A Good Life

"His words were curing her, softly spoken magic spells."

Writer: Simon Guerrier

Format: Short Story

Released: December 2003

Printed in: Short Trips: Steel Skies 02

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley

Synopsis

There are many places that most of us can never see: places that are sheltered, locked away, cordoned off from the outside world. But to the Doctor, and those who travel with him in his TARDIS, there is no such thing as a locked door. Anywhere in space and time is open to them to visit – even if sometimes it might be better to leave such places well alone.

Steel Skies is a collection of stories based in enclosed and artificial environments: places constructed to keep the dangers of the universe outside, perhaps, or to keep their inhabitants locked in. It is divided into four sections, each exploring a different kind of confinement:

Section One, Flight, comprises four tales of travellers who left their homes for far-away destinations – to explore, to start a new life, or to fight for the survival of their species.

Section Two, Frontiers, explores the corridors, living quarters and ventilation shafts of four futuristic environments – designed to shelter men, women and children from harsh natural forces, or from the threat of nuclear war.

Section Three, Incarceration, tells four stories of punishment and imprisonment, from San Francisco's infamous Alcatraz, to the cage of a flightless angel in the dilapidated ruins of Heaven. 

Section Four, Isolation, deals with the loneliness and despair of being cut off from the world outside, by physical or mental incapacity, by the ravages of war, or caught between destinations aboard the TARDIS itself. 

A recurring theme in all four sections is the effect of the Doctor's arrival in these enclosed environments – sometimes positive, sometimes less so.

Verdict

A Good Life was a great little story to continue my way through the Steel Skies edition of Short Trips! I thought this fitted in very nicely with the overall theme of the book and I was initially skeptical when things started in what appeared to be sixteenth century England! Starting off an adventure with the Doctor ordering a cider is always fun as I do love that particular alcoholic beverage, although I’m not sure how much I’d enjoy one of five centuries past! I’d give it a try that’s for sure as I love trying new kinds of cider, but I don’t know if I’d be able to stomach an entire pint! It’s just unusual for the Doctor to even delve into having anything alcoholic and Charley pointing that out was good. I thought she was fascinating in this story because she was clearly smitten with the Doctor. This is obviously set close to the early releases of the Eighth Doctor and Charley’s adventures in the Main Range and that was really apparent. I’m obviously reading over two decades after it was released so I wonder how for contemporary readers and listeners of Big Finish how this story would have fitted at the time. The relationship between this Doctor and companion is just joyous at this moment in time and I definitely got that feeling, even with hints of Charley thinking she might want to leave. But then she was just happy to be exploring and living in the moment, whereas the Doctor wanted to find out every single detail of where they had arrived and why the TARDIS was saying they were in space. Finding out that they had actually arrived on an old Earth colony was good and tied in nicely with the overall theme of the book. It was unexpected that’s for sure but it was nice that Charley was just enjoying herself. It was completely different and that was really fun. The Doctor wanting to find out more though was good and definitely in line with his curious nature. He needed to know everything and the truth lay with Bryn. He was an intriguing character and I liked how he immediately exuded an enigmatic nature. The atmosphere changed whenever the Doctor was talking to him as he clearly knew everything about the colony and the village. Charley was urging the Doctor to just leave well enough alone and to just enjoy where they were, but he had a burning desire to know more. Bryn was able to tell him the truth and explain what happens when people of society reached eighteen and they were given a choice to stay or to explore. Most chose to stay which I was actually a little surprised by but the reaction of the Doctor when he stated that those who chose not to stay weren’t killed was hilarious. The simplicity of an ‘oh’ really had a profound impact. They had a relationship with another colony world with sporadic transport between them which was good. The Doctor seeing what he’d done to Charley in going too far in his quest for knowledge alongside the realisation of her physical toll in Minuet in Hell was powerful stuff. He was genuinely sorry and I love the idea that they then just had a holiday! I know Charley would have enjoyed that and honestly I’d love another short story just depicting that. I’d definitely read them having a chilled out time and enjoying themselves! Overall, a great little read. 

Rating: 8/10

Knightfall: Shining Armour

"We have a castle to storm."

Writer: Robert Valentine

Format: Audio

Released: March 2026

Series: UNIT: Brave New World 4.03

Featuring: Bambera, Rix, Savarin

Synopsis

Sleeping dragons wake, knights and fae clash in the streets of London, and the countdown to the end of all worlds begins! 

Verdict

Shining Armour was a great episode to conclude the Knightfall fourth and final series of UNIT's Brave New World! With it being confirmed in the Doctor Who Magazine preview for this boxset that this was going to be the final instalment in the range, I figured there was only one way this was going to end and that was having Brigadier Bambera reunited with Ancelyn back in the realm of Albion. I think that's a fitting conclusion for their relationship and after a unique and somewhat shaky relationship that we've explored since Battlefield, it's lovely that they end on strong terms together. It's also nice to have a definitive end for Bambera as a character and given the nature of UNIT and just the Whoniverse in general, there's no reason why we couldn't have her appear in further stories just set before this one. I think the series as a whole did a really good job in bridging the gap of UNIT between the Classic and modern eras which has just been really fun to explore. I kind of think of this as the UNIT of the late-1990s and into the early 2000s and that feelings was definitely represented here. I've loved the main trio of Bambera, Rix and Savarin and I must say it took me a while to even purchase the first series because I wasn't all that interested and now I'm just really saddened that it's over! At least it ended in strong style as fought dragons in two different dimensions! That was terrific and hearing Rix on the phone to her partner Jack was great as she suddenly realised what was coming through the gap. It wasn't anything ordinary that's for sure! The way Storm Over Albion ended with Guinevere basically going mad and Arawn shot meant chaos would ensure. I was almost expecting a tad more but this was still really good stuff. It was nice to properly pair Bambera with Ancelyn as that's always felt like where things should go. Savarin having Guinevere under guard was good and I loved her resentment towards him for his life debt collection continuing here. I thought the flick back through time of UNIT antidotes against strange and whacky incursions was wonderful and harking back to Terror of the Zygons with the Skarasen and trying to use a similar device against them to wipe out the electrical impulses of the cybernetic dragons was really good. I liked the similarities drawn there and it's terrific to dig deep into UNIT's arsenal. What else might they have in their collection? I'd love to explore! I do think you have to be careful doing too much action in an audio adventure because we don't have the benefit of visuals, and I think there was just about the right balance here. It would have been so much better to see Albion and the dragons and beyond, but alas our imaginations were sent wild and that's no bad thing. I thought Rix realising that the resolution lay in the dragons being reunited as red and white was good even if it was a tad simple. Why would one find its way through the bridge in the first place? Still, Rix giving stern instructions to Savarin was fun stuff as she demanded he came to the Tower of London with the other dragon alongside. She really didn't ask for much! That then aiding the closing of the bridge with Savarin back on Earth but Bambera taking the place of Ancelyn despite his protest and sealing them off was powerful stuff. It was nice that Savarin knew it was Bambera and not Guinevere that had done it. She would be staying and Rix taking a minute to cotton on to what she was saying on the phone with its 'bad line' was a lovely moment. She was back with Ancelyn and that's always felt like where she would end up. Overall, a strong story and a fitting conclusion to a fantastic and underrated series! A really good listen.

Rating: 8/10

Knightfall: Storm Over Albion

"We are at your mercy."

Writer: Felicia Barker

Format: Audio

Released: March 2026

Series: UNIT: Brave New World 4.02

Featuring: Bambera, Rix, Savarin

Synopsis

Bambera leads UNIT forces on a dangerous mission to face Guinevere in Camelot. But Ancelyn is declared a traitor to the crown, and the mad queen sees any challenge as an act of aggression. The fates of two worlds hang in the balance...

