Engines of War by George Mann
The Day of the Doctor was a movie event celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who. It was an incredible experience to share with a group of fans in the cinema.
If you know anything about the iconic television series, you will know that a variety of people have played the main character. Jon Hurt, was not one of those actors, however. In the feature-length episode, he was referred to as “The War Doctor” and there was a lot of mystery surrounding who he was and what he did.
The Great Time War between the Daleks and Timelords has been raging for centuries. When we meet the Doctor at the start of this book, it is clear that the war has already taken a toll on him. He doesn’t even want to call himself The Doctor anymore. But when he finds himself in the middle of a war-zone on a Dalek occupied planet, he saves one of the human inhabitants and she insists on coming with him.
If you have seen his one appearance on film, you will delight in going on one more adventure with him. The story moves quickly and is a real page-turner. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even knowing where it would eventually end.
His new companion, Cinder, is a great character and things feel like a regular Doctor Who adventure, for the most part. The Doctor reluctantly takes her on, but they work well together. Some of his choices, both in the story, and as referenced in the past show that he isn’t quite the Doctor we know and love. War is tough. Even on the hero we have known for over fifty years.
I think Doctor Who fans will enjoy this book. I know I did. I have a few more stories to read next. I recently copped three novels based on Douglas Adams stories, as well as several graphic novels. Look for those review posts in the near future or even in the past. Time-Whimey!