Doctor Who: The Blood Cell: A Novel (DOCTOR WHO)

by James Goss

"Release the Doctor - or the killing will start." 

An asteroid in the furthest reaches of space - the most secure prison for the most dangerous of criminals. The Governor is responsible for the worst fraudsters and the cruellest murderers. So he's certainly not impressed by the arrival of the man they're calling the most dangerous criminal in the quadrant. Or, as he prefers to be known, the Doctor. 

What does impress the Governor is the way the new prisoner immediately sets about trying to escape. And keeps trying. Finally, he sends for the Doctor and asks him why? But the answer surprises even the Governor. And then there's the threat - unless the Governor listens to the Doctor, a lot of people will die. 

Who is the Doctor and what's he really doing here? Why does he want to help the Governor? And who is the young woman who comes every day to visit him, only to be turned away by the guards?  

When the killing finally starts, the Governor begins to get his answers...

• ISBN10: 0804140928
• ISBN13: 9780804140928
• Publish Date: 9 September 2014
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 256
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780804140928

Reviews

[lindsey]

I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books, in exchange for an honest review.

As a huge fan of Doctor Who, I was thrilled when I received a copy of this to review. While not bad, I was still left mildly disappointed when I finished reading it. I was looking forward to an exciting read, where I would get a chance to learn more about the new Doctor. Unfortunately, The Blood Cell made the newest incarnation of the Doctor seem a bit bland.

It mostly focuses on the Governor and how he deals with his newest prisoner, the Doctor. It takes place in The Prison, which is located on an isolated asteroid, from which there is no escape. Essentially, they're all prisoners, including the Governor.

I don't think this book really captures the essence of Doctor Who. For one thing, it's told from the Governor's point of view, so we really don't get to go inside the Doctor's head. For another, I never felt any real sense of danger... only a slight touch of paranoia - the Governor's mostly. Even at the end, when they actually were in danger, it didn't feel like there was any need to worry. It was a bit anti-climatic.

The Blood Cell was lackluster, at best.