That said, there's very little inherently wrong about "Just War". The prose is immensely readable, and the characters are generally great, although I found Benny came across as a little weaker than she's usually portrayed. The plot is also fine, putting an interesting spin on the Doctor's influence of Earth's history. And, on top of that, it provides a nice history lesson on some of the events of the Second World War; I've yet to speak to anyone locally who's aware British territory was captured by the Nazis. Wrong side of the Atlantic, I guess. :-)

In the end, "Just War" disappoints perhaps because it's just too straightforward. The plot lacks the intricacies I've come to expectr in the NAs, and doesn't replace this with anything else. Where "Set Piece" demonstrated fascinating insight into the main characters, for instance, "Just War" is simply content to be a regular Doctor Who adventure, occasionally offering glimpses of life in the midst of World War II (and in particular how the time travellers react to this life). Nothing more, nothing less.

I know I'm being a little vague, and this is because, in a way, I'm not exactly sure why "Just War" was a little dissatisfying. Perhaps the most accurate -- and honest -- way to put it is that I found "Just War" to be underambitious, if that makes any sense. What could easily have been a great novel settles for being simply very, very good. Which is nothing to complain about, really, since it's a hell of an accomplishment for a first-time writer. Maybe "Just War" is just a victim of its own advance hype.

8/10.

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