The Witch Hunters : A First Doctor Novel (Dr. Who Series) | 
 enlarge | Author: Steve Lyons
Publisher: BBC Books
Category: Book
Buy New: $29.99
New (5) Used (10) from $18.00
Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 1008836
Media: Paperback
Pages: 288
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.8 x 0.8
ISBN: 0563405791
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780563405795
ASIN: 0563405791
Publication Date: April 1998
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Condition: 1998 ~ BBC ~ 0563405791 ~ INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS, this item ships by USPS Air Mail/Global Priority Mail.
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Product Description
The original Doctor Who (from the 1960s) attempts repairs to the Tardis. Unfortunately, he chooses Salem, Massachusetts at the time of the witch hunts, as the place to do the job. The result is that he and his crew are thrown into danger by Susan's latent telepathic powers.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 Terrifying! August 30, 2008
Andreas Bell
This story is more chilling than the classic series ever managed to be. The monsters here are humans. Much like the recent episode "Midnight" our protagonists here are face reactions spawned from hyteria. I couldn't wait for the TARDIS crew to escape! The Witch Hunters is a well rounded thrill ride. Highly recommened!
Not Even a Timelord can Stand Against History May 14, 2008
D. Cassell (PA)
Barbara tried in The Aztecs, the rest of the crew tries in this novel. However try as they might, history just can't be altered. Or can it?
The TARDIS lands in the woods next to a peaceful village. The Doctor decides its time to make a few repairs to the TARDIS. However to their surprise, they landed in Salam. After bonding with the community, they decided it was better to leave before the hysteria starts. But Susan just can't let go... she must try to help her friends. Its a lesson she must learn for herself.
What makes this novel so great is not only the complexity of the characters, but the reality of the story. There are many great lessons to be learned, not only from our own history, but also ones we can carry on into the future, regarding the future. Overall, a very well done novel by Steve Lyons & the ending made all the more. There was no "happy ever-after" ending, & certainly no solace for those for those who dared to fight against the sands of time. But in the end, even the Doctor finds some peace... peace in doing what he could, & what was right... though in the end, he is still on his own. The curse of the Timelord.
Five stars for this one. Simply the best I've read so far.
What manner of sorcery is your magic disappearing box? February 24, 2008
Michael Battaglia
The historical tales probably suited the First Doctor the best of all, at least on television, as back then the series wasn't really as "science-fiction" so much about a bunch of people that travelled in time and got dumped in random places, with wacky adventures ensuing. As the series became more defined as SF, the historicals dropped away, only returning when they could be coupled with some SF concept, aliens or whatnot. And whether that's true or not, it can be said that the better historical stories have come by using Hartnell's Doctor as the lead. Virgin's "The Plotters" was an entertaining romp, but this one is something else entirely, a sometimes unsettling descent into is just as alien as the one with the big-headed telepathic people, and maybe even more so. The original TARDIS crew (Ian, Barbara, and Susan) wind up in Salem and decide to spend a bit of time there while the Doctor repairs the ship yet again. However, as soon as they realize that people are preparing the hanging trees, they high-tail it out. This doesn't set well with Susan, who has made some friends and doesn't want to see the witch-trial horrors come down. So she activates the Fast-Return Switch, drags them back. And all heck breaks loose. What makes this novel work is how eveything just keeps spiralling out of control and all anybody does is just makes things worse. Susan's latent psychic powers are causing everyone's underlying paranoia to feedback and grow, Ian and Barbara have no idea how to act in a world where witches are considered real and everywhere, and the Doctor just wants to not break history. Lyons does an excellent job detailing Puritan life and giving us a sense that while the people were superstitious and a tad narrow-minded, it wasn't all their fault and that once the finger-pointing started, it got a momentum of its own. You went along because you didn't want to look out of place, because people who were out of place were clearly witches. The crew gets puts through the emotional wringer and even the Doctor doesn't escape unscathed, although he does well for himself (the scene where he scatters the mob gathering at the inn is pure Hartnell). Even Susan, who is most episodes was a whimpering child, becomes the emotional focal point and does carry the day. Even if she does fall and bust her ankle, for old time's sake. One of the more intense Who novels, and brutal for it, capturing the horror of the witch-trials without shying away from the fact that while it wasn't the fault of one person, it was the fault of everyone and it needed everyone to agree to stop it. And that didn't happen.
 A very good read that stays within tv character lines. November 29, 2005
david lykens (port matilda, pa USA)
This book was very good, but not excellent. There were times I felt the book was going around in circles aimlessly. At times, it seemed to go along at a very good pace, which made the read go quickly. I thought each character, and the Doctor in particular were outlined very close to the tv series. His manerisms and speech were like what I had seen of the tv series. The history period seemed very close to what history has written for us, with the 4 main characters just thrown in for the ride, trying to change history, but realizing that perhaps they cannot change history, except ever so slightly, and one small person at a time....I liked this book a lot, it got drug down at times by the silliness of the entire excursion, which is why I only gave it 4 stars.
Very glad I found it! November 5, 2001
Matt Ivy (Colorado, USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I was interested in some new 1st Doctor material, and in honor of Halloween, I started to read "The Witch Hunters." This is a wonderful book! The 1st Doctor, Barbara, Ian, and Susan land in Salem just before the witch trials, and of course, the four travellers get involved -- circumstantially as well as emotionally. In fact, the travelers involvement extend much more than just a casual participation in history. The high emotion of Salem village reaches the TARDIS crew in one form or another. But, to say anymore would be too much. Suffice it to say, this book pushes the time travelers emotions and skills at getting out of perilous situations to its full limit. We see all four characters, including the Doctor, with more raw, deeper, and exposed emotion. The fact that the weight of history is against them, makes this adventure all the more frightening, wondering if the travelers will escape. My only complaint about the book is the convenient use of the TARDIS Fast Return Switch. (...)The ending alone is worth it.
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