The Iron Maid

Companion Chronicles #12.3

Released: 20 June 2018

Listened: 10/6/20

This one is atmospheric, somewhat spooky, and slow-paced, almost like an old-school story. It also has the spotlight squarely on Zoe. The TARDIS crew lands in 14th-century France, where a time rift has opened to World War I, causing the French village to become abandoned, save for one young woman who believes she’s having religious visions. (Not Joan of Arc; Marie is a historical figure, but predates Joan.) Zoe puts together what’s going on, with the Doctor’s help, while Jamie is nearly out of the story entirely. Wendy Padbury does the narration and most of the acting; sometimes even narrating the Doctor’s and Jamie’s lines, although Frazer Hines is in the story. It’s a reasonable time-rift kind of story, although I don’t think it’s quite as spooky as it wants to be. If you enjoy the unraveling of this kind of mystery, you’ll like it. I found it to be somewhat forgettable, unfortunately.