Doctor Who: The Star Beast by Gary Russell

*spoiler-free*

The Star Beast is a Doctor Who story, one of three specials, whereby the Doctor lands on Earth and finds a stranded alien in need of protection. This leads him down a path of finding his old companion, Donna, who he had to leave years ago because if she ever remembered the Doctor or their time together, she would die.

I’m a big fan of the TV show and the three specials with David Tennant and Catherine Tate returning as their characters as the Doctor and Donna Noble, and so reading the story in book format was really interesting. I liked the introduction of Rose as Donna’s daughter and seeing how protective Donna is of her daughter and family. It was great seeing Donna’s family again, as they’re all funny characters.

There was a good sense of adventure with this book, and it replicated what we saw on our TV screens well. The story was nearly identical to the show and matched the pace of the episode well. This book was easy to read, and it was nice to consume this story in a different format.

I only knocked a star off my rating as there are some moments from the story I don’t love, and wish the script wasn’t as on the nose as it was with some aspects. But I am looking forward to reading the other two specials with David Tennant and Catherine Tate. They resumed their characters perfectly and made the stories comedic and enjoyable.

4/5 stars