http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1341870...

This is the first Torchwood book I have read, rather than listened to, and it was a good start. Set before the end of the first season (indeed before Gwen's affair with Owen), the immediately striking thing is that the team has acquired a sixth member, James, who is rather too good a fit to be true. It's fairly obvious from the first page what the problem is; Abnett supplies us with a decent chewy and often witty tale of suspense as to how he will get to the inevitable conclusion (and exactly what form that conclusion will take), along with the usual weird alien menaces. I've seen some fans complain that apart from Gwen and Jack the team are rather obscured by the rest of the story, but really this points more to a problem of having a large ensemble cast to begin with. ( )

The best of the 2007/Season 1 Torchwood trilogy by far. I didn't expect THAT ending at all. Very rereadable, a good comfort book. ( )

Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper) is a pleasure to listen to. I liked this book, too. It was not predictable, for the most part, and I enjoyed the story. ( )

What a surprisingly delightful read. That’s what I came saying right after finishing “Torchwood: Border Princes” by Dan Abnett. This time around Mr. Abnett flexes his immense word-smithing muscles on the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood with gratifying success. The novel starts off with a number Romero/Whedon like scenes but then adroitly delves into the nuances of not just lives of the Torchwood members, but the idiosyncrasies of all those in the connecting storylines; this is where Mr. Abnett shines. Mr. Abnett is able to display depth of character with such alacrity and profundity that it sometimes leaves this reader breathless and wishing for more information regarding these incredible personas. In any case, Border Princes is an excellent novel. Will I pick up any of the other Torchwood novels? I am unfamiliar with the other authors but based on this novel, I just may take the dive. ( )

In 2007, three Torchwood novels were released, although it seems a little unclear whether they have a particular order. For anyone who hasn’t seen the show, this book is probably not a good introduction, as it throws you straight into the story, without giving any kind of background. For those who have seen the show, however, this does not pose a problem.

Whereas the Doctor Who book I recently read felt like a TV episode, this has a longer feel to it. Running alongside the main story are other smaller storylines. In the TV show, Torchwood deal with one neat story every week, but this book has a more realistic feel to it, as they go from one problem to another.

The characters were fairly well captured, as I found it quite easy to picture them. However, Ianto plays a very small part, and Jack doesn’t feel quite right.. he seemed more ‘relaxed’ than I remember him in the first series, plus the leadership skills aren’t that apparent.

A rather confusing factor is the introduction of a new character, James.. but bear with it, as it does all make sense at the end.

The actual book is a fast paced read, it hooks you in, and keeps you turning those pages. Highly recommended for fans, and I’m certainly hoping to pick up some more!