Hunter's Moon

"It's kill or be killed on Gorgoror."

Writer: Paul Finch
Format: Novel
Released: April 2011
Series: NSA 45

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

'There's no end to the horror in this place - it's like hell, and there are devils round every corner.'

On Leisure Platform 9 gamblers and villains mix with socialites and celebrities. It's a place where you won't want to win the wrong game.

With Rory kidnapped by a brutal crime lord, the Doctor and Amy infiltrate a deadly contest where fugitives become the hunted. But how long before they realise the Doctor isn't a vicious mercenary and discover what Amy is up to? It's a game that can only end in death, and time for everyone is running out.

Verdict

Hunter's Moon was a decent novel but I can't help but feel it should have been better. Considering the rating I have given, which is probably a tad generous (but I tend to be anyway), this blog may sound a little negative but sadly this was comfortably the worst Eleventh Doctor novel I have read. It just wasn't overly strong and whilst I can't quite pinpoint things I wasn't happy with or just didn't like, the simple fact of it is that the story wasn't strong enough in my opinion. I'm sure it has its fans and I hope that is the case but it just wasn't quite for me when it came to a high rating (or at least what I consider to be high, something with an 8/10 or above). I felt the writing of Matt Smith's Doctor was decent and I also liked the way Amy was written but I wasn't too sure that the characterisation of Rory was much good. I remain unconvinced that he would gamble the TARDIS, especially on a losing streak of nine. That wasn't quite believable for me. I thought the setting of LP9 was quite good but I wasn't the biggest fan of the Torodon. I found it intriguing that they had a previous war with the Tereleptils though. That was a neat little inclusion. The Doctor visiting his old friend Chief Zalu had a lot of promise but the fact that he was not welcomed made it a bit of a let down to be honest. There was the usual mention of the Doctor changing bodies but apart from that, the conversation between the pair was quite bland. I did like the Doctor's determination to get his friends back though but he was quite aghast that Zalu wouldn't do anything even when he witnessed what was so obviously a crime being committed. Krauzzen made a good main villain and I thought the concept of the chase was pretty good. I liked how the Doctor talked his way into the latest hunt and his confidence was oozing which was good to see. The Obliterator, actually just a transport hidden as a gun, was good and I liked that the Doctor only had three uses. The final one being fired on Harry, not by the Doctor funnily enough, was probably the highlight reveal of the book. The story of Harry, Dora and Sophie was nice and I liked how the family were reunited following the eventful experiences of this novel. They'd be closer than ever now. Xaaael had a good relationship with Amy given that she was under capture and I thought the role of Pangborne was a nice addition to the conclusion. The climax was actually excellent and probably the best of the novel as it was exciting and saw a horrific demise for Krauzzen that the Doctor had no other option to take. The final bet was good but I didn't like how the Doctor stated at the end that he didn't want to go back and save the lives of others before this time simply because Krauzzen was alive. When would that have stopped the Doctor? Surely an explanation about interfering and altering history would have sufficed. Overall though, a decent read!

Rating: 7/10