The Menagerie

"I am quite aware of the evil of science."

Writer: Martin Day

Format: Novel

Released: May 1995

Series: Missing Adventures 10

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe

Synopsis 

'It is said that this city rests over the great menagerie. Men who felt tempted to meddle in science were cursed and turned into beasts.'

A nameless city on a primitive, rain-sodden planet. The ruling Knights of Kuabris strive to keep order as hideous creatures emerge from the sewers to attack the populace. It seems that there might be some truth in the prophecies after all.

While Jamie languishes in the castle dungeons, the Doctor is forced to lead an expedition beneath the city to search for the fabled Menagerie of Ukkazaal. Meanwhile Zoe has been sold as a slave to a travelling freak show – and one of the exhibits is coming to life.

Verdict 

The Menagerie was a decent Missing Adventures novel! I’m always a fan of the trio of the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe and they were utilised very well here. It’s good to have placement with this series of books so I really appreciated the references to The Space Pirates with it being their most recent adventure. Jamie didn’t remember the LIZ 79 too fondly which was fun whilst Zoe was hoping for something a little more traditional and frankly safe. To my surprise in that situation, the Doctor didn’t have the TARDIS end up on Earth! Having a sociological discussion was good and Jamie’s contributions were amusing as that kind of academic know how seemed somewhat beyond him. The theory of societies developing and even twinning each other was fascinating but Jamie was struggling to buy into that idea. He did allude to something similar with the Redcoats which was good, but as a whole he liked to cast doubt on the more scientific nature of the Doctor and Zoe. That’s a fun TARDIS dynamic. I thought the setting was intriguing and initially I had Game of Thrones vibes for the makeup of the city and its differing species almost acting as different houses. We had the likes of the Duqrags and the Rocarbies to compliment the authority of the City Guard with all having differing views on science and the Higher. It was a strong society and world to explore, but I must say it also got slightly stale in some parts. A little more excitement and this could have been great, and whilst not bad it didn’t quite reach the heights. I thought Zaitabor was a strong character and certainly the best of the bunch that featured here. The Knights of Kuabris were very good and I enjoyed the shock of his true feelings. The whole concept of science being a very touchy subject here was portrayed very nicely. This was a society that didn’t approve of technology and talk of science was on the same grounds as blasphemy. The Brotherhood of Revulox were one of the religions and I liked exploring the differing beliefs. I was impressed with how dark the book was and that’s in terms of atmosphere not theme. There was a strong adult theme too with Kaquaan being a prostitute. She was referred to as a whore, had her breasts felt by a guard who simply referred to them as ‘not bad’ and on more than one occasion was said to open her legs easily. That’s probably a bit too mature for a Doctor Who story in my opinion, but I do appreciate the realism it provides. Jamie certainly took to her which was amusing! She even said to make sure he thinks of her when he rescues the other ladies on his travels which was nice. The suggestion at the end that he spent a day or two with her was fun and left a lot to the imagination. I thought the twins of Raitak and Reisak were good characters too and they built a strong relationship with Zoe throughout the book. The fact Jamie had to be warned about his thoughts regarding them as well was very amusing. He’s a dark horse is our Jamie! The characterisation of the Second Doctor was decent and I do enjoy having Zoe be on a similar intellect to him. It’s a good trait in a companion and with this often clumsy incarnation it’s a nice way to level them out. The build of the plot focusing on the reemergence of the Mecrim was good although I do think it was dragged out. Zoe experiencing a rogue one and the death scale it caused was devastating, but then we had three chapters in a row that basically ended with the same semi-cliffhanger of them being near to returning from the ground. The city being built on top of the old one was good and I liked how the Mecrim were doused in legend, but the appearance of them was a little convoluted and I actually struggled to find them frightening in my head. I did like the homunculus being an android which was fun and was a crucial cog in the truth of the city which the Doctor explained to Zaitabor rather emphatically! It made sense and was logical with the microbe threat and the casket containing a creature. It all tied well. I thought the Doctor’s plan of shooting each Mecrim with a bullet without it exploding was good as they only recognised heat signatures so that would confuse them and start civil war. It worked, but unfortunately Cosmae wouldn’t survive the explosion that took out the Mecrim amidst their fighting. His love for Kaquaan was admirable but he was mocked for it given her standing. She was saddened by his death though and it was nice to know she wanted to save him. Overall, a decent read! 

Rating: 7/10