Saving Time: Genesis of the Humans

"We want to set you free."

Writer: Adrian Poynton

Format: Audio

Released: October 2024

Series: Jenny - The Doctor's Daughter 3.03

Featuring: Jenny, Noah

Synopsis

After another manipulation by Dorium Maldovar, Jenny and Noah find themselves on a job for the conniving conman and his partner in crime, the equally slippery Garundel.

This time, Jenny and Noah must venture inside a genetic treasure: one which holds the key to the future – and the past – of the human race. His name is Theo.

After another manipulation by Dorium Maldovar, Jenny and Noah find themselves on a job for the conniving conman and his partner in crime, the equally slippery Garundel.

This time, Jenny and Noah must venture inside a genetic treasure: one which holds the key to the future - and the past - of the human race. His name is Theo.

Verdict

Genesis of the Humans was a fantastic episode to continue my way through the Saving Time third series of Jenny - The Doctor’s Daughter! This was undoubtedly the best episode of the set yet and it did a really strong job of setting up what is sure to be an exciting finale! Without hardly featuring in this series, I have been so impressed with how well Jexabel Glyce has been set up as a villain. The concept the richest woman in the universe doesn’t actually sound like much on paper despite a positive idea, but with great money comes great power and she was so self centred that she killed everyone else in the universe with her forename. I thought it was fun to hear Jenny and Noah’s reaction to Jexabel having dropped her surname because she was the definite article. Just like them! They didn’t have surnames and that made them like her. I thought that was actually quite charming. I liked the promise of Dorium’s return and things soon came rushing back to me as I don’t think I’d fully remembered that he’d already encountered Jenny at the start of the previous series! This episode did a good job at setting things up and almost coming full circle for the entire spinoff with the return of Garundel as well. I think it’s a shame that so much time has elapsed between series for the Jenny spinoff, but this was a timely reminder and a nice way to catch up whilst telling an excellent story. Dorium was quite amusing in claiming to have been training Jenny and Noah with their adventures since he last saw them and that wasn’t something they adhered to despite acknowledging his influence. I thought was good stuff. The emergence of Garundel was great and I love the continuity dating back to Stolen Goods and having him claim to be paired up with Dorium! That was quite the duo and I like crossover like this. Dorium obviously played a big role with the Doctor which instantly makes him feel important, but that was also the case with Garundel. He’s tackled the Seventh Doctor so I like the pairing coming together to have influence on Jenny here. It does feel a little poor form on Dorium’s part not to have expected the double cross, and I must be honest I didn’t actually see it coming either! I appreciated it though and in hindsight it was always going to happen! I thought the story going all The Invisible Enemy and Into the Dalek was fun with the prospect of Jenny and Noah being shrunk down and inserted into Theo. He was an intriguing little character and the idea of him containing the genetic makeup of humanity at its purest form was intriguing. That would be a powerful weapon for someone with all of the money in the universe! The way everything came full circle and Jenny and Noah realised they were in a trap was terrific as it turned out that Theo was actually a clone. And not just any clone. He was actually a clone of Noah! Jenny realising that all of the description that had been detailed about Theo could also apply to her sidekick. That was a fantastic moment as the entire series seemed to tie together! I was a big fan of that. It suddenly all felt very serious after some good comedic moments within Theo. The idea of a sentient genetic subconscious was fascinating and it trying to convince those from within to stay in their own perfect haven instead of carrying out the mission at hand and change the genetic print in some way was tremendous. It was quite funny for Noah’s perfect place to be on a spaceship next to Jenny, whereas for her he was nowhere in sight and she was seeing something akin to Gallifrey! Somehow and some way, I’d love to get Jenny on the planet of the Time Lords. That would be a real treat. I’m getting ahead of myself there though as for now the trap has been laid and Noah and Jenny are in deep trouble! Overall, a terrific episode to set up the finale!

Rating: 9/10

Saving Time: A Beginner's Guide to Monsters (and How to Slay Them)

"Defeating monsters is in my DNA."

Writer: Rochana Patel

Format: Audio

Released: October 2024

Series: Jenny - The Doctor's Daughter 3.02

Featuring: Jenny, Noah

Synopsis

Escaping the 20th century, Jenny and Noah arrive in a medieval monastery under siege – from monsters lifted from the very pages of the Bestiary the monks are working to create.

How can they possibly defeat creatures of myth and legend? With griffins, manticores, and unicorns on the loose, Jenny needs to learn fast...

Verdict

A Beginner's Guide to Monsters (and How to Slay Them) was another great episode to continue my way through the Saving Time third series of Jenny - The Doctor's Daughter! This followed the very solid opener that was Florence O'Connor and the Sandwich of Doom in being something of a more traditional episode if that is even possible in this spinoff series. Jenny was very much written in the mould of the Doctor which I thought was impressive but this was certainly the most she has ever acted like or alluded to her father. I think it was a fun aspect for her to be looked on relatively strangely by the fact she didn't have a mother. That's still intriguing to think about and it really is brilliant to think just what consequences come from The Doctor's Daughter's conclusion. Jenny was openly referring to herself as a Time Lord which didn't feel quite right but I loved the audacity and brashness she was showing throughout the episode. Again, I wasn't so sure about the JANIS as the acronym for what she was hoping to be her own time and space machine, but it certainly did beat Noah's suggestion of having him at the start of the pair being named. It didn't quite having the same ring to it in the form of a NAJIS. It was pretty silly stuff but it worked. I thought some of the old terminology that Jenny was using and tapping into methods more renowned by her father was intriguing to hear, and it was just incredible to hear her casually dropping in that she was reversing the polarity when it came to the time portal. I thought the links across time here were quite random but having Jenny interact across the thirteenth and seventy-second centuries was good stuff! It was really interesting and was quite the way to get out of 1997. I liked that the COLT-5000 seems to have finally been dealt with as far as Jenny was concerned and the way she was bragging to Noah about how she had stopped it at the start of the episode was terrific, that was of course until she was reminded of their predicament of being stuck at the end of the twentieth century. I thought the book as a means of getting out of time was not something I was expecting, but I enjoyed it and especially when it came to the insinuation at the end that Jenny and Noah had been used by a familiar face. A blue face. I might as well discuss that here as it is very exciting to have the prospect of Dorium Maldovar encountering Jenny given his relationship with the Doctor. He's more associated with the Eleventh Doctor so to have him interact with his daughter is bound to be good stuff! I also like the wider continuity in the options being Dorium or Glyce. It seems we're on a slight delay before we fully meet the much promoted big bad of the series. Could Dorium be connected there? I wouldn't be too surprised! I thought the title of the story was fun and Jenny reading from that book within the episode was terrific. She consumed the content of the book in incredibly quick fashion just like her father did in Rose amongst others. I liked that and it's fun to think that this ability was passed down. Jenny recalling her soldier past was excellent and I liked how she recalled kissing a boy on her first day alive to get his gun. I really liked it, although Noah wasn't all that fussed in being referred to as a sidekick! But this adventure was what Jenny was literally born to do as my quote suggests and she tied everything up rather nicely! Overall, a really fun episode! 

Rating: 8/10

Saving Time: Florence O'Connor and the Sandwich of Doom

"May I introduce you to Jenny Who!"

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: October 2024

Series: Jenny - The Doctor's Daughter 3.01

Featuring: Jenny, Noah

Synopsis

Jenny has solved her immediate problem of being hunted by the cyborg COLT-5000 bounty hunter once known as Geraldine. Jenny's new problem is that she is being hunted by a cyborg COLT-5000 once known as her best friend, Noah. 

The timelines are in chaos. There is only one way to fix things. And it involves cheese and pickle...

