The Carrionite Curse

"A real witch!"

Writer: Simon Guerrier
Format: Audio
Released: July 2017
Series: Classic Doctors, New Monsters 2.03

Featuring: Sixth Doctor

Synopsis

Katy Bell returns to her Midlands home to find strange goings-on at the buskers fair. A witch trial in the 1980s. A bonfire ready to be lit...

Luckily, a colourful visitor is already investigating, and the local vicar, Katy's dad, is versed in tales of the macabre. Terrifying forces are on the loose, and the town hall holds a secret. There is black magic in the Black Country, and the Doctor has the name of his enemy on the tip of his tongue...

Something wicked this way comes.

Verdict

The Carrionite Curse was a great audio adventure and a good continuation of the second Classic Doctors, New Monsters boxset. University work and my personal life has meant a break in my listening but the beauty of this range is that the stories aren't connected so it didn't matter how long I left things. This was just a standalone story and I truly do think they are what works best. The latest new series monster that we see a Classic Doctor encountering was the Carrionites and I do think they were another obvious choice. There is plenty that could be done with them and I'm glad that we got a witchcraft story. The idea of a witch trial was excellent but I was all the more intrigued by the fact it was happening during the 1980s! The Black Country setting was also rather refreshing and I thought it worked really well with the buskers fair as its central focus. The Sixth Doctor is arguably my favourite on audio and his water-balloon demonstration at the start of the audio adventure was rather humorous. He soon met Katy who turned out to be a terrific character. She got to see inside the TARDIS and she even ended up stealing a book. It did appear that she intended to aid the Carrionites in their battle against the Doctor but she ended up making the ultimate sacrifice. The references to The Library of Alexandria and Attack of the Cybermen were terrific and I also thought that Reverend Douglas was brilliant. He knew some of the witchcraft history in the area and the latter inclusion of a book by George Litefoot was a lovely little throwback to The Talons of Weng-Chiang. The linguistic theme in this story was fantastic and I really did enjoy how the Doctor came to understand and use the power of words. He dismissed the idea of witches existing but that didn't really last long once they named him as President of the Time Lords of Gallifrey. Witches having to answer to figures of authority was great and I really liked how the guilty plea came at the story's beginning. It was a shock to everyone. I wasn't quite sure by the Carrionites' intention to turn people into ink but I guess that did fit the word theme. The reference to the Globe Theatre and the fourteen sides was great and I absolutely loved the Carrionites referencing The Shakespeare Code and their defeat at the hands of the Tenth Doctor. The Sixth Doctor then realised that if he defeated them once then he could do it again - even if he was yet to do it. The mentions of paradoxes and their power was very good but I was quite surprised by the audio's conclusion with Katy taking herself to defeat the Carrionites. It was emotional with Douglas but that was excellent. Overall, a very good audio adventure!

Rating: 8/10