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Doctor Who: New Series Adventures #46
Doctor Who: Touched By An Angel
"The past is like a foreign country. Nice to visit, but you really wouldn’t want to live there."
In 2003, Rebecca Whitaker died in a road accident. Her husband Mark is still grieving. He receives a battered envelope, posted eight years ago, containing a set of instructions with a simple message: "You can save her."
As Mark is given the chance to save Rebecca, it’s up to the Doctor, Amy and Rory to save the whole world. Because this time the Weeping Angels are using Mark himself as a weapon to change history. Will the doctor stop mark or will the angels feast?
In 2003, Rebecca Whitaker died in a road accident. Her husband Mark is still grieving. He receives a battered envelope, posted eight years ago, containing a set of instructions with a simple message: "You can save her."
As Mark is given the chance to save Rebecca, it’s up to the Doctor, Amy and Rory to save the whole world. Because this time the Weeping Angels are using Mark himself as a weapon to change history. Will the doctor stop mark or will the angels feast?
237 pages, Hardcover
First published June 23, 2011
115 people are currently reading
3903 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Morris
215 books70 followersJonathan Morris is one of the most prolific and popular writers of Doctor Who books, including the highly-regarded novels 'Festival of Death' and 'Touched by an Angel' and the recent guide to monsters, 'The Monster Vault'. He has also written numerous comic strips, most of which were collected in 'The Child of Time', and audios for BBC Audio and Big Finish, including the highly-regarded comedies 'Max Warp' and 'The Auntie Matter', as well as the adaptation of Russell T Davies’ 'Damaged Goods'.
Recently he has started his own audio production company, Average Romp. Releases include a full-cast adaptation of Charles Dickens' The Chimes', an original play, 'When Michael Met Benny', and three episodes of a SF sitcom, 'Dick Dixon in the 21st Century'.
For details visit www.averageromp.com
He also originated his own series, Vienna and script-edited the Nigel Planer series 'Jeremiah Bourne in Time'. He’s also written documentaries and for TV sketch shows.
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Recently he has started his own audio production company, Average Romp. Releases include a full-cast adaptation of Charles Dickens' The Chimes', an original play, 'When Michael Met Benny', and three episodes of a SF sitcom, 'Dick Dixon in the 21st Century'.
For details visit www.averageromp.com
He also originated his own series, Vienna and script-edited the Nigel Planer series 'Jeremiah Bourne in Time'. He’s also written documentaries and for TV sketch shows.
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 406 reviews
September 1, 2014
Eight years after his wife's death, Mark Whitaker receives a letter from his future self, giving him instructions on how to save her. But why are the Weeping Angels following Mark? And can The Doctor, with Rory and Amy in tow, stop the Weeping Angels from rewriting history? Of course he can! He's the Doctor...
I got this from Netgalley.
I have a few Doctor Who tie-in novels under my belt at this stage in the game and few of them really manage to capture the feel of a Doctor Who episode. Touched By An Angel could have easily been a fifth or sixth series Doctor Who Adventure.
The plot looks pretty simple on the surface. Mark gets a letter for himself and tries to stop his wife from being killed in a car accident. However, Touched By An Angel uses a lot of timey-wimey stuff and has more twists and curves than a Moebius strip.
The Doctor, Amy, and Rory are well-written and true to their episodic incarnations. Mark Whitaker is the character that sets this Doctor Who novel head and shoulders above most of the others. If you had a chance to undo the untimely death of the love of your life, wouldn't you do it?
Once Mark finds himself in the past, the plot really starts twisting in on itself. The Weeping Angel's plot makes a lot of sense, as does the actions future Mark, the Doctor, Amy, and the Rories(?) take in order to make sure history doesn't get rewritten and empower the Weeping Angels. Mark's final fate is right in line with some of the more poignant Doctor Who endings.
That's about all I can say without spoiling too much. If you're looking for an Eleventh Doctor novel, this is the best one I've run across so far. Four out of five stars.
I got this from Netgalley.
I have a few Doctor Who tie-in novels under my belt at this stage in the game and few of them really manage to capture the feel of a Doctor Who episode. Touched By An Angel could have easily been a fifth or sixth series Doctor Who Adventure.
The plot looks pretty simple on the surface. Mark gets a letter for himself and tries to stop his wife from being killed in a car accident. However, Touched By An Angel uses a lot of timey-wimey stuff and has more twists and curves than a Moebius strip.
The Doctor, Amy, and Rory are well-written and true to their episodic incarnations. Mark Whitaker is the character that sets this Doctor Who novel head and shoulders above most of the others. If you had a chance to undo the untimely death of the love of your life, wouldn't you do it?
Once Mark finds himself in the past, the plot really starts twisting in on itself. The Weeping Angel's plot makes a lot of sense, as does the actions future Mark, the Doctor, Amy, and the Rories(?) take in order to make sure history doesn't get rewritten and empower the Weeping Angels. Mark's final fate is right in line with some of the more poignant Doctor Who endings.
That's about all I can say without spoiling too much. If you're looking for an Eleventh Doctor novel, this is the best one I've run across so far. Four out of five stars.
January 6, 2018
Rating: 4* of five
I still don't know who sent this book to me, but whoever you are, thanks.
I was gutted by the events on p223, really gutted; I remembered the event on p158 though and suddenly I got it, I understood what this book was about: Grieving, the process of losing your life when someone you're in love with dies and/or leaves you behind. The processes that take years to work themselves out, the lost time of happiness forfeited and the cruel hand of time stamping you with the stigmata of all that loss, which is to say aging.
