Helana and the Beast

"There is no one in this house apart from you and me."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Short Story

Released: August 2026

Printed in: Time Lord Fairy Tales 11

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor

Synopsis

We are all stories in the end...

Sixteen tales of ancient wonder and mystery, passed down through generations of Time Lords. 

Dark, beautiful and twisted, these stories are filled with nightmarish terrors and heroic triumphs from across all of time and space.

Verdict

Helana and the Beast was a good little story to continue my way through the Time Lord Fairy Tales collection! I think doing an adventure based on Beauty and the Beast is a good idea for this book and it took me back to having a Disney version of that fairytale on VHS! Crikey how the years have flown by as that must be over twenty years ago which is a terrifying thought as I'm still in my twenties. I shouldn't have memories that are this long! But it was nice to have a little bit of nostalgia even if the story was pretty simple. I thought it was absolutely fine and a more than enjoyable read, but I don't think I can give any higher of a rating due to the lack of threat or danger. Considering the word 'beast' is in the title that is rather ironic but the threat that came from the beast and his appearance was almost eradicated within an instant. That was a strange route to go down but I guess with only eighteen pages to play around with there wasn't much time to build him up just to come back down again. I enjoyed Helana as the lead character and I liked her inquisitive nature in following the footsteps of her father when he wasn't returning home or in contact for a few weeks. It was known prior that he would be away working and the finances were still going up, but that wasn't enough to convince her that her father was okay. I liked how she tracked down his place of work and found that he was basically entrapped. The fact he was hired to try and find the solution to the beast's very own beastly predicament and nature was intriguing but the technology and knowledge just wasn't there in anybody. The beast was surprisingly acceptant of that but he wouldn't allow his days to be drawn out alone. Initially he'd wanted Helana's father to join him for the rest of his days but she couldn't accept that. He was an old man now and needed to finish his life outside of captivity so she volunteered to take his place. Her father was distraught but the deal was brokered and that seemingly was that. Until an enigmatic librarian appeared on the scene. Once again, the Doctor was not named but the description of the eyebrows, his dialogue, and the illustration made it clear that this was the Twelfth Doctor. I thought that was fun and there's a lot of room for this incarnation be travelling solo and living life up as a librarian in the shadows so that was really nicely done. He played the role well and it actually ties in nicely with his role in Series 10 at St Luke's University as a professor. I like the idea of him shifting around the shadows working on the solution that the beast desired all along. I do question why he had to stay hidden if he was literally doing exactly as the beast wanted and what Helana's father was recruited for, but the Doctor works in mysterious ways. He'd eventually found the solution to the beast's condition in being caught in an apparition in time and reality to bend him forwards and backwards which really did sound pretty terrible! Helana sneaking the concoction into his drink was decent but again why not just present the antidote? It started off with an adverse effect before replacing the beastly features with those of a 'normal' person once again. The TARDIS blending into the library and then disappearing was written nicely to round out what was a solid little story. Overall, a good read to continue the collection! 

Rating: 7/10

The Doctor and Carnacki: The Institute of Forgotten Souls

"Do you believe, Doctor, that madness can ever become airborne?"

Writer: Jonathan Barnes

Format: Audio

Released: November 2024

Series: Seventh Doctor Adventures 6.03

Featuring: Seventh Doctor

Synopsis

In the heart of England in 1936 there lies a home for wounded men. It is a strange, shadowed place, full of secrets.

Terrible beasts prowl the grounds, as if guarding something dreadful. Inmates are disappearing, picked off one by one, while a singular resident – a certain, now retired ghost finder – bravely staves off the darkness.

Yet tonight is the night when it's all going to end. For tonight is the night when the Doctor comes to call...

