Cyber-Reality: Telepresence

"Mind over matter."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: May 2018

Series: UNIT 6.02

Featuring: Kate, Osgood

Synopsis

Testing salvaged equipment, Osgood leads Colonel Shindi and Josh Carter on a strange expedition into uncharted territory. A virtual world. When the team is attacked, Kate tries to assist. But it seems the technology itself is doing all it can to keep her apart from her people.

Verdict

Telepresence was another excellent audio adventure to continue the Cyber-Reality sixth series of UNIT! I really enjoyed the immediate follow on this had from Game Theory and I'm a huge fan of the whole virtual reality and gaming theme that is encompassing this series. I don't think it's going to come as any huge surprise when the culprits are revealed given the title of the anthology and the artwork, but the little hints that were given here to what I suspect is Cyberman involvement were terrific. There was also some magnificent continuity with Kate explaining how she and Osgood were on the same forte as The Sea Devils and their first encounter. That was really nice and Osgood having to stop in her tracks and take that information in was superb. I liked the use of VR and the idea of it being a means to a bridge to another universe is really intriguing. That's technology on an incredible scale but it absolutely works for me, and I think it's a great use of the audio format given the lack of visuals which would be incredibly difficult to create convincingly on screen. Instead, it's all left to our imagination and that was something strong running through the episode. With the use of the headsets, Osgood, Josh and Shindi embarked on an exploration of the VR universe expect they were experience total immersion which was fascinating. It was difficult to try and get to grips with the concept, but one's mind was in the other universe whereas their body was not. However, the extra inclusion that pain was caused by the brain was fun because that meant they were still very vulnerable and could interact with the parallel universe despite not physically being there. Osgood cottoning on quick to using imagination to their advantage was excellent as anything you imagined could happen. Sam's role in events worked well and there were definitely some after effects from his experiences last time out. He was hearing a Cyber sounding voice in his head talking about data transfer and being a candidate, something I'm sure we'll get answers to in the next two stories. The threat of the mutated dogs was fine and I enjoyed the amount of action we had in the adventure. It was certainly exciting! Sam supposedly being the link for the Hive and the Network getting stronger definitely provided a sense that we were building towards something big. Kate being unable to pull the trio out despite setting a one hour limit was really good, and it was clear that the humans of this parallel Earth weren't responsible for the headsets. It was parallel, but they weren't so far advanced! Playing around with dimension bridge technology was exciting and Osgood and Shindi getting converted within the VR was a hugely unexpected twist! The advanced troops were marching in an ending akin to Army of Ghosts as the Hive awakened, and this left Kate with no choice. Her duty was to Earth and its people so to break the link she seemingly shot Osgood and Shindi dead in an almighty cliffhanger! Overall, a fantastic adventure! 

Rating: 9/10

Cyber-Reality: Game Theory

"We'll be playing a game where the rules are important."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: May 2018

Series: UNIT 6.01

Featuring: Kate, Osgood

Synopsis

Sam Bishop is missing. Lost at sea, imprisoned with a valuable hostage, UNIT's troubleshooter will need all his skills to survive. To save their comrade, Kate Stewart and Osgood are offered a deadly challenge. But this game might be impossible to win...

Verdict

Game Theory was an excellent start to Cyber-Reality and the sixth series of UNIT's Big Finish spinoff! If this one is anything to go by then we are in for a terrific boxset. There was immediate continuity from The Sontaran Project with the Auctioneers and Sam Bishop being missing which I thought was fantastic and I liked that there was a mini sort of recap to kick things off for any listeners who missed out on Encounters. I really love that Kate and Osgood and the modern UNIT are getting such a lengthy spinoff series and having the two female characters in the lead roles works wonders. They're a wonderful pairing and getting them together and being the team that were out to find Sam was a lot of fun. Hearing Sam actually partake in some activities with fellow captive Julia was good as it has felt like he's been missing for quite some time now. He was quick to deduce that they were in a boat which was impressive and the revelation that came later with Julia turning the gun on him and everything being a different level of test was superb. I loved the gaming theme of the episode with Osgood delving into the world of Virtual Reality. She was being tested, although the Overseer denied this, and the idea of Bristol being at risk and every drone or plane within a small radius about to come crashing out of the sky was quite the threat! Osgood not quite passing the test that wasn't a test was a surprise, but it was nice for her to delve into some Krillitane sequencing and try to find the emitter to de-code it and prevent catastrophe. Sam realising that he knew elements of his latest level was great with him getting a strong sense of deja vu. The Overseer reiterating that it was a mission for Kate and Osgood worked well and giving the clue of Heathrow was fun because Kate really did think she could trek there in less than an hour! That just wasn't happening. The conversing between Kate & Osgood and the Overseer was magnificent throughout and I loved the idea of the whole event being a power trip to show who was the boss. That felt refreshing. Osgood utilising the VR map to get to the emitter despite it being 200 miles away was brilliant and I liked that Colonel Shindi was on hand after finding the right communication frequency line to arrive. The throwaway mention of Malcolm is lovely continuity and I do wonder if we'll get a visit from him at some point in the range. Osgood deducing that it was the red wire to cut to prevent the container detonating was good and tense, and finding Sam inside wearing a VR device was a nice way to bring him back to UNIT. The Overseer explaining how it was a show of power and that they weren't interested in the Black Archive was really good, and I liked that they just wanted to be left in peace rather than have UNIT snooping around. Sam being a template for a game in a booming industry was not what I expected, but I thought it worked ever so well and just felt modern. Overall, a really strong story and a great listen! 

Rating: 9/10

Doctor Who and An Unearthly Child

"A thing that looks like a police box standing in a junk yard... and it can travel in Time and Space?"

Writer: Terrance Dicks

Format: Novel

Released: October 1981

Series: Target 68

Featuring: First Doctor,Susan, Ian, Barbara 

Synopsis

A strange girl who knows far more than she should about the past – and the future...

Two worried teachers whose curiosity leads them to a deserted junk yard, an extraordinary police box and a mysterious traveller known only as the Doctor...

A fantastic journey through Space and Time ending in a terrifying adventure at the dawn of history...

Verdict

Doctor Who and An Unearthly Child was an excellent novelisation of the first ever Doctor Who serial! It really is a monumental book and it's no surprise that it's quite a rarity to find these days, so I was delighted to pick up a copy for a few pounds on a Facebook group. I've always been intrigued to see how this would be presented given its importance and the fact that the Target books were released in anything other than broadcast order. This is as straightforward as you can get really for a novelisation and I find it quite ironic that Doctor Who and the Daleks probably has more of an introductory feel to the show. This just recounts that first part of the serial in the first three chapters like it captured any other televised part in prose. I don't think there's anything wrong with that approach in the slightest, I was just surprised that there wasn't something a little more. I really enjoyed revisiting this tale and Susan's role in starting the whole thing off by drawing the attention of Ian and Barbara is terrific. The first three chapters here serve as basically an introduction to Ian and Barbara rather than to Doctor Who and I think that's fun given that it was released in 1981 where the vast majority of readers would know all about the basic elements of the show. There's no need to explain it all to them again. It's so intriguing how different the first few stories feel with the Doctor not anything close to resembling what he would become, and that's evident in his essential abduction of Ian and Barbara. He doesn't want to stop and save any of the cavemen and is actually horrified when Susan goes to help Za after he's attacked by the tiger. I thought more might have been made of the TARDIS failing to disguise itself with the chameleon circuit, but there were a lot of components and switches not acting as they ought to so it went under the radar. Ian and the Doctor's relationship here is excellent and the arrogance and ignorance displayed by the pair towards one another is great. It's lovely knowing what will become of them. I was intrigued by how Barbara was presented in then school and she was made out to be quite a stern and strict character, something I'm not entirely convinced we saw on screen. The mystery behind Susan and her scientific intelligence accompanying some severe knowledge gaps was magnificent, and it does feel quite strange for things to then transfer to the dawn of mankind and their thirst for fire. The battle for leadership over the tribe between Za and Kal was brilliant and I thought Old Mother's role in keeping fire away was excellent. There was so much going on and it's a fine first example of what the TARDIS can do. After concluding my reading, it's no surprise to find that Terrance Dicks only had a fortnight to write the book as the pace is frantic and quite drastically different to what was on screen. And that actually worked in its favour I think because such a prehistoric setting can only offer so much. It's uniqueness is superb though. I've watched the serial so many times so the events of the book were so familiar, but it was just wonderful to dip back into the opening adventure that kicked Doctor Who off. The lead into The Daleks at the end was also a really nice touch. Overall, a joyful read!

