Doctor Who: Twelve angels weeping: Twelve stories of the villains from Doctor Who by Dave Rudden

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Ill. by Alexis Snell. BBC Children's Books, 2018. ISBN 9781405938273
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Themes: Science fiction. Doctor Who. Time travel. Monsters. Aliens. Robots. Villains. Life on other planets. Twelve short stories featuring the villains from the Doctor Who series will enthral any fan of Doctor Who and probably encourage many who haven't seen all the series to go back and find them. The author Dave Rudden must have an immense knowledge of and love for the series to be able to write convincingly of all the monsters and villains that are described in this set of stories. As a fan of the series I was reminded of many episodes that I had seen and some that I had missed.
The introduction reminds the reader that 'Everywhere in the universe, on every planet that has existed or will exist, there is a winter...' and that 'stories are a light in themselves' and then goes on to explain the light that is carried in these stories. All were very readable and will be particularly enjoyable for Doctor Who fans, but some stood out for me. One was 'Student bodies', where a young PHD student, Donovan Claire, tries to record what is happening to her as her memories are stolen by something strange and alien. The reader also finds out about River Song's youthful exploits at the university. In 'Judoon the rhino of twenty-three Strand Street', 10 year old Patricia meets an alien rhino and learns that she needn't restrict herself to the narrow pathways that Mother Superior and her father expect of her. Of course a volume about Doctor Who would be incomplete without a story featuring Daleks, and the reader will be mesmerised by 'Daleks, the third wise man', and the doctor as the Renegade.
Each of the stories has a full page black and white drawing by Alexis Snell and each one vividly illustrates the villain in the following story - some may give you nightmares!
A must for any Doctor Who fan, this group of short stories will be welcomed in a library or as a gift.
Pat Pledger