Verdict

Storm Over Albion was a sensational episode to continue my way through the Knightfall fourth and final series of UNIT's Brave New World! This really was a staggering story and a wonderful visit to the realm of Albion. This was just glorious from start to finish and I really enjoyed how it tackled myth and fiction alongside science. This was full of action right from the off whilst being very big on diplomacy which was an impressive mix. It all just worked and that's obviously a good sign! I thought it was fun to explore more of the past between Bambera and Ancelyn because their relationship is a unique one to say the least. It still seems strange and an odd mix for them to be a married couple but here was Bambera back in Albion as it was made clear this was not her first visit. That obviously links back to Battlefield which I suspect the finale will do as well but we got to touch more on Albion here which was tremendous. I was a big fan of Queen Guinevere who took a liking to Savarin almost immediately which was a fun little dynamic. She valued his council and felt betrayed when he went against her later on to save Bambera and Ancelyn. Savarin certainly didn't waste any time in getting his life debt returned to him but that went against the voice in his head of Arawn. I thought he was a fascinating character who will play a much bigger role in the finale I suspect, but he certainly laid down a marker here! He was angered by Savarin going against his wishes and failing to see what he believed was a bigger picture that would save more than just two lives. The entirety of Albion and beyond was in danger and that was explored really well. The explanation of what happened throughout Fractures was really strong in providing reasoning for other worldly and dimensional people and beings to break through and really helps add to the story arc at play here. Bambera confronting Guinevere for an alliance to take on what was coming to threaten the Thirteen Realms and beyond was impressive. She was representing Earth and she was proud of it. The binding agreement between the pair alongside Arawn was good and the Brigadier's reaction to sealing it with blood was pretty humorous. Ancelyn feeling betrayed by his own brother knight was quite a sad predicament for him to be placed in and I'm loving the performance by Marcus Gilbert. This is a sensational send off for the great actor and he genuinely sounds so desperate about Ancelyn's situation. It's staggeringly good in selling the predicament. I'm loving it. I thought the politics in the episode was really strong and Bambera being brutish with that always adds to the fun. Arawn revealing his power play at the cliffhanger and telling Savarin that he ought to have listened to him was a really strong moment! I'm excited to hear where things go from here and just how binding that agreement is. What will come of Albion and the threat for the Realms and beyond? I'm very excited to find out! Overall, a sublime listen! 

Rating: 10/10

Knightfall: Deep Water

"I have missed my lady's fire."

Writer: Georgia Cook

Format: Audio

Released: March 2026

Series: UNIT: Brave New World 4.01

Featuring: Bambera, Rix, Savarin

Synopsis

Ancelyn is back! But all is not well in the other-dimensional realm of Albion. Magical assassins have been sent across the cosmic rift to do the bidding of the paranoid Queen Guinevere. 

Can UNIT save their intended victims in time? And just how will Savarin and Rix survive Bambera's rocky reunion with her knight errant husband?

Verdict

Deep Water was an excellent start to the Knightfall fourth and final series of UNIT's Brave New World! This has been a really good and underrated spinoff series that I do think has gone under the radar a little. I mean, a download only format for the last two series will certainly contribute to that but it appears that this is the route for a lot of the more niche spinoffs we're getting from Big Finish now. It's certainly better than not getting them at all and this one in particular was a stunning start. It dove straight into where Shatterpoint left off with Ancelyn arriving and I loved the scene that was painted. It was just full of action and conflict that put Bambera in quite a difficult predicament. I liked that Rix and Savarin had knowledge of her past and the way everything tied back to Battlefield was really good. I must say I can't really picture Bambera and Ancelyn getting married but their reunion here was terrific. It did feel like old times of the Seventh Doctor era which was fantastic. There's clearly some things that need sorting out between the pair but they were most glad to find each other once more. The harking back to the silks that Bambera had given Ancelyn as a reminder of his love was really touching and a very powerful moment. Ancelyn coming in the hope of catching the assassins of Queen Guinevere early before Morgaine and Mordred were murdered. Unfortunately, they didn't get to the prison in time and finding out that they had both drowned was certainly not the expected cause of death! I really liked how Ancelyn was able to draw the assassins hired down to the Ladies of the Lake and that really is a tremendous little title. It fit with the other dimensional theme really well and just fitted the mythical realm of Albion magnificently. I continue to be a huge fan of Rix as UNIT's scientific advisor at this point in the timeline and her pairing up with Ancelyn here was really good. He knew how much she was valued by Bambera and that meant he would be protecting her also, even if he was in a pretty dire condition. I am fascinated by the toll taken on him due to crossing dimensions and I wonder if there will be anything reverse heading into the next episode with Bambera and UNIT set to make the opposite journey to Albion. That's a very exciting prospect! I thought hearing Guinevere in action was good and the reveal of Richfield and Ann actually being Ladies of the Lake was good even if it wasn't wholly surprising. It didn't need to be. Their disagreement on the words of Guinevere and having differing opinions on keeping the traitor Ancelyn alive was intriguing to listen to. I thought they were still really strong characters. I do think it's a little bit of a shame that the title reveals how Morgaine and Mordred were killed in their cells as that's the last thing I would think of but it's a cruel method that's for sure! The action here was great and really sparked Bambera into action with her husband back in the fold adding to the dynamic. I get the feeling we're only just getting started when it comes to a cross-dimensional war and that's awfully exciting. Bambera taking the fight to them before they can come to confront UNIT first was great and sets things up for a hugely exciting next episode! I can't wait to explore the world of Albion. But for now, this was an explosive series opener! A brilliant listen. 

Rating: 9/10

The Violet Hour

"Spare me from the stupidity of clever men."

Writer: Rafaella Marcus

Format: Audio

Released: March 2026

Series: Thirteenth Doctor Adventures 1.05

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz

Synopsis

The Doctor and Yaz arrive in the East End of London, 1926. There's grief in the air: not only the years of war and sickness, but a more recent death.

A strange message prompts them to investigate the murder of a medium. A young woman whose seances hide deeper secrets – and an unearthly power that threatens the entire city.

Verdict

The Violet Hour was another great audio to continue my way through this wonderful series of Thirteenth Doctor Adventures! I still have to pinch myself a little bit that we're even getting such a long series with the Thirteenth Doctor and Yaz because that's a pairing that we never really saw on screen. The gap for them travelling together was hardly seen on screen so I love that the gap is getting filled in a big way here. And there's a story arc of its own going on as all roads to lead to finding out who the mysterious Tourist is. I think that's exciting and it's good to get some sort of arc building. But I'm getting ahead of myself a little there! The story here was really strong and had some good Hide vibes with the use of a medium. That one was a little different in trying to find apparitions whereas the aim here was to communicate with the dead and for Maltravers he seemed like he wanted to go a step further and actually make the jump to the realm of the dead to be reunited with his son and wife. There's some tragedy there that he's lost them but he was taking his means of being back with them a little too far! He was nonplussed by the fates of the mediums that were dying in their efforts to take him there and he found it all the more shocking that they didn't live up to what they said they were! The audacity. He was a mean man and that made him a very good villain. He was simply heartless and yet his desire was to be with the ones he loved again. There's some strong irony there. I thought the way the first death was portrayed in the pre-titles with Esther was pretty brutal and it was amusing that her surname was Shine and the psychic paper got it wrong by making it plural. The fate of that with her actually shining was a good little twist. I thought Miriam was a marvellous character and her being able to see the glow where others couldn't made her the ideal candidate for the medium that Maltravers was looking for. I thought his faraday cage being a lot more than that was intriguing and I did like the concept behind the Idolon. It was pure Thuron energy and whilst I would have liked something a bit more familiar given how at home the Doctor was with this, it worked just fine. It fed on something close to desire and that was an interesting place to be. I thought the claim of it being nameless was fun because the Doctor wasn't having any of that. Everything has a name she said which might just be the ultimate irony! I loved how the Thirteenth Doctor embraced her gender here and acknowledged the positioning of women here in 1926. She was getting questioned a lot more which is a sad reality. Yaz getting to showcase some of her policing skills was a nice touch too and I could definitely welcome more of that! Going into the subconsciousness of the Idolon was an interesting place to be and the use of salt and a kiss to bring the Docor and Miriam back was terrific. Yaz being subtle and abrasive about admitting that was fun foreshadowing. I thought the role of the Tourist here in being the other unnamed entity alongside the Idolon and Miriam was a little strange as the Doctor had no confirmation on that. It seemed a little assumptive but I did like the idea of letting one in to take out the other. I really did like the violet nature and it had some strong Gelth vibes also. Overall, a really good tale as a whole with an exciting but eery atmosphere. A terrific listen and sets us up nicely for what appears to be something close to a mid-series finale! 

