Doctor Who: Winner Takes All - Jacqueline Rayner

...the third book in the Doctor Who new series adventures, "Winner Takes All" by Jacqueline Rayner. I've heard, around the fandom, that most people aren't very impressed with this book, but I really enjoyed it. So much so that I read it in one sitting.

**Blurb** (from the back of the book)

Rose and the Doctor return to present-day Earth, and become intrigued by the latest craze - the video game, Death to Mantodeans. ...
...alien threat? And can the Doctor play the game to the end - and win?

**Plot** (minor spoilers)

Since the revival of Doctor Who, present-day Earth series seem to be the bane of the Doctor Who fandom. I, on the other hand, love them - especially whilst Rose was around; I found the banter between Jackie Tyler and the Doctor to be great, as well as the dynamic between the Timelord and Rose's ex Mickey Smith.

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Onto the third book in the Doctor Who new series adventures, "Winner Takes All" by Jacqueline Rayner. I've heard, around the fandom, that most people aren't very impressed with this book, but I really enjoyed it. So much so that I read it in one sitting.

**Blurb** (from the back of the book)

Rose and the Doctor return to present-day Earth, and become intrigued by the latest craze - the video game, Death to Mantodeans. Is it as harmless as it seems? And why are so many local people going on holiday and never returning?

Meanwhile, on another world, an alien war is raging. The Quevvils need to find a new means of attacking the ruthless Mantodeans. Searching the galaxy for cunning, warlike and gullible allies, they find the ideal soldiers - on Earth.

Will Rose be able to save her family and friends from the alien threat? And can the Doctor play the game to the end - and win?

**Plot** (minor spoilers)

Since the revival of Doctor Who, present-day Earth series seem to be the bane of the Doctor Who fandom. I, on the other hand, love them - especially whilst Rose was around; I found the banter between Jackie Tyler and the Doctor to be great, as well as the dynamic between the Timelord and Rose's ex Mickey Smith.

So it's back to Earth for this story, when Rose receives a phone call from her Mother saying she's won the lottery. I see this story taking place after the previous novel in the series, perhaps just before "The Empty Child". After the phonecall, they hightail it back to the Powell estate in the TARDIS, hoping to find that Jackie is now a millionaire, but Rose is disappointed to find it isn't the lottery - it's a local competition where you win either a games console or a holiday. After a visit to Mickey's flat, where he's playing on one of the free games console's, it's clear that not is all it seems.

They soon find out that the game is actually real - and when they're playing it they are in fact controlling real people - those who have won holiday's from the giveaway. Mickey, Rose and the Doctor are quite rightly horrified, and so the latter two head down to the shop where the scratchcards are being given out in the hope of finding out more. But the aliens behind the game - the porcupine-like Quevvils - have noted that Mickey's console has reached a very high score and so head to his flat to kidnap him.

On returning to Mickey's flat after getting not very far with the Quevvils at the shop, they find him gone, and so must mount a rescue. The rescue attempt goes moderately well; with Mickey and Rose returning without the Doctor, with instructions to collect up as many of the games consoles as possible. But when Rose finds a note from her Mother saying she's won one of the free holiday's, it all starts going wrong...

The Doctor inevitably escapes, but now he knows exactly what the Quevvils are doing - using the human race as warriors against their enemies the Mantodeans, he knows he has to stop it. Along with Rose, they head out in the TARDIS to the Quevvils home planet, and arrive in the holding bay for humans who are being gathered to 'play the game'.

Of course, it's not as simple as rescuing everyone, and when the Quevvils arrive and tell the Doctor he must play the game to the end, using Rose as his controller...how will they survive?

'Winner Takes All' is a pageturner - it had me gripped from beginning to end, and I think it's a very interesting concept. The emotional aspect is touched upon, as in some parts of the book we get into the PoV of a boy - Robert - who has won one of the free 'holidays'. The ending is great, but unfortunately for the Doctor, he once again cannot grin "everybody lived!", for there were quite a few grisly deaths. Again, this shows that despite claims to the contrary, these novels are not solely for children.

**Characters**

Rayner has got the relationship dynamics between the Doctor, Rose, Mickey and Jackie absolutely spot-on. From the way they all interact with each other, to the banter and the inner musings, everyone acts as we have come to expect from seeing them on screen.

The only other main players in the book are Robert, the boy who has won a holiday; and Darren Pye, the local troublemaker. Robert is a sweet character, and his PoV scenes are introduced by an italicised thought about him having a special life. We see him imagining he's receiving a letter to a wizarding school, that he's the Chosen One and the like. In the end, he ends up helping the Doctor rescue Rose and is really a very endearing character.

Darren Pye on the other hand, is horrible. He attacks Rose at the start, and tries to ally himself with the Quevvils. He meets a grisly end though, when he's taken into the game to fight against the Mantodeans.

The Quevvils are giant porcupines, and though some have names, they're all very much interchangeable. The Mantodean we hear so much about appear very sparsely, which I think works well.

**Book Details**

Pages: 245
Author: Jacqueline Rayner
Price: £5.99 (RRP)

**Overall**

This is a great story with an intriguing and interesting plot. I did think that the Quevvils could have been more menacing - giant blue porcupines aren't exactly your typical monsters. This aside, the adventure that unravels here is full of suspense and twists and turns, and a nail-biting conclusion. I've not yet read all of this series of books, but this is my favourite of the ones I have read. 

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