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Doctor Who: Only Human (Doctor Who (BBC Hardcover))

Gareth Roberts

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Best of the Bunch 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 6 people found this review helpful.

By a country mile the best of the 6 Ninth Doctor books. Roberts writes a funny and touching tale, with his trademark spot-on characterisation.

This was just...bad 2 out of 5 stars.
4 of 7 people found this review helpful.

The story was ridiculous even if you take into account that Doctor Who isn't Shakespeare. It wasn't even in the category of so bad it was good. It was just bad. The author didn't come close to getting the character's "voices" right and it read like bad fan fiction. I would recommend either The Monsters Inside or The Stealers of Dreams instead.

the Osterberg Experiment !! Journals uncovered!! 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 14 people found this review helpful.

ONLY HUMAN by Gareth Roberts

Capt. Jack Harkness Data Record:

I'm a 51st century ex-Time-Agent and reformed after a change of plan & heart, I jumped ship literally during WWII, to join up with an unlikely pair of time travelers w/ a stranger back-story than me (and that's really sayin' somethin'). Rose is a 19 year old from the 21st century and her designated driver (whatever that means) is a 900 yr. old alien known as the Doctor. Life is never dull while you're slummin' it through time and space with these two. Unfortunately, at the moment it so happens that I'm NOT out with them. Let me tell this story from the beginning, really 28,000 years ago, ya see someone sent a caveman, yeah no kidding a really an honest to gods caveman, his name is DAS, well someone sent DAS into the future, here in the "dim-ages" where Rose is from (no offence Rose). The Doctor smelling a time-tripping rat, I.D.s the tech used as dangerous & unstable (not an unfamiliar scenario in this biz), as a result of this, the TARDIS couldn't bring DAS back to his time without killing him in the process. Oh the TARDIS, that's the Doc's time/space machine and the last of its kind, like the Doctor himself. So without so much as a drawn straw I was elected to stay behind, (or ahead if you'd rather be chronologically correct) and introduce our poor Neanderthal to the world of tomorrow, what's likely to be his new home for the rest of his natural days. I feel like the Doctor just kind of dropped the ball on this considering that, without the proper research of the time period, I'm just as much a "fish out of water" as DAS. Meanwhile the Doctor and Rose are off having all the fun by themselves, probably facing genetically engineered predators at the dawn of man. I don't mean to complain, but I did create a "big distraction" back at the hospital, when we rescued DAS, from the locals. Babysitting the "boy that time forgot" wasn't the reward I had in mind.

DAZ'S Journal

Jack has asked me to use our computer to put down my thoughts and practice my writing. Jack tried to explain to me how the Doctor's machine allows me to understand their language and the markings that mean things; I learned that this was called reading. Since the Doctor, Rose and the TARDIS are no longer here with us I don't understand why I can still speak and read their language. Jack says that the Doctor will explain later. Jack and the Doctor are still confused about my tribe's name, I have yet to meet anyone from this Neanderthal tribe. You can't imagine all of the sights and sounds and people Jack introducing me to, while teaching me about mistaken truths on TV, I like he different TV tribes. I met a female who reminds me of the females in our tribe, Jack is also teaching me all about finding a suitable mate, he is very wise and his skills are many and numerous when it comes to this. I hop the Doctor and Rose are having equal success back in my time, it is dangerous at the best of times.


Anthropologist's note (regarding the OSTERBERG experiment):

From what I can deduce from, various journal entries, carbon dated artifact anomalies from 28,000 years ago, even 21st century eyewitness accounts, is that the 51st century Jack and his caveman charge were grossly underused in the events that mainly unfolded in the distant pre-history. Those mentioned in the journals: The Doctor & Rose were adequately described and used to get effect, for example Rose at one point is the bride to a pre-historic groom via the "GREAT FISH of MATROMONY" reminiscent of material by the late great Douglas Adams. As is having Rose's one big contribution to the pre-historic tribe, not fire nor weapon making, but how to manicure. At another point closer to our story's finish Rose quite literally and ludicrously goes to pieces to great, if disturbing comic effect. Thanks to the TARDIS the local languages of the Neanderthal and Human tribes are absurdly colloquial, while further research reveals many more Osterberg experiment time-travelers, a mad-scientist from the future and the Doctor learns the horrors of the Hy-Bractors that lie in wait, behind the Grey Door.

Our research was successful overall, learning of the Doctor's at times preachy side, condemning humankind for the fall of the Neanderthal, as well as man's desire to solve all of life's problems with the quick fix of a pill or a button. In the end things resolve themselves, but not too neatly to be believed.

Editorial Review:

The Doctor looks and seems human. He's handsome, witty, and could be mistaken for just another man in the street. But the Doctor is a Time Lord: a 900-year-old alien with two hearts, part of a gifted civilization who mastered Time Travel. Brace yourself for some exhilarating experiences and deadly confrontations across time and space. The human race will survive - but only with the Doctor's help.

Deepwood: Karavans #2

Jennifer Roberson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Surviving Alisanos 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Deepwood (2007) is the second fantasy novel in the Karavans series, following Karavans. In the previous volume, the Hecari decimated the farewell camp. They killed one out of ten people and burned a like number of tents. The survivors gathered the dead and prepared them for burial.

Then Alisanos expanded within a half mile of the karavan tent town. A massive storm preceded its move, devastating trees and structures as well as killing many people. Rhuan anticipated the change and passed the news to the town leaders to warn the people.

In this novel, Rhuan remains within the Deepwood with Audrun and her newborn baby. The demons and other monsters have caught the smell of the newborn and they want her. Rhuan takes on the manner of his father and commands them to leave. They slink off, but some will think more about it and come back.

Ilona is dazed from the fall off Jorda's draft horse and has a broken arm. While Jorda is preparing to set the arm, he sends Bethid to make a fire for willow tea. The branches and twigs broken off the trees by the storm are too watersoaked to catch fire. Jorda tells her use the dry rune sticks. Bethid is reluctant to destroy the sticks, but they do need a fire right now.

Brodhi has been deserted by Ferize, his demon paramour. When he returns to the farewell camp, he finds battered wagons and trees and scattered tents and livestock. He comes upon Bethid trying to make a fire, but having little luck. Brodhi lets a drop of his own blood fall upon the wood and it bursts into flames.

Davyn recovers his senses near his broken wagon. He is alone, so he follows the path that Rhuan had taken with his wife and children. He finds that the Deepwood has grown across the way. In his pain and grief, Davyn blames Rhuan for the loss of his family.

Torvic and Megritte come out of the crevice in which they have taken shelter. Then they hear a high-pitched, inhuman scream and clamber back into the crevice. After a while, a woman about the same age of their mother finds them and invites them to come home with her.

Ellica awakens to find grass penetrating her clothes and skin. She tears herself away from the sharp blades and painfully rises to her feet. As she walks forward, branches reach out toward her and roots wind themselves around her ankles. Finally, she leaps onto a boulder and finds some temporary safety.

Gillan is also struggling through the underbrush when his left leg falls through a hole into boiling liquid. His leg is burning. Gillan jerks his leg out of the liquid and pulls himself forward. He screams and screams and screams.

In this story, Audrun encounters a winged demon within Alisanos while Rhuan is away gathering food and water. Rhuan returns to fight the demon and is severely wounded. The demon grabs the newborn girl and flies away with her.

At the farewell camp, Jorda and Mikal organize the survivors into groups and have them straighten out the mess. Unlike the old tent ground, the newly rebuilt settlement is shaped in concentric circles around the central firepit. Naturally, Mikal's tent is the meeting place for the town leaders.

Bethid sends Brodhi to Cardatha to report the relocation of Alisanos to the Hecari Warlord. After his interrogation by the warlord, Brodhi goes to the Courier Guild to report these changes to the Guildmaster. He leaves some preliminary maps of the new boundaries before returning to farewell camp with four Hecari warriors.

Davyn comes back to farewell camp and accuses Rhuan of luring his family into the dangers of Alisanos. He looks for Rhuan to force the guide to take him through the Deepwood to his loved ones. But Rhuan is nowhere to be found within the camp.

Then Ilona encounters Alario -- Rhuan's father -- outside the Deepwood and learns about the identity and purpose of Rhuan and Brodhi. Later she reads Davyn's hand and sees that Brodhi is the key to recovering the farmsteader's family. Brodhi refuses to go into the Deepwood to recover the family, but does go to warn his sire about Alario's plans.

This tale starts the recovery of the settlers and karavaners at farewell camp. Since Alisanos now blocks their paths out of Sancorra, the survivors have nowhere else to go. They start building a permanent town on the site. The Hecari are not likely to permit the settlement, so the survivors also prepare for another attempt to decimate their population.

The story continues to build upon the first volume, but introduces enough new material to maintain the reader's interest. Yet it leaves enough unresolved storylines for the sequel. The series is beginning to look like a very pleasurable read. It may be even better than the Tiger and Del series. Enjoy!

Highly recommended for Roberson fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of exotic magic, disaster survivors, and a touch of romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Editorial Review:

Deepwood is the sequel to Karavans, the start of a new, highly commercial fantasy adventure series. Filled with magic, mystical beings, and humans with magical powers, and replete with bloody war and illicit romance, the universe of Karavans is already garnering high praise. Even darker and richer than Roberson's previous work, Deepwood is sure to enthrall her already dedicated readership.

Very Hard Choices

Spider Robinson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

After the shattering death of his beloved wife, aging baby-boomer Russell Walker had wanted only to hide from the world in the woods of British Columbia. Instead, an old college acquaintance called Smelly, who was a telepath, had knocked on his door and demanded his help in stopping a serial killer who made Hannibal Lector look like a boy scout. They had managed to convince Nika, a hard-headed and skeptical police officer, and the trio had stopped the killer, though nearly at the cost of their own lives, and things could go back to normal...they thought.

But then Russell was visited by his estranged son, Jesse, a PR exec from New York, still angry over his father's role in his mother's death. And, to their dismay, Nika and Russell learn that agreeing to help Zudie conceal the fact that he can read minds involves committing to help him hide from the CIA, who have been hunting him desperately ever since he escaped from the MK Ultra Project back in the 60s. Constable Nika must decide what being a peace officer means. Russell must decide on the fly whether or not Smelly is the kind of friend you'd die for. And Jesse, who lives in America, must decide just where his own national -- and personal -- loyalties lie.

Best-selling and award-winning author of The Martian Child David Gerrold says of Very Hard Choices, "Spider Robinson is at his best when he is most passionate -- and this is Spider Robinson at his very best. If you're expecting a nice polite distraction that you can put down and forget, you're going to be very annoyed. This isn't a story, it's a wake-up call. And it isn't over until you decide it's over.

Dark Labyrinth

Luis Royo

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

DARK, SHADOWY DELIGHTS 5 out of 5 stars.
20 of 20 people found this review helpful.

Dark Labyrinth is artist Luis Royo's latest collection, thinly disguised as a graphic novel. There is a modest story that frames the collection of Royo's artwork. The story tells of a young artist who visits the studio of a painter that he has long admired. The young man has long been enthralled by the painter's brooding, yet sensual work. The young man praised the older painter as he was invited into the master's studio. When the old man asks if he would like to become his apprentice, the young artists jumps at the chance.

The old painter's routine, however, is quite confusing. He paints only at night, and in a small room with only moonlight for illumination, a room the apprentice is forbidden to enter. One day, while his teacher is sleeping, he dares to enter the forbidden room, only to find canvases covered completely in black. He begins to touch the painting, sensing something beautiful and terrible beneath the darkness, and soon finds himself drawn into the gothic, exquisite world of the Dark labyrinth.

Well that's the backstory but the real story is 64 pages of Royo's stunning art, all fitting into this theme. The book contains primarily work that was previously unpublished, most of it finished paintings along with a smattering of sketches. Royo's art is horrific and evocative. His beautiful women are sexy yet with an air of danger about them.

"Mother Earth" is one of my favorite paintings in the book. It shows that nature goddess shedding a tear of blood over a desolate landscape. Then there is "The Game of the Mask" featuring a lovely, mask-clad nude in a richly detailed costume, looking like a princess of Hell. "The Counter of Time" depicts an angelic blond maiden wearing a skull headpiece, apparently looking down over the world.

Each page of Dark Labyrinth brings a new shadowy delight to the reader in one of Royo's best collections yet from NBM Publishing. A true spectacle!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Editorial Review:

An artist admirer of a master is fascinated by his increasingly dark visions and seeks to meet him. The trip becomes a voyage into the depth of dreams and nightmaresŠ In an exciting new hardcover format and featuring almost all-new work!

Dragon Prince #1

Melanie Rawn

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 161 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The best of the series 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Dragon Prince is by far my favorite book in the Dragon Prince trilogy. Prince Rohan has just ascended to the throne of the Desert following the untimely death of his father, Zehava, during a dragon hunt. His aunt, a powerful sorceress (or Faradhi), has arranged his marriage with a Faradhi named Sioned. Rohan sets out to create a better world for his people, using his wits and his sword to battle High Prince Roelstra.

The book was paced perfectly, able to keep the reader's attention without feeling rushed. The majority of characters are three dimensional. There are plenty of times you are disappointed with the main character while sympathizing with the antagonists, but that is what makes them so identifiable. Melanie Rawn has created a seamless and unique world, one which stands apart from other Fantasy books. It is well worth the read.

Editorial Review:

Melanie Rawn's best-selling debut is a novel of love and war, magic and madness, and deadly dangerous dragons that hold the secret to unimaginable wealth that could prove key to mutual peace-or a bloody tyrant's reign. And among it all, an idealistic young ruler struggles to civilize a culture that understands the strength of the sword-but has yet to discover the true power of knowledge.

Skybowl (Dragon Star, Book 3)

Melanie Rawn

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 32 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Worth reading the first 2 torturous books 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I bought all three books together in this series without reading the Dragon-Prince series. I gave the first book a miserable rating because I was very confused. All the chars were alien to me. But becasue I had bought the books and i didn't want to waste my money, I forced myself to plow through to the end.

I must say it was worth my time and agony because the climax at the end of the book was incredible. It was so brilliant that I could almost feel the sunrunner web spinning around me as i read. It helped also that I got to like Andry in all my muddled reading and he was the only one who stuck in my mind. His death upsetted me but it's one of the things that glued me to the book.

The reason why I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is because of all the trouble i took in reading the first two books. They are not bad but I made the mistake of not reading the Dragon Prince series. Or I could blame Rawn for not making it book 4,5,6 instead.

Editorial Review:

In the final volume of the "Dragon Star" trilogy, Sioned, the mother of High Prince Pol, leads a daring mission into the castle where her daughter-in-law is held captive. Reprint.

Prohibited Sketchbook

Luis Royo

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

royo at his best............ 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 10 people found this review helpful.

this is luis royos best book to date his work belongs in hollowed halls to me he is the true fantasy artist the way his art is done. is amazing if you like boris and julie beells work you,ll love royos................

