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The Fifth Doctor Adventures #5
Doctor Who: Wicked Sisters
The Doctor is recruited by Leela for a vital mission on behalf of the Time Lords.
Together, they must track down and destroy two god-like beings whose extraordinary powers now threaten all of space and time. These beings are already known to the Doctor. Their names are Abby and Zara...
1. The Garden of Storms
In pursuit of Abby and Zara, Leela pilots the TARDIS to the eye of a violent storm in time. Yet she and the Doctor find themselves in an idyllic garden city, the people contented and happy. They soon discover that this bliss comes at a terrible cost, and that Abby and Zara are determined to put things right… so how can Leela and the Doctor stop them?
2. The Moonrakers
Life is hard for the early pioneers building the first settlements on the Moon. The laws of Earth don’t apply here, and there are tussles over limited resources vital to survival. Arriving on the Moon, the Doctor and Zara discover that an aggressive alien species lies in wait. Yet there’s something very strange about these particular Sontarans: they refuse to fight.
3. The People Made of Smoke
Abby and Zara strive to use their powers for good but it’s clear they are damaging reality - and allowing monstrous creatures to bleed through from beyond. The Doctor knows he can only save the universe by destroying his friends. But just how much might he be willing to sacrifice if there’s a chance to save them?
Together, they must track down and destroy two god-like beings whose extraordinary powers now threaten all of space and time. These beings are already known to the Doctor. Their names are Abby and Zara...
1. The Garden of Storms
In pursuit of Abby and Zara, Leela pilots the TARDIS to the eye of a violent storm in time. Yet she and the Doctor find themselves in an idyllic garden city, the people contented and happy. They soon discover that this bliss comes at a terrible cost, and that Abby and Zara are determined to put things right… so how can Leela and the Doctor stop them?
2. The Moonrakers
Life is hard for the early pioneers building the first settlements on the Moon. The laws of Earth don’t apply here, and there are tussles over limited resources vital to survival. Arriving on the Moon, the Doctor and Zara discover that an aggressive alien species lies in wait. Yet there’s something very strange about these particular Sontarans: they refuse to fight.
3. The People Made of Smoke
Abby and Zara strive to use their powers for good but it’s clear they are damaging reality - and allowing monstrous creatures to bleed through from beyond. The Doctor knows he can only save the universe by destroying his friends. But just how much might he be willing to sacrifice if there’s a chance to save them?
Audio CD
First published November 12, 2020
1 person is currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Simon Guerrier
168 books61 followersSimon Guerrier is a British science fiction author and dramatist, closely associated with the fictional universe of Doctor Who and its spinoffs. Although he has written three Doctor Who novels, for the BBC Books range, his work has mostly been for Big Finish Productions' audio drama and book ranges.
Guerrier's earliest published fiction appeared in Zodiac, the first of Big Finish's Short Trips range of Doctor Who short story anthologies. To date, his work has appeared in the majority of the Short Trips collections. He has also edited three volumes in the series, The History of Christmas, Time Signature and How The Doctor Changed My Life. The second of these takes as its starting-point Guerrier's short story An Overture Too Early in The Muses. The third anthology featured stories entirely by previously unpublished writers.
After contributing two stories to the anthology Life During Wartime in Big Finish's Bernice Summerfield range of books and audio dramas, Guerrier was invited to edit the subsequent year's short story collection, A Life Worth Living, and the novella collection Parallel Lives. After contributing two audio dramas to the series, Guerrier became the producer of the Bernice Summerfield range of plays and books, a post he held between January 2006 and June 2007.
His other Doctor Who work includes the audio dramas, The Settling and The Judgement of Isskar, in Big Finish's Doctor Who audio range, three Companion Chronicles and a contribution to the UNIT spinoff series. He has also written a play in Big Finish's Sapphire and Steel range.
Guerrier's work is characterised by character-driven humour and by an interest in unifying the continuity of the various Big Finish ranges through multiple references and reappearances of characters. As editor he has been a strong promoter of the work of various script writers from the Seventh Doctor era of the Doctor Who television series
Guerrier's earliest published fiction appeared in Zodiac, the first of Big Finish's Short Trips range of Doctor Who short story anthologies. To date, his work has appeared in the majority of the Short Trips collections. He has also edited three volumes in the series, The History of Christmas, Time Signature and How The Doctor Changed My Life. The second of these takes as its starting-point Guerrier's short story An Overture Too Early in The Muses. The third anthology featured stories entirely by previously unpublished writers.
After contributing two stories to the anthology Life During Wartime in Big Finish's Bernice Summerfield range of books and audio dramas, Guerrier was invited to edit the subsequent year's short story collection, A Life Worth Living, and the novella collection Parallel Lives. After contributing two audio dramas to the series, Guerrier became the producer of the Bernice Summerfield range of plays and books, a post he held between January 2006 and June 2007.
His other Doctor Who work includes the audio dramas, The Settling and The Judgement of Isskar, in Big Finish's Doctor Who audio range, three Companion Chronicles and a contribution to the UNIT spinoff series. He has also written a play in Big Finish's Sapphire and Steel range.
Guerrier's work is characterised by character-driven humour and by an interest in unifying the continuity of the various Big Finish ranges through multiple references and reappearances of characters. As editor he has been a strong promoter of the work of various script writers from the Seventh Doctor era of the Doctor Who television series
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 18, 2020
I finally got around to this.
I was a bit apprehensive, because I disliked the Key to Time trilogy, I thought it was dreadful and not a good showing for BF or the actors.
So what a pleasant surprise that this is so much better than expected.
It still won't be anywhere close to my favorite, but the story is nice enough and we also get treated to some nice guest characters.
I think the best about this release has to be Dan Starkey and his Sontarans.
They are not played for laughs and Sontarans are at their best when they are played straight.
This was done very well here.
Plus, Dan Starkey also gets a chance to perform something else, and according to the behind the scenes really relished the chance to do it. I thought it was awesome.
There is also the story about the zen garden and the unlikely builders of it.
I am not sure if Simon Guerrier did this on purpose and was aware of it (he did not point it out in the Extras).
But including this weird zen garden and discussing it's philosophical meaning was a great shout out to a story by Stanislav Lem.
I actually was quite amazed about how it was used.
I think it was a great literary quote.
Otherwise, the plot itself is a bit standard.
It did not really leap out at me and grab me.
I am also a bit tired of Leela, although she is used well here as the older Leela, who is very assertive and is able to pilot the TARDIS.
So yeah, competent and enjoyable release, although nothing mind blowing.
I was a bit apprehensive, because I disliked the Key to Time trilogy, I thought it was dreadful and not a good showing for BF or the actors.
So what a pleasant surprise that this is so much better than expected.
It still won't be anywhere close to my favorite, but the story is nice enough and we also get treated to some nice guest characters.
I think the best about this release has to be Dan Starkey and his Sontarans.
They are not played for laughs and Sontarans are at their best when they are played straight.
This was done very well here.
Plus, Dan Starkey also gets a chance to perform something else, and according to the behind the scenes really relished the chance to do it. I thought it was awesome.
There is also the story about the zen garden and the unlikely builders of it.
I am not sure if Simon Guerrier did this on purpose and was aware of it (he did not point it out in the Extras).
But including this weird zen garden and discussing it's philosophical meaning was a great shout out to a story by Stanislav Lem.
I actually was quite amazed about how it was used.
I think it was a great literary quote.
Otherwise, the plot itself is a bit standard.
It did not really leap out at me and grab me.
I am also a bit tired of Leela, although she is used well here as the older Leela, who is very assertive and is able to pilot the TARDIS.
So yeah, competent and enjoyable release, although nothing mind blowing.
April 11, 2023
The time-travelling twins Abby and Zara were introduced in a Fifth Doctor audio back in 2009, and subsequently got their own spin-off audio series. While I enjoyed the grittier, more adult tone of that series, it doesn't seem to have done very well in terms of sales, and was soon scrapped. This release brings the sisters back to their roots to wrap up their storyline.
In point of fact, it's not necessary to have listened to any of the Graceless series to follow this, which makes only the vaguest of references to its events. On the other hand, it certainly helps to know who the sisters are, so the 2009 Fifth Doctor audios that introduced them are much more useful (although, apart from the first one, they're not really that strong compared with Graceless). If you have followed them all the way through, though, this is a good conclusion to their arc, and brings in many themes from their own series, albeit lacking in the "adult" edge that often characterised them.
Here, the Doctor teams up with Leela (apparently middle-aged by this point, despite what the cover shows) to try and stop the sisters from unwittingly damaging the space-time continuum. The story takes place over three episodes, each with a different setting, but it's very much a single story - perhaps too long to listen to in a single sitting, but not something you'd want to leave too much of a gap between, either. Sontarans are involved at one point, showing a clearer connection with the rest of the DW universe than Graceless typically did. These are serious Sontarans, if behaving in what initially appears a strange manner, and there are call-backs to the classic episode The Sontaran Experiment - which was very much not in the comical mode modern viewers may associate with Strax.
The other two stories feature a homage to Logan's Run and a finale that's more intimately tied to the sisters specifically. The way that these, and the Sontaran story, are tied together to make a whole is cleverly done and the result is a strong wrap-up for these characters, with some unexpected twists and at least one shocking moment. If you don't care about Abby and Zara you can probably skip this release - it doesn't tie into anything else - but if you've been following them, it's a good send-off.
In point of fact, it's not necessary to have listened to any of the Graceless series to follow this, which makes only the vaguest of references to its events. On the other hand, it certainly helps to know who the sisters are, so the 2009 Fifth Doctor audios that introduced them are much more useful (although, apart from the first one, they're not really that strong compared with Graceless). If you have followed them all the way through, though, this is a good conclusion to their arc, and brings in many themes from their own series, albeit lacking in the "adult" edge that often characterised them.
