Publisher spotlight: HOT KEY BOOKS

In the past two months I was put on Hot Key Books blogger list, which I was extremely excited about as I love the books that they publish and I also really appreciate the fact that they give small bloggers like myself a chance to review their books pre-publication, which is something that hardly any other large publishing companies would even consider.

In the next few months I will be posting reviews of the books that I have been sent (I currently have a back log of book reviews waiting to go up, hence the wait.) So as a little show of appreciation before I am able to post a blog with the reviews that each book deserve, I thought I would highlight some of the books that they have recently published along with their descriptions.

 

Check out Hot Key Books website here to look at the whole selection of their books.

IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME by NICOLA DOHERTY

If I Could Turn Back Time
by Nicola Doherty
Published: 1st January
Publisher: Headline Review
Genre: Adult, contemporary

"What if you found The One, then lost him again? 
Or not so much lost him as became the neurotic, needy girlfriend from hell. The girl who tried to make him choose between her and his job, and got seriously paranoid about his relationship with his best female friend...Zoe knows she doesn't deserve another chance with David. But if there's the tiniest possibility of making things right, she'll snatch it. Even if it means breaking the laws of physics to do so..." -taken from Goodreads.

I knew this was something that I would most probably not enjoy about this book because its not really my cup of tea.

The plot was predictable and Zoe was one of the most irritating females I have ever read about. She was the most feeble woman ever and her internal struggle over David and Max is pathetic. Honestly I know this is supposed to be light reading, but COME ON all I wanted to do was slap the girl. She kept referring back to 'The Rules' and used all of the clichèd rules about what to do when dating, it was like she couldn't think for herself and just needed to please David, when it was obvious from the reader's perspective that she was clearly not being herself and I just found myself thinking what's the point?

I thought it was pretty obvious about who she was going to end up with because in these types of books its obvious that she will end up with at least one of the men. I originally requested this book because the prospect of the time travel was intriguing, I thought that it would be very much like Step Back in Time by  Ali McNamara, which I very much enjoyed because although being predictable the time travel and different time zones added something different. It wasn't though and I was pretty happy to be finished. The ending was such a cop out and just made the entirety of the book pointless.

Although I will say that whilst I wasn't a massive fan of this book that's not to say I didn't enjoy reading because I did, it was light and fluffy but the plot was just lacking. People who enjoy this type of book would love it though.

2.5/5 STARS

*I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review*

HALF BAD by SALLY GREEN

Half Bad
by Sally Green
Pulished: 1st March 2014
Publisher: Penguin
Genre: Fantasy, YA
"Half Bad by Sally Green is a breathtaking debut novel about one boy's struggle for survival in a hidden society of witches.
You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch.
You get sick if you stay indoors after dark.
You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one.
You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen.
All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys. And do that before your seventeenth birthday.
Easy." - from Goodreads

Now, YA fantasy books are absolutely my favourite genre and so I was very excited when this book was released and was being compared to Harry Potter, which is my ultimate favourite series. So I obviously brought it on release day and was even lucky enough to find the last signed copy at my Waterstones. Although, due to my massive TBR pile I have left it until now to read this book, I honestly wish I hadn't bothered. 

This is the first book this year that I haven't finished, that's not to say I won't go back and finish it but only because I hate not finishing a book, especially when I have paid full price for a hardcover, but I certainly wont be going back to reading it because of the story. 

Nathan, the main protagonist, is constantly abused and belittled all because he is 'half white witch and half black witch', there is no explanation as to why everyone hates the black witches so much and no explanation as to why Nathan is literally kept in a cage. It was monotonous and boring and incredibly slow paced throughout and especially at the beginning the sentence structure was incredibly strange. I assume Green was trying to create suspense and drama by using short, clipped sentences but instead it failed and completely ruined the flow of the book. 

This is without a doubt the most disappointing book I have read so far and am incredibly annoyed I paid full price for it. Although in the interest of being fair I will not give this a star rating because I couldn't make it to the end. 

