Doctor Who: The Ruby's Curse by Alex Kingston

Book Review Feb 06, 2024

My review

4/5 stars

I have enjoyed Dr Who for many years, and River Song is an excellent character, but I have never ventured into the Dr Who written word, so I was excited to stumble across this in the library.

What I really enjoyed about this was the way it perfectly captured the River Song character on the page, though I suppose this is only to be expected given that Alex Kingston played the woman herself, so she'll know the character pretty damn well. I felt like I could have very easily watched an episode of Dr Who just like this on TV and not questioned it - in fact, I'd really like to.

I also enjoyed that we got a glimpse at Melody as a character, and what River could have been if she hadn't been kidnapped and raised by The Silence. Melody had all the intelligence and wit of River, but with an added lightness and sense of fun that felt less maniacal. I'd like to spend more time exploring that element of the dual character arc.

The story itself had a brilliant mix of exploring Ancient Egyptian history and what the future might look like. They felt well balanced, and even provided some education (on the history side). I also enjoyed getting a bit more of a glimpse into what Stormcage might look like, as it's only ever shown as a cell in the TV show.

While the mystery of the Eye of Horus had me intrigued for most of the book, I actually found myself losing interest towards the end of the book, as I became more invested in the characters. This is the only reason I've dropped this book down to a 4 star review.

Very enjoyable, and a great companion piece for the TV show. Brilliant work by an author / actor who clearly understands her character very well.

Book blurb

1939, New York. Private Eye, Melody Malone, is hired to find a stolen ruby, the Eye of Horus. The ruby might hold the secret to the location of Cleopatra's tomb - but everyone who comes into contact with it dies. Can Melody escape the ruby's curse?

1939, New York. River Song, author of the Melody Malone Mysteries, is forced to find a reality-altering weapon, the Eye of Horus - but everyone who comes into contact with it dies. River doesn't believe in curses - but is she wrong?

From the top-security confines of Stormcage to the barbarism of first-century Egypt, River battles to find the Eye of Horus before its powers are used to transform the universe. To succeed, she must team up with a most unlikely ally - her own fictional alter ego, Melody. And together they must solve another mystery: Is fiction changing into fact - or is fact changing into fiction?