It’s been a month since the finale of the seventh season of Doctor Who. Having withdrawals? Did you know there are Doctor Who books?

Last year, while browsing my local library, I discovered a few Doctor Who books, featuring Eleven, Amy, and Rory, and it was like I had discovered a whole new season. I had always been skeptical of books based on TV shows or movies, but I was happily proven wrong after the first few pages. In my opinion, they were just as good as the episodes, except the books weren’t limited by a budget. The show is very limited by its budget and what is actually possible to show on screen. The books don’t have this limitation, and they use it to their advantage.

Today I’d like to focus on one of the three new books released in April, Shroud of Sorrow. Of the three, this is the only book to feature Clara as the companion. The other two books have one-off companions. I started with this book because the cover made it seem like the Doctor would be investigating the Kennedy assassination, and I thought that was a fascinating idea. However, the novel takes place the day after. That doesn’t make it any less of a good read. The Doctor and Clara, along with an FBI agent and a journalist for the Dallas Morning News, fight off an invasion of monsters who feed on sorrow. Their journey takes them to another planet, previously ravaged by the Shroud, to try to find a cure and save Earth before time runs out.

For die-hard fans of the series, the story is only half the fun. What makes this book really special are the throwbacks to previous episodes. Many people may recognize the date, November 26, 1969, as the day Doctor Who premiered. What I completely missed, until I did some research on the book, was the reference to Totter’s Lane in the first sentence. Totter’s Lane is the location of the junkyard where we are introduced to the First Doctor. I won’t spoil any of the other throwbacks for you, because half the fun is discovering them for yourself, but I will say that the climax of the novel comes with a nine-page flashback to moments from all 11 incarnations!

What I found almost as interesting as the throwbacks was the fact that this book, being Clara’s first novelized adventure, contained many of the same themes as did her televised episodes. Just on the second page the Rose & Crown is mentioned, a full 77 years after Victorian Clara worked there. The color red is mentioned, almost quick enough to miss. Two other themes I’ve noticed in Clara’s episodes are cold and music, both of which are present in Shroud of Sorrow.

All in all, I believe Shroud of Sorrow to be a quick, enjoyable summer read. Great for any fan level. It only took me two days to finish, but it’s a nice substitute for a Saturday night episode while we’re waiting for the 50th.