Heritage: Rulers of Earth

"The Old Gods will not be denied."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: October 2020

Series: Paternoster Gang 4.03

Featuring: Vastra, Jenny, Strax

Synopsis

Ancient forces have risen, Vastra and her friends are lost to each other, and a terrible prophecy is taking shape. 

A pretender to the throne allies with a force from prehistory, while an unlikely ally searches for the Paternosters.

The Gang must face their destiny, as the fate of Earth is decided....

Verdict

Rulers of Earth was a great story to conclude both the fourth volume of Heritage, and to this point the spinoff of the Paternoster Gang! If this is all we get from the tremendous trio, then I'm very happy with the twelve-story run and it tied up nicely here paying homage to the series as a whole. It very much had a 'part two' feel following on from the cliffhanger at the end of The Ghost Writers and having Vastra taken over by Anura was done really well. It was fun to hear Neve McIntosh get to be a little evil and that really allowed Jenny to shine with her love in peril. I think Jenny has been somewhat quiet in this boxset, but she was able to really standout here which was delightful. I'm a big fan of hers and opening with a conversation between her and Strax as they were both dead was very amusing. The reference to A Good Man Goes to War where Strax had actually died was excellent and quite the argument of Strax claiming to have never been defeated. The pair have such good chemistry and the comments about their previous game of I Spy was just incredible as it didn't go well, with Strax mentioning how all spies on Sontar were executed! Incredible stuff. I loved the comment about Edith's handbag now also being a means of concealing weaponry and it seems Strax was very impressed with the tactical defence of hair and now the bag. So simple but so effective. With the threat of Anura and the Tenebrae dating back to the Silurian era, it was really nice to have Vella return as the Silurian from the Bloomsbury Bunch. There were the expected references to A Photograph to Remember which were really strong and I loved that her absence in Truth and Bone was explained due to her hunting of Silurian caves as she felt the ancient presence too. I am a big fan of the long plan playing out there and I think it really worked as her return had a strong impact. The Tenebrae served as quite the cult and with Anura at the helm, it was clear that the route to safety was to bring Vastra back to the forefront of her consciousness. It was obvious Jenny was going to be the key to that, but the emotion that came from that was still fantastic. The insinuation at the end of Jenny's glorious green energy comment being on purpose so she would get in 'trouble' later was fun and I adored Strax's reaction. One element I really enjoyed about Anura and the Tenebrae was the myth and how it would be used to gain the power of the Third Eye. That really paid homage to the Silurians we saw in the Classic era and really added to its significance. I thought the creation of a new mythical legend at the story's conclusion was wonderful and really did feel like a goodbye to the Paternoster Gang as we had a glorious summary of their creation, a nice mention of the Doctor who helped bring them together, and Strax wanting a strong mention for his contribution was lovely. The Great Detective had grown into an incredible legend and had very high status at Paternoster Row and the vicinity beyond, and this was a fitting culmination of that. Vella going on her way with the Duke and would-be king was fun stuff, especially with the insinuation of her eating them en her journey to send the Tractate deep into the oceans. Overall, a great audio to complete the series! 

Rating: 8/10