The Ruby's Curse was the seventieth novel and the seventh special release published by BBC Books in the BBC New Series Adventures. It was written by Alex Kingston, featuring both River Song and Melody Malone.
- You may be looking for the in-universe version.
Publisher's summary[[edit] | [edit source]]
She's got ice in her heart and a kiss on her lips...
1939, New York. Private Eye, Melody Malone, is hired to find a stolen ruby, the Eye of Horus. The ruby might hold the secret to the location of Cleopatra's tomb - but everyone who comes into contact with it dies. Can Melody escape the ruby's curse?
1939, New York. River Song, author of the Melody Malone Mysteries, is forced to find a reality-altering weapon, the Eye of Horus - but everyone who comes into contact with it dies. River doesn't believe in curses - but is she wrong?
From the top-security confines of Stormcage to the barbarism of first-century Egypt, River battles to find the Eye of Horus before its powers are used to transform the universe. To succeed, she must team up with a most unlikely ally - her own fictional alter ego, Melody. And together they must solve another mystery: Is fiction changing into fact - or is fact changing into fiction?
Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]
to be added
Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]
Dramatis personae[[edit] | [edit source]]
- River Song
- Ventrion
- Death
- Cleopatra
- Caesarion
- Charmian
- Iris
- Julius Caesar
- Cat
- Tomas
- Ezra
- Sukri
- Nebi
- Oba
- Jal
- Seti
- Shenti
- Immi
- Amy Pond
- Rory Williams
- Jack Harkness
- Thirteenth Doctor
Melodramatis personae[[edit] | [edit source]]
Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]
- River is held in Cell 426.
- Stormcage defenses include nanotechnology and laser grids.
- River is the author of the paper Concomitant Development on the Ood Sphere and the Sense Sphere.
- Jack and Death own the latest model of vortex manipulator, capable of carrying two at a time.
- Death has the claw of a Raxacoricofallapatorian.
Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
to be added
Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]
- River explains she's "half-human on her mother and father's side." (TV: Doctor Who)
- River was raised by the Silence and Madame Kovarian. (TV: Let's Kill Hitler)
- River mentions that the Doctor has lost her parents forever. (TV: The Angels Take Manhattan)
- River recalls that her first novel was written purely as a message for the Doctor. (TV: The Angels Take Manhattan)
- River recalls writing The Angel's Kiss. (PROSE: The Angel's Kiss: A Melody Malone Mystery)
- Amy plans to take over the writing of the Melody Malone series. (WC: Rory's Story)
- River is familiar with Jack Harkness. (AUDIO: R&J)
- River mentions that there is no way of asking "Madam, what year is this?" without sounding weird. (TV: Dimensions in Time)
- River recalls she previously impersonated Cleopatra. (TV: The Pandorica Opens)
- River speculates she might be in an offshoot of the Land of Fiction. (TV: The Mind Robber)
- River's vortex manipulator is destroyed. (TV: The Husbands of River Song)
Audiobook[[edit] | [edit source]]
This novel was released as an audiobook on 20 May 2021 complete and unabridged by BBC Audio and read by Alex Kingston.[1]
Audiobook cover.
Textless audiobook cover.
External links[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Official The Ruby's Curse page at Penguin Books
- Official The Ruby's Curse audiobook page at Penguin Books