Daemos Rising by David J. Howe (book review).
In the world of ‘Doctor Who’, the story of ‘The Daemons’ in the 1970s must have ticked every box for anti-filth campaigner Mary Whitehouse on what to not show children. It’s almost on par with ‘The Wicker Man’ and shown on a Saturday tea time. ‘Daemos Rising’ is a sequel to the story which was originally shot as a film featuring some of the original actors.
This novelised version expand the original and includes Kate Lethbridge-Stewart who is called to the village by an old colleague.
Douglas Cavendish is struggling. The years spent working for UNIT have left him a somewhat broken man. He’s collected a few souvenirs from the archive and the book he takes as his final gift to himself is making him doubt his sanity. The only person he thinks might save him is Kate and now she’s on her way to Devil’s End.
Somewhere else in time there are two travellers trying to escape their fate. Following a time snake attached to a man they find in 2050, they arrive on the doorstep of Olive Hawthorn, survivor of the events in the church at Devil’s End.
This is an interesting and quirky spin-off of both ‘Doctor Who’ and the ‘Time Hunter’ series of books. It’s not my favourite probably because I’ve not read the ‘Time Hunter’ series and don’t feel invested in these extra characters. I also got confused on when this was set and how old Kate and Douglas are. This held back my enjoyment as well.
There’s a lot going on and some threads are pulled together with some left for the final book ‘Child Of Time’. I think if you have read the ‘Time Hunters’ and maybe seen the DVD then this will be a good add on to it. Olive only gets a walk-on in this book but if you want to follow her then read ‘The Daemons Of Devil’s End’.
Included within the book are colour photos of the original DVD shoot which is still available. David Howe’s foreword also goes some way to explain the origins and context of the story.
Sue Davies
October 2019
(pub: Telos, 2019. 140 page with photo inserts paperback. Price: £12.99 (UK), $ (US), $ (CAN). ISBN: 978-1-84583-977-2)
check out website: www.telos.co.uk
