REVIEW ALSO POSTED IN WAR AGAINST THE LAAN

The longest Big Finish Fourth Doctor Adventure on an epic scale - this feels more like a New Series opener with the President of the World getting involved - but isn't the Doctor the President of the World?

This story focuses more on Romana, which is great because we unfortunately didn't get enough of Mary Tamm due to her unfortunate recasting and untimely death. Her performance is fantastic, balancing the two sides of her character that Season 16 used - the damsel in distress in the first half, and the magnificent and independent Time Lady in the second. I like that the Doctor is slightly jealous of Romana because the Laan contacted her instead, and plays out as humorous, but there's a deeper meaning for him as he's not as important as he believes himself to be, as his character arc in Season 16 explains. Poor K-9, struggling to move in the desert. His presence feels authentic and very similar to the TV series, being limited by his environments, but it's a shame he's not used more - I miss that tin dog!

I'm not sure who to talk about here - the Laan aren't the real monsters, the humans are. Let's start off with Cuthbert - the first of a few appearances in the Fourth Doctor Adventures, and David Warner just excels at this. I like those powerful characters who clearly have a lot of influence if they're not too over-the-top or generic, like Van Statten. For once, he doesn't get what's coming to them - the President says she'll try and make him accountable, but we don't see that, leaving him open for more adventures, and I'm interested in seeing what's coming next.

I love this grand scale, with the military not being too stupid and stereotypical, but willing to accept alien life and using it to their advantage. The opening story amused me for personal reasons - I'm currently writing a story with the Fourth Doctor in Africa, so it was a great help to hear him in the Sahara Desert. I love the way that it spreads across the world and even beyond. It's a story of epic proportions, and it makes it more tense and raises the stakes.

Hayley Atwell's in this story! They really have a stellar cast for this, don't they? Of course she's the President of the World - She's an independent and brilliant character and her relation to the Laan is great. I love the idea of humanity expecting an invasion, but is just a misunderstanding of a birthing cycle on the wrong planet - it's unique, but it's rather annoying how they keep repeating the same information. If they cut that down, it could probably be just four parts.

This is an amazing, massive story, boosted with many stars at the top of their game! It slows down near the end and, as I say, it can get a bit boring and repetitive, but overall it's definitely worth a listen!