Verdict

Florence O'Connor and the Sandwich of Doom was a strong start to the Saving Time third series of adventures for Jenny as the Doctor's Daughter! It's quite crazy to think that it has been nearly three years since I listed to Her Own Worst Enemy as the finale to the Still Running second series, and this episode follows on seamlessly as if the series was released just a month or so ago! I do think there is a helpful line later on where Jenny explains the situation when it comes to finding how to get the timelines fixed as a catch up for the listener, but as a whole there really wasn't all that much prior listening required. This was just a fun romp and that's exactly what this spinoff series is all about. Jenny has a good time and this certainly falls into the category. Things are a lot whackier where she is concerned and there's definitely some strong elements of chaos in her adventures and how she deals with things! I thought the fact her timeline was frozen was great and I really liked that she was quick to seek help to put things back on track after her actions in saving Geraldine as the COLT-5000 were complete, but in saving her she had changed time to the course of Noah now being the one taking on the cyborg role! That was such an excellent cliffhanger last time out and it's honestly scandalous to have taken three years to get the resolution. What are they playing at? Of course, she found out that the means to change time and ensure that Noah wouldn't actually become the COLT-5000 involved a woman called Florence O'Connor and the particular sandwich that she bought. I thought that was a little bit on the side of ridiculous and the title of the episode is probably borderline when it comes to silly, but everything did indeed rest on the type of sandwich that she purchased. That was pretty whacky and Jenny interacting with Florence was terrific because she wasn't giving her any privacy at the cashpoint when it came to her pin. Jenny actually causing her not to take any money out was actually incredibly problematic because the whole premise centred on Florence buying a cheaper sandwich to ensure she got a tad more change, to pass on and set off a chain of events three million+ stages long that would see Noah saved. It was amusing stuff and frankly insane, but that was actually part of its appeal! It was just fun and this definitely has the vibe of a spinoff series that shouldn't be taken too seriously. It's lighthearted listening and I'm really enjoying the fact that there is a story arc running throughout. Jexebel Glyce has been referenced a lot in the previews and promotion so to have her show up at the end and reveal the truth of what events had been set in motion was nicely done. She seems like she is going to be a strong villain and I can't wait to find out what she has in store for Jenny. The Doctor's daughter having her name misinterpreted as being Who was tremendous stuff and so simple. But it was massively effective! I thought the return of Noah in his normal self was good and perhaps came a little earlier and easier than I was anticipating, but it's good to have him back alongside Jenny. Their friendship really does blossom. Overall, a really strong start to the series and I'm now looking forward to hearing more adventures for Jenny and Noah.

Rating: 8/10

Ghost Town

"How can it be the same day twice?"

Writer: Susie Day

Format: Novel

Released: March 2021

Series: Team TARDIS Diaries 02

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

Something has gone wrong with time, and the Doctor – alongside her friends Yaz, Ryan and Graham – is determined to investigate. The trail leads to a dusty mining town at Hallowe'en – and something scary is lying in wait for them...

Verdict

Ghost Town was an excellent little book! I must admit I was a little trepidatious prior to reading this story as the cover looked incredibly childish and I really don’t think I was the intended target audience. I’d even put off taking the books out of the local library during the run of the Thirteenth Doctor on screen because of this very reason, but alas I fancied a trip back to her wonderful era and this seemed like a great way to do it. And I was pleasantly surprised! I seem to have jumped ahead by starting with the second in the Team TARDIS Dairies series as research indicates there is something of an overlapping story arc between the two, but I didn’t feel like I didn’t know what was happening or had gone on for the quartet. It was just brilliant! I thought the style was just tremendous and I loved the imagery. It was also fascinating to have over one-hundred pages of continuous storytelling and even though I took a large break in the middle for the work shift, I picked things right back up seamlessly on the train home. It was just glorious in its presentation and this is certainly something I would have lashed up as a child. The illustrations throughout complimented the adventure wonderfully well and it just really helped with the storytelling. Despite the date of the blog entry, I was actually reading this book a week prior to Halloween so with time being stuck on 31 October 2019, the thematic elements were very current from my perspective! On lunch break I was seeing pumpkins here, there and everywhere. I think that would have helped with my enjoyment of the novel. I really adored the concept of the psychic paper being found in a woods and actually getting an origin for it was very exciting! The way the story was told utilising the diary was fantastic and it was marvellous to have the three users primarily be the companions. I think starting with Yaz was certainly the right move as she’s easily the best of the three, and at one point I thought Ryan was going to be forgotten about when he was left behind! That was pretty humorous and it’s sad to say but I didn’t miss him. I liked the idea of time being stuck and the companions coming together and wanting to help the Doctor was lovely when she said they could leave because of how dangerous a tear in the vortex was. That was nice and it was good characterisation to present how much that meant to the Doctor. This was certainly her fam. I thought the story behind Maddy’s vision thanks to Buck was impressive although it did sound quite unbelievable that rubbish could just be sent to the Sun for incineration! It was a bold idea and I liked that the Doctor’s old friend Tomiko Handa was there to help with the science. It was an intriguing revelation later on to find that she knew the science couldn’t work as was just there after being offered her own access to the Katz machine. The concept behind that with the ever changing neutrinos was intriguing and felt very advanced for this kind of children’s book. I liked the educational elements there and as an adult reading it felt good to get this kind of science. The imagery and illustration of Graham as a giant because the science didn’t know how to stop was amusing and Ryan’s reaction to seeing a ninety foot version of his grandad was tremendous! I quite liked how the psychic diary turned out to be the mysterious power source that brought everything together, and the ambiguous ending in almost addressing the reader was terrific. For what purpose? That was left to us to think about. It’s such a shame the third book in the series went cancelled and I’m now tempted to read the extract at the end of this book, especially with the prospect of a Nimon return! Overall though, a fantastic read!

Rating: 9/10

The Rani Elite

"New bodies for old minds."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Audio

Released: December 2014

Series: Monthly Adventures 194

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri

Synopsis

The TARDIS arrives in the CAGE – not a trap, but the College of Advanced Galactic Education, one of the most prestigious academic institutions in colonised space.

Not a trap. Or is it?

The Doctor's here to receive an honorary degree in Moral Philosophy. But there's something rotten at the heart of the Medical Facility. Someone is operating on the students. Someone without a conscience. Someone with access to a Sidelian Brain Scanner – a technology that hasn't been invented yet. 

That someone is the ruthless Time Lord scientist known as the Rani – in her new incarnation. But will the Doctor and Peri recognise the Rani's hand before her trap is sprung?

