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Big Finish: Monthly Range #55

Doctor Who: The Twilight Kingdom

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The blood of innocents has been spilt ­ a terrible sequence of events has been set in motion. The forces of darkness are on the move.

Deep underground, an army of light prepares itself for the oncoming war.

The Doctor's used to winning. Stumbling in, reading the face of the enemy, and then beating the odds but what if this time he's got it wrong? Charley and C'rizz think he has.

Stripped of all that is familiar, just who is the Doctor? Major Koth thinks he knows.

Lost among the dark caverns of an unknown world, has the Doctor finally met his match?

2 pages, Audio CD

First published March 1, 2004

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108 people want to read

About the author

Will Shindler

12 books123 followers
Will Shindler has been a Broadcast Journalist for the BBC for over twenty-five years, spending a decade working in television drama as a scriptwriter on Born and Bred, The Bill and Doctors.

You can currently find him every weekday on the radio reading the news headlines, whilst writing crime novels in the afternoon. Will has previously worked as a television presenter for HTV, a sports reporter for BBC Radio Five Live, and one of the stadium presenters at the London Olympics.

His debut novel, The Burning Men, will be published by Hodder.

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5 stars
26 (7%)
4 stars
71 (19%)
3 stars
180 (49%)
2 stars
73 (20%)
1 star
13 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for Lindsay.
1,406 reviews264 followers
September 9, 2016
This is an eighth Doctor story with Charley Pollard and C'Rizz as the companions, and is #55 in the Big Finish main range.

The Doctor and his companions move into the next zone in the Divergent universe to discover a cave complex which houses a group of rebellion fighters against a local political group. The rebellion is led by a Major Koth who is extremely mysterious and seems to have some mind-controlling abilities.

This is much more a traditional Doctor Who story than any of the last few eighth Doctor audios in this series. Still very dark though with some body horror that wouldn't have made it into the television series, but then again, I could say that of most of the Divergent universe stories. I'm being deliberately vague about the story, because it's actually quite a cool idea and I don't want to spoil it.
Profile Image for Emilija.
1,902 reviews31 followers
March 9, 2025
2023 52 Book Challenge - April Mini Challenge - 2) Title Includes The Letters "E", "G" and "G"

I'm really not enjoying this Divergent Universe plot at all. I find the stories alternatingly boring and confusing, and I can't wait for them to be finished.
Profile Image for Frank Davis.
1,100 reviews50 followers
April 7, 2024
A cut above the rest, this probably doesn't deserve 5 full stars but it can have them anyway to distinguish it from its neighbours. Too tired to write anything of substance right now but suffice to say I like-liked it.
Profile Image for Jaya.
486 reviews245 followers
August 7, 2016
3.65 stars
Started off well enough but dragged a bit in the middle. Listening to Paul Mcgann is always a treat. C'rizz continues to be interesting and Charley a bit whiny.
Profile Image for Josh.
112 reviews2 followers
November 20, 2021
Wasn't really a fan of this one until the end.
Profile Image for Kelly McCubbin.
310 reviews16 followers
November 21, 2017
Just terrible. This is just a mish-mash of mediocre elements crammed together with a "twist" that you will see from a thousand miles away. Hardly an original idea in the thing.
Even poor Michael Keating seems handcuffed by being cast as such an aimless cipher.
And what the hell are they doing to poor Charlie?! Where's our smart, sharp-tongued, energetic Edwardian Adventuress?! She's been turned into a love-sick sloth that would seem to be designed to give The Doctor someone to character-build off of... If they were doing any character building with him.
I don't know much about the production of this, but it seems not to have been really a "Divergent Universe" story at all and has been manhandled into fitting into the run.
So absolutely forgettable.
Up to this point I'd say that Scherzo and A Natural History of Fear are truly remarkable and completely unique Doctor Who stories that seem to justify the "DU" plot, but oh boy are the other two terrible.
I am glad that Big Finish gives it a rest for a bit right after this.
Profile Image for K.
645 reviews3 followers
January 23, 2021
Part1

ライトシティを後にしてターディスを探してジャングルをさまよっていたドクターとチャーリーとケリーズ。滝の側で休憩することにするが、チャーリーが水浴びをしている間にドクターとケリーズは乗り物の残骸と遺体を見つける。調べていると突然現れた男女1組の軍人に捕らえられる。軍人はタイサスとブリンといい、2人はテロリストのアジトを捜索していた隊員が消息を絶ったので探しにきたのだ。ドクターはタイサスと共に行方不明の隊員の捜索のために滝の後ろの洞窟の中へ。ケリーズはタイサスの部下のブリンと共に応援を待つことになった。その頃チャーリーは2人が捕まるのを見て、身を隠していたが、毒植物に刺されたところをクゥイリアンという男に助けられる。手当のためつれていかれたのは革命のために訓練をおこなっているアジトで、そこでジャントという科学者と出会い、チャーリーはすっかり打ち解ける。タイラスと共に洞窟に入ったドクターは不意に強い精神感応を受け驚く。相手はコス大佐で相手も驚いているようだった。コス大佐こそがタイラスの送った調査隊が探している人物で、かつては軍の人間だったが、任務の最中に母星がテロリストのはなったウィルスで滅び、そのため妻と娘を失ったことで何もできなかった政府を恨み、テロリスト側に寝返った裏切りものだという。もう1人の行方不明者の遺体を洞窟の中で見つけるが、そこでクゥイリアンが率いるテロ組織に捕まり、アジトへ連行される。ちょうどコス大佐が演説を行なっているところで、新しく加わった仲間を紹介するといって、登場したのがケリーズとブリンで、コス大佐の命令でブリンはタイサスを射殺。さらにドクターに銃を向ける。

Part2

ジャントがドクターのことを科学者のドレンとコスに説明し、ベイラも口添えしたおかげで、ドクターは処刑をまぬがれる。身元の確認がとれるまでドクターとチャーリーは牢屋に閉じ込められる。ブリンとケリーズは組織にリクルートされオリエンテーションを受け、その過程でブリンは記憶を失っていた。ケリーズはジャントに洞窟内を案内されるが、ベイラはケリーズを徹底的に調べたがった。しかし、ケリーズは自分には何も隠すことはないし、敵対する気持ちはないとベイラに直談判。ベイラも一応矛先をおさめる。ドクターは牢屋から脱出する算段をたてはじめるが、チャーリーが反対。むしろジャントたちに協力すべきだと口論となる。扉を開けることに成功したので、ドクターとチャーリーは外に出る。それを知ったベイラはクゥィリアンに2人の確保を命じる。ドクターとチャーリーは湖をみつけ、そこから脱出を試みる。しかし、クウィリアンとブリンに見つけられる。ところが湖の水が酸となり、ブリンが死んでしまう。ドクターの仕業と思ったクウィリアンがチャーリーを湖に突き落とす。

Part3

チャーリーが湖に落ちた時、なぜか酸ではなくただの水に戻っていて事なきを得る。ブリンが殉職したことをベイラはコスに報告に行く。ドクターとチャーリーはジャントの元に連行され、そこでケリーズと再会する。そこへコスとベイラが事情聴取にくる。ジャントがチャーリーのことは信用できるというと、コスはドクターとチャーリーをあっさりと自由にする。しかし、ベイラはかえってドクターに対する不審を深める。ドクターが現状の奇妙さを指摘すると、チャーリーがドクターが身分を詐称していると暴露。ベイラはドクターを逮捕する。ケリーズがチャーリーのドクターに対する振る舞いにショックを受けたというと、チャーリー自身なぜドクターに対してこんなにもイライラするのかわからないと沈みこむ。ベイラはドクターを取調室につれていくが、ドクターに敵対心があるとは思っていないと認める。ドクターはベイラに食事を勧められるが、ジャントが洞窟で発見した食用キノコときき、興味をもつ。その頃、ジャントはチャーリーにまだここから離れられるうちに離れた方がいいと警告する。ドクターはベイラの許可を得て、ジャントの研究室で調べものをしようとするが、そこにコスが現れ、ドクターに“時間の概念”を訪ねてくる。ドクターはここにいる誰にも時間の概念がないことを指摘する。そのころクウィリアンと話ていたベイラが突然意識を失う。ドクターはジェントにこの洞窟内にいる人間全員なんらかの形で心理攻撃を受けている疑惑を打ち明け、協力して調べる。

