The novel “The Krillitane Storm” by Christopher Cooper was published for the first time in 2009.
The Tenth Doctor arrives near Worcester in 1139, when it’s just a village. While looking for an inn to stay overnight during what’s supposed to be a quiet vacation, he realizes that the place is practically deserted. When he finds the inn, he struggles to be admitted and when the owners let him in, they explain that there’s a curfew because the Devil’s Huntsman is hunting down the inhabitants of the area.
That night the Doctor hears a strange scream followed by another one coming from a human. He rushes to investigate and discovers a Krillitane who has just killed a man and flies away as soon as he sees him. Local militiamen find the Doctor next to the corpse and capture him but, while they’re taking him to the prison, a girl comes forward claiming to be the Doctor’s wife and offering an alibi for him.
“The Krillitane Storm” is part of a series of novels connected to the new “Doctor Who” series. They’re targeted to a wide audience by being linear enough to be appreciated even by very young readers but sophisticated enough to interest more mature readers.
This novel is set in the final period of the Tenth Doctor era, of which only pieces were shown between the fourth and fifth seasons of the new television series, when the Doctor travels alone. In “The Krillitane Storm” there are two characters who can be considered temporary companions as they assist the Doctor in his attempt to avoid a massacre: Emily, an alien girl who has her reasons for being in that area, and Darke, the captain of the town militia. They offer two totally different points of view of a situation that quickly becomes intricate with Emily who knows the Krillitanes and the danger they pose while Darke thinks the killer creature is a demon.
The Tenth Doctor already clashed with the Krillitanes and after having seen one his only perplexity concerns the reasons for their presence in Worcester and in general on the Earth in 1139. However, his investigations show that the situation is more complex with traces of an alien presence different from the Krillitanes. In my opinion this is the best part of “The Krillitane Storm”, with a plot that offers many surprises and twists that slowly reveal what’s happening. The final part is perhaps a bit hurried but the books in this series have length limits so it seems to me to be a minor flaw.
Another strength of “The Krillitane Storm” is in its characters, who help to develop ethical and moral complications, also thanks to the progressive discovery of various secrets of some of them. In my opinion the author Christopher Cooper managed to reproduce the Tenth Doctor well, even more because this is not a story in which he must make decisions in a simple situation with a clear distinction between good and bad. Emily and Drake have their own personal stories that give them depth and motivations for their actions and decisions. Other characters who have less room but are still important have at least a decent characterization.
Various points of view are used to tell moments of the activities of different characters and allow the readers to understand the plot’s complexities. The shift from one point of view to another can sometimes cause a momentary confusion but overall they’re positive because they add nuances to the story.
The Krillitanes appeared only in one episode of the new television series, in this novel Christopher Cooper offers more information on this species. Many details concern some individuals and help to understand the relationships within their society.
Probably to fully develop all the elements of “The Krillitane Storm” a significantly longer novel would be needed. However, the result within the limitations of this book series seems positive to me so I recommend reading it to “Doctor Who” fans.
