Doctor Who: Engines of War

The Great Time War wages on and countless worlds and race are caught in the crossfire between the Time Lords and the Daleks. One such world is Moldox, where Cinder is a young woman who is part of the human resistance on the Dalek-overrun planet. She's out on patrol together with Finch and they encounter a Dalek patrol that also includes Skaro Degradations - more Dalek soldiers that have been created through experimental mutating techniques and such. Cinder is able to take out a few Daleks with her salvaged Dalek weapon, but sadly Finch is killed in the process. Beyond that, it seems Cinder is no longer able to remember Finch at all.Meanwhile the War Doctor leads a daring attack against Dalek forces near the Tantalus Eye. At first things seem to go well, but once again the Daleks manage to turn things around due to sheer numbers and the War Doctor narrowly escapes with his life. He crashlands on Moldox where he first encounters Cinder and ends up saving her life. Now the two end up working together to find out what the Daleks are doing on Moldox and hopefully warn the Time Lords of the dangers they face before it's too late.The Great Time War is such a dark period in Time Lord history and somewhat personally for the Doctor as well. The TV show has made a lot of references to the Time War time and time again and this book presents one of the rare glimpses of how the war was. And Mann does quite a stellar job of painting this rather dark picture of what has been going on all this time. More and more it seems it's hard to tell the Time Lords apart from the Daleks given the wanton destruction both sides end up causing in exchange for small victories here and there.The War Doctor is a grim character, one who has been shaped by the War and one who bears the burden of many hard decisions made over the year. But in the presence of Cinder as his sort of Companion in this adventure, we eventually see glimpses of the impish Doctor that we know and love. That Doctor is still alive somewhere deep inside the War Doctor, and thus the book nicely illustrates how Companions like Cinder and all the others do a lot to keep the Doctor grounded and hopeful. Without directly saying so, the book sort of tells us that a lot of what makes the Doctor so optimistic is the very nature of humanity as well.And once again, we are made to fall in love with a Companion rather quickly in the person of Cinder. She's yet another hard person, certainly traumatized by the rigors of life under Dalek oppression. In that way she's very much like the War Doctor - totally committed to her goals. But underneath the surface she is still a hopeful young woman, one whose childhood was taken from her and yet could still potentially be unlocked and celebrated in its own way. And the two work amazingly well together and the experience of being together helps unlock something in both of them.The entire story that drives this book is brilliant and quite scary at times. We see just how far the Daleks are willing to go to achieve their goals and their master plan to finally defeat the Time Lords is quite the significant one indeed. And of course the other greatest risk to the Time Lords is actually the Time Lords themselves. As lead by Rassilon, supposedly the greatest of all Time Lords, we see that he's a scarily ruthless individual who is open to authorizing just about any use of force or exotic technologies in order to win the war.I really enjoyed this book and how it helped flesh out a period of Doctor Who lore that has largely remained a mystery. It's not a happy time, but it's certainly an important time and seeing what happened here helps better explain the War Doctor we met in the 50th anniversary special.Doctor Who: Engines of War is a great addition to the sort of expanded universe around the Doctor Who series and a must-read for those curious about the War Doctor. Plus it's a great Dalek book that doesn't have them engaged in some silly plan but instead are very well poised to take over all of time and space itself

