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Doctor Who: Missing Adventures #32
Doctor Who: The Dark Path
'He's one of my own people, Victoria, and he's hunting me.'
Darkheart: a faded neutron star surrounded by dead planets. But there is life on one of these icy rocks - the last enclave of the Earth Empire, frozen in the image of another time. As the rest of the galaxy enjoys the fruits of the fledgling Federation, these isolated Imperials, bound to obey a forgotten ideal, harbour a dark obsession.
The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria arrive to find that the Federation has at last come to reintegrate this lost colony, whether they like it or not. But all is not well in the Federation camp: relations and allegiances are changing. The fierce Veltrochni - angered by the murder of their kinsmen - have an entirely different agenda. And someone else is manipulating the mission for his own mysterious reasons - another time traveller, a suave and assured master of his work.
The Doctor must uncover the terrible secret which brought the Empire to this desolate sector, and find the source of the strange power maintaining their society. But can a Time Lord, facing the ultimate temptation, control his own desires?
Darkheart: a faded neutron star surrounded by dead planets. But there is life on one of these icy rocks - the last enclave of the Earth Empire, frozen in the image of another time. As the rest of the galaxy enjoys the fruits of the fledgling Federation, these isolated Imperials, bound to obey a forgotten ideal, harbour a dark obsession.
The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria arrive to find that the Federation has at last come to reintegrate this lost colony, whether they like it or not. But all is not well in the Federation camp: relations and allegiances are changing. The fierce Veltrochni - angered by the murder of their kinsmen - have an entirely different agenda. And someone else is manipulating the mission for his own mysterious reasons - another time traveller, a suave and assured master of his work.
The Doctor must uncover the terrible secret which brought the Empire to this desolate sector, and find the source of the strange power maintaining their society. But can a Time Lord, facing the ultimate temptation, control his own desires?
295 pages, Paperback
First published April 20, 1997
2 people are currently reading
289 people want to read
About the author
David A. McIntee
77 books30 followersDavid A. McIntee was a British author who specialised in writing spin-offs and nonfiction commentaries for Doctor Who and other British and American science-fiction franchises.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
September 25, 2011
Missing Adventures. A simple two word phrase with so much meaning, particularity in the context of the Virgin Doctor Who novel range by that name. The term implies that there's gaps to be filled and that the novel sitting in one's hands is the doorway to take through such an adventure. 1997's The Dark Parth by David A. McIntee, the penultimate novel of that range, is one such example. It is the tale of the Second Doctor, Jamie and Victoria on Darkheart, the lost colony world of the fallen Earth empire. More then that though, it is the tale of their encounter with the Doctor's old friend, a Time Lord named Koschei and the encounter that changed him forever.
From the few Second Doctor novels I've read and the reviews I've read online, Patrick Troughton's particular characterization has proven very difficult to replicate in prose. Maybe that's because Troughton was known for what Barry Letts termed “semi-improvisation” meaning that he didn't stick to a script, I'm not certain. What I am certain of is that McIntee managed to capture the Second Doctor perfectly in The Dark Path. It's perhaps most evident in the dialogue spoken that one can hear Troughton saying the words on the page as, somehow, the novel captures that semi-improvisational spirit that Troughton brought to his Doctor. It is particularly evident in the final chapter as the novel reaches it's climax as the Doctor flips back and forth from whimsical to serious that McIntee's knows this Doctor and knows him well. This isn't a recreation of the Second Doctor, it's almost like a lost performance being discovered.
That also goes for the other Time Lord character of the novel, Koschei. Koschei is of course another character that we know and love (and I don't think I'm spoiling anything as a look at the novel's cover will reveal who it is): The Roger Delgado Master. Except this is before he became the Master. All the trademarks of the Delgado Master are apparent and beautifully done: the suave and assured nature even the choice of words in the dialogue that, like the Second Doctor, one can almost hear Roger Delgado delivering the lines. All that makes what happens in the novel all the more incredible if not shocking.
That's not forgetting the companions though. Jamie and Victoria are just as well done as the Doctor and Koschei. In fact, Victoria is almost the third star of the novel and even becomes a potential companion to Koschei for a good chunk of the novel. McIntee reveals that there's more to Victoria then just the “screamer” often remembered by fans. Here is a troubled young woman, her family dead, wandering the universe seeking peace but finding herself in one incredibly dangerous situation after the other. In fact, the novel's setting between the TV stories The Web Of Fear and Fury From The Deep is perfect because The Dark Path, in it's very last pages, sets up Victoria's exit in the latter story. It explains why she seemed to make that decision to leave when she did. It's retconing at its best, or perhaps at its second best.
Because there's something else that this novel does. It shows the reader that the path to hell is paved with good intentions. The friendship between Koschei and the Doctor is apparent from the first time they meet in the novel, about midway through. From there though, things begin to go wrong for their friendship as events overtake Koschei and he finds himself walking a fine line between good and evil. The worst thing is, it's not that he is evil. What Koschei does throughout the back half of the novel is for a cause I think anyone can identify with (and as much as I want to, I won't spoil). Even that good reason can't stop what we know is coming: the moment when Koschei will cease to be and the Master is born. McIntee pulls out the stops for this transformation including a jaw dropping final chapter where a friendship ends and a rivalry begins. No sound of drums required: just a man in the wrong place, at the wrong time, trying to set things right and becoming something far worse.
The Dark Path is many things. It brings two brand new performances from two of the best actors to appear in the series and does so, amazingly, in prose form. It's an excellent addition to the Missing Adventures range, living up to what it's supposed to be as a result of that and much more. It is perhaps, above all else, a tragedy. It is like watching a train wreck: there's something horrific about it but one just can't turn away. For two good men came to Darkheart and neither man left the same as he came.
From the few Second Doctor novels I've read and the reviews I've read online, Patrick Troughton's particular characterization has proven very difficult to replicate in prose. Maybe that's because Troughton was known for what Barry Letts termed “semi-improvisation” meaning that he didn't stick to a script, I'm not certain. What I am certain of is that McIntee managed to capture the Second Doctor perfectly in The Dark Path. It's perhaps most evident in the dialogue spoken that one can hear Troughton saying the words on the page as, somehow, the novel captures that semi-improvisational spirit that Troughton brought to his Doctor. It is particularly evident in the final chapter as the novel reaches it's climax as the Doctor flips back and forth from whimsical to serious that McIntee's knows this Doctor and knows him well. This isn't a recreation of the Second Doctor, it's almost like a lost performance being discovered.
That also goes for the other Time Lord character of the novel, Koschei. Koschei is of course another character that we know and love (and I don't think I'm spoiling anything as a look at the novel's cover will reveal who it is): The Roger Delgado Master. Except this is before he became the Master. All the trademarks of the Delgado Master are apparent and beautifully done: the suave and assured nature even the choice of words in the dialogue that, like the Second Doctor, one can almost hear Roger Delgado delivering the lines. All that makes what happens in the novel all the more incredible if not shocking.
That's not forgetting the companions though. Jamie and Victoria are just as well done as the Doctor and Koschei. In fact, Victoria is almost the third star of the novel and even becomes a potential companion to Koschei for a good chunk of the novel. McIntee reveals that there's more to Victoria then just the “screamer” often remembered by fans. Here is a troubled young woman, her family dead, wandering the universe seeking peace but finding herself in one incredibly dangerous situation after the other. In fact, the novel's setting between the TV stories The Web Of Fear and Fury From The Deep is perfect because The Dark Path, in it's very last pages, sets up Victoria's exit in the latter story. It explains why she seemed to make that decision to leave when she did. It's retconing at its best, or perhaps at its second best.
Because there's something else that this novel does. It shows the reader that the path to hell is paved with good intentions. The friendship between Koschei and the Doctor is apparent from the first time they meet in the novel, about midway through. From there though, things begin to go wrong for their friendship as events overtake Koschei and he finds himself walking a fine line between good and evil. The worst thing is, it's not that he is evil. What Koschei does throughout the back half of the novel is for a cause I think anyone can identify with (and as much as I want to, I won't spoil). Even that good reason can't stop what we know is coming: the moment when Koschei will cease to be and the Master is born. McIntee pulls out the stops for this transformation including a jaw dropping final chapter where a friendship ends and a rivalry begins. No sound of drums required: just a man in the wrong place, at the wrong time, trying to set things right and becoming something far worse.
The Dark Path is many things. It brings two brand new performances from two of the best actors to appear in the series and does so, amazingly, in prose form. It's an excellent addition to the Missing Adventures range, living up to what it's supposed to be as a result of that and much more. It is perhaps, above all else, a tragedy. It is like watching a train wreck: there's something horrific about it but one just can't turn away. For two good men came to Darkheart and neither man left the same as he came.
February 9, 2019
When this book was first released and I saw Roger Delgado's picture on the cover, I thought this would be great to see how an adventure between the 2nd Doctor and The Master would be. It was not about The Master but Koschei who becomes The Master.
After my first reading I thought this was one of the best books of The Missing Adventure series. Years later when it came up again, I was interested to see how well it holds up.
With the continuation of reading the books in chronological order, I picked up more details then I had seen before. There are slight references to the previous story Twilight of the Godsand building upon Victoria's character. David McIntee adds details that helps place this book into the complete Doctor Who world.
Even if you were to take those references away, the story is great because it builds up the mystery of the Darkheart and why Koschei is interesed in it. The character development is good, the characters are well written.
