Doctor Who: Legends of Camelot

Doctor Who Puffin Crossovers #2

by Jacqueline Rayner, Asmaa Isse (Editor)

Old legends and new worlds collide in this magnificent Doctor Who crossover with King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table.

While investigating a strange energy in Carbury, the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble are pulled into a different dimension, smashing a giant hole into another world in the process.

As the magic of the hidden dimension slowly seeps out, the Doctor and Donna find themselves in Camelot, where a young squire, Arthur, comes to their aid, and when the Doctor is mistaken for Merlin, they are swept up in the glamorous and daring legends of the Knights of the Round Table.

But something far more menacing has been awakened. Caught in an ancient battle for power, Donna and the Doctor are sucked into a dangerous game. As each move is made and time spins faster, the Doctor must find a way to seal the rift before an unimaginable power is unleashed and the universe is laid to waste.

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Arthurian, Historical Fiction, Media Tie In

229 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 2021

About the author

Jacqueline Rayner is a best selling British author, best known for her work with the licensed fiction based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.

Her first professional writing credit came when she adapted Paul Cornell's Virgin New Adventure novel Oh No It Isn't! for the audio format, the first release by Big Finish. (The novel featured the character of Bernice Summerfield and was part of a spin-off series from Doctor Who.) She went on to do five of the six Bernice Summerfield audio adaptations and further work for Big Finish before going to work for BBC Books on their Doctor Who lines.

Her first novels came in 2001, with the Eighth Doctor Adventures novel EarthWorld for BBC Books and the Bernice Summerfield novel The Squire's Crystal for Big Finish. Rayner has written several other Doctor Who spin-offs and was also for a period the executive producer for the BBC on the Big Finish range of Doctor Who audio dramas. She has also contributed to the audio range as a writer. In all, her Doctor Who and related work (Bernice Summerfield stories), consists of five novels, a number of short stories and four original audio plays.

Rayner has edited several anthologies of Doctor Who short stories, mainly for Big Finish, and done work for Doctor Who Magazine. Beyond Doctor Who, her work includes the children's television tie-in book Horses Like Blaze.

With the start of the new television series of Doctor Who in 2005 and a shift in the BBC's Doctor Who related book output, Rayner has become, along with Justin Richards and Stephen Cole, one of the regular authors of the BBC's New Series Adventures. She has also abridged several of the books to be made into audiobooks.

She was also a member of Doctor Who Magazine's original Time Team.

Reviews

[Jim C · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book based on the television series. This one features The Tenth Doctor and Donna. In this one, our heroes travel to a dimension where its inhabitants are basically chess pieces for two supreme beings who are playing a game to see who can claim to victory and rule this dimension.

I had to go in the middle for my rating as there were aspects I loved but some I did not. The portrayals of our characters were spot on. I had no problem picturing the actors who played the characters and their banter was terrific. I was back with these two actors back on my screen. As for the reason for the adventure I thought that was a little lacking. I didn't think it was fleshed out to the best of its ability. The reason for that might be the majority of this book was spent on the adventure. The adventure part was really enjoyable as we travel through different myths of the time during King Arthur. We get to see all the favorites from King Arthur to the Black Knight. I thought each adventure was well done. The only problem with this is that it kind of came off like a video game. Our characters dealt with one myth and we jumped to the next one. It was like we were progressing with each stage until we finally get to the Big Boss at the end of the game. I did like visiting these myths and the take on them.

As you can see there were parts I did enjoy but it did not totally capture me. I liked the book. I believe this story might have been better served as a filler episode for the television series. The setting and each myth were well done. It just got a little repetitive after awhile.

[Goodreeds User · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun! The plot does go a bit wobbly towards the end, but the banter between the characters and the spooky atmosphere are strong enough to keep the pages turning

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fight between the Guardian of Might and the Guardian of Magic sees the Doctor and Donna transported to Carbury in the time of King Arthur, trying to ensure that the legend unfolds properly.

An interesting idea, that meshes many of the 'Doctor Who' concepts together well, Rayner's novel also serves as a good introduction to the Arthurian myth.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, the plot was kind of thin and confusing. The Doctor and Donna were literally just going around and collecting things, but it was really funny and fun with all the Arthurian antics. Donna and the Doctor are probably my favorite pairing ever, so that probably helps. They are the best and their banter was perfection.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I award a 5.5 star rating? This is beyond wonderful: a joyous, intricate mega-mash-up of "Doctor Who" and Arthurian legend, featuring some glorious comedy, some surprising violence, and fantastic pacing. The icing on the cake comes from the deft inclusion of continuity with the Guardians & the 7th Doctor story "Battlefield", and the most spot-on depiction in prose of the 10th Doctor & Donna that I have read in some considerable time. This was an effortless, engaging, compelling, hilarious read that completely belies is supposed status as a young adult novel. It's absolutely nothing of the sort...it's universal.

[vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was made so specifically to my interests

[D.J. Kettlety · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keeping this brief, I do love a Jac Rayner Doctor Who, I also love the King Arthur legends so who better to do a Doctor and Donna mashup than Jac. The Doctor and Donna relationship lives on!

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Doctor and Donna. What a great duo! I’ll never get tired of their banter or the friendship that they have. Every new story or adventure with them is like a balm to my soul, and this one was a great story.

Give me anything on the legends of King Arthur, magic and Merlin and I’m game. That coupled with a doctor who spin made this an easy winner for me. It was so entertaining and enjoyable and had all the hallmarks of a great doctor who episode! Filled with funny quips from Donna, great detective work from the doctor and a race against the to save the lives of those caught up in a reality where knights and round tables are common place…

There’s something so nostalgic and comforting about reading doctor who books. A blast from the past, a chance to rejoin some of your favourite doctors and companions and join them in an adventure. Allonsy!

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Camelot

Now why could this not be a TV episode? I loved this story. 10 and Donna were always a hoot. The references to other companions showed Donna was a tad bit insecure, but she held her own. Don't want to give out any spoilers, but I recommend this book for ALL ages of Doctor Who fans. Awesome.

[Brayden Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's just too much fun to not receive 5 stars. I'm not typically a fan of Donna but I loved her here. The characterization of 10 was also *chefs kiss*

The twisted take on so many King Arthur stories was delightful and the countless references to so many other stories/world's was well received.

[Anya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I miss Donna and the Doctor sm, I love their dynamic 3

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always love a good Ten and Donna story and I liked what the author did with giving the Arthurian mythology an alien twist. I wish there had been an audio version of this but still a really fun Doctor Who story and I think that both the Doctor and Donna's voices were spot-on.

[Ianto Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun, especially if you like the Arthurian legends. Doctor and Donna written very well, dialogue I could imagine straight from the show. Bravo!

[April Mccaffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice to have the lovely Jacqueline Rayner on the team.

I love Arthurian legends so this combined with Doctor who, especially Ten and Donna is wonderful in my books.

Good fun and a great introduction to King Arthur for people unfamiliar with them and it's great to get more out of Ten and Donna.

Love the reference of William Russell being Lancelot as he was cast back in the 1960's and Donna having a crush on him.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mentre indagano su una strana energia a Carbury, il Decimo Dottore e Donna Noble vengono trascinati in una dimensione diversa, sfondando un buco gigante in un altro mondo.
Mentre la magia della dimensione nascosta fuoriesce lentamente, il Dottore e Donna si trovano a Camelot, dove un giovane scudiero, Artù, viene in loro aiuto, e quando il Dottore viene scambiato per Merlino, sono travolti dalle affascinanti e audaci leggende dei Cavalieri della Tavola Rotonda.
Ma qualcosa di molto più minaccioso è stato risvegliato. Catturati in un'antica battaglia per il potere, Donna e il Dottore sono risucchiati in un gioco pericoloso. Mentre ogni mossa viene fatta e il tempo gira più velocemente, il Dottore deve trovare un modo per sigillare la spaccatura prima che un potere inimmaginabile venga scatenato e l'universo venga distrutto.
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Non è la prima volta che il Dottore si ritrova invischiato nelle leggende arturiane e finisce per impersonare Merlino, come visto in “Battlefield” con il Settimo, e Jaqueline Rayner non dimentica di menzionare questo fatto, riuscendo inoltre a tessere una trama che non contraddica quella storia, pur essendo allo stesso tempo del tutto indipendente da essa, e fornendo una spiegazione alle diverse e talvolta contraddittorie versioni presenti nel ciclo bretone.
Dieci e Donna vengono qui catapultati in una dimensione alternativa, arenati con un Tardis privo di energia, e le crepe che hanno creato nella barriera interdimensionale liberano un antico potere, il quale trasforma quel mondo in uno scenario onirico, rimettendo in scena le leggende arturiane. I due protagonisti dovranno recuperare i frammenti necessari a chiudere la frattura, e per farlo dovranno seguire lo svolgersi della storia, la quale procede con un tempo accelerato che salta le parti più tediose per venire ai punti più salienti, quasi come un videogioco.
Come in “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, la Rayner condisce il racconto con molti riferimenti nostalgici alla serie classica, ma ha in più il pregio di non mettere da parte la companion in favore di altri personaggi.
Sia il Dottore sia Donna sono perfettamente caratterizzati, ma è soprattutto quest'ultima che dà colore al libro, vedendo attraverso i suoi occhi l'inutilità e stupidità di certe imprese cavalleresche, mentre nel frattempo lei e il Dottore sono impegnati in un'impresa tutta loro.
Proprio perché la maggior parte della narrazione è principalmente dal suo punto di vista, il plot twist non è affatto prevedibile e mi ha colta di sorpresa.
La narrazione non è incentrata solo su Artù e sui cavalieri più noti, ma anche su alcuni personaggi meno conosciuti, facendo venire voglia di sapere di più sul loro conto. Se devo fare un appunto, purtroppo il finale appare troppo affrettato, dato che a causa di una escalation di eventi il tempo inizia a scorrere sempre più velocemente, finendo per ridurre lo scontro finale tra Artù e Mordred a un paio di righe.
A parte questo piccolo difetto, il libro è stato molto divertente, in particolare per le dinamiche tra il Dottore e Donna che fanno ritornare indietro alla quarta stagione.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

