store concerning The Great Intelligence and the Yetis. The plot is set out like an old UNIT style story. Although UNIT has not yet been formed. So it is still the regular army. It is also interwoven with Colonel Lethbridge-Stewarts family past.
The story kicks off with Staff Sergeant Arnold who was killed during the Web of Fear. His corpse resurrects itself, gets up off of the mortuary table and walks off. A very exciting story with a fledgeling UNIT style threat.
The story kicks off with Staff Sergeant Arnold who was killed during the Web of Fear. His corpse resurrects itself, gets up off of the mortuary table and walks off. A very exciting story with a fledgeling UNIT style threat.
September 23, 2015
Few Doctor Who characters have had quite as much impact as Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. Originally introduced in the 1968 TV story The Web Of Fear, the army officer brought to life by the late Nicholas Courtney enjoyed a long stay on the TV series and has remained a fan favorite throughout the Wilderness Years and even received both mentions in the regenerated TV series and an appearance on spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures. It seems appropriate then that the Brigadier is at last getting his own spin-off in the form of a range of novels from UK publisher Candy Jar Books.
The first novel in the series, The Forgotten Son, was released back in February of this year. Written by series editor Andy Frankham-Allen, the novel has a lot to do going in. It's not only the debut novel of the series but it's also a sequel to The Web Of Fear, a story that has much talked about by Doctor Who fans even before its re-discovery back in 2013. Even more intriguing, it's set in the rarely explored gap between that story and The Invasion which introduced UNIT. So tasked with re-introducing Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart and featuring a return engagement with the Great Intelligence and filling in a major gap in Who lore, how well does it do it's job?
From its opening pages, it's clear that Frankham-Allen knows his Who. The prologue alone pays both an unexpected homage to one of Doctor Who's most unlikely predecessors and pays tribute to one of the classic comments from the classic series, the latter being more than enough to make any fan of it smile from ear to ear. From there the novel, in ways both obvious and subtle, references and pays tribute to several classic series stories featuring the Lethbridge-Stewart character. Even fans of the 21st century regeneration of the series will find things to spot and indeed Frankham-Allen should be applauded for his ability to make sense of the Great Intelligence's tangled web of a time-line (pun fully intended there). The results make for wonderful reading for any fan of the series with an eye for detail.
Even better, the novel captures its lead character very well. Using the Web Of Fear as its template, the novel launches the series off wonderfully by giving us something of an origin story for this much-loved character by causing him to return to the place of his birth to face off against this alien foe. Along the way we learn much about the man who become the Brigadier as he faces his past while also trying to save the present. Frankham-Allen perfectly captures the voice of the character to the point that, in one's “mind's ear”, you can hear the voice of Nicholas Courtney saying the dialogue and picture him in uniform trying to deal, yet again, with extraordinary events. It's something that gives the novel an authenticity that helps it considerably in accomplishing its task of launching the series.
Of course, there's more to the novel than simple continuity references and returning characters. Frankham-Allen's new cast of characters are all interesting from new members of the military we encounter to the various villagers who end up being drawn into events. There's a familiarity to the characters and a few archetypes present but thankfully they never come across as cardboard by any means. Frankham-Allen's prose style is also well suited to the action/adventure style of the book with a breezy style that keeps the reader wanting more while giving enough detail to imagine the scene without getting at all bogged down. It's a book that harkens in some ways to the Who novels of old while also being perhaps more grown-up at the same time.
For fans of literary Doctor Who, The Forgotten Son is a novel well worth reading. It's a wonderful sequel to Web Of Fear, ties into a number of Who stories without being gratuitous, wonderfully captures its lead character is in early days and tells an exciting story to boot. Lethbridge-Stewart is back in action and I for one am eager for more.
The first novel in the series, The Forgotten Son, was released back in February of this year. Written by series editor Andy Frankham-Allen, the novel has a lot to do going in. It's not only the debut novel of the series but it's also a sequel to The Web Of Fear, a story that has much talked about by Doctor Who fans even before its re-discovery back in 2013. Even more intriguing, it's set in the rarely explored gap between that story and The Invasion which introduced UNIT. So tasked with re-introducing Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart and featuring a return engagement with the Great Intelligence and filling in a major gap in Who lore, how well does it do it's job?
From its opening pages, it's clear that Frankham-Allen knows his Who. The prologue alone pays both an unexpected homage to one of Doctor Who's most unlikely predecessors and pays tribute to one of the classic comments from the classic series, the latter being more than enough to make any fan of it smile from ear to ear. From there the novel, in ways both obvious and subtle, references and pays tribute to several classic series stories featuring the Lethbridge-Stewart character. Even fans of the 21st century regeneration of the series will find things to spot and indeed Frankham-Allen should be applauded for his ability to make sense of the Great Intelligence's tangled web of a time-line (pun fully intended there). The results make for wonderful reading for any fan of the series with an eye for detail.
Even better, the novel captures its lead character very well. Using the Web Of Fear as its template, the novel launches the series off wonderfully by giving us something of an origin story for this much-loved character by causing him to return to the place of his birth to face off against this alien foe. Along the way we learn much about the man who become the Brigadier as he faces his past while also trying to save the present. Frankham-Allen perfectly captures the voice of the character to the point that, in one's “mind's ear”, you can hear the voice of Nicholas Courtney saying the dialogue and picture him in uniform trying to deal, yet again, with extraordinary events. It's something that gives the novel an authenticity that helps it considerably in accomplishing its task of launching the series.
Of course, there's more to the novel than simple continuity references and returning characters. Frankham-Allen's new cast of characters are all interesting from new members of the military we encounter to the various villagers who end up being drawn into events. There's a familiarity to the characters and a few archetypes present but thankfully they never come across as cardboard by any means. Frankham-Allen's prose style is also well suited to the action/adventure style of the book with a breezy style that keeps the reader wanting more while giving enough detail to imagine the scene without getting at all bogged down. It's a book that harkens in some ways to the Who novels of old while also being perhaps more grown-up at the same time.
For fans of literary Doctor Who, The Forgotten Son is a novel well worth reading. It's a wonderful sequel to Web Of Fear, ties into a number of Who stories without being gratuitous, wonderfully captures its lead character is in early days and tells an exciting story to boot. Lethbridge-Stewart is back in action and I for one am eager for more.
February 23, 2017
Very well written, strong plot and follows on from the web of fear, perfectly, A very good introduction to the series, I look forward to reading the next one!
June 25, 2015
An amazing story for any fan of Doctor Who and Colonel Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (or The Brigadier, as he will soon become).
It's incredible how the story weaves through the history of The Great Intelligence, bringing the whole mythos together. The events of this book take place after the Doctor Who story, The Web Of Fear, but through "wibbly, wobbly, timey, wimey" storytelling, incorporates every Great Intelligence tale that has come before.
And, it brings a wealth of character development to Lethbrige-Stewart, that has never been explored before. I am so excited for the rest of this four part series of novels. It's a very, very good start.
It's incredible how the story weaves through the history of The Great Intelligence, bringing the whole mythos together. The events of this book take place after the Doctor Who story, The Web Of Fear, but through "wibbly, wobbly, timey, wimey" storytelling, incorporates every Great Intelligence tale that has come before.
And, it brings a wealth of character development to Lethbrige-Stewart, that has never been explored before. I am so excited for the rest of this four part series of novels. It's a very, very good start.
March 25, 2015
Absolutely brilliant. A fantastic start to a new spin-off range focused on one of Doctor Who's most beloved characters, the Brigadier.
Suspenseful, keeping you guessing at every page with a really satisfying conclusion and nice tie-ins to the larger mythos of Doctor Who.
Definitely not one to miss if you're a fan of Doctor Who and if you love the Brigadier, which, let's face it, everybody does.
Suspenseful, keeping you guessing at every page with a really satisfying conclusion and nice tie-ins to the larger mythos of Doctor Who.
Definitely not one to miss if you're a fan of Doctor Who and if you love the Brigadier, which, let's face it, everybody does.
January 11, 2017
When I first heard of this spin-off, I was a touch sceptical. Wasn't sure the character could sustain his own series and I read a Christmas freebie short story which seemed fairly lightweight. This was definitely not lightweight, I had to concentrate quite hard at times. Was made more difficult as I was listening to the audiobook version while commuting so couldn't flip back a few pages easily. Great narration by Terry Molloy, by the way.
July 27, 2015
A very well put together story of the Brigadier before he was the Brig, that manages to not only be a fun, action packed Doctor Who story without the Doctor, but also ties in several eras of the show in a logical and (surprising) way. New head cannon accepted! Can't wait for the rest of the series.
March 7, 2015
I greatly enjoyed this. It has a great beginning point, just after the events of Web of Fear, and even incorporates things from the more modern episodes. Highly recommended.
December 30, 2016
An excellent start to what looks like it will be an excellent series. I always loved the Brig, and this book captures his personality well.
August 24, 2016
An enjoyable read and a good start to the series.
September 1, 2016
Great 1960s-set fun in the style of the old New Adventures. Doctor Who's very own answer to Endeavour!
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