Doctor Who: Ravenous 3

Ravenous #3

by Matt Fitton, John Dorney, Paul McGann (Narrator)

On a distant research station, the Time Lords are playing with fire. But it isn’t only mythological creatures from Time Lord legend that are coming back to life. Fighting for their lives against terrifying creatures from the folklore of many worlds, as well as escaping the clutches of more familiar foes, the Doctor, Liv and Helen find themselves making the most unlikely ally.

3.1 Deeptime Frontier by Matt Fitton

Stranded on a desolate world by a dead TARDIS, the Doctor and his friends are trapped, surrounded by creatures from Time Lord nightmares – the Ravenous…

Elsewhere, on the edge of the vortex, a Gallifreyan research station takes on board an extremely dangerous artefact. Are the Time Lords sowing the seeds of their own destruction?

And if one Ravenous creature rattles the Doctor’s nerves, what will happen when the whole clan is hunting him?

3.2 Companion Piece by John Dorney

When the evil Time Lord known as the Nine comes across a rare and valuable item floating in the space-time vortex, his acquisitive nature means he can’t resist the urge to complete the set.

Soon a wicked scheme is underway. Only the Doctor’s friends – past, present and future – will be able to stop him.

But without the Doctor around will even the combined skills of Liv, Helen, River Song, Bliss and Charley be enough to save the day?

3.3 L.E.G.E.N.D by Matt Fitton

Over years of study and research, the Brothers Grimm built a compendium of folklore: stories of witches and wizards, magic and morality, strange creatures and treacherous forests…

Professor Marathanga does much the same, on a universal scale. But her methods are rather less rigorous, using technological shortcuts to fill her intelligent database – L.E.G.E.N.D.

When worlds collide, the TARDIS crew discover that fairy tales can become real. And the Doctor’s latest companion is put to the test. Will the Eleven be an asset, or one more monster to defeat?

3.4 The Odds Against by John Dorney

The Doctor, Liv and Helen have landed near an abbey housing the gateway to the dimension in which the Ravenous were originally imprisoned.

But their plans to enlist the inhabitants’ help in defeating their pursuers are disrupted when they stumble over a dead body. Strange creatures roam the corridors and something monstrous may be awakening beneath their feet.

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Audiobook, Media Tie In

5 pages, Audiobook

First published April 1, 2019

Reviews

[Taksya · Rating 5 out of 5]

3.1 Deeptime Frontier by Matt Fitton
Il Dottore, Liv e Helen, in fuga dal box set precedente, trovano rifugio in una struttura scientifica dei Time Lords... ma non si sono liberati dai mostri che li inseguono, anzi le cose si fanno ancor più complicate.
3.2 Companion Piece by John Dorney
Episodio Doctor-lite dedicato ai companion.
Pur avendo River, Liz, Helen, Bliss e Charley, possiamo ascoltare le voci di tutti i companion attualmente operanti negli audio Big Finish, più varie citazioni che non tutti i fan potrebbero riconoscere.
Ma, oltre ai vari companion, abbiamo The Nine... in arrivo direttamente dalla serie Doomsday. Una certezza.
3.3 L.E.G.E.N.D by Matt Fitton
I fratelli Grimm, un computer senziente settato sulle favole e Yhe Eleven che... beh... e The Eleven, le cose per il Dottore, Liv e Helen potrebbero mettersi molto male.
Un stand-alone in attesa del finale di stagione.
3.4 The Odds Against by John Dorney
Finale di stagione, con il Dottore, Liv e Helen alla ricerca del luogo di origine della prigione (e della fuga) del Clan dei Ravenous.
Incontrano uno strano monastero e l'abate IX, pur avendo a che fare con strane morti e un mostro mitologico nei sotterranei, accetta di aiutarli.

Un punto di forza del cofanetto è la massiccia presenza di The Eleven e The Nine e di tutte le loro precedenti incarnazioni. Più passa il tempo è più adoro il personaggio, indipendentemente dalla rigenerazione che incontriamo.
Le interazioni tra il cattivo/alleato forzato di turno e il resto del cast sono ottime.
I camei del secondo audio fanno perfettamente da ponte con le altre serie, creando un legame più saldo con tutti i mondi derivati dalla serie madre.

Alla fine della terza parte, la storia del Ravenous è tutta fuorché conclusa e, con gli sviluppi che coinvolgono The Eleven, ne vedremo delle belle nel quarto e ultimo boxset.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent collection. The Ravenous actually became somewhat interesting in this series. It's not out to destroy the universe or whatever, but is intent on sating its hunger by consuming Time Lords, or rather their regeneration energy. They remind me a bit of the Racnoss, whom the Tenth Doctor met in The Runaway Bride, only the Ravenous are a bit more frightening. Something that brings out the fear of prey animals in the Time Lords finally gets my interest.

