This is a book that is based on the television series. It features the Tenth Doctor and Martha. In this one, they land on a deserted prison ship but soon find out there is more to it than that.

I was immediately sucked into this book as the deserted ship's setting came off as a space horror genre story and I was all in. Then, the book took a left turn and delved into a "village in a forest" that evoked more of a fantasy vibe as we have monsters and the children disappearing. This part really didn't do it for me as I was teased with the opening genre. I will admit the explanation at the end works and did save the book in my opinion. I actually loved the finale and the message. What happens when a sentient being is bombarded with evil and is concepts love and bravery enough to over come it? As for the portrayal of the main characters I though The Doctor was fine. Martha never really stood out. I did the minor characters even though some of them fell into a common trope.

This book was a decent read. It is set up as a mystery and for me, the mystery didn't totally grab me. The payoff did. It is one of those books that you have to stick with until the very end to get a satisfying result. The journey to get there is a little rough though.5 s TheGeekProblem65 26

Changing my rating from 3 to 2 stars because when I tried to explain what the book was about I had to google it because I couldn't remember it.4 s Kati1,895 67

It started well: an abandoned ship, the question of what happened to its crew... aaaaaaaaaand then it went downhill again and it turned into yet another Earth--forest-with-villagers-and-missing-children-blah-blah-blah adventure. Nothing new, nothing original, nothing remotely engaging. Is there no Steven Moffat- writer among the DW book authors? Someone who can write a really suspenseful bottle-story?2015 audiobooks dw-tw ...more3 s Ajay Rajendran24

Good book2 s Lauren Stoolfire3,934 277

Francine Jones can do a very good impression of her daughter!adventure media-tie-in sci-fi2 s Ken2,296 1,346

The Doctor and Martha arrive on the abandoned Castor, exploring the ship they soon discover a populated village and forest.

A really intriguing well written mystery.1 Mauoijenn1,129 115

Loved this one.
It was written very well.
This has to be my favorite Doctor Who novel, yet.2015-rc doctor-who-tardis fantasy-sci-fi2 s Craig5,356 129

This story features Doctor #10 along with Martha Jones. It starts off interestingly enough on a gigantic ship, wanders a bit into virtual reality and into what seems some Russian folk tale, then ties everything smoothly together at the end. There would have had to be a bit more plot to make a satisfying television episode, and Martha's character doesn't seem to ring completely true all the time, but it's a pretty good and well-told tale. 1 Helen 743 40

This one was just okay for me.1 Stephanie15 16

This is the first Doctor Who book I've read and it was about what I expected - as a book, it's not very good. The writing is very simple so basically anyone over the age of 8-10 could probably read this. As far as the "episode" went, the Doctor was the Doctor for the most part. There were certain lines I could imagine David Tennant saying. Martha was Martha, yet she wasn't. Personally, I've never d Martha to begin with, she's easily my least favorite companion so as far as her character's concerned, I can't really think of much that defines her as a person. In this book, she could've been anyone, really. She did companion-type things that all the companions do (listen to the Doctor, then stop listening to the Doctor in order to do something she thinks is right, etc.), but there was never any moment when I thought, "Oh yes, that was a very Martha Jones moment." Maybe it's because I'm not a huge Martha fan, but I'm not sure.

As far as the story goes, at first I really was intrigued both by the ship & the forest. By the end, however, I was both a little bored and confused. I'm not sure if it's the writer's fault for just not explaining well what happened or if the story itself just wasn't very good, but while I did get the gist of what was going on by the time I reached the very end, for the last 70-50 pages, I spent a lot of time thinking, "What is going on? How does this all tie in?"

Overall, it's not terrible, it was still a fun read and if I'd given myself enough time, I probably could've finished this within a few hours. 1 Shelley2,367 161

In the end, I just missed Martha too much! I had to finish it. If only this had been a proper Martha book - I was convinced through many sections that it was originally writte as Rose. I know it was approved as Rose/Ten, so, yeah, probably got written at the start that way, too. Even when she wasn't very Rose-, she still wasn't Martha-, either. Disappointing. (Especially since the Doctor was so overtly complimenting her/grateful for her being there/happy with her. Given the finale, that was kind of really OUCH.)

But Ten was pretty clearly Ten in most cases. He had a lot of interaction with a 12 year old girl name Jude, who was marvelous alone and fantastic with him. She was, actually, rather Martha-. Their scenes made the book.

The plot started out great, got wobbly in the middle, and then came back in a decent resolution. Really, not bad. If only Martha was more Martha.

Can't wait for the next set in September - Forever Autumn looks really great. And by then, the writers will have produced these specifically for Martha and Ten. sci-fi whoniverse1 Jesse20

I just recently finished this book and was not very impressed with it. The writing was not very memorable. It was written in a very bland language that I often find myself glossing over rather than reading every word and savoring it.

The characters were for the most part two-dimensional. The characters do develop through out the book but not too much. You would only learn a thing or two about them - even for the main characters, the Doctor and Martha - nothing more. Disappointingly, Martha was hardly useful in the story. She appeared as wooden as her acting was in the television series.

Also disappointing was how non-descriptive and generic the villain appeared in the story.

What annoys me about most of the New Series books is the inclusion of a child character, becoming a second-rate one-off companion and this book is no different. Take a look at "Prisoner of the Daleks" and you'd see that it's much better without having a child character being a "companion" -- though it does, albeit briefly, feature a child character.

Average book at its best.science-fiction tv-tie-in1 Holly105

Okay, this one was really cool, for all it's a Doctor Who book. What can I say? I'm on a kick. The Doctor and Martha find an space ship full of dead bodies that has, against all reason, an entire old-world village in the heart of it. But now the children of the village are vanishing one after another and the Doctor and Martha are slowly realizing that they're not alone on the ship after all. I was wary reading a Martha book (didn't really get into the last one I tried) but this was pretty fun. 1 Alesia235

This Village is scary! Would've made a great episode to watch.1 Gypsy MaddenAuthor 1 book29

While there wasn’t anything that I really latched onto about this book to scream to everyone how fantastic it was, it certainly doesn’t rank in among the dry, boring, tedious Who book adventures I’ve read either. So, it’s at that fine middle line of it was a fun adventure with a good, creepy atmosphere, and some rather bland, forgettable monsters (though the mist children were wonderfully chilling and I loved the scene on the lake). The story itself did feel long at points (Most of those points were the dialogue between characters and I think that was because quite a few of the characters were cliché and one-dimensional -Saul, Petr, petr’s wife, Saul’s wife was practically a walk-on role, so the romantic triangle felt tired and stale). Notably, I did the character of Jude. People often forget that Doctor Who was a kids show originally, so it’s nice to see a starring child character introduced every once in a while. The story itself reminded me of the older Who episodes, lots of haunted metal corridors and rather rubbery monsters. Justin Partridge273 3

“And what lesson do we learn from all of this? Not to go exploring when you find yourself in a forest in deep space?”

“Oh, yeah, THAT,” said the Doctor with a grin. “And…” He risked a final glance over his shoulder. “To be capable of love, nine times out of ten…someone needs to love us first.”

A pretty solid Tenth Doctor and Martha adventure! I think these 2000s novels recreate the feeling of the episodes the best. There is a TARDIS Team, a weird thing, investigating and chases ensue. I am down with that.

Especially since the Past Doctor Adventures are super ambitious, the Eighth Doctors too. The less said about the Virgin books the better. But these are just meat and potatoes DW. I’ll always appreciate that. And I think I’ll always have a fondness for this range, even if they are kinda basic at times. Michael Miller14 1 follower

I loved this! As with the best 'Doctor Who' novels, I could really hear the actors' voices in the characters' dialogue. The adventure was fast-paced. The twists were unpredictable. The plot was complicated, in an engaging way. And there was even some great social commentary on what it means to be human and what free will means in the realities of good and evil. In that way, the novel stands with the best of the show's episodes too - it was exciting, fun, funny at parts, and had something to say about the deeper truths and questions of life. I had a lot of fun with this one and will happily read it again when I'm in the mood to travel with the Doctor and Martha. Garrett1,731 23

Creepy and fun, and Martha's written exceptionally well in this one. The "secondary" characters, if anything, steal the spotlight from the Doctor and Martha, and that's refreshing and welcome, as long as the story is good. The denouement, such as it is, comes maybe a little too late to have a lot of heft, and the inevitable scale balancing seems a little out of proportion to the build-up that preceded it. Overall, though, a diverting read. Harrison54

This one was a thoroughly enjoyable read. This book constantly keeps you on your toes, giving you questions upon questions before finally revealing all the answers in a great final chapter. It’s mystery surrounding the “evil” of the episode and the deviation from the overused Doctor versus Villain-type story was greatly appreciated. It’s clearly been well-thought out and planned meticulously and I enjoyed the book very much. Itami74

Great DW novel! Loved it! Looooved it! It's not free from "plotholes" (e.g. why did the parents let their children sleep alone in their rooms instead of guarding them?!) but all in all I d the atmosphere, I d the mystery, I d the characters, and I d that I never felt bored while reading!
(However I want to add that I'm not a native speaker and this book was much more difficult to read for me than other DW novels)books favorites whoniverse Taaya 800 4