It's a middle-grade book, and I'm quite impressed that these concepts are presented without either overexplaining or underplaying them and their importance to growing up. It's a book I'd give, as my friend Dan Schwent said, to a newbie to the Whoverse and let them get the lie of the land. (That wordplay will make sense after you've watched the tenth season of Doctor Who, I promise.) A worthy way to spend a few hours. I'm still scared of the Weeping Angels as I am not scared of the Daleks or the Cybermen...silly things...but the Angels scare me because they steal your life, not take it from you, and that difference is deeply unsettling.
One touch from a Weeping Angel and you're not dead. You're gone. Where? When? No way to know until you get there. The past is the one certainty, you're in the past, but what does that mean?
Think about it.
You've never lived. You know no one. The tech is low, lower, lowest, and you have no idea how or why you got there or what to do, how to live or make a living, maybe not even understand the language. And all so some creature can have dinner, which of course you never know but just suffer for it. Weeping Angels = great white sharks of time. So yeah, they scare me. This book makes me appreciate the Doctor's role as a real doctor more than I did before.
Go on, push the boat out, get yourself a Happy 2018 treat! Or else wake up in 1993, dazed and confused.
I still don't know who sent this book to me, but whoever you are, thanks.
I was gutted by the events on p223, really gutted; I remembered the event on p158 though and suddenly I got it, I understood what this book was about: Grieving, the process of losing your life when someone you're in love with dies and/or leaves you behind. The processes that take years to work themselves out, the lost time of happiness forfeited and the cruel hand of time stamping you with the stigmata of all that loss, which is to say aging.
It's a middle-grade book, and I'm quite impressed that these concepts are presented without either overexplaining or underplaying them and their importance to growing up. It's a book I'd give, as my friend Dan Schwent said, to a newbie to the Whoverse and let them get the lie of the land. (That wordplay will make sense after you've watched the tenth season of Doctor Who, I promise.) A worthy way to spend a few hours. I'm still scared of the Weeping Angels as I am not scared of the Daleks or the Cybermen...silly things...but the Angels scare me because they steal your life, not take it from you, and that difference is deeply unsettling.
One touch from a Weeping Angel and you're not dead. You're gone. Where? When? No way to know until you get there. The past is the one certainty, you're in the past, but what does that mean?
Think about it.
You've never lived. You know no one. The tech is low, lower, lowest, and you have no idea how or why you got there or what to do, how to live or make a living, maybe not even understand the language. And all so some creature can have dinner, which of course you never know but just suffer for it. Weeping Angels = great white sharks of time. So yeah, they scare me. This book makes me appreciate the Doctor's role as a real doctor more than I did before.
Go on, push the boat out, get yourself a Happy 2018 treat! Or else wake up in 1993, dazed and confused.
August 19, 2021
Actual rating is 4.5 stars.
This is a book based on the television series. This one has The Eleventh Doctor with Amy and Rory as his companions. In this one, Mark is touched by one of the Weeping Angels and is sent back in time. While there he plans on changing events which could have catastrophic effects on the planet. Our heroes step in.
I have read plenty of these novels based in this universe and this one is easily in my top five. First off we have the Weeping Angels which is basically one of every fan's favorite antagonist. I loved the idea of using what they do to a character for a "benefit". We have all seen this before whether it is Back to the Future or various time travel stories. It does not end well. The thing that separates this story from others is that it isn't done for greed but from love. The reader gets the character's motivations and understands them as we would probably do the same if we were in the same situation. I really identified with Mark. With media tie-in novels I hope that the established characters are portrayed correctly. I had no problem with them in this book although I did wish Amy had more of a role. The interactions between The Doctor and Rory made me giggle. The timey-wimey aspect was done perfectly in this book. The only flaw was the epilogue was a little too convenient which lowered my rating from the five stars but that happens in this universe.
I did not expect a Doctor Who book to give me the "feels" but this one does. It isn't the most action orientated novel as it is more of a thinking adventure. The plot, the motivations and the characters were terrific. This would have been an amazing episode of the series featuring one of the most iconic antagonists from the series.
This is a book based on the television series. This one has The Eleventh Doctor with Amy and Rory as his companions. In this one, Mark is touched by one of the Weeping Angels and is sent back in time. While there he plans on changing events which could have catastrophic effects on the planet. Our heroes step in.
I have read plenty of these novels based in this universe and this one is easily in my top five. First off we have the Weeping Angels which is basically one of every fan's favorite antagonist. I loved the idea of using what they do to a character for a "benefit". We have all seen this before whether it is Back to the Future or various time travel stories. It does not end well. The thing that separates this story from others is that it isn't done for greed but from love. The reader gets the character's motivations and understands them as we would probably do the same if we were in the same situation. I really identified with Mark. With media tie-in novels I hope that the established characters are portrayed correctly. I had no problem with them in this book although I did wish Amy had more of a role. The interactions between The Doctor and Rory made me giggle. The timey-wimey aspect was done perfectly in this book. The only flaw was the epilogue was a little too convenient which lowered my rating from the five stars but that happens in this universe.
I did not expect a Doctor Who book to give me the "feels" but this one does. It isn't the most action orientated novel as it is more of a thinking adventure. The plot, the motivations and the characters were terrific. This would have been an amazing episode of the series featuring one of the most iconic antagonists from the series.
October 16, 2018
Still grieving for he’s wife Rebecca, Who was killed in a car accident. Mark Whitaker has the opportunity to save her after being sent back in time by the Weeping Angel.
The Doctor, Amy and Rory must track him down and try to stop him before he creates a paradox.
A really great Timey-Wimey adventure with the Angles used to great effect.
The scenes set in the 90’s perfectly captures that era, I liked how Older Mark was able to pushed together Rebecca and he’s younger self during their time at university.
The story really flows and help tacks the subject of grief. This is one of the most enjoyable NSA’s.
The Doctor, Amy and Rory must track him down and try to stop him before he creates a paradox.
A really great Timey-Wimey adventure with the Angles used to great effect.
The scenes set in the 90’s perfectly captures that era, I liked how Older Mark was able to pushed together Rebecca and he’s younger self during their time at university.
The story really flows and help tacks the subject of grief. This is one of the most enjoyable NSA’s.
November 8, 2023
“Life's too short to be miserable, basically. If you can be happy, then be happy.”
November 6, 2015
The Weeping Angels are one of my favorite Doctor Who villains. This story features the 11th Doctor, Amy, and Rory, as they try to help a man named Mark who has been sent back in time by the Weeping Angels. The danger in his case is that he was sent back only 17 years within his own lifetime and he could potentially cause a paradox by changing history. The book does a wonderful job of capturing the personality of the 11th incarnation of the Doctor and his two traveling companions. The story was exciting and entertaining and I really enjoyed the audio version and the narrator's portrayal of the characters. I highly recommend this book to Doctor Who fans and anyone with a love of scifi and time travel.
July 1, 2011
I know the Doctor Who books these days are aimed at a younger audience. This is right and proper. And they're *good* books. I'd gnaw off my own leg for the chance to write one. But I must admit, as a 39 year-old *reader*, a tiny part of me misses the days of Virgin's New Adventures and the better BBC Books, when they were aimed at adults.
In some ways Jonny's book feels very adult focused - with it's seemingly endless list of 90s pop culture references - there's even an Echobelly gag, oddly the second book I've read in a row to rag on Sonya's gang - but it's also got a good, solid, fun, modern, child-friendly Doctor Who story running through it, with plenty of nasty Weeping Angel action and a timey-wimey plot that Steven Moffat would be proud of.
It perfectly hits that 'intelligent 13 year-old' sweet spot that Robert Holmes used to bang on about, not by being scarier than a 7 year-old could handle, or cramming the book with sex and violence in the mistaken belief that this makes it more grown-up (yes, Season One of Torchwood, I'm looking at you - and a fair few New Adventures, too!), but instead by dealing with deeply felt adult emotions, tragedy, love, loss, heartbreak and regret, in a way that children will understand and adults will find surprisingly affecting.
One of the best original Doctor Who books I've ever read, and I've read, oh, LOADS.
In some ways Jonny's book feels very adult focused - with it's seemingly endless list of 90s pop culture references - there's even an Echobelly gag, oddly the second book I've read in a row to rag on Sonya's gang - but it's also got a good, solid, fun, modern, child-friendly Doctor Who story running through it, with plenty of nasty Weeping Angel action and a timey-wimey plot that Steven Moffat would be proud of.
It perfectly hits that 'intelligent 13 year-old' sweet spot that Robert Holmes used to bang on about, not by being scarier than a 7 year-old could handle, or cramming the book with sex and violence in the mistaken belief that this makes it more grown-up (yes, Season One of Torchwood, I'm looking at you - and a fair few New Adventures, too!), but instead by dealing with deeply felt adult emotions, tragedy, love, loss, heartbreak and regret, in a way that children will understand and adults will find surprisingly affecting.
One of the best original Doctor Who books I've ever read, and I've read, oh, LOADS.
December 1, 2014
"Life's too short to be miserable, basically. If you can be happy, then BE happy."
This book was amazing for all sorts of reasons. First and foremost, it featured the Weeping Angels which are, in my opinion, one of the best and most terrifying Doctor Who baddies. It can't be easy to write a story where the enemy only moves when you aren't looking at it, but Jonathan Morris did a splendid job with the writing and building all sorts of tension and scares. Secondly, there was a ton of wonderful banter between the Doctor, Amy, and Rory, which just made the story all the more enjoyable for me, because I love the relationship the three of them share. Lastly, this was a book that was primarily all about time travel and the effects that time travel can take on a person's lifetime. There is surprisingly not as many stories as you would think that involve this theme (for it being a series about time travel) so when they come along I really enjoy them. There was plenty of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey occurances that made me very happy indeed. ;)
So all in all, this was a fantastic book that is a sure hit for any and every Whovian!
This book was amazing for all sorts of reasons. First and foremost, it featured the Weeping Angels which are, in my opinion, one of the best and most terrifying Doctor Who baddies. It can't be easy to write a story where the enemy only moves when you aren't looking at it, but Jonathan Morris did a splendid job with the writing and building all sorts of tension and scares. Secondly, there was a ton of wonderful banter between the Doctor, Amy, and Rory, which just made the story all the more enjoyable for me, because I love the relationship the three of them share. Lastly, this was a book that was primarily all about time travel and the effects that time travel can take on a person's lifetime. There is surprisingly not as many stories as you would think that involve this theme (for it being a series about time travel) so when they come along I really enjoy them. There was plenty of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey occurances that made me very happy indeed. ;)
So all in all, this was a fantastic book that is a sure hit for any and every Whovian!
November 24, 2021
Esta es la segunda novela canónica que leo en español de Doctor Who y la quinta si cuento también las que he leído en inglés y digamos que se encuentra en un punto medio si hiciera un ranking de todas. Es curioso porque, según tengo entendido, es una de las novelas de Doctor Who con más éxito y mayor fama, por lo menos entre los lectores anglosajones, pero a mí me ha faltado un algo. Disfruté más de Prisionero de los Dalek.
Lo cual no quiere decir que no me haya gustado. Tiene varios puntos a favor.
El argumento de la historia es sólido y tiene mucho sentido con todo lo que sabemos por la serie de televisión. Viajar en el tiempo es complicado y algo con lo que hay que tener mucho cuidado, y en esta historia se tratan bien esos dos puntos y se exponen las consecuencias de no hacer las cosas bien. Claro que no siempre es posible hacer las cosas bien cuando te persiguen unas estatuas de piedra con forma de ángeles que se ciernen más y más sobre ti cada vez que parpadeas.
Creo que la angustia que suele impregnar los capítulos en los que aparecen los ángeles llorosos se ha reflejado muy bien en el libro. Y eso ha estado entremezclado con una importante lección sobre la pérdida, el luto y la aceptación que me ha parecido bien llevada.
¿Qué ha sido entonces lo que ha hecho que disfrute el libro menos de lo que esperaba?
Por un lado, creo que el Doctor de Matt Smith no acaba de estar bien caracterizado del todo, así como Amy, que ha tenido muy pocas intervenciones para mi gusto. Rory, por otro lado, me ha parecido que sí está muy bien conseguido y también la mayoría de sus interacciones con el Doctor.
A lo mejor parte del problema es que he leído el libro en castellano y hay muchas expresiones que me han sonado raras en boca del Doctor. Siempre he visto Doctor Who en inglés y puede que eso influya, pero no sé si se debe solo a eso, porque con los cómics en español del Señor del Tiempo no he tenido ese problema.
Para acabar, la edición necesita un repasito. No hay separación física entre escenas y te encontrabas que de una frase a la siguiente estaba hablando un personaje diferente que se encontraba en otro lugar (y tiempo) y no te enterabas hasta pasadas un par de frases muy desconcertantes. Era bastante frustrante sobre todo en varios momentos en los que cambiaban de escena cada par de párrafos para mostrarte algo desde diferentes perspectivas y no sabías nunca qué frase estaba iniciando una escena diferente de la anterior. Por lo menos habría que marcarlo con un espacio entre párrafos, creo yo.
Lo cual no quiere decir que no me haya gustado. Tiene varios puntos a favor.
El argumento de la historia es sólido y tiene mucho sentido con todo lo que sabemos por la serie de televisión. Viajar en el tiempo es complicado y algo con lo que hay que tener mucho cuidado, y en esta historia se tratan bien esos dos puntos y se exponen las consecuencias de no hacer las cosas bien. Claro que no siempre es posible hacer las cosas bien cuando te persiguen unas estatuas de piedra con forma de ángeles que se ciernen más y más sobre ti cada vez que parpadeas.
Creo que la angustia que suele impregnar los capítulos en los que aparecen los ángeles llorosos se ha reflejado muy bien en el libro. Y eso ha estado entremezclado con una importante lección sobre la pérdida, el luto y la aceptación que me ha parecido bien llevada.
¿Qué ha sido entonces lo que ha hecho que disfrute el libro menos de lo que esperaba?
Por un lado, creo que el Doctor de Matt Smith no acaba de estar bien caracterizado del todo, así como Amy, que ha tenido muy pocas intervenciones para mi gusto. Rory, por otro lado, me ha parecido que sí está muy bien conseguido y también la mayoría de sus interacciones con el Doctor.
A lo mejor parte del problema es que he leído el libro en castellano y hay muchas expresiones que me han sonado raras en boca del Doctor. Siempre he visto Doctor Who en inglés y puede que eso influya, pero no sé si se debe solo a eso, porque con los cómics en español del Señor del Tiempo no he tenido ese problema.
Para acabar, la edición necesita un repasito. No hay separación física entre escenas y te encontrabas que de una frase a la siguiente estaba hablando un personaje diferente que se encontraba en otro lugar (y tiempo) y no te enterabas hasta pasadas un par de frases muy desconcertantes. Era bastante frustrante sobre todo en varios momentos en los que cambiaban de escena cada par de párrafos para mostrarte algo desde diferentes perspectivas y no sabías nunca qué frase estaba iniciando una escena diferente de la anterior. Por lo menos habría que marcarlo con un espacio entre párrafos, creo yo.
April 3, 2014
Blink, there the shadow is closer. Blink a hand closes over your shoulder. Blink, sharp teeth and blank eyes are inches away. Blink, you're in another time. Don't Blink.
A Dr. Who Weeping Angel novel ! Yes, a novel. I thought his was a comic/ graphic novel when I got it, but was thrilled to find a full length read at my finger tips. Happy Happy Happy me !
The Doctor, Amy and Rory find themselves dealing with a grief stricken man who wants to change his past desperately. His travels send the angels after him. they want him to disrupt history. They feed off time paradoxes, and he has the ability to give them a smorgasbord. His future and his past are so intwined the heroes have a difficult time finding the exact change he makes that has the Angels hunting him. They get very close, everyone is running and the Man is hiding something that may change the future in a devastating way. He will not cooperate and time is running out.
I loved it, couldn't wait to read another chapter and got the tingles with this book. The author did a fabulous job. I felt the terror, the urgency, it was invigorating. I plan on reading every book I can in this series. Dr. Who fans should not miss this.
4.4 stars
A Dr. Who Weeping Angel novel ! Yes, a novel. I thought his was a comic/ graphic novel when I got it, but was thrilled to find a full length read at my finger tips. Happy Happy Happy me !
The Doctor, Amy and Rory find themselves dealing with a grief stricken man who wants to change his past desperately. His travels send the angels after him. they want him to disrupt history. They feed off time paradoxes, and he has the ability to give them a smorgasbord. His future and his past are so intwined the heroes have a difficult time finding the exact change he makes that has the Angels hunting him. They get very close, everyone is running and the Man is hiding something that may change the future in a devastating way. He will not cooperate and time is running out.
I loved it, couldn't wait to read another chapter and got the tingles with this book. The author did a fabulous job. I felt the terror, the urgency, it was invigorating. I plan on reading every book I can in this series. Dr. Who fans should not miss this.
4.4 stars
February 9, 2017
3.5 stars - the personalities of Rory, the Doctor, and Amy Pond came through really well, and of course the angels are such a fantastic idea!
