See part 1 here: @reviewed/doctor-who-7th-doctor-ace-and-hex-monthly-stories-part-1-reviewed
My blog: https://comparestorereviewsdw.wordpress.com/
115. Forty-Five by Mark Morris, Nick Scovell, Mark Michalowski and Steven Hall
This is a bit of a mixed bag of a release. Forty-Five consists of 4 separate but connected stories, all revolving around '45' in some way. The first story, False Gods, has the Doctor and co in the desert, visiting a dig site with Howard Carter (played by Benedict Cumberbatch!) and some time shenanigans happen. I enjoyed this story although it's nothing particularly special. 7/10
The second story, Order of Simplicity, is pretty awful. It started decently, with good atmosphere and setup, but quickly devolved into a very dumb and also boring story that had very few redeeming qualities for me. Didn't enjoy it at all. 3/10
I really enjoyed Casualties of War, it involves the team visiting London in 1945 at the end of WWII. They visit Ace's mum (a couple of years after events in The Curse of Fenric) and the mysterious Forge pop up again...I loved the clues towards what I'm sure will be an eventually heartbreaking event, and this is just a really solid story in general. 8/10
I'd heard very good things about The Word Lord, and it didn't disappoint. Just like Urgent Calls, The Word Lord makes amazing use of 25 minutes, throwing in interesting characters, a cool setting and an incredible original villain, played to perfection by Paul Reynolds. Excellent stuff. 9/10
So if we throw out Order of Simplicity, then Forty-Five is great! At least Order is only 1 part. The rest, especially The Word Lord, is worth a listen.
Overall 7/10
120. The Magic Mousetrap by Matthew Sweet and Marc Platt
The Magic Mousetrap sets up an intriguing mystery and includes a great villain reveal and a fantastic, unique soundtrack. In The Magic Mousetrap, The Doctor arrives at a Sanatorium in the Swiss Alps, without memory of who he is or why he is there. The supporting cast is really quite fantastic here, from the Randall brothers to Queenie to Ludovic Comfort, all interesting and entertaining characters. An excellent story!
9/10
121. Enemy of the Daleks by David Bishop and Marc Platt
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Enemy of the Daleks is an interesting story. It gives a solid attempt at a different side of the 'have I right' stuff from Genesis of the Daleks, and it also has some great side characters, but the story just isn't that great. It's decent, but something feels off with it. I suppose firstly the music is weird. Bombastic 90s guitar and drums is an odd choice for such an oftentimes depressing story. The voice for the enemy of the daleks is also pretty annoying. Enemy of the Daleks does start well with an intriguing hook said by the Doctor but I think it just gets a bit too action based to really be that interesting.
7/10
122. The Angel of Scutari by Paul Sutton and Marc Platt
"October 1854: As the British Army charges into catastrophe in the Crimea, the Minister for War sends Miss Florence Nightingale to take charge of the field hospital at Scutari.
But there's already an angel of mercy working with the wounded at Scutari. A first-rate fellow who's turned up out of the blue. Goes by the name of Schofield; Thomas Hector Schofield..."
What a story. The Angel of Scutari is both low key and character driven, but also big and sprawling. I loved this story, but it is definitely flawed. I feel like The Angel of Scutari could have actually benefited from being longer. It has quite a lot to juggle, what with its non-linear narrative and the TARDIS team being separated for much of the run time, and I would have loved to have spent a bit more time with the side characters (especially those with Hex, Jeany Spark's brilliant Florence Nightingale, for example). Despite that, Hex absolutely shines here, and Philip Olivier gives an utterly fantastic performance. The non-linear narrative works well too, giving added depth to the story, but it also contributes to a slightly rushed feeling. I just wanted it to be longer! Still an amazing story, and I was enraptured the whole way through.
9/10
Great stories again this time around, and nearly at A Death in the Family!