Legacy of the Daleks Review

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8th Doctor, 8th Doctor adventures, 8th Doctor Books, Dalek Invasion of Earth, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Susan, Doctor Who The Master, Doctor's granddaughter Susan, Legacy of the Daleks, Legacy of the Daleks book review, The Master

Legacy of the Daleks

Review by Paul Bowler

As the Doctor begins searching for his missing companion, Sam, a psychic cry of despair from his granddaughter Susan leads him to Earth in the late 22^nd century where England is gradually recovering from the Dalek invasion. This is where the Doctor left Susan after she fell in love with David and stayed to help the survivors rebuild. However, when the Doctor arrives in Domain London he finds that Susan has gone missing and the city is now divided by political infighting.

The Doctor’s attempts to find Susan leads to a confrontation with Lord Haldoran, who is planning all-out-war against his enemies. Haldoran’s military advisor, Estro, has installed power cables down an abandoned mineshaft, where they are attempting to reactivate a mysterious device. When the Doctor meets Estro he instantly recognizes him as the Master. However, this is the incarnation who regularly battled against the 3^rd Doctor, and he has been manipulating events so can he seize control of a powerful Dalek weapon.

But have the Daleks really been vanquished, or are they secretly rebuilding? The Doctor is reunited with Susan, and together with her husband David, and Donna, a knight of Domain London, they must find a way to stop the Master from escaping with the core of the matter transmuter and destroy the Daleks.

Legacy of the Daleks is set thirty years after the Dalek Invasion of Earth, where humanity is gradually starting to rebuild, but the shortage of natural resources has begun to cause conflict as opposing political factions begin to turn on one another. Although the Doctor’s companion Sam dose not appear in Legacy of the Daleks, this offers John Peel the chance to reunite the Doctor with his granddaughter Susanhe, as well as her husband David, and introduce us to Donna, one of the Knights of Domain London.

One of the most interesting aspects of Legacy of the Daleks is way Peel develops these characters, these are harsh times, and it seem that Susan and David’s relationship is in trouble. David is struggling to cope with the fact Susan is not aging like him, because she is a Time Lord, and it’s beginning to put a strain on their marriage. Donna is another really strong character, she is the black sheep of her family, and has had to overcome great adversity in her own personal life. Haldoran is a maliciously evil character; his plot to overthrow his rivals is utterly ruthless.

The Eighth Doctor is right in the thick of the action in Legacy of the Daleks. It was interesting to see the Doctor reunited with Susan, and the added bonus of having the Delgado version of the Master included as well brought a nice twist to the story. It takes a while for the Daleks to appear, but when they do the plot becomes really action packed as the Daleks go on the rampage. After such an exciting story, the ending did seem a little rushed and a bit contrived for my liking, but it was still a thoroughly entertaining book.

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About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

Doctor Who The Bodysnatchers Book Review

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8th Doctor Books, BBC Books, Doctor Who, Doctor Who The Bodysnatchers, Mark Morris, Professor Lightfoot, Skarasen, TARDIS, The 8th Doctor, The Zygons, Zygons

The Bodysnatchers

Review by Paul Bowler

Seeing how the Zygons are back on our screen in Series 9 of Doctor Who in The Zygon Invasion and the Zygon Inversion, I thought it might be fun to revisit one of my favourite 8^th Doctor novels from the old BBC books range, in a story that also featured the return of the Zygons in The Bodysnatchers by Mark Morris.

When the TARDIS materialises in London, 1894, the Doctor and Sam discover a terrifying mystery lurking in the fog shrouded streets near a factory, where the owner – Nathaniel Seers – has begun to behave very strangely indeed. The bodies of the dead have started to go missing, stolen from their graves, and some unspeakable horror prowls the banks of the Thames – ready to rise up from the filthy waters to feast on human flesh.

The Doctor is reunited with his old friend, the pathologist George Lightfoot, and together with Sam and Nathaniel Seer’s daughter, Emmaline, they help him to investigate the recent state of horrible occurrences. They uncover the truth behind grave robbing after they find the entrance to a living space ship, where the Zygons have been using the human remains to feed a monstrous hoard of Skarasen, which they intend to use to wipe out the human race and make a new home for the Zygons.

With the help of Sam and Lightfoot, the Doctor must find a way to defeat the Zygons before they can unleash their Skarasen army on the world…

The Bodysnatchers is an intensely gritty and dark story by Mark Morris. While the story may be a bit thin on the ground plot wise, the macabre setting and grisly scenes of death and mutilation more than makes up for any failings. The character of the eighth Doctor feels right a home here, exploring the foggy streets of Victorian London, Sam also gets plenty to do, and she is turning out to be a very resourceful companion.

This story also features the return of Professor Lightfoot, who appeared in the classic Dr Who adventure The Talons of Weng- Chaing written by Robert Holmes. Mark Morris has captured the essence of the character brilliantly, Lightfoot has some great scenes with the eighth Doctor, and they work really well together as they face the menace of the Zygons.

We also get to learn a lot more about the Zygons in The Bodysnatchers. Having only appeared in one television story, Terror of the Zygons (1975), writer Mark Morris takes the opportunity to really explore the history of the Zygon race. We discover more about their culture, the intricate technology of their spaceships, their warrior castes, and we are given an even greater insight into the circumstances that brought them to Earth.

The Bodysnatches is a brilliant adventure for the eighth Doctor and Sam, it’s a devilishly gruesome story, and the return of Professor Lightfoot and the Zygons makes it all the more special. Its one of my favourite Doctor Who books from the 8^th Doctor’s range, well worth tracking down a copy, a really enjoyable read and highly recommended.

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