Border Princes
Border Princes is a BBC Books original novel written by Dan Abnett and based on the British science fiction television, Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood. It features all the regular cast of the show.
Like all Torchwood spin-off media, its canonicity in relation to the television series remains unclear.
Plot introduction
The End of the World began on a Thursday night in October, just after eight in the evening...
The Amok is driving people out of their minds, turning them into zombies and causing riots in the streets. A solitary diner leaves a Cardiff restaurant, his mission to protect the Principal leading him to a secret base beneath a water tower. Everyone has a HeadAche; there's something in Davey Morgan's shed; and the church of St Mary-in-the-Dust, demolished in 1840, has reappeared - though it's not due until 2011. Torchwood seem to be out of their depth. What will all this mean for the romance between Torchwood's newest members?
Captain Jack Harkness has something more to worry AbOUT: an alarm, an early warning, given to mankind and held - inert - by Torchwood for 108 years. And now it's flashing. Something is coming. Or something is already here.
Plot summary
The novel begins with the team tracking readings that have been sending Tosh's computers crazy for weeks. Gwen and a new member, James, search a carpark near an empty pub for the source. Tosh runs into a man called Huw who subsequently dies. A hobo who is babbling tries to attack her with a shard of glass, but she stops him. The team arrive and find The Amok which intensifies the feeling of sickness and headaches. Jack realises it's "his turn" and several zombified people arrive, all wanting the Amok. After a bruising, the team manage to contain the Amok. (More to be added)
Continuity
- An ambiguous operation known as Operation: Goldenrod is mentioned in all three Torchwood novels.
- Gwen mentions having seen a ghost, an event which took place in "Ghost Machine".
Outside references
- Gwen claims she is going to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3 with Rhys. This places the novel around the end of May 2007. However, the text in the book claims that it takes place in October. This can be explained away by the fact some cinemas show repeats of especially popular films.
- The book briefly refers to Star Trek: Enterprise, The Ren and Stimpy Show and SpongeBob SquarePants.
Publication
- Whilst the official release date for the three novels is 4 January 2007, many shops were selling the books up to a whole week early in December 2006.
- According to Peter Anghelides, the novel order is as follows, Another Life, Slow Decay then Border Princes, however the linking picture across the spines of the books seem to betray this order.
Audio book
An audio book version of the novel was released on CD in April 2007. It is narrated by Eve Myles and published by BBC Audiobooks.