Author: Justin Richards

Originally published: May 2005

Read: August 2025 (and probably in 2006 but I cant remember!)

Context: swinging around again to the New Series books/series of books, back with 9 and Rose, and this time joined by Jack. Nice to be back with a doctor I love very much.

THE REVIEW

What I thought: this is a classic base under siege story. As i was reading this I thought, in some ways, this could be a second Doctor adventure, assuming the tone was perhaps a little lighter, very Ice Warrior vibes for me. As it is this is a darker adventure for the 9th Doctor and the team compared to the last three books, with a freezing ColdWar soviet submarine base and experimental weapon facility the heart of the action here. Nothing radically new, a crashed spaceship from ages back, hidden alien tech ill used by the natives in order to try to live forever. I am simplifying it but that is essentially what this one is about.

The 9th Doctor and Rose shine though the text here, Jack is a little bit underdeveloped in this one but perfectly fine. Nothing radical, a nice old run around and the TARDIS team get to have some interesting escapes from the baddies and Colonel Levin is a suitably sinister head baddy. An enjoyable romp, with some gruesome deaths elevating the darkness of this one. Good fun.

What I felt? An enjoyable few hours reading this one. Nothing radically new but enjoyable none the less.

Rating: 3 out of 5 Blueblobs: Solid and good fun adventure with the 9th Doctor.

What am I left thinking?

• This is a little darker than the previous three 9th Doctor books, will this be an ongoing trend for this series I wonder?
• Jack is a little bland in this one, be nice to see future Jack books flesh him out a bit more, use him a little more.

Memorable bits

• Fantastic setting
• Rotting submarines and blob human energy consuming/eating monsters, what is not to like!
• Jack caught in a torpedo tube