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The Fourth Doctor Adventures #11A
Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor Adventures, Series 11: Solo
11.1 Blood of the Time Lords by Timothy X Atack
The book known as The Dischord Grimoire is an incredibly powerful tome, believed capable of altering the true passage of time itself. And the Doctor has it in the TARDIS.
Wanting to look into this mysterious opus further, he decides to take it to an old friend in The Recusary – a monastery-like retreat on a moon of Gallifrey.
But he’s chosen an inauspicious time to arrive. Something else is visiting the Recusary. And this something hasn’t brought a book with it... but death.
11.2 The Ravencliff Witch by David Llewellyn
The TARDIS lands in Ravencliff, a small town on the English coast that stands in the shade of a newly built power station. And that just happens to be haunted.
Every now and then a spectral figure is glimpsed on the beach - the Ravencliff witch. And every time she appears, it’s the prelude to disaster.
The Doctor has to solve the mystery of her appearances if he wants to prevent a catastrophe. But he won’t have to do it alone – as he has the help of Margaret Hopwood, a renowned sculptor destined to play a big part in his life.
The book known as The Dischord Grimoire is an incredibly powerful tome, believed capable of altering the true passage of time itself. And the Doctor has it in the TARDIS.
Wanting to look into this mysterious opus further, he decides to take it to an old friend in The Recusary – a monastery-like retreat on a moon of Gallifrey.
But he’s chosen an inauspicious time to arrive. Something else is visiting the Recusary. And this something hasn’t brought a book with it... but death.
11.2 The Ravencliff Witch by David Llewellyn
The TARDIS lands in Ravencliff, a small town on the English coast that stands in the shade of a newly built power station. And that just happens to be haunted.
Every now and then a spectral figure is glimpsed on the beach - the Ravencliff witch. And every time she appears, it’s the prelude to disaster.
The Doctor has to solve the mystery of her appearances if he wants to prevent a catastrophe. But he won’t have to do it alone – as he has the help of Margaret Hopwood, a renowned sculptor destined to play a big part in his life.
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Audiobook
First published March 16, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 13, 2023
Blood of the Time Lords by Timothy X Atack – 4/5
The fourth doctor finds a mysterious grimoire in his Tardis and takes it to a monastery-like library on a moon near his home planet of Gallifrey, to find out more about it. But the library is on fire when he arrives. The timing of the doctor’s arrival seems too much of a coincidence, and it doesn’t take long before the doctor himself is put onto trial. But it quickly becomes clear something else is going on.
This story starts out rather slow, but even in the beginning there’s quite a lot to like. Much like in the classic Doctor Who story The Deadly Assassin, the fourth doctor doesn’t have a companion with him as he visits his fellow time lords. Without a companion serving as an audience identification figure to hold him back, the legendary fourth doctor can be his witty, charismatic, enigmatic and charmingly quirky alien self. Tom Baker is just at the top of his game here. The library is quite an atmospheric and fascinating setting. The gothic and tense atmosphere makes it feel like a perfect fit for the fourth doctor’s Hinchcliffe era. But it’s also a cool new setting to explore that gives us some more insight in the fascinating culture of the time lords. The mystery is always present and the twists are excellent. With every twist, we get some answers. But every answer also raises new and exciting questions.
I have to admit, I was fortunate enough not to read any reviews before I tackled this story. Because there’s one big twist in particular that would have been spoiled had I done so. The best way to enjoy this story is to jump in it blindly and simply enjoy the ride.
The Ravencliff Witch by David Llewellyn - 4/5
The fourth doctor arrives in Ravencliff, where a newly built power station dominates life in the small English coastal town. People have started to go missing ever since it was built. The people think the power station is haunted by a local urban legend called the Ravencliff Witch. Naturally, the doctor becomes quite fascinated with this spooky mystery.
Margaret Hopwood is a local sculptor who refuses to sell her cottage. She is therefore sabotaging the power station’s expansion. So the corporation behind the power station very much wants her to reconsider their offer. And they’ll go to great lengths to get her to reconsider.
