The Pictures of Emptiness (novel)

The Pictures of Emptiness is the eighth book in The Darksmith Legacy series.

Publisher's summary
The Doctor finds himself on trial before the Shadow Proclamation where the Crystal is legally returned to Gisella. The Doctor is ready to continue his mission until Gisella betrays him, staying with the Darksmiths. But she accidentally reveals where the Darksmiths are meeting their client. The Doctor arrives on the chosen planet, and becomes involved in an adventure involving missing eyes and souls. Will the Doctor solve this mystery and stop the hand over of the Crystal?

Characters

 * The Doctor
 * Gisella
 * Shelley Sayers
 * Jason Dungeon
 * Bill B Brooks
 * Mae Harrison
 * Natasha
 * Mitra Ashkanzai

The Books

 * The first set of galactic references for the Darksmith and their clients meet are written as “297-stoke-197AHG” (sic) but is corrected on the next page (297/197AHG.
 * Interspersed with the main fiction is;
 * TARDIS Data Bank (extra information includes Earth's atmosphere,photography and vacuum).
 * Activity pages x2 (The puzzle solutions give the reader the chance to think like the Doctor!)
 * The Story so far, next instalment cover preview and opening preview.


 * The Darksmith Legacy's overall story was devised by Justin Richards who contributed four of the ten titles.
 * The Darksmith Legacy was certificated to 13, with under 13's needing parental approval.
 * This first book in the series was released along with the second before the remaining titles saw a monthly release throughout 2009.
 * Each book in the series was priced £4.99 (UK) and featured a foiled cover with illustration by Peter McKinstry.

Interactive Website Content
By visiting the website and participating in the Quest participants can unlock additional content like computer wallpapers to download. The Quest itself features; games - (like finding a specific target in an image, by using the sonic screwdriver as a detector, to hone in (to register 100 on the scale). Once located the 'Target' then provides additional information used in further puzzles involving both words and numbers.
 * An additional bonus download feature is available on completion of this eighth stage of The Quest - a pdf file offering alternative chapters and writers comments on each of the ten titles in the Darksmith Legacy series.

Continuity

 * The author states on the website that the Shadow Proclamation was deliberately written as simply a firm judge, having no real idea of what they would be shown as in (DW): The Stolen Earth.
 * The Doctor at the Shadow Proclamation hearing requests trial by a jury of peers. This is an impossible request because the Doctor is the last of the Time Lords.

Timeline

 * The Pictures of Emptiness takes place after TDL: The Planet of Oblivion
 * The Pictures of Emptiness takes place before TDL: The Art of War