This is the first of Magrs’ Doctor Who novels, and also the first to feature the peculiar Iris Wildthyme, who claims to be a the Doctor’s girlfriend from the old days in Gallifrey, driving around in a Tardis in the shape of a double-decker London bus. I find Magrs a bit variable but this was a good start to his Who career, a quest narrative set on the peculiar magical planet of Hyspero, with everyone looking for their own particular goals, including a couple of additional companions picked up on the way. The Doctor/Sam relationship is back on form, and the Doctor’s dynamic with Iris – combined irritation and affection – works rather well. Having said which, as with all quest narratives, it’s a bit episodic and the end doesn’t quite flow from the middle. But after a couple of less impressive Eighth Doctor adventures I feel the series was getting back on form here.