Doctor Who: The Darksmith Legacy: An Overall Review

Overall

Okay, so since I read the whole Darksmith Legacy, I thought I'd do a mini overall post so I can give a general opinion on the series as a whole.



I feel that the series is a bit hit and miss in places, this may be due to the fact that there's more than one author involved. However, I did enjoy the majority of the books and would definitely read them again.




Best book: The Pictures of Emptiness




Worst book: The Game of Death

My Rating

3.5 stars - It's an above average series. Although some books were weaker than others there were a couple of particularly strong stories that made up for it. I would have liked the page counts to be longer as with more development this series could of been truly awesome. Saying that though, it's a series for young children and as that it's really good.

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• Collage made by me

Doctor Who: The Darksmith Legacy: The End of Time by Justin Richards

On the Back of the Book

The Krashoks commissioned the Darksmith Collective to to fashion a device that creates life. The Krashoks, after waiting for centuries, have finally had their contract fulfilled. They intend to detonate the Eternity Crystal unless the Doctor can stop them. To make matters worse, Gisella is trapped on boardthe Krashoks' ship. Can the Doctor save Gisella and destroy the Eternity Crystal once and for all?

My Thoughts

This book is a fitting end to the Darksmith Legacy, and as endings go, this one was pretty good. In a way though, I can't help but feel that too much was happening in the short page count. I will admit that the climax had me very confused.

The characters were good, even the ones that were added just for this book. I'm really happy with Gisella's ending, in fact I think that the Doctor Who authors could create a spin off series for her and her friends. The Doctor was brilliant, there's no two ways about it. I have to be honest and say that I wasn't too sure of the Krashoks portrayal. though.

Overall I think this book is marvellous. Forget kids, I'm 20 and I adored the series. I think as long as you're a Doctor Who fan and in particular a Tenth Doctor fan you'll love the whole Legacy.

My Rating

4 stars - A good end to a good series. I loved the plot and the characters but because I got confused I had to mark it down. I mean it is a kids book after all.

• Book summary from the back of the book


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Doctor Who: The Darksmith Legacy: The Art of War by Mike Tucker

On the Back of the Book

The Darksmith have the Eternity Crystal and are eager to finally fufil their contract with their mysterious client. The Darksmiths have also reprogrammed Gisella, the robotic 'daughter' of Varlos, who now seems to be working for them. The Doctor learns that the Darksmiths are due to hand over the Crystal to their client at secret rendezvous on present day Earth. Will the Doctor be able tointercept the transaction in time? Or will the Crystal begin a war that will continue for all eternity?

My Thoughts

This book was hard for me to rate, the first half was slow and didn't really capture my attention but the latter part was filled with danger and excitement. I kind of feel that this book wasn't necessary to the Legacy though.

Now in my last review I called Gisella a traitor, alas! I was wrong! Come back Gisella, all is forgiven! A great bluff by the authors but I'm not sure I like such a complicated plot twist in a kids book. The Doctor wasn't really up to much in this book. The focus of the story wasn't really on him though. The Krashok's are horrible, so the author's done something right.

Overall the story was an okay set up for the final book. It deals with some serious issues in the sense that Lord Blackheart wants to resurrect his dead wife. The story could be used as a way to tell children about death and about once the person's gone, they can't come back.

My Rating

3.5 stars - This may not be one of the best books in the series but it's rating is boosted by the solid ending.

• Book summary from the back of the book


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Doctor Who: The Darksmith Legacy: The Pictures of Emptiness by Jacqueline Rayner

On the Back of the Book

The Doctor finds himself on trial before The Shadow Proclamation where the Crystal is legally returned to Gisella. The Doctor is ready to continue his mission until Gisella betrays him, staying with the Darksmiths. But she accidentally reveals where the Darksmiths are meeting their client. The Doctor arrives on the chosen planet, and becomes involved in an adventure involving missing eyes and souls. Will the Doctor solve the mystery and stop the hand over of the Crystal?

My Thoughts

This is easily my favourite of the whole series. It had a fantastic plot that carried the story along at a terrific pace. The end of this book has really moved the story along. I can't wait to discover the end.

I have only one word for Gisella - traitor, and with that word the Doctor once again finds himself on his own. However I didn't really miss Gisella, there wasn't time to. There aren't any other major players in this book, which is a shame because I would've liked to have seen more of Megan from wardrobe. She was a pretty cool character. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Mitra.

In the words of the Doctor, this book is brilliant. It had everything a book needs and more. I even found myself sympathising with the baddie! I only wish the book could have been longer as it could have been developed so much more.

My Rating

5 stars - If the final two books are anywhere near as good as this one then they're going to be fantastic.

