The Depths of Despair (novel)

The Depths of Despair is the fourth book in The Darksmith Legacy series.

Publisher's summary
The Doctor arrives in an underwater base on the planet Flydon Maxima - known locally as 'Despair' because hope is lost for all life there. The scientific base has for centuries been monitoring the results of planetary warming - the slow melting of the glaciers at the south pole and subsequent rise in sea levels. Curiously their most advanced monitoring equipment was created and donated by Varlos. The Doctor is helped by a little girl called Gisella. Why did Varlos risk coming here? What has caused the ice to crumble so rapidly now? Can the Doctor evade the rampaging Dreadbringers, and sort out the attacking sea monsters? Who is Gisella and will she and the Doctor manage to escape in the TARDIS?

Characters

 * The Doctor
 * Brother Krazon
 * High Minister Drakon
 * Captain Strova
 * Private Lenk
 * Private Rodoff
 * Hank
 * Gisella

The Books

 * Interspersed with the main fiction is:
 * TARDIS Data Bank (extra information on 'The Oceans of Flydon Maxima' and 'Darksmith Collective' and Brother Varlos)
 * Activity pages x4 (The puzzle solutions give the reader the chance to think like the Doctor!)
 * The Story so far, next instalment cover preview and opening preview.


 * The Darksmith Legacy's overall story was devised by Justin Richards who contributed four of the ten titles.
 * The Darksmith Legacy was certificated to 13, with under 13's needing parental approval.
 * This first book in the series was released along with the second before the remaining titles saw a monthly release throughout 2009.
 * Each book in the series was priced £4.99 (UK) and featured a foiled cover with illustration by Peter McKinstry

Interactive Website Content
By visiting the website and participating in the Quest participants can unlock additional content like computer wallpapers to download. The Quest itself features; games - (like finding a specific target in an image, by using the sonic screwdriver as a detector, to hone in (to register 100 on the scale). Once located the 'Target' then provides additional information used in further puzzles involving both words and numbers.

Continuity
Gratuitous references include the Doctors remark about the TARDIS being able to withstand the might of the Pyroviles – not a great example as they never tried!

Timeline

 * This story takes place after TDL: The Colour of Darkness
 * This story takes place before TDL: The Vampire of Paris