The two standing out are Victoria and Koschei. This helps to build upon what you know from the series and see the actions that lead to Victoria leaving in Doctor Who: Fury from the Deep and how The Master came about.
When it comes to a non-fan, I would drop the rating by 1 star, because it is the connections to the Who Universe that makes this a 4 star book.
After my first reading I thought this was one of the best books of The Missing Adventure series. Years later when it came up again, I was interested to see how well it holds up.
With the continuation of reading the books in chronological order, I picked up more details then I had seen before. There are slight references to the previous story Twilight of the Godsand building upon Victoria's character. David McIntee adds details that helps place this book into the complete Doctor Who world.
Even if you were to take those references away, the story is great because it builds up the mystery of the Darkheart and why Koschei is interesed in it. The character development is good, the characters are well written.
The two standing out are Victoria and Koschei. This helps to build upon what you know from the series and see the actions that lead to Victoria leaving in Doctor Who: Fury from the Deep and how The Master came about.
When it comes to a non-fan, I would drop the rating by 1 star, because it is the connections to the Who Universe that makes this a 4 star book.
July 12, 2022
By this time, I believe, the editors at Virgin knew that their contract had not been renewed, so decided to end their run of Who books on a definitive basis. Though the people at BBC stated that the Virgin line would not be treated as "canon," the Virgin people knew that the fans had already decided the opposite. "The Dark Path," therefore, tells the story of how the Master becomes the Master. The motivation for the change from Koschei into the Master does not quite work for me; the death of one close friend does not seem like enough push to get someone to go over totally to the dark path (like the dark side? hmmmm...). However, McIntee's characterization of Koschei's modus operandi in a presumably good cause shows the same pattern as the Master would later use - a grand plan, meticulously detailed. In plot, the novel is a kind of James Bond story set in the far future, complete with various "spies" and their technical gadgets, an impending all-out war, and a superweapon meant to trigger it. It has the same sort of appeal, though sadly without any Bond-girls (Victoria would never qualify), as a typical Bond film. As long as one does not question the details, it works.
March 31, 2015
It starts out as a slow burn, but very quickly transforms into quite an inter-galactic adventure, taking in huge swaths of "Doctor Who" continuity, and playing with it on an epic scale. I'm normally indifferent to the 2nd Doctor, but David McIntee captures him perfectly. That said, the true star is the Master, guest starring in a prequel to the Pertwee-era stories that is handled with great skill. A novel where the author's personal enthusiasm infectiously bleeds off the page.
December 1, 2008
When Roger Delgado popped up on Dr. Who with his wonderful portrayal of "the Master", we simply know that he is the doctor's enemy.
In this excellent novel, we learn how the Doctor and the Master went from being friends to deadly enemires. McINtee's portrayal of the Master is very, very on target (couldn't resis that pun!)
If you enjoy Doctor Who, I higly recommend this.
In this excellent novel, we learn how the Doctor and the Master went from being friends to deadly enemires. McINtee's portrayal of the Master is very, very on target (couldn't resis that pun!)
If you enjoy Doctor Who, I higly recommend this.
October 23, 2018
The TARDIS crew arrive on The Darkheart, a faded neutron star surrounded by dead worlds.
On the lost colony The Doctor runs into an old friend in Koschei...
This Missing Adventure is the Masters origin story, as through the story the reader discovers the events that makes Koschei turn into the evil Timelord.
On the lost colony The Doctor runs into an old friend in Koschei...
This Missing Adventure is the Masters origin story, as through the story the reader discovers the events that makes Koschei turn into the evil Timelord.
May 19, 2024
I thought this was a very solid #2 adventure! Of course it suffers from the same thing so much of these stories do, in terms of how the woman companions are treated, but at least there were some other strong characters to balance the “let’s all rescue and/or coddle Victoria” vibe. (Though to be fair at least we do spend some time with her thoughts, which is more than we’d usually get.) I liked what they were doing with the Master; solid mystery, some good action.
(A friendly reminder that I rate the DWs on their own self-contained 5-star scale.)
(A friendly reminder that I rate the DWs on their own self-contained 5-star scale.)
June 18, 2016
The Dark Path is part of the now out-of-print Virgin Publishing Doctor Who The Missing Adventures, which was a series of original novels featuring Doctors 1-6 of the classic BBC television series Doctor Who. They were published at the same time as Virgin's The New Adventures series, featuring original adventures of the Seventh Doctor, set after the televised story, "Survival".
The Dark Path features the Second Doctor (played by Patrick Troughton), and his companions, Jaime, the Scottish Highlander, and Victoria, the young Victorian woman. They also run into the Master, as played by Roger Delgado. However, this isn't the villain of the Jon Pertwee era, rather when the Doctor first runs into "Koschei" he's delighted to meet his old school chum.
