The novel “Love and War” by Paul Cornell was published for the first time in 1992. It’s No. 9 in the “New Adventures” range by Virgin Publishing and follows “Nightshade“.
Ace passed through Perivale to go to the funeral of her old friend Julian. Having completed that sad task, the Seventh Doctor takes her forward in time nearly half a millennium to the planet Heaven, on the border between human and Draconian space. It’s a neutral place for the two powers, and life is supposed to be peaceful, but various events suggest otherwise.
The Doctor is searching for a lost manuscript and can’t find it, but he has other things on his mind and seems lost in thought. Ace seeks distraction by contacting a group of Travellers who have been on Heaven for some time. On the planet, the paths of very different entities intersect, while its past seems to interest only archaeologist Bernice “Benny” Summerfield and a few other researchers engaged in an excavation.
“Love and War” marks an important moment for this range of novels, as the Seventh Doctor’s story arc starts diverging from his television adventures. In particular, there was a publicity campaign for the debut of Bernice “Benny” Summerfield, who was created with the intention from the outset of making her a prominent character. From this perspective alone, this novel was a success, so much so that years later, the archaeologist became the protagonist of a spinoff of audio adventures produced by Big Finish, as well as an audio adaptation of this novel.
Like previous novels in this range, “Love and War” includes many references to the classic “Doctor Who” series. In particular, mention is made of the Draconians and the war they fought with the humans, which was a major part of the plot of the Third Doctor serial “Colony in Space.” The planet Heaven was chosen as a neutral location between the two powers, but strange events in this novel suggest its name may not be so appropriate.
This novel’s roots go back quite a long way due to these references, but the plot is clearly tied to the Seventh Doctor’s story arc, which began at the end of the original series and continues in this range of novels. It can be said to represent a turning point for both the Doctor and Ace.
Over the course of his television adventures, the Seventh Doctor had progressively become a manipulator with grand plans. This characteristic became even more pronounced in these novels published by Virgin Publishing. In “Love and War,” a sort of grand chess game against gradually revealing opponents absorbs his energy to the point that he often seems confused about the people and ordinary events unfolding around him.
For Ace, who has just lost one of the very few friends she had in Perivale, the Doctor’s behavior makes their relationship even more difficult. On Heaven, she ends up wandering off on her own and starting a relationship with Jan, one of the Travellers. Paul Cornell doesn’t delve into the details of what happens between Ace and Jan, but he’s nonetheless explicit in explaining that their relationship is also sexual.
Beyond the Doctor and Ace, various characters are developed, each with their own motivations behind their choices and actions. Paul Cornell develops them through their emotions as well, and they’re often intense. The result is a novel that progressively takes on dramatic overtones.
It’s almost inevitable that this emotionally charged approach will also be used in the narrative of the Doctor and Ace’s relationship. Already in the television series, the Doctor’s manipulations also involved his young companion. This novel shows how Ace has grown in many ways, but certain emotions towards the Doctor remain very strong and have consequences.
For all these reasons, “Love and War” is a novel that tells a story that is intense and interesting for different reasons. The specific plot, with what happens on the planet, is what emerges first, but in some ways, the novel is more significant for its importance in the development of the protagonists’ broader story, which definitely goes beyond the television series. You might find a copy on Amazon USA, UK, and Canada.
