Molten Heart

"Everyone's denying the evidence of their own eyes."

Writer: Una McCormick
Format: Novel
Released: 8th November 2018
Series: NSA 64

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

"To find treasures, you must dig deep, below the surface... down to the heart."

Deep below the surface of the planet Adamantine lies a crystalline wonder world of lava seas and volcanic islands, home to living rock people.

But when the Doctor and her friends arrive they find Adamantine under threat. The seas are shrinking, the magma is cooling, and mysterious, fatal Seething Pools are spreading fast.

Something has come to Adamantine - but what does it want? Fearing an invasion is underway, the Doctor must lead an expedition to the surface of the world to save its molten heart...

Verdict

Molten Heart was a great novel to continue the stories of the Thirteenth Doctor! It was quite different to anything we've had so far in her run, across any format, and I liked it very much. The Adamantine setting was quite unique and the concept of a society being within the planet's core was really intriguing. I thought the rock people, let's call them Adamantines, were really good and I was particularly struck by Ash. She really was a terrific character and seeing her reaction to the wonder that was the arrival of the TARDIS and its inhabitants was magnificent. This world's refusal to believe their own eyes was quite extraordinary at times and I loved how frustrated that was making Graham. He really wasn't having any of Emerald's stupidity. Basalt was another brilliant character and his enquiring mind meant he got on with the Doctor incredibly well. He refused to believe that this planet was all there was in the cosmos and the lights coming through the cracks in the planet's roof must lead to more worlds. The Doctor and co were evidence of that yet some still needed convincing. I really liked Yaz in this novel and with her and Graham separated from the Doctor and Ryan, she took the initiative to follow the Doctor's lead and stand up for what she believed in. I thought that was a nice touch. Ryan getting to play shooter with the satellites was good and quite similar to his chance to shine in The Ghost Monument but he was far more successful here. I thought the characterisation of Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor was really strong throughout which made for pleasant reading and I thought the feel of Series 11 was well captured. The reference to Arachnids in the UK was very welcomed and I also liked the impact of Grace's death was still being felt. Quartz was a very good character and his desperation to show Emerald that Basalt was actually right was great - once he'd finally picked what side he was on. Onyx was an unexpected character and his connection with Emerald was something I didn't expect to feature so heavily. The journey for the Doctor, Ryan and Ash to find Basalt was fantastic and I liked how the latter was decoding the messages left by her father. The cracks in the fissure were almost at critical and that would mean sea water breaking through and ultimately destroying the interior of the planet. Cool mixing with hot in such rapidity would not be good. The absence of the lava seas was a shame and I was intrigued that Graham was so keen to leave because he believed you can't defeat climate change. But this was too rapid and the Doctor's expedition to the surface to find drilling continuing with nobody present, not for a long time, was very good. She saw that it was switched off with some help from the humorous Ouolulu and just when it seemed that Basalt wasn't going to make it, he did. He and the Doctor worked very well together and I loved the idea of multiple holograms of the Doctor in the city addressing the Great Family to get them to see that Emerald was wrong. The ending with Basalt getting to see the surface of his planet was a really lovely way to conclude. Overall, a terrific read!

Rating: 8/10