Parasites were not allowed the dignity of names, but under the circumstances Hezzka acknowledged that the beast was called Mr Jottipher.

The militant turtle-like Chelonians are a particularly entertaining creation of Gareth Roberts’, here attempting to take over the planet Zamper, a building yard for warships with its own intriguing secrets of who is really in charge, and how. The story actually reminded me quite a lot of The Leisure Hive, and that in a very good way, though the settings are quite different. The Doctor and companions Benny, Chris and Roz get a little crowded out of the plot by the bullying Chelonians, but that’s all right – the Tardis crew will be back in the next book.