The Thirteenth Stone

"This is a school trip, not an alien invasion."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Audio

Released: November 2007

Series: SJA Audio 02

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Luke, Maria, Clyde

Synopsis

Sarah Jane is helping out on a school trip with Luke, Maria, and Clyde's class. On the way home, the group stop off at the Stone Whisperers, a dozen standing stones enclosed by a dome. Set apart from the circle is a thirteenth stone: the King Stone. Legend has it that this is an evil king who was captured in battle by twelve knights, and turned to stone. To keep him imprisoned, the knights too turned to stone, holding him forever in their power. Nice story, but it's just a myth – isn't it?

Luke find himself strangely drawn to the King Stone. Over two metres high, and covered in moss, it glows with a strange, unearthly light. But when the secret of the stones is finally revealed, the school party's enthusiasm turn to terror.

Verdict

The Thirteenth Stone was a very good and enjoyable Sarah Jane Adventures audio! I thought this was a great story from start to finish and one that continued my way through the complete collection of SJA audios from the BBC on Audible very nicely. I'm certainly making the most of the free trial! I was glad to hear Elisabeth Sladen once again as the narrator and she really is quite terrific. Her little impressions of Luke and Clyde were amusing and it really is just always a treat to hear the great woman reprising her Sarah Jane role as well. It definitely helps in this style of audio that the narrator is the lead character. I liked the idea of a school trip occurrence and Sarah Jane taking on the role of one of the parent helpers was really good and a nice excuse to get her away from the usual setting of Bannerman Road in Ealing and its vicinity. Maria's comment about not wanting her dad on the trip was very amusing as she didn't mean anything harsh or foul by it, but could immediately see in Sarah's face how Luke must feel by her presence. Once there was any sign of threat though, Sarah took social courtesies completely out of the picture which was nice. Of course, there were no later series other than the original when this audio was released but you really could tell that it was set during or alongside Series 1. Sarah Jane was still getting to grips with being Luke's mother and she didn't even seem comfortable to be called mum which really caught me off guard. Clyde had a great outing in this adventure and he definitely seemed more involved than he was in The Glittering Storm which was really nice. He was gaining considerable knowledge at the Stone Whisperers and quickly befriended the caretaker which I liked. His comment about the soap dispenser as well was terrific. I thought the legend of the Stone Whisperers was very interesting and Clyde working out and knowing the significance of twelve stones all looking at the King Stone in a guard-like manner was excellent. I thought the entire concept of the knights turning to stone so they too could guard Ravage who they'd turned to stone was marvellous. I liked that when the inevitable rise and coming of Ravage occurred, he talked through Luke and the use of mathematical problems and equations to keep Luke's consciousness there was impressive and clever. Luke was vulnerable which isn't something seen too often in the Sarah Jane Adventures but the mind battle that ensued to be rid of Ravage and have him back in imprisonment provided us with a tense and exciting conclusion. Maria was a little quiet throughout, but that was absolutely fine and for me it was just nice and refreshing to have a change of setting and something as realistic as a school trip. I could easily see this story being a part of the inaugural series and just having Sladen narrating made this a very enjoyable seventy minutes! Overall, a fantastic little audio.

Rating: 8/10