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The Eighth Doctor Adventures #2.7
Doctor Who: Sisters of the Flame
The richest man in the galaxy has just bought a backwards planet with no obvious mineral wealth in the outer reaches of the universe. An obscure mystical sect has been revived after centuries of neglect. A new race of aliens are hunting for prey. Why?
As the Doctor and Lucie attempt to discover the answer, it becomes clear that someone is attempting to resurrect the past - and they need a Time Lord to help them achieve it.
As the Doctor and Lucie attempt to discover the answer, it becomes clear that someone is attempting to resurrect the past - and they need a Time Lord to help them achieve it.
Audio CD
First published August 1, 2008
About the author
Nicholas Briggs
379 books134 followersNicholas Briggs is a British actor and writer, predominantly associated with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and its various spin-offs. Some of Briggs' earliest Doctor Who-related work was as host of The Myth Makers, a series of made-for-video documentaries produced in the 1980s and 1990s by Reeltime Pictures in which Briggs interviews many of the actors and writers involved in the series. When Reeltime expanded into producing original dramas, Briggs wrote some stories and acted in others, beginning with War Time, the first unofficial Doctor Who spin-off, and Myth Runner, a parody of Blade Runner showcasing bloopers from the Myth Makers series built around a loose storyline featuring Briggs as a down on his luck private detective in the near future.
He wrote and appeared in several made-for-video dramas by BBV, including the third of the Stranger stories, In Memory Alone opposite former Doctor Who stars Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant. He also wrote and appeared in a non-Stranger BBV production called The Airzone Solution (1993) and directed a documentary film, Stranger than Fiction (1994).
Briggs has directed many of the Big Finish Productions audio plays, and has provided Dalek, Cybermen, and other alien voices in several of those as well. He has also written and directed the Dalek Empire and Cyberman audio plays for Big Finish. In 2006, Briggs took over from Gary Russell as executive producer of the Big Finish Doctor Who audio range.
Briggs co-wrote a Doctor Who book called The Dalek Survival Guide.
Since Doctor Who returned to television in 2005, Briggs has provided the voices for several monsters, most notably the Daleks and the Cybermen. Briggs also voiced the Nestene Consciousness in the 2005 episode "Rose", and recorded a voice for the Jagrafess in the 2005 episode "The Long Game"; however, this was not used in the final episode because it was too similar to the voice of the Nestene Consciousness. He also provided the voices for the Judoon in both the 2007 and 2008 series. On 9 July 2009, Briggs made his first appearance in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood in the serial Children of Earth, playing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Rick Yates.
He wrote and appeared in several made-for-video dramas by BBV, including the third of the Stranger stories, In Memory Alone opposite former Doctor Who stars Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant. He also wrote and appeared in a non-Stranger BBV production called The Airzone Solution (1993) and directed a documentary film, Stranger than Fiction (1994).
Briggs has directed many of the Big Finish Productions audio plays, and has provided Dalek, Cybermen, and other alien voices in several of those as well. He has also written and directed the Dalek Empire and Cyberman audio plays for Big Finish. In 2006, Briggs took over from Gary Russell as executive producer of the Big Finish Doctor Who audio range.
Briggs co-wrote a Doctor Who book called The Dalek Survival Guide.
Since Doctor Who returned to television in 2005, Briggs has provided the voices for several monsters, most notably the Daleks and the Cybermen. Briggs also voiced the Nestene Consciousness in the 2005 episode "Rose", and recorded a voice for the Jagrafess in the 2005 episode "The Long Game"; however, this was not used in the final episode because it was too similar to the voice of the Nestene Consciousness. He also provided the voices for the Judoon in both the 2007 and 2008 series. On 9 July 2009, Briggs made his first appearance in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood in the serial Children of Earth, playing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Rick Yates.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 26, 2025
2024 52 Book Challenge - April Mini Challenge - 3) Never Gonna Desert You
This definitely feels like the first part of a two parter, and as such the pacing is slower than the rest of the series. I have been asking for that the entire series long, but I wish that it hadn't been this book to finally do it because the Doctor is gone for the majority of the book and it focuses on Lucie and what she's doing.
