From: richs@cogs.sussex.ac.uk (Richard Salter)
Subject: Timewyrm: Exodus - a bit of a review like thing (SPOILERS)
Organization: University of Sussex
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 19:22:29 GMT

Well, after I finally found this book in the only bookshop in the
entirety of the south of England to still have a copy, I rushed
home and read it (OK so it actually took me a couple of days but
I wanted to sound real eager).

So here's what I thought (MAJOR SPOILERS TIME)


















After I managed to get past the awful front cover (I only realised
that was supposed to be Ace after I read the relevant scene it's 
taken from) I began to read.
Oh, Mr Dicks, how can you possibly give us such a cliched start. It
was awful. "Where are we Professor? And When?" I mean give us a break.
If I had a penny for every time I'd heard a similar introduction to
a Doctor Who adventure - I'd have sixpence.
Anyway, once past that and the contrived situation with the coffee-
stall owner and those two bods, I really started to enjoy this.
I thought it a little odd that such a new character such as the 
Timewyrm should be shown to be trapped inside the mind of a human - 
albeit Adolf Hitler - after we were given the impression from the
first New Adventure that Ishtar had now become extremely powerful.
I also thought it odd that the Doctor didn't recognise the War Chief.
I thought that the telepathic thought-waves of a Time Lord could be
recognised by another (e.g. The Doctor recognises Borusa in the Five
Doctors I think, without being told who he is - just an example that
springs to mind). Perhaps I'm wrong, but it was a little odd. I also
got very annoyed that the Doctor couldn't see the Timewyrm inside 
Adolf's head, despite numerous clues.
Anyway, gripes aside, I loved the use of Time Travel within the book.
It's really enjoyable when authors actually use the TARDIS as a Time
Machine rather than just a way of getting the Doctor into a new
adventure somewhere. The way things fitted together was very clever.
Terrance Dicks obviously knows his World War II history and this showed
in brilliant way he worked the Doctor into the proceedings.
I thought the Doc wasn't supposed to intervene in history. Ho hum.
I also loved the reintroduction of the War Chief, though he didn't 
seem to be much of an adversary. He was dealt with far too quickly.
The book was too short. It needed to be at least as long as Love & War,
but then the general trend seems to be towards longer stories.
Thank God we didn't have to go to Perivale *again*. Oh hell, if we have
to go with the Doctor and Ace and have tea and a piece of cake in 
Perivale *once* more I shall scream. Forget Perivale.
I was pleased that Dicks didn't go to far into developing Ace's 
character (read L&W for that!) because, quite frankly, I'm sick of
hearing about her mother. I thought we'd resolved all that. She also
didn't use to much "slang" that "all kids from London use" which
usually irritates the hell out of me. Altogether, one of the best 
portrayals of Ace - a companion with a head on her shoulders and fierce
independance, without the tedious character expansion which I don't
think quite works in the context of Doctor Who.
I did approve of the Doctor's dilemma about changing history and 
making things much worse than they were to start with. This too, however
was far too easily rectified and never really had me worried.

So overall, a blasting good read. Well written by someone who knows a 
great deal about his subject (both history and Doctor Who) with some
great touches. But it was too short, and had some irritating cliches.

Crumbs that was long winded, but I hope I've provoked some people into
replying.

Happy Halibut VII

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