Reviews

Press and fan reaction to the Telos Doctor Who Novellas has been very positive indeed.

This page presents selected reviews and comments on the third Novella, Citadel of Dreams, if you would like to read more follow any links to the sites concerned, there you'll find the full text of the reviews.

If you haven't already bought this novella we hope that these reviews will help you decide to buy it, just click on one of the "buy now" links below to view ordering information or to buy online now - hurry though, the Doctor Who Novellas are selling fast and you'll miss the opportunity to own copies if you wait too long.

Newspaper, Magazine and non-genre Reviews:

From Ottakar's Bookshops website "Outland" Science Fiction column.

"...The novella seems to be the perfect length for 'Who' fiction, judging by the two samples I've seen so far [Time and Relative and Citadel of Dreams] - it keeps it snappy and well paced and doesn't seem to drop out in the middle like so many of the longer novels."

Awarded the prestigious Waterstone's Online Editor's Choice in March 2002.

From Ottakar's Bookshops "Outland" Science Fiction and Fantasy Newsletter, Issue 24, Summer 2002.
Reviewed by Charlotte Bray.

"... intelligent, textured and imaginative ... concise yet intriguing to the last and ties together beautifully.

... immensely enjoyable ... a welcome addition to the rapidly expanding world of non-televised Doctor Who."

From the Goole-Howden-Thorne Courier, Thursday, August 28th 2002.

"... well put together ... Doctor Who Fans will love it."

Genre Magazine Reviews:

From SFX, May 2002.
Reviewed by Saxon Bullock.

"[Stone] packs every page with ideas, some of them extremely clever...

... the results are impressive.

"... it bodes well for ... the future of the Telos series as a whole."

From Starburst, Issue 285.
Reviewed by Anthony Brown.

"... striking...

... mind-bending stuff..."

From Dreamwatch, May 2002.
Reviewed by Helen Sullivan.

"... rich in vibrant prose and grotesque imagery."

From Doctor Who Magazine, Issue 317, 29th May 2002.
Reviewed by Vanessa Bishop.

"[Stone's] hold on the bizarre is masterful..."

Online Reviews:

From Outpost Gallifrey:

Reviewed by Chad Knueppe.

"Stone's usage of character is genius...

... The Telos Novella is ... an art form that seems well suited to Stone's ideas... Stone leaves the reader with a sense of the epic, of something far more innovative and thought provoking than somewhere near 100 pages ought to allow. His accomplished technique rivets the reader...

...this book ... is definitely a treasure to be cherished... Stone is offering one of the richest and most accomplished works of his long career, a book that exudes quality...

Telos is building up steam with this one. They're here to stay."

Reviewed by Finn Clark.

"... plenty of originality and skewed perspectives."

Reviewed by Lawrence Conquest.

"...it is testament to Stones ability as a storyteller that the pages flew by.

Citadel of Dreams offers a nice line in suspense and horror.

...I heartily recommend a couple of hours with Citadel of Dreams."

From MyShelf.com, reviewed by Rachel A Hyde.

"... a wonderfully brief snapshot of a city straight out of Peake or Moorcock that mixes SF with horror...

If all the books are of this caliber, Telos deserves to sell them in vast quantities - more please."

From Diversebooks, reviewed by Ian Brown.

"After reviewing Telos' first novella (Time and Relative by Kim Newman) I was very impressed with this publishing company's first effort...

Dave Stone's story is... of a similar quality to the previous novella, the novella being a format that seems to suit Doctor Who...

...another masterpiece of Doctor Who literature from Telos. They offer a subscription service for their novellas, I have to admit to being very tempted!"

From The Alien Online, reviewed by Sandy Auden.

"... a structure ... as hypnotic as a shuttle on a loom, [bouncing] back and forth within a framework of the barest of facts, designed to keep you guessing and the story one step ahead at all times.

... a curiosity piquing page turner; unpredictable and very clever."

From Sci-Fi Online, reviewed by Richard McGinlay.

"Stone's offbeat style... makes him a suitable successor to Kim Newman...

... an entertaining mystery."

Forums, Newsgroups and Mailing Lists:

The edited comments below have been taken from some of the main Doctor Who online forums and mailing lists.

Please Note:
Whilst attempts have been made to contact all the writers of the following comments it has not been possible to contact everyone. We apologise to anyone who has not been contacted, if you would like your name or comment removed please e-mail the Telos webmaster.

From the Outpost Gallifrey Forum

Nicola:
"...really brilliant stuff!

...the shadowy presence of the Doctor works magnificently.

Go on. Read this book. Its bloody good."

From the Jade Pagoda Mailing List

Philip Purser-Hallard
"... Citadel of Dreams... probably the best Dave Stone I've read ... Bloody good stuff."

Henry Potts:
"Citadel of Dreams is condensed Stone like condensed milk: sticky, but rather nice?

... another great book, perhaps Stone's best ever.

Telos's first three books are, I propose, the best first three books of any Who/Who-related range to date."

Gareth Jelley:
"I think this is a really well-written, well-imagined novel. Odd, unusual characters; colourful and engaging set-pieces; an authorial voice I really like, lurking in the background; many other things.

The whole thing has got a nice fresh sparkle to it ... , and nothing in it feels hackneyed or worn-out."

From the Yahoo Doctor Who Books Group

morte_arthur:
Dave Stone's Citadel of Dreams ... is fantastic, and I've been actively putting it down, against my will, so I won't read it all in one go. Really well-written, and well-imagined SF that I feel compelled to enjoy at leisure."

From the rec.arts.drwho Newsgroup

J2rider:
"Stone's ... delivery and method of "letting us see the words in our mind" is quite unforgettable."

General Comments:

The comments below have been taken from e-mails received by Telos following the publication of Citadel of Death.

Paul Gibbons
"... another great read."

Mike Montfort
"Fantastic..."