Rating: 
Summary: Backwards in time to save the present
Review: "Festival of Death" is a novel set just before the last season of the most popular of Doctors, Tom Baker. It's an odd place - Baker's second last season is (in my opinion) one of the worst in the show's history, while his last was a return to the excellence that accompanied Baker's arrival in the role.This book therefore manages to combine some of the odd humour of season sixteen with the better production quality of season seventeen. Into the bargain, a story idea that should have been used in the show at some time is featured. The Doctor, Romana and K9 arrive at a place where they have just been, and must travel back in time to carry out the activities that they have been told they have done. Like the last month's Past Doctor novel, Imperial Moon, the Doctor has some foreknowledge of what is happening but must act to preserve the web of time. And in this case, the Doctor is told he sacrificed his life to save the day. Given the crossing of the timelines inherent in the story, Jonathan Morris does an excellent job in making the story plain when it could have been confusing. He does this in two ways: firstly, with strong and memorable scenes which stay in the reader's mind; and secondly, by use of somewhat cliched characters. Obviously, I approve of the former but the latter is another harking back to season sixteen. "Festival of Death" is a good read, and given the similarity of theme to "Imperial Moon" it is interesting to compare and contrast the two different incarnations of the Doctor in their approaches.
Rating: 
Summary: Doctor Who as it should be!
Review: Jonathan Morris has achieved something very few first time writers in the Dr. Who universe have done: He has written a Dr. Who story worthy of the Tom Baker era! I truly appreciated the plot device he uses of the Doctor and Romana running around trying to avoid their future (past?) selves while also trying to stop a potential disaster. I haven't seen such fun with a paradox since Michael J. Fox and Back to the Future! Ironically, this is a plot device that is not used to its potential in the Dr. Who series, and Morris plays it for all it's worth. While this may sound like the paradox could become cliche before the book is even finished, each episode is fresh and totally unexpected. As for Morris' characterization of the Doctor and Romana, I could quite literally see Baker and Ward on the small screen while reading this book! Supporting characters were solid, yet shallow enough not to get in the way (which can sometimes be a problem in reading a book from this series). I have to agree with my fellow reviewers that this book does need to be read at tea time on a saturday! Finally, I applaud Morris for his freshmen serving of the icon which is Dr. Who, and eagerly await his second novel.
Rating:
Summary: A story full of deja Who
Review: On the acknowledgments page of this novel, Jonathan Morris suggests that the reader should read it on a Saturday afternoon around tea-time. This was the original broadcast time of Doctor Who, and he was absolutely spot-on in suggesting this! "Festival of Death" is a classic tale in the spirit of Doctor Who! It feels like it would have fit in quite perfectly with that particular season of the show. The Doctor's fourth incarnation, Romana and K9 are very well presented in this story. Several times, in fact, as the Doctor arrives on the scene having already been there! The care with the Doctor tries to avoid his other selves is wonderfully written. The wordplay between the Doctor and Romana are pure Tom and Lalla. The baddies (especially Metcalf) are over the top, but never too much so. Just like many of the classic Tom Baker episodes. The addition of the whacked-out hippy lizards Hoopy, Biscit and Xab was a wonderful touch. It would be a blast to see them or their race make another appearance in a future adventure. A fun story told with all the wit and whimsy of some of Tom Baker's finer stories. Doctor Who fans will certainly enjoy this.
Rating:
Summary: A story full of deja Who
Review: On the acknowledgments page of this novel, Jonathan Morris suggests that the reader should read it on a Saturday afternoon around tea-time. This was the original broadcast time of Doctor Who, and he was absolutely spot-on in suggesting this! "Festival of Death" is a classic tale in the spirit of Doctor Who! It feels like it would have fit in quite perfectly with that particular season of the show. The Doctor's fourth incarnation, Romana and K9 are very well presented in this story. Several times, in fact, as the Doctor arrives on the scene having already been there! The care with the Doctor tries to avoid his other selves is wonderfully written. The wordplay between the Doctor and Romana are pure Tom and Lalla. The baddies (especially Metcalf) are over the top, but never too much so. Just like many of the classic Tom Baker episodes. The addition of the whacked-out hippy lizards Hoopy, Biscit and Xab was a wonderful touch. It would be a blast to see them or their race make another appearance in a future adventure. A fun story told with all the wit and whimsy of some of Tom Baker's finer stories. Doctor Who fans will certainly enjoy this.
Rating:
Summary: Totally nice
Review: The TARDIS materializes in a tourist park which houses a unique attraction that enables one to experience what it's like to be dead - without being obligated to remain so. But a freak mishap has caused the participants to become murderous zombies. The Doctor arrives just after the crisis has passed, and in a welcome deviation from the norm, he is not blamed for the incident (not at first, anyway), but praised for saving the day. The strange thing, of course, is that he hasn't done anything yet. The stranger thing is that he died while doing it. So our heroes travel further and further back in time to figure out exactly what happened. It's great fun to see all the bits fall into place as the novel progresses. The author handles the different timelines beautifully, and keeps it from being as confusing as it might have been. The story may be a bit morbid, but this is an extremely funny book nonetheless. The story, dialogue and supporting cast fit right in with the high camp nature of the era from which it is derived. Most importantly, the characters of The Doctor, Romana and even K9 are flawlessly written, down to the most detailed mannerism. It's such a faithful recreation that you'll swear you'd seen it on TV. If you're a fan of the fourth Doctor, this is a must-read.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This is a fantastic read. I have been looking for a good SF or Fantasy paperback, but I couldn't seem to find one. I knew I liked the show, and I wanted to try one of the books. I also love the Fourth Doctor the most. I am very pleased. The story is well-written, very true to the TV show style, dialogue and characters. The plot is very interesting and exciting. The action moves quickly and there are wonderful plot twists and subplots to follow. I highly recommend this to any Dr. Who fan, especially Tom Baker fans.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This is a fantastic read. This was the first Doctor Who novel I read, and after reading about a dozen others, this is still the best, far exceeding all the others so far.
The story is extremely well-written, very true to the TV show style, dialogue and characters. The plot is very interesting and exciting. The action moves quickly and there are wonderful plot twists and subplots to follow. The dialogue and supporting characters are marvelously written. I enjoyed every minute reading it, and look forward to rereading it at some point.
I highly recommend this to any Dr. Who fan, especially Tom Baker fans. If I could give it six (heck, ten) stars, I would.
Rating:
Summary: Captures the feel of the series
Review: This is one of the best of the BBC Doctor Who books. It's hard to believe that Jonathan Morris is a first time writer. Are we sure he's never published under another name? All of the different timelines in the book are handled beautifully, apparently without any seams. I know I didn't find any contradictions, any places where I went "Wait a minute, that's not right." I can only imagine how complicated this must have been for Morris, but he's done a wonderful job here. The characterizations of the regulars are spot on as well. I could hear Tom Baker and Lalla Ward with almost every sentence. The supporting characters weren't quite as well-delivered, but that's to be expected in such a plot-heavy book. I sincerely hope that Morris writes another one soon.
Rating:
Summary: Will the 4th Doctor Save us, again.
Review: This is pure 4th Doctor in all his glory; or did I say that already? That question rings throughout the entire plot. Time and time again, eddys in time, multiple visits and avoiding a paradox are all wound tightly within this tome. The ending gets a bit confusing but then it's the beginning, isn't it? But then I may have said this already. Read for all 4th Doctor fans a book that has captured all the nuances of his character in a wonderful story.
Rating:
Summary: Better than watching the show
Review: This was the first DW book I've ever read after being a great fan of the tv series. I see from the other reviews that I picked a high watermark. I thought this was excelllent. Much better than watching the series because, as I already knew the Doctor and Romana, I could just as easily picture them in my head... and I pictured them much better than the loveably low-fi sets and props. Great comradery and weaving of story. I hope this young fellow writes more and more.
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