For what it is, “Legends of Camelot” is fun enough. It’s basically just Ten and Donna bantering their way through various King Arthur legends. But if that’s your thing, then there’s plenty of fun to have here. I only wish the plot held up as well as the banter. At its heart, this is just a very simple Quest storyline with a third-act twist that’s woefully under explored.

By nature, the book features tons of time jumps, skipping from one set piece to the next. And while that makes for a quick, fast-paced read, it doesn’t make for a particularly engaging one. Only Ten and Donna feel like fully-rounded characters, and even they barely go on any character journeys here. As for the rest of the cast, if you’re unfamiliar with the basics of the King Arthur legend, I feel like this’ll probably fall flat for you. Similarly, if you’re unfamiliar with the Seventh Doctor serial, “Battlefield,” I’m not sure how much you’ll like this book either as it’s basically a sequel to that book.

Still, “Legends of Camelot” is a fun enough read. It’s light, breezy, and action-packed. I wish it explored its ideas better, and it definitely pales in comparison to the other Penguin crossover book that was released in 2021, “The Wonderful Doctor of Oz”. But if you’re craving a quick Ten/Donna fix in preparation for the 60th anniversary specials, you could do a lot worse than this.

[Shawne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm clearly making my way through the Doctor and Donna Noble's extended adventures through time and space but this book was... not a whole lot of fun to get through, I must admit.

Good banter, decent characterisation of the two leads and their best-friendship. But the concept itself makes for stodgy, almost laborious reading (and writing), as the Doctor and Donna wind up in some version of Arthurian England and they meet all the legends - but at double-quick video-game-style pace, with next to no time for depth or character development. (And that's a feature of the plot! which then winds up becoming one of its flaws)

It's choppy and rather frustrating to read, especially if you're not particularly au fait with Arthurian legend... because you get introduced to scores of characters who barely register emotionally before they're shunted off-stage to make way for the next bit of the plotty plot.

there are some fun twists and moments that keep the book from being thoroughly frustrating - the little mystery magic notes the Doctor keeps finding in his pocket, and the final twist when it comes to one of Arthurian legend's most infamous sorcerers, Morgaine/Morgan/Morgwen Le Fay. it leads to a nice little bit of character insight, courtesy of the Doctor about Donna, but it sure was a bit of a slog to get there.

2.5 to 3 stars

[Allie Ford · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Doctor and Donna meet the legends of Camelot with a couple of devious, ancient beings and other dimensions thrown in (of course).

As a Doctor Who story it mostly worked for me - the characters leapt off the page and were accurately written. There were hidden undercurrents stirring the events of the story, with mysteries for the Doctor to solve.

As an Arthurian legend it was a bit choppier, thanks to various time jumps that meant our heroes spent half the adventure on horseback repeating similar actions in slightly different time periods. The Camelot characters, while well described, are more backdrop than key players.

The mysteries are, if I'm honest, a bit annoying. They get in the way rather than building the story for me. They're not quite dark or deep or scary enough to grab attention so I was left with a feeling of a bit too much going on, rather than having the chance to really get lost in Camelot and sucked into the swirling mists and magic.

It was a fun read (it would be better still for Doctor/Donna fans, I suspect) but the Camelot magic wasn't quite there for me.

[John Parungao · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel reminds me how much of a good team the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble are. Jacqueline Rayner captures their characterization perfectly, especially Donna's self-doubt. As for the story itself imagine the Doctor and Donna trapped on a Star Trek Holodeck and forced to go through the plot of the story of the legend of Camelot. It reminded me of Silence in the Library/ Forest of the Dead. It had the feel and pace of that computer program that had Donna trapped, with sudden jumps in action as the plot moves along at a faster than real-time pace.
As for why the Doctor and Donna are stuck living through a bizarre scenario like this, they're on a quest to repair a crack in the universe and restore power to the Tardis, both slightly recycled from previous Doctor Who tales. It does work as a way to drive the plot of this novel and the fast-paced adventure is perfect for this Tardis team.

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

 https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/legends-of-camelot-by-jacqueline-rayner/

As usual from Jacqueline Rayner, a very solid Doctor Who novel, this time taking the Tenth Doctor and Donna – who I think are a New Who writer’s dream team – to what appears to be the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round table, with resonances of Malory, White, Bradley and the stage musical Camelot. There is of course an explanation for it all involving vast non-human intelligences from beyond time (this becomes clear fairly early), but it’s all nicely done and supplies a couple of good twists and challenges to the Doctor’s own authority. Recommended.

[Kindle Addict · Rating 2 out of 5]

Donna and 10’s voices were well written most of the time but Donna sounded off at times. Like someone else said, she sounded more like she was from 2021 instead of 2008. At one point she corrects the Doctor about something and I thought “that’s not something she’d have done back then. It’s something modern Donna would probably say, but not in 2008”

Also, Donna is my favourite companion but I still got tired of her non stop sarcasm/ banter. It was a tad too much

The story gets repetitive after the fun of seing Arthur & co. It’s like a quest where they need to collect several objects in a video game. A lot of the same until finally there’s a twist toward the end but it was not enough to bring me back in the story.

[TNT · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main draw of this book is the main characters, the Doctor and Donna Noble, greatly written as usual.

However, these characters have potential that this story just doesn't utilise. The majority of the plot plays out without much real input from our heroes, and seemingly, only the last ~3 chapters of the plot would play out differently without them being there (these chapters feeling a bit rushed as well).

Because of the nature of the story the side characters are rather flat and unengaging.

An interesting premise but the execution did not work for me. Overall I'd reccomend reading if you are a particular fan of the 10th Doctor and Donna but otherwise I wouldn't put this one at the top of any list.

[Ryan Walton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, wacky adventure which would summaries the Tenth Doctor and Donna's adventures rather well. The highlight for this novel was giving Donna the limelight she deserves, Jacqueline Rayner hits the nail on the head with both main characters, written in such a perfectly accurate way.

The overall story is King Arthur meets a Sci-Fi twist, i didn't particularly find the story engaging but it was fun enough to keep going, with particular references to the 7th Doctor story "Battlefield", making the inner geek go crazy.

Overall 3.5 / 5. The cover alone is a reason to buy, but if you enjoy light hearted adventures with 10 and Donna, then I'd recommend this one for you.

[S.E. Martens · Rating 3 out of 5]

The tenth Doctor and Donna crash-land in another dimension, wherein the dreams of these super-powerful beings are seeping out and turning the world around them into the world of Arthurian legend.

I love the tenth Doctor and Donna, but this adventure didn't really grab me. I found the Arthurian elements boring, as they read basically as the Coles notes of the legends, with some commentary from the Doctor (who's playing at being Merlin) and Donna thrown in. I ended up feeling very disconnected from the whole thing.

There's some cute stuff, though and references to Spider-Man, Xena: Warrior Princess and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland add to the fun.

[P.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a treat it was reading this book. Being an ardent Whovian, I couldn’t pass it up when the subject included the Knights of the Round Table. I didn’t realize until the end that it was published by the BBC’s Children’s division, because it isn’t written in a childish way. I can comfortably say the language would be understood by 8th grade and above. Great story, plausible plot, and character presentation that was consistent with the Doctor Who television programs. The coolest thing about the book though is the Doctor’s 3-D glasses on the cover (seeing is believing).

[Ian Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 10th Doctor and Donna is a great pairing and they're lots of fun here, particularly Donna's remarks as they go through Arthurian legend. But sadly they are mainly reduced to spectators commenting on King Arthur's Greatest Hits as they speed through the story of Excalibur, Lancelot and the Lady of the Lake. It does sort-of come together at the end, but really would have liked the Doctor to be more involved with knightly goings-on rather than following characters around and picking things up after them.

[Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good series entry: not great, but very good

This book had an interesting premise — The Doctor and King Arthur — but read more like a TV script than an actual novel. It would make for an EXCELLENT TV series entry, but was just a bit short on the kind of deeper exposition that would have made it a great book. Still, I DO recommend it for a quick read.

[Benedict Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read but after doing many of the arthurian legends at speed, the stories quickly lose their charm. You sense that even the author gets bored. By the last few chapters it feels like the author is trying to end the concept as quickly as possible. Donna Noble is particularly well written in this book, the tenth Doctor is somewhat less defined.

[Garrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

The nature of the story in this one is jarring and rough, and it reads that way - more than once, mention is made of cut scenes or fast-forwarding. I feel like this would have been a good 4th Doctor adventure, but that 10 is the right choice, and while the overall narrative is herky-jerky, it's not ineffective and it still manages to be entertaining. Rayner mostly never steers you wrong.

[Jenni Chip · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say about Doctor who okay? Especially the 10th Doctor and David tennett and Catherine Tate as the Doctor and don't know, bull is just an absolute treat. So I highly recommend this book, if you want plenty of laughs and stuff. It's so adorable and I have that in my collection because it's so worth it. Please go read this book!!!