Rating: 9/10

Freakshow

"The only thing that matters, my friends, is that you are ready to witness miracles."

Writer: Mark Morris

Format: Audio

Released: August 2011

Series: Companion Chronicles: The Specials 03

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough

Synopsis

The TARDIS arrives in Arizona 1905, where travelling showman Thaddeus P Winklemeyer is offering the residents of Buzzard Creek the elixir of life. Winklemeyer also owns a unique carnival, which is full of caged alien creatures. And in Turlough he has found a brand new exhibit...

Verdict

Freakshow was a really good Companion Chronicles audio to conclude the trio of Specials! From the off this was an intriguing adventure and I thought it was quite fun to hear Turlough actually recording himself telling the events of the story. It was clearly established that we were still very early on in Turlough's time in the TARDIS as his relationship with Tegan was testy to say the least. She was still incredibly cautious of him after the whole Black Guardian affair which is understandable, and the continuity from there and specifically Enlightenment was great. Turlough shuddering when that word was said in coincidence was really well done. It's a little brave to have a Companion Chronicle with Turlough as I don't think it is unfair of me to say that he isn't the most popular companion there has ever been, but Mark Strickson delivered a fine performance and I actually think this was one of his better outings in the role. I mean, if I was a subscriber back when DWM issue 419 was released, I would have been more than delighted with a free adventure! Turlough's dismay at the TARDIS going back to Earth once again was amusing and having the setting of Arizona at the start of the twentieth century was terrific. It was unique and getting to the specific town of Buzzard Creek was fantastic. It worked very well and having the carnival on its way was great stuff. That was something that would make Turlough uncomfortable, but his desire to explore was uncharacteristic so it was good to hear him branching out. Winklemeyer as the showman and star of the carnival was an excellent character. The deformed humans actually turning out to be aliens was very good and I liked how Turlough recognised the species he was controlling as being from a neighbouring planet of Trion. His efforts to bring the elixir of life was fun and that's always a concept I can get behind. I thought it was a positive move to have the Doctor and Tegan absent for much of the first half of the story, and their later arrival had a bit of an impact which I didn't expect. Turlough getting associated with the local beverages was also amusing to hear and again that was something I wouldn't usually expect him to get involved in. The confidence of Winklemeyer was good until the Doctor came around and it wasn't too long then until he got the upper hand. Berman was another good character and his death and subsequent burial were really enlightening and opened up a different aspect of the story. The image of Turlough wearing a stetson was also good in giving him some personality and it's no surprise given the setting that this was what adorned the CD cover. The conclusion was exciting and the involvement of the Doctor and Tegan coming in the second half really did make the difference for me, whilst it also being a good opportunity for the adventure as a whole to showcase Turlough, something that probably hasn't happened enough. Overall, a great listen!

Rating: 8/10

Respond to All Calls: Planet of the End

"We quietly rewrote our contract with death."

Writer: Timothy X Atack

Format: Audio

Released: August 2021

Series: Ninth Doctor Adventures 1.06

Featuring: Ninth Doctor

Synopsis

The Doctor arrives on a mausoleum world for sightseeing and light pedantry, correcting its planetary records. The resident AI has other ideas.

Deep within a tomb, something stirs. Occasus is the last resting place of a species far too dangerous to exist. And the Doctor is its way back.

Verdict

Planet of the End was an outstanding audio to conclude the Respond to All Calls second boxset of Ninth Doctor Adventures from Big Finish! This was undoubtedly the best story in the range thus far and I had a really good feeling right from the off. The Incorporation intrigued me immediately and their talk of Gallifrey being destroyed along with the Daleks being gone was excellent and really established the timeline of where these events were placed. Their plan to damage on bodies and monetise the burned energy was brilliant and I really loved just how dark this adventure was. It felt right for the Ninth Doctor at this early stage in a world not too long after the Time War. The idea of the Doctor's body offering most given its regenerative abilities was terrific and his arrival coming as forecast was a good use of the distress call he responded to, as is the title of this anthology series. The Unaffiliated was a great concept with it being home to the burial grounds of the most signifiant species in the universe. I'm not entirely sure who defined their significance, but the fact there were over 14,000 gave an idea of the scale of the place! The Doctor meeting up with the AI who he would later dub as Fred was fun and I loved their relationship throughout the story. It developing a personality was also a really nice touch and I love how by the end of the adventure Fred was granted life as wished. The Doctor seeing some Sontarans in a bad way was a great image and the introduction of Sacristan Hinge was really well done. He was a pompous villain and that worked wonderfully. He didn't want Fred to have any personality and he knew of the Doctor as his reaction to finding out that he'd turned up spoke volumes. His description of the Time Lord and referencing the likes of Telos and Exxilon as sacred sites he had destroyed was fantastic. I enjoyed that continuity. The lure of the mystery grave sight and who or what might be inside was a superb trap for the Doctor as he just couldn't resist with his curiosity. The idea of the Incorporation being able to inhibit the Doctor's regeneration was outstanding and hearing those regenerative effects was marvellous. The pyramids that were breathing actually being the Incorporation's bodies within was brilliant and I liked how their mind was in the gold, and they'd taken the Doctor there now too, away from his body. That was fun and the description of how he'd grown an image and long hair painted quite the picture! The scale of the story with the Doctor lasting nearly a century there was incredible. The Incorporation needing regenerative species like the Doctor to bring them back from the dead was sublime, and I thought the Doctor hallucinating and seeing himself was a really fun conversation. The whole idea of the Incorporation viewing the Doctor as a business was incredible and I loved that their plan was for no more pro bono! They were majority shareholders of his body now which was so much fun. That's my work lingo! But the Doctor had duped them with fixed payments and used binary of his eyes over such a long time to appeal to Fred to build him the reverser and get him out, then using a rabbit of all things to trap the Incarnation for good! It really was excellent. The line of the TARDIS door getting squeaky was also so clever with the timing. Overall, a magnificent audio!

Rating: 10/10

The Last Word

"Simply tell it like it was!"

Writer: Gareth Roberts

Format: Comic Strip

Released: May 2001

Printed in: DWM 305

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace, Benny

Synopsis

Whilst the TARDIS traverses the time vortex, the Seventh Doctor is attempting to write a novel about his adventures with Benny and Ace, but he's struggling to find the right opening. Sending Ace and Benny off to opposite ends of a temporal nexus, the Timewyrm makes an unexpected return! 

