Written by

BBC Books

UK Release - 13 September 2012

Available to purchase from Written by John Barrowman and Carole E. BarrowmanBBC BooksUK Release - 13 September 2012Available to purchase from Amazon UK

This review contains plot spoilers

Arguably, the greatest blessing ofis in danger of becoming a curse. I’m referring to– five episodes that pushed the TV show into a brave new world, and won it newfound international critical acclaim. And whereseemed overly keen to repeat thetrick, this novel very much follows the same template yet again. It could almost be entitled; this time it’s women at locations around the globe who are affected by a mysterious madness which may have an alien origin. Like, there’s an epic feel, and a historical precursor involving none other than Captain Jack Harkness. And like, the remnants of team Torchwood have a unique inside-track on exactly what’s happening. In line with its TV predecessors, there’s also a significant issue raised by fantastical events: patriarchal society’s reaction to an outbreak of ‘mad’ women. Captain Jack gets a lecture on the reactionary nature of presumed female “hysteria” (p.149), and mental health services are rapidly overwhelmed.There must surely be a limit to the number of times that a-style storyline can plausibly be mounted, andflirts with reaching this limit. No sooner has planet Earth put the Miracle behind it – seemingly carrying on without any real, lasting changes – then there’s another worldwide threat to contend with. What seemed format-breaking, edgy and energizing in the case ofnow threatens to ossify constrictively into’s latter-day format.works best when it dares to innovate rather than when it’s slavishly aligned with recent TV incarnations. The introduction of “a Hub” (p.293) radically unlike the old Cardiff base is a clever, much-needed move, and has the potential to generate many more future stories. New team members are a little under-written, however, and few characters really come to life beyond the established gang of Gwen, Captain Jack, Rhys and Andy Davidson (all of whom are notably well captured). By contrast, Torchwood’s new fellow travellers seem more like a collection of gimmicks rather than rounded, fleshed-out people, although this may be a result of the breathless thriller genre thatbelongs to. For example, government adviser Alan Pride sounds like a fascinating figure, but we are only really told this via various info-dumps, rather than being shown Pride in action.As might be expected from writers John and Carole E. Barrowman, there are some lovely nods tocontinuity, whether it’s a mention of “Suzie”, discussion of morphic resonance, or the specific Torchwood kit that Gwen makes use of. And Rex Matheson even makes an appearance, ultimately amounting to little more than a guest cameo.ties back toin multiple, deft ways, though it’s hard to avoid inferring that The Powers That Be have placed Rex’s unusual status firmly off-limits. The same problem has dogged post-audios, leaving the odd feeling that these tales aren’t quite allowed to whole-heartedly continue Torchwood’s adventures.Of course, a big part of this novel’s selling point lies with its authors. Captain Jack is especially well served throughout, returning to his omnisexual, zesty self after the detours of. There’s a real love and respect foron show, as well as a beautifully unexpected nod to Sarah Jane Smith. Jack is pretty much rendered as’s central figure; Gwen doesn’t directly feature until roughly a quarter of the way into things.The non-linear storytelling works effectively, even if events of the finale do become a little compressed and complicated. For instance, a clunky explanation on page 328 indicates that the scenario could probably have been more smoothly conveyed, though Gwen’s humorous response deflects any excess melodrama. And there are some compelling ideas woven around the title’s “code”, with the Barrowmans working unusual medical conditions, enigmatic designs, genetics, computer code and even artificial intelligence into the rich brew of thriller elements.This page-turner revitalizesby suggesting a possible way forward for the show, and by introducing a host of new characters who could be further developed in future. It’s just a shame that the consequences ofseem so muted, particularly in terms of Rex’s character. John and Carole Barrowman are clearly gifted storytellers (both on this evidence and that of their earlier novel,). I, for one, would welcome anothertale from the pair, perhaps something finally marking an exodus from thecode, and its gradually diminishing returns.