I wasn't sure what to expect out of this. A story focused on the Daleks along without the Doctor or other previously known protagonists is likely to wind up a pretty grim affair, and that side of the audio, in my opinion, is pretty well done. It really feels like as we start this story, we are witnessing a planet being crushed by the Daleks, and it is just one of many they have conquered. I think that fits well with what we know of these characters and what they've come to represent. A lot of that is done through the behind the scenes crew, who do a great job conveying the onslaught of the Daleks and they do such a solid job of depicting that, even if the audio can get a little overwhelming at times because of it.

The humans nicely balance out the story, though I feel that's where things falter a bit. Some of these characters are really well done, but this focus on giving humans hope, wanting the humans to be productive for their slave labour, and using Susan to achieve that goal feels a little off to me. I think I would have either liked more of a focus on the suffering and brutality of the Daleks, or at least that being better explored here, or a less human-focused story in something that is supposed to be more about the Daleks. I get it, though, they aren't the most compelling characters, and who wants to follow the Nazis when we can see the Nazis being fought against? It's why I personally don't know if this audio series is as compelling as it can be. The Daleks are one thing, and they cannot really change or grow. If they do, they are being bad Daleks and need to be exterminated. That can make them interesting antagonists at times but it makes them a hard candidate for being protagonists, unless they are some sort of Renegade Dalek or something like Rusty.

Qualms and random thoughts aside, this audio was entertaining enough, and not too long to overstay its welcome. In spite of my skepticism towards the series I am intrigued enough to want to check out more.