Customer Reviews
THREE CLASSICS & GREAT FUN! 
2008-08-02
DR.WHO,SARAH JANE ADVENTURES & TOURCHWOOD ARE THREE CLASSICS FIRST CLASS GEMS! THIS YEAR WILLBE THE SHOWS 45th ANNIVERCERY.THEY ARE ALL IN A SPECIAL CLASS OF FUN!! CAN'T WAIT TO SEE MORE OF THESE SHOWS. I DONT THINK ANY OF THEM HAVE SEEN THE LAST OF THE DALEKS OR FOR THAT MATTER DAVROS.HAVE FUN AND ENJOY!!!AUG.2,2008.
Grammar check? 
2008-03-22
OK, I realize that the first few books based on a new TV series are always written by... let's say, less than notable authors. Authors who are not noted for writing novels, anyway. However... would it have killed the publishers to run the book through grammar check before printing it? I can't comment on spelling, because I am an American, and here in the USA when enough people are spelling a word wrong we view this not as a comment on our educational system, but as a reason to add a new word to the dictionary. Having said that, I believe periods and commas are used roughly the same way in both countries.
Moving on from Grammar to characterization: I thought the author did Jack, Gwen and Owen reasonably well. Tosh completely put me off. She was snarky and a little rude and just generally not what I was expecting from the character I know and love. Ianto was barely in the book, and what was there was made to sound very uninteresting. Based on the episodes, Ianto clearly has a well developed, if quiet, sense of humor, and I was hoping to be able to see more of life from his point of view. I'd have put this down to the book being written early in the series, but there were some allusions to episode four, so, clearly, the author had enough time to develop those two characters properly. I think it's a shame he didn't take the chance to bring them out a little more.
As far as plot goes, I was bored, especially with Owen. Throughout most of the book he was completely separate from the Torchwood cast, and his interaction with those people is the only thing I find interesting about this character. Separated from them, he was just bitchy, whiny, and depressing. I ended up skipping those portions, and since that's half of the book, I didn't even bother to finish it.
Like reading an episode. 2008-03-05
This book is as close to an episode as we fans will get with the books. It is interesting with great character interactions and even more spectacular plot twists. It catches the tones of the characters and their relationships. This is the best of all the torchwood novels (at least so far). I really cant recommend it enough!
Great story... 
2008-02-05
Torchwood, Another Life, is such a well written, well structured story that you could read it without even watching the TV series and still understand what was going on. I am a Dr. WHO fan but have never seen ONE episode of Torchwood yet. After reading this I ordered the first series and, unless UPS screws up, should get it this week.
The story idea is simple. Somebody is eating humans. Chewing right into the back of their heads. Yummy. But this is not just a simple monster story. There is a design, a plot, a plan, being carried out and Captain Jack Harkness and his group have to hunt down who or whom is doing it.
If they fail there may be a lot more people killed. A LOT more.
Was Good, Bring More 2008-01-23
I'm too big of a Torchwood fan to pass on yet another possibility to read about my favourite characters.
Great idea and plot that just doesn't let you close the book. Nah-ah. I gave up my precious sleep just to learn how the book ends. Brilliant plottwists and suspense you can encounter in the best books in this genre.
The characters are portayed truthfully and the reader feels as if they were taken straight from the TV screen. Brilliant dialogue that fits perfectly with the pace of the story.
The book has only one flaw though. The character of Owen. It seems as if after Owen gets stuck in the Hub, the author is a bit lost and doesn't really know what to do with the character. And that makes the whole subplot of Owen's virual game, meeting a girl etc a bit out of place, boring... Uninteresting. That's the only reason why I didn't give this book 5 stars.
Good book - written to match the show 2007-12-21
High-profile new Doctor Who-inspired drama created by Russell T. Davies. The 21st century is when it all changes, and you've got to be ready. Separate from the government; outside the police, beyond the United Nations; Torchwood sets its own rules. A team of investigators, using alien technology to solve crime - both alien and human. This new British sci-fi crime thriller, created by Russell T. Davies, sees them delve into the unknown. A group of people fighting the impossible. A terror hides at the bottom of Cardiff Bay - waiting, feeding, controlling... this novel is a brand-new Torchwood adventure.
Loved it! 2007-12-07
If you are a fan of the show, you will enjoy the "Torchwood" books. Easy reading, a bit more insight into the characters; a good "fix" for a dry spell between episodes. Just wish there were more books in the series!
Get an editor, please. 2007-04-15
Wow, this was awful. I felt like I was reading something written by a 14-year-old. After about the twentieth typo/grammar error I gave up, so I can't really say how the ending worked out. When I spend money on a licensed Doctor Who or Torchwood book I assume that money is paying for both a professional writer and an editor of some small worth. If all I wanted were a sloppily-penned writing exercise, I'd still to fan fiction, which is free.
Oh well, at least the cover is pretty.
Looking forward to more books in this series..... 2007-02-18
I'm a big fan of the newest version of the Doctor Who franchise (the 9th & 10th Doctors) and Captain Jack Harkness was definitely a favorite character from the 1st series, when I found out he was getting a spin off series called Torchwood I could hardly wait to see it. And therein lies the problem, I most likely won't be seeing it anytime soon. Anyways, when I saw that three books based on the series were being released I jumped at the chance to pick them up and so far with this first I am not disappointed. The plot involves the team trying to track down a murderer who just happens to be possessed by an alien. Oh, and lets not forget the missing containers from the nuclear plant or the mysterious, almost typhoon-like conditions centered over Cardiff.
Probably the strongest part of the book is the dialogue and interaction between the main characters as they try to track down the alien. The pacing, for the most part, is fast and the author literally pulls you into the story. The only downfall in my opinion, and the reason for the 4-star rating, is the fact that it does bog down a bit when one of the main characters, Owen, meets up with an old girlfriend while doing a spot of online gaming while stuck in decontamination, and decides-without bothering to consult Jack, his boss- to try and recruit her to Torchwood. It just didn't seem to ring true to the Owen character from earlier on in the book.
Other than that, the book's an absolutely brilliant read and I'm eagerly looking forward to reading the others. Hopefully they will measure up to the bar set by this book and not be so hit and miss as the Doctor Who books have been in being true to the characters as they appear in the shows.
Excellent effort! 2007-01-25
The Doctor Who novels have disappointed me, ranging in quality from mediocre down to virtually unreadable. Those experiences led me to harbor no great hopes for novels about the DW spinoff Torchwood, but I had a promotional certificate soon to expire and rather than waste it, decided to take a chance on buying this book.
I liked it. A lot. The author captures the essence of the characters (his Jack is especially solid) and the story matches the tone of the series quite well. There's some excellent dialogue, notably in a few exchanges between Jack and Ianto. I could imagine it airing on the show. I could also imagine the plot forming a good episode.
Well done. I only hope the other Torchwood novels are near the caliber of this one!
