Where Angels Fear, by Rebecca Levene and Simon Winstone

Second paragraph of third chapter:

When the first Grel subdued the beasts of the plains and mountains, they gave thanks for their mastery of the paradise that was Grellor. For truly there was never a more beautiful world than this land of marshes and dark moist places, and truly there was never a more blessed race than the mighty Grel. For strong they were and handsome of feature; not for them the blighted featureless faces of the other savage and simple beasts. Their tentacles rippled with pride as this brave people recognized their mastery of all before them. The land was theirs, as were the thick abundant oceans.

Rebecca Levene was editor of the Doctor Who New Adventures novels during their glory days, and Simon Winstone was her deputy. Here they combined forces to push the Bernice Summerfield novel series in a new direction, destroying her home base, setting up the enigmatic Irving Braxiatel, bringing back the Grel, and shifting the narrative in general. I really liked it; I felt that it broke away from the rather unvarying series format and also invoked issues of religion and anthropology. Frankly you could skip most of the preceding Bernice novels before reading this one.

This was Rebecca Levene’s first novel (as occasionally mentioned here, she was a friend of mine in Cambridge student days); a sign of things to come.

Next up in this series: The Mary-Sue Extrusion, by Dave Stone.

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