Horrors of War

❤️(8.5) Superb!

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

PRIMARY NOTES:

Justin Richards continues his WWI trilogy with Horrors of War, featuring the Third Doctor and Jo Grant and narrated by Katy Manning.

The story rewinds to the concluding moments of Men of War, revealing that Archduke Franz Ferdinand's 1914 murder never occurred, thereby altering the established timeline. The Doctor travels to 1914 to try and sort things out. This is a wonderful example of a Doctor Who story told across multiple incarnations, each making for a standalone adventure but also forming one big whole.

This story, like its predecessor, narrates from the perspective of a supporting character, specifically nurse Annie Grantham. The music and simple sound effects underline the palpable wartime atmosphere, as Justin Richards also follows a similar pattern here.

Manning is a lovely narrator, energetic and optimistic. I’ve never heard her do a Scottish accent before, but it sounds amazing. I also like her unique take on the Third Doctor’s voice. Richards also writes a very recognisable Third Doctor and Jo, making it even easier to delve into the story.

Horrors of War focusses a lot on the mystery of the disappearing soldiers, which started in Men of War. We discover that time is attempting to correct itself, eliminating soldiers who should have perished in the normal timeline by assuming the form of a living being. The question is: who is that?

I really like Annie Grantham, who takes on the more traditional companion role here. Despite being surprised by everything, she prepares herself to accept the seemingly impossible events she witnesses. Richards gives her a very satisfying inner monologue that greatly describes her feelings and perspectives on things (such as the infamous assassination of the Archduke).

This is a rather simple story, but the emotional implications it raises, as well as the handling of history and alterations to it, make it fairly engaging. Eventually, we meet the creature responsible for the crisis, and it’s quite a sinister presence, greatly performed by Manning.