purplecat | The Way through the Woods by Una McCormack (Reply)

You're viewing

purplecat's journal
Create a Dreamwidth Account Learn More

Reload page in style: site light

Long time readers of this blog may recall that I have been somewhat underwhelmed by BBC Books Dr Who New Series novelisations and may have realised that I eventually broke my completist habit and stopped buying them. The problem I have, having decided that I no longer need to own all of something is that I quite rapidly decide I don't need any of them at all and I hadn't really bought a Dr Who book since. However I kept hearing vague rumblings that some of the newer books were good and the ones by Una McCormack were mentioned, so I put them on the Amazon wish list and some duly turned up for Christmas.

I'm not going to write about it at length because I feel about it much as I've felt about the other New Series novelisations. It's OK. It's a solid enough tale, treats the companions (Amy and Rory here) well, is dealing with themes of being a non-combatant left out of a war (either by choice or necessity), and has a nice spooky Who-ish central premise. And yet, and yet, and yet, I can't help feeling it would have been a better book if it hadn't been aimed at the younger end of young adult. I feel I've said that, to a greater or lesser extent, about every New Series book I've read.

Crossposts: http://louisedennis.livejournal.com/259452.html

From:

Anonymous This account has disabled anonymous posting.

OpenID (will be screened if not validated)

Dreamwidth account

If you don't have an account you can create one now.

Subject

Formatting type

Message

Loading anti-spam test...

If you are unable to use this captcha for any reason, please contact us by email at support@dreamwidth.org

