The House of Kingdom

"Must you always leave things so close?"

Writer: Andrew Smith

Format: Audio

Released: April 2021

Series: Dalek Universe 1.03

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Anya, Mark

Synopsis

The Doctor and his friends are trying to locate a scientist to help them on their quest... but an attack on a space-station alters their plans.

Rescued by Anya's grandfather, Merrick, and taken to Neptune, the Doctor and Mark discover her family history. A story of betrayal and loss.

Will the Kingdoms be reconciled? Or are they destined to continue the mistakes of the past?

Verdict

The House of Kingdom was a very good story to conclude the first volume of Dalek Universe stories! I find it ironic that given the title of the series we've had nothing more than a cameo appearance from the Daleks at the end of The Wrong Woman, but the SSS featuring heavily and now the Mechanoids joining the party here definitely gives us a feeling of the era of The Chase and The Daleks' Master Plan. It's also broadly in line with Daleks! which I really like and I just enjoy placing the Tenth Doctor in this era. He's bonding well with Anya and Mark and the trio are becoming quite a good little team! I like the absence of the TARDIS and the Doctor was certainly getting irritated of waiting around here. There were no shuttles so his efforts in taking the role of the Earth examiner was a lovely bit of continuity for him in this era. I was a huge fan of that and it was so simple but so good. The arrival of the Space Pirates was great and whilst I don't think they would be the same bunch that appeared in the titular Second Doctor serial, they were ravaging the place in a way that seemed to spread outrage like it was some sort of virus. It was deadly. Of course, the truth about that once Crane was introduced was horrifying. I enjoyed that the Doctor was welcomed by a Mechanoid and his pleasant reaction was delightful. I also loved how this one had been designated Archie based on his designation. Merrick being the one to save the Doctor and co was good and his relation as Anya's grandfather initially seemed favourable, but she was less than pleased as we learned some intriguing Kingdom family history. Merrick had supposedly let his daughter, Anya's mother, die after dissenting against a Dalek attack whilst doing nothing to stop it. The references to Brett and Sara as Anya's uncle and aunt were lovely and I liked how the Doctor wanted it known that they were a credit to the family for their valiant efforts. The search for time tech was fun but that soon got forgotten once the truth of the virus was out, as the Doctor learned that Merrick was experimenting in Varga venom, which seemed pretty daft. Anya mocking him for only collecting specimens rather than fighting during the Dalek Wars seemed a little harsh, but the resentment was clear to hear. Crane and Merrick discussing their true plans and finding out that the mass murder at the hands of the Pirates was all Crane's doing was shocking and instantly made her a great villain! They knew the Varga guns worked now but this wasn't what Merrick wanted which was good and some saving grace for him at least. Crane leaving the Doctor and Mark to death by Mechanoids at the settlement was cold, and her calling for help for two survivors with the intention of leaving Anya after the crash was chilling. She had no remorse which made her brilliant. I was a big fan of her, and she met a fitting end after Merrick infected himself with the Varga venom unintentionally, but would ensure that Anya escaped whilst holding Crane down too. It wasn't quite the finale that had been built up after two excellent openers, but it was still a really strong audio and it felt more like the start of the next chapter. The cliffhanger finish with Mark Seven clearly being hacked or taken over and ominously removing the oxygen from the cabin leaves us with some good peril heading into the next boxset! Overall, a great listen!

Rating: 8/10

The Wrong Woman

"It was hard enough adjusting to one new Doctor."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: April 2021

Series: Dalek Universe 1.02

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Anya, Mark

Synopsis

The team's investigations have taken an unexpected turn – but the signs all still point to Sheldrake. With the clock ticking down to the launch of the time tunnels, the Doctor, Anya and Mark split up... but soon discover how hard it is to fight a foe who can always keep one step ahead of you.

But stopping him is only half the battle. The Doctor says that time can be rewritten – and Anya is searching for redemption. Can she put history back on track? Or is the Doctor's future never going to be the same again?

Verdict

The Wrong Woman was another brilliant audio adventure to continue the first series of Dalek Universe! After such an incredible cliffhanger in Buying Time, I thought things started somewhat slow with the new reaction to the Doctor's apparent female incarnation. She was shorter and the clothes of her previous self were far too big. The book of the Pastor was found close by to confirm it was he who shot the Doctor dead, and I liked that Mark Seven was weary of the new incarnation. He'd barely adjusted to the Tenth Doctor! There was the usual post-regenerative trauma which helped sell the regeneration and I was actually expecting time to be rewritten, not for the woman to be an impersonator and actually the female incarnation of the Monk! The Nun! How bloody brilliant. I couldn't believe that when it was mentioned so that was so much fun for me. It was good to explore the loneliness of the Tenth Doctor which was really tested in this audio as despite the meddling nature of the Nun, she was a Time Lord and the Doctor wanted nothing more than to be reunited with one of his own species. Realising the effects of Sheldrake's commercial time travel was fantastic as we learned that the Doctor had been misplaced in time, so much so that it was pre-Time War. The potential for him there is marvellous and I am loving the direction we have so far. Anya was terrific again as she continues to look to make amends and I liked how she heard the time echoes of the Tenth Doctor once again, something that told us that he was coming back. Seven and Malkin had a fun moment when another hasty action by the latter resulted in them being sealed in and locked down with no way out from assassin beasts, and the only one able to overwrite was the commander who was dead. Seven's reaction there was great. I liked the reference to The Dalek Protocol with Anya revealing that she was the masked woman who saved the Doctor on Exxilon. Good continuity. The velocitor being removed by the Nun in her Doctor guise was very good and I loved that the Pastor's book was actually her TARDIS! How incredibly barmy and clever. The answers really were inside. I never saw that coming which was a delight. Sheldrake recognising the Nun after it was she who the velocitor was stolen from was a fun moment, but the funnest of all was the Nun revealing herself to the Doctor with him trapped inside her TARDIS. Just wonderful. She'd removed the velocitor and that caused Time itself to literally break and be destroyed. The connection she and the Doctor had with Time would now now be tested which was really intriguing and tackling with some of the concepts was magnificent. The Nun admitting she erased some of her own past and wasn't even sure which incarnation she was made for more joyous moments, but the Doctor needed her help to put things right. And to be fair, she did help in a big way sacrificing herself much to the Doctor's dismay. He told her about the Time War and worked out that it was himself who was the kidnapper as part of a closed time loop which was also fantastic. Who else would it be? The Doctor having the power to bring anyone back, including the Time Lords or even Rose, was powerful and he had to apologise to the latter and move on from the former. There was a lot of emotion which I really enjoyed. Anya coming to the Doctor and risking her life just to hold a lever was very amusing, and the way Sheldrake was threatened with being poor instead of going to jail was excellent! I liked that the Doctor forgave Anya for what she did during her travels with the Fourth Doctor, but there was no time to dwell as the Daleks arrived in emphatic fashion! They fired in the bubble which meant the Doctor and co were stuck in time. I look forward to the finale now and having the Tenth Doctor engaged with Daleks pre-Time War. An exciting prospect! Overall, a brilliant audio.

Rating: 9/10

Buying Time

"Only the gods should have mastery over time."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: April 2021

Series: Dalek Universe 1.01

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Anya, Mark

Synopsis

The far future. Anya Kingdom of the Space Security Service is on a mission investigating an SSS ship crashing on a distant jungle planet. Unknown to her superiors, she's searching for something very specific... but what she finds is completely unexpected. Her old friend, the Doctor. With a completely different face and no idea what he's doing there.

The Time Lord soon finds himself drawn into a conspiracy involving voracious predators, time travel and a malevolent businessman.

History itself is breaking down. If he makes a mistake, it could mean the end of everything...

