The Robot Revolution

"She knew that these dreams were now no more than ash."

Writer: Una McCormack

Format: Novel

Released: July 2025

Series: Target 186

Featuring: Fifteenth Doctor, Belinda

Synopsis

What if the story of your life is written in the stars?

Belinda Chandra grew up longing to travel – but never imagined rocket ships would be part of the deal. Abducted by killer robots and taken to a strange planet, Belinda must join forces with the Doctor to put right a revolution that might just be her fault...

Verdict

The Robot Revolution was a great novelisation of the debut of Belinda Chandra! I was worried before reading that I was going to be reading Missbelindachandra far too often throughout the pages of this book, but thankfully there were no issues there. It didn't even seem like overkill or anything, but I did appreciate the name of the city being shortened to BC-ville a couple of times! It took me a minute to work out what it stood for as well as I thought we were referring to years pre-0 at first! Maybe reading on the summer holidays with two young children around isn't the best time to be reading, but there isn't really an ideal time at all so need's must! I really think the author did a good job in bringing this book to prose and really adheres to the objective of a Target retelling in providing some expanded detail on events. That was particularly evident when it came to fleshing out some of the backstory for Belinda's character which is really important considering she will become the next companion. Reading this novel in isolation though and you wouldn't think it! It almost comes across more so in prose than on screen that Belinda isn't wanting to travel with the Doctor. Sasha 55 definitely feels like the character who is going to join the Doctor in the TARDIS and that actually was the plan. Get Belinda home once the robot revolution was quelled and then Sasha 55 could join the TARDIS, so that makes her death just as shocking again. Maybe even more so here as we learned a bit more about her backstory too and filled in a little bit of that six month gap with the Doctor on MissBelindaChandra One as he works his way up to becoming historian. I think the time fracture element of the story actually works better without visual aid here as it can just be explained in relatively simple terms, although I'm not convinced by schwup being a technical term! I enjoyed the characterisation of the Fifteenth Doctor with the likeness of Ncuti Gatwa really well presented. I was a little surprised how much of a background figure he felt like for a good third of the book or so – maybe even more! – but once Belinda is presented in front of the Robots and the Doctor tells her about the ninth word problem they have, he really shines. He comes into his own in a big way. Speaking of coming into his own, there's Alan. Gosh he's a really unlikeable guy who even just from prose is so far below Belinda's league. It screams off the page that she is far too good for him. Lines like designated kissing time because he bought her a star certificate highlight just how awful he is as a person. His possessive and controlling way over Belinda is just sad and I like how everyone's feelings were shown when Belinda tells her parents they'd split up. They were very happy! I think the use of the diploma is fun and the prospect of it being in the same place twice over is a fine way to bring about Al's demise. The moment where the A.I. Generator reveals itself as actually displaying 'AL' isn't as good as it was on screen and neither is him getting polished up once reverted to a sperm and egg, but I really like how well Belinda comes across. She isn't happy about being paraded as a queen and people had died trying to save her, so she took the initiative into her own hands. I really like that and she has so many companion qualities right from the off, even if she isn't interested in being one. It still does feel like a little bit of a hasty retreat at the end, but that does allow us some strong pages in the TARDIS to finish and set up the series to come. Belinda's reaction to the TARDIS being bigger on the inside is great, but the way she almost belittles the Doctor at the fact he took her DNA reading without permission remains incredible. He is sincerely apologetic, but Belinda stays strong. It's a lot to take in with the Boom reference for Mundy Flynn as her ancestor, but that soon gets forgotten as 24 May 2025 becomes a time to be repelled from. I also did like the little extended moments with Mrs Flood. They tie in nicely with the series arc. Overall, a really great read of what is a fine episode! A strong start to this year's novelisations. 

Rating: 8/10