Customer Reviews
Flawed in too many places to make for a truly enjoyable read - By: L. Green, 19 Nov 2008 
Barcode: 9781846074202
Martha In The Mirror isin interesting thing. With its settingin an imposing castlein the middle of space & with the story focusing around a mirror which contains a hidden 'alternate' world within it, this story represents an interesting blend of sci-fi & fantasy.
But this is not where the problems lie, where this book unfortunately falls down isin its overcomplicated nature. For starters, the New Series Adventures are primarily designed for relatively young readers so the prospect of a book which spends great parts of itself delving into intergalactic politics & peace treaties baffles.
This is then counterposed against additional plots of not only a mysterious little girl, but also a murderin the castle. The various strands intertwine throughout but sadly, more of ten than not, it is miss rather than hit with this story. The author catches the nature of the Doctor & Martha well but their voices often become lostin an overly wordy story which also features a large cast of supporting characters.
To be fair, there are good moments here too & when this book does work, it does so very well indeed. The idea of the mirror itself is a fascinating concept as are the 'glass people' it creates (although the title of this book 'Marthain the Mirror' is misleading, Martha's involvement with the mirror is actually quite minimal within the storyline).
Robots Bill & Bott do an admirable job of filling the classic Doctor Who comedy duo role & the book slowly builds to a triumphant conclusion which is suitably epic. It is here we finally recieve the pay-off for sticking with the tangled mysteries of the castle & its inhabitants. So,in conclusion, if you are a regular reader of the New Series Adventures, this book presents an interesting scenario, but ultimately, there are far better novelsin the series than this.
Upon Reflection... - By: Richard Chapman, 07 Apr 2008 "Martha In The Mirror", as a short novel/book (Only 244 pages) makes for a quick read. Which isn't that bad.
Justin Richard's depiction of the Doctor & Martha are spot on & move the plot along at a suitable pace. He really seems to capture the essence of their relationship together & shows this through the comedic banter between them. Clearly utilizing the fact that the reader knows who the Doctor & Martha are & have experienced their adventures before.
The at times 'Bouncy' story plays on some simple themes; The need & fear of War & Peace, the differencesin cultures & the struggle of the young coming to turns with loss. But perhaps bogging down one over the other, as i felt the plight of the young girl Jana was more memorable because of the mystery surrounding her & her heartwarming resolution.
The use of the mirror as a dramatic device, often over-utilizedin Sci-fi/Horror genres, seems to take a back seat to the actions of the supporting characters. Whoin themselves seem under-described & lacking detail compared to other worksin the Doctor Who series. But the mixture of description & narrative seems just right to let the imagination of the reader fillin the blanks. A lot of the important back story is covered when the Doctor finds & reads a diary written by another character, allowing the reader to form a fuller mental picture.
The few moments where the story takes on more confusing twists, is where Richards tries to describe the 'Mirror World". Having to re-read several sections myself, like this, to be sure as to who & whose reflection is doing what, was slightly distracting but really didn't detract from the page turner it turned into.
Allin All, 'Martha In The Mirror' was a wonderful way to spend a long weekend, in-between cups of tea & other distractions.
In my opinion, as I was expecting a story of doppelgangers & ,the albeit cliche, 'Evil twins' (Another Sci-fi classic), This was a pleasant surprise to be pleasantly surprised.
If this was 100 pages longer, by adding more descriptive detail & extending the basic plot of the peace conference, this might not have been such an enjoyable read.
