BASIC PLOT
Th Governor of the most secure prison in the farthest reaches of space is responsible for the cruellest of murderers. And the latest is the Doctor.

DOCTOR
Twelfth.

COMPANIONS
Clara Oswald.

MATERIALISATION CIRCUIT
The TARDIS is never seen, but it brings Clara to the prison several times (eg page 85) and also transports prisoners from Level 7 to the planet Birling offscreen.

PREPARATORY READING
None.

CONTINUITY REFERENCES
Pgs 61-62 "The Dalek Emperor is nothing compared to your average mobile phone sales assistant." Evil of the Daleks et al.

Pg 71 "'You really are a pompous ass,' smiled Clara. 'You'd like my headmaster.'" Mr Armitage, seen in Into the Dalek et al (and also Class).

Pg 72 "The broomstick was lent to me by Danny." Danny Pink, Into the Dalek et al.

Pg 76 "I don't use Venusian Aikido much these days." Inferno et al.

Pg 85 "It's temperamental. It used to hate me." The webisode Clara and the TARDIS.

Pg 117 "I'll just give it to Danny and tell him it's because he's nice." Danny Pink again.

Pg 166 "I had a dog once. Ah yes. That one worked out rather well." K9, The Invisible Enemy, et al.

Pg 167 "She and Clara never used to be friendly." Clara and the TARDIS.

Pg 177 "'What if I'd been stitched up, grassed up and banged up?' 'No, don't do that,' whispered Clara, embarrassed." This echoes the tenth Doctor (Tooth and Claw et al).

Pg 219 "Let me tell you about Clara. She's one that's worth saving. Once I got so lost she walked the universe looking for me." The Name of the Doctor.

OLD FRIENDS AND OLD ENEMIES
None.

NEW FRIENDS AND NEW ENEMIES
The unnamed Governor.

CONTINUITY COCK-UPS

• Pg 172 "'I'm very good at it. He's... fine.' 'I've very good. Look." Say what?

PLUGGING THE HOLES [Fan-wank theorizing of how to fix continuity cock-ups]

• The Doctor is starting to say he has very good abilities, but gets distracted.

FEATURED ALIEN RACES
Pg 9 Custodians, robots with solid cylindrical bodies and various sharp appendages.

Pg 231 The Judge, a human-Custodian hybrid.

FEATURED LOCATIONS
A prison built into an asteroid.

IN SUMMARY - Robert Smith?
Now that's what it's all about! From beginning to end, this is utterly fantastic. James Goss had already been someone to watch, but here he excels himself. The first-person narrative is extremely refreshing, with an array of delicious twists that come later in the story. The setting is great, the Doctor's continual escapes fun and Capaldi's voice is captured to a T. The action is creepy and has serious galactic consequences, with some heartbreaking moments. Clara even gets a substantial part in the climax that works brilliantly. All in all, one of the most perfect Doctor Who novels ever published. I cannot recommend this highly enough. Go find a copy right now.