Verdict

The Rani Elite was an excellent story to continue my way through the Monthly Adventures! This is an adventure I have been anticipating for a decade now and it's been such a long wait to consume it. But it was certainly worth it! I have always been a huge fan of the Rani and I think it's right that given the Master is the Doctor's biggest villain, we get a female alternate in the Classic era. Kate O'Mara made a huge mark with the villainess in The Mark of the Rani and Time and the Rani so it's no surprise that she had agreed to return to the role for Big Finish, but her untimely death meant we never got that reprise. It's a huge shame, but the legacy of her character goes on and I thought Siobhan Redmond was absolutely brilliant in the role. Her image on the cover is exquisite and instantly she just feels like the same Time Lord. I think it's a little bit of a shame that her reveal wasn't kept secret because it worked so well as a cliffhanger, but I appreciate how big of a selling point this would be. She's an iconic character and it's always good to get to know new incarnations! I loved the scientific theme of the story and it wouldn't be the Rani without a dodgy experiment. I thought it was fun for her to have invited the Doctor to CAGE for his honorary degree, but the time had gotten a little muddled up and the version who arrived was one incarnation early. It was good to establish that this incarnation was the next one along from on screen and I think her expecting the short one with the umbrella and hat was good continuity. That's what would have happened on screen so I like that. I thought it was also fun for her to foreshadow the end of this sixth incarnation and her role in that. Great stuff, and now she would revel in the memory after he thwarted her efforts here. I also liked how Peri pondered on regeneration and her relationship with the Doctor after her memories of The Caves of Androzani and how the Doctor literally had died for her. He thought she was worth saving and perhaps one day she would return the favour. That certainly feels like foreshadowing for how Peri's story might end! Things have been a little frosty since her return to the TARDIS in The Widow's Assassin, but it felt like a step had been taken here to put things right once and for all. Although it was certainly testy as she nearly suffered a similar fate as The Trial of a Time Lord with her becoming subjected to the Rani's experiment of mind transference. Playing with that with this version of Peri was brilliant stuff. I thought it was fun for the Doctor to have recognised the Rani immediately, whereas for Peri the penny took a little longer to drop but when she did the moment was terrific. I think the concept of old minds in young bodies is good and certainly something that works, but I think the fact it's not exactly unique is probably why this story doesn't quite get full marks for me. It was still an absolute joy though! The character of Lizzo was good and I liked her relationship with Peri as the companion looked out for her, until her sudden change of character after her mind was replaced. Miklev was also good and I liked Reev alongside the Rani, and the Vice Chancellor being the only one who didn't have their mind returned felt like a bit of a shame! His reaction to the Doctor arriving early was immediately suspicious which set a great tone for the story. I thought the CAGE setting was fantastic and really had a strong vibe. It felt perfect in all honesty. The Doctor getting the better of the Rani once again was amusing as she was so confident plans couldn't be thwarted, but he actually ended up trapping her and her TARDIS in a giant pool of water! No wonder he seemed to be letting her go as the punishment was lifetime imprisonment, but with regeneration that was an eternity for a Time Lord. Overall, a superb story! 

Rating: 9/10

Little Did She Know

"Daisy did it."

Writer: Janet Fielding

Format: Short Story

Released: October 2024

Printed in: The Adventures Before 03

Featuring: Tegan

Synopsis

Discover what happened before...

What did Osgood do the morning of The Day of the Doctor?

What happened to Tegan before Arc of Infinity, and why does it involve strange sentient lights in the Australian outback?

What was the Tenth Doctor doing in a hall of mirrors, right before Planet of the Dead?

Answers to all these questions lie in an incredible collection of new Doctor Who short stories that give a glimpse into the moments just before we saw the Doctor step on screen.

From Skaro to Apalapucia, from a shop front drained of colour to Rassilon's tomb, join a host of incredible adventures across the universe with Doctors, companions, friends and foes.

Verdict

Little Did She Know was a lovely little story to continue my way through The Adventures Before collection of prequels! I'm not entirely sure I would say this would qualify as a prequel to Arc of Infinity, but given how Tegan was left behind in Time-Flight this does a good job of filling in the gap as far as the former air hostess was concerned. We know from Big Finish that the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa went on quite a number of journeys together, but Tegan was left behind and had to deal with the aftermath of the events of Logopolis and the death of her aunt Vanessa. Getting to know more about Tegan's family was really good and whilst I liked that we alluded to her meeting up with cousin Colin in a few weeks in Amsterdam, this was all about Tegan's immediate family for me. It's lovely to have a Tegan adventure in Australia and having her met by her brother Luke was a nice touch. A four-hundred kilometre trek sounded quite unappealing though! That would be some train journey as Tegan alluded to when she met Luke. He'd been okay as he seemed to be something of a groundhopper and ticked off a football match on his overnight stay. That's certainly one way to kill time and something I can get on board with. It was lovely to explore their sibling relationship and he was something of a buffer between Tegan and her father. Their relationship was presented in a very frosty manner as she tried to explain the truth involving the Master and tissue compression eliminators when it came to telling her dad how his sister had passed away. I loved the background on the Daisy did it gag in the family when it came to Tegan as a youngster blaming her imaginary friend for her own wrongdoings, but her father didn't take kindly to her sister's death supposedly being made a joke of. This almost felt like more of a prequel to Snakedance with the involvement of the Mara and Tegan encountering it again. I thought the Australian setting there was excellent given the country's renounce for snakes. I can't say I have ever really encountered anything more than a small grass snake living in Wales, but they're not something I would want to come face to face with. They are pretty frightening! So to have real snakes blended with the Mara was presented very well. The mystery of the orange lights was good and getting to Vince as Tegan's uncle was good because he'd seen them too. It was no gag against their father. I thought the way her dad was opened up to the alien world after nearly dying at the hands of the orange light blast was good and it allowed him to rekindle his relationship with his daughter again. That was the highlight of the adventure for me as he then wanted to learn all about Tegan's adventures in the TARDIS with the Doctor. That was terrific and it was nice for Tegan to get that emotional attachment again after all she had gone through. The way she utilised her own air hostess skills to start the pumping of CPR on her father was brilliant and the threat that also came from Luke being bitten by the venomous snake was also exciting. There was quite a bit of tension at the end of the story for what was mostly a family reunion! That was really good though and made this more than just a catch up story for Tegan. Overall, a really strong read and nobody would get the character more than Janet Fielding! A fantastic writing debut for the actor who played the iconic companion. A lovely read to continue my way through the collection.

Rating: 8/10

Lost Luggage

"It was just a blue box."

Writer: Colin Brake

Format: Novel

Released: March 2008

Series: Decide Your Destiny 09

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis

Join the Doctor on his travels through time and space and influence the story with your decisions. Choose a direction and let the adventures begin...

When the TARDIS goes missing in a busy spaceport, the Doctor and you must race against time and across space to find it, before the Doctor's incredible spaceship is lost forever...

Verdict

Lost Luggage was not the greatest of stories for my liking unfortunately! Now, I fully appreciate that I am not the intended audience for these Decide Your Destiny series format, but when the library has Doctor Who content I find it difficult to not dip my toe in! I went into my reading today with an open mind and I don't think it was the style of story that was my issue here. The story was just a bit naff! I will admit it is a little strange for the reader to be a character in the story and it is implied that you are a youngster which I guess correlates with the intended audience, but there's still a heap of difference in play there! I think it would be a very different experience for a five-year-old to be reading rather than a thirteen-year-old for example, both of whom would feasibly be interested in this kind of adventure. I always find it strange to influence a story as then it doesn't quite feel canonical. I do like though that two readers of the same book will have a completely different experience. I know that's pretty contradictory of what I have just said, but it's all part of the charm of youth. Imagine the discussions on the playground at school and telling your friends what happens when you decide you meet a robot at the start rather than a man. What kind of person would choose such an unappealing option though? It had to be the robot. I thought the story did well in getting right into the action, but I would have appreciated some actual explanation of how the character that became the reader came to be inside the TARDIS. I also find it quite strange that despite supposedly being a character in the story, the dialogue is written for you. I think it would certainly work better if the reader could just influence the story of the Doctor (and a companion if present). That would be much more fun. I hope we reach that point in the future. I do think the concept of losing the TARDIS is excellent as I've mentioned on numerous occasions how much I love when the time and space machine goes missing because of the vulnerability that provides. It's exciting stuff, but I can't say anything about this adventure was highly exciting. There was never any explanation of who took the TARDIS and no motive for doing so. It was also taken so quickly and on my specific journey it just ended up in a storeroom because a robot got a manifest incorrect? It was a bit naff to be honest. That wasn't the only time either. The moment the reader loses consciousness as the oxygen runs out is intriguing, but then we are just told there wasn't oxygen and now there is? Come on! Give something of an explanation! That was disappointing. It also happened with the Doctor talking a little derogatorily towards the reader in bashing away a question with just science gaff. The story was lacking in explanation which I think is my biggest issue. I wasn't expecting the title of the book to be referring to the TARDIS, but I liked it as a concept. It just didn't work out for me. Maybe it was the journey I took? Maybe not choosing a robot at the start would have been better. I tended to go for the more realistic option in my extensive Doctor Who experience, but alas this just didn't work for me. I'll be reading some more of these in the coming weeks, so hopefully there are some improvements! But for now, this was pretty disappointing when it ought not to be. 

Rating: 5/10

Death in the Stars

"We will all meet at journey's end."

Writers: Bonnie Langford & Jacqueline Rayner 

Format: Novel

Released: August 2024

Series: BBC PDA 05

Featuring: Mel

Synopsis

A band of killers. Survivors with a secret. A death-defying murder mystery in space.

When young Mel's business partner, Sabalom Glitz embarks on yet another "get rick quick" scheme, it marks the start of an epic, death-defying murder-mystery in space.

After barely escaping the snares of a murderous galactic cult, Mel searches for fellow survivors in a nearby spaceship graveyard – while Glitz looks to fill his pockets. But the discovery of a spaceship with its crew in suspended animation and incredible secrets on board leaves the duo stranded with no way off.

Mel revives the crew – and then the murders start. Murders that cannot possibly have been committed by any of the crew members. In fact, there are only two realistic suspects – Glitz and Mel themselves....

Verdict

Death in the Stars was a great novel! I really enjoyed this book from start to finish as it just had a really good vibe. I love following from Dragonfire in pairing Melanie Bush up with the whacky Sabalom Glitz and the duo actually made for a fantastic tag team! Their chemistry was terrific and I was so impressed with how well the authors captured both characters in prose. Their personalities absolutely shine through which was delightful and they seemed to have a mutual understanding of each other despite being very different people. Mel was all about the carrot juice and eating healthily whereas Glitz was focused on his next scam whilst selling it as honest business. Glitz was still wanting to eat a chocolate sundae and Mel was wanting to do things by the law book, and yet somehow together they just gelled. It was really good and set the basis for the book. I enjoyed the numerous references to the Doctor and hearing of Glitz stealing a sonic screwdriver from the Third Doctor only to have it pickpocketed by the Fourth Doctor was a lovely note. It turns out The Trial of a Time Lord wasn’t Glitz’s first meeting with the Doctor after all! That’s a fun little detail. I thought the book was interesting in that it almost felt like it was split into two, with the mystery promised on the front cover not really coming until over 150 pages in. That was a tad surprising considering the book only had 102 pages to go, but it was more just an intriguing observation than a criticism. I think Mel’s abbreviation of their ship as the Tu-Two was cheesy but fun and it was nice that she and Glitz would have daily meet ups at the ice cream parlour. They did their own things but always checked in. That was nice to know. I thought the horrors of the miscommunication across generations at the start of the book was quite sad actually and when Mel was able to play a message to Hope from her now deceased father, she was devastated. Sure, the ship might one day reach Xuxion, but Hope would not be reunited with all those that had been thrown into the engine generator as fuel. When Hope learned the truth her moment of anguish was difficult to read. She was heartbroken as you would expect. Just hearing the truth of her past was enlightening and she struggled to break with years of indoctrination as the logical truth came out. It was strong stuff and her name being what was referred to in the poem of prophecy was just awful. She didn’t need to be thrown into the engines! Luckily Glitz was on hand to teleport her away with Mel and Finrae, who had dubbed himself leader by virtue of being the chosen one from Galatsnax. I thought that was pretty silly but still fun as the vending machines restocked automatically and he just happened to be standing by one when Hope’s father fixed the power systems. I thought the teleport bringing the murder mystery was good and it really did feel like a completely different adventure from there with just Hope the connecting element. This ship seemed to be heading to Ravolox which was good continuity for Mel and Glitz as they knew what had happened there, but 75 million lives were at stake. And a crew of the was being murdered. I thought the Barry Day AI was a little odd and I do think it would have been better as the Doctor as a way to get him into the story, but I can also appreciate wanting to keep the focus on Mel. She was a lot younger than we would see her in The Giggle and it was good to make use of her intelligence. She knew all about computers and go to showcase that instead of just being use for screeching screams wherever there was a threat. This story certainly did Mel justice. I appreciated little inclusions of the wider Whoniverse in mentions the likes of kronkburgers, the Graske and Slitheen which was really good and fine details like that just really add to an adventure for me. The truth regarding the murderer being the conscience machine was a little unexpected but I liked how it correlated with what happened in Hope’s father turning it off on the other ship. It was all about the children they didn’t need utmost devotion. It tied things together nicely and explained everything, and it was wonderful for Mel to really be the hero with Glitz and Hope both manifested into taking places of the murdered crew. She had to put a bit of herself into everyone through the machine and self sacrifice was big on her agenda. Bastelle kicking her out of the machine just before the end to save her was fantastic and I liked how the remaining crew wanted her to know that was what the true version was really like. Overall, a great read!

Rating: 8/10

The Dark Planet

"The eternal dawn arrives!"

Writer: Brian Hayles (Adapted by Matt Fitton)

Format: Audio

Released: September 2013

Series: Lost Stories 4.01

Featuring: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki

Synopsis

Somewhere far back in the early days of the universe the TARDIS lands on a world lit by a dying sun. Missing from the Doctor's star maps and dotted with strange crystalline statues, it is a world ripe for exploration. But it is also a world of destruction.

Venturing out onto its surface, the time travellers find themselves drawn into an age-old conflict between the two species residing on the planet – people of Light and Shadow. Proving a catalyst for the escalation of the conflict, the Doctor and his friends need either to create a peace or to pick a side.

Because in times of war, nothing is ever black and white.

Verdict

The Dark Planet was a great Lost Stories adventure! This was pretty damn long clocking in at close to three hours, but I don't think it overstayed its welcome in the slightest which right away is a huge compliment. I was actually listening to this adventure as I was having an overdue sort out and clean of my extensive figure and figurine collection, so it was nice to be in theme! I think the team of William Russell and Maureen O'Brien is just tremendous and they did a fine job in recreating the second ever TARDIS team. This felt like it was so authentic and certainly the early parts of the opening episode were everything I would imagine a 1960s story sounding like. Even the terminology acknowledged within the TARDIS and the Doctor referring to his own star maps was brilliant. It was so perfectly a Lost Story in that regard which immediately makes me happy. I could easily imagine seeing this on screen and whilst I'm not sure on the background of why these scripts never made it to screen, I think the budget at the time would have been impossible to do this story justice. There was so much going on and the visuals that came from the descriptions of the battle between Shadow and Light were stunning. I'm not convinced there would have been the means to present this well ons screen during Season 2. In that regard, perhaps it's better we just get an audio version? I think taking the TARDIS to a very early point in the universe's creation and actually being in the first segment of time was intriguing to say the least. Things were a little different here and the Doctor was soon able to utilise that with his knowledge of stellar engineering. I liked how that was almost ridiculed by Ian but the Doctor was serious indeed. Vicki was shown to be very intelligent in the story which was really nice and I like how Ian mentioned he should get a science lesson from her. The conflict on the world of Noumeia was really interesting and it was a strong thread to carry though the lengthy adventure. Learning of the differences each side felt towards each other was good and the use of past dialogue as a means of encouraging more in the future was good. How else would a species name be shared as the title across both sides? There must have been some sort of communication. The theme of light in particular was handled very well and blindness hitting more than one companion was fascinating! I don't think that has happened before so that was something new and a strong sense of vulnerability. That also came when the TARDIS was not viewed as a safe haven. It was pretty surprising to hear it infiltrated but I was a big fan of it because it made such an impact. The fact it rarely happens is why that was so surprising. I thought Vicki's relationship with Elise was fantastic and the heartbreak she had when she realised the truth and how they were sacrificing themselves was powerful stuff. Krogor didn't seem like the best of enemies at the start of the story but he grew into a strong monstrous type by the end which I enjoyed. I thought the rush to the TARDIS at the end of the story was good and authentic with what happened often on screen at this time. It was also good to get so many strong cliffhangers. Again, they felt exactly like ones that would have happened on screen. Dark and light against each other, and then coming full circle with Vicki looking on and seeing light travelling in space with shadow was tremendous. She liked to think their efforts weren't in vain and perhaps they did make a change. But we'd never know. That was terrific. Overall, a really strong adventure! One I could definitely have seen fitting in during Season 2.

Rating: 8/10

Kept Safe and Sound

"The plight of the talking dog."

Writer: Paul Magrs

Format: Short Story

Released: April 2003

Printed in: Short Trips: Companions 06

Featuring: K9

Synopsis

Adventures in time and space are no fun if there's no one to share them. the Doctor has taken along many people on his travels – humans, aliens and robots. Did he really care for any of them? What in their previous life fitted them for the role of companion – and how did they cope after they left the TARDIS?

These seventeen stories look at the Doctor's trusty companions, before, during and after their travels with the eccentric Time Lord. Discover the truth about Romana's regeneration, find out what happened when Zoe encountered the Doctor again, and learn which of his companions the Doctor cared for the most...

Verdict

Kept Safe and Sound was an intriguing little story to continue my way through the Companions volume of Short Trips! I think I have perhaps been slightly harsh in the rating I have awarded this story but some things just didn’t quite work for me. I think the idea of having K9 as the lead companion is completely fine and there’s some much potential with his character and the nature of him being a robot dog, but why was he just referred to as such? We didn’t get the name K9 mentioned at all which is a huge shame because that just feels like such a missing element. It’s so obvious which companion this is, but perhaps it was a naming rights issue? I’m not entirely sure. I couldn’t find anything more in that regard in my brief research on the adventure after reading but it would make sense. I just don’t know why else you wouldn’t name such an iconic character! I thought it was actually a bit of a sad story all in with both K9 and Jack’s widowed mum going through a lot. I would like to know how this version of K9 came to be in the state of disrepair that he was, and how he ended up straddled alongside the owner of a secondhand bookshop. A large number of my entires on this blog over the years have been sourced in secondhand bookshops and I certainly remember the thrill of finding new copies of Doctor Who books in particular. The joy I had when finding copies of Doctor Who and the Keys of Marinus and Galaxy Four as the first original Targets I’d located is a memory that will last with me forever. So whilst Jack in this story wasn’t collecting Doctor Who stories, his hunt to complete the set of twelve volumes of the Books of Mayhem was fascinating. There was a lot to appreciate in the story, but I think the OCD in me was a little flustered by the fact Jack had read volumes seven to eleven before having volume six in his collection! I just would flat out refuse to jump ahead before reading the others. I’m sure there are numerous blog entries that contradict that statement but I think the vast array of Doctor Who content gives me some leeway! I thought more on Jack’s mother as a widow would have been beneficial as her state of grief was certainly something to relate to. She was devastated at losing her husband and I loved that it was as a result of the events of Invasion of the Dinosaurs. How could you cope in the twentieth century in knowing that your loved one was eaten by a Tyrannosaurus Rex! It would obviously hurt more than a traditional or ‘normal’ death. How could you try and get over that? There’s so no rational explanation. She had turned to drink and that was having an impact on Jack as you would expect, but I wanted more on that. I didn’t actually care all that much about the continued ventures to the bookshop. The owner was clearly whacky and could have got a lot more than a solitary pound for the fabled twelfth volume, so I appreciated he stuck to the price despite knowing how sought after the copy was. Jack dealing with some internal dilemma of if he should actually finish the book was baffling to me. Of course he should! With no hesitation. Get it read and completed. Complete the set and then read it again and again. I fully appreciated that he went have the thrill of stories like it again, but there’s a sense of achievement in finishing things. I thought the slow way K9 was broken down for bit parts was sad and I wish I knew why. It was pretty generic and how did a mere bookshop owner have the technologist know how to strip a robot dog from the year 5000? These were the burning questions I wanted answers to. Jack taking the brain device of K9 at the end was weird but I liked that with his mother buying blank CDs, K9’s memory could be hooked up and transferred to it to preserve him. And the stories he’d be able to tell! That was a nice way to finish things. Overall, a rather whacky adventure which is no surprise given the author, but some strong ideas and certainly emotion aplenty. 

Rating: 6/10

Warbringer: Saviour

"One day to save the world."

Writer: Jonathan Morris

Format: Audio

Released: December 2021

Series: The War Doctor Begins 2.03

Featuring: War Doctor

Synopsis

The truth of how events on Tharius were set in motion is revealed. On a mission to destroy a Dalek Harvester vessel, the War Doctor discovers a new breed of Dalek. 

Whatever action he takes next, we have seen the consequences – and they are devastating for everyone.

Verdict

Saviour was an excellent episode to conclude the Warbringer second series of The War Doctor Begins! I thought this was superb story and easily the best of the boxset. They were certainly saving the best until last! I really liked how things tied together and came full circle, even going before the events of the first episode in Consequences. It was very nicely done and became quite an emotional tale in the end for poor old Case. We see how her name originated from the Doctor as she had to deal with who she now was, rather than who she previously had been. That would be tough for anyone to deal with and it's no surprise that she's a little irate and just generally peeved. I think it would be fair to say that this was her demeanour for much of the series but who could really blame her? Being turned into a cyborg Dalek berserker wouldn't exactly be high on my wish list. I really liked the format of this story in how we spent a good chunk of time learning the truth about Case as promised at the end of Destroyer, before having her fully integrated and playing a role in the Dalek demise. The Doctor also goes through quite a lot here and I was surprised once again by how easily he still accepts being referred to by that name. It feels a little strange, but I guess he's still at the beginning of the incarnation so there's still plenty of time to go. There were definitely traits of more unfamiliar elements to the character we are more familiar with which was great and that largely came down to what he really knew about Case. He knew already that they were on a Dalek harvester and what that meant when it came to her abilities to interact with the Dalek web. She was on hand to basically be a quick hack and that proved very useful! I thought it was a delight for her to convince the Daleks through their systems that it was one of them that allowed the Doctor and company to escape, and even more so when they were tricked into believing their twelve versions of the Doctor present! That was quite the image and something we can only dream about. An extended full cast version of Daleks under siege by twelve Doctors would be pretty incredible! I'm all here for it. Seventieth anniversary: make it happen! The Doctor describing that as the Daleks' worst nightmare was good stuff and Case not understanding how they thought it was possible was intriguing. Little does she know of Time Lord biology. I felt like Veklin was a little out of the focus in this episode which actually worked well in my opinion as it didn't feel like the Doctor had any restrictions or strict instructions to follow. By this point he was acting for the best interests of the common goal. His inability to stop the ship crashing into the planet felt like quite a shock for him to admit, but when his solution was to cheat a little bit and go back in time to evacuate the planet a day early, I was pretty impressed! A different Doctor indeed and it was something that played out nicely. The Daleks were fantastic in the story as they basically seemed to fussy around in a wild goose chase whilst expressing their disbelief at being thwarted. That was very fun. I thought it was good to acknowledge that Case would not be left behind and her actually being responsible for the saving of several was a lovely nod. She's not quite a companion in my eyes but I like the idea of her sticking around as this series goes on. Overall, an excellent listen to conclude the series! 

Rating: 9/10

Warbringer: Destroyer

"You have no choices."

Writer: Andrew Smith

Format: Audio

Released: December 2021

Series: The War Doctor Begins 2.02

Featuring: War Doctor

Synopsis

Trapped on a world that worships war, the War Doctor finds himself fulfilling an ancient prophecy – could he be the Warbringer of legend?

His new ally Case is testing her abilities, too. And both will be called on to fight when the Daleks come...

Verdict

Destroyer was a decent episode to continue my way through the Warbringer second series of The War Doctor Begins! This almost felt like an immediate part two to the Consequences opener with the follow up to the cliffhanger seeing the potential bringing of the end of the world. It was good in that regard and Belus confronting the Doctor and having him prove he was the Warbringer he claimed to be was fascinating stuff. I did though feel like things moved backwards a little with this episode because it was already clearly established that the Doctor was not who he claimed to be, but then he just once again started claiming to be the Warbringer. It's a fun concept to have the Doctor as someone worshipped where war is revered because typically that goes against everything in his nature, but in this incarnation things are slightly different. The rulebook can almost be thrown out of the window as evidenced by the ending. That was quite a shock and I liked how the actions of the Doctor as a warrior here were met with shock amongst others. That was really good in selling the difference of this incarnation of the Doctor which I think is part of the fun of this series. We're seeing the Doctor delve into being a warrior and that's exciting! It's so different, but there's still all those noticeable traits of the Time Lord hero we know and love. He knows things aren't going to end well here but that doesn't prevent him trying to save people. It's engrained in his nature and there's just no other way for him to act. It's actually fun for Veklin to even fall into the trap of being convinced of his nature, whereas Tamasan is a little less prone to the Doctor's influence. She made it clear that she only wanted Veklin and the Doctor returned in the Battle TARDIS she would send. That didn't mean any locals. I thought the presence of the Daleks was great and it's always good to have them present within the Time War. Their interaction with Case was intriguing stuff and I'm very interested to hear where things will head in the finale regarding her. I liked that she was confronted by the Daleks and she wasn't exactly pleased to be regarded as one of their creations. She was a new Dalek creature in the form of a berserker which sounds exciting and incredibly dangerous! I thought the twist of her not wholly being on the Daleks' side was slightly predictable, but her helping save meant she had a lift back to Gallifrey to learn all about herself. I thought it was strong to see the emotional toll she went through across the episode which is quite ironic given her nature as a cyborg! The death of Belus halfway through was a little strange as he was the complete focal point of the story with his suspicions on the Doctor. That didn't quite work for me but I liked his inner conflict. He knew deep down that he wasn't the Warbringer and he even found the truth about how he stopped the ship by freezing it in time as just having far superior technology. That's literally exactly the situation he found himself in! Case remembering what happened in the previous episode was something I was expecting to be dwelled on a little more given the death that happened there, but there's plenty of that to come in the finale as she learns about herself properly. That's a strong enough lead into the finale that keeps me interested and there's something exciting about having this incarnation of the Doctor on Gallifrey. I hope that's where things stay, especially with Case's arrival seeing her refer to Tamasan as a Dalek! Overall, a decent listen! 

Rating: 7/10

Warbringer: Consequences

"I remember the bit where I don't have a memory."

Writer: Timothy X Atack

Format: Audio

Released: December 2021

Series: The War Doctor Begins 2.01

Featuring: War Doctor

Synopsis

The War Doctor and Veklin crash on a ravaged planet. On the fringes of the Time War, this world has its own battles raging. Elsewhere, a survivor works out how she came to be here.

But these newcomers are harbingers of something terrible, following in their wake...

Verdict

Consequences was a strong start to the Warbringer second series of The War Doctor Begins! After a very strong Forged in Fire opening series, this seemed to take us in a slightly different direction which I'm all for. It's really terrific to flesh out both the Time War and this incarnation of the Doctor. There's so much potential with this version of the Doctor and we know the Time War is extortionate in length and depth, so to get the younger version of the War Doctor we saw glimpsed on screen in The Night of the Doctor is magnificent. I think Jonathon Carley is absolutely tremendous in the role and he really is uncanny in his portrayal. I wouldn't bat an eyelid if somebody told me this was John Hurt in the role. It continues to be that good. The story itself was very interesting and I liked the female focus in the lead characters. We have a familiar voice in the form of Veklin accompanying the Doctor, but she never feels fully in control when the Doctor is around. He didn't dispute his name too much here which was a little bit of a surprise, but I guess it's still early in the incarnation and he still has so much time to do so much of what he deems wrong. I thought the introduction of Case here was strong and her realisation at being transfigured was quite horrifying. Imagine having to utter the question in wondering who took your eye? And why was her arm aluminium? They were rather scary questions to have to ask and something that would be incredibly scary. The toll she took over the course of the episode was actually quite extraordinary and her role in the conclusion was frightening. She was responsible for death on a horrific scale and she didn't want that to be the case. She was weaponised and that was used against her. She was devastated as you would expect. I liked the character of Iansa and her interactions with the Doctor were fascinating. He took on the role of the titular Warbringer which was intriguing but she was just inundated with a desire for war. Her almost demise and compete miscomprehension at the prospect of not fighting was strange. Veklin knew that when the Doctor learned of this, he wouldn't be able to help himself in putting it to a stop. That was not something Iansa wanted and seemed frightened and disappointed by the prospect. The moment at the end regarding the sacrifice to the Warbringer was pretty sad as the Doctor had to admit he had just lied to gain her trust and would not accept her offering of death, but Veklin took no hesitation and shot her plain dead. That was devastatingly impactful! Belus looked on bemused as well and almost offended that the Doctor wouldn't take her life. He'd gone through enough in literally freezing the war in time to save people, but even that wasn't wholly enough to prevent Case. I thought the discussions between Case and Oya were good and I liked how there were partial truths. It certainly helped to have the truth confirmed or not. I thought Case not understanding the word Dalek was interesting and surely something to continue as the series goes on. I thought things got a little too dialogue heavy towards the middle with some perhaps over explanation instead of some action amidst war, but I liked the cliffhanger finish sending us right into strong issues as the Doctor proclaimed the end of the world! Case is clearly going to have a big role to play moving forward and I'm intrigued to hear the truth regarding the Warbringer. It's obviously not the Doctor, but it should be fun to build towards going forward. Overall, a strong start to the series!

Rating: 8/10

The Roots of Evil

"What's Chase gonna pay us for a dead plant?"

Writer: Steve Cole

Format: Short Story

Released: October 2024

Printed in: The Adventures Before 02

Featuring: Harrison Chase

Synopsis

Discover what happened before...

What did Osgood do the morning of The Day of the Doctor?

What happened to Tegan before Arc of Infinity, and why does it involve strange sentient lights in the Australian outback?

What was the Tenth Doctor doing in a hall of mirrors, right before Planet of the Dead?

Answers to all these questions lie in an incredible collection of new Doctor Who short stories that give a glimpse into the moments just before we saw the Doctor step on screen.

From Skaro to Apalapucia, from a shop front drained of colour to Rassilon's tomb, join a host of incredible adventures across the universe with Doctors, companions, friends and foes.

Verdict

The Roots of Evil was a terrific little short story to continue my reading through The Adventures Before set of prequels! After a very strong opener in the form of The Boy and the Dalek as a prequel to the legendary The Daleks, jumping forward to The Seeds of Doom is a great idea. It’s another iconic adventure to present a prequel for and this was done in something that I would describe as a traditional manner. There was no Doctor or companion present which on the face of it did feel like a missed opportunity given how the collection started, but once I’d finished I really appreciated what I’d read. It really compliments the televised story by giving some more depths to some familiar characters from the serial. It was really good to get that dynamic between Latz and Scorby and it was great fun to have them essentially trying to rob some alien artefacts from UNIT! The concept behind what was dubbed the Junkyard amongst the soldiers was good fun and the items within were exciting! A little more detail on what was within would have been good but at the same time whilst it was amusing to touch upon Day of the Daleks, it didn’t hamper the story to not reference more. I thought their discussions about UNIT were intriguing and in particular the talk about the events of The Web of Fear were fantastic. It was interesting to learn about the cover stories out there and it was good to know that UNIT was doing its job! I liked the floral theme within the story and the focus on the eloko in particular was very good. Harrison Chase was presented very well here and you could see the makings of a fine villain that would transpire on screen. He was devious and the right level of controlled deranged. It was nicely done. I thought the mention of Osgood was good continuity and I honestly wasn’t expecting such UNIT reference but I absolutely welcomed it. It rounded things out very nicely. I liked the threat that came from Latz being cut by the cactus and knowing what we know from the televised serial, he was pretty much doomed. Of course, there was no specific mention of Krynoid but seeing the mind of Chase tick when the plant took Latz’s form was brilliant. That evil flourish was there in just the right amount. I thought the build to the conclusion was handled very well and the pace was really good throughout. It was an engaging read from start to finish and finishing in literally explosive style was great stuff! I thought it was pretty emphatic to have both Latz and the Eloko blown up but it was a neat and tidy way to finish things off and set things up nicely for the televised serial. I thought Scorby’s reaction to his partner perishing in pretty gruesome style was fantastic because he literally didn’t care. He was just happy to take his partner’s share of the purse now! Setting things up there with having him in an employ agreement with Chase and them coming to an understanding was good stuff. It was a strong little setup. Overall, a great little read! 

Rating: 8/10

The Force of Death

"We will destroy them with the very technology we have taken from them."

Writer: Andrew Lane

Format: Audio

Released: October 2024

Series: BBC Audio 26

Featuring: Eighth Doctor

Synopsis

The Doctor is working undercover in 1890s Galway whilst investigating the mysteries sinking of the RMS Majestic. Witnesses recall something huge crashing into the sea, causing a massive wave which overturned the ship. Could it have been the mythical sea creature known as the Dobhar-chu?

Also on the scene is James MacFarlane, intrepid journalist and friend of the Doctor. Reunited, the pair discover death stalking the area in the form of animated corpses. The Doctor soon realises that aliens are present, and unless stopped their plans could kill everyone in County Connemara! 

Verdict

The Force of Death was a great story to add to the BBC Audio originals! This is another adventure for the Eighth Doctor alongside James MacFarlane who just keeps bumping into this incarnation. Considering the unlikely nature of this happening now for the fourth time, it's even more amazing that it's always the Eighth Doctor he runs into. And the settings across the UK and beyond vary quite considerably! We've gone from Cardiff to the Antarctic to Galway. That's quite the variety and I'm a big fan of it. Considering that this format is just one narrator telling the story, I feel quite an affinity with James. I was very intrigued to hear how the dynamic between him and the Doctor would be given how things were left at the end of The Teeth of Ice, but the Doctor was rather in an ebullient mood which surprise me slightly! He didn't seem shocked that James arrived and I thought the way he deduced the Doctor's presence there was tremendous. It was almost like a disguise of the Master for the Doctor to be claiming to be the Irish name of John Smith! I absolutely adored it though and the realisation for James was tremendous. Here he was again! I think James being a journalist is good and of course the Doctor is no stranger to those when it comes to his companions, but I wouldn't consider him as such. Not until he has a full stay in the TARDIS. I loved that the events he was experiencing with the Doctor here wouldn't become public knowledge as despite MacFarlane's profession, the ludicrous nature of what was happening just couldn't be published. Nobody would take it seriously! And another such case was on hand here. The Doctor was merely posing as a vet because of some strange goings on with cattle and the like, which became actually rather dark towards the end of the story. Dealing with mutilation that goes as far as removing brains and organs is pretty disturbing but it fits in well with a story of this title and the dark atmosphere. Things were definitely presented as bleak which was nicely done and definitely the right kind of tone for this adventure. Commander Moret (sp?) turned out to be a decent villain as the man taking advantage of the crashed ship of the Fomorians. He had used them and even had a hostage to create semi-automata weaponry. And it was a century early! The devastation potential there was obvious for all to hear, He had no remorse but I loved how James was actually on the verge of challenging the Doctor because he was getting involved and doing the very thing he had berated him for on the Antarctic. That was a strong moment but things luckily didn't blow over. I liked how the Doctor remarked that he was a changed man and whilst it had been barely a year for James since their last meeting, for him it was so much longer. This was the Eighth Doctor when he was on the verge of having to pick a side in the Time War. Something terrible was coming and that meant he saw things from a different perspective. I appreciated that as an explanation. I liked the simplicity and quite quick nature of the conclusion in having the Doctor resonate the sea to stop Moret and company, and without the Fomorians wouldn't be under control. It was a neat way to tidy things up! Overall, an intriguing tale and one that I really enjoyed. A fine way to pass an hour! 

Rating: 8/10

The Boy and the Dalek

"The only fruit the Daleks should harvest is death!"

Writer: Mike Tucker

Format: Short Story

Released: October 2024

Printed in: The Adventures Before 01

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Victoria

Synopsis

Discover what happened before...

What did Osgood do the morning of The Day of the Doctor?

What happened to Tegan before Arc of Infinity, and why does it involve strange sentient lights in the Australian outback?

What was the Tenth Doctor doing in a hall of mirrors, right before Planet of the Dead?

Answers to all these questions lie in an incredible collection of new Doctor Who short stories that give a glimpse into the moments just before we saw the Doctor step on screen.

From Skaro to Apalapucia, from a shop front drained of colour to Rassilon's tomb, join a host of incredible adventures across the universe with Doctors, companions, friends and foes.

Verdict

The Boy and the Dalek was a great story to kick off my reading of The Adventures Before set of prequels! The idea behind this book is right up my alley as I'm a sucker for any kind of continuity when it comes to Doctor Who adventures. I think it works well to split between the classic and modern era and you can't get much more Classic than doing a prequel to The Daleks! I think it's such a good prospect and whilst I would define this as something of a loose prequel, it didn't make it any less enjoyable! I was pleasantly surprised to see that this was a Second Doctor story and his reaction to finding a Dalek in the crashed ship was fantastic. I did think it was a little strange for him to proclaim that he hadn't visited Skaro in quite a long time considering that his current companions of Jamie and Victoria were there with him during The Evil of the Daleks. That must be set before this story as that's where Victoria made her debut as companion., but other than that I thought this went by very nicely! I thought the TARDIS reacting to a distress call and having a somewhat annoying tone in doing so was fun although it didn't quite feel befitting of the era. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Emperor Dalek featured in a prominent way and the description of the golden dome was another treat. We never got that version on screen and it returned in all its glory a few years ago for the Time Lord Victorious saga, but for it to feature in official prose was a nice treat. Its thoughts towards Dalek 444 as a designated scientist were intriguing and that Dalek became the central character pf the piece. It was a fascinating insight into what the Daleks could be at this early stage in their development. Clearly from the reactions of the scientist and Emperor, they hadn't yet ventured into space travel but that was something desired. Finding Harrison and his ship would potentially give them the means, but 444 saw the potential in cooperation with other species. That felt very un-Dalek like. Almost disturbingly so in how good this Dalek was. I loved that the Emperor thought he'd been lied to with 444 previously stating that its vision was not impaired, but how could it not be with the attachment built to Harrison? That attachment was almost literal too when it exterminated two other Daleks after they questioned its claim of Harrison being a scientific and experimental attachment. That was quite amusing! I liked how the Scientist was pondering on the potential of engaging with other races but actually sacrificed the potential of Dalek space travel by helping Harrison get home. It had been space worthy all along and after seeing the actions, the Dalek Emperor wasn't having it. I thought the twist of the Dalek casing being opened and Harrison actually greeting the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria was brilliant and something I must admit I didn't see coming! The fact it offered up its casing as safe passage for Harrison given the experimental plant sap that made it immune from extermination was quite something. It painted quite the picture and showed just how different the Daleks could be at this point. I thought Jamie and Victoria were a little too keen to show a Dalek mercy and compassion, but it worked well. The description of the agonising crawl of the Dalek mutant creature into the petrified forest worked well and I also loved that we had continued mentions of the menace that was the Magnedon. That was really strong continuity that I greatly appreciated! The mutant being on the verge of death and believing itself hallucinating when it came to the materialisation of the TARDIS and the arrival of the First Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara was very well played. Before that I was wondering how this was a prequel at all! Overall, a very strong outing to kick off what looks set to be an exciting collection.

Rating: 8/10

Lost in Translation: Gallifrey

"I'm about to watch my best friend die."

Writers: Guy Adams & AK Benedict

Format: Audio

Released: September 2020

Series: New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield 6.04

Featuring: Unbound Doctor, Benny

Synopsis

The Doctor has come home. But he doesn't belong here. And Bernice thinks there's something very wrong with Gallifrey.

Verdict

Gallifrey was an excellent episode to conclude the Lost in Translation sixth series of the New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield! After a strong gradual build over the course of the series to send the Unbound Doctor to Gallifrey, this was a fascinating tale. The Time Lords were far from happy to see this version of the Doctor and they almost spat in the face of Benny when she referred to him as the Doctor. They only saw him as the Abomination which was rather harsh, but it soon made sense when we learned that Gallifrey wasn't quite itself. I'm not entirely sure where this episode fits in terms of the continuity with the Gallifrey spinoff series, but I would assume it would be very early on. Maybe even prior to the first series! It was lovely to hear from Narvin again but he was a little more callous and egotistical than the version we saw accompany Romana II and Leela across an ever changing Gallifrey. It didn't make it any less interesting though! It was a really fascinating listen. I loved that Narvin was the prosecutor coming forward against the Doctor and it was quite fun for Benny to be appointed as the defence for her best friend. She wasn't entirely thrilled with that at the start, but instead of using the four hours recess given to prepare her case to say her goodbyes, she actually went ahead and would provide a legal argument! I mean, the whole trial was a little odd considering it was there purely to prove the existence of the Abomination. I mean, he was right there. What was there to defend? That came into play nicely at the end though when the Doctor's execution by dispersal chamber had been carried out. Benny had found a backdoor though which was very amusing and lovely to hear. The image of the Doctor getting comfortable under the bed when she went to greet him after his sentence was carried out was hilarious! What were his plans for escape? We'll never know, but it was brilliant for Benny to play into the fact that by Gallifreyan law this Doctor was dead. And you couldn't prosecute or execute a dead man! She shone there which is absolutely right given this is her spinoff series. I was so impressed with her in this episode and it's no surprise she has such an expanded run across numerous forms of media. I've so much to catch up on but I love filling in some gaps here. I thought the Doctor being blamed for what was happening on Gallifrey was really good and logical, but the truth being the Now was terrific. It came around full circle in a great way with the Doctor hearing the Gallifreyan morse code being knocked to spell out 'now', but he found that message a little useless. His realisation at the end of the significance though was very good. I thought Benny witnessing the effects of the Now was rather horrifying as regeneration was actually fatal. That sounds rather contradictory! But the imagery of endless regeneration as the cycle was exhausted before literally bursting into flames was quite spectacular and frightening. The Doctor was rather stunned by this revelation, but not as much as he was by the actions of Narvin in defeating the Now. I thought Benny's plea to the Inquisitor about asking the Doctor for help against the true problem was tremendous and whether they liked it or not he would take up the task. He knew that to revert the Time Lords meant genocide towards the Now and that wasn't something he was going to do because of how much sacrifice was required. Narvin took no such qualms which was a considerable surprise and it really was shocking! The ego spook. The Doctor was disgusted and was quick to point out that he would not consider this version of Gallifrey as anything close to home. I'm intrigued to hear where this Doctor and Benny go forward from here, but it's exciting times! Overall, a fantastic ending to what has been a tremendous series! 

Rating: 9/10

Lost in Translation: Inertia

"It's just another roll of the dice."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: September 2020

Series: New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield 6.03

Featuring: Unbound Doctor, Bernice

Synopsis

A remote island on a dull world. Some boring natives, some uninteresting ruins. Can two time travellers manage to do nothing for a month?

Verdict

Inertia was another very strong episode to continue the Lost in Translation sixth series of the New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield! This feels like something of a pit stop ahead of the finale because given how things ended at the end of the previous episode of The Undying Truth, I thought we head straight into a double billing of the Unbound Doctor involved with the Time Lords. Of course, this entire episode was having the Doctor and Benny deal with being on the run from the Time Lords, but it wasn't until the end that actual involvement would be heard. It's set to be an explosive finale which I am incredibly excited for, but this was a decent way to stall and keep the listening wanting more. The umbrella theme was utilised very well in having Benny try and use her archaeological skills to decipher the story of the planet they were on. I thought the Doctor switching the TARDIS off completely was exciting because that provided a strong sense of vulnerability. The Doctor without the TARDIS as something to fall back upon feels a little wrong and a tad scary. I like that a lot. I thought Benny wanting the TARDIS on for the help it would provide in her research was fun but the Doctor was having none of it. He wouldn't even have the heating on, but he would pop back for a wooly scarf which was quite amusing. I liked the logic though in not wanting the Time Lords to be able to track them. That was felt more especially at the end with the Doctor being referred to as an abomination! That was quite a drastic tone and it's clear the Time Lords mean business here. Benny knows of them as the most powerful species in creation so having her involved will be fun too. I thought the premise of the episode from the synopsis actually sounded quite boring and whilst it was basically what it said on the tin in having the Doctor and Benny sitting around twiddling their thumbs, that became very entertaining! Just days and days of the Doctor and Benny playing board games was hilarious with the former always cheating or changing the rules to ensure he won. Even at snakes and ladders he was inventing new rules when it came to rolling a double. Of course it would mean you go down a snake! It was really good though and the dynamic between this pairing is just good fun with them bickering. I thought the song of the natives was intriguing and it was fun to learn right at the end thanks to Benny's deductions that they were counting down. This society would not advance by choice and I liked that it was because of alien involvement in their history and the destruction of a spaceship causing explosive and widespread damage. It happened twenty-seven days after the aliens arrived, so their society would only tolerate outsiders for that long. And Benny just so happened to work that out on day twenty-seven. That was a little too coincidental for my liking, but the concept was unique which I always appreciate. It was a very different kind of translation! I thought the way things ended in being extremely reminiscent of The War Games was fascinating as the Doctor called in the Time Lords for a cleanup job whilst knowing full well that he would be captured in the process. But he was expecting this. He'd actually planned for it. There's something more at work for the Unbound Doctor and I'm very fascinated by that! I can't wait to hear this version of the Doctor on Gallifrey and it's great to have Narvin featured as well. I can't wait for the finale! Overall, a really strong listen as the series heads to a close.

Rating: 8/10