elizafiedler's review
4.0
With a character named Nimrod, my expectations were not high. This is not a story with a terribly happy ending, but McCoy and Baker put in terrific performances. Listen to Project Twilight first! This is part 2.
sshabein's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Sad one, but good. They've used a version of this plot twist in other media — this came out first, but I saw the TV episode before I heard this — so I saw that coming, but that's not really the story's fault.
faiazalam's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
nwhyte's review
A story in two parts, the first of which is (another) tragic tale with Six and Evelyn, and the second featuring Seven and Six together - or is it really Six? Rather on the horrific side for my taste, but well done.
colossal's review
4.0
This is a sixth and seventh Doctor adventure with Evelyn Smythe as the sixth Doctor's companion. The story is #45 in the Big Finish main range and is a direct sequel to #23 in the same series, [b:Doctor Who: Project: Twilight|1317355|Doctor Who Project Twilight|Cavan Scott|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348197276s/1317355.jpg|1306670] by the same author.
I came into this with some trepidation. I wasn't a fan of Project: Twilight, and an unlooked-for sequel is rarely a good place to start. However, I was quite pleasantly surprised. The structure here suits the story well with it being essentially two linked two-part episodes, the first two with the sixth Doctor and Evelyn and the second two with the seventh Doctor. That kept the pace up and Nimrod makes for an excellent villain who plays well against both these Doctors. The seventh Doctor in particular is the mastermind schemer of the latter part of that incarnation and that plays brilliantly against another evil genius.
It's just a shame you have to get through the first story to get to this one.
This is also an important story for Evelyn, and I'm a little worried that it presages that character leaving which would be a huge shame because this Doctor/companion pairing has been consistently brilliant.
I came into this with some trepidation. I wasn't a fan of Project: Twilight, and an unlooked-for sequel is rarely a good place to start. However, I was quite pleasantly surprised. The structure here suits the story well with it being essentially two linked two-part episodes, the first two with the sixth Doctor and Evelyn and the second two with the seventh Doctor. That kept the pace up and Nimrod makes for an excellent villain who plays well against both these Doctors. The seventh Doctor in particular is the mastermind schemer of the latter part of that incarnation and that plays brilliantly against another evil genius.
It's just a shame you have to get through the first story to get to this one.
This is also an important story for Evelyn, and I'm a little worried that it presages that character leaving which would be a huge shame because this Doctor/companion pairing has been consistently brilliant.
kmccubbin's review
3.0
This, second in the "Forge" series, has a lot going for it and seems to have a stronger reason for existing that the first one, Project Twilight, but it still seems to fall apart at the end.
Again we are dealing with "The Forge" a sort of inverse Torchwood where alien tech and aliens are captured and are experimented on in order to find weapons for... um, somebody. And again we've got a vampire virus and a mythological siren kind of thing and... well, you get it.
The trick here is that the story is told across two Doctor's timelines.
The Sixth Doctor and Evelyn occupy the first two episodes and while there is some nonsense (The Forge's mind control techniques leave much to be desired.), there is also a gut punch of an emotional ride with The Doctor, Evelyn and Cassie. Without giving too much away, it leads to a The Doctor being left in a position so outside his comfort zone that it seems things may never be right again.
Then the Seventh Doctor half begins and the story seems to have nowhere else to really go. There is an attempt at a twist that you will see a mile away and the solution to the dilemma is way too cheap.
But that first half is awfully good! And I am reminded that, perhaps, the most revolutionary thing Big Finish has done is the pairing of Colin Baker and Maggie Stables.
Again we are dealing with "The Forge" a sort of inverse Torchwood where alien tech and aliens are captured and are experimented on in order to find weapons for... um, somebody. And again we've got a vampire virus and a mythological siren kind of thing and... well, you get it.
The trick here is that the story is told across two Doctor's timelines.
The Sixth Doctor and Evelyn occupy the first two episodes and while there is some nonsense (The Forge's mind control techniques leave much to be desired.), there is also a gut punch of an emotional ride with The Doctor, Evelyn and Cassie. Without giving too much away, it leads to a The Doctor being left in a position so outside his comfort zone that it seems things may never be right again.
Then the Seventh Doctor half begins and the story seems to have nowhere else to really go. There is an attempt at a twist that you will see a mile away and the solution to the dilemma is way too cheap.
But that first half is awfully good! And I am reminded that, perhaps, the most revolutionary thing Big Finish has done is the pairing of Colin Baker and Maggie Stables.
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