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Eighth Doctor Adventures #10
Doctor Who: Legacy of the Daleks
England in the late 22nd century is slowly recovering from the devastation that followed the Daleks' invasion. The Doctor's very first travelling companion -- his granddaughter, Susan -- is where he left her, helping to rebuild Earth for the survivors. But danger still remains all around...
While searching for his lost companion, Sam, the Doctor finds himself in Domain London. But it seems that Susan is now missing too, and his efforts to find her lead to confrontation with the ambitious Lord Haldoran, who is poised to take control of southern England through all-out war. With the help of a sinister advisor, Haldoran's plans are already well advanced. Power cables have been fed down a mineshaft, reactivating a mysterious old device of hideous power. But has the Dalek presence on Earth really been wiped out? Or are there still traps set for the unwary?
The Doctor learns to his cost once again that when dealing with the evil of the Daleks, nothing can be taken at face value...
While searching for his lost companion, Sam, the Doctor finds himself in Domain London. But it seems that Susan is now missing too, and his efforts to find her lead to confrontation with the ambitious Lord Haldoran, who is poised to take control of southern England through all-out war. With the help of a sinister advisor, Haldoran's plans are already well advanced. Power cables have been fed down a mineshaft, reactivating a mysterious old device of hideous power. But has the Dalek presence on Earth really been wiped out? Or are there still traps set for the unwary?
The Doctor learns to his cost once again that when dealing with the evil of the Daleks, nothing can be taken at face value...
246 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 6, 1998
3 people are currently reading
331 people want to read
About the author
John Peel
421 books166 followersJohn Peel is the author of Doctor Who books and comic strips. Notably, he wrote the first original Doctor Who novel, Timewyrm: Genesys, to launch the Virgin New Adventures line. In the early 1990s he was commissioned by Target Books to write novelisations of several key Terry Nation Dalek stories of the 1960s after the rights were finally worked out. He later wrote several more original Daleks novels.
He has the distinction of being one of only three authors credited on a Target novelisation who had not either written a story for the TV series or been a part of the production team (the others were Nigel Robinson and Alison Bingeman).
Outside of Doctor Who, Peel has also written novels for the Star Trek franchise. Under the pseudonym "John Vincent", he wrote novelisations based upon episodes of the 1990s TV series James Bond Jr..
He has the distinction of being one of only three authors credited on a Target novelisation who had not either written a story for the TV series or been a part of the production team (the others were Nigel Robinson and Alison Bingeman).
Outside of Doctor Who, Peel has also written novels for the Star Trek franchise. Under the pseudonym "John Vincent", he wrote novelisations based upon episodes of the 1990s TV series James Bond Jr..
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
December 19, 2018
Peel’s second and final Dalek story in the Eighth Doctor Adventures is not quite as enjoyable as the first, but with he’s knack of trying to link the shows continuity together produces some interesting ideas in this solid read.
The return of Susan is a great addition, I practically liked the focus on how she ages differently to David and it’s a constant frustration to her.
There’s also a nice appearance of another character from the show, which makes for a pleasant surprise.
Overall a nice addition to this series arc.
The return of Susan is a great addition, I practically liked the focus on how she ages differently to David and it’s a constant frustration to her.
There’s also a nice appearance of another character from the show, which makes for a pleasant surprise.
Overall a nice addition to this series arc.
November 5, 2012
An under appreciated gem?
Hell no.
But I did finish this one, cover to cover, so there’s that. I guess that makes it the most readable of the bad EDAs, or to put it another way, the worst Doctor Who novel I've ever finished reading. Although I must confess I did not enjoy the classic Telos novelisation Doctor Who and The Daleks, but managed the entirety of that.
I guess it’s the common element; the early Dalek stories, especially those first two, have a raw mythic power and this book, for all it’s many flaws, taps directly into the post war hauntingness and compelling retro-futurism of The Daleks’s invasion of Earth.
Trouble is it doesn't proceed to do anything of any value with that. The blend of feudal features and modern touches is interesting in it’s own way. The divided, warring Britain littered with Dalek relics and the odd monster in the woods is a cool idea. The social drift back towards overt sexism is plausible, and has plenty of potential for social/historical commentary. But nothing is made of these ideas, their presentation is extremely flat, and there is no originality or inspiration to them, no clever nuances or subtle details.
The plot occupies it’s self excessively with the bland and distasteful local power feuds, in which The Master is tediously involved, it’s petty, boring, and hard to keep track of. none of the characters involved have anything resembling a likable quality, and the story’s fawning over their nastiness leaves an unpleasant taste in the mouth.
As does every attempt made to deal with serious social or moral matters, the horrors of war, the fear of confronting one’s nightmares, the pain of life after an abusive relationship. These huge issues are trotted out as if to titillate a sadistic audience while lip service is payed, shame faced, to how awful it all is. Principles which come to a spluttering halt in the character of Barlow, initially one of the tedious courtesans in the politicking, he rises to prominence as a cold hearted general who seizes absolute power in one foul swoop. However, considering the framing of the story, I am given to believe that he is supposed to be a likable character of some sort?
Who knows.
As for the Daleks, and The Master, total non event. They are present in the narrative, they tick off all the standard tropes required by rote for the characters, but again the depiction is flat and unimaginative, The Master’s inner thoughts are as clumsily handled as The Doctor was back in The Bodysnatchers, and neither antagonist has any real point. The Master releases some Daleks, who talk big and shoot about 5 people, then they get blown up and the book is over.
I could go on picking this one apart, the pacing, the use of Susan and David, the gut-wrenching tediousness of the shoehorned setup to The Deadly Assassin…
But I don’t want to dwell on all this when there is a Paul Leonard story waiting for me on the next tab, let’s round things off:
Doctor and Donna watch (diddle diddle deee):
Another unobjectionable rendition of Eight, surprisingly, nothing that good but certainly less clumsily handled than the other characters present. As for his stand-in companion, well, my feelings are mixed. Donna (not that Donna) is a strong, likable, very human character, but is by far her best at the start of the book, the handling of her backstory and resolution are both deeply awkward and uncomfortable.
So why did I read it at all? Well I guess it had a childish simplicity, and a sense of being made out of big colourful blocks. It’s a lego Doctor Who story, which had an appeal after the blandness of Longest Day, which I guess is something. Also it’s definitely a quick read, I tore through it in practically two sittings (bisected by a period in which I read a couple of other, much better, books at a far slower pace), probably aided by the total vacancy of plot.
This is the best I can say for it.
Hell no.
But I did finish this one, cover to cover, so there’s that. I guess that makes it the most readable of the bad EDAs, or to put it another way, the worst Doctor Who novel I've ever finished reading. Although I must confess I did not enjoy the classic Telos novelisation Doctor Who and The Daleks, but managed the entirety of that.
I guess it’s the common element; the early Dalek stories, especially those first two, have a raw mythic power and this book, for all it’s many flaws, taps directly into the post war hauntingness and compelling retro-futurism of The Daleks’s invasion of Earth.
Trouble is it doesn't proceed to do anything of any value with that. The blend of feudal features and modern touches is interesting in it’s own way. The divided, warring Britain littered with Dalek relics and the odd monster in the woods is a cool idea. The social drift back towards overt sexism is plausible, and has plenty of potential for social/historical commentary. But nothing is made of these ideas, their presentation is extremely flat, and there is no originality or inspiration to them, no clever nuances or subtle details.
The plot occupies it’s self excessively with the bland and distasteful local power feuds, in which The Master is tediously involved, it’s petty, boring, and hard to keep track of. none of the characters involved have anything resembling a likable quality, and the story’s fawning over their nastiness leaves an unpleasant taste in the mouth.
As does every attempt made to deal with serious social or moral matters, the horrors of war, the fear of confronting one’s nightmares, the pain of life after an abusive relationship. These huge issues are trotted out as if to titillate a sadistic audience while lip service is payed, shame faced, to how awful it all is. Principles which come to a spluttering halt in the character of Barlow, initially one of the tedious courtesans in the politicking, he rises to prominence as a cold hearted general who seizes absolute power in one foul swoop. However, considering the framing of the story, I am given to believe that he is supposed to be a likable character of some sort?
Who knows.
As for the Daleks, and The Master, total non event. They are present in the narrative, they tick off all the standard tropes required by rote for the characters, but again the depiction is flat and unimaginative, The Master’s inner thoughts are as clumsily handled as The Doctor was back in The Bodysnatchers, and neither antagonist has any real point. The Master releases some Daleks, who talk big and shoot about 5 people, then they get blown up and the book is over.
I could go on picking this one apart, the pacing, the use of Susan and David, the gut-wrenching tediousness of the shoehorned setup to The Deadly Assassin…
But I don’t want to dwell on all this when there is a Paul Leonard story waiting for me on the next tab, let’s round things off:
Doctor and Donna watch (diddle diddle deee):
Another unobjectionable rendition of Eight, surprisingly, nothing that good but certainly less clumsily handled than the other characters present. As for his stand-in companion, well, my feelings are mixed. Donna (not that Donna) is a strong, likable, very human character, but is by far her best at the start of the book, the handling of her backstory and resolution are both deeply awkward and uncomfortable.
