Claws of the Macra

"Something impossible, awful - a giant creature, the size of a family car, covered in a thick shell, a pair of huge, snapping pincers rearing above it like the stings of a scorpion."

Writer: Trevor Baxendale

Format: Novel

Released: April 2010

Series: DYD 01

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy

Synopsis 

Danger and adventure await you on a school trip to a gas refinery infested by giant alien crustaceans! Only you can help the Doctor and Amy put a stop to the Macra's plans and save Earth!

Verdict 

Claws of the Macra was a very intriguing but surprisingly quick read. This was my first foray into the Decide Your Destiny novels and I must say I was extremely sceptical about the format and had actually been putting off the novel for some time but today I decided to put my fears to rest and I was actually rather impressed by the results. Considering the novel was relatively thick and had over 140 story marks, I was amazed by how quickly I came to a point that had 'The End' at the bottom. It can't have been more than twenty minutes before I came to the end of my particular adventure which really surprised me and the end just seemed so sudden. I appreciate that these types of novel must be incredibly difficult to write and ensure that all possible routes not only make sense but are also entertaining and that is reflected in my slightly generous rating. However, it just appears that my particular choices in deciding the destiny of the adventure made it a very quick one! The idea of setting a Doctor Who story during a school trip to a refinery is actually superb and when you throw the Macra in with that it takes things to a completely different level! I didn't think the Macra were overly great in their debut in The Macra Terror but when they made a comeback in Gridlock, I thought they were much better in a more limited role as they weren't central to the plot but they played a big part. With the route I film in this story, that was a similar scenario here and it worked just as well. I'm not sure if I'm in favour of the Macra acting out of evil, as the Ice Warriors did on many occasions following The Curse of Peladon, but I must admit I did find the idea of the Macra helping out the environment rather amusing. If an alien monster is going to be put to good use then why not have it contribute to reducing global warming? It's certainly a newsworthy topic and with this novel primarily aimed at a younger audience it could certainly get them thinking about ways they could reduce their own carbon footprint. It may not seem much but I thought it was an excellent inclusion. The idea of the reader playing a role in a story is magnificent and even though the character that the reader took on the role of was a schoolchild, it was just brilliant to be referred to as 'you' and have the Doctor and Amy talk to you rather than to each other. Being involved in the story and having some interaction with our heroes was wonderful and I imagine that's the direction the upcoming 'Decide the Future' Twelfth Doctor novels will go in. I can't see anything else with a tag line like that but I'm really not sure I'll be willing to pay full price for them. I actually received this novel from the free book shop back home which sadly shut around two years ago now so it's clear to see how long I've been putting it off! I thought the characterisation of Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor was excellent and a real highlight and Karen Gillan's likeness was also captured extremely well in the novel. That always makes such a difference because without visual aid it has to be believable that the characters stated to be in novel are described as close to their likeness as possible. The plot was pretty good and fast paced and the limited interaction I got between the Doctor and the Macra was a good way to end. It's intriguing to think of a company using the Macra to aid their environmental impact but it does make sense. My destiny meant that it was a sudden ending but I refuse to go back and alter the way I read it as I think that would spoil things. Overall, a most intriguing read!

Rating: 8/10