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scampr's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I will admit, this is one of those books that takes a little bit to get going, and the story did drag/fail to grab me somewhat up until chapter six, when things finally get fun.
It's pointed out on the blurb of Instruments of Darkness that Big Finish companion Evelyn Smythe appears in this adventure with the 6th Doctor and Mel, so naturally as someone who massively enjoyed her tenure on audio, I was excited to see how she fares in the novel format.
There is some important context however; when this novel was published, there were only five Big Finish audio dramas featuring Evelyn, from The Marian Conspiracy up to Project: Twilight - and as such, some of the developments and events Evelyn would go through over the course of her arc aren't mentioned or are contradicted within this novel.
This might be an issue for continuity hounds, but I was much more concerned with the actual portrayal of the character - which you'll be pleased to know is spot on. The fact Dr Smythe is so well realised with such a limited backlog of appearances is a testament to the characterisation those early stories established and the distinguished performance Maggie Stables provided. It also helps that the author, Gary Russel, was producer on a majority of the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn's audio adventures.
As soon as she enters the fray, we are treated to some brilliant interactions between the Doctor, Mel and Evelyn, who make for a wonderful group with all the banter and tensions and quirks between the trio. Matching the quality of the Evelyn in characterisation, the often underrated Melanie gets some excellent development that really elevates her beyond what Langford had to work with on screen. The Doctor is excellently characterised as well I should add, he just barely gets outshone because of the emotional focus his companions receive.
It should be clear that this is a very character driven story, and once it kicked into gear the plot continued to engage me the further it progressed. Secret intelligence agencies and ESP powered individuals was not the direction I was expecting, especially for this tardis team to encounter, but it proved rather interesting. There is of course also the alien element to this story, which provided a layer of mystery to the scenario and culminated in an interesting explanation.
There are a lot of plot threads and different motives at play, and while a couple feel redundant, things do come together pretty satisfyingly in the end, even if the climax itself may be a little rushed.
I liked the variety this story offered in terms of locations, which was supported nicely by the imagery and atmosphere of the prose. The collection of antagonists were enjoyable, and the side characters were very solid too! Speaking of, there is another bit of context behind Instruments of Darkness, which is that it follows on from two of the authors other books, Scales of Injustice and Business Unusual. This novel isn't a sequel in the traditional sense, but there are a couple of characters and references that build upon those previous stories, such as Mel's friend and skilled telepath, Trey, or the Auton Twins. I had no idea about this going in, but thankfully you can follow the story pretty successfully even if you haven't read one/both of the others.
While not perfect, Instruments of Darkness is a serviceable story made more fun by the love it has for the main three characters. If you share that love of Sixsie, Mel and Evelyn, then like me you will probably enjoy how much this book dedicates to exploring them and the relationships they have with one another!
(I won't give anything away but this book has twist reveal near the end that is both utterly crazy and kind of hilarious. It's somewhat niche, but to those who understood it, how bonkers was that, eh?)
It's pointed out on the blurb of Instruments of Darkness that Big Finish companion Evelyn Smythe appears in this adventure with the 6th Doctor and Mel, so naturally as someone who massively enjoyed her tenure on audio, I was excited to see how she fares in the novel format.
There is some important context however; when this novel was published, there were only five Big Finish audio dramas featuring Evelyn, from The Marian Conspiracy up to Project: Twilight - and as such, some of the developments and events Evelyn would go through over the course of her arc aren't mentioned or are contradicted within this novel.
This might be an issue for continuity hounds, but I was much more concerned with the actual portrayal of the character - which you'll be pleased to know is spot on. The fact Dr Smythe is so well realised with such a limited backlog of appearances is a testament to the characterisation those early stories established and the distinguished performance Maggie Stables provided. It also helps that the author, Gary Russel, was producer on a majority of the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn's audio adventures.
As soon as she enters the fray, we are treated to some brilliant interactions between the Doctor, Mel and Evelyn, who make for a wonderful group with all the banter and tensions and quirks between the trio. Matching the quality of the Evelyn in characterisation, the often underrated Melanie gets some excellent development that really elevates her beyond what Langford had to work with on screen. The Doctor is excellently characterised as well I should add, he just barely gets outshone because of the emotional focus his companions receive.
It should be clear that this is a very character driven story, and once it kicked into gear the plot continued to engage me the further it progressed. Secret intelligence agencies and ESP powered individuals was not the direction I was expecting, especially for this tardis team to encounter, but it proved rather interesting. There is of course also the alien element to this story, which provided a layer of mystery to the scenario and culminated in an interesting explanation.
There are a lot of plot threads and different motives at play, and while a couple feel redundant, things do come together pretty satisfyingly in the end, even if the climax itself may be a little rushed.
I liked the variety this story offered in terms of locations, which was supported nicely by the imagery and atmosphere of the prose. The collection of antagonists were enjoyable, and the side characters were very solid too! Speaking of, there is another bit of context behind Instruments of Darkness, which is that it follows on from two of the authors other books, Scales of Injustice and Business Unusual. This novel isn't a sequel in the traditional sense, but there are a couple of characters and references that build upon those previous stories, such as Mel's friend and skilled telepath, Trey, or the Auton Twins. I had no idea about this going in, but thankfully you can follow the story pretty successfully even if you haven't read one/both of the others.
While not perfect, Instruments of Darkness is a serviceable story made more fun by the love it has for the main three characters. If you share that love of Sixsie, Mel and Evelyn, then like me you will probably enjoy how much this book dedicates to exploring them and the relationships they have with one another!
(I won't give anything away but this book has twist reveal near the end that is both utterly crazy and kind of hilarious. It's somewhat niche, but to those who understood it, how bonkers was that, eh?)
nwhyte's review
3.0
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2577191.html#cutid1
It's the last of three novels featuring the half-human Irish twins as possible villains; they first appear in The Scales of Injustice, and the story is taken further in Business Unusual which I read quite recently. It also features both Mel Bush and Evelyn Smythe, who had been introduced to the Whoniverse only the previous year by Big Finish, as portrayed so wonderfully by the lamented Maggie Stables. (The author was the producer of the Big Finish audios at the time.)
The plot is a fairly standard worldwide consipiracy to do something or other, and by the standards of such plots is pretty convoluted, and apparently involves another character from 1990s spinoff Who (I missed this but picked it up from online reviews afterwards). I confess I didn't completely follow it, but I enjoyed the Mel/Evelyn/Six interplay on the page (Mel is particularly well-served), and also felt that the Irish twins - apart from the Eighth Doctor's audio companion Molly O'Sullivan, the only Irish regular characters in Who as far as I know - got a decent ending to their story as well.
It's the last of three novels featuring the half-human Irish twins as possible villains; they first appear in The Scales of Injustice, and the story is taken further in Business Unusual which I read quite recently. It also features both Mel Bush and Evelyn Smythe, who had been introduced to the Whoniverse only the previous year by Big Finish, as portrayed so wonderfully by the lamented Maggie Stables. (The author was the producer of the Big Finish audios at the time.)
The plot is a fairly standard worldwide consipiracy to do something or other, and by the standards of such plots is pretty convoluted, and apparently involves another character from 1990s spinoff Who (I missed this but picked it up from online reviews afterwards). I confess I didn't completely follow it, but I enjoyed the Mel/Evelyn/Six interplay on the page (Mel is particularly well-served), and also felt that the Irish twins - apart from the Eighth Doctor's audio companion Molly O'Sullivan, the only Irish regular characters in Who as far as I know - got a decent ending to their story as well.
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