Written by Justin Richards
Illustrated by David Wardle
As part of an amazing Doctor Who-themed raffle basket I won recently, I acquired this amazing boxed set of “Time Lord Fairy Tales.” These sixteen short stories are told in the fashion of the fairy tales they are based on, but just like the television show they are blended with, some of these stories are definitely not for children! (Don’t let the delightful wood-cut style illustrations fool you.)
Each of these stories definitely feel like part of the Doctor Who multiverse, with a blend of fantasy and science-fiction depending on the appropriateness of the source material. I was surprised that not every story featured the Doctor, but in time I came to appreciate that fact. I also appreciated that when they did show up, sometimes the Doctor saved the day and sometimes they let the heroes save themselves.
For reference:
- “The Grief Collector” features Ten
- “The Scruffy Piper” features Two
- “Little Rose Riding Hood” features Nine (with a blatant yet lovely homage to companion Rose Tyler)
- “Cinderella and the Magic Box” features Eleven
- “Helana and the Beast” features Twelve
My absolute favorite of the bunch was “The Garden of Statues.” All of the stories were fun and enjoyable, but this was the only tale to evoke a true sense of poignancy. It was also the only story to deal directly with time travel, so I might be biased in that regard.
This collection, whether the original hardback edition or the slipcover set I have, is the perfect gift for any Whovian in your life.
Rating: 4 (out of 5) stars. Cross-posted to Amazon and Goodreads.
One thought on “Review: Doctor Who: Time Lord Fairy Tales”