Torchwood: Coffee

Big Finish Torchwood #46

by James Goss

Baps has long been the best (and only) café in Cardiff Bay. But something’s coming to the Bay – will it be posh coffee or aliens?
David thinks that Cardiff’s under a curse, ever since his Mum went missing. One day, a young man called Ianto Jones walks into David’s café. He’s looking for something. Will he help David learn what’s really going on in the city?

Genres: Doctor Who, Audiobook, Science Fiction

Audiobook

First published January 13, 2021

About the author

James Goss has written two Torchwood novels and a radio play, as well as a Being Human book. His Doctor Who audiobook Dead Air won Best Audiobook 2010. James also spent seven years working on the BBC's official Doctor Who website and co-wrote the website for Torchwood Series One. In 2007, he won the Best Adaptation category in the annual LA Weekly Theatre Awards for his version of Douglas Adams' novel Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.

Reviews

[Lady Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t believe it’s been 15 years since Torchwood aired. This was amazing, and I am in pieces.

[Emilija · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 150 Prompt Doctor Who Reading Challenge - Eighth Doctor - 3) A Companion With A Mind Of Their Own: Read a book where the supporting character is as compelling as the main character.

This was a beautiful little story of how Ianto coped with life at Torchwood over the course of the show, and his interactions with the owner of a cafe, and how their friendships and enemosities grew over the course of many coffees.

I actually really liked that this story was told from an outsiders perspective, from the cafe owner and worker who became friends with Ianto, and they were as interesting as Ianto was, possibly a bit more so as we knew the events that Ianto references whereas the other characters didn't.

It was just a beautiful little story that explored more about Ianto and the effects that aliens had on the ordinary people in Cardiff, which it feels like the show forgot about a little.

[The Post Monument · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning! Tears might pop out of nowhere without any warning. I am never disappointed by James Goss stories.

[Taksya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I protagonisti della storia sono David e Kathy, proprietario e cameriera di un café situato sulla baia di Cardiff, a poca distanza dal Millennium Centre e dalla sede di Torchwood 3.
Tutto procede normalmente, per quanto possa essere normale trovarsi sopra una frattura spazio-temporale, fino al giorno in cui un certo Ianto Jones arriva nel locale e si prepara da solo il miglior caffè che abbiano mai assaggiato... il giusto caffè per sedurre qualcuno.
Per chi conosce la serie, è il caffè che Ianto porta a Jack la sera che cerca di convincerlo ad assumerlo e, da quel momento, la storia dell'audio si snoda in episodi collegati ai vari fatti accaduti durate le tre stagioni televisive.
Parallelamente le vicende di David e Kathy raccontanodella loro sopravvivenza a incursioni aliene, strane sparizioni e Catastrofi varie, fino al finale che sapevamo sarebbe arrivato fin dalle prime battute dell'episodio.
James Goss ha creato una sorta di montagne russe emozionali che, in più di una occasione, hanno portato sì qualche risata, ma anche qualche lacrimuccia.
Un degno omaggio per i quindici anni della serie.

[Idamus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bits of Ianto’s life outside of Torchwood, from getting the job, to his death.
I really like it, but gosh, I am so not over his death.

[Yvonne Alf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been a bit sceptical at first if I would like it, since I had heard how the story is told from the outside perspective. How insightful could that be? Well - A LOT! The owner of the coffee shop and his employee were excellent cast and over the course of the story they really grew on me. I really liked how their 'relationship' with Ianto developed from when he arrived first in Cardiff until the end. Highly recommended! It's fun, it's sad and it crushes your heart.

[Joseph S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ianto!

Also, thank you service workers! Love you Gods.

[Alina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect. In every single way. The most amazing, glorious character exploration of Ianto Jones.

[Marlowe North · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done making me sad about Ianto again, people.

[Daniel Cork · Rating 5 out of 5]

Torchwood: Coffee was written as a love letter not only to the series but to the character of Ianto Jones. Despite this, though, I wasn't interested in it; the premise didn't grab me. I always knew I'd listen to it someday, but it wasn't high on my list.

Baps is a coffee shop that has been in Cardiff for many years. David, the owner of Baps, and his new employee Kathy are working one day when Ianto walks into their life.

I can't believe I slept on this audio for this long. Holy shit, this was amazing. An incredible story about the lives of two ordinary people in Cardiff and how they're affected by Torchwood's shenanigans and their growing relationship and bond with Ianto. It's a really emotional story with plenty of references to the first 3 seasons of the show and some really great characterization. This story broke my heart.

Overall: It's an absolute masterpiece. I highly recommend it for Ianto fans. 10/10

[Saffinkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

this story being born basically just from trying to explain how ianto found a hot mug of coffee for jack seductionnpurposes at cardiff wharf is insanely funny to me. like yeah let's write one of the best torchwood eu stories to explainnaway a detail basically no one ever thought about. i love eu media so bad.
i absolutely did not expect to care for these random coffee shop owners this much by the end of the story, but gosh. i loved them! its so fun whenever the audios expand on the main cast's other relationship we havent had a chance to see before.

[Inkquill&Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

You race through but it’s a good perspective or Torchwood through the ordinary Cardiff citizens trying to live their lives. Loved the little extra bits of Ianto we get to expedience through Big Finish, they flesh him out in ways the show never did and this was no different. I especially loved the idea that Ianto made Jack sandwiches and put them in his pockets in case he ever got hungry whilst out. What an endearing bit of information.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The history of Torchwood Cardiff as seen from that little coffee shop around the corner. You know the place, where Ianto gets the coffee from. We know how it ends for Torchwood, but what about that little coffee shop. What happens to those people?

[Debra Cook · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ianto helps out two people that work at a local coffee shop.

[Marie]

that ianto theme really hit at the end there...

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ianto bumps into a coffee shop owner and his employee over the events of Torchwood Series 1 - 3.

[Marcel Driel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant idea, very funny, very touching, heartbreaking ending. Could maybe be a bit shorter, but that’s a very minor quibble. 4.5 stars.

[Luke Yeomans · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you liked Torchwood: Broken then you'll love this one too.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, I liked how it was from the POV of just 2 normal people of Cardiff and how they deal with Torchwoods weekly disasters. You get to try geuss what episode you are at. Ianto was brilliant and I loved how it explained were he got that cup of coffee for Jack. There is a audiobook similar to this called Broken. Were Ianto goes to pub after each episode and I love it because it fills in some needed gaps. This is a more fun version of that.

[Jamie Revell · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Torchwood tries, with varying degrees of success, to save the city from aliens, life in Cardiff goes on around them. This is the story of the first three seasons of the show, as told from the perspective of a couple of staff working at a cafe on the Bay where Ianto is a regular customer. In this respect, it's somewhat like the earlier release Broken but the story covers a longer period and is focused on the lives of the guest characters rather than on Ianto and Jack.

A knowledge of the TV series is clearly needed for this since, while there are several side incidents peppered in among them, there are multiple references to the events of specific TV episodes. There's a real sense of just how bad things can get in Cardiff in the series as its events have repercussions on ordinary people that we rarely see in it - most of whom, of course, have no idea what's really going on. As the story unfolds, Ianto's relationship with the cafe staff goes through ups and downs as (from the listener's perspective) the coming events of Children of Earth hang over things.

It's a great slice-of-life story with a strong SF twist. There is the odd moment of humour, a fair bit of pathos, and good characterisation and strong acting from everyone involved. If you're after action or horror, there's very little of that, since it really is just the story of a cafe struggling to get by in difficult circumstances. But as a character study and a look at Torchwood's actions from the outside, it's an excellent story with plenty to reward fans.

[Nicolas Lontel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un épisode très référentiel à la série et se base un peu sur son visionnage pour y donner un peu plus de sens. Sinon, j'avais l'impression au début de juste avoir affaire à une histoire qui aurait raconté à niveau l'histoire de Torchwood à travers un peu de vue extérieur, mais l'audio, heureusement, nous amène ailleurs à travers une narration plus intime des conséquences des actions de Torchwood et des extraterrestres et êtres humains qui menacent la planète. On développe une certaine affection pour les personnages et c'est aussi assez poignant de revivre certains moments de la série d'une autre manière (plus que je ne l'aurais imaginé) et ça n'a pas ôté aux moments plus émotionnels des nouveaux personnages.

Gareth David-Lloyd est vraiment un excellent acteur audio et je n'avais pas remarqué quelques subtilités que le dans les coulisses nous explique.