March 2, 2012
This was the first Doctor Who media tie-in book I've read, despite being a fan of the show for years now. The knock against them (or at least what I've been told) is that they are written in a "younger readers" tone, and therefore only hold interest to the show's younger fans. But since I love the Weeping Angels and could tell that I could probably finish this is about a day or two, I decided to give this one a whirl. It certainly wasn't bad, and I didn't really get the "young readers" vibe from (it's not the most complex writing, but nothing struck me as purposely dumbing down the text, either). But there was just something missing. A large part of it is that The Doctor is simply a character who isn't quite as fun when you're not actually watching someone like Matt Smith perform him. Morris tries hard to capture Smith's frantic delivery style, but it just doesn't really feel alive on the page. And while this story is OK, I think it's actually hurt by being a Weeping Angels tale. Every time the Angels have shown up in the show, it has been in episodes written by the brilliant Steven Moffat, and they have been some of the best time travel stories I've ever seen. Morris has a couple nice ideas about time travel up his sleeve, but he really can't compete with Moffat, and since the Angels in the book are a slightly different breed than those on the show, it just further highlights the difference and makes you wish you were watching the show instead. I definitely don't feel like I wasted my time with this one, and Who fans could certainly find worse ways to spend the few hours it will take to blow through this. But it's one of those books that I started forgetting about almost immediately after putting down, and did nothing to inspire me to read any further Doctor Who novels anytime soon.
November 20, 2012
The Weeping Angels are my favorite Doctor Who villians. They don’t “exist” if you are looking at them, they can’t speak, you can’t hurt them, and they don’t give up. They are so insidiously menacing. Touched By An Angel takes these now classic Who villians and puts a new spin on them. They are ever resourceful, and in this story their plan to feed off of even more concentrated time energy is ingenious. And wrapped up in the life of Mark and Rebecca Whitaker. This novel has Mark backtracking through his life, as he realizes that many things that happened when he was young was influenced by his older self. And this is dangerous as the Doctor, Amy and Rory must monitor Mark’s life in an effort to make sure Mark does not attract the Angels by creating a paradox.
This is such an intelligently engineered time travel story that uses the Angels extremely well. Their appearance in the beginning is especially chilling because there is a different approach to how they stalk their prey. The Doctor and his companions are not the focus of the story, but Mark is a complex enough character to carry the narrative interest. His relationship with his wife and the unfolding of their lives is very touching and romantic. I especially felt the ending was particularly clever and perfectly resolved Mark’s emotional trauma. I thoroughly enjoyed this Doctor Who adventure!
This is such an intelligently engineered time travel story that uses the Angels extremely well. Their appearance in the beginning is especially chilling because there is a different approach to how they stalk their prey. The Doctor and his companions are not the focus of the story, but Mark is a complex enough character to carry the narrative interest. His relationship with his wife and the unfolding of their lives is very touching and romantic. I especially felt the ending was particularly clever and perfectly resolved Mark’s emotional trauma. I thoroughly enjoyed this Doctor Who adventure!
August 19, 2013
This was my first Doctor Who book, and I'm rather underwhelmed. We learn a bit about the main character, Mark Whitaker, but even he feels a bit two-dimensional. The Doctor whizzes around trying to prevent him causing a disaster, and Amy and Rory are just props with no real impact on the story. The whole thing felt shallow, with no meaningful interaction between the Doctor and his companions. The story is OK, I did want to know the end and I did finish the book, but it was somewhat blah. I'll try other books but if you're looking for something that captures the magic of the show, pass this one.
September 12, 2017
rating: ★★
weeping angels, as always, steal the show in their terrifying, twisted ways. writing was solid and told the story in an enjoyable tongue-in-cheek narration style. the biggest problem i had with this story is that it's centered mostly around mark, an average joe with a lot of relationship drama, and most of the plot is recycled from season one's episode father's day. as intriguing as his race against the clock was, i just couldn't root for him and his wife because they had a lot of negative character traits, including cheating on their significant others multiple times to be together. and we're still supposed to root for them as a couple. they're dislikable characters who add an uncomfortable, mature element to a lighthearted, otherwise accessible franchise. why would i root for characters who have no problem cheating all the time? why would i even care about them? never at any point do they see the error of their ways or even express remorse, so they're obviously too immature to deal with their problems by explaining they have feelings for other people.
weeping angels, as always, steal the show in their terrifying, twisted ways. writing was solid and told the story in an enjoyable tongue-in-cheek narration style. the biggest problem i had with this story is that it's centered mostly around mark, an average joe with a lot of relationship drama, and most of the plot is recycled from season one's episode father's day. as intriguing as his race against the clock was, i just couldn't root for him and his wife because they had a lot of negative character traits, including cheating on their significant others multiple times to be together. and we're still supposed to root for them as a couple. they're dislikable characters who add an uncomfortable, mature element to a lighthearted, otherwise accessible franchise. why would i root for characters who have no problem cheating all the time? why would i even care about them? never at any point do they see the error of their ways or even express remorse, so they're obviously too immature to deal with their problems by explaining they have feelings for other people.
July 5, 2021
I have to admit to being slightly bored by this book.
The Weeping Angels scare we rigid (pun intended!) and any episode featuring them had me behind the metaphorical sofa. But here, they just don't seem to have quite so much menace. Yes, they send Steve back in time, trying to create one huge paradox, but then they seem to lose their scariness. Maybe they don't have the same effect on the printed page as on the screen.
The story is more about a middle-aged man reliving his life, doing things for his younger self because, essentially, he's already done them. And the Dr, et al, pop up occasionally to help. The 'big' showdown at the end is a bit - Meh! - although there's a cute little twist at the end which is ok.
So, an ok read and kept me entertained for a couple of days, but I've read better Dr Who stories.
The Weeping Angels scare we rigid (pun intended!) and any episode featuring them had me behind the metaphorical sofa. But here, they just don't seem to have quite so much menace. Yes, they send Steve back in time, trying to create one huge paradox, but then they seem to lose their scariness. Maybe they don't have the same effect on the printed page as on the screen.
The story is more about a middle-aged man reliving his life, doing things for his younger self because, essentially, he's already done them. And the Dr, et al, pop up occasionally to help. The 'big' showdown at the end is a bit - Meh! - although there's a cute little twist at the end which is ok.
So, an ok read and kept me entertained for a couple of days, but I've read better Dr Who stories.
July 17, 2012
This book hit the spot. It was a sit down and read in one day type of snack and it was perfect for that! Morris created an interesting time travel story with paradoxes and romance to pull you into the story, and Weeping Angels to keep it going. It was fun to see the trio on paper but continuously was brought to the realization that this would would have been a great show. Morris captures the mannerisms of the Doctor that you just want to see Matt Smith act out. The angels weren't as scary on paper as they are on tv, but make an interesting monster nonetheless.
Thanks to my sister for buying this for me while in London.
Thanks to my sister for buying this for me while in London.
April 24, 2021
Fun little Doctor Who story with time travel as the main feature, not just the delivery device. Weeping Angels and the Timey Wimey detector are both put to good use.
For those keeping count, this story utilizes the eleventh doctor and companions Amy and Rory. It contains humor, references and a stern doctor warning people not to play with time. The ending was a little hokey, but when isn't that the case? An enjoyable read.
For those keeping count, this story utilizes the eleventh doctor and companions Amy and Rory. It contains humor, references and a stern doctor warning people not to play with time. The ending was a little hokey, but when isn't that the case? An enjoyable read.
August 21, 2019
You can skip this one. It's pretty terrible, and the characters at the centre of the romantic plot are thoroughly unlikeable. The author captured The Doctor, Amy and Rory well enough but did little with them, instead choosing to leave us with the dull and unsympathetic original characters. Spent the whole story rooting for the Angels. Pretty sure that's not the desired outcome.
January 30, 2023
Quick, engaging read with lots of Moffat-esque moments! Recommended!
January 4, 2020
Emozionante
Non considero i libri di Doctor Who "grandi romanzi", anche se essendo un appassionato della serie tv quando ho voglia di una lettura leggera opto per uno di questi libri.
Questo però si discosta completamente da tutti gli altri della stessa serie: mi ha emozionato davvero tanto!
Con questo libro è partito il mio amore per la lettura e non posso far altro che consigliarlo!
Non considero i libri di Doctor Who "grandi romanzi", anche se essendo un appassionato della serie tv quando ho voglia di una lettura leggera opto per uno di questi libri.
Questo però si discosta completamente da tutti gli altri della stessa serie: mi ha emozionato davvero tanto!
Con questo libro è partito il mio amore per la lettura e non posso far altro che consigliarlo!
June 16, 2012
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1892674.html[return][return]Yet another story of car crashes and mixed-up timelines (I have lost count of how often this has come up in New Who but it's at least twice on the main show plus Sarah Jane Smith's parents), but with the excellent addition of the Weeping Angels, who both create the possibility of temporal paradox and hope to feed off it. Morris does a beautiful job of conveying the history of the relationship between the car crash victim and her husband which is central to the narrative, and the Angels also come across superbly - if Blink is one of your favourite DW episodes, as it is mine, this book comes close to being a novelisation of it in a slightly different frame. It's more of a Weeping Angels novel than a Doctor Who novel - the original Blink of course was a Doctor-lite episode, and while I've seen a couple of reviews grumble that there's not enough Doctor in this book I actually felt there could have been a little less. It's a shame that the excellent quality of the writing was not entirely matched by originality of plot, but almost for that reason I think I could recommend this rather strongly as a Who book for non-fans. I listened to the audio version performed by Clare Corbett, of whom I increasingly feel that I would gladly pay a fee to hear her read the phone directory.
August 29, 2011
Despite Jonathan Morris' fluid writing style, and his hilarious command of the 11th Doctor & Rory, I was ready to give this three stars. For the first third of the novel, I wasn't sure if I was moved by the story of Mark -- a victim of an Angel-inspired paradox trap. But once the stakes began to rise, his story became more poignant & absorbing...and manages to nudge this lightning-paced novel to four stars.
July 16, 2017
Unfortunately this one was a bit boring, I know...boring book about the Weeping Angels? There was just something missing here for me. Maybe the wonderfully frenetic Eleventh Doctor needs to be seen to be loved. Okay story, but I skimmed the last half because I was so bored. Neither Amy nor Rory came across well in the written word either, not in this book at least.
May 19, 2025
Author Jonathan Morris does something a bit different with the Weeping Angels in this story. While their modus operandi in the series is typically to send someone back hundreds of years into the past and feed on the unused potential of the life the person would have lived (it's a weird show) in this case the Angels determine that they would be able to feed more effectively by creating a time paradox.
To this end, they target lawyer Mark Whitaker and send him back only 17 years. This leaves him at a point in time where he is able to cross his own timeline, which has the potential to cause all sorts of complications. Naturally, the Doctor, having a time machine, thinks the easy solution would be to simply rescue Mark from the 1990s, where he's been stranded. However, an additional complicating factor reveals itself, which is that Mark has sent himself a list of things that he must do in the past. These are things that he knows he did, because he remembers them happening. E.g., when he was on vacation in Rome, someone returned his lost wallet to the hotel where he was staying.
So, in this case, if Mark doesn't do these things that are established as part of his personal history, that will unravel the timeline! What a headache!
The Doctor warns Mark against any direct contact with his younger self and that if anything begins to threaten the established timeline, it will give the Angels a signal to find and (I guess?) devour him. And that will have dire implications for the entire universe.
It's an interesting time travel conundrum. It's also a little sad watching the middle-aged Mark reduced to a shadowy presence in his younger self's life, quietly arranging all of his successes. It traps him in this loop, because his life basically ends at 37, when he must start shadowing his younger self and working behind the scenes to make sure things turn out the way he knows they're supposed to. At the same time, he must also be careful not to have much of a life of his own, lest he change history.
