Subject:      The Shadow of Weng-Chiang:  Review by the Happy Guy
From:         gaffney@iconn.net (Sean Gaffney)
Date:         1996/08/03
Message-Id:   <4tvppi$aca@news.iconn.net>
Organization: i-Conn
Newsgroups:   rec.arts.drwho

Rather early...here's the review for Weng-Chiang...

SPOILERS!

Well, I have not exactly been a fan of David McIntee's work, but this
book is certainly a turnaround on all points.  Certainly up there with Dan
O'Mahony in the controversial MA range  I was really amazed.

Plot:  As complex and gripping as you'd expect.  Greel's plan in particular
was intriguing, and I was amused that it was Jago who figured it out before
the Doctor, though with his theatre background, it's expected.

The Doctor:  Rather more Hinchcliffeian than I thought, with several
dark moments.  His decision to abandon Romana is extremely moving,
and their reunion manages to foreshadow the Lalla relationship.

Romana:  Mary Tamm fans relax:  the sex scene is very tastefully handled.
Really gets put through the wringer, and the death of her lover is somewhat
reminiscent of Ace.  A far cry from the "Ice Queen".

K9:  Especially intriguing.  I don't know whether, considering the events in
The Armageddon Factor, putting K9 under Greel's control was such a
good idea.  But it's well-handled, and we even get a bit of K9 guilt (or as
much as a robot dog has) after he shoots the Doctor.

Others:  Jago is just as big, if not bigger, than life.  Litefoot's death scene
in particular was extremely touching.

Style:  Remarkably fluid.  The adjectives make sense here, as you would
expect, and David's description of the 50th Century under Greel is really
first rate.  Hell, this puts a whole new twist on The Sunmakers, doesn't it?

Overall:  Exceptional.  I don't think we'll get novels like this after May 97.

--Sean Gaffney
--'You git!  I thought you were dead!  Git git git!" - Benny, No Future













All right, I haven't even started it yet.  I just felt like doing this.

Heh.