Verdict

The Institute of Forgotten Souls was a great episode to conclude The Doctor and Carnacki series of Seventh Doctor Adventures! This has been a thoroughly enjoyable series with the boxset being really consistent in terms of both quality and feel. I must admit that I barely knew anything about Carnacki before listening to this series but I now feel like I know him rather well after three different adventures spanning a large portion of his life. It's been a fascinating tale and this kind of thing was perfect for the Seventh Doctor. I was glad that the finale kept with the dark atmosphere and tone and I don't really think it had much of a choice given what was happening. The titular institute was very eery as a setting and given that we've had two episodes already with Carnacki, it makes his predicament and appearance here all the more painful. He's clearly not himself but neither is time and I thought that was great to play around with. The interwar period is a favourite of mine because the impact the Great War had on society was huge even here eighteen years after concluding, and little do the people know what's to come in just a few years with an even worse atrocity and conflict. Carnacki not being himself was intriguing but I loved his reaction to hearing that the Doctor had arrived. With the appearance confirmed, Carnacki was back in full detective mode and I thought that was good to explore. I was impressed with how this felt a little like Hide with the contained setting but with more of a darker theme. So it's quite ironic that the big surprise was the Actually as an agent of the White Guardian! Light amongst the darkness indeed. I thought that was nicely done and was definitely not something I envisaged happening. I thought the kind of continuity was good and with the taunting from the Actually it was clear that something familiar was going to be revealed, but I don't think I'd have ever guessed! The Doctor challenging it and communicating with his bravado familiar of this incarnation was wonderful stuff and I must say I don't think I've enjoyed this incarnation more than in this boxset. It really has been a sublime performance from Sylvester McCoy throughout and that very much continued in the finale. I thought the concept of the Actually being reprimanded by the White Guardian was a neat touch and showed that even on a scale as wide but as simple as good and bad, light and dark, that there are still elements that go rogue. And rogue he went! Taking Carnacki out of time and preventing his death in the First World War is a pretty big deal and definitely an example of going off perimeter for sure. I think the reprimand was very much deserved. I thought the last five minutes or so of the story felt like an epilogue and whilst I'm not always a huge fan of that, I understand why that happened given the timeframe of the series as a whole and the journey Carnacki has been on. And I mean, surviving your supposed death is a pretty big deal! He would need the Doctor to talk him through and guide him to where he will end up. Overall, an eery tale and a fine way to conclude what has been a thoroughly enjoyable trio of adventures! A great listen.  

Rating: 8/10

The Doctor and Carnacki: The House

"It's following me."

Writer: Georgia Cook

Format: Audio

Released: November 2024

Series: Seventh Doctor Adventures 6.02

Featuring: Seventh Doctor

Synopsis

Awoken in the dead of night to assist his distraught friend Arkright, Carnacki finds himself unexpectedly thrust into a long-buried mystery from his childhood, and face-to-face with a man he hasn't seen in years: the Doctor.

But what is 'The House'? Why does everything Arkright touch transform into the same rotting furnishings and wallpaper? Can a man really be haunted by a building?

Verdict

The House was a good story to continue my way through The Doctor and Carnacki series of Seventh Doctor Adventures! This followed the feeling of The Haunter of the Shore very nicely in feeling very dark in terms of atmosphere. Everything just felt like it took place at night and I like that because it really does bring a different kind of feeling to an episode. It also helps to have the Seventh Doctor as the incarnation featured because of his enigmatic and mysterious nature. The reunion with Carnacki was a nice touch with him being older now and his reaction to the Doctor being the one to drag him out of bed at 1am in the morning! He was instantly quite okay with that even when he knew he would be dragged back into another tricky situation. And what we got was pretty different to say the least! A sentient house is not a new concept but that wasn't quite what we were dealing with here which was fascinating. What I wasn't expecting though was such a focal point on fungi! I thought that was pretty whacky in terms of the spread and whilst I did enjoy that fungi was notoriously difficult to get rid of permanently and that playing out here, it just seemed awfully random to turn people into a house! How does anyone even get the idea for that? But given the episode title I guess it shouldn't have actually turned out to be too much of a surprise? It was just strange and whilst it was perhaps a little too on the whacky side, I appreciated the absolutely ridiculous nature of it! The main appeal to me was the atmosphere and tone of the story. Arkwright played a strong role and his connection with the house was great stuff. He was clearly riddled with fear and that became quite emotional to listen to at times. His appeals were almost unheard but the house kept coming back. Having the Doctor and Carnacki on times to help meant he couldn't really be in any better company though with their problem solving capabilities. The Doctor admitting he shouldn't have left it so long before returning to see Carnacki again was a nice moment of vulnerability. Are we finally getting a softer side to the Seventh Doctor or is this eventually all part of more manipulation knowing there's another episode to come in the series finale? Either way I'm on board with it. I thought the story incorporating both a younger and older version of Carnacki again was cleverly done as we shifted between the present and the past in the flashbacks being extended. The Doctor describing how only the future could be changed didn't feel correct though as he is known to have altered the past on so many occasions, be that on purpose or not. I thought the dream-like resolution for Arkwright was good stuff even if it is a bit of a shame he will only think of the Doctor as being in his subconscious. But the toll everything took on him with the house was palpable so maybe that really is for the best. The Doctor and Carnacki seemed to think so. I liked how the detective was important in solving things and it justified him being called into action. I'm enjoying the dynamic between the Doctor and Carnacki, although I must say it is still difficult to differentiate Dan Starkey playing the older version from a Sontaran! Overall though, another really strong atmospheric episode to continue what is turning out to be a little gem of a series. A great listen! 

Rating: 8/10