Synopsis:

• A Review by Stuart Gutteridge
• A Review by John Seavey

A Review by Stuart Gutteridge 5/5/03

The Faction Paradox audios offer something new to listeners in that you don`t need any prior knowledge of events from books featuring them; the audios are completely standalone. This works very much in their favour as the end result we are presented with is something that BBV certainly haven`t produced before - as witnessed by the effort put into the music and performances by the cast in general too. The basic plot follows that of Cousin Justine and her learning to control her Faction bloodline, aided by her mentor Grandfather Morlox (superbly voiced by Ellis Pike). The only downside is that the plot just gets going when it ends on a cliffhanger, leading into The Shadow Play. Dark and atmospheric, The Eleven Day Empire is recommended.

A Review by John Seavey 30/3/04

I'm finally getting into the Faction Paradox audios now, and I have to say, these deserve to be getting more interest and praise than they are. The characters are immediately interesting, with Godfather Morlock stepping in, as it were, for the Doctor by acting as the enigmatic mentor, and Cousins Justine and Eliza are each well-drawn (although the first audio focuses more on Justine.) The dialogue is great, a staple of Miles' writing, and while the story doesn't go far (a limitation of one-CD audios), it certainly whets the appetite for The Shadowplay. I loved it.