New Novels Focusing on Adventures of the Fifteenth Doctor and Belinda Chandra Coming in May 2025!

Exciting new Doctor Who novels are set to release this May, bringing fresh adventures for the Fifteenth Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa, and his upcoming companion, Belinda Chandra, played by Varada Sethu. Fans can look forward to two thrilling stories, Fear Death by Water by Emily Cook and Spectral Scream by Hannah Fergesen, both releasing on May 29th, 2025. These novels will be available in hardback and audiobook formats (both CD and digital).

The first novel, Fear Death by Water, takes the Doctor and a group of survivors to Northumberland in 1838. The TARDIS crashes onto a sinking steamship, and the Doctor and the others must fight to survive. Meanwhile, Grace Darling, the daughter of the local lighthouse keeper, risks her life to rescue them.

Though Grace is celebrated as a heroine for her bravery, she is haunted by a terrifying vision of a sea monster that she saw during the storm. This creature has been wrecking ships and stealing the souls of the drowned—and it’s real. As Grace battles with her inner demons, the Doctor must help her confront the terrifying truth.

Fear Death by Water will be read by Susan Twist, known for her work as Susan Triad in Ncuti Gatwa’s first season as the Doctor.

Northumberland, 1838. The TARDIS crash lands on board a sinking steamship. Stranded, the Doctor and the few survivors fight for their lives – while the local lighthouse keeper’s daughter, Grace Darling, risks her life to row to their rescue.

Lauded a heroine, Grace struggles to cope with her new-found fame. But the Doctor senses something else is troubling Grace. She’s been tormented by the terrifying vision she saw out at sea in the storm. There’s a monster in her mind, wrecking ships and stealing the souls of the drowned. And it’s real.

The second novel, Spectral Scream, begins when a psychic cry for help nearly overwhelms the TARDIS. The Doctor and Belinda track the distress signal to a distant planet, where they find a sentient bioship named Adama and the desperate survivors of its crashed crew. Adama is dying, and its psychic screams are growing so powerful that they threaten to kill anyone nearby.

The crash occurred a century ago, and Adama was carrying a valuable treasure—stolen technology from the Gangnax Imperium. This technology could either unite or destroy entire worlds. To save the bioship and its crew, the Doctor and Belinda must navigate through suspicious colonists, greedy bounty hunters, and military forces all while racing against time to prevent the destruction of the bioship.

Spectral Scream will be read by Michelle Asante, who had a brief role in Doctor Who‘s In the Forest of the Night episode.

When a psychic shriek for help nearly overwhelms the TARDIS, the Doctor and Belinda track the source to a distant planet. There they find a sentient, telepathic bioship named Adama and ragged colonists descended from the original crew. Adama is dying, and their spectral screams are growing strong enough to kill anyone in the vicinity. 

When Adama crashed 100 years ago, it was with a great treasure on board, stolen from the ruthless Gangnax Imperium – technology that could either unite worlds or destroy them. If they are to save the bioship, the Doctor and Belinda must survive suspicious colonists, greedy bounty hunters and military forces determined to reclaim what’s theirs – before Adama’s final death throes destroy them all.

Both Fear Death by Water and Spectral Scream will be released on May 29, 2025, in hardback and audiobook formats (CD and digital). You can pre-order both books now.

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