"Doctor Who: The Jade Pyramid" by Martin Day

"Doctor Who: The Jade Pyramid"
by Martin Day
Read by Matt Smith
Produced by AudioGO Ltd.
approx 1 hour.


What to do with the Doctor Who TV series on hiatus until fall 2012?  Catch up on my Doctor Who audiobooks, that's what.  I've got a lot to get through and I thought since the series is on the 11th Doctor, portrayed by Matt Smith, I'd get through the latest ones first.  It seems that Matt Smith is growing on me as the Doctor, I wasn't quite sure at first, I had really become fond of David Tenant, but change is inevitable, especially with the doctor.  With this audiobook featuring Matt Smith reading, I've grown a little more fond of his portrayal of the Doctor, he is able to continue with the attitudes that only he could have in this role and this reading makes it easy to escape into another episode of Doctor Who.

Another aspect of the audiobook being easy to perceive as another episode is that it is just over one hour of listening time.  Sure Doctor Who can run a multi-episode story arc, but some of the best are simple one show adventures, and that is exactly what this book is.  The audiobook even begins and ends with the iconic them music so you know you are ready for a ride in the TARDIS.

The story begins with the TARDIS receiving a distress call from a Shinto shrine, in medieval Japan on Earth.  The Doctor and Amy Pond arrive in a small village and met by the village elder,  Shijo Sada. He finds the Doctor an intriguing sort, who seems aloof yet full of the knowledge of the ages.  He takes them to a holy site that is guarded by small ogre-like statues called Otoroshi.  The Otoroshi are said to guard the ancient jade pyramid in the heart of the temple.  The temple is so holy that only the monks are allowed in and that the temple has strange healing properties. 

It turns out the Shogun, the ruler of Japan, wants the pyramid and has ordered seven samurai to take possession of the temple.  Amy ventures into the temple and discovers that the guardians can come to life to protect the temple.  The Doctor is attacked by a niinja and the adventure runs from there leading the Doctor deep within the temple to discover the secrets of the Jade Pyramid.

With Samurai, Ninjas, Aliens and the Doctor, this story is full of fun and adventure and is a must hear for any Doctor Who fan, and who knows, maybe able to attract the few that have yet to discover the fun in Doctor Who.

"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies"
by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
read by Katherine Kellgren
produced by Brilliance Audio
Approx. 11 hours


Being a horror fan the title of this book just screamed, "read me," but at the same time I was not looking forward to revisiting one of those classic books that you were forced to read back in the school days whether high school or college. I am really glad I did. This book is beyond any horror entertainment, it contains some great tongue-in-cheek humor. Really though, the best part of the book is that Seth Grahame-Smith stayed true to the Jane Austen writing while throwing in zombies, ninjas and Xiaolin monks (remember David Carradine & "Kung Fu"?).

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." That's how this book begins and right off you can tell this is not Jane Austen's novel, but I will say that for the first couple of chapters I began to wonder. It seemed like all Seth did was throw in a few references to zombies and the strange plague, but once the ball in which Mr. Bingley is to be introduced to the Bennet sisters begins and the zombies break in to attack the living, the Bennet sisters and their father form the pentagram of death stance and begin their Xiaolin warrior tactics to lop of the heads of the zombies. From this point on the reader/listener is unleashed into what may be the first zombie/romance novel.

For those of you that have read the Jane Austen novel and appreciate the great literary work, don't worry you won't be let down. In fact I think those that have read and appreciate the original may enjoy this retelling even more, and may find yourself laughing at the fun that is this novel. For those of you ought for a zombie massacre adventure, be careful you are going to be getting some classic literature thrown at you.

Without going through the entire synopsis of this story, I think I'll just point out some of the main features that makes this something worth picking up.

It is true that Mrs. Bennet is out to get her daughters married off, but Mr. Bennet feels that the girls' training in the "deadly arts" is needed to protect their home from the "unmentionables" (zombies). Elizabeth Bennet comes to despise Mr. Darcy due to prejudices she has developed against him from her observations. When he proposes marriage to Elizabeth they draw their Katanas (swords) and begin a martial arts showdown that leaves Mr. Darcy slightly wounded.

Lady Catherine, while entertaining Elizabeth in her home, wants to show off her ninja bodyguards and allows Elizabeth, with her lowly Kung Fu training, to spar against 4 of her ninjas. Elizabeth proceeds to kill all four ninjas, and does so while blindfolded. Later when Lady Catherine says she will not allow Elizabeth to marry her brother Darcy, the two match fighting prowess to the death for the honor. Elizabeth wins but as her punishment leaves Lady Catherine alive so she can witness the marriage of the two.

Oh yeah and zombies are in this book also. All in all this book is just one great mashup that is fun to read.