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Publisher's Summary
The Daleks are advancing, their empire constantly expanding in to Earth's space. The Earth forces are resisting the Daleks in every way they can. But the battles rage on across countless solar systems. And now the future of our galaxy hangs in the balance... The Doctor finds himself stranded on board a starship near the front line with a group of ruthless bounty hunters.
Earth Command will pay them for every Dalek they kill, every eye stalk they bring back as proof. With the Doctor's help, the bounty hunters achieve the ultimate prize: a Dalek prisoner - intact, powerless, and ready for interrogation. But where the Daleks are involved, nothing is what it seems, and no one is safe. Before long the tables will be turned, and how will the Doctor survive when he becomes a prisoner of the Daleks?
Characters
Plot
The story starts with the Doctor, who out of curiosity follows a strange signal he finds on the TARDIS scanner towards a desolate planet. Once there he ventures out to the world and into a small room made of stone. Once inside the door closes behind him and the doctor is trapped, seemingly forever with no way to escape. Fortunately for him hours later a starship full of Dalek Bounty hunters show up and open the door, freeing the doctor. The Daleks have also followed the signal though and the team have to run back to the starship with the Doctor, with the Daleks on their heels. The bounty hunters take shots at the Daleks and many to hit one as they run into their ship, freezing the Dalek and meaning the team can capture it. The Doctor asks how this simple group have the technology to subdue to a Dalek and as such learn they are Dalek bounty hunters and it is before the Time War. The Doctor then realizes he should not be here, before going deeper into the starships hold and almost being attacked by Karol as he runs into the frozen Dalek.
References
- Koral's unique ability, of being able to extend blades from her fingers, may be a reference to the "Razorgirls" of the sci-fi novel Neuromancer. (It might also be a reference to X-Men as Wolverine and Lady Deathstrike among other characters can also do this.)
- The planet Auros is blown up by Osterhagen technology.
- The Daleks in this book are pre-Time War due to the Doctor crossing the Dalek timeline. It specifically takes place during the Second Dalek War of the 26th century (see History of the Daleks), though a specific year isn't given.)
- Skaro is still in existence due to being pre-Time War and end of Dalek civil war, and mention of a Supreme Dalek.
- The planet "Gauda Prime" is a reference to Blake's 7; this is the name of the planet on which the last episode of that series was set. ("Auros" may be another such reference, being similair to "Auron", Cally's home planet from B7.)
- The Daleks' speech is printed using a similair font to that used in The Dalek Chronicles and other comic strips.
Locations
Timeline
- Prisoner of the Daleks occurs after: NSA: The Slitheen Excursion
- Prisoner of the Daleks occurs before: NSA: The Taking of Chelsea 426
Continuity
- The Daleks last appeared on television in The Stolen Earth and Journey's End. The last novel the Daleks appeared in was I am a Dalek, a Quick Read novella.
- Osterhagen technology is a reference to the Osterhagen Project, capable of destroying the Earth, as featured in DW: The Stolen Earth and Journey's End.
- This book, as the Doctor is travelling alone, occurs during the specials. It is hard to distinguish actually where, but it is presumably between Planet of the Dead and The Waters of Mars as the Doctor is wearing a brown suit, while he is wearing a blue suit in The Waters of Mars, and is companionless in this novel
- The Doctor suspects that he has jumped a 'time track' when he realises that these Daleks are pre-Time War (cf. The Space Museum).