Fear Death by Water

"The ocean will consume us all."

Writer: Emily Cook

Format: Novel

Released: May 2025

Series: NSA 69

Featuring: Fifteenth Doctor

Synopsis

Northumberland, 1838. The TARDIS crash lands on board a sinking steamship. Stranded, the Doctor and the few survivors fight for their lives – while the local lighthouse keeper's daughter, Grace Darling, risks her life to row to their rescue.

Lauded a heroine, Grace struggles to cope with her new-found fame, but the Doctor senses something else is troubling Grace. She's been tormented by the terrifying vision she saw out at sea in the storm. There's a monster in her mind, wrecking ships and stealing the souls of the drowned. 

And it's real,

Verdict

Fear Death by Water was an excellent novel to kick off the latest batch of New Series Adventures! I was intrigued to find that the Fifteenth Doctor was travelling solo here given that the book was released alongside the broadcast of his second series, but that was no problem at all. We had a wonderful historical heroine in the form of Grace Darling to fill that void. Ignorantly I had never heard of Grace and her contribution to history in saving the lives of nine people that were on board the crashed Forfarshire shipwreck, but her determination was admirable right from the off. I loved the setting of Northumberland in 1838 and I think the inclusion of the little hand-drawn map at the start of the book was a welcomed and unique addition for a Doctor Who novel. It felt very A Game of Thrones! I liked that a lot. It also helped in establishing the setting with the islands make up and Grace being a child not of the mainland made her very interesting. It was nice that she had a strong relationship with her parents and them simply being referred to as Mr and Mrs Darling throughout was terrific. They were so proud of their daughter and I liked how she was pushing the boundaries of gender norms in an age where even Grace believed she should be performing duties like cooking. The Doctor being on hand to help her their with her tatties was great. He wasn't interested in confining roles and duties based on gender! He saw what Grace had done with the lighthouse and helping her father in saving the survivors from the rock, and that wasn't very traditional female behaviour for the time! I liked the explanation for the shipwreck being the Captain seeing eyes blazing in the ocean forcing him to try and steer the boat blind. Literally. The Doctor ending up on the Forfarshire because of the TARDIS fluid link being depleted was terrific and the use of the barometer to eventually restock the mercury was fantastic. It's clear that Emily Cook is a fan because the references and anecdotes that came in this book were most welcomed with the most memorable and desire for me is the Doctor and the Master taking part in Satellite Five's Masterchef. Give me that story! I thought the pace of the story was excellent and the way it was built to the reveal of the Leviathan was really impressive. This was an easy read in a day and each chapter left me wanting more which is obviously a good sign. The characterisation for Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor was spot on and Grace was just such a lovely character. She was so likeable and her innocence and lack of wanting fame and recognition for her actions only added to that. Grace having a connection with the Leviathan was fascinating. The fact she was able to calm such an incredible beast was some achievement and it took a lot out of her. She was understandably reluctant to try again when the Doctor had a plan to put into action. I thought the shift in space was good and I really liked the concept behind the ISC with Keteor and Chip. Their relationship was presented very well and quickly to the extent that when the latter sacrificed himself it was really emotional! He'd only been around for a chapter or two but it felt like a big loss. I thought the science behind the resolution for the Leviathan was fantastic and the use of the lighthouse to reflect the UV light that would resonate with the beast and alter its thinking was great stuff! I was really glad that the lighthouse came into play. It felt like a crucial part of the setting and I wasn't expecting it to be a factor so that was a terrific surprise. I thought the nature of the Leviathan as a Ouroboros was really fun and the imagery that came from it eating its tail and basically regurgitating itself after Keteor thought he'd destroyed it was extraordinary! I loved the concept. Grace actually being the one to basically tame it into protecting the rocks in which the Forfarshire had crashed was a fitting end, and I liked how she continued to be honoured. The fact she had sent numerous locks of hair to her fans and writers was a tad weird but this is the Victorian Age after all. The Doctor visiting her again in 1842 was a nice touch and it's so sad to think that she died at just age twenty-six. That's younger than me! She was too overwhelmed to see her museum in the future, but she had a legacy and she had certainly made her years count. Overall, a fantastic read! 

Rating: 9/10