With the latest season of Doctor Who having concluded recently, it’s great to see the further adventures of the Fifteenth Doctor in the expanded universe. Fear Death by Water is the first of this new run of Doctor Who‘s New Series Adventures novels (a series which began 20 years ago with The Clockwise Man), and is written by Emily Cook — a Doctor Who Magazine writer and editor, who also organised the Doctor Who Lockdown tweet-a-longs in 2020.

Set between the events of Joy to the World and The Robot Revolution, this original novel sees the Fifteenth Doctor (played on-screen by Ncuti Gatwa) arrive in Northumberland, 1838 on a literal sinking ship. The Doctor and the survivors are rescued by Grace Darling and her father, the local lighthouse-keeper — a heroic act which sees Grace become a local celebrity. But something is lurking in the water, something which has developed a connection to Grace…

What instantly sets Fear Death by Water apart from other Who stories is the focus on real-life historical figure Grace Darling, and while the narrative twists what really happened into a science-fiction story, there is a concerted effort to educate the reader about Grace and her real-world impact. This emphasis feels very much in line with Doctor Who‘s ‘educational’ aspirations from its inception in the 1960s, before the series became more monster-centric. It’s a ‘celebrity historical’ tale, but one that focuses on a real-life figure many readers might not have even heard of, especially younger Who fans. Cook’s prologue (and metatextual epilogue) serve as welcome bookends to contextualise the real-world history — outside of the sci-fi elements — for the reader.

If there’s an issue with this, it’s that the historical aspects of the story end up being a bit more interesting than the sci-fi aspects. The first half of Fear Death by Water plays almost like a ‘pure’ historical tale, albeit with hints of something supernatural going on too, while the second half incorporates some alien characters in a sub-plot that doesn’t quite land. It’s a difficult balancing act for a story like this, and it’s to the author’s credit that the fictional elements of the narrative never overshadow the real-life historical aspects.

Emily Cook really manages to capture the Fifteenth Doctor’s voice throughout, exploring a version of the character who’s travelling on his own after Ruby’s departure. There are some really nice character moments sprinkled throughout, and it’s easy to imagine Ncuti Gatwa reading these lines. There are also a plethora of call backs and references for Doctor Who fans to look out for; part of the plot revolves around the Doctor needing mercury to refill the TARDIS’ fluid link, while the intelligent gloves from The Church on Ruby Road make a comeback. It’s also worth mentioning for Whovians that the audiobook of Fear Death by Water is read by Susan Triad actor, Susan Twist, while the hardback edition features terrific cover artwork courtesy of the talented Lee Binding which matches nicely with last year’s range of NSA novels.

All in all, Fear Death by Water is a strong historical adventure for the Fifteenth Doctor which blends real-life events with the familiar sci-fi elements of the series. The extra-terrestrial aspects may feel a bit lacking, but the more grounded aspects of the story make for a really engaging read.

Fear Death By Water is available to order here!