This is definitely an above-average VNA novel, and one of the better ones so far (I'm reading them in order). The two new companions for this story - and future ones - are interesting, and I like that we get bits of their backstories scattered through the novel until at the end you understand their personalities and motivations.

I didn't predict the villain 'reveal' at the end of the story, although I'm not sure enough hints were dropped to allow for this. It would perhaps have been better done a bit earlier in the book, as there are a few pages of discussions between the villain and the Doctor - which mostly consists of ret-conning - and then they're easily defeated. It's a shame as the villain is really good in their original story, so this feels a bit of a let-down in comparison.

Overall, I found this easy to read and enjoyable - unlike a few VNAs to date where I've been reading them for the sake of going through the series in order rather than because they're good in their own right.