The Way Through the Woods (novel)

The Way Through the Woods was the eighth Eleventh Doctor novel released.

Publisher's summary
"The motorway bends around the woods. So did the old road. So did the Roman road. As long as people have lived here, they've gone out of their way to avoid the woods..."

England, today. Between the housing estate and the motorway lies an ancient wood. The motorway bends to avoid it. Last week, teenager Laura Brown went missing. Tonight, Vicky Caine will miss her bus and take a shortcut through the wood. And she will disappear too. England, 1917. Between the village and the main road lies an ancient wood. The old Roman road bends to avoid it. Tonight Emily Bostock and a man called Rory Williams will go to the woods.

Investigating events in the present day and back in 1917, the Doctor and Amy are desperate to find out what's happened to Rory. He was supposed to look after Emily – and now they've both vanished. Something is waiting in the woods. Something that's been there for thousands of years. Something that is now waking up...

Characters

 * Eleventh Doctor
 * Amy Pond
 * Rory Williams
 * Emily Bostock
 * Jess
 * Vicky Caine
 * Reyn
 * Laura
 * Mr Galloway
 * Harry
 * Ruby Porter

Continuity

 * When the subject of travelling companions is brought up, the Doctor says that none of his female companions came against their will. He the adds "Except for the History teacher and the air stewardess." (TV: An Unearthly Child, TV: Logopolis)
 * The Doctor and Amy recall Winston Churchill, and his motto "Keep buggering on". (TV: Victory of the Daleks)
 * The Doctor brings up the two thousand years that Rory spent waiting for Amy in order to restore his memories. (TV: The Big Bang)
 * The Doctor compares one of the characters to Sherlock Holmes, stating that he is a hero which everyone will remember. Rory replies, "Doctor, Sherlock Holmes isn't real." The Doctor replies, "That's what they want you to think." Sherlock Holmes met the Doctor in PROSE: All-Consuming Fire and PROSE: Happy Endings; the Doctor inspires the creation of Holmes in PROSE: Evolution.
 * The Fourth Doctor also helped to give 'birth' to a ship in TV: The Face of Evil.

Audio release

 * The story was released as an audiobook on 4x CD read by Clare Corbett.
 * The audiobook is also available as a download from the AudioGo website.