Stor Jayden feels like a good place for Jenna to continue her smuggling career – but the Terra Nostra’s influence extends further than anyone might hope.

James Kettle kicks off the next set of expanded universe Blake’s 7 tales, focusing on the Mafia-like organisation that featured in Shadow, the second story of the TV series’ second season. It doesn’t matter if you’ve not rewatched the episode – the important information about them is recapped at appropriate points within this new story – since the name’s more than enough to work from. Their ties with the Federation are as murky as you might expect, which plays nicely into the many, many twists in this story, that extend all the way to the closing scene.

This is a slightly different Jenna to the one we’re used to – a Jenna whose days on the Liberator may be behind her (no matter what others may choose to believe) but who has learned a lot from her fellow travellers – although I was a little surprised at her being taken aback by having a computer respond within conversation, given her time with Orac. Is she an idealistic freedom fighter now? Or just even more savvy than she used to be? Sally Knyvette gives this older Jenna an edge that I’d like to hear more of.

Lisa Bowerman has brought together a strong guest cast for this adventure and there’s some equally effective work from Jamie Robertson’s sound design that helps make this an enjoyable opener.

Verdict: A suitably devious start. 8/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to order from Big Finish