SPLINTERED by A G HOWARD

Splintered
by A G Howard
Published: January 1st 2013
Publisher: Abrams
Genre: YA, Fantasy

"Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family.
She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own." -From Goodreads

I feel as though if I had had enough time to really sit down and read this book within 1-3 sittings, I would have loved it. However, as it happens that wasn't possible and it took me a little over a week to read. That doesn't mean to say that I didn't enjoy this book, because I certainly did and am looking forward to reading the sequel, when I have enough time to read it in a 1-3 sittings. 

This is basically a dark retelling of Alice in Wonderland, it is far more mysterious, dark and twisted take on the tale and I really, really enjoyed it. Although at times I did find Alyssa slightly annoying I think that was part of her charm, but Jeb, well Jeb just downright irritated me. I have no real reason to dislike him other than the fact that he constantly tried to baby Alyssa and he always thought of her as a maiden in distress, when in reality he was more often than not the character in need of rescue. 

There were times in the book when I thought things were just too easy, they seemed to escape with little trouble and all of the main 'tasks' were over within a short chapter (sometimes two) and I just felt as if there needed to be more explanation and more world building. The book certainly relies on the reader's knowledge of the original Alice in Wonderland novel as a foundation of what is happening.

All things considered, I thought this was a very good book and I enjoyed it a lot, had I had more time I probably would have loved it.

4/5 STARS

DOLL BONES by HOLLY BLACK

Doll Bones
by Holly Black
Published: 7th May 2013
Publisher: Doubleday Publishers
Genre: Children's Fantasy

"My name is Eleanor Kerchner.
You can call me the Queen.
I died in 1895.
Now it's time to play.
A chilling ghost story by the bestselling author of The Spiderwick Chronicles, Holly Black."

This book was brilliant. It is targeted for a slightly younger audience but that didn't meant that I enjoyed it any less. After reading The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by the same author and not really enjoying it, I was somewhat sceptical about this. What this book did offer that the Coldest Girl in Coldtown did not was wonderful characters that were well developed and a story that constantly kept me interested. The doll 'Eleanor' is a constant fright and if I was younger I would have been incredibly scared, it was part of the charm of the book. 

The 'play' chat that went along with the three characters added a lighter sense of relief in the book and was written so well that it brought me back to my childhood when I was playing with dolls and making up incredibly developed and well-thought out scenarios. 

I would have loved to have read this book when I was younger but I would still recommend it to anyone even if you are older than the target audience. A refreshing, fun and somewhat scary book that should not be missed.

4/5 STARS
*I was sent this book for free in exchange for an honest review*

BIRD BOX by JOSH MALERMAN

Bird Box
by Josh Malerman
Published: 27th March 2014
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Genre: Adult, thriller, horror

"Most people ignored the outrageous reports on the news. But they became too frequent, they became too real. And soon, they began happening down the street. Then the Internet died. The television and radio went silent. The phones stopped ringing. And we couldn't look outside anymore. Malorie raises the children the only way she can; indoors. The house is quiet. The doors are locked, the curtains are closed, mattresses are nailed over the windows. They are out there. She might let them in. The children sleep in the bedroom across the hall. Soon she will have to wake them. Soon she will have to blindfold them. Today they must leave the house. Today they will risk everything."- taken from Waterstones

If you are looking for a play by play instantly horrifying horror story then this probably isn't the book for you. Instead it cleverly relies on your imagination to bring the horror to it. If you want a book that gives you all the answers, then this probably isn't the book for you. What this book does offer is a sensory description that is a extremely unique. There are on the edge of your seat in terror moments with heavily written paragraphs that fill you with anticipation. All of Malorie's descriptions come from behind a blindfold and so you have to rely on her sense of smell, her sense of touch and her hearing as well as the children's. Whilst this sometimes gets slightly tedious, for the most part it is done fairly effectively.

The biggest issue was occasionally this book had slightly too much anticipation and could have done with the novel as whole being shorter. The children's sense of hearing was a little ridiculous, I've never heard anyone say that they would have been able to tell you when their mother itched her arm when she was upstairs? But then again if you were in the situation where you have never seen the outside world and are only relying on what your mother has told you I suppose you would become hyper-sensitive to the senses that you can make use of. 

As a whole, I enjoyed this book. Whilst I wasn't left feeling utterly amazed, I was satisfied and I felt like I had been on the trip with Malorie and was slightly exhausted by the end. Read this if you are into phycological thrillers and a whole lot of suspense. Avoid this if you are looking for constant scares and everything written down for you because this just isn't that type of book, it relies on your mind playing tricks on you rather than leaving nothing to the imagination.

3.5/5 STARS

*I was sent this book for free in exchange for an honest review*

PERCY JACKSON SERIES REVIEW by RICK RIORDAN

Percy Jackson series:

by Rick Riordan
Publisher: Puffin
Genre: Children's, Fantasy

Wow, this series is incredible. I absolutely loved every book in this series, the writing is brilliant and all of the characters, even minor ones were wonderfully written and given backstories which made you actually care about what happened to them. The world building was phenomenal and there is a massive emphasis on Greek Mythology which I found incredibly interesting and added a unique aspect to this fantasy series that I haven't seen before. Although this is intended for children ages 9 and up, I honestly feel as if this (like with Harry Potter) can be read and enjoyed just as much no matter what age you are. If you are even a little bit interested in fantasy books or even Greek Mythology then I would recommend these books with every fibre of my body.

This series also comes with a kind of novella type book called 'Percy Jackson: The Demigod Files' which happens between the fourth and fifth books. Although it is not completely necessary for you to read this (I didn't know about it until after I was on the fourth book anyway, so I just read it after I'd finished the fifth because I wasn't sure where it fitted in) I think its a pretty cool addition to the series and has a three short stories that enhance the fifth book.

I'm definitely looking forward to the spin off series 'The Heroes of Olympus' which I will continue on with later in the year.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief 4/5 STARS
Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters 5/5 STARS
Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse 4/5 STARS
Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth 4/5 STARS
Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian 5/5 STARS
Percy Jackson: The Demigod Files 4/5 STARS

Paper Towns- John Green BOOK REVIEW

Paper Towns
John Green
Published: October 16th 2008(hardback), September 22nd 2009 (paperback)
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: YA, Contemporary

The problem with John Green books is that they are so overrated, don't get me wrong I love John Green as a person, but as an author he's certainly not my favourite. Paper Towns follows the same sort of way as all of Green's other books, in that there is obviously a girl who is so completely original and amazing and mysterious and a boy who is so 'out of her league and spends his entire life thinking about said girl': it gets a little boring and a little repetitive.

I don't like Quentin or Q as he is referred to in the book, throughout it all I just couldn't get any emotion towards him other than 'urgh, shut up'. He is selfish towards his friends and is deluded into thinking that they should disregard their lives to look for missing Margo, despite the fact that it is around the time of their prom and graduation. Obviously if someone is missing in real life the pain is unimaginable but this book makes it so unrealistic its stupid. In real life situations (I am using the example real life despite the fact that I know it is supposed to be a fiction because I think Green is trying to make this book seem as close to real life as possible) the police would be doing everything that they could seeing as Margo has been missing for several days. However, in this book no one other than Q seems to care, his infatuation with her is worrying and I'm pretty sure no teenage boy would ever feel this obsessed with another girl his own age.

Q mocks his friends just because they want to go to prom and because they want to discuss their girlfriends (oh, shock horror). I don't know I just really didn't like Q at all, I just know that if he was an actual person I'd really dislike him.

The most redeeming part about this book was the ending. I loved the road trip with the Q, Radar, Ben and Lacey, it was entertaining, funny and lighthearted. Due to this part, its the only thing stopping me from giving this book 1 out of 5 and instead probably a 3 out of 5 (which is being generous).

It wasn't the worst book I've read, definitely not, but it certainly wasn't the best and I wont be reading it again for a long, long, long time. It was boring, seemed to go on forever without really having any benefit. This is probably the worst in the John Green books that I have read, my favourite being Looking For Alaska, this one just lacked that certain something that made me want to read on.

Parked FILM REVIEW

A few weeks ago I watched the film Parked. It was one of those films that really stays with you even after you've finished watching. The film itself is a small, independent film, I don't even think it was in the cinemas (although I could be wrong). The cast was small and the plot simple: simple, but by no means any less intriguing.

This is a synopsis from IMDb "Fred Daly returns to Ireland with nowhere to live but his car. Then dope-smoking 21-year-old Cathal parks beside him, and brightens up his lonely world. Encouraged by Cathal, Fred meets attractive music teacher Jules. Growing closer, these three outsiders are set on a course that will change their lives forever."

In essence that is exactly the plot, there is no sidelines its just that. Cathal is played by Colin Morgan who is outstanding in the part. Not only is Colin a master of accents but he is able to convey emotions with a simple look. Colm Meaney also plays a brilliant part, he is obviously the more reserved out of the duo but he certainly can hold his own. Despite the fact that these two characters couldn't be any more different they are thrown together and have each other for company. Cathal hasn't had anyone in his life that he can look up to and I truly believe that he wanted to give up the drugs for Fred because he loved and admired Fred, but he was just too far gone.

I am going to make an effort to watch more independent/small films in the future because theres something so special about them. I think that its amazing that small films like Parked are just as brilliant (if not better) than films that have Hollywood backing. Its solely based on the actors and the storyline without all of the theatrics that comes with high budget films. The actors are also more passionate about it because they are not doing it for the money they are purely doing it because they believe in the story and film. Jennifer Lawrence once said that "I love doing independent films, I love being on that 20th hour of free overtime in the freezing cold with the rest of the crew and the only thing that’s keeping you there and motivating you is not money. It’s just the belief and a story that you love enough to do almost anything for…that’s why I do what I do." and I think thats the perfect way to sum up an actor's view on independent films.

I'd definitely recommend Parked, its and emotional and strangely heartwarming film, however do be warned that there is drug use, swearing and sexual references so don't watch if you don't like any of that, however, don't be put off because it is all done beautifully and played out extremely well. 

4/5 STARS

How I Met Your Mother TV SHOW REVIEW

Yes, I know, I am late (very, very late) to the party but I have recently started watching How I Met Your Mother (or as I shall now call it for the advantage of this post HIMYM). Yeah, I had seen episodes before now on and off but I hadn't really watched it, until I was stuck down my Nan's house with no internet and very few channels available. I have brought the first and second series on DVD and I pretty much watched the entire first series in one night. It reminds me a lot of Friends, I think that that is what they based it on to be honest.

It follows the life of Ted Moseby telling his children about how he met their mother, it is described as a love story in reverse. It doesn't just follow Ted's life though it follows the lives of his four other friends, Lily, Marshall, Robin and Barney. It's hard to say who is my favourite character because they all have their qualities and disadvantages.

I believe that there are eight series and that the eighth is the final series and the identity of Ted's wife. Although I don't think that this is the best programme in the world, certainly not, but it is a show that I enjoy, its warmhearted, simple and exactly the type of thing that I like to have on in the background when I am doing homework or writing blog posts etc. So yeah, if you're late to the party as well then I'd recommend you watch it if you love Friends, you probably wont love it as much but you will certainly enjoy it.

Thoughts on Game of Thrones

I recently started watching Game of Thrones about a month ago. There is currently three series and about 10 episodes in each, so for me to still be only on series 2 this late on tells me a lot. This is coming from a person who watched all five series of Merlin which has about 13/14 episodes in each in less than a month whilst I was still at school and therefore didn't have access to the TV all day. I am at home now and so statistically thinking I should be finished with Game of Thrones by now, but I am not.

I don't really know why I am not completely in love with it. There is something about it that I just don't connect with. I like it but I don't love it and I wont be buying it on DVD. It has definitely grown on me however, because I only really started liking it around about episode 5 of series one so. I can only imagine it gets better as I watch more episodes.

My favourite characters are definitely Daenerys Targaryen and Arya Stark. I think that they are the most badass, loveable and complex characters and I always look forward to them coming on the screen because I know I'll be entertained.

The Mortal Instruments- Cassandra Clare BOOK REVIEW

Possible spoilers if you’ve not read all of the books in the series

Fuelled by the release of the Mortal Instruments being made into a film franchise and by the recommendation from a friend I began reading these books a while ago.  The first in the series of five books (so far, I believe that there will be a sixth coming out soon) called The City of Bones kickstarts the series.

It follows the characters of Clary, Jace, Simon, Isabelle, Alec, Magnus and the standard villain Valentine. Clary realises pretty soon into the book that she isn’t the normal human that she thinks that she is but has Shadow Hunter blood in her, and Jace, Isabelle and Alec, similar to herself are Shadow hunters that only she can see, the only difference is that they are trained fighters and she is not. Simon is what the Shadow Hunters call a mundane. It’s a pretty good book with a pretty good plot. However, there is a twist at the end of this book that makes me want to cry, because it is just so horrendous and gross, if you’ve read the book then you will know exactly what I am talking about.

It’s neither ground breaking nor something to be ignored, as it clearly hasn’t been. I believe that the general consensus of this book and all of the others in the series is you either love it or you hate it. Of course, I have to be awkward and say that I am completely passive about this series of books.

The second in the series is City of Ashes. Originally I couldn’t even remember what had happened in this book and had to re-read the blurb and a synopsis online before I could refresh my memory: take that, as you will. It just goes to show that this is a building block in the series, a filler if you will, a book that needs to be there so the next makes sense but doesn’t really fulfil your needs. Clary and Jace’s ‘relationship’ makes me want to throw up, seriously that is messed up.

This book is a lot more fast paced than the first, I’ll give it that but then the first in a series of books is always fairly slow. Simon is really developing as a character now that he is a vampire. I feel as if the most disappointing character in the entire two books is Valentine; I am not scared of him, nor do I think he a very good villain, he’s by no means sneaky or conniving enough, considering he is supposed to be trying to overthrow the clave he’s pretty predictable. Villains in novels like Harry Potter, The Hunger Games even Twilight for goodness sake are characters that you fear and you are constantly worried for the character. You don’t know that everything will be solved and be okay but with this series you just know that they will sort everything out in a way that is so ridiculously simple its stupid.

Third is City of Glass, this is my favourite in the series. This shows the ‘gang’ going to Alicante to basically fight a war. Can I just remind you all that Clary is a non-trained Shadow Hunter with absolutely NO experience. Suddenly just because she can use Runes she is undefeatable and yet Jace, arguably the best Shadow Hunter there is gets killed, then brought back to life. Really? Oh and Valentine is defeated. Okay fine, I know this sounds like I am bashing the book but it was the best to read but possibly the one with the worst plot. So much happens that you’re left feeling like “what the hell just happened” and not in a good way. Also why is it that Clary always seems to be making out with people she thinks are her brothers? What is going on in the author’s mind?

The fourth book is City of Fallen Angels. This book is incredibly slow right until the very end when all the action happens within about 5 chapters. (that’s an estimate number, don’t quote me, but lets just say it wasn’t long enough and was squeezed into a ridiculously short space when it should have been the focus of the book). After the finishing the very last page you are left with the sentence on most people’s lips “seriously, are you being serious Clare? This is ridiculous”.

She should have stopped writing these books after City of Glass. It makes no sense to carry it on, the main villain is dead, and everything has been resolved. Why bring up a can of worms now? Clary and Jace’s relationship is again a huge source of annoyance for me but for a completely different reason than last time. This time is because it is foolish- they finally are able to have each other in a non-gross way and yet they find fault with each other and there’s yet another reason why they cant be together.

URGHHHHHHHHHH there are so many faults in these books. I haven’t read the fifth one, I have it waiting on my shelf but I don’t think it will be read any time soon. This is another case of what I was talking about here when the author wants to milk the story for as long as possible but in short she/he weakens the plot by doing so. I think that you should read these books and come to your own conclusion because apart from the fourth book, whilst I was reading, I was fairly happy with the story, its only when I sat down to write this review that I realised the faults with it. So my advice is to read them and never review them.

If you don’t want to take my view for this then I suggest you go on Goodreads and read the reviews left by others on there; there’s definitely some interesting ones on there for your entertainment.

The Kingmaker's Daughter- Philippa Gregory BOOK REVIEW

“Anne Neville and her sister Isabel are daughters of the most powerful magnate in the 15^th century England, the Earl of Warwick, the ‘Kingmaker’, born with royal blood in their veins. Widowed at fourteen, fatherless, stripped of her inheritance and with her mother locked in sanctuary and Isabel a vengeful enemy, Anne faces the world alone.

But fortune’s wheel is always turning. Plotting her escape from her sister’s house, she finds herself a husband in the handsome Dyke of Gloucester, and marries without permission. Danger follows her and she finds she has a mortal enemy in the most beautiful queen of England. Anne must protect herself and her precious only son, from the treacherous royal court, her deadly royal rival, and even from the driving ambition of her husband.”

