River decides to show Rachel the course of history…

For those who haven’t heard the second volume of River’s diaries – or have forgotten since their release some time back – Rachel was introduced in John Dorney’s Five Twenty Nine, and clearly since then River has felt some responsibility for her, returning just prior to the start of this story to collect her and show her a civilisation’s lifespan, from its earliest roots to its end. James Goss once again produces a story that constantly pulls the rug out from under the listener, and makes you believe that it’s setting up one particular lesson for Rachel to learn, only for River to undercut that quite dramatically. River’s very much in Doctor mode here, albeit a Doctor who’s far more willing to bend the rules than most of her husband’s incarnations, with Salone Haertel reprising the role of Rachel, a companion who very much has her own agency.

Kingston and Haertel have good chemistry on audio – which isn’t always the case with family members, despite what you might assume – and Ken Bentley’s direction ensures that the human drama of the piece comes to the fore.

Verdict: A thoughtful start to the new set. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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