Doctor Who review: The Book of Kells (Eighth Doctor audio)

The Eighth Doctor and Tamzin investigate a centuries old mystery surrounding the Book of Kells. But at the Abbey of Kells, something far bigger is going on…

There’s always something satisfying when a really good twist is pulled off and surprises the audience. Particularly when it’s hidden in plain sight. The Book of Kells is a Doctor Who story that accomplishes this not once, but twice.

What’s fantastic about this story is that initially, it seems to be your standard pseudo-historical. The Eighth Doctor and his new companion Tamzin arrive in Ireland, 1006. They’re arrived just before a very famous book, the Book of Kells, is stolen from the Abbey of Kells. The Doctor is very keen to find out why.

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For the first half of the story, writer Barnaby Edwards does a really good job of fleshing out the historical period. He does this partly from the Doctor’s and Tamzin’s exploration of the setting, and partly from fleshing out the characters.

With the characters, we particularly learn of both the religion and the politics at the time. The religion we learn through the monks of the Abbey. The politics, we learn through King Sitric, and what the book means to him in terms of symbolic power.

Sitric is performed wonderfully by veteran actor Terrence Hardiman. Hardiman’s not only played several roles in Big Finish by this point, but has even appeared in TV series episode The Beast Below.

In fact, the whole story is full of great performances. Graeme Garden comes across as very likable as the Abbot. He adds a lot of charm to his role, and he gets the part exactly right.

Brother Bernard is a particularly interesting character. He’s someone who comes across as a real villain, and the Doctor suspects him almost immediately of causing everything strange that’s been going on. Especially when he reaches the end of part one.

The Eighth Doctor and Tamzin encounter an old mystery and faces from the past in the Eighth Doctor Adventure, The Book of Kells.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish

Image obtained from: bigfinish.com.)

When everything changes

This is where it becomes difficult to talk about the plot too much. Suffice it to say that the end of part one changes everything. Not just for this particular story, either. It actually changes everything for the season so far.

You see, the Doctor had known since Situation Vacant that there’s someone else out there. Someone who’s apparently been up to no good. And he finally finds out who in this story.

Part two in many ways changes the direction of the story. Surprisingly, it allows for more comedy, especially as there are moments that almost come across as farcical. The Doctor thinks he knows what’s going on, but instead, it just causes a lot more misunderstandings.

As a story on its own, The Book of Kells is rather fun. There’s a nice amount of comedy in there, and the unusual historical setting is very nicely explored. It’s possibly even more enjoyable on re-listen, as you pick all the clues to the two big twists.

But it’s how it sets up the arc for the rest of the season that really make it stand out. It’s with this story that you finally see exactly what kind of direction season four is going in. When it started, it seemed to be going in a curious direction, especially for its final season. When you hear the very end of this story, however, you finally understand where they’re going with this. And it’s a very exciting direction indeed.

Next: Torchwood review: The Last Beacon (audio)

Have you listened to The Book of Kells? What did you make of the two central twists to the story? Were you happy how an unexpected return was handled? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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