Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Everybody has something they desire, something they crave for, that they covet more than anything else in the world and in that sheer longing; the seeds of their own destruction can be sown.
Finding themselves on board a spaceship whose crew are looking for the long lost civilisation known as the Phaeron, The Doctor and Clara are thrust right into the middle of a journey that will not only test their wits but their perception of Time. The search for the Phaeron Road and the relics of a society long since turned to dust are the objectives of the crew of the Alexandria but there are secrets on board, there are desires to complicated to bring out into the open and the fear of what lies beyond the final stars of the Galaxy is enough to send shivers down the spine.
Trevor Baxendale’s Deep Time takes the reader into a world where jealousy and personal gain are interwoven, where the feeling of desire is intensified because the pressure to survive has perhaps never been greater. The feeling of intensity is one that never really slows down throughout the book and as the desperation reaches its climax, that strength of purpose unfolds with quiet grim determination and holds the reader’s attention to the absolute last.
As part of a trilogy which involves The Doctor’s adventure in dealing with the ancient artefact known as The Glamour, Deep Time is a boundless source of everything that is required from a novel involving Gallifrey’s finest and the woman who understands him better than almost anyone in the Universe. the characters that are surrounded by The Doctor’s appetite and thirst for adventure and knowledge are rich, interesting and full of doubt and intrigue, they have been drawn with quiet deliberation to make the story a much more satisfying read than may have been initially thought and one that truly gets to grips with the base desires of every human on the planet, that need, the drive to desire something that could end up controlling you.
A worthwhile read and an excellent companion piece to the 12th Doctor’s time in the Tardis.
Doctor Who: Deep Time is available to purchase now
Ian D. Hall