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Doctor Who: New Series Adventures #43
Doctor Who: Hunter's Moon
Leisure Platform 9 - a place where gamblers and villains rub shoulders with socialites and celebrities. Not a place to cheat at the games table, or to beat the wrong player - as Rory is about to find out. The prize for winning the wrong game is to take part in another. And this game could be the death of him! With Rory kidnapped by the brutal crime lord Xorg Krauzzen, the Doctor and Amy go undercover. But can they infiltrate the deadly contest about to be played out in the ruins of Gorgoror? It's only a matter of time before Krauzzen realizes the Doctor isn't a vicious mercenary. It won't be long before he discovers what Amy is up to.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published June 22, 2011
24 people are currently reading
1582 people want to read
About the author
Paul Finch
206 books461 followersPaul Finch is a former cop and journalist, now full-time writer. Having originally written for the television series THE BILL plus children's animation and DOCTOR WHO audio dramas, he went on to write horror, but is now best known for his crime / thriller fiction.
He won the British Fantasy Award twice and the International Horror Guild Award, but since then has written two parallel series of hard-hitting crime novels, the Heck and the Lucy Clayburn novels, of which three titles have become best-sellers.
Paul lives in Wigan, Lancashire, UK with his wife and children.
He won the British Fantasy Award twice and the International Horror Guild Award, but since then has written two parallel series of hard-hitting crime novels, the Heck and the Lucy Clayburn novels, of which three titles have become best-sellers.
Paul lives in Wigan, Lancashire, UK with his wife and children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
July 14, 2020
The Eleventh Doctor NSA's are so wildly inconsistent that I've had to listen to the audiobooks to remember most of them.
This one is best described as a strong and interesting premise but let down by the characterization feels wrong.
The strongest scene with Rory inevitable losing the TARDIS in a bet was actually surprisingly good with Arthur Darvil's narration.
The plot morphs into a hunger games survival tale which actually makes this one of the more action packed stories in the range.
This one is best described as a strong and interesting premise but let down by the characterization feels wrong.
The strongest scene with Rory inevitable losing the TARDIS in a bet was actually surprisingly good with Arthur Darvil's narration.
The plot morphs into a hunger games survival tale which actually makes this one of the more action packed stories in the range.
March 23, 2021
This is a book based on the television series. In this one, The Eleventh Doctor along with Amy and Rory visit a planet to see a friend of The Doctor. While there Rory gets roped into gambling the Tardis and his life where he is the prey and hunters hunt him. Basically, this is Doctor Who doing "The Most Dangerous Game".
While reading a media tie-in novel my main concern is if the author portrays the established characters correctly. This novel did not. The planet our heroes visit is a planet where the women are subservient. The Doctor basically tells Amy to not open her mouth and go along with the customs. I cannot see The Doctor doing this. He would defy this kind of thinking. That isn't even the biggest flaw with the characters. That would be Rory. Rory getting roped into a game and for him to wager the Tardis was so out of character I almost stopped reading right there and that was in the first act. I do have to say that the author did turn it around and the meat of the story is quite enjoyable. I could picture the second and third acts being an episode and it works for this universe. The hunt was a good adaptation of the short story.
Most of this book was enjoyable. The problem was how we got there. The use of established characters as a plot device instead of them acting accordingly is wrong. There had to be a way to get from point A to point B without disrespecting the established characters. It seemed like the author just wanted to get to the meat of the story and didn't care how we got there. It is a shame too because he did a good job with the rest of the story.
While reading a media tie-in novel my main concern is if the author portrays the established characters correctly. This novel did not. The planet our heroes visit is a planet where the women are subservient. The Doctor basically tells Amy to not open her mouth and go along with the customs. I cannot see The Doctor doing this. He would defy this kind of thinking. That isn't even the biggest flaw with the characters. That would be Rory. Rory getting roped into a game and for him to wager the Tardis was so out of character I almost stopped reading right there and that was in the first act. I do have to say that the author did turn it around and the meat of the story is quite enjoyable. I could picture the second and third acts being an episode and it works for this universe. The hunt was a good adaptation of the short story.
Most of this book was enjoyable. The problem was how we got there. The use of established characters as a plot device instead of them acting accordingly is wrong. There had to be a way to get from point A to point B without disrespecting the established characters. It seemed like the author just wanted to get to the meat of the story and didn't care how we got there. It is a shame too because he did a good job with the rest of the story.
February 5, 2020
Ugh this book frustrated the heck out of me and my biggest resounding thought having finished it is “thank goodness it’s over”. Hardly a resounding acclamation for the novel.
I love the Doctor Who series and was excited for reading one of the books and bringing a new dimension to the world I love so much. Unfortunately I have to say it was a huge disappointment. The characters were not true to themselves as per the BBC series, with the Doctor joining a hunting party, Rory being careless and getting the team into trouble, and Amy meekly becoming a servant in a female oppressed society to save her own skin.
