This was the first VNA I've read (actually, the first Classic Who novel I've read). There are parts of it that I like; a lot of the dialogue is great. But I felt that the Doctor and especially Ace were too mean. I don't know if that was how the characterization evolved over the previous VNAs, but it was jarring and unpleasant. The first half, in London, worked better for me than the second, in India and on Ry'leh. There is maybe a little too much going on with the plot, but the pacing is snappy.