• Book summary from the back of the book



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Doctor Who: The Darksmith Legacy: The Planet of Oblivion by Justin Richards

On the Back of the Book

The Planet of Oblivion is where the Darksmiths met their clients. A once pleasant planet with lush jungles, it has now been reduced to a charred and scorched mess. A few surviving inhabitants desperately try to bring the planet back to life, with the help of the Dravidians. But are these technically accomplished insects helping for thei own gain? Will the Doctor get closer to the identity of the Darksmiths mysterious clients?

My Thoughts

I really liked this story. It had a good pace, a nice plot and an interesting cliffhanger.

I did notice a spelling error and that bugged me quite a lot. I feel it's imperitive for childrens books are edited so there isn't a single spelling mistake as it isn't going to help a kid in school.

The characters were so-so. I didn't really sympathise with the crew of Orbit Station 3, even though they were fight ing two battles at once. I found the Dravidians to be pretty transparent. The only characters that I liked were the Doctor and Gisella. This is definitely a plus for the author, if I hadn't liked them, I would've been wondering why I was reading the book in the first place.

Overall the story was better than the characters. I find that this book could be used by parents as a lesson on the destructiveness of fire. It's so much more fun to learn while reading something you enjoy. Extra points for the author for teaching important life lessons.

My Rating

4 stars - A solid story with an important message, all nicely wrapped into a 128 page Doctor Who book. One of my favourite Darksmith Legacy books.

• Book Summary off the back of the book


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Doctor Who: The Darksmith Legacy: The Game of Death by Trevor Baxendale

On the Back of the Book

The hunter becomes the hunted as the Doctor tracks the Agent from Paris towards the Silver Devastation. Th eDoctor hopes the Agent will lead him to where the Crystal can be destroyed. Following the trail, Gisella and the Doctor arrive at an elegant country house where they are welcomed to join the game. The rules are simple: Survive the night and you are a winner. But where is the Agent and why did it come here?

My Thoughts

I was really looking forward to this one as the author wrote my favourite Torchwood novel. I was left feeling disappointed though. This book didn't grip me and it took day s to read it, quite a feat considering it's only 128 pages long. The pace was okay, I just didn't like the plot or the way it was executed.

The characters were okay, I didn't really like any of the ones that were created specifically for this story. The Doctor and Gisella weren't too good either. I also missed the tension of the Darksmith Agent chasing them. He only appeared in the last few pages.

Overall I wasn't happy with this book at all, but that's my own fault for over hyping it in my head. I was also annoyed at the High School Musical reference. I don't think HSM and Doctor Who have the same target audience.

My Rating

3 stars - Fo rme this is the weakest in the series so far. I didn't really enjoy it and it did n't contain much excitement. I just hope that the next book's better.

• Book summary from the back of the book
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Doctor Who: The Darksmith Legacy: The Vampire of Paris by Stephen Cole

On the Back of the Book

The Doctor and his new companion, Gisella have escaped the robot agent and the rampaging Dreadbringers. The Doctor, more than ever, wants the Crystal destroyed and must find the Crystal's creator, Varlos. But Varlos has been dead for years. The Doctor and Gisella must travel back in time to Paris to find clues to Varlos' whereabouts. Will they find him in time or will the Darksmiths finally capture the Doctor?



This book isn't as good as previous ones in the series, in fact it's one of the weakest in the series. I t had a really good premise and could have been one of the best so I was slightly disapppointed. There's no denying the steady pace of the book though and that the author made reference to events that had happened on TV.

Gisella had one of her major reveals at the end of this story. I kind of saw it coming but was still surprised by parts of it. Once again the Doctor's portrayal is really good. Other characters just blended into the story and didn't really stand out to me. I did like Nicholas though.

Overall the characterizations of the major characters is better than the actual plot. I struggled to really get into the story and it didn't really hold my attention.

My Rating

3.5 stars - It's not the best, but then again it's not the worst either. The great characterizations are what stopped me from giving this 3.

• Book summary from the back of the book
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Doctor Who: The Darksmith Legacy: The Depths of Despair by Justin Richards

On the Back of the Book

The Doctor has arrived on the planet Flydon Maxima - also known as 'Despair' since the whole planet is flooding. A scientific base has been monitoring the slow melting of the glaciers and their advanced equipment looks to have been created by Varlos, the Darksmith who created the Crystal. But why would Varlos risk saving the planet? And who is the mysterious Gisella?

My Thoughts

This book is easily the best of the series so far. I could see the events of the story unfolding in my head and the pace of it meant that I finished the entire book in under an hour.

The Doctor's companion for the series is introduced in this book and I have to say I quite like her. She has some secrets that could lead to some interesting plot developments. The Doctor is amazing in this book, the author even managed to fit 'allons-y' in, twice!

