What do you think?
Rate this book
Eighth Doctor Adventures #5
Doctor Who: War of the Daleks
The Doctor is repairing the TARDIS systems once again when it is swept up by a garbage ship roving through space, the Quetzel.
When another ship approaches and takes the Quetzel by force, the Doctor discovers that he and Sam are not the only unwitting travellers on board - there is a strangely familiar survival pod in the hold. Delani, the captain of the second ship, orders the pod to be opened. The Doctor is powerless to intervene as Davros is awakened once again.
But this is no out-and-out rescue of Davros. Delani and his crew are Thals, the sworn enemies of the Daleks. They intend to use Davros as a means to wipe out the Daleks, finally ridding the universe of the most aggressive, deadly race ever to exist. But the Doctor is still worried. For there is a signal beacon inside the pod, and even now a Dalek ship is closing in...
When another ship approaches and takes the Quetzel by force, the Doctor discovers that he and Sam are not the only unwitting travellers on board - there is a strangely familiar survival pod in the hold. Delani, the captain of the second ship, orders the pod to be opened. The Doctor is powerless to intervene as Davros is awakened once again.
But this is no out-and-out rescue of Davros. Delani and his crew are Thals, the sworn enemies of the Daleks. They intend to use Davros as a means to wipe out the Daleks, finally ridding the universe of the most aggressive, deadly race ever to exist. But the Doctor is still worried. For there is a signal beacon inside the pod, and even now a Dalek ship is closing in...
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1998
10 people are currently reading
408 people want to read
About the author
John Peel
444 books167 followersJohn Peel is the author of Doctor Who books and comic strips. Notably, he wrote the first original Doctor Who novel, Timewyrm: Genesys, to launch the Virgin New Adventures line. In the early 1990s he was commissioned by Target Books to write novelisations of several key Terry Nation Dalek stories of the 1960s after the rights were finally worked out. He later wrote several more original Daleks novels.
He has the distinction of being one of only three authors credited on a Target novelisation who had not either written a story for the TV series or been a part of the production team (the others were Nigel Robinson and Alison Bingeman).
Outside of Doctor Who, Peel has also written novels for the Star Trek franchise. Under the pseudonym "John Vincent", he wrote novelisations based upon episodes of the 1990s TV series James Bond Jr..
He has the distinction of being one of only three authors credited on a Target novelisation who had not either written a story for the TV series or been a part of the production team (the others were Nigel Robinson and Alison Bingeman).
Outside of Doctor Who, Peel has also written novels for the Star Trek franchise. Under the pseudonym "John Vincent", he wrote novelisations based upon episodes of the 1990s TV series James Bond Jr..
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
June 15, 2013
This is what a Dalek story should be. I can't comprehend the hate this book gets, because to me this was easily the best Eighth Doctor Adventure book thus far [and having read several more before getting to review this, I have to say I still feel it's the best].
The Daleks are properly menacing in this book, unlike many of their on-screen appearances. Having plans-within-plans and thinking like the highly-intelligent creatures they are supposed to be is a nice change of pace. More, it was great seeing the Doctor really have to look back and remember that his actions have consequences -- both intended and unintended.
I think a lot of people who dislike this book -- judging by the other reviews on this site -- do so because it retcons Remembrance of the Daleks. Personally, I think they are a bit on the gullible side. They actually believe the Dalek Emperor's story about Davros blowing up the wrong planet. I understand characters in-universe buying that story -- after all, none of *them* grew up on Skaro, so it's easy to believe the Daleks fooling them into which planet is actually their homeworld. But fooling Davros, who actually grew up on Skaro? Highly unlikely. And as Davros mentions during the story, "Skaro" simply means "Home" in a native tongue, which means it's not wrong to call this new homeworld "Skaro" even when it clearly isn't the original homeworld. No, I think the takeaway from this book is that the Daleks are manipulative and cunning, and pulled the wool over a whole lot of people's eyes... both real and fictional.
Some of the rest of the hate claims that the characters are wooden in this story. I simply don't get that opinion. The Thals in particular were quite intriguing characters. The majority of them were very rigid in their military-instilled discipline. Even Ayaka, who is the first Thal to go against the grain in any way, still wants to go right back to that discipline by turning herself in. But over the course of the book, she continues to evolve -- gradually, but logically -- in the context of a race that has known nothing but war for generations. I think that's the problem; most readers did not want to appreciate their context, and so ignored it.
Finally, the last complaint I have seen about this book regards the interludes as unnecessary. I would get further into why I think people need to be slapped for this opinion, but it involves my as-yet-unwritten feelings on the next book in the series, so I'll leave it alone for now.
All-in-all, I am so pleased with this, I cannot wait to finish the next story [I'm currently on book 9, Longest Day] so I can begin John Peel's next Dalek story in the EDA line. I only wish there were more than just the two.
The Daleks are properly menacing in this book, unlike many of their on-screen appearances. Having plans-within-plans and thinking like the highly-intelligent creatures they are supposed to be is a nice change of pace. More, it was great seeing the Doctor really have to look back and remember that his actions have consequences -- both intended and unintended.
I think a lot of people who dislike this book -- judging by the other reviews on this site -- do so because it retcons Remembrance of the Daleks. Personally, I think they are a bit on the gullible side. They actually believe the Dalek Emperor's story about Davros blowing up the wrong planet. I understand characters in-universe buying that story -- after all, none of *them* grew up on Skaro, so it's easy to believe the Daleks fooling them into which planet is actually their homeworld. But fooling Davros, who actually grew up on Skaro? Highly unlikely. And as Davros mentions during the story, "Skaro" simply means "Home" in a native tongue, which means it's not wrong to call this new homeworld "Skaro" even when it clearly isn't the original homeworld. No, I think the takeaway from this book is that the Daleks are manipulative and cunning, and pulled the wool over a whole lot of people's eyes... both real and fictional.
Some of the rest of the hate claims that the characters are wooden in this story. I simply don't get that opinion. The Thals in particular were quite intriguing characters. The majority of them were very rigid in their military-instilled discipline. Even Ayaka, who is the first Thal to go against the grain in any way, still wants to go right back to that discipline by turning herself in. But over the course of the book, she continues to evolve -- gradually, but logically -- in the context of a race that has known nothing but war for generations. I think that's the problem; most readers did not want to appreciate their context, and so ignored it.
Finally, the last complaint I have seen about this book regards the interludes as unnecessary. I would get further into why I think people need to be slapped for this opinion, but it involves my as-yet-unwritten feelings on the next book in the series, so I'll leave it alone for now.
All-in-all, I am so pleased with this, I cannot wait to finish the next story [I'm currently on book 9, Longest Day] so I can begin John Peel's next Dalek story in the EDA line. I only wish there were more than just the two.
November 24, 2021
Not bad but not entirely great.
So the Doctor is repairing the tardis systems again but it's swept up by a garbage ship called the Quetzel.
At this point it's a bit slow for me because it's take a little while to realise Davros is the "package" if you like and the Thals have plans for Davros.
I liked the fact it's acknowledged that Davros destroyed the daleks with the hand of Omega but then it just seemed to drag on a bit, I won't spoil too much and I have rated it 4 stars because I liked the start the middle was ok and the ending was ok.
Not sure I'm a fan of Sam the companion but this is the first 8th doctor book I've ever read so hopefully if I read more 8th doctor my opinion on Sam might change.
So the Doctor is repairing the tardis systems again but it's swept up by a garbage ship called the Quetzel.
At this point it's a bit slow for me because it's take a little while to realise Davros is the "package" if you like and the Thals have plans for Davros.
I liked the fact it's acknowledged that Davros destroyed the daleks with the hand of Omega but then it just seemed to drag on a bit, I won't spoil too much and I have rated it 4 stars because I liked the start the middle was ok and the ending was ok.
