Although the BBC books range of eighth Doctor adventures (EDAs) started monthly releases from June 1997, I only started to read them in May 2003. By Easter this year I had got as far as The Ancestor Cell, which as well as being the 36th EDA was also a significant turning point in the range. From as early as Alien Bodies, the 6th EDA, there was an intermittent story arc concerning a war between the Timelords and 'an unknown foe' at some time in the Doctor's future.

In 2000, Justin Richards took over as editor of the EDA range from Stephen Cole. Although he lacked a Noele Gordon to sack, or a reception desk to burn down, he nevertheless adopted the policy of many an in-coming soap opera producer and swept aside a lot of what had gone before. The Ancestor Cell had the job of finishing up the Future War arc, and although it may not have done it to everybody's satisfaction it did at least do the job in a memorable way. To cut a long story short, at the end of that book the Doctor destroys his home planet of Gallifrey. In the aftermath of this, the Doctor is left on Earth in the late nineteenth century - Compassion the sentient TARDIS (just don't ask, OK?) tells human companion Fitz that the Doctor will need time to recover from the shock. She drops Fitz off for a rendezvous with the Doctor in 2001.

From The Burning onwards we find the Doctor totally lacking in memories, with only a small box (shortly to become a somewhat bigger blue box...) to keep him company. Oh, and he has a confusing note telling him to meet Fitz in St Louis in February 2001. Although there were some good EDAs in the run from The Eight Doctors to The Ancestor Cell there were also some real stinkers, so I'm not planning to go back and re-read those anytime soon. The following guide, therefore, starts with the same blank slate as the Doctor, with The Burning, published in June 2000. My intention is to go through all the books in order from that point, and hopefully I will have caught up so that I can read the final EDA (The Gallifrey Chronicles) in context, as soon as it is published next year.

These reviews are not in any sense intended to be comprehensive, or a useful guide, or an in-depth analysis of plots and themes and all that jazz. There are a few opinions, a few reactions, a bit of comment and the occasional point of interest. As I said, my plan is to do all the remaining EDAs in order, although it's possible an occasional Doctor Who book from a different range (NA, MA, PDA) may crop up since my reading tends to be a bit eclectic (which probably comes as a surprise to those of you who thought I was solar-powered).

The reviews are all broken down into the following sections:

Previous Form This lists previous Doctor Who books I have read by the author, divided into good ones (for the defence) and stinkers (for the prosecution). I haven't read every single Doctor Who book since I do actually have a life outside of being a Doctor Who fan... well, OK I don't, but I still haven't read every single Doctor Who book; consequently there may be further books by the author that I don't mention.

What's It All About Alfie? This gives a very brief summary of the story.

The 100 Word Review I have a tendency to, well, ramble on (and on). This is a concerted effort to make sure I don't do that here. Each book is reviewed in exactly 100 words, although contractions (he's, there's) and hyphenated words may count as either 1 or 2, as the fancy takes me.

The C Word A round-up of continuity. Not necessarily with a view to either condemning or praising the book in question for its use or lack of continuity, but simply to highlight references to other stories. Again, not having every single Doctor Who book there may well be some references that I miss. Please let me apologise in advance, and then not worry about it ever again.

I - Am -The - Doctor! Highly selective and objective perhaps, this section is simply any moments in the books worth noting for their use of the character, or just bits that I happen to quite like!

Money In The Bank Zilda! Bearing in mind that I am currently reading books that are 3 or more years old, I have been buying most of them via such places as eBay and Amazon, rather than the more traditional bookshop. This is simply an on-going guide to whether I am getting bargains or being fleeced, by comparing what I paid to the book's RRP. Are they now cheap as chips, or has their value gone through the roof in a manner that the creature from the black lagoon himself would have envied?

The Burning

Justin Richards

for the defence: Theatre of War (NA), Demontage (EDA)

for the prosecution: Option Lock (EDA)

A mysterious stranger turns up in a late-nineteenth century mining town and starts mining a sentient fire from beneath the ground. Fortunately another mysterious stranger turns up to stop him. Typical, you wait ages for a mysterious stranger then two turn up at once...

Justin Richards' books always give me the impression that they have been crafted rather than put together - each word feels as if it has been hand-picked and furiously polished to make it just right. This one is no exception, in that it is a very elegant, eloquent and engaging story, but if truth be told it does take a very long time to tell a very short story. It can be forgiven though, since exploring the non-character of the Doctor through various conversations is an interesting way to fill the book. A reliable, rather than revolutionary, start to the arc.

Given Justin Richards' intentions, there is virtually no continuity (yes, that C-word) in this book at all. The Doctor has a note in his pocket telling him when he is due to meet a man called Fitz - this of course refers to companion Fitz Kreiner, who last appeared in The Ancestor Cell but has negotiated a temporary break so that he can appear in Pantomime. (He will return after five books, in Escape Velocity.) However, since the book can easily be read without knowing who this Fitz is (after all, the Doctor doesn't know either!) I can proudly hold this book up as being continuity-free!!!

Presumably one of the ideas of giving the 8th Doctor amnesia (again!) was to try and show the fundamental nature of the Doctor, stripped of all the Timelord/sonic screwdriver superfluities. An interesting idea, and one which here allows the author to give us some moments where we wonder whether the Doctor as we know him would really behave in such a way. He comes across as very knowledgeable, full of energy and dignity, and possessed with a great charm that immediately endears him to people - much as McGann plays him in the TV Movie in fact. On the other hand, he leaves the poor Professor to a shocking fate in the fire cavern without a backwards look, and at the climax is quite prepared to murder the villain of the piece. The swine!!

This Book: A great start - I got this as a birthday present from my lovely, lovely brother so it cost me absolutely nothing!

Running Score: £5.99 saved against the RRP

Casualties of War

Steve Emmerson

Unless he was one third of Emmerson, Lake & Palmer, none that I know of.

A village is troubled by the walking dead (well, it would be troubling wouldn't it) during the Great War. The local psychiatric hospital for the wounded troops is blamed - rightly so as it happens, since the owner is channelling another mysterious Earth force. Thankfully a mysterious stranger turns up to stop him...

A very good book, well-written and well-constructed, but ironically disappointing because its plot so closely mirrors The Burning. Strange goings on in cosy village - Doctor moves in to form a close, discursive relationship with a local - he has several civilised but barbed meetings with the suspected villain - some natural force turns out to be the enemy - the Doctor saves the day and sods off. There is nothing wrong with the book in isolation, but in sequence it really does have a very samey feel to it. Plus the subplot with the farmer and his barn is clearly superfluous.

Obviously there are references to the previous novel - but this will clearly be the case much of the time, so let us never speak of it again. Beyond its immediate surroundings though, there are once again no off-putting continuity points to baffle & confuse the casual reader/viewer. Or indeed me.

Nothing very revolutionary, again the Doctor comes across as enthusiastic and a champion for justice. There is also an apparent dislike of authority figures, with his antagonism towards the villainous psychiatrist. There is a romantic subplot, with the Doctor's temporary companion, Miss Minett, clearly infatuated with him. It is, however, entirely unconsummated and in fact the Doctor seems totally oblivious to Miss Minett's feelings. Perhaps he hasn't got over Grace yet...

This Book: Picked up a copy from eBay for £2.00 all in. Not bad for second-hand, and a saving of £3.99.

Running Score: £9.98