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Doctor Who: Sontarans vs Rutans #1.3
Doctor Who: Sontarans vs Rutans - Born to Die
In Born To Die, Colin Baker features as the Doctor, accompanied by India Fisher as Charley Pollard. This full-cast audio adventure is set during the period when Charley found herself in the far future, separated from the Eighth Doctor, before being rescued by the Sixth Doctor.
When a trip to the planet Taxodon to see its native species, the Knox, goes wrong the Doctor finds himself with mere hours to prove himself innocent of murdering a Sontaran. With more Sontarans dying, the Doctor and Charley need to work but what is killing them and why the Sontarans are even on Taxodon in the first place… if they have time…
When a trip to the planet Taxodon to see its native species, the Knox, goes wrong the Doctor finds himself with mere hours to prove himself innocent of murdering a Sontaran. With more Sontarans dying, the Doctor and Charley need to work but what is killing them and why the Sontarans are even on Taxodon in the first place… if they have time…
Audio CD
Published March 1, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 11, 2025
The 150 Prompt Doctor Who Reading Challenge - War Doctor's Companions - 1) Cardinal Ollistra: A Time Lord's Game - Read A Science Fiction Book Involving Politics, Manipulation Or Time Travel.
I like the Sixth Doctor and Charley as a duo much more than I ever thought I would, considering how much I liked her as the Eighth Doctor's companion, and I was excited to see that the series would have her in two parts of the series, one with each Doctor. I was so hopeful that it would have links and ties between the two parts that would make sense because she was with the Eighth Doctor at the beginning and the Sixth Doctor later, but we didn't really get this that much, and I find myself more disappointed than I thought I would be.
That being said, it was still quite an enjoyable part of the series, the plot was decent, the mystery was engaging and the characters were well written and well fleshed out. I know this was a debut story for the author, and I think she did very well.
I like the Sixth Doctor and Charley as a duo much more than I ever thought I would, considering how much I liked her as the Eighth Doctor's companion, and I was excited to see that the series would have her in two parts of the series, one with each Doctor. I was so hopeful that it would have links and ties between the two parts that would make sense because she was with the Eighth Doctor at the beginning and the Sixth Doctor later, but we didn't really get this that much, and I find myself more disappointed than I thought I would be.
That being said, it was still quite an enjoyable part of the series, the plot was decent, the mystery was engaging and the characters were well written and well fleshed out. I know this was a debut story for the author, and I think she did very well.
April 19, 2024
While the (sixth) Doctor and Charley aren’t my favorite pairing, and I’m more than a little irritated with the cliché of the (sixth) Doctor always seeming to be involved with legal concerns and /or trials, this wasn’t bad at all. Entertaining, fast-paced, and fun despite the clichéd elements.
March 15, 2024
Sontarans vs Rutans is proving to be a fascinating and new way for Big Finish to tell an overarching story without forcing them all into boxsets. They are all stories that can be enjoyed on their own merit and it's honestly nice to have something to enjoy coming out monthly rather than all in one go. I really loved the first two installments in this series and was very excited for this one too, it is a little nerve-wracking when a new writer comes on board but it's also incredibly exciting since it highlights that Big Finish is still trying to bring new talent on board.
The Sontarans and The Rutans have been fighting for so long, that people can't remember how or why their war started in the first place, but both races are hellbent on victory and sometimes they perform hellish experiments in the hopes of victory. The Doctor and Charley arrive on the planet Taxodon to find the local inhabitants being imprisoned and experimented on by the Sontarans, but why and what could these creatures possibly be of importance to them? Something is wrong with The Sontarans however, some of them have started dying and it isn't long before some of them even go insane, turning against their own species.
Tiegan Bryne has impressed me with her debut script, it's a really fun story that initially starts out as a really curious murder mystery before unfolding into an epic and explosive action thriller with some very unsettling scenes of Sontarans brutally killing one another. It's a delight to see 6 and Charley together again after so many years, it's a shame they haven't done these two together again until now, but I'm glad they finally have. My favorite character in this story however is Skole played by Dan Starkey, a different kind of Sontaran character that whilst he stays very much true to his race, his sense of honor is far greater than the rest of his fellow species, making for a really fascinating and engaging individual.
Overall: Admittedly it isn't quite as good as the first two stories in this series, but it's still a terrific story nonetheless that was a great deal of fun! 8.5/10
The Sontarans and The Rutans have been fighting for so long, that people can't remember how or why their war started in the first place, but both races are hellbent on victory and sometimes they perform hellish experiments in the hopes of victory. The Doctor and Charley arrive on the planet Taxodon to find the local inhabitants being imprisoned and experimented on by the Sontarans, but why and what could these creatures possibly be of importance to them? Something is wrong with The Sontarans however, some of them have started dying and it isn't long before some of them even go insane, turning against their own species.
Tiegan Bryne has impressed me with her debut script, it's a really fun story that initially starts out as a really curious murder mystery before unfolding into an epic and explosive action thriller with some very unsettling scenes of Sontarans brutally killing one another. It's a delight to see 6 and Charley together again after so many years, it's a shame they haven't done these two together again until now, but I'm glad they finally have. My favorite character in this story however is Skole played by Dan Starkey, a different kind of Sontaran character that whilst he stays very much true to his race, his sense of honor is far greater than the rest of his fellow species, making for a really fascinating and engaging individual.
Overall: Admittedly it isn't quite as good as the first two stories in this series, but it's still a terrific story nonetheless that was a great deal of fun! 8.5/10
April 14, 2024
When the Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker) and Charley (India Fisher) land on Taxodon and discover a dead Sontaran, they are accused of his murder. But as they try to prove their innocence, more and more Sontarans begin dropping dead. Can the Doctor and Charley unravel the truth behind these mysterious deaths? Or are they destined to die at the hands of a Sontaran execution squad? Tiegan Byrne's Born to Die plays out like a Doctor Who version of a murder mystery. The Sixth Doctor acts as the plucky detective teamed up with a reluctant partner in the form of the Sontaran, Skole (Dan Starkey). And, like any good murder mystery, Born to Die is crammed with enough twists and turns to make even Sherlock Holmes jealous.
For the first half, Byrne's script takes its time with its story. It luxuriates in all of the trappings of a good murder mystery, laying out all of the players, the stakes, and the pieces that need connecting. But somewhere around the halfway mark, the story kind of loses steam as it segues into more traditional Doctor Who fare. That's not to say that Born to Die is ever anything less than entertaining; far from it. Baker is on top form here, as braggadocious as ever while always seeming wholly in control. Fisher gets a lot more to do than she did in the series' first story, giving the story most of its emotional center. And Starkey steals the show as the Doctor's reluctant investigative partner. It's just that as the story expands, and the mysteries start getting solved, it kind of fizzles out.
Ultimately, Born to Die delivers an immensely fun Doctor Who take on a murder mystery, but it doesn't quite stick the landing.
For the first half, Byrne's script takes its time with its story. It luxuriates in all of the trappings of a good murder mystery, laying out all of the players, the stakes, and the pieces that need connecting. But somewhere around the halfway mark, the story kind of loses steam as it segues into more traditional Doctor Who fare. That's not to say that Born to Die is ever anything less than entertaining; far from it. Baker is on top form here, as braggadocious as ever while always seeming wholly in control. Fisher gets a lot more to do than she did in the series' first story, giving the story most of its emotional center. And Starkey steals the show as the Doctor's reluctant investigative partner. It's just that as the story expands, and the mysteries start getting solved, it kind of fizzles out.
Ultimately, Born to Die delivers an immensely fun Doctor Who take on a murder mystery, but it doesn't quite stick the landing.
December 20, 2025
The third in a set of four stories featuring different Doctors but linked by a common arc. After the second story focussed on the Rutans, this time it's the turn of the Sontarans, in a story that features the Sixth Doctor travelling with Charlie. Since it is set after the events of the first story in the set from Charlie's perspective, but before it from the Doctor's, there is inevitably quite a bit of Charlie pretending she doesn't know what's going on - something that typified this brief partnership in other Big Finish audios.
The story sees the pair arriving on an uninhabited, non-strategic, planet only to find a Sontaran battalion already present. It's initially set up as a murder mystery, with the Doctor accused of killing one of the soldiers, but it's more about identifying what the Sontarans are doing here and the effects that their operation has had than it is about fingering a specific culprit. The Sontarans are well-portrayed here, showing them - as the Rutans were in the prior story - as not entirely villainous. Indeed, one of them takes on the companion role for some of the story while Charlie is off exploring elsewhere.
The premise as to what is going on is an interesting one, beyond just tying in to the overall theme of the story arc. There's also a fair amount of action, most of it sneaking about a Sontaran base. Those only familiar with the modern show may struggle, lacking any real knowledge of the Rutans and not being aware of the backstory behind the Six/Charlie dynamic. While technically standalone, this also relies more on knowledge of the previous stories in the set than they did on each other. But as a bridge between those and finale, it does what it sets out to.
The story sees the pair arriving on an uninhabited, non-strategic, planet only to find a Sontaran battalion already present. It's initially set up as a murder mystery, with the Doctor accused of killing one of the soldiers, but it's more about identifying what the Sontarans are doing here and the effects that their operation has had than it is about fingering a specific culprit. The Sontarans are well-portrayed here, showing them - as the Rutans were in the prior story - as not entirely villainous. Indeed, one of them takes on the companion role for some of the story while Charlie is off exploring elsewhere.
The premise as to what is going on is an interesting one, beyond just tying in to the overall theme of the story arc. There's also a fair amount of action, most of it sneaking about a Sontaran base. Those only familiar with the modern show may struggle, lacking any real knowledge of the Rutans and not being aware of the backstory behind the Six/Charlie dynamic. While technically standalone, this also relies more on knowledge of the previous stories in the set than they did on each other. But as a bridge between those and finale, it does what it sets out to.
March 19, 2024
✅80% = 👍🏼29 ✊🏼4 👎🏼0 = Great!
Big Finish continues their latest mini-series about the Sontaran-Rutan war with a story featuring the return of Six and Charley, the blue coat, and the Sontarans, not exclusively voiced by Dan Starkey.
This is BORN TO DIE, aka HOW TO KILL SONTARANS!
I love the opening—a peaceful visit to a paradise planet suddenly broken by a panicking Sontaran. The story then quickly centres on the Sontarans holding Sixie and Charley captive as we slowly learn about their plans and find out who is slowly killing the Sontarans. This forces the Doctor and the Sontarans into an uneasy alliance.
The plot is straightforward but grabs your attention through its action-packed second half. It does try to build a mystery around the Sontarans fighting other Sontarans, but it's pretty obvious what's going on. It does put a fun little twist on the Sontaran/Rutan war, of course, and raises concerns about genetic manipulation, something of a Dalek feature.
Charley gets involved with a cute creature to escape the clutches of the Sontarans and get most of the action. Jon Culshaw as Skrein here provides a fun performance, but it's a pity that the character itself is written out before they can reach their full potential! Baker and Fisher are both great, of course.
It's refreshing to hear a slightly more classic-sounding Sontaran voice by Christopher Ryan for a change. Here, Sontarans appear lass warring and a bit more talky, which is also a nice change, and they interact well with the Doctor.
This is a pretty atmospheric adventure that slowly builds the tension from the Doctor's investigation and Charley's findings during her escape from imprisonment.
The soundtrack features some surprisingly rock-sounding tunes, which I'm all in for. It's mixed with a very good sound design for battle scenes, and these pop out very nicely. This has some of the best soundwork I've heard in a BF release in a long time!
Big Finish continues their latest mini-series about the Sontaran-Rutan war with a story featuring the return of Six and Charley, the blue coat, and the Sontarans, not exclusively voiced by Dan Starkey.
