Who Reviews Prisoner of the Daleks by DJ Forrest

Written by Trevor Baxendale

For BBC Books

Published 2010

10^th Doctor novel

‘The Daleks are advancing, their empire constantly expanding into Earth’s space. The Earth forces are resisting the Daleks in every way they can. But the battles rage on across countless solar systems. And now the future of our galaxy hangs in the balance…’

Move aside folks, this is the book to cap them all.

I love a good Dalek story, and let’s face it, among all other alien creatures, monsters, robots, droids, you name it – if you had to ask anyone what their favourite Doctor Who enemy was – most would say Dalek – because, most of us remember, growing up watching Doctor Who from behind the sofa, scared of the man in the lower skirt of the Dalek, who to me had always reminded me of one of the elderly patients in my Grandmother’s nursing home. Yeah, sorry folks!

Davros isn’t in this story – but a devious, strong, dominant Dalek by the name of X is – one that is even feared by lesser Daleks in the ranks. He is so devious that you wonder if the Doctor will ever manage to outfox him. In fact, if it wasn’t for the fact, that the 10^th in the series lived on throughout till the actual regeneration as we all remember – I’d say he was cutting it pretty bloody close to not making it back alive in this novel. Talk about being on the edge of your seat, for a novel – jeez!

There are human characters in this story that I have loved from the very first chapter I read them in. I found one of them exceptionally awesome and he never disappointed anywhere in the story, and when his ‘story’ came out, wow, I was enthralled.

Baxendale can write a bloody good novel – and in all the novels I have of his, he keeps the pace steady – never slows, never dips. You have to run to keep up with him, you can’t leave it midway in a chapter, but then you’ve really got to map out your chapters when you’ve only a half hour lunch break.

The Daleks are gaining ground, and the human and alien crew of the Wayfarer – a converted naval patrol ship, have to stop the Daleks from changing the history of the human race, right across the entire Universe. Yes, the old story of Dalek domination, but it never grows old – because there’s always a new story of heroes and heroines prepared to do their damnedest to stop them.

These characters, Cuttin’ Edge, Stella, Bowman and Scrum, and Koral, felt so real, I could really picture them, Bowman perhaps more. Bowman I was drawn to. Bowman I was rooting for. I can still see him now. I only wish he was real.

If you had to choose one Dalek novel, out of all the Daleks novels out there in the Whoniverse – I’d highly recommend that you read Prisoner of the Daleks first.