Rating: 8/10

The Gods Walk Among Us

"The Pharaoh's final resting place was almost complete."

Writer: John Peel

Format: Comic Strip

Released: November 1981

Printed in: DWM 59

Featuring: Sontaran

Synopsis

Egypt, 1926, and archaeologists get a little more than they bargained for when they uncover the entrance to a tomb that hasn't been opened in over 5,500 years.

Verdict

The Gods Walk Among Us was a good little story to continue my reading through the Black Sun Rising collection of backup comic strip tales from the pages of Doctor Who Magazine! I was very excited to see that John Peel was the author of this particular strip as he's certainly a very well renowned and famous author in the Whoniverse so that immediately peaked my interest and gave the story some strong credence. I must admit I wasn't expecting this adventure to be one featuring a Sontaran when the setting was established as Egypt in 1926 as that was giving me some seriously strong Pyramids of Mars vibes and with that I was expecting something involving Sutekh or an Osiran at the very least! Some sort of prequel perhaps? But no, the contents of the tomb were something else entirely in the form of Field Major Styx! I am a huge fan of the Sontarans so getting anything with them is welcomed in my book although I do think there's a semblance of insisting that they appear as individuals which is quite ironic given they are a clone race. This one had strong elements of feeling like The Sontaran Experiment with Styx giving his field report into his communications device and essentially being on a scouting mission to ascertain any sort of advantage when it came to the eternal war against the Rutans. The similarities were strong and I quite like that because it shows the kind of expectation for a Sontaran story. Styx being revered as a god was wonderful and I can imagine a Sontaran would enjoy that very much. Getting the internal thoughts of Styx when he was met with obedience almost immediately after landing was good and he knew the planet had potential. It's a shame he was so forthright and audible with his plan of letting the human race and the entire planet be destroyed as part of the war effort once he had the resources he desired. It's fascinating at this point in published and chronologic history the home world of the Sontarans hadn't been officially canonised so to hear Styx proclaimed here as the great God of Sontar was wonderful. I remember feeling iffy reading The Infinity Doctors and the home planet was referred to as Sontaria but then The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky came along and put everything to rights. Sontar just feels right and oozes that brutal nature of the Sontarans so for it to also be the name of a deity just feels right. I liked how the Sontaran was tricked into the tomb and without sustenance for the probic vent, it's incredibly impressive that he survived for millennia! I think a little more explanation on how exactly he'd done that would have been welcomed but the image of him jumping up to unexpectedly greet those who excavated the tomb entrance was very good. The image of the familiar Sontaran ship arriving was also spectacular whilst I'm on the subject of the artwork. It was really impressive throughout this comic strip. A lot was going on in four pages but the Egyptians had read the ancient hieroglyphs and were prepared on how to stop the God Sontar once and for all. That was good and must be quite annoying for Styx to be thwarted almost immediately after such a long time in captivity! But the suggestion of him one day escaping from the burial sight of the sand was a nice touch to keep things open for the future. Overall, a decent little read to continue the collection! 

Rating: 7/10

Minatorius

"Time Lords ain't supposed to interfere."

Writer: Maxwell Stockbridge (Alan Mackenzie)

Format: Comic Strip

Released: November 1981

Printed in: DWM Special Winter 1981

Featuring: Cargan

Synopsis

Cargan has recently graduated from the Academy and ventures to Minatorius on his first solo trip, where he finds out that an entire galaxy is in danger. Can he alter the course of history?

Verdict

Minatorius was a great little comic strip adventure to continue my reading through the Black Sun Rising graphic novel collecting the backup tales from the pages of Doctor Who Magazine! I continue to absolutely adore what is being done with this series of comic adventures and here we are with a completely isolated and independent Time Lord tales. There's no Doctor around and the only familiar element is the Time Lords as a species if which Cargan was one. I liked a lot showcasing the first journey in the TARDIS as a solo flyer for a Time Lord who had recently graduated and I imagine given the strict laws on non-interference this would actually be a pretty rare occasion. What need did the Time Lords have to send their people to other worlds and times? Sure, there are things that need investigating and that was clearly the case here on Minatorius which was a fascinating setting. I think the name alone is terrific and the depiction of a dead minotaur carcass at the start was superb artwork. It really set the scene for somewhere that ought to be desolate. Cargan was understandably cautious with this being his first solo outing and that puts him in a perilous position when he isn't entirely sure what to expect. I thought the arrival of the TARDIS in the city was great and I absolutely loved the detail in showing the form without the chameleon circuit active as matching what we saw in The War Games. That's really well done and something I very much admire. That serial is my all time favourite adventure so it makes sense why it hit a mark with me and I just loved everything about it. It was so simple but yet this is some twelve years after that story was broadcast and I doubt at ten parts it had ever been repeated! I really did get vibes of the Elders in The Savages with how Cargan was greeted because they knew about Time Lords and had heard tales of Gallifrey on their world. The Time Lords had built a reputation and it wasn't always a positive one. I enjoyed the urgency shown by Cargan when he realised what was happening to the world and the potential damage caused when they were literally drawing power from the ether itself. That shouldn't be possible and the result was the galaxy being on the verge of complete destruction. Orton realising what Cargan was then going to do and try and stop it but that resulting in the feedback loop to the TARDIS overloading and causing things to destruct was quite the image! I thought the six pages duration was really well utilised and paced here with a strong amount of action that didn't feel rushed at the same time. That's not easy to achieve so I appreciated that here. Just as with my blogging of Skywatch-7 a few days ago, I couldn't really understand the necessity of crediting the writer as Maxwell Stockbridge. It doesn't add anything (not that it takes away either) and just makes me question things when reading about it. He doesn't appear and I'm not sure if I'm then led to believe this is in-universe fiction? It's not really a bad thing it just seems a bit silly and pointless. It shouldn't become a talking point in what is a fantastic little adventure. This is the very definition of bonus which is just great. Overall, a really strong little read! 

Rating: 8/10

Enemy Mine: Exit Strategy

"If you can't put your faith in a doctor, at least listen to your nurse."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: December 2023

Series: The War Doctor Begins 6.03

Featuring: War Doctor, Case, Eighth Doctor

Synopsis

Case is with the Daleks – but the Emperor is yet to be convinced of her effective as a weapon. The Dalek Time Strategist will not give up and takes Case to a secret facility for readjustment. The War Doctor will not give up on Case either. He hopes she can still be rescued. But he is not the man he was – and he may not be the man to save her...

