Doctor Who: Eternity Weeps
By Jim Mortimore / Virgin /January 1997

If there’s one thing I’ve come to expect from Jim Mortimore, it’s a high body count. This book is violent. But overall, it’s a pretty good NA, save for a few complaints.

The first complaint is the almost complete absence of the Doctor throughout the novel. When I pick up a NA (at least until BBC Books took over), I expect to read about the Doctor. Not only are his appearances few and far between, I wouldn’t call them ‘quality moments’.

What particularly bothered me was the death of a character, which should have provoked some reaction from the Doctor and didn’t. The book also moved a little too quickly, and is hard to follow in some parts.

But although the Doctor was difficult to find in Eternity Weeps, Bernice is used well. In fact, the first-person narrative alternates between her and husband Jason Kane, something Mortimore handles rather well. There were some aspects of their relationship which I found a little implausible. Their arguments and foul moods seem somewhat contrived throughout the story.

In the end, however, I would say Eternity Weeps is definitely worth reading, especially if you’re a Benny fan.