I wouldn’t go so far as to say Nikita Gill’s Doctor Who: The Angel of Redemption is an “epic poem” about the history of the Weeping Angels the way its synopsis suggests. Not really. But what it is is a genuinely moving, surprisingly personal tale of one Weeping Angel’s journey of redemption – and how that journey leads them across the Doctor’s path. Gill’s verse is simple, yet endlessly emotional. The Angel of Redemption is a poem about loneliness; about one being’s search for love in a universe that’s only ever shown them cruelty. A poem about how even the most wicked of monsters can find goodness and hope and light in the darkest of shadows.

For a poem that takes you from the Weeping Angels’ birth at the beginning of the universe to 21st Century Earth, it’s definitely a bit on the short side; much closer to a novella than a full-length story. And as such, it can sometimes feel like Gill blazes through parts of the story, passing by moments that would almost certainly benefit from a bit more exploration. But given how focused the story is on this one particular Angel’s life, it’s hard to fault the brevity.

And the story itself is so good, so tinged with heartache and sorrow and melancholy and hope. It’s exactly the kind of story you’d always hoped the Weeping Angels might get. A story that humanizes them in a way; that sheds a light on the sorrow underneath the monster. And in that respect, it’s hard to find any fault at all.

The best way to experience The Angel of Redemption is via the audiobook, though. Poetry is almost always best heard aloud, and that’s very much the case here. It is, after all, an oral tale of sorts. A legend meant to be passed down from generation to generation; the story of the Angel who found redemption through a Golden God. And Ayesha Antoine reads it gorgeously, her performance adding an immense amount of melancholy, fear, and hope. The Angel of Redemption is a great read, but it’s an even better listen.

At the end of the day, The Angel of Redemption is a sweet, haunting story. It shines a new light on a classic Doctor Who baddie while also being wholly accessible to those unfamiliar with the show. After all, who isn’t haunted by the statues of angels that litter graveyards?

5 out of 5 wands.

Doctor Who: The Angel of Redemption is available now in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats from BBC Books.