Author: Justin Richards
Title: Doctor Who Death Riders
Publisher: BBC Children's Books
Publish Date: Nov 19, 2015
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Book Blurb:
The Galactic Fair has arrived on the mining asteroid of Stanalan and anticipation is building around the construction of the fair's most popular attraction - the Death Ride! But there is something sinister going on behind all the fun of the fair; people are mysteriously dying in the Off-Limits tunnels. Join the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory as they investigate . . .Book Blurb:
I rate these stories on how much I wish that they would have been episodes. This one felt like it was a rip off of Nightmare In Silver, one of the Neil Gaiman's episodes from the Matt Smith era of the show.
Maybe it was the setting of both. "Silver" was set in an abandoned amusement park and Death Riders is set at a Galatic Fair on a mining asteroid this is not quite what it seems. In fact for the most part it seems like a pretty simple story, until people start dying and there's no reason for the deaths.
The Doctor has to figure out what's up with that as well as the off-limits tunnels. Its actually Amy that discovers the alien in a round about sort of way. The Drexxon are a pretty nasty bunch, but they just didn't do it for me, just as the super roller coaster angle wasn't all that exciting.
I did like the references to Doctor Who cannon, such as his being able to play the spoons. I think most of the books keep up with cannon better than the series writers. I give the writer props for that.
Its a quicky read and fun when you are suffering from Who withdrawal.
Rating: 3 flowers
