Customer Reviews

Torchwood: the Sin Eaters (BBC Audio)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Like many fans of the TV series, I turn to the novels for the characters more than the plot. True to most Torchwood novels, this one suffers from a weak mystery, although it's entertaining. If I were rating the plot alone, I'd give it only 2 or 3 stars. If I were rating Gareth David-Lloyd's performance as a reader and "interpreter" of the text, I'd give him 5 stars. My overall rating is an averaged 4 stars.

What sets this audio book apart from previous ones is GDL's interpretation of characters and his marvelous reading voice. He gets characterizations spot on; it's easy to visualize characters having a conversation without wondering who's who. His reading voice alone is worth a listen; his familiarity with Torchwood's nuances of characterization just adds another reason to appreciate his performance. I hope that he'll read more audio books, both in the Torchwood series and other fiction.

The Sin Eaters offers glimpses into the Ianto/Jack or Gwen/Rhys dynamic that we haven't seen in the TV series. Rhys continues to grow as a supporting character; he's gradually becoming Gwen's true partner in every sense of the word. Janto fans should be happy with insights into Jack's "Ianto time" when the world doesn't need immediate saving. The story illustrates the playful side of Ianto's intelligence and does a good job of leading into "Children of Earth"'s exploration of the Ianto/Jack relationship.

The book is a quick "read" and entertaining. Although the plot may not be memorable, the experience of listening to GDL tell the story is. Add a few new character details, and you've got an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. I'd recommend this audio book to Torchwood fans in general and suggest it as a must-hear for GDL or Ianto fans.

This is one of the series of Torchwood audiobooks read by cast members, and the first to be read by Gareth David-Lloyd. This one is only available as an audiobook, not in print. I bought it because I'd heard a sample of David-Lloyd reading an audiobook, and thought he was a good reader. It was well worth the money. The story's the usual competent tie-in work I've found with previous Torchwood books, and David-Lloyd is an excellent audiobook reader.

The story itself is set between series 2 and series 3, with references and foreshadowing that tie it firmly into the series universe for those who've seen the referenced episodes, without excluding those who haven't seen them, or overwhelming the story. The basic plot is standard monster-of-the-week fare for the Torchwood corner of the Whoniverse -- an alien castaway courtesy of the rift, its threat magnified by the meddling of local humans who don't understand what they're playing with. In this case it's alien insect larvae which feed on human emotions, and a vicar who thinks he's found a way to heal people of their sins and guilt. It's competently written, with a good look at love and the complexity of human emotions, but there's nothing particularly noteworthy here.

What does stand out is the characterisation, which is as good as you'd expect from the man who was script editor for the show. One thing which I particularly liked was that it showcases both the Gwen/Rhys and the Jack/Ianto relationships, while still acknowledging the attraction between Jack and Gwen. There are a lot of small details which build on what we've already been shown in the tv series, showing how the characters and their relationships are developing and changing. It's a particular joy to see the playful and affectionate side of both romances.

Gareth David-Lloyd does an excellent job of reading the book. He's a good reader when it comes to the mechanics of reading aloud, well paced and with good tonal colour. He's also very good at portraying the various characters already known to listeners from the tv series, getting most of them spot on in their dialogue. It's usually clear who's speaking, even without dialogue tags -- and you can tell the difference between narrator and Ianto's dialogue. He even mostly gets Jack's American accent right. I hope he's invited to do more of the audiobooks.

At two full-length CDs, it's a lot longer than a standard tv or radio episode, but with it being an audio book you'd expect that for the same basic story. I didn't feel that it was padded or too long. It feels about the same as reading one of the print tie-in books. Minchin makes good use of the format, taking advantage of being able to show interior monologue without crossing too far into telling rather than showing.

I enjoyed this a lot, and happily listened to it again a couple of weeks after the first time through. Definitely worth the attention of Torchwood fans in general, and very much recommended for fans of both Ianto Jones and Gareth David-Lloyd -- both the character and the actor are well served by this title.

Available as both CD and download.

I can't find the Torchwood audio books in stores, so I hacked into my sig-other's account and downloaded The Sin-Eater from ITunes (shh!). This was a far more substantial (2 hours +) story than the shorter (45 minute) ones recently released by the BBC. Gareth David-Lloyd (who plays Ianto) is a good narrator, and does a surprisingly nice Captain Jack and Rhys. It also has the Torchwood theme and background music, though no sound effects per se.

The story itself has some similarities with Something in the Water insofar as they both concern an alien menace lurking in Cardiff Bay. In The Sin-Eater, swarms of tiny, insect-like aliens prey on human guilt and shame--which seems like a pretty good deal, until those humans start turning up dead.

The story is really atmospheric and scary, especially towards the end. There's great interaction between Captain Jack and Ianto (who is given quite a strong personality) and between Rhys and Gwen. My favorite moment, although it bordered on cheesy, was finding out that the Torchwood SUV was designed to convert into an aquatic vehicle--except the design fails miserably, and the SUV begins to sink within seconds.
The only difficult thing I find with the audio books is when/how to listen to them--that is, it feels a little weird just lying on the couch and listening to one, but if I do much else I find I'm not paying as much attention to the story.

This was amazing. A great story and Gareth's voice is amazing. I love how he was able to characterize the other roles besides Ianto.

I'd never heard of Torchwood before since it's British, but read the description and reviews and thought I'd give it a try since it's one of the less expensive videos. It's only my second venture into video books and my first sci fi. I truly enjoyed it. I had been able to listen to a little of it and liked the reader. I've found that's a big help with buying these things since listening should be comfortable. David-Lloyd does a very good job of reading the story and acting out the parts. It's gotten me interested in the TV series and I've ordered the 1st and 2nd seasons and I'm thinking about getting the one people say is a 5 parter that brings the series to an end. Too bad. It's been very popular here in the States on BBC America so can't understand why it hasn't been presented better.

This is a pretty good Torchwood novelization in itself. What makes it even better is that it is narrated by Garreth David Loyd, who played Ianto Jones. The story is classic Torchwood fare, a type of alien insect has come through the rift, and people are trying to use it for thier own purposes. Good story, good narration, and a good addition to your Torchwood collection.

This audio book is a pure delight; listing to GDL read it to you is immensely fun. He does the voices of the other character so well. The storyline is exciting and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Want to know what the story is about buy this audio book and listen well.

I think the others who reviewed this audiobook did a very good job, so I don't have much to add. I however want to add a beverage warning for anyone listening to this at their computer. About halfway through is an hysterically funny scene that could cause you to accidentally damage your keyboard or monitor.