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Doctor Who: Virgin New Adventures #59
Doctor Who: The Room With No Doors
"Dear Doctor", wrote Chris, "I give up".
Swordplay, samurai, demons, magic, aliens, adventure, excitement... Who needs them?
The Doctor and Chris travel to 16th-century Japan, a country gripped by civil war as feudal lords vie for control. Anything could tip the balance of power. So when a god falls out of the sky, everyone wants it.
As villagers are healed and crops grow far too fast, the Doctor and Chris try to find the secret of the miracles — before the two rival armies can start a war over who owns the god.
Chris soon finds himself alone — except for an alien slaver, a time-travelling Victorian inventor, a gang of demons, an old friend with suspicious motives, a village full of innocent bystanders, and several thousand samurai.
Without the Doctor, someone has to take up the challenge of adventure and stop the god from falling into the wrong hands. Someone has to be a hero — but Chris isn't sure he wants to be a hero any more.
Swordplay, samurai, demons, magic, aliens, adventure, excitement... Who needs them?
The Doctor and Chris travel to 16th-century Japan, a country gripped by civil war as feudal lords vie for control. Anything could tip the balance of power. So when a god falls out of the sky, everyone wants it.
As villagers are healed and crops grow far too fast, the Doctor and Chris try to find the secret of the miracles — before the two rival armies can start a war over who owns the god.
Chris soon finds himself alone — except for an alien slaver, a time-travelling Victorian inventor, a gang of demons, an old friend with suspicious motives, a village full of innocent bystanders, and several thousand samurai.
Without the Doctor, someone has to take up the challenge of adventure and stop the god from falling into the wrong hands. Someone has to be a hero — but Chris isn't sure he wants to be a hero any more.
256 pages, Paperback
First published March 20, 1997
223 people want to read
About the author
Kate Orman
65 books41 followersKate Orman studied biology at Sydney University and worked in science before becoming a professional author. Orman is known for her sci-fi work, and especially her frequent collaborations in the "Doctor Who" universe. For Virgin Publishing and BBC, she wrote more than a dozen full-length novels, as well as numerous short stories and non-fiction pieces related to "Doctor Who". She was the only woman and only Australian to write for the initial range of novels, the Virgin New Adventures.
As of 2022, Orman lives in Sydney and is married to fellow author Jonathan Blum.
As of 2022, Orman lives in Sydney and is married to fellow author Jonathan Blum.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 25, 2017
A well written book that looks into consequences of things that have happened in previous books. Orman likes to put the Doctor through the wringer and it happens again here. Nice to see the return of a character from a previous book. Some of the Japanese characters don't really stand out and I got mixed up with who was who. A good lead in to the next and final 7th doctor NA.
March 24, 2016
Oh this has held up so well! It's deliciously evocative, so thoroughly researched (as is always the case with Orman), and beautifully written. Chris' angst from Eternity Weeps makes SENSE here, despite how terrible that book was! The Doctor is written perfectly, there is sensitivity aplenty, there's a sense of winding up which is unavoidable, but it is - in keeping with the themes - a thorough acceptance and contentment with that which runs through the pages, and that is as it should be. An absolute gem.
October 10, 2020
The Doctor Who era of the New Adventures nears its conclusion, and the Doctor’s contemplating the end of his current life. There’s definitely a sense of things nearing the end, with even the Doctor and Chris both lapsing in and out of considering parting ways from one another.
Plot-wise, rather nicely, there’s no need to go for some convoluted, giant scale ‘end of the world’ kind of story - an exchange between Joel (returning from Return of the Living Dad) and the Doctor even has the Doctor say, “This is just an adventure. A bit of swordplay, a few jokes, nothing worth taking very seriously.” In true Doctor style, this is obviously still understating things a bit, but the story does serve the character work extremely well, especially for the Doctor and Chris.