Verdict

Buying Time was an outstanding start to the first boxset of Dalek Universe adventures! For beginnings, this really was sublime and was an absolute joy to listen to. I was very excited about this release once it was announced and whilst it required catching up quite quickly on some Fourth Doctor Adventures, it was absolutely worth it if this opening adventure is anything to go by. I'm a big fan of the era of the SSS and having Anya Kingdom back in a prominent role is no bad thing as I think she's a fantastic character. There's just something about her that is likeable whilst at the same time you can hear distain in her voice which is reciprocated back at her. I liked the idea of an SSS mission and Anya actually being on a mission within a mission was a stark reminder of what she got up to during The Syndicate Master Plan. I was intrigued by the fact she heard echoes of the Tenth Doctor before he actually arrived, and that imminent arrival for our resident Time Lord was terrific. He didn't know where he was or why he had been brought to a planet where there a lot of corpses. That wasn't a good look to be a stranger and alone with a lot of bodies, but thankfully his knowledge of Anya and his bursting personality soon convinced her that this was the same Doctor. The little recap of the events of Series 8 of the Fourth Doctor Adventures was a nice reminder and it's a little sad to hear how disappointed the Doctor remains by losing Ann Kelso. He really liked her. Anya being on a mission to rescue Mark Seven was fun and I liked the irony of him actually being the one to save her and the rest of the group. The setting of Mira was wonderful and I love that we get a full adventure with the Visians after their appearance in The Daleks' Master Plan. The Daleks might not have featured despite the title of the range, but that's a great way to have Dalek continuity and establish the space and time setting. I was a big fan of that. The use of invisible monsters in an audio format might have proven challenging but it was actually presented wonderfully well here. Malkin made for a good commander of the SSS and I quite enjoyed her acceptance of Anya's role and superiority. Her rash actions after learning of the Visians was amusing because she figured that by taking out the lights, the advantage of the Visians was lost. Except, they were blind and that just took away their own advantage. The Doctor's explanation of that was tremendous. Sheldrake was a fun character and I really like the idea of commercial time travel. Of course, he shouldn't have had the technology so finding out that what tech he did have was Gallifreyan was excellent. We are far from done so I look forward to finding out more there. The Pastor of the Seven Suns was an intriguing character and his knowledge of the Doctor was fascinating, especially with what happened at the end where we had quite an incredible cliffhanger! The Doctor, Anya and Mark were intent on investigating Sheldrake and his company, and that was still the mission, but the Doctor wouldn't be the Doctor we knew anymore. He was shot in each hart by the Pastor in ruthless efficiency and the regeneration ensued. I thought that in of itself was a fantastic cliffhanger even if it would be copying The Stolen Earth, but this one went further and completed the regeneration! The Tenth Doctor regenerated into a woman. Well, I didn't see that one coming! Overall, a tremendous audio to start the series. Tense, exciting and intriguing. I can't wait for more.

Rating: 10/10

Model Train Set

"You have to watch these things. You can't let them get out of control."

Writer: Jonathan Blum

Format: Short Story

Released: March 1998

Printed in: Short Trips 01

Featuring: Eighth Doctor

Synopsis

From Neolitch Earth to the furthest reaches of the universe in the far future, Short Trips brings together established Doctor Who authors and first-time writers in a collection of stories exploring the ever-changing worlds of the Doctor and his friends.

Witness the last days of the siege of Masada with the First Doctor and meet the Fourth Doctor's extraordinary 'old flame'. An evil enemy makes life difficult for the Seventh and Third Doctors, and while the Fifth Doctor is under attack on a sinister ship shrouded in fog, the Second may soon be guilty of a grave error of judgement... The Sixth Doctor's hopes of a holiday are dashed when he discovers a pleasure planet is hiding a shocking secret, and the Eighth Doctor is caught up in a deadly drama played out during the construction of Stonehenge.

And, of course, that's just the beginning...

Verdict

Model Train Set was a good and interesting little story to kick off the first ever book of Short Trips! Of course, this range goes on to grow quite rapidly and I have covered a number of stories from a number of different collections, both in prose and on audio, but I finally managed to obtain a copy of the first volume for a very cheap price and couldn't wait to get started here. I think it was good to start with the Eighth Doctor and I like the simplicity of the adventure. That's definitely a good approach to take when you have a story that is only ten pages long because there really isn't an awful lot you can put into what is essentially a chapter. I like how this represents the childish nature of the Doctor that we love and adore and just having him inside the TARDIS playing with a model train set is quite incredible. The fact there is a written story about that might be even more so. It's impressive and fun and I liked the parallels drawn in the story with what life would be like for the characters on the model train set and what the Doctor's life is like. He picks things up and changes them for the better. I liked that a lot and thought that was a clever use of the format and theme. There wasn't a huge amount to show that this was the eighth incarnation of the Doctor as I felt that the description of the recent incarnation mentioned could have been used for either the Sixth or Seventh Doctors, but the train set comes into play in the Eighth Doctor Adventures books so I'm very comfortable to accept this as an Eighth Doctor outing. Although, who am I to question? This was essentially seeing how the Doctor cured his boredom whilst travelling alone between journeys in the TARDIS and the care and detail he put into the train set was admirable. He wanted more though and he didn't want to be the only one able to exert control over the train and its passengers. He wanted characters so he fed a brand new system into the model train set that essentially brought it to life! I thought that was very Doctor-ish and just fun to think about, and to be honest I wouldn't expect anything less with no companion around to question him. The Doctor having exited the TARDIS presumably on a typical journey in time and space was good and I liked how in his absence the train set had gotten out of control and crashed into the papier-mâché mountains. Well, the Doctor was horrified! His efforts in helping the passengers and characters he had brought to life by simply bending down and picking up the fallen cars and train was amusing and quite the image, but he didn't want to see them suffering and work out how to overturn them for years. That was a nice little touch. Overall, I thought this was an intriguing read and a fun way to draw some comparisons, and certainly a solid and light-hearted way to start the book! 

Rating: 7/10

Month 25

"I was born amazing. It's genetic."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: June 2017

Series: Lives of Captain Jack 1.04

Featuring: Captain Jack

Synopsis

Captain Jack Harkness – time-travelling con-man, saviour of the Earth, and intergalactic adventurer. He has lived many lives.

He's the young star of the Time Agency, and his whole life is about to fall apart. But that's not going to stop him winning.

Verdict

Month 25 was a good and very intriguing story to conclude the first series of The Lives of Captain Jack! I love the idea of going back and seeing Jack in his early days at the Time Agency, at a time before he was even Captain Jack! For the sake of ease, I'm still going to refer to him as Jack during this blog entry but it was a lot of fun to hear him being called by his true name of Javic Thane. It didn't feel right, but it's good to explore the origins and early days of this character. Him being hunted in 1876 was amusing and he was up to no good as we might expect after going AWOL for a fortnight and getting frisky. Maglin Shank as the chief in charge made for a fantastic villain and her involvement with the Council was good, although I didn't think they were all that great as supposedly being in charge of everything there ever was. I couldn't buy into that concept and their voices just sounded amusing rather than threatening. Everything else about the episode was fine though! Jack getting suspended for his actions was good but there was more to him when something was interfering in his life and he found that his wages were being siphoned off at a pretty staggering rate, even retroactively! Krim was a very good character and fellow agent and the mystery surrounding floor 113 gave me The Long Game vibes with a mysterious power on the top floor. Jack being warned that the Time Agency wasn't all it seemed was brilliant with them needing him ready for something he wasn't even aware of as voices caused him suffering. The man breaking into his apartment to show that the Agency had planted listening devices was good and I liked how the age test was two years off. Just where had that stolen time gone? And what was it used for? Finding out that the man who warned Javic was actually the Jack of the future was unexpected but something I really liked. He used a shimmer to disguise his face and that explained the apartment entry ease. The memories of these events being blank for the older Jack had the feel of a multi-Doctor story which was fun and he claimed that the real powers of the Agency were on floor 113 and that they had been hiding outside of time and space itself! Thane had been used by them to maintain their power and he was picked because he was a liability, not because he was good. I thought that was great stuff. Jack turning the shimmer off and being safe from the Blinovitch Limitation Effect was fun and I was impressed with how John Barrowman was able to differentiate between the two eras of time for the same character. Really impressive. Jack getting arrested and being on the run was good action and I liked that the chief was in league with the Council, even if it was a little predictable. Krim turning his back on Jack when his husband was threatened was a stark turn of events, but I could never believe he would actually kill him. Probably because at this point Jack is mortal so we know it doesn't happen! Hearing the shot into the water was good effects and Krim wanted the truth about the top floor in return, except it wasn't Krim at all and was another clever shimmer usage. Although that felt a little repetitive and easy. It was a shock to hear that Krim had been stealing the wages, but I loved how things ended on a high with the younger Jack retconning his older self about the events before it appeared they'd spend a night together. Only Jack! Overall, a good listen.

