Review : Doctor Who - Engines of War

Ola Dudes,

Finished reading 'Engines of War' last night, a novel featuring John Hurt's War Doctor just before the event's of 'The Day of the Doctor', and as promised, I'm going to now do a review on it, and it shall be spoiler free.

Well sadly, all thou I've been looking forward to this novel for about 3 months since Doctor Who Magazine 1st mentioned it in their Gallifrey Guardian pages, it sadly just did not live up to my expectations, and personally, I think this novel could have been so much more.

The story opens with a page about a young woman who's name is never revealed but is given the nickname 'Cinder' by other characters who are fighting back against the Daleks on the human colony world of Moldox. Cinder is a Dalek Hunter, and ends up meeting the War Doctor when his Tardis ends up crashing down on the planet, much like how the 11th Doctor met Amy as a child in 'The Eleventh Hour' 4 years ago.

The story introduces a few new Dalek concepts, the 1st of these being the Skaro Degradation's which I think was mentioned by the 10th Doctor to the Master in 'The End of Time, part 2'. The Time War Dalek seen on the left hand side of the Doctor's head [see cover below] with the weapon of a Special Weapons Gunner Dalek attached to it is in fact NOT a brand new Special Weapon's Gunner Dalek at all, but it's weapon has a somewhat interesting link to the classic series story 'The Invasion of Time' which I won't reveal as I did promise after all that this would be a spoiler free review.

The Dalek itself is a Skaro Degredation, and there are 1 or 2 other versions mentioned as well. During the story, we are introduced to the Eternity Circle, a group of 5 Time War Daleks, all blue with silver painted domes and sensor globes, thou I think I did read that one of them maybe have had blue and gold instead of blue and silver, there sort of an alternative Cult of Skaro I guess, or something like them.

Another Dalek, twice the size of a standard Dalek casing is also introduced in chapter 21, known as the Predator Dalek, but I'd be giving away too much if I said anything more about that particular version.

The War Doctor at 1 point makes a reference to the 1975 classic that is 'Genesis of the Daleks' about him having the means to kill them at birth but did not. The 20th Anniversary special 'The Five Doctors' also becomes a big part of this novel when parts of it are set on Gallifrey, namely the High Council Chamber with the Harp of Rassilon, the Death Zone and the Dark Tower itself is also paid a visit by both Rassilon and the War Doctor . . . . . . . and there's the return of another character from that very 20th Anniversary special who you might imagine has seen better days.

Talking of Time Lord's, there's a kind of new group, well, if you want to call them that, called the Interstitials. There are 1 or 2 moments involving a dog fight in space between Dalek Saucers, the War Doctor's Tardis and Battle Tardis's as well.

Oh yeah, talking of Tardis's, there's a moment in the novel that will have you thinking of Neil Gailman's brilliant story 'The Doctor's Wife' from series 6 back in 2011.

There is a couple of things about this novel that I'm really not pleased with. The 1st of these I think is totally unnecessary about the sexuality of the character Cinder who accompanies the War Doctor during the story, this bit it what ticked me off while reading from chapter 13, page 170:

'Her first kiss with another girl from the rebel camp, the raven-haired Stephanie, who had taught her things that she could never have imagined'.  

Now I would not feel bothered if it was from a novel of the old Doctor Who spin-off 'Torchwood' which was known for sex and kissing between either straight or homosexual characters, but I don't feel it should have been written in a Doctor Who novel, it absolutely serves no purpose to the story what so ever, and I think the part of 'taught her things that she could never have imagined' does seem somewhat sexually suggestive, and in my view, quite in appropriate. 

The other thing that bothers me is the ridiculous nonsense that at 1 time, a certain male character from the aforementioned 'The Five Doctors' may have at 1 time been female. I don't like this either cos I hate the idea of Time Lord's changing gender during regeneration, it seems to have been included for those who think the Doctor should be played by a woman, an idea I have never liked for obvious reasons about the idea of the Doctor 'playing with himself all day long' shall we say . . . . and no, the male character is not Rassilon, but if you've seen the 20th Anniversary special then you'll be aware there was more then 1 male Time Lord, but again, I won't say who as I don't want to spoil anything in this review.

And thinking about it, there is also at 1 point a moment where Rassilon asks the War Doctor about the Master if he has seen him or something. This to me is perhaps a continuity error, as I always believed the Doctor was not aware of the Master resurrection until this little moment in 'The Sound of Drums':

The Doctor: What happened to you ?.
The Master: The Time Lord's only resurrected me because they believed I would be the perfect Warrior in a Time War.

That bit in the story really suggested that the War Doctor was not aware the Master was resurrected during the War, but I think George Mann's novel might suggest the War Doctor was perhaps aware after all.

The end of the novel doesn't lead into the beginning of 'The Day of the Doctor' from when we 1st meet the War Doctor when he asks a Time Lord soldier for his gun, but the novel does end on the words 'NO MORE'.

But all in all, I do think this novel could have been a hell of a lot more better then what I was expecting, but at least it did answer 1 of my questions which I had wanted answered for years which was ' What are the Skaro Degradations ?', so at least that question has now been put to rest in my mind apart from others like 'What is the Nightmare Child ?' or 'What is the Cruciform the Master was resurrected to protect ?'.

I give this novel an 8 out of 10. It could have been 10 out of 10 if only it was just so much better and epic.

That's my review, and if it's got you interested in buying it then I would recommend it even thou it's not massively enjoyable as I hoped, but it is about the Time War, and hopefully more novels might be made about the War in future if this book is popular with other fan's if not myself.

The novel is £12.99 but you can get it a bit cheaper at your local Waterstones book shop if like me you live in the UK as they are selling it for just £9.99.



JASON