Aside from the massive character differences, the book itself is, for lack of a better word, a slog. It felt like battling through a mud pit getting to the end of the book just for the sake of getting to the end, with the premise of the story being both incredibly predictable as well as just plain boring with the long and drawn out dialogue scenes which, to me, didn’t add anything to the overall story.
I would certainly not recommend this book and would hate for people to form any kind of opinion of Doctor Who generally based upon this book.
I love the Doctor Who series and was excited for reading one of the books and bringing a new dimension to the world I love so much. Unfortunately I have to say it was a huge disappointment. The characters were not true to themselves as per the BBC series, with the Doctor joining a hunting party, Rory being careless and getting the team into trouble, and Amy meekly becoming a servant in a female oppressed society to save her own skin.
Aside from the massive character differences, the book itself is, for lack of a better word, a slog. It felt like battling through a mud pit getting to the end of the book just for the sake of getting to the end, with the premise of the story being both incredibly predictable as well as just plain boring with the long and drawn out dialogue scenes which, to me, didn’t add anything to the overall story.
I would certainly not recommend this book and would hate for people to form any kind of opinion of Doctor Who generally based upon this book.
November 18, 2011
It is my dearest hope that Paul Finch will never write a Doctor Who novel ever again. I have a deep feeling that to gather information in preparation to write this novel, he sat down one night, watched a couple episode of Classic Who, and afterwards watched about thirty seconds of an New Who, most likely a clip in which the 11th Doctor portrayed as Matt Smith, says something is cool.
The plot line is something I would expect from a Tom Baker era (or even Peter Davison for that matter) episode of Doctor Who. The Doctor and his companions go to a Leisure Planet (the Doctor actually wanted to visit an old friend and their past history is confusing to the reader since it never occurred in the TV show and they discuss it vaguely) and the companions, being companions get in trouble. One (being Rory) is 'captured' (explain later) and taken to a different planet in which rich people who are bored and fancy themselves as hunters like to hunt other humans as sport. Other reviewers have commented that the plot is similar to movies and books such as 'The Running Man' or 'The Most Dangerous Game'.
However, The Doctor, Amy and Rory aren't themselves in this novel at all. This doesn't have a complex meaning (omg it's a Ganger!Rory... I wish). Finch destroyed these characters and practically made up his own. Rory who in the show is less adventurous and more cautious of the three, is the one to how shall I say, screw things up? He gambles away the TARDIS in a craps-like game he doesn't fully understand. Does that sound like Rory to you? Never mind that we all love BAMF!Rory, I am talking about normal Rory here. And of course Amy is mad when Rory is 'kidnapped'. Sorry y'all it wasn't kidnapping. It was part of the deal he made gambling away the TARDIS. Amy becomes a waitress. Do you see Amy as a waitress? Do you see Amy taking shit from other men? Do you see Amy as the voice of reason? No, you don't do you? Finch ruined her. The Doctor in this novel has taken up violence. If you are a Doctor Who fan you know why I am mad about this.
Finch for some reason is stuck in the 70s and 80s of Classic Who, in which when the Doctor and his crew go to a planet, everyone on that planet has weird space names. There's characters in this book such as Xaaael, Zarbotan, Zalu, and Xorax. Now there's a slue of these guys with funky names. I for one could not keep them straight at all.
I'm just glad I finished this piece of shit. I like reading my Who books, but if Paul Finch comes out with another one, I am skipping it. This one was just too horrible. I honestly wouldn't recommend this for anyone.
The plot line is something I would expect from a Tom Baker era (or even Peter Davison for that matter) episode of Doctor Who. The Doctor and his companions go to a Leisure Planet (the Doctor actually wanted to visit an old friend and their past history is confusing to the reader since it never occurred in the TV show and they discuss it vaguely) and the companions, being companions get in trouble. One (being Rory) is 'captured' (explain later) and taken to a different planet in which rich people who are bored and fancy themselves as hunters like to hunt other humans as sport. Other reviewers have commented that the plot is similar to movies and books such as 'The Running Man' or 'The Most Dangerous Game'.
However, The Doctor, Amy and Rory aren't themselves in this novel at all. This doesn't have a complex meaning (omg it's a Ganger!Rory... I wish). Finch destroyed these characters and practically made up his own. Rory who in the show is less adventurous and more cautious of the three, is the one to how shall I say, screw things up? He gambles away the TARDIS in a craps-like game he doesn't fully understand. Does that sound like Rory to you? Never mind that we all love BAMF!Rory, I am talking about normal Rory here. And of course Amy is mad when Rory is 'kidnapped'. Sorry y'all it wasn't kidnapping. It was part of the deal he made gambling away the TARDIS. Amy becomes a waitress. Do you see Amy as a waitress? Do you see Amy taking shit from other men? Do you see Amy as the voice of reason? No, you don't do you? Finch ruined her. The Doctor in this novel has taken up violence. If you are a Doctor Who fan you know why I am mad about this.
Finch for some reason is stuck in the 70s and 80s of Classic Who, in which when the Doctor and his crew go to a planet, everyone on that planet has weird space names. There's characters in this book such as Xaaael, Zarbotan, Zalu, and Xorax. Now there's a slue of these guys with funky names. I for one could not keep them straight at all.
