Perfect Page Turner
|
Although it sounds like something from the maddest reaches of fanfiction, you shouldn't let the overall premise of Ianto waking up as a beautiful woman put you off reading this story. This is a fast-paced mystery thriller in which all the pieces slot together until you eventually find out how this bizarre situation happened. No prizes for guessing that alien tech is involved and that it's all Jack's fault, even if he doesn't realise it at first.
The short chapters switching from one set of protagonists to another really move the story along, and keep you turning the pages, although you do have to concentrate to keep the time-line straight as the narrative jumps around.
All the main characters are well written, especially Jack who leaps quipping, smirking and larger than life out of the pages, until he is once again put in the position of having to make the really tough decisions to undo the damage.
There are moments of great humour including the Time Agency's use of flowcharts and Rhys & Gwen undercover at a speed-dating session; real horror and also poignancy - particularly when Ianto is given the opportunity to have his heart's desire granted.
|
|
|
cracking good read
|
|
A great plot with plenty of funny moments. Keeps you in suspense until the end. And you don't need to be a Torchwood fan to enjoy it. A great read.
|
|
|
Cracking Read
|
|
Throughly good read. It does have a tendency to be a bit disjointed, many chapters being only a page or so long. The story obviously takes place after the end of the last TV episode, "Exit Wounds". As such, the story is quite focused, especially when Jack gets, shall we say nobbled. There did appear to me that there were some assumptions but these did not distract as they only seemed to be noticable after finishing the book. Well recommended to all Torchwood fans and a good read in it's own rights as always.
|
|
Almost Perfect is a fun but poniant read
|
Many people will probably roll their eyes upon first reading the synopsis for this book but I would advise them to give this story a go, as the subject matter is handled better than you initailly think.
The main focus of this story is on Ianto Jones but it also focuses on a woman called Emma, who after coming across an unknown alien tech on the dead body of a woman, finds a sinister voice in her head telling her that she can mysteriously make both herself and the men that she meets almost perfect, through the use of physical manipulation.
Gwen arrives at work one morning to find a beautiful and unknown woman appearing to be doing Ianto's job but it isn't until several minutes later that she finds out exactly who the 'woman' is. On the same day, the team also find a fully clothed skeleton sitting at a resturant table.
Rhys also gets to play a role in the story.
Whilst there are obviously humourous moments to be found in Ianto's situation and a few moments that make you roll your eyes when it comes to female cliches, there are also poniant moments too, with Ianto thinking about his relationship with Jack from time to time.
Both the Jack/Ianto and Gwen/Rhys relationships are given more warmth and dignity here than in much of series 2 - there isn't a hint of Jack/Gwen anywhere beyond friendship and even Gwen and Ianto get to share some nice moments together as Ianto faces up to his situation - and whilst it's fairly clear that Jack isn't in love with Ianto, you come away with the feeling that it could be a possibility in the next series.
|
|
|
United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada