Gallifrey: Time War 3

Gallifrey #11

by David Llewellyn, Lou Morgan, Helen Goldwyn

Romana and Narvin are exiles, driven from Gallifrey by Rassilon’s regime and cut adrift amid the horrors of the Time War. Their one remaining hope is that they can find their friend: Leela was also lost in the maelstrom of battle, but she is fighting to survive...

3.1 Hostiles by David Llewellyn

Exiled from Gallifrey, Romana and Narvin are fleeing from their own people and the Time War. Seeking refuge on a derelict wreck they find they are not alone. And that Time Lords have enemies everywhere...

3.2 Nevernor by Lou Morgan

Narvin and Romana reach the distant, rural world of Njagilheim. But even here the Time War follows – and there are more things to fear in the Vortex than warships and weapons. The Orrovix have caught a scent and they are hunting...

3.3 Mother Tongue by Helen Goldwyn

Leela was thrown into a Vortex ravaged by the Time War, lost in space and time – but the Trell have shown her mercy...

She finds herself in another realm, another life. One where the warrior is also a mother. Where she must help her son to choose the path to avoid his world’s destruction.

3.4 Unity by David Llewellyn

On a dusty frontier world, destiny awaits Romana...

Betrayal, deception and death are the currency on Unity. And as the Daleks close in on their target, there will be a price to pay.

Genres: Doctor Who, Audiobook, Science Fiction, British Literature

Audiobook

First published February 1, 2020

About the author

David Llewellyn is a Welsh novelist and script writer. He grew up in Pontypool and graduated from Dartington College of Arts in 2000. His first novel, Eleven, was published by Seren Press in 2006. His second, Trace Memory, a spin-off from the BBC drama series Torchwood, was published in March 2008. Everything Is Sinister was published by Seren in May 2008. He has written two novels for the Doctor Who New Series Adventures: The Taking of Chelsea 426, featuring the Tenth Doctor, and Night of the Humans, featuring the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond.

In addition to writing novels, Llewellyn wrote the Bernice Summerfield audio play Paradise Frost and the Dark Shadows audio drama The Last Stop for Big Finish Productions.

Llewellyn lives in Cardiff.

Reviews

[Taksya · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.1 Hostiles by David Llewellyn
Narvin e Romana, in fuga da Gallifrey dopo la ressurrezione di Rassilon, sono in cerca di Leela, persa anche lei nel caos della guerra temporale.
Raggiunta una vecchia stazione in rovina, in cerca di riparo e pezzi per riparare il loro Tardis, troveranno caos e distruzione.
3.2 Nevernor by Lou Morgan
Sulle tracce di Leela, Narvin e Romana arrivano su un pianeta apparentemente tranquillo. Ma la Guerra del Tempo è arrivata prima di loro, portandosi dietro dei predatori dal vortex.
3.3 Mother Tongue by Helen Goldwyn
Finamente ritroviamo Leela, finita su un pianeta misterioso dove lei è se stessa, ma anche madre di un giovane che tiene nelle proprie mani il futuro della sua gente e della vita sul pianeta.
3.4 Unity by David Llewellyn
Connun notevole colpo di fortuna Narvin e Romana raggiungono Leela su un pianeta di frontiera e, dopo le vicende della precedente avventura, non sarà facile convincerla a seguirli.

La storia prosegue senza intoppi e, non essendo più su Gallifrey, dove Rassilon e amici vanno avanti con i piani che ben conosciamo, il ritmo è decisamente migliore.
Romana e Leela sono fantastiche assieme e, una volta di più, sono certa che recupererò i primi capitoli della serie dedicata a Gallifrey.
L'interazione tra i tre fuggiaschi non è mai sopra le righe e il finale lascia un cliffhanger grande come l'interno di un Tardis.
Non ci resta che aspettare il quarto e, probabilmente, ultimo capitolo della serie dedicata alla Guerra del Tempo.

[Mikes Dw Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unity:
i wasn't originally going to review unity as the Daleks are only a minor part of the story, However I did enjoy the world building and characters that I felt I should. This story isn't really a Dalek story, more an effect of the Daleks and the time war as a whole. I've really enjoyed big finishs approach to showing us the other world's being effected by this war, with both main boxset stories or one of my personal favourite short trips "A heart on both sides" exploring the effect timelords have on people and those who have to pick up the fallen.

While the story is a useal basic plot of a planet of refugees and mining groups, there is something really interesting in how this story decided to talk and then show you that worlds society etc. The story does a great job of showing what some people will do to survive and how corrupt people can be to one another, all to get an easy life.

Unitys world's consists of both a refuge place and a mining operation were people kidnap the other people to work for them. We see this through Leela who has dedicated herself to protecting the group and I really like that we just focus on just one small two group family. Leela gets some excellent moments and action here. She finally gets a chance to show the timelords that in a way she's so much more than them. She doesn't stand around chatting and boasting, she gets the job done and I really enjoyed seeing her cause distractions and fight her way to the slaves and the other group. I also really liked her morals about the war here, showing she not all just a savage who loves/believes in a good fight anymore. She disagrees with it and can see the cause of it. She's very much like the doctor here which is another excellent set up for when the war Dr and Leela both team up together later. As a Leela fan I adore that she's one of the only companions/characters, who truly understands the drs view of the war.