Verdict

Exit Strategy was an excellent conclusion to the Enemy Mine sixth and final series of The War Doctor Begins! A multi-Doctor story is always going to be a fun listen and the prospect of the Eighth and War incarnations meeting was very exciting. The Eighth Doctor is obviously no stranger to the Time War and reasserted his position of just trying to help people displaced and impacted by the conflict without getting involved and that’s a stark contrast from that of his successor. The War Doctor is a warrior and whilst he is hesitant a lot of the time, he does show a different sign of the character that is definitely darker. With that being the case and the War Doctor almost ashamed of himself, that beacon of hope in interacting with his past self and how he was so hopelessly full of hope was tremendous. It was a very strong character piece for the Doctor that was really good to explore. Of course the backdrop of the Time War and a temporal battlefield make their meeting entirely possible and I think that’s great. The difference in the pair's interaction with Case was startling and it really was difficult at times to imagine that these in some far about way are the same person because the differences really do scream out here. I thought that was really good to highlight and as the War Doctor's beginning comes to an end here, this was a nice reminder that not all is lost. It was good for him to see that his previous self still was the man he remembered and represented all that he stood for which I'm sure will do him well moving forward. The role of the Dalek Time Strategist in this episode was fantastic and I loved the journey that he's been on. He was very much acting alone and was doing everything for Dalek victory at any means, but that went against the instructions of the Dalek Emperor who demanded victory came in a pure form. That was fascinating and quite ironic given what we saw in The Parting of the Ways with how the Dalek army was rebuilt but the Emperor here was deranged and maniacal in the best way possible. He wanted to revered as a god and the concept of the Daleks having faith seems alien to them, but it's all for pure Dalek victory and that tied in nicely. I thought the Nurse was a superb character and I loved that he had a history with the Eighth Doctor and didn't take long to recognise the War incarnation as the same man. The little flashback and then bringing things into the present was very clever, as was the tracker in the leg to communicate in a trojan way. The Doctor harking back to the Trojan Horse and The Myth Makers was a real delight. The way Case's story comes to an end here is bittersweet and almost has River Song vibes in that she lives on in a kind of artificial way. The memory engram of the Eighth Doctor getting to travel with Case as she was on the verge of death was very emotional. I like that she thinks she gets a happy ending and it could even open up a pathweb spinoff audio series which I'd be well up for! Veklin was strong once again and I'm really enjoying her alongside the War Doctor here and the same goes for Tamasan but for very different reasons because of her role in the Time War. The fate of the Dalek Time Strategist in being punished by the Emperor and then being permanently mentally connected to the Emperor was sublime! No secret strategies or schemes anymore. The Emperor would know the Strategist's every thought and that just makes him even more powerful as the god of the Daleks. I'm excited for what comes next in the War Doctor's rise and this was a very strong conclusion to the series! A fantastic listen.

Rating: 9/10

Enemy Mine: Fear Nothing

"The Oppenheimer of Gallifrey."

Writer: Mark Wright

Format: Audio

Released: December 2023

Series: The War Doctor Begins 6.02

Featuring: War Doctor, Case

Synopsis

The War Doctor's search for Case is diverted by Commodore Tamasan, summoning him against his will to a remote TARDIS drydock facility at the very edge of the War. Tamasan has a dangerous proposition, but what is her true agenda? Case has been unleashed by the Daleks to eliminate a key Time Lord asset, an asset who could the course of the Time War. With nothing left to lose, Case has nothing left to fear...

Verdict

Fear Nothing was a great episode to continue my way through the Enemy Mine final series of The War Doctor Begins! This was a very strong story to take us through to the finale and it became a rather emotional one for the Doctor in a number of ways. The continued struggle for him of essentially just Case's existence played its part once again here but there were more emotional ties when it came to Jodall. She was a fascinating character and I loved how mysterious and enigmatic she was right from then off. She had a connection to the TARDIS and the moment the Doctor heard how she knew he called his Type-40 'old girl' was stunning. It was almost like a reminder to him of who he used to be and deep down we know he still is that same man despite his insistence that his previous selves are a man of the past who no longer exists. Pairing the War Doctor here with Tamasan was good and it was a stark difference from The Hybrid's Choice when Veklin filled that companion role. They actually had a good relationship ship but the Commodore here was very self serving and lacking in compassion for the Doctor. She was firmly on the side of the Time Lords in every way and that meant she saw Case for what she was on her Dalek side. To be fair, I can kind of understand it as she didn't experience everything with her that the Doctor did but she was a little harsh and still didn't care in the aftermath when Case didn't shoot them despite having a free shot. That showed the Doctor that there was still hope but I get the feeling things might not end well for the Doctor where she stands as we head into the finale. It sounds callous but I do hope that is the case because this is war and there don't need to be happy endings. I thought the journey to the edge of the Time War was good and the atmosphere definitely did feel a little less frantic and dare I say calm. I think the links to the Gallifrey series within the War Room were good and Tamasan acting in her own interest here without the War Council even knowing of the Dreadnoughts was quite impressive. Even the Doctor had an air of intrigue and surprise at how far she went. I liked how he wasn't happy by the concept of the Dreadnoughts and the scale of the weaponised destruction they presented. His begging to her about the fact trillions would die was a strong moment and it's almost an incomprehensible number to think about which really highlighted the devastation potential within the Time War. The moment Tamasan casually emerged from the battle and claimed to have terminated Case was brutal in its simplicity. The Doctor couldn't accept it and whilst it wasn't true, he almost might wish it was because of the fate that then befell Jodall. He'd fostered a really strong relationship with her which I enjoyed and she definitely had that familiar feeling of a companion again, but her perishing was really touching. The Doctor was obviously angered and he's got a lot on his plate right now. That's a perilous position for him to be in as we head into the next stage of the Case conflict. She's firmly on the wrong side and her doing the Daleks' bidding is not good news. She's an asset and the Time Lords' position is precarious now. The foreshadowing of The Day of the Doctor and the Doctor talking about someone one day pushing the button to end the War was a little too on the nose, but I like how they're able to play around with things like that now. Overall, a great listen! 

Rating: 8/10

Enemy Mine: The Hybrid's Choice

"You were afraid to become whole."

Writer: Ajjaz Awad-Ibrahim

Format: Audio

Released: December 2023

Series: The War Doctor Begins 6.01

Featuring: War Doctor, Case

Synopsis

The War Doctor believes Case is dead. But her true fate may be worse – embracing her Dalek nature, recruited to the enemy's cause. But serving her new masters is not easy. The Dalek Time Strategist knows that Case's inner self is in conflict, and seeks a way to seal her fate forever.

Verdict

The Hybrid's Choice was an excellent start to the Enemy Mine sixth series of The War Doctor Begins! It's quite fun to think that I'm at the end of the beginning for the Time War incarnation of the Doctor as this is the final series before his rise and I'm very intrigued and excited to hear what that will be like, but this is some beginning! The emotional ordeal he has already gone through with Case is pretty staggering and following on from the events of Memnos the Doctor appears to have been moping around for a month. I really liked how Veklin was challenging him about who he was and despite him refusing to take the name of Doctor, she knew he was still the same man deep down. He might bear the appearance of a warrior and the way he almost mocked the dying Dalek to get information about what had happened to them and the Time Lords who had died in ecstasy. That was a devastating concept and even with regeneration inhibitors the Time Lords welcomed death because of what they had experienced in the manner of hyper-extermination. I thought the concept behind that was intriguing and it worked like a drug for Case as the come down for her was devastating. She was hurting. I found the entire format fantastic in having Case embrace her Dalek side and that really was special because the destruction she was causing was sensational. She almost revelled in it! The reaction when the Doctor realised that Case was the cause was impressive because he was both devastated by what had happened but also got clarity that she had survived. That also likely meant the Dalek Time Strategist had too and his voice was definitely changed following aforementioned events. I thought that was good and it gave him an even more creepy kind of feeling. He was uncomfortable but I adored the conversation had between the Time Strategist and the Dalek Facilitator about purity. For the Daleks, existence itself was the greatest thing anyone could aspire to so I found their fake reactions to Case really disturbing at times. There's something quite frightening about a Dalek being artificial and trying to fit in. It just feels eery! Case initially having strong anger and resentment to the Doctor for leaving her was a little heartbreaking given how he clearly feels about her and can't quite take hurting her again. It was lovely for him to convince her when she was almost at her weakest that he truly was there and wanted to help. The Daleks showing their hand a little with how much they needed Case was a bit of a surprise but it was good to understand that she was only needed and wanted whilst she was useful. They almost tolerated her for her impurity but this was war and she had a big role to play as far as they were concerned. I thought the relationship between the Doctor and Veklin was really strong and it was good for her to be at the forefront in something akin to the companion role. Her reaction to the Doctor using the chameleon circuit for her TARDIS in the form of a Dalek was excellent! That really was audacious but he was trying things and innovation only worked once against the Daleks. Veklin trying to convince the Doctor that he wasn't that man anymore but the way Case in particular as a companion and friend reminded him of his true self was quite wonderful. It's a staggering dilemma for the War Doctor throughout his existence and that really is coming to the forefront now. We're far from over in the battle for Case and the Doctor wanting to join the attack now is an exciting way to lead into the next episode! A fantastic series opener.

Rating: 9/10

Corridors of Power

"Why would you want to generate plasma inside a spaceship?"

Writer: Matthew Griffiths

Format: Short Story

Released: December 2003

Printed in: Short Trips: Steel Skies 01

Featuring: First Doctor, Vicki, Steven

Synopsis

There are many places that most of us can never see: places that are sheltered, locked away, cordoned off from the outside world. But to the Doctor, and those who travel with him in his TARDIS, there is no such thing as a locked door. Anywhere in space and time is open to them to visit – even if sometimes it might be better to leave such places well alone.

Steel Skies is a collection of stories based in enclosed and artificial environments: places constructed to keep the dangers of the universe outside, perhaps, or to keep their inhabitants locked in. It is divided into four sections, each exploring a different kind of confinement:

Section One, Flight, comprises four tales of travellers who left their homes for far-away destinations – to explore, to start a new life, or to fight for the survival of their species.

Section Two, Frontiers, explores the corridors, living quarters and ventilation shafts of four futuristic environments – designed to shelter men, women and children from harsh natural forces, or from the threat of nuclear war.

Section Three, Incarceration, tells four stories of punishment and imprisonment, from San Francisco's infamous Alcatraz, to the cage of a flightless angel in the dilapidated ruins of Heaven. 

Section Four, Isolation, deals with the loneliness and despair of being cut off from the world outside, by physical or mental incapacity, by the ravages of war, or caught between destinations aboard the TARDIS itself. 

A recurring theme in all four sections is the effect of the Doctor's arrival in these enclosed environments – sometimes positive, sometimes less so.

Verdict

Corridors of Power was a decent story to kick off my reading of the Steel Skies edition of Short Trips! I’m very excited to be starting a new edition of this Big Finish prose series because I don’t think it’s any secret that I didn’t get on too well with the Zodiac edition so I’m fascinated by the concept at the heart of this one. It’s not an obvious one that’s for sure but this captured the essence really well. It felt very contained and I understand that captured the intended feel of the book very well. I like the way the story tapped into the stereotypical nature of Doctor Who when it came to running through corridors. That’s good fun but I did like the mysterious feel this story had right from the off. I loved that Steven was being pretty boisterous when the TARDIS landed on what the Doctor was claiming wasn’t an ordinary floor. That set the intrigue right from the off. The image of the Doctor and Vicki looking down on Steven from the ledge was great too and I can imagine the First Doctor here not being too happy about having to clamber down! The insistence from Steven on being on a spaceship was good and I like how he has some experience and credentials there being a pilot. If somebody was going to know then it was certainly this companion! The emergence of the handymen was interesting and it was clear that things weren’t quite in sync. That could have perhaps been presented as being a little more uncomfortable as I didn’t quite grasp why they weren’t fully interacting with the Doctor and his companions. It makes sense that they couldn’t understand them and despite the established TARDIS translation circuits being in play, I think you can get away with that a little in the First Doctor era. The Doctor taking on the challenge of the situation on the ship was good and Steven also showcased some strong Doctorly qualities. He was wanting to get to the bottom of the situation and I think part of that was because he and the Doctor disagreed slightly on where they had arrived and what that meant. The Doctor investigating the scorch marks was good and I liked the eureka moment when he realised they were a failed translation. It’s intriguing that Steven dubbed the hunched peoples on the ship as handymen before we even knew the expected horror at the end. I liked that the Doctor knew that what was being created in the form of the plasma cannon was brutal and would wipe out the arriving space fleet. That was pretty daunting but it was slightly underwhelming to find that the arriving party were actually the clients of the handymen and not the intended target. Once that was revealed, it was obvious to me that the clients were going to be humanity. The Doctor worked it out beforehand which was good and initially Steven was angered at the prospect of leaving the handymen to their fate. But then four humans emerged for their weapon. That was good despite the predictability as the companions had to realise that their own species were coming to collect a weapon of utter destruction. The human race never changes and that was difficult for Steven to accept. A little more of Vicki in the story would have been nice but it was fun for her to have gone down the chute initially! I was praying for the Doctor to follow but that wasn’t going to happen in this incarnation. Overall, a really decent story that captured the feel well and just had a little bit of predictability. A good read. 

Rating: 7/10

Suckers

"I shouldn't be here."

Writer: Alexander Stewart

Format: Audio

Released: August 2022

Series: Torchwood Monthly 64

Featuring: Tosh

Synopsis

Shireen's not exactly enjoying being sectioned, but she's been in worse places. That psychiatric right unit in Brecon was a right dump. This one's alight, though. There's table tennis, art therapy and they even get to do a bit of gardening. 

There's only one problem. Shireen's roommate. Toshiko – she's a total space cadet, convinced the unit is overrun by aliens. Yeah, right.

Verdict

Suckers was an excellent episode to continue my way through the Torchwood monthly range! This was a really interesting story that invoked a lot of emotion. I thought it was also a spectacular performance from Naoko Mori in reprising her role as Tosh. She was honestly tremendous which was a joy to hear as for the majority of the episode she was in a mentally altered state. That was portrayed just brilliantly here. I must admit I got ahead of myself with regards to the front cover as I had convinced myself that the suckers depicted on there were either the Zygons or the Nestene Consciousness. It didn’t take anything away from the episode but neither did show up. And the being that was possessing the suckers didn’t actually prove to be all that present which was completely fine. Tosh being in solitary confinement was almost immediately uncomfortable because of her condition. The way she sounded was just heartbreaking as she was clearly not herself and over-medicated. I find the whole concept of confinement in this regard quite worrying and I can’t see any good coming of it. The setting of this story as pre-Series 1 and Everything Changes was fantastic and not something I knew was coming. That was a real treat as I love going places beyond or before what we saw on television. Tosh was retconned into featuring in Aliens of London which is glorious and now here she is following on from what we saw in Fragments where Jack rescued her as a newbie. I loved hearing her try and call into Torchwood and asking for Suzie because we all know what happened to her! That was great to focus on and just her saying that name meant I knew exactly when this was set in Tosh’s timeline. It was difficult to hear her almost confide in Shireen that she believed she’d actually made Torchwood up! Sure it sounded fanciful and this showed what kind of effect solitary confinement can have. That was powerful stuff. I liked how Shireen was a new transfer in from Brecon and she initially didn’t like the idea of having a roommate. Solitary confinement might actually be welcomed for some! The whole thing about her having a personality disorder felt off as she seemed completely normal and was a really nice person. It was amusing to hear her battle internally with herself about what she was hearing because given where she was at the psychiatric unit and what Tosh was saying, it sounded completely reasonable for her to be an inmate! I wouldn’t be going along with what she was saying that’s for sure. So of course she ended up getting suckered to death by the alien creature that was feeding upon the people at the psych unit. That was a devastating moment as she pleaded for help and Tosh was almost dumbfounded by the situation. Felicia then emerging and trying to convince her that Shireen was just a hallucination was uncomfortable. She was a very strong villain and I was almost surprised she emerged as late as she did in the story. She was just evil and the way Tosh turned things on her by putting anti-psychiatries in the coffee was fantastic. It was so simple yet so effective and the creature then coming for her was a fitting way to end what was an excellent listen. Thought provoking, full of emotion and just an incredibly strong episode. 

Rating: 9/10

Skywatch-7

"My duty comes before your scientific curiosity."

Writer: Maxwell Stockbridge (Alan Mackenzie)

Format: Comic Strip

Released: November-December 1981

Printed in: DWM 58, DWM Winter Special 1981

Featuring: UNIT

Synopsis

There's trouble afoot on a UNIT base in the Arctic as a shapeshifting monster wreaks havoc.

Verdict

Skywatch-7 was a good little story to continue my reading through the Black Sun Rising graphic novel collection of backup comic strip tales from the pages of Doctor Who Magazine! This looks to be an interesting little story and not because of its content. I find it fascinating that a two-parter is printed across two different issues with one numbered and one special because that just wouldn't happen today. We're lucky to get any kind of fiction in the special editions of DWM these days and whilst prose stories are welcomed, they're nothing like this! I was also intrigued as to why this story was credited as being written by Maxwell Stockbridge. He's obviously a very famous character in the pages of the DWM comic strip so with that credit I was fully expecting the character to be the main protagonist of the story, but that was far from the case! This was a full blown UNIT story which is far from being a bad thing, but I just couldn't understand the need for the credit. It doesn't really add anything to the story because we know Maxwell Stockbridge is a fictional character and it also doesn't even mean much at all with him not being featured. Is this a fictional comic strip written in-universe by Maxwell? I think a little more clarity on that would have been welcomed but at the same time I'm not really sure how you can do that within the story. It's a bit of a difficult one to be honest as it just makes me a little confused which as a reader is not what you want. What you do want as a reader though is a really strong cliffhanger when it comes to multi-part comic strip adventures and that's exactly what we got here! The full page panel revealing the Zygon was a delightful treat and I had no idea they were coming. It makes sense for UNIT to do battle with them once again following on from Terror of the Zygons and I love the unique nature of an Arctic base. Might the 1985 setting and the Arctic suggest that the UNIT were investigating events that would later become The Tenth Planet? Is there anyway they would know what was to come in the next year? It's certainly a fun thought to ponder on. I thought the depiction of UNIT here was good and it definitely makes sense for them to become the main characters in this kind of backup story. We've had numerous monsters and villains take centre stage so why not the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce? They don't just exist when the Doctor is around as we know so a visual representation of one of their encounters is a tremendous idea. I think we should be getting more! It would have been good if we had a familiar character leading the pack in the form of the Brigadier or even Benton or Yates, but alas just having that UNIT name was still all good in my book. I thought the way the Zygon provided a threat mostly just by its mere presence was impressive and it was a powerful moment when the real Campbell was shot by mistake thinking it was the Zygon duplicate. That was enough to send some UNIT members literally over the edge when it came to destroying the Zygon and getting an actual asterisk to Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster referencing the Zygons being afraid of flame was incredible! I love a reference to a Target novelisation. The fate of the Zygon being sent into the ice from height was pretty emphatic and I thought the illustration of its arm returning to the natural Zygon form was good stuff. Overall, a strong little read to continue my way through the collection! 

Rating: 7/10

Black Sun Rising

"Perhaps if we make peace now..."

Writer: Alan Moore

Format: Comic Strip

Released: September 1981

Printed in: DWM 57

Featuring: Rema-Du

Synopsis

Decades removed from the beginnings of the 4-D War, Rema-Du must lead the Time Lords once more against the threat from the Order of the Black Sun. The Sontarnas are here also, and the resolution seems an unlikely one...

Verdict

Black Sun Rising was a great story to conclude the trilogy that started in Star Death as a fascinating insight into the early days of Gallifrey. Doing a little research since reading this comic strip has proved really interesting as it seems that these events are conically now known as the first Time War. It's clear that the one that ended as depicted in The Day of the Doctor was the Last Great Time War so how many have there been? This is the first and that's such a joy to be able to see visually. I adore exploring this early version of Gallifrey because it's just so alien but that makes it so incredibly intriguing. It feels like a glimpse into history that I never thought would be possible which is so exciting. It almost feels like we're intruding a bit which I love and has strong vibes of Morbius from the Dark Gallifrey range in being so early on. I hope we get more. I'd love an entire series! It's a good story to be chosen as the titular one for the graphic novel that I continue to read through collating these brilliant backup tales from those early editions of Doctor Who Magazine. It's a real treat and I didn't have much expectation before purchasing, but I am delighted with what I'm reading! I think Rema-Du is a good character and her father being much more aged than we saw him last in 4-D War showed the extent of this temporal war on Lord Griffen and also perhaps a different perspective on the Time Lords themselves. Are they fully able to regenerate yet as we know they would be able to? Severe ageing like this would perhaps suggest not and again that just adds to the intrigue of this point in history. I wasn't expecting the Sontarans to be involved at this point in history and that makes their actions in The Invasion of Time all the more fascinating! It's also staggering to think that they were so advanced by this point in Gallifreyan history! I'm a big fan of that as I think the Sontarans despite their obvious qualities and showcasing are still underrated. They offer so much so to see them involved in the first Time War makes sense. The glory and honour of battle! Their efforts to pit the Time Lords and the Order of the Black Sun against each other was terrific and I thought the artwork as well for them was tremendous. I think the idea of bringing the Time Lords and the Order of the Black Sun together was an almost unexpected resolution to the conflict but I did like the idea of them uniting in order to prevent the war starting in the first place. I was just surprised the Order of the Black Sun were as willing as they were to cooperate with that plan! Millenium was a really strong human and I've found the whole Parahuman element of this trilogy great to explore. Her ability to have time acceleration powers is quite spectacular and was utilised well here! Her death at the hands of the Zeitgeist was a powerful moment and he served his role well on the delegation. The Desault setting was good as well in being purposeful as the base for negotiations and it's quite ironic how things end with Wardog and the psy-snare showing out of nowhere to unite the two powers against the Sontarans. The clone race really do have an important place in history! Overall, a fascinating insight into the early years of Gallifreyan history! A very strong little read.

Rating: 8/10

Star Flight

"That isn't on the cargo manifest."

Writer: Paul Hayes

Format: Audio

Released: March 2026

Series: BBC Audio 31

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara

Synopsis

The TARDIS materialises on board Cavis Sunliners Flight 307, a regularly scheduled passenger flight using a revolutionary type of interstellar travel. 

The Doctor, his granddaughter Susan and her schoolteachers Ian and Barbara meet Chief Officer Sopel, beleaguered commander of the vessel. 

Following an act of sabotage the ship is boarded by a large, levitating alien creature who demands the return of 'an artefact'. Influencing the ship's AI pilot, Pym, the Kleede threatens to shut off all life support.

With Pym and the Kleede engaged in a deadlock battle for control, and more aliens on their way, the Doctor must help the crew outwit their attackers. But time is running out...

