Hooklight 1

"You cannot reason with fire."

Writer: Mike Tucker

Format: Audio

Released: April 2025

Series: Fifth Doctor Adventures 9.01

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa, Tegan

Synopsis

There is a light that must never be lit...

When the TARDIs runs aground in the ancient realm of Morning, the Doctor learns that a powerful force has reemerged. A lamp filled with a mythical substance known as Hooklight has been discovered – and this could mean the end of everything.

A great quest begins against the forces of chaos, encompassing many new friends and foes. Without their ship and without each other, the time travellers will be tested on their journey to the Dark Forge. And not everyone will survive...

Verdict

Hoolight started in excellent fashion with this very strong opening six parts! I think my rating isn't perfect because of the fact the story is yet to finish, but crikey this was good. And there was so much to consume! So much happened and I honestly think the adventure may have worked even better as three separate stories in an ongoing series as that would have allowed some room to breath. For three hours, this was a whirlwind and I'm all here for it, but there was an awful lot of mythology to explore and get to grips with. It was all very exciting though and right from the off the atmosphere was outstanding. I loved the horror and gothic feel of the story and the realm of Morning was fascinating to explore. The world building on show here was tremendous and I think that is also a reason things could have been better if the story was split. This is certainly a setting I would love to delve deeper into and I loved the names. We had a lot of time references and that was excellent. The concept behind Hooklight itself is really strong and I loved the history behind it. The Doctor knew the significance of it on the world of Rift and hearing the history of it was quite the story. The significance of the Dark Forge was interesting and I'm sure it's something we'll be returning to in the second part as the place where Hooklight can be destroyed as well as its place of creation. I really enjoyed the Doctor having an instinctive urge to smash the lamp when they first saw it and it's great to hear how something so mundane can have become so problematic. The development of the fate of the TARDIS over the course of the story was superb and whilst it was a bit repetitive with the story arc of Series 5, placing that into the Classic era worked very well. I thought it was terrific for the Doctor to react to his TARDIS breaking apart and that becoming the fate after the adventure starting with the TARDIS depleting was brilliant. He was distraught and had considered the TARDIS his home for perhaps the first time here. I thought the time blade actually being a fragment from the Free for Public Use sign on the door was a very good revelation and quite the image! I also adored that the lamp that housed Hooklight was noticed by Tegan as being the one from atop the TARDIS. That was awfully exciting and I can't wait to find out more about how Hooklight is literally housed within part of the TARDIS! The connection there is bound to be good and the nature of the story taking place over different points in time is going to play a big role and I'm all here for it. I thought that played well and splitting up the TARDIS quartet was absolutely the right choice. Tegan was probably the least impactful and even though Adric did get shot and mistaken as the Doctor, it was Nyssa who stole the show. Her status as the lamp bearer is fascinating and I think Sarah Sutton plays it beautifully. It's good to hear her get to be a little devilish and I feel like that's only going to continue in the second part if the artwork is anything to go by! I loved the moments where she was transitioning from being with the Doctor and Tegan at very different points temporally, and her role as the Herald to the Halcyon was unexpected! I thought the concept of cloned Halcyons was quite fun and the propaganda from their own ministry was amusing. Some of the characters in this one were excellent with a standout certainly being Doctor Myles. Her story seemed to be over as stated, but then it wasn't! What role the eye-patch wearing Eighth Doctor will play is yet to be seen, but I love the mystery behind it. Vanderseer was a fun character who interacted well with the Doctor, although Davlin hinting at a romantic relationship with him was terrific. I enjoyed that a lot and Adric being happy to take on the role of the Time Lord just for a moment was good to hear. Who could blame him? The fact that a regeneration was needed to be triggered when it came to trapping the Hooklight showed the extent the Doctor was willing to go to defeat it! Sabine was also fantastic and her quantum enchantments sounded mystical which I really liked that. For three hours, this was a world I absolutely loved exploring and the people within complimented the mystery ever so well. There was so much to enjoy! I can't wait for the conclusion. But for now, a superb start.

Rating: 9/10