tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800091210753201638.post3224479275462224945..comments2023-06-04T17:53:06.332+01:00Comments on Neil Is The Best Dalek: Doctor Who: The Virgin Novels #19 – Blood Heat by Jim MortimoreUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8800091210753201638.post-5222538970914018102016-10-29T02:47:08.336+01:002016-10-29T02:47:08.336+01:00This novel has many interesting ideas: an alternat...This novel has many interesting ideas: an alternate universe created from the death of the third Doctor to the Silurians and the subsequent decimation of mankind to a plague and the devolution of earth into a hybrid world mixed up from various prehistoric eras. There are alternate but realistic counterparts to many beloved characters from television, and they are fully realized enough to conduct very compelling conversations about war and peace, expediency and principle, sacrifice and humanity, fate and choice, cooperation and annihilation.<br /><br />That said, for the most part I did not enjoy this novel, because it has many very tedious descriptions of combat and wandering about. The scene where Bernice and her new friend somehow fisticuff their way through a veteran submarine crew is both confusing and incredible. All in all, there is simply too much killing in this book for my taste. And Ace remains a psychopathic supersoldier in this novel (Why did none of these authors have the courage to retroactively rewrite the horrible continuity created by Warhead and Deceit? Return the Sophie Aldred version of Ace to us, please!), although at least she has some good moments with Manisha. (I was not impressed by the author’s interpretation of “white kids firebombed it” so that it turns out that not only was the house burnt down, but the inhabitants also suffered death by burning: a melodramatic incident made even more bathetic.) Bernice unfortunately is sidelined for the most part, but she remains a very likable character and good companion.<br /><br />This book was awfully slow reading, but the plot twists at the end were at least worth reading all the way through. I was impressed by the Doctor's huge solution (a foreshadow of "Journey's End") to the immediate crisis and by his difficult handling of the bizarre aftermath.Talliferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08541684895097153972noreply@blogger.com