So why did I read it at all? Well I guess it had a childish simplicity, and a sense of being made out of big colourful blocks. It’s a lego Doctor Who story, which had an appeal after the blandness of Longest Day, which I guess is something. Also it’s definitely a quick read, I tore through it in practically two sittings (bisected by a period in which I read a couple of other, much better, books at a far slower pace), probably aided by the total vacancy of plot.
This is the best I can say for it.
December 20, 2025
Over the past few years, I have found considerable enjoyment in reading both Virgin’s Missing Adventures and the BBC Books’ Past Doctor Adventures series. Having missed out on both when they were released during the franchise’s largely fallow era, reading these decades-old novels has been a treat, especially for the opportunity they provide to revisit the Doctors with whom I grew up and the ability to enjoy new tales that can play out on a far greater scale than the Beeb’s feeble production budget could ever have supported. Until now, however, I have steered away from the Eighth Doctor Adventures, for many the same reasons. For all that I enjoyed Paul McGann’s all-too-brief performance in the attempted 1996 revival, it wasn’t enough to cement my interest in his character or to make me want to follow up on adventures with new companions with whom I had no familiarity.
In this respect, John Peel’s novel was the perfect entry point for me into the series. By basing the novel around one of the series’ original companions, it gave me a grounding that I greatly appreciated. Reading it offered an opportunity to return to the setting for one of Doctor Who’s greatest stories ever and to see how events played out after the Doctor left his “granddaughter” Susan to enjoy a life with David Campbell on an Earth recovering from the Daleks’ defeated invasion. Thirty years after his departure, life on Earth is still primitive, as the survivors proudly rejected assistance from their colonies in favor of recovering on their own. It’s an interesting plot point that in itself might have explored profitably but is mentioned here only in passing.
Absent such help, government in Britain has degenerated into a series of warlords squabbling over territory. Over them is a Earth-wide Peace Headquarters in charge of managing the dangerous remnants of the Dalek presence, which is treated by the survivors as akin to unexploded ordnance. Susan and David both work for this agency, and it is in this role that Susan discovers illegal activity underway by one of the warlords at a site containing Dalek technology – activity that at the very least threatens the balance of power in war-ravaged Britain, and at worst could bring about the greatest nightmare imaginable: the possible return of the Daleks themselves.
By itself this would serve as a great premise, as it builds nicely on the elements from the original story in the serial. Yet Peel introduces an additional factor which arguably adds little to the plot. While noting the identity of the “sinister adviser” would count as a spoiler, Peel makes it obvious from the start who it is with his effective characterization of the individual. And while this character’s inclusion does raise some interesting questions about the opportunities available with the remnants of the Daleks' conquests, it shifts the focus considerably from the promising setting, and from the other characters both returning and new to the story.
And no character suffers more from the diversion than the Doctor himself. This was the greatest surprise for me, as the Doctor seems more of a spectator than a participant in the events. This is especially problematic given the Eighth Doctor’s lack of definition. With little more than the movie to go on, the Doctor in Peel’s tale lacks any real personality or defining characteristics. What we get instead is a generic “Doctor” figure who brings a TARDIS and a quirky wardrobe to events but little else. Especially for my introduction to the Eighth Doctor Adventures, it is distinctly underwhelming.
This might have been more of an issue had I been more invested in the Eighth Doctor before reading this book. Having picked it up for Susan and the post-invasion setting, however, I didn’t mind it as much. Here Peel delivers, with effective world-building and an exploration of Susan’s life that suffers mainly from a lack of further development. While I could have done without the glimpse he provides into Susan and David’s private life, the consideration of the marital strains between a human and a Time Lord is one of the best parts of the book, even if Peel resolves it a little too conveniently. When combined with a zippy plot that offers plenty of action, it made for a highly enjoyable reading experience, and one that proved a lot more entertaining than many franchise entries without the aforementioned problems. And isn’t that ultimately the best measure of a Doctor Who novel?
In this respect, John Peel’s novel was the perfect entry point for me into the series. By basing the novel around one of the series’ original companions, it gave me a grounding that I greatly appreciated. Reading it offered an opportunity to return to the setting for one of Doctor Who’s greatest stories ever and to see how events played out after the Doctor left his “granddaughter” Susan to enjoy a life with David Campbell on an Earth recovering from the Daleks’ defeated invasion. Thirty years after his departure, life on Earth is still primitive, as the survivors proudly rejected assistance from their colonies in favor of recovering on their own. It’s an interesting plot point that in itself might have explored profitably but is mentioned here only in passing.
Absent such help, government in Britain has degenerated into a series of warlords squabbling over territory. Over them is a Earth-wide Peace Headquarters in charge of managing the dangerous remnants of the Dalek presence, which is treated by the survivors as akin to unexploded ordnance. Susan and David both work for this agency, and it is in this role that Susan discovers illegal activity underway by one of the warlords at a site containing Dalek technology – activity that at the very least threatens the balance of power in war-ravaged Britain, and at worst could bring about the greatest nightmare imaginable: the possible return of the Daleks themselves.
By itself this would serve as a great premise, as it builds nicely on the elements from the original story in the serial. Yet Peel introduces an additional factor which arguably adds little to the plot. While noting the identity of the “sinister adviser” would count as a spoiler, Peel makes it obvious from the start who it is with his effective characterization of the individual. And while this character’s inclusion does raise some interesting questions about the opportunities available with the remnants of the Daleks' conquests, it shifts the focus considerably from the promising setting, and from the other characters both returning and new to the story.
And no character suffers more from the diversion than the Doctor himself. This was the greatest surprise for me, as the Doctor seems more of a spectator than a participant in the events. This is especially problematic given the Eighth Doctor’s lack of definition. With little more than the movie to go on, the Doctor in Peel’s tale lacks any real personality or defining characteristics. What we get instead is a generic “Doctor” figure who brings a TARDIS and a quirky wardrobe to events but little else. Especially for my introduction to the Eighth Doctor Adventures, it is distinctly underwhelming.
This might have been more of an issue had I been more invested in the Eighth Doctor before reading this book. Having picked it up for Susan and the post-invasion setting, however, I didn’t mind it as much. Here Peel delivers, with effective world-building and an exploration of Susan’s life that suffers mainly from a lack of further development. While I could have done without the glimpse he provides into Susan and David’s private life, the consideration of the marital strains between a human and a Time Lord is one of the best parts of the book, even if Peel resolves it a little too conveniently. When combined with a zippy plot that offers plenty of action, it made for a highly enjoyable reading experience, and one that proved a lot more entertaining than many franchise entries without the aforementioned problems. And isn’t that ultimately the best measure of a Doctor Who novel?
July 16, 2024
John Peel has always been a mixed bag of a writer for me his novelizations are fantastic whilst his first novel Timewyrm: Genesys was utterly appalling and poorly written but his first 8th Doctor novel War of The Daleks was a fun read but ruined by ruining the show's continuity. However Legacy of The Daleks here is a solid and fast-paced read!
This is another story that has a lot of continuity in it but it doesn't actually damage the continuity that was established in the show instead it explains a number of things, things that you wouldn't expect to be explained in this novel. I will admit this story does come across as a pointless read in the Finding Sam arc but it's worth reading because of just how fun it is.
Overall: It's an alright Dalek story with some nice surprises but the sexism again wasn't great and was quite frankly gross. 5/10
This is another story that has a lot of continuity in it but it doesn't actually damage the continuity that was established in the show instead it explains a number of things, things that you wouldn't expect to be explained in this novel. I will admit this story does come across as a pointless read in the Finding Sam arc but it's worth reading because of just how fun it is.
Overall: It's an alright Dalek story with some nice surprises but the sexism again wasn't great and was quite frankly gross. 5/10
February 1, 2021
So this will be my third eighth doctor book i read. Is this one better than the rest? I mean...it's okay?
What really caught my attention about this book was that it had susan in it. Being a big fan of Hartnell's First doctor era i really wanted to check this one out. However, if you're looking for a big doctor/susan reunion in this one, you're going to be disappointed like i was.
This novel takes place on Earth 30 years after the events of the 1st doctor arc "The Dalek invasion of Earth". I watched it ahead of time to know what was going on and honestly, i recommend you at least watch the last episode of the arc before moving into this book. It'll help with knowing some of the characters you'll come across and where we last left off Susan. You don't need to see the WHOLE thing, but the last episode at least.
The biggest issue i had with this book was the issue i have with a lot of these classic doctor who books. a lot of the book was dedicated to one off side characters that only appear in this book that i don't care about. I don't know whether this is in order to stretch out the page count or what, but i do not care about evil dudes trying to rule london and fighting amongst each other with evil politics. i'm reading doctor who. not futuristic game of thrones.
The parts with McGann's doctor are always fun and i enjoyed basically every scene he was in. He's always fun with his suave take on the doctor with trying to solve everything with diplomacy and words. It was also nice to see them follow the continuity of the 1st doctor arc. a sequel arc with a new doctor is a cool idea. I just wish there wasn't so much random politics.