This is BORN TO DIE, aka HOW TO KILL SONTARANS!
I love the opening—a peaceful visit to a paradise planet suddenly broken by a panicking Sontaran. The story then quickly centres on the Sontarans holding Sixie and Charley captive as we slowly learn about their plans and find out who is slowly killing the Sontarans. This forces the Doctor and the Sontarans into an uneasy alliance.
The plot is straightforward but grabs your attention through its action-packed second half. It does try to build a mystery around the Sontarans fighting other Sontarans, but it's pretty obvious what's going on. It does put a fun little twist on the Sontaran/Rutan war, of course, and raises concerns about genetic manipulation, something of a Dalek feature.
Charley gets involved with a cute creature to escape the clutches of the Sontarans and get most of the action. Jon Culshaw as Skrein here provides a fun performance, but it's a pity that the character itself is written out before they can reach their full potential! Baker and Fisher are both great, of course.
It's refreshing to hear a slightly more classic-sounding Sontaran voice by Christopher Ryan for a change. Here, Sontarans appear lass warring and a bit more talky, which is also a nice change, and they interact well with the Doctor.
This is a pretty atmospheric adventure that slowly builds the tension from the Doctor's investigation and Charley's findings during her escape from imprisonment.
The soundtrack features some surprisingly rock-sounding tunes, which I'm all in for. It's mixed with a very good sound design for battle scenes, and these pop out very nicely. This has some of the best soundwork I've heard in a BF release in a long time!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2024
The Sixth Doctor and Charley Pollard (not letting on that she knows a future incarnation of the Doctor) arrive on the planet Taxodon, home of the Knox, a species renowned for their ability to hide themselves. Fairly quickly they encounter a dying Sontaran, and fine themselves accused of his death.
The stories in this series so far have shown just how difficult it is to do justice to both sides of such an enormous conflict as the Sontarans vs the Rutans. This one continues that trend by showing plenty of the Sontarans, but again, not really anything satisfying about the Rutans.
I think the Big Finish nostalgia treatment does something of a disservice to the Rutans. With only one classic series story that features them, it seems the whole species only gets two things to build off: that they're at war with the Sontarans, and that they can change shape. Surely there's more to them than that? The Sontarans get a wide range of characterizations ... and they're all clones!
Still, this one is pretty good, buoyed by a good performance by all involved.
The stories in this series so far have shown just how difficult it is to do justice to both sides of such an enormous conflict as the Sontarans vs the Rutans. This one continues that trend by showing plenty of the Sontarans, but again, not really anything satisfying about the Rutans.
I think the Big Finish nostalgia treatment does something of a disservice to the Rutans. With only one classic series story that features them, it seems the whole species only gets two things to build off: that they're at war with the Sontarans, and that they can change shape. Surely there's more to them than that? The Sontarans get a wide range of characterizations ... and they're all clones!
Still, this one is pretty good, buoyed by a good performance by all involved.
July 3, 2024
Nice entertaining story.
Great use of older "Sixie" Charley. Nice for her to remember many things of her previous story against the Sontarans (and trying to not remember out loud if the Doctor is around).
Charley is one of the connecting pieces in this series.
For me, this worked well.
The performances of the leads are again great, but honestly, I would not have expected anything less from Colin Baker.
The plot itself... not as good or clever as part two was for me.
Both the Rutans as the Sontarans are pretty horrific in this (well, apart from the young cadet).
Great series so far.
Great use of older "Sixie" Charley. Nice for her to remember many things of her previous story against the Sontarans (and trying to not remember out loud if the Doctor is around).
Charley is one of the connecting pieces in this series.
For me, this worked well.
The performances of the leads are again great, but honestly, I would not have expected anything less from Colin Baker.
The plot itself... not as good or clever as part two was for me.
Both the Rutans as the Sontarans are pretty horrific in this (well, apart from the young cadet).
Great series so far.
March 13, 2024
Six and Charlie still have chemistry, but the story wasn’t quite as eventful.
April 7, 2024
Rutan scum!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews