markk

After the Doctor brokers a peace on the planet Lobos between the dog-like Lobans and human colonists, Team TARDS sets course for Earth . . . only to have to return when Ryan realizes that he has left his phone behind. When the TARDIS materializes, however, they find that they are off by six centuries — and that, in their absence, a religion has emerged that is centered around "the Good Doctor" and is used to justify misogyny and the enslavement of the Lobans. With Yaz arrested and Graham mistaken for the returned Doctor, the real one must get to the bottom of this before a new war breaks out that would lead to the deaths of thousands.

While I have read quite a few Doctor Who franchise novels over the past several months, this is the first one that I have read that is centered around one of the post-revival regenerations. Not only that, but it is one that involves the newest Doctor and her companions, a quartet that I have enjoyed but which I haven't formed a definite impression of in my mind. This may have helped me to enjoy the book more, as I was gauging the characters less by their on-screen portrayal and more by what the author provided. And Dawson's plot and characters combine to make for an entertaining novel with some interesting things to say about religion and gender politics. It's definitely a lot more fast-paced than the other Doctor Who novels that I've read, perhaps reflecting to a degree the more frenetic pacing of the post-revival show. This had both its strengths and weaknesses, but it never detracted from my ability to enjoy Dawson's rollicking adventure.