The lack of Susan/doctor in this book was EXTREMELY disappointing, but from what i read in the other reviews, if i want a touching susan/doctor reunion, i should listen to a big finish audioplay. I wish the author had done more with Susan and the doctor as the showrunner COMPLETELY squandered the opportunity back in "The five doctors". I thought perhaps this author would give me something in regards to that. But no, John Peel squandered it too. Oh well, i'll find the audioplay and listen to it i suppose.
Okay story, not great, but okay. this book is a SOLID 3/5. right in the middle. Slightly above average. Not very memorable, i zoned out during a lot of the political parts. Better than Genocide, but that isn't saying much.
What really caught my attention about this book was that it had susan in it. Being a big fan of Hartnell's First doctor era i really wanted to check this one out. However, if you're looking for a big doctor/susan reunion in this one, you're going to be disappointed like i was.
This novel takes place on Earth 30 years after the events of the 1st doctor arc "The Dalek invasion of Earth". I watched it ahead of time to know what was going on and honestly, i recommend you at least watch the last episode of the arc before moving into this book. It'll help with knowing some of the characters you'll come across and where we last left off Susan. You don't need to see the WHOLE thing, but the last episode at least.
The biggest issue i had with this book was the issue i have with a lot of these classic doctor who books. a lot of the book was dedicated to one off side characters that only appear in this book that i don't care about. I don't know whether this is in order to stretch out the page count or what, but i do not care about evil dudes trying to rule london and fighting amongst each other with evil politics. i'm reading doctor who. not futuristic game of thrones.
The parts with McGann's doctor are always fun and i enjoyed basically every scene he was in. He's always fun with his suave take on the doctor with trying to solve everything with diplomacy and words. It was also nice to see them follow the continuity of the 1st doctor arc. a sequel arc with a new doctor is a cool idea. I just wish there wasn't so much random politics.
The lack of Susan/doctor in this book was EXTREMELY disappointing, but from what i read in the other reviews, if i want a touching susan/doctor reunion, i should listen to a big finish audioplay. I wish the author had done more with Susan and the doctor as the showrunner COMPLETELY squandered the opportunity back in "The five doctors". I thought perhaps this author would give me something in regards to that. But no, John Peel squandered it too. Oh well, i'll find the audioplay and listen to it i suppose.
Okay story, not great, but okay. this book is a SOLID 3/5. right in the middle. Slightly above average. Not very memorable, i zoned out during a lot of the political parts. Better than Genocide, but that isn't saying much.
September 15, 2021
Legacy of the Daleks is a huge step forward from the previous novel, Longest Day, but let's be fair, the bar was set awfully low. In terms of Dalek stories, it's rather the usual fare: something fishy is going on, reveal the Daleks, lots of death, the Doctor gets captured and frees himself and his companions, he finds a way to destroy this incarnation of the Daleks, he gets in his TARDIS and away he goes. There's a little more than that here though, which adds to the story rather than detracts from it. In this case, Legacy is a continuation of a previous Doctor Who arc, this time reaching all the way back to Hartnell's era. I'd recommend watching The Dalek Invasion of Earth arc from the first Doctor before reading this one, as it leads directly into this story (albeit 30 years later). Susan is here, as well as David from the original story. She fumbles around for the first 2/3 of the book, but really comes into her own and kicks some solid butt towards the end. Also, heads up for those looking to see a grand reunion between the Doctor and Susan- it doesn't happen. They briefly see each other from afar and that's it. I don't believe that's a spoiler, but more of a heads-up to anyone who was hoping to see a better reunion than what we got in The Five Doctors. The other reason this book didn't receive a better score is because there was too much political nonsense, maneuvering and war planning. I didn't care who was backstabbing who, or which direction General So-and-So was going to move his troops. I'm here for the Doctor, and the Daleks, so show me them. As for the latter, they put in a decent showing, and as usual, John Peel didn't disappoint in that aspect. The former doesn't really do anything until the last minute besides complain at all the killing that's happening and how evil humans are to each other- so that could have been done a bit better. Donna, the Doctor's makeshift companion, was capable and just fine for this one installment, but I'm very glad she's not a mainstay. The Master turns up here as well, although he probably wasn't entirely necessary either. All in all, it was a decent time, but there was nothing super memorable here.
February 7, 2021
When Dr who was but a year old, the Daleks invaded Earth. The Doctor duly intervened and Susan, his grand daughter, stayed to marry freedom fighter David.
All this was before we knew that Time lords had many lives and lived for. thousands of years , and this left us with the situation that the Doctor confronted head on in the new series - an alien married to a relatively short lived human .
This book addresses all this quite well. Plot wise it’s rather like this years TV special Revolution , which did little new plot wise but covered interesting ground with character and political satire. This book’s plot is a big standard post apocalyptic rebuild, with an only mildly engaging power struggle between counties akin to the old Saxon kingdoms, reawakening Daleks and - groan - the Master .
But it does great stuff with the Doctor, Susan, Barlow and Donna the knight and that makes it worth the journey. At this time it seemed like no companions had happy endings , but ultimately the EDA story arc gives a reason for this , though that’s for the future. Susan’s final showdown with the Master is great too and a neat tie in ti the first post Delgado Master we saw.
Big Finish have done much better stuff with the eighth Doctor and Susan , but this is ok. After a great start the EDA’s hit a bit if a lull here, but the pick up isn’t far.
All this was before we knew that Time lords had many lives and lived for. thousands of years , and this left us with the situation that the Doctor confronted head on in the new series - an alien married to a relatively short lived human .
This book addresses all this quite well. Plot wise it’s rather like this years TV special Revolution , which did little new plot wise but covered interesting ground with character and political satire. This book’s plot is a big standard post apocalyptic rebuild, with an only mildly engaging power struggle between counties akin to the old Saxon kingdoms, reawakening Daleks and - groan - the Master .
But it does great stuff with the Doctor, Susan, Barlow and Donna the knight and that makes it worth the journey. At this time it seemed like no companions had happy endings , but ultimately the EDA story arc gives a reason for this , though that’s for the future. Susan’s final showdown with the Master is great too and a neat tie in ti the first post Delgado Master we saw.
Big Finish have done much better stuff with the eighth Doctor and Susan , but this is ok. After a great start the EDA’s hit a bit if a lull here, but the pick up isn’t far.
February 19, 2020
A pretty fun read from the early days of the BBC 8th Doctor line. The Doctor is looking for Sam Jones and winds up on Earth 30yrs after the Dalek Invasion.
Things I loved: Susan reappears and we get some closure on her story.
The Master makes a post “Frontier in Space” pre “Deadly Assassin” appearance.
The growth of the Doctor’s character in their 8th incarnation.
The Daleks are in it but in a minor role.
Things I wasn’t quite keen on: the dialogue is a little corny.
The supporting characters can be a little one-dimensional.
Overall it was a fun quick read. I love the 8th Doctor stories and this one was no different.
Things I loved: Susan reappears and we get some closure on her story.
The Master makes a post “Frontier in Space” pre “Deadly Assassin” appearance.
The growth of the Doctor’s character in their 8th incarnation.
The Daleks are in it but in a minor role.
Things I wasn’t quite keen on: the dialogue is a little corny.
The supporting characters can be a little one-dimensional.
Overall it was a fun quick read. I love the 8th Doctor stories and this one was no different.
March 17, 2023
I approached this book with great anticipation of an exciting tale involving the Eighth Doctor and, obviously, the Daleks. The book blurb promises that the Doctor's granddaughter Susan is involved in there too somewhere.
August 7, 2025
i thought this was technically better than the first Dalek book, but it’s only better in the way that it’s “technically better” to have your hand cut off at the wrist instead of going each finger digit by digit. also who let john peel write women like this again I just wanna talk to them. I just wanna talk to them.
August 8, 2021
John peels Dalek books have always been infamous and disliked, and later reconned with big finish, but I was looking forward to see where some of these ideas originally came from. Out of the two books I was most looking forward to this one, sadly it was my least favourite.
The idea of what happened next to people in "The Dalek invasion of earth" has always fascinated me and I've wanted to see it expanded upon for so long. The idea of how this society was re-bulit, defences and laws changed or brought back and the idea for some people how this is a free for all. A new start, a chance to be that next or new big thing for Britain/earth, make the new internet, the new housing arrangements for people with and without jobs etc. You can show how this changes people both good and bad.
This book has a good idea there with Royal family being dead and it caused many people to fight each other for power. But the story goes on far too long, with nothing getting expanded upon or with any real reasons than to show us how bad people have become. There alot of characters that eventually betray the other by killing the other and it just becomes a cheap shocking way to get a point across. This segment of the story is such a hard job to get through. It honestly feels like someone wrote a basic historical doctor who story and just added Dalek references in there. The idea would of been fine but we never learn much or anything from some characters about why they are attacking each other or what they'd do in power. It's just very basic, I want power. I think it would of been interesting to hear both sides idea/view on what theyd do to London/Britain if they ever get power, have the reader chose a side and then play with there emotions as they see and learn the nasty things they do. Apart from London's backstory of controlling the era for a better life for his family (which is alluded to only) non of them have a motivate, so it becomes increasingly hard to get through scenes and scenes of nothing happening. Even the diologue is poor, it just feels like the writer is telling the plot structure.
I do this and I become king, but I kill him and you marry me we become the new royal family.
Donna is our new companion here and while she's an okay enjoyable character, she is nothing but very basic angry woman who hates men/people and her reveal to why is quite badly done that will upset a lot of woman and rightly so. It's Revealed she was the wife of the other side and he tortured her in both horrible ways imaginable. Shes very scared to go back and eventually kills him, great but the Dr is such a scumbag here. He supports her and then looks down on her for killing him and never once even stand up for her after what hes learned what he did. I like the idea of having this character face her tormentor and expose him but it's quite poorly done and I feel it's added and forgotten so quickly it's more like a random add rather than a carefully ploted and powerful message. It also annoys me how the end for character is her being miniuplted by a man to marry him to become the new monarchy. And the Dr just lets her because he's tired of hearing them talk about it. In the final moments she's no longer that aggressive knight we saw at the beginning but a sweet married queen/princess. I can't speak for all woman but this is a common issue in Peels works of his poor and sometimes creepy way of writing women. I find Donna's arc a little condescending.
Susan and David get barely anything to do here, David is quite comically always just there. They both get no real development apart from a short intro thoughts scene about the troubles there facing in there relationship. Susan doesn't age as quickly as David will so she's been pretending to be older than she is, it's an interesting idea and I like the idea of her pain of seeing David slowly die before her. But it's never brought upon again and the next time Susan's sees David he's killed by the master. I felt nothing. Even their kids (Ian, Barbara and David jr) never appear or get mentioned again. For a new who fan you get no real development or insight into who he is either. There's also a rather unnecessary creepy scene of Susan looking young still, thinking she can cheer up David like she often does. What she often does is pretend she's still a schoolgirl and because her looking like a teenager it will win David over. It's totally unnecessary and just creepy.
Susan despite only being in the story for a few moments, most of which are her literally walking around a Dalek ship and being locked up, is quite enjoyable. I really did like seeing her outsmart the Daleks tech and destory some Daleks to escape and even later attacking/getting revenge on the Daleks and later master by stealing his tardis. But that's sadly all she does. Thankfully big finish have given her an excellent arc.
The Dr again is written very bland and just quite a bore throughout. He offers nothing. There was one scene that I did like and I could image it being in new who as stunning image/scene. The Dr is in pain from the masters attack and is very weak. He kneels down in the mud watching as the Daleks attack the humans and people. The daleks are killed as the ship is being destoryed and he constantly keeps wishing for them to let him his peace for once. Foreshadowing some timewar ideas that this series roughly setup. It's an awesome image that reminds me of the 12th Dr in "The doctor falls". The master is the big reveal behind the wars with humanity and it's really no surprise. He's written simalir to Roger delago and is enjoyable at times. Although poorly done, I did like the whole idea of him just causing the war between humanity as a way to past the time and also create a distraction while he worked with resurrecting the Daleks. His plan is okay ish. Peel is trying to fill in the gaps between "Frontier in space" and "The deadly assassin". The master is after the Daleks device of controling the planets core, but this time it can be transmitted to other planets and control them. It take along time to get the reveal and is quite poorly explained.
We finally got to see how due to him trying to kill the doctor, Susan used the tardis (somehow) to burn his Mind and later skin, explaining the deadly assassin. It's an okay ending but it doesn't really make to much sense. Especially as the Dr just lets her run away with the tardis and not try and help her.
The Daleks, despite the cover, get the least to do and what they do is nothing new or really interesting at all. They just plan to reawaken many army's hidden on earth and use the transmitter, however it's never explained so I believe the transmitter was only there for the master. I did appericate the slight respect for continuity of having the master kill the Dalek prime so these Daleks wouldn't know who he was, however, these Daleks wouldn't have meet him yet and by the time the Daleks contacted other Daleks the master would of been long gone. The Daleks diologue is far better here than "War" was and enjoyable and I did like the strick attack force red Daleks. But they don't really do much, just stand around. I guess Peel tried to do a "Power of the Daleks" by reflecting every characters desire to want some from of power and it doesn't work.
Overall it's a very long (ironically for a short book) story that doesn't go anywhere and give any insight into this world or characters. It relays on edgy horror and dark themes in a cheap and slight lack of respectful way that never works and is the equivalent of a jump scare or saying "I disagree, die" in an argument. It's full of references to blind you for a bit and the Daleks do absolutely nothing. Even the cover gets the design wrong. It's such a shame Terry nation would only let John Peel write for them in new fiction because he's so lazy at it and I'd rather read anything of the Daleks than theses two books again. As always if you liked it, great, but I will have question you if you read this and not listen to big finishs far superior arc for Susan and her child.
Rating 1/5 4/10
The idea of what happened next to people in "The Dalek invasion of earth" has always fascinated me and I've wanted to see it expanded upon for so long. The idea of how this society was re-bulit, defences and laws changed or brought back and the idea for some people how this is a free for all. A new start, a chance to be that next or new big thing for Britain/earth, make the new internet, the new housing arrangements for people with and without jobs etc. You can show how this changes people both good and bad.
This book has a good idea there with Royal family being dead and it caused many people to fight each other for power. But the story goes on far too long, with nothing getting expanded upon or with any real reasons than to show us how bad people have become. There alot of characters that eventually betray the other by killing the other and it just becomes a cheap shocking way to get a point across. This segment of the story is such a hard job to get through. It honestly feels like someone wrote a basic historical doctor who story and just added Dalek references in there. The idea would of been fine but we never learn much or anything from some characters about why they are attacking each other or what they'd do in power. It's just very basic, I want power. I think it would of been interesting to hear both sides idea/view on what theyd do to London/Britain if they ever get power, have the reader chose a side and then play with there emotions as they see and learn the nasty things they do. Apart from London's backstory of controlling the era for a better life for his family (which is alluded to only) non of them have a motivate, so it becomes increasingly hard to get through scenes and scenes of nothing happening. Even the diologue is poor, it just feels like the writer is telling the plot structure.
I do this and I become king, but I kill him and you marry me we become the new royal family.
Donna is our new companion here and while she's an okay enjoyable character, she is nothing but very basic angry woman who hates men/people and her reveal to why is quite badly done that will upset a lot of woman and rightly so. It's Revealed she was the wife of the other side and he tortured her in both horrible ways imaginable. Shes very scared to go back and eventually kills him, great but the Dr is such a scumbag here. He supports her and then looks down on her for killing him and never once even stand up for her after what hes learned what he did. I like the idea of having this character face her tormentor and expose him but it's quite poorly done and I feel it's added and forgotten so quickly it's more like a random add rather than a carefully ploted and powerful message. It also annoys me how the end for character is her being miniuplted by a man to marry him to become the new monarchy. And the Dr just lets her because he's tired of hearing them talk about it. In the final moments she's no longer that aggressive knight we saw at the beginning but a sweet married queen/princess. I can't speak for all woman but this is a common issue in Peels works of his poor and sometimes creepy way of writing women. I find Donna's arc a little condescending.
Susan and David get barely anything to do here, David is quite comically always just there. They both get no real development apart from a short intro thoughts scene about the troubles there facing in there relationship. Susan doesn't age as quickly as David will so she's been pretending to be older than she is, it's an interesting idea and I like the idea of her pain of seeing David slowly die before her. But it's never brought upon again and the next time Susan's sees David he's killed by the master. I felt nothing. Even their kids (Ian, Barbara and David jr) never appear or get mentioned again. For a new who fan you get no real development or insight into who he is either. There's also a rather unnecessary creepy scene of Susan looking young still, thinking she can cheer up David like she often does. What she often does is pretend she's still a schoolgirl and because her looking like a teenager it will win David over. It's totally unnecessary and just creepy.
Susan despite only being in the story for a few moments, most of which are her literally walking around a Dalek ship and being locked up, is quite enjoyable. I really did like seeing her outsmart the Daleks tech and destory some Daleks to escape and even later attacking/getting revenge on the Daleks and later master by stealing his tardis. But that's sadly all she does. Thankfully big finish have given her an excellent arc.
The Dr again is written very bland and just quite a bore throughout. He offers nothing. There was one scene that I did like and I could image it being in new who as stunning image/scene. The Dr is in pain from the masters attack and is very weak. He kneels down in the mud watching as the Daleks attack the humans and people. The daleks are killed as the ship is being destoryed and he constantly keeps wishing for them to let him his peace for once. Foreshadowing some timewar ideas that this series roughly setup. It's an awesome image that reminds me of the 12th Dr in "The doctor falls". The master is the big reveal behind the wars with humanity and it's really no surprise. He's written simalir to Roger delago and is enjoyable at times. Although poorly done, I did like the whole idea of him just causing the war between humanity as a way to past the time and also create a distraction while he worked with resurrecting the Daleks. His plan is okay ish. Peel is trying to fill in the gaps between "Frontier in space" and "The deadly assassin". The master is after the Daleks device of controling the planets core, but this time it can be transmitted to other planets and control them. It take along time to get the reveal and is quite poorly explained.
We finally got to see how due to him trying to kill the doctor, Susan used the tardis (somehow) to burn his Mind and later skin, explaining the deadly assassin. It's an okay ending but it doesn't really make to much sense. Especially as the Dr just lets her run away with the tardis and not try and help her.
The Daleks, despite the cover, get the least to do and what they do is nothing new or really interesting at all. They just plan to reawaken many army's hidden on earth and use the transmitter, however it's never explained so I believe the transmitter was only there for the master. I did appericate the slight respect for continuity of having the master kill the Dalek prime so these Daleks wouldn't know who he was, however, these Daleks wouldn't have meet him yet and by the time the Daleks contacted other Daleks the master would of been long gone. The Daleks diologue is far better here than "War" was and enjoyable and I did like the strick attack force red Daleks. But they don't really do much, just stand around. I guess Peel tried to do a "Power of the Daleks" by reflecting every characters desire to want some from of power and it doesn't work.
Overall it's a very long (ironically for a short book) story that doesn't go anywhere and give any insight into this world or characters. It relays on edgy horror and dark themes in a cheap and slight lack of respectful way that never works and is the equivalent of a jump scare or saying "I disagree, die" in an argument. It's full of references to blind you for a bit and the Daleks do absolutely nothing. Even the cover gets the design wrong. It's such a shame Terry nation would only let John Peel write for them in new fiction because he's so lazy at it and I'd rather read anything of the Daleks than theses two books again. As always if you liked it, great, but I will have question you if you read this and not listen to big finishs far superior arc for Susan and her child.
Rating 1/5 4/10
September 13, 2010
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1506859.html
Susan's departure from the Tardis at the end of The Dalek Invasion of Earth was the first departure of a comopanion, and in some ways the least satisfactorily resolved of all; what sort of life does she face, presumably one of the Doctor's own race, but living with humans for the rest of her life? (When she pops up again in The Five Doctors we are told nothing of what she has been up to in the meantime.) The 1994 radio play Whatever Happened to Susan Foreman? had her wandering back to the twentieth century and becoming European Commissioner for Education, but it is not a serious attempt to contribute to canon. Big Finish tried a bit harder with Marc Platt's An Earthly Child at the end of last year, which brought Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor back to Earth decades after Susan's departure, and guest-starred McGann's son Jake playing Susan's son Alex, but I wasn't completely convinced.
By contrast, I loved John Peel's Legacy of the Daleks. Peel is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me - I rate his novelisations of the black and white era Dalek stories very highly, and appreciate his attempts to wrest continuity and character from material which is not always promising. Here, he has Susan trying to manage her relationship with the aging David, putting on make-up to appear nearer his age when they are together in public, in a post-Dalek England which has become a patchwork of feudal fiefdoms. Throw into the mix not only the visiting Eighth Doctor, but also the Delgado!Master attempting to Take Over The Universe by reviving the Daleks and stealing their tech, and the book ends up pushing many of my fanboy buttons, ending with hope for Susan and a prologue to one of my favourite TV stories. Best Eighth Doctor Adventure I've read for a while.
Susan's departure from the Tardis at the end of The Dalek Invasion of Earth was the first departure of a comopanion, and in some ways the least satisfactorily resolved of all; what sort of life does she face, presumably one of the Doctor's own race, but living with humans for the rest of her life? (When she pops up again in The Five Doctors we are told nothing of what she has been up to in the meantime.) The 1994 radio play Whatever Happened to Susan Foreman? had her wandering back to the twentieth century and becoming European Commissioner for Education, but it is not a serious attempt to contribute to canon. Big Finish tried a bit harder with Marc Platt's An Earthly Child at the end of last year, which brought Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor back to Earth decades after Susan's departure, and guest-starred McGann's son Jake playing Susan's son Alex, but I wasn't completely convinced.
By contrast, I loved John Peel's Legacy of the Daleks. Peel is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me - I rate his novelisations of the black and white era Dalek stories very highly, and appreciate his attempts to wrest continuity and character from material which is not always promising. Here, he has Susan trying to manage her relationship with the aging David, putting on make-up to appear nearer his age when they are together in public, in a post-Dalek England which has become a patchwork of feudal fiefdoms. Throw into the mix not only the visiting Eighth Doctor, but also the Delgado!Master attempting to Take Over The Universe by reviving the Daleks and stealing their tech, and the book ends up pushing many of my fanboy buttons, ending with hope for Susan and a prologue to one of my favourite TV stories. Best Eighth Doctor Adventure I've read for a while.
May 9, 2021
Cracking story, this worked on so many different levels. It was a great sequel to 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth', it was an excellent Master story, the Eighth Doctor shone when companion-less for the first time in a while, this had good side characters, Susan was well written, so many things went right. Having the Daleks not show up in person until about half-way through was a master-stroke and totally fit with the title 'Legacy of the Daleks'.
My one complaint was that Susan never really got to spend time with the Eighth Doctor. He got to spend half the book with her husband David which was great, I just maybe think his and Susan's was a reunion that fans were more eager to see. It's hard not to compare Susan here to the portrayal of older Susan in Big Finish's roster of audio dramas. Both work excellently, it seems Susan is one of those companions we are keen to see more of, and one whom works excellently when paired with the Eighth Doctor.
Spoilers... did not see David's death coming, love a shock twist. Also thought it is clever how the injured Master is the one we see in 'The Eight Doctors', preparing himself for his form in the TV Movie.
My one complaint was that Susan never really got to spend time with the Eighth Doctor. He got to spend half the book with her husband David which was great, I just maybe think his and Susan's was a reunion that fans were more eager to see. It's hard not to compare Susan here to the portrayal of older Susan in Big Finish's roster of audio dramas. Both work excellently, it seems Susan is one of those companions we are keen to see more of, and one whom works excellently when paired with the Eighth Doctor.
Spoilers... did not see David's death coming, love a shock twist. Also thought it is clever how the injured Master is the one we see in 'The Eight Doctors', preparing himself for his form in the TV Movie.
August 24, 2011
I'll gladly take "War of the Daleks" over this novel any day. Especially considering the 8th Doctor novels on either side, it reads as positively unsophisticated, and it offers fanwank in place of a good story...as opposed to USING continuity to ENHANCE a story. Very disappointing...but if you want a proper reunion between Susan and the 8th Doctor, I heartily recommend the Big Finish audio story "An Earthly Child".
December 11, 2014
I think this is my favourite Doctor Who novel so far. The Eighth Doctor decides to look up Susan and gets involved in various escapades involving Daleks, the Master, and the pseudo-feudalistic society that has sprung up in the wake of The Dalek Invasion of Earth. I really enjoyed it for once. Yay!
August 26, 2021
BBC EIGHTH DOCTOR ADVENTURES #10: “LEGACY OF THE DALEKS” di JOHN PEEL.
L'Inghilterra nel tardo Ventiduesimo secolo si sta lentamente riprendendo dalla devastazione che è seguita all'invasione dei Dalek. La prima compagna di viaggio del Dottore – sua nipote, Susan – è dove l'ha lasciata, aiutando a ricostruire la Terra per i sopravvissuti. Ma il pericolo ancora rimane lì intorno...
Mentre cerca la sua compagna perduta, Sam, il Dottore si ritrova nel Dominio di Londra. Ma sembra che anche Susan sia scomparsa, e i suoi sforzi per trovarla lo conducono ad un confronto con l'ambizioso Lord Haldoran, il quale è determinato a prendere il controllo dell'Inghilterra meridionale tramite guerra aperta. Con l'aiuto di un sinistro consigliere, i piani di Haldoran sono già piuttosto avanti. Cavi di alimentazione sono stati fatti passare giù in una miniera, riattivando un misterioso dispositivo con un tremendo potere. Ma la presenza dei Dalek sulla Terra è davvero stata spazzata via? O ci sono ancora delle trappole nascoste per gli incauti?
Il Dottore impara a sue spese ancora una volta che quando si tratta dei Dalek, nulla può essere preso per buono...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nell'episodio precedente, che non ho letto, Sam e il Dottore sono stati separati, dando inizio ad un ciclo di quattro libri in cui il Dottore è alla sua ricerca.
Non che qui passi molto tempo a cercarla, dato che ha ben altro con cui fare i conti. Mentre è sul Tardis, individua un segnale psichico da sua nipote Susan, e si dirige verso l'origine del segnale per capire cosa sta succedendo.
Siamo oltre 30 anni dopo la fine dell'invasione dei Dalek, Susan e David sono sposati ma hanno i loro problemi, e l'Inghilterra è divisa in piccoli Domini governati da un Lord locale.
Molto spazio è dato alla guerra tra due Domini confinanti, uno dei quali fomentato da un consigliere chiamato Estro (l'Esperanto per Maestro, uhm).
L'ambientazione è interessante, unendo un mix di tecnologie che sono state recuperate dopo l'invasione ad un governo di tipo feudale con tanto di cavalieri.
È proprio una di questi cavalieri, Donna, che il Dottore incontra appena arrivato, a fungere da companion provvisoria. Inizialmente è un personaggio forte, e ancora di più quando si scopre che ha un passato pieno di abusi con cui ora è costretta a confrontarsi, ma verso il finale il suo percorso viene risolto in una maniera frettolosa che va quasi ad annullare tutto il progresso ottenuto. Insieme a loro si aggiunge David alla ricerca della moglie, ma a parte qualche discorso con il Dottore in sostanza si limita a seguirli senza far niente.
