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Graceless
Graceless Series 3
Part One: The Edge
“It tore you up, everything you were...”
There's a hotel on a cliff overlooking the sea. All sorts of people wash up there. The retired policeman, the faded star of the music hall and a girl who doesn't know who she is...
Zara arrives at the hotel searching for her sister Abby - but after all they've been through and fought over, will she want to be found?
But they're not the only ones with secrets, running away from their pasts. And someone else in the hotel wants to see them all dead...
Part Two: The Battle
“What is it - history? What are you looking at when you study it?”
Ninth of August, 991 AD. Abby and Zara are on the Essex coast in the rain, searching for a man they loved and lost.
The local people are terrified of the savage pirates waiting just across the water. The bold and brave local earl is ready to wage battle to free his people from such fear.
After all they've been through, Abby and Zara only want to help. But future history has already been written. They're about to find out how much more they can still lose...
Part Three: Consequences
Once upon a time there were two sisters.
They were created by beings called the Grace. Both sisters had magic powers. When they were together, they could do anything. Go anywhere and when. Reach into people's minds, even influence their thoughts.
They tried to be good. They tried to do what was right. But even when they tried their hardest to help people there were unintended consequences.
They still did terrible things. So many people still died. The sisters lost people they loved. There was a man... They thought they'd lost him forever.
There are lots of stories about the two sisters. But that story – their last story, about the day they chose to die... Those who knew what really happened are all dead.
Except for one. A man. Living by the sea. And he promised never to tell...
“It tore you up, everything you were...”
There's a hotel on a cliff overlooking the sea. All sorts of people wash up there. The retired policeman, the faded star of the music hall and a girl who doesn't know who she is...
Zara arrives at the hotel searching for her sister Abby - but after all they've been through and fought over, will she want to be found?
But they're not the only ones with secrets, running away from their pasts. And someone else in the hotel wants to see them all dead...
Part Two: The Battle
“What is it - history? What are you looking at when you study it?”
Ninth of August, 991 AD. Abby and Zara are on the Essex coast in the rain, searching for a man they loved and lost.
The local people are terrified of the savage pirates waiting just across the water. The bold and brave local earl is ready to wage battle to free his people from such fear.
After all they've been through, Abby and Zara only want to help. But future history has already been written. They're about to find out how much more they can still lose...
Part Three: Consequences
Once upon a time there were two sisters.
They were created by beings called the Grace. Both sisters had magic powers. When they were together, they could do anything. Go anywhere and when. Reach into people's minds, even influence their thoughts.
They tried to be good. They tried to do what was right. But even when they tried their hardest to help people there were unintended consequences.
They still did terrible things. So many people still died. The sisters lost people they loved. There was a man... They thought they'd lost him forever.
There are lots of stories about the two sisters. But that story – their last story, about the day they chose to die... Those who knew what really happened are all dead.
Except for one. A man. Living by the sea. And he promised never to tell...
Audiobook
First published June 30, 2013
18 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 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 13, 2020
Continuing to enjoy the Graceless series as part of a relisten before Wicked Sisters. Another good chapter that pulled everything to a conclusion and seemed like the last episode until Graceless 4 was announced.
February 3, 2018
Originally intended as the last of three 3-episode "seasons" of Graceless, this wraps up the tale of the near-omnipotent sisters who nonetheless find themselves victims of their past mistakes and the complexities of the real world. Despite presenting a clear conclusion to their story, a fourth season did eventually follow a few years later. It's also worth noting that the "adult listeners" advisory for the series as a whole is here perhaps more due to the pervasive theme of death that is key to all three episodes, than it is to anything specific in terms of language, sex, or graphic horror.
The Edge - The sisters find themselves at a clifftop English hotel in the late 1940s, where it soon becomes clear that something very strange is going on. In fact, it’s possibly just a bit too odd, with a feeling that events are piling on top of one another just to drive things along. There’s a good reason for that in the end, albeit one that’s been done in at least one other franchise in the relatively recent past. But the sense of unreality doesn’t quite work, failing to provide enough of a solid grounding, and despite some decent character development as the sisters struggle to come to terms with the events of the previous season, it’s an unusually weak episode by the series’ usual standards. 3.5 stars.
The Battle - Here, fortunately, we are on much stronger ground, as the sisters’ quest leads them to the Battle of Maldon in 991, and to a library in the far future. Much of the story is told in flashback, partly narrated by Zara, but also with excerpts of the Saxon poem about the battle, which itself is a key feature of the plot. It’s an atmospheric story, weaving together the horrors of war and the mindset of the time, but the main focus is on the sisters’ attempts to prevent the oncoming tragedy, a desperate struggle to do the right thing when it’s not at all obvious, in the long term, that there really is one. 4.5 stars.
Consequences - The story comes to an end as the sisters return to the setting of season 2 episode The Flood and are re-united with Marek, something that, according to historical records, will happen only on the day that they die. Since they can only die when they deliberately choose to do so, much of the mystery comes from wondering what might cause them to make this choice. Consequences in general have been something of a theme in Graceless, although the ones on show here weren't really all that predictable in advance. It's a good final story, including guest turns for characters from the The Flood, whose own plight provides a strong sub-plot. The send-off is satisfying, and makes sense in view of what has come before. 5 stars.
Which makes an average of 4.3 stars.
The Edge - The sisters find themselves at a clifftop English hotel in the late 1940s, where it soon becomes clear that something very strange is going on. In fact, it’s possibly just a bit too odd, with a feeling that events are piling on top of one another just to drive things along. There’s a good reason for that in the end, albeit one that’s been done in at least one other franchise in the relatively recent past. But the sense of unreality doesn’t quite work, failing to provide enough of a solid grounding, and despite some decent character development as the sisters struggle to come to terms with the events of the previous season, it’s an unusually weak episode by the series’ usual standards. 3.5 stars.
The Battle - Here, fortunately, we are on much stronger ground, as the sisters’ quest leads them to the Battle of Maldon in 991, and to a library in the far future. Much of the story is told in flashback, partly narrated by Zara, but also with excerpts of the Saxon poem about the battle, which itself is a key feature of the plot. It’s an atmospheric story, weaving together the horrors of war and the mindset of the time, but the main focus is on the sisters’ attempts to prevent the oncoming tragedy, a desperate struggle to do the right thing when it’s not at all obvious, in the long term, that there really is one. 4.5 stars.
Consequences - The story comes to an end as the sisters return to the setting of season 2 episode The Flood and are re-united with Marek, something that, according to historical records, will happen only on the day that they die. Since they can only die when they deliberately choose to do so, much of the mystery comes from wondering what might cause them to make this choice. Consequences in general have been something of a theme in Graceless, although the ones on show here weren't really all that predictable in advance. It's a good final story, including guest turns for characters from the The Flood, whose own plight provides a strong sub-plot. The send-off is satisfying, and makes sense in view of what has come before. 5 stars.
Which makes an average of 4.3 stars.
September 4, 2018
The first part, "The Edge" is worth the price of admission alone. This whole series was great. Definitely recommend.
April 28, 2025
Wasn’t quite as into this one.
June 27, 2013
A great finale to the series. This is the day they chose to die.
February 8, 2016
Great final series. Felt very Sapphire and Steel-esque. Almost wish they'd left off the happy ending as I always felt it would end in tragedy. Excellent stuff!
December 16, 2015
Bitter sweet with timey wimey consequences. Loved the ending.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews