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Blake's 7 - Books and Ebooks #10
Blake’s 7: Uprising
Blake persuades the Liberator crew to join an uprising on the planet Istria, a vital supplier of food to the Federation. He hopes to hit the Federation where it hurts – and send a powerful message of unity to rebel groups everywhere. But with the odds stacking up against him, and Space Commander Travis in hot pursuit, even Blake starts to wonder who he can trust. Is he right to put so much faith in the Istrian rebels and their mysterious hired mercenary? It's clear that Jade is a deadly killer a secret past, but what is her hidden agenda – and how has Gan fallen so completely under her spell?
- GenresAudiobook
224 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 25, 2025
I picked this novel up in audio form from Big Finish a fair while ago, and it just completely slipped my mind. Now, in the 2025 personal renaissance of audiobooks, i stumbled across it, realising that a little 6-7 hour book would fill in a nice gap before something perhaps a little meatier later in the month.
The opening narrative follows a mutoid known only as 69. Already, my brain is going into high gear, matching this leading narrative to the title, Uprising, and deciding that the plot of this book was going to be about a mutoid uprising. Well, spoilers, readers.... but it is.
Basically, Blake persuades his crew to join a little rebel faction on the planet Istria, who have hired the mysterious masked mercenary Jade (bet you can't guess who THAT ends up being). Everything goes spectacularly wrong and nearly all the rebels get killed, leaving Blake ashamed, questioning his ambition, and with said mysterious mercenary onboard, as Gan has taken a bit of a shine to this enigmatic individual.
This is set somewhere in the short time between Orac and Pressure Point, as it features both the copplepot bucket of bolts and the gentle giant. In fact, i suspect the author (Christopher Cooper)'s intent was always to make this a Gan story, seeing as he was somewhat underused in the TV show. Which i always found odd, given that his story was one worth telling. But i guess, what do you do once you've done the story about his Limiter malfunctioning? Well, this delves into him accepting his traumatic past by finding a 'friend' in Jade, and perhaps discovering something of himself.
The big plot twist - and i call it a twist, but its not really; anybody with any sense of plotting and science fiction tropes knows very early on that Mutoid 69 is going to be Jade - happens early on, as Gan is the one to work it out. Of course, he then keeps this from the crew which then sews discontent and causes a bit of trust friction.
As this is a novel and not a novelisation of one of the TV episodes, as i've read elsewhere, the scope is markedly larger. We're not just on one planet full of rebels, we skip and dance across the galaxy like we were in a star wars movie. The whole thing feels necessarily fleshed out compared to the shorter, more compact narratives required for hour long mini-movies which Blakes 7 did so well for four seasons of run-time.
The dialogue is pitch perfect. Christopher Cooper knows Blakes 7. If i wasn't snickering at Vila's weaselly one liners i was smirking wryly at Avon's dry wit. Blake's unflinching and sometimes misguided heroism leaps off the page / through the headphones, but it is Gan's story. Its easy to imagine that if this story had been given the 90s VHS treatment, it would be Gan and Blake on the cover. And the part of Jade would have been played by some famous British actress, like Sarah Douglas or Caroline Seymour.
I simply have to mention the narration by the late great Stephen Greif. Of course its always nice having a cast member do the reading, but Stephen has such a distinguishable voice. Like gravel swelling on a beach with the tide.
All in all a perfectly wonderful little slice of Blakes 7, the best TV show in the world, and a nice insight into plot points and character developments we never got to see.
Oh, and Blink and You'll Miss It we even get an explanation as to why Travis looks different in Season 2. Now THAT is something you don't want to miss.
Also, keep listening afterwards for a touching Q and A session with Stephen. He answers some questions from fans, including Oliver Dallas, my first editor and mastermind behind the charity anthology 'Forever Avon'... which you really should read.
The opening narrative follows a mutoid known only as 69. Already, my brain is going into high gear, matching this leading narrative to the title, Uprising, and deciding that the plot of this book was going to be about a mutoid uprising. Well, spoilers, readers.... but it is.
Basically, Blake persuades his crew to join a little rebel faction on the planet Istria, who have hired the mysterious masked mercenary Jade (bet you can't guess who THAT ends up being). Everything goes spectacularly wrong and nearly all the rebels get killed, leaving Blake ashamed, questioning his ambition, and with said mysterious mercenary onboard, as Gan has taken a bit of a shine to this enigmatic individual.
This is set somewhere in the short time between Orac and Pressure Point, as it features both the copplepot bucket of bolts and the gentle giant. In fact, i suspect the author (Christopher Cooper)'s intent was always to make this a Gan story, seeing as he was somewhat underused in the TV show. Which i always found odd, given that his story was one worth telling. But i guess, what do you do once you've done the story about his Limiter malfunctioning? Well, this delves into him accepting his traumatic past by finding a 'friend' in Jade, and perhaps discovering something of himself.
The big plot twist - and i call it a twist, but its not really; anybody with any sense of plotting and science fiction tropes knows very early on that Mutoid 69 is going to be Jade - happens early on, as Gan is the one to work it out. Of course, he then keeps this from the crew which then sews discontent and causes a bit of trust friction.
As this is a novel and not a novelisation of one of the TV episodes, as i've read elsewhere, the scope is markedly larger. We're not just on one planet full of rebels, we skip and dance across the galaxy like we were in a star wars movie. The whole thing feels necessarily fleshed out compared to the shorter, more compact narratives required for hour long mini-movies which Blakes 7 did so well for four seasons of run-time.
The dialogue is pitch perfect. Christopher Cooper knows Blakes 7. If i wasn't snickering at Vila's weaselly one liners i was smirking wryly at Avon's dry wit. Blake's unflinching and sometimes misguided heroism leaps off the page / through the headphones, but it is Gan's story. Its easy to imagine that if this story had been given the 90s VHS treatment, it would be Gan and Blake on the cover. And the part of Jade would have been played by some famous British actress, like Sarah Douglas or Caroline Seymour.
I simply have to mention the narration by the late great Stephen Greif. Of course its always nice having a cast member do the reading, but Stephen has such a distinguishable voice. Like gravel swelling on a beach with the tide.
All in all a perfectly wonderful little slice of Blakes 7, the best TV show in the world, and a nice insight into plot points and character developments we never got to see.
Oh, and Blink and You'll Miss It we even get an explanation as to why Travis looks different in Season 2. Now THAT is something you don't want to miss.
Also, keep listening afterwards for a touching Q and A session with Stephen. He answers some questions from fans, including Oliver Dallas, my first editor and mastermind behind the charity anthology 'Forever Avon'... which you really should read.
February 5, 2021
Very dull though it might have been the narrator. Didn't finish.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews