Who Reviews Prisoner of the Daleks by DJ Forrest

Written by Trevor Baxendale

For BBC Books

Published 2010

10^th Doctor novel

‘The Daleks are advancing, their empire constantly expanding into Earth’s space. The Earth forces are resisting the Daleks in every way they can. But the battles rage on across countless solar systems. And now the future of our galaxy hangs in the balance…’

Move aside folks, this is the book to cap them all.

I love a good Dalek story, and let’s face it, among all other alien creatures, monsters, robots, droids, you name it – if you had to ask anyone what their favourite Doctor Who enemy was – most would say Dalek – because, most of us remember, growing up watching Doctor Who from behind the sofa, scared of the man in the lower skirt of the Dalek, who to me had always reminded me of one of the elderly patients in my Grandmother’s nursing home. Yeah, sorry folks!

Davros isn’t in this story – but a devious, strong, dominant Dalek by the name of X is – one that is even feared by lesser Daleks in the ranks. He is so devious that you wonder if the Doctor will ever manage to outfox him. In fact, if it wasn’t for the fact, that the 10^th in the series lived on throughout till the actual regeneration as we all remember – I’d say he was cutting it pretty bloody close to not making it back alive in this novel. Talk about being on the edge of your seat, for a novel – jeez!

There are human characters in this story that I have loved from the very first chapter I read them in. I found one of them exceptionally awesome and he never disappointed anywhere in the story, and when his ‘story’ came out, wow, I was enthralled.

Baxendale can write a bloody good novel – and in all the novels I have of his, he keeps the pace steady – never slows, never dips. You have to run to keep up with him, you can’t leave it midway in a chapter, but then you’ve really got to map out your chapters when you’ve only a half hour lunch break.

The Daleks are gaining ground, and the human and alien crew of the Wayfarer – a converted naval patrol ship, have to stop the Daleks from changing the history of the human race, right across the entire Universe. Yes, the old story of Dalek domination, but it never grows old – because there’s always a new story of heroes and heroines prepared to do their damnedest to stop them.

These characters, Cuttin’ Edge, Stella, Bowman and Scrum, and Koral, felt so real, I could really picture them, Bowman perhaps more. Bowman I was drawn to. Bowman I was rooting for. I can still see him now. I only wish he was real.

If you had to choose one Dalek novel, out of all the Daleks novels out there in the Whoniverse – I’d highly recommend that you read Prisoner of the Daleks first.

    

Who Reviews Wishing Well by DJ Forrest

Written by Trevor Baxendale

For BBC Books

Wishing Wells date back to a time before colour TVs, automobiles and electronic gadgets. They were a means of making wishes come true, with a toss of a coin, and with eyes tightly shut, but in most cases, they were a glorified hole in the ground where spring water could be found, and with a bucket attached, could get a good drink on a hot day, or for whatever other purpose. However, Baxendale doesn’t write about a good well with a good dose of water at the bottom, or where wishes may be granted.

Down in the depths of the deep chasm are the sounds of a cat, calling to its owner, raggedy old tramp Barnaby, and deeper still, lies the treasure from a highwayman. And again, as we know Baxendale’s work, there won’t be a random cat roaming the levels desperate to reach freedom, and the treasure won’t just be highwayman loot, will it, Trevor?

Down in the tunnels is something far more terrifying, something that has been waiting and growing, and impressing on the very person that holds a part of it, to return and return soon. The raw power of the thing can be felt in whom-so-ever possesses it.

On the surface however, the Well is as harmless as a cricket ground on a cold, wet afternoon. The well itself is in a state of disrepair, and it falls to stalwarts of the little village to save it. Stacy and Angela, who I can only picture as two characters from a cross between Miss Marple (of the Joan Hickson era) and To The Manor Born, with Tweed, Land Rovers and Hunter wellies.

Gaskin from the Manor, who Angela blames for the death of her husband many years previous, is angered by their interference and tries to put a stop to it. Unbeknownst to them, Gaskin has an interest beneath the Well, plus the discovery of the loot would patch up the weary state of his abode, and put coffers back in the kitty. Obviously not the kitty currently mewing for all its worth in the deep dark well.

There are some interesting key characters within this story. You have the three uni students who are in search of Gaskins treasure, Nigel, Ben and Trevor, following a map and plan of dig by Nigel, head of the group, who doesn’t like getting his hands dirty, you’ll find out why, when you read the novel. The two ladies who I have already spoken about. Stacy does remind me of Angela Thorne from To the Manor Born come to think of it. But the Angela with the Land Rover is far from Penelope Keith, but has the outspoken attitude of the character she plays – anyway, as you read the story, you’ll probably know who she reminds you of.

Gaskin is an idiot, as most of them are, in their big estates, born into money, squandered most of it on things of little relevance to the real world, or is it my own dislike for the gentry? Gaskin however is a key figure in the story, and not in the direction you’d like to believe. Towards the second half of the story you kind of understand a little of his behaviour, warm to him slightly because of it, but still regard him as an idiot for his lack of belief.

Oh, I’m almost forgetting, this is a Doctor Who story, with 10^th and Martha riding the storm. Martha the gentle human and the Doctor, in like Flynn, again, but this time, he has his work cut out, and you often wonder if he will conquer the threat in the story. It certainly doesn’t look like it as you’re turning the pages – but rather than skim to the end of the book to find out if he does succeed, read the novel intently, because, what I’ve noticed in all the books I’ve read, from any range of genres, is that, unless you read Every. Single. Word, you’ll miss out on tiny nuggets of information. And as to prove this, upon reading the novel again, I found portions I’d missed, I’d forgotten, about Gaskin, the manor, the ladies, the danger and indeed the boys in the tunnel.

This is a cracking adventure, great bedtime reading, and one for keeps.

Reviews Something In The Water by DJ Forrest

Written by Trevor Baxendale

Published by BBC Books

ISBN 978-1-846-07437-0

GP Bob Strong would be late for his own funeral; he was late for everything else in his life!  He was meant to be meeting Nurse Carrick on a date but never made it due to a flat tyre.  Today as usual he was late for work at Trynsel surgery, and to cap it all, his first morning appointment was with Saskia Harden!

Saskia is a mysterious blonde in a raincoat, she isn’t beautiful but she has the ability of turning people’s heads.  The surgery had labelled her ‘Angel of Death’ from the amount of suicide attempts she’d had, having been pulled from ponds, canals, waterways, only to come back to life on a mortuary table.

There was something about Saskia that Bob Strong was scared of, and her visit left a horrible taste in his mouth. 

Owen and Jack are investigating ‘Big Guy’ a rogue weevil who has evaded capture on many an occasion but this time Jack has isolated exactly where he is and the pair head to a disused swimming pool.  But what they encounter is faster and far deadlier than the weevil and too fast to be captured. 

Gwen and Toshiko meet Professor Len at a service station and learn about Sally Blackteeth, a water hag.  Len tells them that she lives on the moors and came from the Middle Ages, but neither Gwen nor Toshiko accept this as anything more than scare stories until Toshiko becomes trapped on the moors and is almost sucked into the bog. 

Owen is sent to locate Saskia Harden, but discovers a sick Bob Strong, at home on his sofa, suffering the same symptoms as those of his patients, coughing and hacking and spitting up blood.  It seems half the country is down with a flu virus. 

And now so are the team of Torchwood, even indestructible Captain Jack Harkness – who never gets sick!

What is causing the widespread illness, why can’t Torchwood locate the cause, and why are the water hags interested in the Water Tower and what do they want with the Rift?

Something in the Water is written by Trevor Baxendale.  Its set in the Second Season, as it mentions the last time the Rift was opened.  It’s all about snot and mucus and blood and illness and water hags and strange creatures that I sort of imagine live at the back of the throat and hang there during a really heavy cold, a bit like that creature on the Mucus Relief advert.  It’s about the team pulling together and for once really struggling to contain what is happening, and they really, really struggle to keep on top of things, and when guns and ammo really don’t work, it’s down to Toshiko who is locked in the Hot House to find a cure, or something that can give them the edge against these strange ugly creatures, who are amassing an army, ready for invasion.

Once again Trevor writes a belter of a story and it keeps me focused till the end, there’s plenty to keep the reader entertained, even when Jack Harkness is suffering an invisible illness.  And although I never read these books in order, it’s a good indication that The Undertaker’s Gift was probably the next story to read after this, given the nod from the Hokrala Corp.

