How to Win Planets and Influence People

"The Doctor cannot be planned for."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: June 2017

Series: Short Trips 6.06

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane, Harry

Synopsis

9AM: Registration

10AM: Our Opening Guest Speaker discusses Strategic Invasion Plans, including things to look out for, Time Lords to avoid, and tips on crushing the lesser races

11AM: Biscuits and Coffee

12PM: Continuing on from his opening talk, our Guest Speaker discusses bringing the universe to its knees

1PM: Lunch

A dynamic talk with slides. The Meddling Monk has lectured widely for several centuries, and his wisdom is contained in the following bestsellers: The 7 Habits of Truly Terrible People, Who Moved My Sun?, Feel the Fear and Detonate It Anyway, The One Million Year Manager and Ice Men Are From Mars, Karate Is From Venus.

Verdict

How to Win Planets and Influence People was an incredibly unique and terrific little audio adventure! As far as Short Trips go, this was a wonderful use of the format and just a fantastic story. It was magnificent to have Rufus Hound starring as the Meddling Monk and he really did shine. I'm such a big fan of the Monk and I've loved him ever since The Time Meddler and I really have been hugely impressed by the new incarnation on audio with Big Finish to continue the character and this was another fantastic addition to his list of tales. The idea of the Monk providing a lecture and PowerPoint presentation to the Darkon Corporation on how to conquer planet Earth was just superb. I have spent enough of my life in lecture halls during my studies for my Bachelors and Masters Degrees, but I don't think I ever got one as good as what the Monk was delivering here! Who better to provide a step-by-step guide of dos and don'ts than him? Using his experience of constantly being thwarted by the Doctor was tremendously done and I loved how we got what was essentially a break down of everything that went wrong for enemies and villains alike in previous Doctor Who stories. The likes of the red button and self destruction parts were so much fun and the enthusiasm that the Monk injected into the presentation was a sheer delight. I liked the idea of the Monk having a drink at the Bar Galactica and likening everyone there to having been defeated by the Doctor was very good and a nice little mention of some good continuity. I thought the Monk delivering the presentation shortly after his being defeated by the Doctor once again was just great and the way Sarah Jane was used in the story was very well done considering how little she actually featured. Using her skills and experience as a journalist is always something I'm a big fan of as at the end of the day that's her occupation so it should be used. The Monk's plan to subtly take over the Earth was magnificent and using real estate dwellings and buying land in the past and then reaping the rewards in the future was just brilliant and a very good use of his meddling ways, even if it wasn't in the extreme circumstances of his other schemes. I analyse the risk of clients for a financial firm as my day job and we get a lot of real estate companies which is a high risk trigger, so his efforts of explaining how the land had been in his name for two millennia was wonderful. The same name passed down – even the women! That was so much fun. I also adored the Monk's reaction to Harry saying righty-o when requested from the Doctor to do something. He absolutely despised that and almost felt it alone as a worthy reason to invade the planet! The only issue I did have with the audio (and it's a small one!) is the impression of the Fourth Doctor by hound. It just seemed a bit too much and so far removed from anything close to Tom Baker. That's a minor issue though, because the Doctor's role was fantastic and the way he revelled and upsetting the Monk's meddling is almost harsh. The fact that he had himself meddled with time and the Monk's actions to actually change the Monk from being a real estate tycoon to an incredible philanthropist was just tremendous. It was so simple yet so effective. I really enjoyed it and the desperation and annoyance of the Monk's reaction to realising he had been bested again was magnificent. You couldn't plan for the Doctor and this was just yet more evidence. Overall, a fantastic little audio!

Rating: 9/10

Distant Voices

"Every castle has a ghost story."

Writer: Lizbeth Myles

Format: Audio

Released: February 2020

Series: Twelfth Doctor Chronicles 1.03

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor

Synopsis

Cameron is haunted by strange voices. As she gets on with her job conducting tours around Rochester Castle, she hopes that they'll just go away.

Fortunately for Cameron, the Doctor has joined her tour. He hears the voices too, and he knows what they mean. Time itself is starting to fracture...

Verdict

Distant Voices was an excellent audio adventure to continue the Twelfth Doctor Chronicles! It was definitely the best episode in the boxset thus far and I think for me the primary setting of Rochester Castle might have had a lot to do with that. I'm a big fan of castles and whilst I have never visited the particular castle this adventure was centred around, I could easily appreciate the historical connotations of the surroundings. Cameron was a really good character and getting introduced to her working a tour around the castle was terrific stuff. It was a lot of fun to have the Doctor joining the guided tour and I can just imagine the Twelfth Doctor in particular not having the greatest patience when it came to walking around the site. There was more to Cameron though with the voices she could hear and bringing her together with the Doctor after his TARDIS issues that drew him in was very good. His correcting of some of the information Cameron put forward was magnificent and just terrific characterisation for what I would expect of this incarnation. His ability to see that she wasn't sleeping well was intriguing and his request for knowledge of the castle's ghosts was brilliant. The Doctor also hearing the voices was really good and I thought Cameron's reaction to knowing she wasn't alone in what she could hear was lovely. Cameron was certainly what the voices were focused on and being taken back in time to 1215 was an unexpected delight. Time was fracturing and it all centred around the locale and a young tour guide. Jacob Dudman continues to impress me with his Peter Capaldi impression which really is stellar. It was outstanding here and this really did feel like a genuine Twelfth Doctor tale which is obviously what we would want. Alex as the castle shop assistant was a decent character and his ridiculing the events to just being reenactments when it came to canon fire was a lot of fun. The Doctor and Cameron seeing King John was fantastic and I'd have loved a bit more of a reference to The King's Demons. The pair weren't quite in 1215 or 2015 but both time zones of Rochester Castle were trying to occupy the same place and the temporal explosion threat this provided was excellent. Cameron's humour when in 1215 of threatening to reveal historical events was magnificent and the Doctor's reaction was very fun indeed. The story then moving into 2815 was another unexpected development that I liked and the way Cameron handled a futuristic rifle with ease showed the Doctor that she was lying, but to herself. She wasn't really from 2015 which I thought was very well done. The fact that she was hearing echoes of a woman she knew from childhood was very good and the revelation that the Lord Protector had to be assassinated after overthrowing the Earth President was certainly interesting! There was a lot going on across three time zones which had the potential to be a cluster, but it all worked out tremendously well. Cameron being part of a future resistance suited well and the Doctor's lack of remorse for her fellow fighters having fallen seemed to fit in well for the Doctor of Series 8. There weren't really any hints of where this fitted in for the Twelfth Doctor so we'll just go with that. The use of mist worked really well for the story and I thought the atmosphere of the audio as a whole was very impressive and added a lot. The Doctor explaining how the Cameron of the 29th century was the true version was a big moment and his fixing of the time machine to return her back to the 21st century where the life she led was what she preferred was very nice. Her wanting to stay in this timezone but not be a coward of the future was a powerful thought that I really did like as a way to conclude. The Doctor revealing to her that the Lord Protector fell to his demise in a similar timeframe to King John was a terrific way to tie everything up and bring things full circle. Overall, an excellent adventure!

Rating: 9/10

Doctor Who and the Daleks

"Those machines aren't half as bad as they look, you know."

Writer: David Whittaker

Format: Novel

Released: November 1964

Series: Target 01

 

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara 

Synopsis

'The voice was all on one level, without any expression at all, a dull monotone that sill managed to convey a terrible sense of evil...'

The mysterious Doctor and his granddaughter Susan are joined by unwilling adventurers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright in an epic struggle for survival on an alien planet.

In a vast metal city they discover the survivors of a terrible nuclear war – the Daleks. Held captive in the deepest levels of the city, can the Doctor and his new companions stop the Daleks' plan to totally exterminate their mortal enemies, the peace-loving Thals? More importantly, even if they can escape from the Daleks, will Ian and Barbara ever see their home planet Earth again?

