YATN; Border Princes
Aug. 26th, 2009 09:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grassangelThis is one hell of a weird novelisation. And another one that should probably be shelved in the “not canon” part of Torchwood media. Because, basically, it’s Adam 1.0. There’s a mysterious sixth member of the team who apparently has been there since forever and we play along with that until it’s revealed that he’s actually an alien.
Except there’s not retcon at the end and there isn’t any Jack!angst or goggleboy!flashbacks. Except there is a temporary split up between Gwen and Rhys and kind of makes it seem she really sleeps around in the first season if you do shelve this under “canon Torchwood media”.
Also, there were several odd phrasings that totally threw me off. Or maybe it was poor characterisation. IDK, especially as there was one scene where Ianto was playing basketball with Owen. Which is pretty blink, what? As is Tosh accompanying Jack on most of the excursions.
Not to speak of the other plot threads either. I know a lot of shows like using rather contrived Chekov’s guns, but… the two big alien tech threads have very little to do with the greater plot aside from ‘oh noes, the team is in danger!’. Then the plot thread that did relate to the main one was rather weak. Although it was kind of fun pointing and shouting loudly when very obvious hints were dropped.
But er, anyway, comments on little bits that happened in the book which I haven’t already mentioned.
It’s set pre-Cyberwoman, so Jack’s all srs. It’s somewhere between painful and hilarious, because I do not like the serious but it’s so contrived it’s amusing.
But then there’s coffee and everyone is exclaiming over how it’s good and Gwen states she loves Ianto for it and then Owen tries to one up her by saying he loves him more and would be prepared to have his babies. Amusing because a) I kinda ship IantoGwen and b) Owen really does not like Ianto. At all. Even before Cyberwoman.
Speaking of Ianto, he is very much behind the scenes except for when Owen accidentally lets out A Dangerous Alien Object and is caught in the metaphorical crossfire.
There’s a bit where Jack does go “You’re to take over if I don’t get out of here alive”. Which I don’t really like as I really like the idea of Gwen kind of getting it because of awesome delegation and decision skills.
Also, did I mention how Tosh accompanied Jack on a lot of excursions? Well, there’s also a breakfast date. Not that this is unusual in the books though. Just it’s usually the whole team.
It is also amusing how often the author takes a chance to poke at the eating habits of Torchwood. Well… Gwen’s. I’m not sure why, but then again I think ice cream during Autumn is AWESOME.
Also, I love how ‘Victorian Melodrama’ is an architectural style according to Tosh. This is amusing, mostly because it’s kind of true.
So er... yes. There's not too much to say about it actually, as it wasn't exactly one of the better novelisations and probably sits just above Random Shoes in terms of how much I like it. (I do not like Random Shoes at all, just to let you know.)
Except there’s not retcon at the end and there isn’t any Jack!angst or goggleboy!flashbacks. Except there is a temporary split up between Gwen and Rhys and kind of makes it seem she really sleeps around in the first season if you do shelve this under “canon Torchwood media”.
Also, there were several odd phrasings that totally threw me off. Or maybe it was poor characterisation. IDK, especially as there was one scene where Ianto was playing basketball with Owen. Which is pretty blink, what? As is Tosh accompanying Jack on most of the excursions.
Not to speak of the other plot threads either. I know a lot of shows like using rather contrived Chekov’s guns, but… the two big alien tech threads have very little to do with the greater plot aside from ‘oh noes, the team is in danger!’. Then the plot thread that did relate to the main one was rather weak. Although it was kind of fun pointing and shouting loudly when very obvious hints were dropped.
But er, anyway, comments on little bits that happened in the book which I haven’t already mentioned.
It’s set pre-Cyberwoman, so Jack’s all srs. It’s somewhere between painful and hilarious, because I do not like the serious but it’s so contrived it’s amusing.
But then there’s coffee and everyone is exclaiming over how it’s good and Gwen states she loves Ianto for it and then Owen tries to one up her by saying he loves him more and would be prepared to have his babies. Amusing because a) I kinda ship IantoGwen and b) Owen really does not like Ianto. At all. Even before Cyberwoman.
Speaking of Ianto, he is very much behind the scenes except for when Owen accidentally lets out A Dangerous Alien Object and is caught in the metaphorical crossfire.
There’s a bit where Jack does go “You’re to take over if I don’t get out of here alive”. Which I don’t really like as I really like the idea of Gwen kind of getting it because of awesome delegation and decision skills.
Also, did I mention how Tosh accompanied Jack on a lot of excursions? Well, there’s also a breakfast date. Not that this is unusual in the books though. Just it’s usually the whole team.
It is also amusing how often the author takes a chance to poke at the eating habits of Torchwood. Well… Gwen’s. I’m not sure why, but then again I think ice cream during Autumn is AWESOME.
Also, I love how ‘Victorian Melodrama’ is an architectural style according to Tosh. This is amusing, mostly because it’s kind of true.
So er... yes. There's not too much to say about it actually, as it wasn't exactly one of the better novelisations and probably sits just above Random Shoes in terms of how much I like it. (I do not like Random Shoes at all, just to let you know.)
