Some Doctor Who novels are basically just episodes in written form, others have the types of narrative that you’d never see on TV because they’re just not right for the medium. Shadowmind, the sixteenth novel in the Virgin New Adventures series, sits somewhere in the middle – it’s format feels very similar to a normal episode and the themes aren’t much darker or anything, but it has ideas that the special effects of the Seventh Doctor era would never have been able to capture.
So, after their harrowing experiences in Haiti, the Seventh Doctor, Ace, and Bernice plan to have a more peaceful trip as a little treat for Ace’s birthday. At first, that’s exactly what happens (and I always enjoy stories where we actually get to see the Doctor and their companions actually enjoying themselves) but before you know it, they get caught up in an adventure – which all starts with an explosion.
The following adventure is a story of people who aren’t who they appear to be, and are instead duplicates with tiny little creatures controlling them from within. These creatures are called the Shenn and while I didn’t expect much of them initially, I actually thought that they were one of the most interesting unique alien races to be seen in the novels – they’re genuinely quite “alien” when compared to a lot of other species in the Doctor Who universe, and their motivations are engaging and nuanced. It’s genuinely enjoyable story, and one that gives us a glimpse at the ever-growing dark side of the Seventh Doctor as it comes to a close.
By this point, I’m really quite enjoying the Doctor, Ace, Bernice trio and think the dynamic between the three of them has been quite well established. This book also did a good job of showing that despite the new tough guy persona that Ace has adopted since her temporary departure from the Doctor, she is still very much the character as we knew her in the earlier novels (and episodes). Though I have to admit I find myself rolling my eyes at the author finding excuses to have her get naked twice throughout the course of the plot, and one of those instances lasts a very long time (and includes another woman). It felt a bit like that typical sci-fi writer thing of having any excuse for the women to be naked.
It’s a minor gripe though. All things considered, I think I enjoyed it just as much as the previous novel, White Darkness. It’s a good run of back-to-back stories that’s just a little grittier than usual Doctor Who, without feeling needlessly edgy. Also, though I love this kind of thing, it’s to its credit that it manages to be quite engaging without drawing too much from Doctor Who’s past.
Rating: 8.3/10