Rating: 7/10

The Dalek Protocol

"The Daleks have planted a lie in your mind."

Writer: Nicholas Briggs

Format: Audio

Released: April 2021

Series: Dalek Universe 1.0

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela, K9

Synopsis

The Earth mission to Exxilon is nearing completion after many long years. Enough parrinium has been mined to stop the spread of the deadly space plague. But suddenly, the power-draining beacon from the Exxilon city is inexplicably reactivated, stranding the humans.

The Doctor, Leela and K9 are stuck too, right on top of the remains of the city – under attack!

Somewhere nearby, the android Mark Seven is enacting his secret orders while the Doctor's estranged future companion, Anya Kingdom, is hoping for redemption.

And heading inexorably towards them all... the Daleks!

Verdict

The Dalek Protocol was an excellent audio adventure to kickstart the Dalek Universe range! I'm really intrigued as to what this range is going to be and having the Fourth Doctor and Leela kick it off in a sort of prequel here was a lot of fun. I am aware that there will be considerable connotations for the Doctor regarding the eighth series of the Fourth Doctor Adventures given Anya Kingdom's appearances and I really enjoyed her role here and how she was avoiding the Doctor. She was aware of the ramifications if she met him at an earlier point in his timeline and Leela's presence confirming that fact to her was terrific. It was nice to know that the Doctor talked a lot about Leela after she departed and the savage hearing about that at the end of the story was a really nice moment, even though it confirmed to her that she would one day leave the TARDIS. I loved that this was essentially a sequel to Death to the Daleks with the Exxilons featuring heavily in the first half of the story. The return of Bellal was brilliant and I loved the reaction of the Doctor when he saw his old acquaintance after such a long time. Getting to Exxilon in the first place was magnificent with Leela wanting the Doctor to prove that he was in control of the TARDIS. He offered her a past history of everywhere the TARDIS landed and her proximity to the Exxilons was a good way for her to choose that planet. The Doctor referencing the events of his last visit was good and I liked how he ensured that they arrived quite a while after the business with the beacon. Except, there was a new beacon now and the planet was once again being taken advantage of for its power. And this time the Daleks had the opposite intent! That was a fun little twist that their position altered between saving and destroying the city. The presence of the space plague was excellent and I really like how even the Daleks are impacted by it. They need the cure and would do anything to ensure they got it. Mark Seven was an intriguing character and after listening to the story I did a little research and understand he featured prominently in the early Dalek Annuals and TV Comic adventures. I like the continuity of him appearing and having him alongside Anya worked well and sets us up nicely for the Tenth Doctor's adventures in the Dalek Universe. Gislen was a brilliant villain and Leela challenging him and showing that she was a warrior was wonderful. The shock shown by Bellal when he realised what Gilsen had done was fantastic stuff. Seven having been imprinted with the Dalek Protocol was a fun concept and living his past memories through the Doctor was terrifically done. It was a good use of the audio format to have both the memories and the Doctor speaking them audible concurrently. I was a little surprised the Doctor let the Daleks run away before being hit by the beacon blast, but I guess that was needed to set us up for the rest of the series once it kickstarts. The Doctor helping Seven flesh out the Protocol in the same way a virus would be treated was good as well. Overall, a really strong audio to start an intriguing series!

Rating: 9/10

Silver Nemesis

"The life and death of everything in existence is in my hands."

Writer: Kevin Clarke

Format: Novel

Released: November 1989

Series: Target 143

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

'It's all over, Ace. I've lost, I can only surrender. The Cybermen will have the Nemesis.'

Launched into space 350 years ago, a meteor is returning to Earth. Inside it waits Nemesis, a silver statue made of the living metal validium, the most dangerous substance in the universe. Evil powers await the statue's return: the neo-Nazi de Flore and his stormtroopers: Lady Peinforte, who lost Nemesis in 1638; and the advance party of a Cyberman invasion force. But only one person has the power to activate Nemesis: the statue's creator, the Doctor. 

Verdict

Silver Nemesis was an excellent novelisation of the televised serial of the same name! I've always been a huge fan of this story and reading it in prose for the first time was a real joy. It certainly passed the time on the train to football as life returns to some sort of normality, and I liked how we got such a strong adventure to celebrate Doctor Who's 25th anniversary. It felt a lot more fleshed out in the book which was really positive and I think it's a good thing that the Cybermen don't arrive until around the fifty-page mark. They aren't needed for the start and it helps us to establish the other factions that are on the hunt for Nemesis. Lady Peinforte along with Richard make for a tremendous pairing and I think the former is a magnificent villain. She has previous with the Doctor which I'm not always a massive fan of when that occurs off screen, but her reaction and acceptance to the fact the Doctor can change his face was brilliant. She's just such a solid character and the way she treats Richard only to then question his loyalty towards the end is fantastic. I think the journey of taking Richard 350 years into his future is excellent and whilst that aspect isn't quite as good as on screen, it's still portrayed so well. I really liked the audacity of having neo-Nazis in the story and their reverence of Hitler is still startling today. The importance of the Nemesis is excellent and I like how the Doctor is to blame for its return after getting calculations wrong when he sent it into orbit back in 1638. Having the Cybermen as the third party interested in the Nemesis is really strong and I thought the fear factor invoked in them through Ace was sublime. She had a strong story and it's so much fun when she and the Doctor share an understanding about her definitely not having any nitro-nine in her backpack. That's tremendous. It really becomes clear in the prose format that the Cyber Leader is, expectedly, the dominant Cyberman alongside the lieutenant and him being the final one is just logical. The Doctor challenging him about emotions when it almost seems like he displayed hatred was really well done. I was a big fan of the pace and chapter length of this book which helped with how the story flowed and I particularly enjoyed the action-packed nature of Chapter 9 and Ace taking out the Cybermen with their gold vulnerability. That was the only issue with the Cybermen here was they were so susceptible to attack and Peinforte getting the better of them with golden arrows made them look weak, but that also helped in making her look strong. I like the idea of Nemesis requiring the statue along with the bow and arrow to be complete and the lack of those three components being together made for a good plot development. The Doctor being the Nemesis's creator was an intriguing aspect and getting a hint about who the Doctor really is was a fine way to conclude the book. Ace knew she didn't know everything about the Doctor and she was okay with that because nobody did, or so she thought. Peinforte knew about him but she wasn't able to reveal the secrets she had. The Cyber Leader's disintegration of Karl and de Flores after they willingly became metallic was excellent before the gold got the better of him again. Overall, this was just a tremendous read! 

Rating: 10/10

Letters from the Front

"I continue to crave more than my own thoughts."

Writer: Vinay Patel

Format: Short Story

Released: October 2019

Printed in: Target Storybook 15

Featuring: Prem

Synopsis

"We're all stories in the end..."

In this exciting collection you'll find all-new stories spinning off from some of your favourite Doctor Who moments across the history of the series.

Discover what happened next, what went on before, and what occurred off-screen in an inventive selection of sequels, side-trips, foreshadowings and first-hand accounts – and look forward too, with a brand new adventure for the Thirteenth Doctor.

Each story expands in thrilling ways upon aspects of Doctor Who's enduring legend. With contributions from show luminaries past and present – including Colin Baker, Matthew Waterhouse, Vinay Patel, Joy Wilkinson and Terrance Dicks – The Target Storybook is a once-in-a-lifetime tour around the wonders of the Whoniverse.