I'm just glad I finished this piece of shit. I like reading my Who books, but if Paul Finch comes out with another one, I am skipping it. This one was just too horrible. I honestly wouldn't recommend this for anyone.
August 7, 2015
i was lost from the moment i started reading.
January 29, 2025
Hunter's Moon (Doctor Who: New Series Adventures #43) by Paul Finch is easily my least favorite Doctor Who: New Series Adventure book so far. The Doctor, Amy, and Rory aren't themselves at all to the point where they might as well have all completely different names. It was all quite out of character for those that I know and love. I was just disappointed.
July 1, 2025
Doctor Who does The Most Dangerous Game . . .
Rory Williams gets captured by space mafia types sporting an 80s glam rock aesthetic. These mobsters run a "hunting retreat" for space billionaires who want to hunt humans. Rory is dumped onto an abandoned moon with a handful of other abductees, where they must evade monsters among old factory ruins, before the killers show up and the "hunt" begins for real.
To save her husband, Amy Pond stows away on the villains' luxury ship. When she's caught, she is forced into the roll of a waitress and maid. However, she is able to use this to her advantage - gaining intel on their enemies and plotting to help the Doctor defeat them.
The Doctor shows up, posing as a bored billionaire who wants to join the hunt.
We also follow a random guy, Harry, who is an out of work ex-cop and gets caught up in this along with his wife, Dora, and daughter, Sophie.
Hunter's Moon is definitely a mixed bag. It's action packed and moves along at a brisk pace. There is plenty of action and adventure elements, with alien monsters and tense scenes where the characters must evade pursuit or detection.
The settings are well-realized, especially the moon where the bulk of the action takes place.
However, I was confused about the emphasis on very 1980s-inspired catsuits and big hair on the "aliens" (they read as quite human.) Combined with the author's habit of throwing a bunch of random Xs and Zs into names to make them sound "alien," this felt like lazy worldbuilding.
Another problem with this novel is the characterization. For instance, Rory allows himself to get goaded into gambling in an obviously rigged game. Rory is the most cautious, level-headed one of the trio, so it's out-of-character for him to fall for something like this.
There are also some very out-of-character comments from the Doctor, which I can see looking at the reviews have also rankled other readers. Namely, when the trio first arrives on Torodon - a "leisure planet" with casinos and such - the Doctor comments on how there's a lot of inequality and the Torodonians are really sexist, which is a shame, but they can't do anything about it, because they shouldn't interfere. And it's like?? Has Paul Finch watched an episode of Doctor Who before?? Because the Doctor has no problem loudly challenging regressive social mores, regardless of time period or location.
Another odd bit of characterization occurs later in the text - the author understands that the Doctor doesn't like or use guns, and makes a point of showing him state that emphatically (good.) Yet this is sharply undercut when
Hunter's Moon is uneven, as most of the New Series Adventures are, but I miss the Eleventh Doctor so much that I've pretty much committed to reading all the tie-ins from his era.
Rory Williams gets captured by space mafia types sporting an 80s glam rock aesthetic. These mobsters run a "hunting retreat" for space billionaires who want to hunt humans. Rory is dumped onto an abandoned moon with a handful of other abductees, where they must evade monsters among old factory ruins, before the killers show up and the "hunt" begins for real.
To save her husband, Amy Pond stows away on the villains' luxury ship. When she's caught, she is forced into the roll of a waitress and maid. However, she is able to use this to her advantage - gaining intel on their enemies and plotting to help the Doctor defeat them.
The Doctor shows up, posing as a bored billionaire who wants to join the hunt.
We also follow a random guy, Harry, who is an out of work ex-cop and gets caught up in this along with his wife, Dora, and daughter, Sophie.
Hunter's Moon is definitely a mixed bag. It's action packed and moves along at a brisk pace. There is plenty of action and adventure elements, with alien monsters and tense scenes where the characters must evade pursuit or detection.
The settings are well-realized, especially the moon where the bulk of the action takes place.
However, I was confused about the emphasis on very 1980s-inspired catsuits and big hair on the "aliens" (they read as quite human.) Combined with the author's habit of throwing a bunch of random Xs and Zs into names to make them sound "alien," this felt like lazy worldbuilding.
Another problem with this novel is the characterization. For instance, Rory allows himself to get goaded into gambling in an obviously rigged game. Rory is the most cautious, level-headed one of the trio, so it's out-of-character for him to fall for something like this.
There are also some very out-of-character comments from the Doctor, which I can see looking at the reviews have also rankled other readers. Namely, when the trio first arrives on Torodon - a "leisure planet" with casinos and such - the Doctor comments on how there's a lot of inequality and the Torodonians are really sexist, which is a shame, but they can't do anything about it, because they shouldn't interfere. And it's like?? Has Paul Finch watched an episode of Doctor Who before?? Because the Doctor has no problem loudly challenging regressive social mores, regardless of time period or location.