Overall it's a pretty decent story. It was definitely my favourite at this point in the Darksmith Legacy. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. This series is shaping up to be pretty good.

My Rating

4.5 stars - I've read books that are aimed at an older audience that are more childish. This series is offering a really good story arc and is making kids aware of the damages of Global Warming. That really shouldn't be taken for granted.

• Book summary from the back of the book
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Doctor Who: The Darksmith Legacy: The Colour of Darkness by Richard Dungworth

On the Back of the Book

The Doctor is in pursuit of the Agent and the Eternity Crystal. His travels have taken him to the forbidding planet of the Darksmith Collective, Karagula. Before the Doctor can reach the hidden Dark Cathedral, he arrives at a village without any children. It is a mystery the Doctor must unlock before he can find the Crystal. Will the Doctor solve the mystery and will he find the Crystal before the Darksmiths retrieve it?

My Thoughts

This book isn't as good as the first two. It kind of reminds me of a less violent Torchwood: Children of Earth. The plot had a nice pace but it didn't grab me and the only reason I finished it so quickly is because my computer seems to be having an identity crisis.

I wasn't too keen on the stand alone characters. They weren't remarkable in any way and just a couple of hours after finishing the book I can tell you absolutely nothing about the characters. I also wasn't too keen on the Doctor's portrayal. I was also sad at the loss of some of the mystery around the Darksmith Collective.

Overall this book didn't compare to the other two, it wasn't as exciting, the characters weren't as memorable. I could go on, but aia won't.

My Rating

3 stars - This book seemed to lack something, I'm not quite sure what though. While it didn't take me long to read this, it's due in part to the small page count. I doubt I would have continued with this series if this was book 1.

• Book summary from the back of the book
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Doctor Who: The Darksmith Legacy: The Graves of Mordane by Colin Brake

On the Back of the Book

The Doctor has discovered the Darksmiths' Eternity Crystal and is determined to destroy it before it falls into the wrong hands. But to find out more about the Crystal, the Doctor must travel to Mordane, the peaceful cemetery planet. But once the sun goes down, Mordane turns into a planet of nightmares. Will the Doctor manage to hold on to the Crystal and fight off the living dead?

My Thoughts

I find this to be a worthy follow up to The Dust of Ages. The pace was consistent and even though this is by a different author the story progression feels natural. I also liked the recap of events so far at the beginning of the book. It's a handy little thing to have as opposed to having to read the story again, because that would evidently be boring for the intended audience of the story.

I loved the character Catz. She was the kind of girl that the Doctor would have as a companion. Chandra and the Captain however were pretty average and didn't really have much involvement in the story. The mystery surrounding the Darksmith Collective at this point is pretty gripping. I loved the Doctor but there were moments when he should have whipped out his specs, but he didn't. It's little quirks like this that should be mentioned in books that are spin offs of TV series.

I really liked the stories and the activities, they were very engaging. If I'm honest I preferred book 1 but the difference is so slight I'm not sure if it matters. The ending wasn't as much of a cliffhanger but it does raise some very interesting questions.

My Rating

4 stars - I stand by what I said when I gave book 1 4 stars. As a kids book, this is pretty awesome. As a Doctor Who book, it's pretty awesome. In other words, it's pretty awesome, a definite must for Doctor Who fans.

• Book Summary from the back of the book
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Doctor Who, The Darksmith Legacy: The Dust of Ages by Justin Richards

On the Back of the Book

It is a few years into our future, and there are bases on the moon. A recent survey has shown something unusual, an unknown power source. When a tall, skinny spiky-haired stranger turns up and announces he's from the Bureau of Alien Technology doing a spot check, the survey team know they've found something special. But is this special power source a blessing or a curse?

My Thoughts

First of all I realise that this book is intended for readers younger than myself, however I love Doctor Who so I just had to read this. The book had a fast pace, not surprising since it only had 118 pages but it is the first of 10 part series so this could have easily been the scene setter. It wasn't though and I have to say it's already thrown up some interesting parts.

The characters that were created specifically for this book are really good, but I wasn't always convinced of the Doctor. I couldn't picture him too well and I didn't get David Tennant's voice in my head like I normally do and this disappointed me. I did love the Doctor's ingenuity though and his ability to handle all situations.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to get stuck into book 2. The story was left on a cliffhanger so it's probably for the best if you have all 10 books at home.

I also want to point out the puzzles in the book. It's a nice interactive touch that's really appealing for the age group The Darksmith Legacy is aimed at. The last one in this book had me completely stumped and I'm 20!

My Rating

4 stars - As long as you don't expect a piece of literary genius, this book is awesome. It's perfect for kids to read and even of you aren't a child you should still read it. A definite must for Doctor Who fans everywhere.

• Book summary from the back of the book


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