Verdict

The Last Word was a decent comic strip adventure! This one actually kicked off my reading of The Age of Chaos graphic novel but with only a short window of time to do a blog entry today, I couldn't start with the titular epic. Instead, we got delved right into a new adventure with the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Benny to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Virgin New Adventures novels! I think that's a really nice idea and it finally gives me an explanation as to why there was a random gap of a story left unmarked in the middle of the Eighth Doctor's comic strip run. I'm still yet to finish that off with The Flood graphic novel, but having a Seventh Doctor insert with a one-part celebratory comic was a nice idea. I was taken aback by the story actually being in full colour as I don't recall that being the case for a DWM comic before the Eighth Doctor's run. This one was definitely vibrant and one thing that I noticed right from the off was how different Ace was presented. I'm still at an incredibly early stage in my reading of the New Adventures where Ace, at least on some of the front covers, looks very much like she did on television so to see how she was depicted here was quite something! She looked cool in every sense of the word and definitely in with the era, and it's crazy to think that she was the current companion for so long, and even here twelve years after Survival was broadcast she's still kicking around. She and Benny didn't have an awful lot to do in the comic strip which wasn't much of a hinderance given that it was only seven pages long. They were basically pawns in the bigger game the Doctor had in play which I thought was fun and something you can always draw back on, especially for a mini anniversary story. Having the Timewyrm come back is a good idea on paper and I really like that we got a firm visual for what it looked like. However, having a monster defeated in a few pages seems off considering that it took four books to do so at the start of the New Adventures! Ace's reaction to seeing it back was excellent. I thought the idea of having the Doctor writing a book of his adventures with Ace and Benny was fun because of the anniversary it was celebrating, and the suggestion of him writing 'new adventures' for them all was a delight. A simple yet effective play on words that I really liked. Puterspace was fun to explore with the idea of it being a realm of data being something I enjoyed. The artwork showing that was also subtly different which I liked and was important in marking it as different. The resolution was a little too easy and convenient, but with only seven pages to play with it couldn't really be any other way. As a whole, I thought this was a short and sweet celebration of the New Adventures books where it was nice to get some colour and visuals to go with it! Overall, a good story.

Rating: 7/10

Visiting Hours

"The Cleaners will deal with it."

Writer: David Llewellyn

Format: Audio

Released: March 2017

Series: Torchwood Monthly 13

Featuring: Rhys

Synopsis

Everyone's a little worried about St Helen's Hospital. In many ways it is a miracle of the modern NHS. It has plenty to offer its patients. The problem is that a lot of them keep dying of natural causes in the night. And no-one can find the bodies.

People are beginning to notice. Questions are being asked. And there are rumours – the strange whispering figures seen at the end of the corridors, the electrical buzzing, the screams.

Also, Rhys Williams has come to visit his mother. Brenda's had her hip done and is looking forward to a bit of rest and regular crumble. Rhys and his mam are in for a night they'll never forget.

Verdict

Visiting Hours was a decent audio adventure to continue the next chapter in the Monthly Adventures of Torchwood from Big Finish! On paper, this doesn't have the ingredients for a classic with it being a story focused on Rhys visiting his mother in hospital after she had a hip relationship. That could only happen in Torchwood and it really is testament to David Llewellyn as writer to deliver an exciting forty-five minutes out of that. I wonder how it was presented to him before he wrote as there isn't a huge amount to play with! A hospital setting can work wonders for Torchwood as we have seen in the past with the medical wing being a huge first impression on Gwen with the Weevil back in Everything Changes. I thought it was good to give Rhys a lead role in the story as he is definitely an underrated character within the series so having him on his own was great. I was glad to hear how much he had learned under Gwen and the arm of Torchwood and it really didn't matter that we had no Gwen, even that's where Rhys works best. Exploring the relationship with his mother Brenda was fun and just getting to know her better was enjoyable. She was a good character and I thought they had a relationship you would expect. They hadn't seen each other in a while which was clear and there was a little tension there, but for the most part they got on which was nice. Brenda was a typical mischievous Welsh woman and her comments about a dirty weekend for Gwen and Rhys certainly put a smile on my face. The reference to Forgotten Lives was most welcomed and some good continuity in the series as we now recover from the anniversary epic The Torchwood Archive. Rhys suspecting that patients were being harvested from people from the past sounded like an excellent idea, and he was certainly right about the time travel aspect which was nice. It was a feather in his cap which is important to establish. The harvesters just being the puppets of the Cleaners was a good move and I liked how they tried to claim there was nothing personal with one of their own having his daughter held hostage. Rhys and Brenda weren't so forgiving! Brenda was less than pleased at having to hide in a 'bloody draw' for dead bodies, and her constant telling Rhys off for his language was amusing. That was a good way to escape the clean up. The mystery behind Fletcher as an architect of the whole operation was good and I like the potential ambiguity of more involvement from the Cleaners to come. Might they be the next Committee in the range? The plaque of his and finding out that he had gone missing in the 1950s was a really good way to end things. It certainly peaked my interest. As a whole, this was a good listen and a decent adventure with not a huge amount at all to play with! 

Rating: 7/10

Respond to All Calls: Fright Motif

"You're a man who lost your music."

Writer: Tim Foley

Format: Audio

Released: August 2021

Series: Ninth Doctor Adventures 1.05

Featuring: Ninth Doctor

Synopsis

In post-War Paris, musician Artie Berger has lost his mojo, but gained a predator – something that seeps through the cracks of dissonance to devour the unwary.

Luckily for Artie, the Doctor is here. Unluckily for everyone, he needs bait to trap a monster...

Verdict 

Fright Motif was a decent audio adventure to continue the second boxset of Respond to All Calls Ninth Doctor Adventures! It really is excellent to have Christopher Eccleston back performing in the role of the Ninth Doctor and five stories in now and I think my appreciation of his return is growing. This story wasn't amazing, but it was far from bad and was still a thoroughly enjoyable 52 minutes. It was pretty simple as far as the plot went and it provided another example of the Doctor posing as an inspector, something I don't think will ever get old! It's just so much fun and it doesn't really matter which incarnation of the Doctor takes on that guise. I liked the idea of the Doctor being mistaken as a piano tuner and him suggesting that he could have a go at fixing it up was a lot of fun. The comment about him having the ears for it was also very amusing. The character of Artie was good and I liked how he was a musician. That felt right in the post-War setting of Paris. However, he had lost his perfect pitch and his gift for music and the ear he had for recognising talent was gone. The fact that this terrified him was great. I also liked Zazie as a character and her wanting Artie to play for her brought the basis for a predictable conclusion, but it was still one that was satisfying. I thought it was important for Artie to highlight his fears for being black in a France after World War Two and it was a stark reminder of how recent something resembling equality has been occurring. The Doctor assuring him that things will work out and naming the black musicians of the future was really nice and well handled. It was important to address. The idea of a creature feeding on grief seems to have happened many times before, so it made sense when Artie told of how his mum in America had died and he had missed the funeral because he couldn't afford to get there. That was pretty emotional and explained a lot of what was going on. No wonder he was terrified! Morris was a fun character and his not believing in a creature provided a good way to reveal it was real. He was quickly convinced once things got moving! Morris and Zazie had quite a feisty relationship which was fun to hear. The theme of sound worked well and I loved the image of the Doctor using the phonautograph! It's a big shame he left it behind, that just felt wrong. The usage of the snow and it being soundproof was good and a great improvisation from the Doctor to use the natural surroundings to aid the cause. The idea of bottling up the creature with discord worked well and the Doctor's reaction to Artie mentioning how he'd risked the lives of everyone at the club was definitely the highlight. It was a welcomed reminder that we weren't that far removed from the Time War. Artie playing again to aid the bottling up of the creature was predictable as mentioned earlier, but it was always going to end that way. And that was absolutely fine. Overall, a solid audio! 

Rating: 7/10

Cat's Cradle: Warhead

"I just had the power to make those things turn into something real."

Writer: Andrew Cartmel

Format: Novel

Released: April 1992

Series: New Adventures 06

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

The place is Earth. The time is the near future – all too near.

Industrial development has accelerated out of all control, spawning dangerous new technologies and laying the planet to waste. While the inner cities collapse in guerrilla warfare, a dark age of superstition dawns.

As destruction of the environment reaches the point of no return, multinational corporations and super-rich individuals unite in a last desperate effort – not to save humankind, but to buy themselves immortality in a poisoned world.

If Earth is to survive, somebody has to stop them.

From London to New York to Turkey, Ace follows the Doctor as he prepares, finally, to strike back.

