Doctor Who: New Series Adventures - The Clockwise Men Review

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I was pleasantly surprised by this novel from the get-go, as the opening chapter played like a cold opener from the show. My excitement only grew the more I read.

This was no ordinary Who story.

For starters, time is given for reflection so many times throughout, to the point where I felt I truly understood what travelling in The Doctor's TARDIS was like and why both he and his companions find it so captivating.

On top of this, each character, main and side, were given so much... well... characterization that by the end of this story I could still picture what they looked like and what they'd most likely be doing, depending on the time of day, clearly.

Back to that first point, when watching an episode of Doctor Who, old or new, we mainly see the frantic moments from the Doctor's life, which could make certain travelers a little concerned with their outings around the Time Lord. Or at least concerning and slightly confusing sometimes to us, the audience. This was the first time where I felt like I knew exactly why those in the TARDIS love it so.

There are those typical chase sequences littered throughout this book however an equal amount of time is devoted to The Doctor and Rose just trying to live a day in the life of wherever they end up. Eating breakfast, seeing the sights, and chatting with the locals. To me, it felt like I was on a classic school trip where we were encouraged to try one of every activity whilst we were there.

I think this added a lot towards why I liked this cast of characters so much, especially that of the young Freddy who gave the book that Doctor Who sense of wonder through a very different lens.

For the most part, this unfolds like a mystery, and my mind kept trying to solve it like a game of Cluedo where I placed characters in locations I'd expect them to be after meeting and learning about them. What I didn't predict was how this story felt like it expected me to do just that with it pulling the rug from under me a number of times, more than I thought a tie-in novel for a BBC show could.

Characterization wise, in terms of The Doctor and Rose, they are done to perfection with plenty of looks inside their heads to give new insight into how they feel about the ever-unfolding events before them.

With the ups, however, must come the downs but thankfully they are few.

For as excellently paced as this story was I can't help but feel that the epilogue was more than rushed, with it feeling like no more than a few pages. All of the acts played perfectly so I was a little surprised to read The Doctor and Rose just hop in the TARDIS after what felt like a four-parter with no proper reflection or emotional goodbye.

In fact, one of the characters I was most interested to see have a resolution was largely unconscious for their farewell as The Doctor and Rose just sort of drop him off and do a runner.

All in all, I had a great time with this book, a lot more than I think it deserved.

My expectations and hopes for the future are bright and I can't wait to read more of Justin Richards' work in the future!

9/10