It was nice to see Karn and the Sisterhood of Karn again.
This definitely feels like the first part of a two parter, and as such the pacing is slower than the rest of the series. I have been asking for that the entire series long, but I wish that it hadn't been this book to finally do it because the Doctor is gone for the majority of the book and it focuses on Lucie and what she's doing.
It was nice to see Karn and the Sisterhood of Karn again.
October 21, 2021
I forgot how much I loved Straxus the smug timelord and Rosto <3
October 22, 2020
I'm going to combine this review with the sequel.
Let’s start with the basics. We have yet another return of a Classic Who enemy (obviously Morbius) and we even get the 8th Doctor’s first meeting with the Sisterhood of Karn- which is great backstory to connect to the Night of the Doctor. Lucie takes a leading role in the first half of this adventures having a hilarious buddy cop story while the second half brings in the Time Lords and a threat big enough to let the 8th Doctor really show what he’s made of. Even with just that, the epic proportions and possibilities are obvious.
The real problem is unfortunately a pretty important one. The premise at the beginning is a bit ridiculous. The sisterhood is killing Time Lords to stop the revival of Morbius into a Time Lord body. (Literally attempting a genocide to stop something from happening rather than just trying to stop the person who is trying to bring Morbius back.) It’s not a very logical response. It gets even weaker when later Morbius is brought back and the sisterhood (without really doing anything differently) figure it’s ok because they are safe. WTF?! Why were they concerned to begin with then?
Next, while the 8th Doctor is really showing his mettle as the self sacrificing hero, Lucie is pretty racist in the beginning of her buddy cop movie. She later regrets her behavior and they become proper partners, following the typical buddy cop trope, but I was a little surprised to hear her being so racist towards him. I understand that she was scared and upset, but it continued for a while. At this point Lucie has been around the universe a while, you would think she would be less intolerant. That being said, I loved listening to them. They had a great dynamic and their story was cut far too short to have a real emotional payout.
Lucie redeemed herself in other ways as well. She got to show just how much she has learned from the Doctor by taking on a detective role. She also showed just how much she cares about him with some really touching moments.
The cliffhanger at the end was intense enough already, not sure the post-credits extra cliffhanger was necessary, but I suppose it gave fans at the time of release some hope that Lucie would be coming back next season.
Overall, with some editing this could have been seriously epic.
Let’s start with the basics. We have yet another return of a Classic Who enemy (obviously Morbius) and we even get the 8th Doctor’s first meeting with the Sisterhood of Karn- which is great backstory to connect to the Night of the Doctor. Lucie takes a leading role in the first half of this adventures having a hilarious buddy cop story while the second half brings in the Time Lords and a threat big enough to let the 8th Doctor really show what he’s made of. Even with just that, the epic proportions and possibilities are obvious.
The real problem is unfortunately a pretty important one. The premise at the beginning is a bit ridiculous. The sisterhood is killing Time Lords to stop the revival of Morbius into a Time Lord body. (Literally attempting a genocide to stop something from happening rather than just trying to stop the person who is trying to bring Morbius back.) It’s not a very logical response. It gets even weaker when later Morbius is brought back and the sisterhood (without really doing anything differently) figure it’s ok because they are safe. WTF?! Why were they concerned to begin with then?
Next, while the 8th Doctor is really showing his mettle as the self sacrificing hero, Lucie is pretty racist in the beginning of her buddy cop movie. She later regrets her behavior and they become proper partners, following the typical buddy cop trope, but I was a little surprised to hear her being so racist towards him. I understand that she was scared and upset, but it continued for a while. At this point Lucie has been around the universe a while, you would think she would be less intolerant. That being said, I loved listening to them. They had a great dynamic and their story was cut far too short to have a real emotional payout.
Lucie redeemed herself in other ways as well. She got to show just how much she has learned from the Doctor by taking on a detective role. She also showed just how much she cares about him with some really touching moments.
The cliffhanger at the end was intense enough already, not sure the post-credits extra cliffhanger was necessary, but I suppose it gave fans at the time of release some hope that Lucie would be coming back next season.
Overall, with some editing this could have been seriously epic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2021
All my favourite Dr. Who audio stories feature insects. And Sisters of the Flame is no exception having Star Trek DS9's Alexander Siddig voicing a 10foot tall centipede police detective.
So this is the first of a two part season finale expanding upon the 1975 4th Doctor story 'The Brain of Morbius' - What's really exciting is that this isn't a rehash at all, and right up until the end doesn't really have much connection to its source material - There are subtle nods for die had fans - the planet Karn, The Sisterhood, Timelords being devious behind the scenes, and it brings in the Cult of Morbius right at the end. However for the most part this is something wholly original - which is exactly what you want for new Who adventures.
The Doctor gets kidnapped by the Sisterhood, but despite this audio's title that really is little more than background (which is fine because we see the Doctor at the mercy of the Sisterhood in Brain of Morbius) - Instead, the focus of this is Lucie who has to work together with Rosto the alien centipede policeman to work out what's happened to the Doctor and what the heck is going on.
This is an amazing vehicle for Sheridan Smith and really showcases her talent - that she's able to carry almost an entire story on her own without the Doctor. The relationship between her and Rosco is wonderful, and I love how she over comes her prejudice of the way he looks to see he is in fact one of the good guys.
Great writing,
Great performances
Loved this one and can't wait for Vengeance of Morbius.
So this is the first of a two part season finale expanding upon the 1975 4th Doctor story 'The Brain of Morbius' - What's really exciting is that this isn't a rehash at all, and right up until the end doesn't really have much connection to its source material - There are subtle nods for die had fans - the planet Karn, The Sisterhood, Timelords being devious behind the scenes, and it brings in the Cult of Morbius right at the end. However for the most part this is something wholly original - which is exactly what you want for new Who adventures.
The Doctor gets kidnapped by the Sisterhood, but despite this audio's title that really is little more than background (which is fine because we see the Doctor at the mercy of the Sisterhood in Brain of Morbius) - Instead, the focus of this is Lucie who has to work together with Rosto the alien centipede policeman to work out what's happened to the Doctor and what the heck is going on.
This is an amazing vehicle for Sheridan Smith and really showcases her talent - that she's able to carry almost an entire story on her own without the Doctor. The relationship between her and Rosco is wonderful, and I love how she over comes her prejudice of the way he looks to see he is in fact one of the good guys.
Great writing,
Great performances
Loved this one and can't wait for Vengeance of Morbius.
October 25, 2021
In contrapposizione ad una stagione che, a parte un paio di eccezioni, è stata piuttosto frivola, questo doppio episodio finale ha tutt'altro peso, andando ad alzare la posta in gioco con una minaccia a livello universale che va a coinvolgere perfino Gallifrey stessa.
Questo range, nato per avere lo stesso format della nuova serie tv, sembra infatti volersi distinguere da quest'ultima coinvolgendo il più possibile i Signori del Tempo e riferendosi alla loro mitologia, in questo caso riportando in auge Morbius e la sorellanza di Karn.
Il primo episodio, che potremmo definire Doctor-lite per la scarsa presenza del Dottore, è quasi tutto sulle spalle di Lucie. Con il Dottore rapito, deve scoprire da sola cosa sta succedendo e di chi si può fidare. Molte sono infatti le parti in gioco, tra cui anche Straxus e la sorellanza stessa, in combutta l'una contro l'altra, ma senza creare confusione. Anche se il villain ultimo è annunciato nel secondo titolo, “Sisters of the Flame” fa un ottimo lavoro nel costruire il mistero, prendendosi il giusto tempo per esporre tutte le pedine in gioco in preparazione per la seconda parte. Nel compito di districare la matassa, Lucie è aiutata da un investigatore insettoide, la cui voce non alterata rende facile empatizzare con lui, anche se rende poco la sua natura aliena. Mi è piaciuto il rapporto instaurato tra i due, tuttavia, anche se sarà funzionale alla seconda parte, non sarà poi sviluppato ulteriormente.
Questo range, nato per avere lo stesso format della nuova serie tv, sembra infatti volersi distinguere da quest'ultima coinvolgendo il più possibile i Signori del Tempo e riferendosi alla loro mitologia, in questo caso riportando in auge Morbius e la sorellanza di Karn.
Il primo episodio, che potremmo definire Doctor-lite per la scarsa presenza del Dottore, è quasi tutto sulle spalle di Lucie. Con il Dottore rapito, deve scoprire da sola cosa sta succedendo e di chi si può fidare. Molte sono infatti le parti in gioco, tra cui anche Straxus e la sorellanza stessa, in combutta l'una contro l'altra, ma senza creare confusione. Anche se il villain ultimo è annunciato nel secondo titolo, “Sisters of the Flame” fa un ottimo lavoro nel costruire il mistero, prendendosi il giusto tempo per esporre tutte le pedine in gioco in preparazione per la seconda parte. Nel compito di districare la matassa, Lucie è aiutata da un investigatore insettoide, la cui voce non alterata rende facile empatizzare con lui, anche se rende poco la sua natura aliena. Mi è piaciuto il rapporto instaurato tra i due, tuttavia, anche se sarà funzionale alla seconda parte, non sarà poi sviluppato ulteriormente.
January 24, 2022
"Sisters of the Flame" is definitely a part one. It is designed to place all the pieces for the next episode. Basically, another mad genius, this time an economic one rather than a medical one, has set about to try to recreate the Time Lord dictator Morbius. The Time Lords are terrified, the Sisterhood of Karn are terrified, and all want The Doctor out of existence. I am not sure why everyone is so terrified about this, since, as far as I can gather, there is nothing especially frightening about Morbius, the has-been dictator with no particular super powers. The Doctor even articulates this point. If the Time Lords know who is trying to resurrect Morbius, why do they not just stop him? Most of this story concentrates on Lucie, who is very like Ace in her Northern way - all emotion, yelling at any problem that comes her way. She is, though, absolutely dedicated to The Doctor. There is no real resolution at the end, just the preparation for the arrival of Morbius.
May 28, 2023
This one had a little bit too much Lucy for my liking. She carried the story fine after she and the Doctor were separated, but there was an awful lot of whining and she threw herself a pity party. I loved the inclusion of Alexander Siddig (Bashir of ST:DS9 fame) as the centipede; he was my favorite character of the entire story. I also enjoyed the re-introduction to the Sisterhood of Karn as a lead-in to Night of the Doctor. That being said, certain parts were a little unclear, like why the sisterhood wanted to destroy the Doctor, and why Zerodnix needs an army of cyborg centipedes. All in all, well done production, as always, and enjoyable, and a good introduction to the second part of the story, Vengeance of Morbius.
June 16, 2019
This story (and its follow-up, The Vengeance of Morbius) really didn't do that much for me. There were people, and drama happened, and seeing (hearing, technically, but you know what I mean) the Sisterhood of Karn again was nice, but it felt like stuff for the sake of stuff without any underlying point, which is what makes a story really good.
Also gotta give props to the centipede cop guy, he was neat and probably my favorite part of the serial.
Also gotta give props to the centipede cop guy, he was neat and probably my favorite part of the serial.
July 26, 2024
Definitely, part one of a two-part story, this serves more as a setup for its conclusion than a stand-alone story. Don't start it unless you have access to part two: Doctor Who: The Vengeance of Morbius. I am giving it three stars because it was well-performed but it really is more of a fragment than a story.
May 12, 2021
Luistertijd: 1h 4min
Narrotors: Paul McGann, Sheridan Smith
Love Doctor Who dus deze serie is altijd fijn om naar te luisteren.
Daarnaast blijven de cliffhangers gewoon je vasthouden bij de serie.
Ook zijn dit boeken die makkelijk zijn voor tijdens het werken.
Je hebt plezier en geniet terwijl je toch deels in de realiteit blijft.
Narrotors: Paul McGann, Sheridan Smith
Love Doctor Who dus deze serie is altijd fijn om naar te luisteren.
Daarnaast blijven de cliffhangers gewoon je vasthouden bij de serie.
Ook zijn dit boeken die makkelijk zijn voor tijdens het werken.
Je hebt plezier en geniet terwijl je toch deels in de realiteit blijft.
December 17, 2022
The first half of the 2 part finale. A fun start where the stakes are raised. With the return of the Sisterhood of Karn and a story set around Lucie Miller trying to find the Doctor after being separated at the start. She becomes friends with a giant centipede policeman called Rosto. This is just really fun.
October 4, 2017
I love the Sisterhood of Karn. Shit starts going down with the Time Lords, and they turn up with popcorn and heckling, while also starting shit of their own. And I didn't expect a cliffhanger ending, so I'm really glad I have the sequel, The Vengence of Morbius.
June 26, 2022
ターディスのエネルギーが突然消滅し、ドクターはターディスが死んだと動揺するがすぐにターディスは復活。ルーシーがターディス酔いしたためヴォルテックスから出て着陸するが突然襲われドクターは連れ去られルーシーは逮捕される。
タイムロードの存亡に関わるとタイムロードとコーディネーターがドクターに連絡をしようとしたらターディスのエネルギーが切れるという。そういえばルーシーはもともと突然ドクターの元にタイムロードが預けたんだったなぁと。
最終的にドクターとルーシーは合流できたけれど処刑されてしまうっぽいので大丈夫なのかな？
タイムロードの存亡に関わるとタイムロードとコーディネーターがドクターに連絡をしようとしたらターディスのエネルギーが切れるという。そういえばルーシーはもともと突然ドクターの元にタイムロードが預けたんだったなぁと。
最終的にドクターとルーシーは合流できたけれど処刑されてしまうっぽいので大丈夫なのかな？
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2024
A decent first half of the finale. I loved the 10ft centipede police guy, he's a fun character. Not a fan of the Sisterhood of Karn, so that's a negative in my book, but overall, I think it was a decent story. I have not seen the episode that this is a sequel of, so I'm a bit confused.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2025
I ended up really liking this one. Lucie was solo for a large portion of this one and I liked her interactions with Rosto who was voiced by Alexander Siddig. It ends on a cliffhanger, but I didn't mind and can't wait to get my hands on the next one.
July 6, 2020
This is a prelude to Vengeance of Morbius, and it doesn’t feel as big of a story as it should.
September 30, 2020
Great sequel to Brian of Morbius.
Read
March 7, 2023i still don't vibe with lucie at all.
May 1, 2024
I didn't realise this was a part one going into it, so I was annoyed when the cliffhanger kicked in. It wasn't particularly great anyway... except for Rosto, who I love very much.
August 21, 2024
This is the best one yet!
December 10, 2024
Alexander Siddig is the highlight of another strong 8th Doctor outing.
December 15, 2025
A brilliant story where the Doctor is not even there. I feel this is another underrated 8th Doctor story.
February 25, 2026
Freaking Karn!
June 30, 2017
This is the first part of a two-part story. As in previous instances, I am reviewing both parts together here.
This is the 2-part conclusion to the second season of 8th Doctor plays, and, as the titles suggest, a sequel to the 4th Doctor story The Brain of Morbius. You don't absolutely need to have watched that story to understand this one, since the broad outline is re-iterated here... but it probably does help.
The first season of this particular series of 8th Doc adventures borrowed the format of the early Nu Who seasons in having linking events that came to the fore in the finale. That's not been the case in the second season, leaving this story stand-alone in a way that its first season counterpart wasn't.
The first half is relatively Doctor-lite, mostly focussing on Lucie's experiences separated from the Doctor, and trying to find out what has happened to him. Interestingly, Alexander Siddig (of Deep Space 9, and more recently, Game of Thrones) plays a 10-foot long centipede here, but he has sadly rather less to do in the second part.
Things pick up for the Doctor once the action moves to Karn, and the story doesn't really flag, although (as is often the case with 2-parters) the second half never quite matches up to the quality of the first. All in all, it is a good and exciting story, and the end is really quite gripping, leading into a massive cliffhanger for the launch of the third season.
And yet, it's more of a competent action piece than an outstanding one. Well written, well executed, but lacking that special something that might earn it five stars.
This is the 2-part conclusion to the second season of 8th Doctor plays, and, as the titles suggest, a sequel to the 4th Doctor story The Brain of Morbius. You don't absolutely need to have watched that story to understand this one, since the broad outline is re-iterated here... but it probably does help.
The first season of this particular series of 8th Doc adventures borrowed the format of the early Nu Who seasons in having linking events that came to the fore in the finale. That's not been the case in the second season, leaving this story stand-alone in a way that its first season counterpart wasn't.
The first half is relatively Doctor-lite, mostly focussing on Lucie's experiences separated from the Doctor, and trying to find out what has happened to him. Interestingly, Alexander Siddig (of Deep Space 9, and more recently, Game of Thrones) plays a 10-foot long centipede here, but he has sadly rather less to do in the second part.
Things pick up for the Doctor once the action moves to Karn, and the story doesn't really flag, although (as is often the case with 2-parters) the second half never quite matches up to the quality of the first. All in all, it is a good and exciting story, and the end is really quite gripping, leading into a massive cliffhanger for the launch of the third season.
And yet, it's more of a competent action piece than an outstanding one. Well written, well executed, but lacking that special something that might earn it five stars.
Read
April 8, 2009The basics are good, taking up the story of Morbius and the Sisters of Karn, and following on from the Gallifrey depicted in the previous Eight/Lucie season, with a strong showing by Nickolas Grace as the guest baddie. But there wasn't really enough story for a two-parter; and I thought it was a bit feeble not to allow Lucie some closure on her relationship with the Doctor. The ending is a pretty massive cliffhanger.
August 23, 2017
Just as good the 2nd time around, this forms the first part of 2. Difficult to review them separately, other than to say Nick Briggs has managed to pick up these little threads from so many other Doctor Who tales over the years and weave them together into a stunning story. Paul McGann and Sheridan Smith crush it (as usual)... and then you get to that cliffhanger...
For our full thoughts, check out our podcast http://travelingthevortex.com/?p=8194
For our full thoughts, check out our podcast http://travelingthevortex.com/?p=8194
October 30, 2020
6/10
Verdict: Recommended
This story has implications for future stories, including the next one. I enjoyed this, but it is all in service of building up the next story. The police officer was a pretty cool character, and their dynamic with Lucie was pretty great. Unfortunately Lucie was a little irritating here, what with the racism and crying. The doctor's side of the story was also pretty slow.
Verdict: Recommended
This story has implications for future stories, including the next one. I enjoyed this, but it is all in service of building up the next story. The police officer was a pretty cool character, and their dynamic with Lucie was pretty great. Unfortunately Lucie was a little irritating here, what with the racism and crying. The doctor's side of the story was also pretty slow.
June 5, 2013
It was nice to have an adventure that focused on Lucie rather than the Doctor. I found that I'd been totally sucked in as I thought the adventure was just begining when I noticed there were only 15 minutes left. The secret organisations did get a bit confusing as I don't think I was paying enough attention. But it was nice to see a two parter and I'm always a fan of Nick Briggs' writing.
October 9, 2014
The TARDIS is having issues again and our heroes find themselves on a strange planet... It starts off well, with well timed quips and just enough mystery to keep me interested. I liked the change of pace from the previous stories, and it's nice to see a multi-part story. It allows for a less rushed feeling.
June 11, 2015
The Doctor (Eight) encounters the Sisterhood of the Flame and Karn again, prior to the 50th anniversary short that brought back Paul McGann for a few minutes. This era of one hour stories is frustrating as I'd prefer they were longer, especially in the case of a major cliffhanger like this. Did I mention 10 foot centipedes?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews