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Torchwood #8
Skypoint
The eighth novel in the bestselling Torchwood range from BBC Books. SkyPoint is the latest high-rise addition to the ever-developing Cardiff skyline. It's the most high-tech, avant-garde apartment block in the city. And it's where Rhys Williams is hoping to find a new home for himself and Gwen. When Torchwood discover that residents have been going missing from the tower block, one of the team gets her dream assignment. Soon, SkyPoint's latest newly married tenants are moving in. And Toshiko Sato finally gets to make a home with Owen Harper. Then something comes out of the wall...
256 pages, Hardback
First published November 20, 2008
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745 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
November 27, 2008
If they could only ship me one of the three books, six weeks late, why couldn't it have been the Ianto genderfuck??
In the last set, I praised the author of Twilight Streets for having read the scripts of upcoming episodes and subtly weaving in facts. This guy also saw the same episodes, but lacks any amount of subtlety. The first half-two thirds was a ridiculous amount of regurgitating facts we learned about the characters in episode 12. Tosh is buying coffee - let's talk about how she didn't have coffee while locked up! He'd stop the action in a scene to discuss what we already knew and didn't relate. Add that to the fact that this book is much shorter than the last six, and you have a sucky book.
In his defense, once he got the plot going, it was very Torchwood and very interesting. But that wasn't even a third of the book. Also, the climax fell very flat - there was an awesome build up and then done. I actually had to reread to make sure that I hadn't missed the real climax.
There were occasional moments of good characterization, and it was great seeing Tosh and Owen again. Two brief Jack/Ianto moments that were nice, and no real Jack/Gwen undertones, which I appreciated. But overall...no one who isn't a fan is going to be reading a Torchwood tie in. We knew all the facts he presented. It would have been nice to see him USE the facts to propel characterization and the story, as opposed to just stating them. Trust me - we knew already. Probably before he did.
This would have been much better served as a short story and not a novel - at least with this author.
In the last set, I praised the author of Twilight Streets for having read the scripts of upcoming episodes and subtly weaving in facts. This guy also saw the same episodes, but lacks any amount of subtlety. The first half-two thirds was a ridiculous amount of regurgitating facts we learned about the characters in episode 12. Tosh is buying coffee - let's talk about how she didn't have coffee while locked up! He'd stop the action in a scene to discuss what we already knew and didn't relate. Add that to the fact that this book is much shorter than the last six, and you have a sucky book.
In his defense, once he got the plot going, it was very Torchwood and very interesting. But that wasn't even a third of the book. Also, the climax fell very flat - there was an awesome build up and then done. I actually had to reread to make sure that I hadn't missed the real climax.
There were occasional moments of good characterization, and it was great seeing Tosh and Owen again. Two brief Jack/Ianto moments that were nice, and no real Jack/Gwen undertones, which I appreciated. But overall...no one who isn't a fan is going to be reading a Torchwood tie in. We knew all the facts he presented. It would have been nice to see him USE the facts to propel characterization and the story, as opposed to just stating them. Trust me - we knew already. Probably before he did.
This would have been much better served as a short story and not a novel - at least with this author.
January 3, 2009
I thought it was interesting that unlike many of the Torchwood books, in this the author attempts to make the book accessible to readers who might not be familiar with the show. Nice try, but I would still recommend it only to true fans of the show.
For fans of the show, it's a good read. I enjoyed having a little more opportunity to explore the Tosh / Owen dynamic, but I wasn't crazy about the "monster of the week" plot. And - trying to get away with no spoilers makes this sound vague and stupid - at one point, there is a lot of action with characters in various locations. I spend way more brain energy than should have been necessary trying to "keep up" with where they all were and what obstacles each was facing. It was distracting.
But I still enjoyed it. :-)
For fans of the show, it's a good read. I enjoyed having a little more opportunity to explore the Tosh / Owen dynamic, but I wasn't crazy about the "monster of the week" plot. And - trying to get away with no spoilers makes this sound vague and stupid - at one point, there is a lot of action with characters in various locations. I spend way more brain energy than should have been necessary trying to "keep up" with where they all were and what obstacles each was facing. It was distracting.
But I still enjoyed it. :-)
January 21, 2012
Smashing prose, an exciting & concise plot that could have been ripped from the second season of the series, and a use of both Owen & Tosh -- the two characters I like the least -- that made me give quite a damn about their welfare. Phil Ford was the head writer of "The Sarah Jane Adventures", as well as a contributor to "Doctor Who" and "Torchwood" itself...I should never have worried that this particular "Torchwood" novel was in anything other than a safe & professional pair of hands.
February 26, 2024
Once again, I really enjoyed stepping back into the world of Torchwood with this book. I felt this was quite a pacy read and could have easily been turned into an episode of the series. The author adds a number of details about characters clearly with the intention of giving more clarity for casual readers who are not avid fans of the series, and whilst it didn’t bother me, I can see how this would be a bit annoying to some readers. The story flourishes by pairing Owen and Toshiko up in a ‘pretend husband and wife combo’ which is really enjoyable to see, particularly as fans of the series know what happens fairly soon after this book is set. Splitting characters up in a setting doesn’t always work but it was successful here (I can just about forgive the fact Ianto doesn’t have too much to do). My favourite of the Torchwood novels so far.
July 15, 2017
I think these "full Torchwood cast" novels are going to be my favorites. Though the authors don't always balance time among the characters, they do manage to write books that really feel like Torchwood adventures.
Loved: Owen coping with being undead and using it as an advantage against the big bad. Jack trying to remember how many times he'd died and come back to life (and then using it to his advantage). Tosh doing serious, brave investigative work. Gwen and Rhys wanting to make a life for themselves as a married couple. Ianto the action hero. Oh, and Tosh and Owen with feelings about pretending to be a couple to figure out what was going on in the building.
There were lots of tense moments and quite a body count by the end. But I think they did a great job saving the day, as always.
Loved: Owen coping with being undead and using it as an advantage against the big bad. Jack trying to remember how many times he'd died and come back to life (and then using it to his advantage). Tosh doing serious, brave investigative work. Gwen and Rhys wanting to make a life for themselves as a married couple. Ianto the action hero. Oh, and Tosh and Owen with feelings about pretending to be a couple to figure out what was going on in the building.
There were lots of tense moments and quite a body count by the end. But I think they did a great job saving the day, as always.
October 23, 2020
Aliens are stalking Cardiff, as usual, and the newest luxury tower block is no exception. After Gwen and Rhys have an unusual experience while viewing one of the flats, Owen and Tosh move in to try to solve the mystery of disappearing residents. With a creepy gangster building owner and clunking in the ventilation ducts there's a lot to build the suspense. The characterisations are pretty good, there are some nice twists and turns, and we get to explore a bit more of Owen's post-death experience. I found it quite a page-turner, and kept wanting to go pick it up and keep reading. My only big complaint was that, as usual, Ianto got side-lined for most of the book.
January 12, 2009
Very nice characterizations of Tosh and Owen - they got a lot to do and feel in this novel. Disappointing use of Ianto, especially how they just left him after his big scene, and you never find out how he got off the 6th floor and out to the SUV. As invincible as Jack is, it's interesting to me when the author can come up with a monster he has reason to be afraid of.
However, the ending was so abrupt and guesswork-y and I felt there could have (should have) been more done with the little girl and her mother, some kind of resolution.
Ah well, it was fun.
However, the ending was so abrupt and guesswork-y and I felt there could have (should have) been more done with the little girl and her mother, some kind of resolution.
Ah well, it was fun.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2016
I have a feeling this story is much faster then the previous seven I've read. After Gwen and Rhys's estate agent vanishes while he was showing them an apartment, Torchwood sends Owen and Toshiko as newly-weds to discover what is going on in SkyPoint.
Almost the whole story takes place in that building. Every member of the team has a role to play, but this story is mostly Owen's. While he isn't my favourite character in the series, he is more than great here. I guess Phil Ford didn't want to make him as selfish or annoying as he is sometimes.
Almost the whole story takes place in that building. Every member of the team has a role to play, but this story is mostly Owen's. While he isn't my favourite character in the series, he is more than great here. I guess Phil Ford didn't want to make him as selfish or annoying as he is sometimes.
June 23, 2021
fun book. i think tosh falling for lucca like that is kinda unrealistic. i like ianto's lift stunt and jack talking about all the times he's died. owen,,, i get so worried for him. no way he didnt injure himself at all during all that. i think the problem w tw novels and also tw in general is that theyre so plot driven when i really really want hem to be character driven. i want relationship dynamics goddamnit!!
May 9, 2024
Being the last novel in the series to be set when Tosh and Owen are still about, it firstly surprises me that this and Pack Animals are the only novels to really feature zombie Owen because they really squeeze the angst out of that situation. I did like how they ended Tosh and Owen's time in the novel series with a bang by focusing on their relationship - that final line about Owen not wanting to die again hurts more knowing what will happen to him.
It does get a bit expositiony though through reminders of how the characters got into Torchwood previously established in the episode "Fragments". The plot resolution was abrupt too - the minute we find out the truth about the monster, Owen is already defeating it. I did like the further expansion on the whole "there is nothing after death" that the show is very keen on though.
It does get a bit expositiony though through reminders of how the characters got into Torchwood previously established in the episode "Fragments". The plot resolution was abrupt too - the minute we find out the truth about the monster, Owen is already defeating it. I did like the further expansion on the whole "there is nothing after death" that the show is very keen on though.
December 13, 2020
When you come to a book like this, which is a tie-in to a TV show, it's usually for one reason - that you want more of the world of that show. In my case it was more specific than that, I wanted more Tosh and Owen. That's why I jumped in at book 8.
Did it deliver? Yes, but not as much as I'd hoped. But other than that it's a not-bad monster story from the world of Torchwood.
It's quite short and it has the feel of a monster-of-the-week episode that's been expanded to fill a novel. It also reads more like a novelisation than a novel (even though it's an original story) if you know what I mean.
But it's quite fast-paced which is good. The resolution is quick and some might find it a bit too easy but I was happy to have things wrapped up neatly. And it ends on a pleasing note.
Did it deliver? Yes, but not as much as I'd hoped. But other than that it's a not-bad monster story from the world of Torchwood.
It's quite short and it has the feel of a monster-of-the-week episode that's been expanded to fill a novel. It also reads more like a novelisation than a novel (even though it's an original story) if you know what I mean.
But it's quite fast-paced which is good. The resolution is quick and some might find it a bit too easy but I was happy to have things wrapped up neatly. And it ends on a pleasing note.
January 3, 2022
For some reason I hadn't much interest in reading the book and was surprised how much I loved it. Very fast paced and a real page turner from beginning to end. I liked how it focused partly on Owen and Tosh, but everyone was involved. There were a lot of references to other books and the show which was a nice bonus. The idea of a haunted skyscraper isn't new, but I liked this take. I think this is my favorite of the books that involved the whole cast of 5.
February 21, 2025
It's been ages since I've watched Torchwood, but when I saw this on the library shelves I remembered how much I enjoyed it. I liked the book - its great advantage is the pace, which is nice and zippy - but if the villains (both of them) are pretty paint-by-numbers both on the thug and the speculative side, then it's still a decent enough popcorn read. I read it while eating takeaways after a long day and it was exactly the kind of entertainment I wanted at the time. Quick, brainless fun.
November 18, 2019
A reminder of how much I enjoyed Torchwood on television. Wish they'd bring it back!
A fun read set in a luxury high rise apartment block. Captain Jack and co have to solve the mystery of the disappearing estate agent and deal with a evil criminal genius!
A fun read set in a luxury high rise apartment block. Captain Jack and co have to solve the mystery of the disappearing estate agent and deal with a evil criminal genius!
July 2, 2024
There were some cool ideas somewhere in here, but, in general, the story just felt bland. Additionally, the author often appeared more preoccupied with reminding us of events from the TV show than with telling a new story.
August 21, 2024
I really enjoyed Skypoint and I also enjoyed the fact it references previous Torchwood novels and that future Torchwood novels reference it! It makes the series feel very cohesive. Knowing Cardiff so well also makes this text an interesting, engaging, and strangely familiar read.
November 2, 2017
3.5 stars
March 11, 2020
With this being the last, alive/ zombie???, appearance of Tosh and Owen this was a bittersweet book to read but I did love it. I would have to say that my favorite part of Skypoint would be
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
May 8, 2021
Great book to read more about the minor characters of Torchwood.
July 10, 2023
Some of the Torchwood novels are a bit convoluted, but this one was laser sharp. Great read.
November 16, 2023
Easy, quick read and a very Torchwood story.
January 15, 2024
This one was gripping, I didn't want to put it down although I did find the ending a little lacking. Still looking forward to the next one.
February 6, 2017
Good start, not so good middle, amazing ending. Well recommended!
August 17, 2018
Давно хотелось перечитать "Скайпоинт", и вот руки наконец дошли. В своё время поразилась количеству негативных рецензий на Goodreads - притом, что из первых восьми книг по Торчвуду эта - моя любимая.
Первое, что я поняла - переводам необходимо давать отлежаться, в идеале пару лет. Свой я вычитывала спустя несколько месяцев после его завершения, и это чувствуется: косяков всё-таки много, так что себя как переводчика не хвалю. Оправдаться могу разве что тем, что перевод делался в 2012 году, и воды с тех пор утекло много.
А вот автор меня порадовал.
Автор книги - Фил Форд, который написал сценарий к эпизоду "Something Borrowed", и "Скайпоинт" в определённом смысле является его продолжением, во всяком случае, по временным рамкам. Это последняя книга, в которой фигурируют Оуэн и Тошико (и концовка в этом смысле бьёт по больному месту), и, по сути, этой парочке тут и уделяется едва ли не наибольшее внимание. Люблю обоих, поэтому такой подход не напрягал, а уж идея с их работой под прикрытием и вовсе радовала невероятно - жаль, что продлилось это у них недолго.
Сюжет многие ругают, но, полагаю, это дело вкуса. Лично мне интересны истории, где что-то происходит в замкнутом пространстве с ограниченным числом людей, хотя не могу не признать, что интриги было бы больше, если ты читателю позволили вообразить, будто пришелец-убийца на самом деле не непонятная субстанция, проходящая сквозь стены, а кто-то из жильцов, потому что среди них есть занятные персонажи. Развивается действие быстро, и я не знаю, считать ли это плюсом или минусом, просто констатирую - книга короткая, в переводе прочитывается за пару часов, и в бумажном варианте именно это издание у меня самое тонкое из всех. По крайней мере, сюжет совершенно точно полный и завершённый, и хвосты и уши из него нигде не торчат.
Единственный явный прокол - это главгад: по сюжету он выходец из Латвии, но по факту у него подозрительно балканское имя с налётом итальянщины, да и внешность для прибалта не характерная. Я бы охотно поверила в его латвийское происхождение, будь он голубоглазым блондином, но черноглазый брюнет по имени Бесник Лукка (?!) в мою картину мира не очень вписывается.
А ещё для меня это была одна из книг, которые хотелось увидеть экранизированными, потому что особенно страшной кровищи тут нет, зато отдельные эпизоды визуализируются ярко: Оуэн и Тош изображают пару в гостях у новых соседей, Оуэн готовит взрывчатку в квартире девушки по вызову, Тошико исследует подвал, Йанто выбирается из застрявшего и висящего на рвущемся тросе лифта, Джек и Гвен передвигаются по стене на высоте двадцать четвёртого этажа, пытаясь выбраться на крышу. И виды Кардиффа из окон небоскрёбов. Кино могло выйти неплохое.
Так что спасибо Филу Форду - лично мне он доказал, что способен написать не только годный сценарий для одного из эпизодов сериала, но и вполне приличную новеллизацию. Жаль, что мало.
Первое, что я поняла - переводам необходимо давать отлежаться, в идеале пару лет. Свой я вычитывала спустя несколько месяцев после его завершения, и это чувствуется: косяков всё-таки много, так что себя как переводчика не хвалю. Оправдаться могу разве что тем, что перевод делался в 2012 году, и воды с тех пор утекло много.
А вот автор меня порадовал.
Автор книги - Фил Форд, который написал сценарий к эпизоду "Something Borrowed", и "Скайпоинт" в определённом смысле является его продолжением, во всяком случае, по временным рамкам. Это последняя книга, в которой фигурируют Оуэн и Тошико (и концовка в этом смысле бьёт по больному месту), и, по сути, этой парочке тут и уделяется едва ли не наибольшее внимание. Люблю обоих, поэтому такой подход не напрягал, а уж идея с их работой под прикрытием и вовсе радовала невероятно - жаль, что продлилось это у них недолго.
Сюжет многие ругают, но, полагаю, это дело вкуса. Лично мне интересны истории, где что-то происходит в замкнутом пространстве с ограниченным числом людей, хотя не могу не признать, что интриги было бы больше, если ты читателю позволили вообразить, будто пришелец-убийца на самом деле не непонятная субстанция, проходящая сквозь стены, а кто-то из жильцов, потому что среди них есть занятные персонажи. Развивается действие быстро, и я не знаю, считать ли это плюсом или минусом, просто констатирую - книга короткая, в переводе прочитывается за пару часов, и в бумажном варианте именно это издание у меня самое тонкое из всех. По крайней мере, сюжет совершенно точно полный и завершённый, и хвосты и уши из него нигде не торчат.
Единственный явный прокол - это главгад: по сюжету он выходец из Латвии, но по факту у него подозрительно балканское имя с налётом итальянщины, да и внешность для прибалта не характерная. Я бы охотно поверила в его латвийское происхождение, будь он голубоглазым блондином, но черноглазый брюнет по имени Бесник Лукка (?!) в мою картину мира не очень вписывается.
А ещё для меня это была одна из книг, которые хотелось увидеть экранизированными, потому что особенно страшной кровищи тут нет, зато отдельные эпизоды визуализируются ярко: Оуэн и Тош изображают пару в гостях у новых соседей, Оуэн готовит взрывчатку в квартире девушки по вызову, Тошико исследует подвал, Йанто выбирается из застрявшего и висящего на рвущемся тросе лифта, Джек и Гвен передвигаются по стене на высоте двадцать четвёртого этажа, пытаясь выбраться на крышу. И виды Кардиффа из окон небоскрёбов. Кино могло выйти неплохое.
Так что спасибо Филу Форду - лично мне он доказал, что способен написать не только годный сценарий для одного из эпизодов сериала, но и вполне приличную новеллизацию. Жаль, что мало.
January 27, 2012
Torchwood: SkyPoint had the distinct honor of being the only Torchwood novel Mr. Ford has had written and of being the last novel that featured main characters Owen Harper and Toshiko Sato.
As you see on the cover, Toshiko was huge. She covers 3/4 of the cover! It was really distracting to read this book with such a large Toshiko on the front cover. I'd be reading and then flip to the cover. Read some more and then flip to the cover. I think it was the biggest character I have seen on any of the Torchwood covers so far. I had no clue what they were trying to do with the background behind Tosh though. They had an opportunity and failed. The back cover however features a tall apartment building by the bay. So we can presume this is SkyPoint.
There were actually 30 chapters in this book. You wouldn't believe it if you saw the slimness of the actual book. I did the math (yes I did math... with a calculator) and each chapter was about 8 pages long. Pretty short chapters for a book of this size.
This novel was basically a love letter to Owen and Tosh. A last novelization for them before the end of season 2. The majority of the book was either in Tosh or Owen's POV. Don't get me wrong, each member of the team had a POV chapter. But since Tosh and Owen 'make their home' at SkyPoint for the operation, they were the main focus of the novel. The book even ended with a sappy Owen/Tosh(ish) moment. The author in his acknowledgements mentioned both Burn Gorman and Naoko Mori who played Owen and Tosh respectively.
Phil Ford liked to throw canon in your face as if it was a pie, and than smash it so he made sure all the cream got in all your crevices. What I meant was, Mr. Ford 'mentioned' something canon, from the TV show in every chapter. Almost every five pages. He forced the same facts on you again and again. It was like he was trying to get these facts into your skull. If you had seen the TV show, you know this stuff. It really does not bare repetition on this scale. However, if you hadn't seen the show or had seen little of it I can see where this would be useful. I thought it was cool at first but after a while...
Mr. Ford tried to 'give' an explanation as to why Gwen kept her maiden name. In fact, for a good part of the book she was referred to as Gwen Williams. But then for really no reason at all, she called up Rhys and said honey, I'm keeping my maiden name. Yeah.
I actually really liked this Torchwood novel. I thought Phil Ford did a great job. This book could be a little freaky if you are in the process of moving to a new place or have just moved into your new place. It was also has really dark themes about death; this was Torchwood and Owen.
Find more reviews at Books A to Z http://booksaz.wordpress.com
As you see on the cover, Toshiko was huge. She covers 3/4 of the cover! It was really distracting to read this book with such a large Toshiko on the front cover. I'd be reading and then flip to the cover. Read some more and then flip to the cover. I think it was the biggest character I have seen on any of the Torchwood covers so far. I had no clue what they were trying to do with the background behind Tosh though. They had an opportunity and failed. The back cover however features a tall apartment building by the bay. So we can presume this is SkyPoint.
There were actually 30 chapters in this book. You wouldn't believe it if you saw the slimness of the actual book. I did the math (yes I did math... with a calculator) and each chapter was about 8 pages long. Pretty short chapters for a book of this size.
This novel was basically a love letter to Owen and Tosh. A last novelization for them before the end of season 2. The majority of the book was either in Tosh or Owen's POV. Don't get me wrong, each member of the team had a POV chapter. But since Tosh and Owen 'make their home' at SkyPoint for the operation, they were the main focus of the novel. The book even ended with a sappy Owen/Tosh(ish) moment. The author in his acknowledgements mentioned both Burn Gorman and Naoko Mori who played Owen and Tosh respectively.
Phil Ford liked to throw canon in your face as if it was a pie, and than smash it so he made sure all the cream got in all your crevices. What I meant was, Mr. Ford 'mentioned' something canon, from the TV show in every chapter. Almost every five pages. He forced the same facts on you again and again. It was like he was trying to get these facts into your skull. If you had seen the TV show, you know this stuff. It really does not bare repetition on this scale. However, if you hadn't seen the show or had seen little of it I can see where this would be useful. I thought it was cool at first but after a while...
Mr. Ford tried to 'give' an explanation as to why Gwen kept her maiden name. In fact, for a good part of the book she was referred to as Gwen Williams. But then for really no reason at all, she called up Rhys and said honey, I'm keeping my maiden name. Yeah.
I actually really liked this Torchwood novel. I thought Phil Ford did a great job. This book could be a little freaky if you are in the process of moving to a new place or have just moved into your new place. It was also has really dark themes about death; this was Torchwood and Owen.
Find more reviews at Books A to Z http://booksaz.wordpress.com
October 2, 2023
I’ve read this story twice. Once when I was about 10, and once again a couple weeks ago, a decade later. Strangely, my reaction to the story is roughly the same, what the entire f***. Sexy murderous vampire aliens, wall-walking aliens who shit out dead weevils, Albanians drug lords, and yeah nah, this book is just like the biggest cocaine trip of all time.
Im a huge fan of it being an Owen and Tosh centric story, especially as their connections were never played on properly in the show, and I’m glad its dead Owen and emotionally restricted Tosh getting to be a married couple. Of course it starts with some nonsense to do with Gwen because despite being unbearably irritating, the producers and editors for torchwood still believed this pisstakingly terrible character was somehow a good idea for the audience insight into the world of torchwood.
The rest of the team do show up and their presence in the story isn’t distracting, with Ianto playing the main role in the next Torchwood novel, him being in 5 pages or so is fine. Same with Gwen when she eventually sods off 30 pages in. Jack gets some really fun silly moments, and a really nice climax where every wild aspect of the story comes together for a fun ending.
The plot of a skyscraper having its residents going missing in strange circumstances, is really intriguing, and the description of this gorgeous expensive, unbelievably high tech building with like 8 residents is great. The residents being so different does keep it interesting, and chapters that are solely based on Owen and Tosh’s interactions with these characters, a little more interesting. Now there’s Besnik Luca, the idea to throw a Serbian Gangster lord, was a great one. His evil motives and essentially being the antagonist behind the antagonist really is a nice bit of storytelling.
There’s one little sub-plot I absolutely adored from this one. Owen is fond of a coffee shop, and sees a man slaughtered by two gorgeous twins. I won’t spoil this sub-plot as its best experienced to be enjoyed but I can say it is by far the best part of the book and a puts something really intriguing that keeps you reading.
All in all, a good book, with some meh elements, and some fantastic elements. Levels out at just above good.
Im a huge fan of it being an Owen and Tosh centric story, especially as their connections were never played on properly in the show, and I’m glad its dead Owen and emotionally restricted Tosh getting to be a married couple. Of course it starts with some nonsense to do with Gwen because despite being unbearably irritating, the producers and editors for torchwood still believed this pisstakingly terrible character was somehow a good idea for the audience insight into the world of torchwood.
The rest of the team do show up and their presence in the story isn’t distracting, with Ianto playing the main role in the next Torchwood novel, him being in 5 pages or so is fine. Same with Gwen when she eventually sods off 30 pages in. Jack gets some really fun silly moments, and a really nice climax where every wild aspect of the story comes together for a fun ending.
The plot of a skyscraper having its residents going missing in strange circumstances, is really intriguing, and the description of this gorgeous expensive, unbelievably high tech building with like 8 residents is great. The residents being so different does keep it interesting, and chapters that are solely based on Owen and Tosh’s interactions with these characters, a little more interesting. Now there’s Besnik Luca, the idea to throw a Serbian Gangster lord, was a great one. His evil motives and essentially being the antagonist behind the antagonist really is a nice bit of storytelling.
There’s one little sub-plot I absolutely adored from this one. Owen is fond of a coffee shop, and sees a man slaughtered by two gorgeous twins. I won’t spoil this sub-plot as its best experienced to be enjoyed but I can say it is by far the best part of the book and a puts something really intriguing that keeps you reading.
All in all, a good book, with some meh elements, and some fantastic elements. Levels out at just above good.
December 2, 2025
Takes place two weeks after Gwen’s wedding to Rhys Williams.
Hard to believe it, but it’s been just over a year since Gwen joined Torchwood.
Skypoint is Cardiff’s newest high-rise building. Filled with exclusive, state-of-the-art apartments.
Besnik Lucca, the Latvian crime lord.
And the disappearing people…
Welcome exposition from all our main characters. Surprisingly honest glimpses of Jack.
Toshiko and Owen, undercover. So much angst; such deep, unresolved feelings.
Strong emotional work.
The nihilism regarding death is ⬇️
It comes through the walls…
Trapped in the building—the challenge is to rescue and escape.
A blackmailed accountant.
The little girl: Alison Lloyd, and her rag doll, Mr. Pickle.
The thought-form.
Very speedy resolution; could use more follow-through and a gentler dénouement.
Missing the magic ingredient of the five-star Torchwood novels, yet formidable nonetheless.
Intriguing, but mid-range for this series. That’s still saying a lot, though.
Ianto had seen strange, strange things. But somehow this was stranger than any.
Hard to believe it, but it’s been just over a year since Gwen joined Torchwood.
Skypoint is Cardiff’s newest high-rise building. Filled with exclusive, state-of-the-art apartments.
Besnik Lucca, the Latvian crime lord.
And the disappearing people…
Welcome exposition from all our main characters. Surprisingly honest glimpses of Jack.
Toshiko and Owen, undercover. So much angst; such deep, unresolved feelings.
Strong emotional work.
The nihilism regarding death is ⬇️
It comes through the walls…
Trapped in the building—the challenge is to rescue and escape.
A blackmailed accountant.
The little girl: Alison Lloyd, and her rag doll, Mr. Pickle.
The thought-form.
Very speedy resolution; could use more follow-through and a gentler dénouement.
Missing the magic ingredient of the five-star Torchwood novels, yet formidable nonetheless.
Intriguing, but mid-range for this series. That’s still saying a lot, though.
Ianto had seen strange, strange things. But somehow this was stranger than any.
March 27, 2015
This book is based on the television show and takes place towards the end of the second season. In this one, a new high rise building has been recently constructed and people are disappearing from this edifice. Torchwood investigates.
This was a likable read in this universe. The author portrayed the characters correctly and I had no problem picturing this as an episode. This book dealt more with Owen and Tosh and how Tosh has always pined for Owen. Jack and Gwen have roles toward the end and I am sorry to say if you are a fan of Ianto you will be disappointed. The story line wasn't the strongest and maybe if this was an episode the visualization would have added more to it. I did think the climax was weak and I felt like I skipped a page.
This novel was a nice visit with old friends. I enjoyed their portrayals but I wish the story had more meat to it. I would only recommend this book to fans who miss visiting these characters.
This was a likable read in this universe. The author portrayed the characters correctly and I had no problem picturing this as an episode. This book dealt more with Owen and Tosh and how Tosh has always pined for Owen. Jack and Gwen have roles toward the end and I am sorry to say if you are a fan of Ianto you will be disappointed. The story line wasn't the strongest and maybe if this was an episode the visualization would have added more to it. I did think the climax was weak and I felt like I skipped a page.
This novel was a nice visit with old friends. I enjoyed their portrayals but I wish the story had more meat to it. I would only recommend this book to fans who miss visiting these characters.
June 16, 2012
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1885088.html[return][return]Another pretty decent Torchwood novel, with an intersection between exploitative aliens and exploitative crime lords in the property market in Cardiff Bay, set just after Gwen and Rhys return from honeymoon, with Owen still dead and walking. Some nice exploration of the dysfunction in the Owen/Toshiko relationship (Toshiko gets to be on the front cover this time) and lots of reference to their back-stories which will please the diehard fan. My one gripe is that the supposedly Latvian crimelord has a rather Adriatic name ("Besnik Lucca" - first name Albanian, second name Italian).
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