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TARDIS Guide

Review of Tomb of Valdemar by Five_Hundredth_Drax

5 June 2025

I went in completely blind, and oh boy, I'm glad I did!

It's such a fun book!

Really captures the feel of the Fourth Doctor era, but manages to mix it perfectly with Lovecraftian mythos of the Great Old Ones. This is my first exposure to "Doctor Who meets Cosmis Horror", and here it is done PERFECTLY!
First it's introduced as something to be sceptical about, then you begin to doubt that it's real, but in the end you are more than sure that it's real, but some very interesting questions still remain unanswered, yet it doesn't feel unfair. It keeps the mystery and makes it way more intriguing.

There are two antagonists here, and I love how both of them are imposing yet imperfect. One of them - a self-proclaimed sorcerer Paul Neville, who is very easily irritated, or a "magic hunter" Robert Hopkins, who is tuff, but clumsy, and thus often ends up being laughed at by his own crew.

This book also discusses the topics of the passage of time, which stories are true, or what is the point of life.

"Tomb of Valdemar" was a very unexpected surprise for me, and I even dare to say it's a hidden gem.
Thought-provoking and intriguing book that does kinda drag a little bit in the middle, but after that it grabs you by the throat and never lets you go. Perfect for diving into the cosmis horror of Doctor Who.


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