fajrdrako: ([Torchwood] - Captain Jack)
[personal profile] fajrdrako


When Torchwood: Almost Perfect by James Goss came out, I noticed people talking about it on LJ, but I didn't read the posts because I didn't want spoilers. Now I wish I had an easy way of finding them. The tags on [livejournal.com profile] torch_wood, perhaps?

In any case.... Bottom line: I liked it a lot. The characterization was charming but shallow, the action fast-paced, interesting, amusing, and sometimes skipped over information. It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but I read it with joy and delight, finding myself reluctant to put it down. A page-tuner. It reminded me of a comic book in its pacing, its vivid imagery, and themes. This is a good thing. I could just picture it as drawn by some of my favourite comic book artists, including Paul Grist, who draws the Torchwood comic in Torchwood Magazine.

And there was one thing about the book I loved with a passion, which had me chortling in my heart of hearts, that made me want to give James Goss a big hug of thanks.

It's not a book I can talk about without spoilers, so here we go, over the deep end...
  1. The plot is this: One day Ianto wakes up as a beautiful woman, with no memory of the previous few days. Something alien is preying on women and men in the Cardiff singles-dating scene, augmenting them to be more and more perfect versions of themselves. And some of these 'speed daters' are turning up dead. The viewpoint of the story varies from Gwen and a singles-scene woman named Emma Webster, who as an alien in her head; to Ianto (occasionally) and Jack (rarely). James Goss has a good voice for Gwen, a good sense of her quirkiness, though not quite such a good handle on her sense of compassion. I loved the way Gwen keeps looking at poor, gorgeous, freaked-out female Ianto and thinking, "Poor lamb."

  2. The body of the story takes place after "Exit Wounds", possibly even after "Lost Souls". Tosh and Owen are fondly remembered, and not yet replaced. It isn't entirely chronological but rather cleverly intertwines time and action.

  3. As a slash fan, I was of course looking for stuff about the Jack/Ianto relationship. Goss has an interesting take on it. He makes it clear that Ianto thinks he loves Jack more than Jack loves him. It might be true, or it might just be that Ianto thinks it's true.

    Where it ran thin for me was the sections where we get a flashback to what happened to Ianto, from Ianto's point of view. He goes on a solo investigative job - following up on something Owen had been working on before he died - without telling Jack about it. On the job he doesn't as far as we see, think of Jack for several days, even when drunk, even when snogging a pretty girl at a hen party he ends up at. (I loved the amusement factor of Ianto being the only male at a hen party, and a pampered male at that.) Had I been writing this, Ianto would have been far more Jack-aware even when Jack wasn't around: hoping to impress Jack with his success, or wondering what Jack was doing, or something. On the show, we see them all keeping up a frequent, even constant, level of communication, and Jack tends to know what each of the team is working on.

    My favourite Jack/Ianto moment was pure emotional hurt/comfort. On his second day of being a woman, Ianto is too freaked to get out of bed. Jack comes to his flat. Jack has been flirting with the female Ianto, but Ianto's too self-conscious (or scared) to want sex while in a female body. And this time, Jack doesn't make him get up to go to work, doesn't give him a pep talk, just holds him to make him feel better.

    I also liked it that when Ianto turned up as an unrecognizable woman, he proved his identity by kissing Jack. Jack recognized him by his kiss, with total certainty.

  4. I liked the way Goss treated Ianto's sex change, by consistently using male pronouns for him. I also liked the way Ianto seemed basically the same personality: concerned about his looks being immaculate, even counting Weight Watchers points.

  5. The book takes the Doctor Who style of characterization of Captain Jack, making him flirtatious, full of jokes and innuendo, a manof constant action, joking even when endangered or harmed - this is more the "Boom Town" Jack, not so much the comparatively sober Torchwood Jack, worrying over his team or mourning Tosh and Owen.

  6. Though we have Ianto making out with a woman and, later, kissing an attractive man; and though we have a flashback sex scene - very, very inexplicit - with Jack and couple of former lovers, we don't get a scene in which Jack and Ianto kiss. The recognition kiss is something they tell Gwen about, afterwards. I have no particular comment on this - I rather liked it, I especially liked it that Ianto was happy about kissing other people - but it did slightly surprise me. Come to think of it, Goss likes featuring people making out outside their normal pairing, sine he has Rhys (under evil alien control) making out with Emma Webster. Gwen is furious.

    Soon after that, Rhys rather abruptly dropped out of the storyline. I thought he needed or deserved another appearance.

  7. Part of the plot, I thought, depended on members of the Torchwood team doing something stupid. At one point Jack figures out who is behind what's going on, says to Ianto, "It's all my fault!" and dashes out. Doesn't come back. Aside from heightening suspense, I couldn't think of any reason for Jack not to explain to Ianto exactly what he thought was going on and who was doing it. Was he trying to protect his friends and former lovers? Why go to handle it alone?

  8. A cute moment I didn't quite understand: Gwen thinks at one point that she suspects Ianto and Jack aren't having sex very often, they probably mostly stand with hands on hips pouting at each other. The image made me laugh, but I wonder why she thought that. (Remember the hothouse scene, Gwen? We haven't forgotten it.)

