At Childhood's End (novel)

Once, a girl called Ace travelled the universe with the Doctor – until, in the wake of a terrible tragedy they parted company. Decades later, she is known as Dorothy McShane, the reclusive millionaire philanthropist who heads global organisation A Charitable Earth.

And Dorothy is haunted by terrible nightmares, vivid dreams that begin just as scores of young runaways are vanishing from the dark alleyways of London. Could the disappearances be linked to sightings of sinister creatures lurking in the city shadows? Why has an alien satellite entered a secret orbit around the Moon?

Investigating the satellite with Ryan, Graham and Yaz, the Doctor is thrown together with Ace once more. Together they must unravel a malevolent plot that will cost thousands of lives. But can the Doctor atone for her past incarnation’s behaviour – and how much must Ace sacrifice to win victory not only for herself, but for the Earth?

Plot

to be added

Characters

References

Television

Ryan recognises Chantelle from Checkout Girls vs Sea Monsters and Alien Bike Riders.
Graham recognises Chantelle from EastEnders.
Graham compares Yaz to Gene Hunt.

The TARDIS

Ace reminiscences on the TARDIS' old control room

Organisations

Various people recognise Ace from her charity, A Charitable Earth.
Ace tells the Doctor she'd taken the money that would later be used to start her charity from her after an incident involving the Cybermen.

Notes

Audiobook cover.

An audiobook was released by BBC Physical Audio on 6 February 2020, read by Sophie Aldred.

Continuity

Team TARDIS know that the Doctor used to be a man. (TV: Spyfall)
Ace is concerned that the Torchwood Institute (TV: Army of Ghosts, Everything Changes), UNIT (TV: The Web of Fear) or the Intrusion Counter-Measures Group (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks) would be after her technology.
The Tower of London used to be UNIT's UK headquarters (TV: The Christmas Invasion, The Power of Three, The Day of the Doctor, The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion) but has now been axed by the government. (TV: Resolution) A Charitable Earth's headquarters are established opposite the tower.
Ace refers to meeting the Cybermen during the the Blitz (PROSE: Illegal Alien)
Devesham is home to the Space Defence Station (TV: The Android Invasion)
Ace recalls liberating Terra Alpha (TV: The Happiness Patrol) and Segonax (TV: The Greatest Show in the Galaxy)
Ace remembers being taken by a time-storm by Fenric (TV: Dragonfire, The Curse of Fenric)
To convince Ace that she is the Doctor, the Thirteenth Doctor mentions Daleks (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks) and how Ace hates clowns (TV: The Greatest Show in the Galaxy)
The Seventh Doctor had some everlasting matches (PROSE: Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with the Daleks)
Sarah Jane Smith had previously shown awareness of Ace's charity work (TV: Death of the Doctor)
Yaz recalls Ryan's father defeating a Dalek with a microwave. (TV: Resolution)
Ace previously met someone called Justine. (PROSE: Cat's Cradle: Warhead, Warlock)
Chantelle eventually died in the early 21st century due to her weakened immune system being caused by severe pollution. (PROSE: Cat's Cradle: Warhead)
Ace arrives on a planet/spaceship that happens to be made of flesh. (PROSE: Love and War)
During her travels, Ace found one timeline where it showed her living on Gallifrey (AUDIO: Intervention Earth), a life where she and the Doctor traveled with a dark-haired woman (PROSE: Love and War, Deceit-Set Piece) and flirted with a young man (PROSE: Nightshade, Love and War, AUDIO: The Harvest), killing a Dalek while the explosion reflected in her black sunglasses (PROSE: Deceit, et. al), a life where she lived with a descendant of Sorin (TV: The Curse of Fenric, PROSE: Set Piece) and got killed in a Nitro-Nine Explosion (COMIC: Ground Zero), and a life where she grew old travelling with the Doctor. (AUDIO: Signs and Wonders)

External links

Official At Childhood's End page at Penguin Books
Official At Childhood's End audiobook page at Penguin Books
Penguin Books's official podcast Sophie Aldred with Katy Brand interview about the book