Since its revival in 2005, much attention has been focused on the Time War, a conflict between the Daleks and the Time Lords that has formed much of the back-story of the New Series. As time has passed, the series has given us references to events and things associated with the Time War and, in the cases of 2010's End Of Time Part Two and last year's fiftieth anniversary special The Day Of The Doctor, glimpses of the war itself and the Doctor who fought it. Following quickly on the heels of the most recent glimpse of the war and the introduction of John Hurt's War Doctor comes Engines Of War, a novel by George Mann that promises on its back-cover “An epic novel of the Great Time War featuring the War Doctor, as played by John Hurt.” But does it deliver?Given the limited amount of screen time that Hurt's War Doctor had last year, one of the difficulties of writing a Time War story would seem to be capturing that Doctor. Yet Mann does exactly that here, extrapolating from Hurt's performance who this Doctor is and just what he's capable of doing from killing an incubation chamber full of Dalek mutants to defying the Time Lords (and just strangling one of them as well). Yet for all of that, there's hints of the man he used to be in here as well and most especially in his interactions with Cinder, who effectively becomes his companion for the novel's duration and whom he admits to having with him “To remind me of who I'm not,” at one point. The icing on the cake though might be the dialogue where Mann leaves the reader hearing Hurt's delivery in their mind's ear as it were. Like writers did nearly twenty years ago with Paul McGann, Mann takes Hurt's limited screen time and uses it to create a whole tale based around him.Along with his capturing of Hurt's War Doctor, Mann is also successful in taking many of the references made to the Time War throughout the New Series' now eight year run and working them into the story. We're presented with the Skaro Degradations (first referenced in the aforementioned End Of Time Part Two) within the first chapter and from there were presented with looks at both the Time Lords and Daleks alike ranging from Rassilon and the High Council to the Dalek's Eternity Circle. In particular, and with just a handful of scenes in the middle of the novel, Mann captures the Timothy Dalton incarnation of Rassilon and offers some details as to how the founder of Time Lord society came to be resurrected. As well as building on the Time War references of the New Series, fans of Old Series stories set on Gallifrey will likely pick on references and appearances by characters from at least a couple of those stories including a surprise appearance by one Time Lord character in particular. Combined with references to events stretching across the Time War and its effect on the universe of large, the novel presents the most complete picture (albeit in prose) of the Time War fans have yet had.Above all else, The novel shows us the events that led this Doctor to the point we saw him at in Day Of The Doctor. Early on in the novel, we're given confirmation that this the older Doctor we saw in that special though he certainly proves himself more than capable of action. The fact that it's set at that point is key as the events of the novel provide the bridge from the warrior to the old, bitter, perhaps even depressed man we meet in the special who has decided that there's no other choice but to use The Moment. While the fact that we're not given a bigger picture of the Time War might come as a bit of a disappointment for some, Mann more than makes up for any disappointment through the references mentioned above and with an action packed tale that shows us the width and breath of the Time War across time and space and its effect on this incarnation of the Doctor.So does Engines Of War live up to its promise? The answer, thanks to the perfect capturing of Hurt's War Doctor and the action packed plot, is a most definite yes. This is the Time War tale that fans have been waiting for since 2005 and a must read for Doctor Who fans.

Along with the Eighth Doctor, the War Doctor is one of the lesser-seen incarnations of the Doctor, having only appeared in only major televised adventure. Shrouded in secrecy, this version of the Doctor relinquished his claim to the title to become a warrior for the Time Lords during the Last Great Time War against the Daleks. Played to perfection by the late John Hurt, the character is continuously forced to make tough decisions over life and death, culminating in his use of ‘The Moment’ to end of the Time War and cause the apparent destruction of both the Daleks and the Time Lords. While his motivations are hinted at in the utterly fantastic “The Day of the Doctor” fiftieth anniversary episode, there has been several extended universe materials since then, such as minisodes, comics, novels and audiobooks, which flesh out the character’s experiences during the Time War.One such adventure is “Engines of War”, the first story to feature the War Doctor in a lead role, chronicling the final days of the Time War and providing context behind the War Doctor’s decision to put an end to both the Daleks and the Time Lords. George Mann handles writing duties, having previously contributed to the Doctor Who universe with Eleventh Doctor novel, “Paradox Lost”. Since writing “Engines of War” in 2014, Mann has worked on Titan Comics’ line of Doctor Who comics, producing adventures for the Eighth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors. He was also involved in creating Doctor Who: The Whoniverse, demonstrating a scholarly knowledge of the series’ mythology and continuity that is evident in his fiction.Despite the fact he’d only appeared in the one episode, George Mann manages to accurately recreate the War Doctor’s persona on the printed page, which is as much testament to John Hurt’s sublime performance as it is Mann’s skill. Without the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors as distractions, Mann is able to delve deep into the War Doctor’s personality and explore the internal conflict at the heart of his soul. Introducing a new Time War companion in the form of Cinder, a flame-haired freedom fighter who has only ever known death and Daleks, allows Mann to partially restore the War Doctor’s humanity and foreshadow the character’s behaviour in “The Day of the Doctor”.The banter and interplay between Cinder and the War Doctor is bittersweet to read, as we have a version of the Doctor who has been isolated for so long and fought so hard against his own ‘programming’ that it is sad to see him showing echoes of his former self, especially when he is forced into the role of a soldier. I love how the pairing of Cinder and the War Doctor reignites a sense of hope and innocence in the two war-weary soldiers, and it is quite affecting to see the Doctor recapturing his sense of mischief as he embarks on an ‘old-school adventure’. Mann nails this aspect of the War Doctor’s personality perfectly, and the prose really rewards long-term fans of the series with some wonderfully emotive sequences.When it was initially introduced, The Time War was seen as a barrier between Classic Who and the New Series, clearly separating the Eighth Doctor from the Ninth and allowing Russell T Davies to approach the series with a semi-blank slate. As time has gone on, it has become less of a barrier and more of a bridge, especially as writers have been able to explore the previously undocumented adventures during this time period. George Mann gets to lay some serious foundations on this bridge through the use of continuity – such as presenting that climactic scene from “Genesis of the Daleks” as the first shot fired in the Time War. “The Five Doctors” is another iconic adventure that serves as inspiration behind this tale as Borusa, Rassilon and the Death Zone all become integral elements of this plot. However, despite this usage of decades-old continuity, Mann manages to keep his plot accessible and easy-to-follow, rewarding loyal fans with nuggets of continuity whilst keeping newer fans informed.While the Daleks are obviously the main antagonists of this story, I was surprised at how much time Mann spends developing Rassilon and the Time Lords as threats, setting up their eventual full-on villainy in “The End of Time”. As I read the sequences with Rassilon threatening the Doctor, I could picture Timothy Dalton leering down at a defiant John Hurt – it’s a shame those scenes will never be committed to film. Mann’s narrative is filled with some wonderfully visual moments, such as the climactic battle against the Eternity Circle and the creepy mutant Daleks known as the Skaro Degradations. Every scene was so evocative and easy to visualise in the mind’s eye, and the plot rattled along at a decent pace without a dull spot in sight.“Engines of War” is a triumph of a Doctor Who adventure, and a worthy predecessor to the fiftieth anniversary episode, “The Day of the Doctor”. Quite simply, it is essential reading for fans of the Time War-era of Doctor Who, providing context to the events of the episode and fleshing out aspects of the Time War only mentioned in passing during the TV show itself. Having read this adventure some years after the initial airing of “The Day of the Doctor”, I can say that this has seriously reinvigorated my love for the War Doctor and inspired me to give the Big Finish War Doctor audio adventures a try. If you haven’t read this yet, I implore you to give it a go – it might be one of the most important Doctor Who novels out there.

John Hurt’s brief role as the Doctor has undoubtedly left fans with the desire to see more of this previously unknown incarnation. This is probably unlikely to ever happen on screen again and it is entirely possible (but let’s hope not) that this novel might be the only revisit to this version of the Doctor. ‘Engines of War’ is also of importance in that it gives the War Doctor an adventure all of his own.Obviously a novel of this nature is heavily influenced by ‘The Day of the Doctor’. However, it can’t entirely be considered a prequel as such. ‘The Day of the Doctor’ is concerned with the last days of the Time War whereas ‘Engines of War’ is a story in its own right set sometime during said war.However, much like ‘The Day of the Doctor’ it takes inspiration from across the history of the programme, effortlessly merging references to twenty first century Doctor Who with that which came before. It takes considerable influence from three of my personal favourite stories; ‘The Deadly Assassin’, ‘Genesis of the Daleks’ and ‘The Five Doctors’. Making use of such background material helps to make this, at least for me, a very enjoyable book. Although there is a large amount of content that relies on knowledge of many Doctor Who stories this knowledge isn’t essential to understand or follow the plot. The author has created a good balance of references that enrich the novel without making it continuity obsessed or too fan indulgent.The characterisation of the Doctor is a little varied throughout. There are times when John Hurt’s portrayal comes to the surface but often this book’s Doctor is a more generic amalgamation of Doctorish traits, usually from the twenty-first century incarnations. That is fairly understandable, however, considering the limited screen time for the War Doctor. This is also still the Doctor before the act of genocide; before he has reached the point of “no more”. There are efforts by the author to distance the character of the War Doctor from the Doctor proper. He is heavily referred to as the Predator throughout and exhibits aggressive tendencies. However, the author’s main effort is to show that the War Doctor would behave differently to the Fourth if put in the famous dilemma the Fourth Doctor faces in ‘Genesis of the Daleks’. It is not that convincing an argument though considering that the similar situation the War Doctor finds himself in in this book is not actually the same situation at all with closer consideration. The War Doctor of this novel is still very much the Doctor and it could very well be the intention of the author to steer the reader to this conclusion.One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the parallels it draws between the Daleks and the Timelords. It seems that as the Time War escalates both indulge in hideous genetic experiments (even on their own kind) and devise or use terrible weapons of mass destruction. Indeed the main plot of this novel is whether or how such a weapon, the Tear, should be applied. The High Council of the Timelords and the Eternity Circle of Daleks definitely bare similarities in outlooks and objectives and Rassalon appears to be no better than the Dalek Emperor. It can be assumed that by the end of this novel it is the author’s intention to bring us to the conclusion that the Daleks and the Timelords are now much the same thing. After all, that is the conclusion the Doctor will reach.If this is, unfortunately, the only new story the War Doctor will get this one has at least done his incarnation proud. Action packed and exciting whilst thought provoking all at once. There is much to be enjoyed in this story and the author clearly knows his material.

