Did you ever wonder what Gwen and Rhys, Suzie Costello and Rex got up to before their antics in Miracle Day? Me neither, but nevertheless BBC Books have given us three prequel novels to show us just that, and having read them all I'm struggling to see why they bothered...TORCHWOOD: FIRST BORN (2.5/5)- A fairly rudimentary romp through the Welsh countryside, this one sees Gwen and Rhys Williams escape prosecution from their government along with their baby Anwen, only to discover that their idyllic new residence houses a society full of danger and darkness. It seems like a potential premise for creepy goings-on, but First Born never quite lives up to its potential, especially as the prequels don't tie into the main season so everything feels unfinished.
TORCHWOOD: LONG TIME DEAD (3/5)- Suzie Costello's return from the dead in the remains of the Torchwood Hub actually manages to be the most eventful of the three stories, even if it is tiresomely predictable stuff and Suzie's character is the only interesting one to be found. Author Sarah Pingbrough plays with some great concepts of life and death, and as a bonus clearly gets the Torchwood continuity, but a reference or two to the 'old team' can't help mask what is still barely above average storytelling.TORCHWOOD: THE MEN WHO SOLD THE WORLD (1/5)- By far the worst of the new trilogy, and in fact one of the worst books I've read in a while, The Men Who Sold The World follows Rex as he traces stolen Torchwood cargo pre-Miracle and meets the elusive Mr Wynter. The prologue promises us an intriguing tale of time travel and paradoxes, but what we get is so basic yet unbelievably convoluted that you'll struggle to recall what's going on even if you put the book down for five minutes! In other words, avoid at all costs!
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