Rating: Summary: Is Time up for the Time Lords? Review: This novel starts out on Gallifrey with the Doctor trying to negotiate a peace treaty between the Sontarans and Rutons. However, things never go smoothly in the Doctor's life. Before you know it, a masked man is committing acts of murder and sabotage. If that isn't bad enough, a mysterious energy wave from the future is on the verge of either destroying the Time Lords, or turning them into Gods. One can't read the book without picking up on the numerous inconsistencies in established Doctor Who history. For example, the Master is in charge of the guards. Although he is called by another name, there can be no denying it's him. As for the Doctor, he acts like #8, has #4's scarf, and looks the most like #5. The explanation for this come about 3/4 quarters of the way into the book when the main villian tells the Doctor that out of an infinate number of universes, that there is at least one Doctor per universe, thus providing an infinate number of Doctors, and the title for the book. This would be fine if the book wasn't billed as the 35th anniversary special. It's kind of hard to get excited over a story that doesn't take place in the "real" Doctor Who universe. A better 35th anniversary story would have been set in the "real" Doctor Who universe, and could have delt with somebody trying to sabotage the Sontaran and Ruton peace conference. As it stands, this is a good, but by no means great way to celebrate Doctor Who's 35th anniversary.
Rating: Summary: Doctor Who??????? Review: To save confusion, it's best to view the Doctor as a completely different, parallel universe Doctor instead of trying to place an already established Doctor in it. Lance Parkin has done a wonderful job in recreating Gallifrey, it's history and the fact that there are others living on the planet and not just the TimeLords. How could you not have a 35th Anniversary book without the potential grand destruction of the entire universe. This book is recommended for a change from the normal Doctor's exploits as I find alternate versions are always refreshing. Only probelme is that I found the Doctor's portrayal to be a little bland, but with everything else going on, with the mediation between Sontaran and Rutan factions and the return of a historical Gallifreyan hero, this hardly really mattered. An enjoyable read - RECOMMENDED!!!
Rating: Summary: A bit of a Let Down Review: Truthfully, I was a bit let down. Not because it wasn't a grand work, not because it wasn't a nostalgic reunion of all 8 Doctors, but more because it wasn't all that clear. I know that was the intent, but it still falls a little flat somehow.The obvious question brought forth is, does it take place in "our" whoniverse or not. Personally I don't think it does. There are too many setups that point to the Fathers and Brothers idea of the Dr. Who movie/TV series. The earthly mother, the Master being a friend of the Doctor's (I'll get back to this later), etc.. The Fathers and Brothers idea has never sat well with me, it always seemed to much like an idea for a bad Sci-Fi channel movie original of the week to me. The other problem I have is the Doctor. Who is he supposed to be? The story seems to suggest he is a young Hartnel Doc, or more likely a pre-Hartnel Doc. Another idea I never liked. The trouble is the charecterization is more of a Tom Doc, albeit with "short cropped hair". I'm not sure if that was intentional or not. Judging by his previous work (esp. the perfect capturing of the 5th Doctor in Cold Fusion) I wouldn't have guessed Lance would be the type to screw up characterization, but ... If we assume this takes place in another "whoniverse" than our own, he could very well be the Tom Doc (well, the curly hair still presents a problem...). I have a hard time seeing any other Doctor that could stab someone (yeah, the Hartnel Doc thought about killing in An Unearthly Child, but this is hurting someone that he knows and loves, not some random caveman), be so "whatever" about being a god, and deal with the Sontarans and Rutans the way he did. It is also the first book that I have read that "seriously" conflicts other books. The whole Master bit completely contradicts The Dark Path and McIntee's subsequent treatments on the character. I'm not sure if that's why, but it certainly didn't "grip" me the way I expected. I polished off Cold Fusion in a day or so, and was expecting the same feeling to overcome me with The Infinity Doctors, but it didn't. Overall, it fell in that category of glad I read it, but probably won't pick it up too often again. So, at about the same level as the Bodysnatechers; better than War of the Daleks; and less than Genocide.
Rating: Summary: Disappointing Review: Uses continuity, yet doesn't use continuity, ends up a mess. Some bits will only be of interest to Who fans - the origin of the Sontarans and the retinal scanner trick were very good, but much of the rest will annoy many people - the doctor and Omega relationship was just a rehash of the Three Doctors and Arc, but because its 'a different universe' there was no reference to those stories. In the end I didn't care about the Doctor or any of the other characters
Rating: Summary: how "the infinity doctors" was for me Review: well, I must admit that I was quite confused. OK, which doctor is this? is this not very similar to the TV story "arc of infinity"? thenn I realised, it had to be in either a parallel universe, or way in the future. can anyone help? it was an excellent read and I suggest it to any who fan, but perhaps read if you are more familiar to the series or you could really get confused!
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