Verdict

Letters from the Front was a lovely little story to conclude The Target Storybook! I thought this was a really good and clever use of the Thirteenth Doctor era to go alongside Gatecrashers and it was just a really nice and heartfelt story. There was hardly any sign of the Doctor with her only being merely described briefly in one of the Thijarian reports. I thought the frequency of some of those reports was interesting and it was just good to get a bit more insight into their race and what exactly they were doing on Earth. I've been fascinated by the Thijarians ever since Demons of the Punjab and it's intriguing for me how misunderstood they are in that episode. They quickly shift from being what is thought of as the enemies into anything but that and this story gives a good alternative view at them ahead of their appearance in the Series 11 story. Whilst the Thijarians and their reports do cover around half of the story, the focus of this adventure is definitely on Prem. I was a big fan of the format of the short story with the letters form and just getting an insight into his experiences on the front line and within the war effort was fantastic. I have a Bachelors and Masters degree in History so I could really appreciate the writing here and although the content was fictional, it felt authentic within the Second World War setting which was really testament to the writing. I was a big fan of that. It was nice to have him mainly addressing Umbreen but then also making snide and banterful comments to his little brother who was the only one who could read and write and ensure the letters were returned and kept the conversation across the globe flowing. I really loved the use of the globe and Prem's instructions on how to find Malaya with that being their next destination. That was really nice and a fun little visual. It was good to explore the extent of the Thijarian operation and the concept of loneliness in them which was really emotional. The Thijarian had a sad moment of revelation when realising that it had been on the task for around a third of its lifecycle, or expected life of that, and that was actually quite hard to read. A Thijarian and the concept of loneliness was regarded as weak when combined and so this particular Thijarian didn't believe it was one of the race's finest. That's quite something! Reading Prem's experiences and journey through the Second World War was terrific though and I liked reading of how much he moved around. The talks of Britain promising independence was good given what went down in the televised episode this story is a derivative from, and it was nice for him to be enclosing his wages. It was a stark reminder as well to realise how much time people spent away for the war effort, as was the case with Prem and being away from Umbreen for so long. Overall, this was just a really nice and intriguing little adventure! A fantastic and enjoyable read.

Rating: 8/10

Narcissus

"A creature that feeds on beauty."

Writer: Sarah Grochala

Format: Audio

Released: March 2019

Series: Eighth of March 04

Featuring: Kate, Osgood

Synopsis

When one of their own goes missing, Kate Stewart and the two Osgoods decide to investigate.

Narcissus is interested only in the most beautiful people, but as the UNIT operatives are about to discover, its true purpose is something far from desirable.

Verdict

Narcissus was a great adventure to conclude The Eighth of March boxset celebrating International Women's Day! This was such a good idea and I love how we brought together stories featuring iconic women from the world of Doctor Who here to shine in their own right, and where better to finish than with the modern UNIT team headed by Kate and Osgood? They're a tremendous pair so I was slightly surprised to find that we started with Josh Carter and his pretty raunchy date with Jordan. She claimed to work for International Optics but the only thing she was concerned with was her lust for Josh. She wanted him bad and for a second I was getting bad vibes that we were going to get something similar to Day One, but it didn't quite reach the levels of Torchwood's second episode. It wasn't a million miles away though! Without the visuals, the fate of Josh was left ambiguous which worked well and I liked how Kate and Osgood were stuck tackling the containment of a virus. I was a big fan of having both versions of Osgood feature and that must have been a lot of fun for Ingrid Oliver to play the human and Zygon versions. They were used well here and causing some amusing issues for Kate. Jordan thinking that Josh was perfect when she had him tied up was fun and I liked how she was trying to convince him of this fact and for him to embrace it. That fed in well with the later revelation that Love in its true form was feeding on strength. The link that Jacqui provided with a number of people going missing in the West End and Josh's last known whereabouts being there was brilliant and I liked how the link to the victims was the Narcissus dating site. It was a unique take on the dating world and pretty presumptuous so it was terrific that Jacqui had a profile. Zygon Osgood taking that form in order to reach 'Stargazer' with whom Josh had met was a good plan and coupling that with the real Jacqui cottoning on and going to the same hotel was fantastic. Jacqui seeing a copy of herself out cold must have been a tough watch and I was intrigued that Jordan considered the Zygon ugly inside. Later finding out that Jordan was switching between male and female forms and was the CEO of Narcissus was great and I liked the idea of sentient code in the dating site's configuration. More could have been made of that for me. Jacqui's feature on Jordan was good and I loved that she was able to quickly catch him out about the disappearances. Osgood deducing that Love was actually a parasitic firebird and part of a myth which was actually an early human-alien encounter was brilliant and really showcased her qualities. Love had put the victims in suspended animation and they would stay that way until their energy was expended which was rather gruesome! Jacqui using the alarm given to her earlier in the episode to get UNIT on the rescue mission was good and I really liked that it was a trap from Jordan to get them there. The use of Project Indigo for teleportation was magnificent continuity and it was intriguing to hear Kate in jeopardy once aboard with the mirrors scrambling her brain. She realised that Love was feeding off strength so she cleverly harnessed all of her weaknesses! Osgood having repelled Love with her supposed ugliness didn't seem right so I liked the clarity that it was feeding on inner beauty and Osgood's lack of reliance on anyone along with her happiness was what did the trick. Overall, a really good listen!

Rating: 8/10

Ship of Fools

"Why should we fear you... we've never even heard of Cybermen!"

Writer: Steve Moore

Format: Comic Strip

Released: March 1980

Printed in: DWM 23-24

Featuring: Kroton

Synopsis

Verdict

Ship of Fools was a good little comic strip adventure to continue my way through The Glorious Dead graphic novel! Alas, I have read the story last printed in the collection by virtue of my efforts to read through in release order and I liked the continuity this one had with Throwback: The Soul of a Cyberman. It's unique for these backup Doctor Who Weekly comic strips to have some story depth but this one was full of it once Kroton was awakened. It was nice to get a little reminder of what exactly Kroton had gone through on Mondaran and that he was the Cyberman that had rediscovered emotion. The idea of an emotional Cyberman is obviously contradictory but it was used well here in a place in space where time stood still. This did not compute with the logical nature of Kroton's interior workings and that was fun to explore. The cruiser ship setting was very good and a unique place for a Cyberman to be hanging around and the cliffhanger served as a great revelation where the ship's name was revealed to The Flying Dutchman II. The historical connotations associated with that name were lost on Kroton which I actually liked, but it meant something on Earth which was good. Some of the characters that were party on the ship were fun with Leonart and Cassandra particular standouts. Of course, when the entire story is only eight pages long there's only so much you can do with the characters! I was actually impressed with how much went on in the story and I think the fact that Kroton was a familiar character and we followed on from a previous story certainly helped in that regard. The time being stuck at 7:17 was fun and I loved the logical nature of how Kroton stated that he thought their clock was broken. He was second guessing just what was going on aboard the cruiser ship and getting the inner thoughts of the Cyberman and how he wasn't sure if he was being played was a very good use of the comic strip format. It's not often we get to see what a Cyberman is thinking! I'm still a massive fan of the design of Kroton and it really does capture a lot of the fantastic designs associated with some of the Classic era Cybermen. I think he's excellent. His intentions of solving the issue of the time warp and getting everybody back home was really nice and logic pointed towards going to the pilot. This pilot being robotic was good and I liked how that allowed Kroton specific knowledge of how he was wired and what had gone wrong. There was a malfunction and the pilot had saved the lives of the passengers as a priority by staying still in the Vortex until rescue arrived. Except the Vortex was moving too and they weren't far from a planet that was inhabitable. Kroton gave the pilot new instructions but he wasn't to know that the ship had been in limbo for 628 years and upon exiting the Vortex, the passengers quickly aged to death in pretty gruesome style! It was a powerful ending and with Kroton being emotional, I do wonder how he will handle this burden now placed upon him. Overall, a fine story for the format and length! 

Rating: 7/10

Pain Management

"I don't like to boast but I've just cured the flu."

Writer: Beverly Sanford

Format: Short Story

Released: October 2019

Printed in: The Target Storybook 14

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Bill, Nardole

Synopsis

"We're all stories in the end..."

In this exciting collection you'll find all-new stories spinning off from some of your favourite Doctor Who moments across the history of the series.

Discover what happened next, what went on before, and what occurred off-screen in an inventive selection of sequels, side-trips, foreshadowings and first-hand accounts – and look forward too, with a brand new adventure for the Thirteenth Doctor.

Each story expands in thrilling ways upon aspects of Doctor Who's enduring legend. With contributions from show luminaries past and present – including Colin Baker, Matthew Waterhouse, Vinay Patel, Joy Wilkinson and Terrance Dicks – The Target Storybook is a once-in-a-lifetime tour around the wonders of the Whoniverse.

Verdict

Pain Management was a very good short story to continue my reading of The Target Storybook! It's been an exhaustive ride getting through each and every one of these quirky and wonderful stories and this serving as the penultimate adventure within the huge collection was fantastic. It was a great way to use the Twelfth Doctor era and particularly that of Series 10 and the large absence of the Doctor for much of the story wasn't really felt when we had a strong trio of Bill, Nardole and Missy to carry things through. The idea of the Doctor teaching Missy to be good always fascinated me and I liked how there were signs here that she was perhaps seeing the light, whilst also delving back into the realm of her being inherently evil. There was a good balance and with her being free from the confines of the vault, I'm intrigued to know where exactly this one fits in during that Series 10 narrative. The Doctor trusting Missy is brave but I like how Bill almost trusts her through the Doctor. He's usually a good judge of character and that seems to have rubbed off on her which I admire. Missy not being overly impressed by the Doctor's musical past as part of Rusty Cage was amusing and the venture back to San Francisco in 1994 was excellent. Bill was absolutely loving living it up in her recent past and the all areas access they were granted backstage at the gig was a lot of fun. Missy was in her element in an uncomfortable setting and the fact she even got complimented for her Victorian garb was wonderful. The talk of a virus outbreak was starkly at home with the current state of society and I don't think I'd have appreciated that as much had I read around the time of release, back in that wonderful and unbelievable time where there wasn't a global pandemic. Matron Wanda was a fantastic character and Missy going so far as to curing her flu was incredible! That audacity was exactly what I'd expect of the Time Lady and her reaction to the unexpected side effect was hilarious. The connection between Missy and Wanda was literally represented by some blue static buzzing which was an intriguing image and I loved how Wanda was showcasing all of the bad traits we associate with Missy. She had the power to cure the flu and after twenty years as a nurse, eliminating pain was something she became inundated by. She didn't care that eliminating the flu meant that all sufferers and patients became mindless zombies and the depiction of that within a hospital almost felt like World Enough and Time for me! It was a powerful image. Those who were cured wanting to cure others and turn them into zombies also presented a good degree of danger and I enjoyed how they were dubbed Curers. The Doctor's absence from crowd surfing and failing resulting in being knocked out was just tremendous and something I'd love to have seen, but his return to consciousness came after Bill used noise to delay the zombies and interfere with the link. Missy's calm and ruthless way of fixing the issue was to throw Wanda off the hospital roof which was extraordinary. It was so sudden and made for a big impact. The Doctor was obviously disappointed, and there was still work to do for Missy and trusting her. Overall, a very good read!

Rating: 8/10

Gallery of Ghouls

"There's no such thing as an easy coin."

Writer: Alan Barnes

Format: Audio

Released: May 2016

Series: FDA 5.05

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana II

Synopsis

When the TARDIS lands in Brighton the Doctor and Romana have the chance to spend some time at the seaside. But with it being too early for the opening of the Pavilion, they have to look elsewhere for their entertainment – perhaps Madame Tissot's travelling waxworks, recently arrived in town?

But they're not the only ones interested in her Exposition. When an unusual thief commits an unusual theft, the time travellers are on the case.

What exactly is the sinister secret of Goole's Gallery? Is Tissot's heading for a meltdown? And what does it all have to do with the head of Marie Antoinette?

Verdict

Gallery of Ghouls was an excellent audio in the Fourth Doctor Adventures! This really was so much fun and absolute joy to listen to and something right at home in this range and era. Starting in 1833 and the comments about the Brighton Pavilion not being built until 1851 were wonderful and I loved how the Doctor was willing to wait eighteen years for its opening! The mentions of the randomiser and needing to stay clear of the hunt from the Black Guardian was great continuity and I loved Romana's plan to see history firsthand while they waited for the pavilion to be built. The waxworks were in town though! Madame Tissot was a fun character and her dismay at the fact her exhibitions were getting incredibly low numbers was coupled with the fact there was a competitor in town in the form of Mr Goole. The Doctor's criticising of Tissot's work of Nelson's demise was hilarious because he really didn't hold back! The theft of the sculpt of Marie Antoinette's head was certainly unique and I really enjoyed the Doctor and Romana being accused of it. However, it was Romana who had spotted the real thief who upon her chasing after him he managed to impale himself! While she went to get K9, he just reduced himself to wax and slid away. The efforts to spoil the Royal Patronage of Tissot's display screamed jealousy and I really liked the cliffhanger where it appeared that Goole's mysterious waxer was actually Marie Antoinette! Of course, she turned out to be an over-cranked automaton which was equally as good and I really liked how this android craved acknowledgement. She was also built with sarcasm which was delightful alongside the Fourth Doctor. Her effort's to extract Tissot's eye only to find that it was basically useless was a powerful way to reveal that Tissot was a fraud and actually from Wolverhampton. She had never been to Paris and the French accent was all a ruse to increase her fees. Goole wanting to experience death and record it through the android was really an intriguing concept and the idea of life without feeling for his liquefied species was brilliant. The action that came from the conclusion with the Doctor using a frequency on the sonic that ended up setting the automatons alight and taking the entire works with it was fantastic and the drama that came with Romana being left inside was great. The Doctor would of course return into the blaze to free his companion but it was obvious the moment they entered the TARDIS that she wasn't the real artefact. It was Goole! He didn't bat an eyelid at the Beige Guardian which was amusing. The Doctor believing the real Romana to be in the blaze sparked him into action and I liked how he risked removing the randomiser to save her. It was also fun for him to admit he didn't quite know how to deactivate the HADS! The Doctor essentially turning the TARDIS temperature down to -0.1 fahrenheit was a simple way to be ridded of Goole as he couldn't control himself without internal organs. That was quite graphic but it had to be done. Overall, I thought this was a brilliant audio and just a really fun adventure!

Rating: 9/10

Mission: Impractical

"People think it's easy being a diabolical mastermind."

Writer: David A. McIntee

Format: Novel

Released: June 1998

Series: PDA 12

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Frobisher

Synopsis

When daring criminal Jack Chance masterminds the heist of a precious national treasure from the planet Veltroch, it is the first step in a chain of events that could lead to the destruction of two civilisations...

Pursued by bounty hunters, the Doctor and his shapeshifting companion Frobisher run into old acquaintances Glitz and Dibber – notorious rogues who have become involved in something big: a covert government agency on Vandor Prime is forcing the pair to turn their criminal talents to its own ends.

The Doctor and Frobisher are soon drawn into the mysterious scheme themselves – but what game is truly being played by the authorities? How is the group of Ogron raiders involved? And who is so desperate to see the Doctor dead?

Caught in a web of deceit and pursued by ruthless killers, the Doctor's mission – should he decide to accept it – is to join Glitz's gang and pull off the crime of the century. And failure will result in an interstellar war costing the lives of millions...

