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The Braxiatel Collection has been invaded by the fascistic
Fifth Axis, who seem to be led by a figure from Bernice's
past. But behind him lies the evil time-travelling power of
the Daleks! As Bernice's friends rise up to end the occupation,
the Professor embarks upon a desperate rescue mission to a
planet she visited a long time ago...
Previously listed in advance information as Axis of Evil,
this very special double CD actually features a guest appearance
by some popular Doctor Who monsters - the most popular
monsters of all, in fact, as the true title reveals.
In
addition to the Daleks, who are every bit as cunning and malevolent
as they have ever been in their impressive back catalogue
of Big Finish releases, writer Paul Cornell throws in other
references to Who, in particular the New Adventures
novels. As readers of the Benny book Life During Wartime
will already know, Bernice bumps into her father Isaac - who
is played, in a memorable turn, by Ian (Omega) Collier. She
later journeys to the planet Heaven, where she first met the
Doctor in the novel Love and War. She also does something
that the producers have shied away from until now, by mentioning
the Doctor (and Ace) by name.
But aside from all these continuity references, is the story
any good? Most assuredly, it is. Having vividly established
the Fifth Axis occupation in Life During Wartime, Cornell
tells a passionate tale of resistance, triumph and tragedy.
The entire extended cast of characters is deployed, including
Ms Jones (Beverly Cressman), Mr Crofton (Nicholas Briggs)
and Bev Tarrant (Louise Faulkner). It's been a very long time
since we had a Bernice audio adventure of this duration and
depth - not since Just War in fact. On several occasions
I have criticised the relatively shallow natures of the single-CD
stories, and so I sincerely hope this isn't the last double-CD
release we'll get from this series.
Don't
be misled by the inaccurate running time on the back of the
CD case. This gripping adventure runs to almost two hours,
not 70 minutes as stated.
The
second disc also includes a bonus story, Closure. Also
written by Cornell, this 30-minute morality tale was originally
released as part of the limited edition Buried Treasures
CD. An intense narrative concerning a ruthless dictator, this
is an appropriate companion piece to Death and the Daleks.
Action,
adventure, rousing performances, and stirring music by David
Darlington - this double-disc Dalek delight has it all.
Richard
McGinlay
 
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