Not sure I'm a fan of Sam the companion but this is the first 8th doctor book I've ever read so hopefully if I read more 8th doctor my opinion on Sam might change.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2024
John Peel knows his stuff about Daleks, and puts it to both creative and tedious use in this first original Dalek novel. The good: Daleks used as a background menace for much of the first half, with various “interludes” to show what it’s like trying to survive them. The bad: once the plot kicks into gear it’s all in service of continuity between old TV episodes, which feels like dull busywork instead of a novel. A generous amount of action might just about split the difference for you.
2.5
2.5
October 17, 2021
Dude this book fucking sucked.
Between a bland and horribly-paced plot, villains and threats that were completely inconsequential, the out of character writing, and the blatant sexism that permeated every level of the plot and characterization, there was quite literally nothing to enjoy about this book.
Greatest hits of this book include: completely decimating Sam's character so that her only trait is a crush on the Doctor and jealousy of pretty much every other female character, interludes that are literally completely meaningless to the story and do not impact a single thing, kicking a dead horse with providing new threats for the characters to overcome but also making those threats so easily avoided they come off as completely pointless waffling, and a weird, creepy fixation on women's bodies.
Honest to god wish I could've skipped this one. If I wasn't a completionist I wouldn't have touched it with a ten foot pole. Only good thing about it is I'm done reading it now.
Between a bland and horribly-paced plot, villains and threats that were completely inconsequential, the out of character writing, and the blatant sexism that permeated every level of the plot and characterization, there was quite literally nothing to enjoy about this book.
Greatest hits of this book include: completely decimating Sam's character so that her only trait is a crush on the Doctor and jealousy of pretty much every other female character, interludes that are literally completely meaningless to the story and do not impact a single thing, kicking a dead horse with providing new threats for the characters to overcome but also making those threats so easily avoided they come off as completely pointless waffling, and a weird, creepy fixation on women's bodies.
Honest to god wish I could've skipped this one. If I wasn't a completionist I wouldn't have touched it with a ten foot pole. Only good thing about it is I'm done reading it now.
May 30, 2018
The Daleks are such a integral part of Doctor Who, I always felt that it’s quite important that each incarnation to get to battle them at some point.
So it’s great that the Eighth Doctor gets to met them so early in this series.
It’s a fun entertaining story that includes a reference to every televised Dalek story during the classic.
There’s also a big retcon of the later Dalek stories, but having read this whilst the New Series is airing I felt it wasn’t quite as impactful as it would have been to readers at the time.
So it’s great that the Eighth Doctor gets to met them so early in this series.
It’s a fun entertaining story that includes a reference to every televised Dalek story during the classic.
There’s also a big retcon of the later Dalek stories, but having read this whilst the New Series is airing I felt it wasn’t quite as impactful as it would have been to readers at the time.
April 3, 2020
Doctor Who EDA Books #5 - War of the Daleks.
Bit of a guilty pleasure for sure. Most people whine about War of the Daleks because of it's continuity and retconning the Daleks story line into a singular vision here. Eh, I don't really care or mind. But I heard Legacy of the Daleks truly messes things up to the absolute limit; have to see what that's all about.
The Daleks are awesome in this book, The Dalek Prime was sly and manipulative, and so was Davros. A very cool chess/checkmate dynamic coming from the both of them. I love the civil war Dalek stuff. We got more of a social war & Diplomatic side of Davros and the Dalek Prime, or the Loyalists vs the Revolutionists. Parts 3/4 I loved so much I killed that section in a single sitting, I couldn't stop reading the book. It does start slow but it picks it up in the second half for sure.
The Thals are rubbish, very dull. Their plan involving Davros was fucking stupid. Even the Doctor says so. It's made out to be a big focus on the back bio, and eventually it leads into nothing. Lazy writing. That plot thread just vanishes into the void, and the civil war aspect (far better plot thread) comes along. The first half get's a 6/7/10 and the second half get's a 9. Yes, a NINE. It was seriously enjoyable and fast paced at that point. I can look past the continuity, I don't really care all that much. But the Thals again we're the biggest problem I had: Dull, and a stupid plot around them. However, the whole aspect of them following their warrior routes (as persuaded by the First Doctor in 'The Daleks") was a nice small part of the Doctor now disagreeing with the Thals more ruthless approach, compared to their pacifist nature in "The Daleks" Besides that, The Thals are rubbish here.
I'd give this an 8/10. Because I enjoyed it A LOT and the second half secure the rating. It's like The Eight Doctors. The negatives are very obvious, but it's got that fun, engaging and enjoyment factor that boosts the rating. By no means anything sensational like: Power of the Daleks, Genesis of the Daleks and so on; but an awesome 8th Doctor Dalek story.
Next is Alien Bodies, time to get serious in the EDA range.
Bit of a guilty pleasure for sure. Most people whine about War of the Daleks because of it's continuity and retconning the Daleks story line into a singular vision here. Eh, I don't really care or mind. But I heard Legacy of the Daleks truly messes things up to the absolute limit; have to see what that's all about.
The Daleks are awesome in this book, The Dalek Prime was sly and manipulative, and so was Davros. A very cool chess/checkmate dynamic coming from the both of them. I love the civil war Dalek stuff. We got more of a social war & Diplomatic side of Davros and the Dalek Prime, or the Loyalists vs the Revolutionists. Parts 3/4 I loved so much I killed that section in a single sitting, I couldn't stop reading the book. It does start slow but it picks it up in the second half for sure.
The Thals are rubbish, very dull. Their plan involving Davros was fucking stupid. Even the Doctor says so. It's made out to be a big focus on the back bio, and eventually it leads into nothing. Lazy writing. That plot thread just vanishes into the void, and the civil war aspect (far better plot thread) comes along. The first half get's a 6/7/10 and the second half get's a 9. Yes, a NINE. It was seriously enjoyable and fast paced at that point. I can look past the continuity, I don't really care all that much. But the Thals again we're the biggest problem I had: Dull, and a stupid plot around them. However, the whole aspect of them following their warrior routes (as persuaded by the First Doctor in 'The Daleks") was a nice small part of the Doctor now disagreeing with the Thals more ruthless approach, compared to their pacifist nature in "The Daleks" Besides that, The Thals are rubbish here.
I'd give this an 8/10. Because I enjoyed it A LOT and the second half secure the rating. It's like The Eight Doctors. The negatives are very obvious, but it's got that fun, engaging and enjoyment factor that boosts the rating. By no means anything sensational like: Power of the Daleks, Genesis of the Daleks and so on; but an awesome 8th Doctor Dalek story.
Next is Alien Bodies, time to get serious in the EDA range.
September 27, 2022
(3.5 stars)
A fun, scary Dalek story.
A fun, scary Dalek story.
August 8, 2021
I still find shocking/laughable that the BBC had the nerve to take the license from the virgin new adventures and make there own BBC range. However apart from a few incredibly good ones most of the VNA was Incredibly desperate. Reading them as an adult it's quite cringy how edgy they were trying to be, completely missing the point to doctor who. At least with the 8th Dr adventures that's completely taken away and only subtle themes was brought up. But they aren't perfect either.
John peels two Dalek books are quite infamous for being so awful and now have long since been retconed. So I was excited to see what fans during the wilderness years would of gotten with the Daleks that wasn't a comic and an actual full story. While I actually don't think it's a terrible book. It flows well and the characters are enjoyable with some nice battle moments, I really struggle to see how this could please many fans.
The two big problems the story has is 1, it's a wasted book and pointless to read, it really is nothing new with the Daleks and infact repeats the thals Vs Daleks, Davros vs Daleks and the plot is very simple with very simple twists. The thals attack a salvage ship to get Davros, Daleks find Davros too and bring him to face trail and then a big Dalek war happens. 2, the twists are a big recon to the ending of "Remembrance of the Daleks" were it's Revealed that skaro wasnt actually destory as the Daleks ever since "Destiny of the Daleks" have been testing Davros to see if he's really fit to lead them. It's a pointless recon that was only made to please Terry nations dislike that Skaro was destoryed. So my question is this, just what kind of fan would enjoy this? Remembrance fans won't enjoy it as it recons the best moments from that story, Dalek fans won't as it does nothing new, a classic fan would feel the same and new readers would be annoyed at the fact that we get pages of the Dr just explaining the history of Davros and the Daleks.
