PACK ANIMALS by Peter Anghelides
For a long time I was kept in the dark and I didn`t like that very much. There are quite a few scenes in which strangers were butchered by monsters and these descriptions went sometimes too far for my taste. It often felt like horror for horror`s sake without adding anything of substance to the overall story.
On the other hand, even when I got impatient, I never lost my curiosity of what is going on here. The idea of monster trading cards coming to life is interesting and on a certain level entertaining. Unfortunately the book doesn`t offer much concerning character development. The interactions are predictable and don`t offer any surprises. The only aspect that caught my attention about the known characters is the question about Jack`s limits to regenerate.
It gets more interesting later in the book when answers are being revealed and the climax is well written. For a quick, entertaining read I can recommend the book but it is certainly not one of the best Torchwood novels I have read so far.
SKYPOINT by Phil Ford
When I saw the covers of the new Torchwood books for the first time this one was the least appealing to me. Although there are a few good episodes with Tosh, she never was as interesting to me as the other characters.
This is a good example that you shouldn`t judge a book by its cover because this book is easily the best of the three new Torchwood novels. It has the typical ingredients of Torchwood members going after a monster and defeating the baddies at the end but this book offers much more depth than just being an entertaining horror novel.
Contrary to the other two new offerings, this book is exploring some of the characters in more depth and made me think. The book mainly looks at Tosh and Owen, who they are and what made them the way they are, their relationship and first of all it deals with the question of death and afterlife. The TV series looked at Owen`s condition in some excellent episodes but this book explores this topic even more by adding new characters, like a young girl who had also been brought back to life although not by artificial means and her religious mother.
In Skypoint, a huge largely empty new apartment block, you can find also two monsters, one of them is human and the other – I would never have guessed the true nature of that creature. It was a surprise and having watched all episodes, I probably should have guessed the truth.
The book also contains some good scenes with Gwen and Rhys, in this book a newly wed couple. Jack and Ianto also have some good parts.
As it is not unusual for Torchwood, there are some messy scenes in it but within limits and they are usually combined with good character scenes. What I also like is that the end is surprisingly uplifting when you keep the nature of this book in mind.
I can recommend this book very much.
ALMOST PERFECT by James Goss
There is no contest: This is definitely the worst Torchwood book I have read and it took me a long time to finish it. I literally had to force myself to continue reading. The only reason why I did that is because on some level I was curious how this dreadful story will end.
It is a shame. A book exploring the obsession with perfection and beauty could have been very interesting. But instead the book is concentrating on the primitive instincts, on twisted, ugly personalities. The book is constantly looking at the darkest parts of the British binge drinking culture but at the same time giving the impression that wild parties with sex and alcohol is also something attractive and that having fun has to be combined with alcoholic drinks. People are obsessed with clothes and with body image.
Unfortunately some of the main Torchwood characters are no better. It could have been very interesting how Ianto as a woman deals with the change and his friends around him. From the start, there was little sympathy but a barrage of often under-the-belt humour that is everything but funny. Ianto himself was pathetic in this book. All he was interested in is what to wear, complaining about high heels and partying with people who were nothing else but disgusting. Jack wasn`t any better. A lot of what was going on is far away from what I consider to be good taste.
The only plus – and that is a stretch – is Gwen`s husband Rhys. He actually has a really good scene in this book but that is the positive exception of the rule.
This book is dreadful. There is no better word for it.
For a long time I was kept in the dark and I didn`t like that very much. There are quite a few scenes in which strangers were butchered by monsters and these descriptions went sometimes too far for my taste. It often felt like horror for horror`s sake without adding anything of substance to the overall story.
On the other hand, even when I got impatient, I never lost my curiosity of what is going on here. The idea of monster trading cards coming to life is interesting and on a certain level entertaining. Unfortunately the book doesn`t offer much concerning character development. The interactions are predictable and don`t offer any surprises. The only aspect that caught my attention about the known characters is the question about Jack`s limits to regenerate.
It gets more interesting later in the book when answers are being revealed and the climax is well written. For a quick, entertaining read I can recommend the book but it is certainly not one of the best Torchwood novels I have read so far.
SKYPOINT by Phil Ford
When I saw the covers of the new Torchwood books for the first time this one was the least appealing to me. Although there are a few good episodes with Tosh, she never was as interesting to me as the other characters.
This is a good example that you shouldn`t judge a book by its cover because this book is easily the best of the three new Torchwood novels. It has the typical ingredients of Torchwood members going after a monster and defeating the baddies at the end but this book offers much more depth than just being an entertaining horror novel.
Contrary to the other two new offerings, this book is exploring some of the characters in more depth and made me think. The book mainly looks at Tosh and Owen, who they are and what made them the way they are, their relationship and first of all it deals with the question of death and afterlife. The TV series looked at Owen`s condition in some excellent episodes but this book explores this topic even more by adding new characters, like a young girl who had also been brought back to life although not by artificial means and her religious mother.
In Skypoint, a huge largely empty new apartment block, you can find also two monsters, one of them is human and the other – I would never have guessed the true nature of that creature. It was a surprise and having watched all episodes, I probably should have guessed the truth.
The book also contains some good scenes with Gwen and Rhys, in this book a newly wed couple. Jack and Ianto also have some good parts.
As it is not unusual for Torchwood, there are some messy scenes in it but within limits and they are usually combined with good character scenes. What I also like is that the end is surprisingly uplifting when you keep the nature of this book in mind.
I can recommend this book very much.
ALMOST PERFECT by James Goss
There is no contest: This is definitely the worst Torchwood book I have read and it took me a long time to finish it. I literally had to force myself to continue reading. The only reason why I did that is because on some level I was curious how this dreadful story will end.
It is a shame. A book exploring the obsession with perfection and beauty could have been very interesting. But instead the book is concentrating on the primitive instincts, on twisted, ugly personalities. The book is constantly looking at the darkest parts of the British binge drinking culture but at the same time giving the impression that wild parties with sex and alcohol is also something attractive and that having fun has to be combined with alcoholic drinks. People are obsessed with clothes and with body image.
Unfortunately some of the main Torchwood characters are no better. It could have been very interesting how Ianto as a woman deals with the change and his friends around him. From the start, there was little sympathy but a barrage of often under-the-belt humour that is everything but funny. Ianto himself was pathetic in this book. All he was interested in is what to wear, complaining about high heels and partying with people who were nothing else but disgusting. Jack wasn`t any better. A lot of what was going on is far away from what I consider to be good taste.
The only plus – and that is a stretch – is Gwen`s husband Rhys. He actually has a really good scene in this book but that is the positive exception of the rule.
This book is dreadful. There is no better word for it.
