With the current season of Doctor Who drawing to a close, it feels like the right time to see the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday step into the expanded universe (or should that be Whoniverse) in Ruby Red. This original novel by Georgia Cook (writer of Big Finish’s Eleventh and Twelfth Doctor Chronicles and Gallifrey: War Room) is the first in a regenerated run of Doctor Who‘s New Series Adventures novels, which began with The Clockwise Man in 2005. These novels feature the further adventures of the TV series’ current leads without the confines of a 45-minute time-slot or a BBC (now with extra Disney+) budget.

In 1242, the TARDIS materialises on the frozen surface of Lake Peipus, where the historical Battle on the Ice is imminent. The Doctor and Ruby encounter Ranavere, an alien raised to be a Rentaran warrior who has been sent to Earth to fight her first battle in a coming-of-age ritual, but her efforts to escape it are quashed when her Valkyrie sisters Helgadane and Cellisamere arrive. But under the ice, something is stirring which poses a threat to the entire universe…

With possessed wolves, armoured alien Valkyries and a particularly hostile environment, Ruby Red is the sort of story that would be a challenge to do on TV, although it works perfectly in prose. The setting of Lake Peipus (situated between Estonia and Russia) is particularly unique for a Doctor Who adventure, and injects a bit of real-world history into a sci-fi tale in a way that feels very in-keeping with the original intentions of the series. It helps that Cook’s writing is short and sharp, creating a strong sense of pace and crafting a tale which will appeal to younger and older fans alike. The sister dynamic between the three Rentaran characters (Ranavere, Helgadane and Cellisamere) make for an interesting throughline, and a more nuanced take on what could feel like a very clichéd storyline. Similarly, the story’s main foe is approached with a degree of moral ambiguity, resulting in a more engaging conflict for the Doctor. Not to mention that the ruby red-possessed eyes are a great visual that will be sure to stick in readers’ imaginations.

Ruby Red feels like a bonus episode from this season, with author Georgia Cook capturing the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby’s characters seemingly with ease. It’s not difficult to imagine Ncuti Gatwa performing the Doctor’s dialogue on TV, while Ruby’s connection with Ranavere (strengthened by their shared history as adopted children) makes for a nice throughline in the narrative. Even the TARDIS’ new coffee machine from The Star Beast is incorporated (Sunday roast flavour coffee, anyone?), while the Doctor’s concerns about the TARDIS seem to relate to a running theme with this current season. It’s also worth mentioning for Whovians that the audiobook of Ruby Red is read by Ruby Sunday herself, Millie Gibson, while the hardback edition features terrific cover artwork courtesy of Lee Binding and goes perfectly on the shelf with the The Church on Ruby Road novelisation from earlier this year.

All in all, Ruby Red is a great adventure for the new TARDIS team, with interesting characters, a unique historical setting and a creepy threat that might be just as good nightmare fuel as anything seen on TV.

Ruby Red is available to order now here!