What annoys me the most with this book is how the recon is not even a big part of it. It's on more a small intro idea and this book could of worked as a simple story set before "Remembrance", explaining how both sides split and why there are two groups. Considering Davros is completely destoryed at the end, it would of been a nice way to explain how he got to look like he does too. Despite the name and cover the Daleks and Davros are only in this as side plot and what we get with them is enjoyable but the diologue for the Daleks is abit wrong. They sound to human and the writer mentions only once just that these Daleks have is evolved to be wise. It never goes anywhere and it's frustrating as it could of been a nice way to show how davros fights back at his new creations. Theres a long court scene that doesn't really sound like Daleks whatsoever and I really do believe the writer used a lazy way to explain that. There are some good lines here though, I did really enjoy hearing the Dalek prime (tv21 Emperor) talk about how Davros has caused them to be defeated and how they would of always have evolved with or without him, he just rushed them along. There is also some pretty good Dalek action too, especially at the beginning with the special weapons Daleks and even spider Daleks. It just feels alittle wasted having the Daleks here doing nothing but kill each other though, yet you tease us with good ideas that never go anywhere. I also can't believe the writer got confused between the side Davros was on. The imperial side not against it! Plus having the Daleks being to be killed by the sonic screwdriver held to there dome, it just doesn't work for me.
The Dr here is written very basically in terms of how he acts and speaks, he's enjoyable and he's doing what the doctor does best, but there's no deffintion of this Dr being the 8th. But I don't blame the writer for that. The Dr does get some great scenes. One of my favourite moments was when the crew was stuck in a cell and the ship was being attacked by the Daleks and they refuse to give up. But the Dr knows it will end badly so supports everyone and holds there hand and tells them they have to give into the Daleks. It's quite a powerful little scene, made better by new companion Sam really being new to the Daleks and the thal Ayaka constantly struggling to do the right thing.
Sam is often written as basic companion but to be honest I actually really enjoyed her throughout this story. She's like a mix of Rose, Tegan and Donna. Smart assed at times, navie and hopeful, idolises the Dr, fancys him and always wanting to be there for the Dr. She doesn't have an arc but I did like how sees how this war/Daleks was effecting her. How she sees people, death, how war changes people etc. Even towards the end she helps them fight back at the Daleks and finally understands that it isn't fair to critise soilders for doing what they do.
In terms of Rose parallels, there are a few moments of jelaously at others ttracion to the Dr as he meets new people etc. One character in particular is Chayn. But I did really like how due to the Daleks etc she let it go and saw her as a good person and grew up. Something rose never did. But it is annoyed how the Dr is looked upon as the perfect man here at the beginning.
Our main characters are also thals and sadly I got confused keeping track of who was who because apart one very good prologue, we experience and learn nothing more about them then how they are feeling at that moment. This really annoyed me because I'd of much perferd to have had side stories/chapters showing us more about them, rather than the side story's of Dalek defeats with a classic monster. However I did really enjoy the arc and character of the thal Ayaka. She's a thal who really believes in following orders and yet once we learn how the thals plan to have Davros genetically modifie them she still stand ups for her job. I really loved hearing about how thals have to have children before they go to war so the species can continue. There's some great scenes with Sam and Chayn as they talk about there children being left alone and it's incredibly enjoyable.
I really liked seeing this character fight her morals as a mother and and soilder, which results in her killing her boss to save the Dr. My only annoyance is how she does nothing towards the end, yet again the Dr takes over and it's a simple good-bye. I really wanted to see them fight together and have her return home and teach the thals a better way of living but fighting. Instead she stays with the group looking for more Daleks out there. I felt cheated by her ending and how yet again another idea Is cut short for an idea we've seen a million times. It's also Revealed here she's the mother the thal Rebecc from "Planet of the Daleks". Nice nod.
Another side plot we roughly get to see exploded is the Dalek prime allowing the Dr escape as it hide a Dalek factory capsule on the ship. I actually quite liked this idea, having the Dalek prime prepare a new army just incase the both sides are completely wiped out and I like the Dalek lie and trick the Dr. It's just Incredibly annoying how quickly the factor is thrown it avoid by the tardis and that it. Not even a scene in which the crew fight to keep the ship stable to throw it in the void, nothing. It's Incredibly lackluster?
There are some great ideas/themes here that go nowhere. Daleks become more wise and start despising there past/Davros. Thals and there children and later the thals wanting to become Daleks. There is some good stuff here but we get lazy same old same old. Which would be fine but why was this a thing that even needed to happen. You rewrite the whole of the 80s era, to do a story like the 80s ? That along with girls failing head over heels with the Dr and mocking poor people like Chayn did, weird Dalek dialogue and pointless quotes about war to look cool but it reflects nothing, a cover with an eye?. All just make this story a massive waste of time. Ironically it is a perfect tribute to a late Terry nation Dalek script, by doing nothing and repeating past stories.
Rating 2/5 5/10
John peels two Dalek books are quite infamous for being so awful and now have long since been retconed. So I was excited to see what fans during the wilderness years would of gotten with the Daleks that wasn't a comic and an actual full story. While I actually don't think it's a terrible book. It flows well and the characters are enjoyable with some nice battle moments, I really struggle to see how this could please many fans.
The two big problems the story has is 1, it's a wasted book and pointless to read, it really is nothing new with the Daleks and infact repeats the thals Vs Daleks, Davros vs Daleks and the plot is very simple with very simple twists. The thals attack a salvage ship to get Davros, Daleks find Davros too and bring him to face trail and then a big Dalek war happens. 2, the twists are a big recon to the ending of "Remembrance of the Daleks" were it's Revealed that skaro wasnt actually destory as the Daleks ever since "Destiny of the Daleks" have been testing Davros to see if he's really fit to lead them. It's a pointless recon that was only made to please Terry nations dislike that Skaro was destoryed. So my question is this, just what kind of fan would enjoy this? Remembrance fans won't enjoy it as it recons the best moments from that story, Dalek fans won't as it does nothing new, a classic fan would feel the same and new readers would be annoyed at the fact that we get pages of the Dr just explaining the history of Davros and the Daleks.
What annoys me the most with this book is how the recon is not even a big part of it. It's on more a small intro idea and this book could of worked as a simple story set before "Remembrance", explaining how both sides split and why there are two groups. Considering Davros is completely destoryed at the end, it would of been a nice way to explain how he got to look like he does too. Despite the name and cover the Daleks and Davros are only in this as side plot and what we get with them is enjoyable but the diologue for the Daleks is abit wrong. They sound to human and the writer mentions only once just that these Daleks have is evolved to be wise. It never goes anywhere and it's frustrating as it could of been a nice way to show how davros fights back at his new creations. Theres a long court scene that doesn't really sound like Daleks whatsoever and I really do believe the writer used a lazy way to explain that. There are some good lines here though, I did really enjoy hearing the Dalek prime (tv21 Emperor) talk about how Davros has caused them to be defeated and how they would of always have evolved with or without him, he just rushed them along. There is also some pretty good Dalek action too, especially at the beginning with the special weapons Daleks and even spider Daleks. It just feels alittle wasted having the Daleks here doing nothing but kill each other though, yet you tease us with good ideas that never go anywhere. I also can't believe the writer got confused between the side Davros was on. The imperial side not against it! Plus having the Daleks being to be killed by the sonic screwdriver held to there dome, it just doesn't work for me.
