It's almost an excercise in futility to list off Kate Orman's credentials when it comes to Doctor Who fiction. Kate has yet to deliver a clunker -- even her poorest work, "Sleepy", is head and shoulders above many other New Adventures -- and so it seems fitting that the she should get one more kick at the can (and the Doctor) before the Seventh Doctor's tenure concludes next month in "Lungbarrow".

And, while I haven't read "Lungbarrow" yet, it seems to me that "Room" is to that novel very much what "The Keeper Of Traken" was to "Logopolis": it's a penultimate story which knows it's a penultimate story, and sets about making way for the end of an era and -- more importantly -- setting the stage for the new era beyond. In "Room" the Seventh Doctor begins to pass judgment on himself, acknowledging mistakes made and battle lost, while Chris reaches a crossroads -- rather than suffering from depression and angst (a la "Eternity Weeps"), the former Adjudicator emerges from recent events a new man, a man not dogged by old ghosts but exhibiting a new appreciation for himself, and for the life gifted him by the sacrifice of others.

Kate's strengths as always are in her deft handling of the main cast -- in particular, she somehow manages to resolve the inconsistencies in Chris' portrayal between "Bad Therapy" and "Eternity Weeps" and make him all the better for it. No hokey "coming of age" story this: Chris' battles and inner turmoil and all too realistic, and his ultimate renewal of self-faith is all the more believable and compelling because of it. Even before Roz's death, Chris was always a slightly shallow character; much as Kate did for the post-"Deceit" Ace in "Set Piece", in "Room" she adds a long-missing dimension to Cwej's personality.

The Doctor, too, is marvellously handled. Kate has him exhibit a frailty and vulnerability indicative of the nearness of his regeneration, and yet this development does not feel forced -- the Doctor is still his usual indomitable self but, well, he's getting old, and in "Room" we become all too aware of this. For the first time since "Human Nature", I find myself realising how much I'm really going to miss the Seventh Doctor when he's gone. No doubt this will make the reading of "Lungbarrow" all the more enrapturing.

The guest cast is slightly more variable, the most noticeable problem being a lack of development time for some -- the aliens, in particular, suffer from this, with their inclusion seeming a little forced and hurried. The people of Hekison village are generally a faceless bunch, and the near-immortal samurai Kame surprisingly faceless. Victorian time traveller Penelope Gate is far more interesting -- the style adopted for scenes written from her point of view is subtly effective, with "Mr Cwej"s and the like abounding -- but it seemed Orman wasn't always certain what to do with her. Her mistrust of the Doctor, in particular, felt a little overdone, though if nothing else she provided a nice springboard for the other characters.

Best handled is Joel Mintz from "Return Of The Living Dad". Joel is, of course, a thinly-veiled Typical Doctor Who Fan. How many of us haven't thought about going back in time and righting some minor wrong... but always being careful not to affect history too much, lest the web of time be damaged! That Joel's attempts to (basically) *be* the Doctor fail miserably just enhances all the more how special an individual the Time Lord is -- he does things which aren't just difficult, but nigh impossible, even for someone whe's long studied his methods. And it also emphasises the difficult role the Doctor has been trying to prepare Chris for, should he be willing to assume the mantle of Time's Champion, as (it would appear) is the culmination of the Doctor's plans for his companion. It is hard not to feel sorry for Joel when things go astray, even if he does end up siding with the Doctor's enemies in order to survive, and ends up making things far worse rather than better. He's a man in over his head, unable to appreciate the enormity of events; and he's still very much *us*, regardless of his failings. That the Doctor relents in punishing Joel is perversely gratifying -- we know Joel deserves what the Doctor had in store for him but, well, wouldn't *we* want the Doctor to give us a second chance?

"The Room With No Doors" is probably Kate's best effort at plotting since "The Left-Handed Hummingbird". Although the idea is straightforward and uncomplicated, Kate's thematic and character-related asides seem better integrated here than in the past -- more quick trips off the main trail for a rest than complete journies in of themselves. The central ideas of entrapment and powerlessness are well-handled without being overt, enhancing the novel without subsuming it. Orman also makes good use of the lush Japanese setting she weaves -- the Zen riddle of the calligraphy master and student is a compelling problem for the reader to unravel, and is a poignant mirror of the new relationship between the Doctor and Chris: the Adjudicator is no longer in the Time Lord's shadow, but has now proven he can handle things of his own accord. One is still teacher and one still student, but there is a new respect between them which will surely make their parting in "Lungbarrow" all the more effective.

"The Room With No Doors" is a thoroughly enjoyable, beautifully painted novel positioned well as the Seventh Doctor's second-last sojourn. Enhanced by Kate's always quirky and compelling narrative style, a solid plot, and generally excellent characterisation, it not only leads effectively into the climactic "Lungbarrow" but also whets the appetite for Kate's sort-of-last Seventh Doctor NA, "So Vile A Sin".

9/10.

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