Susan è incredibile in questo libro, e fortunatamente le hanno dato molto spazio, dandole modo di dimostrare un'intraprendenza degna di suo nonno.
Ma se vi aspettate una toccante reunion tra i due, resterete ancora più delusi che in The Five Doctors. Susan e il Dottore rimangono infatti sempre separati, solo per scorgersi per un breve attimo durante uno scontro con il Maestro dalle fatali conseguenze.
L'incontro tra Susan e il Maestro ha anche gravi ripercussioni per quest'ultimo, che sperimenterà in prima persona la furia di una Signora del Tempo devastata. Il finale si ricollega poi esplicitamente a The Deadly Assassin, fornendo una spiegazione per l'origine del Decayed Master, ma questa è solo una delle versioni della storia (per maggiori informazioni, leggete il post di Francesco al riguardo).
In termini di continuità, questo libro fa fatica a conciliarsi con quanto è stato successivamente stabilito dalla Big Finish, sia per quanto riguarda il Maestro sia per Susan e la sua famiglia, a meno di non immaginarsi delle massicce alterazioni della linea temporale che avrebbero di fatto annullato tutta questa storia. Per quando è uscito rappresentava invece un'interessante sequel di The Dalek Invasion of Earth, mostrando lo sviluppo della società dopo un'occupazione che ha distrutto il 90% della popolazione e, anche se poteva offrire di più, non credo si meriti tutte le critiche che ho letto online.
L'Inghilterra nel tardo Ventiduesimo secolo si sta lentamente riprendendo dalla devastazione che è seguita all'invasione dei Dalek. La prima compagna di viaggio del Dottore – sua nipote, Susan – è dove l'ha lasciata, aiutando a ricostruire la Terra per i sopravvissuti. Ma il pericolo ancora rimane lì intorno...
Mentre cerca la sua compagna perduta, Sam, il Dottore si ritrova nel Dominio di Londra. Ma sembra che anche Susan sia scomparsa, e i suoi sforzi per trovarla lo conducono ad un confronto con l'ambizioso Lord Haldoran, il quale è determinato a prendere il controllo dell'Inghilterra meridionale tramite guerra aperta. Con l'aiuto di un sinistro consigliere, i piani di Haldoran sono già piuttosto avanti. Cavi di alimentazione sono stati fatti passare giù in una miniera, riattivando un misterioso dispositivo con un tremendo potere. Ma la presenza dei Dalek sulla Terra è davvero stata spazzata via? O ci sono ancora delle trappole nascoste per gli incauti?
Il Dottore impara a sue spese ancora una volta che quando si tratta dei Dalek, nulla può essere preso per buono...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nell'episodio precedente, che non ho letto, Sam e il Dottore sono stati separati, dando inizio ad un ciclo di quattro libri in cui il Dottore è alla sua ricerca.
Non che qui passi molto tempo a cercarla, dato che ha ben altro con cui fare i conti. Mentre è sul Tardis, individua un segnale psichico da sua nipote Susan, e si dirige verso l'origine del segnale per capire cosa sta succedendo.
Siamo oltre 30 anni dopo la fine dell'invasione dei Dalek, Susan e David sono sposati ma hanno i loro problemi, e l'Inghilterra è divisa in piccoli Domini governati da un Lord locale.
Molto spazio è dato alla guerra tra due Domini confinanti, uno dei quali fomentato da un consigliere chiamato Estro (l'Esperanto per Maestro, uhm).
L'ambientazione è interessante, unendo un mix di tecnologie che sono state recuperate dopo l'invasione ad un governo di tipo feudale con tanto di cavalieri.
È proprio una di questi cavalieri, Donna, che il Dottore incontra appena arrivato, a fungere da companion provvisoria. Inizialmente è un personaggio forte, e ancora di più quando si scopre che ha un passato pieno di abusi con cui ora è costretta a confrontarsi, ma verso il finale il suo percorso viene risolto in una maniera frettolosa che va quasi ad annullare tutto il progresso ottenuto. Insieme a loro si aggiunge David alla ricerca della moglie, ma a parte qualche discorso con il Dottore in sostanza si limita a seguirli senza far niente.
Susan è incredibile in questo libro, e fortunatamente le hanno dato molto spazio, dandole modo di dimostrare un'intraprendenza degna di suo nonno.
Ma se vi aspettate una toccante reunion tra i due, resterete ancora più delusi che in The Five Doctors. Susan e il Dottore rimangono infatti sempre separati, solo per scorgersi per un breve attimo durante uno scontro con il Maestro dalle fatali conseguenze.
L'incontro tra Susan e il Maestro ha anche gravi ripercussioni per quest'ultimo, che sperimenterà in prima persona la furia di una Signora del Tempo devastata. Il finale si ricollega poi esplicitamente a The Deadly Assassin, fornendo una spiegazione per l'origine del Decayed Master, ma questa è solo una delle versioni della storia (per maggiori informazioni, leggete il post di Francesco al riguardo).
In termini di continuità, questo libro fa fatica a conciliarsi con quanto è stato successivamente stabilito dalla Big Finish, sia per quanto riguarda il Maestro sia per Susan e la sua famiglia, a meno di non immaginarsi delle massicce alterazioni della linea temporale che avrebbero di fatto annullato tutta questa storia. Per quando è uscito rappresentava invece un'interessante sequel di The Dalek Invasion of Earth, mostrando lo sviluppo della società dopo un'occupazione che ha distrutto il 90% della popolazione e, anche se poteva offrire di più, non credo si meriti tutte le critiche che ho letto online.
March 26, 2021
"Legacy of the Daleks" is a far superior book to "War of the Daleks", although it is somehow far less interesting a Dalek story. But then, of course, a Dalek story isn't really what this is. It is not engaging with the legacy of the Daleks as a species, but of a specific Dalek story: "The Dalek Invasion of Earth".
And if read at that, it is surely a much, much more interesting picture of the events on Earth following the Doctor's abandonment of Susan than many another take on what that might look like. The picture we are given is neither pointlessly depressing nor overly sweet — it is the poignant, understated story of an essentially happy marriage between two normal, fallible people, one of whom happens to be immortal. It also ends with Susan, now a fully mature Time Lord in her own right, departing for her own adventures in Time and Space, having wrapped up her life on Earth. This is a far more interesting open-ended fate for the character than the flailing attempts by Big Finish to make something of a status quo of Earthbound Susan, and it is dispiriting that we are unlikely to see Carol Ann Ford herself ever get to play Susan as the lead in the "Clara Who"-like Doctor-Who-without-the-Doctor future that "Legacy" implies.
The society rebuilt from the ruins of invasion is a creative one, having returned to a harsh feudal setup without being tackily pseudo-medieval. To boot, that feudality is not idealised or reveled in as a return to Good Olden Dayes. The one-off companion for this story (amusingly, she is called Donna, although comparisons to Catherine Tate's later TV companion by that name end there), born into the new "nobility", was the victim of an arranged marriage which is never presented as anything short of abuse, and Donna's journey recovering from that is a tastefully-handled one. Peel is rightly criticised for certain elements of his earlier Who book "Timewyrm: Genesys"; I say that in this respect at least, "Legacy" demonstrates clear and praiseworthy growth in how to approach topics of abuse gracefully and respectfully.
Given a clear purpose in the plot (looking for Sam) as well as a companion whom Peel actually enjoys writing (Donna), the Eighth Doctor shines in this far more than in the earlier book, even if his characterisation doesn't sing in the way that it might under the pen of Kate Orman and Jon Blum.
All of which leaves the surprise villain of the piece: Roger Delgado's Master. Now, I know some people will never be happy with a final bow for Delgado that pits him opposite a Doctor other than the Third, and I also know there are those who take issue with the implications this story has for the Master's timeline (specifically, it voids the tantalising prospect of what Geoffrey Beevers' Master might have been like before he got burnt, *if* he was a different regeneration from Delgado). But within the premise of what Peel is doing with the character here? Good stuff. Delgado seems to have walked straight out of one of the better Pertwee-era epics in this one, scheming his way through the ranks of the villains' hierarchy and attempting to gain an ArTiFaCt Of UlTimAtE pOwEr until a final confrontation where things blow up in his face.
In this case, they blow up quite literally, and that's all I'll say about the Master's final fate in this book, but suffice to say that it is a *very* cathartic scene. (Oh—and these circumstances also foreshadow the Lolita plotline of the "War in Heaven" story quite nicely, if you know where to look… how's that for cryptic-yet-intriguing?)
And if read at that, it is surely a much, much more interesting picture of the events on Earth following the Doctor's abandonment of Susan than many another take on what that might look like. The picture we are given is neither pointlessly depressing nor overly sweet — it is the poignant, understated story of an essentially happy marriage between two normal, fallible people, one of whom happens to be immortal. It also ends with Susan, now a fully mature Time Lord in her own right, departing for her own adventures in Time and Space, having wrapped up her life on Earth. This is a far more interesting open-ended fate for the character than the flailing attempts by Big Finish to make something of a status quo of Earthbound Susan, and it is dispiriting that we are unlikely to see Carol Ann Ford herself ever get to play Susan as the lead in the "Clara Who"-like Doctor-Who-without-the-Doctor future that "Legacy" implies.
The society rebuilt from the ruins of invasion is a creative one, having returned to a harsh feudal setup without being tackily pseudo-medieval. To boot, that feudality is not idealised or reveled in as a return to Good Olden Dayes. The one-off companion for this story (amusingly, she is called Donna, although comparisons to Catherine Tate's later TV companion by that name end there), born into the new "nobility", was the victim of an arranged marriage which is never presented as anything short of abuse, and Donna's journey recovering from that is a tastefully-handled one. Peel is rightly criticised for certain elements of his earlier Who book "Timewyrm: Genesys"; I say that in this respect at least, "Legacy" demonstrates clear and praiseworthy growth in how to approach topics of abuse gracefully and respectfully.
Given a clear purpose in the plot (looking for Sam) as well as a companion whom Peel actually enjoys writing (Donna), the Eighth Doctor shines in this far more than in the earlier book, even if his characterisation doesn't sing in the way that it might under the pen of Kate Orman and Jon Blum.
All of which leaves the surprise villain of the piece: Roger Delgado's Master. Now, I know some people will never be happy with a final bow for Delgado that pits him opposite a Doctor other than the Third, and I also know there are those who take issue with the implications this story has for the Master's timeline (specifically, it voids the tantalising prospect of what Geoffrey Beevers' Master might have been like before he got burnt, *if* he was a different regeneration from Delgado). But within the premise of what Peel is doing with the character here? Good stuff. Delgado seems to have walked straight out of one of the better Pertwee-era epics in this one, scheming his way through the ranks of the villains' hierarchy and attempting to gain an ArTiFaCt Of UlTimAtE pOwEr until a final confrontation where things blow up in his face.
In this case, they blow up quite literally, and that's all I'll say about the Master's final fate in this book, but suffice to say that it is a *very* cathartic scene. (Oh—and these circumstances also foreshadow the Lolita plotline of the "War in Heaven" story quite nicely, if you know where to look… how's that for cryptic-yet-intriguing?)
September 30, 2021
With Legacy of the Daleks, John Peel confirms that his interest is mostly in fanwank, though compared to War of the Daleks, the continuity is more focused (post-Dalek Invasion of Earth), at least until you factor in the Master's presence and how it connects to other stories. Some readers might have been excited that Sam is now "lost in space" and absent from this story, but I feel like writers were just getting a handle on her, and shunting her off to "grow" off-stage is taking the easy way out. If your excitement is more about the Doctor finally being reunited with Susan, we don't really get that here. I think she has more dialog with her grandfather in The Five Doctors, and that wasn't much at all. Still, we do find out what happened to her after she left the TARDIS - same for Earth in that era - and that's all very interesting. It's just not the satisfying reunion readers wanted. The Daleks themselves would have done better being excluded entirely - their "legacy" an artifact they don't need to be present for - because they are useless Hartnell-era models you can push into walls. And I was often distracted by the Doctor being so down on the human race - that's just not the Eighth Doctor! Readable, but ultimately disappointing.
November 27, 2023
what i can say for this book is it’s a metric fuckton better than Peel’s first dalek EDA. i’m not sure whether it was the pacing being really third doctor reminiscent, or the fact susan and david are there, but this one seemed a lot more enjoyable than the average dalek book. the narrative staying contained really helped, and a good supporting cast bolstered it as well.
something i’m discovering is a running issue in Peel’s books is the fucking weird sexist and sexual overtones towards all his female characters. he’s just a guy who is incapable of writing a woman without making sexual comments that always feel out of place. his whole handling of the knight donna as an abuse survivor was fucked by his weird fetish for victimizing women and some moments that were just beyond uncomfortable.
both the doctor and the master were written in a pretty shallow way without much nuance, to the point where at times they feel mischaracterised to me. cest la vie & i hope dreamstone moon is better.
something i’m discovering is a running issue in Peel’s books is the fucking weird sexist and sexual overtones towards all his female characters. he’s just a guy who is incapable of writing a woman without making sexual comments that always feel out of place. his whole handling of the knight donna as an abuse survivor was fucked by his weird fetish for victimizing women and some moments that were just beyond uncomfortable.
both the doctor and the master were written in a pretty shallow way without much nuance, to the point where at times they feel mischaracterised to me. cest la vie & i hope dreamstone moon is better.
February 22, 2019
Overall, this book has delightful continuity that walks the right side of being fun, not obsessive, until you get up to the final revelations about a certain character. It's also plotted pretty well, avoiding the running around that drags down so many Doctor Who stories, instead offering a constantly and obvious forward momentum.
But John Peel is by no means a good writer. His dialogue is often cringeworthy and his explanations of peoples' emotions are likewise over the top. If he'd handed this plot to a good writer, this would have been one of the line's top trads. As is, it's still OK.
See a more extensive description of this book, with spoilers, on RPGnet.
But John Peel is by no means a good writer. His dialogue is often cringeworthy and his explanations of peoples' emotions are likewise over the top. If he'd handed this plot to a good writer, this would have been one of the line's top trads. As is, it's still OK.
See a more extensive description of this book, with spoilers, on RPGnet.
December 17, 2020
22世紀のロンドン。ドクターの孫娘スーザンがデイビッドと結婚して30余年経過していた。
50代のデイビッドに対し、年をとることのないスーザンはデイビッドと見た目が釣り合うように老けメイクをすることで周囲の目を取り繕っていたが、スーザンは年々そのことにストレスを感じ、そのことでデイビッドとの間もギクシャクしはじめていた。
ダーレクの侵略から復興したロンドンは、地域の領主によってそれぞれ統治されるようになっていた。その内の一人ハルドランの腹心の部下はマスターで、マスターはダーレクのトランスミッターを手にいれるため、ハルドランに取り入り、ダーレクの基地を再起動していた。自分の真の目的から目をそらさせるため、マスターはダーレクの武器をハルドランにわたし、他の領主たちを武力で掌握するようそそのかす。
その頃、サムとはぐれたドクターはサムを探そうとするが、スーザンが助けを求める声をきき、２２世紀のロンドンに向かう。
地球人と恋に落ちたギャリフレィアンがその後どういう運命を辿ることになるのかが、スーザンを通して垣間見ることができるのが興味深い。ドクターは地球人に心を砕き、好んで共に旅をし、時に恋に落ちるが、ギャリフレィアンにとって、地球人の人生は瞬きするような時間でしかない。別れは悲しく残酷であるが、それでもドクターはスーザンは生き続ける。それはそういった悲しみがやがて過去の記憶として遠いものになっていく。ならば地球にこだわらなければいいのではということなのだが、それができないのがドクターの性というところか。
結果、デイビッドと死別することになったスーザン。マスターを倒し、マスターのターディスを手にいれ、地球という呪縛から解き放たれる。
ドクターは一瞬その自由に憧れるものの再びサムを探す旅に戻る。
50代のデイビッドに対し、年をとることのないスーザンはデイビッドと見た目が釣り合うように老けメイクをすることで周囲の目を取り繕っていたが、スーザンは年々そのことにストレスを感じ、そのことでデイビッドとの間もギクシャクしはじめていた。
ダーレクの侵略から復興したロンドンは、地域の領主によってそれぞれ統治されるようになっていた。その内の一人ハルドランの腹心の部下はマスターで、マスターはダーレクのトランスミッターを手にいれるため、ハルドランに取り入り、ダーレクの基地を再起動していた。自分の真の目的から目をそらさせるため、マスターはダーレクの武器をハルドランにわたし、他の領主たちを武力で掌握するようそそのかす。
その頃、サムとはぐれたドクターはサムを探そうとするが、スーザンが助けを求める声をきき、２２世紀のロンドンに向かう。
地球人と恋に落ちたギャリフレィアンがその後どういう運命を辿ることになるのかが、スーザンを通して垣間見ることができるのが興味深い。ドクターは地球人に心を砕き、好んで共に旅をし、時に恋に落ちるが、ギャリフレィアンにとって、地球人の人生は瞬きするような時間でしかない。別れは悲しく残酷であるが、それでもドクターはスーザンは生き続ける。それはそういった悲しみがやがて過去の記憶として遠いものになっていく。ならば地球にこだわらなければいいのではということなのだが、それができないのがドクターの性というところか。
結果、デイビッドと死別することになったスーザン。マスターを倒し、マスターのターディスを手にいれ、地球という呪縛から解き放たれる。
ドクターは一瞬その自由に憧れるものの再びサムを探す旅に戻る。
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2021
To be honest I skipped like half the book. It feels like this is just someone's wattpad post that they made into a book. I don't believe Susan was ever a Timelord and I won't believe it. I mean it's good to take creative liberties but this isn't a very good one. I don't think I'll ever actually read this again but the ending was good. That's why I'm not giving it a 1 or 2 but it's still better than the longest day so there's that. I did like the end especially with the Doctor being okay and setting off to find Sam since she wasnt there in this book but it definitely would have been better because sometimes she's the comic relief and this book could have used it in some parts
June 19, 2024
A second BBC Book featuring Daleks is very welcome in theory, and John Peel tells a very different story this time: instead of a space battle it’s set in the ruins of Earth after a Dalek invasion, and the Doctor is looking to help his granddaughter Susan as well as looking for the missing Sam. Sadly Legacy Of The Daleks doesn’t capitalise on its stronger ideas, spending most of its time on violent squabbles between despots fighting over what’s left of Britain. You could be forgiven for rooting for the Daleks.
