I recently met Neve Macintosh at a convention and realised that I had’t actually heard many of her audios. In fact the only one as Madam Vastra was the Once and Future one she was in. This episode was a freebie that I downloaded nearly two years ago, and I think that the reason I held off from listening was that: its another audio series to keep up with.

There are a couple of audios prior to this: an episode of the Eighth Of March release and a short prelude. Though there aren’t necessary if you watched the TV series you know the characters and set up. I would have preferred a bit more of an introduction though, as you are thrown into the middle of it, and I didn’t wonder where in the timeline this was set.

Vastra, Jenny and Strax deal with the new electric cars, but they are a little ‘out of time’ and there’s a factory that can instantly tell if you’re  a worker or management.

I do feel that some characters don’t travel across to audio as well as others - I remember watching a Plant of The Apes documentary, and the actors had to record additional dialogue and as their makeup was being taken off an they asked for it to be left on as it helped with the characterisation.

There are some nice bits with Strax using Cockney rhyming slang (or trying to). Mentions that it will put people off electric cars and use oil.

I don’t know why but I just didn’t get into it. I think sometimes I get audio fatigue and really should get it a rest for a couple of weeks.

Its a pretty much run of the mill story, nothing outstanding, stuff that’s been done before. It doesn’t immediately impress you, the characters don’t really stand out and is there any reason why you should listen to this rather than the Jago and Litefoot series?

Its fine as a start but I’m not running back for more, maybe when its on sale…