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Torchwood #11
Bay of the Dead
When the city sleeps, the dead start to walk...
Something has sealed off Cardiff, and living corpses are stalking the streets, leaving a trail of half-eaten bodies. Animals are butchered. A young couple in their car never reach their home. A stolen yacht is brought back to shore, carrying only human remains. And a couple of girls heading back from the pub watch the mysterious drivers of a big black SUV take over a crime scene.
Torchwood have to deal with the intangible barrier surrounding Cardiff, and some unidentified space debris that seems to be regenerating itself. Plus, of course, the all-night zombie horror show.
Not that they really believe in zombies.
Something has sealed off Cardiff, and living corpses are stalking the streets, leaving a trail of half-eaten bodies. Animals are butchered. A young couple in their car never reach their home. A stolen yacht is brought back to shore, carrying only human remains. And a couple of girls heading back from the pub watch the mysterious drivers of a big black SUV take over a crime scene.
Torchwood have to deal with the intangible barrier surrounding Cardiff, and some unidentified space debris that seems to be regenerating itself. Plus, of course, the all-night zombie horror show.
Not that they really believe in zombies.
238 pages, Hardcover
First published May 21, 2009
8 people are currently reading
743 people want to read
About the author
Mark Morris
133 books239 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Mark Morris became a full-time writer in 1988 on the Enterprise Allowance Scheme, and a year later saw the release of his first novel, Toady. He has since published a further sixteen novels, among which are Stitch, The Immaculate, The Secret of Anatomy, Fiddleback, The Deluge and four books in the popular Doctor Who range.
His short stories, novellas, articles and reviews have appeared in a wide variety of anthologies and magazines, and he is editor of the highly-acclaimed Cinema Macabre, a book of fifty horror movie essays by genre luminaries, for which he won the 2007 British Fantasy Award.
His most recently published or forthcoming work includes a novella entitled It Sustains for Earthling Publications, a Torchwood novel entitled Bay of the Dead, several Doctor Who audios for Big Finish Productions, a follow-up volume to Cinema Macabre entitled Cinema Futura and a new short story collection, Long Shadows, Nightmare Light.
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Mark Morris became a full-time writer in 1988 on the Enterprise Allowance Scheme, and a year later saw the release of his first novel, Toady. He has since published a further sixteen novels, among which are Stitch, The Immaculate, The Secret of Anatomy, Fiddleback, The Deluge and four books in the popular Doctor Who range.
His short stories, novellas, articles and reviews have appeared in a wide variety of anthologies and magazines, and he is editor of the highly-acclaimed Cinema Macabre, a book of fifty horror movie essays by genre luminaries, for which he won the 2007 British Fantasy Award.
His most recently published or forthcoming work includes a novella entitled It Sustains for Earthling Publications, a Torchwood novel entitled Bay of the Dead, several Doctor Who audios for Big Finish Productions, a follow-up volume to Cinema Macabre entitled Cinema Futura and a new short story collection, Long Shadows, Nightmare Light.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
August 5, 2018
Torchwood and zombies, what's not to love!
It's grim and gross and gritty, everything a good zombie book should be. But of course, there's more going on that meets the eye and it's up to the members of Torchwood, led by the handsome and daring Captain Jack Harkness to make sense of it all.
The ending is interesting, haunting and gruesome.
This is such a great book, from the writing style, to the all the details, to the actual story itself 💖📖
It's grim and gross and gritty, everything a good zombie book should be. But of course, there's more going on that meets the eye and it's up to the members of Torchwood, led by the handsome and daring Captain Jack Harkness to make sense of it all.
The ending is interesting, haunting and gruesome.
This is such a great book, from the writing style, to the all the details, to the actual story itself 💖📖
March 28, 2011
I don't think it's ever going to be possible to explain how much I love all things Torchwood. There is just something so addictive about the show, especially Captain Jack. I'm not sure what it is, but I can never get enough of it. Last year I discovered the books, and since I don't like to order online I've had to get them as I find them. This is only the second one I've read but I can't wait until I discover the rest of them, at least 12 more to go. All I know is I'm a Torchwood addict.
Now that I got that out of my system, can I just say I don't know why zombies and Torchwood were never paired together on the screen. They are a perfect fit. Over the top violence and gore, cheesy monsters, and crazy explanations just fit into the universe created by Russell T Davies (the producer of the TV show). What I loved about this book, especially since I'm starting to feel zombies are being overdone, is that I'm not sure I've ever seen this explanation used before. I won't give it totally away but think of the "Femme Fatale" episode of "Friday the Thirteenth: The Series" and you may get an idea of where the zombies come from, though not the whole story.
This book takes place after the tragic deaths of Owen & Tosh, so Jack, Gwen, and Ianto are joined by Rhys and Andy, Gwen's husband and old partner. It was nice to see Rhys given a more pronounced role in the book since he's more of a supporting character in the show. I've never been a big fan of his because despite of enjoying Captain Jack's affairs with men, especially Ianto, I always though Captain Jack and Gwen should have a romp in the hay. Here though he shined, I can understand what Gwen sees in him, so that desire for Jack and Gwen to hook up has been negated a bit.
If you are a fan of Torchwood, Sci Fi, zombies, or just wonderfully written zany fun, I would encourage you to pick this book up and devour it. For me, this was a great way to get a Torchwood fix while waiting for the new season to make it to the US. I only hope that I can quickly get in a few more fixes as well. That may come from what I just discovered earlier this week, that there are audio/radio episodes. They are available on CD. I only found them on Amazon, but I'm going to try and locate them another way first.
Now that I got that out of my system, can I just say I don't know why zombies and Torchwood were never paired together on the screen. They are a perfect fit. Over the top violence and gore, cheesy monsters, and crazy explanations just fit into the universe created by Russell T Davies (the producer of the TV show). What I loved about this book, especially since I'm starting to feel zombies are being overdone, is that I'm not sure I've ever seen this explanation used before. I won't give it totally away but think of the "Femme Fatale" episode of "Friday the Thirteenth: The Series" and you may get an idea of where the zombies come from, though not the whole story.
This book takes place after the tragic deaths of Owen & Tosh, so Jack, Gwen, and Ianto are joined by Rhys and Andy, Gwen's husband and old partner. It was nice to see Rhys given a more pronounced role in the book since he's more of a supporting character in the show. I've never been a big fan of his because despite of enjoying Captain Jack's affairs with men, especially Ianto, I always though Captain Jack and Gwen should have a romp in the hay. Here though he shined, I can understand what Gwen sees in him, so that desire for Jack and Gwen to hook up has been negated a bit.
If you are a fan of Torchwood, Sci Fi, zombies, or just wonderfully written zany fun, I would encourage you to pick this book up and devour it. For me, this was a great way to get a Torchwood fix while waiting for the new season to make it to the US. I only hope that I can quickly get in a few more fixes as well. That may come from what I just discovered earlier this week, that there are audio/radio episodes. They are available on CD. I only found them on Amazon, but I'm going to try and locate them another way first.
October 25, 2015
This is a book based on the television series. Zombies are popular today and now they are part of this universe. The Torchwood team battle a horde of zombies that appear suddenly in Cardiff.
This is your typical monster of the week episode that doesn't affect the overall story arc. The author understands the characters and he portrays them perfectly. Their personalities and banter are on full display here. The author even provided minor scenes for PC Andy and for my money they were the highlight of this novel. As of the story it was well done but nothing really new here. It seems like zombies are everywhere today and it must be difficult to add something new to this genre.
This was a quick read that does entertain. One doesn't have to be a serious fan to get the gist of this novel. It is your basic quick zombie survival story.
This is your typical monster of the week episode that doesn't affect the overall story arc. The author understands the characters and he portrays them perfectly. Their personalities and banter are on full display here. The author even provided minor scenes for PC Andy and for my money they were the highlight of this novel. As of the story it was well done but nothing really new here. It seems like zombies are everywhere today and it must be difficult to add something new to this genre.
This was a quick read that does entertain. One doesn't have to be a serious fan to get the gist of this novel. It is your basic quick zombie survival story.
January 6, 2016
i don't like the whole 'zombie apocalypse' thing, and this is, indeed, the 'torchwood zombie episode(book).' still, it had it's own torchwood twist, and it was very well done.
i didn't enjoy it as much as the prior novels, however. it could have been the zombies... it could have been that there wasn't much big action for the main characters; there was a lot of wo/man on the street storyline. which could make it humanizing and engaging... or boring, depending on how you like that.
so, bottom line. a decent torchwood novel!
i didn't enjoy it as much as the prior novels, however. it could have been the zombies... it could have been that there wasn't much big action for the main characters; there was a lot of wo/man on the street storyline. which could make it humanizing and engaging... or boring, depending on how you like that.
so, bottom line. a decent torchwood novel!
December 26, 2009
Definitely my favorite Torchwood book so far! All the characters had good roles - including PC Andy, there's mucho tension and terror (Me to Book: "No, don't eat the pregnant woman!"), plus a solid plot.
The book stands alone, without relying on the history of the show, so if you don't know that much about Torchwood, I think you'd still "get" it.
Avoid if you can't handle zombies, otherwise enjoy!
The book stands alone, without relying on the history of the show, so if you don't know that much about Torchwood, I think you'd still "get" it.
Avoid if you can't handle zombies, otherwise enjoy!
March 26, 2016
Pretty darn good mash up of zombies and Torchwood. Morris managed to make it work, and be believable in fitting with how the Torchwood world works. He also captured the characters well. I enjoyed it enough to read it all in one sitting, and take a look at the other offerings by this author. So, job well done!
August 31, 2017
Short and fast-paced. Jack, Ianto, Gwen, Rhys and PC Andy all shine here.
August 23, 2025
A lot of repetitive zombie action. Got boring quickly
December 10, 2020
This book is utterly ridiculous, absolutely and completely ridiculous. I can summarise the entire plot in three words. Torchwood versus zombies. Yep that’s literally it. The maddest thing is, it works! It’s done is such a gory, pulp way that you just love every page. It’s the fastest I’ve read a book in ages and that was because it was just so much fun to read. There’s no complex introspection or philosophising, it’s simply Ianto, Gwen, and Jack going blam blam at zombies.
The plot is put to one side for about 3/4s of the book, in favour of brilliant action sequences, Ianto delivering a child, and Jack loving every second of the night of the dead. Rhys accompanies Gwen in this story, and carries on proving he is just simply the best husband in the world, and also killing aliens with a golf club. Andy gets a little subplot, and as you can expect with any Andy subplot, it’s absolutely hilarious. All these many separate story strands cut to one another so easily, it doesn’t feel jarring at all, and you get to enjoy all ends of the action constantly. Honestly, it’s a hard book to put down.
The explanation is a bit weird, an alien who can create anything out of thought crashes on earth and almost kills a sad guy who was watching zombie films, to protect itself and have enough time for it’s vessel to heal it creates the zombies as they’re the last thing it could find in the mans memory. A mad, slightly odd explanation but if you ignore those 20 or so pages, and focus on the Torchwood killing literal zombies part, you’re in for a treat. This isn’t a story you dissect critically and find faults and flaws with, this is just one you sit back with and enjoy.
Having read and thought on all that goes on, it may just be a goody story but it’s so enjoyable you can’t hate it. This is one of the few Torchwood novels I recommend to fans who want some true comedic spliced with dark Torchwood goodness.
The plot is put to one side for about 3/4s of the book, in favour of brilliant action sequences, Ianto delivering a child, and Jack loving every second of the night of the dead. Rhys accompanies Gwen in this story, and carries on proving he is just simply the best husband in the world, and also killing aliens with a golf club. Andy gets a little subplot, and as you can expect with any Andy subplot, it’s absolutely hilarious. All these many separate story strands cut to one another so easily, it doesn’t feel jarring at all, and you get to enjoy all ends of the action constantly. Honestly, it’s a hard book to put down.
The explanation is a bit weird, an alien who can create anything out of thought crashes on earth and almost kills a sad guy who was watching zombie films, to protect itself and have enough time for it’s vessel to heal it creates the zombies as they’re the last thing it could find in the mans memory. A mad, slightly odd explanation but if you ignore those 20 or so pages, and focus on the Torchwood killing literal zombies part, you’re in for a treat. This isn’t a story you dissect critically and find faults and flaws with, this is just one you sit back with and enjoy.
Having read and thought on all that goes on, it may just be a goody story but it’s so enjoyable you can’t hate it. This is one of the few Torchwood novels I recommend to fans who want some true comedic spliced with dark Torchwood goodness.
December 30, 2025
“And now here we are surrounded by evidence of an attack in which the perpetrator used their bare hands as murder weapons and then cannibalized their victims. What does that suggest to you, Ianto?”
The fog arrives, and it’s like a wall.
The zombies do sound scary.
Attacks: cars, yacht, student house parties, Gwen’s apartment building.
The hospital. The cop cars.
A lot of POVs of randoms.
Good horror writing. 😱
The time energy barrier.
It is nice that PC Andy Davidson has POVs.
Oscar Phillips, survivor of the pod attack in Splott. Presently in a coma. 🧠
Connection to the parasitic host.
Leet, of the Dellacoi.
Rhys calls in a favor. 🚁
Does not have a Torchwood feel to it. It’s as if the author took the characters and just threw them into a zombie situation. Gwen and Rhys; Jack and Ianto…they don’t even reunite until the latter portion.
They’re just helping randoms the whole time.
Weak on character exposition, but strong on constant and frenetic scenes of attack and action.
Needs more of Ianto and Jack as a couple, not just work partners. Their light shines.
Is just fine for a standalone. Not a great fit for the Torchwood Universe.
“And you created them how?”
“By thinking them. Isn’t this how you create your world?”
The fog arrives, and it’s like a wall.
The zombies do sound scary.
Attacks: cars, yacht, student house parties, Gwen’s apartment building.
The hospital. The cop cars.
A lot of POVs of randoms.
Good horror writing. 😱
The time energy barrier.
It is nice that PC Andy Davidson has POVs.
Oscar Phillips, survivor of the pod attack in Splott. Presently in a coma. 🧠
Connection to the parasitic host.
Leet, of the Dellacoi.
Rhys calls in a favor. 🚁
Does not have a Torchwood feel to it. It’s as if the author took the characters and just threw them into a zombie situation. Gwen and Rhys; Jack and Ianto…they don’t even reunite until the latter portion.
They’re just helping randoms the whole time.
Weak on character exposition, but strong on constant and frenetic scenes of attack and action.
Needs more of Ianto and Jack as a couple, not just work partners. Their light shines.
Is just fine for a standalone. Not a great fit for the Torchwood Universe.
“And you created them how?”
“By thinking them. Isn’t this how you create your world?”
October 18, 2022
2022: 2nd time through. Ah, the potato-chip book: little nutritional value, but entertaining while it lasts. This is the flimsiest of potato chips, though it has some redeeming features. So--okay--zombies, of which I'm not fond because they're basically witless and because the authors always seem very eager to describe every disgusting detail of appearance and eating habits Didn't like 'em here, either. But Morris's look at how human beings would react in the kind of situation where you suddenly have the undead shambling along through the streets, eating people, is really good. People in shock and people getting angry and people trying to save themselves by sacrificing others--very realistic, and I appreciated it.
There's also a lot of Rhys here, and I always liked him, so that was appreciated, too.
Gotta wonder, though, how this kind of event would affect the population of Cardiff, given the body count.
There's also a lot of Rhys here, and I always liked him, so that was appreciated, too.
Gotta wonder, though, how this kind of event would affect the population of Cardiff, given the body count.
April 8, 2020
I absolutely HATE zombies and I continue the continuous cycle of starting a new Torchwood novel right before I go to bed. However, this was brilliantly done and left me clutching my kindle, thankfully in the light of day. I love how Rhys got his chance to shine and would love to have been in Ianto's head during the delivery of baby Thomas.
June 11, 2024
Promising at first, but drags out story beats far too long, most don't go anywhere and involve leaving the place they just arrived at.
The explanation near the ending of how it happened directly contradicts some of the things that occurred earlier.
Would be a 3, but the final third of the book blew open a bunch of plotholes I couldn't ignore.
The explanation near the ending of how it happened directly contradicts some of the things that occurred earlier.
Would be a 3, but the final third of the book blew open a bunch of plotholes I couldn't ignore.
November 2, 2021
I absolutely loved the book. I had imagined zombies would work better in a movie, but the description made it easy to picture all vividly. Best part of the book were the perfect characterisation of the main characters. Very well balanced and the relationships came across real. Highly recommended.
October 30, 2023
It’s Torchwood vs zombies! This one doesn’t have much of a plot - it’s just one zombie attack after another - but it’s well written and really gory, with great characterization. Loved the ending too. Would mind seeing this as a movie.
November 27, 2024
One of the better Torchwood books, although a bit too simplistic for my liking. Still,a fun whomp featuring Jack, Ianto, Rhys and Gwen fighting zombies in Cardiff, featuring scenes like Jack calling for Ianto as he collapses from what he fears is a fatal injury and Ianto helping deliver a baby.
October 3, 2018
A nice quick read. And I mean who doesn't enjoy a little Zombie Apocalypse every once in a while
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
January 21, 2024
Really enjoyed this one. The story flowed well, full of interesting events, never knowing how things were going to end. So glad it was all resolved in the end, although it usually is 😂
May 7, 2024
"'This isn't good,' Ianto said nervously, as zombies swarmed over the SUV."
It's Torchwood x Zombies.... it's written just as well as it needs to be.... and yes it's as much fun as it sounds
It's Torchwood x Zombies.... it's written just as well as it needs to be.... and yes it's as much fun as it sounds
August 21, 2024
Dark, a bit gross, and very spooky. Yep, this is a decent Torchwood novel. Not hugely memorable after reading but definitely good fun whilst reading.
June 2, 2022
Pretty fast paced but enjoyable
September 22, 2024
Torchwood and zombies. Obviously with an alien-themed explanation. Zombies were the big thing when this book was written so it is no surprise that Torchwood also had the zombie treatment. More comical than scary, but engaging enough. However I do feel that the Torchwood books work better when the whole team, including Rhys, interact with each other and they were separated on different plot points for the majority of this book.
August 25, 2010
This is the second Torchwood novel I have read so far and my god, what a ride. This one was damn exciting and what I loved the most that even though it was set after the deaths of Owen and Tosh it still had an outstanding cast, allowing Rhys and Andy to shine.
I really liked Mark Morris' style. He managed to really give the characters justice. He kept them all in character and really made me smile when he wrote Rhys. I have been really loving Rhys more and more every time I watch him and I think that this author wrote him so well. He showed us that Rhys is a normal human being and gets scared (especially with the things that go on with Torchwood) but he's also a brave man and he will do the right thing even if it is dangerous. It doesn’t even need to be when Gwen is in danger, although I love how fiercely loyal and supportive he is to his wife. Rhys is a true every day hero and I love that this book really showed that.
Andy was adorable. He may be a cop but fighting off “zombies” isnt an every day thing for your average copper. Just like in “Children Of Earth” when push comes to shove Andy is also a brave soul. He deals with what's in front of him and I found him adorable in this the way he wouldn’t give up on his partner and the way he handled the girl (Sophie) that they found along the way. I love Andy in this.
The high point of this novel for me though was Jack and Ianto. I know, it's a big shock, right? But seriously, the Jack and Ianto banter in this lasted the whole way through. It was exactly how I believe they would have been in this situation. I loved that this book showed that Jack was silently worrying over Ianto taking on too much since Tosh and Owen had died, and how it was evident even in his coffee making. I like that Jack was worried and had noticed but was choosing to remain quiet about the coffee because we all know how devastated Ianto would be if he knew his coffee wasn’t up to scratch.
I loved that Ianto showed his typical frustration at Jack when the man was getting a little too excited for his tastes over killing the Zombies … over the fact that there were even Zombies to begin with. The gives and takes of the Jack and Ianto relationship were there and it made me smile.
Also, I have to say I loved Ianto fussing over the SUV and the fact that he had to clean it. That's my Ianto.
This was great. It was exciting and very much in character, I believe! Well done Mark Morris. You took me on an awesome ride.
I really liked Mark Morris' style. He managed to really give the characters justice. He kept them all in character and really made me smile when he wrote Rhys. I have been really loving Rhys more and more every time I watch him and I think that this author wrote him so well. He showed us that Rhys is a normal human being and gets scared (especially with the things that go on with Torchwood) but he's also a brave man and he will do the right thing even if it is dangerous. It doesn’t even need to be when Gwen is in danger, although I love how fiercely loyal and supportive he is to his wife. Rhys is a true every day hero and I love that this book really showed that.
Andy was adorable. He may be a cop but fighting off “zombies” isnt an every day thing for your average copper. Just like in “Children Of Earth” when push comes to shove Andy is also a brave soul. He deals with what's in front of him and I found him adorable in this the way he wouldn’t give up on his partner and the way he handled the girl (Sophie) that they found along the way. I love Andy in this.
The high point of this novel for me though was Jack and Ianto. I know, it's a big shock, right? But seriously, the Jack and Ianto banter in this lasted the whole way through. It was exactly how I believe they would have been in this situation. I loved that this book showed that Jack was silently worrying over Ianto taking on too much since Tosh and Owen had died, and how it was evident even in his coffee making. I like that Jack was worried and had noticed but was choosing to remain quiet about the coffee because we all know how devastated Ianto would be if he knew his coffee wasn’t up to scratch.
I loved that Ianto showed his typical frustration at Jack when the man was getting a little too excited for his tastes over killing the Zombies … over the fact that there were even Zombies to begin with. The gives and takes of the Jack and Ianto relationship were there and it made me smile.
Also, I have to say I loved Ianto fussing over the SUV and the fact that he had to clean it. That's my Ianto.
This was great. It was exciting and very much in character, I believe! Well done Mark Morris. You took me on an awesome ride.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2011
The Torchwood team have seen a lot of strange things, but when zombies swarm Cardiff, Captain Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones feel as though they are living in a bad horror film. With Cardiff mysteriously cut off from the rest of the world, Torchwood and the residents of the bay city are on their own. Can Torchwood determine the source of their undead problem, and, more importantly, can they stop it?
Of all the Torchwood tie-in novels I have read (I think I have read all but three of them at this point), this was one of the most enjoyable. Zombies and Torchwood go together like bread and butter. Gwen’s husband, Rhys, and her former police partner, PC Andy Davidson, both play larger roles in this novel due to the absences of Owen Harper and Toshiko Sato. I am not a huge fan of Rhys, but I enjoyed him in this story. I also enjoyed seeing more of Andy; I hope we will see his role expand in future novels.
There is a fair amount of gore, as one would expect from a story centering around zombies. I was never bothered by this, despite my aversion to zombie movies as a whole. All of the Torchwood characters are portrayed well; there’s quite a bit of banter between Jack and Ianto and some touching scenes between Gwen and Rhys. The story felt like it could be an episode of the show, which is my main criterion for these books.
Mark Morris has written two Doctor Who tie-in novels, Forever Autumn and Ghosts of India, both of which I enjoyed. I had high expectations for this book based on those two previous titles and I was not disappointed. Recommended for Torchwood fans.
Of all the Torchwood tie-in novels I have read (I think I have read all but three of them at this point), this was one of the most enjoyable. Zombies and Torchwood go together like bread and butter. Gwen’s husband, Rhys, and her former police partner, PC Andy Davidson, both play larger roles in this novel due to the absences of Owen Harper and Toshiko Sato. I am not a huge fan of Rhys, but I enjoyed him in this story. I also enjoyed seeing more of Andy; I hope we will see his role expand in future novels.
There is a fair amount of gore, as one would expect from a story centering around zombies. I was never bothered by this, despite my aversion to zombie movies as a whole. All of the Torchwood characters are portrayed well; there’s quite a bit of banter between Jack and Ianto and some touching scenes between Gwen and Rhys. The story felt like it could be an episode of the show, which is my main criterion for these books.
Mark Morris has written two Doctor Who tie-in novels, Forever Autumn and Ghosts of India, both of which I enjoyed. I had high expectations for this book based on those two previous titles and I was not disappointed. Recommended for Torchwood fans.
August 13, 2010
Honestly, I should have known going into it that this book probably wasn't going to be as good as I'd hoped it would when I first bought it. The fact that Torchwood are dealing with zombies is a concept that's just too good to be true. I was quite pleased to see PC Andy utilized as a more active character than he was in other tie-in novels for this series (and even on the show itself!), but that was pretty much the highlight.
I won't say that this was a bad book because really, it wasn't that bad, but it could have been a lot better. The descriptions of the "zombies" were far more graphic than I would have expected and that was nice, if a little gross at times, but the plot overall was rather slow and dry.
Near the end, when it's discovered that the "zombies" aren't real, I found myself almost ready to put the book down and pass it off as a failed try that I would never actually finish. But I did want to find out what the "zombies" were if not real zombies, so I did finish. Sadly, while I'm glad that this is now part of my Torchwood tie-in collection, I don't think it'll be something I'll read again anytime soon.
I won't say that this was a bad book because really, it wasn't that bad, but it could have been a lot better. The descriptions of the "zombies" were far more graphic than I would have expected and that was nice, if a little gross at times, but the plot overall was rather slow and dry.
Near the end, when it's discovered that the "zombies" aren't real, I found myself almost ready to put the book down and pass it off as a failed try that I would never actually finish. But I did want to find out what the "zombies" were if not real zombies, so I did finish. Sadly, while I'm glad that this is now part of my Torchwood tie-in collection, I don't think it'll be something I'll read again anytime soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2017
This is a Torchwood book, set after we have lost Tosh and Owen, but before Children of Earth.
Cardiff is surrounded by a mysterious fog that prevents people from passing through it to either side. Then the attacks begin. There are zombies in Cardiff. Yeah, zombies. Seriously, those dead creatures who have an appetite for eating flesh.
The story isn't as bad as you might expect. The team is separated, with Gwen and Rhys trying to make their way to safety, but instead finding themselves cut off from the police and the Hub. PC Andy and his new partner are under attack, plus Andy may have found a new girlfriend. His timing really could have been better. Ianto and Jack work on putting two and two together to find the source of the zombies.
There are a few good moments in this story. Morris has a deft hand with both Rhys and Andy, which I love. Plus we see Ianto with a baby and Rhys as a hero. Some minor Jack/Ianto moments are within, but nothing strong. Overall, not a bad read. Even with zombies!
Cardiff is surrounded by a mysterious fog that prevents people from passing through it to either side. Then the attacks begin. There are zombies in Cardiff. Yeah, zombies. Seriously, those dead creatures who have an appetite for eating flesh.
The story isn't as bad as you might expect. The team is separated, with Gwen and Rhys trying to make their way to safety, but instead finding themselves cut off from the police and the Hub. PC Andy and his new partner are under attack, plus Andy may have found a new girlfriend. His timing really could have been better. Ianto and Jack work on putting two and two together to find the source of the zombies.
There are a few good moments in this story. Morris has a deft hand with both Rhys and Andy, which I love. Plus we see Ianto with a baby and Rhys as a hero. Some minor Jack/Ianto moments are within, but nothing strong. Overall, not a bad read. Even with zombies!
January 4, 2010
This was probably one of my favorite Torchwood books. It was interesting and detailed and I never wanted to put it down. The descriptions after a while got a bit repetitive since there are only so many times you can make a zombie original after the first five descriptions. The plot was original and didn't have any one in the sories who wanted to sleep with the team which is rare in the books that I've read at least. There was some foreshadowing toward the series three episodes Children of Earth. [ie. Jack saying he wants to explode to see what happens to come back to life and Gwen becoming a Mother.:] There were some really suspenseful moments in the book that made it, it was hard to tell if anything was going to happen to the pregnant couple or if PC Dawn would be suffering. I enjoyed that PC Andy and Rhys had some major goings on in the story and actually were involved in the story. Especially with Andy rocking his own and not having to deal with Torchwood.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2011
This was my second exposure to zombies in books. And I just gotta say-I don't like reading zombie stories! For that reason alone, I couldn't truly enjoy this book-even though it was decently structured and the characters were pretty well captured from what we've seen on the show. I just...zombies.
If you like zombie stories, you will probably like this. If you like Torchwood and zombies, you will probably like this. If you don't like zombies, well, you might like this if you can stomach the gore...because it is pretty gory. And while I get it might be hard or awkward to write scenes for Jack/Ianto...this author didn't even attempt to capture their relationship in the pages. This story takes place after the end of season 2, and there's little to nothing for the fans. So that was disappointing. In all, it was better than The Twilight Streets, which I found to be incomprehensible and the worst TW novel so far, but still didn't satisfy my desire for more from this universe.
If you like zombie stories, you will probably like this. If you like Torchwood and zombies, you will probably like this. If you don't like zombies, well, you might like this if you can stomach the gore...because it is pretty gory. And while I get it might be hard or awkward to write scenes for Jack/Ianto...this author didn't even attempt to capture their relationship in the pages. This story takes place after the end of season 2, and there's little to nothing for the fans. So that was disappointing. In all, it was better than The Twilight Streets, which I found to be incomprehensible and the worst TW novel so far, but still didn't satisfy my desire for more from this universe.
May 16, 2012
I confess... I probably shouldn't be penalizing Mr. Morris for not including the whole of the Torchwood team in his book since he probably was given set instructions on who could be included and who could not--BUT I really missed Tosh and Owen.
That said, I had trouble becoming invested in Bay of the Dead for other reasons. I hate being introduced to characters that we (as readers) know are "throwaways" most of all, and the whole beginning of the book is dedicated to these people. (Though to his credit, Mr. Morris plays his cards well and even brings in a twist there.)
Some other people have mentioned the way Gwen and Rhys (and PC Andy) interact and how well done that was. They're right. That was all gold!
It's a "good" read. Fun, light--I certainly would never say "don't bother". I liked it, but without Tosh and Owen...it was already two strikes down.
That said, I had trouble becoming invested in Bay of the Dead for other reasons. I hate being introduced to characters that we (as readers) know are "throwaways" most of all, and the whole beginning of the book is dedicated to these people. (Though to his credit, Mr. Morris plays his cards well and even brings in a twist there.)
Some other people have mentioned the way Gwen and Rhys (and PC Andy) interact and how well done that was. They're right. That was all gold!
It's a "good" read. Fun, light--I certainly would never say "don't bother". I liked it, but without Tosh and Owen...it was already two strikes down.
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