Verdict

Star Flight was a decent adventure! I'm a big fan of the BBC Audio originals range and I do think a little more could be done in terms of continuity. Why can't they make a series? I think that would appeal a little more like the loose situation that's been going on with the Eighth Doctor in this range, but then at the same time it is quite fun to see which Doctors are getting the releases throughout the year. I'm never going to be disappointed to find that the very first TARDIS team are going to feature because they really are one of my favourites. Of course, it's a sad state of reality that only Carole Ann Ford survives from the original cast and unfortunately she wasn't the narrator here. I always prefer the authenticity that the actor who played one of the lead roles brings to things in this range, but there was nothing wrong with Christopher Naylor's performance. He was good and I thought his Ian impression in particular was very reminiscent of the presentation in Big Finish's First Doctor Adventures and Unbound range which was good! I do think this story was perhaps better suited for a smaller TARDIS team actually given the contained setting of the sullener flight, but I thought the ship setting was still very good. I loved the use of when this story is released because this kind of adventure wouldn't have been possible back in the mid-1960s. Imagine showing the society of that year the advances that have been made with artificial intelligence! It's good to highlight the confusion of Ian and Barbara when hearing that phrase but they're quick to ponder on how this could still be mere child's play to both the Doctor and Susan. I am continuously getting scared by AI because the role of the human just becomes less and less and working as an analyst in finance I am increasingly worried that I'll soon not be required. The use of it on the ship here was in a more traditional sense and Pym was a decent little pilot. I thought the threat that came from the Kleede was good if not a little generic and vague. It did the job that's for sure and I liked the mystery surrounding the artefact. It felt intriguing and a little too out of depth when it came to the comprehension of the human companions. That's a fun little element. I liked how Barbara challenged the Doctor when he tried to use the rationale of not interfering in history when he wanted to leave, but this was no The Aztecs situation. The TARDIS arriving had thrown the weight off on the ship mid star flight and that allowed the Kleede access. I thought that was a good little twist although it was so obvious at the start what had caused the extra mass on the ship! That was a fun way to start. I thought the talk of gas and the situations in which the Kleede would essentially disintegrate was good to establish the means of defeat, even if I felt like I was slightly just waiting for it to come about then. The element of separating the Kleede from the artefact to basically ensure it being defeated was pretty good. I thought the use of travel here and the explanation of lines from A to B and so on was great and very unique in a world of hyper and light speed travel. I think I would have liked a little more from each of the four travellers, but the Doctor getting a cheeky little victory by knowledge was wonderful. I just love thinking of the First Doctor with a smile on his face. Overall, a very good listen! 

Rating: 7/10

The Greatest Gamble

"No one cheats me and lives."

Writer: John Peel

Format: Comic Strip

Released: August 1981

Printed in: DWM 56

Featuring: Toymaker

Synopsis

In the Old West, a gambler gets a little too hasty and involved in his games. He's a notorious winner and the Celestial Toymaker likes a challenge...

Verdict

The Greatest Gamble was a good little comic strip adventure to continue my reading of the Black Sun Rising graphic novel! This collection of backup stories from the pages of Doctor Who Magazine continues to be something I am really enjoying and this one was right up my alley in featuring the return of a strong villain! It's brilliant to try and think how the contemporary audience of the issue of DWM in which this story featured would have reacted because with the complete lack of repeats and ability to rewatch old stories, how would they have reacted to the return of the Toymaker? It's such a good illustration of the character and I love getting anything we can with returning characters like this one. He only made one appearance on screen but he clearly made a big impact to warrant a return here which was wonderful. Of course, he's gone to make an incredible return in The Giggle but that was over forty years after this comic strip. It's almost a shame that this story was only four pages because the only reason the rating isn't higher is because more didn't happen. I like the idea of the Toymaker lingering around in the Old West and finding new means of obtaining 'toys', and it really is the ultimate price when losing in his domain. The depiction of the Toyroom here was great and it's good to just explore more of it. It's obviously a huge shame that three episodes of The Celestial Toymaker are missing but the animation did a stellar job in reimagining it. I would obviously love to see the whole original serial but I'll take stuff like this to expand on it. The story really was a simple one as the Toymaker was taking advantage of Gaylor Lefevre's desire for winning but I do have to question his character. What does one really gain from winning by cheating? I mean I could probably understand it if money was on the table as you're financially benefitting then, but that wasn't the case here? What do you actually win? I couldn't understand that but he was duly punished by the Toymaker. Trying to cheat in the Toyroom was not a good move forward and Gaylord found that out in a big way! The Toymaker retorting to him about making a rule up about cheating based on his actions was tremendous as he had Lefevre's cards swapped for jokers. They looked familiar as a jester which was amusing and a nice touch. I was really impressed with the artwork for this story and it's a shame that the comic strips hadn't been colourised by this point because the Toyroom is the perfect place for that kind of vibrancy. Considering the entire story was only four pages long which is incredibly short, I'm not sure the little epilogue was required at the end of page four to show the Toymaker also luring other gamblers and players into his realm to become his toys. Getting that glimpse of Lefevre in statuesque form was pretty good though and really did illustrate the price of trying to cheat the Toymaker. Rules were everything and he just wanted to play. Whether this is before or after the events in which the First Doctor defeated him is unknown, but I'm going to say it's before. It would make sense and it was just fun to explore the character a little and play an everyday game. Overall, a good little adventure where I just wanted more! 

Rating: 7/10

Restricted Items Archive Entries 031-049

"You can go on a visit to your own past, if you remember what it looks like."

Writer: Maddie Wilson

Format: Audio

Released: July 2022

Series: Torchwood Monthly 63

Featuring: Ianto

Synopsis

The Restricted Items Archive is where all the items too dangerous for Torchwood are stored. Ianto Jones carefully catalogues each and every one. And he always works down there alone.

Only, something's not quite right. There's a secret in the Restricted Items Archive that won't be ignored any longer.

Verdict

Restricted Items Archive Entires 031-049 was a good little story to continue my way through the monthly Torchwood range! I was intrigued by this one knowing that only Gareth David-Lloyd starred as the sole actor and whilst this didn't have anything like the vibes of Heaven Sent on screen where Peter Capaldi pulled a blinder, it's still an impressive feat to keep the listener engaged and entertained for the duration of the hour that comprises this episode. Ianto is a really strong character and with this definitely being set somewhere in the middle of Series 1, he's a mature character. He's built his relationships and fought a lot in the job. It's also just very Ianto to be the one solely in control of cataloguing and documenting the items that made up this archive. It really does say a lot when Torchwood have to deem something as a restricted item because even for them it's too much. Surely the resurrection gauntlet would have been placed within if anybody at the team had sense? That should be the very definition of a restricted item! It didn't feel a million miles away from the device that told people how long they had until they died which the team thought was actually a thermometer! Talk about getting it wrong. It set the timeline though as Owen was told he had a year left to live in a powerful and quite subtle foreshadowing of the events to come in Reset. That's pretty harrowing but even without featuring his cheeky personality was on show as Ianto knew he'd been in the archive and caused some small chaos. Usually to do with the pens! Stationery is very important in office jobs, especially twenty years ago. I would have perhaps liked a little more time exploring each item in the archive so a better approach might have been a few items less to explore? Hell, we could have an entire little Short Trips series exploring these items and how they came to be acquired. Ianto making a voice note was a fun thought and I like that the audio we were listening to was very much in the real world. This would be listened back by Ianto (for what purpose I'm not sure) and that's the same thing we were listening to as well which was great. It felt authentic and I like that a lot. I thought the world's most useless time machine was a good item to explore and it was quite humorous when Ianto was returned back a few seconds to start saying the same sentence over and over. They probably played the gag one time too many, but the point was made. I wasn't expecting that to prove so crucial in the resolution though which was impressive. I thought the idea behind a device stealing the thoughts of someone who said them but them not being audible was interesting too and something I'd like to explore more in another adventure. I don't think I'll get the chance though! Ianto knowing that there weren't actually mice in the archive was good and he'd been playing the Drifter all along. I thought that was a tad predictable and the words of Ianto being played back to him was eery, but I was a little put off by the fact this had all happened before. It took away a little from what I had listened to already because Ianto was fully in control and knew what he was doing. It was clever for sure, but I just felt ever so slightly cheated that no quick thinking resolution was requited. Everything was in order. Predicting the rift flares is good and directing it into the archive to eliminate all life matter before using the time machine to get out rounded things out well. A good listen for sure! 

Rating: 7/10

Tales from the Vortex: Dark is the Devil that Walks

"The stranger is coming."

Writer: Mags L Halliday

Format: Audio

Released: April 2025

Series: Short Trips 13.06

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough

Synopsis 

In 1814 Devon, palaeontologist Isabella Kerslake rescues the Doctor from a cliff collapse. But while hs is incapacitated, who is there to protect Isabella and her sisters from the mysterious figure that stalks their estate?

Verdict

Dark is the Devil that Walks was a good little story to conclude my listening of the Tales from the Vortex thirteenth series of Short Trips! This has been a solid collection of stories from a range of eras, Doctors and companions and whilst I would prefer a return to the monthly release schedule that we had prior to Covid, I think it's great that this range continues into another series that has actually recently been released. I'm sure I will reach that soon but this served as a good finale to this particular boxset. I was keen to listen to this knowing it was a Fifth Doctor, Tegan and Turlough tale and with Janet Fielding as the narrator it had all the ingredients to be strong right from the off. She performed the story really well and I like that with her telling the story, it became Tegan focused and that's the right move in my opinion. The very happenstance of the Docot being incapacitated by a cliff collapse was pretty scary but it was a good way to remove him from the centre of things for much of the adventure. Turlough seemed to just disappear as well which was a slight shame but it was necessary when Tegan was undoubtedly the star of the show here. I thought the setting was strong and going to Georgian England is perhaps an era that has been underserved amongst the Whoniverse. There's a lot of potential there and Devon in particular can be a fascinating county when it comes to discovery. That's where Isabella Kerslake came in who was a really strong character. I liked how even here in the early nineteenth century she was defying the norms of society where women were concerned. She was tracking comets and finding fossils that defied belief. It also busted the creation myth that religion are so convinced by and I am always in favour of throwing a cat amongst the pigeons in that regard! I thought her sister was good too as a combination and it always adds that little more trepidation when familial connections and relationships get involved. Finding out that a particular fossil Isabella had found didn't and couldn't match any known animal was intriguing and that's where the extraterrestrial element came into play. I must admit, I sighed a little when the Ensova were revealed because they just sounded so generic. I was not a fan of their voice at all but the concept behind them was at least strong. I enjoy thinking about how something could live in interstellar clouds and their lifespans were certainly impressive! Generations amongst lasted for millions of years and whilst that is a little much to comprehend, it made sense in terms of their kind being lost to a cosmic storm. It was impressive that with the comets aligned they managed to even reach Earth, but the fact that Isabella had tracked the comet was really impressive considering the time and her position in society. She was defying social norms and where women are concerned in particular I love hearing and seeing that. The story rounded out in a completely fine way with the Doctor recovering to basically become a negotiator and the Ensova were off with their kind. Overall, a decent little tale to conclude a fun collection of Short Trips! 

Rating: 7/10

Jubilee

"A Dalek is never not in pain."

Writer: Robert Shearman

Format: Novel

Released: October 2025

Series: Big Finish Novelisation 01

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Evelyn

Synopsis

"The Doctor and the Daleks. Have you never thought they are really both the exact same thing?"

It is time to celebrate! Let all the citizens of the glorious English Empire come together and give thanks to that mysterious soldier in time and space known only as the Doctor. For 100 years ago he destroyed a Dalek invasion force without mercy and became the saviour of us all. 

We have just one real Dalek left. Kept alive in the Tower of London, all these years our prisoner. And tomorrow we are going to blow it up, just for you! So put up your Dalek bunting and raise a glass of Dalek Juice. Who knows, there may be a special guest in attendance – the Doctor himself! Oh, you lucky people!

Time to get this party started...

Verdict

Jubilee was an excellent novelisation of the Big Finish audio drama of the same name! It's no secret that this is one of the most revered stories from the wonderful world of Big Finish and considering it was the basis for the extraordinary Dalek, that's hardly a surprise! It really is a sensational story so it was lovely to spot the little moments here that inspired what we saw on screen. It's been eleven years since I listened to the audio version of this story and I would be lying if I said I remembered a lot about it. That made things better though for a reading experience because this largely felt like a new adventure. It was also pretty poignant in revisiting Evelyn again as companion and I was delighted with the dedication and acknowledgement regarding Maggie Stables. She's such a different companion and far from the stereotype which is marvellous. Literally calling her wrinkled and fat here feels incredibly harsh but I loved how Evelyn owned her age and appearance. She wasn't bothered. Having a Masters and Bachelors degree in History gave me a lot to ponder in this adventure as the Doctor and Evelyn seemed to have some very strong feelings about the subject of History and I was definitely on the side of the companion. I love different interpretations and I go into the world of the Whoniverse with the same sort of thinking. It's impossible for everything to be in the same timeline or continuity, so I consider things a different interpretation of what might have been or where things might fit. I think it's fun and so Evelyn seeing a world a century on from her and the Doctor defeating the Daleks was intriguing because time had gone horribly wrong. The world of 2003 under the English Empire was pretty spectacular and almost satirical. It was incredibly fascinating and how someone like Nigel Rochester got to be the President is beyond me! He was a humorous character but he hardly seemed like someone who could be in charge. Farrow as the politician seemed a tad more suited to that but he didn't last a great amount of time. The concept of a singular Dalek is brilliant because it highlights just how ruthless and heartless they can be. And yet the one here was vulnerable and built an unexpected relationship with Evelyn Smythe. I think in prose we did miss a little there of the Dalek tones saying the full name of the companion, but it was still really good to explore their relationship. Evelyn had met the Daleks before in The Apocalypse Element which made her connection with them all the more fascinating. She really believed that one might not be so evil as the rest of the race. The Doctor was having none of it. I thought this story worked really for the Sixth Doctor and we got to dive deep into the darker side of this incarnation. To him they were an abomination and he wasn't having any of it. He didn't care and that's understandable given his history with them. The Doctor being the spark to make the Dalek talk for the first time in a century was great and just getting the inner thoughts of the Dalek as it experienced intolerable pain was a big benefit of the format. It was brutal and we almost did feel sorry for the Dalek. Evelyn would also help with that sentimentality. I thought the whole celebration of the jubilee was fun and the last Dalek left would now be blown up for entertainment. That horrified Evelyn! The Doctor was challenged in a big way in this story with his internal dilemma regarding saving people but his hatred of the Daleks and what they stood for. I thought the image of him splitting open as two timelines became one in a convergence was incredible and worked well to basically undo everything that had happened. The century that never was and that angered Evelyn all the same. She had experienced a lot of emotion and was it for nothing? The Doctor convincing the lone Dalek that managed to ascend itself to Dalek Supreme to give the order that for the Daleks to survive they needed to die was impressive. It was some roundabout logic but the Doctor was passionate about challenging the Daleks on what they would do once the universe was conquered. Had they even given it a thought? There was a lot on exploring the innards of the Daleks and what they stood for which was terrific. The Dalek Juice moment was grotesque in the best way possible and I couldn't believe the Doctor then finished the glass even after knowing what it was! The soldier description for Evelyn and the Dalek likening itself to her was fantastic. And the spiders inside the Dalek casing! That was some incredible internal detail. Overall, a really strong novelisation and a delight to revisit what must be considered a classic! 

Rating: 9/10