  

Interviews Trevor Baxendale by DJ Forrest

As you know from Twitter I’ve absolutely enjoyed reading ‘The Undertaker’s Gift’, it really did blow me away.  The story never dipped once, never ran out of steam.  I finished that book and was totally breathless.  It was truly WOW!

Trevor: Thank you again.

In one part of the story I did think the pallbearers looked something familiar to those white faced creatures that followed the Doctor to Trensalore but then realised that perhaps they weren’t, but they still looked pretty freaky.

Trevor: Yes, there are some resemblances I suppose – both appear to be based on pallbearers.

I also noticed that there were two book covers for this book, the one in the graveyard with Jack Harkness with the pallbearers behind created by Lee Binding, and another with the creature in the glass casket with slightly more about him than what was written about him in the book on the second, and with Ianto in the cover.  Was that for a different market, such as some for UK and some for the US?

Trevor: No – the Ianto cover was the first pass at a cover and to be perfectly honest I didn’t like it at all. The book was, I thought, more Jack-centred anyway the picture of the creature in the casket was completely wrong. I was far happier with the Jack cover, and it probably doesn’t do any harm to have John Barrowman on the front of your book!

I’d heard from a few other sources that some people disliked the book because it was OOC (out of character) in the way Jack treated Ianto.  Personally from my point of view and because when I began reading the book I’d gone in with all these negative views, I didn’t see that.  I always find in books that Ianto has a much better role in the stories than he does on the screen, is this something you notice too?  And did you think Jack treated Ianto differently?

Trevor: Perhaps he does. I found the Jack/Ianto romance a bit heavy-handed in the series and if I’m honest I could never really understand Ianto’s character or role. He was a bit of a mystery to me and difficult to empathise with. Every other character in the series was OK, I got them, I understood who they were and where they were coming from. You get their priorities, their likes and dislikes, the whole thing. But with Ianto I felt nothing. He was unreadable to me. Plus, one of the key aspects of Jack’s character, right from the outset, right from the start of series one episode one, was his infatuation with Gwen. It runs like a thread throughout the series, every series, and is a much more fascinating relationship because they are both utterly committed elsewhere. Jack is a very sexual personality, but not exclusively homosexual. There’s much more to him than that. Jack is a far more complex and nuanced character. The will they/won’t they, do they/don’t they romance between him and Gwen was subtler and more interesting than the rather obvious Jack-Ianto relationship, and I wanted to explore that a little more in my book. People who say Jack behaves OOC in this respect are wrong. They tend to filter their interpretation of Jack’s feelings and behaviour through the hindsight of Children of Earth, where the relationship has moved on from the time of writing The Undertaker’s Gift.

I also punched the air when I saw the mention of the recurring character Nina. 

When I interviewed Peter Anghelides about his books, he mentioned that there were three writers who had written their stories before the series had begun, which made me think that perhaps a lot of the OOC comments were perhaps reflected from this, perhaps not knowing the characters all that well, were you one of the first writers?

Trevor: No, we were well into series two when I wrote The Undertaker’s Gift. I still don’t think any of the regulars are OOC in it.

The idea of the ‘Black House’ where did that come from?

Trevor: The Black House was an idea for a haunted house novel I had been toying with at the time. It found its way into the Torchwood book the way these things do. I was writing Torchwood at the time and it fitted.

I’m still to read ‘Something in the Water’, that’s my next mission, but I usually have to pace myself and throw a couple of James Patterson books into the mix just to balance the violence out a bit. 

Trevor: Something in the Water was written first. I wasn’t quite as happy with it as I was with The Undertaker’s Gift. But it is – unsurprisingly, you might say – quite violent.

Are you writing anything at the moment that you can share with us?

Trevor: Not that I can share with you just yet. It’s not been officially announced. It’s not Doctor Who or Torchwood though.

All your books are fantastically written and you know how much I enjoyed Wishing Well with Doctor Who 10 and Martha, it was just a thrill to read.  When you start writing what influences you to write about what you do? Where do the characters come from, and the names for the tiny creatures that ate through Ianto’s belly? Do you have some Doctor Who creatures that you can use within your stories or are all of these plucked from the air?  I did like the idea of the bugs actually.

Trevor: That’s such a difficult question to answer. The truth is I really don’t know where the ideas and inspirations come from – it’s probably a confluence of things, notions that occur and the time of developing a story, ideas and characters and situations that have been waiting for a suitable story to come along. Sometimes it’s inspiration, more often than not it’s desperation. Sometimes things just click together, other times it feels like you’re bashing away at plot points with a hammer just to make them fit. Glad you liked the Xilobytes. I really can’t remember where the name came from!

Fans Questions:

Hazel Stanton: You deal with some pretty gruesome and creepy scenes during The Undertakers Gift, what inspires you and scares you?

Did you find it difficult keeping the tones down for the teenage audiences in the Doctor Who Books compaired to being able to let yourself go for the Torchwood novels?

Trevor: Not difficult, no – if I’m writing Doctor Who it has a very particular level: it has to be exciting and scary but also accessible to a family audience. The level I aim for is exactly that of the TV series. Writing Torchwood is no different: the target audience is the same as the TV show. Writing the Torchwood books was great fun though because I was free to ramp up the violence and horror to a level that would be inappropriate in a Doctor Who story.

Pauline Howard Have you a favourite Dr who story you have written

Trevor: That’s a tough one. The books I was happiest with were Prisoner of the Daleks and The Deadstone Memorial, although Fear of the Dark, which was reprinted this year as part of BBC Books’ celebration of Doctor Who’s 50^th anniversary, comes close. Eater of Wasps worked out pretty well too.

Mickie:  Before you embarked on writing your first novels for Torchwood and Doctor Who, did you watch any of the episodes first to help fix in your head what made the characters tick?

Trevor: I didn’t need to watch any episodes as part of any specific preparation or research; the characters were already very fresh and clear in my mind. But I will have occasionally dipped into some episodes, just to keep things ticking over, as I was writing. It’s surprising what details – not necessarily personality traits, but little moments and elements of particular speech patterns – you pick up when you know you’re writing about a particular character.

Reviews The Undertaker's Gift by DJ Forrest

Written by Trevor Baxendale

Published in 2009 by BBC Books

ISBN 978-1-846-07782-1

The Hokrala Corp lawyers are angry with Earth and especially Captain Harkness and Torchwood for mishandling the 21^st century, so an assassin has been sent to remove Jack.   The Hub is busy for this week, a translucent jelly blob that has a lethal electric charge is sitting on a bench in the cells, and a large number of aliens have been coming through the Rift.

A funeral cortege is seen in the dead of night with pallbearers guarding a rotting cadaver that doesn’t want to be buried.  Ianto Jones is desperately ill, Gwen finds herself trapped in a crypt, and three students have the worst few nights of their lives.

Just another normal week for Torchwood Three!

I heard a lot of negative comments regarding Jack and Ianto before I began reading the book.  I’d heard that both characters were played OOC (Out of Character) and that Jack wouldn’t have treated Ianto in the way he did.  So going on this basis and a few other complaints from fans I began reading. 

I’m not known for being a fast reader, most of the time I’ll read a few chapters at night and it’ll probably take me a fortnight to read a Torchwood novel.  When I started reading however, I couldn’t put it down.  I’d taken a couple of hours out to read in my busy day, and 35 pages in and I was on a rollercoaster of a ride that didn’t look to be stopping any time soon, in fact in two hours of reading I was over half way through the novel before I had to take a break.  In the space of two days I’d finished the novel and such was my feelings I had to come onto Twitter and comment about it, and then on Facebook and then in an email to Trevor.  There are not many books that blow me away by how well they keep pace, how much detail, how much of a thrill.  This book never stopped, the ride of a lifetime, it never dipped, it kept pace and when it was over I was breathless, absolutely WOW factor!

Not once in the whole of the book did I see Jack acting out of character with Ianto.  Not once did I see Ianto acting any different, although to be honest, Ianto plays much better on paper than he does on the screen, but that’s writers for you.  Every character had their voice, every new character you felt you knew them, and the pallbearers I found it hard to shake the feeling I’d seen them before, perhaps I had. (Doctor Who – Trensalore)

The Xilobyte creatures that were attacking Ianto, I absolutely adored, and I could picture Gwen picking them off him and crushing them under a rock.  Whoever said this book wasn’t good, needs to read it again.  Because I couldn’t fault it, and I’m not being biased because I think Trevor is a great writer – he IS a great writer, but if I felt that the book didn’t portray the characters as we see them on the screen, didn’t live up to how Torchwood is, I’m pretty sure Steve Tribe would have brought him to task long before the book was published.