The New Rebellion (Star Wars)

Kristine Kathryn Rusch

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 110 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

and I pass 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This Star Wars novel is getting closer to the New Jedi Order series which changes the nature of the Star Wars Universe. Only three novels written by Timothy Zahn stand between this book and Vector Prime. Once again a threat which could be the greatest threat the New Republic has ever faced has surfaced. This time I actually believed it, which is a plus. Because of a bombing attack at the Senate which killed several Senators and injured many more (including President Leia Organa-Solo), former Imperials have been able to become elected to the Senate in greater numbers than before. Leia has to deal with the immense distrust she feels for the former Imperials and hold herself back from (in my opinion) starting down a path to be like the Emperor in crushing dissent. Evidence for the attack points to her husband, Han Solo, and touches on his past as a smuggler. Luke Skywalker is hunting down a former apprentice of his who is somehow involved in this as a Force user is also responsible for the killing of millions of lives. All of this ties together and there is more plotting and schemes here than one can shake a stick at.



You know, when I put it like that the book does not sound half bad. To be honest, The New Rebellion is not a bad story, but I found it dry and somewhat dull. I suspect Rusch is a good author and she has apparently won nearly every major SFF award out there for her contributions to the genre, but the novel was not good enough to merit a recommendation and it lacked the feel of adventure and excitement (which I firmly believe can still be found in political wrangling, so I don't want just wanton adventure) and other Star Wars authors have succeeded in this (Matthew Stover, Karen Traviss, Ann Crispin, etc). And I pass.

-Joe Sherry

Editorial Review:

Award-winning author Kristine Kathryn Rusch brings her remarkable talents to the Star Wars(r) universe, where the New Republic faces sudden and total annihilation....

Somewhere in the galaxy, millions suddenly perish--a disruption of the Force so shocking it is felt by Luke at his Jedi academy and by Leia on Coruscant. While Leia must deal with an assassination attempt, a rumored plot against the New Republic, and allegations that Han Solo is involved, Luke seeks out a former Jedi student who may hold the key to the mass destruction. But Brakiss is only the bait in a deadly trap set by a master of the dark side who is determined to rule as emperor. He's targeted Luke, Leia, and Leia's Jedi children to die. Then billions will follow, in a holocaust unequaled in galactic history.

Sunrunner's Fire (Dragon Prince)

Melanie Rawn

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Become A Sunrunner 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is one great book. It sparks an urge in you to become a great sunnrunner. This book is greatly written and is a great conclusion to the Dragon Prince series. It also features the maturation of the great Lord Andry.

Rawn's Best 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I would have to say that this book is even better than The Star Scroll. First of all she labeled her chapters with dates which kept the order of things. Also the plot ran smoothly along with from the first page to the last. I have one thing to say to disagree with another person's idea of Rohan's character he is not "faultless". Uh he liked had a very hard life and he has many trips along the road of life along with that his son was not even from his own wife. So when you review a book read it please.

Editorial Review:

The third fantasy epic in the "Dragon Prince" series. The Sunrunners now have the ancient Star Scroll: an arcane fund of forgotten spells and knowledge - the only record of an old foe that is now against them once more. Andry, the new Lord of Goddess Keep, must struggle to unlock its secrets.

Death March (The Stonetellers)

Jean Rabe

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Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

A decent bridge novel 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Death March by Jean Rabe is the second novel in the Stonetellers trilogy set in the Dragonlance universe. The first novel is titled The Rebellion (Dragonlance: The Stonetellers, Vol. 1) and the third, and final novel, is titled Goblin Nation and is scheduled for release in August, 2009. I have long been a fan of Ms. Rabe's writing, however, when I read The Rebellion I thought it was below Ms. Rabe's normally high writing standards. Here are my thoughts on this novel.

The plot picks right up where the first book left off. That being the goblin horde is marching toward it's ultimate destination, the Qualinesti forest where they can begin a new life out of slavery. On the surface the actual `main' plot of this book, the march, is very linear. As a result of this linear plot, at times, it is hard to really get into the plot and story of what the goblins are going through. Ms. Rabe attempts to insert several sub plots that are more character focused. This mixture of plot and sub plots seems unbalanced and, at times, the overall presentation of the novel suffers for it. To me, there seemed to be a disconnect between the action of the novel and all the little sub plots. With the amount of action in the first novel, I was expecting more action than what is present. Some of the sub plots are decent such as; Mudwort's delving into the earth, the political infighting among a few of the goblins, and the combining of magic to enhance spells. However, in the grand scheme of the plot - these sub plots don't add much depth to the overall story. While each piece is decent, taken as a whole it never really grabbed my entire interest forcing me to keep wanting to read the next page.

The characters are largely the same as the first book with, of course, the addition of several others. Some of the returning characters are; Grallik, Kenosh, and Horace from the Dark Knights; Direfang, Mudwort, Saro-Saro, amd Graytoes from the goblins. Unlike the first novel, I found I had an easier time connection with the characters in this novel. While I by no means think they are the most memorable characters I have ever read, there were things about them that drew me in. Hopefully, this trend continues in the third book and I like the characters more and more. There were things such as Direfang's internal struggle, Graytoe's depression and sorrow, and Grallik's questioning of his god. There is also a decent amount of character development sprinkled in. It was nice to see Direfang's struggles, Grallik's flaws and doubts, and the Graytoe's angle was a refreshing deviation from the `normal' sub plots fantasy readers often see. However, the scenes involving Bera seemed out of place in the novel. They just never worked for me. Overall, for me, the characters were decent but they still don't quite reach the level I was expecting from Ms. Rabe, especially after the Dhamon saga.

Some criticisms about this novel:

1 - While this is a book about goblins, there seem to be few cues during the book to remind the reader it is about goblins. What I mean by this is the last book I reviewed, Doom of Kings, The: Legacy of Dhakaan, Book 1 (Legacy of Dhakaan), is also about goblins and the author of that one has goblin's ears twitching at times to show emotions. That level of writing is just not present in this book.

2 - The lack of action. I understand that this book is about a march to freedom so to speak, but that plot arc can only remain interesting for so long. I would have liked to see it changed up a little more.

3 - At times there seemed to be a lack of descriptions. Some scenes I had no trouble at all visualizing what Ms. Rabe wanted me to see, yet there were other scenes where I had a little difficulty understanding where things were and what they looked like.

Some positives about this novel:

1 - I enjoyed the characters more in this novel than I did in the previous novel. There was more of a `real' element to them and they didn't feel as though they were being dragged through the story. They felt more involved in the pieces of the story.

2 - I also like how Ms. Rabe blurs the lines of magic in this novel. Perceptive readers will see that the spells being worked are a mixture of clerical, druid, and magic. It's interesting to try and pinpoint who is casting what and just what ramifications that means to the character.

3 - I like how Ms. Rabe handles the `incident' that the goblins find themselves in after the dwarven village. Sorry I can't be more specific on that, but it would be a huge spoiler. Suffice it to say that I thought it was an interesting wrench to throw into their plans and I liked how it was handled throughout the novel.

This has been a hard book for me to rate. On one hand, I enjoyed it more than I did the first novel. However, after reading Doom of Kings (another goblin novel) I can see where there are some things missing that don't give it the depth of the other novel. In the end I would say this book garners a three start rating. I think the third book in the trilogy will have a great deal of culmination in it and many questions will be answered, but in the end this is just an average novel for me. I do think fans of the Dragonlance universe should most certainly read it because of the things that will likely transpire in the next novel. The more I think about it, the more interested I am in the next novel. We'll see where it ends up though. All in all, a decent novel with a few minor flaws.

Editorial Review:

Jean Rabe's long-anticipated return to Krynn continues!

Escaping from the slave pens of a Dark Knight mining camp was no easy feat, but what awaits Direfang, a former hobgoblin slave who has become the reluctant general of a growing goblin army is every bit as perilous. From the cruel ogre mountains to the shores of Newsea, Direfang, Mudwort the shaman, and the Dark Knight wizard Grallik fight the natural and unnatural forces that seek to destroy them. Direfang is tested to his limits by once-friends and powerful foes as he undertakes a death march to the Qualinesti Forest. His eyes on independence, Direfang refuses to surrender, and pledges his life for a chance to be free, even as he learns that freedom is a deadly prize.