Fever Island

"What is it like to dream?"

Writer: Jonathan Barnes

Format: Audio

Released: February 2019

Series: FDA 8.06

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Ann, K9

Synopsis

Jason Vane is England's suavest secret agent, and today he's on his deadliest mission yet. Tracking down the evil Okulov... before he destroys the world. 

The Doctor, Ann and K9 are, in contrast, finding their own mission a little hard to complete. A strange storm in the vortex has swept them back in time, back to Earth in 1978 and a strange place called 'Fever Island'.

A place where their worst nightmares are about to come true...

Verdict

Fever Island was an excellent audio adventure to continue along the eighth series of Fourth Doctor Adventures! Despite the consistent ratings across a number of episodes comprising the series thus far, this was my favourite of the bunch and it was oh so close to receiving full marks for my rating. It just wasn't quite there, but it was still a joyous list. I loved the character of Jason Vane and hearing of his bad dreams at the start of the story and how he was a secret agent was great stuff. I enjoyed the continuity from Time's Assassin with the TARDIS having dumped the chronon wave in the Vortex and been pushed back in time to 1978. K9 picking up a message about dreams was really intriguing given his inability to dream and I liked the mystery of him being unable to explain where the message derived. The Commodore giving Vane a last mission of burying her body after revealing she was actually working for the Kremlin was fantastic and I loved her claim that Okulov still lived and could be found on Fever Islands. The fantastical feel of the adventures was superb. I liked that the TARDIS was transported back through a storm and the source being in 1978 will surely have some connection to The Sinestran Kill. K9 being left behind in the TARDIS but then having his tracking override instructions to follow the Doctor and Ann to avert danger was great. He had another solid episode as companion! Ann and the Doctor quickly realising they were being followed by Jason was fun and I liked from there that we were soon introduced to Jessel and Caroline. Their experimentation with aperture was intriguing and I liked how Jessel didn't want to stop despite the arrival of innocent civilians. That said all that was required about him! The mystery behind the mist that stemmed from the aperture was brilliant and I liked the excitement of everyone running away from it that concluded with K9 being upended and then the Doctor being swallowed by it as he went back for his robot dog. The result with the Doctor apparently turning into Okulov and K9 also being his servant made for a magnificent cliffhanger! This was definitely a story I'd describe as barmy and Jason having to stop and realise how ridiculous his life sounded when it was stated aloud was fantastic. The stranger on the island being consumed by the mist was a little harrowing and I loved learning that it was mist from another dimension that had the ability to warp reality. That was a very good concept and it explained a lot as far as Vane was concerned! However, the aperture it stemmed from was now opening itself which sparked danger, along with the mist having fed on Jason's dreams which included an imagined role for Okulov's son that carried the plague! A historical threat of that nature made things very real in a story full of fantasy. The personality of Okulov reasserting itself in the Doctor was good and I thought Tom Baker did a stellar job with his performance. K9 stunning his master multiple times to be sure that the Doctor had reverted back to his normal self was a wonderful comedic moment. I liked how Jason's true identity was initially classified and I think it ought to have stayed that way for longer before we found out he was actually a supply teacher from Kentish Town called Clive. Jessel revealing the military had funded his experiment in the hopes of getting a weapon to disorientate the enemy was not too surprising, even if it was a little late, but I really liked how Clive had to become secret agent Jason Vane once again in order to close the aperture for good. Overall, a brilliant audio! 

Rating: 9/10