SPOILER ALERT: "Into the Silence" Torchwood Book review

[a_silver_story]

A very brief look at "Into the Silence" and what I thought about it.

CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH THAT THIS POST IS SO SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS.


... and I think we all know how I feel about spoilers *folds arms and taps foot*











Into the Silence


I thought it was alright, but to be honest it wasn't my favourite Torchwood book. It started out really well, and I thought it was really funny (the 'eye on the ball' gag. ha.) but I felt that the idea of the plot was better than what was actually written. I felt the ending was a little overly-neat (Ryan's mum dying so no-one could stop the creature assymilating him and OMG they were so perfect for each other what a wonderful coincidence!) and I didn't particularly like the references to Ianto being a bit wimpy compared to Jack and Gwen.

I'm sorry ... but the idea of Ianto joining a Male Voice Choir had me giggling from when I first read the blurb, but there's hardly any reference to it in the book itself. It's a shame, because it's all quite dark, and some comic relief could have been gotten from that. Jack teasing him a bit for a start. That would have been funny.

I felt that the whole thing unfolded quite neatly, to be honest. Even though Torchwood and Jack apparently has no idea what they're doing half the time ... isn't it wonderful that they quite handily have a DI Cutler who is aware of the existence of aliens and willing to help? Isn't it just fantastic that a planet the universe knows so little about just so happened to be, on a fluke, in the Archives? And Gwen - Gwen! Magically becoming a computer wizard and refining the Rift prediction program to be 8 minutes better than Toshiko's - and getting them an exact, pinpoint location from the scattered information. Yeah. I'm not anti-Gwen, but I can definitely see that happening ... okay so it mentions that Ianto stayed and helped her, but nothing more is elaborated on other than "Oh ... Ianto got us pizza" and Gwen does all the talking.

It highlighted some interesting aspects of Gwen's personality though - her dark humour and disbelief of her own detachment within it. It also gave an insight to how she thinks about Jack and Ianto - like when she mentions the feeling of electricity she got down her arm when Jack touched her and wondered if Ianto felt the same or more when he touched him.

Oh ... and there's less Janto in this book than a homophobic bath rally. Which sucks.

Obviously, it wasn't too bad as a whole. Like I said: felt very neat to me. Too neat. But not the worst book I've ever read. I dunno if I'd read it again, like ... but it was alright.



I'd say about a 6/10.



Torchwood Index/Masterlist

Comments

[explodeyy.livejournal.com]

Oh bummer. I thought it'd be brilliant. The thought of Ianto in a men's choir, that would've been great. And have it set on the background like that?

I think i'm not going to buy that one...

IANTO WIMPY? WTF?

[a-silver-story.livejournal.com]

I know :(

"Bay of the Dead" is soooooo much better. I'll be posting a review of that when I'm finished - which should be fairly soon. I'm loving it!

[explodeyy.livejournal.com]

oh, want! <33

[ceindreadh.livejournal.com]

IANTO WIMPY? WTF?
Yeah, IIRC, I think it's Gwen who wonders why Ianto gets to stay back at the Hub instead of going to check out a body, and Jack says something along the lines of how Ianto is a bit squeamish.
And yeah, I was a bit WTF at that point as well.

[estarcollector.livejournal.com]

Squeamish. The guy who disposes of bodies. Okaayyy then....

[mizzclara.livejournal.com]

I've got this still on order on Amazon, I've recieved the other 2. I don't think any of the last 6 books are actually like Torchwood.

I mean, I was talking with my mum the other day and we were wondering if the writers actually watch Torchwood. I'm really not sure if I'm even going to bother reading them, even though I bought them lol!

[unrequited1984.livejournal.com]

i decided to spoil myself since i have no idea when bbc america will have the books available in the us. it sucks that they didn't explore what sounds like a really cool storyline. from the blurbs i had read i held out hope that his book would have the most janto, seeing as how the storyline seemed to revolve around him joining a choir. but oh well. i'll wait till it comes to my store (i work in a bookstore) and read it during my breaks. hopefully one of them will be worth buying.

