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"The Monsters Inside: More Slitheen Shenanigans, But Still Missing a Spark"

An ambitious prison planet, fleshed-out Slitheen, and solid action can't quite save this from a lack of narrative focus.

The second New Series Adventures novel, The Monsters Inside, starts off slowly but gains momentum around the halfway point. Penned by Stephen Cole, the story sets up the intriguing Justicia prison planetary system as its backdrop, providing a refreshing and layered setting. However, the plot struggles to find its footing, leaving the early chapters feeling somewhat aimless.

One of the more engaging aspects of the novel is the separation of the Ninth Doctor and Rose, each navigating their own paths in the sprawling prison complex. Rose's storyline, in particular, stands out as the stronger of the two, offering moments of suspense and agency. Both characters are written with more authenticity compared to The Clockwise Man, yet they still fall short of capturing the nuances of Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper's on-screen portrayals.

The Slitheen serve as the central antagonists, joined by their relatives, the Blathereen, adding layers to their familial conflict. While the Slitheen were often divisive in their TV appearances, they are used more effectively here, with richer characterisation that expands on their motivations and dynamics. The ongoing tensions between the two Raxacoricofallapatorian clans provide a much-needed narrative backbone, though the abundance of scheming sometimes feels excessive.

Despite its promising premise, the story lacks cohesion. The first half teases potential but feels padded with underutilised characters and dialogue that meanders without purpose. The latter half introduces more action and clarity, yet it sacrifices the atmospheric depth of the setting, turning into a faster-paced but less immersive read.

Supporting characters are serviceable but unremarkable, failing to leave a lasting impression. The semi-cliffhanger ending feels unsatisfying, suggesting a possible sequel but offering little immediate resolution.

📝Verdict: 5/10

The Monsters Inside delivers an engaging setting, some solid action, and a deeper dive into the Slitheen, but its scattered plot and uneven pacing prevent it from fully realising its potential. While it fares better than its predecessor, it still falls short of truly capturing the essence of Nu-Who.

3/5

Quite a grim and interesting plotline in this book that’s gripping at times, due to the horror involved in several scenes (especially for what you might think for the new series). However I feel like this book carries some level of juvenile misogyny to it, which is mildly off putting at points (although this isn’t uncommon among sci-fi books in general and more specifically, I have experienced this feeling with other Doctor Who books, even a few others in the new series adventures).