I have been wanting to read these books for absolutely ages, it was only when books by Philippa Gregory were made into a BBC television show (called the White Queen which is based on the books ‘The White Queen’, ‘The Red Queen’ and ‘The Kingmaker’s Daughter’.) that made me want to read them even more. You see, despite them always being on my reading list they always got pushed back in favour of something else. I think this is because I had some reservations because they are of course novels based on history. Whilst that may be true; they have far more dimension and entertainment than that of your average historical novel. The books are described as being fiction based on facts; which means that the main plot and what ultimately happens is all true, but some parts have been exaggerated and made into fiction to make it more enjoyable for the reader.

I don’t claim to know much if anything about the Cousin’s War or more commonly known as the War of the Roses but you don’t need to know anything about it to be able to understand and enjoy these books. You may also learn a little something about what happened along the way although I suppose you have to take it with a small pinch of salt because there are bits of complete fiction interspersed with fact.

Although this is the fourth in the series of books, it doesn’t seem to matter which you read first because ultimately they are all based on the same plot just with different view points. I chose the Kingmaker’s Daughter as the first one to read because Anne Neville’s character interested me from watching the TV show, (well that and it was the only one left in the shop).

Anne Neville is an extremely complex character; she has always been a follower and so when it is her chance to rule and be the better of the two Neville sisters she jumps at the chance. However, her path to the top is certainly not an easy nor enjoyable experience. Whilst she marries for love in secret soon it turns sour and she lives in constant fear of the Queen whom she believes is her mortal enemy.

I don’t believe she ever reached full happiness or if she did it was very short lived, I feel sorry for her and in some ways respect her for carrying on when her world was falling apart. She defiantly had a tough life with little who truly loved her. I believe though that when the book ended it ended with her finally being at peace.

This is definitely a must read if you are a fan of the BBC show or just a fan of historical novels. I finished this book within a day of intense reading, considering that this is a 400+ paged book, that shows you just how good this book was.

I am about to read the next books in the series and so I will also review them, once I have finished them all I will write another review telling you whose side I am on- York or Lancaster.

Top 5 Doctor Who Monsters/Creatures

Over the past 50 years, Doctor Who has seen some pretty magnificent (and some not so great) creatures. With the help of my new Doctor Who Encyclopedia I am going to look through my top five favourite monsters from the new era of Who (2005 onwards).


By the way if you are a fan of Doctor Who, I'd definitely recommend you getting this book, it has literally everything that you need to know about the new era of Who. However, little tip, try not to get it from shops because it is so much cheaper to get it online! Instead of paying 25 pounds I paid 12.70 pounds including P&P.

My ultimate favourite monster is possibly the scariest creature in Who history. These are of course The Weeping Angels, first appearing in the episode Blink with Sally Sparrow. They can only move when you are not watching them: which in my opinion makes them so much more scary than something that the Doctor can defeat with force, because you simply cannot defeat it, at least not simply. To destroy them you have to get them to look at each other (like the Doctor did in Blink) that way something is always looking at them and they turn to stone.




My second favourite are the Daleks because they have been in Doctor Who history for the entire 50 years: they are possibly the Doctors greatest enemy.  They have changed throughout the years and have developed new traits, for example, they can fly/hover now whereas in the older series of Who they could not. The Daleks are possibly the most famous of monsters and the first thing that most people (other than the TARDIS and the Doctor himself) relate to Doctor Who.





Next up are the Cybermen. They appeared in series 4 in 1966 and most recently in Nightmare in Silver which in my opinion was an extremely weak storyline (but thats a story for another day). All of their humanity is taken away from them and their key aim is to upgrade everyone whom they seem weak.









Next is Vashta Nerada, their first and last appearance was in series 4 (of the new era). I find them extremely scary because you cant escape them, the follow you around and lurk in the shadows and feast on your soul. I also find the episodes Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead so strange, they kind of trip your brain out a little bit.

The last on my list are (and I'm going to count these together) are Madame Vastra and Strax who are from the Silurian and Sontaran race, they along with Jenny, are great friends to the Doctor and help him out a lot in The Snowmen Christmas episode and in series 7: they are a pretty badass trio.