After the slightly dodgy characterisation of Eternity Weeps, they both needed this badly. The Doctor is wonderfully mercurial, flitting from light-hearted and cheerful to contemplative and grave as events unfold. He’s dwelling on recent events, and things still to come. We get some interesting conversations between him and Chris about change and regeneration throughout, and it almost feels like a kind of meta parallel to the New Adventures approaching their transition into their new Doctor-less era. Chris, meanwhile, is still recovering from recent traumas, and struggling with self-doubt and uncertainty at his place as part of the Doctor’s life. Facing nightmares and forced to take charge on his own, we get a chance to properly see just how much Chris has changed since first joining the TARDIS crew.
Once again, another triumph from Orman, and a brilliant penultimate New Adventure for the Seventh Doctor...
Plot-wise, rather nicely, there’s no need to go for some convoluted, giant scale ‘end of the world’ kind of story - an exchange between Joel (returning from Return of the Living Dad) and the Doctor even has the Doctor say, “This is just an adventure. A bit of swordplay, a few jokes, nothing worth taking very seriously.” In true Doctor style, this is obviously still understating things a bit, but the story does serve the character work extremely well, especially for the Doctor and Chris.
After the slightly dodgy characterisation of Eternity Weeps, they both needed this badly. The Doctor is wonderfully mercurial, flitting from light-hearted and cheerful to contemplative and grave as events unfold. He’s dwelling on recent events, and things still to come. We get some interesting conversations between him and Chris about change and regeneration throughout, and it almost feels like a kind of meta parallel to the New Adventures approaching their transition into their new Doctor-less era. Chris, meanwhile, is still recovering from recent traumas, and struggling with self-doubt and uncertainty at his place as part of the Doctor’s life. Facing nightmares and forced to take charge on his own, we get a chance to properly see just how much Chris has changed since first joining the TARDIS crew.
Once again, another triumph from Orman, and a brilliant penultimate New Adventure for the Seventh Doctor...
August 14, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this one and felt it filled out the arc of the Seventh Doctor's character (and Chris's as well). A fun reread.
I'm feeling a bit sorry I only started rereading the series as the podcast read is coming to an end. I may have to go back afterwards and read some some.
I'm feeling a bit sorry I only started rereading the series as the podcast read is coming to an end. I may have to go back afterwards and read some some.
September 30, 2023
Its biggest strength is how viscerally it depicts Chris's grief and insecurity, which Orman carries off so well that it almost retroactively justifies an event which in Eternity Weeps felt to me like it happened for cheap shock value.
August 27, 2025
This was very enjoyable. The details about Samurai culture had clearly been well researched and I liked the way meditations about death, the after life and reincarnation were linked to the Doctor's impending regeneration.
Definitely one of the better late New Adventures.
Definitely one of the better late New Adventures.
August 4, 2025
Ehhhhhh not as good as I had hoped. Lots of confusing back and forth. Dead and alive. It wasn't my favorite. Still, much better than many of the others in this series!
January 29, 2015
To start off with, I enjoy the setting of this adventure. Japan in the era of the Warring States feels very original for Doctor Who. Beyond that, a Zen Monastery feels very appropriate for the Seventh Doctor, especially with its koans. (Though the koans all felt very familiar to me; if I had to guess, I'd say Orman got them from Zen Flesh, Zen Bones.) Anywho, some of the more far-flung historicals were a high-point of the New Adventures run.
The TARDIS that we open on is a very somber one. It's clearly a time of endings, and I appreciate that, as we're coming to the end of the New Adventures.
With that said, the Chris subplot is very repetitive. I mean, Roz dies in #56, and then #57 is about him recovering from it. Then Liz sacrifices herself for Chris in #58, and he's again dealing with it in #59. Orman does a great job with the subplot, but it was an ongoing problem with the New Adventures that the character arcs were herky-jerky as if no author read the book that came before theirs (possibly the case).
I could say the same about the Doctor's subplot as, he angsts about regenerating. This idea kept being touched on, as far back as #33 and #36. I suppose you could say he was supposed to regenerate in the 30s, but then held it back so that he could remain Time's Champion, as is stated in #53. But it's another character arc that was dealt with poorly.
With that said, I loved this book's angst about regeneration, because it goes to the heart of regeneration that was revealed in the New Adventures — how the other personalties remain alive within the Doctor's head. So Seven worries about being confined in a little "room with no doors" in the near future.
With all that angst, and with Orman as an author, I was surprised to see The Room with No Doors end on a very upbeat note, as everyone comes to terms with their pasts and future and Seven and Chris have a snowball fight!
Beyond that, good supporting cast. I'd like to see more of both Penelope and Joel. And a decent plot. I gave it a 7+ out of 10.
The TARDIS that we open on is a very somber one. It's clearly a time of endings, and I appreciate that, as we're coming to the end of the New Adventures.
With that said, the Chris subplot is very repetitive. I mean, Roz dies in #56, and then #57 is about him recovering from it. Then Liz sacrifices herself for Chris in #58, and he's again dealing with it in #59. Orman does a great job with the subplot, but it was an ongoing problem with the New Adventures that the character arcs were herky-jerky as if no author read the book that came before theirs (possibly the case).
I could say the same about the Doctor's subplot as, he angsts about regenerating. This idea kept being touched on, as far back as #33 and #36. I suppose you could say he was supposed to regenerate in the 30s, but then held it back so that he could remain Time's Champion, as is stated in #53. But it's another character arc that was dealt with poorly.
With that said, I loved this book's angst about regeneration, because it goes to the heart of regeneration that was revealed in the New Adventures — how the other personalties remain alive within the Doctor's head. So Seven worries about being confined in a little "room with no doors" in the near future.
With all that angst, and with Orman as an author, I was surprised to see The Room with No Doors end on a very upbeat note, as everyone comes to terms with their pasts and future and Seven and Chris have a snowball fight!
Beyond that, good supporting cast. I'd like to see more of both Penelope and Joel. And a decent plot. I gave it a 7+ out of 10.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2014
In every medium, "Doctor Who" waivers dangerously on being a ridiculous pastiche when it features a characteristic point in Earth's history (see also: "The Gunfighters"). This is what I feared when I began this Virgin New Adventure set in Ancient Japan.
Fortunately, that's not the case. The problem is the exact opposite, in fact: some of the samurai characters seem to blend together, which is an issue when, I must sheepishly admit, it's difficult to remember their names.
This one is all about Chris Cwej, at a time when his relationship with the Doctor is becoming a bit strained. He doesn't act out like Ace, but boxes his feelings up...dreaming as if he's trapped in the titular room.
We meet a pair of time travelers and their steampunk time machine (I wonder if Penelope Gate is the author's self-portrait?), and are immersed in conflict between not less than four different factions of terrestrial and non-terrestrial beings who really want to get their hands on the story's MacGuffin, a strange pod with healing powers.
It's not perfect. It drags. Some passages are confusing. But at the end of the day, the protagonists are respectfully dealt with, including the Doctor (one has to admit he grows to be quite a jerk at a certain point in these books). Check it out...but only after reading "Eternity Weeps". (Yes, there are major spoilers in this one.)
Fortunately, that's not the case. The problem is the exact opposite, in fact: some of the samurai characters seem to blend together, which is an issue when, I must sheepishly admit, it's difficult to remember their names.
This one is all about Chris Cwej, at a time when his relationship with the Doctor is becoming a bit strained. He doesn't act out like Ace, but boxes his feelings up...dreaming as if he's trapped in the titular room.
We meet a pair of time travelers and their steampunk time machine (I wonder if Penelope Gate is the author's self-portrait?), and are immersed in conflict between not less than four different factions of terrestrial and non-terrestrial beings who really want to get their hands on the story's MacGuffin, a strange pod with healing powers.
It's not perfect. It drags. Some passages are confusing. But at the end of the day, the protagonists are respectfully dealt with, including the Doctor (one has to admit he grows to be quite a jerk at a certain point in these books). Check it out...but only after reading "Eternity Weeps". (Yes, there are major spoilers in this one.)
Read
August 19, 2013First things first: on the cover, Chris Cwej bears a truly startling resemblance to Heaven 17's Glenn Gregory.
The penultimate adventure for a Doctor who knows regeneration approaches, with its central motif a prison inside his own mind for an incarnation his other selves don't trust. So, a good one to read this year, then. And it does raise the question - given we know his other selves can't abide the Seventh's ruthless manipulations, what could John Hurt possibly have done that was even worse?
So, after a series of particularly gruelling books, the Doctor and Chris visit Warring States-era Japan, hoping for something lighter - "This is just an adventure. A bit of swordplay, a few jokes, nothing worth taking too seriously." Of course, that's not how it turns out, and the death toll starts mounting, and Chris - quite understandably - just wants to give up. It all works very well as a commentary on the New Adventures and the way that, for all their fine work expanding Doctor Who's horizons during the wilderness years of the early nineties, they maybe became a little too addicted to slaughter and dismay (see also: comics around the same time). A fine survey and leave-taking before the end.
The penultimate adventure for a Doctor who knows regeneration approaches, with its central motif a prison inside his own mind for an incarnation his other selves don't trust. So, a good one to read this year, then. And it does raise the question - given we know his other selves can't abide the Seventh's ruthless manipulations, what could John Hurt possibly have done that was even worse?
So, after a series of particularly gruelling books, the Doctor and Chris visit Warring States-era Japan, hoping for something lighter - "This is just an adventure. A bit of swordplay, a few jokes, nothing worth taking too seriously." Of course, that's not how it turns out, and the death toll starts mounting, and Chris - quite understandably - just wants to give up. It all works very well as a commentary on the New Adventures and the way that, for all their fine work expanding Doctor Who's horizons during the wilderness years of the early nineties, they maybe became a little too addicted to slaughter and dismay (see also: comics around the same time). A fine survey and leave-taking before the end.
December 31, 2024
I recalled it being a slog and once again this took me a long time to read. I ended up having to force myself to finish it.
Part of the problem is there isn't much plot to it, it is largely just another "everyone wants the mysterious alien superweapon" again.
I have heard others say it is not really a novel for the plot but about the characters and symbolism:
On the first point I feel like the last few books had been wheel-spinning on this, each apparently having Chris deal with survivor's guilt and The Doctor to stop being manipulative (which honestly he hadn't been doing too much of since No Future) for the next author just to ignore all that and retread the ground. I will have to see if Lungbarrow also does this but I seem to remember continuing angst there too.
As for the symbolism I noticed some of it and for others I used the Cloister Library guide to ensure I didn't miss anything, but I found a lot of it surface level, fannish and inherently uninteresting.
The one point that should have garnered more interest from me I felt was Joel's betrayal but I honestly didn't buy it. It felt forced instead of complex.
In the end I felt like I was reading a duller version of Invasion of the Cat People, and that's saying something.
Part of the problem is there isn't much plot to it, it is largely just another "everyone wants the mysterious alien superweapon" again.
I have heard others say it is not really a novel for the plot but about the characters and symbolism:
On the first point I feel like the last few books had been wheel-spinning on this, each apparently having Chris deal with survivor's guilt and The Doctor to stop being manipulative (which honestly he hadn't been doing too much of since No Future) for the next author just to ignore all that and retread the ground. I will have to see if Lungbarrow also does this but I seem to remember continuing angst there too.
As for the symbolism I noticed some of it and for others I used the Cloister Library guide to ensure I didn't miss anything, but I found a lot of it surface level, fannish and inherently uninteresting.
The one point that should have garnered more interest from me I felt was Joel's betrayal but I honestly didn't buy it. It felt forced instead of complex.
In the end I felt like I was reading a duller version of Invasion of the Cat People, and that's saying something.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2013
The problem here is Chris Cwej -- the blandest of all the novel companions. Kate Orman moves mountains in order to make this wonderbread boy interesting & compelling...but as I read through the novel, all I could think was: "could we please get back to the far more interesting 7th Doctor-nearing-the-end-of-his-life crisis plot"?
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September 21, 2012SUMMARY:
In Sixteenth century Japan a god descends to tip the balance of power in a bloody civil war. Chris finds himself alone and has to become a hero to stop the god falling into the wrong hands - but Chris isn't sure he wants to be a hero.
September 12, 2015
A refreshing change from the intensity of recent New Adventures. Good redemption for Chris and pleasing groundlaying for the Doctor's forthcoming regeneration.
April 24, 2016
One to revisit as at the time of publication I found its plot utterly overshadowed by the ticking clock for the seventh Doctor.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews