Review: The Algebra of Ice

Lloyd Rose's latest novel examined.

In which the Seventh Doctor squares a crop circle whilst Ace discovers numerical relationships.

A creature of terrifying power is attempting to break through into our dimension. Something that's not happened since, oooh, Synthespians² a couple of months ago. Still, this is darker, moodier and with fewer shoulder pads than Craig Hinton's offering.

At times it reaches a level of pain, angst and human emotion that would make Paul Cornell proud. Familiar faces (such as the Brigadier) and places (the Doctor's house in Allen Road) add to the Nineties nostalgia. It's as though Virgin's New Adventures never went away. Ace even pulls some boy totty along the way.

There's much talk of entropy in Lloyd Rose's complex tale that might lead you to assume connections with Logopolis. Instead, Rose chooses to rework an idea from The Pirate Planet - a villain bent on cheating death at the expense of the Universe itself.

A highly intelligent novel, but one with an ending that feels rushed. Blink and you'll miss the Doctor's final victory first time around. I know I did.