The Transcendence of Ephros

"They're all going to die for the sake of a lie."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: November 2016

Series: Third Doctor Adventures 2.01

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo

Synopsis

The Doctor and Jo arrive on the dying planet Ephros, where Galactux Power Inc is exploiting the world's remaining resources. But something is stirring beneath the surface...

Verdict

The Transcendence of Ephros was a really good audio adventure to kick off the second series of the Third Doctor Adventures! I think I am more than accustomed with Tim Treloar in the role of the Third Doctor now and he did another fantastic job in representing Jon Pertwee's incarnation here. I liked how things started full of action and there was no messing around after an opening full of intrigue with the Doctor noticing how the stars were in something of a grid one pattern and straight line. Before they could ponder more, the TARDIS was lost beneath the surface following a tremor which was good and whilst the idea is far from original, it provided a good plot issue to try and resolve. The planet of Ephros was a good setting and I liked how it was in perpetual darkness. The Sortan religion was great as well and I liked getting introduced to all of the followers. Mother Finsey being blind but wearing glasses that provided her with essentially full vision was really good and I thought it was good how her hearing sense remained acute. The concept behind the Great Rebirth was brilliant and I really enjoyed that Transcendence was looming. The cliffhanger at the end of part one was very well done with Galactux looking to harness the energy released when the planet exploded. The Sortan followers believing that with that explosion they would reach the next level of consciousness beyond was quite something! The Doctor and Jo's lack of knowledge regarding this meant they didn't last long pretending to be Galactux members which was really fun. Temper was a very good character and I enjoyed his relationship with the Doctor very much, especially when they went to extract the TARDIS and actually went within. Karswell was an excellent villainous character as the head of Galactux and his conversations with Quail after he'd captured Jo with quite the rouse was tremendous. The second cliffhanger with Jo being in a crumbling mess was probably the weakest of the three, but it resulting in her thinking that the Doctor was lost beneath was fantastic. I really loved her conversation with Finsey about their wise men and how the Doctor was hers. Quail being shot was an unexpected development and that allowed Bartram to really step up and avenge the death which was great. Jo continuing to voice her displeasure at the Transcendence was really great and I liked how she was pleading, specifically for the children as they were too young to choose to follow. The introduction of the Thraxian lava worms was interesting and the Doctor knowing of them worked well as he knew that it was they that would be responsible for Ephros exploding rather than a natural event. The Time Lords had wiped them out and weren't supposed to exist, but they had been genetically engineered from Throx with only Galactux standing to gain. The timeline of the story being in line with Frontier in Space was a lot of fun and the difficulties that then came with the Doctor wanting to stop the expliosn were fantastic. I wasn't expecting Temper to somewhat turn against him by tying him up as he knew that the planet needed to explode. He didn't seem to want to ponder what might happen if there was no Transcendence. The cliffhanger at the end of part three was sublime with the revelation that her wise man she had talked about was the Master and I just love that even when he doesn't appear, he has a big impact on yet another Third Doctor tale. Her wanting to speed up the process of the planetary explosion was good and I loved her describing the history of her time with the Master. They caused a lot of destruction together and she was responsible for the entire Sortan religion which was a wonderful revelation. I was a very big fan of that. Her respect for the Master even after he had got rid of her was admirable for all of the wrong reasons but now she wanted to initiate the breeding of the worms to heat up the planet. Temper finding out that Finsey was responsible was great and he got shot for his discover but managed to tell the Doctor what he'd learned before passing. Karswell taking the Doctor's advice and deciding to save rather line his profits for Galactux was a brilliant moment and I also enjoyed how Jo was fighting against the worms and using her being one of only a small number of females at UNIT to make her thick skinned. The Doctor's way of dealing with the larva worms was great by programming the transmat to their DNA and using a wave pattern to send them into space where they would safely explode without damage. Karswell's hasty button pressing with the cargo ship mention was a fun moment too and I liked how those of the religion were disappointed not to reach Transcendence. Overall, a terrific audio adventure!

Rating: 9/10

Survival

 

"It's the law of the jungle."

Writer: Rona Munro

Format: Novel

Released: October 1990

Series: Target 150

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

'So what's so terrible about Perivale?' the Doctor asked as he caught up with her. 

Ace sighed again. 'Nothing ever happens here'.

Ace had wanted her homecoming to be spectacular. She had imagined the amazed greetings of her old old friends, the gasps of surprise as she recounted her time-travelling adventures.

But Perivale on a summer Sunday seems the least lively place in the universe. The members of Ace's old gang have gone away – disappeared. 

The Doctor has other things on his mind. What is killing the domestic pets of Perivale? Who are the horsemen whose hoofprints scar the recreation ground? Where have the missing persons been taken? Is the Doctor stepping into a well-prepared trap? And if so, can it be the work of the Doctor's old adversary the Master?

As Harvey the grocer said to his partner Len: "I'm telling you, you put a catflap in and you get anything coming into your house."

Verdict

Survival was a really good novelisation of the final story from the original Classic run of Doctor Who! This one didn't quite have the feeling of the end other than the postscript insert from the range editor at the end which was intriguing to read in hindsight about Target publishing the final story as of then, and I was quite stunned to see that the Doctor's monologue that is rather famous as he and Ace walk off into the sunset is completely omitted! I was stunned by that and slightly disappointed as I was looking forward to reading that and I was taken aback that the book didn't quite finish how I expected. I thought Rona Munro's prose style was certainly unique as there wasn't a lot of consistency with chapter and paragraph length which was quite strange but it definitely kept me on my toes when it came to reading! It was well fleshed out though and for a three part story, it easily worked in the 134 page count which is obviously a positive. It was quite clear to see where the three episodes on television finished in line with the chapters here and I have to say that it was even more noticeable in this format that the story was close to the modern era of Doctor Who with it taking us to Perivale and Ace's home. Her reaction to coming home was good because she didn't really want to be there and instead just wanted to check in on some of her mates. The Doctor immediately seemed preoccupied after arriving which was intriguing and I liked how the relationship with he and Ace continued to be partly contemptuous with him ignoring her emotion and feelings of being home. He was interested in the cats which I found amusing and I thought the image of the Seventh Doctor buying cat food in a shop magnificent being a cat owner myself. Of course, the main aspect of the feline kind was in the Cheetah People. I thought they were written so well and for me they were the highlight of this story in prose. I was a huge fan of how they were written and they definitely seemed more vicious and just more interesting. The entire concept of them hunting from one planet to the next was excellent and I loved that the Master had got caught up in their planetary affairs after causing a war involving them. The Doctor's reaction to the Master's presence was great but I loved how he enjoyed finding out that the Master was stuck. I thought the passage about midway through the novel where the Doctor and the Master's history together was explained along with the latter's hatred of the former was brilliant stuff and it really did sell their bitterness and unfriendly relationship in an outstanding way. It was perfect to be honest. The Doctor describing to Ace how he was his equal and one day he expected one of them to wipe out the other was great. I loved how the Master was infected with the power of the Cheetah planet and him needing the Doctor for help was quite the request. That was presented really well. His knowledge of Ace was interesting in creating Perivale as a target and it was fantastic for Ace to be reunited with her crew after being transported to the Cheetah world. Midge was a good character and I liked that the Master was able to use him to get back somewhere resembling normality. His efforts of stealing the TARDIS were wonderful with the Doctor popping up from behind. Karra and Ace's relationship was superb after the latter was taken by the planet's force and the entire idea of a planet being alive was magnificent. I was a big fan of that and throwing in that it was dying worked well. It saw the Master's fate presumably sealed as the Doctor gave him a clubbing blow that the author indicated was meant to be one of death, but the Doctor then accepted the planetary power just in time to jump back home which was the TARDIS. Karra's death was a powerful moment and I loved how the story was used for Ace to realise that she wanted her life with the Doctor, and nothing else. Overall, a great read!