Verdict

Cat's Cradle: Warhead was a somewhat decent novel to continue my reading of the New Adventures! After a strong start to the Cat's Cradle trilogy with Time's Crucible and all of the mythology opened up there, I was a little disappointed that this one kind of felt stunted and didn't really continue the story in any way. It didn't feel like part of a trilogy and just seemed to have the continuity you would expect from any episodes or instalments in a series. Trying to judge the book in isolation, it certainly had a lot of good and one compliment I can give it is that it had a feeling like it was a movie. I thought the futuristic setting actually worked against it as I think actually establishing when the events of this book took place would have been great. It was very dark in atmosphere but quite whacky in tone and I got the feeling that this book could have fit right in with the Blade Runner films. It was a dystopian adventure for sure! I'm not sure if my expectations were raised given who the author of this story was, but I wasn't a huge fan of the style and I thought things were actually a little clunky. There seemed to be sometimes way too much backstory for supporting characters or a lot of action that didn't have any or little bearing on the overall book. I was really surprised that Ace didn't feature until nearly 100 pages in and there wasn't a huge amount of the Doctor before that. Things definitely improved when they got together, and I did quite like that the black envelope the Doctor tackled so desperately to obtain was intended for Ace. Her venture in Turkey was way too long in my opinion and didn't really seem that crucial to events. I enjoyed the Butler Institute as the corporate baddie and O'Hara as the head of that and the experiment was great. They seemed to go missing for such an extended period of time midway through the novel which was disappointing as I think there is some untapped potential there with them. Justine and Vincent had a good relationship and the backstory of the latter was actually something I enjoyed. The story of him getting the rare comic was a bit long, but I did feel sorry for him when every time he got a kiss from a girl it wasn't purely for that purpose. I'd like to think he and Justine would work out though. Combining the pair and the explosive nature of her with his powers as a conduit was good, but I do think there was a simpler way to bring an end to the project. Surely Ace could batch up some powerful nitro-nine? The idea of transferring consciousness into a computer mind was decent, but it was essentially the Cybermen without the body so it didn't feel unique. The way it was presented to the press and targeting the rich was excellent though. I enjoyed the calm nature of O'Hara, even at the end when it was clear that he was defeated. The description of the explosion at the end was really well done though and I did enjoy Ace's reaction as it even impressed her. Shreela appearing briefly was some nice continuity from the television series and the nature of the Doctor having everything worked out in this book was great characterisation from the end of what we saw of his era on television. One thing I didn't like was how nearly all of the chapters were purely from a singular group of characters' perspective. I think some mixing would have really helped with the flow and the style of storytelling. Overall, a decent idea at its heart with some shining moments but for me things petered out and I wasn't always sure what the aim was. 

Rating: 6/10

Backtrack

"Time itself is in agony."

Writer: Matthew J. Elliott

Format: Audio

Released: April 2018

Series: Tenth Doctor Chronicles 1.02

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis

When the TARDIS crashes in the vortex, Martha and the Doctor find themselves on board the time-ship The Outcome, where the host offers temporal cruises at reasonable prices.

But time travellers must never cut corners. Dangerous forces have been unleashed, and Martha finds her medical skills put to the test as she deals with some lethal fall-out.

Time is running out, and the clock is ticking towards disaster!

Verdict

Backtrack was an excellent audio adventure to continue my listening of the Tenth Doctor Chronicles! I thought this was brilliant right from the start and it felt very much like a part of Series 3 which is a huge compliment. Although we are yet to get David Tennant and Freeme Agyeman reunited for a series of audios, getting a brand new adventure featuring the Tenth Doctor and Martha is absolutely welcomed and I thought this was a fun use of their partnership. Something that has always irked me is the lack of reference addressing Martha's one trip journey that just is completely missed in Daleks in Manhattan, so having this story within that passage of 'one trip' journeys is fun and goes some way to tackling the continuity era. I like that it's established this story is set prior to The Lazarus Experiment which means things are still pretty early for Martha when it comes to travelling with the Doctor. There was definitely a feel of The End of the World when it came to her onlooking a bunch of aliens all at once as that was something she hadn't experienced before. The cruise ship that turned out to be the Outcome was a good setting and the concept behind Backtrack was fantastic. It offered an authentic sight seeing experience of the past using its own time technology and despite the Outcome supposedly being protected, there was a sense of danger there when it came to witnessing past combats like the Battle of Hastings or Waterloo. Martha getting the opportunity to gaze at the Time Vortex presented a wonderful image in my head and the Doctor referencing the Master without name when mentioning what looking directly at it without protection could do was brilliant, especially with when the episode is set chronologically. It was a lot of fun to have the Doctor and Martha posing as inspectors, but Hobb in leading the tour back to the Battle of Hastings wasn't buying it despite what the psychic paper showed. The thirtieth century setting was intriguing and I'd love for there to actually be this potential by then, not that I'll be around to see it though. Martha being thrust into the action as almost a doctor and being on hand to treat the collapsed Callifera was good and the mysterious globules containing the Malorian fungus was terrific. This coming from the faulty quantum generator leakage was fun and I loved the potential of an alien virus in the past, such as in 1066, threatening to wipe out the future. That was tremendous. Hobb taking a fancy to Martha was amusing because she was far from reciprocating the feeling which was good writing of the companion in my opinion. Her characterisation was well captured. Martha's moment of forgetting to vaccinate herself and then injecting the looming globule and seeing it diffuse like a balloon was good stuff as well as we knew they could be defeated despite their time jump mutation. Salt was a decent character as a soldier in 1980, even if he wasn't really needed. It was all about Hobb and his lust for profit which was great. The dilemma of him not being able to let the virus free in the past but also not face there consequences for his actions in the future was superb and I loved how he wasn't going to trust the Doctor to save him. The nuclear approach actually providing the solution and using the power of the Atomic Bomb to save the ship and materialise around the Outcome seemed a tad convenient, but it was a fun moment to end things that's for sure. Overall, a fine audio adventure!

Rating: 9/10

Respond to All Calls: Girl, Deconstructed

"Houses aren't haunted, people are."

Writer: Lisa McMulin

Format: Audio

Released: August 2021

Series: Ninth Doctor Adventures 1.04

Featuring: Ninth Doctor

Synopsis

Marnie is missing. But she hasn't run away, as her dad fears – Marnie is still very much at home. But not quite as she was.

The Doctor joins forces with Missing Persons detective Jana Lee to help solve the mystery of a girl who's gone to pieces.

Verdict

Girl, Deconstructed was a great story to kick off Respond to All Calls comprising the second boxset of Ninth Doctor Adventures! It really is still a treat to have Christopher Eccleston at Big Finish reprising his role as the Ninth Doctor and I love the idea of this series being isolated adventures with a theme running through them. What better theme is there than the Doctor responding to a call to help? This particular call came from beyond the normal plain of existence which was really interesting and that forming the backdrop to quite the disaster in Dundee was excellent. Although it wasn't really explored, having an adventure set in Dundee was quite unique and I'm always a fan of venturing out of the traditional likes of London. I thought it was also a lot of fun to have the year be established as 2004 and having this set prior to Series 1 which was of course based in 2005 was brilliant. It was such a simple thing but it was really effective in establishing this as a kind of Series 0 alongside the modern reboot. It was good to have the Doctor as a Detective Inspector and his relationship built with Jana Lee was fantastic. As the Missing Persons detective I thought she was a really strong character and I really liked her interactions with the Doctor. They made for a good pairing. Having them tackle the missing case of Marnie as a sample of the 61 teenagers that had suddenly vanished from the Scottish town worked well and it provided us with an interesting and emotional attachment. I thought the explanation for the disappearances was intriguing with the Serapheem being an interesting species. The Doctor knew about them and they were actually what he was tracking. Learning of their installer migration and the fact they were very light was fascinating and I enjoyed the idea of Earth being a service station on their migration path. They picked up on thoughts which was good and them taking a literal approach to so many teenagers wanting to run away and leave was terrific. I thought that worked very well and explained well why it was all teenagers that had disappeared. However, in their efforts to fulfil the wishes they inadvertently abandoned those they scooped up because they were too heavy to take, but they were left deconstructed! Hearing all of this with Marnie as the primary example was a good format to take which I thought worked in a positive way. Jana learning about time travel and in quick fashion was marvellous and I liked how quickly she was agreeable to its potential existence. Her own connection to events through Douglas in the abandoned and supposedly haunted house was excellent. Douglas was her childhood friend who had gone missing and this was his house, but he'd been lost in deconstruction for twenty years and was well past the twenty-four hour window of restoration. That was some strong emotional attachment. The Doctor utilising the TARDIS console extension was fun and it was great that Marnie was risking her life, whatever she had left of it, to get back to normal and restart life with her dad. Overall, this was a strong adventure and a great listen!