A lost colony, a terrible secret, and an even worse technology hide on a planet orbiting a neutron star on the far outer reaches of the galaxy. Just what is going on? Much of The Dark Path reads as a technological mystery as everyone tries to figure out what the "Dark Heart" is.
I enjoy mysteries, so I liked this book because it became a real "page-turner" to figure out what was going on. Several of the original characters to the novel were very well drawn, which I also enjoyed.
However, the novel also perfectly sets-up how "Koschei" will become "The Master", and while it technically does deliver on that promise - I felt somewhat cheated. I wanted to see a more "real" explanation for what made "The Master" who he was. And yes, this novel was written in 1997, so at least a decade before Series Three of New Who, and must be taken as an "alternate history" or view of the character. Still, the novel leads the reader down one path as an explanation for the Master's personality change, but then abandons that idea and goes with something much more pedestrian.
So this novel gets 3.5 stars. Still, it is an worthwhile read for fans of Doctor Who.
The Dark Path features the Second Doctor (played by Patrick Troughton), and his companions, Jaime, the Scottish Highlander, and Victoria, the young Victorian woman. They also run into the Master, as played by Roger Delgado. However, this isn't the villain of the Jon Pertwee era, rather when the Doctor first runs into "Koschei" he's delighted to meet his old school chum.
A lost colony, a terrible secret, and an even worse technology hide on a planet orbiting a neutron star on the far outer reaches of the galaxy. Just what is going on? Much of The Dark Path reads as a technological mystery as everyone tries to figure out what the "Dark Heart" is.
I enjoy mysteries, so I liked this book because it became a real "page-turner" to figure out what was going on. Several of the original characters to the novel were very well drawn, which I also enjoyed.
However, the novel also perfectly sets-up how "Koschei" will become "The Master", and while it technically does deliver on that promise - I felt somewhat cheated. I wanted to see a more "real" explanation for what made "The Master" who he was. And yes, this novel was written in 1997, so at least a decade before Series Three of New Who, and must be taken as an "alternate history" or view of the character. Still, the novel leads the reader down one path as an explanation for the Master's personality change, but then abandons that idea and goes with something much more pedestrian.
So this novel gets 3.5 stars. Still, it is an worthwhile read for fans of Doctor Who.
Read
April 8, 2009http://nhw.livejournal.com/1145131.html?#cutid2[return][return]McIntee has managed to flesh out the future galactic federation with Draconians, Terileptils and a hexapod from Alpha Centauri; he brings the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria there straight from an adventure with the Menoptera on Vortis; and of course most gloriously he brings in a bearded gentleman called Koschei who has his own Tardis and (this is hardly a spoiler) by the end of the story has decided to call himself "the Master" in future. [return][return]Added to all of this, the plot actually makes sense! We have an isolated human colony under investigation by both Federation and alien fleets, and OK, we end up with a story that has certain similarities to Colony In Space except that it is better. Of course Koschei (the future Master) wants to seize control of the secret at the heart of the colony, and the Doctor must prevent him; but matters are complicated by the fact that Koschei has an assistant who is not aware of what he is up to, and who is herself not entirely what she seems. Giving him a travelling companion is a great idea, and it's amazing that it took the TV series until 2007 to do so (and then Lucy Saxon is not quite the same thing). All very good fun.
January 14, 2016
First off, this is a well thought out story that combines galactic conflict, powerful temporal manipulation, friendship and betrayal. Every character is given a personality so that the story feels more real.
The highlight of this book though is the development of the Master, showing how in fact he came to be that person. Unlike in many TV stories where he is either stereotyped as simply insane or evil, the author explores how he was once the Doctor's friend. To that end he is given a life story that, while not excusing his behaviour or ruling out insanity, gives us an understanding of how someone the Doctor once considered a friend could fall so far. It is interesting that the author noted he was being investigated by the Time Lords for instability, though his investigator regarded him as "the most level-headed man I know", leaving open the question of a fall into madness that TV producers have since developed.
The highlight of this book though is the development of the Master, showing how in fact he came to be that person. Unlike in many TV stories where he is either stereotyped as simply insane or evil, the author explores how he was once the Doctor's friend. To that end he is given a life story that, while not excusing his behaviour or ruling out insanity, gives us an understanding of how someone the Doctor once considered a friend could fall so far. It is interesting that the author noted he was being investigated by the Time Lords for instability, though his investigator regarded him as "the most level-headed man I know", leaving open the question of a fall into madness that TV producers have since developed.
May 4, 2016
"Oh dear, this won't do." sighed the Doctor.
"Oh Aye Doctor can I nay borrow this to light the fire, ken?" asked Jamie.
The Doctor looked over. "It's not that bad. You Know there are moments where it shines and looks to be a right rollocking read and then "meh!""
Victoria looked across with her big green eyes and smiled at the Doctor. Do not worry Doctor, has you well know I have taught Jamie how to read every night."
