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Torchwood #15
Consequences
Saving the planet, watching over the Rift, preparing the human race for the twenty-first century... Torchwood has been keeping Cardiff safe since the late 1800s. Small teams of heroes, working 24/7, encountering and containing the alien, the bizarre and the inexplicable.
But Torchwood do not always see the effects of their actions. What links the Rules and Regulations for replacing a Torchwood leader to the destruction of a supermarket? How does a witness to an alien's reprisals against Torchwood become caught up in a night of terror in a university library? And why should Gwen and Ianto's actions at a local publisher's affect Torchwood more than a century earlier?
For Torchwood, the past will always catch up with them. And sometimes the future will catch up with the past...
Featuring sci-fi stories by writers for the hit Torchwood series created by Russell T Davies for BBC Television, including James Moran and Joseph Lidster, plus Andrew Cartmel, Sarah Pinborough and David Llewellyn.
But Torchwood do not always see the effects of their actions. What links the Rules and Regulations for replacing a Torchwood leader to the destruction of a supermarket? How does a witness to an alien's reprisals against Torchwood become caught up in a night of terror in a university library? And why should Gwen and Ianto's actions at a local publisher's affect Torchwood more than a century earlier?
For Torchwood, the past will always catch up with them. And sometimes the future will catch up with the past...
Featuring sci-fi stories by writers for the hit Torchwood series created by Russell T Davies for BBC Television, including James Moran and Joseph Lidster, plus Andrew Cartmel, Sarah Pinborough and David Llewellyn.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2009
11 people are currently reading
734 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
August 6, 2018
Zbiór historii pisanych przez różnych autorów, które pozornie odrębne bardzo subtelnie splatają się ze sobą. Pomysł świetny, wykonanie marne. Ostatnie opowiadanie mogło zwalać z nóg, niestety nie było tym, czym myślałam, że jest.
August 12, 2018
This is a book that is based on the television series. This book contains five short stories that cover different time periods of the Torchwood agency. We get a look at the early days of Torchwood, a story with Owen and Tosh, and stories after the tragic events of season two.
There was nothing special about these stories with the exception being "Virus" by James Moran. In that story, Ianto really gets to shine and fans of his character will quickly devour it. The other stories were okay but seemed like they were missing something. An example would be one story dealt with the team minus Jack. He was only mentioned in name only. I understand the purpose of the story but it was like going to a concert of your favorite group and the lead singer spent the whole time on backstage. I would like the full compliment of the team. Besides the one story I really enjoyed, I never really felt the true vibe of the television series.
This wasn't the best offering from this universe and it wasn't the worst. The short story with Ianto really makes up for an okay collection of stories and that story is worth it alone to pick up this book.
There was nothing special about these stories with the exception being "Virus" by James Moran. In that story, Ianto really gets to shine and fans of his character will quickly devour it. The other stories were okay but seemed like they were missing something. An example would be one story dealt with the team minus Jack. He was only mentioned in name only. I understand the purpose of the story but it was like going to a concert of your favorite group and the lead singer spent the whole time on backstage. I would like the full compliment of the team. Besides the one story I really enjoyed, I never really felt the true vibe of the television series.
This wasn't the best offering from this universe and it wasn't the worst. The short story with Ianto really makes up for an okay collection of stories and that story is worth it alone to pick up this book.
May 6, 2013
TorchWood being my favorite TV show I expected this to a great book and I was right. Made up of 5 mini novels TorchWood Consequences was definitely one of the best books I've read in a while. I liked most of the stories equally but found the first one hard to read because I didn't know the background story of any of the characters. My favorite was virus because was finally Ianto's time to shine in the fourth Novel in this book.
April 17, 2010
A generally lackluster collection of short stories about Torchwood. Notable for me because one of the stories, "Virus," focuses heavily on Ianto. And I love me some Ianto.
August 13, 2023
Consequences is not one book as I had expected it to be, but instead is a collection of not so shortish stories (depends on what you count as a short story). Will be updating this review as I read them as I doubt by the time I have finished all the collection I will remember the beginning stories to much detail. This the first book I am reading from the BBC Torchwood Book collection, and it appears each of the stories within the book, have been written by different authors.
The baby famers by David Llewellyn - 4/5 stars.
Throughout the TV episode 'fragments' we see snippets from Captain Jacks work pre-21st century, and this short story gives us a deeper insight into one of his past cases. Set in the 1800's, the Torchwood crew have noticed strange events and reports from a ship and therefore start an investigation. and so the majority of the book is based around characters Emily , Alice and Mr Gaskell. All these characters were very solid and each one of them held an important role within the story. (WE GOT 19TH CENTURY LESBIANS!!!). The story was brilliant and the ending was extremely dark/twisted, plus it was beautifully written. Was a great introduction to this collection of stories.
