Doctor Who: The Stone Rose

Doctor Who: The Stone Rose
Written by: Jac Rayner
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: BBC Books
Language: English
June 2006, $11.99
Genre: TV Series Tie-In/Sci-Fi

Mickey is startled to find a statue of Rose in a museum - a statue that is 2,000 years old. The Doctor realizes that this means the TARDIS will shortly take them to Ancient Rome, but when it does, he and Rose soon have more on their minds than sculpture. While the Doctor searches for a missing boy, Rose befriends a girl who claims to know the future. But then the Doctor stumbles on the hideous truth behind the statue of Rose - and Rose herself learns that you have to be very careful what you wish for...

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Let me say that I probably enjoyed this even more because it was the audio version I “read” with David Tennant behind it all. For those who know me I am a fairly big Doctor Who fan and absolutely love David Tennant as the 10th Doctor (which makes me even more morose that he is leaving). But beyond my need for Tennant to read the phone book to me, which sadly I would probably also enjoy listening to (what can I say it’s the voice and the pretty little picture I have in my head as well). Tennant’s Doctor is charming, quirky and manic in a completely good way. He’s a bit geeky, snarky and did I mention charming? I will say that Rayner managed to capture him fairly well, though admittedly it does help that Tennant reads it with the personality and fervor of the character he plays oh so well.

However, beyond that the story, despite being a bit cliché, is just like an episode. It’s a bit campy, has spirit and action, some puzzles, and made me smile. I could picture everything in my head as if I were watching the episode and that is always a good thing. Plus it takes place largely during ancient Rome and as a mythology buff it made me even more giddy.

I thought it was worth it, definitely worth the listen, but I imagine just reading it alone would have been fine. For a novelization it did lack some of the emotional depth and deeper characterization that you can do with the written word, but as I said I didn’t really mind.

3.5 out of 4 happy bibliosnark bookmarks