Doctor Who and the Invasion of Time

"You needed the shock of invasion to wake up."

Writer: Terrance Dicks

Format: Novel

Released: February 1980

Series: Target 35

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela, K9

Synopsis

A traitor to the Time Lords?

Can the Doctor really be in league with the evil Vardans, spearheading a treacherous invasion of his home planet, Gallifrey?

Or is he playing a deadly double game, saving the Time Lords by appearing to betray them?

But the Vardans themselves are only pawns in the game, and the Doctor faces an old and deadly enemy, as he battles to foil the Invasion of Time. 

Verdict

Doctor Who and the Invasion of Time was an excellent novelisation of the Season 15 finale! I have always had a soft spot for this story and as my blog of the televised serial shows I gave it a perfect viewing on my last watch some nine years ago now. I didn't quite think the novelisation reached those heights, but it was still a darn good read. Terrance Dicks is the master of a short and snappy style which was great and made for an easy read at a good pace, but it probably is also where things are ever so slightly let down by not sticking around in certain elements of the adventure. In saying that, I absolutely adored how this felt like more of a sequel to The Deadly Assassin than the television version did and that made so much more sense when it came to the Doctor arriving and demanding his legal right as President. No other candidates had stepped forward since those events with the Master so now he wanted what was legally his. I admired that and I'm not sure any other incarnation of the Doctor could have taken on the task the Fourth gave himself here. His brashness and arrogance was on show brilliantly as he needed to persuade the Vardans that he was with him. I really liked reading this in prose knowing the big twist to come as there are little hints throughout that the Doctor is far from being on the Vardans' side. The demands for lead in his Presidential quarters were great and I loved the moment he came clean to Borusa after giving him a pretty difficult time! Their relationship and history was touched on very nicely I must say. I'm a sucker for any adventure set on Gallifrey because I just adore the political world there and how much the Doctor does not fit in. So for him to arrive here and cause a stir only to then proclaim himself as President was tremendous! He suspends the Constitution and before we know it the Vardans are in place after nearly all Gallifreyan defences were obliterated. Linking the force field of the planet with the TARDIS was fun stuff and I always enjoy the shock and humour that comes from the Doctor's version being a Type-40. Forever outdated but always defying the odds. I think the Vardans are presented as a strong foe and it says a lot when the Doctor immediately tries to befriend them and is fighting them off telekinetically with every thought being monitored. But when the Sontarans arrive they really are another level of monster and I love that. They've always been a favoured enemy of mine and just having them on Gallifrey is glorious! What better war to win than the one against time? The way they used the Vardans was presented really well and I think Stor was excellent. I must say though, they were pretty stupid when it came to finding the 'Dok-tor'! Kelner being a traitor on all sides was amusing and the Doctor tried to guilt him into his punishment but he still went in it for himself. Leela was marvellous in this story and it's a fitting finale for her as companion. She isn't scared of the Time Lords and flourishes in the Outside which I think came across better here in prose than on screen. It was her natural habitat and the moment she threw a knife into the probic vent of a Sontaran was outstanding. I thought her relationship with Andred could have been presented as a little more in the forefront considering that's who she left the TARDIS for, and the goodbye from the Doctor felt very abrupt which was a shame after all they've gone through together! K9 was fun throughout and the image of him adorning Gallifreyan regalia was a delight. Overall, a tremendous novelisation of a superb story. 

Rating: 9/10