Kaleidoscope by Sarah Pinborough - 4/5 stars.
This story is set after Captain Jacks departure from Torchwood when he goes off to 'find his doctor' and gives us a small insight on how Gwen , Ianto , Owen and Toshiko coped during his absence. Heavy warning for descriptions of drugs and abuse which I was definitely not expecting, and much like the previous book, ended dark. But hey, that's torchwood for you. The plot was really intriguing, following a young boy who deals with constant abuse and neglection from his father, until one day he comes upon this kaleidoscope which changes his life. But for the better or not is debatable? I loved sassy Tosh (but not as much as sweet innocent Toshiko). And I wonder how Owen and Gwen got rid of their craving as we never found out? Overall it was a brilliant story which held a lot of emotion and power. Although I wish Ianto had more time to shine then being left at the hub every time they went out.
The wrong hands by Andrew Cartmel - 3/5 stars.
This story I'm guessing is set after exit wounds, as it contains only Jack, Gwen and Ianto. This book I found wasn't as interesting to me as the previous two, and the plot felt a little slow and boring at times. Again maybe the lack of Ianto was a contributing factor. The story itself follows Gwen and Jack searching for a missing Alien weapon, and coming in contact with a gang of drug dealers. The repeat of jokes didn't come across as funny to me. At the start 'nobody knows I'm a lesbian' was mildly funny. but after being repeated 100 times, it just isn't. Other then that we got another dark ending, which I guess is a running theme. This book just didn't stand out to me.
Virus by James Moran - 4.5/5 stars.
This story continues on from the previous book 'the wrong hands' and gives an insight to the consequences of the explosion, when. This story is mainly centred around Ianto which is a nice change of scenery from the previous instalments where he has just been a background character and seeing badass Ianto in action is a lovely change of pace. Ianto as a character has always been a favourite of mine, and his personality in this story seems very in character. However, although I consider these books to be cannon (as they are wrote by the BBC), that kiss with Gwen did not happen in my mind because I can absolutely never see Ianto kissing Gwen when Jack is right next to him, then Gwen winking to him at the end? What sort of weird love triangle are they trying to create. It just felt wrong to me and so I'm going to try and pretend it never happened. But other then that Ianto shooting and blowing up people to save his boyfriend and Gwen is totally something I can get down with. The pace of this book was very forward and straight to the point which is nice as we haven't seen that much really, and the plot of Ianto searching for the antidote and being the only one able to say his friends made for an interesting read! I devoured this in around 30 minutes. 'hello Mr Suity-Man' said Sean. 'Don't make fun of the suit,' said Ianto shaking his head in disapproval. 'Just don't.' I am however very curious as to what Ianto told Jack to wake him up. Guess we will never know!
Consequences by Joseph Lidster - 5/5 stars.
Oh. my. goodness. 5/5 stars. this was brilliant, from the structure to the story it was perfect and it all linked back to the very first instalment 'the baby farmers'. IT ALL MAKES SENSE!! This story follows Nina, who finds a book has been stealing her memories, and now she has to figure out how to get them back. This was the first BBC Torchwood book I have read but the end linked back to 'Sky point' Which is another book in the series, so maybe the reading order is important? Either way without any background knowledge of sky point, it was still simple to understand. And the plot twist at the end?? Wow. Joseph Lidster knows how to write Torchwood that's for sure, especially since he wrote 'Broken' for big finish productions. (I still don't forgive you for that one Lidster). This story also includes some Janto scenes which is nice, and some lovely descriptions of Ianto's suit. This was by far my favourite chapter in the book as it really tied up all the loose ends and done it brilliantly. 'oh bloody typical. You're gay'
Overall I'm giving this collection of stories 4.1/5 stars (yes very specific but I calculated the mean). They were a brilliant introduction to the BBC Torchwood stories and now I'm very interested in reading more, to delve deeper into the universe. Many reviews have said these books read like fanfiction but for me, I didn't feel like that at all. Although there were stories I liked more then others, they were all exciting and worth the read. I consider all BBC books canon media.
The baby famers by David Llewellyn - 4/5 stars.
Throughout the TV episode 'fragments' we see snippets from Captain Jacks work pre-21st century, and this short story gives us a deeper insight into one of his past cases. Set in the 1800's, the Torchwood crew have noticed strange events and reports from a ship and therefore start an investigation. and so the majority of the book is based around characters Emily , Alice and Mr Gaskell. All these characters were very solid and each one of them held an important role within the story. (WE GOT 19TH CENTURY LESBIANS!!!). The story was brilliant and the ending was extremely dark/twisted, plus it was beautifully written. Was a great introduction to this collection of stories.
Kaleidoscope by Sarah Pinborough - 4/5 stars.
This story is set after Captain Jacks departure from Torchwood when he goes off to 'find his doctor' and gives us a small insight on how Gwen , Ianto , Owen and Toshiko coped during his absence. Heavy warning for descriptions of drugs and abuse which I was definitely not expecting, and much like the previous book, ended dark. But hey, that's torchwood for you. The plot was really intriguing, following a young boy who deals with constant abuse and neglection from his father, until one day he comes upon this kaleidoscope which changes his life. But for the better or not is debatable? I loved sassy Tosh (but not as much as sweet innocent Toshiko). And I wonder how Owen and Gwen got rid of their craving as we never found out? Overall it was a brilliant story which held a lot of emotion and power. Although I wish Ianto had more time to shine then being left at the hub every time they went out.
The wrong hands by Andrew Cartmel - 3/5 stars.
This story I'm guessing is set after exit wounds, as it contains only Jack, Gwen and Ianto. This book I found wasn't as interesting to me as the previous two, and the plot felt a little slow and boring at times. Again maybe the lack of Ianto was a contributing factor. The story itself follows Gwen and Jack searching for a missing Alien weapon, and coming in contact with a gang of drug dealers. The repeat of jokes didn't come across as funny to me. At the start 'nobody knows I'm a lesbian' was mildly funny. but after being repeated 100 times, it just isn't. Other then that we got another dark ending, which I guess is a running theme. This book just didn't stand out to me.
Virus by James Moran - 4.5/5 stars.
This story continues on from the previous book 'the wrong hands' and gives an insight to the consequences of the explosion, when. This story is mainly centred around Ianto which is a nice change of scenery from the previous instalments where he has just been a background character and seeing badass Ianto in action is a lovely change of pace. Ianto as a character has always been a favourite of mine, and his personality in this story seems very in character. However, although I consider these books to be cannon (as they are wrote by the BBC), that kiss with Gwen did not happen in my mind because I can absolutely never see Ianto kissing Gwen when Jack is right next to him, then Gwen winking to him at the end? What sort of weird love triangle are they trying to create. It just felt wrong to me and so I'm going to try and pretend it never happened. But other then that Ianto shooting and blowing up people to save his boyfriend and Gwen is totally something I can get down with. The pace of this book was very forward and straight to the point which is nice as we haven't seen that much really, and the plot of Ianto searching for the antidote and being the only one able to say his friends made for an interesting read! I devoured this in around 30 minutes. 'hello Mr Suity-Man' said Sean. 'Don't make fun of the suit,' said Ianto shaking his head in disapproval. 'Just don't.' I am however very curious as to what Ianto told Jack to wake him up. Guess we will never know!
Consequences by Joseph Lidster - 5/5 stars.
Oh. my. goodness. 5/5 stars. this was brilliant, from the structure to the story it was perfect and it all linked back to the very first instalment 'the baby farmers'. IT ALL MAKES SENSE!! This story follows Nina, who finds a book has been stealing her memories, and now she has to figure out how to get them back. This was the first BBC Torchwood book I have read but the end linked back to 'Sky point' Which is another book in the series, so maybe the reading order is important? Either way without any background knowledge of sky point, it was still simple to understand. And the plot twist at the end?? Wow. Joseph Lidster knows how to write Torchwood that's for sure, especially since he wrote 'Broken' for big finish productions. (I still don't forgive you for that one Lidster). This story also includes some Janto scenes which is nice, and some lovely descriptions of Ianto's suit. This was by far my favourite chapter in the book as it really tied up all the loose ends and done it brilliantly. 'oh bloody typical. You're gay'
Overall I'm giving this collection of stories 4.1/5 stars (yes very specific but I calculated the mean). They were a brilliant introduction to the BBC Torchwood stories and now I'm very interested in reading more, to delve deeper into the universe. Many reviews have said these books read like fanfiction but for me, I didn't feel like that at all. Although there were stories I liked more then others, they were all exciting and worth the read. I consider all BBC books canon media.
July 2, 2018
I was a big fan of the Torchwood series on BBC, which the executives seem to be doing their best to make sure stays dead. With no new shows or movies, I've been going back through the novels, enjoying the adventures of Captain Jack Harkness and company. Consequences is different from the other books, since it's actually an anthology running from the Victorian Era Torchwood to the modern, and touches on several other books as well.
The collection of stories shows the 1800's Institute fighting "The Baby Farmers," which is about the only story title I remember. The next short is sent during the period Jack reunited with the Doctor and left the team behind for a while with no warning. Then it moves on through several other tales, touching on minor characters from earlier books and the luckless Skypoint building, which just seems to be cursed at this point.
