Palace of the Red Sun

"Why can life not be more like the story books?"

Writer: Christopher Bulis

Format: Novel

Released: March 2002

Series: PDA 50

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri

Synopsis

Glavis Judd: Protector of the galaxy or interstellar tyrant? Unscrupulous reporter Dexel Dynes doesn't care. He's only after a sensational story – the more violent the better.

Meanwhile, the TARDIS has landed Peri and the Doctor on a strangely isolated little world, whose immaculate gardens basking under a timeless sun seem the very model of tranquility. Of course, it's too good to be true. 

With the threat of invasion looming, the Doctor and Peri set out to confront the lofty Lords of Esselven. The Doctor must pass safely through the vast gardens of the royal estates while evading the clutches of their fanatical gardeners. Peri has escaped from all that, only to face the dangers of the dark and mysterious wild woods, which hold their own ancient secrets. 

It is a race to save the people of Esselven from the clutches of Glavis Judd. But who amongst the garden world's strange inhabitants can they trust, when nobody is quite what they seem? As time runs out, will Peri and the Doctor discover who really rules inside the Palace of the Red Sun?

Verdict

Palace of the Red Sun was a great read to mark the fiftieth story in the Past Doctor Adventures range! I always enjoy going back to the pairing of the Sixth Doctor and Peri and it was nice to spend a few days with them here as I made my way through this rather unique book! I thought this was feeling like one of the more recent literary crossovers with how unique the setting was and it definitely felt like there was some sort of fictional element. I wasn't wholly surprised by the revelation that much of the world was a fake, but it was still good to build to it. Even though I saw it coming, it wasn't a let down which was delightful. The scale of the book was strong and I liked how it spanned over numerous days. That helps when it comes to the books because that sort of thing feel more realistic than perhaps what we often see on screen. Peri getting friendly with Ken was great, but things got a little too friendly at times for her! The moment she awoke to Kel trying to mate her was quite something! I didn't expect that, but I guess I should have given the moment nature came calling to him when they tried to plan their escape in choreographed measure. But being on top of Peri got him a little excited after not really having contact with female kind. It was understandable in a society like that, but when Peri joined up with them and became at one, Kel wanted her as his mate as was his right. That didn't go down well with Peri! It was nice that things came Nerla's way by the end and she got the next king in Kel. I didn't realise until close to the end of the book that Dexel Dynes had encountered the Doctor and Peri before, but I don't think it was all that necessary to have the prior reading to appreciate his character. I loved his desire for a story and he wasn't afraid to confront those that were the subject of his news stories. He was neutral and perhaps took that for granted a little too much. How impartial would he remain? I thought Glavis Judd made for a really strong villain and his position as Protector was excellent. The desire he had for gaining complete control over Esselven was terrific and I liked how he was basically consumed with unlocking everything. So when he'd finally found the route in hyperspace that the previous royal family he'd chased away had taken, a year earlier, he was dismayed to find the time difference of half a millennium! They were long dead and the whole world in which they'd arrived was basically a simulation repeat. The importance of the gardens always felt a little strong and overbearing, but it was good to have the Doctor converse with Green-8 who had developed sentience. It was excited by the prospect of there being more to the world, and that was also seen with Oralissa when she began questioning things. She couldn't get answers and that just showed the limitations of the programming. I thought the truth was a little obvious by how different Luci and Boots were early on in the novel, and it's staggering to think just how much things would have differed if Peri did stay put in the haha. It was a nice meeting back together at the end though after a long time apart! I thought Judd's arrival felt perhaps slightly too late as by the time he was there it was already falling down, but the message from the King was very good. He was defeated still all this time later, and when he returned in his ship he was in completely the wrong time. His Protectorate had collapsed after he disappeared and Dynes also couldn't get a job. The media had moved on from his style of news. I thought that was really fun. Overall, a really strong read! 

Rating: 8/10