Another odd bit of characterization occurs later in the text - the author understands that the Doctor doesn't like or use guns, and makes a point of showing him state that emphatically (good.) Yet this is sharply undercut when
Hunter's Moon is uneven, as most of the New Series Adventures are, but I miss the Eleventh Doctor so much that I've pretty much committed to reading all the tie-ins from his era.
January 13, 2025
Why are all the women wearing ‘tight’ cat suits?
September 28, 2020
Average Doctor Who adventure featuring the Eleventh Doctor. I found many of the alien names annoyingly similar and as a result found it difficult to distinguish them from each other.
May 14, 2013
So a few weeks ago I went through the library catalogue and reserved every 11th Doctor book I could find as I was missing Amy and Rory. I started this one last night but shortly afterwards gave up. They land on this planet where the Doctor basically tells Amy that it's a totally sexist society but that they have to be ok with it and they can't complain but have to accept it as it is. WHAT? Um this from the Doctor who back in the 70s when they would land on the planet would say they needed a strong dose of women's lib! And telling this to Amy and having her be ok with that? I just lost all interest in the story at that point. It seemed like a poorly constructed world that shouldn't have had any interest for the Doctor. There are so many better books I have waiting to be read I don't think I'm going to bother with the rest of this one.
March 25, 2021
I wasn't very impressed with this Doctor Who novel. It was serviceable, but very forgettable. The story centers around a gambling/casino planet where high-rolling customers can enter into an actual manhunt on the moon's surface. They place bets and use whatever artillery/implants/other advantages they can to win. It's not an original idea, to be sure, and it feels that way. There's nothing new or exciting here. On top of that, the characters feel all wrong. The author failed to capture Amy, Rory AND the Doctor. Sure, he mentions a few of 11's mannerisms and tosses in a few "(this thing) is cool" lines, and "Geronimo", but it feels forced. Amy is completely flat, and Rory feels too 'take-charge' to be believable. The random humans that are tossed in are annoying until they do a 180 personality shift halfway through for no good reason and start becoming useful. Also, no time-frame is mentioned at the start of the novel, so I was struggling to figure out if this was future Earth, or contemporary Earth, as nothing was indicated to prove when or where the setting is. It wasn't until the stock humans were abducted by aliens and they were semi-terrified that I figured it must be around Amy and Rory's time- and I'm guessing it was England? That wasn't mentioned either.
Let's see: the good things.... well, it was a short and fast read. The chase scenes were interesting. Amy got to fly the Tardis... and the ending was a bit gorier than I'm used to a Doctor Who story being. So there's that, I suppose.
If you're looking for a good 11th Doctor story, this ain't it. If you're looking for something with decent action to pass the time... this still really isn't it.
Let's see: the good things.... well, it was a short and fast read. The chase scenes were interesting. Amy got to fly the Tardis... and the ending was a bit gorier than I'm used to a Doctor Who story being. So there's that, I suppose.
If you're looking for a good 11th Doctor story, this ain't it. If you're looking for something with decent action to pass the time... this still really isn't it.
November 7, 2025
The 150 Prompt Doctor Who Reading Challenge - The TARDIS - 2) (A)lien Worlds: Read A Book Set On Another Planet Or Featuring Alien Species.
Unfortunately, the 11th Doctor NSA tie in novels are wildly inconsistent and you get some really decent ones (like Borrowed Time) or you get some really dreadful ones, like this one.
The characters are not in character to the TV show, and I think Rory is the most egregious of them. Honestly if you hadn't told me that he was supposed to be Rory, I would never have guessed who he was. Not that the Doctor or Amy weren't out of character, it's just that Rory was the worst.
Other than that, the plot is crap. I don't have words for how bad it was, except that I never want to see this book again.
Unfortunately, the 11th Doctor NSA tie in novels are wildly inconsistent and you get some really decent ones (like Borrowed Time) or you get some really dreadful ones, like this one.
The characters are not in character to the TV show, and I think Rory is the most egregious of them. Honestly if you hadn't told me that he was supposed to be Rory, I would never have guessed who he was. Not that the Doctor or Amy weren't out of character, it's just that Rory was the worst.
Other than that, the plot is crap. I don't have words for how bad it was, except that I never want to see this book again.
July 18, 2013
Pas le meilleur Doctor Who de la collection Milady, loin de là.
L'histoire est bonne, on rencontre pas mal de personnages et on voyage beaucoup.
Par contre, les faits se déroulant dans un paysage de désolation , l'auteur doit écrire beaucoup de descriptions, et ce dès que nos héros arrivent dans un nouvel endroit. Ceci a tendance à ralentir l'action et ne nous aide de toute façon pas à bien nous représenter le paysage local, tant les détails fournis sont nombreux.
Je dois admettre que je n'avais pas vu venir le "coup de maître" final du Docteur pour se débarrasser du méchant. Par contre, l'autre effet de surprise de l'histoire - - aurait pu être tu jusqu'à la fin de l'histoire, car non seulement je l'ai vu venir tout-de-suite, mais en plus il n'est pas gardé secret. Dommage.
