The Silent Stars Go By (novel)

The Silent Stars Go By is a hardcover book that marked the return of the Ice Warriors.

Publisher's summary
"Things have to get worse before they can get better. Trouble is, I think they're about to get a lot worse. As worse as worse can be. And then some."

For centuries the Morphans have worked. With no help from other worlds, they subsist on the food they can grow and that's little enough. But their purpose, their whole life is to maintain the machines that will one day make their world as habitable as old Earth.

Life used to be hard. Now as their crops fail, livestock sickens, and the temperature drops, it's becoming impossible. This year's winter festival won't be the usual celebration. It's not a time for optimism or hope – and it's not a time to welcome unexpected guests. The Doctor, Amy and Rory find a society breaking apart under the strain. Tensions are mounting, old rivalries are coming to the fore, people are dying...

And then the Doctor's old enemies the Ice Warriors make their move. With the cold-hearted threat of invasion, the real battle for survival begins. Or does it? The Doctor begins to suspect that behind everything lies a deadlier, and even more chilling danger...

Characters

 * Eleventh Doctor
 * Amy Pond
 * Rory Williams
 * Arabel Flurrish
 * Harvesta Flurrish
 * Samewell Crook
 * Ice Warriors
 * Ixyldir
 * Ssord
 * Bill Groan
 * Winnowner Cropper
 * Jack Duggat
 * Sol Farrow
 * Transrats
 * Transhumans

Continuity

 * The Ice Warriors last appeared in IDW: Cold Blooded War!.
 * When associating snow with Scotland, the Doctor recalls his companion Jamie. He also recalls Victoria when discussing the Ice Warriors. Both were companions of the Second Doctor and were present when the Doctor first encountered the Ice Warriors. (DW: The Ice Warriors)
 * Rory remembers seeing Cybermen marching. He first encountered a damaged Cyberman in DW: The Pandorica Opens, and later stormed a full Cyber force in DW: A Good Man Goes to War.
 * The Doctor mentions the Jagrafess (DW: The Long Game) and Castrovalva (DW: Castrovalva).
 * The Doctor mentions having a fur coat. (DW: The Abominable Snowmen, DW: The Five Doctors, DW: Time and the Rani)
 * Amy describes the Daleks as "Ras-py voiced a-liens who talk like this and yell ex-ter-mi-nate". Amy met the Daleks in DW: Victory of the Daleks.

Audio release

 * The story was released as an audiobook on 6x CD read by Michael Maloney.
 * The audiobook is also available as a download from the AudioGo website.