h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The Valeshini Quest is a spectacular story from the pen(or fingers) of Mike Mills.

The story begins well with a parody of the Supreme Dalek scene which can be found at the start of Penny and Mills 'Trap of the Daleks'.
Only the Supreme Daleks has been replaced by the allmight Valeshini Emperor.
Mike Mills continues to make the Valeshini a comical enemy with great success but also manages to let them retain their menace, as well as some of their darker aspects, which could be found in Martin pennys 'Vengeance'.

The Valeshini Emperor himself is one of the stories biggest triumphs, and the reader can imagine Philip Madoc saying the lines. The Emperors booming voice and the way he intimidates his colleagues is very impressive and he comes across as being an evil tyrant rather than the blustering lazy politician seen in 'Vengeance', and there is a genuinley chilling scene where he executes one of his aides.
This also makes the Fifth Doctors comment that the valeshini are 'One of the most evil races in the galaxy' seem all too true.

The other Valeshini characters are also well done, particulary Fleet Commander Rees, who succeeds in being one of the most three dimensional Valeshini characters to date, along with Fleet Commander Briers and General Chagrin.

The length of the story is its greatest asset, and it is well split up, the action and drama are set up very well and the reader never grows tired of the frenetic pace at which the story moves.

Another interesting part of the story is the festival of Colours, a gathering of many different species is a spectacular sight and one which is very awe inspiring as you read it.

Mills also manages to bring the characters of the Doctor and Ace to life very succesfully, one can imagine Sylvestor McCoy and Sophie Aldred saying their lines all too well.
Also well used if the use of another Doctor and companion, in this case the Fifth Doctor and Turlough, although they only appear briefly it was a nice surprise.

We also have the return of Castellan Zigrosi, who had been killed back in Trap of the Daleks and had appeared in quite a few penny and Mills stories. This is one of Zigrosis earlier regenerations as the Doctor points out, and this works much better than simply having Zigrosi resurrected or survived in some way.

Mike Mills also quite succesfully uses The revelation that the Valeshini's machinations cause the Northern Lights, which is an interesting bit of Historical manipulation on his part.

Overall, the Valeshini Quest is a brilliant story, well written Doctor, companions, Villains and allies with humour, horror and danger all thrown in, his greatest triumph to date.