Sinon, pas grand chose à dire. Une Amy raide dingue du Docteur et un Rory aux fraises, ce qui est déjà enquiquinant dans la série mais, j'ai l'impression, est fréquemment poussé au maximum dans les livres. Re-dommage.
L'histoire est bonne, on rencontre pas mal de personnages et on voyage beaucoup.
Par contre, les faits se déroulant dans un paysage de désolation , l'auteur doit écrire beaucoup de descriptions, et ce dès que nos héros arrivent dans un nouvel endroit. Ceci a tendance à ralentir l'action et ne nous aide de toute façon pas à bien nous représenter le paysage local, tant les détails fournis sont nombreux.
Je dois admettre que je n'avais pas vu venir le "coup de maître" final du Docteur pour se débarrasser du méchant. Par contre, l'autre effet de surprise de l'histoire - - aurait pu être tu jusqu'à la fin de l'histoire, car non seulement je l'ai vu venir tout-de-suite, mais en plus il n'est pas gardé secret. Dommage.
Sinon, pas grand chose à dire. Une Amy raide dingue du Docteur et un Rory aux fraises, ce qui est déjà enquiquinant dans la série mais, j'ai l'impression, est fréquemment poussé au maximum dans les livres. Re-dommage.
June 3, 2011
(2.5 / 5)
This was a quick read, but brought to mind a rather odd Return of the Jedi / The Running Man / The Hunger Games mash-up, where Amy is stuck working as a captive waitress on a ship while Rory fights for his life on a planet below as the prey to game hunters.
One major thing that niggled me was *spoiler alert* how the author approached the character of Rory. Rory Williams tends to be the voice of reason on The Doctor's adventures, the guy who says 'should we be doing this?'. However, here he seems to think it's perfectly fine to use the TARDIS as collateral in a game of alien poker. Sure, it sets up the whole storyline - but come on, Rory gambling away The Doctor's spaceship without a second thought just because he thinks he's on a roll? It just doesn't make sense with the character we see in the series. Early Rose might have been that silly, but not Rory.
This was a quick read, but brought to mind a rather odd Return of the Jedi / The Running Man / The Hunger Games mash-up, where Amy is stuck working as a captive waitress on a ship while Rory fights for his life on a planet below as the prey to game hunters.
One major thing that niggled me was *spoiler alert* how the author approached the character of Rory. Rory Williams tends to be the voice of reason on The Doctor's adventures, the guy who says 'should we be doing this?'. However, here he seems to think it's perfectly fine to use the TARDIS as collateral in a game of alien poker. Sure, it sets up the whole storyline - but come on, Rory gambling away The Doctor's spaceship without a second thought just because he thinks he's on a roll? It just doesn't make sense with the character we see in the series. Early Rose might have been that silly, but not Rory.
November 8, 2014
Unfortunately I didn't care for this story. It seemed out of character for The Doctor to want to join a hunting party even though he was trying to save Rory. The names given to the individuals of the alien race on this planet were hard to follow. I found myself mixing up almost all of them. Amy seemed a little to submissive. Usually she has a firecracker of a personality and that didn't really come thorough. This is the first Doctor Who book I have read. I have read some Doctor Who short stories and liked those. 11, Amy, and Rory are my favorites so I figured to try this book. But I would say skip it if you had the choice
November 14, 2014
I'm a big fan of Dr. Who, and I tend to enjoy tie in novels for various shows, movies, etc. That said, this one didn't do a lot for me. Everyone seemed out of character, especially Rory. It's like he suddenly decided he had something to prove, and then did it badly.
This could have been about any generic sci fi novel. There was nothing in it that really felt like Dr. Who to me. It felt a bit like one of those episodes of a tv show everyone later calls "filler."
It wasn't a bad story, but it really wasn't a great one. I'd really only recommend it to the most die-hard Whovians or completists.
This could have been about any generic sci fi novel. There was nothing in it that really felt like Dr. Who to me. It felt a bit like one of those episodes of a tv show everyone later calls "filler."
It wasn't a bad story, but it really wasn't a great one. I'd really only recommend it to the most die-hard Whovians or completists.
August 1, 2011
*dies*
DW meets The Most Dangerous Game, in which none of the characters act anything like themselves!
DW meets The Most Dangerous Game, in which none of the characters act anything like themselves!
May 31, 2016
Didn't really like this one
March 6, 2023
Paul Finch is another British writer with prior credits in the extended media of Doctor Who. His main form of contributions come in the form of his Big Finish work but the book of focus serves as his first fully written publication for the franchise. Hunter’s Moon was published back in 2011 as part of the New Series Adventures line and is based on the escapades of the 11th Doctor and his companions at the time; Amy Pond and Rory Williams.
The narrative of Hunter’s Moon follows The Doctor and the Ponds as they arrive on Leisure Platform 9 in the Outer Rims of the galaxy. On LP9 organized crime and politics run hand-in-hand and if you’re not careful where you step you may end up on the wrong end of Xorg Krauzzen and his gang. Unfortunately for Rory this is exactly what happens as he ends up getting kidnapped after a gambling game gone bad. The Doctor and Amy soon find out Rory and many other unsuspecting captives are being taken to the ruined moon of Gorgoror as part of a sickening game in which Krauzzen’s clients pay to hunt them. Going undercover, both the Doctor and Amy take on their own separate missions to infiltrate this crime syndicate and save Rory and the others before it’s too late.
The narrative scope of this book is brilliantly constructed on most fronts. I really dug how much of a balance Finch was able to do with delivering key exposition in a digestible manner while also keeping the stakes building up throughout the books 257 page count. This gritty and depressing future the TARDIS crew are a part of feels really well defined and paints a very compelling backdrop to what makes this tense story work so effectively. The characters Finch included into the story all have necessary weight too though I would argue not all of them feel appropriately characterized. In fact, this is probably my only issue with the story in that I can’t help but feel there’s an uncomfortable sense of misogyny layered within this story. The female cast of this story all end up being sexualized or diminished with some negative concepts in some way or form. It’s a shame Finch wasn’t able to build a story which utilizes them in a much stronger fashion because it ends up staining the books quality somewhat for me.
On a pacing and tone front I feel this book does a little bit of time to get going, especially with it’s extended word count compared to prior books in the series I’ve read. When the set-up is done with though and the actual dilemma begins to unfold it was hard to put this book down with how much momentum it’s able to roll with right to the end. As far as tone goes again it’s a case in which the maturity ends up feeling hindered when it displays clear moments of immaturity. There’s moments where the book can deal with mature elements which probably wouldn’t be able to work on a TV format, but when it’s accompanied with clearly sexist undertones all it ends up doing is making it feel very uneven on a tonal level.
Despite a clear misfire in terms of female writing, the rest of Hunter’s Moon does offer a substantially enjoyable adventure to get lost in. Paul Finch is quite adept at constructing a compelling enough narrative to jump into for the Doctor and their companions. It’s a darker and more distinct adventure which does utilize it’s written format to explore a lot more layered adventure for the most part.
The narrative of Hunter’s Moon follows The Doctor and the Ponds as they arrive on Leisure Platform 9 in the Outer Rims of the galaxy. On LP9 organized crime and politics run hand-in-hand and if you’re not careful where you step you may end up on the wrong end of Xorg Krauzzen and his gang. Unfortunately for Rory this is exactly what happens as he ends up getting kidnapped after a gambling game gone bad. The Doctor and Amy soon find out Rory and many other unsuspecting captives are being taken to the ruined moon of Gorgoror as part of a sickening game in which Krauzzen’s clients pay to hunt them. Going undercover, both the Doctor and Amy take on their own separate missions to infiltrate this crime syndicate and save Rory and the others before it’s too late.
The narrative scope of this book is brilliantly constructed on most fronts. I really dug how much of a balance Finch was able to do with delivering key exposition in a digestible manner while also keeping the stakes building up throughout the books 257 page count. This gritty and depressing future the TARDIS crew are a part of feels really well defined and paints a very compelling backdrop to what makes this tense story work so effectively. The characters Finch included into the story all have necessary weight too though I would argue not all of them feel appropriately characterized. In fact, this is probably my only issue with the story in that I can’t help but feel there’s an uncomfortable sense of misogyny layered within this story. The female cast of this story all end up being sexualized or diminished with some negative concepts in some way or form. It’s a shame Finch wasn’t able to build a story which utilizes them in a much stronger fashion because it ends up staining the books quality somewhat for me.
On a pacing and tone front I feel this book does a little bit of time to get going, especially with it’s extended word count compared to prior books in the series I’ve read. When the set-up is done with though and the actual dilemma begins to unfold it was hard to put this book down with how much momentum it’s able to roll with right to the end. As far as tone goes again it’s a case in which the maturity ends up feeling hindered when it displays clear moments of immaturity. There’s moments where the book can deal with mature elements which probably wouldn’t be able to work on a TV format, but when it’s accompanied with clearly sexist undertones all it ends up doing is making it feel very uneven on a tonal level.
Despite a clear misfire in terms of female writing, the rest of Hunter’s Moon does offer a substantially enjoyable adventure to get lost in. Paul Finch is quite adept at constructing a compelling enough narrative to jump into for the Doctor and their companions. It’s a darker and more distinct adventure which does utilize it’s written format to explore a lot more layered adventure for the most part.
September 12, 2020
An original adventure featuring the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) and his companions Amy and Rory.
Whilst visiting a leisure platform, Rory gets into a gambling competition that sees him captured by gangsters. Trying to save her husband, Amy stows away on the gangsters' ship but is soon captured and forced to work as a serving girl. This leaves the Doctor to try to find, follow and rescue his companions by joining a cadre of immoral and merciless sport hunters.
The short story 'The Most Dangerous Game' in which sport hunters hunt other people was published in 1924 and since then pretty much every franchise has got around to using (stealing?) the idea ever since. In fact, it's the set up for another Doctor Who novel, featuring the Tenth Doctor, the awful Simon Messingham book 'The Doctor Trap'.
What this means is that this book is one big cliche right from the word go and, honestly, it never grows beyond that.
It's not that this is a bad book, in fact it's quite compellingly written and well paced, but everything about it feels so familiar and unoriginal that's its impossible to appreciate its good points.
Added to this are some very off-kilter characterisations of Rory and Amy (do we really see thoughtful, careful Rory betting the TARDIS or Amy being totally okay with being forced to wear a skintight catsuit and work as a drudge?) and it leaves the book feeling massively underwhelming.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *
Whilst visiting a leisure platform, Rory gets into a gambling competition that sees him captured by gangsters. Trying to save her husband, Amy stows away on the gangsters' ship but is soon captured and forced to work as a serving girl. This leaves the Doctor to try to find, follow and rescue his companions by joining a cadre of immoral and merciless sport hunters.
The short story 'The Most Dangerous Game' in which sport hunters hunt other people was published in 1924 and since then pretty much every franchise has got around to using (stealing?) the idea ever since. In fact, it's the set up for another Doctor Who novel, featuring the Tenth Doctor, the awful Simon Messingham book 'The Doctor Trap'.
What this means is that this book is one big cliche right from the word go and, honestly, it never grows beyond that.
It's not that this is a bad book, in fact it's quite compellingly written and well paced, but everything about it feels so familiar and unoriginal that's its impossible to appreciate its good points.
Added to this are some very off-kilter characterisations of Rory and Amy (do we really see thoughtful, careful Rory betting the TARDIS or Amy being totally okay with being forced to wear a skintight catsuit and work as a drudge?) and it leaves the book feeling massively underwhelming.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *
August 11, 2021
If a companion's job is to Get into trouble Rory Williams must be employee of the month. The main driver of the plot of Hunter's Moon is Rory playing a loaded game of space craps and losing. Things to downhill for a while as space gangsters capture Rory, Amy and the Tardis. Meanwhile, the Doctor must go undercover as a big game hunter to track down his friends and the Tardis.
The short chapters help speed the pace of the plot. The action builds quickly as Rory and his fellow captives run for their lives in an abandoned labor camp\ toxic waste dump stocked with alien predators. Not only do Rory and the others have to avoid fearsome beasts, but also a hunting party of spoiled rich aliens.
While Rory is running for his life, Amy is on the hunt for the Tardis. Amy does a good job of outwitting her captors and getting back the Tardis. The Doctor meanwhile gets to showcase his cunning by tricking his "fellow" hunters and rescuing the captives. Rory also redeems himself by helping the other captives survive and right back.
This is definitely a fast paced action packed adventure that I enjoyed reading.
The short chapters help speed the pace of the plot. The action builds quickly as Rory and his fellow captives run for their lives in an abandoned labor camp\ toxic waste dump stocked with alien predators. Not only do Rory and the others have to avoid fearsome beasts, but also a hunting party of spoiled rich aliens.
While Rory is running for his life, Amy is on the hunt for the Tardis. Amy does a good job of outwitting her captors and getting back the Tardis. The Doctor meanwhile gets to showcase his cunning by tricking his "fellow" hunters and rescuing the captives. Rory also redeems himself by helping the other captives survive and right back.
This is definitely a fast paced action packed adventure that I enjoyed reading.
October 12, 2021
Rating: 2.5 stars
There’s so much to unpack about this book. The author’s misogyny & bigotry is impossible to ignore & I just can’t believe it was published in this form; the basic plot was okay, & it could’ve been great, but the execution was near-on painful. Discriminatory language & offensive descriptions are dotted throughout & women are quite clearly seen as objects, not just by the alien race featured in the book, but also by the writer himself. The concept of trafficking was one I was excited for — a great way to raise awareness & to teach people the horrors the industry — but the second a Romanian smuggling victim named Andrei appeared it was clear that the author had no intentions of telling this story in a respectful way. My first literary adventure with the Ponds & it was a total disaster.
Unimaginative storytelling, names full of Xs, Zs & repetitive lettering, casual sexualisation of women on almost every page & inclusion of offensive stereotypes of samurai culture ruined what could’ve been an exciting & tense story, if only it had been written by one of the fantastic DW novelists that this fandom have been blessed with… instead we get this guy who, from what I can see online, only got a gig with DW because of family connections. Eeesh.
There’s so much to unpack about this book. The author’s misogyny & bigotry is impossible to ignore & I just can’t believe it was published in this form; the basic plot was okay, & it could’ve been great, but the execution was near-on painful. Discriminatory language & offensive descriptions are dotted throughout & women are quite clearly seen as objects, not just by the alien race featured in the book, but also by the writer himself. The concept of trafficking was one I was excited for — a great way to raise awareness & to teach people the horrors the industry — but the second a Romanian smuggling victim named Andrei appeared it was clear that the author had no intentions of telling this story in a respectful way. My first literary adventure with the Ponds & it was a total disaster.
