Any thoughts on the others?
I haven't read any of them, but judging by reviews, the general consensus is as follows:
Placebo Effect-Poor, but not devoid of merit.
Mission: Impractical-Either enjoyably fluffy or a failed attempt at a romp (McIntee is something of a marmite author.)
Zeta Major-Again, opinion is split.
Deceit-Poorly regarded, but not without its admirers.
Lucifer Rising-Well regarded, albeit with some detractors. IMO anything by Jim "All Must Perish!" Mortimore is well worth checking out, and Andy Lane is no slouch.
That's also a fairly continuity-heavy bunch.
Placebo Effect has both Wirrn
and Foamaasi, not to mention two ex-companions from the short-lived Radio Times Eighth Doctor strips.
Mission: Impractical has Frobisher, ogrons, and more.
Zeta Major is a sequel to
Planet of Evil.
Deceit features the infamous return of Ace (thereafter dubbed by fans "New Ace"), after her departure in
Love and War; Absolom Daak; and the resolution of a loose arc going back six books!
Lucifer Rising follows up
Deceit, and features IMC from
The Colony in Space.
While I'm at it, I might as well provide a list of the Doctor Who books that I have read. The only one I'd recommend avoiding is
Time of Your Life. Here goes:
Heritage: Mature. Essentially a western. Features a homicidal dolphin in a robot walker.
The Banquo Legacy: A cracking murder mystery-cum-pseudo-historical monster story. Presented as the alternating recollections of two of its characters.
The Sands of Time: A sequel to
The Pyramids of Mars. Has a thoroughly timey-wimey plot written twelves years before Moffat coined the term.
Engines of War: So far, the only novel to feature the War Doctor (though there are the
Seasons of War fan-anthologies.) Reads like a novelization of an imaginary New Who episode, but an enjoyable, blockbusting one at that.
The Burning: The Eighth Doctor reboots in style.
Human Nature: Even better than its televised adaption.
Managra: Hugely imaginative, hugely entertaining, and hugely underrated. Who doesn't want to see Cardinal Richelieu team up with Aleister Crowley to claim the respective titles of Pope and Anti-Pope?
Shadows in the Glass: Doctor Who does a twist on the historical conspiracy thriller, and does it rather well. Features the Sixth Doctor and the Brigadier.
The Witch Hunters: A masterful Hartnell Historical which evokes its era in the best of ways.
The Eye of Heaven: Jim Mortimore and Leela-A match made in heaven.
Nightshade: A lovely, horrific story that shows what Doctor Who can be in novel-form.
The Infinity Doctors: Doctor Who reimagined in spectacular style. Not unlike BF's own Unbounds.
Blood Heat: What if the Silurians had won in their debut story? A cracking start to the Alternate History Cycle.
The Left-Handed Hummingbird:
Otiquihiyohui! A wonderfully lyrical debut from Kate Orman. Highly recommended.
Conundrum: The Doctor returns to the Land of Fiction, in a story narrated by its new Master! Highly enjoyable, I'd recommend it (along with Nightshade) to anyone seeking to try out the NAs.
Empire of Glass: A fun, pseudo-historical romp for the First Doctor. It was quite rushed, being as it was a replacement for a novelization that fell through, with a strict deadline imposed on its author by an upcoming brain-surgery. It shows, but not nearly as much as it might have.
Alien Bodies: Considered by many to be Lawrence Miles' magnum opus, and with good reason. And we're talking about an author easily the equal of Rob Shearman. A must have.
Time of Your Life: A rare Steve Lyons misfire. I get the impression that he didn't really care about most of the cast, let alone the plot. Those elements that he seems to have cared about (the Doctor, the villain, etc.) are actually enjoyable. Sixie in particular shines. Set immediately after
Trial of a Timelord.
Interference Parts I and II: Decidedly marmite (it did notable damage to Lawrence Miles' reputation). I loved it. Despite its length, I found it a brisk read.
The Blue Angel: Co-written by Paul Magrs, the quintessential marmite Doctor Who author. I found it an enchanting, eerie, hilarious, and mind-boggling tale. Definitely one that merits rereading.