The Stone Rose is a New Series Adventure, featuring the Tenth Doctor and Rose. It also involves Mickey Smith and Jackie Tyler and, as such, fits quite well into its Series 2 position (presumably prior to School Reunion when Mickey joins the TARDIS crew).

Mickey is volunteering at the British Museum, taking children on tours, and has discovered a Roman statue that is the spitting image of Rose. The Doctor and Rose take a trip back to ancient Rome to discover the truth behind the statue and discover that a sculptor called Ursus is actually turning people to stone. Aided by Gracilus, a rich man who’s son has become one of Ursus’ victims, and a slave girl called Vanessa, they eventually discover the truth behind Ursus’ unusual gift. His power to turn people into stone has been given to him by a GENIE – a genetically created wish fulfilling creature from the 23rd century. It transpires that the creature (half dragon, half platypus) arrived in Rome with it’s creator’s daughter, Vanessa – who is really from the 23rd century but wished to find out what it was like to live in ancient Rome.

After some timey wimey business involving a phial of, basically, magic potion which restores the stone people, the Doctor and Rose return to their own time, ensuring the statue discovered at the British Museum is still created – apparently by the Doctor, who manages (in between all the travelling around) to find time to be tutored by Michelangelo himself!

I’ve always found audiobooks a bit of a struggle. One voice continually telling a story tends to allow my mind to wander and I do have to concentrate that little bit harder. I had listened to this once before my marathon and the only bit I remembered was the GENIE and Rose in the white limbo. I’d even forgotten the fact that someone was actually turning people into stone, which shows how well it stuck in my head!

That’s not to say it isn’t a good story, though. It is fun, if a little silly. The idea of a wish-fulfilling dragon-like creature is very Five Children and It and, as a consequence, gives this story a far more magical feel than would normally be tolerated in the series. It’s the sort of tale that would have Gallifrey Base’s more strident critics up in arms were it the plot of an actual televised episode, being far more fantasy than even science fantasy or science fiction. The ‘science’ aspect of the GENIE doesn’t really hold any water and the constant tripping around in time feels like a precursor to the Moffat eras timey-wimey fuelled get outs (a la the Doctor’s escape from the Pandorica).

The magical silliness is further enhanced by David Tennant’s reading – a plethora of silly voices bring to life the characters and the fact that he makes the GENIE sound like a magical creature from a children’s story doesn’t really help matters.

However, it’s entertaining enough and the trip to Rome does include some good historical details such as the Coliseum originally being called the Flavian Amphitheatre, and the references to the construction of Hadrian’s Wall (which alerts the Doctor to Vanessa’s anachronisticity (is that a word?)).

The Doctor finally gets to experience a proper ‘thrown to the lions’ scenario, along with gladiators, bears and leopards; something he didn’t even manage on his trip to Rome in The Romans in 64AD.

I’m pretty sure the Doctor also refers to the current Roman Emperor, Trajan.There is also a short reference to the Doctor knowing the best marble merchants in the area which were it not for the fact this story was written long before the Doctor met marble merchant Caecilius in The Fires of Pompeii, would have been a lovely little nod to that story!

Aside from this we also get the obligatory “slavery is bad” rhetoric, with the Doctor pointedly telling Gracilus at the close of the story that Vanessa won’t be returning to his service.

The Stone Rose is fun, if silly, and David Tennant’s reading matches the tone of the story perfectly.

👍🏼(7.60) = GOOD!

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

Jacqueline Rayner's second New Series Adventures novel, which follows Winner Takes All, begins with a sense of mystery surrounding a missing person, and it appears to lack any sci-fi elements. But a third of the way in, we learn about humans turned into statues and a time-displaced woman from the 24th century.

Rayner has a competent grasp on Rose, Jackie, and Mickey, who all act and sound like we expect them to. Her 10th Doctor touches upon some of Tennant’s mannerisms but isn’t quite there yet. He exudes a clownish and overly cheerful demeanour at all times, in my opinion. It's a better novel debut for Ten than The Clockwise Man's debut for Nine.

While Rose is out of action for a good chunk of the first half, the second half puts her front and centre as she has to save the Doctor and the day. This cleverly puts the book's strongest character front and centre.

Rayner also writes intriguing supporting characters, such as the premonitious slave girl Vanessa and the mysteriously eccentric sculptor Ursus. She initially paints Ursus as a potential human villain before we learn that he's simply a pawn, and the real baddie is a genetically engineered AI genie thing that grants anyone's wishes.

I love how GENIE has a quirky personality and isn't actually evil or mad, but rather simply fulfils its function of granting wishes—wishes that must be extremely specific to prevent complete failure. It’s essentially a form of A.I., joining the fray of insane computers that pop up all over the franchise. It also feels very relevant in this day and age, when AI is cleverer than ever before.

The Stone Rose features a compelling setting in the Roman Empire in 120 AD. The novel explores some of the customs of the time, which is interesting. The Colosseum sequence is a highlight.

The overwhelmingly lighthearted tone does strike me as a bit childish at times, especially when compared to Winner Takes All, and I don't find all of the dialogue suitable for the people of the era.

I like that we return to the present in the middle, where Ten and Mickey discuss their relationship with Rose.

The second half takes some surprising turns—it goes timey-wimey, introduces GENIE in the guise of a goddess, and gives the novel new and heightened stakes. Here we also get a classic role reversal, as Vanessa turns to stone and the Doctor disappears, leaving Rose to fend for herself.

The final stretch does get very GENIE-centric and gets entangled in the complicated web of timey-wimeyness and paradoxes, making it a bit heavy-handed. The optimistic ending is enjoyable, though.

RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:

• Is this the first time we learn about Rose’s middle name? I didn’t know she was Rose Marion Tyler!
• I love how the little mention of Moomins alludes to Finland! I find it rather amusing that they are rumoured to have attempted to invade the Earth at some point, or perhaps just Finland. That's a story I'd want to see!