The Drosten's Curse

22551766
The Drosten's Curse
A.L. Kennedy
Broadway Books
From award-winning author A.L. Kennedy, an original Doctor Who novel featuring the beloved Fourth Doctor, as played by Tom Baker.

“I shall make you the jewel at the heart of the universe.”

Something distinctly odd is going on in Arbroath. It could be to do with golfers being dragged down into the bunkers at the Fetch Brothers’ Golf Spa Hotel, never to be seen again. It might be related to the strange twin grandchildren of the equally strange Mrs Fetch--owner of the hotel and fascinated with octopuses. It could be the fact that people in the surrounding area suddenly know what others are thinking, without anyone saying a word.


   I'm always pleased when I get a chance to review a Doctor Who novel (especially while I'm waiting for a new season of the show!) and I was excited when I saw this one available. I've never read anything by A.L. Kennedy before, but she managed to capture the spirit of Classic Who quite well.

   The characters were interesting and I enjoyed reading about Bryony and Putta; the Doctor is, of course, as fun as ever (although he wasn't as much of a main character as Bryony was...he was prominent, of course, but you still sort of get the idea he's not the main character of this tale) Aside from typical Doctor Who weirdness, there wasn't anything really objectionable aside from a single use of the Lord's name in vain and a couple mentions of evolution. Well, and the creepy factor. But I didn't find it too bad.

   I did find The Drosten's Curse a little confusing, though, especially since there were so many things going on at once and a lot of minor secondary characters. Sometimes it made my head hurt (and it didn't help that headaches played a large part in the story itself!) and I felt the plot could have been a little more streamlined. I don't usually mind a lot of different story threads at once, but there were a couple times there was so much going on that I felt a little like I was reading a muddle. I did like the formatting of the book, though-- it wasn't broken up into chapters, but rather scenes. It felt more in tune to the format of the TV show that way.

Overall, I recommend The Drosten's Curse to Who fans, new or old.

Rating: 7

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

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