I always appreciate it when Doctor Who leans into the time travel aspects of its premise in interesting ways. Unfortunately, the Doctor, Amy, and Rory have quite a reduced role in this as the focus is firmly on Mark and his life and maintaining his timeline. Amy, especially, is given nothing to do in this story, which is disappointing and seems to be a bit of a recurring problem with the Eleventh Doctor tie-ins.
To this end, they target lawyer Mark Whitaker and send him back only 17 years. This leaves him at a point in time where he is able to cross his own timeline, which has the potential to cause all sorts of complications. Naturally, the Doctor, having a time machine, thinks the easy solution would be to simply rescue Mark from the 1990s, where he's been stranded. However, an additional complicating factor reveals itself, which is that Mark has sent himself a list of things that he must do in the past. These are things that he knows he did, because he remembers them happening. E.g., when he was on vacation in Rome, someone returned his lost wallet to the hotel where he was staying.
So, in this case, if Mark doesn't do these things that are established as part of his personal history, that will unravel the timeline! What a headache!
The Doctor warns Mark against any direct contact with his younger self and that if anything begins to threaten the established timeline, it will give the Angels a signal to find and (I guess?) devour him. And that will have dire implications for the entire universe.
It's an interesting time travel conundrum. It's also a little sad watching the middle-aged Mark reduced to a shadowy presence in his younger self's life, quietly arranging all of his successes. It traps him in this loop, because his life basically ends at 37, when he must start shadowing his younger self and working behind the scenes to make sure things turn out the way he knows they're supposed to. At the same time, he must also be careful not to have much of a life of his own, lest he change history.
I always appreciate it when Doctor Who leans into the time travel aspects of its premise in interesting ways. Unfortunately, the Doctor, Amy, and Rory have quite a reduced role in this as the focus is firmly on Mark and his life and maintaining his timeline. Amy, especially, is given nothing to do in this story, which is disappointing and seems to be a bit of a recurring problem with the Eleventh Doctor tie-ins.
December 22, 2021
«No mires atrás, no te gires, no cierres los ojos y, hagas lo que hagas…, ¡no mires atrás!»
Años después de la muerte de su esposa en un accidente de coche, Mark Whitaker sigue de luto por ella. El mismo día que recibe una carta dándole instrucciones sobre cómo salvarla, un ángel llorón le lleva al pasado. Mark tiene la oportunidad de salvar a su mujer. El Doctor, acompañado de Amy y Rory, tiene que localizar a Mark, evitar que cambie el curso de la historia y detener a los ángeles llorosos.
En este libro nos encontramos con los ángeles llorosos, uno de los antagonistas más icónicos de la serie y sin duda, mis favoritos. Uno de los más aterradores y retorcidos villanos de Doctor Who. Un enemigo que solo se mueve cuando no los estás mirando, ángeles que se ciernen más y más sobre ti cada vez que parpadeas. Un toque de un ángel llorón y no estás muerto. Te has ido. Y no hay forma de saber dónde ni cuándo hasta que llegues allí.
Los ángeles llorosos envían a Mark diecisiete años en el pasado, a los años noventa. Mark intentará hacer todo lo posible por salvar a su mujer, pero cambiar el pasado no es tan fácil y podría ser peligroso. Mientras, el Doctor, Amy y Rory le siguen a través del tiempo para evitar que cree alguna paradoja temporal, y todo esto mientras los ángeles llorosos les persiguen.
La verdad es que leer este libro ha sido igual que ver un capítulo de Doctor Who. Hay acción, suspense y tensión. También es una historia conmovedora sobre el amor y que aborda el tema del dolor, el duelo y de cómo aceptar la pérdida y aprender de nuevo a vivir sin esa persona importante para ti.
Una historia emocionante y muy entretenida que engancha desde el principio y muy divertida. Me he reído con las conversaciones entre el Doctor y Rory, aunque me habría gustado que Amy hubiese tenido más protagonismo.
Recomendado tanto si sois fans de Doctor Who como a cualquier persona a la que le guste la ciencia ficción y las historias de viajes en el tiempo.
Años después de la muerte de su esposa en un accidente de coche, Mark Whitaker sigue de luto por ella. El mismo día que recibe una carta dándole instrucciones sobre cómo salvarla, un ángel llorón le lleva al pasado. Mark tiene la oportunidad de salvar a su mujer. El Doctor, acompañado de Amy y Rory, tiene que localizar a Mark, evitar que cambie el curso de la historia y detener a los ángeles llorosos.
En este libro nos encontramos con los ángeles llorosos, uno de los antagonistas más icónicos de la serie y sin duda, mis favoritos. Uno de los más aterradores y retorcidos villanos de Doctor Who. Un enemigo que solo se mueve cuando no los estás mirando, ángeles que se ciernen más y más sobre ti cada vez que parpadeas. Un toque de un ángel llorón y no estás muerto. Te has ido. Y no hay forma de saber dónde ni cuándo hasta que llegues allí.
Los ángeles llorosos envían a Mark diecisiete años en el pasado, a los años noventa. Mark intentará hacer todo lo posible por salvar a su mujer, pero cambiar el pasado no es tan fácil y podría ser peligroso. Mientras, el Doctor, Amy y Rory le siguen a través del tiempo para evitar que cree alguna paradoja temporal, y todo esto mientras los ángeles llorosos les persiguen.
La verdad es que leer este libro ha sido igual que ver un capítulo de Doctor Who. Hay acción, suspense y tensión. También es una historia conmovedora sobre el amor y que aborda el tema del dolor, el duelo y de cómo aceptar la pérdida y aprender de nuevo a vivir sin esa persona importante para ti.