Rating: 9/10

Imperiatrix

"I am not Gallifreyan but that does not mean I am lower."

Writer: Stewart Sheargold

Format: Audio

Released: August 2005

Series: Gallifrey 2.05

Featuring: Romana II, Leela, K9

Synopsis

The Free Time influence in the Capital is spreading, while Darkel has played her hand and opposition to Romana's policies from without and within is growing. When the bombs start going off, the President of Gallifrey decides enough is enough.

While Leela and K9 race to track down the terrorist to avoid more bloodshed, Romana enters into a risky bargain for control with a dangerous, influential figure from her past. But she soon discovers that the answer to her problems lies in the future. A future she has already witnessed. And one she has been trying to avoid.

Someone desperately wants this future and will stop at nothing to make it occur. Even if it means leading Romana and Gallifrey to war...

Verdict

Imperiatrix was a great finale to the second series of Gallifrey! This one was quite a unique format with the extended time to over one hour and forty minutes, but having a cliffhanger with only twenty-eight minutes remaining seemed rather odd! Romana's dreams at the start with the Nekistani prisoners was intriguing and I enjoyed how she had an aura with her booming voice. Discovering that Andred had been murdered was a big shock and I liked how despite their recent differences, Leela wanted to avenge her husband's death. The concept of a bomb going off at the Academy was extraordinary given then peaceful nature of Gallifrey and having alien casualties was only going to incite trouble. Leela's traditional ways of looking upon the dead was quite touching in that moment. Discovering that footage of the terrorist implementing his actions was good and set a good basis for the plot and I liked the development of Pandora's control within the partition growing. Her contact through K9 once again worked well and I liked how she was aiding Romana's future come true. But in return she wanted help which was to be expected. Darkel being shown as at the bomb site prior to detonation was interesting and it seemed clear that she was involved. Narvin being the one that was on the verge of being framed as his access codes were used worked well and I loved the prospect of the CIA being behind the attacks but Narvin not being aware. Could he have lost control to Darkel? K9's scans inadvertently triggering a second bomb was a shocking moment and Hallan disobeying presidential orders to shut the doors early and condemn many to their deaths was quite something. Romana forced him to see the ash he had created and Leela was distraught that her K9 was destroyed. He was her last part of the Doctor and Leela's feeling of not belonging on Gallifrey were growing. Romana was getting flustered with everything that was going on which I liked and her edging towards accepting her fate as Imperiatrix was excellent. Antimon the commentator throughout the story being revealed as the terrorist was a little surprising but it shouldn't have been so unexpected. Narvin seeing that Darkel had been using him was good and I liked the concept of the media cameras having bombs within because they were several and widespread. Antimon attacking Leela at the cliffhanger wasn't the most impactful shock, but things moving forward in a pacy part two were terrific with Romana claiming the role of Imperiatrix as foreshadowed. The Inquisitor claiming it as a legend of the Old Times was good and Romana retaliating that past law is still law and she was bringing the past to Darkel was wonderful. I was a big fan. Narvin admitting giving the codes to Darkel was a big moment because the admittance was not expected. Romana then claiming that everything was essentially a charade to reveal the true intentions of Darkel was marvellous as she wanted to stop the coup. Hallan committing himself to Romana's side was great and his shooting of Darkel's guards was quite something! Antimon revealing his edict of recording mishaps in Romana for Darkel was really good but he was just after CIA access as he was actually a Free Time agent which was brilliant for the overall continuity of the spinoff. He was the one that provided the dogma virus and he wanted to serve his cause, even if it had meant killing his own peoples. He wanted to stop the monopoly Gallifrey supposedly had on time but Leela killed him from behind in the name of K9, Winter and Andred which was a fitting moment. But things didn't end there as Antimon revealed Andred's killer and provided a new bomb threat which with the help of K9, through some Pandora bargaining, was sorted with a pulse wave. But Pandora was manifesting now through bio-data and out stepped Romana's first incarnation! I really wasn't expecting that but it appears the two have become one and she had always been there within. This Romana took the title from her successor which was fun and I loved the claim from Romana II that her previous incarnation committed suicide. From what we saw in Destiny of the Daleks, that would appear to be more accurate than II murdering I. Romana admitting that she did kill Andred consumed by the Pandora dreams was a powerful moment but we quickly got an ambush that left Leela laying and possibly dead with K9 in her control as well which was terrific. Romana II had already dissolved the Chapters and the High Council so there was nobody left to challenge Pandora and her resumed role as Imperatrix which has set things up very nicely for the third series! Overall, a very good end to a consistent series.

Rating: 8/10

Insurgency

"I'm trying my best to lead Gallifrey into the future!"

Writer: Steve Lyons

Format: Audio

Released: July 2005

Series: Gallifrey 2.04

Featuring: Romana II, Leela, K9

Synopsis

They are the brightest minds of their generation; the architects of tomorrow. And now, they have the chance to attend the finest, most exclusive school known to temporal powers. After millennia of secrecy, the Gallifreyan Academy has opened its doors to off-worlders...

But the experiment is failing. As interracial violence erupts in the corridors of learning, somebody is using the students as pawns in a political power game – and, while Tutor Leela struggles to unravel the motives of her ex-husband, Andred, President Romana may be falling under an ancient spell.

It's a dangerous time to be a stranger on Gallifrey. It seems that not all Time Lords wants to share their secrets...

Verdict

Insurgency was another really good and solid audio adventure to continue what is shaping up to be quit the consistent second series of Gallifrey! Whilst I did enjoy this one, there was definitely a feeling of just hanging around as we head to the finale which was weird, but I think that was its purpose and it did a good job of adding to what has been set up for an epic conclusion! I liked that we got more involvement from the students of the Academy that were welcomed to Gallifrey for the first time under Romana's rule and Nelok was definitely a standout character at the start of the story. The mentions of the Prydonian college and wanting to follow in the footsteps of the Doctor were great and I like that even in his absence, he had clearly made a lasting mark on his home planet. Leela being involved as a tutor was a lot of fun and I really loved that Romana wanted her to teach the students wisdom. I also welcomed the references to The Invasion of Time and how Leela was partly responsible for stopping the Sontarans. She was almost revered which was quite lovely to hear. Her confrontation continuing with Andred was quite emotional as she reminded us of having already mourned her husband and she was clearly hurt when he claimed that she disappointed him! Her talk of him having different hearts and a different soul on top of becoming a different person with regeneration was powerful stuff, but it was nice that there was a suggestion of the pair somewhat reconciling as the audio went on with Leela recognising the sickness of his post regenerative trauma. The old Andred was trying to find his way back which was really good and I do hope they make up in the finale. I'm not sure if it will actually happen though! The new acting High Chancellor in the form of Valyes was an interesting character and with his appointment coming from the High Council, it appears that he is going to cause some issues to Romana. His involvement in revoking the Matrix access to off-worlders was a prime example. Romana suggesting that her continued dreams were a warning was intriguing and I liked how she was able to converse with the future aspect of Pandora through K9. It only now being able to talk of the future was good and a different dynamic, with the suggestion from Narvin that Romana was already under the influence perhaps having credence at the end of the audio. Darkel's political scheming was great with her provoking Gallifreyan civil war tensions whilst also wanting to lay waste to the temporal powers and isolate Gallifrey once more, at least according to Pandora. Taylor and B'arech breaching access to the Matrix was good and I liked how Andred wasn't going to reprimand them. The latter character was definitely the highlight of the students. His search for the Great Key of Rassilon ending up in his demise was really interesting and quite sudden! Pandora's suggestion that the dogma virus may have already infected a number of Time Lords was fantastic and that could set up a brilliant element of the season finale. I look forward to hearing what occurs there. Romana resisting the implementation of the ancient edict to create a dictatorship in her name was good and I do wonder if that is what will end up happening. Romana's suggestion that the only way the Imperiatrix would return is if it was her choice was unexpected and her claim that Pandora could guide her on the future leads me to think Romana isn't quite what she seems. The way she asserted power at the end with appointing Leela in charge of security and rejecting her resignation, giving her more power than Valyes was brilliant and excellently performed by Lalla Ward. Overall, an enjoyable listen that has set the finale up very nicely with Darkel challenging Romana for the presidency. 

Rating: 8/10

Pandora

"The genie is back in the bottle, but how long until it wakes up again?"

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Audio

Released: June 2005

Series: Gallifrey 2.03

Featuring: Romana II, Leela, K9

Synopsis

A rogue TARDIS that should not exist... A mutilated comatose Time Lord who cannot be identified... A new Castellan desperate to make his mark... Evils of the past, events of the present, and echoes of the future conspire to destroy the very heart of Gallifrey's civilisation.

Only Romana can understand it – but she is haunted by her own ghosts. Only Leela can sense it – but she has unfinished business. Only Braxiatel can stop it – but he cannot being to guess the personal cost.

With both Narvin and Darkel waiting for Romana to make a mistake, the President must take decisions that will change Gallifrey forever. And an ancient evil is ready and waiting for just that moment?

Verdict

Pandora was another great audio adventure to continue the second series of Gallifrey! I must admit that whilst I still thoroughly enjoyed, I was expecting a little more regarding the character of Pandora given that this was also the story's title. Regardless, it was a very good listen and the continuity from Spirit was immediate which I enjoyed. Utilising K9's abilities to detail the injuries of the broken man was quite something and the prospect and suggestion that this figure was known to them was expected, but the confirmation was great and really quite powerful. I'm going to jump right ahead but the scene where we discovered that the broken man was actually Winter was beyond uncomfortable and really gave credence to Pandora as an enemy because the mental torment that she was able to exert was incredible. Hearing the audio of his brain waves and the voice of Pandora in Winter's head was excruciating and I liked how that came full circle with the confusion in the containment earlier in the story with Leela. K9 being broken within was a good development and I loved Leela's literal sense thinking that Winter was conversing with her. Her seeing the broken man wondering around was also a horrific moment retrospectively as the man we met on Davidia was still contained. Of course, he was at a different point in his personal timeline, which just made things worse. The fate that befell Winter was just awful as he was manipulated in such a way through mental torture that he crushed his own hands with the containment door and then proceeded to bite his own tongue out which was beyond gruesome. The thought of that is astonishing and beggars belief. He also shot himself in the hope of regeneration because of his burned body from the doing of Pandora and added together, it was all rather disturbing. Powerful and uncomfortable stuff. I liked that Andred and Leela confronted one another and it's about time that they tried and sort their issues out. I expect they will end up reconciling and this was a good step towards that. Their efforts to stop Pandora at the end after he revealed that Darkel was aiding him and freed him from prison was very good and I liked them pairing up. The Inquisitor's role was somewhat unexpected here as she was seemingly aiding the would-be Imperiatrix. The political stuff was good again and I liked the clash between Narvin and Braxiatel with the latter having been appointed High Chancellor after persuading Romana to reprise the role. The Free Time movement making a comeback in the form of the student in the vault hoping to tarnish the water supply with regeneration poison was very good and I'm intrigued to see how much of a link there might be back to that and Series 1. Pandora being described as feeding on ambition and greed was good and her desire to rebuild Gallifrey in her own image was wonderful. I thought that was nicely done. Her voice sounded so much more scheming this time around which worked well, but the ability of Braxiatel to contain Pandora within his own mind was rather impressive! In doing so, he had to sever ties with Gallifrey and the Matrix and leave the planet, but that was something he knew and chose to do. He wanted to leave anyway. The Inquisitor stripping him of his newfound title despite his desire to keep it was quite harsh of her, but it showed her manipulative nature. The threat and warning from Braxiatel that Pandora existed in three forms was great because whilst he had contained the past and the present, the future was yet to come which leaves things open very nicely for the future and a presumed coming of the future form of Pandora. Overall, a very good audio!

Rating: 8/10

Spirit

 

"Trust has no meaning on your world."

Writer: Stephen Cole

Format: Audio

Released: May 2005

Series: Gallifrey 2.02

Featuring: Romana II, Leela

Synopsis

Leela is tired. Tired of the backbiting politics and intrigues in the sterile society of Time Lords. With the fate of her husband now known, she feels lonely and out of place on Gallifrey.

Romana is tired. Tired of justifying herself and her policies to a hostile council. With the line between allies and enemies beginning to blur, she persuades Leela to go with her to the presidential retreat of Davidia, a protected paradise. 

Then an anomalous time ship arrives, carrying a single passenger. His hands are crushed, his tongue torn out, his mind destroyed. Is this broken man a victim of some terrible crime or part of a trap now primed and ready to spring? After this strange encounter, Romana and Leela may never be the same again.

Verdict

Spirit was a great continuation of the second series of Gallifrey! This was quite unique to the range which was good given that hardly any of the adventure actually took place on Gallifrey but the role it served in the story arc that encompasses the second series was really interesting. I liked how Leela was expressing how unhappy she was on Gallifrey and with all that had occurred with Andred, who could blame her? The mention of him having escaped from his prison cell was good and I hope there is more on that in a future story. I loved Leela's take on feeling lonely on this planet without her husband and almost pleaded how she had her own voice and just a singular body. The idea that Gallifrey's bio-fields have kept her young was fantastic though! The politics continuing on Gallifrey with the likes of Narvin and the Inquisitor is great and I like the threat of a dictatorship should Pandora get the upper hand in taking over Romana. Her now being on gardening leave with a presidential retreat to Davidia was really good and I liked that she wanted to take Leela with her for a well deserved break. This was an incredibly strong story for their relationship which was wonderful to hear. Hallan was a humorous character as the presidential escort and Melyin trying to manipulate him into some sort of a sexual encounter was intriguing, and I loved the twist at the end with her just using him to get removed from her role and secure her freedom. Leela and Romana agreeing to an activity of choice by the other was terrific and I loved how Romana was being taken into the wild lands. Leela's talk of fruit and spirits was magnificent and Romana countering that with her scientific explanation was equally as enjoyable. The contrast of Romana feeling like she didn't belong within the woodlands was brilliant but then things moved in a different direction quite quickly once the TARDIS containing the broken man arrived. Hallen's startling Romana and Leela in the wild was amusing and I thought the audio for this limited character was impressive and disturbing, which I think was the aim. Romana attempting to make contact was useless as his mind was broken and I loved how Leela was determined to provide a herbal remedy. Braxiatel conforming that the TARDIS print hadn't yet left Gallifrey was a nice surprise as I enjoy the issues caused by time travel on or concerning Gallifrey. There are all sorts of quandaries! The identity of the man, presumed Time Lord, was still unknown and the lack of tongue, hands and mind didn't make things easier. The prospect of the only way to discover him being if Romana connected with the Matrix was great because that opened up Pandora's way out which I liked. Almost as if everything was planned. Romana's idea of relaxation being the sensory tanks that she would endorse upon Leela was good and she also wanted the broken man to experience the heightened senses. What we got within was very interesting and it was so much fun to have Romana and Leela jumbled together. Lalla Ward's take on the savage was just wonderful. Really impressive. Things did get admittedly a little confusing within the dream as it wasn't clear that this was what it was. It turned out to be a shared dream and warning from the broken man on what would happen should a regeneration be forced and the symbol of the bat creatures was very good. The herbs from Leela had allowed the broken man to share synapses in the water and created a shared dream, and the warning it served was horrifying. It seems they have to condemn the broken man to continued torture and Romana to the Matrix. Overall, another really good audio adventure from the range!