It's a great collection of sci fi madness that unexpectedly loops back around on itself as the last story connects back to the first. Recommended to any fans of Torchwood.
BRING BACK CAPTAIN JACK!
The collection of stories shows the 1800's Institute fighting "The Baby Farmers," which is about the only story title I remember. The next short is sent during the period Jack reunited with the Doctor and left the team behind for a while with no warning. Then it moves on through several other tales, touching on minor characters from earlier books and the luckless Skypoint building, which just seems to be cursed at this point.
It's a great collection of sci fi madness that unexpectedly loops back around on itself as the last story connects back to the first. Recommended to any fans of Torchwood.
BRING BACK CAPTAIN JACK!
November 12, 2009
Hmm, my book cover for this is different than the one shown. Oh, I guess it's 'cause I have the UK edition.
Anyway, I absolutely loved this collection of short Torchwood stories. There's at least one that takes place in between the events of Series 1 and 2. This book has a special place in my heart because of James Moran, a great writer and a great guy.
I like how the last 3 stories had elements that connected them to each other. I enjoy reading these official novelizations. I consider them canon, while I have not had such an easy time reading fic by random fans. Stories by people that know the universe and characters so well tend to ring truer to me.
All I can say is "I want more!"
Anyway, I absolutely loved this collection of short Torchwood stories. There's at least one that takes place in between the events of Series 1 and 2. This book has a special place in my heart because of James Moran, a great writer and a great guy.
I like how the last 3 stories had elements that connected them to each other. I enjoy reading these official novelizations. I consider them canon, while I have not had such an easy time reading fic by random fans. Stories by people that know the universe and characters so well tend to ring truer to me.
All I can say is "I want more!"
July 30, 2017
I am biased because I love Torchwood so not liking this book would have been a huge surprise... I wasn't surprised, I really enjoyed the read. The book is composed of 5 short-stories. My favorite was Virus by James Moran, Ianto is in full action mode in this one and that's how I like my favorite character to be. I liked how the stories involved more than one combination of Torchwood's operatives. It was really interesting to see every short-story having repercussions in the ones following it and how they tied all the stories together like they used to do in the short-story books by Big Finish starring The Doctor. This book is for TW fans only, but it you are one than you'll like the time spent reading Consequences.
June 14, 2011
I should really give this 4.5 stars, as former "Doctor Who" script editor Andrew Cartmel's contribution to this anthology starts out in rather clunky fashion. But once he gets warmed up, he's on the same exciting-yet-twisted page as everyone else...and the result is like experiencing a perfect little mini-season of "Torchwood". I burned through this book in 24 hours -- it's utterly compelling, borderline insane, and equal parts hilarious, horrific, and poignant. Everything that is wonderful about "Torchwood" (including its soul destroying characteristics) is present and correct. The best short story collection produced by any part of the "Doctor Who" universe to date.
October 20, 2024
3.5 stars
I recently finished a re-watch of Torchwood and couldn't quite let go of the characters, but thankfully found this book in the library!
The Baby Farmers - a great first story with an interesting concept. I'd have like more explanation and detail around the but appreciate it's a short story collection so there isn't the space for lots of exposition. I liked the historical setting and getting to see Alice, Emily, and Charles in action, and it provided good insight into Jack's character and time in Torchwood throughout the 20th Century. An enjoyable story that felt quintessentially Torchwood.
Kaleidoscope - loved this story, so sad and heart-breaking! Having Torchwood investigate alien technology is such an interesting aspect of the show and so I enjoyed this story a lot. Despite being short, the story was well contained and didn't leave me with many unanswered questions. I thought Danny and his Dad were great side characters to explore the effects of this technology through, alongside the effect it has on Tosh, Owen, and Gwen. It was heart-breaking to see I also loved seeing how the Torchwood team are coping post-Jack leaving at the end of End of Days, it was a really interesting insight into how the team felt and added a lot to their characters.
Wrong Hands - not my favourite in this collection. I liked The story had an interesting premise but they spent too long setting up the story then rushed the ending.
Virus - I enjoyed this one, loved seeing Ianto be a badass hero! Really interesting concept and great pacing and tension throughout. I would have liked to know more about the alien tech collectors/sellers - who are they, how do they know so much about the technology they have etc., but again, appreciate a short story can't go into too much detail. Also, Janto <3
Consequences - I thought this was the weakest story of them all. There wasn't much focus on the Torchwood members, it felt very reminiscent of the episode 'Random Shoes' or Doctor Who's 'Love and Monsters'. I liked how the story linked back to The Baby Farmers and loved the concept. was an intriguing concept too but I thought it could have been better used or built up.