The plot is pretty good, as is the atmospheric setting. It’s nothing particularly special as it all feels like very familiar territory for Doctor Who fans. But it’s executed really well. It mostly serves as an introduction story for future companion Margaret Hopwood. She’s a pretty good character and she does have some chemistry with the fourth doctor. The only complaint I have, is that there’s nothing really remarkable I can say about her.
Overall, quite a solid mystery story. The highlight here is once again Tom Baker as the fourth doctor. He’s just giving it his all from start to finish, and he’s clearly enjoying himself to the fullest.
The fourth doctor finds a mysterious grimoire in his Tardis and takes it to a monastery-like library on a moon near his home planet of Gallifrey, to find out more about it. But the library is on fire when he arrives. The timing of the doctor’s arrival seems too much of a coincidence, and it doesn’t take long before the doctor himself is put onto trial. But it quickly becomes clear something else is going on.
This story starts out rather slow, but even in the beginning there’s quite a lot to like. Much like in the classic Doctor Who story The Deadly Assassin, the fourth doctor doesn’t have a companion with him as he visits his fellow time lords. Without a companion serving as an audience identification figure to hold him back, the legendary fourth doctor can be his witty, charismatic, enigmatic and charmingly quirky alien self. Tom Baker is just at the top of his game here. The library is quite an atmospheric and fascinating setting. The gothic and tense atmosphere makes it feel like a perfect fit for the fourth doctor’s Hinchcliffe era. But it’s also a cool new setting to explore that gives us some more insight in the fascinating culture of the time lords. The mystery is always present and the twists are excellent. With every twist, we get some answers. But every answer also raises new and exciting questions.
I have to admit, I was fortunate enough not to read any reviews before I tackled this story. Because there’s one big twist in particular that would have been spoiled had I done so. The best way to enjoy this story is to jump in it blindly and simply enjoy the ride.
The Ravencliff Witch by David Llewellyn - 4/5
The fourth doctor arrives in Ravencliff, where a newly built power station dominates life in the small English coastal town. People have started to go missing ever since it was built. The people think the power station is haunted by a local urban legend called the Ravencliff Witch. Naturally, the doctor becomes quite fascinated with this spooky mystery.
Margaret Hopwood is a local sculptor who refuses to sell her cottage. She is therefore sabotaging the power station’s expansion. So the corporation behind the power station very much wants her to reconsider their offer. And they’ll go to great lengths to get her to reconsider.
The plot is pretty good, as is the atmospheric setting. It’s nothing particularly special as it all feels like very familiar territory for Doctor Who fans. But it’s executed really well. It mostly serves as an introduction story for future companion Margaret Hopwood. She’s a pretty good character and she does have some chemistry with the fourth doctor. The only complaint I have, is that there’s nothing really remarkable I can say about her.
Overall, quite a solid mystery story. The highlight here is once again Tom Baker as the fourth doctor. He’s just giving it his all from start to finish, and he’s clearly enjoying himself to the fullest.
April 15, 2023
The Fourth Doctor Adventures may not be the consistent range of them all, but it's one of the most enjoyable and nostalgic for me. I look forward to listening to these releases and occasionally come across a very special story indeed, but no matter the quality Tom Baker's enthusiasm and wit always has me smiling.
Blood of The Timelords:
The Doctor discovers a book on The Dischord Grimoire in the Tardis, and decides to take it back to The Rescusary, a monastery-like retreat on a moon of Gallifrey. But when he arrives he finds people have gone missing, presumed dead, and a library bursting into flames. Something very sinister is going on and an old enemy walks in the shadows.
Timothy X Atack has written a very fun direct sequel (almost) of sorts to The Deadly Assassin with a just as imaginative and atmospheric tale as the story set before this. It's a very intelligent script oozing with wit, humor, and tension. The characterization was fantastic and I really liked the characters of Elanore and Ansillon. I do appreciate how Timothy X Atack also went out of his way to make this incarnation of The Master infinitely more interesting, it's just a shame it's wasted on you know who. But despite the unfortunate casting, it's an incredible opening story to this series of adventures! 10/10
The Ravencliff Witch:
When The Tardis arrives in Ravencliff, The Doctor soon realizes something is very wrong. Why is The Tardis trying to escape, why are the animals going feral, who's The Ravencliff Witch and what's going on at the nearby Powerstation? Soon he comes across Margaret Hopwood and he may not know it yet, but she's about to become a very good friend in his life.
David Llewellyn has written a really creepy and atmospheric story that isn't without heart. It's a terrific ghost story with a very clever twist and plenty of scares. I love the world-building in this story, the small town of Ravencliff really feels alive and you really get an understanding of why the people hate the power station and the threat it may have over them all. The Doctor and Margaret Hopwood have a really good bond, can't wait to see them together again with Leela! 9/10
Overall: 19/20
Blood of The Timelords:
The Doctor discovers a book on The Dischord Grimoire in the Tardis, and decides to take it back to The Rescusary, a monastery-like retreat on a moon of Gallifrey. But when he arrives he finds people have gone missing, presumed dead, and a library bursting into flames. Something very sinister is going on and an old enemy walks in the shadows.
Timothy X Atack has written a very fun direct sequel (almost) of sorts to The Deadly Assassin with a just as imaginative and atmospheric tale as the story set before this. It's a very intelligent script oozing with wit, humor, and tension. The characterization was fantastic and I really liked the characters of Elanore and Ansillon. I do appreciate how Timothy X Atack also went out of his way to make this incarnation of The Master infinitely more interesting, it's just a shame it's wasted on you know who. But despite the unfortunate casting, it's an incredible opening story to this series of adventures! 10/10
The Ravencliff Witch:
When The Tardis arrives in Ravencliff, The Doctor soon realizes something is very wrong. Why is The Tardis trying to escape, why are the animals going feral, who's The Ravencliff Witch and what's going on at the nearby Powerstation? Soon he comes across Margaret Hopwood and he may not know it yet, but she's about to become a very good friend in his life.
David Llewellyn has written a really creepy and atmospheric story that isn't without heart. It's a terrific ghost story with a very clever twist and plenty of scares. I love the world-building in this story, the small town of Ravencliff really feels alive and you really get an understanding of why the people hate the power station and the threat it may have over them all. The Doctor and Margaret Hopwood have a really good bond, can't wait to see them together again with Leela! 9/10
Overall: 19/20
January 23, 2025
Blood of the Time Lords by Timothy X Atack = A great story that expands on Gallifrey lore set straight after the Deadly Assassin. The Master is also in this one, but luckily, it doesn't feel too similar to Assassin as it's a different incarnation of the Master with a different scheme. While this incarnation of the Master is probably my least favourite due to him being what you typically expect the Master to be and nothing more to it, the fact he's a earlier incarnation is used to great effect in the story. Of course, the controversy of the actor who plays him is problematic, but even without that, he's just very boring as the Master. Still, despite that, it is a solid 5/5 story
The Ravencliffe Witch by Llewellyn = This boxset is then followed by another strong story, which goes down the classic horror route of the era its emulating with a ghostly figure haunting a seaside town. It finally gives us Nerys Hughes as a companion for the Doctor after she played a different but brilliant role in the TV story Kinda. This time, she is playing an artist from this coastal town. She sparks off Tom Baker wonderfully, and I look forward to her being a companion in other Fourth Doctor boxsets. Another well done story however with it being set in a power station for quite a bit of it, it is very similar to the location used in The Hand of Fear which continuity wise is very recent for the Doctor yet he doesn't make any comment about it. Still, minus that minor niggle, it's a solid 4/5 story
Overall a very great boxset which emulates the era very well and gives Tom Baker a boxset of stories with him companionless just like he wanted back in the day. Only Tom's Doctor could pull off talking to himself in some scenes
The Ravencliffe Witch by Llewellyn = This boxset is then followed by another strong story, which goes down the classic horror route of the era its emulating with a ghostly figure haunting a seaside town. It finally gives us Nerys Hughes as a companion for the Doctor after she played a different but brilliant role in the TV story Kinda. This time, she is playing an artist from this coastal town. She sparks off Tom Baker wonderfully, and I look forward to her being a companion in other Fourth Doctor boxsets. Another well done story however with it being set in a power station for quite a bit of it, it is very similar to the location used in The Hand of Fear which continuity wise is very recent for the Doctor yet he doesn't make any comment about it. Still, minus that minor niggle, it's a solid 4/5 story
Overall a very great boxset which emulates the era very well and gives Tom Baker a boxset of stories with him companionless just like he wanted back in the day. Only Tom's Doctor could pull off talking to himself in some scenes
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2022
Well, as far as 4th Doctor stories go, this set was very good, but, at least for me, not really great.
It was however better than many other previous stories in this series.
Here we get two 4-part adventures of the 4th Doctor traveling solo (as the name of the srt implies).
One thing I can say for sure, the performances were truly great and nearly flawless.
The 4th Doctor is at his most loony, having weird, half-sensical conversations with himself- which of course serve to set the scene for an audio play, but which come across here as pretty natural, just because this is Tom Baker's Doctor and we are used to him being all weird and wonderful.
Blood of The Timelords.
To judge this, you need to ask yourself- what could you do with an adventure that has a small cast, is set at a library and has a semi-mythological monster somewhere and of course (!!) some running around the bookshelves? (sound familiar? )
Well?
For this limited scope of things, this works out very well and is maybe the best they could get out of it. They also added some Timelord sprinkle (so a huge library is basically a Gallifreyan retirement home?).
It is not perfect, however. This is not "Silence in the Library".
Still, for what it is, very good.
I also liked the Master in this. He appears to be some kind of curious mix of Beevers and Ainley. He works well for me, although he does quite reach the levels of Beevers and Jacobi.
Ravencliff Witch.
Well, this certainly has great pacing and engaging performances.
The main characters were well developed and likeable.
Setting was great, seashore, light house, mysterious power station...
The story itself however was rather typical Who style. I admit I had expected a bit more.
But by no means a bad story!
I just would have expected a bit more atmosphere and mystery and dread.
A bit more "Horror of Fang Rock" if you will.
Instead, well, it just comes down to the usual suspects and a lot of technobabble.
It was however better than many other previous stories in this series.
Here we get two 4-part adventures of the 4th Doctor traveling solo (as the name of the srt implies).
One thing I can say for sure, the performances were truly great and nearly flawless.
The 4th Doctor is at his most loony, having weird, half-sensical conversations with himself- which of course serve to set the scene for an audio play, but which come across here as pretty natural, just because this is Tom Baker's Doctor and we are used to him being all weird and wonderful.
Blood of The Timelords.
To judge this, you need to ask yourself- what could you do with an adventure that has a small cast, is set at a library and has a semi-mythological monster somewhere and of course (!!) some running around the bookshelves? (sound familiar? )
Well?
For this limited scope of things, this works out very well and is maybe the best they could get out of it. They also added some Timelord sprinkle (so a huge library is basically a Gallifreyan retirement home?).
It is not perfect, however. This is not "Silence in the Library".
Still, for what it is, very good.
I also liked the Master in this. He appears to be some kind of curious mix of Beevers and Ainley. He works well for me, although he does quite reach the levels of Beevers and Jacobi.
Ravencliff Witch.
Well, this certainly has great pacing and engaging performances.
The main characters were well developed and likeable.
Setting was great, seashore, light house, mysterious power station...
The story itself however was rather typical Who style. I admit I had expected a bit more.
But by no means a bad story!
I just would have expected a bit more atmosphere and mystery and dread.
A bit more "Horror of Fang Rock" if you will.
Instead, well, it just comes down to the usual suspects and a lot of technobabble.
April 5, 2022
✅74% 👍35 👎12
_________________________
THE GOOD:
Blood of the Time Lords:
Tom Baker, the man, myth, and legend; is marvelous from the opening moments of this story, having a conversation with himself and believably capturing the mindset of his Doctor immediately after the televised adventure The Hand of Fear (1976). His Doctor is one of the few ones who could have adventures on their own, yet somehow make it work very well. Annette Badland is perfect, as should be expected, and Christopher Naylor and Emma Noakes put in very enjoyable performances as well. The Master is played in an earlier incarnation by an actor who really doesn't need any attention these days - but I have to admit that he is just as creepy and Mastery as in the marvelous The Destination Wars from The First Doctor Adventures range.
With no regular companion to weigh him down, Timothy X Atack is free to unleash Four's most alien qualities and truly let Tom Baker carry this story forward, as he did in The Deadly Assassin (1976), which is set immediately before this story. Atack writes a very effective and terrifying Master, whose full power is finally unleashed in the final part.