Profile

purplecat

July 2025

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

Tags

100 papers [10]
absent friends [2]
academia [87]
- dead scientists [2]
- edinburgh informatics [3]
- groups
  - dream [2]
- impact [1]
- public understanding [28]
  - lego rover [21]
- publications [50]
- scientists
  - aaron sloman [1]
  - alan bundy [4]
  - douglas hofstadter [1]
  - john mccarthy [2]
- talks [22]
- teaching [1]
administrivia [1]
agents of shield [1]
ai [28]
- agents [24]
  - ail [9]
  - bdi [11]
    - goals [2]
  - groups [3]
  - languages
    - agentspeak [1]
    - oopl [1]
  - organisations [3]
- automated reasoning [7]
  - rippling [1]
  - sat [1]
  - smt [1]
- ethics [7]
- explainability [2]
- hybrid systems [1]
- knowledge representation [1]
- lego robots [1]
- planning [1]
- robotics [4]
aisb [10]
amazon [1]
anecdote [1]
arthuriana [6]
bernice summerfield [6]
- review [5]
birthday [11]
books [54]
- author
  - andrew cartmel [3]
  - ben aaronovitch [4]
  - c s lewis [1]
  - charlotte bronte [1]
  - craig hinton [2]
  - david mcintee [1]
  - david whittaker [1]
  - dorothy l sayers [1]
  - iain m banks [2]
  - ian rankin [2]
  - j r r tolkien [1]
  - jacqueline rayner [2]
  - jane austen [1]
  - jeff vandermeer [1]
  - jim mortimore [1]
  - jonathan blum [2]
  - justin richards [3]
  - kate orman [2]
  - kelly hale [1]
  - lance parkin [4]
  - lawrence miles [6]
  - mags halliday [5]
  - malcolm hulke [1]
  - marc platt [2]
  - mark michalowski [3]
  - mary stewart [1]
  - megan whalen turner [3]
  - michael moorcock [2]
  - neal stephenson [3]
  - paul cornell [4]
  - paul dale smith [5]
  - paul magrs [11]
  - philip purser-hallard [10]
  - phyllis ann karr [1]
  - rob shearman [3]
  - rosemary sutcliff [2]
  - sara paretskey [1]
  - shakespeare [1]
  - simon guerrier [2]
  - terrance dicks [2]
  - terry pratchett [1]
  - tolkien [3]
castle [1]
christmas [2]
class [7]
- review [7]
computer science [15]
- complexity theory [4]
- game theory [5]
  - economics [1]
- np problems [1]
- verification [3]
  - induction [1]
conferences [3]
- aamas [1]
- arw [1]
- clima [1]
conventions [6]
- eastercon [11]
  - 2010 [2]
  - 2011 [4]
  - 2012 [1]
  - 2015 [1]
  - 2025 [1]
- lass o gowrie [1]
crochet [40]
- amigurumi [11]
- garment [5]
- moogly cal [8]
- non-euclidean [10]
current events [24]
dark [1]
- icons [1]
diary [14]
doctor who [973]
- books [45]
  - annual [8]
  - cover [50]
    - benny adventure [1]
    - eda [4]
    - misc [9]
    - missing adventure [1]
    - new adventure [10]
    - nuwho [2]
    - pda [7]
    - target [16]
  - edas [2]
  - nas [4]
  - new series [9]
  - pdas [1]
  - storybook [1]
  - time and relative disse [5]
- comic [11]
  - fifth doctor [2]
  - first doctor [3]
  - fourth doctor [2]
  - second doctor [2]
  - sixth doctor [2]
  - third doctor [1]
- costume bracket [120]
- factsheet [1]
- fandom [2]
- fanzine [8]
  - channel d [1]
  - dwb [2]
  - skaro [1]
  - tides of time [1]
  - web planet [4]
- fiction [1]
  - martha [1]
  - thirteen [1]
  - yaz [1]
- icons [67]
  - ace [1]
  - adric [1]
  - amy+rory+river [1]
  - barbara [1]
  - barbara+ian [1]
  - ben [1]
  - bill+nardole+twelve [1]
  - chang lee [1]
  - cybermen [1]
  - dalek [1]
  - dan [1]
  - doctor+master [1]
  - dodo [1]
  - eight [1]
  - eleven [1]
  - eleven+river [1]
  - faction paradox [1]
  - fifteen [1]
  - four [1]
  - four+leela [1]
  - four+sarah [1]
  - fugitive doctor [1]
  - graham+ryan [1]
  - harry [1]
  - ian [1]
  - ice warriors [1]
  - jamie [1]
  - jamie+victoria [1]
  - jamie+zoe [1]
  - jo [1]
  - katarina [1]
  - leela [1]
  - liz [1]
  - mel [1]
  - nardole [1]
  - nyssa [1]
  - one [1]
  - osgood [1]
  - peri [1]
  - polly [1]
  - romana [1]
  - romana1 [1]
  - romana2 [1]
  - ruby [1]
  - sara [1]
  - sarah [1]
  - sarah+three [1]
  - sea devils [1]
  - seven [2]
  - shalka [1]
  - silurians [1]
  - six [1]
  - sontarans [1]
  - steven [1]
  - susan [1]
  - tegan [1]
  - tegan+turlough [1]
  - the master [3]
  - the rani [1]
  - thirteen+yaz [1]
  - three [2]
  - turlough [1]
  - two [1]
  - unit [1]
  - vicki [1]
  - victoria [1]
  - yaz [1]
  - zoe [1]
  - zygons [1]
- new series [6]
- nuwho rewatch [72]
- paper dolls [79]
- picture [216]
  - ainley master [2]
  - alien [1]
  - amy [1]
  - amy/rory [1]
  - barbara [1]
  - behind the scenes [14]
  - bill [1]
  - bonnie langford [1]
  - cast [3]
  - clara [1]
  - convention [1]
  - daphne ashbrook [1]
  - david tennant [1]
  - delgado master [3]
  - donna [2]
  - dvd cover [5]
  - dwm [4]
    - cover [2]
  - eighth doctor [1]
  - eleventh doctor [3]
  - eleventh doctor episo [7]
  - elizabeth sladen [1]
  - exhibition [1]
  - fanart [8]
  - fifth doctor [4]
  - fifth doctor episode [7]
  - fiftheenth doctor epi [1]
  - first doctor [4]
  - first doctor episode [16]
  - fourth doctor [5]
  - fourth doctor episode [7]
  - frazer hines [2]
  - fugitive doctor [1]
  - india fisher [1]
  - jamie [4]
  - jo [3]
  - joanna lumley [1]
  - jodie whittaker [4]
  - k9 [1]
  - leela [2]
  - martha [3]
  - matt smith [1]
  - mickey [1]
  - missy [1]
  - monster [13]
  - new adventures [1]
  - nicholas courtney [2]
  - nicola bryant [1]
  - ninth doctor [1]
  - ninth doctor episode [1]
  - patrick troughton [1]
  - paul mcgann [1]
  - pearl mackie [2]
  - peri [2]
  - peter capaldi [1]
  - production team [1]
  - puzzle [1]
  - river song [1]
  - romana [3]
  - romana 1 [1]
  - romana 2 [2]
  - rose [3]
  - rowan atkinson [1]
  - russell t davies [1]
  - sara [1]
  - sarah [4]
  - second doctor [6]
  - second doctor episode [7]
  - seventh doctor episod [6]
  - shalka doctor [1]
  - sixth doctor [5]
  - sixth doctor episode [4]
  - susan [1]
  - sylvester mccoy [2]
  - tardis [3]
  - tegan [2]
  - tenth doctor [2]
  - tenth doctor episode [10]
  - the brigadier [1]
  - the master [3]
  - theatre [2]
  - third doctor [5]
  - third doctor episode [2]
  - thirteenth doctor [2]
  - thirteenth doctor epi [2]
  - tom baker [2]
  - turlough [1]
  - tv movie [1]
  - twelfth doctor episod [3]
  - unit [1]
  - vicki [1]
  - victoria [3]
  - villain [1]
  - web planet [2]
  - william hartnell [2]
  - yaz [1]
  - zoe [1]
- rec [1]
- review [429]
  - book [34]
    - non-fiction [7]
  - film [1]
  - tv [395]
    - classic [150]
    - new new series [11]
    - new series [233]
- russell davies [3]
- steven moffat [2]
- the randomizer [152]
- verity podcast [1]
- whordle [4]
dolls [78]
- lego [5]
  - nasa [3]
- paper dolls [79]
dreamwidth [3]
edinburgh [8]
- festival [1]
exercise [18]
- running [37]
  - london marathon [19]
facebook [5]
faction paradox [3]
- review [3]
family [12]
- b [23]
  - animals [1]
  - dinosaurs [16]
  - fossils [4]
  - media stardom [19]
- cousins [1]
- days out [1]
- g [4]
  - school [1]
fandom [3]
fandom friday [2]
fandom stocking [1]
fanfiction [3]
feminism [5]
films [8]
follow friday [7]
food [51]
- heston blumenthal [1]
- recipe [40]
fools and heroes [11]
fossil friday [56]
friends [2]
genealogy [16]
granny's diary [5]
grimm [1]
- icons [1]
history [4]
holidays [64]
- cleveland way [5]
- cornwall [3]
- hadrian's wall [23]
- inca trail [7]
- orkney [13]
- ridgeway [3]
- scotland [2]
- snowdonia [5]
- wales [2]
- west highland way [9]
house [16]
i have no tag for this [24]
i saw this last week [108]
icons [43]
- castle [1]
- ladybird books [1]
iris wildthyme [5]
- review [4]
jobs [3]
kin-strife [10]
linkspam [21]
livejournal [14]
lizzie bennet diaries [1]
mathematics [21]
- formal proof [1]
- logic [1]
- non-euclidean [10]
- philosophy [6]
  - proof [2]
- verification [1]
mcu [2]
- icons [1]
  - natasha [1]
media stardom [7]
meme [65]
meta [1]
model checking [4]
- systems
  - java pathfinder [3]
oxford [1]
performing [1]
- music [1]
philosophy [8]
- ai [2]
- ethics [2]
- mathematics [3]
picspam [107]
- castle [28]
- hobbit hole [6]
- house [2]
- prehistoric monument [93]
- roman remains [8]
- travel [62]
  - holidays [41]
  - work related [22]
pokemon go [2]
- icons [1]
primeval [59]
- fiction [1]
  - becker [1]
  - blade [1]
  - crossover [1]
  - lester [1]
  - ryan [1]
  - ryan/stephen [2]
- icons [4]
  - abby/ryan [1]
  - becker [1]
  - becker/lester [1]
  - becker/matt [1]
  - becker/ryan [1]
  - blade/lester [1]
  - claudia/lester [1]
  - connor [1]
  - connor/lester [1]
  - danny [1]
  - danny/ryan [1]
  - jess/ryan [1]
  - lester [1]
  - lester/ryan [1]
  - nick/stephen [1]
  - ryan [1]
- review [45]
programming [14]
- ail [1]
- languages
  - agentspeak [2]
  - jason [1]
  - java [5]
  - maude [2]
  - prolog [2]
projects
- eass [13]
- mcapl [13]
- platform grant [1]
- rais [2]
- verifiable autonomy [1]
- vps [2]
random doctor who picture [268]
random poetry [1]
rant [6]
reading listening watching [93]
rec [1]
- humour [1]
resolutions [14]
review [590]
- book [136]
  - non-fiction [37]
    - history [25]
      - science [9]
- comic [2]
- film [9]
- tv [409]
  - class [6]
  - internet [1]
  - merlin [2]
  - sarah jane adventures [5]
  - survivors [4]
roleplaying [24]
ros [1]
science [1]
science fiction [2]
science
- astronomy [1]
  - apod [1]
share
- twitter [2]
social networking [3]
- google+ [2]
- tumblr [1]
star wars [2]
- dolls [1]
  - lego [1]
the expanse [2]
- icons [1]
  - crew [1]
the prisoner [1]
- icons [1]
theorem proving [6]
- middle-out reasoning [3]
- proof planning [5]
  - critics [2]
  - rippling [3]
- proof specification lang [2]
- systems
  - isabelle [2]
  - isaplanner [4]
  - maude [1]
  - proof general [3]
- theory slicing [1]
- tptp thf [3]
throwback thursday [53]
- an oxford childhood [12]
- ancestors [3]
- arthurians [6]
- conventions [1]
- dad [3]
- docsoc [1]
- family [1]
- larp [3]
- oules [1]
- politics [1]
- running [1]
- wheatley [3]
tolkienery [7]
- fiction [1]
  - crossover [1]
  - sauron [1]
torchwood [5]
- review [13]
travel [72]
- commuting [2]
- work related [34]
traveller [6]
tv [29]
- blakes seven [1]
- buffy [1]
- firefly [2]
- sapphire and steel [1]
urban dead [5]
web stuff [1]
wierd spam [2]
world war z [1]
- fiction [1]
  - crossover [1]
writing [2]

Active Entries

Style Credit

Base style: Transmogrified by Yvonne
Theme: Sleeping Warrior by dancing_serpent

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags