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Doctor Who: Decide Your Destiny #14
The Coldest War
A BBC Books adventure book based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It lets you join the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond on their travels through time and space in the TARDIS and influence the story with your decisions.
192 pages, Paperback
First published April 29, 2010
149 people want to read
About the author
Colin Brake
50 books33 followersColin Brake is an English television writer and script editor best known for his work for the BBC on programs such as Bugs and EastEnders. He has also written spin-offs from the BBC series Doctor Who. He currently lives and works in Leicester.
Brake began working on EastEnders in 1985 as a writer and script editor, being partly responsible for the introduction of the soap's first Asian characters Saeed and Naima Jeffery. From there, he went on to work as "script executive" on the popular Saturday night action adventure program Bugs, before moving to Channel 5 in 1997 to be "script associate" on their evening soap Family Affairs.
In the early 2000s, Brake wrote episodes of the daytime soaps Doctors and the revival of Crossroads.
Away from television, Brake had his first Doctor Who related writing published as part of Virgin Publishing's Decalog short story collection in 1996. He then had his first novel Escape Velocity published by BBC Books in February 2001 as part of their Eighth Doctor Adventures range based on the television series Doctor Who. At the time, Brake was quoted as saying how appropriate it was that he was now writing for Doctor Who, as he was briefly considered as Eric Saward's replacement as script editor on the show - a job that eventually went to Andrew Cartmel instead.
Brake followed Escape Velocity with the Past Doctor Adventure The Colony of Lies in July 2003, and then with the audio adventure Three's a Crowd from Big Finish Productions in 2005. His Tenth Doctor Adventure The Price of Paradise was released in September 2006. He has also written an audio for their Bernice Summerfield range, and a short story for their Short Trips range.
Brake began working on EastEnders in 1985 as a writer and script editor, being partly responsible for the introduction of the soap's first Asian characters Saeed and Naima Jeffery. From there, he went on to work as "script executive" on the popular Saturday night action adventure program Bugs, before moving to Channel 5 in 1997 to be "script associate" on their evening soap Family Affairs.
In the early 2000s, Brake wrote episodes of the daytime soaps Doctors and the revival of Crossroads.
Away from television, Brake had his first Doctor Who related writing published as part of Virgin Publishing's Decalog short story collection in 1996. He then had his first novel Escape Velocity published by BBC Books in February 2001 as part of their Eighth Doctor Adventures range based on the television series Doctor Who. At the time, Brake was quoted as saying how appropriate it was that he was now writing for Doctor Who, as he was briefly considered as Eric Saward's replacement as script editor on the show - a job that eventually went to Andrew Cartmel instead.
Brake followed Escape Velocity with the Past Doctor Adventure The Colony of Lies in July 2003, and then with the audio adventure Three's a Crowd from Big Finish Productions in 2005. His Tenth Doctor Adventure The Price of Paradise was released in September 2006. He has also written an audio for their Bernice Summerfield range, and a short story for their Short Trips range.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 21, 2017
Well that was all the meh. At first I felt it was going to be great! It was canon to 11 and Amy and I was laughing at the first page.
Sadly that's where it ended for me, the plot, while building up atmosphere and intensity it just fell flat on its face and didn't lead anywhere.
Sadly that's where it ended for me, the plot, while building up atmosphere and intensity it just fell flat on its face and didn't lead anywhere.
July 5, 2015
I did not like this book. It is definitely a child book.
Many years ago (at least 20) I read a Doctor Who book that was written in this "you decide your destiny" format. It was great. So when I saw there were newer books written in this format I bought everyone I could get my hands on. What a waste of money.
In the old book us realize how hard the life of the Doctor is since when you make a wrong decision you die. You the need to go bak a step or several steps to live through to the end of the book. You really felt the pressure of getting through the adventure alive.
This book is nothing like that. It a very short book and whatever choice you make you will easily get through to a happy ending.I read through the story several time using different choices and the choices made no major difference in the final outcome. Basically making the right choices makes this book a short read and making the wrong choices makes the book a slightly longer read.
Many years ago (at least 20) I read a Doctor Who book that was written in this "you decide your destiny" format. It was great. So when I saw there were newer books written in this format I bought everyone I could get my hands on. What a waste of money.
In the old book us realize how hard the life of the Doctor is since when you make a wrong decision you die. You the need to go bak a step or several steps to live through to the end of the book. You really felt the pressure of getting through the adventure alive.
This book is nothing like that. It a very short book and whatever choice you make you will easily get through to a happy ending.I read through the story several time using different choices and the choices made no major difference in the final outcome. Basically making the right choices makes this book a short read and making the wrong choices makes the book a slightly longer read.
August 3, 2012
One real downside was that fact that the online features are no longer available. Other than that, this was an enjoyable adventure:)
September 8, 2022
I first fell in love with "choose your own adventure" books when I read "Claws of the Macra" by Trevor Baxendale when I was 10 or 11 on a summer trip to England. I wore the covers of that book out so fast with how many times I read it that my mum got me "Judoon Monsoon" by Oli Smith, which I ALSO fell in love with. I couldn't get access to any more of them, since I live in America and they just don't sell them here.
I'm 22 now and decided to finally read them after all these years, and I found this book on an online archive for free. Oh boy, did I get my money's worth. Colin Brake writes CYOA books so blandly that I had to go back through the other ones I have to make sure they weren't as dull as this one. (The only one that got remotely close was "Lost Luggage" and you'll never guess who the author is...)
Despite writing FIVE installations of this series, Colin Brake fails to grasp the concept of the "choose your own adventure" genre. He doesn't seem to understand that CYOA books are essentially role-playing games where the reader assumes the role of a protagonist and selects actions for that character to make to propel the story. In this book, the majority of the choices you make are selecting not what your character does, but the situation you and the Doctor find yourselves in. For example:
"If the glass is clear, go to page XX. If the glass is opaque, go to page YY."
That's not a choice of character actions, and it's incredibly boring when that's the what vast majority of choices look like. If the character you control never gets to make any choices, then they feel like a set piece rather than the reader's vessel for the experience. It's not the Doctor, Amy, and you going on an adventure; it's the Doctor, Amy, and some dummy devoid of life going on an adventure while the reader makes minor plot decisions that don't even matter because even if you say the glass is clear, you still can't see what's behind the glass because of some high-tech cloaking device. Your choices don't matter in this book, which defeats the purpose and kills the immersion into the roleplay.
If you're looking for a fun role-playing experience for yourself or your kid, I would recommend "Claws of the Macra" by Trevor Baxendale or "Judoon Monsoon" by Oli Smith. This book, as well as Colin Brake's other Decide Your Destiny books, just feel lazy and/or clueless.
I'm 22 now and decided to finally read them after all these years, and I found this book on an online archive for free. Oh boy, did I get my money's worth. Colin Brake writes CYOA books so blandly that I had to go back through the other ones I have to make sure they weren't as dull as this one. (The only one that got remotely close was "Lost Luggage" and you'll never guess who the author is...)
Despite writing FIVE installations of this series, Colin Brake fails to grasp the concept of the "choose your own adventure" genre. He doesn't seem to understand that CYOA books are essentially role-playing games where the reader assumes the role of a protagonist and selects actions for that character to make to propel the story. In this book, the majority of the choices you make are selecting not what your character does, but the situation you and the Doctor find yourselves in. For example:
"If the glass is clear, go to page XX. If the glass is opaque, go to page YY."
That's not a choice of character actions, and it's incredibly boring when that's the what vast majority of choices look like. If the character you control never gets to make any choices, then they feel like a set piece rather than the reader's vessel for the experience. It's not the Doctor, Amy, and you going on an adventure; it's the Doctor, Amy, and some dummy devoid of life going on an adventure while the reader makes minor plot decisions that don't even matter because even if you say the glass is clear, you still can't see what's behind the glass because of some high-tech cloaking device. Your choices don't matter in this book, which defeats the purpose and kills the immersion into the roleplay.
If you're looking for a fun role-playing experience for yourself or your kid, I would recommend "Claws of the Macra" by Trevor Baxendale or "Judoon Monsoon" by Oli Smith. This book, as well as Colin Brake's other Decide Your Destiny books, just feel lazy and/or clueless.
January 24, 2022
It was good and you have to do this book through the app and read it is kinda tricky but i enjoyed reading it, but only a 4 stars rating for me as i throught keep going through the book after you have read part and tells you to read it again on another part that lacked a lot of interest to keep reading i did enjoyed just not for me all.
December 30, 2021
Lots of different storylines fill this book to keep you entertained for a while.
The website listed for some of the interactive elements no longer exists but the book gives you options should you not have access to a PC so it still works well.
The website listed for some of the interactive elements no longer exists but the book gives you options should you not have access to a PC so it still works well.
September 19, 2016
Colin Brake, “The Coldest War: Decide Your Destiny; Doctor Who” (London: Penguin, 2009)
Fun 'choose your own adventure' style book, aimed at younger audience than expected. [Spoiler: neither 'you' nor the main protagonists die]
Entry 3 - “'I am a Time Lord of Gallifrey,' announces the Doctor. 'I give monsters nightmares...'”
Entry 97 - “'Let me guess, you want to see dinosaurs?' He turns to look at Amy. 'They always want to see dinosaurs. I blame Jurassic Park.'”
- - -
Fun 'choose your own adventure' style book, aimed at younger audience than expected. [Spoiler: neither 'you' nor the main protagonists die]
Entry 3 - “'I am a Time Lord of Gallifrey,' announces the Doctor. 'I give monsters nightmares...'”
Entry 97 - “'Let me guess, you want to see dinosaurs?' He turns to look at Amy. 'They always want to see dinosaurs. I blame Jurassic Park.'”
- - -
August 27, 2016
Colin Brake really knows how to make the reader feel like a companion to the doctor and captures the exact lifeless of the raggedy man. If you are looking for a book to have a good old snowball fight with the doctor in, this is the one for you.
May 8, 2013
It was ok ... a little short and very fast paced.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews