Avon is in trouble – and the Liberator is almost certainly too far away to help…
The much belated continuation and conclusion of Big Finish’s Liberator Chronicles starts off with this standalone adventure written by Andy Lane, featuring Paul Darrow and Jan Chappell.
It’s a slightly unusual tale, which relies on Avon describing everything that he sees around him as he tries to solve a series of logic puzzles as well as fathoming out what else is happening to him. It’s a device that doesn’t quite work: while there’s an in-story reason for some of what seems to be uncharacteristic behaviour, you can’t quite imagine Kerr Avon needing anyone’s help with the puzzles he’s faced with (which bring to mind both The Tomb of the Cybermen and the Exxilon city in Death to the Daleks and aren’t the most challenging), and I rather hoped for a different conclusion to the story that would give a spin on Cally’s input.
There are some interesting revelations about Avon’s past which Paul Darrow puts across well, with Lane providing insight into the character’s worldview, particularly the way in which he plays well with others (or not, as the case may be), but it lacks the give and take between the characters that has made the two-hander format shine.
Verdict: A slightly below par, but still entertaining story. 7/10
Paul Simpson
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