The Cats of New Cairo

"I'm here to tell you about the Lux."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: March 2018

Series: Tales From New Earth 1.04

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Devon, Hame

Synopsis

Senator Hame is summoned to New Cairo by the spiritual leader of Catkind: the Most Exalted High Persian – a personage of great power and wisdom – to report on her investigations.

Here, the camel-like Dromedans still worship Catkind, in the shadows of vast Octahedrons and temples of light. But Hame and Devon have uncovered a conspiracy that threatens the future of everyone on the planet.

The battle for control of New Earth is about to begin...

Verdict

The Cats of New Cairo was a very good conclusion to what has been a consistently great Tales From New Earth boxset! I really liked this ending as it brought everything and everyone full circle after four adventures battling the Lux in very different scenarios and capacities. I liked that we finished how we started with Devon and Senator Hame as the lead characters and they worked well together once again. Hame coming to New Cairo was intriguing and I was really excited to learn about a totally different area of New Earth, but one that we can assume we know a little about based on the present day city. The take on the Great Pyramids was unexpected with them actually being Octahedrons but I liked how this city was clearly far expanded upon from the version of 21st century Earth. The Dromedans were also pretty interesting as an intelligent camel species and I find it very interesting and just a concept full of potential that species we know today could be so much more far into the future. New Cairo being a place for the Catkind was good and it was nice to get some backstory on Hame and how she came to New Earth and rose up the ranks to Novice and now Senator. Sister Jara was a very good character but I was quite surprised that she tried to defend the work of the Sisters of Plenitude in New Earth when we first met her. She obviously must not have garnered the whole story of what truly went down. Her character development over the course of the hour was good though and that was down to The Most Exalted High Persian. He was a good character and enemy and his determination to work with the Lux was unexpected, but I liked it a lot. I thought it was good that we never got to hear him being on the good side so to speak and from the get go was against Hame's investigation into the Lux. He was fully buying into what they were offering which provided a good and conflicting dynamic. The use of the light shield covering New Earth to keep the TARDIS out was excellent and I think it was great that for most of the story, the presence of the Doctor was there without him physically being so. That's a brilliant way to work around the lack of David Tennant. The return of Oscar from The Skies of New Earth for a cameo and helping reflect the light and get the Doctor through was excellent and a terrific moment as I really liked his character. Devon being affected by the Lux was another good plot development and one I was surprised by. There didn't really seem to be one character that led the way in this story and even when the Doctor arrived, it was too late to make an impact and that's far from being a negative. I liked how he was used in this audio. My only little qualm is that the fate of the Lux seemed as definitive as any other of the three stories in which they were defeated, so I question why this is the end for them. I think something a little more impactful and clear-cut was needed based on the rest of the boxset, but I still very much enjoyed the story and the finale of a great series! Overall, a very positive listen and set of adventures.

Rating: 8/10