Customer Reviews
Upon Reflection... - By: Richard Chapman, 07 Apr 2008 
"Martha In The Mirror", as a short novel/book (Only 244 pages) makes for a quick read. Which isn't that bad.
Justin Richard's depiction of the Doctor & Martha are spot on & move the plot along at a suitable pace. He reallly seems to capture the essence of their relationship together & shows this through the comedic banter between them. Clearly utilizing the fact that the reader knows who the Doctor & Martha are & have experienced their adventures before.
The at times 'Bouncy' story plays on some simple themes; The need & fear of War & Peace, the differences in cultures & the struggle of the young coming to turns with loss. But perhaps bogging down one over the other, as i felt the plight of the young girl Jana was more memorable because of the mystery surrounding her & her heartwarming resolution.
The use of the mirror as a dramatic device, often over-utilized in Sci-fi/Horror genres, seems to take a back seat to the actions of the supporting characters. Who in themselves seem under-described & lacking detail compared to other works in the Doctor Who series. But the mixture of description & narrative seems just right to let the imagination of the reader fill in the blanks. A lot of the important back story is covered when the Doctor finds & reads a diary written by another character, alllowing the reader to form a fuller mental picture.
The few moments where the story takes on more confusing twists, is where Richards tries to describe the 'Mirror World". Having to re-read several sections myself, like this, to be sure as to who & whose reflection is doing what, was slightly distracting but reallly didn't detract from the page turner it turned into.
All in All, 'Martha In The Mirror' was a wonderful way to spend a long weekend, in-between cups of tea & other distractions.
In my opinion, as I was expecting a story of doppelgangers & ,the albeit cliche, 'Evil twins' (Another Sci-fi classic), This was a pleasant surprise to be pleasantly surprised.
If this was 100 pages longer, by adding more descriptive detail & extending the basic plot of the peace conference, this might not have been such an enjoyable read.
