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4.0 out of 5 stars
Satisfyingly complex plot and characters., 9 Feb 2002
By A Customer
Instruments of Darkness is another of Gary Russell's workmanlike additions to the Who collection. Its plot is complex, with lots of surprises, well-drawn and developed characters, and with nothing revealed or resolved too early in the piece, holds the readers interest to the last page.
The sixth Doctor's character is explored in more depth, than in some recent novels. He's as obstreporous as ever, but inclined to occasional reflection.
Likewise the author's treatment of Mel gives the reader some insight into the Doctor's friendship with her - she has more depth than the health-nazi often portrayed in the TV series, and makes a great foil for the Doctor.
Well-developed secondary chracters are essential to the credibility of a series with the Who staying power, and they work for this book.
Evelyn Smythe is feisty, on the wrong side of fifty and has a great backstory, so it's unfortunate that she has little more to do than bicker with the Doctor and go off on a research mission.But its great to see female present and past travelling companions capable of more than running, screaming and spraining ankles.
Retired Air vice-Marshall Dickinson is likewise welldrawn, complex, and the reader can believe the old boy could walk out of the old folks' home and into the action. And there are lots more like him _ this book is richly peopled with credible people both for and against the Doctor.
Best of all is the complex plot.
It covers a lot of ground: from prehistoric California, to Auckland, New Zealand, 1990s UK and points between.
The villain(s) of the piece are a mysterious organisation called the Magnate, with ESP-gifted-or cursed humans - as well drawn as the Doctor and his friends - working for and against them. Watch out for Captain Gavalle and the amazonian Ms de Meanour.
But nothing is as it seems, especially in this complicated book, and everyone's initial assumptions are likely to be wrong, or at best half right.
At first sight, the alien plot is the well-worn "mind invasion to take over the world" story, but the true nature of the aliens behind all the trouble, and of Magnate, helps provide a great twist ending.
Buy this book, read it, then read it again.
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