The Mutation of Time

"I think it's about time that some people remembered that these journeys of mine are for the purpose of scientific discovery!"

Writer: John Peel
Format: Novel
Released: October 1989
Series: Target 142

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven, Sara

Synopsis

The Daleks' Masterplan is well under way. With the Time Destructor, the most deadly machine ever devised, they will conquer the Universe. Only one person stands in their way – the Doctor. For he has stolen the precious Taranium core which is vital to activate the machine.

Travelling through Time and Space, the Doctor and his companions are forever on the move in case the Daleks track them down.

But after several months, to their horror, the TARDIS indicates that they are being followed...

Verdict

The Mutation of Time was an excellent continuation of Mission to the Unknown to conclude the novelisations of The Daleks' Masterplan! The story so epic it required two books and it's clear to see why. This one felt a little different its predecessor and I was very much a fan of it having a feeling of being separate and almost like a sequel. I don't think it would have been beneficial to just start where things left off without any explanation. Here, we had an interlude chapter with Sara in her room and suffering from bad dreams where she was constantly reminded of killing her brother Bret Vyon. She was a troubled character and I liked how avenging her brother's death was driving her forward. The Doctor was terrific in this one and the personality of the first incarnation was captured so well! He was incredibly flippant during some passages and I was laughing out loud when he told both Steven and Sara that he just needed one thing of them and that was to shut up. Magnificent. No other Doctor would have got away with that. I was a little surprised that close to a third of the book was devoted to The Feast of Steven, but it was such an intriguing read full of fun and humour. It's not exactly how you'd expect a Dalek novelisation to begin with the title that it had (a great one at that). Mavic Chen was good as the lead villain alongside the Daleks, but despite how good the story was I do think there was one too many instances of certain death on the cards only for Chen to pipe up and provide a rational explanation as to why someone needed to stay alive. I liked the idea and Chen playing with the Daleks and trying to flaunt his own authority, but I do question whether the Daleks would have been as patient as they were. The Black Dalek and Red Dalek were fantastic and I liked the continuation of the Dalek hierarchy. The ending of the book with regards to them and the Dalek Prime was brilliant. It left things open for what was to come with the Second Doctor. The Monk's return was terrific and I loved the continuation from The Time Meddler and the explanation as to how he managed to fix his TARDIS. The comedy that came with his fiendish methods to get revenge was marvellous and the reaction he had when confronted by a Dalek was excellent. The Doctor continuing to mess about with his old friend was tremendous and I loved how he made use of the Monk's lack of locking his TARDIS door to get the directional unit required to get back to Kembel. The Doctor having to give up the tarnaium core was a shocking moment, but I was even more surprised to find that he was the one who activated the Time Destructor! The constant jumping around setting was fun, if not perhaps a tad too reminiscent of The Chase, but encountering different locals was magnificent. There was always so much going on whilst having on overarching story going on in the background. Mavic Chen's insanity coming into full fruition was wonderful and it was really good to see how he was unable to realise the Daleks were never going to see him on equal terms. Chen's reaction when he was locked in with the other delegates was very good. Even then he still wanted to bring them the Doctor and his companions! Sara's desire for Chen to die was a brilliant thread throughout the book and when the Spar blew up, she seemed so relieved after the Doctor had battled to keep him alive to unite Earth against the Daleks. When that failed, using the Daleks' weapon against them was the only way to defeat them. The consequences were dire for Sara. That passage was extraordinary and full of emotion as the struggle for the Doctor and Sara to get back to the TARDIS through the winds of the Time Destructor ensued in devastating detail. Sara's death was detailed suddenly and very heartfelt with Steven and the Doctor looking on in the TARDIS with despair at what had happened. It was a devastating end to an epic story!

Rating: 9/10