Una historia emocionante y muy entretenida que engancha desde el principio y muy divertida. Me he reído con las conversaciones entre el Doctor y Rory, aunque me habría gustado que Amy hubiese tenido más protagonismo.
Recomendado tanto si sois fans de Doctor Who como a cualquier persona a la que le guste la ciencia ficción y las historias de viajes en el tiempo.
July 13, 2024
The Weeping Angels are such an iconic part of Doctor Who’s history and of course are instantly recognisable. First appearing in the 2007 series 3 story; Blink, written by the future show runner, Steven Moffat, The Lonely Assassins became an instant hit with fans across the globe, terrifying future generations to come.
The 11th Doctor and Amy previously met the hideous statues once before in The Time of Angles and Flesh and Stone and now they encounter them once more, in this thrilling adventure written by Jonathan Morris. This story follows a character called Mark Whittaker and we learn his wife Rebecca dies in a tragic car accident back in 2003.
Mark discovers that he has been given the chance to go back and save her but he is unsure of why someone would help him but as the story progresses and he meets The Doctor, Amy and Rory, it all become very apparent as to why all this is happening and it’s heart breaking. Mark soon becomes face to face with The Weeping Angels and has no choice but to follow The Doctor’s instructions and advice at all costs.
The Weeping Angles themselves are excellent in this book and Jonathan Morris does a great job of bringing them to life. The same can be said for the main regulars and the main side character is also really well written too and has a really emotional journey through the book.
Overall this is an excellent new series adventure and one of my favourites from the range. You can either grab the 2011 copy of the book or the monster collection edition. Either way, I strongly recommend you pick this up as it’s a treat for any fan of the terrifying Weeping Angels. Whatever you do, DON’T BLINK, blink and you’re dead, good luck.
April 5, 2019
This book is a story of love, loss, suspense and action with some timey-whimey shenanigans thrown into the mix, as well.
What's especially interesting is how many loops, twists and turns there are in this book. For starters, the woman at the start of the book - Rebecca Whitaker - is actually in a loving relationship with her husband, Mark. It's a nice change of pace to have them be madly in love with each other while still having their up's and downs.
It's very realistic.
Another thing is that Mark himself is actually the focus of the book. The Doctor, Amy and Rory are really just there to make sure that nothing drastic happens. And the time travel aspects of the book are well handled as well, despite the timey-whimeyness.
And of course, the Weeping Angels are great, as well. They're a menacing threat and their plot is quite complicated, but quite ingenious as well without spoiling anything, of course.
It's not my favorite Doctor Who book ever, but it's still an enjoyable read.
What's especially interesting is how many loops, twists and turns there are in this book. For starters, the woman at the start of the book - Rebecca Whitaker - is actually in a loving relationship with her husband, Mark. It's a nice change of pace to have them be madly in love with each other while still having their up's and downs.
It's very realistic.
Another thing is that Mark himself is actually the focus of the book. The Doctor, Amy and Rory are really just there to make sure that nothing drastic happens. And the time travel aspects of the book are well handled as well, despite the timey-whimeyness.
And of course, the Weeping Angels are great, as well. They're a menacing threat and their plot is quite complicated, but quite ingenious as well without spoiling anything, of course.
It's not my favorite Doctor Who book ever, but it's still an enjoyable read.
April 16, 2019
5 stars.
This book is amazing. The Doctor, Amy and Rory's personalities are on point. The villains are weeping angels with a big plan. And the middle of all of them is Mark Whittaker, who was still grieving for his wife who had died many years ago.
First of all, I'd be absolutely thrilled to see this on TV. This would make such a terrific episode. Action after action, suspense after suspense, and wibble after wibble! (Oh god, if I have a penny for everytime "wibble" is mentioned in this novel....)
And Doctor used everything at his disposal in this novel. Some writers like to avoid using the psychic paper and Tardis because there wouldn't be any plot without them. (Honestly? That's just lazy writing.) But Johnathan Morris used the heck out of the Tardis instead of putting it in a corner.
This is such a sweet story. I think I'd re-read it again in near future.
This book is amazing. The Doctor, Amy and Rory's personalities are on point. The villains are weeping angels with a big plan. And the middle of all of them is Mark Whittaker, who was still grieving for his wife who had died many years ago.
First of all, I'd be absolutely thrilled to see this on TV. This would make such a terrific episode. Action after action, suspense after suspense, and wibble after wibble! (Oh god, if I have a penny for everytime "wibble" is mentioned in this novel....)
And Doctor used everything at his disposal in this novel. Some writers like to avoid using the psychic paper and Tardis because there wouldn't be any plot without them. (Honestly? That's just lazy writing.) But Johnathan Morris used the heck out of the Tardis instead of putting it in a corner.
This is such a sweet story. I think I'd re-read it again in near future.
May 30, 2021
4 stars. This was wonderful and could’ve easily been an episode in the show. The author did a wonderful job with the balance of humor, action, and emotion and I really enjoyed the plot. The character of Mark is very likable and it was easy to empathize with him and want things to work out for the better for him. His wife died in a car crash years ago and he receives a note that says that he can save her. The Weeping Angels try to get him to change the course of history and that’s where The Doctor, Amy, and Rory come in and what an adventure it is.
The ending was great and very emotional as Mark starts to come to terms with her loss and learning to live his life again. I think the only thing that bothered me was that Amy was just there. She doesn’t get anything to do. Hell, we have two Rory’s (present and future) and Future Rory gets more to do than she does which was disappointing. Other than that this was a great read.
The ending was great and very emotional as Mark starts to come to terms with her loss and learning to live his life again. I think the only thing that bothered me was that Amy was just there. She doesn’t get anything to do. Hell, we have two Rory’s (present and future) and Future Rory gets more to do than she does which was disappointing. Other than that this was a great read.
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