Unimaginative storytelling, names full of Xs, Zs & repetitive lettering, casual sexualisation of women on almost every page & inclusion of offensive stereotypes of samurai culture ruined what could’ve been an exciting & tense story, if only it had been written by one of the fantastic DW novelists that this fandom have been blessed with… instead we get this guy who, from what I can see online, only got a gig with DW because of family connections. Eeesh.
August 29, 2018
Ever since I first heard this story (yes, HEARD - check out Arthur Darvill's audio-book, it's amazing!), it's been in my top five Doctor Who novels. It's phenomenal.
The story if kind of a mix of The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner and Incarceron. It's one of the few novels that I feel like got all three main characters spot-on.
While some people claim that they couldn't view the Eleventh Doctor as a suave hunter, but one of the things that always made this version of the Doctor so terrifying was that he came across as a five-year-old until you made him mad. Then he was calculating and cold. Considering that the Doctor was angry long before he boarded the Ellipsis, I don't find it difficult to believe him coming across as a playboy hunter. Plus, several of the Torodons mention that they can't take him seriously.
Anyways, this is one of the most terrifying Doctor Who novels. I say that as a positive. I may be biased, but this is definitely one of the best Doctor Who stories!
The story if kind of a mix of The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner and Incarceron. It's one of the few novels that I feel like got all three main characters spot-on.
While some people claim that they couldn't view the Eleventh Doctor as a suave hunter, but one of the things that always made this version of the Doctor so terrifying was that he came across as a five-year-old until you made him mad. Then he was calculating and cold. Considering that the Doctor was angry long before he boarded the Ellipsis, I don't find it difficult to believe him coming across as a playboy hunter. Plus, several of the Torodons mention that they can't take him seriously.
Anyways, this is one of the most terrifying Doctor Who novels. I say that as a positive. I may be biased, but this is definitely one of the best Doctor Who stories!
May 18, 2023
There’s something so comforting about a doctor who book! Especially in one of my favourite regenerations which is the 11th Doc. And with Amy and Rory, these stories hold so much nostalgia for me! Always love joining an adventure with The Bow Tie and Chin.
And this one was an epic adventure, that almost had hunger games vibes. Poor Rory (as usual) has a lot to contend with and finds himself unceremoniously dumped on a wasteland planet, hunted by very rich aliens who see murder as a sport.
The doctor must masquerade as a hunter, and Amy as the key to all, if only she can get there in time….
Great story, my favourite characters and all the drama and excitement of a Doctor Who episode!
And this one was an epic adventure, that almost had hunger games vibes. Poor Rory (as usual) has a lot to contend with and finds himself unceremoniously dumped on a wasteland planet, hunted by very rich aliens who see murder as a sport.
The doctor must masquerade as a hunter, and Amy as the key to all, if only she can get there in time….
Great story, my favourite characters and all the drama and excitement of a Doctor Who episode!
January 3, 2021
While an interesting premise and some great actions scenes, the characterisation is wildly off. The Eleventh Doctor, usually a likeable childlike character seems dark and sarcastic and very much unlike him. Rory also falls into this trap becoming far more action hero than devoted and loveable husband that he is in the show.
Still, the story is clever and leads to some very interesting plot twists, but does end rather flat. This is the Hunger Games if the Hunger Games had aliens and gangsters involved.
Still, the story is clever and leads to some very interesting plot twists, but does end rather flat. This is the Hunger Games if the Hunger Games had aliens and gangsters involved.
December 23, 2017
Reading other reviews this book seems to have divided people ..for my part I quite liked..the premise of game hunting humans isn't knew in fiction as a whole but it's probably the first time I have read it within a Dr Who tie in book so I'm guessing it was about time this plot appeared and in fairness the narrative itself wasn't bad.
In fact in some ways this is maybe one of the better of the recent crop of Doctor Who books I have read...a quick read and pretty action packed.
In fact in some ways this is maybe one of the better of the recent crop of Doctor Who books I have read...a quick read and pretty action packed.
May 4, 2023
The second book of the series in which hunters target the occupants of the TARDIS (the Doctor Trap being the first). Okay, there are quite a few differences this time, but I couldn't help but feel we'd done this before.
That being said, this was an enjoyable space adventure with Rory being able to take the lead role for a good chunk of the story. There was also a family drama with that I wasn't entirely convinced needed to be there.
That being said, this was an enjoyable space adventure with Rory being able to take the lead role for a good chunk of the story. There was also a family drama with that I wasn't entirely convinced needed to be there.
October 27, 2024
I chose this in audiobook because Arthur Darvill, who played Rory was the narrator. He was the best part of this book. He does a fantastic job narrating all the voices- the doctor you’d hardly believe it wasn’t Matt Smith doing that narration. The storyline was good .Rory ( and Amy) gets into some trouble and the Doctor is not far behind trying to save them and others from certain death.
February 1, 2019
Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor was never MY Doctor but I must admit, I'm loving the Eleventh Doctor novels. Hunter's Moon is a fabulous tale with shades of The Running Man which is one of my favourite films of the 80's.
Just brilliant.
Just brilliant.
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