| PRIMEVAL by Lance Parkin |
| Story ? Synopsis: Nyssa is dying and the Doctor doesn't know why. To seek a cure, he takes her to Traken in its past, where she may be cured by medics there. But it seems the only help can come from Kwundaar, a fearsome and powerful creature who wants the Doctor's help. In return, he will restore Nyssa. In fact, Kwundaar is the reason Nyssa is ill. The Doctor realises that Traken is about to create the Source, the energy source he saw on his last visit. Kwundaar wants this power, but in a desperate struggle, the Doctor defeats him, and the first Keeper is installed. Cured, Nyssa and the Doctor leave. |
| Review:- There was some intrigue before this story was released, concerning the surprise of where it is set. Unfortunately, that surprise is revealed a few minutes into pt 1 (for the benefit of anyone who hadn't already guessed), and after that, the story begins to struggle. The idea of the Doctor taking his sick companion to somewhere that seems mostly inadvisable (as if he was just desperate to do a prequel) also crops up in the not-popular PDA, Warmonger (although I found it okay). After that hurdle is crossed, the drama of Nyssa's illness does at least generate interest, as the Doctor finds himself unable to help his friend, and forced to contemplate a "deal with the Devil" to save her. What the listener is soon to learn is that Kwundaar is of course up to no good, and is using the Doctor to get control of the power on Traken. Sadly, beyond Kwundaar, there is little of note in the cast, and a villain whose name is a phonetic reverse of the phrase "dark one" is alas just a bit too smug to be credible. Fortunately, some drama is developed when it becomes clear that the Source is currently untamed, and needs someone to control it - hence this is the start of the tradition of the Keeper of the Source. This makes for a strong finale, as the Doctor struggles to stop Kwundaar from becoming the Keeper, whilst simultaneously avoiding the same fate. As with the telly sequel, the eventual Keeper is a decent bloke who wouldn't have been given the job unless it was an emergency. Unfortunately, there is too little of interest or excitement to hold interest, and I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. |
| Disclaimer: I own a copy. |