Ok so I’ve lowkey been putting off writing this review because I didn’t know what to say… but here it goes.

I feel very neutral about this book. I don’t dislike it, and I really enjoyed parts of it (like Rose and the Doctor bluffing their way back together by pretending Rose was an astrophysicist or something like that; the Slitheen being sort of anti-heroes rather than outright baddies; the Doctor’s interactions with the other aliens at the prison). But I found myself a bit bored for a lot of it, especially the bits that were like a prison documentary.

I think the idea of the Justicia system is super interesting, as well as the critiques it was setting out… but then there were villains that were Slitheen-lite pretty much running the place so that sort of took a back burner. Of course, some might say Doctor Who needs a monster, but I think a novel is a perfect place to explore societal issues through a sci-fi lens… which is what sci-fi really is. I think Doctor Who does it a lot, and with the extended length (this definitely felt like a Classic serial just like The Clockwise Man) it was definitely feasible. All of the elements were already there. It just felt like the book was playing a little bit of a tug-of-war with itself, straddling between monster/capitalism story and critique of the prison system. The Blathereen are also just Slitheen reskinned (pun not intended) and I’d encountered them in the SJA episode they were in, so I was rather surprised to see them here, and so different. Obviously a retcon happened.

I liked having the Slitheen here, I was very surprised to see them, and then remembered the title was The Monsters Inside and said ah. So. I liked that it was sort of a fakeout with them, and they ended up not being the bad guys. Of course, they effectively were under another name, which is part of why this one falls flat.

The Doctor and Rose being separated was interesting for a bit, but it limited their interactions and broke the story in two, which made it feel even less cohesive. One of the strengths of Series One, in my opinion, is the Doctor and Rose’s friendship, and I sorely missed that in this story.

Overall just an okay story, mostly because some things didn’t take a turn I was expecting, or thought would’ve worked better a different way. 3/5 stars.

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time! 

"The Monsters Inside: More Slitheen Shenanigans, But Still Missing a Spark"

An ambitious prison planet, fleshed-out Slitheen, and solid action can't quite save this from a lack of narrative focus.

The second New Series Adventures novel, The Monsters Inside, starts off slowly but gains momentum around the halfway point. Penned by Stephen Cole, the story sets up the intriguing Justicia prison planetary system as its backdrop, providing a refreshing and layered setting. However, the plot struggles to find its footing, leaving the early chapters feeling somewhat aimless.

One of the more engaging aspects of the novel is the separation of the Ninth Doctor and Rose, each navigating their own paths in the sprawling prison complex. Rose's storyline, in particular, stands out as the stronger of the two, offering moments of suspense and agency. Both characters are written with more authenticity compared to The Clockwise Man, yet they still fall short of capturing the nuances of Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper's on-screen portrayals.

The Slitheen serve as the central antagonists, joined by their relatives, the Blathereen, adding layers to their familial conflict. While the Slitheen were often divisive in their TV appearances, they are used more effectively here, with richer characterisation that expands on their motivations and dynamics. The ongoing tensions between the two Raxacoricofallapatorian clans provide a much-needed narrative backbone, though the abundance of scheming sometimes feels excessive.

Despite its promising premise, the story lacks cohesion. The first half teases potential but feels padded with underutilised characters and dialogue that meanders without purpose. The latter half introduces more action and clarity, yet it sacrifices the atmospheric depth of the setting, turning into a faster-paced but less immersive read.

Supporting characters are serviceable but unremarkable, failing to leave a lasting impression. The semi-cliffhanger ending feels unsatisfying, suggesting a possible sequel but offering little immediate resolution.

📝Verdict: 5/10

The Monsters Inside delivers an engaging setting, some solid action, and a deeper dive into the Slitheen, but its scattered plot and uneven pacing prevent it from fully realising its potential. While it fares better than its predecessor, it still falls short of truly capturing the essence of Nu-Who.

The Monsters Inside - 7/10

The Doctor stared at Ermenshrew. ‘But why? Why d’you need such a big hole?’ ‘You’ll find out for yourself soon enough.’ Her dark eyes glittered.

The Monsters inside is a good doctor who romp. Nothing deep going on here but The Doctor and Rose are well characterised with a good memorable side cast.

Positives

Strong characterisations: For how early in the range this was, it gets rose and the doctor spot on. Rose especially gets a lot here that i could see happening on TV, becoming a legend among the prisoners and being able to control them when the doctor couldn't was a highlight.

A secret sequel: Getting to be a sequel for the current series at the time of publication is actually quite a big deal if you ask me, and I love the Slitheen so I am happy to get more of them. Unfortunately this reveal was something I already knew going in.

Negatives

Conclusions:  A lot of the end relies on technobabble about gravity and quite frankly it just wasn't very interesting.

Not much depth: I imagine this will be on the negatives for many NSAs but i just can't score it that high because it isn't TRYING to be anything amazing. It just wants to be some fun extra doctor who, which I think it does achieve, but should these books aim for a bit more than that?

Odd comments: At the end of the book, flowers picks several male personal assistants for herself because she thinks they're hot. This is obviously meant to be a joke, but it does not land well imo.

This book is perfectly fine. It does what it sets out to do in a competent Manner. I do love the Use of the Slitheen, I still think it’s a crime that they don’t use them all that much anymore in Doctor Who (even in the EU!), not too big on their farting, but they are genuinely a great Monster. The Tidbits with them was easily the Highlight here for me.
Rose and Nine feel still a bit off, but much more consistent with the Revival. Cole’s writing is pretty solid here and helps it to get through it quicker, sadly I just don’t feel all that impressed with it.
It’s a fine read, but not a Book I can see myself go back to it.

3/5

Quite a grim and interesting plotline in this book that’s gripping at times, due to the horror involved in several scenes (especially for what you might think for the new series). However I feel like this book carries some level of juvenile misogyny to it, which is mildly off putting at points (although this isn’t uncommon among sci-fi books in general and more specifically, I have experienced this feeling with other Doctor Who books, even a few others in the new series adventures).

Re-read this for the first time in a decade, pleasantly surprised. Particularly vivid characters, which is something I care a lot about in stories. Fast-paced and a lot of fun, with some great slightly darker moments that made me gasp. Enjoyed it.