Part4

洞窟全体がクリーチャーの体内だったことが判明。人間は食事として集められていた。マインドコントロールで人々は自分の意志でここにとどまっている思い込まされている。クリーチャーはいまやこの宇宙の外からきたドクターの心に興味深々だ。ドクターがクリーチャーと対峙している間、ジャントはチャーリーとケリーズを洞窟の外に連れ出そうとする。コスの死によって暴走しだしたクリーチャーは洞窟の中の人間を次々に酸で溶かしていく。洞窟外に向かう途中でジャントが酸で溶かされかけるが、ドクターがクリーチャーを操り3人を自分の元に誘導する。



感想

別の宇宙からこの世界に来ているのがどうやらドクターたちだけでないことが判明。少なくとも前回と今回の冒険が"The Creed of the Kromon"で登場したクロカに導かれたもので、クロカの導きで次の冒険に向かう3人。ターディスも隠されているだけで、この世界のどこかにあるらしい。クロカにここに来た真の目的を問われ、ドクターが答えたのはラシロンを探すこと。どうやら、チャーリーを助けたことからはじまった不思議なタイムラインとドクターの関わりの物語はまだまだ続いているようだ。

クロカをはじめとするこの不気味な別宇宙とラシロンがどうドクターと関わってくるのか。話がどんどん壮大で既に迷子になりかかっているが、頑張って攻略していきたい。ただ、気になるのは、このシリーズ、TV放送の再開で打ち切られたらしく、打ち切りとはいえ、それなりに話に区切りをつけるところまで行けたのか、それとも投げっぱなしかというところ。まぁ...8thは大好きなのでどの道聴く気まんまんだけど。

This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for MrColdStream.
271 reviews1 follower
May 23, 2024
😑34% = Bad! = Leave it!

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

THERE'S A CAVE IN THE JUNGLE!

The Twilight Kingdom is structured closer to a typical Doctor Who adventure, as Eight, Charley, and C’rizz find themselves in a jungle and jumble upon a body, only to be caught by soldiers, with whom they then explore a nearby, mysterious cave. This is a straightforward story that keeps its cards close to the chest for quite a while, and it doesn’t lean very hard into tension or excitement.

While The Natural History of Fear suffered from being very confusing, it had interesting ideas and occasionally tense bits. The Twilight Kingdom is almost so stripped-down that I struggle to maintain interest.

The Doctor, Charley, and C’rizz are pretty boring in this one, and the companions especially don’t manage to stand out. On paper, I like the military characters, but I struggle to distinguish between them.

There are strange alien voices that add nothing to the whole, plenty of sequences in caves with rat-like creatures that don’t come alive, and an eventual reveal in the last episode that lacks the punch it needs to lift this adventure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Reggie A.
59 reviews
June 19, 2023
Yeah I absolutely loved this one. The cave guy liked the cave story; who’s surprised?

Genuinely though there’s a lot of good things going on here: a compelling mystery, a solid cast of secondary characters, a weird cave, and a resistance movement. I really vibed with this.

Excluding Scherzo, the Divergent Universe had been pretty disappointing to me so far. So when I saw that this episode that was outright panned by the reddit nerds, I wasn’t excited.

Luckily for me, this thing quickly set the record straight. This story is intriguing, well acted, and has the strongest secondary characters I’ve seen since we entered this universe. It’s a lot of fun, and also manages to have some genuinely thoughtful things to say on the nature of grief.

This story is stronger than its reputation. This is the first story in the Divergent Universe that feels like a typical episode of Doctor Who, and I mean that in the best way possible. The middle may drag, but generally I think people may find this to be a nice brain reset coming off of Scherzo and the Natural History of Fear.
Profile Image for Kyle Berk.
643 reviews12 followers
April 27, 2021
Much more like a standard Who story, the last one was something I loved for how unique it is in Who how different and bold it is.

This one was just as much a joy to listen to but is something more expected of Who. And that isn’t necessarily a problem but I’m listening to these blind so after something so riveting a return to something a bit more normal has me enjoying it that little bit less.

Still outstandingly engineered and performed though which makes it such a joy to begin with.

4 stars.
Profile Image for Kathryn Houghton.
152 reviews3 followers
March 16, 2020
I somehow missed the fact that Michael Keating was in this. But anyways, this one was rather boring in the middle. The beginning and ending was great despite this. The Doctor gives a poetic speech, the writers purposefully point out that Charley and him are avoiding their Feelings, and just some really good dialogue. Still impressed despite the slow middle!
Profile Image for Steven Shinder.
Author 5 books20 followers
June 1, 2020
Halfway through the Divergent Universe arc, and it feels like there hasn't been enough good stuff yet. The namedrop at the end does leave me curious, but I'll have to see how it's handled.
Profile Image for Shawn Deal.
Author 19 books19 followers
October 6, 2021
This one was just okay for me. I got confused a couple of times by what was actually taking place and had a hard time visualizing what was going on.
Profile Image for April Mccaffrey.
570 reviews48 followers
May 22, 2022
An interesting, alien concept about an alien who was merged in the cave with a human and dealing with emotions such as grief and compassion.

Could have been shorter story, imo.
Profile Image for Alyce Caswell.
Author 18 books20 followers
August 9, 2023
I feared this would turn out as meh as the previous entries, but the ending brought the goods (and the horror).
Profile Image for Michael Botterill.
138 reviews4 followers
April 27, 2024
Its ok, very traditionally Who compared to the past few stories

I kinda forgot about it, but hey this is actually a decent story, but it does feel somewhat predictable in the last 20% or so
755 reviews2 followers
June 13, 2024
I swear I rated this one higher just because it was different
Profile Image for Zach.
365 reviews
December 9, 2025
Eh it's fine. Plot wise this is important for the grand narrative but alone it's whatever. Not very memorable
Profile Image for Devin Harvey.
42 reviews6 followers
August 26, 2013
Not the best of the season, but still an entertaining audio. The main thing I enjoyed about this serial was the setting and the villain, which were both fantastic, but it just was a bit boring at times and lost my attention. Still would recommend for a devoted Doctor Who/Big Finish fan, to at least listen once.
Profile Image for Xander Toner.
209 reviews2 followers
November 13, 2021
I just didn't really care. After the dystopian soundscape of The Natural History of Fear and the blank void of Scherzo, a cave isn't particularly exciting to listen to. There was some nice bits in Part 4 revolving around a monster trying to get into the Doctor's head and break him, but it was fleeting at best.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Anne Barwell.
Author 23 books108 followers
February 28, 2011
I'm really enjoying the 8th Doctor BF audios and C'rizz as a companion. He and Charlie play off each other well and with the Doctor. The Twilight Kingdom is a good addition to the range, with plenty of thought and a good mix of adventure and drama.
Profile Image for Jack.
194 reviews3 followers
September 23, 2020
7/10
Verdict: Optional

I like this story, though I hated it on my first listen. I found myself really enjoying the on going mystery and actually quite liked the conclusion. This story possibly needs multiple listens, but I feel I might have been a doofus the first time round.
Profile Image for Nicholas Whyte.
5,343 reviews209 followers
Read
April 8, 2009
brings back Michael Keating - Hooray! And rather a good tale of involved conspiracies, combat and revolutionary ideology.
Profile Image for Sara Habein.
Author 1 book71 followers
May 9, 2016
I wonder at what point in the Eighth Doctor audios will his tendency towards memory loss/mind manipulation be less of a recurring thing? All the same, enjoyed this well enough.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews

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