I was skeptical about how this book would pan out as we haven't *seen* much of the War Doctor at all, but George Mann portrayed John Hurt's version of the Doctor incredibly. Right from his very first lines I could hear the War Doctor's voice perfectly clear in my mind - Mann managed to get his character and personality exactly how he was in The Day of the Doctor and for that I applaud him.As for the story itself; I loved it. I loved visiting Gallifrey and all the Time Lords from the show were represented wonderfully. I also LOVED Cinder to pieces (especially her name) and how she interacted with the War Doctor. The adventure Cinder and the War Doctor had together was fast moving and exciting. Although the ending did break my heart. As someone who has mainly focused on Modern Who I loved learning about Gallifrey from a book and I'd love to read more books set there.This is definitely one of my favourite Doctor Who novels, I'm very pleased I bought it. A round of applause for George Mann!

This is a review of the newly released novel, Engines of War by George Mann. There is an audio reading of the novelisation due out in December 2014, which I sincerely hope will be read by John Hurt; fingers crossed.The story takes us up to the events in Day of the Doctor, where the tv audience first met the War Doctor, as played by John Hurt. A weary, cynical and less patient Doctor, this timelord strives to find an answer to the terrible toll being taken by the Time War between the Daleks and the Timelords, but without the cost being borne by the inhabitants of the rest of the universe for all time.The first part of the action in the novel sees the Doctor crash-landing on the Dalek-inhabitated world of Moldox; there he meets a young Resistance fighter, Cinder, who has seen her family killed and her world ravaged by the Daleks; it's all she knows. Reluctantly taking her with him, the Doctor seeks out the reason for the Daleks being there. What they find will shock and horrify them, and the Doctor knows he has to take the information back to this homeworld - back to a Gallifrey ruled by a reincarnated Rassilon, a world where the Doctor knows his way of viewing the universe is not welcome. Can Cinder and the Doctor find a way to stop the Daleks, with or without the Timelords?This is fantastic stuff; a great novel as well as a great Doctor Who novel. I tried to read this without expectations, hoping to find it was a great novel in its own right and not just because I wanted it to be a story about the War Doctor, one that would fill in the gaps and answer the questions that the Day of the Doctor left its audience with. I am delighted to find that this book ticks all the boxes. It is a triumph in continuity, characterisation, narrative and context; everything, in short that a Doctor Who fan could possibly want. Most importantly, it is immediately 'familiar' to the reader, in that it is easy to imagine it playing out on the small (or big) screen in front of you. I hope there are more books to come with the War Doctor, as there is a great characterisation being created of this incarnation of the Doctor who we are all so familiar with in previous incarnations. The War Doctor deserves to have all his tales told; I can't wait to hear/read more of them. In the meantime, George Mann has done a great job with this novel; I encourage every Doctor Who fan (whether a fan of the `classic' or `new' series) to read this.

Surprised! I thought this was going to be about the Dleks (hence buying it), and in all fairness it is; they're definitely in the story and the cause of the Doctor's problem and dilemma. You do hear Dalek voices, etc. What I didn't expect is that the story evolves around "the mystery of the Time Lords" - they're role is significantly more demanding than the Daleks.I was absolutely delighted and enthralled by this, getting to listen to an hour of story whilst driving to work (2 hours a day then). Seven CDs nicely filled my time commuting, so much so that I bought a couple more Who narrative story CDs, and also the new Who "Masters of earth" (Big Finish). It actually makes me want to go to work - to listen to it en route.