Verdict

Mission: Impractical was a somewhat average novel unfortunately. This was not one my favourite books and comfortably goes down as my least favourite Sixth Doctor book that I have read so far in my years of blogging. I was intrigued by what was going to happen with the pairing of the Sixth Doctor and Frobisher in the unusual format of prose as opposed to comic strip and while I like the idea of combining mediums and having this adventure set between two DWM comic stories, I'm not really sure what Frobisher offered. The author made reference in his opening notes about the work that went in to getting Frobisher and honestly it's harsh to say but I don't think it was required. He didn't really offer a huge amount which was a shame as there's so much potential with his character and shapeshifting abilities. I felt a little sorry for any readers who hadn't read any DWM comic strips as I don't think there was a good amount of information or backstory regarding Frobisher and how he came to be traveling with the Doctor. It wasn't mentioned that he was a Whifferdill until well over 200 pages in! I think this would have worked better with the Doctor travelling solo, especially when we had Glitz and Dibber making fun comebacks. They were great characters once again here and I really enjoyed the references and continuation from The Trial of a Time Lord for them and their dealings with the Master. The discussion about Mel was an intriguing point and I liked how it was said by the Doctor that he hadn't actually met her yet. It was a rare sidestep of a story taking place between the past and the future evidences of that aforementioned Season 23 story. The relationship between the Doctor and Glitz was fun and I loved how there was a long period where Glitz thought he had been poisoned and the Doctor was keeping that trail of thought current even though he'd already slipped him the antidote. I thought the revelation of that for Glitz was wasted though and should have been a much bigger moment! The premise at the heart of the story was actually quite simple with the Doctor reassembling the gang that stole a relic to go and steal it back and return it to its rightful owners. I don't understand why everything got so complicated and in the end I felt that there were just far too many characters and too much going on. There wasn't enough room to get to fully know characters like Liang and Chat or explore the relationship between Mandell and Kara, something that was very powerful at the end but didn't get the build it deserved. Jack Chance was a fun character and I liked how he was the last to be convinced to join the mission that very much was impractical. Karthakh and Sha'ol were very good villains in wanting to fulfil their contract and kill the Doctor and the dynamic of them being one of each species that war loomed between was fantastic. I liked how they were loyal to their contract which made them pretty unique amongst criminals! The Ogrons are always fun and they did have their moments in this book but again I just think they were a bit overkill. They weren't needed and they didn't have the role they deserved. The song that they sung was tremendous though! As a whole, the heart of the story was simple and pretty good but I felt that it got overcomplicated by too many characters. It had its moments, but as a whole I can't help but feel slightly disappointed by the book despite its good qualities.

Rating: 6/10

The Wanderer

"I can see the revolution."

Writer: Richard Dennick

Format: Audio

Released: April 2012

Series: Companion Chronicles 6.10

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara 

Synopsis

Siberia at the end of the 19th Century, and the TARDIS arrives just as a shooting star hurtles to the ground.

With it comes an illness that affects the Doctor and Susan, and knowledge that must not fall into the wrong hands.

With his friends either dying or lost, Ian Chesterton must save the future and win the ultimate prize – a way home to 1963...

Verdict

The Wanderer was an excellent Companion Chronicles audio! It feels like an age since I blogged anything within this range so it was great to return to it and going back to the very first TARDIS team was a delight. William Russell was magnificent with his narrating and I also have to give huge credit to the writer for capturing the era of the early days of Doctor Who. This felt very much like a story within those first two seasons and it was good to include the element of Ian and Barbara being desperate to get back home to 1963 whilst also making it clear that they had travelled extensively in the TARDIS. They were very much wanderers in the fourth dimension and coming back to that line from An Unearthly Child was really nice. It's always been a favourite of mine! I liked the uniqueness of the setting in Siberia at the turn of the twentieth century and Ian finding that actually close to home with it only being six decades behind his own time was really interesting. Despite everything he and Barbara had seen on their travels, they still longed for home which I think is actually quite telling. Their arrival in Siberia coinciding with a shooting star was intriguing and I liked how it was quickly deduced that it was no ordinary shooting star. The fire in the sky on this occasion was more of a controlled landing so it was clear that there were aliens on the way. They were the Dahensa who turned out to be an intriguing race but it was actually their robotic probe that was of more interest. It was malfunctioning and that meant chronon particles were being released into the air and infected the Doctor in quite a severe way. I thought it was quite clever to have Susan and Barbara separated so we only heard the aftermaths of Susan's rampage after her infection. That was a good use of the format and the range with Ian clearly the focus. I liked how he was continuing the theme of The Aztecs in not wanting or believing he should change history and also applying that to the future was terrific. Grigory turned out to be an excellent character and I loved how through the probe he was able to see the next one thousand years of human history almost in an instant. And the things he was going to do! Stop the Holocaust, become Hitler's superior and directly impact the World Wars. They were just a few and the potential for disaster with this foreknowledge was fantastic. I was a big fan. The revelation that he was actually Rasputin was something I never saw coming so I loved that. The mad monk indeed. His crazed demeanour was marvellous and I was a big fan of him at the cliffhanger where he saw so much. His take on the Doctor being woven throughout human history was wonderful and some of the dialogue surrounding that was very good. It was good to have some use of the TARDIS telepathic circuits this early on to ensure Rasputin didn't retain all he had learnt, and the efforts of using the probe to get Ian and Barbara back to 1963 were lovely and it was actually a shame they had burned out so rendered useless. Overall, I thought this was a magnificent venture into the past and whilst the conclusion actually came in quite a simple fashion, the pace and logic of it was right at home with the early First Doctor era. A great listen!

Rating: 9/10

Inside Every Warrior

"When I grabbed at the beast I came aware with treasure."

Writer: Gemma Langford

Format: Audio

Released: March 2019

Series: Eighth of March 03

Featuring: Vastra, Jenny, Strax

Synopsis

The Great Detective, Madame Vastra, aided by her resourceful spouse, Jenny Flint, and loyal valet, Strax, is looking into a series of mysterious break-ins.

An eccentric scientist and his put-upon assistant are the latest victims. Evidence mounts, with animal footprints and a trail of destruction.

Verdict

Inside Every Warrior was an excellent story to continue The Eighth of March! This was a clever little release for the Paternoster Gang and serves as a fine example of what their own spinoff series will be like. I really can't wait to dive into that at some point as this was a terrific listen. The trio of Vastra, Strax and Jenny are just outstanding and that was on full display throughout this adventure. I liked how immediately the setting of the Victorian era was established and having the Gang on the hunt for a werewolf felt very appropriate for the atmosphere of the audio. Dr Pinch was introduced and he turned into a fascinating character and him being the subject of a burglary obviously put him in quite a vulnerable state mentally, but there was much more than that to his crazed demeanour. He was on the edge when it came to his mental capacities and that was fun, especially with Strax interacting. The burglar seemed to have come through the wall which added to the feasibility of it being something unordinary along the lines of a werewolf and coupling that with the big footprints that were found outside made for a good and intriguing mystery. Pinch revealing that he thought the werewolf was injured and had green blood was brilliant because that added to the alienness of the culprit and was quite the description in itself. I always think anytime werewolves are mentioned or featured in a Doctor Who story it needs to distance itself from Tooth and Claw and despite the Victorian setting, I thought this audio did a very good job. Pinch pondering over his lost specimen was interesting and I really liked the danger that came when it was Strax that was taken. Daisy Hodge as Pinch's assistant was a fantastic character and she turned out to be a pretty ruthless villain! Pinch's transformation throughout the audio worked well and I loved that he had an interest in Strax and got what he wanted. The alien prison being referred to as a cocktail parlour and Strax being the next flavour on the menu was both excellent and gruesome and hearing other captured aliens really sold the predicament well. I enjoy how Vastra has a reputation and hearing her vulnerability when it appeared Jenny had been fatally wounded was fantastic. She managed to grab pearls from the beast which sparked a heartwarming moment between her and Vastra. Daisy going so far as to extract the essence from Strax was excellent and I liked how some of the other aliens were addicted to the extraction sensation. That was disturbing but also strangely exciting. Daisy playing a game with Pinch over having him guess her name was powerful in highlighting the patriarchal society of the time. He didn't even know his assistant's first name. If he was correct everyone would be free, but if not well the timer wasn't for show! Daisy taunting Strax and Jenny over Vastra being their mistress and boss was superb because it actually gave them strength to both rise up which was really lovely. It was quite an emotional ending then with Daisy realising she was defeated and taking her own life. It all happened so suddenly and it was actually quite the fall from grace! Overall, a fantastic audio adventure! 

Rating: 9/10

Throwback: The Soul of a Cyberman

"It has no feelings, no soul... I doubt you could say it was ever alive."

Writer: Steve Moore

Format: Comic Strip

Released: November 1979

Printed in: DWM 5-7

Featuring: Kroton

Synopsis

On the planet Mondaran, groaning under the metallic heel of the Cybermen, Junior Cyberleader Kroton works tirelessly to quell the resistance of the human inhabitants, led by Pendar. But as the freedom fighters are on the rise, Kroton experiences some inner conflict beyond a mere malfunction...

