What do you think?
Rate this book
Doctor Who BBC Children's Books #4
Doctor Who: Rebellion on Treasure Island
Summoned to 1700s Plymouth, the Doctor and Clara must investigate a mysterious thievery from the Crown of King George.
Their travels take them to a remote island - but as the secrets of the theft are unearthed, the Doctor discovers something far more sinister. The spectre of a terrible intellect is afoot.
Thankfully, the Doctor and Clara won't be alone. A pirate called Long John Silver, a runaway called Janey Hawkins, and a professor called River Song, are all along for the ride.
Their travels take them to a remote island - but as the secrets of the theft are unearthed, the Doctor discovers something far more sinister. The spectre of a terrible intellect is afoot.
Thankfully, the Doctor and Clara won't be alone. A pirate called Long John Silver, a runaway called Janey Hawkins, and a professor called River Song, are all along for the ride.
229 pages, Paperback
First published June 22, 2023
About the author
Bali Rai
56 books71 followersBali Rai was born in 1971 and grew up in Leicester. As a child, Bali wanted to be a footballer or to write stories. Always an avid reader, he hails Sue Townsend, Douglas Adams and Robert Swindells as his writing heroes. Bali grew up reading Dr Seuss and Meg and Mog and his first book purchase was The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. He realised he wasn't good enough to play for Liverpool F.C. and after gaining a politics degree in London he returned to his home city and combined a variety of jobs in pubs and clubs with completing his first novel. Bali set about writing a story he had been thinking about for many years. He wanted to write accessible material for children of all ages and backgrounds and realising there were no British Asian authors writing for children, he saw a gap. Bali hopes his novels capture the unique ethnic mix of the UK, of which he is proud to be a part.
Bali writes stories inspired by his working class Punjabi/Sikh background, but his aim was always that his writing should be enjoyed by readers everywhere, irrespective of class or culture. His has the ability to tackle the harsh realities of growing up in the UK and blend this with humour and often a overriding optimism. Bali visits schools and libraries in every major UK city, averaging 70 school and library events a year.
His first book, (un)arranged marriage, created a huge amount of interest and won many awards, including the Angus Book Award and the Leicester Book of the Year. It was also shortlisted for the prestigious Branford Boase first novel award. Rani and Sukh and The Whisper were both shortlisted for the Booktrust Teenage Prize.
All of Bali’s teen titles have been short-listed for awards across the UK, including twice making the Booktrust Teenage Prize shortlist. His third novel Rani and Sukh has represented the UK at the International IBBY awards and this title has its own Facebook tribute group set up by fans. Bali’s first three novels appear in The Ultimate Teenage Book Guide. Bali also writes shorter novels for Barrington Stoke, his first book, Dream On, was selected for the Booktrust’s inaugural Booked Up list. He also writes the hugely popular Soccer Squad series for younger readers.
Bali writes stories inspired by his working class Punjabi/Sikh background, but his aim was always that his writing should be enjoyed by readers everywhere, irrespective of class or culture. His has the ability to tackle the harsh realities of growing up in the UK and blend this with humour and often a overriding optimism. Bali visits schools and libraries in every major UK city, averaging 70 school and library events a year.
His first book, (un)arranged marriage, created a huge amount of interest and won many awards, including the Angus Book Award and the Leicester Book of the Year. It was also shortlisted for the prestigious Branford Boase first novel award. Rani and Sukh and The Whisper were both shortlisted for the Booktrust Teenage Prize.
All of Bali’s teen titles have been short-listed for awards across the UK, including twice making the Booktrust Teenage Prize shortlist. His third novel Rani and Sukh has represented the UK at the International IBBY awards and this title has its own Facebook tribute group set up by fans. Bali’s first three novels appear in The Ultimate Teenage Book Guide. Bali also writes shorter novels for Barrington Stoke, his first book, Dream On, was selected for the Booktrust’s inaugural Booked Up list. He also writes the hugely popular Soccer Squad series for younger readers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 4, 2023
The eleventh doctor and Clara go to an island.
Clara meets some escaped slaves who tell her about the dangers of the mist that envelops the entire island, as a lot of people have gone missing. And she meets an old friend of the doctor.
The doctor meets up with Jane Hawkins and Long John Silver. And with the help of a treasure map, they go hunting for treasure.
The plot is an absolute mess. There’s just a lot of boring exposition in this story. So it feels like the story moves quite slowly, without much actually happening when it does move forward.
There are too many characters from the show stuffed in here. You got the doctor, Clara, Vastra, Jenny, Strax, River Song and a well-known antagonist of the show in one story, which makes it feel very crowded for such a short book. And that’s not even counting the one-off characters on the island. Plus, because there are so many characters, none of them manage to stand out in any way.
Also, for a book inspired by Treasure island, it’s a bit of a shame that there aren’t that many references to the original story. And those that are there are simply not explained very well, or at all.
This book has a good concept and a cool cover. It’s just a bit disappointing that those are the only positive things I can come up with to describe this story, as it had so much potential for more. If you’re looking for a good Doctor Who book inspired by Treasure Island, I’d recommend Justin Richard’s The Resurrection Casket instead of this one.
Clara meets some escaped slaves who tell her about the dangers of the mist that envelops the entire island, as a lot of people have gone missing. And she meets an old friend of the doctor.
The doctor meets up with Jane Hawkins and Long John Silver. And with the help of a treasure map, they go hunting for treasure.
The plot is an absolute mess. There’s just a lot of boring exposition in this story. So it feels like the story moves quite slowly, without much actually happening when it does move forward.
There are too many characters from the show stuffed in here. You got the doctor, Clara, Vastra, Jenny, Strax, River Song and a well-known antagonist of the show in one story, which makes it feel very crowded for such a short book. And that’s not even counting the one-off characters on the island. Plus, because there are so many characters, none of them manage to stand out in any way.
Also, for a book inspired by Treasure island, it’s a bit of a shame that there aren’t that many references to the original story. And those that are there are simply not explained very well, or at all.
This book has a good concept and a cool cover. It’s just a bit disappointing that those are the only positive things I can come up with to describe this story, as it had so much potential for more. If you’re looking for a good Doctor Who book inspired by Treasure Island, I’d recommend Justin Richard’s The Resurrection Casket instead of this one.
October 17, 2023
Set on Treasurer Island Long John Silver is on his last breath with cancer, looking for treasures to rob. When the Doctor is called in by the King to save a cargo of great fortune. But not told what it is.
A devil mist is taking people out to Vanishing inside a nothing.
But even River Song, Strax, Jenny, and Madame Vastra can't make this book is limited to get you in a muddle of a plot.
You will hate the cargo!
I guess very early on. The biggest problem with this book is that the ending is the same as Doctor Who book that came out last year which spoil it for me.
A devil mist is taking people out to Vanishing inside a nothing.
But even River Song, Strax, Jenny, and Madame Vastra can't make this book is limited to get you in a muddle of a plot.
You will hate the cargo!
I guess very early on. The biggest problem with this book is that the ending is the same as Doctor Who book that came out last year which spoil it for me.
April 28, 2024
It’s Doctor Who and pirates, it sounds like a work made in heaven for me! I don’t quite think they captured Matt Smith’s doctor overly well, but he is a complex and tricky figure to write! It was a fun and cute read, nothing particularly monumental but I always love a bit of Doccy Who fanfic once in a while 💙✨
November 25, 2023
We'll peg this at 3.5 stars. It doesn't quite get Matt Smith, leaning more towards a generic Doctor...it's a continuity overload and character reunion on par with anything Gary Russell or Craig Hinton could have produced...and the ending involves a memory tactic already used in one of last year's novels. But this overcrowded stew moves quickly, and makes for an enjoyable afternoon diversion in spite of being continuity top-heavy.
March 30, 2024
I hate to rate something Doctor Who this low, especially with 11 and Clara as the duo but this was really dull. The writing style was so stop-start monotonous it honestly made it hard to follow at points due to constantly making me zone off. The characterisation feels all wrong too, which is a shame seeing as there is so little 11 and Clara content to enjoy. Cover art is gorgeous though, would consider keeping this for that alone
October 28, 2023
A glitch in the TARDIS mainframe causes the Doctor and Clara Oswald to appear on an island in the Caribbean Sea in the late eighteenth century. The Doctor immediately realises something has gone wrong when he meets "Long" John Silver, who is trying to save children who are disappearing into a mysterious mist.
Rai captures the various characters well and the plot is interesting as well as easy to follow for younger readers. Tying neatly into the Eleventh Doctor era shortly after he meets Clara, the Impossible Girl.
Rai captures the various characters well and the plot is interesting as well as easy to follow for younger readers. Tying neatly into the Eleventh Doctor era shortly after he meets Clara, the Impossible Girl.
January 27, 2024
I did quite like the story - although it did feel like a repeat of the same stories with this villain. HOWEVER Clara was not written well at all. Like I don’t know who this companion was but it wasn’t her. The 11th Doctor was also weird.
It felt like a very weirdly written book. The conclusion felt okay but there was a HUGE gap where you don’t know why something happens and don’t get me started on the inconsistencies compared to the show
It felt like a very weirdly written book. The conclusion felt okay but there was a HUGE gap where you don’t know why something happens and don’t get me started on the inconsistencies compared to the show
September 3, 2024
It's a big celebration of the Eleventh Doctor's era. Largely I would say the book is pretty good. However if you're a fan of Clara you will not enjoy this book. She gets sidelined immediately and is not much of a character in the book which is a shame because very few stories exist with the 11th Doctor and Clara. I did have a good time reading it though and I do recommend it.
January 1, 2024
11th Doctor
Not enough Clara, but still entertaining. Old friends on a new adventure. An ancient enemy with an evil plan. Was kinda slow in a couple of places, but a good story. Recommended for all Dr Who fans.
Not enough Clara, but still entertaining. Old friends on a new adventure. An ancient enemy with an evil plan. Was kinda slow in a couple of places, but a good story. Recommended for all Dr Who fans.
November 5, 2023
Rating: 3.5 Stars
December 29, 2023
Would have been better if there was more of Clara. But after all those years we finally got a new Eleven/Clara adventure, so I won‘t complain.
4.5/5
4.5/5
April 29, 2024
Quite fun if somewhat slight and did we ever find out if Long John Silver was a real person or if the story was set in a fantasy world? Does it matter?
June 21, 2024
Clara Oswald y River Song, como personajes muy bien definidos. La gran inteligencia amenaza con esos artiluguos del saber. Entretenida y muy aventurera novela.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews