http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1210391...

This was the first book published to feature Jack Harkness as a character. It foreshadows Torchwood, no doubt unintentionally, with Team Tardis resolving abandoned alien tech and local human factionalism in an Arctic port in contemporary Russia. Richards has caught Ecclestone's portrayal of the Ninth Doctor very well, and builds up a decent sense of terror driven by blue glowing aliens with life-6orce-sucking tentacles. We fanboys would have liked some nods to the similar Who adventures of the past - thinking especially of The Stones of Blood and The Curse of Fenric - and the Jack and Rose characterisations were less firm than the Doctor's. But basically it is a good effort. ( )

Excellent story. The climax begins halfway into this one and doesn't let up, a real page-turner. The Doctor's resolutions were satisfying, although (extremely vague spoiler alert) I was disappointed that an obvious remedy for the girl (Rose witnessed its use) never occurred to anyone. The title was worked into the text awkwardly enough that I immediately assumed it had come before the story (nice to see that confirmed in the author's acknowledgements). ( )

A bit disappointing but not a bad story. Unfortunately it features the incredibly annoying Captain Jack Harkness, although his character was quite low-key and not as objectionably arrogant as usual. ( )