Verdict

Throwback: The Soul of a Cyberman was a great comic strip adventure! This actually kicked off my reading of The Glorious Dead graphic novel and even though this story was printed at the back of the collection, even following the commentary section, I felt like I had to start here as where possible I always prefer to read a series of stories in release order. Considering this adventure was released in the fifth, sixth and seventh issues of what was then Doctor Who Weekly, I didn't see any benefit in coming back to them after reading through a lengthy set of adventures for the Eighth Doctor and Izzy. I thought this was a really fun and intriguing tale and I like the use of the Fourth Doctor in the top corner at the start of each part to update readers on what came before, or in the case of part one to establish the setting and show that the events depicted in the adventure were part of a Time Lord library record. That was really fascinating and a good use of the Doctor without him actually featuring. It's a good use of the comic strip format as well to go beyond the Doctor and give us something new with the Cybermen. I imagine this was well received at the time as well considering it had been five years since Revenge of the Cybermen was broadcast! I thought the setting of Mandaran was very good and I liked the use of logic and failing to understand why humanity just didn't accept the Cybermen as the superior beings and ruling species. To the Cybermen, they were the only species capable of being in control which was terrific. I absolutely loved the comic strip design of the Cybermen in this story with it being somewhat close to that of The Invasion but it just looks a little slicker. It really is effective and I think the appearance is definitely a big benefit of the foes here. I thought Kroton was a fantastic character and whilst the name perhaps could have been different given the titular enemies in The Krotons, the fact we have a Cyberman with a name is unique in of itself. I was a fan of that happening for Kroton, but I had to laugh at the silliness of the Cybermen here questioning humanity over their individuality only for them all to have their own names! That's a bit of a continuity error and is a big proponent of why I couldn't give this story an even higher rating. Regardless, it still scores very well and was a really enjoyable read. Pendar was a very good character and I also liked Marilka's role in the uprising with her father. The Cybermen were dealing in logic and coupling that with Kroton's interest in emotions was fantastic. He was genuinely interested and almost wanted to be empathic to what it is to be human. Trying to deal with the inner conflict of saving the humans rather than killing them was a powerful image and it even went so far as to confusing the rebels. Could they be trusted? Having only thirty or so rebels who were willing to trust Kroton in helping them escape was very good and a believable number with the others having to just remain stuck battling the Cybermen. Kroton was able to fly them to safety and whilst they couldn't reach orbit and get off the planet, they could reach salvation on the daylight side. A fitting sacrifice from Kroton as he then propelled into space and would drift on, or so it appeared. Overall, a really great comic strip!

Rating: 8/10

Ghost Mission

"Are you ready to join Torchwood?"

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: May 2016

Series: Torchwood Monthly 09

Featuring: Andy, Norton

Synopsis

Sergeant Andy Davidson has always wanted to join Torchwood. And now he finally gets his chance.

Under the strict observation of his Torchwood Assessor, Andy sets out to prove he's got what it takes. When a chemical spill turns out to have serious consequences, when monsters roam the Bay, and when an ancient entity awakes, Andy decides he could do with a helping hand. The problem is his Torchwood Assessor doesn't have any hands. Norton Folgate is a ghost.

Verdict

Ghost Mission was an average story to continue the monthly Torchwood adventures from Big Finish. Whilst this one wasn't entirely bad, I didn't think it was overly good either which was a big shame as I was actually really excited to get a full Torchwood tale with Andy Davidson! The premise seemed good with him getting the chance to join Torchwood after all this time, but that isn't really what happened. The pre-titles sequence with Andy falling and us already realising there would be peril alongside Norton Folgate didn't do much for me and I actually felt that Norton hindered the adventure. I have exposure to him after his appearances in the (laughably) 'official' continuation of Torchwood through Aliens Among Us and God Among Us, so it is good to get to get to grips on his first appearance in the spinoff series but I'm just not his biggest fan. I really dislike his demeanour and there's something about him that I just can't get to liking about the character. Sadly, I'm not a fan. The dynamic of him being a ghost here did have its moments and I liked the ridiculousness of him being a Torchwood Assessor as a ghost from 1953, but there seemed to actually be a little too much going on. The chemical spillage was good and Norton not being able to physically help put Andy in peril, and whilst I liked the idea of testing him I'm not sure why he was asking for permission to call Gwen for help when the stakes were very real. I mean, we heard someone die in gruesome circumstances at the hands of the spillage. Andy's ingenuity in using the fire extinguisher to put out the creature was tremendous though and definitely the highlight of the audio for me. His descriptors of it being alien mimic soup and a people photocopier were also great and a stark reminder of how out of his depth he could actually be when it came to aliens. The exploration of the cloning factory was interesting but the technology was already used. The threat of him drowning in acid was pretty gruesome and Andy accepting he was going to die was powerful, only for it to turn out to be biogel in not the greatest of twists. Andy pondering over his decade of wonderment why Gwen was special was really intriguing to think about. Norton being pretty unhelpful to Andy got a little annoying at times because I felt like he was just getting in the way. The shift in setting to the haunted church in Grangetown was very good and the eeriness of the Saving Grace lyrics from the ghost echoes within was excellent. That soon turned into a crowd which got a little overload but Andy's Welsh confidence was an absolute delight. The use of singing for communication was creepy and something more should have been made of in my opinion. It was clear that Norton had an ulterior motive throughout and him showing Andy the ruling Committee of Torchwood was fun because obviously that's not who they answer to. Norton had obtained the bad penny silver locket needed in 1953, also known as the red key which was interesting continuity with Zone 10, and I look forward to seeing how that comes back into play. Andy's message draft to Gwen was fun and I liked how he knew that Gwen wouldn't risk his life, so why wasn't he questioning Norton more? But then, Jane came over and whilst Andy admitted he was stalky he soon forgot about the ghost now he had the attention of the good-looking girl. Overall, a strong showing for Andy but a little flat in parts.

Rating: 6/10

Citation Needed

"If the incident that awakened me no longer happened, how do its consequences still exist?"

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner

Format: Short Story

Released: October 2019

Printed in: The Target Storybook 13

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Twelfth Doctor, Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

"We're all stories in the end..."

In this exciting collection you'll find all-new stories spinning off from some of your favourite Doctor Who moments across the history of the series.

Discover what happened next, what went on before, and what occurred off-screen in an inventive selection of sequels, side-trips, foreshadowings and first-hand accounts – and look forward too, with a brand new adventure for the Thirteenth Doctor.

Each story expands in thrilling ways upon aspects of Doctor Who's enduring legend. With contributions from show luminaries past and present – including Colin Baker, Matthew Waterhouse, Vinay Patel, Joy Wilkinson and Terrance Dicks – The Target Storybook is a once-in-a-lifetime tour around the wonders of the Whoniverse.

Verdict

Citation Needed was a decent and very unique adventure to continue my reading through The Target Storybook! This was definitely an audacious and different format for a short story and I like that there was some experimentation on display as I think if there is anywhere to try something like that, it would be as part of a collection such as this one. I don't think I would be able to maintain my interest for a whole book, but for around thirty pages this worked well. It reminded me a little of The Last Dodo with the way we got a lot of definitions and information from the Encyclopaedia Gallifreya and the fact that the entire story was told from the perspective of this book was incredible! It's so strange and weird to think about and I like how it's kind of explained from my opening quote which is something fun to try and wrap your head around. While I did enjoy the story and its uniqueness, I must say that I think this is a bad use of the Eleventh Doctor in the book as a whole as it quickly stems into a Thirteenth Doctor adventure! Ordinarily, that would be absolutely fine and judging solely on the story I thought that worked really well but I just think it's a shame that we are not going to get more of a focus on the Eleventh Doctor. The illustration that started this story adorning him was brilliant though and I enjoyed the Gallifreya's entries on bow ties and how this current Doctor thought they were cool. The Encyclopaedia going through a number of different incarnations of the Doctor and their entries was fun and I love how the confusion surrounding the Meta-Crisis Doctor of Journey's End was addressed on more than occasion, but I was surprised that we didn't hark back to the War Doctor as well as I think that's really where the numbering confusion stems. The Gallifreya experiencing the events of The Name of the Doctor and getting bored of 'Doctor who?' being said throughout time was amusing and I quite enjoyed how it took more than attempt of sleeping through eternity before that was finished. Well, things got even longer when we had gone through a regeneration and we were experiencing the events of Heaven Sent through the Encyclopaedia with the Doctor constantly dying over and over again for four-and-a-half billion years. I also liked how Clara was causing issues given her nature as the impossible girl and the links to Silver Nemesis and Blood and Ice were fantastic continuity. The reaction of shock from the Gallifreya when we experienced another regeneration and this time the Thirteenth Doctor entered the fold was fun and I liked how this provided a pronoun problem. Did past entries need to be altered? That was certainly an unenviable task! The inclusion of Yaz, Ryan and Graham and their arrival as the fam was good and I liked how we even had references to The Ghost Monument and Rosa. What I wasn't expecting was the involvement of T'zim Sha and the Ux with an apparent link into The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos. That was very good and I liked how the definitions could be used as a statement when it came to describing certain elements of a species or character. We quickly delved into a fun moment where the Gallifreya used its own chameleon abilities to disguise itself as tizer and use Graham's thirst for food as a way to communicate with and warn the Doctor. Things ended a little abruptly given the links to televised episodes, but as a whole this was a good and unique Doctor Who story. 