  9. A few good lines:
    • Jack: 'It's more for our PR department.'
      Gwen looked troubled. 'But we don't have a PR department.'
      'We've got you,' said Jack, and smirked.

    • Jack is chasing an alien monster. He describes it briefly: 'Lots of tentacles, big gun, gingham dress. Seen it?'

    • Jack: "I've met quite a few gods. Most of them were just conmen with great gadgets." (p. 193)

    • Jack to Ianto: 'Not our worst day. Memories?'
      '...Completely wiped. Never had less trouble getting people to take Retcon. I just told them it was E.'
      'You are going to hell, Ianto Jones.'
      'Yes, Jack. But I'll make a very pretty corpse.' (p. 245)


  10. Stuff that can be taken as canonical background, or not: Ianto went to university. Ianto has a real flat that he lives is, with rooms and a bed and everything. Jack was once stationed on a Time Agency outpost on Hallam's World.

  11. I loved Jack's treatment or use of the alien device in the end: "Already prefect." No, I'm not going to give you context, it's too good for that, and worth reading the book for.

  12. And for the part I really loved: the inclusion of the Doctor, and Jack's clearly-stated love for the Doctor. No, the Doctor doesn't actually appear in the novel, and isn't mentioned by name, but it's clear who is meant - clear who the 'he' who is so significant in Jack's psyche is.

    When each of the characters hears the voice of the alien in their head, it sounds like someone they love and admire. Rhys hears David Beckham's voice. Ianto hears Jack's voice. And Jack hears the Doctor, and has a conversation with the surrogate-Doctor that gets to the core of their relationship exactly as I want to see it. Even if I hadn't enjoyed the rest of the book as much as I did, I would have been thrilled by the EPILOGUE: WHAT THE STRANGE ALIEN DEVICE ACTUALLY SAID TO CAPTAIN JACK.

    And I was thrilled by the way Jack dealt with the alien menace in those few paragraphs.



Date: 2008-12-16 01:52 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neadods.livejournal.com
Part of the plot, I thought, depended on members of the Torchwood team doing something stupid

I thought that was one of the most accurate-to-the-show bits, she types cynically.

Date: 2008-12-16 01:54 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fajrdrako.livejournal.com
I thought that was one of the most accurate-to-the-show bits, she types cynically.

And so it was. Absolutely. Just like the show. Nothing new there!

Date: 2008-12-16 08:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ceindreadh.livejournal.com
The main problem I had with this book going in, was that when I read a TV tie in book, I like to be able to visualize the characters acting out the scenes in the book. But with Ianto as a woman, I just couldn't get a good picture of him/her in my mind (most of the time I ended up visualizing him as Donna Noble, simply because she is the most awesomest female in the Who-verse!)

Overall I enjoyed the book much more than I'd expected from the blurb. I liked the writer's style, the chapter titles, the dialogue. It read much better than I would have predicted.

Date: 2008-12-16 10:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fajrdrako.livejournal.com
I like to be able to visualize the characters acting out the scenes in the book. But with Ianto as a woman, I just couldn't get a good picture of him/her in my mind

It isn't as if he's described very much! He's dark-haired and beautiful, a little taller and slimmer than Gwen - and that's all we get.

(most of the time I ended up visualizing him as Donna Noble, simply because she is the most awesomest female in the Who-verse!

LOL! Good thinking.

Overall I enjoyed the book much more than I'd expected from the blurb.

So did I. Not that I read the blurb - but I had fairly low expectations, having been somewhat bored by the last Torchwood novel I read (Twilight Streets) and I thought this was fun and lively.

I liked the writer's style, the chapter titles, the dialogue.

So did I. He did well at capturing their voices and their personal style, and I liked the variety from one chapter to the next. And the chapter titles were a hoot. (Though there was one or two I didn't understand.)

Date: 2008-12-17 07:17 pm (UTC)
ladyhalbourne: (Default)
From: [personal profile] ladyhalbourne
The main problem I had with this book going in, was that when I read a TV tie in book, I like to be able to visualize the characters acting out the scenes in the book. But with Ianto as a woman, I just couldn't get a good picture of him/her in my mind (most of the time I ended up visualizing him as Donna Noble, simply because she is the most awesomest female in the Who-verse!)
I ended up looking into women's magazines to search for a female Ianto... First I has Liv Tyler (hm, not really) and nearly at the end of the book I imagined Dexter's sister whatshername as fem!Ianto cos she looked great in that trouser suit in the episode I watched.

Date: 2008-12-17 08:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fajrdrako.livejournal.com
For a good part of the book I was picturing Gareth David-Lloyd with female features, which worked find; but it turns out that he looked like the other woman rather than himself, so that probably isn't very accurate.

Luckily I have no problem picturing people any way I want them.

Date: 2008-12-17 01:44 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] marvola.livejournal.com
Jack recognized him by his kiss, with total certainty

My favourite sentence out of the book is that 'he grinned dopily' when talking about the kiss. The cynic in me just disappears completely at Jack's unabashed appreciation for the romance of the whole situation.

Gwen was probably my favourite part of the book though. I love what Goss did with her and it's continuing my Gwen-love since the series ended. That's three times now she's been feisty and kick!arse, between this, 'Lost Souls' and the DW episodes.

Date: 2008-12-17 03:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fajrdrako.livejournal.com
The cynic in me just disappears completely at Jack's unabashed appreciation for the romance of the whole situation.

Yes. That was lovely. Jack's reactions - delightful.

I love what Goss did with her and it's continuing my Gwen-love since the series ended.

I generally love Gwen anyway, but I think perhaps no one has written her as well as Goss did.

That's three times now she's been feisty and kick!arse, between this, 'Lost Souls' and the DW episodes.

Yes. I liked all of that. And it's nice to see her not make stupid mistakes.

Date: 2008-12-17 04:59 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kaimu-art.livejournal.com
Here via [livejournal.com profile] torchwood_three.

I definitely agree that Goss had a very good grasp of all the characters, though I actually felt his Gwen was the weakest out of the TW-cast. (Excellent Rhys and superb Jack though, I think I fell in love with Jack all over again after this book.)

That is a good point about Ianto not thinking about Jack during the flashback. It was something I hadn't really taken notice of, but when you contrast it to his reaction when he's getting hit on by a guy and he immediately thinks What Would Jack Do (and then deciding he needed a new role model).

At one point Jack figures out who is behind what's going on, says to Ianto, "It's all my fault!" and dashes out. Doesn't come back.
I actually thought that was very in-character as Jack tends to tell people his conclusion but not how or why he reached that conclusion. It usually seems to be a way of wanting to protect them, or a hold over from when he couldn't open up to people.

Date: 2008-12-17 11:45 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fajrdrako.livejournal.com
I think I fell in love with Jack all over again after this book.

I did too - not that I ever ceased to love Jack at any point. But he had such spirit here! And that irrepressible sense of humour.

you contrast it to his reaction when he's getting hit on by a guy and he immediately thinks What Would Jack Do (and then deciding he needed a new role model).

That was a brilliant moment.

I actually thought that was very in-character as Jack tends to tell people his conclusion but not how or why he reached that conclusion.

It was, but I wished he'd at least said where he was going so they'd know where to go to hunt him out. As it was - tracing him by his pheromones was a wonderful idea. Made me smile.

It usually seems to be a way of wanting to protect them, or a hold over from when he couldn't open up to people.

Good points, both. Jack's like that: he can't tell all he knows, so he's very careful about what he does tell.

Date: 2008-12-17 11:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] flowright.livejournal.com
I don't hate Gwen but I'm certainly not a big fan yet I loved her interaction with Rhys. the 'hello ugly' line during the speed dating chapter had me in stitches.

Date: 2008-12-17 11:55 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fajrdrako.livejournal.com
I don't hate Gwen but I'm certainly not a big fan yet I loved her interaction with Rhys.

There were some lovely bits with Gwen. I do normally like her (when I don't love her, though occasionally she makes me roll my eyes) but she was generally at her best here: curious, bright, funny. Loved her anger at Emma for her manipulation of Rhys. Loved her fondness and sense of protectiveness towards female-Ianto. Loved it when Ianto said something about how pretty she was and Gwen thought "bless". Loved it too that Ianto meant to give her his clothes when he didn't need them any more. They were as much fun as friends as they are in the show! So nice to see.

the 'hello ugly' line during the speed dating chapter had me in stitches.

Hee!

Date: 2008-12-17 04:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] atheneunknown.livejournal.com
"I've met quite a few gods. Most of them were just conmen with great gadgets."

^I loved that line so very, very much.

And one of the things I was particularly fond of in this was the fact that you get to see that while Jack might be a playboy, Ianto isn't unaware of his own sexuality either. It puts them on a more even playing feild, and that is desperatly needed, both in fandom and Canon.

And the epilouge almost brought me to tears. The last several TW books I've read have had the 'last chapter' be something to do with Jack being sad/lonely. Breaks my heart for him.

Date: 2008-12-17 05:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fajrdrako.livejournal.com
I loved that line so very, very much.

It said so much about Jack - and his common-sense approach to things. He isn't going to be overawed by fancy powers or fancy talk.

you get to see that while Jack might be a playboy, Ianto isn't unaware of his own sexuality either. It puts them on a more even playing field, and that is desperatly needed, both in fandom and Canon.

I loved that. Regardless of any possible who-loves-who-more argument, they were nicely affectionate with each other, but it was nice to see that Ianto wasn't obsessed with Jack, but was fairly independent. Including the implication (which I loved) that he really didn't feel a need to be sexually faithful to him. I've always tended to think of Ianto as more monogamous, mostly because of his devotion to Lisa, but there are two things different now - Ianto has changed, and Jack isn't Lisa.

Or maybe it's all a matter of role models. [g]

And also, since "Fragments", it seems likely (to me) that Ianto seduced Jack while Lisa was still alive.

I also liked it that we see Ianto (as a guy) making out with a girl, and then Ianto (as a girl) making out with a guy.

the epilogue almost brought me to tears.

Words cannot express how much I loved that. Lump to the throat, certainly. Oh, Jack!

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