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While not fully explained at the start, it is soon made obvious that the adventures of the 7th Doctor, Ace and Hex are closely related to those of the 6th Doctor and Evelyn, and in listening to this mega arc, one should get to Arrangements for War before progressing too far in these stories. I liked doing 6/Evelyn first and then getting started on these (conveniently, this arc starts immediately after Arrangements for War in the very next release).
58. The Harvest by Dan Abnett
The Harvest is a great story and also a great introduction to our new companion: Thomas Hector "Hex" Schofield. Hex is a 23 year old nurse in the (at the time) near-future of 2021 London. Hex meets the Doctor and Ace as they're investigating the hospital that he works at. And so he joins the TARDIS!
Hex is a great addition to the team, adding a new dynamic to the well-established and long running team of 7 and Ace. Introducing a newbie to this team that they need to train is a great idea.
The story itself is solid, and actually attempts to hide who the villain is rather than putting them on the cover (although it's still not difficult to guess). It feels a bit like the TV episode Rose, it focuses on Hex at the start and acts as a pilot for the new direction of the series.
8/10
67. Dreamtime by Simon A Forward
Dreamtime is a particularly disliked story, mostly because it doesn't really make much sense. I enjoyed it, but I also kind of zoned out while listening to it. A very optional story.
7/10
74. LIVE 34 by James Parsons and Andrew Stirling-Brown
I absolutely love this story. LIVE 34 is told completely through radio broadcasts and it's an excellent piece of Doctor Who. It's very creative and you get to slowly discover the world that this takes place in by following the different characters, as each part is a bit different to the others and focuses on a different character, it's just a really fantastic story. A must listen.
9/10
79. Night Thoughts by Edward Young
'I warn you, things could get very nasty here before they get better.'
Night Thoughts is a fantastic piece of Doctor Who horror with astonishingly good atmosphere. The potential explanation for how everything happened felt like it leaned a bit into the ridiculous but the rest of the story is so amazing that it didn't really matter (and it's left a bit ambiguous). So overall an excellent, chilling tale.
9/10
82. The Settling by Simon Guerrier
A really solid pure historical, and Hex is great in this one, it gives him some great development.
8/10
73. Thicker Than Water by Paul Sutton
I'm placing this here because it's when I listened to it but it could go after LIVE 34 or Night Thoughts, and even after the next couple of stories. I just think it's worth getting to know Hex a bit, but not leaving this story forever. Either way, do not do this story right after Arrangements for War even though it is a sort of sequel.
Thicker Than Water is a sort of epilogue to the 6 and Evelyn arc; Evelyn has left the Doctor (off-screen) and is now living on Világ. The Doctor visits with Mel because he wants to introduce her to Evelyn. Thicker Than Water is a solid story, but it's essential to both 6/Evelyn and 7/Ace/Hex because of a secret special scene at the end. It's a fantastic scene and makes this an essential listen. The rest of the story is great as well.
8/10
89. No Man's Land by Martin Day
This is a really fantastic World War I story with a creative concept and great character work. The pacing is excellent, enough time is spent getting to know the characters and location, and Hex gets some great stuff to do. No Man's Land had me engaged the whole way through because of that and its excellent commentary on war and soldiers. This story really surprised me with how good it was!
9/10
92. Nocturne by Dan Abnett
The plot of Nocturne is quite slow but the characters and world are the real draw here. The world of Nocturne and Glass City is beautifully realised and the characters are lots of fun. Nocturne being a place that the Doctor visits often because he likes it so much is a really great idea. The plot is a bit meandering and the resolution a bit dull, but everything else is strong. So it's an interesting story that I would recommend.
7/10
106. The Dark Husband by David Quantick
This story has a universally awful reputation and I'm not listening to it.
Overall, an amazing start to the Hex arc with many fantastic stories, looking forward to more!