"Aye so that's what YOU call it yer ken."he replied has she turned hot shade of grey... sorry crimson.
"Don't fret Doctor I'll save yer the best pages to wipe yer ass on." He smiled.
"Easy Jamie!" The Doctor exclaimed.
"Aye"
"Oh Aye Doctor can I nay borrow this to light the fire, ken?" asked Jamie.
The Doctor looked over. "It's not that bad. You Know there are moments where it shines and looks to be a right rollocking read and then "meh!""
Victoria looked across with her big green eyes and smiled at the Doctor. Do not worry Doctor, has you well know I have taught Jamie how to read every night."
"Aye so that's what YOU call it yer ken."he replied has she turned hot shade of grey... sorry crimson.
"Don't fret Doctor I'll save yer the best pages to wipe yer ass on." He smiled.
"Easy Jamie!" The Doctor exclaimed.
"Aye"
May 27, 2020
A Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) story featuring his companions Jamie and Victoria.
The TARDIS is drawn off course by a mysterious temporal anomaly and arrives on an isolated human colony which has just reestablished contact with the larger galaxy. Tensions rise between the colonists and the delegation from the Galactic Federation and the Doctor's attempts to investigate the temporal anomaly become far more complicated when another TARDIS arrives.
This is very much a book which fails to live up to it potential. You see, that second TARDIS has a suave, occasionally ruthless but generally benevolent Time Lord called Koschei aboard. By the end of this book Koschei will have transitioned into the Master. That should be a spoiler, but unfortunately the publishers ruin that twist by putting a picture of Roger Delgado's Master right on the cover of the book. However, it's not the ruining of the twist which leads this book to disappoint, but the fact that it's barely about the Master and his relationship with the Doctor.
I've never known a Doctor Who book to be so crammed-full of plots and subplots and definitely not in a good way. We have the mysterious temporal anomaly caused by the misuse of an ancient machine, an invisible hunter stalking the colonists, an alien species seeking revenge for the destruction of several of their ships, a diplomatic mission attempting to reintegrate the Human Empire colony with the Galactic Federation and the internal politics of the colony itself. Somewhere in there the author has to squeeze in the introduction of Koschei, his history with the Doctor and his character arc, meaning that it doesn't get nearly enough space to flourish.
Weirdly, in a 'perfect storm' sort of situation, the swirling mixture of incompatible plots all happening at once actually left me finding the book pretty boring. Imagine, if you will, a novel which tells of how the Master became a villain and of his first encounter with the Doctor since they both left Gallifrey and which is nevertheless just tedious.
The only reason I've given this three out of five is that in the last thirty pages or so the Doctor/Master story does finally get some traction and becomes very compelling. Unfortunately, even that good ending just serves to highlight what a waste the rest of the book was.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *
The TARDIS is drawn off course by a mysterious temporal anomaly and arrives on an isolated human colony which has just reestablished contact with the larger galaxy. Tensions rise between the colonists and the delegation from the Galactic Federation and the Doctor's attempts to investigate the temporal anomaly become far more complicated when another TARDIS arrives.
This is very much a book which fails to live up to it potential. You see, that second TARDIS has a suave, occasionally ruthless but generally benevolent Time Lord called Koschei aboard. By the end of this book Koschei will have transitioned into the Master. That should be a spoiler, but unfortunately the publishers ruin that twist by putting a picture of Roger Delgado's Master right on the cover of the book. However, it's not the ruining of the twist which leads this book to disappoint, but the fact that it's barely about the Master and his relationship with the Doctor.
I've never known a Doctor Who book to be so crammed-full of plots and subplots and definitely not in a good way. We have the mysterious temporal anomaly caused by the misuse of an ancient machine, an invisible hunter stalking the colonists, an alien species seeking revenge for the destruction of several of their ships, a diplomatic mission attempting to reintegrate the Human Empire colony with the Galactic Federation and the internal politics of the colony itself. Somewhere in there the author has to squeeze in the introduction of Koschei, his history with the Doctor and his character arc, meaning that it doesn't get nearly enough space to flourish.
Weirdly, in a 'perfect storm' sort of situation, the swirling mixture of incompatible plots all happening at once actually left me finding the book pretty boring. Imagine, if you will, a novel which tells of how the Master became a villain and of his first encounter with the Doctor since they both left Gallifrey and which is nevertheless just tedious.
The only reason I've given this three out of five is that in the last thirty pages or so the Doctor/Master story does finally get some traction and becomes very compelling. Unfortunately, even that good ending just serves to highlight what a waste the rest of the book was.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *
March 27, 2022
A wonderful villain origin story for how the Master became THE Master. It shouldn’t already be a surprise that he’s involved in the book from the cover alone.
The author captured all the characters perfectly and it honestly felt like I watching/reading a missing Second Doctor adventure. I loved the character of Ailla, her role was a nice twist and I would honestly LOVE to see more of her. She has so much potential!
I loved all the interactions and different character dynamics. The plot itself just kept getting better and better as things progressed. It was hard for me to start putting the book down. But in all honesty, the thing I like about this story the most is it an origin story for my favorite Doctor Who villain, showing us what made him become the “power lusting, wanna-be conquerer of the universe.” It gave him fantastic character development on that part and McIntee did a wonderful job showing us how he went from an Anti-Hero to a Villain. It even made me cry for him! It just showed how Koschei (as he’s called in this book) was trying to do good in his own way, though twisted (feeling betrayed didn’t help this either), but it was still wrong and it would only end in disaster. It was also a good mirror/parallel to the Doctor with the whole Order vs Chaos concept they have going on with how they would help the universe.
It’s honestly worth the read and one of my favorite “Master” origins besides the Big Finish audio called “Master.”
The author captured all the characters perfectly and it honestly felt like I watching/reading a missing Second Doctor adventure. I loved the character of Ailla, her role was a nice twist and I would honestly LOVE to see more of her. She has so much potential!
I loved all the interactions and different character dynamics. The plot itself just kept getting better and better as things progressed. It was hard for me to start putting the book down. But in all honesty, the thing I like about this story the most is it an origin story for my favorite Doctor Who villain, showing us what made him become the “power lusting, wanna-be conquerer of the universe.” It gave him fantastic character development on that part and McIntee did a wonderful job showing us how he went from an Anti-Hero to a Villain. It even made me cry for him! It just showed how Koschei (as he’s called in this book) was trying to do good in his own way, though twisted (feeling betrayed didn’t help this either), but it was still wrong and it would only end in disaster. It was also a good mirror/parallel to the Doctor with the whole Order vs Chaos concept they have going on with how they would help the universe.
It’s honestly worth the read and one of my favorite “Master” origins besides the Big Finish audio called “Master.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2025
David A. McIntee is great at pastiche. He's written Doctor Who novels in the style of kung fu films, Lovecraft, X-Files and more. So it's no surprise that The Dark Path is such a competent Star Trek pastiche, using the Whoniverse's own "Federation" as an excuse to create a multi-species crew and play the Veltrochni (butchered on the cover) as pseudo-Klingons. And they're up against "Imperials" (Humanity's preferred political status quo earlier in the timeline) with access to a planet-destroying weapon on an artificial world... Hold on, is this Star Trek vs. Star Wars in disguise? In any case, what really takes center stage is the Second Doctor (with Jamie and Victoria) meeting the Master for the first time since they were at school together, a kind of "secret origin" of the Master, in fact, that toys with the reader in terms of just where we are on the villain's timeline. I only resent the early ambiguity because it makes me think of different endings to reconnect with the television timeline, and I'm not sure what's written is better than my imagination. Nevertheless, McIntee writes everyone involved well, and has fun (as do we) with the reinventions of famous space opera franchises. The quick pace makes this an engaging read, as does the atypical plot for this era of Doctor Who.
December 14, 2018
The 'extra' adventures of classic Doctor Whos are wildly variable. Sometimes they barely feel like a Doctor story at all, sometimes they try desperately to rewrite the female companions to modern notions, while other times they attempt to retrocon Who history in their own fanboy image. Sometimes they feel like a great Doctor Who romp with the Doc and his companions acting spot on while adding depth to their characters and make you which they had been a TV serial in the canon. This book is thankfully of the later type. McIntee penned quite a few of the Doctor's adventures and his experience and skill are evident here.
(Spoiler Alert) This is good as those of you with eyes will note that the front cover has a picture of The Master. A fairly massive thread through the novel is this very early meeting between the Doctor and The Master, as he is becoming that great villain, and getting this monumental moment in Who lore written right or possibly rightly written is an important task. The auhor is up to the task and delivers a novel that fans of the classics should read and will enjoy.
(Spoiler Alert) This is good as those of you with eyes will note that the front cover has a picture of The Master. A fairly massive thread through the novel is this very early meeting between the Doctor and The Master, as he is becoming that great villain, and getting this monumental moment in Who lore written right or possibly rightly written is an important task. The auhor is up to the task and delivers a novel that fans of the classics should read and will enjoy.
January 5, 2021
My very first Doctor Who book and it was, frankly, almost unexpectedly fun. And Victoria! My very favourite companion! Treated like a solid, fleshed out character in her own right! I loved her so much in this.
The entire conceit of the story is very interesting, too. I think it would be a very good read for anyone interested in the story and at least vaguely aware of the general concept of Doctor Who.
The entire conceit of the story is very interesting, too. I think it would be a very good read for anyone interested in the story and at least vaguely aware of the general concept of Doctor Who.
