Salt of the Earth

The Third Doctor and Jo Grant head off to 2028 Australia for a vacation blokarting on a salt lake. But there's something wrong there. There are strangely realistic statues and local legends about bad salt. They soon discover those statues are--or at least were--people, and they set out to find out who or what is changing and killing them. I liked the outcome of this a great deal, it felt absolutely right for vintage Doctor Who.

(Provided by publisher) ( )

Good story. I've only seen a few episodes with the Third Doctor but Trudi Canavan gave a good representation of him here. He's very different from the 9th-12th Doctor. The story felt a bit rushed in the end and I think the explanation could have been drawn out a little bit more. But overall, an enjoyable story. ( )

Antipodean Salt

When the Third Doctor takes Jo 'BloKarting' in the Australian outback, they are startled to find grotesque statues made of salt, depicting figures and animals in various scenes of distress. But in this future desert is everything what it seems?

By far the shortest (so far) of the Time Trips, Trudi Canavan has nevertheless managed to provide a real flavour of two of what are clearly her favourite subjects: her home country and the Third Doctor. And like a good rum and raisin ice cream, these disparate flavours have blended together surprisingly well. Anyone expecting an epic fantasy akin to Canavan's other works is likely to be disappointed, but someone looking for a good yarn will be in for a treat.

The story has been kept simple, necessary to provide a good adventure in so few pages, while the small cast has been sketched in nicely and time given to develop these a little where appropriate. Getting the dog's viewpoint on occasion is a nice touch that adds to the mix.

To say too much more would spoil the plot, so I'll simply say I found Salt of the Earth to be short, straightforward and good fun; an entertaining evening's read. Worth the relatively low asking price. I hope Canavan will find the time to write a longer Doctor Who, I think she could do it rather well. ( )

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2269542.html

Considering how much Doctor Who owes to Australia, it's amazing how few Who stories are actually set there. In this latest of the series of short ebooks by well-known authors, Trudi Canavan takes the Third Doctor and Jo to a corner of the continent where people are slowly turning to salt. It's a story which is basically about that single image, but it is very well told, and I felt I could hear the accents in my head as I read. ( )