The Dawn of the Kotturuh

 

"You will now take up as much of the universe as you deserve."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Short Story

Released: September 2020

Series: Time Lord Victorious

Featuring: The Kotturuh

Synopsis

The Kotturuh appoint themselves bringers of death and begin to judge all life in the known universe.

Verdict

Dawn of the Kotturuh was an outstanding short story to really delve into something that will be crucial to the Time Lord Victorious story arc! I really was impressed with this and it immediately captured my attention as I was reading it. I was settling down to start The Knight, the Fool and the Dead but remembered I had the newsletter email still sitting in my inbox and thought it would be beneficial to get a bit of insight into what the Kotturuh were as I don't think they really had any bearing on Defender of the Daleks and Monstrous Beauty which actually quite surprised me. However, this little short story told me everything I needed to know and more! I wasn't actually intending on using this little piece as a blogged entry but it was so good that I just couldn't not start writing about it. I can't give it enough praise. It was so simple but I think the very essence of the Kotturuh are what made it so effective. I love the idea of them going from planet to planet in a time where even the Eternals were young and them basically creating the concept of a lifespan is marvellous. The very thought of species living in perpetual existence is certainly envious, but to get an example, the first instance in fact, of the Kotturuh judging a species and deciding their lifespan would be three months was magnificent. The matter of fact way they judged the people of Birinji was fantastic and I adored their calm nature. At this moment, despite what they are doing and the impact it will have a wide number of species and planets, they don't actually seem to have evil intentions. They're simply after a sustainable universe where every species that inhabits it is only around as long as it can offer something or show its worth. That is so much fun and I cannot wait for the Doctor to interact with them. One thing I am intrigued by is how the Kotturuh came to find themselves in the position of judging species and planets. Who gave them the right? I do hope we get that as the Time Lord Victorious story rolls on. Majoral as the main character alongside the Kotturuh in this short story worked well and the disbelief she showed when the Kotturuh were comparing them to the crystal moths was magnificent. Such a small species seemed to offer so much more in the future was terrific. I thought the view the Kotturuh had on the universe was magnificent with it being a great song and I really don't think they are aware of the effect they have on those they judge. It was superb to see how quickly their judgement descended the people Birinji into a manic panic and state of shock. Three months was all they had. Three cycles around a moon. And then, their worth was over. In a longer and more detailed story, I look forward to seeing what elements the Kotturuh judge a species or planet on, but for now this was a wonderful introduction and a really impressive way to bring them into the overall story arc. This was just the beginning. Lifespans were brought to the Dark Times, so where will the Doctor encounter them? How many species will they have judged and condemned to death? I look forward to finding out. Overall, an excellent little short story! 

Rating: 10/10