Still, the Eleven ended up overshadowing the threat of the Ravenous. They're so over-the-top dramatic that one almost forgets about the Ravenous at times because the Doctor and Company are too busy trying to clean up after the Eleven in one way or another. And then to see that pretty much everything is being orchestrated by the Eleven and that they've allied with the Ravenous... yeah, this is a bit much.

Still, overall, I enjoyed the set.

Deep Frontier: 4 stars - I laughed out loud when Liv just straight up asked Rasmus, "Are you evil?" Like, she's so done with over-dramatic double-crosses and just wants to skip to the end so they can all get on with it. Such a great moment, and Nicola Walker's delivery was so deadpan I cracked up. Great moment.

Companion Piece: 4.5 stars - Probably the best episode of the collection. A Doctor-lite episode, leaving everything to fall on Helen, Liv, and the guest appearances of Bliss, Charley Pollard, and River Song. All five women were fantastic, and played off one another really well. I only took away half a star because of River's comment about how the Doctor will save her after she's captured. Like, WTF? I mean, River goes on to instigate her own rescue, but that comment was like nails on a freaking chalkboard to me. Ugh.

L.E.G.E.N.D.: 3 stars - A decent episode. It had the feel of an actual tv episode of the series, where the Doctor and Company meet a historical figure, go through an adventure, and ultimately save the day. Yes, they're there to get information about the Ravenous, but it barely even seemed to matter all that much.

The Odds Against: 3 stars - *sigh* Honestly, I was a bit exhausted by this one. So the Nine/the Eleven are orchestrating everything, first to get revenge on the Doctor, but then no, they're going to expand it to the entire freaking universe because poor Eleven's feeling a bit persecuted. *eyeroll*

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deeptime Frontier: This is a much better look into the Ravenous and who they are. They're even mildly scary in this one. I'm still not terribly impressed by them as an arc villain, but at least they're not trying to destroy the universe or anything, they just want to eat some Timelords; It's an understandable ambition. The aspect that makes it work is how much their very presence upsets and unnerves the Doctor. And if there's more than one Timelord around the Ravenous actually have a chance to be threatening. I'm still not entirely sold, but they are much better here.

Companion Piece: The 9 has been kidnapping all of the Doctor's companions and keeping them in cages, finding them by torturing River Song until she tells him where they are. Now the companions themselves have to escape without the Doctor's help. This is the best story of the boxset and just a really fun time in general. It's great to have Charley back and to see her working with Liv, Helen and Bliss escaping. It's a really great celebration of the Doctor's companions and was a delight to listen to.

L.E.G.E.N.D.: The Doctor meets the Brothers Grimm just as their stories themselves start coming to life. This one feels a lot like a New Who historical with it's emphasis on historical celebrities and a phenomenon based on the thing they are most famous for. It's very enjoyable, but not much more than that. It does manage to continue the new energy this arc has developed.

The Odds Against: And then it's gone. I didn't think this one worked very well at all. I still just don't think the Ravenous work very well as villains. They just whisper and rant about how they want to eat Timelords, and the Eleven has never really worked for me as a character. It was fine, but it wasn't nearly as good as the rest of the set.

It wasn't nearly as good as the second boxset, but it was still very good. I'm still looking forward to the next set though, especially since I suspect the Master's presence means that the Ravenous are a bit of a red herring, or he'll help the Doctor defeat them; Either way it should be an improvement.

[Ellen Schoener · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this was awesome.
I am not sure if it is better than Ravenous 2, but it is certainly on the same level.
After the Ravenous were a bit of a let-down at the end of the second boxset, reduced to growling and slobbering Monsters who enjoy Timelords as snacks, they finally are redeemed here and get added a mysterious backstory and tons of creepyness.
The Eleven is also shaping up as a great villain, and he really owns it this time.
And oh my god, I really love Liv. She is raising the sarcasm and cynisism to a whole new level.
I think my favorite quote might be her sizing up one of the characters and asking bluntly: "So, are you evil?"

My favorite must be the second episode, Companion Piece, and the set is worth it for that alone. Reading the summary of this episode might make you wonder how this could even work. But it is simply glorious, with so many added treats for long term fans of the franchise. The Doctor's companions make a great team and you do not really need the Doctor in this at all.

So if you enjoyed the previous installments of this, you most certainly will also enjoy this one.

[James Hynes]

The Eleven just keeps getting better and better and the decision to make him one of the Doctor’s companions, out of fear, was utterly brilliant! Can’t wait to see where they take this next. Surprisingly LEGEND was the best one in this boxset, just for Helen meeting the Brothers Grimm and the Doctor eating a gingerbread house, but the return of Charlotte Pollard was incredible and the Ravenous have become a genuinely menacing threat.

[Gabriel Mero · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Companion Piece" was awesome, the rest were okay.

[Maxim Ivanov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Часто грущу, что топовая линейка аудиопьес Big Finish про Восьмого Доктора из приключений с обаятельными компаньонами и эмоциональными ставками где-то после Dark Eyes превратилась в мрачные бессвязные шизофантазии(

[Jamie Revell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third set in this ‘season’ of Eighth Doctor stories is tying in closely to the plot arc now, with the Ravenous moving close to centre stage. Fortunately, however, since they don’t do much except slaver and chase after people, the story is more about escaping them than fighting them directly, and the Eleven has a key role that largely overshadows them. Plus, Liv is on cracking form throughout.

• Deeptime Frontier - The first episode carries on directly from where Ravenous 2 ended, taking us to a sort of mining operation in the Vortex. Once we get past the initial rescue sequence, it’s a base-under-siege, with the Ravenous as the monsters. We do finally get a proper explanation for what they are, but it turns out to be the sort of thing we’ve heard many times before in other stories. And then there’s a lot of running through corridors and getting split up and honestly not much else. It’s not a badly done story, but there’s nothing new to it, and it seems to exist mainly just to get the characters to where they need to be next – a necessary bridge, perhaps, and one providing some needed exposition, but unremarkable on its own merits. 3 stars.

• Companion Piece – What follows is fortunately much better. Here, Liv and Helen find themselves the prisoners of a madman who’s trying to collect a full set of the Doctor’s companions. The result is bonkers, with lots of great one-liners and more nods to the series’ history than you can shake a stick at. River Song appears, but we also get (as is apparent from the cover image) Charlie and Bliss, with the latter getting a particularly good turn in a story that’s more comedic than her usual fare. It’s a great Doctor-lite story, full of fun and putting the companions centre stage. 5 stars.

• L.E.G.E.N.D. – Next, we’re off to 19th century Germany for a meeting with the Brothers Grimm. The story, naturally enough, deals with folklore, with elements taken from the stories that the Brothers collected – although not in the cop-out “they were inspired by real events” way that’s sometimes used. Instead, we have a story about the arrival of an alien folklorist which, after some initial comic moments, leads to unforeseen complications and a real monster stalking the woods The resolution, when it comes, is a little abrupt and there’s perhaps not quite the sense of time and place that mark the best stories set in Earth’s past, but it works better than it might have. 3.5 stars.

• The Odds Against – Initially, the concluding story seems like it’s going to be another run-around in the style of the first one in the collection. Trying to track down the Ravenous, the Doctor arrives on an alien planet, stumbles across a dead body and is immediately arrested by a patrolling robot before becoming embroiled in trying to solve a mystery. All of which seems fairly routine, but it turns that that’s rather the point, and the story soon heads off in an entirely different direction. The Ravenous themselves are, honestly, rather tedious but here, they are really an ancillary threat to recurring villain the Eleven. The latter is very well employed here; even if it at times it gets confusing trying to follow his self-interrupted monologues, it’s well worth it. 4.5 stars.

[Joseph S · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a set!!

[Debra Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ravenous hunts the doctor and company through 4 adventures.

[Rachel Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nasty, in a good way :)

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good follow-up. Fairy tale aspects felt timely as I watched the new Puss in Boots movie today.

[Jurgen · Rating 5 out of 5]

3.1 'Deeptime Frontier' by Matt Fitton: 4*
3.2 'Companion Piece' by John Dorney: 5*
3.3 'L.E.G.E.N.D' by Matt Fitton: 5*
3.4 'The Odds Against' by John Dorney: 5*

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, overall, the only thing I really enjoyed with Ravenous was Companion Piece, the rest of the stories were a bit bland and the same old but a fun little crossover with several companions was great fun, I just wish Jo, Leela, Jamie, Romana, Adric and Margaret had more to do.

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

Deeptime Frontier:
6/10
Verdict: Recommended

Sort of like an 'Aliens' to the previous story. Pretty great set-up, but again, as soon as the titular Ravenous show up, I lose a lot of my interest. The side characters are fine, but they're not great. Setting is decently fun, but only works for a set-up for the ravenous, who I really don't enjoy listening to.

Companion Piece:
5/10
Verdict: Optional

This story isn't great, it's a gimmic story, much like 'Light at the End' and much like light at the end, the villain isn't used to their full potential and neither are the stars of the piece. The story feels too bloated and surprisingly slow. This story probably needed more fun characters as opposed to functional ones, like Lucie Miller, though I can see how it may complicate things, having to avoid the obvious point with her character.

LEGEND:
6/10
Verdict: Optional

This story is... fine. The concept is fine, the setting is fine, the pacing is fine, the characters are fine, I really wish I could say more but this story is extremely by the books. This one is a different type of gimmic story, meet a historical author, events happen and their stories come to life. Even then, the idea of 'fairytales come to life' could have gone further.

The Odds Against:
6/10
Verdict: Recommended

Kind of interesting concept but it sort of falls flat because the twist is so predictable. The story pointing out that this twist is so predictable just makes other characters ignorance to the obvious twist seem out of place. The characters are alright and some of the dialogue is fun, but for half of the story, it's completely by the books and dull, no matter how intended it is.