The Dr here is written very basically in terms of how he acts and speaks, he's enjoyable and he's doing what the doctor does best, but there's no deffintion of this Dr being the 8th. But I don't blame the writer for that. The Dr does get some great scenes. One of my favourite moments was when the crew was stuck in a cell and the ship was being attacked by the Daleks and they refuse to give up. But the Dr knows it will end badly so supports everyone and holds there hand and tells them they have to give into the Daleks. It's quite a powerful little scene, made better by new companion Sam really being new to the Daleks and the thal Ayaka constantly struggling to do the right thing.
Sam is often written as basic companion but to be honest I actually really enjoyed her throughout this story. She's like a mix of Rose, Tegan and Donna. Smart assed at times, navie and hopeful, idolises the Dr, fancys him and always wanting to be there for the Dr. She doesn't have an arc but I did like how sees how this war/Daleks was effecting her. How she sees people, death, how war changes people etc. Even towards the end she helps them fight back at the Daleks and finally understands that it isn't fair to critise soilders for doing what they do.
In terms of Rose parallels, there are a few moments of jelaously at others ttracion to the Dr as he meets new people etc. One character in particular is Chayn. But I did really like how due to the Daleks etc she let it go and saw her as a good person and grew up. Something rose never did. But it is annoyed how the Dr is looked upon as the perfect man here at the beginning.
Our main characters are also thals and sadly I got confused keeping track of who was who because apart one very good prologue, we experience and learn nothing more about them then how they are feeling at that moment. This really annoyed me because I'd of much perferd to have had side stories/chapters showing us more about them, rather than the side story's of Dalek defeats with a classic monster. However I did really enjoy the arc and character of the thal Ayaka. She's a thal who really believes in following orders and yet once we learn how the thals plan to have Davros genetically modifie them she still stand ups for her job. I really loved hearing about how thals have to have children before they go to war so the species can continue. There's some great scenes with Sam and Chayn as they talk about there children being left alone and it's incredibly enjoyable.
I really liked seeing this character fight her morals as a mother and and soilder, which results in her killing her boss to save the Dr. My only annoyance is how she does nothing towards the end, yet again the Dr takes over and it's a simple good-bye. I really wanted to see them fight together and have her return home and teach the thals a better way of living but fighting. Instead she stays with the group looking for more Daleks out there. I felt cheated by her ending and how yet again another idea Is cut short for an idea we've seen a million times. It's also Revealed here she's the mother the thal Rebecc from "Planet of the Daleks". Nice nod.
Another side plot we roughly get to see exploded is the Dalek prime allowing the Dr escape as it hide a Dalek factory capsule on the ship. I actually quite liked this idea, having the Dalek prime prepare a new army just incase the both sides are completely wiped out and I like the Dalek lie and trick the Dr. It's just Incredibly annoying how quickly the factor is thrown it avoid by the tardis and that it. Not even a scene in which the crew fight to keep the ship stable to throw it in the void, nothing. It's Incredibly lackluster?
There are some great ideas/themes here that go nowhere. Daleks become more wise and start despising there past/Davros. Thals and there children and later the thals wanting to become Daleks. There is some good stuff here but we get lazy same old same old. Which would be fine but why was this a thing that even needed to happen. You rewrite the whole of the 80s era, to do a story like the 80s ? That along with girls failing head over heels with the Dr and mocking poor people like Chayn did, weird Dalek dialogue and pointless quotes about war to look cool but it reflects nothing, a cover with an eye?. All just make this story a massive waste of time. Ironically it is a perfect tribute to a late Terry nation Dalek script, by doing nothing and repeating past stories.
Rating 2/5 5/10
April 25, 2024
I originally read this sometime in 2016 and gave it a rating of 3/5 which I thought was fair. Now having read it for a second time, I’d say the rating has remained the same.
On the whole I did enjoy this book. It’s a fun space adventure with the Doctor and the Daleks but it’s nothing ground breaking like Genesis or Remembrance. However, despite myself enjoying it a lot there are some pretty big problems with it.
Firstly, one of the reasons this book gets slated by some fans is due to its massive continuity balls up. I won’t explain what happens because of spoilers but when you read why Davros is alive, you will think “what the f*ck!”.
Secondly, the Thals’ plan to capture Davros is so mind bogglingly stupid to the point where it is almost laughable. That said, I did enjoy some of the Thal character interactions.
My third and final problem is that the companion, Sam, was virtually useless. You could take her out of most of the story and the plot wouldn’t change (barring a few scenes right near the end).
Despite its problems, I really enjoyed the Daleks in this book. There were some great battle scenes and some really cool Dalek interactions. I also really liked the big amount of Dalek variants as it did make interesting reading.
Overall it’s an average book with some pretty big issues. A fairly enjoyable read for the most part but it does have some stupid ideas in it.
On the whole I did enjoy this book. It’s a fun space adventure with the Doctor and the Daleks but it’s nothing ground breaking like Genesis or Remembrance. However, despite myself enjoying it a lot there are some pretty big problems with it.
Firstly, one of the reasons this book gets slated by some fans is due to its massive continuity balls up. I won’t explain what happens because of spoilers but when you read why Davros is alive, you will think “what the f*ck!”.
Secondly, the Thals’ plan to capture Davros is so mind bogglingly stupid to the point where it is almost laughable. That said, I did enjoy some of the Thal character interactions.
My third and final problem is that the companion, Sam, was virtually useless. You could take her out of most of the story and the plot wouldn’t change (barring a few scenes right near the end).
Despite its problems, I really enjoyed the Daleks in this book. There were some great battle scenes and some really cool Dalek interactions. I also really liked the big amount of Dalek variants as it did make interesting reading.
Overall it’s an average book with some pretty big issues. A fairly enjoyable read for the most part but it does have some stupid ideas in it.
September 24, 2013
I kept feeling like I should have liked this more than I did. I'm torn between giving it three or four stars. It was a fairly solid Dalek story. There was BRILLIANT gender balance, especially for a Doctor Who novel. The two new characters that were introduced were a woman solider, a veteran of many campaigns and a woman mechanic. It would have been so much easier and more normal to have made both those characters male. So I will give the book an extra star for that. The problem with it was that there was no depth. The book was all action and explanation. Something would happen, there would be a lot of fighting, and then there would be a period of exposition about the history of daleks or Davros. There was no real psychology or motivation. When compared with the highly emotional story of Davros in the Big Finish audios this just felt flat. It was like there was little motivation for everyone. The other really weak thing about this was the portrayal of Sam, the Doctor's companion. She was so generic it hurt. At first I thought she was American, then English as a teacher, then I went to look her up online and discovered she was a 16 year old school girl from England. None of the things it mentioned in the article about her characterisation was really in this book which was too bad. (Besides her being jealous of the Doctor giving other women attention). There was a lot of potential here but in the end I didn't really find this very satisfying.
January 13, 2026
War of the Daleks is the fifth instalment of the BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures. It is best known for its controversial retcon of Dalek history. The Doctor and Sam find themselves on a junk ship that has found a Dalek artefact. Predictably, this leads to trouble.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
The Doctor is consistent with the established canon. He is testier than is typical of his eighth incarnation, but this is indicative of his fear and hatred of the Daleks.
Sam is the character most fully developed. Having matured over the several months (probably six) she has spent with the Doctor, she is no longer focused on trying to be his equal but on being useful. She has also developed a crush on him, which fuels occasional jealousy.
Other supporting characters of note include Ayaka, a Thal with a conscience, and Chayn, a human technician. Ayaka experiences the most significant change, evolving from a soldier who obeys immoral orders without question to someone guided by her conscience, ultimately resolving to change the Thal way. This arc is well-handled and carries appropriate tension, while also nicely juxtaposing Sam’s own growth: she starts with a black and white view of war but becomes understanding of the Thals by the end. Chayn is reasonably fleshed out, but primarily serves as a target for Sam’s jealousy. This is the sole novel containing Davros and feels faithful to his television portrayal.
WORLD-BUILDING
War of the Daleks covers nearly the entire span of Dalek history prior to this novel. Perhaps the title should have been Wars of the Daleks as multiple wars the Daleks are waging appear, occurring concurrently, though the timing is never explicitly established. It also introduces Strider Daleks and Marine Daleks, and is among the first appearances of Spider Daleks.
Despite this wealth of world-building, it is presented in such a way that the reader is observing rather than being immersed in it.
THEMES
Key themes include manufactured history, identity built on lies, moral responsibility versus strategic necessity, complicity through passivity, and war as bureaucratic inertia.
These themes are handled competently, particularly moral responsibility and complicity. A striking example occurs when the Thals destroy a populated planet to defeat a Dalek force. While one of them questions it, no one intervenes, accepting the justification that the Daleks would have killed the inhabitants anyway. This scenario highlights the ease with which passivity can become complicity.
PLOT
War of the Daleks opens with a prolonged battle scene, introducing characters who join the Doctor and Sam later. While opening action away from the Doctor and his companions isn’t an unusual way to open a Doctor Who novel, it struggles to generate investment. It is dense with battle-specific world-building and technical detail, some of which is later contradicted (for example, spider Daleks have strong armour here and weak armour later).
This problem persists throughout the novel. Many battle scenes function less as narrative progression and more as referential interludes, acknowledging other Dalek stories rather than advancing the plot. These interludes have the effect of pausing the dramatic momentum for no apparent reason.
In fact, the whole plot seems to be engineered primarily to reference every TV story or novel about the Daleks and to retcon Remembrance of the Daleks . While the retcon itself is not inherently problematic, its presentation feels empty—a continuity fix rather than a moment of emotional or narrative weight.
Moments that appear to promise tension frequently fizzle out. When the Daleks capture the Doctor, the narrative seems to be moving towards a daring escape from execution or torture, only for him to be released and tasked with killing Davros. Such resolutions undercut suspense rather than escalating it, and similar non-payoffs recur towards the latter half of the novel.
Continuity errors also appear. Some may be rationalised by the reader, while others are down to carelessness. John Peel himself acknowledged that the two planets in the book are called Antalin because he misread his notes.
WRITING
Peel employs multiple third-person limited viewpoints with Sam dominating the POV sections, while the Doctor’s internal perspective is largely absent. This choice deliberately withholds narrative stability from the reader, as the Doctor’s inner world remains inaccessible. Unfortunately, an unintended consequence is that the story often feels as though it unfolds independently of the Doctor, with the reader observing his actions rather than understanding his reasoning, which reduces engagement.
Large chunks of exposition are also required to convey Dalek history and then explain the retcon Skaro’s destruction. These are often delivered via long stretches of dialogue, slowing narrative flow.
BRIEF QUOTES
‘Glad?’ Ayaka’s heart felt as if it would burst. ‘I know those aliens were dead; the Daleks were bound to kill them. And if they had, I would have hated them for it for another senseless slaughter they’d performed. But they didn’t kill those beings — we did!’ She sighed deep within her soul. ‘Now who can I hate for it?’ … ‘The operation was a complete success. But the patient died.’
—Prologue: Thal Space, p. 19
The next three were all hit by the Dalek discharge, glowing and screaming as they died. The Doctor pushed Sam to the floor, covering her with his own body.
Sam was touched by his concern and scared by his stupidity. He was so much more important alive than she was!
—Chapter Ten: Escape, p. 227.
SUMMARY
I read this novel knowing it was not a fan favourite, determined not to judge it too quickly. Ultimately, it is mediocre—not terrible but not amazing. It feels like a draft that hadn’t been fully refined: the potential for brilliance is present, but the execution falls short. Probably not one I’m going to be reading over and over.
RATING
Character development: ★★★½
World Building: ★★★
Plot: ★★½
Writing: ★★★½
Enjoyment: ★★★½
Overall rating: ★★★¼ (3.2/5)
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
The Doctor is consistent with the established canon. He is testier than is typical of his eighth incarnation, but this is indicative of his fear and hatred of the Daleks.
Sam is the character most fully developed. Having matured over the several months (probably six) she has spent with the Doctor, she is no longer focused on trying to be his equal but on being useful. She has also developed a crush on him, which fuels occasional jealousy.
Other supporting characters of note include Ayaka, a Thal with a conscience, and Chayn, a human technician. Ayaka experiences the most significant change, evolving from a soldier who obeys immoral orders without question to someone guided by her conscience, ultimately resolving to change the Thal way. This arc is well-handled and carries appropriate tension, while also nicely juxtaposing Sam’s own growth: she starts with a black and white view of war but becomes understanding of the Thals by the end. Chayn is reasonably fleshed out, but primarily serves as a target for Sam’s jealousy. This is the sole novel containing Davros and feels faithful to his television portrayal.
WORLD-BUILDING
War of the Daleks covers nearly the entire span of Dalek history prior to this novel. Perhaps the title should have been Wars of the Daleks as multiple wars the Daleks are waging appear, occurring concurrently, though the timing is never explicitly established. It also introduces Strider Daleks and Marine Daleks, and is among the first appearances of Spider Daleks.
Despite this wealth of world-building, it is presented in such a way that the reader is observing rather than being immersed in it.
THEMES
Key themes include manufactured history, identity built on lies, moral responsibility versus strategic necessity, complicity through passivity, and war as bureaucratic inertia.
These themes are handled competently, particularly moral responsibility and complicity. A striking example occurs when the Thals destroy a populated planet to defeat a Dalek force. While one of them questions it, no one intervenes, accepting the justification that the Daleks would have killed the inhabitants anyway. This scenario highlights the ease with which passivity can become complicity.
PLOT
War of the Daleks opens with a prolonged battle scene, introducing characters who join the Doctor and Sam later. While opening action away from the Doctor and his companions isn’t an unusual way to open a Doctor Who novel, it struggles to generate investment. It is dense with battle-specific world-building and technical detail, some of which is later contradicted (for example, spider Daleks have strong armour here and weak armour later).
This problem persists throughout the novel. Many battle scenes function less as narrative progression and more as referential interludes, acknowledging other Dalek stories rather than advancing the plot. These interludes have the effect of pausing the dramatic momentum for no apparent reason.
In fact, the whole plot seems to be engineered primarily to reference every TV story or novel about the Daleks and to retcon Remembrance of the Daleks . While the retcon itself is not inherently problematic, its presentation feels empty—a continuity fix rather than a moment of emotional or narrative weight.
Moments that appear to promise tension frequently fizzle out. When the Daleks capture the Doctor, the narrative seems to be moving towards a daring escape from execution or torture, only for him to be released and tasked with killing Davros. Such resolutions undercut suspense rather than escalating it, and similar non-payoffs recur towards the latter half of the novel.
Continuity errors also appear. Some may be rationalised by the reader, while others are down to carelessness. John Peel himself acknowledged that the two planets in the book are called Antalin because he misread his notes.
WRITING
Peel employs multiple third-person limited viewpoints with Sam dominating the POV sections, while the Doctor’s internal perspective is largely absent. This choice deliberately withholds narrative stability from the reader, as the Doctor’s inner world remains inaccessible. Unfortunately, an unintended consequence is that the story often feels as though it unfolds independently of the Doctor, with the reader observing his actions rather than understanding his reasoning, which reduces engagement.
Large chunks of exposition are also required to convey Dalek history and then explain the retcon Skaro’s destruction. These are often delivered via long stretches of dialogue, slowing narrative flow.
BRIEF QUOTES
‘Glad?’ Ayaka’s heart felt as if it would burst. ‘I know those aliens were dead; the Daleks were bound to kill them. And if they had, I would have hated them for it for another senseless slaughter they’d performed. But they didn’t kill those beings — we did!’ She sighed deep within her soul. ‘Now who can I hate for it?’ … ‘The operation was a complete success. But the patient died.’
—Prologue: Thal Space, p. 19
The next three were all hit by the Dalek discharge, glowing and screaming as they died. The Doctor pushed Sam to the floor, covering her with his own body.
Sam was touched by his concern and scared by his stupidity. He was so much more important alive than she was!
—Chapter Ten: Escape, p. 227.
SUMMARY
I read this novel knowing it was not a fan favourite, determined not to judge it too quickly. Ultimately, it is mediocre—not terrible but not amazing. It feels like a draft that hadn’t been fully refined: the potential for brilliance is present, but the execution falls short. Probably not one I’m going to be reading over and over.
RATING
Character development: ★★★½
World Building: ★★★
Plot: ★★½
Writing: ★★★½
Enjoyment: ★★★½
Overall rating: ★★★¼ (3.2/5)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2016
A book that should not have been written.
The biggest problem is the retcons, which dramatically undercut "Remembrance of the Daleks" and to some extent undercut every single one of Davros' appearances. If you're going back and explaining what "really happened" in 15 years worth of TV shows, you're probably doing it wrong.
Beyond that, the book is very shallow and somewhat fanwanky in the way that it references every Dalek story it can. That shallowness is also due to the fact that the novel is an action-adventure, and Peel does OK here ... until things bog down at the end because it's all about Daleks fighting each other. Meanwhile, the characters get very little attention (and Eight in particular comes across quite wrong.)
This is the sort of book that you hope later writers will ignore.
You can read my more extensive comments as part of a thread about the entire Eighth Doctor series at RPGnet
The biggest problem is the retcons, which dramatically undercut "Remembrance of the Daleks" and to some extent undercut every single one of Davros' appearances. If you're going back and explaining what "really happened" in 15 years worth of TV shows, you're probably doing it wrong.
Beyond that, the book is very shallow and somewhat fanwanky in the way that it references every Dalek story it can. That shallowness is also due to the fact that the novel is an action-adventure, and Peel does OK here ... until things bog down at the end because it's all about Daleks fighting each other. Meanwhile, the characters get very little attention (and Eight in particular comes across quite wrong.)
This is the sort of book that you hope later writers will ignore.
You can read my more extensive comments as part of a thread about the entire Eighth Doctor series at RPGnet
March 4, 2010
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1401314.html
I very much enjoyed Peel's novelisations of black-and-white era Dalek stories, where he managed to inject a bit more sense and continuity than was to be found in the originals; here he writes a fun Eighth Doctor story which is very much in the tradition of the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctors' televised encounters with the spawn of Skaro, including lots of thrilling elements such as Thal commandos, Davros on trial and yet leading a faction in a Dalek civil war, and the twisted and complex plans of the anti-Davros leader (here dubbed the Dalek Prime). There is even a pleasing nod to The Power of the Daleks towards the end. Sam is now going all gooey-eyed at the Doctor, a foreshadowing of things to come (and I wonder how they will keep that up in future books).
I very much enjoyed Peel's novelisations of black-and-white era Dalek stories, where he managed to inject a bit more sense and continuity than was to be found in the originals; here he writes a fun Eighth Doctor story which is very much in the tradition of the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctors' televised encounters with the spawn of Skaro, including lots of thrilling elements such as Thal commandos, Davros on trial and yet leading a faction in a Dalek civil war, and the twisted and complex plans of the anti-Davros leader (here dubbed the Dalek Prime). There is even a pleasing nod to The Power of the Daleks towards the end. Sam is now going all gooey-eyed at the Doctor, a foreshadowing of things to come (and I wonder how they will keep that up in future books).
January 1, 2018
This Doctor Who novel delighted me, even though the writing is poor enough that the descriptions of it as "fanfic" are mostly fair.
I didn't enjoy the poor writing--it made me feel that most of the book was "going through the motions." The story's revelation, the contribution author John Peel offers to the Doctor Who mythos, is what pleased me--and apparently enraged many Whovian fangeeks. It responds to one of the classic episodes in a way that effectively changes its conclusion.
I didn't enjoy the poor writing--it made me feel that most of the book was "going through the motions." The story's revelation, the contribution author John Peel offers to the Doctor Who mythos, is what pleased me--and apparently enraged many Whovian fangeeks. It responds to one of the classic episodes in a way that effectively changes its conclusion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2021
"War of the Daleks" won't win any prize as literature in its own right, the way other EDAs might; it's a fan's book through and through. But it's not that bad at all at being that. The retcon is daring, but daringly executed, and inserts itself into clever cracks in the televised series' continuity (such as the dangling question of who built the Movellans in the first place, if they were truly a race of androids).
If anything, this story struggles with having to be an Eighth Doctor story as well as a Dalek story; the meat of the story lies with Davros and the Dalek Prime's conflict, and the clever allusion to the "Dalek Chronicles" comic of TV21 on the cover makes it clear what kind of fun, pulpy, yet intriguing tale Peel wants to spin. It is, unfortunately, not a tale in which Sam Jones has a place, so she gets relegated to the sidelines with a vague jealousy plotline that doesn't do her character any favours.
The Thal plot… isn't the best, but then, I've never been too happy with any use of the characters since the Cushing movies where they got by on having Basil of the Baker Street playing one of them, and having accidentally(?) been made up to look like Ziggy Stardust cosplayers. The Thals are there, they're eerily handsome, they're militaristic, blah. Their ultimate aim is intriguing, although not much is done with it.
Really, the best sequence in the book, and clearly the one Peel actually wanted to write, is the public debate between the Dalek Prime and Davros. It sneakily recontextualises the entire Imperial-Renegade Civil War as a time war in its own rights, fought between Davros and the Dalek Prime for ownership of the Daleks' backstory. Will it be "Genesis of Evil", or "Genesis of the Daleks"? The 1960s, or the 1970s? That's the kind of meta setup you have got to love, especially when expressed through the amusingly bombastic voices of villains like Davros and the Emperor. And while it's hard to say if there was any influence, the idea of an internal Dalek time war provides an interesting stylistic echo to a certain plotline introduced elsewhere in the EDAs by one Lawrence Miles.
None of it is enough to make "War of the Daleks" an immortal work of art, but I say it makes for a fairly fun read, and its reputation as "the bad retconny one" is a dull oversimplification.
If anything, this story struggles with having to be an Eighth Doctor story as well as a Dalek story; the meat of the story lies with Davros and the Dalek Prime's conflict, and the clever allusion to the "Dalek Chronicles" comic of TV21 on the cover makes it clear what kind of fun, pulpy, yet intriguing tale Peel wants to spin. It is, unfortunately, not a tale in which Sam Jones has a place, so she gets relegated to the sidelines with a vague jealousy plotline that doesn't do her character any favours.
The Thal plot… isn't the best, but then, I've never been too happy with any use of the characters since the Cushing movies where they got by on having Basil of the Baker Street playing one of them, and having accidentally(?) been made up to look like Ziggy Stardust cosplayers. The Thals are there, they're eerily handsome, they're militaristic, blah. Their ultimate aim is intriguing, although not much is done with it.
Really, the best sequence in the book, and clearly the one Peel actually wanted to write, is the public debate between the Dalek Prime and Davros. It sneakily recontextualises the entire Imperial-Renegade Civil War as a time war in its own rights, fought between Davros and the Dalek Prime for ownership of the Daleks' backstory. Will it be "Genesis of Evil", or "Genesis of the Daleks"? The 1960s, or the 1970s? That's the kind of meta setup you have got to love, especially when expressed through the amusingly bombastic voices of villains like Davros and the Emperor. And while it's hard to say if there was any influence, the idea of an internal Dalek time war provides an interesting stylistic echo to a certain plotline introduced elsewhere in the EDAs by one Lawrence Miles.
None of it is enough to make "War of the Daleks" an immortal work of art, but I say it makes for a fairly fun read, and its reputation as "the bad retconny one" is a dull oversimplification.
September 8, 2021
So after Body Snatchers I was very interested in jumping into the next eighth doctor book, so that lead me to "War of the Daleks". Was it as good as the previous book? Eh? Not really?
So this book was written by John Peel. Basically THE dalek author. You need a dalek novel told? you call John Peel. It really shows as you can tell he really DOES care about dalek lore.
This book basically starts with the doc and sam getting sucked up into a ship and a bunch of stuff spirals out of control and there's eventually daleks. (I simplified it because i didn't want to have to spoiler tag this)
The story itself is interesting because Sam has to come to grips with War sometimes being necessary even though she despises it so much. She's still kind of in love with the doc as she gets jealous whenever another girl shows him affection as well as still coming into her own.
At this point she's been through really 3 novels with the doctor (The 1st one doesn't count because she really wasn't present in that one) and you can see that she's starting to grow as a person, even if she's not quite there yet.
Where this book really fails is the side stories with the dalek politics. Without spoiling anything, i'll just say, yeah, there's quite a bit of dalek politics. and it gets very dull to me very fast. Every time the doctor was in the picture, i was excited and ready to go, but when it flipped back to the daleks, i kind of zoned out.
The side characters were serviceable, if not forgettable, and the 6 layers of resolution had me eye rolling at the end slightly.
Also, i can't stress this enough. if you have not seen "Remembrance of the daleks" you will be kind of lost. i don't think novels should really have HOMEWORK before you read it, but it will help a LOT. trust me.
All in all though, the book isn't bad as i really did enjoy the doctor and sam banter and think they can make a fun team. It's not my favorite doctor who novel, but it's fine. i think between this and legacy of the daleks, i might like that one SLIGHTLY more? but either way, War gets a 3.5 out of 5 rounded down to a 3.
Good, but not great.
So this book was written by John Peel. Basically THE dalek author. You need a dalek novel told? you call John Peel. It really shows as you can tell he really DOES care about dalek lore.
This book basically starts with the doc and sam getting sucked up into a ship and a bunch of stuff spirals out of control and there's eventually daleks. (I simplified it because i didn't want to have to spoiler tag this)
The story itself is interesting because Sam has to come to grips with War sometimes being necessary even though she despises it so much. She's still kind of in love with the doc as she gets jealous whenever another girl shows him affection as well as still coming into her own.
At this point she's been through really 3 novels with the doctor (The 1st one doesn't count because she really wasn't present in that one) and you can see that she's starting to grow as a person, even if she's not quite there yet.
Where this book really fails is the side stories with the dalek politics. Without spoiling anything, i'll just say, yeah, there's quite a bit of dalek politics. and it gets very dull to me very fast. Every time the doctor was in the picture, i was excited and ready to go, but when it flipped back to the daleks, i kind of zoned out.
The side characters were serviceable, if not forgettable, and the 6 layers of resolution had me eye rolling at the end slightly.
Also, i can't stress this enough. if you have not seen "Remembrance of the daleks" you will be kind of lost. i don't think novels should really have HOMEWORK before you read it, but it will help a LOT. trust me.
All in all though, the book isn't bad as i really did enjoy the doctor and sam banter and think they can make a fun team. It's not my favorite doctor who novel, but it's fine. i think between this and legacy of the daleks, i might like that one SLIGHTLY more? but either way, War gets a 3.5 out of 5 rounded down to a 3.
Good, but not great.
August 18, 2021
Like the three books preceding it, War of the Daleks introduces at least one character who would make a better companion than Sam and teases us with the possibility. It must be hell to edit a line of novels where continuity is a factor, and so I understand that a generic companion like Sam is a necessary evil (though one they eventually do away with). Still, while John Peel gives her moments where she inspires the Doctor (a very NuWho function), she mostly thinks she's stupid and useless, which seems the writer's own indictment (but all the writers have done this to date). The other thing every novel in the line has done is plug continuity as herald of how "legitimate" the Eighth Doctor Adventures are. This is where Peel goes too far, and the reason why there's so much hate around this book. I don't actually share it. One retcon too far, I would say, though some of his connections to past Dalek stories are clever. I personally like the interludes that shows different fronts of the war even if they are part of an attempt to reference every Dalek story in existence (the Mechonoids sequence is particularly fun), and generally, Peel is good at describing big action sequences. The third act is a real page-turner as a result. It's a Dalek book through and through, and they are played as very devious, which I like. Some will say the Doctor's almost surplus to requirements, an observer more than a player in this thing, and they wouldn't be far off. It's a case of wrong place, wrong time, but he still needs to figure stuff out and escape from danger even if he's being railroaded through the adventure. You may not agree with what Peel chooses to reveal, but you can't say it's boring!
January 16, 2025
okay, i didn’t adore this, but i did like it. this is very much a Dalek story about Daleks fighting to see which Dalek is Dalekier. even the Doctor in the end is inconsequential to their shenanigans; the Dalek Prime is kinda like “oh, the Doctor’s here?? uh, okay i guess put him on hold, get him some tea, i’ll talk to him in a bit”. the writing style wasn’t all out bad or anything, but the poor Doctor has metaphorically look the reader in the eye and explain the plots of like 3 separate classic Who stories, which was a kind of lazy way of setting the stage here. it’s cool to see the Daleks being crafty, and i love their infighting, but this took so many turns and had so many “but AHA! it’s not over!!!” moments that i was getting as dizzy as Sam by the end of it. speaking of Sam, congrats on your first Dalek encounter, girl! one thing that i disliked in this story was that, like in ‘the bodysnatchers’, Sam didn’t get to do much. she asked a lot of “what’s that” and “what’s going on”, and she did have at least one important conversation with Ayaka, and consoles the Doctor when he gets upset, but there was no big moment for her. any clever insight she had on the Daleks’ plan was something any character could have noticed, so it didn’t feel like those bits belonged to her. again, Sam herself notices that the side characters get much more to do than she does. okay, she is a teenager from the 80s with no technical skills, fine, she can’t reverse the polarity of the neutron flow. if her role is more of a ‘moral compass’, that’s great, but it wasn’t as well done as it could have been. like, Sam herself got development, internally, but her being there for this adventure didn’t help the other characters or the plot develop, i guess is the feeling i have.
June 15, 2020
I love a good Dalek story. They're a staple to Doctor Who, the quintessential villain. This one might start off a little slow and throw in a couple of side stories (I'm assuming to add length to the novel- you can skip them or enjoy them as you like) but once it gets rolling, it really gets rolling (pun intended?). Davros is back, and even though he can't do much, he's still terrifying. The Dalek Prime is in here as well, and an all out war ensues (as per the title) on Skaro in the last hundred pages or so. The Doctor isn't so much instrumental here as he is just along for the ride, and then eventually does outwit a few laid traps. It's interesting just to see the dynamic between Daleks and then between Davros and the Daleks. A word of warning, you do need to be familiar with The Hand of Omega (used by the 7th Doctor) as it's referenced several times, Davros, Skaro, the Thals (longtime foes of the Daleks and taught to fight by the 1st Doctor) and of course, the Daleks. You can certainly go in to this novel knowing nothing, but the Doctor Who lore is rich in this one, and knowing what you're getting into and what's happening will help you enjoy the novel all the more. I'd recommend this to anyone who's a fan of the Daleks, and classic Who.
February 17, 2020
By far the best Eighth Doctor Adventures book so far! After four previous novels of varying quality, this series has finally produced a story that feels like it has leapt straight from the screen.
It feels like the next chapter in the narrative of Dalek stories that began with 1964's The Daleks and concluded (on screen) with 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks. I hadn't realised before (maybe because of Big Finish's ten-a-penny approach to Dalek stories) how coherent and linear the on-screen Dalek stories are, especially the later Davros-centric ones. This novel ties them all together with a clever reveal, and gives a fitting end to Davros' story (not that I haven't loved his NewWho appearances).
I continue to love the character of Sam, surprisingly consistent character development considering all her stories have been penned by different authors. I look forward to seeing where her character goes.
I genuinely feel perplexed at all the hate this book is getting (mostly aimed at the continuity changes it makes). I loved the fact that this book dared to meaningfully develop Doctor Who's most famous villains. Five stars!
It feels like the next chapter in the narrative of Dalek stories that began with 1964's The Daleks and concluded (on screen) with 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks. I hadn't realised before (maybe because of Big Finish's ten-a-penny approach to Dalek stories) how coherent and linear the on-screen Dalek stories are, especially the later Davros-centric ones. This novel ties them all together with a clever reveal, and gives a fitting end to Davros' story (not that I haven't loved his NewWho appearances).
I continue to love the character of Sam, surprisingly consistent character development considering all her stories have been penned by different authors. I look forward to seeing where her character goes.
I genuinely feel perplexed at all the hate this book is getting (mostly aimed at the continuity changes it makes). I loved the fact that this book dared to meaningfully develop Doctor Who's most famous villains. Five stars!
December 11, 2020
Ugh, this was so boring and bad, and I'm speaking as someone who LOVES Dalek stories and is extremely weak to stuff like "hey, they mentioned Movellans!". Every moment of characterization was paper-thin and beats you over the head unsubtle, and the prose was very basic. It goes in really hard on the character note of Sam having feelings for the Doctor, which is something I prefer to have addressed more subtly, but in this it's like her being jealous over him being nice to a hot Thal lady and that annoyed me. Also, it retcons away the destruction of Skaro that happened in Remembrance of the Daleks... for no reason, since it's not like they did anything with Skaro in the books after this (and even if they had wanted to... just set the story before it blew up, hello, this is a time travel series).
The only thing in this book I actually enjoyed was this really cute little interlude chapter from the perspective of a Mechonoid. Extra star for that.
The only thing in this book I actually enjoyed was this really cute little interlude chapter from the perspective of a Mechonoid. Extra star for that.
September 22, 2018
Nach Genocide, welches mir ja nicht so gut gefallen hat, habe ich mich bei diesem Buch wieder hervorragend unterhalten gefühlt. John Peel weiß wenigstens, wie man ein gutes Buch schreibt. Die Charaktere sind interessant gestaltet und vielschichtig und die Handlung actionreich, spannend und abwechslungsreich. Auch Sam nervte mich nicht mehr so sehr wie in dem Buch davor, auch wenn sie manchmal etwas seltsame Anwandlungen und Vorstellungen hat. Nun gut, sie ist halt ein Teenager. Die dürfen das. ;)
Einziger Kritikpunkt ist, dass durch die Retcons der ganzen Dalek Stories so einigen Logiklöcher entstehen. Darüber konnte ich aber hinwegsehen, weil ansonsten so ziemlich alles stimmte.
Einziger Kritikpunkt ist, dass durch die Retcons der ganzen Dalek Stories so einigen Logiklöcher entstehen. Darüber konnte ich aber hinwegsehen, weil ansonsten so ziemlich alles stimmte.
December 20, 2021
Okay I was going to skip this one because it didn't seem that interesting, but I was a little wrong it was a little boring . Devros and the Dalek Empires battle was just boring. I didn't think it belonged where they put it, it just seemed out of place. Like they stuck and epic battle inbetween the Doctor leaving if they would have broken it up differently would have been a lot better and hold the attention of the reader better. Like I said I found myself powering through this and trying to finish it. I did like learning about what all the different color daleks mean and how they're made so it was pretty good I would never read it again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2020
ターディスが降り立った場所はジャンク船の倉庫。そのジャンク船は戦場跡地からダーレクの船や武器のジャンクを回収していたがその中にダブロスが含まれていた。ダブロスを狙ってサールがジャンク船を占拠。サールがダブロスに自分たちをダーレクのように戦闘に適した形態に改造してもらうことを計画していることを知ったドクターは止めようとするが、サールの捕虜となってしまう。さらにダブロスをねらったダーレク最高司令官が襲ってき、ドクターもサールもダーレクの捕虜となり、スカロに連行されてしまう。ドクターはサムやサールの命と引き換えにダブロスの暗殺を命じられる。
しかし、ダーレク軍の中にはまだダブロスに忠誠をもっているダーレクが存在し、そのダーレクがダブロスを脱出させようとクーデターを起こす。ダーレク同士での戦闘が勃発し、その中でドクターとサム、サールの生き残りは脱出を試みる。
ダブロスを利用してスカロを破壊したつもりだったドクター。しかし、ダーレクの策略に自分もまんまと踊らされていたと知ることに。ドクターが恐れるだけあって強敵すぎるダーレク。ターディスの中にまで侵入され、どうなることやらとはらはらさせられた。
8thドクターのうっかりぶりさんぶりがどんどんと露呈。コンパニオンはドクターの子守り係かーとあらためてなっとく。
しかし、ダーレク軍の中にはまだダブロスに忠誠をもっているダーレクが存在し、そのダーレクがダブロスを脱出させようとクーデターを起こす。ダーレク同士での戦闘が勃発し、その中でドクターとサム、サールの生き残りは脱出を試みる。
ダブロスを利用してスカロを破壊したつもりだったドクター。しかし、ダーレクの策略に自分もまんまと踊らされていたと知ることに。ドクターが恐れるだけあって強敵すぎるダーレク。ターディスの中にまで侵入され、どうなることやらとはらはらさせられた。
8thドクターのうっかりぶりさんぶりがどんどんと露呈。コンパニオンはドクターの子守り係かーとあらためてなっとく。
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2025
A lot of people have chastised this one for being overly fan service, but I loved the book because of it. The Eighth Doctor gets a chance to battle the Daleks as several plot points brought up from the series are tied up nicely. The was a moment about which planet the Doctor actually blew up in Remembrance - which, like a lot of people, I'm not all that keen on - but its not a huge element and its not really brought up again in the other stories so, I'm not really fussed.
October 2, 2025
This book is great on its own and expands on the lore of the Daleks in a very interesting way, I have heard that dalek-fans dislike this and now I know why - it changes the lore of previous stories in a bit of a strange way which I understand not everyone wants to accept, I however embrace it as I embrace the alternate lore and continuity of the novels in general, absolutely worth reading, especially if you're a Dalek fan!
January 18, 2019
Found it hard to push through and finish this one. John Peel seemed to be enjoying himself, going into great detail about all these attractive characters of his. I liked Sam in the previous novels, but she was just kind of bratty in this one. But isn't she supposed to be, like, 15? That's a weird thing for a 36 year old man to be complaining about, right?
It was grand. Genocide was better.
It was grand. Genocide was better.
August 10, 2021
After reading the excellent Vampire Science and Bodysnatchers, and morally intriguing Genocide, War of the Daleks is a backward step.
The title 'War' makes it sound very action packed. However, there's a lot of sitting around talking about Dalek politics, Thal morality, the confusing way Skaro wasn't destroyed, and over reliance on continuity. Overall, there was a general lack of direction.
The title 'War' makes it sound very action packed. However, there's a lot of sitting around talking about Dalek politics, Thal morality, the confusing way Skaro wasn't destroyed, and over reliance on continuity. Overall, there was a general lack of direction.
March 29, 2026
Solid four. I always love some Davros action. Sam was more useful than annoying (save her jealousy starting to show more), and my only hang up were Thal names. Ayaka, I kept reading as Ayeka & picturing the purple haired gal from Tenchi Muyo. Cathbad my brain kept wanting to translate as Catbutt (I own cats). And I don't even know how I should be saying Chayn. Shane? Cane? Cheyenne? No clue.
July 17, 2024
I started reading this novel, trusting in good faith no less that goodread users would deliver on the promise of being an above average work, and for this betrayal I'm giving it less stars than it probably deserves. This website makes me do unhinged things like that.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews