Doctor Who: New Series Adventures - Winner Takes All Review

The final book in this first batch, Winner Takes All is written by Jacqueline Rayner and sees the Doctor and Rose back on Earth in the Powell Estate after finding out her Mum, Jackie, has won the lottery.

I didn't really start with an introduction last time only because I didn't believe it needed one. Here on the other hand I wanted to make it apparent that things are very different this time.

For one, Mickey is our third set of eyes and ears for this adventures and secondly this may be a typical whacky misadventure as par for the course but the way it's delivered brings an emphasis on something that's barely touched upon in the previous novels and the show for that matter; their thoughts.

The snarky remarks, banter and occasional flirt feel like more of a distraction in this novel from what's really going on and what I love about Rayner's writing here is how she lets us in on the truth gradually. Sure the generally team dynamic is here but it's when the bad things really start to happen and lives are at risk when we get to read who these characters truly are.

The complex relationship between Rose, The Doctor and Mickey is one such truth we start to see a bit more clearly than we ever have before. Rose notes that she's never formally broken up with Mickey and yet when we jump to Mickey's perspective a little later on he regards Rose as his "ex". The Doctor, meanwhile, hasn't got a clear idea of his relationship with Rose as he's never seen his companions as anything more than that. A companion. Rose on the other hand sees The Doctor as her best mate, or at least that's what she tells herself.

This is just a small layer of what this book has to offer and it certainly doesn't stop their either.

The maturity of this story works the same as well. At first it's business as usual until people start getting hurt. Then the best and worst in humanity are shown like the show rarely treats us too with a near heart-breaking view on what relationships with certain people can cost.

My only major complaint with this novel is how we get a glimpse into this new side of these characters and see how their bonds are being tested only for things to return to the norm at the end. Continuity-wise I get it however I can't help but feel a little cheated as Rose gallops off with the Doctor after leaving her Mother and supposed boyfriend behind without a second thought after all of the complex questions she asked herself throughout this story.

With that being said, I am very appreciative for this look and if it wasn't for the underwhelming alien story in the background this would've been on par with the Clockwise Men for me.

8/10