Doctor Who: War of the Daleks (Doctor Who)

This book was a great read. The Doctor and Davros are well written by John Peel who seems to be really enjoying writing for them. It is so easy to picture davros screaming in anger and the description of the war between the Daleks and the Thals is fantastic. The only slight criticism of this book was that Davros is pretty firmly killed off at the end. However all in all this book comes highly recommended

Entertaining, but so complex... (2/3 people found this helpful)

John Peel's War of the Daleks is undeniably a fascinating and entertaining read, but it is far from easy going, and the finer complexities of the plot will no doubt be lost on those not totally familiar with established Dalek history.

Peel's characterisation is, I feel, somewhat hit and miss - Ayaka is possibly one of the finest Doctor Who characters ever written, constantly torn between her strong morality and her unwavering sense of duty to the Thal cause. The other Thals are also well written, as is Chayn. Perhaps the most interesting characterisation however is that of the Doctor, as we discover just how little he understands what has been happening in the Dalek empire over the last several centuries, and how he has been manipulated by the Dalek Prime. Also, his guilt concerning the actions of Delani and the Thals - it was, after all the Doctor who first convinced the Thals to abandon their pacifist ways and fight against the Daleks - is well-realised and believable. The character of Sam is also fairly well developed, as she realises just how much she cares for the Doctor, and how out of her depth she is when faced with the menace of the Daleks.

The Daleks themselves, however, while presented fairly well as a civilisation (perhaps not the appropriate term for the Daleks!), are often poorly written, and I found it difficult to imagine a Dalek saying much of the dialogue in the later chapters. Davros too, who seems to have been modelled on Terry Molloy's somewhat misguided version of the character, is disappointing. While he is occasionally given some splendid dialogue, he is on the whole presented as a ranting imbecile, and a long way from the quiet, cold, calculating genius of Michael Wisher's original performance in Genesis of the Daleks.

The actual plot is, as I mentioned, incredibly complex, and shatters everything that you thought you knew about the Daleks, casting new light on the events of every Dalek story from Destiny of the Daleks onwards. This may be too much for the casual reader to digest, but provided you grasp the details of the Dalek Prime's master plan and the events leading up to the war prophesised in the title, the rest of the book is highly entertaining, and not at all slow-moving, as has been suggested by other readers.

By far the most disappointing aspect of the book for me, which prevents it from receiving a five-star rating, was the ending, which after the epic events of the final few chapters, seemed like rather an anticlimax, as the Doctor realises that the Dalek Prime has manipulated him once again and the Thals (and indeed the entire galaxy) are in grave danger - all well and good, but following this realisation, the Doctor devises and executes an effective solution far too easily, and the whole final chapter seems rushed and rather unsatisfying.

Gripes aside, War of the Daleks is a highly entertaining read, and re-establishes the Daleks as a dangerous, intelligent enemy in their own right, as opposed to simply being Davros's 'heavies', as they were often portrayed in the later TV stories. While casual readers would do better to investigate Peel's subsequent Dalek story (Legacy of the Daleks), War of the Daleks is, on the whole, a highly satisfying read for the die-hard Doctor Who fan.

The great War (1/2 people found this helpful)

This was one of the first original Doctor Who books that I bought. I thought that it was pure fun but also had some very serious elements that kept the pace fresh. It did tend to get a bit slow at certain points and the explantion for the return of Skaro contradicts the Seventh Doctor's plotting and planning but minor gripes aside I would recommend this as one to spend a bit of extra money on. Davros' character is realistic here and it gives the plot a greater forward drive then you would get from his character in Destiny of the Daleks. It's a pity that after the first ten BBC Who books that were fun like this, they started to go downhill.

A great read and a solid story (4/5 people found this helpful)

I have about 20 pages left of this book to read and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I personally think this is a solid Dr Who story which connects many Dalek stories together to show a progression of the Dalek race. As much as I think Davros was a waste after Genesis of the Daleks the book makes his sometimes disjointed appearances make sense as the big picture evolves. The main action may well take place towards the end of the book but how many times did the TV show wait until the final episode to really get started? I have really enjoyed the ride!

There have been times in the latter part of the TV series that the Daleks have seemed nothing but stooges to Davros, but War of the Daleks takes the ideas from Remembrance of the Daleks and runs with them, emphasising the divisions between Dalek ranks - being those loyal to Davros and those loyal to the Dalek Prime, hence the war. It is interesting to see Daleks starting to think for themselves again like in the good old days, and unlike some of the new range of Dr Who novels this story actually stays true to the TV version and doesn't seem like something completely different trying to compete with American sci-fi. If Big Finish make an audio version of War then I'll be the first to buy it.

Why make it so complicated? (3/4 people found this helpful)

A new Dalek adventure should have been great, but there's very little to get excited about here. It's slow, slow, slow all the way. Halfway through and Sam and the Doctor are still stuck on a spacecraft doing nothing slowly and the Daleks hardly get to do any exterminating or evil doing. The Thals were boring too. The big twist in the plot ends up so confusing and far-fetched that it just can't be taken seriously. Why not have the Daleks simply reclaim a new planet? After all, it worked ok for the Cybermen. Overall a very tedious read, with little to recommend it.

Doctor Who: War of the Daleks (Doctor Who)

John Peel

Reader Reviews:

Dalek victory (0/0 people found this helpful)

Entertaining, but so complex... (2/3 people found this helpful)

The great War (1/2 people found this helpful)

A great read and a solid story (4/5 people found this helpful)

Why make it so complicated? (3/4 people found this helpful)

Similar Products

Categories