February 22, 2022
sobs i feel like there was so much wasted potential here in terms of themes and homoeroticism... loads of words spent on random aliens, and just way too much of characters going from place to place, being separated, being reunited etc.
the moment where koschei becomes the master/the confrontation with the doctor is Good, but thats because by nature its going to be good. it just could have been better imo :(.
the moment where koschei becomes the master/the confrontation with the doctor is Good, but thats because by nature its going to be good. it just could have been better imo :(.
September 16, 2019
Talk about convoluted! The Trekkie in me enjoyed the callbacks and the reminiscence, though. I had a hard time following it -- pacing was a bit off here. Not to be crude, but it was like an hour of foreplay for five minutes of, well, you know.
Anyway, this certainly wasn't my least favorite Doctor Who novel. If you like Star Trek and Doctor Who, this'll probably butter your biscuits.
Anyway, this certainly wasn't my least favorite Doctor Who novel. If you like Star Trek and Doctor Who, this'll probably butter your biscuits.
June 9, 2021
This is a great "origan" story of how Koshcei became the Master. It showed is sent into madness without making him the victim. And it clearly shows his thought process and how he justifies what he does.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2024
One of my favorite 2nd Doctor novels. Fantastic origin story for my favorite Doctor Who baddie.
August 31, 2024
An absolutely cracking 'missing' Classic Doctor Who tale set in the era of the Second Doctor, in which - against a backdrop of alien conflict - the Doctor has his first encounter with The Master (here calling himself Koschei) since leaving Gallifrey, and inadvertently contributes to the tragedy that turns The Master from something of a fun-loving troublemaker to the sinister villain we know from the TV series. A great read for fans of the show, or of the character of The Master.
November 4, 2024
Good fun, with some great character work for Victoria.
April 28, 2025
my bad David A.McIntee I wasn't familiar with your game
January 19, 2023
I had this thing on an eBay watchlist for actual years waiting for one to go up at a less than insane price, and finally picked up a copy.
It's okay. It's an origin story for The Master trapped in a relatively mundane wider plot about a lost colony from humanity's imperalistic past being rediscovered by the now far less xenophobic form the human race has now taken. The origin stuff starts strong but suffers from editorial interference; I read what the author originally had planned and it sounds like the basis for a far more compelling story. As it is all the set up for that original payoff is still here but they have to slap a bad twist on the end which only serves to strip away any sense of tragedy from his fall, making him more just innately power hungry (as if he'd have gone down the path whenever the opportunity arose) rather than someone with good intentions going too far out of personal trauma.
There's some fun continuity stuff, like how they go out of their way to never say "Time Lord" because the term wouldn't be introduced until later in the Second Doctor's timeline, but also quite a lot of time spend with Victoria coming to terms with wanting to leave the TARDIS, which isn't really something that needed to be shown. You understand why she doesn't stick around well enough in the show, having her agonise over it here doesn't tell us anything new, it's just padding.
There's nothing I'd call outright bad in here, it's very solid as far as TV tie in novels go, it's just a missed opportunity to do something great.
It's okay. It's an origin story for The Master trapped in a relatively mundane wider plot about a lost colony from humanity's imperalistic past being rediscovered by the now far less xenophobic form the human race has now taken. The origin stuff starts strong but suffers from editorial interference; I read what the author originally had planned and it sounds like the basis for a far more compelling story. As it is all the set up for that original payoff is still here but they have to slap a bad twist on the end which only serves to strip away any sense of tragedy from his fall, making him more just innately power hungry (as if he'd have gone down the path whenever the opportunity arose) rather than someone with good intentions going too far out of personal trauma.
There's some fun continuity stuff, like how they go out of their way to never say "Time Lord" because the term wouldn't be introduced until later in the Second Doctor's timeline, but also quite a lot of time spend with Victoria coming to terms with wanting to leave the TARDIS, which isn't really something that needed to be shown. You understand why she doesn't stick around well enough in the show, having her agonise over it here doesn't tell us anything new, it's just padding.
There's nothing I'd call outright bad in here, it's very solid as far as TV tie in novels go, it's just a missed opportunity to do something great.
November 16, 2025
December 2023
Reasonably enjoyable, there's some stuff to do with empire that's not quite worked out (Victoria's background vs the Imperial plot vs Koschei's background, or even Hakkauth recognising Jamie, who fought against the English, as a rare 'civilized' Earthman because Scottish clans happen to function in a similar way to Hakkauth's species) but which I thought was interesting. I'm not convinced in its characterisation of Koschei - Also I firmly hold to the fact that the Master less went evil than the Doctor went good; he thus seemed too benign to me to begin with.
October 2025
I pretty much maintain my feelings on this on a second read. I like some stuff in here, especially the earlier worldbuilding concepts, but the central premise doesn't really work for me - and I've never been all that fond of McIntee's prose style, so I think that limits my enjoyment here.
Reasonably enjoyable, there's some stuff to do with empire that's not quite worked out (Victoria's background vs the Imperial plot vs Koschei's background, or even Hakkauth recognising Jamie, who fought against the English, as a rare 'civilized' Earthman because Scottish clans happen to function in a similar way to Hakkauth's species) but which I thought was interesting. I'm not convinced in its characterisation of Koschei - Also I firmly hold to the fact that the Master less went evil than the Doctor went good; he thus seemed too benign to me to begin with.
October 2025
I pretty much maintain my feelings on this on a second read. I like some stuff in here, especially the earlier worldbuilding concepts, but the central premise doesn't really work for me - and I've never been all that fond of McIntee's prose style, so I think that limits my enjoyment here.
April 27, 2016
I decided to give one of these (New Adventures? Missing Adventures? whatever) a try because I crave more! More details, more adventures, and more fun chemistry between some delightful companions and one of my favorite Doctors. Ugh, too bad the Doctor's was just one of approximately a dozen perspectives that are rotated through in mind-numbingly short bursts (So much for getting to know the Doctor better!). When they were front and center, I thought the Doctor and co. were well-written, but there was just so much boring fighting/spying/whatever going on between the all the other parties, that the charm of the whole endeavor overall was pretty lacking.
Heh, maybe I didn't love it because it really did evoke all thing early 70s Doctor Who episodes - and let's face it reminding me of the Pertwee era is never going to be a path to good times. So even though I didn't particularly enjoy it, I do think the tone and general style is a good fit with the classic episodes and that is something I can admire.
Heh, maybe I didn't love it because it really did evoke all thing early 70s Doctor Who episodes - and let's face it reminding me of the Pertwee era is never going to be a path to good times. So even though I didn't particularly enjoy it, I do think the tone and general style is a good fit with the classic episodes and that is something I can admire.
November 17, 2008
A nice try that doesn't quite make it.
The second Doctor encounters the Time Lord that is soon to become the Master and we are witness to the event that pushes him over to the dark side, as the two time lords, a space colony run by xenophobic jerks, some really nasty aliens and an Enterprise type ship from the galactic federation all scramble to get control of an artifact that can alter the very fabric of time.
Sounds great, except both the nasty aliens and the Xenophobic colonists come across as pretty flat and cliched. The change of the Master, while containing some interesting ideas, seems rushed and it all feels like the writer, the usually great David McIntee is trying to juggle too much.
The idea of the second Doctor meeting the Master is very cool and I thought the Federation ship was cool enough to get it's own series.
Maybe if McIntee had used a familiar monster ( Sontarions or somebody) I would have cut him more slack.
The second Doctor encounters the Time Lord that is soon to become the Master and we are witness to the event that pushes him over to the dark side, as the two time lords, a space colony run by xenophobic jerks, some really nasty aliens and an Enterprise type ship from the galactic federation all scramble to get control of an artifact that can alter the very fabric of time.
Sounds great, except both the nasty aliens and the Xenophobic colonists come across as pretty flat and cliched. The change of the Master, while containing some interesting ideas, seems rushed and it all feels like the writer, the usually great David McIntee is trying to juggle too much.
The idea of the second Doctor meeting the Master is very cool and I thought the Federation ship was cool enough to get it's own series.
Maybe if McIntee had used a familiar monster ( Sontarions or somebody) I would have cut him more slack.
November 5, 2013
I enjoyed this very much!
This is my first experience with the second incarnation of the Doctor (both on and off screen - apart from 'The Five Doctors') and even though I don't know his mannerism and such, it is still very clear that it was the Doctor I/we know - several times he'd say or do something that I could imagine other incarnations doing; which really just comes to show how he's still the same man, even though he's regenerated.
I liked Ailla a lot! I wish we'd gotten a deeper insight to her time with the Master prior to this adventure. I'd hope she's brought into the TV show one day, but yeah... Not really realistic, is it?!
....anyways, I was actually on my way to bed, so I'll just do that and then possibly elaborate further another time... If it's possible to edit one's review that is, of course..
x
December 11, 2014
This book was also like one of the episodes; perhaps with a couple more plot threads thrown in. I think I enjoy this type of story more than the type of story in The Infinity Doctors. At any rate, this story is important for the first appearance of Koeschi, or The Master in continuity. The author did a fair job of showing Koeschi going subtly 'round the bend. I also enjoyed some of the interplay between Jamie, Victoria and The Doctor.
January 10, 2017
A truly amazing novel that really nails the introduction of the Doctor's oldest friend, as well as the fall from grace for the Master. This is a fast-paced exciting story that takes you along for the ride, and fleshes out the main characters brilliantly. Highly recommended for fans of the Second Doctor.
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