[a-silver-story.livejournal.com]

Just posted the review for "Bay of the Dead" - much better! Definitely worth buying, IMO. Then again ... zombies and men in suits who shag charismatic Americans?? ... what more could you ask for?

[diggybear.livejournal.com]

Sounds like the better book already!

[esporamor.livejournal.com]

Ok so "Into the Silence" is a no no in my "wish list"-

[stilyte.livejournal.com]

I was really looking forward to this book. From the blurb it sounded like it was going to be right up my street with Ianto and male choirs. Sounded like a good mix. I was meant to be out buying this tomorrow, but everyone so far has said they've been disappointed with it so might try one of the others first instead.

[a-silver-story.livejournal.com]

I thought the same :(

Yeah ... you're definitely better off with Bay of the Dead or The House that Jack Built.

[diggybear.livejournal.com]

I just finished this today. I agreement with your assessment of it. The premise sounded quite interesting and seemed to imply Ianto having a prominent role in the action. But that never came to pass really. For the most part, he was stuck manning the Hub and ordering pizza. If they didn't mention the losses of Tosh and Owen, it could've easily been a season 1 storyline. Gwen and Jack out in the field while Ianto makes the coffee.

One thing that I wondered at was whether Ianto was at TW1 in 2003 because Jack had asked him if Cutler looked familiar. If Cutler had dealings with TW1 only in 2003 and Ianto wasn't there yet, why would he look familiar?

Anyway, I start the next book tomorrow and should be done by the weekend so I'll read that review after I'm done. :)

[a-silver-story.livejournal.com]

I'm not so sure about the whole Cutler thing. There's a couple of plot holes and discrepancies regarding when Ianto actually began working for TW1 between the books and the TV show. Or maybe Jack got confuzzled?

Besides, Ianto was in Information Retrieval, so he probably didn't meet him anyway.

I agree with what you say on the book about it being a series 1 plot. And apparently Gwen has a stronger stomach than Ianto? I think I moaned enough about that in the review though ...

Anyways, the next book shall hopefully not disappoint!

I agree..

[(Anonymous)]

There is not alot of a plot and Ianto is only in the choir for about 4pages...It was very disapointing...


I would give it a 5 out of 10...

[mercury-pheonix.livejournal.com]

To be honest, this was one I was most looking forward to, because the premise sounded quite brilliant - but that may be because I'm a singer, and I love singing and I have a fetish for suited, booted, warbling Welsh teaboys who have a stopwatch and...sorry, what was I saying?

Oh yes. The book.

Well, a lot of it just didn't stick with me. For example - Ianto, the disposer of bodies and great cleaner up-er of Torchwood, who saw Canary Wharf fall and his girlfriend cybernised, was portrayed as squeamish. Whilst Gwen was peering curiously into the opened throat of the corpse, we have Ianto standing back, and we lovingly learn of his dislike of blood. Of course, dear.

Add to that the fact that the only interaction between Jack and Ianto that we see is through Gwen's point of view - i.e. the only mention of a relationship properly is when Gwen wonders how differently he would touch her to how he touched Ianto - not an image I had in my mind or ever wanted thankee very kindly. Plus Pinborough's almost fetish-like obsession with Gwen's "dark hair", which she constantly "shakes" throughout the novel likes she's in a L'Oreal advert - I honestly kept expecting to have Gwen turn to the camera and whisper "Because you're worth it".

It was a good premise, but it failed. I didn't understand the ending, it was just far too fairy tale for me. And the fact that Jack ran away when Gwen the Computer Genius' modified programme (who needs Tosh when you have a Gwen?) lets them know that the creature isn't coming for Ianto - and he runs away leaving Ianto singing on his lonesome. Logic and every characterisation thus far would probably suggest that Jack would say "damn, not working" and he and Ianto would barrel off together to beat the bad guy.

*sighs*

It could have been soooooo good! But...it was too OOC for me to even contemplate - Gwen was a computer genius, Ianto ordered pizza whilst Gwen saved the day, and Jack just...well...sacrificed another child? I'm beginning to think that Torchwood writers in general have a "sacrificing children" fetish, or just a lack originilaity in general.