September 10, 2024
SUSAN EXPLODES THE MASTER WITH HER MIND. AND TURNS HIM CRISPY. WITH HER MIND. GOOD FOR HER.
anyways yeah i liked this one <3 well written not pointlessley violent dalek story for once & susan! i love u susan :)
anyways yeah i liked this one <3 well written not pointlessley violent dalek story for once & susan! i love u susan :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2023
Back in the late 1990s, John Peel was the Dalek author having the favor of the Terry Nation Estate. Legacy of the Daleks was his second Eighth Doctor/Dalek novel. And, as with Doctor Who: War of the Daleks, the primary fuction of this is correct/fill perceived continuity holes.
After being separated from his current companion, Sam Jones, at the end of the previous novel Doctor Who: Longest Day, a chance thought of Susan (the Doctor's granddaughter) makes him decide to check Earth for Sam. Once there, he gets caught up in local politics. England has split into a feudal system of domains ruled by Lords. The two biggest, Haldoran and London are at war and Domain Haldoran has a mysterious advisor named Estro on it's side. While the Daleks do feature in this, they don't become a major presence until about halfway through. The main villain is really Estro and Lord Haldoran.
While this wasn't as fun to read as Peel's previous Dalek book, this was still a fun read. The characters are well-written and engaging, and the action scenes are well done. This was one of the first Doctor Who novels I ever read and thus it has a soft spot in my fandom.
After being separated from his current companion, Sam Jones, at the end of the previous novel Doctor Who: Longest Day, a chance thought of Susan (the Doctor's granddaughter) makes him decide to check Earth for Sam. Once there, he gets caught up in local politics. England has split into a feudal system of domains ruled by Lords. The two biggest, Haldoran and London are at war and Domain Haldoran has a mysterious advisor named Estro on it's side. While the Daleks do feature in this, they don't become a major presence until about halfway through. The main villain is really Estro and Lord Haldoran.
While this wasn't as fun to read as Peel's previous Dalek book, this was still a fun read. The characters are well-written and engaging, and the action scenes are well done. This was one of the first Doctor Who novels I ever read and thus it has a soft spot in my fandom.
November 19, 2013
The Eighth Doctor is hunting for Sam, his companion who went AWOL at the end of the previous story (LONGEST DAY). While trolling the universe, the Doctor ends up on Earth, in Domain London, in the 22nd century, not long after the Dalek invasion he helped thwart back in the 1964 TV story "Dalek Invasion of Earth." But things are not going well. There's a power struggle going on between the various Domains, and they are on the brink of civil war. But one side has devastating weaponry, supplied to them from a source with ulterior motives for helping.
And these power struggles go on while the humans assume the Daleks are dead. But you know what they say about making assumptions...
First, the things I liked. This was a good, solid story. The main plot, and the sub-plots all worked for me. They were coherent, easy to follow, and came together nicely. There were some good characters on both sides, and the dialog was generally good. I also enjoyed the inclusion of a couple of characters from the TV series you might not have expected to see, and their participation in the story seemed natural, not contrived.
My main problem with the book is the writing. There are large chunks of back story, exposition, info-dumping, and not all of it appears to have any relevance to the plot. I also cringed at word repetitions, unnecessary adjectives, and other things that make the writing clunky and detract from the story. Whether this is a result of careless writing or careless editing, I don't know. Either way, it pulls me out of the narrative and reminds me I'm reading a story, which is never a good thing.
Overall, it's not bad, and fans of the series will enjoy it. I'd rate it PG, maybe PG-13--I don't recall much if any profanity, though there are some violent scenes.
And these power struggles go on while the humans assume the Daleks are dead. But you know what they say about making assumptions...
First, the things I liked. This was a good, solid story. The main plot, and the sub-plots all worked for me. They were coherent, easy to follow, and came together nicely. There were some good characters on both sides, and the dialog was generally good. I also enjoyed the inclusion of a couple of characters from the TV series you might not have expected to see, and their participation in the story seemed natural, not contrived.
My main problem with the book is the writing. There are large chunks of back story, exposition, info-dumping, and not all of it appears to have any relevance to the plot. I also cringed at word repetitions, unnecessary adjectives, and other things that make the writing clunky and detract from the story. Whether this is a result of careless writing or careless editing, I don't know. Either way, it pulls me out of the narrative and reminds me I'm reading a story, which is never a good thing.
Overall, it's not bad, and fans of the series will enjoy it. I'd rate it PG, maybe PG-13--I don't recall much if any profanity, though there are some violent scenes.
June 17, 2013
Sadly this book is not *quite* as good as John Peel's previous Doctor Who novel, War of the Daleks. It was a short, very enjoyable read, but the Daleks here are more the backdrop than the centerpiece, and I think the story suffers slightly for it. Knowing that this is the last of the EDA stories to feature the Daleks makes me sad.
This was still a good book, and I enjoyed seeing Susan get to be a badass [admittedly, she's one of my favorite characters in the entire series; and I have significant sympathy for Carole Ann Ford, whose agents described her role as being akin to a female James Bond... which was clearly not the case when the show aired]. I would have preferred a bit more time with Susan and the Doctor together, but I guess that was not meant to be.
Finally, I absolutely love that this book gave a proper finale to the Delgado Master. Since Roger Delgado passed on before the torch could be passed, we never did get to see the character's ending, and this book does a wonderful job of tying that up for us.
Still, overall the book was well-written and well-paced, unlike many of its EDA brethren. More, it was plain *fun* to read. Despite its handful of flaws, those three facts earn it four stars.
This was still a good book, and I enjoyed seeing Susan get to be a badass [admittedly, she's one of my favorite characters in the entire series; and I have significant sympathy for Carole Ann Ford, whose agents described her role as being akin to a female James Bond... which was clearly not the case when the show aired]. I would have preferred a bit more time with Susan and the Doctor together, but I guess that was not meant to be.
Finally, I absolutely love that this book gave a proper finale to the Delgado Master. Since Roger Delgado passed on before the torch could be passed, we never did get to see the character's ending, and this book does a wonderful job of tying that up for us.
Still, overall the book was well-written and well-paced, unlike many of its EDA brethren. More, it was plain *fun* to read. Despite its handful of flaws, those three facts earn it four stars.
August 11, 2009
One of the great untold stories of Doctor Who is what happened to his granddaughter, left to marry a human in the aftermath of the Dalek invasion of the Earth. After decades of wondering the story is finally told by John Peel. The Doctor returns to Earth searching for his missing companion: David Campbell is now in his 50s trying to come to terms with a wife who still looks 18, Britain is at war as Domain fights Domain, and an almost forgotten Dalek installation is covertly being fed power. This is a much better effort than Peel's previous Dalek book, the characterizations are much stronger and probably benefits from the absence of the usually one dimensional Sam. It still has a superficial feel to it as I never really got to find out what post Dalek Earth was really like beyond the military factions.
January 19, 2017
I'm starting to think that it's me and not the books - that I'm struggling through the first half of yet another DW novel and flying swiftly and joyfully through the second half. It was good, though, definitely good.
As a Whovian, I couldn't appreciate more the fact that the Eighth Doctor meets Delgado!Master there - both are strong favourites of mine so I was fangirling all over the place when I figured out who Estro was. I was glad to see Susan again, too, however, I'm not so sure about this version of the Dalek Invasion's aftermath. All the Lords and Domains... Not that it's totally unbelievable - I just prefer the Big Finish version better, I think.
Also, the way the novel's leading to the events of The Deadly Assassin is simply beautiful!
As a Whovian, I couldn't appreciate more the fact that the Eighth Doctor meets Delgado!Master there - both are strong favourites of mine so I was fangirling all over the place when I figured out who Estro was. I was glad to see Susan again, too, however, I'm not so sure about this version of the Dalek Invasion's aftermath. All the Lords and Domains... Not that it's totally unbelievable - I just prefer the Big Finish version better, I think.
Also, the way the novel's leading to the events of The Deadly Assassin is simply beautiful!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2011
This was fun! I liked mixing the "lost" eighth Doctor with the aftermath of a first Doctor story, and following up on his granddaughter Susan's life after leaving him.
[SPOILER ALERT!]
I was disappointed that there wasn't more interaction between the Doctor and Susan, especially since it had been over 400 years since he had seen her (30 for her). But Peel did an excellent job of also weaving in parts of the Doctor's life in his 3rd and 4th incarnations with the Master.
[SPOILER ALERT!]
I was disappointed that there wasn't more interaction between the Doctor and Susan, especially since it had been over 400 years since he had seen her (30 for her). But Peel did an excellent job of also weaving in parts of the Doctor's life in his 3rd and 4th incarnations with the Master.
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