Here, the Doctor teams up with Leela (apparently middle-aged by this point, despite what the cover shows) to try and stop the sisters from unwittingly damaging the space-time continuum. The story takes place over three episodes, each with a different setting, but it's very much a single story - perhaps too long to listen to in a single sitting, but not something you'd want to leave too much of a gap between, either. Sontarans are involved at one point, showing a clearer connection with the rest of the DW universe than Graceless typically did. These are serious Sontarans, if behaving in what initially appears a strange manner, and there are call-backs to the classic episode The Sontaran Experiment - which was very much not in the comical mode modern viewers may associate with Strax.
The other two stories feature a homage to Logan's Run and a finale that's more intimately tied to the sisters specifically. The way that these, and the Sontaran story, are tied together to make a whole is cleverly done and the result is a strong wrap-up for these characters, with some unexpected twists and at least one shocking moment. If you don't care about Abby and Zara you can probably skip this release - it doesn't tie into anything else - but if you've been following them, it's a good send-off.
December 31, 2020
On paper, there's a lot of things I like that were advertised in this set - the Fifth Doctor, Leela, the Graceless sisters and written by Simon Guerrier. However, I'm not sure that the story worked in this case. I really enjoyed the Graceless and Key2Time series but didn't really get drawn in by the three stories in this set. Perhaps I'll go back to it for a relisten later on. Didn't hate it by any stretch but also didn't like it as much as I thought I would, so three stars is about right.
October 25, 2021
👽4.5👽
Three excellent adventures featuring the Fifth Doctor and Leela.
My only quibble is not being able to differentiate Abby and Zara and the main alien threat's voice wasn't always that clear (at least whilst I was listening while driving).
Three excellent adventures featuring the Fifth Doctor and Leela.
My only quibble is not being able to differentiate Abby and Zara and the main alien threat's voice wasn't always that clear (at least whilst I was listening while driving).
November 23, 2020
I do not understand the ending.
November 25, 2020
A really good trilogy of stories, picking up from the graceless spinoff series and bringing back 5thy, and introducing Leela.
November 30, 2020
The doctor and leela have to stop zara and abby from causing problems in time and space.
February 21, 2024
Apparently this is connected to the Graceless series, so there might be things that went over my head.
July 12, 2024
1. 'The Garden of Storms': 4*
2. 'The Moonrakers': 4*
3. 'The People Made of Smoke': 4*
2. 'The Moonrakers': 4*
3. 'The People Made of Smoke': 4*
February 25, 2021
The Garden of Storms:
A really enjoyable opening story about a corrupted society that believes by killing their citizens 40 years or over will benefit their future. Meanwhile, The Doctor and Leela have gone to find Zara and Abby who's interference in the cosmos has worried the Timelords and it seems that The Doctor has a difficult decision to make.
Not the strongest story ever but it is very enjoyable and has some really good characterization and set's up the arc for this set very well! 8/10
The Moonrakers:
A very intriguing and enjoyable Sontaran story that's very different from anything we've had before with the infamous war-mongering species. The story feels like it's slowly coming together and I'm really interested in seeing how this set concludes.
Even though this was an intriguing story with superb characterization nothing particularly wowed me about this story but it was still an enjoyable hour of storytelling. 7/10
The People Made of Smoke:
Now, this is more like it! A grand epic conclusion to an otherwise decent set about history being changed thanks to Abby and Zara's interference and now there are consequences. There was a lot of tension in this and the last 10 minutes were just incredible, a superb piece of storytelling from Simon Gurrier!
My only issue is that the smoke creatures are hard to hear sometimes due to poor sound design but otherwise this is an amazing finale to a very good set. 9/10
Overall: 24/30.
A really enjoyable opening story about a corrupted society that believes by killing their citizens 40 years or over will benefit their future. Meanwhile, The Doctor and Leela have gone to find Zara and Abby who's interference in the cosmos has worried the Timelords and it seems that The Doctor has a difficult decision to make.
Not the strongest story ever but it is very enjoyable and has some really good characterization and set's up the arc for this set very well! 8/10
The Moonrakers:
A very intriguing and enjoyable Sontaran story that's very different from anything we've had before with the infamous war-mongering species. The story feels like it's slowly coming together and I'm really interested in seeing how this set concludes.
Even though this was an intriguing story with superb characterization nothing particularly wowed me about this story but it was still an enjoyable hour of storytelling. 7/10
The People Made of Smoke:
Now, this is more like it! A grand epic conclusion to an otherwise decent set about history being changed thanks to Abby and Zara's interference and now there are consequences. There was a lot of tension in this and the last 10 minutes were just incredible, a superb piece of storytelling from Simon Gurrier!
My only issue is that the smoke creatures are hard to hear sometimes due to poor sound design but otherwise this is an amazing finale to a very good set. 9/10
Overall: 24/30.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews