Not as amazing as its two predecessors but still good all the same. The cliffhanger at the end is confusing and I can't wait to get number 2 and continue the story.

A sublime conclusion to the first Dalek Universe box set. It starts off in style, with the Doctor, Arya, and Mark facing space pirates, and then dives into a deep exploration of the Kingdom family tree. Merrick Kingdom is a brilliant character, and his connection to Arya as her Grandfather, as well as being the Dad to the late Sara Kingdom, adds an engaging sense of family to the story.

There's some really great character drama here, that feels reminiscent of the first RTD era. Sara's resentment of her Granddad, blaming him for her mother's death, gets a lot of focus, and the fact that she never fully forgives him even when he dies feels very human. It's the kind of thing that reminds me of some of RTD's Doctor Who scripts, which combine these very domestic ideas with the otherworldly, which is high praise for Andrew Smith.

Whilst the Daleks don't feature in this Dalek Universe story, their presence is still felt in the way the characters talk about them, and the way it incorporates iconic characters and elements relating to Dalek lore, such as their enemies the Mechanoids, and the Varga plants. It means that it still feels very much like a story about the Daleks, even without Nicholas Briggs shouting into your ear.