Co-authored by siblings John Barrowman and Carole E. Barrowman, Exodus Code is the latest Torchwood novel, based on the BBC science fiction television series Torchwood.
(Allow me to indulge in a little hero-worshipping before I go on … John Barrowman is one of the most awesome people on this planet. I follow as much of his work online as I possibly can; actor, singer, dancer, writer, Barrowman is the kind of brilliant entertainer that comes around once in a very long while. What earns my greatest respect however is the fact that he is such a beacon of hope for the human race in general - this larger-than-life person, with his unbelievably positive and open nature is such a living F-U to the prejudice, hatred and negativity that continues to doom large parts of our world till date).
Ok, getting back to the book review! I loved the opening sequence of events as the story dives into a strange geological phenomenon occurring in 1930 Peru. Investigating some mysterious symbols with co-pilot Renso, Captain Jack Harkness crashes into the middle of the mountains, and into the midst of an ancient prophesy involving the Cuari tribe.
The story then moves forward to present-day Wales where, starting with Gwen Cooper, we see women falling prey to violent emotions, from frustration and anger to heightened sexuality and thoughts of murder. I did feel that the story slowed down during this section, as quite a large part seemed to concentrate on just setting up the premise. In fact as we follow Jack Harkness in his desperate run to save the earth and travel on the Ice Maiden, there were large sections which touched upon some sci-fi technicalities, but rather than delve deeper, quickly tapered off to discuss the characters’ sexual fantasies, which was quite disappointing. I especially remember thinking that the story surrounding Vlad and Eva read more like some cheesy romance novel.
The story did pick up after that - the last section, the last 6 hours 20 minutes of the countdown in Peru, was especially exciting! Events happened at a frantic pace where, along with the participants, I was quite taken by surprise at the unexpected twists. The central idea of this story, and how Captain Jack Harkness comes to be the one tied inextricably to the core of the earth and its survival, was brilliant. What he had to do to save the world made him a truly great superhero! (And yes, this was a Jack Harkness story all the way; even though Gwen Cooper, the only other survivor of Torchwood is featured in it, I did not see her play as pivotal a role as she is capable of).
One thing I do have to say in conclusion though - since this book follows the sequence of events of the T.V. show, we are unfortunately limited by what happened during Miracle Day. In my opinion, Miracle Day, while a good show, was just not Torchwood. Reading Exodus Code reminded me every now and then “we’re not in Cardiff anymore”.
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