Verdict

Doctor Who and the Daleks was a really great and intriguing read! I have always been fascinated by this book's reputation and I've actually had it in my collection for a least six years so it was finally time to give it a read and I wasn't disappointed. Considering this is the first ever Doctor Who novelisation, it's certainly bold and a brave way to present the series from the start. Basing an adventure from The Daleks is not a unique thing considering we had a whole cinematic movie come shortly after this novelisation, but presenting the events of this story as the first meeting between the first TARDIS quartet was terrific if not wildly crazy. I really wasn't expecting what we got at the start with an alternative introduction to the Doctor and the TARDIS for Ian and Barbara. The meeting on the Common with a car crash involving Susan and Barbara was a very different way to introduce Ian to them and ultimately the Doctor, but I did really like how the mystery of the Doctor that was present in An Unearthly Child was depicted here. The characterisation of the early First Doctor was fantastic throughout and it really does jump off the page when he just wants to get back to the TARDIS and leave the Thals to be ambushed. The way the book told the story from Ian's perspective was magnificent in the way that it made the story feel somewhat new as we saw things through his eyes. I'm not usually a fan of this approach but considering this was Ian and it was presented as his first encounter with the Doctor and his first venture into Space, I loved it and the uniqueness is what makes Doctor Who novelisations so good. This is a terrific start to kick things off. Of course, my only major issue with this presentation was that we only saw what Ian saw and that denied us that famous first appearance of a Dalek in the form of a shadow enclosing on Barbara. I thought that could have been written well, but it wasn't to be. That's not to say the approach was bad though as I actually really liked getting to read Ian's opinions on how quickly his life changed. I thought it was good to know that he suspected the Doctor from the start about the fluid link not really being drained. The Doctor just wanted to explore the city. It was also a little strange when it came to moments where the TARDIS crew were split up and we didn't get to see what occurred to the other party that didn't join Ian. The description of the petrified jungle was fantastic and I liked how angry the Doctor was when being questioned about the TARDIS and what he knew was scientific fact. The way he came around to seeing things through Ian's eyes was marvellous though because he realised how new everything would be for him. A whole new world opened up for Ian and Barbara and the Doctor realised that now which was lovely. The Daleks themselves were actually something of a back burner for the adventure which was something I didn't expect because the story is named after them after all! It's also their first appearance so for them to not be present for a large chunk of the novel was not what I expected, but that's not a bad thing because the Daleks here are not exactly what we know them to be. They're reliant on static electricity and the presentation of the aftermath of the atomic bomb on Skaro and the war between them and the Thals was magnificent. I really did like that. Another clever element of the book was the subtle way that The Dalek Invasion of Earth and Planet of the Daleks were foreshadowed with Ian wondering what would happen if Susan ever met a man and also the Doctor mentioning visiting grandchildren of the Thals in his future. The deaths of some of the Thals en route to the Dalek city ambush were very good and powerful and I loved the way Ian tried to explain to the Thals why they should fight against the Daleks rather than accept death. Overall, a really great and mightily intriguing read! 

Rating: 8/10

The Hidden Realm

"They don't conquer or destroy worlds. They exploit them."

Writer: David Llewellyn

Format: Audio

Released: November 2016

Series: Third Doctor Adventures 2.02

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo

Synopsis

The Doctor and Jo journey to Bramfield New Town when the husband of Jo's cousin vanishes mysteriously. As magpies circle overhead, the Doctor discovers a terrifying alien plot...

Verdict

The Hidden Realm was a very good audio adventure to conclude the second volume of Third Doctor Adventures! This was quite different to any of the three adventures that came before it in the range and having a contemporary tale for the time was great stuff, especially with the £100,000 deposit that occurred as that kind of money would have been even larger than it is by today's standards! I really liked the setting of Bramfield and having a contained setting in an unfamiliar town or village like this one is definitely something I am a fan of and it worked very well here. Jo's cousin Stephanie being engaged in a terrible happening with her husband having gone missing whilst walking the dog near the local abbey was a very good basis for the plot and us actually hearing the moments where he disappeared was great. I thought the use of the magpies was excellently done and a chilling way to show that danger was imminent. The use of the popular rhyme of what each number of magpies entailed was good and I appreciated that as I don't salute a magpie or anything like that, but Gemma is very keen on ensuring she does anytime she sets eyes on a magpie so that made me smile and think of her as I was upstairs. Tim Treloar continued to be fantastic as the Third Doctor and after my initial thoughts being more than sceptical about the role being recasted, he has more than taken the role for himself in a magnificent way. He really is uncanny and I particularly enjoyed the relationship with Jo in this one. There's something so special about the simplicity of Jo and the Doctor chattering in Bessie en route to Bramfield. I also liked the development of Jo as a character and introducing us to a family cousin was nicely done. Stephanie was a good character and I was surprised that she was still going to work despite her husband being missing! That also rose the suspicions of the two police detectives who were handling the missing case. Finch and Joseph were superb characters and they brought a lot of fun and intrigue to proceedings. Their initial dismissal of the magpies was very good and I liked the dynamic of this being one of Joseph's first cases. His promising that they would find Peter led him to getting some good advice from Finch which I admired. I thought the pace was good and the slow build of the mystery surrounding Bramfield and its history of missing persons was terrific. The idea of Liz creating an archive of strange events in Britain over the last half-century was magnificent and definitely something I could see happening. The introduction of Overseer Zim was timed right and the Doctor deducing that it was the Achrillians (sp?) responsible for strange events in the town was good, although I'm never a massive fan of the Doctor having a past with enemies new to the audience. The concept of the mind transference is always something I enjoy and it was presented in a good way here, especially with Hans Vogel being transferred and the way the large bank deposit was tied in because that seemed questionable at the start. Things definitely got fun when minds were transferred and the likes of Finch, Stephanie and even the Doctor were replaced. Joseph testing Finch on the missing persons story he told earlier in the audio was a brilliant moment as he'd supposedly never forget the girl's name, but here he clearly had no idea and was uncomfortable. The Overseer doing what he did for exploitation and payment in the form of gold was a good motive and the Doctor's reaction to that was as great as I'd expect. I thought the ending was decent enough if not a little simplistic but it worked well enough and sometimes there's no need to overcomplicate things. Barnett as the owner of the hotel was a lovely character and the nature of her speech coupled with the revelation of her being Zim's accomplice was marvellous stuff and I liked how the Doctor knew her sentence would be the worst of all as she'd spent her life contributing to her eventual transference, only now to not have long left and live in regret. Overall, a really good audio!

Rating: 8/10

Wicked Sisters: The People Made of Smoke

"The smoke feeds on emotion."

Writer: Simon Guerrier

Format: Audio

Released: November 2020

Series: Fifth Doctor Adventures: Wicked Sisters 03

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Leela, Abby, Zara

Synopsis

Abby and Zara strive to use their powers for good but it's clear they are damaging reality – and allowing monstrous creatures to bleed through from beyond. The Doctor knows he can only save the universe by destroying his friends. But just how much might he be willing to sacrifice if there's a chance to save them?

Verdict

The People Made of Smoke was an excellent conclusion to the Wicked Sisters boxset within the Fifth Doctor Adventures! This has been a hugely impressive little series reuniting the Fifth Doctor with Leela and Abby & Zara. There really was a lot going on and visiting the community of the Moon in the future where the past was unknowingly changed by the Doctor was a good way to start. The humour that came with Leela's admiration for the learning capabilities of ice cream for children was wonderful and typically brilliant of her as a companion. The Doctor admitting that he feared Abby and Zara was fantastic and I liked how he was manipulating them by keeping them together to gain their trust. The murdering of Brody was good continuity from The Garden of Storms and the fake police routine with constable Leela was brilliant stuff. Wei as Brody's husband was good and the mystery surrounding his death by electrocution despite no wiring was good and something I do wish we'd have come back to. The return of the smoke creatures was terrific and I liked how they were firmly the enemies for this adventure, getting an enhanced showing. Their being in the timeline was very good as an echo of what we heard in the first episode and they remembered killing Brody so came back here to feed again. Their being dispersed by a hairdryer was amusing though! Finding out that Brody and Wei had an argument over Zeeb's (who was now Zeet in this timeline) birthday party was again superb continuity and that ending up leading to the smoke creatures drawing on the sister's powers was very good. Zeet's dying seemed sudden but I really loved that Abby and Zara genuinely wanted to help her survive. Their use of the powers to heal her but it providing a connection for the smoke creatures was really nicely done and it was a clever way for the sisters to see the badness of their power usage. I ddi like how Abby and Zara were questioning how their powers had to be used for them to destroy themselves and this could provide the smoke creatures with even more strength. Zara admitting that being separated from Abby would be worse than death was magnificent but I did enjoy that there was another option for the sisters other than death. The smoke creatures having rage with grief worked well and their envying the living was very intriguing. It was good development for them and provided a motive which came at the right time. Their consumption of the Moon people provided some tense actions and the plan of Abby and Zara to use themselves up to save everyone was admirable. They would draw the smoke creatures like moths to a flame which I really enjoyed. The effect of the consumption on the Doctor was drastic and he had aged and wasn't in the best shape, but he still had an incredible plan up his sleeve. He was fed on hard and his agreement of the plan to separate Abby and Zara was nice. Death would never be an option in his mind. The way the Doctor deceived everyone to take the smoke creatures away with him locked inside the TARDIS was superb and the life that he gave them – quite literally! – was really intriguing. The scenes inside the TARDIS when the smoke creatures realised what was happening were outstanding and the use of the cloister bell and action to have an audio regeneration was sublime. It really was done so well and getting a brief moment of Dan Starkey as an alternative Sixth Doctor was just lovely. Really well done and something I definitely didn't see coming! The emotion there was fantastic too. The Doctor dying continuously through his regenerations before the smoke creatures would be trapped for good was a daunting prospect and Abby and Zara seeing that the Doctor died for what they created by overuse of their powers was tremendous. Quite fitting for this finale! Leela questioning if the sisters would learn before they just popped off and used their powers one last time was excellent and the Doctor being brought back without his memory of recent events was brilliant! Leela covering events by asking the Doctor as a taxi service was fun and the prospect of the Fifth Doctor and Leela having some stop off adventures on the way back to Gallifrey is something I could get behind! They make quite the good little pairing. The Doctor tracking Abby and Zara down to a spaceport was a nice way to finish as they were still very much alive, only now using their powers very sparingly to ensure the smoke creatures weren't created again. The Doctor had covered to Leela and the Time Lords regarding Abby and Zara's fate which I thought was marvellous. Overall, a brilliant audio to conclude a superb boxset!

Rating: 9/10

Wicked Sisters: The Moonrakers

"Sontarans on the moon! That is not good."

Writer: Simon Guerrier

Format: Audio

Released: November 2020

Series: Fifth Doctor Adventures: Wicked Sisters 02

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Leela, Abby, Zara

Synopsis

Life is hard for the early pioneers building the first settlements on the Moon. The laws of Earth don't apply here, and there are tussles over limited resources vital to survival. Arriving on the Moon, the Doctor and Zara discover that an aggressive alien species lies in wait. Yet there's something very strange about these particular Sontarans: they refuse to fight.

Verdict

The Moonrakers was another excellent story to continue the Wicked Sisters boxset within the Fifth Doctor Adventures! After a really strong cliffhanger at the end of The Garden of Storms, the way this one started was good with the Doctor and Zara trapped in a dark shipping container. The air release that followed and the effect that had on Zara was a strong way to start things and the reveal of the 'spaceman' actually being a Sontaran was magnificent. Bringing a familiar Doctor Who enemy into a story with the Graceless sisters was terrific and I was intrigued that they had knowledge of the warmongers. Abby and Leela being left with the smoke creatures was entertaining and the prospect of them being fed on was amusing and I really liked that Leela was able to pilot the TARDIS to escape and follow the scar left by Zara and the Doctor's teleportation. The introduction of Stent the Sontaran was wonderful and it's no secret that I'm a huge fan of the Sontar natives. They're just superb and the dynamic of Stent aiding Zara and even offering tea was quite uncanny! The comment about the milk going in last was blasphemy though because everyone knows tea should go in before the hot water. The setting being a human moonbase with a lack of humanity was fun and the introduction of Captain Riya was also very strong. Her mentioning of the leapers was really good and all they entailed followed well. The revelation of the TARDIS being jettisoned was great but I don't think we came back to that properly which was my only slight qualm with the story. Stent having an interest in the Doctor and Zara's lack of requirement for water was superb and I loved the idea of a Sontaran experiment. Considering the power of Abby as a Graceless sister, her fear of the Sontarans was an intriguing element and it did a lot to sell just how brutal the Sontarans can be. Leela's recollection of The Invasion of Time and defeating Sontarans in her past was tremendous, but I don't think I was ready for the revelation of the Sontarans gardening with moon dust! That was quite extraordinary and the idea of them having an artful distraction from war was excellent. Stent proudly showcasing the Doctor and Zara as his modified humans was great and the fact that his fellow Sontarans were impressed was wonderful. The Doctor's impression of a Sontaran was also sublime. Great humour. The situation on the Moon with the leapers and the Sontarans surrounding the food supply was very good and the latter's plan to slaughter rather than have an all out war was of peak interest. The reunion between the Doctor and Zara with Leela and Abby was unexpected as it seemed that the former pair had existed on a different time track with the TARDIS arriving later than they arrived. That was a fun little twist. It appeared that the Doctor and Zara had been experimented on and had become Sontaran soldiers which was superb stuff. The lack of spark between Abby and Zara was good and the latter's reaction to the plan for first blood was magnificent. The truth actually being that the Doctor and Zara were playing the long game of deception from within was fantastic, if not a little expected. This being the only way to avoid slaughter was nicely done, but the conversation that followed in the TARDIS after the Sontarans were defeated was outstanding. The Doctor had unknowingly changed established history because Zara chose not to interfere which was a wonderful dynamic and Leela questioning that from the wicked sister was great. The actions that followed stopped missiles from Earth wiping out the Moon with the Sontaran garden supposed to have haunted humanity with it not fitting in with Sontar character. It started to grow and the reveal that it was actually the garden from the previous episode where the Doctor and Leela first encountered Abby and Zara again was marvellous. Changing the future and the meeting place that brought them to their current scenario was fantastic and I do love a paradox! Overall, a terrific audio adventure.

Rating: 9/10

Wicked Sisters: The Garden of Storms

"They are too powerful even for the Time Lords to destroy."

Writer: Simon Guerrier

Format: Audio

Released: November 2020

Series: Fifth Doctor Adventures: Wicked Sisters 01

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Leela, Abby, Zara

Synopsis

In pursuit of Abby and Zara, Leela pilots the TARDIS to the eye of a violent storm in time. Yet she and the Doctor find themselves in an idyllic garden city, the people contented and happy. They soon discover that this bliss comes at a terrible cost, and that Abby and Zara are determined to put things right... so how can Leela and the Doctor stop them?

Verdict

The Garden of Storms was an excellent start to the Wicked Sisters collection within the Fifth Doctor Adventures! I think I have been quite lucky with my covering of the Graceless series and the Key 2 Time trilogy within the last six months or so as this meant I didn't have such a long wait between adventures for the Graceless sister tracers. The prospect of this boxset excited me more and more as I made my through the Graceless range and the way things started with Leela having recruited the Doctor was a great deal of fun. The humour that came with his continued ignorance to her message requests for help was terrific and I really enjoyed the dynamic between the Fifth Doctor and Leela. I thought they had good chemistry and it was just intriguing to hear Leela later on in life where she isn't quite the companion we knew with the Fourth Doctor. She's clearly grown and gained some wisdom which I am hearing as I make my way through the Gallifrey range, but I think that actually suited her pairing with the Fifth Doctor here. Davison and Jameson played off each other really well. Their venturing to a garden at the eye of a storm was entertaining and I liked how they were both subjects of a big feast. A feast in which they were going to be killed once they'd eaten! That was a fun way for the story to start and the introduction of Abby and Zara into events was nicely done in a simple way. There was no time for messing around which was an approach I was a big fan of and the wicked sisters still not knowing how powerful they were was an excellent dynamic. Their place at the garden was very good and the locale having a custom of killing people once they reached the age of forty was sublime. This supposedly provided an abundance of resources and coupling that with no sense of personal space made for an incredibly interesting setting. The mentioning of the theory and the attempt to change things by Abby and Zara not working was brilliant. The damage they were causing to the Web of Time were pretty darn large! Brody made for a good character and Leela sensing the smoke aura behind him was fantastic. Zeeb having a party as she was minutes away from reaching forty was terrific and the calmness in which she accepted being led away to her death was uncanny and almost uncomfortable. The Doctor's interference was wonderful and it was clear he wouldn't be able to handle himself when innocent and healthy people were being taken to die. Leela not wanting to interfere was also intriguing as she has clearly accepted her role on Gallifrey by this point in her life. The riots that ensued following the Doctor's meddling were fun and I loved how he got people to admit they didn't want to die. The Doctor and Abby being catalogued as being considerably older than forty was magnificent and the trip to the process plant was very nicely done. The idea of the dead being broken down into chemicals and distributed as needed was incredible and all part of a pretty disturbing due process. Leela's faking of an illness with Zara to get ahead of the line and a quicker death was really amusing because the character was not the greatest of actors! Her attempt to convince the guard that she had been told by him to sit down years ago and was just left ignored was wonderful stuff and thoroughly entertaining. The revelation that death was induced by death ray rather than a chemical absorption process was very good and the creatures feeding off the dust was really well done. Brody falling victim to the creatures was very sudden and impactful and the sisters' desire to go back and change events again was great fun given the Time Lord presence. Leela's efforts to ensure that Abby and Zara didn't use their powers was brilliant and the cliffhanger finish with her interfering mid-teleport ensuring that she and Abby remained behind when the Doctor and Zara set off to anywhere and anywhen. The fact that the wicked sisters are powerless unless they are together is just fantastic and I love the issue and pairings this provides for the next instalment of the series. Overall, an excellent start to the boxset!

Rating: 9/10

One Rule

"All of those alien invasions and nobody talks about it."

Writer: Jospeh Lidster

Format: Audio

Released: December 2015

Series: Torchwood Monthly 04

Featuring: Yvonne

Synopsis

It's been three weeks since the Mayor of Cardiff was killed by a shop dummy and the fight is on to see who will replace him.

Yvonne Hartman is visiting the city to retrieve an invaluable alien device. She's in charge of Torchwood One, she's saving the British Empire and she doesn't care about local politics. But she is going to find herself caught up in that fight. There's a bloodthirsty alien stalking the streets and there's a specula offer at the all-you-can-eat Chinese nugget.

It's the 26th of March 2005 and it's day that everything changes.

Verdict

One Rule was a very good continuation of the Torchwood monthly range from Big Finish! I thought this was great to give some spotlight to Yvonne Hartman who clearly shined in her role during Army of Ghosts/Doomsday so giving us an adventure in her past set shortly after the events of Rose was really enjoyable! A Torchwood adventure set before the first episode of Series 1 on television is a fantastic idea but the way it tied in with the start of the revived era of Doctor Who was just terrific. I really liked the simplicity of having Yvonne call Ianto on the phone back at Torchwood One and the mention of him fancying Lisa was also wonderful in foreshadowing Cyberwoman. Her ability to place a time lock over Torchwood Three so she could break in and look on was really interesting and set the tone for some really intriguing comments as the story rolled on. Her sighting of Jack, Suzie and Tosh all frozen in time was superb and quite the image! The way the first murder occurred at the hands of the blue beast was pretty brutal and in good Torchwood fashion with Ross ending up decapitated! That's not an everyday occurrence in the Doctor Who universe for sure. He wasn't the only individual to endure this fate with councillors standing for the office of Cardiff Mayor suffering the same horrible experience. Yvonne's mission in Cardiff being to retrieve a Drahvin scanner was an unexpected delight and a brilliant throwback to Galaxy 4! The fire that started at her hotel mid massage was humorous and her interaction with Barry centring around that was very good. His knowledge of Torchwood and the murders of councillors worked well and Yvonne believing that he caused the fire to get close to her was very good indeed. The continued references to the Auton attack was excellent and the way it was already shunned to being a terrorist attack rather than extraterrestrial in nature was great stuff. Barry also being a runner for Mayor was good and the scenes at the Chinese buffet were a lot of fun. Tracy-Ann Oberman was able to shine in her role here and the call to Julie Jones, a fellow councillor, and her turning out to also be at the buffet was great but then she died pretty quickly in similarly gruesome fashion to her fellow runners. Barry's wanting to know why Torchwood weren't there to stop the events of Rose was a very powerful comment and one I loved and the story from Yvonne that followed with Alex Hopkins as a former head of Torchwood killing his entire team on New Year's Eve 1999 because he claimed he'd seen what was coming was outstanding. I loved the analogy to children in 1938 and World War Two looming when Yvonne explained how humanity wasn't ready for alien intervention. The meeting with Helen at the pub was humorous and Yvonne was not in a comfortable environment which was tremendous. The dynamic of London versus Cardiff was lovely and a lot of fun given my proximity to the Welsh capital. I could appreciate the humour more than most I imagine. Yvonne joining forces with Barry and Helen to keep them safe was good and the sharp comment of her wondering which councillor had hired the blue monster to wipe out the competition was great! Yvonne's lack of trust towards Torchwood Three was intriguing and I hope that we get more development on that in the future. She thought they were unprofessional which will be wonderful when the different organisations encounter each other (should that happen before Aliens Among Us). The monster's killing of Helen was not unexpected and Barry's lack of remorse made him a decent villain. The importance of him becoming Mayor because of his being a part of the Committee was a fun development and the revelation of the monster being from another dimension was good, but I think a little more elaboration on it would have been good. Yvonne's use of the phrase "if it's alien, it's ours" was a lovely moment and her continued mentioning of Torchwood Three and Jack not doing it for Queen and country was delightful. Yvonne being proud of who she was and having spent years to get there was her time to shine and the way she threatened Barry on the balcony with a covered-up suicide was incredible. The desire for Torchwood to find the one 'particular alien' meaning the Doctor was pretty good and Barry being left alive to keep her posted seemed a tad strange, although the satisfaction she had in stabbing him in the leg as a reminder was a fine way to finish. Overall, a really strong audio!

Rating: 8/10

Her Own Bootstraps

"No one could ever be allowed to activate this device."

Writer: Amy Veeres

Format: Audio

Released: September 2020

Series: Short Trips 10.09

Featuring: Ninth Doctor

Synopsis

Extracting a dangerous Time War weapon from an irresponsible scientist, the Doctor arrive on Krakatoa in 1883 to destroy it. Problematically, the scientist is also in Krakatoa to steal the weapon. This is where she found it before the Doctor stole it from her. Trapped in a paradox, the Doctor must overcome a future he cannot change.

A future that has already happened.

Verdict

Her Own Bootstraps was a fantastic Short Trips audio adventure! With the impending Ninth Doctor Adventures on their way from Big Finish in a couple of months, I was glad to catch up on what we have from them so far and this really was one of the best outings for this incarnation of the Doctor in audio form. I thought Jacob Dudman was absolutely incredible as the narrator for this one with his impression of Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor just magnificent. It was hugely impressive and made listing to the adventure such a breeze! It helps so much when the actor and impression are on point and this was certainly the case with this adventure. The placing of the story was interesting given that the Ninth Doctor is travelling alone which of course we didn't see at all on television during Series 1 after he met Rose, but setting a number of stories prior to Rose is a dangerous way to go for me because we literally see the Doctor check out his appearance clearly indicating things aren't far removed from the regeneration we would eventually see in The Day of the Doctor. Now, despite that there is a clear gap for this audio to take place given what we saw of the Ninth Doctor being at Krakatoa in his first televised episode. The aftermath of the Time War was clearly felt which I thought was a good theme to include and the Doctor having a semblance of happiness that things could soon be over for good was superb. The desperation and exhaustion in his voice was terrific. Althea Bryce made for a really fun character and her attempt to steal a weapon that was a remnant of the Time War was very good indeed. Her role as a scientist and having knowledge of a TARDIS was something I didn't expect so that brought a fun dynamic to the adventure. Her description of it as the holy grail of Time Lord technology was something I admired and that just suited the TARDIS right down to the ground. I can imagine the Doctor had a big internal smile when he heard his old girl described like that. The almost boastful way he admitted to stealing it was a wonderful line. An extra element of intrigue was that Althea knew of the Doctor as the last of the Time Lords and given the close proximity this adventure had with the Time War I thought that was very interesting. Just what kind of reputation did the Doctor have following the battle between Time Lords and Daleks? The setting of Krakatoa  was really good and the Time War weapon being an atmosphere destroyer was more than enough to show how deadly this device could be! The paradox that came with the Doctor stealing the weapon from Bryce in her future only to meet her at the site where she stole it from at a younger age and where he intended on burying it was excellent! I'm a big fan of paradoxical stories as they can be so fun and I just love messing about with time in general so this was certainly up my ally. The pair's acceptance of their locked fate was good but they were also determined to not end up trapped going round and round in circles. Althea's desire to change and not become the woman that the Doctor met in her personal future was fantastic and I loved how he wanted to know for sure that her speech was genuine. Her reaction to entering the TARDIS and experiencing transcendental dimension was very good and I thought she was just a lovely character. The Doctor visiting later in his timeline with Rose was a nice touch and a fine way to end what was a brilliant little audio! 

Rating: 9/10

At Childhood's End

"If we went back to those worlds we thought we'd saved, what would we find?"

Writer: Sophie Aldred

Format: Novel

Released: February 2020

Series: NSA 66

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham, Ace, Seventh Doctor 

Synopsis

'She lifted the jacket from its hook and slipped it on. It had been thirty years since she had last worn it but it felt like yesterday. It was time to put old demons to bed...'

Once, a girl called Ace travelled the universe with the Doctor – until, in the wake of a terrible tragedy they parted company. Decades later, she is known as Dorothy McShane, the reclusive millionaire philanthropist who heads global organisation A Charitable Earth.

And Dorothy is haunted by terrible nightmares, vivid dreams that begin just as scores of young runaways are vanishing from the dark alleyways of London. Could the disappearances be linked to sightings of sinister creatures lurking in the city shadows? Why has an alien satellite entered a secret orbit around the Moon?

Investigating the satellite with Ryan, Graham and Yaz, the Doctor is thrown together with Ace once more. Together they must unravel a malevolent plot that will cost thousands of lives. But can the Doctor atone for her past incarnation's behaviour – and how much must Ace sacrifice to win victory not only for herself, but for the Earth?

Verdict

At Childhood's End was an excellent novel! I have been waiting for far too long to read this book but just as I had it reserved from Cardiff Library which was in the vicinity of my work office, Covid struck and that was the end of that. Thankfully, I received this as a Christmas gift from my girlfriend and it's been something I've been keen to read as it completes (I believe) my blogging of everything available from the Thirteenth Doctor that is currently complete. Of course, the major selling point is reuniting Ace with the Doctor after a long time apart and bringing her into the modern series with the female incarnation was superb. I liked how we started with the focus on Ace who was now much older and going by Dorothy as the CEO of A Charitable Earth, an organisation we already knew about thanks to the Sarah Jane Adventures. The continuity there was marvellous and Sophie Aldred as author was very impressive. I thought her characterisation of Dorothy was terrific and it was fantastic to learn of what she has got up to since departing the Doctor, something in of itself that is open to interpretation. Addressing the seemingly multiple fates of Ace and how departed the Doctor was magnificent with references to the likes of Ground Zero from DWM, her fate on Gallifrey as part of the Big Finish spinoff and of course the New Adventures and what went on there with Benny. Now, I haven't actually blogged any of these yet but I will get in there good time. One reference that I thankfully was aware of was that of Illegal Alien with Ace mentioning the Cybermen in the Blitz and what the Doctor did there. Ace's memories of the Doctor being something of a mixed bag thanks to the seventh incarnation's constant scheming was really great and also quite sad because of all the good they did together. The moment where she saw the TARDIS on the UFO orbiting the Moon was a powerful moment and I absolutely loved that she encountered the companions first. Her calling for the Professor only to be greeted by the female Doctor in the TARDIS doors was wonderful stuff. The way the Doctor convinced her that she was indeed the same Doctor that travelled with Ace was excellent with a quick fact file on her former companion. Ryan's reaction to that was brilliant in claiming that she sounded awesome! I thought the interaction between the Doctor and Ace was very good and it was clear that this new incarnation felt remorse for how she'd treated her companion. Ace having to deal with the new quirky and enthusiastic personality of the Thirteenth Doctor was also an intriguing dynamic. I really enjoyed Ace's opinions on the Doctor's fam and her liking of Graham because she was also in older age was a lovely thought. One of the highlights of the book for me though was the relationship between Ace and Yaz. They both eyed each other with caution and the latter being a policewoman coupled with Ace's explosive creation was mangiciecnt. I thought that was really good and there was also a sense of jealousy on both of their behalf's. The book really was all about Ace for the much part and learning of her relationship with Will was really nice and it was good to know that she'd had a positive relationship and the pair were still on good terms. Their venture to the Moon was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed the Squidget that got them there. It's ability to interact universally with controls was very beneficial! Ryan was able to shine with his relationship with Chantelle who despite being 37 he clearly fancied and flirted with unapologetically! They shared a kiss which I'm sure he would have enjoyed. Kim was a really good character as a conspiracy theorist podcast host and his hanging around the bins to catch a glimpse of the Ratts, who did actually transfer from rats, was great fun. Them being the hired mercenaries of Hologi-Kari was really good and the Doctor comparing them to the Quarks and Ogrons was some nice name-dropping. His status as an agent of Fenric was brilliant and the links the story had with Dragonfire and The Curse of Fenric was unexpected but wonderfully done. The continuity there was so good and also incorporating Ace's planet hopping from Survival was marvellous! I was a big fan. The time storm that swept Ace up in 1987 being on a bigger scale now was a good premise for the plot and the charitable nature of the Ratts taking children who felt they no longer belonged was irony at its finest. The interludes with the Seventh Doctor and Ace getting involved in the aftermath of the war between the Astinger and Wraiths was very impressive and worked well in potentially giving a confirmed farewell for Ace from the TARDIS. The letter in the Coda to close the book with Ace explaining how she would stay and sort things now that the Wraiths had realised peace was the only option after being locked away in the quantum realm was lovely and just a fitting end to her story for the moment. The Doctor challenging Hologi-Kari and taking on the time storm was also a shining moment. Overall, a terrific read!

Rating: 9/10

Panacea

"Your species faces extinction."

Writer: Alan Barnes

Format: Audio

Released: August 2006

Series: Gallifrey 3.05

Featuring: Romana II, Leela, K9

Synopsis

'How much for just the planet?'

Gallifrey is ruined. The great and good of her once-mighty Capitol gather in disease-ridden shanty towns outside its walls. Her 'friends' in the Temporal Powers anticipate her total collapse, and the beginning of a new galactic order.

The Time Lords' President has a drastic scheme to restore this world to its former glory but can a cure for all Gallifrey's ills really be found in the hands of entrepreneur, adventurer and self-confessed swine Mephistopheles Arkadian?

And what of the Lad Romana? Exiled to her ancestral house of Heartshaven, she's about to uncover the greatest threat that Gallifrey has ever faced, one that might yet cause the Time Lord race to become extinct...

Verdict

Panacea was a decent conclusion to the third series of Gallifrey, but despite its qualities I can't help but feel there remain a lot of unanswered questions and I am not entirely convinced by the overall structure of the spinoff. I was very much in favour of the way the three series as a whole came together here with the return of the initial Free Time dogma virus and the return of Arkadian to Gallifrey, but things just seemed a bit rushed and the flow of the series was not as easy as the first two in my opinion. After all of the Pandora build, she was dealt with in Warfare which was episode two of the series which just felt off and in the explanation from Braxiatel towards the end of this story, the weapons concerning her were pretty much disregarded so I'm not entirely sure they fit into the overall arc. However, the characters of this series are incredibly strong and that really did help with the series and they were terrific in this episode to be honest. The likes of Narvin and Braxiatel in particular are brilliant and I really enjoy the interaction between the latter and the featured characters we know from television Doctor Who. I was a little surprised that there was no immediate follow on from Mindbomb after Darkel was killed and Matthias made President. I did appreciate Braxiatel's rationale when it came to explaining why he didn't choose Romana as his successor, as he thought she was the most intelligent and clever Time Lord he had known and needed her to tackle the Free Time movement and virus. One element of the episode I thought was superb was the effect of the dogma virus on Time Lord regeneration. The example of that in action in the depths of Heartshaven with Janartis feeling the impact of the virus was incredible as regeneration meant death which was irony at its highest level. The threat that posed to Gallifrey and the Time Lords' future was such a good concept and I really do think that should have been the focus. Maybe it will be in Season 4? Although, I have to say that the end of this audio was a bit of a let down with the cliffhanger finish mid-sentence from Romana as she was just about to explain the next course of action following the reveal of this threat. That was a bit rubbish considering the build up of the range and this series. There's a lot going on in the series which I am enjoying, but I must admit that I think there probably has been a little too much this series. The inclusion of the Pandora troubles combined with the dogma virus and now bringing things back to Free Time and Arkadian is a lot of strings to carry together and I think that had an adverse impact on the focus. Despite that, there was so much good going on and I do like the Free Time reversion and where that may take us moving forward. One of the highlights of the story was Leela and Arkadian's interaction given their history and the way her blindness was used with her reaction to hearing his voice was magnificent. Louise Jameson's acting when it came to him temporarily providing her with sight again was outstanding. A sublime scene. K9's role in the episode was a lot of fun and his logical and matter-of-fact delivery of statements made his employment by Matthias and partnership with Braxiatel all the better. I really didn't see that coming and Romana's reaction was more than enough to show the surprise! That was a fun moment. Overall though, a decent story but there's probably too much going on and a naff cliffhanger.

Rating: 7/10

Mindbomb

"I would never resort to assassination to become President."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Audio

Released: August 2006

Series: Gallifrey 3.04

Featuring: Romana II, Leela, K9

Synopsis

'They used to tell meat the Academy that anyone could become president. I'm beginning to believe it.'

The first presidential election for millennia is about to be held on Gallifrey. But in the wake of the civil war that has torn the Time Lords apart, can even an election restore calm and order?

And what of the candidates? Darkel – determined to win at any cost... Matthias – a dark horse with his own agenda... Romana – impeached for high treason...

But even as the candidates manoeuvre and plan, an assassin stalks the galleries of the panopticon.

Gallifrey will soon have a new president, but at what cost? How many people will have to die? And which – if any – of the candidates will survive...?

Verdict

Mind Bomb was an excellent continuation of the third series of Gallifrey! This was a very impressive episode and potentially the best of the series thus far. It followed in a similar vain to Appropriation but I think the way Gallifreyan law and tradition was used was much better this time around and a lot clearer as that was the entire focus of the story. Everything centred around the Presidential election and kicking things off with the ceremony to announce the candidates was terrific. The trio who were standing for office were quite the threesome and they all had very different agendas and roles on the planet of the Time Lords. Matthias being described as a dark horse in the story's synopsis is perfectly apt and judging by how the episode ended, that statement is even truer. Darkel has been conniving and scheming her way to the role of High President for a number of stories now and hearing her get so close only to fall so far was fantastic stuff. Romana had a troubled episode this time around as she was ousted from standing for President before the election even got underway! The way Darkel managed to manipulate events was mightily impressive and her role as Inquisitor coming into play and all that brings with her knowledge of war was brilliantly done. Due to the events of earlier in and previous series, Romana ended up being imprisoned as a political prisoner accused of treason. Going strictly by the law, it was hard to argue against that. But the string of events this triggered was magnificent. The debate on who was actually in power on Gallifrey was a really fun element of the episode. The attempted assassination of Darkel brought back fun memories of The Deadly Assassin and I had to laugh at the claim of Gallifrey being the upmost representation of democracy if Presidents could simply name their own successor! Darkel commanding that the would-be assassin be killed without question was more than enough to illustrate her guilt and Annos revealing that to Narvin and trusting his instincts was excellent. Their unsubtle referring to Darkel in that call was superb and it was clear that the CIA wanted the assassin for questioning. Darkel and Matthias combining to annul Romana's presidency from the moment that Pandora was released was a very good and intriguing move and it coming into effect happened very quickly. That would be her downfall though as that meant that Romana's decision to strip Braxiatel of his role as Chancellor never happened, and in the event of a President being removed from office it was the Chancellor that assumed the role. His return was fantastic and really well done with Leela and K9 seeking entry to his office in the first place. Great stuff. Darkel's reaction when she realised what had happened was priceless. The looming effects of Pandora still remained inside his head, but with the Matrix no more then there was not a huge threat to Gallifrey with his return. His arrest of Darkel soon being turned on its head due to the tradition of pardoning political prisoners was a fun moment, although I do wish it lasted a little longer as it was such a quick turn of events for the Inquisitor. Her speed in making this tradition known and enacted of course freed Romana as well and this meant she could once again stand for President. Darkel's playing on the Pandora element within Braxiatel's mind was brilliant and I liked how this resulted in a quick resignation from the former Chancellor. The moment of him naming his successor with everything pointing towards it being Romana and normality restored was magnificent, as he only went and named Matthias the High President instead! I didn't see that coming, and neither did I envisage the demise of Darkel at the hands of Pandora as it wasn't Braxiatel's mind she was held within but hers. True, it was his will keeping her at bay but it was Darkel who perished which was a big shock! Leela managed to shine and the way her blindness was used was excellent here. Just what I've been after. Her comment about the birds when flapping was mentioned was hilarious and I loved that she made comments like these intentionally so Time Lords would think her stupid. Overall, a terrific audio!

Rating: 9/10

Appropriation

"You are clever, but you have no pride."

Writer: Paul Sutton

Format: Audio

Released: July 2006

Series: Gallifrey 3.03

Featuring: Romana II, Leela, K9

Synopsis

'Didn't take the Temporal Powers long to realise that Pandora's war was over, and come here to start a new one.'

In the wake of Civil War, Gallifrey stands more vulnerable than at any time in its controversial history. The other temporal powers orbit the ancient Time Lord society, poised and ready to take control.

And then, as a terrifying legacy, the residual traces of the Pandora virus bring down the transduction barriers...

While Romana is exhausted and powerless in then medical station, Lord Matthias fights desperately to negotiate a peace. But Gallifreyans are dying.

Can Leela find K9? Is retribution about to be visited upon the oldest race in the universe for until millennia of manipulation and interference? And what is behind Valyes' decision to recall the High Council?

Verdict

Appropriation was a decent continuation of the third series of Gallifrey! After the way Warfare ended, this did have the feeling of being something of an aftermath and something quite epic clearly had happened with Pandora being eliminated, the Matrix erased and the dogma virus released in its technological form. That's quite a lot to process for the second episode of a five-story series so it was no surprise that this started off in quite a calm matter. As if all of the aforementioned wasn't enough, Romana was now deposed as High President of Gallifrey which was an interesting development as I wonder where that will leave things for the rest of the series and spinoff in general. The political scheming was on an incredible level in this adventure with Darkel out to take the presidency for herself with Romana indisposed following the exhaustive impact of the Pandora dealings. It's really terrific to hear Narvin and how he has changed his feelings regarding Romana as his President because that's not quite how things started with this spinoff range. Matthias had a strong episode in his role on Gallifrey and I have to say that there was a great deal of politics in the story that probably did overwhelm things to be honest. His efforts to try and take the presidency for himself was humorous, but there was just a little too much for my liking in regards of legality and the continued claims of who was the rightful President. I like the idea of disputed claims and the general political nature of Gallifrey itself is always enjoyable, but there probably was a bit too much for my liking as it got to the point of overkill. There was a lot to follow in terms of the legal path and whether there was a High Council or not and if they had the right to remove Romana, only to then provide a vote of no confidence which meant they acknowledged her presidency up to that point. There was a lot of back and forth, but that particular aspect did make me laugh. Romana's efforts to hold onto her position were excellent and her quoting of the constitution regarding the current incarnation and her plan to induce regeneration was tremendous. I didn't see that coming but I admired her efforts to remain President by any means necessary. Leela and K9 had a somewhat quiet episode and once again I felt there was nothing regarding the former's blindness which didn't seem right. The issue of the transduction barriers failing and the temporal powers pouncing on being able to get back to Gallifrey was very good and I expect that to be a major talking point of the final two episodes. The virus being the cause of this failure was very good and I do like that it is out there in technological form as that can provide a lot of potential for where things move forward. The Phaidon, Sunari and Nekkistan all stepping foot back on Gallifrey was decent and I liked the continuity that provided with earlier Gallifrey series. War following a Civil War is a fun prospect and I do hope that is what we get in the next episode. However, attentions were firmly focused on the politics and the looming election and whether that was actually lawful. One thing I have to mention is how great the unexpected cameo from Colin Baker briefly reprising his role as Maxil was. I didn't see that coming and I'm so glad I didn't check the credits before listening as that caught me off guard in the best way possible. I also liked the reference to The Invasion of Time with the lead walls installation being referred to by K9 as 100% effective. Overall, a decent tale that probably just had a bit too much conflicting and changing legality issues. Hopefully things are cleared up next time out!

Rating: 7/10

Warfare

"I'm her past. She cannot escape that."

Writer: Stewart Sheargold

Format: Audio

Released: June 2006

Series: Gallifrey 3.02

Featuring: Romana II, Romana I, Leela, K9

Synopsis

'You shouldn't even exist. You're an anomaly. And we Time Lords stamp them out.'

The dark days have come again. It's the end for Gallifrey. The most learned civilisation in the universe has come to war. The Capitol is in ruins; pitched battles are an everyday occurrence, futures are being changed. The first Imperiatrix, back from the dead, has stolen power and nothing will stop her ambition.

Except, perhaps for a small band of opposition who believe that it is time to stop running and fight back. But war demands sacrifice, and to rid Gallifrey of Pandora, Romana's sacrifice will be great indeed. That is, if she can remember which Romana she actually is. For there is some warfare that is more pervasive than others...

Verdict

Warfare was another very good Gallifrey audio adventure to continue the third series! I was quite surprised by how this one ended considering it was the second of a five-story series as Pandora seems to have been dealt with which I was expecting to build towards as the series rolled on. Instead, we got what kind of felt like a finale by the end of the episode here which was a lot of unexpected fun. I thought it worked well to have Darkel as the prime villainess in this one as even though Pandora was around and prominently featured, there was something mysterious about the Inquisitor which I thoroughly enjoyed. She is conniving and out for herself and the distain she displays towards Romana's presidency is excellent. Her discussions with Narvin were intriguing and I really like the development of the CIA operative over the course of the Gallifrey spinoff thus far. He's obviously got quite the history with Romana and his change of heart and acceptance of her being the President of the Time Lords was terrific here. Leela had a pretty strong episode here but I do think there could have been more mentioning or at least use of her blindness. It's such a big thing to happen and whilst I know there is still time, it's a fresh development so I think more alluding to it should have happened. That's not a big issue though! I really liked Matthias and Hallen were able to shine as characters in this audio. The former was very good with his links to Darkel and his explanation as to how he obtained the source of the Free Time dogma virus release later in the story was very good. You could hear how uncomfortable he was with the conversation which was great stuff. I really liked Hallen as well in this adventure and his devotion to Romana and desire to rid Gallifrey of Pandora was fantastic. He was enjoyable in the role of Commander. The way the story incorporated the warfare on Gallifrey with the battle for power amongst Romana and Pandora was good and I thought the action at the start was nicely done. There was a decent pace for the most part, even if things were perhaps slightly long, but they more than picked up once the dogma virus was inadvertently released by Hallen infecting himself. I enjoyed that and the continuity that comes with it from earlier series of the spinoff is excellent. At the moment, it really does all feel like a big story rather than separate series. Hallen having to choose between fire and ice to avoid dying was brilliant and the way Narvin announced the predicament was superb. The moment that both incarnations of Romana came together was very good, but I do feel like it should have been saved for a more impactful moment. The continuity with Fractures and the Aesino coming to take Romana I was magnificent and I also liked how there was almost battles for personality supremacy within each incarnation and Pandora. Romana I's continued use of referring to herself as Romana the First as if she was a monarch was delightful. The way K9 revealed that he was always on the side of Romana II as his Mistress was humorous and I adored the reaction of Romana when he revealed that he had to use a true version of the virus when it came to infecting her. Romana and K9 willing to destroy themselves to rid Gallifrey of Pandora once and for all was admirable and a powerful moment. I really was surprised to find that the virus was erasing the Matrix and the element of the memories of all of the Time Lords being destroyed and Romana hearing it was incredible. That's quite the burden for her to carry now as the source of knowledge on Gallifrey. A powerful finale to a very good episode!

Rating: 8/10

Fractures

"To support Pandora and her followers is to support anarchy."

Writer: Stephen Cole

Format: Audio

Released: May 2006

Series: Gallifrey 3.01

Featuring: Romana I, Romana II, Leela, K9

Synopsis

'It learns. It evolves. It wants. It hungers. And now Romana has delivered herself to its very door.'

Gallifrey is a world at war with itself. The Pandora entity, clothed in the body of President Romana's first incarnation, seeks to control the populace through mind control and manipulation. The real Romana has resorted to destroying key parts of the Capitol, hoping to weaken Pandora's power base. 

But when one such attack goes horribly wrong, Leela is left injured and Romana's base of operations is expected. Hunted by their enemies, Leela must make for a medical outpost on the fringes of the fighting while Romana seeks a desperate solution in the planet's Anomaly Vaults. But what each discovers will alter their lives, and Gallifrey's future, forever. 

Verdict

Fractures was an excellent start to the third series of Gallifrey! I have to admit that I am loving making my way through this spinoff series and after the cliffhanger at the end of Series 2 with Imperatrix, I thought the continuation here was very good indeed. There was clearly something of a time jump which I thought worked well but the predicament that Gallifrey now finds itself in opens up a wealth of opportunities. It works wonderfully having two different incarnations of Romana on opposing sides in what is essentially Gallifreyan civil war and the predicament that places K9 in particular was fun to explore. I genuinely believed that he was fully on the side of Pandora in the form of Romana I so his reveal to Leela that he was secretly working against Pandora from the inside was excellent stuff. The battle between Romana and Pandora for control of Gallifrey is a good basis for this third series to centre around and the war wounds that come with that were on full display early on into proceedings with Narvin and Leela the subjects of a faulty bomb timing mechanism that they were placing. Narvin was seriously injured but recovered fine. However, the same could not be said of Leela who was permanently blinded! That's a bold move to go with although I expect that she will regain her sight one way or another despite the confirmation from the medical facility in the Outlands. It is such a different dynamic to have a lead character blind and whilst the audio format may not be the best to fully utilise the potential, I have no doubts that this will add to the series and the stories to come. Her savage nature will make it work so well and I loved how despite being blind, in the face of others she had not lost any of her confidence and still firmly believed that she could kill. She could just follow the scent and sound which was magnificent. The use of propaganda in the episode was fantastic and really did sell just how bad of a state Gallifrey was in. Darkel's involvement was particularly enjoyable and she seemed to revel in getting the upper hand and also having K9 as her servitor. She's a very good character and I look forward to hearing more of her and Pandora together. Of course, Pandora has taken over Romana's first incarnation and the paradox that creates as she wades war with Romana II is brilliant. This took us to the Anomaly Vaults which was a concept I loved and the Aesino within as an assassin fractured across time was superb. Their desperation was clear in their voice which worked well and if they were killed they would just be replaced by a duplicate from one second into the future. This being linked up to Winter's TARDIS and Nardole knowing all about it was a fun element, but the danger it provided was clear. I really liked the references to Horror of Fang Rock with Leela remembering a previous time where she was blind and her hope of just having different pigmentation colour was terrific. The reaction she shed in private when it was confirmed her sight was lost was very sad and showed just how human she really is. I like that she remains brash in front of people though. Narvin's tampering with the Aesino and the device linking them to the TARDIS was a good end to an exciting story and the way this has seemingly linked Romana II and Pandora is very intriguing indeed. Hearing voices within her head can't be good for the President, so I look forward to hearing any of those effects as the series rolls on. Overall, a great start!

Rating: 9/10

Missy's Magical Mystery Mission

"Looks like you're going to drown in your enemies' tears."

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner

Format: Short Story

Released: November 2020

Printed in: I Am The Master 03

Featuring: Missy

Synopsis

Is cleaner Daphne Nollis really the best choice to enter a contest to possess the ultimate power in the universe? And is the manically helpful hologram Miss E all she seems?

Verdict

Missy's Magical Mystery Mission was a terrific continuation of the I Am The Master: Legends of the Renegade Time Lord collection of short stories featuring different incarnations of the Master! This was a really good take on Missy's entry into the book and whilst she is no stranger to a short story having had The Missy Chronicles a couple of years ago, I'm glad we got a further story featuring this whacky and wonderful incarnation of the Doctor's greatest enemy. I thought the combination of Missy and Jacqueline Rayner as the author was an exciting combination and whilst things weren't entirely as I expected, it was still a really fun tale. I thought the writing of Missy was good and although I felt it was a slightly slow start in getting to the grips with the character, we definitely got there in the end with Missy coming into her own when it came to the power of Iarbus and the scheme she had put together to ensure she got what she felt was rightfully hers. I wasn't expecting so much focus to be on Daphne as a character in what was essentially a lead role. The adventure was pretty much centred on her which seemed strange to start with as I thought things would have benefited more from Missy in the lead role, but she was still able to provide a lot of fun as essentially the host of the plot to retrieve the power of Iarbus. Her impersonation of being Miss E was fantastic and the way she had to explain that the spelling was different when she revealed herself as Missy was so silly but yet so wonderful. I could hear Michelle Gomez in the character which is testament to the prose. It was great writing of the character. Some of the other characters were interesting as well with the likes of F (although I'm not sure how to format the letter to show as upside down in this blog) and Xnardo really good characters. The way they blended with Dib the Magnificent and the Embodyerment Rogue was very good and the oneupmanship that was on show was terrific. Daphne was so out of place and that really is what made it work so well. Her signing agreement to the terms of Missy's scheme was humorous because she didn't bother reading/listening to the fine print and signed away when the only escape was death or victory. Her reaction to the likes of liquefying and asking her greatest enemies for help from the depths was amusing because she just envied those perishing because they couldn't really be dying and they could be back home. Except they were actually dying. Her role as cleaner for Tivone of Enfis worked very well and was a more than enjoyable element of the adventure. Of course, the invitation she accepted was not intended for her and Missy's rationale of her imprisonment and whole part in the story being as a hologram was superb stuff. That was perfect for her incarnation. I also have to mention the line about the tissue compression eliminator and how she joked about suing. Marvellous stuff. Her description of the Twelfth Doctor when it came to her mentioning her own greatest enemy was also really good. The conclusion was decent and I really liked that Daphne's not fighting was exactly what was required during one of the challenges. The emergence of Iarbus and Missy hoping to take the power she had already earned was fun, but Daphne managed to take it first and literally showered Missy in kittens which was quite the image and a very fun ending. Overall, a great little short story to continue the collection!

