By James Moran

BBC Books, out now

It is AD 79 and the TARDIS lands in Pompeii on the eve of the town’s destruction.

James Moran adapts his 2008 Series 4 episode for the Target range, taking the opportunity to embellish the on-screen drama with some background detail, zingy dialogue and the witty use of some Latin chapter titles.

Right from outset, we’re thousands of years from where the TV story begins, an unnamed presence crashing to Earth and then awoken from their slumber. This is Donna’s first proper journey with the Doctor and she’s reflecting on what she’s got herself into. Here we gain a better understanding of the dynamic between the two before they even reached Pompeii, the televised version starting with them stepping out of the TARDIS.

While most of the original dialogue is still here, it’s boosted with extra gags and little bits of detail that would be sacrificed in a 45-minute episode. Don’t expect any great changes to the narrative – that’s not what we’re looking for in a Target novelisation,  instead enjoy the added value that the original writer has dropped into the mix. You get the sense that Moran had a lot of fun in revisiting the story, as indeed will you.

Verdict: Vesuvius might be getting ready to blow, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun with this 10th Doctor romp, now with added sass. 9/10

Nick Joy

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