Rating: 7/10

Doctor Who and the Sunmakers

"They don't have a night on this planet."

Writer: Terrance Dicks

Format: Novel

Released: November 1982

Series: Target 60

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela, K9

Synopsis

Everyone knows that Pluto is a barren airless rock. So naturally the Doctor is surprised when he discovers artificial suns, an ultra-modern industrial city and a group of colonists being worked – and taxed – to death in this inhospitable and supposedly undeveloped part of the universe...

With the help of his companion Leela and the faithful K9, the Doctor takes on the mysterious and powerful Company, ruthless exploiter of planets and their people.

Verdict

Doctor Who and the Sunmakers was an excellent novelisation of the televised serial! I really do think this is an underrated serial within the Fourth Doctor era and it's one that really does seem to go under the radar. It's really intriguing and imaginative and presents a fantastic society that I would love for the Doctor to return to at an earlier point in history. Having a colony on Pluto is a fun concept in of itself but when you couple that with the fact those responsible for creating it and the six suns that powered it were taxing the population to a ridiculous degree, well there was quite the issue presented for those living there. I love the idea of tax on a number of different aspects of life and the opening paragraphs of the book establishing that with Cordo and his inability to pay his father's death taxes was brilliant. He turned out to be a superb character and his being unable to meet his payments resulting in him being suicidal and wanting to jump from three floors was quite the way to introduce the Doctor and Leela to the society. I thought they were a fantastic pairing in this story and coupling them with K9 was tremendous. He was terrific in this book and I really liked how he and the Doctor were playing chess and check mate was calculated within six moves. The Doctor wasn't pleased with that! Circling back to that at the end of the novel was really fun and the touch of fortune from the TARDIS knocking over the chess board was the Fourth Doctor at his best. The Company and eventing it stood for made for a powerful organisational villain and reading how much of a grip they had on the population was excellent. Praise be to the Company. I liked how that was fed in throughout the book and it really showed how there was no loosening of their grip. Despite the numbers not being in their favour, they controlled every aspect of life on Pluto and could just raise taxes or implement compulsory unpaid overtime without any warning. The Collector as the head of that was superb and I loved the description of his appearance and the fact he adorns the book cover. He's heartless and so ingrained in the calculations of the production output and the levels of profitability that came from that. Gatherer Hade and Marn made for good villains at a lower level before the latter ended up joining the revolution and quite liking it which was great stuff. I thought Mandrel was a very good character and his being threatened by Leela was delightful. He headed the Others but was taken aback by the noble savage. Leela really seemed to be enjoying herself in the story which is always great but she did have a few close calls with death! There was a very strong level of excitement and action in the story and I really liked the pace of the revolution taking place. I also loved the passage where the Doctor knew that the easiest way to free Leela was to take down the oppressive regime that had her captured. That was magnificent. I liked the use of the PCM in the story to subjugate the population and Leela dismissing the fear that it invoked in her when K9 confirmed it was artificial was sublime. The ultimate fate of the Controller takes place in quick fashion with him seeing that there's a surplus and the system is going to crash, so he reverts to his natural form and runs away in a liquefied fashion which is pretty amusing! The Doctor literally putting a cork in the bottle to prevent him from escaping is quite silly but perfectly suited to this incarnation. Overall, an excellent novelisation!

Rating: 9/10

The Conquest of Far

"If you don't trust me, why did you bother saving me?"

Writer: Nicholas Briggs

Format: Audio

Released: August 2017

Series: Third Doctor Adventures 3.01

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo

Synopsis

Earth Alliance, the future... Fleet commanders receive their orders from the President of Earth. Operation Far is 'go'. As soon as the planets are suitably aligned, the attack will go ahead.

The Doctor and Jo arrive on the planet Far. The Doctor wants to attend the grand opening of one of the human race's greatest achievements. A huge Hyper Gateway built to make travel around Earth's great empire more convenient, bringing relief to many starving outer colonies.

But they land in the wrong time period, long after the Gateway has been in service, and the Daleks have conquered Far! It's the middle of a war and a deadly game is underway. When everyone has an agenda, betrayal can happen at any time, from any side. The endgame is approaching and maybe this time no one will survive.

Verdict

The Conquest of Far was an excellent audio to kick off the third volume of the Third Doctor Adventures! This was definitely my favourite release in the series thus far and was a welcomed addition of quality to the range made even better by the fact that the bulk of my purchase of the boxset was from a reward voucher at work. There's nothing quite like a freebie! This was a good choice in hindsight and getting an extra encounter with the Daleks for the Third Doctor was brilliant, especially because we got to hear Tim Treloar's take on the third incarnation against the greatest foes for the first time. He has definitely grown on me in the role since it was recast back at the start of the range and whilst I thought there were a couple of instances where too much was done to emulate the mannerisms of Jon Pertwee, he was excellent and definitely helped provide a feeling of authenticity to the story which I think is important. With another Dalek story for this Doctor, I wasn't expecting it to follow on right where a previous one left off! The continuation from Planet of the Daleks was magnificent with the Doctor and Jo literally having just left there only to be encountering the Daleks once again, albeit at a different point in their history. These Daleks were noticeably more advanced with Jo's gasped reaction to their hover abilities a real treat. This also definitely had a feeling of space-opera and that's quite unique for the Third Doctor given much of his era was contained to Earth so it's great to explore other settings for this incarnation. I thought some of the guest characters were very strong with Jickster and Naltrox the obvious standouts. It was good to have the Doctor and Jo split up early on and the proximity to the gateway and their arrival much later in time than anticipated was a good fumble. They were expecting a gatekeeper and instead they got Daleks. The Doctor having to escape through the gateway without any hyperspace coordinates was some good action and excitement and I should also mention that I thought the cliffhangers were very strong. The one at the end of part two revealing the secret weapon of the Daleks was fantastic as we learned that they had a transmitter that was able to convert entire armies en mass into Robomen. I'm a sucker for the Robomen alongside the Daleks and having different levels of them was a really intriguing development here. There were Robomen that were advanced and didn't even know that they had been converted which was really good. I liked the setting of Far very much and I found the origin of its name hilarious and lacking imagination for those who named it on Earth! Very fun. The Dalek Wars are always intriguing to explore and this was no different, and I was impressed with how much the threat of the Daleks was used rather than their actual presence for a lot of the adventure. The scene where the Daleks were interrogating Jo and her truthful (or not!) responses was terrific and I liked how she had the confidence to try and pull one over on them. The ending was actually relatively simple and open-ended which was refreshing and Elaquon's role as the initial slave who designed the transmitter was excellent. She was a great character. I thought it was a big surprise that Del didn't survive after all was well but that showed that death follows the Daleks. The Doctor' gloating to the Daleks at the end as they recognised another face to add to their databanks of the Doctor was fun, although I was slightly surprised he was okay with leaving Daleks alive out in the universe. Still, this was a fantastic listen! 

Rating: 9/10