I'm really tearing through these puppies, aren't I? Guess I better ride the 
high while it lasts... anyway, I had to order Planet Five and Frontier Worlds 
from Amazon.uk (they arrived today, along with Blackadder: the Whole Damn 
Dynasty and The Last Goon Show of All), and so while they arrived I went back 
and read Paul Magrs' initial novel effort, The Scarlet Empress. Perhaps this 
would explain some of the weirder things in The Blue Angel...

SPOILERS!!!


















Actually, it did. There were several confusing Iris dribs and drabs that 
plagued me through TBA that make sense after reading this. Which isn't too 
surprising, as much to my surprise, TBA is much more linear, traditional, and 
Who oriented than Scarlet Empress. Sit down while I tell you a tale...

PLOT: Is there one? Well, there is, but the STORY plot isn't the important 
one. Far more thrilling is the whole idea of Iris rewriting the Doctor's past, 
the Aja'ib, and the concept of continuity. Forget what I've said before about 
other books being metatextual, THIS one tops them all. As for that other plot, 
it's a quest. Period. Nice excuse for the writing.

THE DOCTOR: You know, there was a point in this book, when the Doctor released 
the demon from the Aja'ib in Fortalice, that I thought, "Good Lord, this 
Doctor is insane." The Doctor spends this book teetering on the brinks of 
moods, without ever quite falling into them. This makes his reactions to 
people and events the most emotional since Tom Baker. Nice, nice job.

SAM: Well, she's written well, and seems to be the more mature Sam. However, 
this is a drawback at times, because we're so used to the 'other' Sam - the 
one most people don't care for - that this version seems almost out of 
character. Her angst/attraction for the Doctor is still spot on, though.

IRIS: Suddenly I realise what people who read TSE before TBE must have known 
right off the bat. Think on this. The 5th incarnation of Iris. Loud, 
obnoxious, but with a heart inside. Tends to like to be the center of 
attention, gets very emotional, argues with her companions. Appalling dress 
sense. The 6th incarnation of Iris. More secretive, more in control of her 
emotions. Plans things in advance and moves people around to where she needs 
them to be like a chess player. Has a tendency to manipulate people for the 
greater good. Appalling dress sense. And, God help me, I actually like the 
earlier Iris too, now. I might even go reread Old Flames.

VILLAIN: The Scarlet Empress, a villain who is far more effective as a 
mysterious presence of evil than as a tub of Jell-O. Rather disappointing as a 
climactic character, to tell the truth.

THE FOUR: I must confess, I've never read X-Men. So a lot of the humor of 
these four was probably lost on me. The Mock Turtle was a wonderful character, 
in my opinion. Gila and the Bearded Lady, less so. And the biggest problem 
with the book - did the Spider Duchess survive? We want answers!

OTHERS: They arrive, they play their part, they go away.

STYLE: My God! Multiple narratives, multiple viewpoints, a discussion of 
realities, the Doctor's life laid bare as a work of fiction wwith great 
powers... talk about a metaphor for the BBC Books. O_o Anyway, this book is 
packed with metaphors (and indeed packed with text - the font is much, MUCH 
smaller than The Taking of Planet Five). Really tasty stuff for those who like 
this sort of thing - such as me.

OVERALL: A few too many holes to be a truly great work, IMO. But The Scarlet 
Empress needs to be read anyway. It's clear throughout what a great love of 
the programme Paul Magrs has - and that he's not afraid to analyse and 
deconstruct that love either.

8/10.

--SG
--now to go to Eric Briggs' site and bone up on Alien Bodies before I --tackle 
Planet Five...