Rating: 8/10

The Guardians of Prophecy

"We know better than to heed to superstition."

Writers: Johnny Byrne & Jonathan Morris

Format: Audio

Released: May 2012

Series: Lost Stories 3.04

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri

Synopsis

The TARDIS materialises on Serenity, the last surviving world of the Traken Union. Peri expects a good place for a holiday – not tomb raiders, a labyrinth filled with terrifying monsters and a trap-laden necropolis.

For Serenity's gentle name belies its history as the home planet of the Melkur, soldiers created to serve a long dead dark force, the embodiment of evil itself. Whilst they sleep, vicious thieves are after this force's secrets, and will stop at nothing to find them.

But will they find more than they bargained for?

Verdict

The Guardians of Prophecy was a very good and enjoyable audio adventure! It is quite difficult to go wrong with the pairing of the Sixth Doctor and Peri and they were delightful together here once again. The idea of a loose sequel to The Keeper of Traken has made this a very desirable audio to acquire as that Fourth Doctor serial is a favourite of mine as it was the first ever Classic story I watched and it's just a wonderful adventure in its own right. This wasn't that much of a sequel in my opinion but that was absolutely fine and it was just fantastic to have the Melkur around and get some backstory on this being. The Doctor alluding to events involving the Master and his faux meeting with a Melkur and the destruction of Traken that would follow was brilliant and I really enjoyed how this brought back bad memories for him even if it was centuries ago. That was nice because it was quite a traumatic time, especially for Nyssa so for it to still have an impact on the Doctor was good to know. I really enjoyed the setting of Serenity and the politics on the planet were great. The characters that came with the setting were very good and them all centring around Prophecy as the be all and end all of the way of the planet was excellent. I thought Horgan and Auga in particular were enjoyable characters, but for me the best of the Buch was Ebbko. He was revered as a master thief so much so that even the Doctor was delighted to be in his presence and see him in action. His abilities were impressive and he could literally get out of any door in the universe! His explanation of how he would escape certain predicaments was something I appreciated and I loved the Doctor's calmness when it came to being locked up with him. His sacrifice at the end of the audio to save the planet was admirable and I thought the way he forced Peri into a coffin to save her life was testament to the man he was. A fine character. The use of the Melkur in the story was not entirely what I expected but I still very much enjoyed it. It developed them a lot more and gave a bit more meaning to the disguise the Master hid on Traken with. Their calling was very good and I enjoyed the sound effects very much with it added a lot to the mythology of their being. I thought the focus on the Tomb of Malador was very good and his arrival after being entombed for a millennium was a great cliffhanger. His role as creator of the Melkur was very good and the prospect of a scattered army was brilliant. I thought it also worked well with the concept of the Melkur needing evil to function, along with them supposedly being indestructible. The links with the creatures of the Labyrinth were intriguing and the idea of summoning beings from the Time Vortex is always fun. The actual arrival of those creatures could probably have been better though. Malador proudly proclaiming how he had his own conscience removed from his brain to enhance the effectiveness of his decision making was an unexpected development, but a concept I thought was mightily interesting and unique. It was quite the surgery to go under! The Doctor luring Malador into his trap was very good and I thought Colin Baker's performance was magnificent as per usual. The ending did work well and was quite pacy, if not perhaps a little too quick in its emphatic nature in dealing with both the Melkur and Malador and sending them into a different dimension. It was quite the way to tidy everything up though! The quick departure of the Doctor and Peri in the TARDIS was something I did like with the impending roof collapse. Overall, a really good and strong adventure.

Rating: 8/10

All Flesh is Grass

"Only fools decided when other people died."

Writer: Una McCormack

Format: Novel

Released: December 2020

Series: Time Lord Victorious #2

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Ninth Doctor, Eighth Doctor 

Synopsis

Even a Time Lord can't change the past. A wasteland. A dead world...

No, there is a biodome rising from the ashes. Here, life teems and flourishes, with strange, lush plant and many-winged insects with bright carapaces – and one solitary sentient creature who spends its days talking to the insects and tending this lonely garden. This is Inyit, the Last of the Koturruh. 

In All Flesh is Grass we are transported back to The Dark Times. The Tenth Doctor has sworn to stop the Kotturuh, ending death and bringing life to the universe. But his plan is unravelling – instead of bringing life, nothing has changed and all around him people are dying. Death is everywhere. Now he must confront his former selves – one in league with their greatest nemesis and the other manning a ship of the undead.

Verdict 

All Flesh is Grass was an excellent conclusion to the Time Lord Victorious story arc! It tied everything up nicely and whilst things were not released in story order, this ensured a clear understanding of the different routes for each Doctor on their voyages to the Dark Times as well as ensuring that the Dalek Time Squad story all closed off as well. With so much riding on it and I know we still have Echoes of Extinction to come, but this felt like a fitting finale and bringing the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Doctors together in a novel was just wonderful. I think it's quite incredible that it has taken this long to get the New Series Adventures to put together a multi-Doctor adventure but better late than never! I really liked how this pretty much continued where The Knight, the Fool and the Dead concluded and it was nice to just have some continuation between modern era novels. I'd love more of that. The Eighth Doctor arriving with the Daleks was terrific and followed on nicely from The Enemy of My Enemy whereas the Ninth Doctor was alongside Vampires amidst the events of Monstrous Beauty. Everything came together really nicely and I loved that this book was one big action piece. There was always so much going on and with three Doctors, the Daleks and even an Ood assassin to go alongside the Dark Times and the last Kotturuh, there didn't feel like there was too much to follow which is credit to Una McCormack's writing. Her prose was delightful and I found it humorous how she was really driving home the itchiness of the Tenth Doctor's ceremonial Time Lord collar. The image of all three incarnations of the Doctor in their robes towards the end of the novel was quite something as well. I thought the use of each incarnation of the Doctor was fantastic and the mental conversation between the Eighth and Ninth Doctors after their arrival to confront their future self concerning who they were accompanied by was magnificent. The Doctor interaction here was excellent from start to finish, and there probably ought to have been more if it wasn't for the mental state of the Tenth Doctor. His desire to take on death and wipe out the Kotturuh was incredibly powerful and showed the strain of what he'd endured in recent memory. The reactions of his predecessors when Mordeela was blown up was superb. This wasn't the Doctor they knew themselves to be which was a fantastic concept to play with. I thought the focus on Birinji was very good and it tied in so well with The Dawn of the Kotturuh in going back there as the first place where the Kotturuh past judgement and assigned lifespans. The source of their power deriving from Mordeela connected things nicely and I thought this was a really fitting end to the overall arc. The Daleks having their own agenda in the Dark Times other than stopping the ripple effects of the Tenth Doctor's actions was fantastic and I liked how they were attempting to collect species and ended up capturing a Great Vampire. Their ability to harness that being and create their own undead Daleks as the Symbiot was very good indeed. It was fascinating. Inyit as the last of the Kotturuh was a brilliant character and her not wholly agreeing with the way of her people was excellent. The warning of the Gates of the Dead opening when the last Kotturuh perished was good, although the payoff was perhaps the only let down of the novel. Ikalla was a really good character as well and I particularly enjoyed her relationship with the Ninth Doctor. They got on well which you wouldn't quite expect from a Time Lord and a Vampire! I thought the action throughout was really exciting and this was an ease to read in a single day. It flowed so well with such an enjoyable pace. I liked how things ended with Inyit passing her final judgement on the undead Daleks and that meant the Dalek Time Squad could go scurrying with the Eighth Doctor back out of the Dark Times and into the events of Mutually Assured Destruction which was great. The Ninth and Tenth Doctors pondering over Gallifrey at the end was such a lovely moment for them to share, getting one last look at the planet they thought lost. The Dalek efforts to destroy Gallifrey before the Time Lords were even established was a brilliant plan. Overall, this was a terrific novel that tied the overall arc up very nicely! 

Rating: 9/10