Haven Reviews: Search results
80 fanfic reviews found matching your criteria
celeria
The First Year After the Sisterhood
Fandom: Ann Brashares - Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash-het mixed
Pairing: Tibby/Brian, Tibby/Lena
Themes: Angst, drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 12-01-2009
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: As the girls return from Santorini, Lena can't help but wonder what their first year without the pants will bring. Tibby/Brian, Tibby/Lena, mentions of Lena/Kostos and Lena/Leo, about 14000 words. Based primarily on the books.
Review: This is a good, long, satisfying fic that feels a lot like reading the books. It's got great characterisation, particularly for Tibby and Lena, and the writer gets to the conclusion of the fic without leaving me wondering how we got there. I thoroughly enjoyed this fic and it's great to have such a lovely long Yuletide entry for this tiny fandom.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Yuletide
Irish and Cami
Not Quite Friends
Fandom: Blakes 7
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Angst, H/C
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 24-03-2006
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: The post-Star One crew is having difficulties adjusting to the dynamics of the new mix. With Avon and Tarrant constantly at odds, and with tensions running high over a search for needed crystals, Cally debates the merits of staying or leaving.
Review: This story reads a bit like an episode in a way. Except with extra Avon & Tarrant fighting. There's lots of good scenes between Tarrant and Avon as they are forced to work together and try and understand each other, but also between them and the rest of the crew as they try to keep the peace. It almost makes sense as something that could well have happened just after Tarrant joined the crew.
There's some great description in there as the crew fall ill and I almost came out in sympathy for them. I also liked that I could never tell what was going to happen before it did.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The Blake's 7 Library
Anna S
Your Horoscope for Today
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Xander/Spike
Themes: Angst, AU, drama, H/C, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 15-11-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Sometimes actions can have unexpected consequences. If Spike, for example, lost his memory and needed help, who would be there?
Review: This fic picks up midway through season five, after the episode Triangle. It's definitely an AU, but not an extreme AU and that's part of the attraction for me. It picks up on a couple of themes from season five (kittens as gambling debts?) and runs with them.
The part that got me to rec this, though, is the final couple of scenes. The fic is fun, slightly angsty and sometimes silly, but it's the final couple of scenes that are the real treat.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Anna S. Fanfiction
Byrne
Truth or Dare
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Xander/Spike
Themes: Angst, humor, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 07-05-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Xander plays Truth or Dare with the Scooby gang and gets closer to Spike.
Review: I think what I liked most about this was that it was sweet and gentle, and Xander's realisations were so natural. There is good characterisation here and the author manages to convey what is happening vividly. It's not laugh out loud funny but it is definitely a chuckler, particularly some of the dares. The humour is very much in the style of the writing as well as the actions and that is the same for the characterisation. A very satisfying read.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The Crypt
Henry Burrows
Fluffy the English Vampire Slayer
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: G
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Humor
Reviewed by: Fluffy
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 01-08-2002
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: During a routine patrol, Fluffy is surprised when a vampire she stakes refuses to die. The next day, at Farmer's house, the gang research one unusual element of the vampire encounter, and discover some worrying facts.
Returning to the site of the previous night's action, Fluffy, Ash and Alex are confronted by an old enemy, one who really shouldn't be where they find him. The result of this meeting leads Fluffy and Alex into the depths of a lair of vampires and a fight for their lives - while Ash and Farmer struggle to use new technology to save them...
Review: I helped work on this film. The script is very well-written, the dialogue is very funny, and it's a real homage to Buffy.
The finished film will be available to download from the web site from late December 2001.
Selenay's note: Normally I don't accept reviews by the work's own creators, but this is such an unusual idea that I decided it warranted some special consideration. The website looks great and I'm looking forward to the finished product, which debutes on-line after the World Premier in London, 8th December.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Fluffy The English Vampire Slayer
Janine
And It All Became So Clear
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Buffy/Willow
Themes: Angst, AU, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 01-08-2002
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: When Faith is kidnapped Buffy and Willow are forced to confront some issues that they have both been trying to avoid.
Review: This was the first B/W piece I read and I still love to re-read it. There are two follow-ups, Luck of the Draw and Walking After Midnight which are, if possible, even better than this piece. Clear... and Luck... are written from Willow's point of view and you can almost hear her saying the thoughts, particularly her famous rambles. The final story in the series is written from Buffy's point of view, for reasons that become clear part way through, but although the tone is different the sweet innocence of the tales is not lost. What makes this story stand out is the quiet depth of the writing and way the author has managed to capture the characters of Buffy and Willow so perfectly. Even if Buffy/Willow is not usually to your taste, this story is not graphic and the affection between the two characters is uplifting. And so clear...
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The Pink Rabbit Consortium
Kirayoshi
Life Version 2.0
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Willow/Tara (implied)
Themes: Action/adventure, angst, AU, drama
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 26-11-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: An older, wiser and sadder Willow makes a wish.
Review: Have you ever wished you could go back and change things? This is essentially what powers this fic and it's very well done. The Willow from the end of S6 is given a chance to 'do over' the past few years with all the knowledge from living through them. Kirayoshi manages to capture Willow's sadness and guilt perfectly, as well as the confusion of her friends who can see 'their' Willow, yet she has changed. Willow's relationship with Tara is mentioned in retrospect and the lessons she's learnt about herself are kept. This is a powerful, moving fic that interweaves Kirayoshi's story with well-known events. I loved it.
There's even a hint that there may be more chapters, something that I'm desperately hoping will come to pass because there is so much potential in the universe that's been created.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The Pink Rabbit Consortium
Lipkandy
Tempus Fugit
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: R
Type: Slash
Pairing: Willow/Tara
Themes: Action/adventure, angst, AU, drama, romance
Reviewed by: DarkMagickWillow
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 13-08-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: In the Fall after season 6, the Scoobies are still trying to find a way to talk with each other and to rebuild their relationships. Willow's having a particularly difficult time after her return to England, as she lives in a house with Buffy and Dawn but finds that interacting with them is like walking through a minefield of old hurts and fears. Just as you think they can't have a more difficult time getting back together, the mixture of personalities grows in volatility as Faith returns to Sunnydale with a story about Cordelia having a vision about a world-destroying artifact which Buffy has just discovered. She wants to take it back to LA with her.
Buffy doesn't believe Faith and accidentally triggers the artifact, sending her and Willow back in time to season 4 where they exist in their bodies of that time, leaving Dawn in the present with the almost impossible task of getting Faith, Spike, Anya, and Xander, all of whom have substantial reasons not to trust or like each other, to work together long enough to figure out what's happened to Buffy and Willow and how to fix it.
Back in season 4, Willow warns Buffy that they have to do everything just the same as they did when they first lived through these events, for the smallest change could completely alter their present through the butterfly effect. That's easier said than done, not only for a Slayer whose diary only says 'lunch' and 'patrol' for every day, but also for a witch who has what might be a second chance at life and love. Buffy is also faced with the temptation of having a second chance with those she loves most. The scenes with Joyce are wonderful and deeply revealing about her character, allowing us to better understand how she felt about Dawn in season 5.
Of course, how they got to the past might kill them and their friends in the present, who need their help to face the demonic owner of the artifact who has come to reclaim his possession. For some, that might be a sacrifice w
Review: The author has a deep grasp of all the Buffy characters; her Dawn, unsure and hurt but determined to do what's right to save her sister and Willow, and Faith, who's striving to do what's right but whose feet occasionally slip off the road to redemption, are especially well portrayed, as are Buffy and Willow and their uneasy relationship with each other. While the events of the present feel like an episode of Buffy, the events of the past are a beautiful look at what could have been with the poignant knowledge that Buffy and Willow have to return to the present, one way or the other.
The ending is wonderfully complex and unexpected.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The Mystic Muse
Tulipp
Bread
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: R
Type: Slash
Pairing: Willow/Tara
Themes: Drama, ER, romance
Reviewed by: DarkMagickWillow
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 13-08-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: This jewel of a short story is the perfect farewell to Buffy. Focusing on Willow, Tara, and Dawn, it tells the story of the summer after The Gift in a handful of moments where small changes made all the difference: A June night. A July morning. An August afternoon. It begins and ends with one of my favorite quotes from Ursula K LeGuin: 'Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new.'
Review: Tulipp has a superlative ability to deeply and compassionately understand the characters of Buffy, both their flaws and their strengths. While I'd read her work for her elegant style and beautiful descriptive writing alone, it's her command of character that allows her to write those small, often wordless, moments that touch me the most and that inspires me to reread her works. This story does not lead to any of the events of season 6.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The Mystic Muse
Calavarna
Touching the Void
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Themes: Drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 04-05-2009
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: When Ianto finds himself in wartime London and in the clutches of a strange but familiar conman, he struggles to find a balance between revealing the future and creating a paradox. Meanwhile, Jack tries to get Ianto back while dealing with a head full of memories that aren't his own.
Review: I find it hard to be convinced by most Jack/Ianto stories, so the fact that I'm reviewing this tells you how good it was. Because it's set in two different times, one with the Jack we see in Doctor Who and the other with the Jack we see in Torchwood, it's good to see the differences between them. And there are a lot of differences, which Ianto spots too.
It's those differences, along with the explanation of them that make this story so interesting.
Warning: Click here to view warnings in a pop-up window
Archive: TARDIS Big Bang
donutsweeper
Legends and Legacies
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: G
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 04-05-2009
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: An old friend needs Jack's help. Is her disappearance a result of something he did in the 1950's or is the legend of Lake Ronkonkoma to blame? Or perhaps something even more sinister? Jack, Tosh, and Ianto attempt to find out what happened in time to save his friend.
Review: What I particularly enjoyed about this story is that although half of it is set in the past, with Jack as the only character we know, the mystery is so intriguing that the story could have not had any elements in the present at all and I'd still have been hooked. Of course, the present elements improve it, and without them the mystery would never have been solved.
The original characters are really well written and are interesting to read in their own right.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: TARDIS Big Bang
HonorH
The Life Fantastic
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Nine/Rose
Themes: Angst, drama
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 24-12-2006
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: She’s back in his arms, and he is in love. There’s no use denying it anymore. It’s the strangest, silliest thing in the universe, but at the moment, it’s the only thing that makes sense. He’s in love with Rose Tyler.
Review: The main reason to read this fic is because it's good. The writing is good, the characterisation is there and it's completely absorbing.
It's also an interesting character study of the Ninth Doctor and, by extension, of Rose. I loved the thought that went into this fic and the careful attention to detail. She brings in details from the old series to make it all tie together.
The voices of the characters, Rose, the Doctor and Jack, are all there and she has some lovely scenes that I could see and hear in my mind as I read them. It's angsty, thoughtful and just right for this Doctor.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: honorh: The Life Fantastic
Netgirl
The Idiot's Guide to Foiling Alien Invasions
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Action/adventure, humor
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 12-09-2008
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Jackie and Mickey save the day by bickering, drinking lots of tea and spending a lot of time in the pub in the middle of the day.
Review: This is another novel from the Big Bang challenge and it is just excellent. I was laughing out loud at sections and simply couldn't put it down. Mickey and Jackie are just so *them* and that's where the humour comes from. Their interaction with other characters from the series (and from the Sarah Jane series) was wonderful because so much of the humour in this fic is about people and their reactions to the weirdness around them.
The clever thing is how well it all fits into the established canon while bringing in characters that hadn't been introduced in the Doctor Who canon at the time this fic is set. As well having a good eye for characterisation, humour and dialogue, Netgirl writes a good plot that makes complete sense for our heroes and wouldn't be completely out of place in Doctor Who canon. It's long, it's plotty and it's just pure fun.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: TARDIS Big Bang
Regala Electra
Parts
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: NC-17
Type: Het
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Rose
Themes: Action/adventure, first time, humor, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 24-12-2006
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: 'You've been looking.' So long as she's looking and not touching, she figures she'll be fine.
Review: I'm reccing this primarily because it's well-written and draws you in from the first paragraph. There's warm, gentle humour laced throughout and the writer got the voices right. I've tagged this as action/adventure, but it's action that's directed to getting the Doctor and Rose to a specific point in their relationship. If you're in the mood for some good, light Ten/Rose fic then this is for you.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: regala_electra: Parts
Rivendellrose
A Time of Grace
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: R
Type: Het
Pairing: Romana/Doctor
Themes: Drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 04-05-2009
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Romana returns, but an old enemy reappears as well. To protect what's left of Gallifrey, she travels time and space searching for a chance for the future and a way to escape the past.
Review: I never thought Romana was the most interesting companion, but it doesn't matter in this story. She's a lot more interesting, for a start. It's essentially the story of what Romana does during the Time War, but with a load of characters we already know popping up. And they're not just cameos shoe-horned in either, it all makes sense.
It's hard not to give anything away regarding the guest stars or the plot twists. They all surprised me, but they were happy surprises: they made sense and they worked. And it was great to see various Doctor Who elements and characters in there.
Warning: Click here to view warnings in a pop-up window
Archive: TARDIS Big Bang
Settiai
Wings in the Night
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Action/adventure, drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 04-05-2009
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: When the Doctor is poisoned by an alien creature, it's up to Sarah Jane to find a way to save him before it's too late.
Review: I particularly like that this is an adventure with the Fourth Doctor and Sarah and is gen. There's not enough of it out there, so it's good that this is a particularly good example.
It's really easy to read and you forget how long it is, when you read it. I do like Sarah in it, being her typical self and doing exactly what you'd expect her to do, rather than what anyone else tells her to do.
The plot's not really new, but that doesn't matter because it's the way it's done that is. In the heat of thinking they're going to die, no one declares their love for each other and none of their emotions are too over the top.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: TARDIS Big Bang
Tanni
Momentum
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Mickey/Jake
Themes: Action/adventure, drama, episode tag or fix (Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel/Army of Ghosts/Doomsday, S2), first time, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 30-07-2008
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Mickey's trying his very best to adjust to life in another world, but the discovery of an artefact that could change the fate of the Earth and unexpected budding feelings aren't making it any easier.
Review: The Big Bang challenge produced a lot of great DW fanfic novels and this is just one of them. It's a pairing that has a bit of basis in canon (if you include Confidential information in the canon) but it isn't one that I would have sought out if it hadn't been for the Big Bang. Mickey/Jake works much better than I ever would have imagined.
The writing is great, conveying the building feelings while keeping Mickey in character. Tanni has an ear for the character voices that comes out really well. She fleshes out the alternate world that we saw glimpses of and works through what the series barely touched on: what was it like for Mickey settling in a world so familiar so strange? It's the relationship that takes centre stage but not at the expense of plot or motivation or even conflict. This is no PWP, instead it's a romance with plenty of other things going on to make it into a compelling, satisfying story.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: TARDIS Big Bang
hhertzof
Companions of the Chalet School
Fandom: Doctor Who, Chalet School (cross-over)
Rating: G
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Action/adventure, AU, drama
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 12-09-2008
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: The Chalet School has three new pupils. Sarah Jane is ambivalent; Ace has been coerced by the Doctor, and Jo is just thrilled to be at boarding school at last. Meanwhile, Barbara Wright joins the school as a mistress. Mysterious weather and strange doings make this a term to remember.
Review: For some reason, the TARDIS Big Bang challenge managed to produce two Chalet School cross-overs and they are both excellent. This one is quite different to Paranoidangel's fic and equally good.
It reads just like a Chalet School book (complete with potted histories so that a non-CS fan should easily pick it up) but the Doctor Who elements are there from the beginning as well. Although it is an AU, there is nothing in it that couldn't be canon in either series with a tiny bit of nudging. I would need to check on characters' ages, but I suspect that even the time-lines mesh. Hhertzof manages to get several incarnations of the Doctor and several past companions into the story without jarring and adds in a good plot with both DW and CS elements combined. The characterisation is great and it's a completely absorbing novel-length fic. Reserve a couple of afternoons and enjoy it.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: TARDIS Big Bang
Paranoidangel
Sarah Jane of the Chalet School
Fandom: Doctor Who, Chalet School (cross-over)
Rating: PG
Type: Het
Pairing: Sarah/Harry
Themes: Action/adventure, AU, drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 30-07-2008
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: AU. In the 1930s in Austria, Sarah Jane Smith comes to the Chalet School to teach while looking for a journalism job, and Harry Sullivan takes a job at the nearby Sanatorium. They meet and fall in love, but with these two it's never going to be that simple.
Review: Usually I have a rule that I don't rec people that I've had anything to do with beta-ing or people that I might be a bit biased about. PA is my partner in crime on the reviews so she should definitely fall into this category.
The problem is that this is an excellent fic. She makes the cross-over - possibly the least likely I'd heard of - work and she does it in a completely different way from hhertzof's DW/CS cross-over. The relationship between Sarah and Harry feels just right for them. There are enough details and background for people not familiar with Chalet School to understand it but you can definitely see that this is a DW AU as well. It fits into the CS canon and PA gives the Doctor Who regulars motivations and ideas that slot in perfectly without losing the core of those characters. Read this as a great, addictive novel and enjoy.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: TARDIS Big Bang
Resonant
The Teeth of the Hydra
Fandom: Due South
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash-het mixed
Pairing: Fraser/RayK
Themes: Action/adventure, drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 24-03-2006
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: A tattoo story.
Review: The simplicity of the plot description hides the involving story that it actually tells. In the present day, Ray and Fraser have to solve the mystery of an assailant who drugs and tattoos his victims - the kind of story that might possibly have popped up as a subplot in a Due South episode.
The thing that makes this story stand out is the way Resonant interweaves this plot with the story of Ray's adolesence. She paints a real portrait of Ray growing up and gradually working out who he is and what he wants. There is never a sense that she's dismissing Stella's involvement. In fact, and Ray and Stella's relationship is the core of that part of the story. On the box it says that this is a Ray/Fraser story - which it is - but it's more about Ray and who he is. Read this if you want some great writing and an insight into who RayK all wrapped into an enjoyable slash fic.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: in medias Res
Speranza
Chicago's Most Wanted
Fandom: Due South
Rating: R
Type: Slash
Pairing: Fraser/RayK
Themes: Action/adventure, first time, humor, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 19-09-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: 'Of course he got the money--he's Fraser, he's organized, he's a fucking criminal mastermind, what do you think?!'
Review: OK, so how many people have wondered what Fraser would do if he put his talents to nefarious purposes? What would it take to get him to do that? Turning into a criminal mastermind isn't really that hard to imagine :-)
Usually, amnesia stories in fanfic don't work because the character changes out of all recognition. You'll have to read this fic to understand why an amnesiac Fraser would think he's a criminal, but believe me it works and he stays completely in character. A mean feat, I think you'll agree.
This fic is funny, well-written and completely addictive. From the interactions and Ray's increasing desperation, right through to the epilogue, you won't be able to put this one down. Ray and Fraser are characterised well and the OC's are given just as much depth. The relationship between the leading men sparkles. This fic also has a wonderful 'voice' and eye for the ridiculous that makes it a complete treat.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Speranza's Fiction
Speranza
Hanged Man
Fandom: Due South
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Fraser/RayK
Themes: Angst, drama
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 15-11-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: 'Sh.' Ray cups Fraser's chin in his hand and rubs Fraser's lips with his thumb. 'No talking.' He doesn't know why he's so sure; he only knows that it's key that they don't talk about it.
Review: Speranza is a good Due South writer - she always has a good ear for the characters and finds a way to get under their skins. This fic is about balance - losing it and what happens afterwards, whether you can get it back. It's not a fic where everything is fine the moment Ray and Fraser hop into bed; that's where everything starts unravelling. That makes it stand out from a lot of fics and is what kept me hooked. Her Ray and Fraser aren't perfect saints, but their humanity keeps them real. It's an interesting, absorbing story that never quite goes where you expect it to.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Speranza's Fiction
Arabella
Down from the Tree: Consequences
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Angst, drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 15-11-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: 'Sirius here played a trick on him which nearly killed him, a trick which involved me -'
Review: This is a sequel to Down From the Tree: Actions by Firelocks (also reviewed here). This tells of the aftermath of the Trick and the revelations in the Shrieking Shack at the end of Prisoner of Azkaban, all from Sirius' point of view. And it's utterly heartbreaking. As Sirius waits in Professor Flitwick's office for the Dementors to come and perform the Kiss, he is also coming to terms with what he's done to Snape, and to Remus. We know how it ends, in both cases but you can't help feeling horrible along with Sirius, knowing there's nothing he can do to change his fate.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Sugar Quill: Arabella
Julad
Night-blooming Heartsease
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: R
Type: Slash
Pairing: Snape/Neville
Themes: Action/adventure, angst, AU, drama, H/C
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 15-11-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: A prequel to Transfigurations, by Resonant. Then George raised his glass. 'To Neville Longbottom,' he said ... 'And to Severus Snape, may he rest in whatever he prefers instead of peace.'
Review: I have already recced Transigurations elsewhere on this site, but I was intrigued when I saw this fic and decided that I had to try it, even if Snape/Neville isn't one of the pairings that I'd normally pick up. I'm glad that I did try it because it's a fascinating, sometimes painful, exploration of the background to Transfigurations and Neville and Snape's characters.
Snape/Neville isn't a pairing that automatically comes to mind when thinking about Harry Potter fanfic and the hints in Transfigurations left me thinking 'huh?'. Julad makes it convincing. She never forgets who Snape and Neville are. The characters grow during the fic, but they never leave their canon roots and that's part of the fascination with this story. She also uses Resonant's universe and her ideas on the progress of the war to great effect, expanding on the hints and flash backs in the original fic to create a vivid picture of the wizarding world and England during the war. It's painful to read in places - Snape and Neville both have a lot of dark things in their past and there's an air of exhausted resignation about events that illustrates how sapping a war is, even when victory seems in sight.
Don't let the pairing put you off reading this fic - it's well worth reading and Julad's portrayal of the Snape/Neville relationship is never very graphic.
Warning: Click here to view warnings in a pop-up window
Archive: Night-blooming Heartsease
lise
Noboday Said It Was Easy
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Themes: Angst
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 10-08-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: This is a little ditty where Remus comes back to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts to Harry's class in their sixth year, after Order of the Phoenix.
Review: This is a companion piece to kel's No One Ever Said it Would Be This Hard. I've not reviewed that because this is so good, everything else pales into comparison. It's also not strictly necessary to have read it.
It's all seen from Harry's point of view so we, along with Harry, can only guess how Remus is taking Sirius' death. Not well, is the answer. The lessons Remus gives are interesting and through the course of them he can't help but be reminded of what has happened and what he has lost. And he can't tell anyone because only a few people know Sirius was innocent.
I'm finding it hard to say what is particularly good about it because the answer is everything. It will make you cry. And want to read nice happy fics to make it all better.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: It's all in the wand
Mad Martha
The Lodger
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Themes: Angst, drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 15-11-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Harry takes in a lodger ....
Review: Although the initial premise of Harry taking in a lodger (who just happens to be Draco) could either be the set-up for a humour piece or a very schmoopy romance, this is neither. Instead it's a thoughtful, often painful piece about two fairly messed up people trying to work out how to live again. This is set several years after the final confrontation with Voldemort (written prior to OotP, so it will probably be AU by the time JKR finishes the series) and features a Harry and Draco who have both been damaged by the events of the way. Mad Martha builds it believably and doesn't give anyone an easy resolution.
This also has a great Ron (appropriate for a Ron writer), who gets more characterisation and depth than many fanfic Rons. Draco isn't instantly forgiven, Harry's problems don't miraculously disappear and the story is richer for it.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Fanfiction.net: Mad Martha
Nym
Just Let It Be
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Themes: Angst, drama, H/C
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 04-09-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Sirius struggles to adjust to life after Azkaban, but he has some help from an old friend.
Review: This is the best post-Goblet of Fire Remus/Sirius story I've read. There's not really much slash in it, just a bit of UST, but mostly it's angsty. It's angsty when it's sad and it's angsty when it's happy. The story is spread over a couple of days when not much happens, except Remus and Sirius talk, they remember the past, and acknowledge how much they have changed and how much they wish they hadn't. I can't really say much about it without giving the plot away but it's the writing that's really wonderful about this story. Nym does a good job of piling on the angst without making it seem over-done.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Nym
Prufrock
Levity
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: R
Type: Slash
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Themes: Drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 10-08-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Remus should have known better.
Review: Remus gets very drunk. That's just one of the things I like about this story - the description of what goes through his mind at the time is so true to what it's like when drunk. There are also flashbacks to events that happen earlier in the evening that cause Remus to go out and get drunk. The slash in here isn't true love or experimentation, it's somewhere in between, which somehow makes it seem more realistic.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Glitterati
Prufrock
Seven Things That Never Happened At Hogwarts On Valentine's Day, Or Maybe They Did
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: R
Type: Slash
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Themes: Drama, humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 04-09-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: 'This is the weirdest Valentine's Day yet,' Peter mused.
'But not 'ever,'' Remus said dryly.
Review: The title pretty much gives this one away. It's in seven sections, each one Valentine's Day each year the Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are there. And playing pranks, of course. Every year they think of new and better practical jokes and James tries to get the girl. Up until halfway through when Sirius and Remus are trying to get each other. Most of the major events that we know happened to them manage to be in there but above all, it's funny. Sometimes it's laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes it's mildy humourous and occasionally it's angsty.
It also has the best title I've seen on a Harry Potter fic and a great first line. I mean, how can you not want to read something that begins: 'When James walked into the dormitory, he was pink.'
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Glitterati
Resonant
Transfigurations
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Themes: Action/adventure, angst, drama, first time, H/C, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 10-08-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Five years after Voldemort's defeat, Harry returns to England to help re-open Hogwarts.
Review: Every time I vow not to read book-based fanfic, I should just give it up as a lost cause because I thoroughly enjoyed this. I was just browsing around some rec sites and came across a fic for an author I recognise as a good Due South slash writer. It turns out she's also a good HP slash writer. This isn't a particularly dark fic, but it definitely isn't fluffy and it had me thoroughly enthralled until 2am. Resonant creates an intriguing set-up, a satisfying plot and an interesting relationship between Harry and Draco. It isn't as dark as many of the Harry/Draco fics and the Draco is a little on the fanon side, but that's not a bad thing when the writing is this good.
This was finished before 'Order of the Phoenix' was published, so there are a few details that have since been invalidated by canon, but not as much as I might have expected, which is the reason I haven't listed this as an AU. It's a future fic and Resonant makes some interesting choices that are surprisingly logic when you get to know the backstory that's been created. If you're looking for an introduction to HP slash and enjoy long, intricately plotted fics, then this is the one for you.
Warning: Click here to view warnings in a pop-up window
Archive: Transfigurations
Bill The Pony
An Unexpected Party
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Frodo/Sam
Themes: First time, humor, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 01-07-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Sam buys Frodo a gift that is well beyond his means, and is rewarded by a chance to be the master for a day.
Review: This is one of those fics that is based around a premise that probably wouldn't happen in the books, but is definitely not weaker for it. Bill The Pony has a knack for Sam's voice - he is obviously a favourite character and it sounds like Sam, even though it's in third person. It's a sweet, funny fic that left me smiling happily, the perfect break from all the technical work I've been doing for college lately.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: West of the Moon: Bill the Pony
Lobelia Sackville-Baggins
Divarications
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Frodo/Sam
Themes: Angst, first time, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 01-07-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: In which social class boundaries begin to chafe.
Review: It has to be admitted that there are a lot of fics out there that use the class boundaries between Sam and Frodo as a plot device. Some work better than others, but usually the social distinctions are just a convenient way of keeping Sam and Frodo apart without any real thought about what they mean.
Lobelia manages to avoid that trap. She has put a lot of thought into exactly what the class boundaries mean for both characters and the result is an interesting exploration of the theme as well as an angsty romance. The story moves along at a good pace - not too fast, not too slow - and is long enough to be completely involving. The characters are well-written (as I'd expect from Lobelia) and 'live' on the page. In short, this is a satisfying, interesting read that will probably go on my 'must read again' list.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: West of the Moon: Lobelia Sackville-Baggins
RivkaT
Skin Deep
Fandom: Smallville
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Themes: Humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 01-06-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Cliche-fic: Clark among the women.
Review: This fic is quite silly - the whole premise of Clark being turned into a woman has to make it that way. And his reaction is quite funny - as are the reactions of those that know about it. But it's also really good. Clark tries to adjust to living as a woman, Pete tries not to lust after him, Clark's parents try to get used to having a daughter. Clark reacts by having sex with Lex. And Lex, of course, steals the show by just being Lex.
Nothing much happens in the middle but that's where all the clues are as to how it will end, so it's unputdownable. And the ending is just perfect.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Level Three Records Room
Ruby
Not Yet
Fandom: Smallville
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Themes: Drama, romance
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 06-01-2005
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Sequel to 'Promise.' About six months have passed and the boys trade Smallville weirdness for Metropolis weirdness.
Review: Although the summary says this story is a sequel to 'Promise' it can probably be read on its own. Anyway, this one's better. It's a great romance story without actually having Clark and Lex in any kind of relationship. At this point they're both friends, they both love each other, and they both know the other does, they're just not going to do anything about it. And it's this that makes the story so good - the scenes between the two of them are so touching. And the sex (this is an NC-17 rated story, after all) is actually there for a reason.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Smallville Slash Archive
toomuchplor
I'm Carrying My Gay Alien Lover's Child
Fandom: Smallville
Rating: R
Type: Slash
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Themes: ER, humor, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 17-02-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Chloe provides surrogacy services in exchange for exclusive reporting rights. Schmoopy snarky futurefic.
Review: First I'd have to say that I disagree with part of the summary - this ain't schmoopy. There is just enough snarkiness and angst to keep it from being a sap-fest. Not that you won't be grinning through a lot of it, but there is definitely no risk of a diabetic coma.
The second thing is...check out the title. You've gotta read something that has a title like that. As is pointed out in the opening paragraph, this isn't really an accurate summary of the fic. This is not an MPreg (phew!) and it takes a look at the ethics surrounding surrogacy as well as telling a story. The writing style, a mixture of narration, newspaper reports and emails, somehow makes the story more vivid and interesting. It works very well for this story.
This fic is slightly different from many of the Smallville fics that I've read, which is a large part of the reason why I'm reviewing it. Superman barely makes an appearance - this is about Lex, Clark and Chloe dealing with things. I couldn't close the file until I'd finished it and that in itself should say a lot. Go, read, enjoy.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Earth Boys Are Easy
Emily Glick
Certain Points of View
Fandom: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Rating: PG
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 01-07-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are sent to help settle matters of civil war.
Review: This story has a bit of everything. There's the relationship between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, the intrigue of what's going on on the planet they've been sent to - which doesn't only involve civil war, there's also matters concerning the Jedi specifically. Emily Glick has really invented a whole culture that feels real and OCs who exist in it and interact with the Jedi.
It's long enough that along with the drama there's also a bit of angst, humour, action and mystery. The ending is not so much of an ending as a beginning and although it would have been nice to see more of this, it works perfectly and is just the right length so it doesn't feel boring, or the obstacles contrived.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Obi-Wan Kenobi Estrogen Brigade Fan Fiction Archive
FernWithy
Family Portrait
Fandom: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Rating: PG
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Action/adventure, drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 03-12-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Obi-Wan and Anakin, along with Siri Tachi, are assigned to impersonate a family to investigate a crime on the world of Malkiri, where the Jedi are hated.
Review: This story hooked me in and I couldn't stop reading. It's set during the Jedi Quest series of books, which chronicle Anakin's time as Obi-Wan's padawan, but this story will make sense without having read them.
All three of the characters have issues to deal with during the course of their mission, which is an interesting mystery. FernWithy makes the world of Malkiri and the OCs seem real. Obi-Wan, Anakin and Siri are all perfectly characterised as well.
It's quite a sad story in a way because being in that family would probably help them, but they can't have it. It's nice to see what maybe could have been, had they not been Jedi, and yet at the same time struggle with their undercover aliases and personalities.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The Force.Net's Fan Fiction Archive
Alison
Aquaregia
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: R
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: Action/adventure, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 19-02-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: SG-1 encounter a race who hold somewhat different views and values to their own.
Review: One of the things that I love about Stargate (show and fanfiction) is the interesting new worlds and races that they explore. This story is no exception. Alison has created a race with a fascinating social dynamic that made me keep reading to find out exactly what they are. She also has a good handle on the characters and their interactions so that I could see and hear them as I read. The story has the right balance between the romance and the adventure and as you can tell, I really enjoyed reading it.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Alison's Jottings
Anais
Ghost in the Machine
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: Angst, drama, romance, seasonal
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 26-11-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: It's Halloween and the SGC appears to be haunted...
Review: Sometimes Anais' characterisation doesn't match up with what I see on-screen but I'm laughing so hard I don't care. This one is different - the characerisation is great and the story is a haunting, memorable one. She gives 'screen' time to Sam (unusual in J/D slash) and has a fascinating central plot. Jack and Daniel's relationship is also fascinating and I loved Jack's gradual examination of his feelings. This is quite different from much of Anais' work, closer to 'Kawoosh' in tone, and I couldn't put it down even though I was reading it at a ridiculously late hour. I'm glad that someone reccomended this one to me on-list because I might have missed a wonderful fic.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Anais' Index
babs and devra
Goodbye To Dreams
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: R
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: Angst, drama, ER, H/C
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 17-06-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: What would you do for the one you love? Jack and Daniel take a journey to discover the answer to that question.
Review: First, I have to confess that I had a sneak preview of some of this when babs accidentally sent a part to the AG list rather than her beta reader. I couldn't wait for it to come out and I saved it up for a long afternoon so I could read it all at once.
I loved it. There aren't many stories that can have me grinning and near tears at the same time but this story did it. The characterization was great and I could see everything the authors were describing. More importantly, it touched something inside and I couldn't put it down until I'd finished it. I hope that babs and devra write together again - they're both fantastic in their own rights but this just blew me away. Run, don't walk, to this story and settle in for a wonderful read.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Area 52
Brenda
Infinite Possibilities
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: Action/adventure, AU, drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 12-03-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: When Jack O'Neill unwittingly brings back the wrong Daniel Jackson through the Stargate that leaves *his* Daniel under the care of the wrong Jack O'Neill...
Review: I am such a sucker for quantum mirror stories. This one is a particularly good one. Two universes running along side each other could have been confusing but Brenda managed to make it clear exactly which universe we were reading about all the time. The characterisation is great and there are some good suprises hidden away. Definitely went into my 'keeper' file.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Bunnyfic
Catspaw and Sharon
Thinking Out Loud
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: Angst, drama, ER
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 08-09-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: One of the best clichés in the book bites the boys in the ass.
Review: As the summary says, this is a fic about one of the great fandom cliches - telepathy. Why have I recced this? Because it is so damn good :-)
The trick with using a fandom cliche is using it in a unique way that really sticks out in the mind. This one did - I remembered the fic over a year later when I was discussing telepathy with a listsib. Then I couldn't work out why I hadn't recced it until I realised that it probably came out before I started writing Stargate recs.
Catspaw and Sharon have managed to capture all the characters brilliantly. As this is a Jack/Daniel story, it concentrates on those characters but the rest are definitely there too, as well as a couple of great OCs. The dialogue and writing were great, but what really stands out is the work they put into really looking at how telepathy might affect the characters in an established relationship. Telepathy is usually a plot device for first time fics, so this was a wonderful departure, and they were able to look at Jack and Daniel's relationship as well as playing around with the plot.
In short, I love this and you should too :-)
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Feisty Daniel Appreciation Society - Collaborations
Danvers and Gene Este
X-Treme Wormhole
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: R
Type: Slash
Pairing: Levant/Danning, Monroe/f (both implied)
Themes: Humor
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 26-05-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: SGC personnel suddenly discover slash written about the characters from the show Wormhole X-treme. So how do the guys react to this?
Review: The first thing that I have to say about this is that it's extremely difficult to read without laughing out loud. There are just too many hilarious moments to mention. It also had some great characterisation and the exchanges between Jack and Daniel were too funny for words. I read this ages ago and, before the rec site expanded to include non-Buffy fandoms, so I'm catching up on all the old stories that I loved. This one stands up to repeat reading and was particularly funny after spending a weekend at a con, talking loudly about slash with insane list-sibs. At the end of this story I couldn't help thinking 'Hey, wouldn't it be funny if...'
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Feisty Daniel Appreciation Society
ELG and Brenda
Awakenings
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: Angst, first time, H/C
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 12-10-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: When Daniel is kidnapped by slave traders, Jack has to make alliances with people he neither likes nor trusts to get him back.
Review: Considering the subject matter, this fic is surprisingly sweet in places. It's also raw and painful in places, and that combination makes for a fascinating, enjoyable fic. ELG and Brenda create some wonderful visuals so that you can really see the story as it unfolds. They also capture Jack and Daniel's characters wonderfully with some great dialogue. I first read this over a year ago and my only excuse for not reccing it sooner is laziness - I'm slowly going through my back catalogue of fics that I want to rec but read before the review archive expanded. The fact that this fic stuck in my mind and has been read several times since I first found it should indicate how good it is.
Warning: Click here to view warnings in a pop-up window
Archive: Bunnyfic
Eos
Truth and Consequences
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: Angst, drama, ER
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 24-07-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Jack and Daniel come out...and not everyone takes the news well.
Review: There are a lot of fics where Jack and Daniel announce that they're together and everyone is very happy for them, not a hint of homophobia anywhere. This ain't one of those.
Having said that, it's a thought provoking and intense fic that stuck in my mind for a long time. It was mentioned on a list a few days ago and I checked the recs page and suddenly realised that I hadn't recced this. No idea why, because it's an excellent fic and I usually try to rec something when I read it. Obviously this went on the 'to do' list and didn't get done, like a lot of older fics that I keep meaning to rec. Grr.
If you don't like seeing a Sam who isn't very sympathetic then don't read this, but Eos has done an amazing thing - she's given reasons and motivation, even for things that I might not have been able to. Everything that the characters do (Sam, the OCs, Jack, Daniel, etc.) is with good motivation and keeps to canon characterisation. This isn't any easy fic to read, but one I heartily recommend.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Feisty Daniel Appreciation Society
Harriet
As One
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: R
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sam/Janet
Themes: AU, drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 18-04-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: The quantum mirror presents some curious issues for Sam and the rest of the team after Doctor Janet Fraiser's death.
Review: I'm a huge fan of Janet, so Heroes was hard to watch for me. I'm also a big fan of quantum mirror stories. This fic deals with both of those issues, it's by Harriet and it's a wonderfully long, detailed fic - ingredients that pretty much guaranteed I'd be reccing it.
I have to admit that this is one that I DL'd to read later, thereby forgetting what the plot summary and getting a nice surprise about two pages down :-) Harriet succeeds in dealing with an AU Janet that's recognisable and at the same time not our Janet - although still a Janet that I love. She also deals well with all the issues that this brings up. More importantly, there's a wonderful 'voice' to all the characters and particularly for Sam and Janet. Their relationship develops perfectly, neither rushed or bogged down, and I simply could not put this fic down when I'd started to read it (even though I should have eaten hours ago). You won't regretting putting aside a couple of hours for this one because it's a great fic.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Area 52
Harriet
Family (originally Foundations)
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: R
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sam/Janet
Themes: Drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 26-11-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: An anniversary and a new friend spark some soul searching for Sam.
Review: I'm rapidly becoming a Harriet fan. This is her first story at Area 52 and it shows her talent for creating a warm, believable friendship and relationship between Sam and Janet. She also creates a great OC and fleshes out Cassie's character a little. The problem with many Sam/Janet fics is that it's difficult to capture their chemistry, but it jumps off the page here. It's a lovely fic that kept me absorbed until the last word.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Area 52
Harriet
Tether
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: R
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sam/Janet
Themes: Drama, first time, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 22-10-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: A shiny black box wreaks havoc on the lives of Sam and Janet.
Review: First, I should point out that I am a sucker for telepathy stories and that might have influenced my enjoyment of this one :-)
I should also point out that it's very difficult to make a cliche like that stand out because it's been done so many times. This one did stick in my mind and I've been waiting impatiently for Area 52 to return so that I could write the review. Harriet manages to take a cliche plot and do something new and interesting with it. Her insights to Sam and Janet's reactions are wonderful and really 'fit' for the characters. Their interactions sparkle on the page and I couldn't put this one down until I'd finished.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Area 52
Jonah in the Whale
Loki's Curse
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: Action/adventure, angst, drama, episode tag or fix (Fragile Balance, S7)
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 04-09-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Daniel's memory since descension is still scattered, and Jack struggles to accept that Daniel may never be fully returned to them. Meanwhile, SG-1 have a more immediate problem to deal with; Loki, and his backlog of mistakes.
Review: I've had this sitting on my hard-drive, waiting for a free afternoon to indulge, for weeks and I'm glad that I've finally been able to read it. Good, novel-length fics are rare and deserve to be savoured. One of the things that has impressed me with this fic is how well Jonah interweaves several plot strands. Although the relationship between Jack and Daniel is important, it's not the sole focus of the fic. Finding a slash fic that has interesting, well-executed main plots in addition to the relationship subplot is always a huge treat for me.
This is written in third person from Jack's POV (I am so impressed with anyone who can stick with one POV throughout a fic this long) and, if anything, that makes the ideas about Daniel's memory recovery even more interesting. Everything is seen through Jack's eyes and Jonah has captured his voice. Daniel, also, gets good characerisation and I loved seeing his struggle with his memories through Jack's eyes. The main plots in this could almost be an episode (and a fascinating follow-up to Fragile Balance), the other characters get page time and the Jack/Daniel relationship is both gentle and non-sappy. Defintely a fic that's going on my favourites list.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Area 52
Kylie Lee and The Grrrl
Like Touch, Like Love
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: Action/adventure, drama, first time, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 11-05-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Jack and Daniel meet an alien who likes music.
Review: When two good, established writers co-author a story it either turns out to be a complete mess or a great story. Thankfully this takes the latter route :-)
Reason 1 to love this fic: Fascinating plot idea that is well-executed and would have held my interest even if there wasn't a Jack/Daniel plot to it. The alien at the heart of the A-plot was unusual, unique and interesting. Kylie and The Grrrl looked into the alien's thought processes (rare enough) and succeeded in making them suitably alien, but also understandable.
Reason 2 to love this fic: A great Jack/Daniel plot, with good voices for the characters, believable motivation and no 'the aleins made me do it' to be seen.
Reason 3 to love this fic: There were more characters than just Jack and Daniel involved in the fic, we saw one or two characters that rarely get seen in Jack/Daniel slash and they had stuff to do. Kylie and The Grrrl even got their voices.
Reason 4 to love this fic: Hot sex :-)
Enough reasons?
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Kyliefic.com
Nel
How Daniel Got His Groove Back
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: Action/adventure, angst, first time, H/C, humor
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 14-03-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Wherein Daniel remembers why he never drinks, Jack has decision anxiety, Teal'c gets to be a spy and Sam has a secret.
Review: I am almost positive that someone recommended this to me, but I can't remember who or where. After reading it, though, I can understand the rec and had to pass it on.
There are several things that I enjoyed about this fic. Nel has a good 'Daniel' voice - this is written in third person Daniel's POV and it works. That said, she hasn't neglected the rest of the team and their dialogue and reactions are just right, so I could see it all as I read. And that's one of the other things I like - it's rare to find good team pieces in slash fic. Usually authors concentrate on their pairing and neglect the rest of the team. Although this is Jack/Daniel, it also feels very much like a team piece. There is plot beyond Jack and Daniel's story, mixed together well so that I had to keep reading. This was also an interesting fic because it used a slightly different motivating point to get Daniel and Jack thinking - I won't tell you what it is because it would give away too much, but it was an idea that I've not seen explored in slash fic before. Lastly, their relationship was well written throughout and Nel doesn't stop working until the end.
Extra note: I am not the Sel in Nel's acknowledgement. Didn't want anyone to think I was pimping this because I had any hand in it :-)
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Pertifity
Noda
The Best I Ever Had
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Themes: Angst, AU, drama, romance
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 17-02-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Set in the future, Sam and Jack meet again under unusual circumstances. It's been ten years since Sam left the SGC.
Review: Sam's life is turned upside down when her son gets ill and she meets Jack, having not seen him for years. Cue lots of angst. The characterisations of Sam and Jack are spot-on and the original characters are also believable. Noda does Sam/Jack UST wonderfully - you can almost feel the sexual tension.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: NODA'S Fan Fiction
Pepe
Accommodating Daniel
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: Angst, first time, humor, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 26-05-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Jack thinks he has the prefect relationship with his archaeologist, until Daniel decides he wants to change the boundaries.
Review: A big part of this rec is because I had a goofy grin on my face throughout this piece. The characterisation and dialogue are great and there are some real laugh out loud moments. There's also a very sweet romance, which was responsible for my goofy grin, and some hot sex, also grin-worthy. Overall, a lovely, satisfying fic that's perfect for a rainy afternoon with a cup of tea.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Pepe's Place
Pepe
Why Don't You Stay?
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: Angst, first time, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 01-05-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Jack asks a simple question and ends up with more than he bargained for.
Review: This is a beautiful fic. Alison has a great way with words and managed to convey the emotions perfectly. I was laughing out loud, near tears and grinning at varying times in this story. Her characterisations of Jack and Daniel were spot-on and they had some great dialogue. She manages to convey the uncertainty and hesitation in their relationship without making either character weak or whiny, and I just couldn't put this down until I'd finished.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Pepe's Place
Sally Reeve
Future Imperfect
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: PG
Type: Het
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Themes: Angst, AU
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 24-03-2006
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Carter and O'Neill live with the consequences of doing the right thing.
Review: This fic should be really cliched - it starts four years into the future with Sam married and Jack with someone else, they've not seen each other for that long, they're still in love, yadda, yadda. Except, somehow, it's not.
Perhaps it's because the characterisation's great: you can almost feel the tension between Sam and Jack. The original characters are well fleshed out.
Perhaps it's the plot: it twists this back and forth so you just can't tell who is going to end up with who.
The one bad thing in this is an OC at the end who seemed so cliched he overrode the rest of the story at that point. But it's only a small niggle in a long story.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Sally's Fan Fiction
sideburns
The Course of True Love
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: R
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel, Sam/Teal'c
Themes: Drama, first time, humor, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 26-11-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio...
Review: Combining a well-known bard and Stargate into one fic shouldn't be possible, but sideburns manages anyway. This fic is by turns funny, insightful and sweet, with some fascinating aliens and ideas. I'm trying to find other reasons for loving this, but I think most of it comes from the way sideburns writes. I'm always completely absorbed by anything she writes and this is no exception. It's post-Fallen, so we have a post-ascension Daniel, and sideburns' talent for creating interesting secondary characters is utilised well. I think the only thing I can add is to go and read it because there is no way to summarize the plot without giving away far too many details.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Feisty Daniel Appreciation Society
sideburns
Reflections of You
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: R
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: Action/adventure, angst, AU, drama
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 19-02-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: An alternate Jack comes looking for help from our SG-1, Daniel is faced with learning about an alternate version of himself, and Sam finds herself with several heartbreaking decisions to make.
Review: I am a sucker for quantum mirror stories. I always find it fascinating to see what each author can come up with in their universe and how they interpret the characters in their alternative universe. Whenever I see something come through from Sideburns I know that it will be a treat and this one is. This is a slash story but Sam's B-plot is just as interesting and moving as Daniel's arc. Sit back with a cup of coffee (or herbal tea *sigh*) and some cookies and enjoy this fantastic story.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Area 52
suzanne j
The Spring Garden
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel, Sam/Janet
Themes: Angst, AU, drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 10-11-2002
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Jack and Daniel step into another reality and learn some interesting things about themselves and the people around them...
Review: This story left me with a huge grin, which is reason enough for me to recommend it :)
The characterisation was great and the alternate universe characters were still completely recognisable (not an easy trick). One of the things that struck me was the way that the author managed to include differences in secondary and original characters that enhanced the story instead of distracting from it. I could hear the dialogue as it was spoken.
This is a story that I couldn't put down, even though my back was cramping because I'd forgotten an extra pillow, which I think says everything that needs saying.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The Alpha Gate
The Blonde Sheep
48 Hours After
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: Angst, episode tag or fix (48 Hours, S6), first time, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 02-07-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Jack's revelation puts strain onto their friendship. Daniel needs time to find some answers.
Review: This fic starts out incredibly angsty, which just makes the eventual pay-off sweeter. I could hear everyone's voices as I read the dialogue and there were some wonderful moments where I could just 'see' what the writer was describing. Most importantly, the emotions were there and lept off the page so that I was feeling everything that the characters felt. I love fics that can convey emotions like that. OK, so it can make it traumatic to read some fics but those are the ones that stick in my mind. Go read this one and you won't be disappointed.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Area 52
Widget
Bluestoke: The Legend of Daniel, Lord of the Spacemonkeys
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: AU, humor, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 16-08-2003
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: The legend of Daniel, Lord of the Spacemonkeys.
Review: The first thing that has to be mentioned is that this is very much an AU. Very, very AU. It's sort of based on aspects of Tarzan, with the Stargate characters subsituted into the various roles. Surprisingly, it works very well and this is in large part to Widget's writing. It's funny, hot and touching. I had a wide grin throughout and frequently laughed. Despite the far-out plot, the characterisation is pretty good and that probably accounts for a lot of the reason why this works so well. The story was obviously written with tongue firmly in cheek but it's also full of soul and it's one of the fics that I go back to whenever I need a pick-me-up.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Widgeteria
Brighid
The Convenient Husband
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Themes: AU, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 13-05-2007
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: A marriage of convenience has some very inconvenient complications for Rodney, as he deals with the fact that he's still in love with John Sheppard.
Review: This is another of the excellent fics that came out of the sga_flashfic Harlequin challenge, which I suspect was one of the most successful challenges ever. It's a great cliche fic, rejoicing in all the elements of the pretend marriage cliche (a staple of Harlequin books so thoroughly appropriate for this challenge) and managing to make it uniquely John and Rodney at the same time. It's not too far from the SGA world - modern setting and Rodney has worked on the Stargate project - but it's definitely an AU. The details, the relationship between the characters and the humour all make this a lovely rainy afternoon read.
This split into two parts on the LJ and sadly the second part isn't linked from the first. For those who don't have the patience to hunt around for it, the link to the second part is: http://community.livejournal.com/sga_flashfic/156233.html
Warning: No warnings
Archive: sga_flashfic: The Convenient Husband
chelle
A Better Fate
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Themes: Angst, drama, first time, H/C, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 19-05-2005
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Kissing is a better fate than wisdom.
Review: Is it possible to have an angsty fic that is set after the hurt but is as much about the hurt as about the comfort? Without being either depressing or too fluffy? Well, that's what chelle has written.
It's long, well-written and completely absorbing - all factors guaranteed to make me happy. The fic is set at an unspecified future point - Atlantis has been up and running for a couple of years, but they're able to return home for leave when necessary. And at the moment it is necessary because John and Rodney both need to heal after a particularly traumatic mission. This fic's strength is that chelle doesn't simply say 'ah, sex heals all' - she looks at some of the deeper problems that both the characters have. The sex is, of course, very satisfying (*g*), but the fic is about John and Rodney working things out.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: chelle's nighstand
cimorene
Instantaneous
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Themes: Drama, first time, humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 19-05-2006
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: 'God, life is so unfair. I find what appears to be the sole personal teleportation device in the city, it decides it likes you, and what do you do with it? Save the city with a stunning feat of bravery and tactical prowess? No. You don't even bring me coffee--you use it to increase your repertoire of juvenile humour with a prank that three-year-olds have been carrying off successfully without teleportation probably for centuries.'
Review: McKay finds a personal transporter device, which ends up embedded in Sheppard's hand. Which is very cool, except that it works on thoughts and Sheppard keeps thinking about McKay... That's what I liked about this. Sheppard needs McKay to work out what's going on but Sheppard keeps getting distracted by thinking about McKay.
I'm not entirely convinced about the ending of this, and I wasn't going to review it originally because of that. But then I kept thinking about it, and how much I liked all the rest of it, and the ending faded in comparison.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: cimorene's sordid fancy
eleveninches
The Roads Never Lead Where They're Supposed to Go
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Themes: Action/adventure, AU, first time, humor, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 17-09-2006
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: For the B-Movie Ficathon Challenge: A brilliant geneticist plans to expose a lethal virus to every human being on the planet. Her objective: to destroy humankind in favour of her new strain of prehistoric dinosaurs. Two people stand in the way of her diabolical plan, a cynical night watchman and a lovely idealistic environmentalist. The two must overcome their differences long enough to uncover the scientist's scheme and fight her carnivorous creations in a desperate battle against the extinction of the human race.
Review: From the plot, I think you can guess that this isn't a fic that's intended to be taken seriously. It's a fun fic, with a great sense of the ridiculous and an interesting AU. It's as though eleveninches took the Atlantis universe and twisted it fifteen degrees, without losing the central characters on the way.
This isn't intended as a deep and meaningful fic or a traumatic, angsty voyage. The main reason for reading this is to get a fun, sexy fic with a dorky, scientist John and a McKay that isn't very different from our own. But it does have dinosaurs, which just adds to the slightly surreal fun.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The Roads Never Lead Where They're Supposed to Go
Fabula Rasa
Close Enough
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Themes: Angst, drama
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 24-03-2006
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Sheppard spends some down time with Rodney back on Earth after the siege.
Review: Why should you read this? Because it's beautiful, hopeful, heartbreaking and absolutely compelling. Because it's a fic without easy answers that still manages to be satisfying. Because, as much as I adore the short, happy, snarky Sheppard/McKay fics that populate the Atlantis fic sections, it's wonderful to find a fic with more substance that you can really get your teeth into. Because it stands out from those short, happy, snarky fics and will probably stay with me for days.
Because it's well-written Atlantis fic, a good Sheppard/McKay fic and it's a great read.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Fabulae: Fiction by Fabula Rasa
miera
A Change of Scenery
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Sheppard/Weir
Themes: AU, romance
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 14-04-2006
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: If the whole part with the guns, the concussion and the felony kidnapping hadn't happened, really, this would be like a vacation. (Written for the Harlequin Challenge)
Review: This was the first good Sheppard/Weir story I read. The AU set-up is interesting. It involves a company called Atlantis, as many of them do, but this time it's John who's in charge and Elizabeth who gets mixed up in it. There's a good plot going on involving all sorts of Atlantis characters, and it's interesting to see what roles they have in here.
But mostly, it's the relationship between Sheppard and Weir that makes this story good. It builds up nice and slowly from friendship, and by the time they do get together you've been itching for it to happen for ages.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Wraithbait
Rageprufrock
Hindsight
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: R
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Themes: Action/adventure, AU, drama, humor, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 19-05-2006
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Hindsight is, at best, only 20/20.
Review: The Harlequin challenge on the sga_flashfic community produced a number of good fics, and this is one of them. It's an AU, it's kinda Harlequin-esque, but only if it was an unusually talented Harlequin author with an eye for humour and good characterisation.
This fic has some very funny moments, but it also has some beautiful character moments. The bare plot involves Sheppard as an FBI agent and Rodney as....Rodney. It's easy to see where Rageprufrock's 'what if' moment started and also the relationship to what we're watching on the show. In many ways, I like the full circle nature of this fic and the fact that Rageprufrock took the challenge as a starting point but went further and produced something slightly more sophisticated. Good writing, a well constructed AU and good characterisation make this a thoroughly addictive fic.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Glitterati
shalott
A Beautiful Lifetime Event
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Themes: Drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 20-06-2006
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.
Review: This story is on pretty much every rec list, with good reason. I resisted at first, as it deals with McKay and Sheppard having a baby. It's not mpreg though, and shalott writes the child not too sugary sweet. She's also very much Rodney's daughter, which is quite funny.
The child is, in some ways, more of a plot device to get McKay and Sheppard together. The way shalott does it is so slow that they're in love before either of them really realise what is going on. It's sort of established relationship and first time at the same time.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Intimations
Speranza
Written by the Victors
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Themes: Action/adventure, drama
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 07-10-2007
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Caroll, Franklin R. Atlantis Revisited. New York and London, Routledge, 2011.
Chapman, Denise. Several Kinds of Genius: The Life of Rodney McKay. NY: Harper Perennial, 2015.
Croft, Rosalind. City of Spires: A Memoir. Toronto: The Mercury Press, 2009.
Dugan, Paul. A Political History of Atlantis. Oxford: OUP, 2012.
Review: I hesitated for a long time over how to classify this one. It's a massive SGA novel that is already becoming one of the classics of the fandom after only a month. It's hard to write a pithy summary because of the scale of the fic. I almost listed it as an AU because it definitely wouldn't happen in canon, but it breaks off at the point in canon that the show had reached when the author began planning it.
This is one of those fics that you really get buried in for hours. It's Sheppard/McKay but that isn't the main thrust of the story. The plot is intricate and detailed, looking at the 'what if' of Earth recalling Atlantis (the entire city, not just the inhabitants).
One of the joys of this fic is the way that Speranza tells the story. It's not a linear, third-person account. Instead the narrative is mixed with historical dissertations, journals, poetry...I am amazed by the amount of work that has gone into this story.
It's going to be a fandom classic for the simple reason that it's a brilliant, well-written and incredibly compelling story that is already inspiring art, vids and fic of its own. It can be read over again finding new things with each re-read, which is rare in fanfic, and wouldn't be out of place on the shelves of your local bookstore. One of the best fics I've read in this fandom.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Speranza's Fiction
synecdochic
Freedom's Just Another Word For Nothing Left To Lose
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash-het mixed
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay, Weir/Ronon
Themes: Angst, drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 14-04-2006
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: SGC finally stops calling him by December. Rodney celebrates by writing a final exam for his relativity class so difficult that it reduces four students to tears in the exam hall. Upon reflection, he decides to be merciful and offer partial credit.
Review: This is a future-fic after they've all left Atlantis and gone back to Earth. The story of what happened, and why they're not in Atlantis any more comes out slowly through the story. It seems realistic, as well.
Mainly, though, this story is about Rodney coping afterwards. I want to say, 'which is not very well' but that's not true because he sort of is and sort of isn't.
Mostly, this is angsty and sad and depressing and un-putdownable. And really, really hard to say anything about.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Venus in Furs
torch
About a lamp
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Themes: Angst, drama, first time, humor, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 13-05-2007
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Adventure, drama, thrilling escapes, cunning puzzles, math, eggs, Marines, scientists, Athosians, sex, alcohol, architecture, ghosts, bird-watching, and energy conservation. And a lamp.
Review: This is one of those fics that I knew I'd be recommending a few paragraphs in and that impression only grew stronger the further in I got. There is some great characterisation, a great plot and fantastic relationship between Sheppard and McKay. What really sold this one for me was the writing style: the mix of dry humour and pathos for the situation worked beautifully. It kept me glued and entertained far later in the evening than I should have been and the way it was written made it stand out from many of the Atlantis fics out there. If you're looking for a long, entertaining, memorable (in the right way) Atlantis fic then you should definitely read this one.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: About a lamp
trinityofone
Four Quarters
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: R
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Themes: AU, drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 17-09-2006
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Teyla is the beautiful one, Ronon is the enigmatic one, and Rodney, of course, is the genius one. But John, John is the star.
Review: I think there must a universal law that every fandom must have at least one 'they're all in a band' fic floating around out there. Thankfully, this one is a good 'they're all in a band' fic.
It's a fun fic, lighthearted but not completely fluffy. trinityofone hasn't really tried to shoe-horn the characters into the rock and roll kind of universe. Instead she tries to see what the characters would have been like as teenagers and grown it from there. I'm particularly impressed that she got McKay into the scenario and it works - she's managed to give him a good motivation and history without losing the character. The scenario itself is a bit of a cliche in fanfic AUs, but trinityofone makes it stand out and kept me with her all the way to the end. The idea behind the fic is a cliche but, like all good cliche fics, the author manages to use that cliche to create a great story.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: tales of an unreal city: Four Quarters
Tasha
Cat's Eyes
Fandom: Stargate, Highlander (cross-over)
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Action/adventure, AU, drama
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 01-06-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Daniel is having trouble with a translation: it just doesn't make any sense. Who could he possibly call, but a friend he met a conference years ago who is the best linguist he has ever met.
Review: Cross-overs are tough to do well and, done badly, can end up a complete mess. This one is, thankfully, very good. Crossing Stargate with Highlander works surprisingly well. It does not require massive plot changes because ideas from both universes can be combined without re-writing canon. The only thing that the author did is to assume a different ending for the episode Archangel (Highlander) so that Richie Ryan is still alive - I'm certainly not complaining about that because I like Richie. Everything fits together perfectly.
Tasha also has a good grasp of all the characters. Duncan MacLeod does not appear, but the story does not really require him. The interactions between the characters from the two shows are well thought out and enjoyable to read.
I love a good, meaty plot and here the fic does not disappoint either. In fact, it uses ideas that make you think a little and it kept me hooked until I'd finished.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The Twins' Home Page
Helena Handbasket
Actualize This
Fandom: Stargate, The Sentinel, The Invisible Man (cross-over)
Rating: R
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Action/adventure, humor
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 14-03-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Crack teams from various branches of the US military and government are sent on a retreat that promises a 'cooperative journey of self-discovery', but not everything is as it seems.
Review: First of all, this is damn funny. Side-splitting. Especially the views from each team of the other teams - in other words, they all think the other groups are nuts.
This is also well-written and you don't need to be familiar with all the fandoms to understand what is going on. I've never seen The Invisible Man, but I still understood the fic (although some of the IM humor might have been lost on me). Helena has an eye for the insanity of all the fandoms and makes this fic incredibly funny without losing any of the characterisations. It's tough to pull off a cross-over because of the leaps of logic required, but this works brilliantly. There's even a cool plot to go with it.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Handbasket Holidays
Lucy Hale
Strange Days
Fandom: Starsky and Hutch
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Starsky/Hutch
Themes: Action/adventure, angst, drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 15-11-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: The guys investigate a murder and learn some things about themselves.
Review: One of the major reasons why I'm reccing this is because of the seamless way that Lucy combines the murder case plot line with the relationship plot. Neither one is allowed to overwhelm the other and they're equally fascinating. Fanfic based on a cop show needs to acknowledge what the main characters do and Lucy weaves a great story around the murder case. Lucy also does well with the characterisation, making me 'hear' Starsky and Hutch in their dialogue and also in their thought processes. She gets extra points from me for using Huggy well and letting him jump off the page. This is a well-written, fascinating fic that doesn't pull its punches and keeps your attention.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Lucy Hale's fanfiction
M. P. Warren
Rough Magic
Fandom: The Avengers
Rating: PG
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Angst, AU, drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 21-01-2007
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Two and a half years have gone by since Mrs. Emma Peel left John Steed to rejoin her pilot-husband, found alive in South America after being presumed dead for some time. Steed and Emma's successor, Tara King, have lately grown apart, and Steed is finding it increasingly difficult to feign any interest in what seem to him to be increasingly dull assignments. He finds himself on yet another such boring job when events take a wholly unexpected turn, and Mother tasks him with a problem that leads Steed reluctantly to Mrs. Peel and ultimately forces him to confront one of the most diabolical masterminds he has ever faced, as well as a side of himself he has tried to suppress for years.
Review: I had great difficulty in classifying this because it's a bit like the series itself - lots of innuendo but nothing for definite. And that's why I'm reviewing this, it reads like a long episode. It has all the usual Avengers elements of diabolical masterminds and Steed and women. But it also deals with Steed and Mrs Peel's relationship post-Forget Me Knot, which is beautifully angsty.
Note: This story is in pdf format.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Avengers E-Novels
Jack Rueben Darcy
The Tangled Web
Fandom: The Professionals, The Chief (cross-over)
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Bodie/Alan Cade (Doyle)
Themes: Angst, AU, drama
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 15-11-2004
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Fourteen years ago the machinations of an old enemy persuaded Bodie and Doyle that the other was dead. Doyle became Alan Cade and Bodie eventually became the new head of CI5. And then they met again.
Review: I've only read a few Pros stories, but I can imagine that this is a plot device that has been used before. Doyle and Cade were played by the same actor so it's a natural plot to use. However, this story uses the idea expertly, creating a strong, long, beautifully painful fic that is a joy to be immersed in. There are moments in this fic that are painful to read because the writer conveys the emotions so well. There are also moments in this fic that put a smile on my face. The characterisation works well, incorporating the changes that Doyle/Cade have had to make and the maturation of Bodie. There are dilemmas here that can never be completely resolved and the writer doesn't take the easy option. It's a fascinating exploration of the characters, the plot and all the complications it brings up and it has a soul to it that makes you feel everything. Wonderful.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The Circuit Archive
silversolitaire
Collateral
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating: NC-17
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Ianto, Ianto OMC
Themes: Action/adventure, angst, AU, drama, H/C
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 26-05-2008
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: After returning from his travels with the Doctor, Jack discovers that not all things are the way he left them. Used to having no problems with change, he finds that this time it's not so easy to change things back in his favor.
Review: This fic was written before Utopia aired so should probably be considered AU from there, but that doesn't matter because this is a great fic. It's long and plotty, a rarity in Torchwood fic, and had me glued for an entire afternoon. It's an interesting idea for while might have happened while Jack was away and his reception on returning.
Importantly, the author has good characterisation and I bought the story entirely. The writing style keeps you reading and the ideas are inventive.
If you're looking for a good Jack/Ianto novel then this is the fic for you.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: A Teaspoon and an Open Mind
SnowWhiteLiar
Paradox
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating: R
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Ianto, Ianto/Ianto
Themes: Drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 04-05-2009
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: When Torchwood were sent to the Himalayas, Ianto chose to stay behind and look after the Hub. He didn't think it would be quite this much trouble.
Review: Given the pairings in this, I wasn't at all convinced before I started reading, but it was well worth it because it's brilliant. It's the story of what Ianto did during the Year That Never Was. There's a lot of stuff in there that doesn't necessarily make sense to Ianto, but it does to us because that's the way it's supposed to be.
It's interesting how what happens ties into what the Doctor and Martha were doing during that year. I think that if this isn't canon then it's what must have happened. I particularly liked the ending and the nature of it.
Warning: Click here to view warnings in a pop-up window
Archive: TARDIS Big Bang
unithien_rerith
Against the Dying of the Night
Fandom: Torchwood, Dresden Files (cross-over)
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Harry
Themes: Drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 04-05-2009
Length: Over 100KB
Plot: Harry Dresden, wizard for hire, gets called in on a job in Wales, where he runs afoul of Team Torchwood.
Review: I've never read any of Harry Dresden, but it didn't matter because the crossover worked anyway. unithien_rerith builds up the description of Harry's world so well that I felt like I knew it well enough during the story. The two worlds fit together so well in this story that it's hard to imagine they aren't part of the same universe.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: TARDIS Big Bang