I really love this novelisation. It feels, for the most part, a little meandering, mundane, but in a way that is very, very fitting to the story. It's really got that feeling of decay that permeates all of season 18. The continuous prose, without chapter breaks, also really intensifies that. It gives more of a history to the Tharils, and to the slave traders. But what it does especially well is Romana's exit. Other than in the TV story, it is not sudden, but rather fitting, a thematic conclusion to her story so far. It feels drawn out and nostalgic, but also presents a new chapter in her life. K-9's fate, too, is sad and tragic, rather than just a simple hand-off.