Once again, Kate proves that her expertise lies in her handling of the characters -- not just the main characters, but the supporting cast as well. The Doctor is extremely well-drawn, as Kate ably shows off multiple facets of his personality -- tenderness, intensity, mystery, all believably incorporated into the same character. Whereas many authors only try to represent one of these angles, Kate makes sure we see them all. Unlike "Set Piece", Benny gets quite a bit to do in "Sleepy", and she comes off very well indeed. We get the first hints of what I assume will lead into her departure, as Bernice wonders about her place with the Doctor and the long-term effects of her TARDIS travels on her own personal future. Cwej spends most of the book infected with a mysterious psi virus, and benefits from his suffering. We see a side of Chris few other authors have unveiled, as he is left helpless and weakened by his experiences, and has to deal with the changes that are affecting him. Like Benny in "Set Piece", Roz gets the short end of the stick as the focus is on her companions, but she nonetheless has some great scenes, and her relationship with Chris takes a new turn in the closing moments.

The supporting cast are all great, as well. Although none of the new characters get any huge development, each one is enjoyable and believable, none of them fading into the background or left forgotten. The sense of determination and hope in the Yemaya 4 colonists -- and the fear that all their dreams will be destroyed when the virus hits -- is palpable. Kate also does a great job of portraying the Artificial Intelligences (like CONNECTICUT and WATCH OUT!), who are great fun, especially as they begin to revel in their newfound freedom. It is SLEEPY, unsurprisingly, who comes off best of all, despite not being introduced until the last quarter of the novel. SLEEPY's musings about how its previous life as GRUMPY should affect it now, and how much of a person is made up of memories, are fascinating to read, and I'm left wishing SLEEPY had stuck around longer. Particularly nice is the fact that SLEEPY isn't made out to be some kind of puritan figure -- Kate reminds us (particularly by recalling the Doctor's encounter with SLEEPY while infected with the virus) that SLEEPY did manipulate the colonists, and does harbor ill intentions. It's left up to the readers to decide whether or not they can forgive SLEEPY its fault.

The plot of "Sleepy" is really quite excellent -- complex and involved without going overboard. Everything makes sense, and it's a pleasure to following along and gradually develop an understanding of events. My lone quibble is that I think opening the book in the midst of the Doctor's infection, with him having retreated inside his own memories, makes the story a little too inaccessible for too long. Afterward, Kate has to spend too long getting the reader back up to speed on what's been happening, and it feels decidedly awkward. I can't help but feel that "Sleepy" is a book which would have benefitted from a more traditional opening, beginning with the TARDIS' landing on Yemaya.

"Sleepy" is a book about memories, how they affect us and why they're important. Chris finds himself haunted by his memories, the Doctor finds his memories turned against him, and SLEEPY is desperately searching for his own memories, in the belief that he needs them to be whole again. And when all is said and done, even though SLEEPY doesn't survive in fact, he lives on in the colonists' memories, for better or for worse. The same is true of "Sleepy", the novel. It is a thrilling, delightful book which I won't quickly forget. Although lacking the sheer emotional power of "Set Piece", "Sleepy" is nonetheless one of the better New Adventures, and a fine start to the Year of the Orman.

8/10.

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