Rating: 8/10

After The Daleks

"You're all alone on an alien world."

Writer: Roland Moore

Format: Audio

Released: August 2021

Series: Early Adventures 7.01

Featuring: Susan

Synopsis

The Dalek Invasion of Earth is over, but there's still so much left to do. Susan is trying to help rebuild society as best she can, but some people don't see it as a chance to restore what was lost. Some people see it as a chance to claim power for themselves. 

It's not just human survivors that Susan has to worry about. Unbeknownst to her, a lone Dalek survives. A lone Dalek with a single purpose – to reclaim the Earth!

Verdict

After the Daleks was a magnificent audio to kick off the seventh series of the Early Adventures! I was incredibly excited by this release because The Dalek Invasion of Earth ranks as one of my all time favourite stories across all of Doctor Who, so getting a sequel and follow on from where the televised serial left off is right up my alley. I certainly wasn't left disappointed! This was well worth the pre-order and I thought Carole Ann Ford did a tremendous job in the lead role. Her linking narration was good when it was required and I was impressed with how little of that there actually was, It felt like a full-cast and feature length story which is exactly what you want. Although they were recast, I thought it was excellent to have David Campbell and Jenny in this story. They were such crucial parts of the original televised adventure that they just had to feature here. I thought the immediate follow on from where Susan was left was brilliant and hearing her reaction to the TARDIS dematerialising and her experience for the first time from the outside was superb. It really brought home the fact that she was no longer with her grandfather in the TARDIS, but that didn't stop her looking up at the stars in wonderment which was a really nice touch. One element of the audio that surprised me in a good way was David coming to terms with the fact that Susan might be an alien. It's intriguing to think that this isn't really alluded to on screen between the pair, so his sneaky use of the Dalek machine to hope to find if Susan was human or not was really good. I liked that it wouldn't change things for him and how he felt about Susan. The state of the world, and specifically the UK, after the Daleks were defeated is such a great place and time to explore. I really think there could be the potential for a whole series here depicting the rebuild after years of Dalek oppression. Victor was a really good character and exploring the emotion behind his decade as a Roboman was very powerful. He'd lost ten years of his life and after the orange slime had cured his condition, to him it had only been a few weeks since seeing Jenny so that was obviously going to impact their relationship! Marcus Bray was a fantastic villain and his political scheming was what you'd expect from someone in that position. Even after all that had happened, positions of authority were still important and he would do anything to get that power. Hearing of his past and how he aided the Daleks said a lot about his character and his selfishness. It was quite fitting that he was dealt with by the Dalek creature that was ravaging around the story. I thought it was fun that this wasn't a Varga or Slyther or anything we'd seen before. The ending of this audio was poignant with Susan having the opportunity to use the Dalek machine to travel into the sky and try and find the Doctor again, but she implemented the self destruct and ensured that it was indeed her choice to stay on Earth with David. That was a really nice moment. Overall, a brilliant story! 

Rating: 10/10

Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible

"The Future has been stolen."

Writer: Marc Platt

Format: Audio

Released: February 1992

Series: New Adventures 05

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

'You're on your own, Ace.'

The TARDIS is invaded by an alien presence, and is then destroyed. The Doctor disappears.

Ace, lost and alone, finds herself in a bizarre deserted city led by the tyrannical, leech-like monster known as the Process.

Lost voyagers drawn forward from Ancient Gallifrey perform obsessive rituals in the ruins.

The strands of time are tangled in a cat's cradle of dimensions.

Only the Doctor can challenge the rule of the Process and restore the stolen Future.

But the Doctor was destroyed long ago, before Time began...

Verdict

Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible was an excellent novel to continue my reading of the New Adventures and to kick off this new trilogy of books! Following on from the brilliant quadrilogy of Timewyrm stories, it was refreshing to have something new and this was quite an extraordinary and rather historic book. There was so much going on and exploring some of the history of Ancient Gallifrey by having the Doctor and Ace actually visit there was terrific. The Doctor had inadvertently broken a Law of Time in visiting Gallifrey's past, but that was very exciting and opened up a lot of possibilities. I thought the book started very fast and that was a great direction to go in and the concept of the TARDIS being destroyed was superb. It's always good when the TARDIS disappears or something worse happens to it as it instantly provides a sense of vulnerability for the Doctor. Coupling that with the Doctor having his memory gone meant that Ace was in quite the predicament! She had a really strong adventure and getting to explore some of her past was good too, especially where time was going all wrong in Perivale and she encountered her own mother. I'm a big fan of these books potentially exploring more of Ace's background as there really is so much potential there. I thought some of the early Gallifreyans were brilliant characters and just having us step foot on the Doctor's home planet before there were even Time Lords was wonderful. Vael made for a good villainous character and his serving of the Protest worked well. I thought this leech-like monster made for a good enemy in the book and its desire for the Future that was stolen was fantastic. It's no secret that this book was complicated in parts but I actually liked how whacky it was. The idea of different time streams happening concurrently was hard to comprehend, but the idea of the past and present intermingling side by side was magnificent. I thought that was great and so unique, and it probably could only have worked in this format which explains how the story never got developed as a TV adventure as intended. The role of the silver cat in the book was fun and I liked how it wasn't really the focus compared to the Timewyrm. The role of the Pythia was really intriguing and learning of how it ruled Gallifrey before Rassilon was terrific. Its fear of the Rassilon name was exciting and it having disbelief in the Doctor's foreknowledge that she was the last Pythia despite naming her successor was excellent. I loved the idea of a curse making every Gallifreyan barren, and the whole idea of history on Gallifrey that we know not exactly being what happened is brilliant. Interpretations and history being written by the victors is something I know a great deal about having a Master's degree in the subject. The events of this adventure causing the Doctor to have a desire to know what really happened in the history of his planet will hopefully take us on quite the journey in the New Adventures, and I wonder if that is what the Cat's Cradle trilogy will focus on. It's all very exciting! Shonnzi was a good character and I really liked the relationship built with Ace. They got so close that Ace wanted him to join she and the Doctor in the TARDIS, but that just couldn't happen with him being an Ancient Gallifreyan. I enjoyed learning a lot about the TARDIS in this book and the Banshee Circuits in particular were really interesting! They caused a lot of chaos, but getting the grey prints and then finding out that the city was actually the TARDIS inside out was so much fun as a revelation! The descriptions of its return to normality were fantastic. The Sphinx was also intriguing to explore and I thought getting some early Prydonius was marvellous as well. There was so much going on. The destruction of the Pythia thanks to the sacrifice of Vael was an exciting end after such a good buildup, and I liked how the Sisterhood of Karn as well as Lady Peinforte were claimed to be leftovers of Pythia and her power. Overall, so much information and a great story at its heart with a lot more to explore as we move into a new direction with the New Adventures. A fantastic read!

Rating: 9/10

The Cradle of the Snake

"You can't just throw the Mara out."

Writer: Marc Platt

Format: Audio

Released: September 2010

Series: Monthly Adventures 138

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan, Turlough

Synopsis

'The Mara is in all of us, deep in our minds. In our darkest thoughts, that's where it started. Some people call it a demon, but that's too simple. It's about temptation."

Tegan's nightmares have returned. Seeking to banish the snake-like Mara from his companion's psyche, the Doctor sets course for Manussa, the creature's point of origin. But the TARDIS arrives instead in the heyday of the Manussan Empire, where infotainment impresario Rick ausGarten is preparing to turn dreams into reality.

The sun is setting on the Manussan Empire... and it's all the Doctor's fault.

Verdict

The Cradle of the Snake was an excellent audio adventure to conclude this trilogy of stories with the Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough and the returning Nyssa! I thought this was probably the best of the bunch from this mini season with the old become new again quartet and the connections it had to the televised era was brilliant. It followed on immediately from the cliffhanger at the end of The Whispering Forest which was great in revealing that Tegan was still impacted by the Mara, an enemy that was such a big part of her run on television thanks to events in Kinda and Snakedance. Returning to Manussa was a great move to make and going there in a time much earlier to their previous visit was exciting because the permutations of changing history were large! I thought the first part in particular was outstanding with Tegan clearly worried about the Mara infiltrating her mind and dreams again, and the back and forth she had with the Doctor was superb. I really liked how this tested the TARDIS team and it really does seem that their relationships are always strained. Tegan is still incredibly suspicious of Turlough despite all he's done since being rid of the Black Guardian's influence and I'm not sure if she's ever got on with the Doctor! I was surprised to find the comments between Tegan and Nyssa being somewhat unkind as well, even if there was the obvious Mara influencing them. It was good to get a new side to Nyssa as well and I think that's a good element of her being fifty years older than when she departed in Terminus. It's fun and refreshing and hearing her a little drunk after accepting the mark of the Mara was terrific. I thought it was a really good twist to have the Mara infiltrate and take over the Doctor's mind for what was pretty much the entire audio adventure! Peter Davison gave a sublime performance as the possessed Doctor and the shifts in his mind between Mara and Doctor was really impressive. Tegan being rid of the Mara and getting confirmation of that was important, and I liked how the companions never suspected the Doctor was the one infected by the Mara when the coordinates were altered in the TARDIS. It was all a great plan to go into Manussa's history and ensure the rebirth of the Mara. The cliffhangers were strong in this story and I thought the pace was really good with it being the perfect length at an hour and fifty minutes. It just felt right. Rick ausGarten was a fun little character and infotainment was not something I would have associated with the planet, but its use in spreading the mark of the Mara was fantastic. That was so simple but really effective. I liked how the Great Snake was mentioned on more than one occasion and the visuals created by the writing were really good and probably a lot better than the Mara we saw on television! Baalaka was a really good character as well and his influence growing as the story went on was great and I thought his sacrifice to be rid of the Mara was a fitting way to end the audio and the Great Snake! Overall, a magnificent adventure and definitely the best Mara story.

Rating: 9/10

The Curse of the Fugue

"The seventies are rubbish!"

Writer: Alice Cavender

Format: Audio

Released: April 2016

Series: Short Trips 6.04

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Lucie

Synopsis

February 1974 is grimmer than usual for the British. Huddling together by candlelight the nation endures regular power cuts, however the situation is far worse for one old woman. Out of the dark come visitors who know of her terrible burden of wartime secrets. All she fought to save is threatened. Whom can she trust? The troubled ghosts which plague her, a young man who has befriended her, or her new carer Lucie and her strange friend, the Doctor?

Verdict

The Curse of the Fugue was a good little Short Trips adventure! It was more than a good use of time spent on the train following a day at the football and I thought it was terrific to be revisiting the era of the Eighth Doctor and Lucie Miller. They were such a good pairing in the four series of Eighth Doctor Adventures so it was nice to put some shine on Sheridan Smith in the narration role here. I thought she did an excellent job as a one-hander and it was nice to know that this was her first time reprising the role since To the Death. Her issues away from the audio booth are well documented so it's lovely to hear her on fine form right from the off in this story. I liked that the Doctor was separated from Lucie and was communicating through the phone. The idea of giving Lucie the authentic experience of the 1970s was fantastic and I really liked that idea. It seemed a good kind of test and placing it specifically in 1974 was great. That setting worked really well and the issue of power cuts happening in the country with food shortages as well really established the historical period. That was a lot of fun and it was actually quite unique to visit this setting from some time in the future, rather than during the time of Season 11 where it was (presumably) set. The Doctor being on a mission to track a metal alloy was good and gave him an incentive and something to work towards which I liked. His being unsure of the form was interesting and its connection to Cecile was something I didn't actually expect so that was good. It being something that could actually bring her troubled past back to her was a fun element. Cecile being 73-years-old and having Lucie cater for her was a decent dynamic. Lucie bringing some sort of entertainment to the elderly by telling stories of the future was probably my favourite element of the audio with her spoiling that some countries got independent and the Berlin Wall would come crashing down. That was really fun. Cecile keeping something from the world was a decent element of mysteriousness into the story and I think that could have been deepened. Lucie and the Doctor being suspected agents was also fun and a good use of the period. Learning that the power cuts were when the metal alloy could influence Cecile was great to connect and the subtlety of the influence was something I'd have liked further exploration of. Matt having the other half was a pretty good development and hearing of the connection to the war and how she reported it missing and also burned the file was interesting. In the end, it was quite a simple resolution to loosen the hold it had on Cecile and Matt but it worked well and sometimes in adventures that span just over half an hour, you need simplicity and logic as there just isn't the time to overcomplicate things. Lucie being told to look after the artefact that was the Doctor was a really good way to finish. Overall, a decent listen! 

Rating: 7/10

The Secrets of Det-Sen

"Darkness falls quickly in these parts."

Writer: Andy Frankham-Allen

Format: Audio

Released: August 2021

Series: Early Adventures 7.02

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven, Dodo

Synopsis

When the Doctor, Steven and Dodo arrived in the Himalayas, they have no idea that they are about to set off a chain of events that will haunt the Doctor throughout his many lives.

Joining a pilgrimage to the nearby Det-Sen Monastery, the travellers discover everything isn't as it seems. As the situation grows increasingly dire, they will have to uncover the secrets of Det-Sen before it's too late.

Verdict

The Secrets of Det-Sen was a great Early Adventures audio! Following on from reading Doctor Who and the Abominable Snowmen yesterday, I thought this served as a terrific prequel and I'm so glad that we got the depiction of the Doctor's previous visit to Det-Sen mentioned in that book and in the televised serial. I'm not usually a big fan of the Doctor having had unseen previous encounters that impact on a story, such as Timelash, so getting the gap filled in here is most welcomed. This series of Early Adventures was really exciting because of the connections to televised stories and this was the first time that I actually pre-ordered a bundle! I thought this one was perhaps ever so slightly too long, but it was a really solid story from start to finish. It was quite refreshing to have a full cast adventure with Dodo as a companion and whilst Jackie Lane declined to reprise her role, it was a nice touch to dedicate this release to her memory. I thought Lauren Cornelius did a decent job in taking over the role and I hope there's more to come from her as there is so much unexplored potential with Dodo as companion. Hearing Peter Purves again as both Steven and the First Doctor was brilliant and I really liked how the Doctor reacted to the Det-Sen setting. His older personality and nature really suited the location and the calm nature of the monk religions where he was able to get along well with pretty much everyone. I really liked how Oddiyana was the Abbot and the Doctor had a good relationship with him, so the revelation that he was actually Padmasambhava was fun despite it being completely expected. It was a great performance and the calm nature of the story despite a bandit attack being the focus of the plot was really impressive. I thought it was also fun to focus on the Ghanta given our knowledge of it and how it would relate to the Second Doctor's visit to the same monastery. The ending where the Doctor is entrusted to return it to a different abbot fifty years in the future is really amusing because he actually brings it back over three centuries from now and to the same abbot! That was terrific. I thought Steven had a strong showing in the adventure and his relationship with Pema was fantastic. I liked that he was having some potential romance and Dodo picking up on that was good. The Doctor's reaction to some potential romance was fun as well. Mentioning The Ark was also good continuity as we had some further exploration of the relationship between Dodo and Steven. It was a bit cheeky which was unique and felt a bit modern for the First Doctor era. I liked the presence of the bandits and the contained setting really was well captured in the atmosphere of the audio which I thought was rather impressive. As a whole, I thought this served as a fitting prequel to The Abominable Snowmen and despite knowing a lot of the details already, it was brilliant to hear everything play out. Overall, a great listen! 

Rating: 8/10

Doctor Who and the Abominable Snowmen

"The Yeti are timid, harmless creatures. Everyone knows that."

Writer: Terrance Dicks

Format: Novel

Released: November 1974

Series: Target 01

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Victoria

Synopsis

'Light flooded into the tunnel, silhouetting the enormous shaggy figure in the cave mouth. With a blood-curdling roar, claws outstretched, it bore down on Jamie.'

The Doctor has been to Det-Sen Monastery before, and expects the welcome of a lifetime. But the monastery is a very different place from when the Doctor last came. Fearing an attack at any moment by the legendary Yeti, the monks are prepared to defend themselves, and see the Doctor as a threat.

The Doctor and his friends join forces with Travers, an English explorer out to prove the existence of the elusive abominable snowmen. But they soon discover that these Yeti are not the timid animals that Travers seeks. They are the unstoppable servants of an alien intelligence.

Verdict

Doctor Who and the Abominable Snowmen was an outstanding novelisation of the famed Classic serial! I really enjoyed this book and it was a stark reminder of just how good this story is. I really appreciated being able to read the story in its entirety and I think it's a damned shame that we have five of the six episodes missing from the archives. It's such a strong adventure and it really does show in this novelisation. I think this one will get the animation treatment at some point in the future, but I don't think there is any alternative to the real thing that would be able to do this one justice. I loved it. The Det-Sen Monastery is such an effective setting and I think a lot of that is down to its simplicity. It's quite a contained story with the focus on the Monastery and venturing as far as the surrounding mountains and a cave, but the fact that we know it's the Himalayas really gives it a status. It just works. I thought Travers was a brilliant character and his position as an explorer with the intent on finding the famed legend of the abominable snowman was terrific. He was selfish too and wanted all of the glory so it was very amusing when he went along with the story that it was the Doctor in his big fur coat that had attacked him. The Doctor using his physical makeup as proof of his innocence was great. I liked the relationship he had with Jamie in the book, but I did feel that Victoria was left not doing an awful lot which was a bit of a shame. She got her customary screams in though when a Yeti was about to attack! The concept of the Yeti in their form here is excellent and they have such an effective look and description. They really are unique so having them controlled by the Great Intelligence here was fantastic. I think the idea of an intelligence works very well and it using the form of Padmasambvha. The Doctor having been to Tibet before and to this monastery specifically is usually not something I'm a fan of when it is unseen encounters, but the fact that tomorrow's blog plan is a certain Early Adventures audio means that this book was absolutely preparation for that! I'm really excited to see how true to this book that audio is with the First Doctor. You could tell here that the Second Doctor was loving the idea of returning the Ghanta centuries after he was entrusted with it and initially arriving as a suspect and then owning the place in quick time was wonderful. The Yetis being controlled by the spheres was really good and having Victoria taken over by the Intelligence to bring a Yeti back was great stuff. I thought Thomni and Songtsen were excellent characters as well and the latter being part of the Intelligence was a good revelation and surprise. I just loved everything about the book to be honest. The story just works. The pace was excellent. The cliffhangers at the end of each chapter were exciting and had me wanting to read more. The conclusion was really good as well and I liked how a literal explosion of a mountain was what had to be done to take out the Great Intelligence and prevent it from growing a desire to consume the world. Overall, a wonderful read! 

Rating: 10/10

The Lost

"We have crashed through the membrane of reality."

Writer: Robert Valentine

Format: Audio

Released: July 2021

Series: Dalek Universe 2.03

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Anya, Mark

Synopsis

When the Doctor's latest scheme to get back to the future fails, the team's ship crashes on a strange world, potentially trapping them for ever.

Searching for replacement parts, they find their way to a building where heart-breakingly familiar faces await them.

Lies are about to be exposed. Everyone will learn the truth. And nothing will be the same again.

Verdict

The Lost was a fantastic adventure to conclude the second series of Dalek Universe! I thought this was a poignant conclusion to what was a really good trilogy of stories to serve as the second instalment in the Dalek Universe, and making particular reference to life before the Time War was terrific. The Doctor pondered on what exactly the Lost could be and suggestions of it being an Eternal or one of the Endless was very good. I enjoyed his thoughts on the deities and similar-like beings that rampaged around the universe before Daleks and Time Lords did battle. I do hope that we get a lot more concerning that in the final boxset as whilst the first two volumes have undoubtedly been great, I think there could be more Daleks. This was a fantastic two-hander for the Tenth Doctor and Anya though and exploring their relationship was excellent. I really liked how the Lost challenged the Doctor on his thoughts towards Anya and how he sees her as the woman responsible for the death of his companion Ann Kelso, even though she didn't actually ever exist. The Lost using Ann Kelso was really strong and I liked the brief moments where her form was returned. That didn't impress the Doctor. Hearing him challenged on the loss he has faced across his multiple lifetimes was really good with the likes of Oliver and Lucie Miller getting mention with this incarnation of the Doctor a real treat and great use of the audio format. The Doctor and Anya having arrived into a bubble universe was good and the problematic make up of its existence provided a good dilemma and problem. They got on well together though. The Lost trying to break them apart worked well and having him take the form of Mark Seven so soon after he perished in The Trojan Dalek sparked some strong feelings from the Doctor. The mentions of Rose and Donna in particular struck a nerve with the Doctor when he was challenged on those left behind and I think it's important to remember where in the life of the Tenth Doctor this series is set. The actual concept of the Lost was good and I thought it was fun to have it take on the form of the Doctor alongside Anya. She didn't get fooled for long though which was important! The idea of only one of the Doctor and Anya being able to get through the portal back to normality was fun to explore and it was clear they both thought the other should get through, but that decision ended up not having to be made as the Doctor had come back into his own timeline to change the past and ensure that everything worked out. I'm not entirely thrilled with that being the resolution given the Doctor's strict stance on the Laws of Time, but it was fun for the few moments where there were two Tenth Doctors present! And it led into one hell of an ending where it was discovered the Doctor and Anya had arrived still pre-Time War and in the crossfire of a Movellan and Dalek conflict. And the Daleks were calling them aboard. Hearing a Dalek state 'Hello Sweetie' was just wonderful and I really am looking forward to the third boxset! That's got me wanting to listen to it right away. Overall, a strong episode to finish!

Rating: 8/10

The Trojan Dalek

"You're mutating people and putting them inside Daleks!"

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: July 2021

Series: Dalek Universe 2.02

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Anya, Mark

Synopsis

The Doctor, Mark and Anya head for an SSS space station searching for the missing temporal scientist, Arborecc. But the officer in charge denies all knowledge of his presence and demands their departure.

Unwilling to leave so easily, the group split up to investigate... and uncover a heinous plot involving the Doctor's oldest foes. Or do they?

Verdict

The Trojan Dalek was an excellent audio adventure to continue the second volume in the Dalek Universe! I was really glad to get some Dalek involvement, even if it wasn't strictly the Daleks we were used to. In actuality, they were not Daleks at all but actually a modified imitation with a mutated human within the casing rather than a Kaled. It was a horrific description that created quite the image in my head and finding out that Arborecc was actually inside one was a big shock and a really good revelation that I didn't see coming. The Doctor's reaction said a lot and I loved the characterisation of the Tenth Doctor here. Even with Anya and Mark having the correct paperwork to allow access to the space station through the traditional means of the front door, the Doctor was disappointed not to have used the psychic paper! I thought that was a lot of fun and he wanted to be something more than an unknown on the station's systems. I'm enjoying his relationship with Anya, but it was good to have him separated from her for the majority of this adventure and it allowed us a last hurrah with Anya and Seven. They've been a really strong pairing to accompany the Tenth Doctor in his displaced time and the fate of Mark was extraordinary and I didn't think it would be so emotional for an android to die! His realisation that Fliss had become a Dalek mutation was heartbreaking and the moment where he went back to save her believing that she was strong enough to overcome what had happened to her was brilliant. It was so sad for the Kaled/Dalek elements to take him out. The Doctor was equally gutted. I thought the entire concept concocted by McLinn was excellent and just really gruesome. It was a terrible fate for all of those that were subjected to Dalek mutation and McLinn doing this in order to fool the Daleks was terrific. Having the Doctor as the expert of Daleks to show that these initiations were far from convincing was fantastic and I liked how he was surprised by their voices which were really off-putting in a chilling and fearful way. The space station itself was the perfect setting for the type of story at hand and it was presented really well on audio to establish the atmosphere. Having the Doctor interact with some different Daleks to the usual gold designs we're used to from the modern era was great, even if it was in the audio format. For me though, this was all about Mark Seven and losing him which must have hit the Doctor hard. He was audibly distraught by the events and his final line about having lost was really intriguing especially given what the title of the next episode is! I really look forward to the finale of this boxset and hearing the fallout of what happened here. Overall, a really strong episode with a chilling and gruesome concept at its heart that really worked well. A great listen! 

Rating: 9/10

Cycle of Destruction

"I'm unlike any other android or robot."

Writer: Roy Gill

Format: Audio

Released: July 2021

Series: Dalek Universe 2.01

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Anya, Mark

Synopsis

After Mark starts behaving oddly, the Doctor and Anya find themselves on a strange planet with their friend missing. Searching for him they find their way to an isolated research base. The corridors show signs of animal incursions and the scientists are behaving strangely. But a big surprise is waiting for them.

Because this is where Mark Seven came from. They're about to find out who he is. But is that information too dangerous to know?

Verdict

Cycle of Destruction was a very good adventure to kick off the second boxset of Dalek Universe stories! After such a brilliant cliffhanger at the end of The House of Kingdom, I was expecting this one to start off differently and I felt the way it was resolved was a little cheap with Mark supposedly just wanting the Doctor and Anya to be unconscious and going to extreme measures to achieve that, but it did kind of make sense in the logical makeup of an android. I thought the issue of Mark going missing and the Doctor and Anya on the hunt for him was good, and having an entire episode focused on Mark Seven and his origins worked well. It has probably come a little late into the Dalek Universe range, but it's definitely beneficial. I learned a lot about him as a character having not had the opportunity to read some of the early Dalek Annual comic strips where he was created so that was much welcomed. The ALARC setting was great and having the Doctor and Anya arrive as 'investigators' was so familiar in how often it has been done, but that nostalgia and the fact it's happened so often actually made me like it. It was so clear the psychic paper was going to show them as investigators so they could learn all about where they were and shake off their apparent lack of knowledge as tests. The relationship between the Doctor and Anya continues to work well, and I liked how there's clearly still some distain on the side of the Doctor after what Anya did to the Fourth Doctor in the 1970s, The designations on the ALARC allowing the Doctor to realise the significance of where they were was very good and I liked how the Seven in Mark's name was more than just that. Learning of his origin was tough for Mark and I quite enjoyed him seeking comfort in the Doctor. I thought Maria served as a fantastic character and the arrival of Mark along with the Doctor and Anya being her construction was a good revelation. I didn't see that coming. It wasn't so much a surprise that everyone other than the Doctor and Anya was an android, but it was still a good moment to have happen. Crispin Torr was another brilliant character and him having been designated as Mark Eight was a fun concept. The idea of there being something beyond Mark Seven was good to explore and I thought it was delivered well. I thought the cameo from the Daleks when it came to Seven was good given all we know about him and his past, but I can't help but feel that for a range of audios titled Dalek Universe that we're having a severe lack of Daleks! That's not a hit at this episode in particular, but more so the direction of the series. I was expecting a lot more of the Tenth Doctor facing off against Daleks from a displaced time, but I've barely got it! Maybe we're building towards something epic? I sure hope so, and regardless I look forward to hearing what's going to come next. For now though, this was a really strong audio to kick off the second series!

Rating: 8/10

The Whispering Forest

"My purity shines in beads of blood."

Writer: Stephen Cole

Format: Audio

Released: August 2010

Series: Monthly Adventures 137

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan, Turlough

Synopsis

The TARDIS arrives in alien woodlands, where a small group of humans hold tight against the menace of the Takers – strange creatures who come by night to spirit away members of their settlement.

But if there's one thing that the inhabitants of Purity Bay fear more than the Takers, it's the dirt and disease spread by strangers. Strangers like the Doctor, Tegan, Turlough and Nyssa...

The fanatical Sister Mertil and her hygiene-obsessed acolytes are victims of a terrible corruption – but not in the way they think. Only the whispering forest knows the truth...

Verdict

The Whispering Forest was a good audio adventure to continue the run of Monthly Adventures and served as a decent middle instalment for this Fifth Doctor trilogy! I'm enjoying that we're getting some extended stories with this quartet of main cast that we barely saw on television and not where Turlough was firmly established as a companion, and I thought it was fun where the characters were inevitably split up that we got some time with Nyssa and Turlough as a pair. That was definitely beneficial and exactly what I'd want as that was what we had very little of on screen. The dynamic of Nyssa being half a century older from when she initially left the TARDIS is fun and I like that she's continuing with her medical efforts to find a cure. I think that's important to highlight given where she is at in her life now. I thought the plot itself was pretty good but it felt like a lot of recycled parts without being anything really unique which is why I couldn't give it any higher than what I did (which was still pretty good going!). It felt similar to the likes of The Face of Evil with it having descendants from a human ship and words having lost their true meaning over time as generations came and went. It was refreshing to have the Fifth Doctor in that environment, but some elements just felt a bit predictable. In saying that, there wasn't exactly anything bad about the story other than the fact it felt familiar. I thought Tegan had a pretty strong adventure and I was excited by the ending with the mark of the Mara returning and being revealed that she is far from free of its hold! That's an exciting way to lead into the final adventure in the trilogy and whilst I'm not a massive fan of Kinda and Snakedance or the Mara in general, I'm really looking forward to hearing what will be done in the audio format and having some strong continuity from the televised era. Before we get there though, we had this eery little tale and the forest made for a good setting. I liked how the atmosphere was set early on with Nyssa immediately picking up on the mysterious whispers and the sound effects used there were great. I thought some of the guest characters were pretty good with Skeska definitely being a standout. I thought she was probably the most fun, but the most crucial was undoubtedly Mertil. Her role in the killings and the revelation of her responsibility was a good moment. I quite liked the concept of the Takers and how they had come to be, but again it just felt a little recycled which was slightly annoying. The Doctor working out that the descendants were from a hospital ship thanks to the range of technology was good, but I thought the St John's mentions made it a little obvious. As a whole though, this was a strong performance from Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor and I'm enjoying the adventures with this quartet. With how things are set up, we've got an exciting finale to the trilogy on our hands! Overall, a good and strong story that unfortunately felt like I'd heard it before.

Rating: 7/10