It's great how Big Finish still finds ways to deepen Gallifreayn lore and explore new aspects of Gallifreayn society - such as the Recusery on Gallifrey's moon - and make it feel like something we could have seen on the classic show. The plot movies along swiftly through the interesting characters, fun dialogue, and occasional action scenes, that have been well realized.
While the twist at the end of Part Two is very predictable, it helps add to the tension and feeling of danger in the story. A highlight of the second half of the story, Part 3 in particular, is the hearing of the Doctor, which feels very true to the era. It allows Baker and Badland to go at each other, which is satisfying to listen to. Part 4 kicks into high gear once more, when the Doctor and the Master are pitted against each other with Eminent Sedanya in the middle.
The Ravencliff Witch:
David Llewellyn brings the second story of the latest Fourth Doctor box set, taking listeners back to the Philip Hinchcliffe era of the show with a Gothic style, Earth-bound ghost story, something of a riff on Image of the Fendahl (1977) or The Stones of Blood (1978). The opening part sets up the story and builds up the atmosphere very effectively.
Llewellyn builds a very effective, creepy atmosphere that is strengthened by an eerie score and great sound design. There are quite a lot of exciting and dangerous situations here that are well described and performed. The mystery and legend behind the titular witch develop slowly but steadily throughout the adventure, keeping the narrative flowing nicely. The episode cliffhangers feel classic in nature as well, and definitely make me want to know what happens next. Nicholas Briggs' direction effectively brings the setting and the characters alive and maintains healthy levels of tension and interest even when the story slows down a bit.
The final part ramps up the tension nicely and puts the central characters into good use, while truly creating a sense of growing danger and continuing its effective depiction of sci-fi concepts that surely wouldn’t have looked as good had this been a televised story. Then there's the final twist at the end which, quite frankly, is both clever and heartbreaking.
This story continues to highlight the strengths of Tom Baker's Doctor, once again adventuring on his own and displaying his likable alien and quirky qualities. Baker manages to bring out his youthful side fairly well, so it's easy to see this as part of Season 14, for instance. The rest of the cast is great as well, with simple characterization to make the guest characters feel alive. Of particular note is Nerys Hughes as one-off companion Margaret Hopwood, a character who feels like something of a tribute to Evelyn Smythe.
---------------------
THE BAD:
Blood of the Time Lords:
This is another story where the Master just kind of exists in the background but barely gets anything done and doesn't feel like the palpable threat he should be. I feel that Part Two develops this story into a slightly confusing whodunit, that feels unnecessarily convoluted and could benefit from a visual medium to support the narrative.
Blood of the Time Lords has some problems with remaining on course and maintaining tension and interest after Part 1. Even though Part 3 strengthens the atmosphere ever so slightly, the narrative kind of loses itself somewhere in the process. The middle two parts are so much slower and more confusing than the opening and closing parts that it's almost as if they were written by somebody else.
The Ravencliff Witch:
The explanation of the events going on at Ravencliff isn't exactly original - similar stories have appeared in the TV show proper - so the truth of the matter feels slightly disappointing after such a strong build-up.
The titular witch of the story ends up being a minor cop-out, as she is never the true danger of the story. Gordon Milnes, meanwhile, is the obligatory human villain who feels just a tad bit clichéd.
It's a pity Hopwood is relegated to a supporting character with very little use after Part One of the story as Dr. Banks takes the more active companion role since she feels very shoehorned in, just to connect her with her first appearance in Ravenous 4.
_________________________
THE GOOD:
Blood of the Time Lords:
Tom Baker, the man, myth, and legend; is marvelous from the opening moments of this story, having a conversation with himself and believably capturing the mindset of his Doctor immediately after the televised adventure The Hand of Fear (1976). His Doctor is one of the few ones who could have adventures on their own, yet somehow make it work very well. Annette Badland is perfect, as should be expected, and Christopher Naylor and Emma Noakes put in very enjoyable performances as well. The Master is played in an earlier incarnation by an actor who really doesn't need any attention these days - but I have to admit that he is just as creepy and Mastery as in the marvelous The Destination Wars from The First Doctor Adventures range.
With no regular companion to weigh him down, Timothy X Atack is free to unleash Four's most alien qualities and truly let Tom Baker carry this story forward, as he did in The Deadly Assassin (1976), which is set immediately before this story. Atack writes a very effective and terrifying Master, whose full power is finally unleashed in the final part.
It's great how Big Finish still finds ways to deepen Gallifreayn lore and explore new aspects of Gallifreayn society - such as the Recusery on Gallifrey's moon - and make it feel like something we could have seen on the classic show. The plot movies along swiftly through the interesting characters, fun dialogue, and occasional action scenes, that have been well realized.
While the twist at the end of Part Two is very predictable, it helps add to the tension and feeling of danger in the story. A highlight of the second half of the story, Part 3 in particular, is the hearing of the Doctor, which feels very true to the era. It allows Baker and Badland to go at each other, which is satisfying to listen to. Part 4 kicks into high gear once more, when the Doctor and the Master are pitted against each other with Eminent Sedanya in the middle.
The Ravencliff Witch:
David Llewellyn brings the second story of the latest Fourth Doctor box set, taking listeners back to the Philip Hinchcliffe era of the show with a Gothic style, Earth-bound ghost story, something of a riff on Image of the Fendahl (1977) or The Stones of Blood (1978). The opening part sets up the story and builds up the atmosphere very effectively.
Llewellyn builds a very effective, creepy atmosphere that is strengthened by an eerie score and great sound design. There are quite a lot of exciting and dangerous situations here that are well described and performed. The mystery and legend behind the titular witch develop slowly but steadily throughout the adventure, keeping the narrative flowing nicely. The episode cliffhangers feel classic in nature as well, and definitely make me want to know what happens next. Nicholas Briggs' direction effectively brings the setting and the characters alive and maintains healthy levels of tension and interest even when the story slows down a bit.
The final part ramps up the tension nicely and puts the central characters into good use, while truly creating a sense of growing danger and continuing its effective depiction of sci-fi concepts that surely wouldn’t have looked as good had this been a televised story. Then there's the final twist at the end which, quite frankly, is both clever and heartbreaking.
This story continues to highlight the strengths of Tom Baker's Doctor, once again adventuring on his own and displaying his likable alien and quirky qualities. Baker manages to bring out his youthful side fairly well, so it's easy to see this as part of Season 14, for instance. The rest of the cast is great as well, with simple characterization to make the guest characters feel alive. Of particular note is Nerys Hughes as one-off companion Margaret Hopwood, a character who feels like something of a tribute to Evelyn Smythe.
---------------------
THE BAD:
Blood of the Time Lords:
This is another story where the Master just kind of exists in the background but barely gets anything done and doesn't feel like the palpable threat he should be. I feel that Part Two develops this story into a slightly confusing whodunit, that feels unnecessarily convoluted and could benefit from a visual medium to support the narrative.
Blood of the Time Lords has some problems with remaining on course and maintaining tension and interest after Part 1. Even though Part 3 strengthens the atmosphere ever so slightly, the narrative kind of loses itself somewhere in the process. The middle two parts are so much slower and more confusing than the opening and closing parts that it's almost as if they were written by somebody else.
The Ravencliff Witch:
The explanation of the events going on at Ravencliff isn't exactly original - similar stories have appeared in the TV show proper - so the truth of the matter feels slightly disappointing after such a strong build-up.
The titular witch of the story ends up being a minor cop-out, as she is never the true danger of the story. Gordon Milnes, meanwhile, is the obligatory human villain who feels just a tad bit clichéd.
It's a pity Hopwood is relegated to a supporting character with very little use after Part One of the story as Dr. Banks takes the more active companion role since she feels very shoehorned in, just to connect her with her first appearance in Ravenous 4.
September 29, 2025
"Blood Of The Time Lords" is an okay listen, while "The Ravencliff Witch" is excellent. I'd recommend it you liked "The Deadly Assassin" and are interested in more solo Fourth Doctor adventures, otherwise, just get the second story by itself.
August 27, 2025
As great as Baker is, I think I prefer when his Doctor travels with one of his regular companions.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews