Pack Animals

Torchwood #7

by Peter Anghelides

Shopping for wedding gifts is enjoyable, unless like Gwen you witness a Weevil massacre in the shopping centre. A trip to the zoo is a great day out, until a date goes tragically wrong and Ianto is badly injured by stolen alien tech. And Halloween is a day of fun and frights, before unspeakable monsters invade the streets of Cardiff and it’s no longer a trick or a treat for the terrified population.

Torchwood can control small groups of scavengers, but now someone has given large numbers of predators a season ticket to Earth. Jack’s investigation is hampered when he finds he’s being investigated himself. Owen is convinced that it’s just one guy who’s toying with them. But will Torchwood find out before it’s too late that the game is horribly real, and the deck is stacked against them?

Featuring Captain Jack Harkness as played by John Barrowman, with Gwen Cooper, Owen Harper, Toshiko Sato and Ianto Jones as played by Eve Myles, Burn Gorman, Naoki Mori and Gareth David-Lloyd, in the hit series created by Russell T Davies for BBC Television.

The seventh novel in the bestselling "Torchwood" range from BBC Books

Genres: Science Fiction, Doctor Who, Fiction, Media Tie In, Fantasy, Ebooks, Tv

256 pages, Hardback

First published November 20, 2008

About the author

Anghelides' first published work was the short story "Moving On" in the third volume of the Virgin Decalog collections, which led to further short stories in the fourth collection and then in two of the BBC Short Trips collections that followed. In January 1998, his first novel Kursaal was published as part of BBC Books' Eighth Doctor Adventures series on books. Anghelides subsequently wrote two more novels for the range, Frontier Worlds in November 1999, which was named "Best Eighth Doctor Novel" in the annual Doctor Who Magazine poll of its readers, and the The Ancestor Cell in July 2000 (co-written with departing editor Stephen Cole). The Ancestor Cell was placed ninth in the Top 10 of SFX magazine's "Best SF/Fantasy novelisation or TV tie-in novel" category of that year.

Anghelides also wrote several short stories for a variety of Big Finish Productions' Short Trips and Bernice Summerfield collections. This led, in November 2002, to the production of his first audio adventure for Big Finish, the play Sarah Jane Smith: Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre.

In 2008, he wrote a comic which featured on the Doctor Who website

Reviews

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

All right, let's get the shallow out of the way first: Awesome Jack/Ianto interactions. Seriously. Dates, teasing, hand holding, banter, affection, kissing, Ianto naked (okay, and *spoiler*, but Jack was still appreciative), etc. They were completely awesome and major thumbs up on that front. I also enjoyed all the Welshiness (most authors avoid it entirely, but he wasn't afraid to use very Welsh names and locations and words) and practicing my pronunciations.

The more literary review: This was actually a solid plot, with a lot of tension thrown in; it really read like a good episode of the show. All of the characters (including Rhys) were utilized well and they worked as a cohesive team. Owen was actually well written, even his death angst. (Huge relief after the horror of Skypoint.) The story was actually quite scary in parts, with lots of action, and I was fairly impressed. If only there weren't such obnoxious dialogue tags - Jack would note things five lines in a row, people bleated constantly, and the author apparently has an aversion to the word "said." Bummer, because everything else was so well written that those tags would take me out of the story just about every time.

[Tara Horak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think today was the first day that I stayed off my computer all day. I didn’t even turn the computer on. I spent it reading “Pack Animals”

It immediately grabbed me with the banter between Jack and Ianto. The way they tried to have a real date and ended up getting brought back into Torchwood business at every turn. I think the writer captured the big child that Jack Harkness can be and also captured the dry wit that is one of the many things I love about Ianto Jones.

I was smiling as they kept the chatter up in the car, while avoiding the journalist and while investigating the church. I was smiling even bigger as they roamed the Zoo, Jack holding Ianto's hand as he got disgruntled and walking around in public as a “couple” It was adorable.

I thought this was another great story for Rhys. He shined again and I loved that once again the writer proved that although he gets afraid like the rest of us he is also brave enough to man up with the occasion calls for it. I enjoyed the scenes with Gwen and Rhys investigating and then the car chase.

And I have to admit that this story also compelled to the Hurt/Comfort fan in me. For the latter half of the book Jack was killed so many times I lost count and much of that time he was dealing with a slowly healing leg injury.

The best part of this book though was Ianto becoming invisible. When he grabbed the alien device and the “screen” went blank and he woke up? I assumed he had been transported somewhere else. But instead he woke up invisible. Ianto's reactions to this and his teams enjoyment were hilarious and typically in character. I know it made me laugh quite a few times. Especially as he was investigating the enemy “camp” only to discover the lead women could in fact see him. Poor guy LOL

I really enjoyed this! It made me smile fondly and laugh out loud! Well done to the author on this one :)

[ᴥ Irena ᴥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is it possible to write a boring Torchwood story? Is it possible to write about Jack and Ianto's date and make that boring? Is it possible to write about them without their chemistry? Is it possible to make even Jack Harkness incompetent?! Before I read this, I would say it's not possible, but I'd be wrong. Pack Animals has it all! I thought the first Peter Anghelides' Torchwood book Another Life was just an accident, but I was wrong. I just thought I wasn't in the mood for it (that annoying second person narrative), but it seems I was wrong about that too. I did like it more than this one.

I don't like Anghelides' Torchwood stories. Fortunately, only Another Life and Pack Animals are his. Jack and Ianto had their moments here, but those weren't Jack and Ianto from the series. One of the annoying things in this book is that every single member of the team 'tutted' at one time or another in this book. It was beyond annoying. Next, somewhere in the middle of the book:

‘Who’s your friend?’ Owen asked Jack.
‘David Brigstocke, BBC Radio Wales.’ The journalist offered a handshake that Owen did not accept.

Then again near the end.

‘Who’s your mate?’ Owen asked Jack.
Jack clapped the stranger on the shoulder. ‘David Brigstocke, from BBC Radio Wales.

So, why am I not rating this lower? What can I say, I love Torchwood and I can't read this without picturing John Barrowman as Jack. I refuse to rate a book with Harkness in it with one star no matter how much an author tried to make him worse than he is. I only hope Peter Anghelides won't write any more Torchwood books.

[Agnieszka Małecka · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little slower but filled with good Torchwood vibes.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

yknow what. I can't explain this one. I bought this bc I didn't own any torchwood novels at the time and just had to bc they're such a novelty and a bit of a rarity to find out in the wild now. so I bought it without bothering to look at the laughably lame sounding premise on the back. and I began to read it with a great deal of anticipation of the experience being a slog. but it wasn't. I had a lot of fun. and I'm not sure I can even really tell you why. the characters are very watered down versions of themselves that can function in a plot without having to grow. the plot is silly and as lame as the premise suggests, with the bad guys being just some guy in a bright orange football t shirt and magic the gathering monsters. the theming isn't really there, with the most that it could possibly be about being that Gareth might be undiagnosed autistic and as a result lashes out bc nobody has tried to understand him?? and to be clear, that's giving more credit than is probably warranted, there's about 2 or 3 scenes you can read into that. but idk, I had fun. unlike doctor who novels where its usually cutting back and forth between the doctor and one companion at the most usually, cutting between 5 characters and them all having different things to do was probably just a nice change of pace. it does help that bc its a character change every chapter you never feel like a scene is dragging. and I think even though the silliness is way too played up here for a torchwood story, it's still fun. ianto being invisible is genuinely fun even though it's pointless (they have him break into a secret facility bc he's invisible. but nobody is in the facility. and when someone does arrive he is IMMEDIATELY caught). the end is insanely goofy with jack riding a unicorn and unceremoniously headshotting Gareth who has had less than 2 pages worth of dialogue across a 250 page book. the tiger on the front cover is entirely irrelevant to the plot. so, SO stupid but I had a lot of fun for some reason

[Lizabeth Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, this Torchwood book is a testament to "Don't Judge a Book by It's Cover". Which, by the way, has Gwen walking on broken pavement, a tiger by her side, carrying MonstaQuest cards that seem to have Tosh on one of them.

The basic premise is simple enough. There are monsters out there that frighten the Weevils, ones that seem to travel through telephones and CCTV feeds. It is up to Torchwood to find out what is going on and stop it, but this time there is another group of alien hunters who have the same goal

This is my favorite book to date. Why, you ask? First is because we have a real Jack/Ianto relationship, one that involves actual kissing. And then there is naked!Ianto, always a plus in my mind. Seriously, the story is well-written, isn't Gwen-centric, but has a great Gwen/Rhys dynamic going on.

[Writerlibrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

What do we want from tie-book? Solid characterization, that the characters sound like the original we know and love. Pack Animals does this and is entertaining too. The plot is a little foggy in places but the author doesn't shy away from what makes Torchwood fun and attractive. Namely, Jack being Jack, competent Gwen, amusing Rhys and putting forward Cardiff and making it real and interesting. A good tie in reads like an episode without the special effects that the production couldn't have afforded anyway. This one makes the cut.

[Stasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on the popular BBC Dr. Who spin-off, this book contains a story not contained in any episode I've seen. As with the series, much of the story is from Glen's point of view. Rhys plays a larger part than he does in the TV show.

[Doug Lewars · Rating 1 out of 5]

*** Possible Spoilers ***

Had I realized when I hurriedly grabbed this book from a library shelf that it was based on a television series I wouldn't have taken it. In addition it's number seven in a series. That by itself might not have dissuaded me but I would have checked it a little more carefully before reading it.

To a large extent this book reminds me of a certain type of anime. You have a bunch of good guys. Periodically a monster pops up and they defeat it. It's sort of like whack-a-mole surrounded by cute repartee except the dialog in this story wasn't that great.

If you're looking for character development or insight, forget this one. On the other hand, if you enjoy pretty much non-stop action you might like it. There isn't much context for the action but there's plenty of it. Presumably the television show was pretty fast paced and the book follows that format. It's not so much a story as a series of incidents.

Not having read the earlier volumes I have no idea how Jack seems to be able to suffer any number of fatal injuries and survive but I'm willing to accept this as part of fantasy. After all, this is volume seven and no doubt was was explained in earlier volumes.

In general, unless you are a fan of the television show I'd take a pass on this book.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

“How can five of us cope against the world? Against many, many worlds?”


Jack and Ianto’s date day—as well as Rhys and Gwen’s pre-wedding shopping—are very rudely interrupted.

Owen has changed. So we have a general idea of where this novel sits in the larger Torchwood Cannon, as he had not yet changed in book six.

MonstaQuest cards are all the rage in Cardiff.

Weevils are on the loose. Much more so than usual. A bat-dog creature terrifies them, though.

Gareth Portland: the priest in the confessional.

The diplodocus. The Brakkanee.

The Achenbrite team has some mad skills, too.

Should delve deeper into the team dynamics and the psyches of the team members, the way that the stronger books do—and these elements are what make Torchwood stand apart from other series.

At several points, this feels like…a book about a Torchwood case, rather than a living, breathing Torchwood episode.

Jennifer Portland.

Fast paced. Does excel well with the battle sequences. Some crazy good action, chase, and fight scenes.

Toshiko: the killer clown. The unicorn.

Cool story. Could use more of the whole team assembled together. Does have a disparate feeling at times.

Ending is extremely abrupt.


“An alien zoo.”
“With the gates wide open. The predators are escaping.”

[K. McDevitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I opened my copy of this book, there was a note from my friend telling me there was a scene on a specific page that was going to make me write fanfic, but that I was not allowed to peek ahead. I was a good girl and waited (with high expectations). I was rewarded with a naked and invisible Ianto Jones. No complaints here! My friend knows me so well :-)

I ended up reading this book from start to finish while going to and from Awesome Con, where I saw John Barrowman for the third time, so I was definitely in the mood for some Torchwood goodness, and this book did not disappoint. The story revolves around MonstaQuest cards, which mysteriously contain cards with images of both fictional and actual monsters. The problem is, monsters from these packs start showing up in real life and killing people nearby. Not good. It takes the team a long time to figure out what's going on and to track down those responsible. But they save the day in a most dramatic fashion just in time. And Ianto becomes visible again before he can win at Naked Hide & Seek. So I guess it's all even in the end.

Definitely a fun, action-packed read. I also really enjoyed a look at what Jack experiences/sees when he comes back from the dead. And I appreciated him coming back and needing to wait a while for his body to repair itself instead of coming back perfectly.

[Allie Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book.
Peter Anghelides has a distinct poetic but easy-to-read writing style. He introduces a cast of background characters in a way that makes them memorable, and gets you caring about them, (often right before they die horribly). His stories also often have attention to the mundane, not just the big flashy stuff, which really adds interest for me. At the same time, the main story progresses with the major characters, and they all get a decent amount of page time, rather than some Torchwood books that fixate on just a couple of the characters.
The story incorporates a range of staple monsters, believable tech, and brings Cardiff to life as a character in its own right.
The story moved apace, as the mixture of a visualiser, card-quest game, monsters and a pesky journalist combined to generate the mystery for the team to solve. I found myself really looking forward to whatever chances I got to pick up this book for a quick read.

[Erin Curran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one far more than The Twilight Streets. More fun, light hearted and easier to follow. And like everyone else I'm a sucker for some Jack and Ianto content since there wasn't nearly enough on the show. Gimme more dates and Jack, I don't know, actually seeming to give a shit about Ianto. I'm all in for that.

I've marked the book down because I kept noticing typos. This is more of a critique on the editor, however it did take me out of the story often. I can't talk, I got gyped by my editor in the exact same way, but I recognise that. It sucks, but it helps you learn for next time. I.E. Look into who's editing your work.

Still, it was fun. It felt like it could be an actual Torchwood episode if there had possibly been more series' or episodes. So much better than The Twilight Streets, whose plot I still don't understand. Its nowhere near a perfect book, but I enjoyed it all the same.

[Paul Finch · Rating 1 out of 5]

Returning to these tie ins after about a decade or so because I suddenly remembered I bought them all when they originally came out and just...never bothered to read them after the first handful.

I don't remember them being quite so empty, soulless and surface level. Either I've become more discerning in my old age or I did think they were terrible back then and my memory (in an equally likely old age related scenario) has gone.

I will of course still read all the remaining titles. To suggest otherwise is crazy talk. And when I do, I'll return here to give them low ratings and ruin them in the algorithm. Which I'm sure is a very pressing concern for a long defunct franchise that probably isn't even kept in print any more.

Eve Myles looks foxy on the cover though. I'll give them that.

[Yvonne Alf · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a hard time rating this. While the story was good overall, I have this feeling it could have been so much better. In general I'm not a huge fan of the card game/monster theme, it feels a bit too hip and contrieved. But while reading I thought it's actually well done. The character interaction within the team is really well done too... until at some points it feels off again (Owen and a get well card... really?). I think I loved the point up until the end of the zoo incident. Afterwards it's loosing it's depth. I didn't like the Archenbrite family and while the idea of Ianto going undercover is excellent... it bugs me to no end that it just fizzles out while it could have been so much more.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically Pokémon cards come to life in the Torchwood world. This had promise, but I found it took too long to establish any actual plot outside of 'there are cards with monsters on them that are coming to life', like literally the first 80% of the book is just the cards killing people. By the time it gets to who the threat is, I had run out of steam and just wanted it to be over. Very nice caracterisation of all the Torchwood team though, a lot of writers favour Gwen and Jack and leave everyone else as flat 2D caricatures but Anghelides actually breathed some life into them, so that was nice.

[Liam Crook-Chambers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having only read this once before many years ago and only remembering a few minor details, I really enjoyed reading this once again. This is book number 7 on the series, the characters are well written and I could easily have seen this book working as an episode of the TV series. This is the Torchwood team at its best and I personally think it was a great idea for the first third/half of the book for all the characters to be separated on their separate adventures. The Torchwood humour is also evident, particularly when one of the characters turns ‘invisible’. Certain parts don’t work quite as well but overall, this was an enjoyable adventure in the Torchwood series.

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Jack; quite a lot of deaths for one book. As usual, Anghelides served up a wonderful narrative that but for the assumed cost of CGI would have made a wonderfully engaging episode. While Owen seemed to be a bit on the back burner, everyone else was in top form and it was nice to have Tosh out of the Hub more. The only question I have is if they ever managed to reserve the invisible half of the dead man and did they eventually feed Ianto; poor thing.

[Cynthia Panza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of slow

Was hard to figure the story out and keep up with it also keep my interest. The only really funny parts are between Jack and Ianto. Ianto has accidentally gotten himself invisible. So of course there’s jokes about him being naked and walking around. But no one can see him of course. Torchwood fans will like it.

[L · Rating 2 out of 5]

While it had a few nice moments, the story was a bit of a mess, with some aspects being kind of cliché. Moreover, I feel like it could have been better written, and I didn’t love the ending. More importantly, I don’t think the author got the characters quite right. It was still entertaining, though.

[Via ⚡️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so hard not to read this one in one sitting! The best TW book I've read so far, the plot of Pack Animals is fast-paced and exciting, featuring fun moments from every member. Plus, great Janto content!

[Joshua Nicholson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the Gwen/Rhys wedding side to this novel, but am not a huge fan of other character interactions within this story. I hesitate to call it "boring" - but I do feel like I rushed reading this because it didn't excite me.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The latest fantasy card game has images of real monsters but with different names. Gwen is planning her wedding. To make matters worse, the cards are coming to life. This story has some unforeseen twists, very nice set pieces and great character moments. A good read.

[Paschalis]

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[Trinity · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Knowledge is when you can tell that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is when you leave it out of a fruit salad."

[Ozzy Nice · Rating 4 out of 5]

another day, another ianto jones slay, the perfect way to start the year :)

[Marcel Driel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This started out pretty gruesome and the storytelling was a bit all over the place with all the different POV’s. But in the end I had a blast and the ending was both silly and awesome.

[Isabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read, lots went on so it felt a bit chaotic most of the time.

[owyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

three stars for janto zoo date

[Larkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable filler tale from torchwood before things came to a harsh end.