By Michael Scott
Puffin ebook, out now
The second Doctor and Jamie face the return of the Archons…
It’s not just fans of the Time Lord who will enjoy Michael Scott’s foray into the world of Doctor Who – there are quite a few little nods to another long running franchise (the Archons, for a start, and the Doctor telling Jamie he’s ‘a doctor, not a magician’). But unlike Eoin Colfer’s use of some of his own world’s vocabulary in last month’s story, this doesn’t stand out as incongruous.
Scott has caught many of Troughton’s distinctive mannerisms, and although he makes Jamie a little brighter than perhaps he should be (a problem that is thrown in sharp relief when the occasional writer does remember just how uneducated the young Scots lad is), he makes them a good team. There are continuity nods throughout the story that mostly don’t feel forced (the sort where the Doctor would have mentioned something earlier in his adventures had there been a need) and a cameo appearance by an old ‘friend’.
Best known for his Nicholas Flamel series (also worth seeking out, particularly now you can read the sequence in its entirety), Scott unsurprisingly has a fantastic element in this tale, which adds another race to the pantheon of those who preceded the Time Lords and makes you want to read more about them.
Verdict: An intriguing and interesting short trip. 7/10
Paul Simpson
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