Whenever people ask me where to start with the EDAs, THIS is the book I point them to. Blum and Orman are an absolute powerhouse-- their writing is brilliant and their characterization of Eight is not only incredible, but it also seems to be the basis for Eight's characterization in all other extended universe works featuring him. They did incredible work in taking a character that, before this, had only appeared in a 90 minute movie and one lackluster novel, and made him a fully fleshed out person. Sam is also great in this, and I do maintain that Orman and Blum write her The Best out of any EDA authors I've read so far. Definitely give this one a shot if you want to dip your toes into the world of Dr Who novels. You won't be let down.