Rating: 8/10

Lies

 

"Everybody hates the Academy."

Writer: Gary Russell

Format: Audio

Released: April 2005

Series: Gallifrey 2.01

Featuring: Romana II, Leela, K9, Romana I

Synopsis

Some time has passed since the events of the Timonic Fusion Device threatened Romana's presidency with impeachment, and life has calmed down on Gallifrey. Well, apart from Romana's latest scheme, the opening up of Gallifrey's famed Academy to the students of alien races with the ability, or the potential, to harness temporal powers.

Unfortunately, deep below the Capitol, Leela, confused and morose over the truth about her husband Andred, disturbs a malevolent power. Something from the Dark Days of Ancient Gallifrey.

Something that wants to be reborn and will use any and every means that is at hand. Including the past of Gallifrey's incumbant President...

Verdict

Lies was a superb start to the second series of Gallifrey! This spinoff produced a fantastic first series and it certainly seems that the next instalment is going to follow suit if this opener is anything to go by. I was enthralled from start to finish and I like that a decent chunk of time has passed since the events of Free Time were curtailed, but not so long that there is any noticeable differences on Gallifrey. Utilising Mary Tamm and throwing in the first incarnation of Romana is a stroke of genius and I was really intrigued to hear her in the Matrix early on. Discovering early Romana as fascinating and I liked how she wanted to fail an exam so she wouldn't seem so intelligent and be less disliked. That was quite sad though. The Inquisitor played an interesting role in the adventure after initially stating that she wanted Romana deposed as President, but then ordering the arrest of Narvin after Andred had killed the Archivists following access with Narvin's codes. The way Andred was also presented in the story was really interesting following the events of the first series. I loved the idea of him suffering from post-regenerative trauma and his impersonating Torvald immediately after regeneration meant his true personality hadn't a chance to settle and that made him quite a different man here to what we saw in The Invasion of Time, in spite of the regeneration. I thought Leela was a lot of fun with her K9 below the Citadel and her hearing voices of someone who claimed to be the past and present of Gallifrey and one that was coming home was intriguing. Of course, this turned out to be Pandora who was a great character (being?) who provides such a brilliant prospect. All of the talk regarding the Imperiatrix was magnificent and I liked the history lessons we got about this being the name taken by the first female President of Gallifrey who changed the Laws of Rassilon and had a desire for war. Could this possibly be the destiny for Romana? I like the dynamic that provides and look forward to further exploration as the series goes on. She was back now despite supposedly being dispersed and never having existed and being stuck in a time loop, so as far as comebacks go that was quite the feat! Braxiatel's history with Romana was excellent and I liked the idea of a mind block and the events of The Armageddon Factor being enough to break the conditioning, only for the subsequent regeneration to put things back in place. The way the two Romanas interacted was very good and I loved the idea of memories merging with them both being in the Matrix. Their efforts to trick Pandora were very good and they soon discovered the genetic link within Romana that could allow for Pandora's return. The discussion about the Pandora name cropping up throughout time and space and meaning similar in the form of a box that shouldn't be opened was wonderful and I love the idea of the basis for that being formed on Gallifrey. Castellan Winter was a really good character and I liked the politics at play throughout the story with him, Narvin and Braxiatel. The use of a Matrix partition in trapping Pandora was very quick and sudden but it worked well and I like how Romana has the control to release the Imperiatrix, something which I expect to backfire. The idea of her cottoning on to Narvin with his lack of sleep providing access was good and I also loved Leela's reaction to discovering that Romana's current body was not her first. Overall, this was a stunning opener!

Rating: 9/10

The Three Companions

 

"We were trapped in a moving morgue."

Writer: Marc Platt

Format: Audio

Released: April 2009 - February 2010

Series: Companion Chronicles: The Specials 01

Featuring: Second Doctor, Polly, Ben, Jamie, Third Doctor, Brigadier, Thomas Brewster

Synopsis

Polly Wright has tracked down an old friend of the Doctor's... Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, former Brigadier at UNIT. As they trade stories of their time travelling in the TARDIS, it soon becomes clear that their pasts are intertwined, and linked to a current crisis on the planet Earth. And there's a third companion, watching them from a distance. A certain Thomas Brewster...

Verdict

The Three Companions was a very good audio adventure! Now, I was listening to this in the omnibus style as part of the Companion Chronicles: The Specials format and whilst I thoroughly enjoyed listening, it was clear that consuming the story all in one go was not the best way to experience this particular adventure. I like the idea of an episodic format and even though you could kind of work out where the initial cliffhangers would be from the original ten minute episodes that accompanied Monthly Adventure releases, it would have worked better to have more than just the three splits. In saying that, having a focus on a separate adventure for each of Polly and the Brigadier was magnificent. Their conversation over email and letter was just wonderful and they are two companions that you just can't help but love. Hearing them together for the first time was marvellous and I just loved listening to their conversation. Polly having read a blog of Jo's was delightful and I liked the initial confusion when the Brigadier supplied a photograph of the Third Doctor, but Polly not recognising him having predominantly travelled with the Second Doctor. I really enjoyed that and her presence in The Tenth Planet made her accept straight away that the unfamiliar face was still the Doctor. The very idea of her wanting to catch up with him after 43 years since departing in The Faceless Ones was fantastic and it's actually a shame that her and the Brigadier didn't get to meet an incarnation at the end. The addition of Thomas Brewster was an intriguing element and provided an enigmatic feel to the story that provided something else to focus on. He's quite a mischievous character so hearing him clearly there to do a specific job was of great interest. I liked how things for him were set between The Haunting of Thomas Brewster and Time Reef with him having possession of the TARDIS. Except, that wasn't totally true with Mr L around. The whole concept behind him also being Gerry Lenz and Landler worked well and it was great to link the adventures both Polly and the Brigadier shared with one another. Polly's experience on CFC5 was brilliant and I thought the idea of a planet counting down to its destruction in the form of cremation was excellent! Splitting Ben and Jamie up from the Doctor and Polly was a good direction as far as the narration went and Anneke Wills was just tremendous throughout. Polly firmly remains right up there in terms of my favourite companions. The Brigadier is also a fantastic character and his experience at the fake Waterloo train station after stumbling aboard the TARDIS was really good. The impossible skyline description of a fractured London was great and I loved the idea of space being jumbled together. Gerry Lenz being on the freighter that the Doctor answered the distress call of was very good. I thought the reveal that the Coffin Loaders were present in all three stories was really good and them being scavengers that turned up at the end of a planet's life was brilliant. I was a big fan of them. Lenz turning out to be the financier of Jo and Cliff's plan to save the planet after it was being flooded and global warming was accelerating was good and that whole process was quite rapid! It made for a very pacy final third. I have to say, the Cliff impression was horrible but it was nice for him to get a little cameo. Brewster being bait was a fun element but I liked how things concluded in quite a simple manner after all that had gone on. The Hunter was dealt with and it was just lovely to have Polly and the Brigadier meet up, even with Brewster lurking and up to no good. Overall, a really fun audio adventure! 

Rating: 8/10

The Sleeping Blood

"What do you expect a terrorist to look like?"

Writer: Martin Day

Format: Audio

Released: June 2015

Series: Companion Chronicles: First Doctor 1.01

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan

Synopsis

When the Doctor falls ill, Susan is forced to leave the safety of the TARDIS behind. Exploring a disused research centre in search of medical supplies, she becomes embroiled in the deadly plans of a terrorist holding an entire world to ransom – and the soldier sent to stop him.

Verdict

The Sleeping Blood was a really good adventure and a very solid start to the first volume of Companion Chronicles for the First Doctor. Of course, there have been many releases in the range/format featuring the First Doctor prior to this, but this marks the beginning of a new form of boxset for the range which I am intrigued by! I love having stories set before the events of An Unearthly Child because everything is so unknown and there is just so much opportunity to do something that just couldn't be done if it was set during a point we would see on television. For example, we actually get the TARDIS chameleon circuit in operation which was wonderful and I like how not a great deal is made of that because that's exactly what the ability is there for! The very idea of a Doctor Who story taking place before Doctor Who started is just madness really but there is room there and whilst it shouldn't be exploited too much, because in my opinion it is special, this was a simple enough adventure that it wouldn't really have any lasting impact. It was nice for Susan to get out there and shine in a way she perhaps was not afforded in her television run and Carol Ann Ford did a tremendous job with both narration and reprising her Susan character. It was a real joy to listen to. The Doctor hardly featuring was interesting but not exactly uncommon for the first incarnation! Him being ill and stuck in the TARDIS was good and it must have been quite the illness to prevent him from venturing out onto a new planet and pleasing his curious nature. I thought the setting of Rua was very good and I liked how we got to hear the history of how it was named thanks to Earth colonists experiencing and seeing a great wind of over three hundred miles an hour! That seems quite apt for what is going on outside my window here in a locked down and blustery South Wales. My daily walk was quite a challenge against the wind that's for sure. Anyway, Susan encountering Ling was fun and I really enjoyed her interactions with the computer intelligence. She needed antibiotics for the Doctor but the only place to find them was in a museum which I enjoyed a lot. It said a lot about when and where they were and her reaction to that was wonderful. Kendrick's introduction was good and I liked how Susan ended up getting involved in the planet's affairs despite the Doctor's warning about interference. Of course, we are pre-The Aztecs here so it was important to reiterate the sentiments there about changing history. The Butcher made for a very good villain and I have to say that name is just perfect for a Doctor Who enemy. I was a big fan of that. I loved the use of nano-technology and Susan realising that she was infected with something early on worked well. I think they are of effective use in a medical kind of story and the rest of the crew remembering a pinching feeling shortly after arriving was a good spark. Susan's ability to program the nano-machines to council out the signal being sent by the Butcher was very quick but that showcased her intelligence which I liked and it did so much so that Kendrick wanted to keep her around until the Butcher was no more. Susan did so despite not having much choice and I liked how after getting the medication she required for the Doctor, she felt guilty about her interference but the Doctor didn't seem to mind when it meant he would be well again! The lost tape of the Butcher was a nice way to end things as it humanised the terrorist enemy and made us realise that not everything seemed as it was. Overall, a really good and strong adventure! 

Rating: 8/10

The Quantum Archangel

 

"Against the power of a vengeful god, what could a simple Time Lord do?"

Writer: Craig Hinton

Format: Novel

Released: January 2001

Series: PDA 38

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Mel

Synopsis

'Hear me, Lord of Time. We are a vengeful people. Our reach is infinite and our patience eternal. For your actions, we will have vengeance. And the vengeance of the Chronovores is terror beyond imagining.'

Five thousand years ago, the Priest-Kings of Atlantis attempted to enslave Kronos, greatest of the Chronovores. They failed, with catastrophic results. Thirty years ago, the Master sought to do the same, and barely escaped with his life. 

London, 2003; torn apart by tragedy, the Doctor and Mel have gone their separate ways, only to find their paths crossing once more. While the Doctor tries to stop an old friend from making a terrible mistake, Mel is horrified to learn that her best friend has fallen under the influence of the Master. 

As the Master desperately tries to defend himself against the power of Kronos, the Doctor and Mel must overcome their differences. If they don't, the Quantum Archangel will be triumphant. And if she is, nothing in the Universe will ever be the same again.

Verdict

The Quantum Archangel was a very good novel! It followed on from my watching of The Time Monster very well and serves as a great sequel. As the author acknowledges in his acknowledgements, the idea of a sequel to that particular adventure is a little questionable but I thought this worked really well! I particularly enjoyed the interaction between the Sixth Doctor and the Master as it was the first time I have come across a meeting between the pairs where there was no outside Time Lord involvement. We had the Rani alongside them in The Mark of the Rani of course and then there were Time Lords in abundance during The Ultimate Foe segment of The Trial of a Time Lord. It was brilliant to have them interact and I was a big fan of the sixth incarnation characterisation throughout the novel and the start with he and Mel finishing up an adventure on Maradnias where a miscalculation from the Doctor proved fatal to billions of innocents. The concept of that is extraordinary and Mel's outburst is quite something! She berates the Doctor and is so appalled by what happened that she departs the TARDIS. The Doctor is clearly impacted by his actions which is interesting to read, but from there he is thrown into action. His confronting Professor Hyde was terrific and I quite liked how he recognised that it was the Doctor after all these years despite the change of appearance. The concept behind TITAN as the son of TOMTIT was fun and its abilities to go beyond its predecessor was really good. I loved the predicament the Master was in with regards to his body and the Source of Traken almost running out within him to keep his current body going. His efforts to once again use the Chronovores and this time TITAN to literally become a god and harness a new power to ensure his body continued was magnificent. I also loved the degeneration into his emaciated form once again as that was really intriguing to associate with the Anthony Ainley incarnation post-The Keeper of Traken. I thought the return of Kronos was done very well and I certainly wasn't expecting Paul Kairos to be revealed as the Chronovore, although I did have suspicions of some link given his surname. The characters of Paul and Arlene were very good and I liked Mel's involvement with her university connections very well. The way she eventually came around to being with the Doctor again was a good development throughout the book. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the makeup of the universe and the Millennium War some hundred and fifty years million years ago. The sheer scale of that war was incredible and whilst I think the involvement of a huge number of familiar races was a little overkill, it was still super interesting to read and was excellent in establishing the status of the Mad Mind that had linked with Anjeliqua to form the Quantum Archangel. That was a good way to finish the first part of the book and from there there was a lot of description of past events which I enjoyed. The idea of the Lux Aeterna and Calibi-Yau Space was really intriguing and the amount of description within eleven dimensions was spectacular. There was definitely a lot going on which was great to read and I just enjoyed reading. Playing with the idea of infinite universes and each person on Earth having their own universe was good. Mel's version seeing herself as Prime Minister was marvellous along with the Doctor continuing as scientific advisor in 2003. I did think the ninth chapter that displayed the different universes with the likes of Arlene's side step as well went on for too long, but then I did enjoy what it entailed. The ending was quite simple really with the Doctor literally becoming a god and getting to put wrong the events on Maradnias, but Mel wasn't letting him forget that despite them not technically happening anymore. The Master managing to escape with a new power source for his body was delightful and I liked the earlier mention of the Cheetah People planet being a potential place for him to rejuvenate, of course foreshadowing the events of Survival. Kronos deciding to commit suicide was about the only way logical to deal with Chronovore and in the end, normality was restored. Overall, a really good read that was probably a little too continuity heavy. Still, a fantastic story though!

Rating: 8/10

The Time Monster

 

"No on rules Kronos!"

Writer: Robert Sloman

Format: TV

Broadcast: 20 May - 24 June 1972

Season: 9.05

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo

Synopsis 

The Master is back! Assuming the alias of Professor Thascales at the Newton Research Unit at Cambridge University, he harbours his latest deadly plot to seize control of time itself. Can the Doctor and Jo thwart his terrible plan?

What secrets does the mysterious trident-shaped crystal hold? Why is the ancient city of Atlantis central to the Master's plan? And what mythical terror lies at the heart of the Maze? With time literally against them, the odds might just be too great for the time travellers...

Verdict

The Time Monster was a decent season finale and serial as a whole, but it certainly isn't without its flaws. It has been over eight years since my first and only viewing of this serial and it is safe to say that I enjoyed it much more back then than I did today, not that I didn't enjoy it! It was a very intriguing little watch and my main criticism is that it just went too long. I don't think it had the longevity required for six parts which was a shame as I felt the first three in particular were pretty strong for the most part. Another scene that I will mention here as one I didn't enjoy was the time slippage moments with UNIT being attacked by different armies or peoples of the past in the form of knights in shining armour and bombs from above. However in saying that, the impact of the part three cliffhanger where it seemed that Yates and his team were gone was very good. The passage as a whole just seemed to drag. I loved how the story started with the Doctor having a dream and vision of the Master and the links from there to bring us to Atlantis were fantastic. I thought Jo had a decent story as companion and it's nice to see her so established in the role by this point. Her relationship with the Doctor is great. I thought the Brigadier was pretty good too although for a top military person, his disregard to science and things he cannot comprehend is a little frustrating in all honesty. The Master taking the disguise of Thascales was wonderful and I really enjoyed the Doctor's reaction to hearing that name. He knew his old enemy was up to no tricks. Whilst the story as a whole is good, there are some production errors that are just so blaring they really do have an impact on the serial. Firstly, it's really unforgivable that the Master isn't recognised by the Brigadier when he's in the hazmat suit as pretty much his whole face can be seen! I also wasn't a fan of the makeshift nature of the time flow analog that the Doctor finished with tea leaves. That whole sequence was quite boring. There was definitely too much sitting around in this one which is a consequence of the six part format. Another production issue is the costume design of Kronos as the white flapping creature we see just isn't threatening or scary in the slightest. I think it could easily have been worked around with creative camerawork to disguise the nature of Kronos until the overseeing woman we saw at the end after Jo initiated the time ram. I liked that sequence a lot and it was good to see a different form of Kronos, but the way the Master escapes so easily is a little cheap as the Doctor surely wouldn't let him off that easily. I thought the Atlantis setting and target worked really well and it's fun to have Doctor Who's take on the myth. Of course, it's not the only one but it's probably the closest we'll get to the place. Benton was a great deal of fun in this serial and him being the one to understand the matter transference was delightful. It was also good to have him revert to his baby self and then return fully grown and naked. Quite the closing image for a season! Ingram and Hyde were very good scientific characters and I liked how they went for a trial run against the Master's instruction. The use of the crystal in the story worked well and I also liked having Krasis in modern day and almost worshipping the Master but not downgrading Kronos in any way. The costume design and the set for Atlantis were really impressive and I liked how the Master brought about the lost city's downfall. Overall, this was a decent story with a good plot at its heart but it probably went a little long with a couple too many big production errors. Still, a very enjoyable watch!

Rating: 7/10

Time-Flight

"For the new to be born, the old must die."

Writer: Peter Grimwade

Format: Novel

Released: April 1983

Series: Target 74

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan

Synopsis

The Doctor and his companions arrive on Tegan's home planet at a moment of crisis: a Concorde aeroplane has inexplicably vanished while in flight.

The Doctor, Tegan and Nyssa, together with the TARDIS, join the crew of a second Concorde that sets out to stimulate the fateful journey of the missing supersonic jet...

Coming back to Earth is not the return to normality that the rescue team might reasonably have expected. Seeing is believing, people say. The Doctor and his friends begin to realise that it just isn't as simple as that...

Verdict

Time-Flight was a very good novelisation of the televised serial of the same name! This story doesn't have the best reputation amongst Doctor Who fandom but every time I have watched it, I love it! Reading in prose wasn't quite the same and I think some of its problems are a little more evident, but the way that was potentially tackled by the author in presenting a somewhat streamlined and quicker version of the story both worked for and against it. I absolutely sped through this reading which was strange even for a Target book and whilst that added to the pace and excitement, it didn't leave a lot of room for explanation or depth which certainly could have improved things. That was particularly evident in the first half of the book or so. It was clear that the author chose the initial televised cliffhangers to conclude the correlating chapters which I am a fan of and they work really well here. I was quite amazed by how quickly the Doctor and his companions were thrust into the action with very little time to get over the impactful and emotional death of Adric in Earthshock provided. The lingering effects of that story were good and do like how the gold star is used to convince Tegan and Nyssa that his manifestation is a fake as they aimed to get the core nucleus. I loved the way Kalid was written in the book and it still doesn't make a whole lot of sense that the Master is in disguise as this figure, but for me that's part of the charm and fun. It's so unexpected and I remember being delighted by the reveal when I first watched the story and whilst reading it here didn't quite have the same feel, it was still wonderful. One thing I appreciated more in the prose format was the Xeraphin and their being used to power the Master's TARDIS was really intriguing. I liked how they were running from radiation poisoning from their home world but it had followed them to prehistoric Earth. The concept of a Concorde landing on the terrain of this time period is outrageous but again the uniqueness makes me a fan. I loved the use of perception and Hayter being the only passenger from the initial flight that slipped through the time contour to be unaffected was very good. His belief that he was in Siberia was excellent. Everything that he believed in being contradicted here was very good and I liked how he wanted to know everything and sacrificed himself to the Xeraphin. That entity itself was very good and the idea of an entire species being contained in one protoplasm was quite something! The battle within between good and bad was also very good. The tense deal between the Doctor and the Master was magnificent and I like playing around with different parts of the TARDIS. The way the former got the upper hand and reached Heathrow first was decent, if not perhaps a tad too easy. One thing I did really enjoy though was Tegan recalling the events of Logopolis when the Master materialised his TARDIS as a plane around the initial Concorde. Her dealing with missing home throughout the story was good and I liked how she got to be an air hostess after all. The fact she was worried about her uniform after first arriving was also fun. The way her sudden departure at the end was presented was good and it's amazing to think that she gets left behind without explanation. She thought she was going and that's a big deal as her time with the Doctor hasn't exactly been constant harmony, but instead of staying home she wanted to continue her TARDIS travels. Of course, she will return but it's a powerful way to end. Overall, a great little read!

Rating: 8/10

The Rosemariners

 

"These thorns are vicious."

Writer: Donald Tosh

Format: Audio 

Released: September 2012

Series: Lost Stories 3.08

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe

Synopsis

The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe find themselves on an almost deserted space lab. Earth Station 454 is being closed down, mothballed, its staff relocated. Years of research and co-operation are coming to an end and only distinguished xeno-botantist Professor Arnold Biggs remains on board.

But is there more to the closure than meets the eye? For the operation is being supervised by the Rosemariners of the planet Rosa Damascena. Their terrifying Commander, Rugosa, seems to have something to hide. Who is he? What do the Rosemariners want with the scientists? And what is the secret of Rosedream?

In a world where no one is quite what they seem, and deadly plants lurk around every corner, the Doctor will have to use all his ingenuity just to stay alive... just to stay himself.

Verdict

The Rosemariners was a very good Lost Stories adventure! I really enjoyed this one as it was just solid throughout and a traditional Second Doctor era story with great performances from Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury in the lead roles. I say it pretty much every time, but Frazer Hines is just outstanding in bringing Patrick Troughton's incarnation of the Doctor to life for the audios. It really does feel authentic which is just magnificent. One thing I will say about the narration for this one was that the actual writing was poor in places and seemed too much like a novel or forced which was a little strange as it happened on more than one occasion. Anyway, the story itself was really good and I could easily see this as a Season 6 story during that initial run! The idea of Jamie fiddling with the TARDIS and actually setting a dematerialisation into motion was so much fun and the innocence that comes with the companion is just magnificent. His admittance that he had already forgotten what he was curious about just added to the moment. It was a great start. The Earth Station 454 was a good predominant setting and worry and dismay that was caused by the announcement it would be closing down was great. It set things up very nicely. It was a little out of nowhere and just a moment in of itself, but the Doctor recalling events of The Chase to Zoe to explain the Mary Celeste mystery was terrific and I'm also liking that Zoe's meeting the Daleks in Fear of the Daleks is being mentioned a lot here as she never met them on screen. Biggs was a very good character and I enjoyed his relationship with the Doctor very much, starting off with the latter being more than interested in the xeno-botany works of the former. I really liked the concept of rose life and hearing Colbert being taken by the rose and essentially devoured was fantastic! Rugosa watching on heartlessly was quite something and from that point he made a really good villain. The use of a replicator to create a Colbert doppelgänger was fun and I loved how the Doctor realised he wasn't all he seemed thanks to his lack of pores. The attention to detail there! Discovering that the plant used here was from Kemble was an unexpected treat and some wonderful continuity and the search for an antidote to rose dream was a good basis for the plot. The Rosemariners not believing in death and violence was intriguing and the claim of rose dream being used to fix criminals was very good. Zoe discovering that the Rosemariners weren't all they seemed was great and I was surprised by the fact it was a prison and there was brainwashing activity in abundance. The roses being the lifeblood for the Rosemariners was fun and the rosarium being huge and the reveal point of then prison was handled very well. I really enjoyed the cliffhanger to part two with Jamie being all but consumed by one of the carnivorous plants, but the resolution was a tad flat and easy. Bruno made for a good character and revealing the truth that he wasn't actually a criminal. Zoe faking the codes she was tasked with deciphering to get Colbert off her back was really fun and her making up of the story that Earth security was inbound was magnificent. Colbert's fate ending up in one of the plants seemed quite fitting if not a little gruesome. The standoff at the end was a great conclusion between Rugosa and Briggs and their efforts for the exchange were good. However, the Doctor tricking Rugosa into taking the rose dream whilst thinking it was the antidote was magnificent and so wonderfully typical of the second incarnation. Overall, a really solid adventure! A welcomed addition and a shame that it was lost.

Rating: 8/10

Genocide

"You can't travel back in time and wipe out the human race before it started."

Writer: Paul Leonard

Format: Novel

Released: September 1997

Series: EDA 04

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Sam, Jo

Synopsis

Years after leaving UNIT, Jo Grant receives a plea for help from an old acquaintance. A palaeontology study of the earliest known humans is apparently under threat from a UNIT force led by a captain who does not officially exist. Investigating further, she begins to find herself out of her depth – and out of the twentieth century altogether...

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Sam visit Earth in 2109 – but there is no trace of the human race. Earth is the home of the Tractites, a peaceful race who have been living there for hundreds and thousands of years. Astonished and appalled, the Doctor travels back in time to see just what went wrong in Earth's pre-history.

Why have Jo and the expedition been taken back in time? Are the Tractites all they seem? Finally, separated from the TARDIS, the Doctor's last chance to put things right rests with Sam – but has even she turned against him?

Verdict

Genocide was an excellent novel to continue my incredibly sporadic reading of the Eighth Doctor Adventures! One consequence of only getting into Doctor Who in 2007 is that I have so much catching up to do and only recently falling into a position where I am financially able to properly stock up, I am well on my way but there's just so much stuff out there that I don't think I'll run out of options. I've actually had this book for quite a few years and only now have come around to reading it but I thought it was a tremendous read. The first four Eighth Doctor Adventures have been superb and whilst I'm averaging one a year, I remain committed and excited for what lies ahead. I thought the premise of this book was really interesting and I loved the idea of an alternate universe where Earth was not ruled by humans. They had been wiped out long ago and the Tractites in their place were weird for sure. They weren't the typical species you would expect in place of mankind with their half-horse and half-ox makeup, but the uniqueness of this adventure was definitely a positive. I liked the continuity from The Bodysnatchers with Sam still being early into her travels but starting to understand more about travelling through time. She continued to challenge the Doctor which I really enjoyed and I liked how he tried to install some seriousness into her when he broke into explanation from a simple question of just how delicate the situation was with the vortex on the brink of collapse and taking all of reality with it. I thought Jacob Hynes was a really good villain and his efforts to wipe out humanity was quite something! His confronting of a lite activist group protesting was very good and his maniacal nature made him a decent enemy for sure. His infiltrating UNIT was a lot of fun and speaking of which, it was wonderful to have Jo Grant back and alongside the Eighth Doctor. Now, this book pretty much contradicts everything that was said about her in Death of the Doctor, but the idea of her being separated from Cliff was quite sad but her efforts to still do good for the world were great. I was expecting more interaction between her and the Doctor and I was also hoping more would be made of his new appearance from her perspective, but that never came which was a little odd. Her independence and being an established character definitely helped though as she could carry a lot of chapters and paragraphs by herself. Her relationship with Rowenna and Julie was really nice and it was good for the trio to be thrust back in time via the Time Tree. That 'device' in of itself was pretty darn weird that's for sure, but the opportunities that sprung from it were great. I loved exploring Earth in its pre-history with the mankind that wasn't even homo sapiens. That was rare to explore and really good to delve into and spend a good period of time within. Such a long time in the planet's history being so crucial to human development was intriguing and I liked how the Doctor was toying with putting things right. He knew what was right and only considered Earth to be of humankind's, and not Tractis and property of the Tractites. Kitig as one of the Tractites was a fantastic character and I liked how he was initially out to serve the purpose of his family and species. His only honouring the spirit of his promise to Sam to not leave the TARDIS was good and unexpected as Sam really did fully trust him. I thought the insert chapters set in the future of the novel with the Doctor being starved and Mauvril telling her story was really well done and it made it really meaningful when natural events introduced her when we arrived on Earth at a time where she was leading Tractite war against humanity. Kitig's use of smell with her and at this period in recognising his own kind was fantastic and his reaction to her treatment of the Doctor was brilliant. I thought the moment where he saw that Earth being humanity's was the right course of history was very powerful and I liked how he was engraving a message over and over to help Sam and Jo locate the TARDIS that was deposited in a volcano and get back to the Doctor. Jo's reaction to the new TARDIS interior was an excellent moment as well that I really enjoyed. I was very surprised that Sam shot Mauvril dead and the Doctor's reaction to that was fantastic because it created tension between the pair which makes for an intriguing dynamic in the TARDIS. I thought the ending with the Empress was good but I would have preferred the Doctor and Jo have a proper goodbye. Overall though, this was a really enjoyable story with a unique and exciting plot. The gruesome elements were there in abundance as well with the savage deaths of Rowenna and Julie at the hands of wild dogs. That was disturbing. On the whole, a brilliant read!

Rating: 9/10

The Charge of the Night Brigade

 

"He seemed to cast a shadow darker than most men."

Writer: David Llewellyn 

Format: Audio

Released: February 2020

Series: Twelfth Doctor Chronicles 1.01

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor

Synopsis

In the rat-infested camps of the Crimea, Mary Seacole offers a vital service to the beleaguered troops, serving up rice pudding and treating the wounded at her 'British Hotel'.

Mary's no-nonsense attitude is tested by the Doctor's arrival. Together, they must deal with a strange infection not of this Earth...

Verdict

The Charge of the Night Brigade was a decent start to my listening of the Twelfth Doctor Chronicles! I was looking forward to purchasing this set after it was released as adding to the Twelfth Doctor era is always a bonus and I'm actually struggling to think of anything major from his era that I have yet to blog, excluding this boxset of course. I thought the start was decent with us getting introduced to Mary Seacole and it's always nice for the Doctor to meet a historical figure of her nature. I always enjoy it the it's a historical person that he is so keen to meet as well because then he can have some fun which makes for a good listen. I loved the comment of the Doctor being referred to as a Scottish quack by the natives of the time and place and it was good that he didn't hear that description! I can't imagine this particular incarnation of the Doctor dealing with that too well. He most definitely would not have approved! Of course, Peter Capaldi is still yet to make his Big Finish debut and I look forward to that in the future, but Jacob Dudman does a stellar job with his impression for the Twelfth Doctor! He really was excellent and it really did make it feel like a legit story of the era which is a big positive. The plot in itself was simple enough and not exactly thrilling, but it still did a good job. The description of war at this time in the nineteenth century and the battles between the likes of Britain, France and Russia with the sides changing all the time was brilliant. I thought the Balaklava setting in Crimea was really interesting as that's beyond unique but I don't think it was utilised as well as it could have been. This story could easily have just occurred in London or its outskirts. The idea of an alien infection is good and I appreciated the uniqueness of how it arrived on the planet. Zavak being known to the Doctor was intriguing and the description of his people's war and how his fate was atomisation and being sent into the Void but retaining consciousness the whole time was spectacular. Trying to imagine that is beyond comprehension and I really enjoy testing my mind like that. I thought it was really good for the infection to come from him after millions of years floating around in space and the void and arriving to the planet through the rain, which in turn was what the rats drunk and their biting humans spread the infection. In my view, there are a few loose ends with the conclusion based on this arrival as if they could be stopped by light but had arrived two days earlier, what had happened in the previous days? I thought it was a bit cheap to just say it hadn't rained in the meantime as I wasn't buying that. The reaction of Major Berrisford when he was informed my Seacole and the Doctor that his men were being infected by an extraterrestrial source in liquid form was a story highlight for sure. The coming of dozens of rats was different and I liked how the story got its name. That was certainly clever. I wasn't too much a fan of them forming the shape of a man, but I did prefer them arriving as an army. The threat of the infection continuing to spread was good and I also adored the Doctor's comment about missing having a hover car. That was really fun. The ring of fire use was decent and I like the idea of the rain diluting Zavak as time goes on, but the loose ends weren't quite tied up for my liking. It was nice for the Doctor and Mary to get along, but the story could have been slightly better in my eyes. Regardless, this was still a very entertaining listen!

Rating: 7/10

Lost and Found

"We seem to have only gone as far as my childhood."

Writer: Penelope Faith

Format: Audio

Released: June 2016

Series: Short Trips 6.06

Featuring: Second Doctor, Polly, Ben

Synopsis

The post-war London of 1948 is rebuilding, the people are recovering, and Ben and Polly have arrived with an old friend with a new face. But they're not the only visitors. A very different kind of war is being fought, in a department store, and they are in the middle of it...

Verdict

Lost and Found was a lovely little Short Trips audio adventure! Following the recent sale from Big Finish in this range where pretty much every story was on offer prior to the current series, I snapped at the chance to stock up and couldn't help but start with this little gem of an audio. I'm a huge fan of Anneke Wills and I thought she did a tremendous job as narrator. She had quite a few different roles to play but I thought she pulled off a superb performance. She really is quite marvellous. Her stepping back into the role of Polly was delightful and it's no secret that I love her as a companion because we named our kitten after her! Wills also did a fantastic job with her impressions of both Ben and the Second Doctor which is a difficult task given her gender, but it really was a good nod to the past and the late actors she shared her time with on screen. I thought the dynamic of just having the three of them making it set before The Highlanders was good because it's not very often we get an adventure with this trio so that made it feel a little unique which is definitely a positive. I liked the description of the bomb site description upon their arrival to London in 1948 with it obviously being so soon after the devastation of World War Two. I loved getting to explore the childhood of Polly and Ben and the latter's mocking of the former being from Hampshire and not having to experience bomb bombardment was interesting. Polly's thoughts on Londoners and how they were brave was really good in placing the period. The Doctor being intrigued by a tin of beans was a little extreme even for someone with a curious nature like his, and Ben's joke that followed was painfully bad. Polly describing how she had lost a teddy bear in Henrik's department store was a sad little story but it was nice that they had arrived on the day it had gone missing! Her hopes of being reunited with that bear were really nice, even if Ben was in the mood to mock. I really wasn't expecting there to be talking inhabitants of the tin of beans and just how much the story focused on the rationed item was quite something! It was peculiar to say the least but that made it amusing. Their comment about getting in a pickle was a much better joke than Ben's. It was nice for Polly and Ben to be in familiar surroundings and reminisce about their childhood and I enjoyed getting to meet Polly as a six-year-old with her not freezing in time like the rest of people in the store. It was clear who this girl was greeting the Doctor. Polly and Ben going to the store's lost and found to find her bear was good and I was intrigued that upon finding it she was unable to touch it. The impact two Polly's in the same place from different points in their time-stream had in the store was really good ad I loved that the older version was helping her younger self, even taking her hand in hand despite the potential Blinovitch Limitation Effect that was nowhere to be seen. The Doctor fearing that in anticipation was great though. I liked the reference to Resistance with Polly reminding her younger self of their uncle's sacrifice and the comment about goodbyes being hard to ones you love was a powerful way to end a really nice and interesting audio adventure! I wasn't expecting talking tins of beans or to meet Polly as a child, but it was a very good little listen.

Rating: 8/10