I found the book to be a mixed bag - some great stories, some not so much. My main issue with the book as a whole is the lack of Torchwood cast! I picked it up as I didn't want to say goodbye to all my favourite characters, but then they barely appear in the book. Owen and Tosh only appear in one story, Jack is in four but only really plays a big role in one story, and Gwen and Ianto have their moments but not enough with the rest of the characters. I appreciate it's a collection of story stories so showing breadth rather than depth, but I'd have also liked to see more character development for our Torchwood cast too.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and it made me want to try more Torchwood novels in the future!
I recently finished a re-watch of Torchwood and couldn't quite let go of the characters, but thankfully found this book in the library!
The Baby Farmers - a great first story with an interesting concept. I'd have like more explanation and detail around the but appreciate it's a short story collection so there isn't the space for lots of exposition. I liked the historical setting and getting to see Alice, Emily, and Charles in action, and it provided good insight into Jack's character and time in Torchwood throughout the 20th Century. An enjoyable story that felt quintessentially Torchwood.
Kaleidoscope - loved this story, so sad and heart-breaking! Having Torchwood investigate alien technology is such an interesting aspect of the show and so I enjoyed this story a lot. Despite being short, the story was well contained and didn't leave me with many unanswered questions. I thought Danny and his Dad were great side characters to explore the effects of this technology through, alongside the effect it has on Tosh, Owen, and Gwen. It was heart-breaking to see I also loved seeing how the Torchwood team are coping post-Jack leaving at the end of End of Days, it was a really interesting insight into how the team felt and added a lot to their characters.
Wrong Hands - not my favourite in this collection. I liked The story had an interesting premise but they spent too long setting up the story then rushed the ending.
Virus - I enjoyed this one, loved seeing Ianto be a badass hero! Really interesting concept and great pacing and tension throughout. I would have liked to know more about the alien tech collectors/sellers - who are they, how do they know so much about the technology they have etc., but again, appreciate a short story can't go into too much detail. Also, Janto <3
Consequences - I thought this was the weakest story of them all. There wasn't much focus on the Torchwood members, it felt very reminiscent of the episode 'Random Shoes' or Doctor Who's 'Love and Monsters'. I liked how the story linked back to The Baby Farmers and loved the concept. was an intriguing concept too but I thought it could have been better used or built up.
I found the book to be a mixed bag - some great stories, some not so much. My main issue with the book as a whole is the lack of Torchwood cast! I picked it up as I didn't want to say goodbye to all my favourite characters, but then they barely appear in the book. Owen and Tosh only appear in one story, Jack is in four but only really plays a big role in one story, and Gwen and Ianto have their moments but not enough with the rest of the characters. I appreciate it's a collection of story stories so showing breadth rather than depth, but I'd have also liked to see more character development for our Torchwood cast too.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and it made me want to try more Torchwood novels in the future!
November 7, 2023
Torchwood: Consequences - 3/5
Fun set of 5 interconnected Torchwood short stories spanning from Jack's time in Victorian England (give me more of the Victorian team, need me some more of Emily and Alice's relationship please) all the way to post Torchwood Series 2.
I enjoyed the first and last stories the most, and those were the two which were the most interlinked, but the second story was decent too. They're fun play on the idea which the show explores about how past events in Captain Jack's long life often cause issues for him and Torchwood in the present.
I think that the final story here is the last one of book original character Nina Rogers and I liked her here, although in a very Who way I've met her first at the end of her story instead of in a neat line.
Anyway, fun time, I enjoyed it.
Fun set of 5 interconnected Torchwood short stories spanning from Jack's time in Victorian England (give me more of the Victorian team, need me some more of Emily and Alice's relationship please) all the way to post Torchwood Series 2.
I enjoyed the first and last stories the most, and those were the two which were the most interlinked, but the second story was decent too. They're fun play on the idea which the show explores about how past events in Captain Jack's long life often cause issues for him and Torchwood in the present.
I think that the final story here is the last one of book original character Nina Rogers and I liked her here, although in a very Who way I've met her first at the end of her story instead of in a neat line.
Anyway, fun time, I enjoyed it.
January 24, 2025
Rating 3.5
Enjoyed this short stories that reference or link into each other in a limited way.
Have always thought that the missed opportunity of more Torchwood set pre 1945 and especially pre 1900 is where the prose or audio stories should have gone.
Much more wider area to play in with different team members, and also different locations in the British empire. Concentrating solely on present day team although entertaining wasn’t always great.
These five stories were generally okay in themselves but none were great.
Still definitely worth reading I think.
Enjoyed this short stories that reference or link into each other in a limited way.
Have always thought that the missed opportunity of more Torchwood set pre 1945 and especially pre 1900 is where the prose or audio stories should have gone.
Much more wider area to play in with different team members, and also different locations in the British empire. Concentrating solely on present day team although entertaining wasn’t always great.
These five stories were generally okay in themselves but none were great.
Still definitely worth reading I think.
December 8, 2021
This book is a series of short stories from Torchwood - it ranges across the timeline, from Captain Jack's early days with the organisation to when he disappeared with the Doctor to adventure with the whole gang. Every writer perfectly captures the feel of the characters and the tone of the show. On the latter front, that means don't look for happy endings in every story. I enjoyed reading "new" episodes of Torchwood - so a great read for any fan!
Read
July 24, 2024Unlike the other books in the series, this one is an anthology. Of the selection, “Virus” is the strongest, giving Ianto a time to shine. Of the others, they are decent enough, providing a finale to the book exclusive characters Nina Rogers and feeling like a conclusion to the Ianto-Gwen-Jack era of Torchwood Three. Also, kudos to the anthology for using the Victorian-era Torchwood team seen in “Fragments”, who have barely (if at all) been used otherwise.
September 19, 2022
The book contains five short stories and all of them are terrific. The book is overall such a good read. Every story gives the characters time to breath and the alst one is really neat because it looks back on the other books released. Highly recommended.
January 27, 2024
Absolutely loved this one! I loved hiw all of the stories inside connected to each other and formed the whole picture. It was such an enjoyable read to see different moments in time for the Torchwood team and how everything was resolved in the end.
August 21, 2024
I really enjoy short stories and having a compilation of these is excellent! I must say my favourite ones were Sarah Pinborough's and Joseph Lidster's - two authors that I believe just "get" Torchwood and have unique writing styles that I enjoy.
June 7, 2017
Some good stories, some quite sad to read and others fun. Recommended to Torchwood fans.
November 23, 2017
I love reading stories with the Torchwood gang in them.
February 7, 2019
If you enjoyed the Torchwood series on TV, chances are you will enjoy being able to revisit the Torchwood universe introduced by the Dr. Who spinoff.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
January 24, 2021
Good ideas but reads like badly written fanfiction
June 30, 2021
What can I say? I'm a sucker for interconnecting stories.
August 20, 2022
inconsistent but packed with fun ideas
November 5, 2022
It's honestly, nothing that I would want to read again. I enjoyed it, but wasn't special
September 9, 2023
authors went to the school of wattpad
May 1, 2025
Five short stories based around the Torchwood team. The first focuses on Torchwood Cardiff at the start of the 20th century, who we see briefly in a couple of episodes. The second is set between series 1 and 2 when Jack is ‘missing’. The third, fourth and fifth are set between series two and three when Torchwood Cardiff are down to three. I enjoyed all the stories, particularly the first with the Victorian team, and the second where the team are trying to decide who should step in and lead the team. Overall, an enjoyable read.
March 13, 2022
the baby farmers - the 19th century torchwood team, i wish we saw more of them. alice and emily are very interesting, this story got me thinking about gaskell as well (tbf hes in like one scene of the show and his personality doesnt shine through) plus they have young immortal jack, ultimately a different jack to who we know in doctor who s1 or in torchwood. more innocent but also i imagine with some deep abandonment. also, fuck, he sees them all die. he's lost too many people.
the story as a whole is kinda meh. the plot is not that unique or captivating.
i like imagining gaskell's clara is one of the claras from when she enters the doctor's timestream. maybe she dies saving jack.
kaleidoscope - thank you sarah pinborough for the little bit of gwentosh. this story has a more unique concept. it's also very fucked up, what happens to danny? his life has been irreveckobly transferred to a different path and he doesn't get rescued or anything. that's his whole conclusion
the wrong hands - love this one! lot of mystery, with a fun twist. i wish they couldve saved the girl. i think this one wouldve worked really well as an episode, it's about the right length. then again i think all of these stories would benefit well from that. (virus. especially virus. give me ianto and fucktons of guns)
virus - this follows on from the wrong hands. ianto centric stuff is always welcome, even more so after exit wounds. however i would say, a lot happens in this so it does feel quite a bit that ianto stumbles across stuff quite luckily, fair bit of convenience for the sake of plot. gwenianto kiss is nice though. as is the crossdressing part that wouldve been fun to see in the show
consequences - a very circular story. it still confuses me a bit but thats alright. nice to step out of the box. i enjoy that it mentions emily - ties this story off with the first one nicely. also reminds me of the type of time travel used in the stone rose. trapping stuff in a time loop, i think about that a lot. the implications
the story as a whole is kinda meh. the plot is not that unique or captivating.
i like imagining gaskell's clara is one of the claras from when she enters the doctor's timestream. maybe she dies saving jack.
kaleidoscope - thank you sarah pinborough for the little bit of gwentosh. this story has a more unique concept. it's also very fucked up, what happens to danny? his life has been irreveckobly transferred to a different path and he doesn't get rescued or anything. that's his whole conclusion
the wrong hands - love this one! lot of mystery, with a fun twist. i wish they couldve saved the girl. i think this one wouldve worked really well as an episode, it's about the right length. then again i think all of these stories would benefit well from that. (virus. especially virus. give me ianto and fucktons of guns)
virus - this follows on from the wrong hands. ianto centric stuff is always welcome, even more so after exit wounds. however i would say, a lot happens in this so it does feel quite a bit that ianto stumbles across stuff quite luckily, fair bit of convenience for the sake of plot. gwenianto kiss is nice though. as is the crossdressing part that wouldve been fun to see in the show
consequences - a very circular story. it still confuses me a bit but thats alright. nice to step out of the box. i enjoy that it mentions emily - ties this story off with the first one nicely. also reminds me of the type of time travel used in the stone rose. trapping stuff in a time loop, i think about that a lot. the implications
July 13, 2023
Five interlinked Torchwood stories on the theme of consequences of actions, my favourite Torchwood book / play to date
In the first book: 'The Baby Farm' we are in Victorian England. A desperate mother is driven to give up her baby to the deliciously spooky Ms Blight and one of Torchwood's founding memebers: Emily Holyroyd places a mysterious book in Cardiff University Library. The Torchwood team follow the fate of the babies to a Ragged School. These were real historical institutions set up by philanthrophists to give boys training in skills such as shoe making, ironwork and tailoring and offer them a real chance of escaping the poverty they are born into. But in this case something Rift borne is involved and those taking the babies have to pay a terrible price for exploiting an alien species.
In 'Kaleidoscope' we have moved forward to the time when Jack had disappeared leaving Gwen, Toshiko, Ianto and Owen rudderless. Danny is a young boy terrorised by his physically abusive father. When a piece of alien technology comes into his hands he looks through it at his father believing it to be an ordinary kaleidoscope, but this is a Rehabilitator. They were used in prisons and when the viewed was seen through it they became the ideal according the person doing the viewing. Danny's father becomes loving, gentle and a real father. But the Rehabiliator is very addictive, and when Gwen removes it from Danny she causes terrible damage which Jack would have foreseen.
Jack is back in 'The Wrong Hands' and Torchwood's attention is drawn to the strange deaths of a number of drug dealers, one cut in half by a weapon that is clearly not terrestrial. On a sink estate in Cardiff an alien child has taken over control of a young impoverished girl to take care of him. As the alien child tries to take over Gwen Ianto and Jack struggle to get her back, and the local supermarket is destroyed in a ball of fire as the child's surrogate mother fights back.
James Moran's 'Virus' takes up the story, as the child's remaining parent fights their way through the Rift to find their child and mate dead. They blame Torchwood and inject Gwen and Jack with a virus that leaves them in a catatonic state of living death, the worst possible fate for an immortal. It is up to the remaining member of Torchwood, Ianto, to rescue them, drawing on the depth of his love for Jack to become the least likely action hero.
The final book 'Consequences' brings the story arc full circle. It is narrated by Nina, an ordinary hard drinking student who is losing chunks of her memory but seems to be driven to follow a handsome man dressed like a World War 2 soldier. The Torchwood team are drawn back to Cardiff University Library to solve this last finely written story.
A wonderful set of stories that include both great science fiction storytelling writing but also great heart and a real sense of the difficult dilemmas the dwindling Torchwood team face.
In the first book: 'The Baby Farm' we are in Victorian England. A desperate mother is driven to give up her baby to the deliciously spooky Ms Blight and one of Torchwood's founding memebers: Emily Holyroyd places a mysterious book in Cardiff University Library. The Torchwood team follow the fate of the babies to a Ragged School. These were real historical institutions set up by philanthrophists to give boys training in skills such as shoe making, ironwork and tailoring and offer them a real chance of escaping the poverty they are born into. But in this case something Rift borne is involved and those taking the babies have to pay a terrible price for exploiting an alien species.
In 'Kaleidoscope' we have moved forward to the time when Jack had disappeared leaving Gwen, Toshiko, Ianto and Owen rudderless. Danny is a young boy terrorised by his physically abusive father. When a piece of alien technology comes into his hands he looks through it at his father believing it to be an ordinary kaleidoscope, but this is a Rehabilitator. They were used in prisons and when the viewed was seen through it they became the ideal according the person doing the viewing. Danny's father becomes loving, gentle and a real father. But the Rehabiliator is very addictive, and when Gwen removes it from Danny she causes terrible damage which Jack would have foreseen.
Jack is back in 'The Wrong Hands' and Torchwood's attention is drawn to the strange deaths of a number of drug dealers, one cut in half by a weapon that is clearly not terrestrial. On a sink estate in Cardiff an alien child has taken over control of a young impoverished girl to take care of him. As the alien child tries to take over Gwen Ianto and Jack struggle to get her back, and the local supermarket is destroyed in a ball of fire as the child's surrogate mother fights back.
James Moran's 'Virus' takes up the story, as the child's remaining parent fights their way through the Rift to find their child and mate dead. They blame Torchwood and inject Gwen and Jack with a virus that leaves them in a catatonic state of living death, the worst possible fate for an immortal. It is up to the remaining member of Torchwood, Ianto, to rescue them, drawing on the depth of his love for Jack to become the least likely action hero.
The final book 'Consequences' brings the story arc full circle. It is narrated by Nina, an ordinary hard drinking student who is losing chunks of her memory but seems to be driven to follow a handsome man dressed like a World War 2 soldier. The Torchwood team are drawn back to Cardiff University Library to solve this last finely written story.
A wonderful set of stories that include both great science fiction storytelling writing but also great heart and a real sense of the difficult dilemmas the dwindling Torchwood team face.
November 28, 2014
The Baby Farmers by David Llewellyn
It's not very common to find a Torchwood story set from before the TV show without it somehow being intricately connected to the present, even with Captain Jack.
The idea was good and well executed too, and Llewellyn slyly incorporated a lesbian couple just to balance out the lack of Janto.
Kaleidoscope by Sarah Pinborough
Damn you, Pinborough.
The Wrong Hands by Andrew Cartmel
While reading this story, I may have been slightly distracted by Sims 2, and I paused reading more than I paused playing. So this story wasn't as gripping as the last two. I was more curious than enthralled. It didn't seem like a complete story,because there were a few loose ends by the conclusion. It didn't have such a satisfying conclusion and I have a few questions, the prefix of the majority being 'why'.
Virus by James Moran
I'm too sick to really be coherent now, so I'll just put down the spoiler-free reaction notes I wrote while I read this story.
Leads quite neatly from The Wrong Hands. Inventive immobilisation of Jack. Ianto you go! Flying solo. Ties up a few loose ends from the previous story. Alix-with-an-I. Sassy Ianto. Genius Ianto. THAT'S MY BOY. "Makes big boom-boom." Aww Rhys such cute. C'MON JACK. NAWWW JANTO. TELL ME THE THING.
All in all, I quite liked this story.
Consequences by Joseph Lidster
This story is currently just below Kaleidoscope as a favourtie, but I am still too sick to make much sense, so I'll again just put down my reaction notes.
DAMN WHAT. NO WAY. CAPTAIN CHEESE. Aww the "lost little Welsh boy". This is a mindfuck. Typo. I'm so confused. "Jack gets off on anything." I can feel a Doctor-like speech coming on... "Just one of those mysteries that the universe likes to throw at us... Like love. And death. And Nando's." Ooh SkyPoint. Goodbye SkyPoint. Plot twist!! Confound you, Lidster!
It's not very common to find a Torchwood story set from before the TV show without it somehow being intricately connected to the present, even with Captain Jack.
The idea was good and well executed too, and Llewellyn slyly incorporated a lesbian couple just to balance out the lack of Janto.
Kaleidoscope by Sarah Pinborough
Damn you, Pinborough.
The Wrong Hands by Andrew Cartmel
While reading this story, I may have been slightly distracted by Sims 2, and I paused reading more than I paused playing. So this story wasn't as gripping as the last two. I was more curious than enthralled. It didn't seem like a complete story,because there were a few loose ends by the conclusion. It didn't have such a satisfying conclusion and I have a few questions, the prefix of the majority being 'why'.
Virus by James Moran
I'm too sick to really be coherent now, so I'll just put down the spoiler-free reaction notes I wrote while I read this story.
Leads quite neatly from The Wrong Hands. Inventive immobilisation of Jack. Ianto you go! Flying solo. Ties up a few loose ends from the previous story. Alix-with-an-I. Sassy Ianto. Genius Ianto. THAT'S MY BOY. "Makes big boom-boom." Aww Rhys such cute. C'MON JACK. NAWWW JANTO. TELL ME THE THING.
All in all, I quite liked this story.
Consequences by Joseph Lidster
This story is currently just below Kaleidoscope as a favourtie, but I am still too sick to make much sense, so I'll again just put down my reaction notes.
DAMN WHAT. NO WAY. CAPTAIN CHEESE. Aww the "lost little Welsh boy". This is a mindfuck. Typo. I'm so confused. "Jack gets off on anything." I can feel a Doctor-like speech coming on... "Just one of those mysteries that the universe likes to throw at us... Like love. And death. And Nando's." Ooh SkyPoint. Goodbye SkyPoint. Plot twist!! Confound you, Lidster!
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