I’m not a huge Daleks fans at all, especially on audio where I find I zone out if they have lots of dialogue. But something about this series just works.

The humans characters are great - Alby with his ‘everyman’ attitude but with secrets under the surface and knowing more than he lets on. Kalendorf, another man with secrets and powers and Suz - a woman thrust into an unenviable position.

The three main cast members, Mark McDonnell, Sarah Mowat and the incomparable Gareth Thomas give their all and Nick Briggs is on his A game as the many different Daleks (I’m especially fond of the booming Emperor).

The humans are what makes this work - their plight (which rattles along giving the audience hardly time to draw breath) is horrific. Suz and Kalendorf are literally at the rock face of Dalek occupation. Alby meanwhile is thrown from near death situation to near death situation. Self-preservation almost makes him seem selfish but his knowledge of the Daleks means he knows he has to play the long game if he is to survive long enough to find Suz and complete his mission.

But what surprises me here is the Daleks. As I say, they often lose me on audio but this group are fascinating. This is the scheming Daleks of David Whitaker. Their manipulation of Suz is astounding but the subtle in-fighting gives them an edge rarely seen in the Daleks. Lower ranked Daleks questioning how Suz is being allowed to dictate Dalek policy and being shouted down by the Supreme but then the Emperor shouting down the Supreme - the hierarchy is fascinating and really makes their scenes something worth listening to.

Even though I’ve listened to this before, I can’t actually remember many of the details as to where the story goes so I’m looking forward to exploring this world again.

(It would help, though, if they didn’t have Nick Briggs and Ian Brooker obviously playing so many different parts in the same episode though…)

I really liked this, I wasn't sure at first but over the course of the episode I found myself really buying into this new corner of the Whoniverse. Really liked Susan and Alby! I'm intrigued as to how this spin-off manages to last for so many series, but it has me excited!

A strong start to the story, but it's definitely the start.

The daleks themselves are portrayed really well here, and Susan hits the ground running as our newly introduced protagonist. Other than her though this story definitely feels more like it's setting the groundwork for things to come rather than being a fully compelling story on it's own.

That said, it's not a major critique at all, sometimes you do need to lay that groundwork, and I think for a story that's going to be an ongoing one in a setting thats very much alien to us as listeners, it's a good idea to make sure we understand everything that's going on before continuing on.

There's a nod in here to The Apocalypse Element which I haven't listened to. I get the impression it's not a super-major requirement, but might add to the story. Still, even knowing it exists is nice, I love it when the universe is tied together like this.

Overall, Susan is the high point, and I can't wait to listen to the rest!

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

“INVASION OF THE DALEKS: A SOLID, IF UNSPECTACULAR, BEGINNING”

Dalek Empire marks one of Big Finish’s earliest attempts at a Doctor Who spin-off, building upon the Dalek-centric arcs from the early Main Range audios. Invasion of the Daleks kicks off the series by diving straight into the action, with the titular villains launching a devastating assault on the peaceful human colony of Vega VI. Nicholas Briggs sticks to the tried-and-true Terry Nation blueprint, focusing on the Daleks’ sheer destructive power and the human struggle to survive their tyranny.

After an initially chaotic and sound-heavy opening, the story settles into a more focused narrative, wisely keeping the human perspective at its core. We experience the invasion through the eyes of Susan Mendes and Alby Brook, a couple enjoying a quiet moment together before their world is ripped apart. The sudden arrival of a crashing starliner, followed by an ominous Dalek transmission, adds a creeping sense of dread before all hell breaks loose. The invasion itself is swift and brutal, immersing the listener in the terror of a full-scale Dalek attack.

SUSAN MENDES: THE VOICE OF THE ENSLAVED

Once the dust settles, the story shifts its focus to Susan’s imprisonment and forced labour under the Daleks. Alongside her fellow captive Kalendorf—a Knight of Velyshaa (a deep-cut reference to The Sirens of Time)—she endures the horror of the Daleks’ slave camps, where prisoners are so mistreated that they beg for extermination. Sarah Mowat gives a strong performance as Susan, portraying her as both defiant and pragmatic. Her transformation into an intermediary between the Daleks and their slaves, convincing them to improve working conditions in exchange for efficiency, is a compelling thread. Her exchanges with the Dalek Emperor offer some of the best character moments, highlighting the stark contrast between Dalek logic and human resilience.

ALBY BROOK: A MAN BROKEN BY LOSS

Alby, meanwhile, drowns his sorrows, believing Susan to be dead. While initially a charming and carefree character, he quickly spirals into despair before being thrust back into action alongside Gordon Pellan. Their attempts to escape the Daleks aboard a spaceship provide some of the audio’s most exciting moments, injecting much-needed energy into an otherwise bleak and oppressive story.

THE DALEKS: TOO MUCH OF A GOOD (OR BAD) THING?

As expected from a Dalek Empire spin-off, the Daleks themselves have a significant presence, often conversing among themselves or barking orders. While their sheer brutality is well-realised, the excessive use of ring-modulated screeching does wear thin after a while. At times, the story risks overindulging in Dalek dialogue, which—without the Doctor’s usual wit to offset it—can become grating rather than engaging.

VERDICT: A DECENT, IF UNSPECTACULAR, START

Invasion of the Daleks does a serviceable job setting up the characters and premise for the series. The atmosphere is suitably oppressive, the action sequences are effective, and Susan’s evolving role adds an intriguing dynamic. However, the story itself feels fairly standard, with little to truly surprise or elevate it beyond the expected Dalek invasion template. It’s not a mind-blowing opener, but the cliffhanger is strong enough to make continuing onto the next chapter an easy decision.

📝7/10

Nicholas Briggs masters the best of Terry Nation’s writing voice, creating an utterly compelling drama in Susan and her deep, challenging relationship with the Daleks. These are the menacing, canny Daleks that we rarely get to see on TV.

Susan is a bit of a precursor to Liv Chenka - similar characters with a different backstory. The story of how the Daleks follow Susan’s conversations in order to work out how best to manipulate humans is frightening and effecting. The heightened premise is made real - similar to Nation’s Survivors or Blake’s 7.

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.