5706-erimem-buccaneer-paperback-bookBy Iain McLaughlin

Thebes Publishing, out now

A trip back to the 17th century brings a new way of life for Andy…

The adventures of former 5th Doctor (audio) companion Pharaoh Erimem continue with this short novel from the character’s creator, which actually focuses far more on one of Erimem’s own companions, Andy. We’ve seen her develop in the earlier books in the series, and McLaughlin uses a series of first-person accounts to give us some different insights into her. There’s a slight tendency by the author to get preachy about certain attitudes in the early part of the story, but this settles down as events build towards a confrontation that involves Erimem and Andy’s other friends.

McLaughlin doesn’t give Andy or her new friend an easy way out at the end of the book – setting up a thread that I suspect will play out for some time to come – and writing from the perspective of both sides in a burgeoning relationship lets the reader see some of the potential pitfalls that the characters themselves might not.

There’s a good sense of place throughout and McLaughlin unsurprisingly lets Erimem shine in her appearances. We’ve reached a point in the series where the supporting characters are strong enough to hold a tale and I hope we may get similar for some of the others.

Verdict: A short but involving tale. 7/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to order the Erimem series from Thebes Publishing