Beginning and ending were good, but I really struggled in the middle and almost gave up, because it seemed nothing at all was happening. And not only no action. I'm alright with no action at all. But also no fun, close to no introspection into our beloved protagonists and not even something sociological. ... When nothing happens, but you're in a society you don't know... At least spend some time observing! Joyce508 34

The doctor and Martha arrive on a dead ship that is barely working. But what killed the inhabitants and why is there a whole other world connected to it. They go into this other world which it seems the kids are disappearing. This one was part sci-fi and part fantasy. The ending is interesting. You can read these books out of order and it is fine. adventure aliens children ...more Andy Stehr97

Usually I think the stuff that happens in a Doctor Who novel is stuff that could never happen on an episode, yet this book I felt I could picture everything in it. I bet I get confused in the not too distant future about whether this was an episode or not. Really enjoyed it. Ripped through it quite quickly for me. Joanne411 26

Bit of a weird and convoluted story that didn't really grip me and I found it dragging at times, with no clear explanation for everything at the end. The characters were okay but the story just fell a bit flat for me. august-2020 K630 3

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??????????????????????????????????doctor-who doctor-who-10th-doctor Nathan Pilgrim63 3

Fun story, looks a long episode, maybe a two parter.
It's been a while since I enjoyed something Doctor Who, and it made me nostalgic about how good it was. Especially with the feelgood ending. Rob49

I bought this book on eBay without reading a single plot summary, and it left me pleasantly surprised. I judged a book by hits' cover essentially. David Tennant's version of the Doctor and Martha. If you Doctor Who chances are you will find some enjoyment in this book.doctor-who Daiana44 1 follower

Story 3/5
Narration 5/5adventure audiobook sci-fi Julian Abagond116 4

I wanted more Martha Jones so I read this. As good as, if not better than, the television series, complete with a hokey in-brand ending. Anke Kurth50 Read

Thanks to the quirks of KTEH's (a bastion of Doctor Who in the U.S. back in the day) scheduling of Colin Baker's first season as the Doctor, I saw season 22 of classic Who a lot during my first decade or so as a fan. That kind of explains why it's been a hot minute since I dusted off that particular season on either my VHS or DVD collection. It's probably been at least a decade since I really dabbled in season 22 in a serious way -- and boy, did revisiting Philip Martin's adaptation of his script for "Vengeance on Varos" show that.

Martin takes a page from the master of the Doctor Who adaptation, Terrance Dicks, and gives us essentially the same story we get on-screen. Though to Martin's credit (and Dicks in the early days before they chained him to a typewriter and he churned out eight novels in a year), he does at least try to make the story feel it unfolds over a longer duration of time than what we got on-screen. Martin makes it feel the Doctor, Peri, Jondar, and Arata spend a bit more time wandering around the punishment dome, trying to find a way out and escape. He even extends things out enough so it appears the Doctor has passed away for longer than five-minutes than we see on-screen. There is an extended sequence where we pull back the curtain and see how the Governor truly lives when he's not negotiating with Sil or being sprayed with death rays. And don't forget that part where he has Sil fall into the vat of liquid that he's constantly being sprayed with on-screen.

But despite all these flourishes, it's the story of "Varos" that continues to shine through and where the success or failure of this particular story lies.

Thirty years ago, the video nasties of Varos seemed a cautionary tale. Now, they feel all too real with the rise of reality television and how parts of it seem to get crueler with each passing season. Martin borrows certain aspects of Orwell in creating the world of Varos, from couples potentially spying on each other to the non-stop entertainment screens in all the living quarters. Varos is a shabby, drab place but it could be more if the Varosians realized that their Ziton 7 ore was far more valuable than corporate negotiator Sil lets on.

Looking at the story again thirty years on, I can't help but wonder just how Sil and his corporation control the information that Ziton 7 is more valuable than they're letting on. But then, I look around at the world today and think -- maybe that isn't so far-fetched after all.

Martin's script, which seemed far-fetched thirty plus years ago, looks far too much what some of pop culture entertainment has become these days. I find myself revisiting certain sci-fi works from the last thirty years with their warnings about certain aspects of our world and wishing we'd paid more attention to them or learned the actual lesson they were trying to teach us.

"Varos" is a good script -- possibly the strongest of Colin Baker's tenure as the Doctor. Steven Moffat seems to agree, choosing this one to represent the era for the fiftieth anniversary a few years ago. I suppose to a casual fan or one wanting an overview of classic Who, it would suffice as am ample representative of its era (one that was far more fascinating for what was happening behind the camera rather than in front of it). But to this fan, I found myself wanting a bit more from it this time -- or maybe just a bit more from the novelization. I know at this point in the show, producer John Nathan-Turner ruled the novels with an iron fist, rarely allowing authors to expand much beyond what you saw on screen to the printed page. I can't help but wonder if Martin's story would have benefited from being allowed to do some character and world-building across the pages (and maybe run longer than the typical Target novel did).

As an audiobook, this one is well read by Martin Jarvis. (Interestingly, this was also selected years ago as an abridged audiobook read by Colin Baker). Jarvis' recreation of various characters is well done and he adds a bit of enjoyment to revisiting the dark, bleak world of Varos.

And any good Target book, this one left me with the yearning to revisit the original source material. Which I may have to do pop this one in the DVD player for the first time in a decade or so.

audio-book doctor-who read-in-2021 ...more2 s Brayden Raymond437 9

Well i found it rather darker than some of the Doctor Who stories that I have read more recently and this only added to the excitement. However not having seen the corresponding episodes allows me to have a much different approach than a viewer. My first 6th Doctor story to top it all off and I think Vengeance on Varos made for quite rhe adventure and despite the constant running through corridors or being captured I think that was kind of the point? I mean the punishment dome revolved around keeping the viewers enthralled and constant chases and escapes would do that. It just makes sense. 4 stars well earned.doctor-who1 Michael423 53

By the time Philip Martin finally completed the manuscript at least two years late Target books had become a bit redundant in the VCR age. I certainly gave it a miss.
The Doctor is forced to make a forced landing on Varos seeking a rare mineral to fix the Tardis.
I quite enjoyed the tv version but I gave the novelisation a miss, which reading it for the first time now seems to have been a good call. Martin might be a well credited tv script writer but his prose style is pretty poor. The two lengthy sequences when the Doctor and his rebel friends make their way through the trap filled tunnels are very dull. The scene where the Doctor is fooled into thinking he's thirsting to death in a sun baked desert doesn't prompt the reader to reach for a cool drink, more it makes the reader wish for a fast forward button (no I didn't skim). One of the delights that doesn't come across on the page is Nabil Shaban's wonderfully oily malevolent performance as Sil backed up by Martin Jarvis' suave Governor. Some of the attempts at satire are interesting enough the married Varosian couple watching the action as it happens and taking part in the compulsory referendums.
The further into the novel the story gets the more it starts to deviate from the tv version until it almost seems some of the Trial of a Time-Lord stories with two subtly different realities going on eg the acid bath deaths being accidental on screen but quite deliberately engineered by the Doctor in this novel. There's a bit of closer look at how the ruling class operate, which shows them to be more rivals than confederates. We even find out what happens during a Varosian night. The Governor goes home to incredible luxury, enjoying a lovely bath, fine food, wine and a choice of viewing, some imported light comedies. By the end of the book two cannibals have turned into a mob and the printed page can afford trips out onto the surface and several guard filled cars careering into the stingy jungle. And there are Tarzan references by Peri. Bizarre. 2016 science-fiction1 Nicholas Whyte4,889 187

http://nhw.livejournal.com/1068930.html?style=mine#cutid1

basically this is a competent enough adaptation of the plot, with some of the unfortunate excesses of the TV original improved and a bit more substance to the characterisations.

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/vengeance-on-varos-by-jonathan-dennis-and-philip-martin-also-sil-and-the-devil-seeds-of-arodor/

I was interested to note that the cliff-hanger comes relatively early in the book, a good ten pages before the half-way point. Otherwise the book is a safe transformation from screen to print.1 TravisAuthor 24 books37

Couple interesting bad guys can't save this book. It's too grim and Varos feels very flat and it's too noticeable that the Doctor and Peri spend too much time locked up or running around corridors.

Shame as the characterization of the Doctor and Peri is pretty strong.doctor-who1 David Layton527 8

"Vengeance on Varos" may be the best of the season of Colin Baker's first full outing as The Doctor. It has the very interesting premise of a former prison planet that has modeled its society along the prison rules, with the officers and guards becoming the elite governing class and the prisoners becoming the oppressed labor class. Martin has introduced an added twist in that the punishment system has been turned into mass entertainment. There is some strong social commentary about addiction to television. Martin has added some elements in his novelization that make the setup more sensible. These may have been in the original script, but probably could not have been done given budget constraints for television. These include having the guards' squad cars run on a monorail rather than being glorified golf carts. The size of the Varos colony is increased, with separate domes and access ways. Martin explains why the colonists live in domes rather than on the surface. There are several limitations in the novelized version still. These include a requirement to keep it short, to write to a youngish (early teens) audience, and to keep most of the original TV story intact. As interesting as the background is, Martin's storytelling technique is less thought out. The plot is mostly a long series of "evade and capture" events. Martin goes with the A.E. van Vogt method that every so often one must introduce a plot twist no matter what the logic of that might be. Gareth809 5

An interesting one this one for me - is actually quite a strong story, just not a strong Doctor Who story as such. The violence had been increasing in Doctor Who again over the last little while, starting with the Fifth Doctor, but up until now at least it seemed similar to the older Fourth Doctor and the Third Doctor stories - quite a lot of deaths, but dealt with somewhat casually as such. Here though it becomes gratuitous in nature, and the Doctor seems quite cavalier about it.
The overall plot though is quite good, some interesting one off characters, some able, some disable, and some quite grey, adding to quite an interesting tale.
The Doctor is in reasonable form, outside of his lack of compassion here for many of the characters, Peri is a bit of a damsel in distress again at times, but has some good scenes nonetheless.
Overall, a good, strong read, but felt more something for Blake's Seven or the , than for Doctor Who.
Pete967 60

Doctor Who : Vengence on Varos (1988) by Phillip Martin is the novelisation of the second serial of the twenty second season of Doctor Who.

The Doctor and Peri are having their usual TARDIS troubles and travel to Varos, a mining planet. The planet is corrupt and the citizens watch torture and execution for enjoyment on big screens in their houses. The Doctor and Peri stop an execution and wind up on the run. Smil, a small alien slug is corruptly negotiating with the government of Varos.

It’s alright, but not that strong. Jade755 1 follower

The episode-to-book novels are always hit or miss. This one ended up being a win! It definitely read an episode, but I loved it. The writing and transitions were brilliant, and I totally read it in the voices of the Doctor and Peri, as well as their enemies.

This was a great read on what was a great series of episodes! Kai Hunter586

Good plot, a bit vague. Not so great character development. Good Doctor Who.2019 sci-fy ya Kushnuma1,156 33

This book started off slow but it did turn out alright. I think I'd to watch the episodes with the first Doctors. stand-alone Nelder52

The plot is incredible. Carl565 4

Un the Previous BBC reissues, I feel this one really needed to fleshed out more. More internal monologues to give us a clue to what the characters are thinking, more information about Varos and how it changed etc.

Martin's Novelization is a bit too thin for my liking. Furthermore it does not carry over how deliciously camp and fun Nabil Shaban's Sil is in the episodes. Sil in the novel is dry dull and one dimensional.

Better to watch the episodes. Julian White1,431 5

Churlish, I know - it was a free pdf - but the number of scanning-induced errors was higher than usual and made reading this a bit of a chore, over and above the plot. Not a favourite story of mine - ooh, the TARDIS has a different power source which somehow is depleted leaving just enough power to reach the only planet where it is found... Peri in deadly peril (several times) and is subjected to genetic transformation... Doctor behaving uncharacteristically violent (really - The Sixth Doctor behaving oddly!) and all set on a planet with the most bizarre government ever invented outside the works of Jonathan Swift. Oh, and introducing Sil.

The book adds somewhat to the televised version and alters some of what we saw so is an improvement on some of the Target offerings but the whole adds up to a massive meh! Daniel Kukwa4,248 102

What I especially about this novelization is that it manages a great deal of fleshing out, yet remain within the tight word count confines of a Target book. The minor characters especially shine (such as the communications officer, Bax), and there are wonderful moments such as seeing the after hours life of the Governor, and his thoughts about whether anything on his benighted planet can or will ever change. It's always nice to see an author's ambitions bear fruit.
doctor-who Scott64

This story is pulled from what was arguably the worst season of Doctor Who ever made and it shows. The novel is a brutally violent disaster, although the blame lies chiefly with the source material. I have heard it claimed that this story was intended as a send up of Thatcher's Britain, but I don't really see it as anything other than a discouraging mess. a-2016 science-fiction Steve30 3

A story which was quite ugly and squalid on TV, is much improved in the Target novelisation. It's still quite brutal and I wouldn't want every Who story to be it, but I'm happy that the show can go this dark occasionally.doctor-who Doug42 3

Somehow falls flat compared with its televised counterpart. Some odd turns of phrase (and not just from the aliens) kept taking me out of the book.doctor-who-06th-doctor Ted144 5

[Note: I'm reading this as I re-watch the episodes.]

The best of the Sixth Doctor up to this point. But the book isn't quite on the mark -- although I can't quite put my finger on why.doctor-who Alex Melnick328 45

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