I also really enjoyed the two characters of Veega and Rayo as they both show us in a nice simple but effective way of this sides fears and hopes. The mother really is terrified that the timelords will make him fight for them, but she also wants him to leave the planet to be save. It's subtle and maybe should of been expanded on more, but from what we do get, we get a great feel of that mother's struggle to decide what's right for her son. The mining side is also great too, of course they are still the useal crooks in a doctor who episode like this but what makes the characters and this side stand out is the reveal of who they work for. The Daleks are actually behind this whole thing/planet but have allowed these peoples freedom to an extent of working for them. I really liked this idea. That these people are so held by fear and flase appreciation of them. You really get that feel of "The Dalek invasion of earth" it's kill or be killed or its the survival of the fittest.

The final act of the story sets up the final boxset in a pretty good but ridiculous obvious cliffhanger. For me the final moments are what let the story down. Or at least was good in theory but needed a rewite. Romana decided to stay as normal being (using the chameleon circuit) to stop the timelords from finding this planet and killing everyone. Despite the fact the Daleks earlier in the story saw her image and knew her instantly, so honestly Regenerating was probably a better idea.
Of course she doesn't, she just decided to stay and work with the Daleks to help others out. The idea is good and I do like the idea that Romana knows these people will be killed by the timelords so decided to help them, but it's not made a big enough deal. Maybe if she had seen more of the world and suffering etc and we got a scene of her talking to Leela about how much pain the timelords cause too and how them being here has caused a bigger problem. Because now the Daleks have too decided to stay and have a task force remain on here too.

Overall it's an enjoyable story. Nothing too groundbreaking but interesting ideas and spin on old ones.
Rating 3/5 7/10

[Jamie Revell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four more stories set during the Time War, following Romana and Narvin as they head into exile and try to meet up with Leela. The political and military themes of the previous volumes have gone, as has anything much to do with Gallifrey, but it’s a change of pace and does manage to get some commentary in on the damage done by the War to the universe at large.

Hostiles – Following on from the end of the previous volume, we see Romana and Narvin arriving on a crippled Time Lord ship that they must traverse in order to escape. Naturally, there’s a monster on board, and it all has to do with Gallifreyan experimentation and damage to the local timestream. It’s a tense and somewhat claustrophobic story as the characters struggle to survive and to resolve the mystery of what the ‘monster’ is trying to achieve. The soundscaping is very effective; considering that we’re just hearing people the sounds of people clambering about through metal corridors and ladders I, for one, never felt confused about what anyone was doing or where they were. And, while time travel is key to what’s happening, it’s sufficiently low scale and localised not to get confusing. 4 stars.

Nevernor – Things move up a notch in the second episode as the pair reach a planet where it’s immediately obvious things aren’t right – and they only escalate as the timeline damage becomes more apparent. As in the previous episode, there is a very small cast of characters, which helps to keep the temporal damage more in focus, and the plot is linear and not overly complex. Once again, there’s some clever use of sound, although here it’s the fact that one of the characters is clearly hearing things that the other (and the listener) cannot, adding to the sense of mystery. Unfortunately, once the characters finally figure out the source of the problem, the resolution isn’t terribly interesting, and the ‘monster’ is dull – although as an exploration of the environmental damage caused by the Time War, it’s a worthwhile story. 3.5 stars.

Mother Tongue – The third story feels unconnected with the rest of the collection. It features only Leela, and to that extent, is filling in some of what happened while she was away from the others, but it could just as well fit in anywhere else, and how she got to the location in the story is never explained (nor is it apparent where she heads once it is over). That aside, it’s another story about time being jumbled up, although it’s linear from her perspective and this time around the time travel elements are not directly connected to the War. There are a few nice twists in it and the jumping about allows for the story to play out over a longer period of time than would otherwise be possible but it’s oddly detached, and we don’t really know any of the guest characters for long enough to care about them much. 3 stars.

Unity – The final story is the most conventional of the four, with no more than a passing mention of time travel. It’s here that Romana and Leela finally meet up and that the Daleks also make a (very brief) appearance. The latter are really only here to make a threat and hurry things up, with the story being more focussed on the life that Leela has made for herself before they arrive. It’s not an especially remarkable story, feeling like a necessary bridge between the previous stories and whatever comes next, but not notable on its own merits. Having said that, the final scenes, which culminate in a cliffhanger, are powerful and show Romana at her best, so I'll give it half a star for those alone. 3.5 stars.

[Nicolas Lontel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un coffret qui je crois se tourne vraiment plus vers l'intimité des personnages (une équipe d'acteurs et d'actrices plus restreinte) et qui s'attarde à regarder les conséquences d'une guerre au niveau du quotidien des personnages et des êtres vivants plutôt qu'à l'échelle planétaire. Une exploration certainement intéressante qui permet de s'éloigner des jeux politiques de corridors et s'attarder aux horreurs de la guerre et aux non-choix des personnages.

Hostiles par David Llewellyn
Un épisode qui faisait un peu huit-clos avec un minimum de 4 personnages (incluant Romana et Narvin) échouant dans un étrange endroit rempli de TARDIS vide. La fin est très prévisible, on s'attache aussi peu aux deux autres personnages.

Nevernor par Lou Morgan
L'entièreté de l'épisode est jonché d'explication scientifique autour de paradoxes ce qui rend son écoute un peu ardue à la longue. Trop d'indices, dès le départ, permettent de comprendre ce qui va suivre et on se retrouve donc à écouter nos deux protagonistes et leurs explications alors qu'on comprend assez rapidement où le tout s'en va.

Mother Tongue par Helen Goldwyn
Un brillant épisode! C'est une écriture qui, en peu de temps et avec des personnages dont on n'a jamais entendu parler auparavant, arrive à communiquer un maximum d'information, créer des liens intimes rapidement et vraiment nous faire sentir les drames qui s'y déroulent. Un épisode "fish out a the water" pour Leela qui explore une parentalité qui lui est un peu imposée (la garde d'un enfant finalement déjà adulte), d'être confrontée à ses propres attentes et désirs qu'elle projette sur les autres et les limites de cette pensée. Le titre tourne autour de l'idée de l'importance du langage et de la communication dans les relations bien que sans rien ôter à l'agentivité de Leela, la pousse à faire confiance à d'autre même si cela peut aller contre ses intérêts ou ses envies. J'espère que ce développement de personnage laissera une trace dans la suite des choses (c'est aussi assez rare, il me semble, pour des personnages dans cet univers d'avoir des enfants et de parler de leur rôle de parent donc j'ai définitivement trouvé ça original).

Unity par David Llewellyn
Une fin certainement intéressante pour ce coffret, je n'en dirais pas plus, mais le choix de Romana de faire face aux conséquences plutôt que de fuir amène à des développements intéressants. Je suis content· de voir que Leela garde ses souvenirs de son fils (et va certainement les transposer sur un nouveau personnage) ce qui amène des dynamiques de protection intéressantes et qui la force à devoir développer de nouvelles compétences et abilités. Bref, l'épisode arrive à bien reprendre les situations, à les développer dans un scénario quand même assez "ordinaire" et linéaire pour pouvoir clore un chapitre narratif et nous amener à un nouveau qui promet d'être intéressant pour le développement des personnages qui devront composer avec de nouvelles situations et traits de personnalité.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the first volume of this series it didn't feel like Gallifrey, and after the 2nd volume being SO good it was a bit of a disappointment. After waiting a year for them to go find Leela having two stories where they didn't felt rather like filler. I just wanted them to get on with it. They weren't bad adventures. Interesting time stories that would have felt ok in a main range, but I wanted them all back together. I also felt Romana got fairly short shifted and Narvin seemed to be the comic relief. But Helen Goldwyn's story was lovely and emotional and a nice way of temporal wobbliness. The fourth story had angry bossy Leela which was really great! As was Romana's reaction to her. And I have rewritten the ending so that Romana did forget and Leela stayed behind to look after her. And they got married and lived happily ever after the end!

[Ellen Schoener · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this.
A nice collection of stories, running with the concept of timey-whimey horror.
These are near stand-alone stories, following Romana and Narvin in Exile trying to track down Leela.
There is no Gallifrey politicking or intrigue or infighting.
There are hardly any other timelords.
It is just Romana and Narvin, fighting the odds in an increasingly unpredictable universe.
This was a nice change of pace.
And while the stories might remind me of the stories the Doctor gets involved with, it is quite clear that these timelords have a different set of morals and do not shy away from using tougher means.
And what an amazing cliffhanger at the end!

[Gabriel Mero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romana and Narvin use their TARDIS to try to track down Leeela amidst the Time War. It was interesting to see what Leela has been up to since we last saw her in Time War 1. I was ecstatic when the group reunited, but was devastated when they once again parted ways. The ending left me on the edge of my seat and desperate to know what happens next!

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hostiles ****
Nevernor ****
Mother Tongue *** it's technically a good episode in terms of the way it's written. but you cannot make me believe Leela would be a bad mother. you can't
Unity - objectively *** but ***** in my heart. you cannot make me believe Leela isn't a mother figure to Rayo. the ending of this one is also interesting in a bad way. as if Narvin would just give up on Romana lol

[Joseph S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty, pretty good!

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok so we're gonna ignore those last 5 minutes of utter pain and focus instead on the fact that Leela raised a child with another woman. Canon bisexual Leela is the kind of content I signed up for ❤

[Steven Shinder · Rating 3 out of 5]

It doesn’t get quite as exciting until the very end.

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of these four episodes, the middle two feel very skippable. Particularly because they both sort of fall into the "it was all a dream" trope, with everything returning to the status quo at the end. The third episode in particular, which focuses on Leela seemed to cover much of the same territory that was covered by The War Doctor episode "The Lady of Obsidian" with Leela living an alternate life where she had children.

The first and fourth episodes are good, with the final episode being better, but on the whole it feels like Volume 3 is a lot of padding until we get to Volume 4.

[Debra Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narvin and Romana go searching for Leela.