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Doctor Who: Virgin New Adventures #34
Doctor Who: Warlock
It was the ruthless pack instinct of the primeval forest. But warlock magnified it a thousand times and made it lethal.
There’s a strange new drug on the street. It’s called warlock and some people say it’s the creation of the devil. Others see it as the gateway to enlightenment.
Benny is working with an undercover cop, trying to track down its source. Ace is trapped in a horrific animal experimentation laboratory. But only the Doctor has begun to guess the terrible truth about warlock.
This disturbing sequel to Warhead moves beyond cyberpunk into a realm where reality is a question of brain chemistry and heaven or hell comes in the shape of a pill.
There’s a strange new drug on the street. It’s called warlock and some people say it’s the creation of the devil. Others see it as the gateway to enlightenment.
Benny is working with an undercover cop, trying to track down its source. Ace is trapped in a horrific animal experimentation laboratory. But only the Doctor has begun to guess the terrible truth about warlock.
This disturbing sequel to Warhead moves beyond cyberpunk into a realm where reality is a question of brain chemistry and heaven or hell comes in the shape of a pill.
356 pages, Paperback
First published January 19, 1995
254 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 31, 2015
I don’t give many books five stars. I try to be objective about it, as I know that, however much I may enjoy Doctor Who books, on an intellectual level they can’t match the power of, say, a Booker Prize winner.
There are some exceptions, though, especially when it comes to the New Adventures. ‘Warlock’ is certainly one. Published in January 1995, it kick-started what is undeniably Virgin Publishing’s strongest year. Written by the man who script-edited what seemed like the TV programme’s last hurrah between 1987 and 1989, but freed from the constraints of having to tell a children-friendly story, this is Doctor Who at its most adult. Earlier novels in the range tried to make themselves seem more adult by shoehorning in gratuitous sex, violence, bad language and substance abuse. These are all present in Warlock, in some form or another, yet here they are absolutely crucial to the plot and the atmosphere of the book. These elements mean it’s unlikely to be adapted into a Big Finish audio, and will never get the TV series treatment. So if nothing else, it seems perfectly suited to the medium it’s told in.
Those reading the book will be in no doubt where Cartmel stands on the animal testing debate. In other, less capable, hands, I’d question whether a TV spin-off novel was the right place to express these views, but because it’s handled so well – especially the sections told from the point of view of the animals – I can only see it as one of the book’s many strengths.
If even the potentially negative aspects of a book are turned into positives, this can only be a triumph. This book deserves a wider audience – it isn't even really a Doctor Who book – but perhaps those of us who read (and re-read) it can feel glad to be part of the lucky few.
There are some exceptions, though, especially when it comes to the New Adventures. ‘Warlock’ is certainly one. Published in January 1995, it kick-started what is undeniably Virgin Publishing’s strongest year. Written by the man who script-edited what seemed like the TV programme’s last hurrah between 1987 and 1989, but freed from the constraints of having to tell a children-friendly story, this is Doctor Who at its most adult. Earlier novels in the range tried to make themselves seem more adult by shoehorning in gratuitous sex, violence, bad language and substance abuse. These are all present in Warlock, in some form or another, yet here they are absolutely crucial to the plot and the atmosphere of the book. These elements mean it’s unlikely to be adapted into a Big Finish audio, and will never get the TV series treatment. So if nothing else, it seems perfectly suited to the medium it’s told in.
Those reading the book will be in no doubt where Cartmel stands on the animal testing debate. In other, less capable, hands, I’d question whether a TV spin-off novel was the right place to express these views, but because it’s handled so well – especially the sections told from the point of view of the animals – I can only see it as one of the book’s many strengths.
If even the potentially negative aspects of a book are turned into positives, this can only be a triumph. This book deserves a wider audience – it isn't even really a Doctor Who book – but perhaps those of us who read (and re-read) it can feel glad to be part of the lucky few.
July 10, 2022
Major trigger warnings for: Animal cruelty, animal violence, drug abuse, kidnap / almost forced abortion on an unwilling woman.
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This book took me so damn long to finish, but damn, I refused to give up on how much I read.
I didn't like this book. The only good points were the Benny scenes, and they were very limited.
This felt more like a police-thriller crime book with a hint of sci-fi, the Doctor, Benny and Ace barely in the novel itself.
There were lots of unnecessary scenes of animal violence and cruelty in this book. And then the mind swapping with humans to animals was just weird, especially with what happened to Shell and Jack.
I don't mind weird, trippy stuff, but this was just...pointless.
His story was engaging once you got past the violence parts, but in the end I really had to force myself through this book.
I'm going to need something lighter to read now.
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This book took me so damn long to finish, but damn, I refused to give up on how much I read.
I didn't like this book. The only good points were the Benny scenes, and they were very limited.
This felt more like a police-thriller crime book with a hint of sci-fi, the Doctor, Benny and Ace barely in the novel itself.
There were lots of unnecessary scenes of animal violence and cruelty in this book. And then the mind swapping with humans to animals was just weird, especially with what happened to Shell and Jack.
I don't mind weird, trippy stuff, but this was just...pointless.
His story was engaging once you got past the violence parts, but in the end I really had to force myself through this book.
I'm going to need something lighter to read now.
August 29, 2020
I picked up a three pack of decent condition Dr. Who New Adventures paperbacks on eBay for a decent price.
I was particularly interested in this book since it’s written by Andrew Cartmell. He was a script editor for the series in the waning years of its original run, and famed master-planner of the so-called Cartmell Masterplan, which was supposed to reset some of the mystery of the Doctor’s character if the show continued past its cancellation.
I was hoping for some seriously deep explanation of the 7th Doctor’s unexplored devious, five steps ahead nature, but he’s barely in the book. Aside from the last ten pages, I think the Doctor literally has less than 10 lines of dialogue. Sure, each precious word drips with the singsong Scotsman sounds of Sylvester McCoy’s line reading in your head, but here everyone’s favorite time lord is basically a cameo in his own story.
Instead, there’s in-your-face shock moments reminding you that this not a TV ready Dr. Who story. There’s ample drug use, profanity, and even the remotest hint of sexuality. A character mulls over his love of LP records, making one wonder if the author would just prefer writing about a character who loves LP records? Maybe some sort of detective? There’s a lengthy scene describing animal torture, including a character cutting the heads off a tray of baby lab mice, for some reason. Ace lives with the Doctor in a junky house, with no mention of the Tardis? Seriously, not a single mention, not even a throwaway: “While The Doctor [inexplicably] loved his cosy, lived-in house in the suburbs, he sometimes missed the transdimensional spaciousness of his old Tardis.” Maybe there’s a plot reason why the time traveling machine is absent. In between, you spend inordinate amounts of time with a mostly boring cast of background characters, where even a dog and cat get their own separate point-of-view chapters. Ok, in all honesty, the cat is probably the most interesting character. Sure, a major plot thread / hit you over the head moral lesson is the absolute evils of animal experimentation, but come on!
The biggest disappointment is how quickly the main story is neatly wrapped up, and the obvious fact that every drawn-out scene begs the question: I wonder what the Doctor is up to right now?
I was particularly interested in this book since it’s written by Andrew Cartmell. He was a script editor for the series in the waning years of its original run, and famed master-planner of the so-called Cartmell Masterplan, which was supposed to reset some of the mystery of the Doctor’s character if the show continued past its cancellation.
I was hoping for some seriously deep explanation of the 7th Doctor’s unexplored devious, five steps ahead nature, but he’s barely in the book. Aside from the last ten pages, I think the Doctor literally has less than 10 lines of dialogue. Sure, each precious word drips with the singsong Scotsman sounds of Sylvester McCoy’s line reading in your head, but here everyone’s favorite time lord is basically a cameo in his own story.
Instead, there’s in-your-face shock moments reminding you that this not a TV ready Dr. Who story. There’s ample drug use, profanity, and even the remotest hint of sexuality. A character mulls over his love of LP records, making one wonder if the author would just prefer writing about a character who loves LP records? Maybe some sort of detective? There’s a lengthy scene describing animal torture, including a character cutting the heads off a tray of baby lab mice, for some reason. Ace lives with the Doctor in a junky house, with no mention of the Tardis? Seriously, not a single mention, not even a throwaway: “While The Doctor [inexplicably] loved his cosy, lived-in house in the suburbs, he sometimes missed the transdimensional spaciousness of his old Tardis.” Maybe there’s a plot reason why the time traveling machine is absent. In between, you spend inordinate amounts of time with a mostly boring cast of background characters, where even a dog and cat get their own separate point-of-view chapters. Ok, in all honesty, the cat is probably the most interesting character. Sure, a major plot thread / hit you over the head moral lesson is the absolute evils of animal experimentation, but come on!
The biggest disappointment is how quickly the main story is neatly wrapped up, and the obvious fact that every drawn-out scene begs the question: I wonder what the Doctor is up to right now?
January 30, 2025
This novel is many things, some good, some bad. Andrew Cartmel has a better understanding of prose than most of the other writers in the New Adventures line. The style and tone are consistent throughout. Cartmel has chosen a gritty, hard-edged, criminal underworld milieu for the setting and characters, and never wavers from that plan. The bad is that Warlock is not a Doctor Who novel. The Doctor is hardly in it and he does almost nothing that affects the plot. Cartmel clearly wanted to write a certain kind of story, but perhaps decided that the only way it could be reliably published would be to slap a Doctor Who label onto it. Instead, the novel centers on Cartmel's character Creed McIlveen, an American narcotics cop of the bitter, self-destructive variety that we have seen so many times. He has a sad and lonely past after his beloved died, lives alone with his dog, and secretly wishes that each time he goes on a mission someone will kill him and end his misery. He is also far more intelligent and insightful than any other law-enforcement character. You know the type. Creed gets more pages than any other character in the novel. Another bad spot is that Cartmel has written The Doctor and friends as if this were Mission:Impossible or The Avengers. The Doctor and friends are simply there, as a team, going under cover, on a mission to unmask evil doers. Cartmel doesn't bother to explain how The Doctor and friends got there, why they are there, why The Doctor wants them to investigate the newest designer drug called Warlock. He simply sends Benny on an undercover mission and she does not protest at all. I do not like this idea of The Doctor and friends as a self-appointed team of investigators into criminal activity. The Doctor should stumble onto problems, not actively seek them out. The last bad thing is that, apart from The Doctor and friends and a side character named Julian, every one in this book is nasty, vicious, violent, and thoroughly awful. Cartmel spends far too much time on long scenes that have no point other than to convince the reader of how nasty, vicious, violent, and thoroughly awful they all are. It is very unpleasant reading.
October 14, 2022
An incredible book. A lot of what I've heard about this book makes it out like the TARDIS team aren't in this book very much, which is somehow both true and not at the same time. The Doctor certainly plays a minimal role, and Ace spends most of the book incapacitated, whilst Benny seems to promise a larger role at the beginning of the book before fading out almost abruptly, turning up every now and then before the denouement. I'll admit I'm not sure why Cartmel decided to write a trilogy for Doctor Who which contains the Doctor less and less with each book, but the characters he uses are certainly entertaining enough to warrant their own books at least. It's clear that Cartmel is serious about the stories he tells and the allegories he writes — first climate change, in Cat's Cradle: Warhead and now animal testing in Warlock. I've given the book five stars because it was able to actually make me feel something strongly - I genuinely felt some kind of loathing for Dieter and his team, and a sadness at the deaths of Shell and Chick. I read most of this book (about 340ish pages) over one day. Considering at 359 pages it's the longest VNA, the pace felt fine. The generally gritty vibe throughout, I'll admit, wasn't pleasant. It was something you appreciated, but not necessarily enjoyed (unless you like gritty bleak writing). In this regard, it's a brilliant, 5-star book, but certainly not one I want to pick up again soon. It's a shame Ace has such a minor role considering what's to come in Set Piece, but that's not Cartmel's fault. Ultimately, if you check out the VNAs, this one definitely shouldn't be skipped, but I wouldn't recommend to the casual fan due to its linked nature with Cat's Cradle: Warhead and a rough understanding of Benny. I can't decide between 8 or 9/10, so let's settle on an 8.5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2020
A new drug is on the streets and it seems to have a strange mind of it's own, it's called Warlock and what it can do is extraordinary. Meanwhile Benny is working with an undercover cop and Ace is trapped in an animal experimentation lab and The Doctor is after the answers but he will need the help from friends Justine and Vincent again but what may happen may tear them apart.
What a brilliant story! After Parasite I was really hoping for a good and juicy read and I got more than I was hoping for! Andrew Cartmel has woven together a fast paced story filled with rich characterization and bleakness. This really showed me how horrific animal experimentation truly is and honestly for someone who loves animals this was quite hard to read with certain scenes but they were very well done. The drug Warlock was a great concept far from your usual trippiness and into something that fits closer to this era of who.
Overall a really depressing but enjoyable read, if you are an animal lover and you find animal experimentation a sensitive subject, then this won't be for you but for people who loved Warhead or Warchild and love the bleakness from them I highly recommend you pick this up, it's brilliant! 10/10
What a brilliant story! After Parasite I was really hoping for a good and juicy read and I got more than I was hoping for! Andrew Cartmel has woven together a fast paced story filled with rich characterization and bleakness. This really showed me how horrific animal experimentation truly is and honestly for someone who loves animals this was quite hard to read with certain scenes but they were very well done. The drug Warlock was a great concept far from your usual trippiness and into something that fits closer to this era of who.
Overall a really depressing but enjoyable read, if you are an animal lover and you find animal experimentation a sensitive subject, then this won't be for you but for people who loved Warhead or Warchild and love the bleakness from them I highly recommend you pick this up, it's brilliant! 10/10
June 28, 2020
Warlock is... a lot. That's kind of the best way to sum it up. In all honesty, it kind of feels like Cartmel started writing a completely separate novel totally disconnected from Doctor Who and then just threw the Who stuff in to fill it out more.
It's disappointing, because the start is actually pretty great. The stuff with Benny in New York, and the stuff at the house on Allen Road early on is all good and feels like it's setting things up, but then we spend the rest of the book with the Doctor and Benny being mostly sidelined and Ace - while getting a bit more focus - doesn't really fare too well here. Instead we get some fairly uninteresting Characters of the Week (and then some returning from Cat's Cradle: Warhead for good measure).
On top of that, Warlock decides to fall into the trap of beating you to death with how horrible and unpleasant things are. Also just for the sake of length it could easily lose several paragraphs about how a man makes something to eat.
Overall, yeah, not one of my favourites. With Warchild as the third and final book in this trilogy I remain optimistic that'll at least resonate more with me.
It's disappointing, because the start is actually pretty great. The stuff with Benny in New York, and the stuff at the house on Allen Road early on is all good and feels like it's setting things up, but then we spend the rest of the book with the Doctor and Benny being mostly sidelined and Ace - while getting a bit more focus - doesn't really fare too well here. Instead we get some fairly uninteresting Characters of the Week (and then some returning from Cat's Cradle: Warhead for good measure).
On top of that, Warlock decides to fall into the trap of beating you to death with how horrible and unpleasant things are. Also just for the sake of length it could easily lose several paragraphs about how a man makes something to eat.
Overall, yeah, not one of my favourites. With Warchild as the third and final book in this trilogy I remain optimistic that'll at least resonate more with me.
September 24, 2019
This is a fantastic Book, one of my favourites in the New Adventure series. It's a real page turner, I could not put this down. With the end insight I thought it was going to be a let down only for the to be one final twist that makes a great ending. If I had any criticism it would be the Doctor only plays a small role, whoever the book is so engrossing i couldn't knock off a star for that. The book is really character driven and is just an excellent piece of Doctor Who writing.
PS. Chapter 21 is fantastic.
PS. Chapter 21 is fantastic.
January 9, 2025
The longest Virgin New Adventure is kind of bad, but at least it is entertainingly and compellingly bad - it begins strong but bit by bit descends into full on so-bad-it's-good territory, until the novel's designated ultra-badass has the only significant woman who isn't either cannon fodder or a recurring character throwing herself at him. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/202...
December 11, 2023
This book majorly needs some trigger warnings for animal cruelty/abuse. heavy drug use and intense murder
When you get past that (which is hard to at times), there is a clear story here that weaves together a few different narratives and brings back some old characters. Its a bit trippy and all over the place at time but I overall enjoyed it
When you get past that (which is hard to at times), there is a clear story here that weaves together a few different narratives and brings back some old characters. Its a bit trippy and all over the place at time but I overall enjoyed it
May 30, 2022
It's always fun to read a Doctor Who adventure written by someone who worked on the show. This wasn't my favorite new adventure, but I found the supporting characters well writing and I like seeing another home of the Doctor’s.
April 24, 2024
Come for the interesting idea behind the story, but unfortunately stay for the animal cruelty and the (once again, New Adventures) Vertigo-esque grimdark mindf*ck. Also, apparently this is a Doctor Who story!
November 26, 2024
Deeply disturbing with violence, torture and the murder of innocents. Some very clumsy political opinions inserted as character dialogue. The Doctor is barely present, and the tardis crew itself has no impact on events.
December 11, 2024
Andrew Cartmel knows how to spin a yarn, even with a lengthier page count than other New Adventures. This is very fun until the rushed, hot button soapbox conclusion. I genuinely hate that Justine leaves Vincent for...no reason?
July 15, 2025
What if Doctor Light, and lots of animal torture. I have to say I don’t do books, tv shows and films about animals, because I find it distressing when they are in distress. So to get to the end of the novel was quite an achievement.
So, I loved the idea of warlock, loved the continuity with Warhead and overall the story. Despite its darkness there is a compelling story here. Take out Doctor Who, and you would have a solid stand-alone novel.
Very upset that Chick didn’t make it. There were a few occasions where I felt things occurred for plot convenience. Such as Ace not telling the Doctor about Jack and Shell’s request, Ace not telling the Doctor where she was going and leaving the animals in the car. You know that if the Doctor had known about the laboratory it would have smash cut to him watching it burn to the ground.
Some very unsettling moments, such as Justine’s almost abortion and the Doctor telling Shell they won’t be in time for her.
I would have liked more set-up and pay-off to discover Harrington’s twist. Kind of came out of nowhere. Plus Justine going off with Creed didn’t feel right. I needed more time to see how her relationship with Vincent wasn’t working and how she got on better with Creed.
So, I loved the idea of warlock, loved the continuity with Warhead and overall the story. Despite its darkness there is a compelling story here. Take out Doctor Who, and you would have a solid stand-alone novel.
Very upset that Chick didn’t make it. There were a few occasions where I felt things occurred for plot convenience. Such as Ace not telling the Doctor about Jack and Shell’s request, Ace not telling the Doctor where she was going and leaving the animals in the car. You know that if the Doctor had known about the laboratory it would have smash cut to him watching it burn to the ground.
Some very unsettling moments, such as Justine’s almost abortion and the Doctor telling Shell they won’t be in time for her.
I would have liked more set-up and pay-off to discover Harrington’s twist. Kind of came out of nowhere. Plus Justine going off with Creed didn’t feel right. I needed more time to see how her relationship with Vincent wasn’t working and how she got on better with Creed.
Read
November 29, 2020Honestly it was fine I guess. I think I just ran out of stamina by the end of it, and I'd personally have liked to see more of Team TARDIS.
October 1, 2023
You know what you did!
December 24, 2024
Absolute trash!
July 10, 2015
Animal testing and drugs
19 February 2012
Once again I cannot remember all that much about this book as I had read it quite a while ago and my mind has pretty much shoved all of the information about this book deep into its recesses never to return. From reading the blurb and some of the reviews I understand that it is about some drug called Warlock and that it is sort of the sequel to Warhead (which I have not read). Some of the sequels in this series of books are a little strange because they occur substantially after the original book, but while the books are written chronologically, it does not mean that follow on events can not happen (since we are talking about time travel here).
As far as Doctor Who books go with social criticism (and some do) this one appears to look at the idea of animal testing and drugs. Now drugs are very much a way of escaping, making the mind relax, and helping one avoid the complications of life. Alcohol is probably the most popular drug simply because it is legal (and I am speaking of mind altering drugs here) but also because one can have a beer without worrying too much about ill effects. Once we move onto other drugs things become a little bit more dicey, since it is not possible to have one sample and not be affected.
Drugs can be very seductive as well, and one of the common themes of Sci-fi stories are the drugs that take control of a person. Mind altering drugs can be fun in the first instances, but it is the after effects that cause a lot of the problems. Even if there is no physical addiction, it is the psychological addiction that takes hold. With drugs like Heroin, it is the dream world and the escape that lures people in (and marijuana is a little like that, but most Heroin junkies look down on marijuana smokers) and you simply do not want to escape that dream world. Reality takes on a new form, and the pain of reality slips away and you want to remain there forever. Then you are rudely yanked out and you need more to take yourself back in to this dream world. However, it is even more seductive in that the second time round is never as good as the first, and you want that first experience, so you go again and again.
Then there are the uppers (such as ecstasy and cocaine) which lifts you up so high that you feel invincible. You believe that you can do anything, and with this drug in your system you can truly do anything. However when it wears off, you go from invincible to vulnerable. You simply cannot do anymore what you believed you could do when you were high. You had that plan in your mind and you believed that you could succeed, but you cannot, so you have to go back for more, but it is never the same again. What is worse is that you believe your plans work, and you implement them, but they fail. Your confidence is destroyed: it was never supposed to turn out that way and the only way to can respond is to lash out in anger (this reads almost like poetry).
I want to finish off by saying a little on animal testing. It is not something that really jumps out at me. I love animals and I do not believe animals should be treated cruelly. I am a little anxious regarding the concept of animal testing because we are potentially inflicting pain upon the creatures. However I believe there is also a limit, and we do eat animals, though we kill them (allegedly) in a humane way. I have every respect for vegetarians, and I do not support inflicting pain on animals just to boost our life style, but I do not view animals as sentient beings such as ourselves, and I do not believe animal rights should be anywhere comparable to human rights. They are a lower order, and we should not be raising them up to sit on a level with us humans.
19 February 2012
Once again I cannot remember all that much about this book as I had read it quite a while ago and my mind has pretty much shoved all of the information about this book deep into its recesses never to return. From reading the blurb and some of the reviews I understand that it is about some drug called Warlock and that it is sort of the sequel to Warhead (which I have not read). Some of the sequels in this series of books are a little strange because they occur substantially after the original book, but while the books are written chronologically, it does not mean that follow on events can not happen (since we are talking about time travel here).
As far as Doctor Who books go with social criticism (and some do) this one appears to look at the idea of animal testing and drugs. Now drugs are very much a way of escaping, making the mind relax, and helping one avoid the complications of life. Alcohol is probably the most popular drug simply because it is legal (and I am speaking of mind altering drugs here) but also because one can have a beer without worrying too much about ill effects. Once we move onto other drugs things become a little bit more dicey, since it is not possible to have one sample and not be affected.
Drugs can be very seductive as well, and one of the common themes of Sci-fi stories are the drugs that take control of a person. Mind altering drugs can be fun in the first instances, but it is the after effects that cause a lot of the problems. Even if there is no physical addiction, it is the psychological addiction that takes hold. With drugs like Heroin, it is the dream world and the escape that lures people in (and marijuana is a little like that, but most Heroin junkies look down on marijuana smokers) and you simply do not want to escape that dream world. Reality takes on a new form, and the pain of reality slips away and you want to remain there forever. Then you are rudely yanked out and you need more to take yourself back in to this dream world. However, it is even more seductive in that the second time round is never as good as the first, and you want that first experience, so you go again and again.
Then there are the uppers (such as ecstasy and cocaine) which lifts you up so high that you feel invincible. You believe that you can do anything, and with this drug in your system you can truly do anything. However when it wears off, you go from invincible to vulnerable. You simply cannot do anymore what you believed you could do when you were high. You had that plan in your mind and you believed that you could succeed, but you cannot, so you have to go back for more, but it is never the same again. What is worse is that you believe your plans work, and you implement them, but they fail. Your confidence is destroyed: it was never supposed to turn out that way and the only way to can respond is to lash out in anger (this reads almost like poetry).
I want to finish off by saying a little on animal testing. It is not something that really jumps out at me. I love animals and I do not believe animals should be treated cruelly. I am a little anxious regarding the concept of animal testing because we are potentially inflicting pain upon the creatures. However I believe there is also a limit, and we do eat animals, though we kill them (allegedly) in a humane way. I have every respect for vegetarians, and I do not support inflicting pain on animals just to boost our life style, but I do not view animals as sentient beings such as ourselves, and I do not believe animal rights should be anywhere comparable to human rights. They are a lower order, and we should not be raising them up to sit on a level with us humans.
February 5, 2010
Cartmel's first Who novel, Warhead, was pretty good. But Warlock is even better. It is more tightly structured, with the plot moving forward in inexorable, suspensful steps that feature Cartmel's trademark prose.
Unlike most tv tie-in novels, the writing here is painterly and detailed, with concrete sensory images that are juxtaposed with social commentary and some great action scenes. The story revolved around an ilegal drug called Warlock, and also delves into the animal testing issue. Ace is in rare form here, and Benny also plays a significant role. Unlike Warhead, Warlock has less computer jargon and predictions about the future, which make it feel more contemporary and acccessable. It helps that Cartmel rests his story on character-driven drama. They have arcs and development, and it really makes me wish there was more Cartmel-era Who on tv, because the show was just beginning to realize its potential in that regard.
My only quibble is that I would have liked more involvement from The Doctor. Again, Cartmel's conception is of the Doctor as the chessmaster, and it works well, but the Doctor is much less present than I think he should be, it is oddly unbalanced in favor of Ace and Benny and some of the other characters.
I am looking forward to reading the conclusion of this trilogy, Warchild.
Unlike most tv tie-in novels, the writing here is painterly and detailed, with concrete sensory images that are juxtaposed with social commentary and some great action scenes. The story revolved around an ilegal drug called Warlock, and also delves into the animal testing issue. Ace is in rare form here, and Benny also plays a significant role. Unlike Warhead, Warlock has less computer jargon and predictions about the future, which make it feel more contemporary and acccessable. It helps that Cartmel rests his story on character-driven drama. They have arcs and development, and it really makes me wish there was more Cartmel-era Who on tv, because the show was just beginning to realize its potential in that regard.
My only quibble is that I would have liked more involvement from The Doctor. Again, Cartmel's conception is of the Doctor as the chessmaster, and it works well, but the Doctor is much less present than I think he should be, it is oddly unbalanced in favor of Ace and Benny and some of the other characters.
I am looking forward to reading the conclusion of this trilogy, Warchild.
November 6, 2009
After reading a few New Adventures and finding them to be surprisingly good, I came across Warlock in a discount bookstore and thought I'd give it a whirl. Unfortunately it didn't live up to the standard of others I had read previously.
Warlock is ostensibly about animal testing (with some other odd bits and pieces, including a couple with nuke powers and a trip to the local S&M brothel... don't ask) but I found the overall story confusing and slightly dull. I was also unhappy with the way in which Cartmel handled the character of Ace in this book (one chapter was titled "The Bitch Is Back" which I found unnecessarily tasteless, as if Cartmel was trying to prove that Who is for adults now).
There are plenty of decent New / Missing Adventures available, and with so much choice available, I would steer clear of this particular outing.
Warlock is ostensibly about animal testing (with some other odd bits and pieces, including a couple with nuke powers and a trip to the local S&M brothel... don't ask) but I found the overall story confusing and slightly dull. I was also unhappy with the way in which Cartmel handled the character of Ace in this book (one chapter was titled "The Bitch Is Back" which I found unnecessarily tasteless, as if Cartmel was trying to prove that Who is for adults now).
There are plenty of decent New / Missing Adventures available, and with so much choice available, I would steer clear of this particular outing.
June 13, 2016
I think this is Andrew Cartmel's best "New Adventures" novel -- the characters are interesting, the action gripping, the visuals are violent, outrageous, provocative...and it manages to be a sequel, yet still functions as a stand alone book. I remain ambivalent about the amount of non-Doctor involvement in all three of Mr. Cartmel's NA novels (yes, even in this age of Doctor-lite episodes), but at the very least, Ace gets a large & fascinating role in the narrative, and Benny gets some nice character moments as well. I particularly love her comment about how buttering her up always works. I'd probably settle for a 3.5 star rating if I could, but the overall reading experience is making me feel generous...so 4 stars it is.
December 23, 2009
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1986565.html[return][return][return]I thought this was a particularly good New Adventure, a partial (though independent) sequel to the much earlier Warhead, taking the Doctor, Ace and Benny to very near-future England and America to deal with a peculiar new drug and a truly horrible animal experimentation centre. I was hooked, and felt that Cartmel managed to control the plot and characters in a very grownup Who story. Looking through my records I can see some of the themes from this and Warhead cropping up in Cartmel's later Who work, but not as well co-ordinated as they are here. Really very impressed.
September 12, 2010
Well, it's OK.
Which isn't really much of a review, but I didn't find this really memorable in any way. It's certainly not as pretentious as the previous couple in the series, but it's also not as adventurous (there are unexpected sections in it, but they feel forced rather than integral to the story.)
The NAs have consistently demonstrated that Cartmel's tv version of the Seventh Doctor had immense potential, but his entries in the NA sesies seem to read more like draft script proposals than anything more daring.
Which isn't really much of a review, but I didn't find this really memorable in any way. It's certainly not as pretentious as the previous couple in the series, but it's also not as adventurous (there are unexpected sections in it, but they feel forced rather than integral to the story.)
The NAs have consistently demonstrated that Cartmel's tv version of the Seventh Doctor had immense potential, but his entries in the NA sesies seem to read more like draft script proposals than anything more daring.
January 28, 2024
One of the great examples of when the New Adventures became very concerned with being dark, adult and edgy and just ended up instead being dreary and not much fun.
The three leads are solidly written, but everything else is just there.
The three leads are solidly written, but everything else is just there.
July 23, 2019
Quite a step up from Warhead. Only tangentially connected to Cartmel's this is a markedly better written book and has genuinely interesting things to say about the drug trade and animal testing. At times it does descend into cheap attempts at shock value but overall a stronger entry in the series.
December 15, 2015
This is the quintessential New Adventure; hard to see where it could be improved upon, and a clear indicator of what good hands Cartmel's really were for the 7th Doctor. It's a true shame we didn't get to see more of his vision before the hiatus ...
July 31, 2012
Cartmel's writing has really been well-refined here, resulting in an interesting (if small) story, full of interesting characters.
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