The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe

"Of course I'm the TARDIS!"

Writer: Mark Michalowski

Format: Short Story

Released: April 2003

Printed in: Short Trips: Companions 07

Featuring: Romana I

Synopsis

Adventures in time and space are no fun if there's no one to share them. the Doctor has taken along many people on his travels – humans, aliens and robots. Did he really care for any of them? What in their previous life fitted them for the role of companion – and how did they cope after they left the TARDIS?

These seventeen stories look at the Doctor's trusty companions, before, during and after their travels with the eccentric Time Lord. Discover the truth about Romana's regeneration, find out what happened when Zoe encountered the Doctor again, and learn which of his companions the Doctor cared for the most...

Verdict

The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe was a rather extraordinary story to continue my way through the Companions edition of Short Trips. This was audacious to say the least and I absolutely loved it because of that. This was essentially The Doctor’s Wife before it aired in what it did. I was incredibly excited by just the start alone in seeing that this was dealing with Romana I’s regeneration at the start of Destiny of the Daleks, but I wasn’t actually expecting her to be essentially replaced! It’s a bold claim and one that is difficult to refute really given what happened and the lack of the Time Lady taking her radiation pills. I loved the concept behind Iraj with Romana thinking her of a private mistress in terms of the wardrobe. We know that the Doctor’s fashion availability is unrivalled and almost infinite so it wasn’t a surprise for Romana to be lost within, but what was a surprise was that Iraj revealed herself to be a manifestation of the TARDIS! That’s such a huge thing and with this being released prior to the modern era, I think it’s tremendous. The romantic implications were also quite intriguing and not entirely what I would have expected. Iraj claiming to be the one that the Doctor cared about most was fantastic and honestly it’s difficult to argue, especially with the current incarnation at this point in time. Hundreds of years of her taking him to tackle dictators and evil, but she wasn’t happy with what had happened over the course of the Key to Time season. A randomiser? She was not best pleased. I thought that was good stuff. I thought it was fun for Iraj to be taking on numerous forms to basically showcase to the Doctor as we would see in Destiny and it’s fun to think that it wasn’t actually Romana at all flaunting her whacky and selective regeneration powers. It probably helps keep the lore around regeneration intact too as that’s something that has never quite felt right. I loved that we were addressing that. I was though quite surprised for Iraj to take the form of Princess Astra from The Armageddon Factor because she thought she was the most beautiful specimen in the universe. Might the real life relations between Lalla Ward and Tom Baker be why that was done? I’m all for it. It’s hard to argue that Romana II isn’t attractive, but the idea of taking that form entirely to try and get the Doctor to look at her as more than just a friend or companion was quite surprising! He just liked his blue box and that’s how he saw the TARDIS as her most attractive. I thought it was fun for Iraj to remark on meeting Davros and being on Skaro, as it would now not be Romana who partook in those events! Quite incredible. Audacious to say the least. But it somehow works. I love that this does serve as a regeneration story for Romana I and the way the TARDIS seemingly plays a role in deciding the form for her next incarnation as being that of Astra is very intriguing. The hunt for the schoolgirl outfit at the end though feels slightly over the top, but it’s brash and questions whether Romana might want more than a friendship? I’m not sure I ever felt that way on screen but they are the same species after all and he did whisk her away from Gallifrey longer than intended to see the universe. Some fun and exciting things to ponder. But overall, a fantastic read! 

Rating: 9/10

Smiley's Mirror Exhibit

"You can't hide in a mirror."

Writer: Janelle McCurdy

Format: Short Story

Released: October 2024

Printed in: The Adventures Before 06

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis

Discover what happened before...

What did Osgood do the morning of The Day of the Doctor?

What happened to Tegan before Arc of Infinity, and why does it involve strange sentient lights in the Australian outback?

What was the Tenth Doctor doing in a hall of mirrors, right before Planet of the Dead?

Answers to all these questions lie in an incredible collection of new Doctor Who short stories that give a glimpse into the moments just before we saw the Doctor step on screen.

From Skaro to Apalapucia, from a shop front drained of colour to Rassilon's tomb, join a host of incredible adventures across the universe with Doctors, companions, friends and foes.

Verdict

Smiley's Mirror Exhibit was another great story to continue my way through The Adventures Before collection of prequels! This was a really strong outing for the Tenth Doctor immediately prior to the events of Planet of the Dead, and it works well with the Doctor travelling solo I think. There's a little more room to manoeuvre but I really appreciated how the author included a lot of continuity. The opening Kindle page really called back to Journey's End which was quite beautiful in its description of the Children of Time coming together to help the Doctor before recalling how he was now once again alone. The references to The Next Doctor were much welcomed as well although I was a little surprised for the story to insinuate that those two episodes happened rather quickly next to each other and led straight here. Would the Doctor really jump from Christmas to Easter in rapid succession? Maybe he was in the mood for some chocolate. Whilst I appreciated the foreshadowing of the wormholes and the tears in reality with what was to come in the episode this short story serves as a prequel to, I think a little Easter reference could have really topped things off and rounded it out. It was so easy too! I thought the premise of a mirror exhibit was good and with it being the free the Doctor was soon peaked in terms of interest. I thought the characterisation of this incarnation was strong and I could certainly see David Tennant in my mind with that beaming smile at the idea of visiting the hall. Mirrors are an intriguing thing and often the source of scares and wonder. What is it that makes a reflection so scary and interesting? They obviously played a massive part in the likes of The Evil of the Daleks and Turn Left, and I loved the little nod to the latter in this story when the Doctor heard the episode title mentioned. Rose was sadly long gone for him now and he was able to reflect on how she was now living in a parallel universe with his Meta-Crisis self. I wonder if he was jealous? I liked how mirrors were also in play with the Doctor recalling the end of The Family of Blood and how he trapped Daughter of Mine within one as a punishment. His relationship with the teenager who was eventually named Nova was terrific and I liked how much of the story was presented from her perspective. She just went with the flow when it came to the Doctor and much of that came from the psychic paper getting them both out of trouble when in the restricted access section of the exhibit. I liked how she was looking out for Jake who had gone missing and the way she had deduced the number of missing children being linked to visits to the mirror hall was impressive. The Doctor certainly thought so and that was really nice to read. He was impressed with her and I liked that a lot. She seemed well chuffed and took everything in pretty well! She knew it was completely mad but here she was teaming up with an alien. I thought the concept behind the Smiley was pretty decent although I'm not sure it quite warranted a place in Time Lord folklore. It not being able to see its own reflection was exciting though given where the story took place and taking a picture and showing it in the hall of mirrors was a fitting end. Overall, a strong story! 

Rating: 8/10

Becky's Impossible Day

"This creature feeds off colour."

Writer: Beth Axford

Format: Short Story

Released: October 2024

Printed in: The Adventures Before 05

Featuring: Ninth Doctor

Synopsis

Discover what happened before...

What did Osgood do the morning of The Day of the Doctor?

What happened to Tegan before Arc of Infinity, and why does it involve strange sentient lights in the Australian outback?

What was the Tenth Doctor doing in a hall of mirrors, right before Planet of the Dead?

Answers to all these questions lie in an incredible collection of new Doctor Who short stories that give a glimpse into the moments just before we saw the Doctor step on screen.

From Skaro to Apalapucia, from a shop front drained of colour to Rassilon's tomb, join a host of incredible adventures across the universe with Doctors, companions, friends and foes.

Verdict

Becky's Impossible Day was a great story to continue my way through The Adventures Before collection of prequels! We dive into the modern era of the show now, although this particular adventure takes place right before Rose so is it possibly a Classic era story featuring the Ninth Doctor? I am probably overthinking things a little there and that would provide a whole new take on the twelve Big Finish Ninth Doctor Adventures boxsets, but it's fun to think about. I think doing a prequel to the very first modern episode is a good idea and this serves as a good and simple outing. There's no real great peril other than for Becky and her nail salon, but the Doctor is on hand to stop things before they get wildly out of control. I think the concept behind the Ashen is actually excellent and I adore the idea of an alien that feeds on colour. It consumes it and coming to Earth would be quite the feast! A typical high street is full of all sorts of colour and amusements. Might a Christmas story have been even better to do this kind of adventure as a prequel to? It didn't really matter. This just works. I thought the way Becky's nail salon was established was strong and I liked the background to her character. She was beginning to make a success of her little business which I could appreciate, so for her to be shocked and stunned by the Not-Pickles was obviously having an adverse effect! Just when things were going right, the colour was literally being stolen from her nail salon. And that's a profession where colour is crucial! I liked the little nods to what we would see throughout the first modern series and the little news bulletin of the shop window dummy hoax was fantastic. I was a big fan of that as it just sold the setting very well and it helped to have the Doctor mentioning the signal he had picked up. If only he was brandishing the device we saw on screen alongside the sonic screwdriver! The imagery presented in the story was fantastic and I really loved the idea of the blue sonic shining through in a monochrome nail salon. It definitely had some strong WandaVision vibes which is a huge compliment. I thought the Doctor being on hand to provide the resolution was good and it made sense to think of something dark and gloomy to take out the effect of the colour drain. The Ashen wouldn't want anything of that nature! Having a brief glimpse of what the Doctor considered dark and the worst day of his life here through Becky's connection was great as we got a small look at the War Doctor and the proclamation of No More as seen in The Day of the Doctor and the end of the Time War. Gallifrey fell, and for the Doctor at this point in time that was rather fresh. At least he had taken back the name of the Doctor! On a personal note, this is probably the story in the collection I was most looking forward to because it was the author debut of Beth Axford who is a co-host on the tremendous Who Watch Podcast. I have followed that since the very start and it has been a blast, and she has also done some strong work in recent editions of Doctor Who Magazine as well as editing a few books. And for her writing debut I thought this was absolutely solid. It was a little shorter than some other stories in the collection which is a shame as I definitely think there was more room to go beyond the nail salon when it came to feeding upon colour, but it's just a really good idea! It's perfect really for the dark and downbeat demeanour of the Ninth Doctor and his leather jacket. He fit right in the monochrome setting! My only qualm really is the idea of the Doctor taking the Ashen home once it had regurgitated the colour as would he really go 333 light years away as a taxi service when he was tracking the Nestene? Regardless, this was a thoroughly enjoyable prequel! 

Rating: 8/10

The Force of Death

"We will destroy them with the very technology we have taken from them."

Writer: Andrew Lane

Format: Audio

Released: October 2024

Series: BBC Audio 26

Featuring: Eighth Doctor

Synopsis

The Doctor is working undercover in 1890s Galway whilst investigating the mysteries sinking of the RMS Majestic. Witnesses recall something huge crashing into the sea, causing a massive wave which overturned the ship. Could it have been the mythical sea creature known as the Dobhar-chu?

Also on the scene is James MacFarlane, intrepid journalist and friend of the Doctor. Reunited, the pair discover death stalking the area in the form of animated corpses. The Doctor soon realises that aliens are present, and unless stopped their plans could kill everyone in County Connemara! 

Verdict

The Force of Death was a great story to add to the BBC Audio originals! This is another adventure for the Eighth Doctor alongside James MacFarlane who just keeps bumping into this incarnation. Considering the unlikely nature of this happening now for the fourth time, it's even more amazing that it's always the Eighth Doctor he runs into. And the settings across the UK and beyond vary quite considerably! We've gone from Cardiff to the Antarctic to Galway. That's quite the variety and I'm a big fan of it. Considering that this format is just one narrator telling the story, I feel quite an affinity with James. I was very intrigued to hear how the dynamic between him and the Doctor would be given how things were left at the end of The Teeth of Ice, but the Doctor was rather in an ebullient mood which surprise me slightly! He didn't seem shocked that James arrived and I thought the way he deduced the Doctor's presence there was tremendous. It was almost like a disguise of the Master for the Doctor to be claiming to be the Irish name of John Smith! I absolutely adored it though and the realisation for James was tremendous. Here he was again! I think James being a journalist is good and of course the Doctor is no stranger to those when it comes to his companions, but I wouldn't consider him as such. Not until he has a full stay in the TARDIS. I loved that the events he was experiencing with the Doctor here wouldn't become public knowledge as despite MacFarlane's profession, the ludicrous nature of what was happening just couldn't be published. Nobody would take it seriously! And another such case was on hand here. The Doctor was merely posing as a vet because of some strange goings on with cattle and the like, which became actually rather dark towards the end of the story. Dealing with mutilation that goes as far as removing brains and organs is pretty disturbing but it fits in well with a story of this title and the dark atmosphere. Things were definitely presented as bleak which was nicely done and definitely the right kind of tone for this adventure. Commander Moret (sp?) turned out to be a decent villain as the man taking advantage of the crashed ship of the Fomorians. He had used them and even had a hostage to create semi-automata weaponry. And it was a century early! The devastation potential there was obvious for all to hear, He had no remorse but I loved how James was actually on the verge of challenging the Doctor because he was getting involved and doing the very thing he had berated him for on the Antarctic. That was a strong moment but things luckily didn't blow over. I liked how the Doctor remarked that he was a changed man and whilst it had been barely a year for James since their last meeting, for him it was so much longer. This was the Eighth Doctor when he was on the verge of having to pick a side in the Time War. Something terrible was coming and that meant he saw things from a different perspective. I appreciated that as an explanation. I liked the simplicity and quite quick nature of the conclusion in having the Doctor resonate the sea to stop Moret and company, and without the Fomorians wouldn't be under control. It was a neat way to tidy things up! Overall, an intriguing tale and one that I really enjoyed. A fine way to pass an hour! 

Rating: 8/10

The Four Faces of Immortality

"Who was Rassilon to stop the future learning about the past."

Writer: Gary Russell

Format: Short Story

Released: October 2024

Printed in: The Adventures Before 04

Featuring: Borusa

Synopsis

Discover what happened before...

What did Osgood do the morning of The Day of the Doctor?

What happened to Tegan before Arc of Infinity, and why does it involve strange sentient lights in the Australian outback?

What was the Tenth Doctor doing in a hall of mirrors, right before Planet of the Dead?

Answers to all these questions lie in an incredible collection of new Doctor Who short stories that give a glimpse into the moments just before we saw the Doctor step on screen.

From Skaro to Apalapucia, from a shop front drained of colour to Rassilon's tomb, join a host of incredible adventures across the universe with Doctors, companions, friends and foes.

Verdict

The Four Faces of Immortality was a fascinating prequel to The Five Doctors to continue my reading of The Adventures Before collection! Or was it? Because to be honest this could quite easily also be labelled as a sequel. I understand there is a sequel version of this collection due to come out next year and they could probably get away with a reprint there with this story! This isn’t a negative at all because the story was terrific and honestly was a glorious Gallifrey continuity vomit spree in the best way possible. It was incredibly positive and almost a celebration of the Time Lord home world. It was a really interesting take and I’m a sucker for delving into Gallifreyan and/or Time Lord history. It was really strong and getting mentions as varied as the Timewyrn and Zagreus to Pandora and the Division. The references came far and wide. I was a little confused at first as this is essentially the first moments for Borusa after he has lost the game in the Tomb of Rassilon and gets his wish of immortality, but then we learned all about the other faces on the tomb who were trapped. Their respective stories of how they came to be entombed in seeking immortality was decent. I thought Pandad’s story was very good and the concept of a new inauguration for him as President purely because he’d regenerated was pretty amusing. His first decree would be to change that process right away which I couldn’t entirely disagree with. It did seem slightly arbitrary. I thought Jarel’s story was excellent and I really loved how she had an attitude of challenge. She didn’t understand why the mighty Rassilon, now long since dead, was still having a ruling effect over the elite of Gallifrey. Why was knowledge forbidden? She wanted to know it all and I couldn’t blame her there. The way she actually stood up to Rassilon and defied him was fantastic and she wasn’t given much of a choice when it came to her immortality being granted. We saw that brutal streak of Rassilon in glimpses which was good. Muul’s story was certainly the least interesting and seemed like it was just chucked on at the end to round out what we saw on screen in the twentieth anniversary special, but I did like that it was acknowledged to be quick within the story. That certainly helps! I thought bookending the story over 983 years with a Borusa lecture was a nice touch and did help with the prequel element of the adventure. I was really impressed throughout with how much the Cloister Wraiths were sold as a strong monster and their almost mythical status on Gallifrey was presented really well. They made a strong impression in Hell Bent so to have them with an allure status here was great stuff. I thought touching upon the history of Rassilon’s involvement in establishing time travel and the status of Time Lords was excellent, although I think some of the commentary from the author in brackets making a little mockery of Gallifreyan legend was a bit of a shame. That felt slightly unwarranted but thankfully it didn’t last for the entire adventure. Despite that though, this served as a fine prequel (and sequel!) to a celebratory adventure. Overall, a terrific read!

Rating: 8/10

Night of the Kraken

"I'm usually in favour of saving as many people as possible."

Writer: Jonathan Green

Format: Novel

Released: April 2016

Series: Choose the Future 01

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor

Synopsis

In 18th-century England, the Twelfth Doctor meets a roguish time-smuggler and faces terrifying creatures from both land and sea. Can the Doctor concoct a last-minute plan to save the world?

Verdict

Night of the Kraken was so close to being a great book! After my recent return to reading some Decide Your Destiny books of the Tenth Doctor era, I have jumped ahead a few years in the library collection to the time of the Twelfth Doctor and something of a revamp of the range with a new twist in the form of Choose the Future. I have to say, on the front of it this was a much better reader experience and I think that is almost entirely down to the fact that as the reader we were influencing the story rather than taking part in it. That really helped and just made it feel more genuine. I still think the issue of what is canonical is problematic in my head now when it comes to these types of stories, but in my choices I primarily went with what I thought the Twelfth Doctor was most likely to do and what just felt right. Unfortunately, my chosen path seemed to be one that almost entirely missed the titular Kraken as a monster! It was such a shame as I was enjoying what I was reading before the Kraken were quickly mentioned as if they'd always been around and before long they were already defeated! I couldn't have been more disappointed really as the book was so promising to begin with and going to the eighteenth century in Cornwall was an exciting setting. There's some strong connections there with the likes of The Smugglers and The Curse of the Black Spot to hark back upon, but unfortunately in my chosen path there was no reference to either. That was a blaring gap in continuity! It was a shame that the Doctor was travelling without Clara here as there was probably slightly too much in terms of the Doctor talking to himself, but that's a necessity in prose. There wouldn't be much to read about otherwise! I thought it was good stuff to have Ravenwood as a character and his being a Time Agent came a little suddenly out of nowhere, but the Doctor wasn't messing around and he wasn't exactly thrilled to be encountering somebody of his nature. The characterisation of the Twelfth Doctor here was pretty decent, but considering the release was in 2016 his character was very much fleshed out by this point and I think a little more familiar terminology and actions could have been presented. I thought the format of the story was good although considering the title of the series telling us we could choose the future, there were quite a few sections where we were just told to advance to a different number with no alternative. That seemed a little odd, especially when I had two in a row! I do think though the size of this book is intriguing given that there are literally close to 150 different instalments, and it has led me to wonder just how many different versions of the story there are. I only caught a glimpse of her name in one of the options that was forced as I hadn't met her yet, but it was a shame I didn't get to encounter Bess on my travels through the story. The book really was lacking in characters! That did add to the atmosphere though as it felt very contained despite the smugglers' presence. I thought it was quite amusing that Ravenwood was actually the one to defeat the Kraken but he did so in means that didn't get the approval of the Doctor. He was quite disgusted and left abruptly after the time agent's actions, and I liked that but it was just annoying that I didn't really experience much of the Kraken threat other than being told they were one. There was nothing in terms of action on my respective journey which is a shame as I felt like if I had taken another route I may have enjoyed this book a whole lot more. Nevertheless, this was the route I chose and unfortunately it was disappointing at the finish.

Rating: 6/10

Mistfall

"This has been a long time planning."

Writer: Andrew Smith

Format: Audio

Released: January 2015

Series: Monthly Adventures 195

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan, Turlough

Synopsis

Drawn off-course, the TARDIS passes through a CVE into a closed universe – a hugely improbably event with a tragically obvious cause. In order to escape inescapable E-Space, the Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Turlough are forced to venture in the wilds of planet Alzarius. 

But they're not the only unwanted visitors to this strange world. A Starliner has landed, captained by Decider Merrion – but why would Merrion risk rousing the Planet that Slept, and the monsters in its marshes?

Mistfall is coming. The Marshmen are coming. But while Nyssa and Turlough find themselves caught in the open, in the hands of fanatics who model themselves on the legendary Outlers, the Doctor and Tegan discover that the supposedly secure Starliner affords them no protection from monsters both within and without...

Verdict

Mistfall was an excellent story to continue my way through the Monthly Adventures! I was surprised after listening to this to find quite a few negative reviews of the story which is a shame and part of that actually does seem to be because of the nostalgic element! I thought this was quite brilliant and the idea of sending the Doctor back to E-Space is tremendous. I'm well on board for that as a trilogy or even longer if it lasts that long. I think doing what is basically a loose sequel to Full Circle is a fantastic idea as that is a subtly iconic serial and the imagery of the Marsh Men is certainly one that lasts in the mind. So to have them return here is a fine idea and I think it works well on audio. The mist was presented very well and I loved the tone of the story. The atmosphere was absolutely there and that's a huge bonus when it comes to my enjoyment of the adventure. I think it's quite sad but extremely effective to have the TARDIS return to E-Space after the events of Earthshock with Adric having sadly passed away. The emotional toll of his death was felt once again here and it's incredible to think how often his death is remarked upon in a negative way. It's hard to find any positives in the way he did die, but his sacrifice to wipe out the Cybermen should be acknowledged. Here, we get to see that once again he did very well with some mathematical calculations and saw that the TARDIS would pass through a CVE if it got close. The Doctor not realising that Adric was using the TARDIS systems for his calculations seems like a slight oversight, but the Doctor quickly worked out what had happened when he was seeing Gallifrey on the scanner. From the way the TARDIS had reacted on its journey, he just knew they were on Alzarius. The collective reactions of the companions to hearing that name was good stuff but I did think Turlough was a little harsh in how forefront he was at mentioning the fact Adric was dead. I enjoyed hearing Jemma Redgrave in the role of the Decider Merrion and whilst I would have preferred to have Kate Stewart meet the Fifth Doctor, this isn't a bad substitute! I thought Nyssa had a strong story here and I liked how she was determined to put right the TARDIS when it came to the compensator that ended up with Solus. The fact that they needed to find his body at the end was a little daunting and horror-filled. I thought Merrion was a really strong character and learning of her past and why she was hated was interesting stuff. Little did the opposition know that their own council had understood her actions and agreed that the details should not be released to the public. I thought that was a good development and you could actually hear the shock in the facial reactions. It was brilliant stuff. I really enjoyed Tegan getting split up from the Doctor and I was surprised that when it was decided the TARDIS quartet would split off into pairs that she was the companion to accompany the Time Lord. They haven't always had the best relationship! Speaking of relationships, I think the follow on from Prisoners of Fate with Nyssa was really strong. That story was an incredible emotional toll for her with the twenty-five year gap away from her children, and now she was stuck in E-Space with no prospect of escape! She didn't want more separation! I thought the cliffhangers in the story were pretty strong and I particularly liked that Fem had a connection with the Marsh Man leader. Hearing one speak was portrayed very nicely on audio. That played nicely into how Mistfall and the Marsh Men were left, and the prospect of adventures moving forward was left in a pretty fun way with the TARDIS going haywire on take off without the vital component. I look forward to more adventures in E-Space! Overall, an excellent adventure! 

Rating: 9/10

Masterful

"One of these Masters is not like the other."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio 

Released: January 1971

Series: 50th Anniversary Master Special

Featuring: The Master, Missy, War Master, Jo, Kamelion

Synopsis

The Master's finally done it. He's won. He summons his other selves to a celebration of his ultimate victory. And they come – from across time and dimensions. But he's forgotten to invite someone. And Missy's not happy.

Has the Master really conquered the universe? Or has something more awful been unleashed? Something that even all the Masters cannot stop?

Missy is determined to reveal the truth. Because one fact about the Master's existence never changes. No-one can trust the Master. 

Not even the Master.

Verdict

Masterful was just that. A fine story to celebrate fifty years of the incredible villain! And what an incredible treat to bring together so many different incarnations of the Master in one place. This was honestly just such a treat and the opening half an hour or so where they all come together and interact was just perfect. It was an incredible piece of drama. This story certainly went ahead with some intriguing pair ups and starting things off with the Decayed Master and the younger Master that we saw glimpsed on screen in The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords was not what I expected. But then much of what the former incarnation went through in the story was not what I would have anticipated. I thought the Saxon Master was just excellent here and it feels right that he was the incarnation that had claimed victory over the universe. He had won, and hell he'd even thrown the Doctor to her death which was quite the surprise! I would love to get a tale where John Simm and Jodie Whittaker would perform opposite each other! Of course, Sacha Dhawan is her Master but there's nothing like a mix of the eras. I loved how the Saxon Master referred to the War Master as dad and that theme continued when Missy arrived on the scene and said the exact same thing to the Saxon version. I was a little surprised that World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls wasn't referenced between them, but Missy being the one on hand to spoil the party was rather fun. She was a little peeved at not getting invited and soon revealed the true intentions of the Saxon Master. He hadn't actually brought all of his previous selves together to throw a party, he was actually planning on taking all of their lives. I thought it was fun to play on the body instability witnessed in The End of Time there and the Saxon version claiming that all of them were his lives to take was actually a little difficult to argue with! They had all been him at one point. Hearing how pretty much every version of the Master was a little scared at what they would become in the form of Missy was quite humorous and I just loved how she entered the fray with a disguise. She revelled in it and what would a celebratory Master story be without one? I was a big fan of hearing John Simm again and his Master absolutely delivered on audio. I thought it was delightful for him to refer to his past selves as early drafts as he now believed this incarnation was the one he got right. The one for victory. It didn't quite turn out to be true of course. I thought the concept of the entropy wave in the story was fantastic and that really allowed some solid character development for different incarnations. I thought the Decayed Master having a life again with Kitty was really rather emotional and his reaction to seeing himself without the crispy look was stunning. His being mocked almost by the Bruce Master was a little odd though, but I loved it. He revelled in everything. The imagery of the Saxon Master and the War Master driving around together was an absolute delight and I liked how the pair weren't put off by the other killing so destructively. Missy naming each of her past incarnations all of the same except for 'crispy' was a tremendous moment and I thought her reaction to the Lumiat making a cameo was delightful. Speaking of which, having Jo Grant appear was sublime and I think she was the perfect companion to feature. Sure, we did get Kamelion but he didn't make too much of an impact. I do like that he featured though given his history and connection with the Master. It felt right. I thought the Ainley version of the Master featuring was stunning and Jon Culshaw's impression at times was sensational. I just wish we heard more from him! Hearing the Reborn Master on Gallifrey was a delight and I thought it was also superb to have the Unbound Master featured and get very associated with Missy! What a pairing they briefly were. There really is so much to mention here and the story itself plays out very nicely. The War Master finding amusement in saving the universe was terrific and I thought it was fitting for Missy to be the final incarnation wiped out to cause the paradox bringing back reality. Overall, just a tremendous celebration! Masterfully mad. 

Rating: 9/10

Second Skin

"The patches make you change."

Writer: Richard Dungworth

Format: Novel

Released: March 2008

Series: Decide Your Destiny 10

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis

When you find yourself on a twenty-third century space station, you soon realise a dangerous alien parasite has taken over most of the people on-board. Can you and the Doctor destroy it before it reaches Earth?

Verdict

Second Skin was a great Decide Your Destiny novel! I'm usually pretty critical of these formatted stories but I have to say that I thought this one was pretty terrific and really captured the reader's attention right from the off. I'm still not a huge fan of the reader being a central character and essentially the companion with the Tenth Doctor travelling solo here as we don't get to input our own words, but we do get to decide a number of actions which I guess is something! I had thought of something intriguing when it came to that aspect of the method of storytelling here though and that was the issue of things being canonical. Is every possible choice that the reader takes officially part of canon? It's fun to think about because I'm not entirely sure how many different possible routes this adventure can take, but it must be a lot given the number of choices I had to make on just one route! Would avid readers really utilise every possible version of this story? There just isn't enough time in the day for me to be doing that and let's face it I can't be blogging several different versions of the story. If anyone didn't decided to go into the TARDIS early on then they're mad and lacking sense of adventure for me. What young fan with knowledge of Doctor Who wouldn't choose the time and space machine? I thought the story opened very strongly and immediately it felt more mature. It didn't feel childish much at all throughout the adventure which was fantastic and it just had an impact right away with the Doctor being thrust into action and handing off the sonic screwdriver to the reader right away. I think it also helped that it took a little while for chosen dialogue for the reader to occur as we were just an observer of the Doctor's actions at the start. That was as it should be. I was interested to see that this story was released in March 2008 ahead of Series 4 airing but the Tenth Doctor was travelling solo. Whenever he is companionless I always naturally go to the era of the 2009 Specials but here he was yet to be reunited with Donna. A fun little quirk. I thought the plot at the heart of my version of the story was actually really impressive and I liked the environmental education that would occur for younger readers. The concept of the patches was really strong and it was good to have an alien race commercialised. Humanity at its finest right there. What wouldn't we harvest for monetary gain? In this instance, it was a means to tackle UV light which was interesting and I really appreciated the twenty-third century setting as it showed just what kind of impact the environment had experienced. Something somewhat ordinary was now a real problem and people were paying good money to be pale. How times change! I thought Blip was a pretty good little character although in my chosen route he did seem to arrive slightly late. Perhaps my decisions meant the ending was somewhat rushed? I didn't get that feeling for the story overall, but just for his involvement. I thought the way things ended was strong in having the Doctor rejigging the spaceship's thermal controls so once it did enter Earth's atmosphere it would simply burn up and take the patches with it. The Doctor was confident in his actions as we never actually saw this happen, but I feel like we can trust him! Overall, a strong little read and a fine use of the library once again. There's nothing quite like an essential freebie. 

Rating: 8/10

Saving Time: Reboot

"Glyce-Kidz are made to order."

Writer: Lizzie Hopley

Format: Audio

Released: October 2024

Series: Jenny - The Doctor's Daughter 3.04

Featuring: Jenny, Noah

Synopsis

Jenny and Noah finally face their new nemesis: Jexabel Glycol – the Richest Woman in the Universe. With Noah a prisoner, Jenny is trapped on an Earth owned by the Glyce brand, where everyone is encouraged to raise virtual children instead of the real thing.

Jenny faces her greatest challenge yet: saving the universe, while taking care of her Glyce-Kidz!

Verdict

Reboot was a fascinating finale to the Saving Time third series of Jenny - The Doctor's Daughter! This was potentiality a little different to what I was expecting after an extensive buildup, but it was great to hear Jexabel in action. She was efficient and it was no surprise given her status as the Richest Woman in the Universe. Capitalised now per the synopsis! Maybe she has it trademarked? I'll give her the dues. I thought hearing how she was trying to literally put the entire human race into her own image was quite something and she was audacious and bold that was for sure. She was also incredibly self-centred but I guess that's what money gets you. Too much of it and you suddenly become unwanted. All people want is your money so it would be difficult for her to get true friendship without an ulterior motive. I almost feel a little sorry in that regard, but then did want people in her employ to quickly shush the Glyce-Kidz without excuse and to blow on the sand she was walking upon when it was too hot. There are some things where people just have too much money and that latter occurrence was a fine example. There should never be a situation where someone is employed to do just that! Imagine that being a part of your working day! I think I'd laugh in her face at the request. Given Jenny's status as the Doctor's daughter, it was quite fun to make her a mother to numerous Glyce-Kidz in this episode. Motherhood wasn't exactly something she embraced and that was somewhat understandable given that the children were virtual, but she had lost four in the last month. She wasn't all that bothered, but the way she finally gave in and put herself into the system was brilliant. She made it seem like she had finally given in, but the way she was playing the long game was just outstanding. I thought hearing her singing to the children with unapproved songs and stories of her life was good fun, but then she did use her own approved nursery rhyme rather brilliantly. She actually united over forty million Glyce-Kidz to bring down the demise of Jexabel, with a little helping hand on the inside from Dorium. He hadn't reacted well to being double crossed in the previous episode of Genesis of the Humans, so took his revenge here. I liked that he was on hand to aid Jenny and Noah. The toil the latter went through during this story was quite incredible as he was subjected to nine months of being essentially a research sample. The different versions of him including one that was flying around was quite interesting, and I liked the scale of variations. There were all sorts! Whilst he has felt like a companion for most of the spinoff series so far, this episode really did show that it is all about Jenny. The way it was revealed that Jexabel was behind the COLT-5000 was fun stuff but the horrors that have occurred to Noah as the genetic makeup for humanity were firmly told here. It was quite extraordinary, as was the way Jenny brought about the end of Glyce's vision, at least for now. The use of the nursery rhymes was honestly tremendous and I'm a big fan of such a unique way to bring about defeat of a villain! It was unlike anything heard before. As a whole, I think my only wish was a bit more of an impactful meeting between Jenny and Glyce, but it feels like the latter was suddenly a long way off becoming a version of the Master for her father. Overall, a great listen! 

Rating: 8/10

Saving Time: Genesis of the Humans

"We want to set you free."

Writer: Adrian Poynton

Format: Audio

Released: October 2024

Series: Jenny - The Doctor's Daughter 3.03

Featuring: Jenny, Noah

Synopsis

After another manipulation by Dorium Maldovar, Jenny and Noah find themselves on a job for the conniving conman and his partner in crime, the equally slippery Garundel.

This time, Jenny and Noah must venture inside a genetic treasure: one which holds the key to the future – and the past – of the human race. His name is Theo.

After another manipulation by Dorium Maldovar, Jenny and Noah find themselves on a job for the conniving conman and his partner in crime, the equally slippery Garundel.

This time, Jenny and Noah must venture inside a genetic treasure: one which holds the key to the future - and the past - of the human race. His name is Theo.

Verdict

Genesis of the Humans was a fantastic episode to continue my way through the Saving Time third series of Jenny - The Doctor’s Daughter! This was undoubtedly the best episode of the set yet and it did a really strong job of setting up what is sure to be an exciting finale! Without hardly featuring in this series, I have been so impressed with how well Jexabel Glyce has been set up as a villain. The concept the richest woman in the universe doesn’t actually sound like much on paper despite a positive idea, but with great money comes great power and she was so self centred that she killed everyone else in the universe with her forename. I thought it was fun to hear Jenny and Noah’s reaction to Jexabel having dropped her surname because she was the definite article. Just like them! They didn’t have surnames and that made them like her. I thought that was actually quite charming. I liked the promise of Dorium’s return and things soon came rushing back to me as I don’t think I’d fully remembered that he’d already encountered Jenny at the start of the previous series! This episode did a good job at setting things up and almost coming full circle for the entire spinoff with the return of Garundel as well. I think it’s a shame that so much time has elapsed between series for the Jenny spinoff, but this was a timely reminder and a nice way to catch up whilst telling an excellent story. Dorium was quite amusing in claiming to have been training Jenny and Noah with their adventures since he last saw them and that wasn’t something they adhered to despite acknowledging his influence. I thought was good stuff. The emergence of Garundel was great and I love the continuity dating back to Stolen Goods and having him claim to be paired up with Dorium! That was quite the duo and I like crossover like this. Dorium obviously played a big role with the Doctor which instantly makes him feel important, but that was also the case with Garundel. He’s tackled the Seventh Doctor so I like the pairing coming together to have influence on Jenny here. It does feel a little poor form on Dorium’s part not to have expected the double cross, and I must be honest I didn’t actually see it coming either! I appreciated it though and in hindsight it was always going to happen! I thought the story going all The Invisible Enemy and Into the Dalek was fun with the prospect of Jenny and Noah being shrunk down and inserted into Theo. He was an intriguing little character and the idea of him containing the genetic makeup of humanity at its purest form was intriguing. That would be a powerful weapon for someone with all of the money in the universe! The way everything came full circle and Jenny and Noah realised they were in a trap was terrific as it turned out that Theo was actually a clone. And not just any clone. He was actually a clone of Noah! Jenny realising that all of the description that had been detailed about Theo could also apply to her sidekick. That was a fantastic moment as the entire series seemed to tie together! I was a big fan of that. It suddenly all felt very serious after some good comedic moments within Theo. The idea of a sentient genetic subconscious was fascinating and it trying to convince those from within to stay in their own perfect haven instead of carrying out the mission at hand and change the genetic print in some way was tremendous. It was quite funny for Noah’s perfect place to be on a spaceship next to Jenny, whereas for her he was nowhere in sight and she was seeing something akin to Gallifrey! Somehow and some way, I’d love to get Jenny on the planet of the Time Lords. That would be a real treat. I’m getting ahead of myself there though as for now the trap has been laid and Noah and Jenny are in deep trouble! Overall, a terrific episode to set up the finale!

Rating: 9/10

Saving Time: A Beginner's Guide to Monsters (and How to Slay Them)

"Defeating monsters is in my DNA."

Writer: Rochana Patel

Format: Audio

Released: October 2024

Series: Jenny - The Doctor's Daughter 3.02

Featuring: Jenny, Noah

Synopsis

Escaping the 20th century, Jenny and Noah arrive in a medieval monastery under siege – from monsters lifted from the very pages of the Bestiary the monks are working to create.

How can they possibly defeat creatures of myth and legend? With griffins, manticores, and unicorns on the loose, Jenny needs to learn fast...

Verdict

A Beginner's Guide to Monsters (and How to Slay Them) was another great episode to continue my way through the Saving Time third series of Jenny - The Doctor's Daughter! This followed the very solid opener that was Florence O'Connor and the Sandwich of Doom in being something of a more traditional episode if that is even possible in this spinoff series. Jenny was very much written in the mould of the Doctor which I thought was impressive but this was certainly the most she has ever acted like or alluded to her father. I think it was a fun aspect for her to be looked on relatively strangely by the fact she didn't have a mother. That's still intriguing to think about and it really is brilliant to think just what consequences come from The Doctor's Daughter's conclusion. Jenny was openly referring to herself as a Time Lord which didn't feel quite right but I loved the audacity and brashness she was showing throughout the episode. Again, I wasn't so sure about the JANIS as the acronym for what she was hoping to be her own time and space machine, but it certainly did beat Noah's suggestion of having him at the start of the pair being named. It didn't quite having the same ring to it in the form of a NAJIS. It was pretty silly stuff but it worked. I thought some of the old terminology that Jenny was using and tapping into methods more renowned by her father was intriguing to hear, and it was just incredible to hear her casually dropping in that she was reversing the polarity when it came to the time portal. I thought the links across time here were quite random but having Jenny interact across the thirteenth and seventy-second centuries was good stuff! It was really interesting and was quite the way to get out of 1997. I liked that the COLT-5000 seems to have finally been dealt with as far as Jenny was concerned and the way she was bragging to Noah about how she had stopped it at the start of the episode was terrific, that was of course until she was reminded of their predicament of being stuck at the end of the twentieth century. I thought the book as a means of getting out of time was not something I was expecting, but I enjoyed it and especially when it came to the insinuation at the end that Jenny and Noah had been used by a familiar face. A blue face. I might as well discuss that here as it is very exciting to have the prospect of Dorium Maldovar encountering Jenny given his relationship with the Doctor. He's more associated with the Eleventh Doctor so to have him interact with his daughter is bound to be good stuff! I also like the wider continuity in the options being Dorium or Glyce. It seems we're on a slight delay before we fully meet the much promoted big bad of the series. Could Dorium be connected there? I wouldn't be too surprised! I thought the title of the story was fun and Jenny reading from that book within the episode was terrific. She consumed the content of the book in incredibly quick fashion just like her father did in Rose amongst others. I liked that and it's fun to think that this ability was passed down. Jenny recalling her soldier past was excellent and I liked how she recalled kissing a boy on her first day alive to get his gun. I really liked it, although Noah wasn't all that fussed in being referred to as a sidekick! But this adventure was what Jenny was literally born to do as my quote suggests and she tied everything up rather nicely! Overall, a really fun episode! 

Rating: 8/10

Saving Time: Florence O'Connor and the Sandwich of Doom

"May I introduce you to Jenny Who!"

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: October 2024

Series: Jenny - The Doctor's Daughter 3.01

Featuring: Jenny, Noah

Synopsis

Jenny has solved her immediate problem of being hunted by the cyborg COLT-5000 bounty hunter once known as Geraldine. Jenny's new problem is that she is being hunted by a cyborg COLT-5000 once known as her best friend, Noah. 

The timelines are in chaos. There is only one way to fix things. And it involves cheese and pickle...

Verdict

Florence O'Connor and the Sandwich of Doom was a strong start to the Saving Time third series of adventures for Jenny as the Doctor's Daughter! It's quite crazy to think that it has been nearly three years since I listed to Her Own Worst Enemy as the finale to the Still Running second series, and this episode follows on seamlessly as if the series was released just a month or so ago! I do think there is a helpful line later on where Jenny explains the situation when it comes to finding how to get the timelines fixed as a catch up for the listener, but as a whole there really wasn't all that much prior listening required. This was just a fun romp and that's exactly what this spinoff series is all about. Jenny has a good time and this certainly falls into the category. Things are a lot whackier where she is concerned and there's definitely some strong elements of chaos in her adventures and how she deals with things! I thought the fact her timeline was frozen was great and I really liked that she was quick to seek help to put things back on track after her actions in saving Geraldine as the COLT-5000 were complete, but in saving her she had changed time to the course of Noah now being the one taking on the cyborg role! That was such an excellent cliffhanger last time out and it's honestly scandalous to have taken three years to get the resolution. What are they playing at? Of course, she found out that the means to change time and ensure that Noah wouldn't actually become the COLT-5000 involved a woman called Florence O'Connor and the particular sandwich that she bought. I thought that was a little bit on the side of ridiculous and the title of the episode is probably borderline when it comes to silly, but everything did indeed rest on the type of sandwich that she purchased. That was pretty whacky and Jenny interacting with Florence was terrific because she wasn't giving her any privacy at the cashpoint when it came to her pin. Jenny actually causing her not to take any money out was actually incredibly problematic because the whole premise centred on Florence buying a cheaper sandwich to ensure she got a tad more change, to pass on and set off a chain of events three million+ stages long that would see Noah saved. It was amusing stuff and frankly insane, but that was actually part of its appeal! It was just fun and this definitely has the vibe of a spinoff series that shouldn't be taken too seriously. It's lighthearted listening and I'm really enjoying the fact that there is a story arc running throughout. Jexebel Glyce has been referenced a lot in the previews and promotion so to have her show up at the end and reveal the truth of what events had been set in motion was nicely done. She seems like she is going to be a strong villain and I can't wait to find out what she has in store for Jenny. The Doctor's daughter having her name misinterpreted as being Who was tremendous stuff and so simple. But it was massively effective! I thought the return of Noah in his normal self was good and perhaps came a little earlier and easier than I was anticipating, but it's good to have him back alongside Jenny. Their friendship really does blossom. Overall, a really strong start to the series and I'm now looking forward to hearing more adventures for Jenny and Noah.

Rating: 8/10

Ghost Town

"How can it be the same day twice?"

Writer: Susie Day

Format: Novel

Released: March 2021

Series: Team TARDIS Diaries 02

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

Something has gone wrong with time, and the Doctor – alongside her friends Yaz, Ryan and Graham – is determined to investigate. The trail leads to a dusty mining town at Hallowe'en – and something scary is lying in wait for them...

Verdict

Ghost Town was an excellent little book! I must admit I was a little trepidatious prior to reading this story as the cover looked incredibly childish and I really don’t think I was the intended target audience. I’d even put off taking the books out of the local library during the run of the Thirteenth Doctor on screen because of this very reason, but alas I fancied a trip back to her wonderful era and this seemed like a great way to do it. And I was pleasantly surprised! I seem to have jumped ahead by starting with the second in the Team TARDIS Dairies series as research indicates there is something of an overlapping story arc between the two, but I didn’t feel like I didn’t know what was happening or had gone on for the quartet. It was just brilliant! I thought the style was just tremendous and I loved the imagery. It was also fascinating to have over one-hundred pages of continuous storytelling and even though I took a large break in the middle for the work shift, I picked things right back up seamlessly on the train home. It was just glorious in its presentation and this is certainly something I would have lashed up as a child. The illustrations throughout complimented the adventure wonderfully well and it just really helped with the storytelling. Despite the date of the blog entry, I was actually reading this book a week prior to Halloween so with time being stuck on 31 October 2019, the thematic elements were very current from my perspective! On lunch break I was seeing pumpkins here, there and everywhere. I think that would have helped with my enjoyment of the novel. I really adored the concept of the psychic paper being found in a woods and actually getting an origin for it was very exciting! The way the story was told utilising the diary was fantastic and it was marvellous to have the three users primarily be the companions. I think starting with Yaz was certainly the right move as she’s easily the best of the three, and at one point I thought Ryan was going to be forgotten about when he was left behind! That was pretty humorous and it’s sad to say but I didn’t miss him. I liked the idea of time being stuck and the companions coming together and wanting to help the Doctor was lovely when she said they could leave because of how dangerous a tear in the vortex was. That was nice and it was good characterisation to present how much that meant to the Doctor. This was certainly her fam. I thought the story behind Maddy’s vision thanks to Buck was impressive although it did sound quite unbelievable that rubbish could just be sent to the Sun for incineration! It was a bold idea and I liked that the Doctor’s old friend Tomiko Handa was there to help with the science. It was an intriguing revelation later on to find that she knew the science couldn’t work as was just there after being offered her own access to the Katz machine. The concept behind that with the ever changing neutrinos was intriguing and felt very advanced for this kind of children’s book. I liked the educational elements there and as an adult reading it felt good to get this kind of science. The imagery and illustration of Graham as a giant because the science didn’t know how to stop was amusing and Ryan’s reaction to seeing a ninety foot version of his grandad was tremendous! I quite liked how the psychic diary turned out to be the mysterious power source that brought everything together, and the ambiguous ending in almost addressing the reader was terrific. For what purpose? That was left to us to think about. It’s such a shame the third book in the series went cancelled and I’m now tempted to read the extract at the end of this book, especially with the prospect of a Nimon return! Overall though, a fantastic read!

Rating: 9/10

The Rani Elite

"New bodies for old minds."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Audio

Released: December 2014

Series: Monthly Adventures 194

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri

Synopsis

The TARDIS arrives in the CAGE – not a trap, but the College of Advanced Galactic Education, one of the most prestigious academic institutions in colonised space.

Not a trap. Or is it?

The Doctor's here to receive an honorary degree in Moral Philosophy. But there's something rotten at the heart of the Medical Facility. Someone is operating on the students. Someone without a conscience. Someone with access to a Sidelian Brain Scanner – a technology that hasn't been invented yet. 

That someone is the ruthless Time Lord scientist known as the Rani – in her new incarnation. But will the Doctor and Peri recognise the Rani's hand before her trap is sprung?

Verdict

The Rani Elite was an excellent story to continue my way through the Monthly Adventures! This is an adventure I have been anticipating for a decade now and it's been such a long wait to consume it. But it was certainly worth it! I have always been a huge fan of the Rani and I think it's right that given the Master is the Doctor's biggest villain, we get a female alternate in the Classic era. Kate O'Mara made a huge mark with the villainess in The Mark of the Rani and Time and the Rani so it's no surprise that she had agreed to return to the role for Big Finish, but her untimely death meant we never got that reprise. It's a huge shame, but the legacy of her character goes on and I thought Siobhan Redmond was absolutely brilliant in the role. Her image on the cover is exquisite and instantly she just feels like the same Time Lord. I think it's a little bit of a shame that her reveal wasn't kept secret because it worked so well as a cliffhanger, but I appreciate how big of a selling point this would be. She's an iconic character and it's always good to get to know new incarnations! I loved the scientific theme of the story and it wouldn't be the Rani without a dodgy experiment. I thought it was fun for her to have invited the Doctor to CAGE for his honorary degree, but the time had gotten a little muddled up and the version who arrived was one incarnation early. It was good to establish that this incarnation was the next one along from on screen and I think her expecting the short one with the umbrella and hat was good continuity. That's what would have happened on screen so I like that. I thought it was also fun for her to foreshadow the end of this sixth incarnation and her role in that. Great stuff, and now she would revel in the memory after he thwarted her efforts here. I also liked how Peri pondered on regeneration and her relationship with the Doctor after her memories of The Caves of Androzani and how the Doctor literally had died for her. He thought she was worth saving and perhaps one day she would return the favour. That certainly feels like foreshadowing for how Peri's story might end! Things have been a little frosty since her return to the TARDIS in The Widow's Assassin, but it felt like a step had been taken here to put things right once and for all. Although it was certainly testy as she nearly suffered a similar fate as The Trial of a Time Lord with her becoming subjected to the Rani's experiment of mind transference. Playing with that with this version of Peri was brilliant stuff. I thought it was fun for the Doctor to have recognised the Rani immediately, whereas for Peri the penny took a little longer to drop but when she did the moment was terrific. I think the concept of old minds in young bodies is good and certainly something that works, but I think the fact it's not exactly unique is probably why this story doesn't quite get full marks for me. It was still an absolute joy though! The character of Lizzo was good and I liked her relationship with Peri as the companion looked out for her, until her sudden change of character after her mind was replaced. Miklev was also good and I liked Reev alongside the Rani, and the Vice Chancellor being the only one who didn't have their mind returned felt like a bit of a shame! His reaction to the Doctor arriving early was immediately suspicious which set a great tone for the story. I thought the CAGE setting was fantastic and really had a strong vibe. It felt perfect in all honesty. The Doctor getting the better of the Rani once again was amusing as she was so confident plans couldn't be thwarted, but he actually ended up trapping her and her TARDIS in a giant pool of water! No wonder he seemed to be letting her go as the punishment was lifetime imprisonment, but with regeneration that was an eternity for a Time Lord. Overall, a superb story! 

Rating: 9/10

Little Did She Know

"Daisy did it."

Writer: Janet Fielding

Format: Short Story

Released: October 2024

Printed in: The Adventures Before 03

Featuring: Tegan

Synopsis

Discover what happened before...

What did Osgood do the morning of The Day of the Doctor?

What happened to Tegan before Arc of Infinity, and why does it involve strange sentient lights in the Australian outback?

What was the Tenth Doctor doing in a hall of mirrors, right before Planet of the Dead?

Answers to all these questions lie in an incredible collection of new Doctor Who short stories that give a glimpse into the moments just before we saw the Doctor step on screen.

From Skaro to Apalapucia, from a shop front drained of colour to Rassilon's tomb, join a host of incredible adventures across the universe with Doctors, companions, friends and foes.

Verdict

Little Did She Know was a lovely little story to continue my way through The Adventures Before collection of prequels! I'm not entirely sure I would say this would qualify as a prequel to Arc of Infinity, but given how Tegan was left behind in Time-Flight this does a good job of filling in the gap as far as the former air hostess was concerned. We know from Big Finish that the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa went on quite a number of journeys together, but Tegan was left behind and had to deal with the aftermath of the events of Logopolis and the death of her aunt Vanessa. Getting to know more about Tegan's family was really good and whilst I liked that we alluded to her meeting up with cousin Colin in a few weeks in Amsterdam, this was all about Tegan's immediate family for me. It's lovely to have a Tegan adventure in Australia and having her met by her brother Luke was a nice touch. A four-hundred kilometre trek sounded quite unappealing though! That would be some train journey as Tegan alluded to when she met Luke. He'd been okay as he seemed to be something of a groundhopper and ticked off a football match on his overnight stay. That's certainly one way to kill time and something I can get on board with. It was lovely to explore their sibling relationship and he was something of a buffer between Tegan and her father. Their relationship was presented in a very frosty manner as she tried to explain the truth involving the Master and tissue compression eliminators when it came to telling her dad how his sister had passed away. I loved the background on the Daisy did it gag in the family when it came to Tegan as a youngster blaming her imaginary friend for her own wrongdoings, but her father didn't take kindly to her sister's death supposedly being made a joke of. This almost felt like more of a prequel to Snakedance with the involvement of the Mara and Tegan encountering it again. I thought the Australian setting there was excellent given the country's renounce for snakes. I can't say I have ever really encountered anything more than a small grass snake living in Wales, but they're not something I would want to come face to face with. They are pretty frightening! So to have real snakes blended with the Mara was presented very well. The mystery of the orange lights was good and getting to Vince as Tegan's uncle was good because he'd seen them too. It was no gag against their father. I thought the way her dad was opened up to the alien world after nearly dying at the hands of the orange light blast was good and it allowed him to rekindle his relationship with his daughter again. That was the highlight of the adventure for me as he then wanted to learn all about Tegan's adventures in the TARDIS with the Doctor. That was terrific and it was nice for Tegan to get that emotional attachment again after all she had gone through. The way she utilised her own air hostess skills to start the pumping of CPR on her father was brilliant and the threat that also came from Luke being bitten by the venomous snake was also exciting. There was quite a bit of tension at the end of the story for what was mostly a family reunion! That was really good though and made this more than just a catch up story for Tegan. Overall, a really strong read and nobody would get the character more than Janet Fielding! A fantastic writing debut for the actor who played the iconic companion. A lovely read to continue my way through the collection.

Rating: 8/10

Lost Luggage

"It was just a blue box."

Writer: Colin Brake

Format: Novel

Released: March 2008

Series: Decide Your Destiny 09

Featuring: Tenth Doctor

Synopsis

Join the Doctor on his travels through time and space and influence the story with your decisions. Choose a direction and let the adventures begin...

When the TARDIS goes missing in a busy spaceport, the Doctor and you must race against time and across space to find it, before the Doctor's incredible spaceship is lost forever...

Verdict

Lost Luggage was not the greatest of stories for my liking unfortunately! Now, I fully appreciate that I am not the intended audience for these Decide Your Destiny series format, but when the library has Doctor Who content I find it difficult to not dip my toe in! I went into my reading today with an open mind and I don't think it was the style of story that was my issue here. The story was just a bit naff! I will admit it is a little strange for the reader to be a character in the story and it is implied that you are a youngster which I guess correlates with the intended audience, but there's still a heap of difference in play there! I think it would be a very different experience for a five-year-old to be reading rather than a thirteen-year-old for example, both of whom would feasibly be interested in this kind of adventure. I always find it strange to influence a story as then it doesn't quite feel canonical. I do like though that two readers of the same book will have a completely different experience. I know that's pretty contradictory of what I have just said, but it's all part of the charm of youth. Imagine the discussions on the playground at school and telling your friends what happens when you decide you meet a robot at the start rather than a man. What kind of person would choose such an unappealing option though? It had to be the robot. I thought the story did well in getting right into the action, but I would have appreciated some actual explanation of how the character that became the reader came to be inside the TARDIS. I also find it quite strange that despite supposedly being a character in the story, the dialogue is written for you. I think it would certainly work better if the reader could just influence the story of the Doctor (and a companion if present). That would be much more fun. I hope we reach that point in the future. I do think the concept of losing the TARDIS is excellent as I've mentioned on numerous occasions how much I love when the time and space machine goes missing because of the vulnerability that provides. It's exciting stuff, but I can't say anything about this adventure was highly exciting. There was never any explanation of who took the TARDIS and no motive for doing so. It was also taken so quickly and on my specific journey it just ended up in a storeroom because a robot got a manifest incorrect? It was a bit naff to be honest. That wasn't the only time either. The moment the reader loses consciousness as the oxygen runs out is intriguing, but then we are just told there wasn't oxygen and now there is? Come on! Give something of an explanation! That was disappointing. It also happened with the Doctor talking a little derogatorily towards the reader in bashing away a question with just science gaff. The story was lacking in explanation which I think is my biggest issue. I wasn't expecting the title of the book to be referring to the TARDIS, but I liked it as a concept. It just didn't work out for me. Maybe it was the journey I took? Maybe not choosing a robot at the start would have been better. I tended to go for the more realistic option in my extensive Doctor Who experience, but alas this just didn't work for me. I'll be reading some more of these in the coming weeks, so hopefully there are some improvements! But for now, this was pretty disappointing when it ought not to be. 

Rating: 5/10

Death in the Stars

"We will all meet at journey's end."

Writers: Bonnie Langford & Jacqueline Rayner 

Format: Novel

Released: August 2024

Series: BBC PDA 05

Featuring: Mel

Synopsis

A band of killers. Survivors with a secret. A death-defying murder mystery in space.

When young Mel's business partner, Sabalom Glitz embarks on yet another "get rick quick" scheme, it marks the start of an epic, death-defying murder-mystery in space.

After barely escaping the snares of a murderous galactic cult, Mel searches for fellow survivors in a nearby spaceship graveyard – while Glitz looks to fill his pockets. But the discovery of a spaceship with its crew in suspended animation and incredible secrets on board leaves the duo stranded with no way off.

Mel revives the crew – and then the murders start. Murders that cannot possibly have been committed by any of the crew members. In fact, there are only two realistic suspects – Glitz and Mel themselves....

Verdict

Death in the Stars was a great novel! I really enjoyed this book from start to finish as it just had a really good vibe. I love following from Dragonfire in pairing Melanie Bush up with the whacky Sabalom Glitz and the duo actually made for a fantastic tag team! Their chemistry was terrific and I was so impressed with how well the authors captured both characters in prose. Their personalities absolutely shine through which was delightful and they seemed to have a mutual understanding of each other despite being very different people. Mel was all about the carrot juice and eating healthily whereas Glitz was focused on his next scam whilst selling it as honest business. Glitz was still wanting to eat a chocolate sundae and Mel was wanting to do things by the law book, and yet somehow together they just gelled. It was really good and set the basis for the book. I enjoyed the numerous references to the Doctor and hearing of Glitz stealing a sonic screwdriver from the Third Doctor only to have it pickpocketed by the Fourth Doctor was a lovely note. It turns out The Trial of a Time Lord wasn’t Glitz’s first meeting with the Doctor after all! That’s a fun little detail. I thought the book was interesting in that it almost felt like it was split into two, with the mystery promised on the front cover not really coming until over 150 pages in. That was a tad surprising considering the book only had 102 pages to go, but it was more just an intriguing observation than a criticism. I think Mel’s abbreviation of their ship as the Tu-Two was cheesy but fun and it was nice that she and Glitz would have daily meet ups at the ice cream parlour. They did their own things but always checked in. That was nice to know. I thought the horrors of the miscommunication across generations at the start of the book was quite sad actually and when Mel was able to play a message to Hope from her now deceased father, she was devastated. Sure, the ship might one day reach Xuxion, but Hope would not be reunited with all those that had been thrown into the engine generator as fuel. When Hope learned the truth her moment of anguish was difficult to read. She was heartbroken as you would expect. Just hearing the truth of her past was enlightening and she struggled to break with years of indoctrination as the logical truth came out. It was strong stuff and her name being what was referred to in the poem of prophecy was just awful. She didn’t need to be thrown into the engines! Luckily Glitz was on hand to teleport her away with Mel and Finrae, who had dubbed himself leader by virtue of being the chosen one from Galatsnax. I thought that was pretty silly but still fun as the vending machines restocked automatically and he just happened to be standing by one when Hope’s father fixed the power systems. I thought the teleport bringing the murder mystery was good and it really did feel like a completely different adventure from there with just Hope the connecting element. This ship seemed to be heading to Ravolox which was good continuity for Mel and Glitz as they knew what had happened there, but 75 million lives were at stake. And a crew of the was being murdered. I thought the Barry Day AI was a little odd and I do think it would have been better as the Doctor as a way to get him into the story, but I can also appreciate wanting to keep the focus on Mel. She was a lot younger than we would see her in The Giggle and it was good to make use of her intelligence. She knew all about computers and go to showcase that instead of just being use for screeching screams wherever there was a threat. This story certainly did Mel justice. I appreciated little inclusions of the wider Whoniverse in mentions the likes of kronkburgers, the Graske and Slitheen which was really good and fine details like that just really add to an adventure for me. The truth regarding the murderer being the conscience machine was a little unexpected but I liked how it correlated with what happened in Hope’s father turning it off on the other ship. It was all about the children they didn’t need utmost devotion. It tied things together nicely and explained everything, and it was wonderful for Mel to really be the hero with Glitz and Hope both manifested into taking places of the murdered crew. She had to put a bit of herself into everyone through the machine and self sacrifice was big on her agenda. Bastelle kicking her out of the machine just before the end to save her was fantastic and I liked how the remaining crew wanted her to know that was what the true version was really like. Overall, a great read!

Rating: 8/10