Haven Reviews: Search results
125 fanfic reviews found matching your criteria
ChesterFemme
Sexaphobia
Fandom: A Dog's Breakfast
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Patrick/other
Themes: Humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 24-04-2010
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: Patrick explores his many phobias.
Review: This is perfect Patrick. This story carries on from the film, relating back to those events and how they've affected those they happened to. All the supporting characters are great and in character. The original characters all have names that are a mixture of the actor and character name from Stargate Atlantis (eg John Flannigan). Which is amusing and also helps to picture what they're like. The story deals with the relationship between Patrick and John and it's funny and realistic, given what Patrick's like, to see how they goes as the story goes on.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Archive of Our Own
darkstar
Graffiti
Fandom: Alias
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Sydney/Vaughn
Themes: AU, romance
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 18-04-2004
Length: 2-10 chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: Sydney and Vaughn attempt to reconstruct their lives after barely surviving SD-6's discovery of their identities.
Review: This is angsty all the way through. What happens to Sydney and Vaughn is so horrible their lives become a lie. He doesn't speak and she works as a waitress called Sadie. But nothing is ever easy, especially in the world of Alias.
I can't really say anything else about the plot without giving anything away. There are very few conversations in it but Sydney's narration sets the mood. And the mood is angst.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Cover Me
Diana
Running
Fandom: Alias
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Sydney/Vaughn
Themes: Action/adventure, angst, drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 01-06-2004
Length: 2+ chapters, most parts 25KB or under
Plot: Sydney's left LA. After almost two years, she finds herself almost back where she started. (Not as boring as it sounds. Really. I just can't summarize.)
Review: Diana's summary is right - it is a lot more interesting than it sounds. This is an AU set before the fall of SD-6 where Sydney has been found out. At first she's living in Portland with friends who only know her as Elizabeth. Then it all goes wrong and she goes on the run with only Vaughn for company.
The way it's written is different, which pieces in brackets telling you what Sydney is really thinking and it works really well. As the story goes from one place (motel room) to another Sydney finds out more about what's going on with SD-6 and we find out more about what forced Sydney to become Elizabeth in the first place.
There's a nice amount of angst when Sydney realises what her life has become, and how Vaughn has changed because of her.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Fanfiction.Net: Diana3
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
Cerebel
Five Times Ivanova Never Kissed Talia
Fandom: Babylon 5
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Ivanova/Talia
Themes: Angst, drama, vignette
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 07-09-2007
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: Talia lets her head drop into her hands. 'I don't know what to believe, Susan.'
Review: It's a Five Things fic with a difference in that it inserts itself into canon. This is beautifully written, but heartbreaking as any canon-set fic for this pairing almost has to be. That makes it special and lovely, though, and Cerebel really captures Susan and Talia on the page.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: cerebel_fics: Five Times Ivanova Never Kissed Tali
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
CN Winters
Making Sense
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Buffy/Willow
Themes: Angst, drama, first time, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 17-02-2004
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: Set 10 years after Willow outted herself to the gang, a brief encounter forces Willow and Buffy to look deeper into their relationship.
Review: I should really say that I'm also reccing the (NC-17) sequel to this - 'Making Plans'. It really works best if you read both of them.
CN Winters is a talented Xena writer, so I was pretty excited when I saw that she had some Buffy fic and even happier when I saw that it was my favourite pairing - Buffy/Willow. This fic is set in future and has a more mature feeling than many Buffy fics. Making Sense is written from Willow's POV and Making Plans from Buffy's. CN has managed to get into both their heads very well - the tone and phrasing fits the characters perfectly and you really can feel that you've changed POV from the first sentence. I could hear both characters as I read. The fics also dealt well with both characters' insecurities and problems, which is why they work best as a pair. I could hear, see and feel everything as I read and my first thought at the end was 'I must rec this and tell everyone about it'. My second was 'I must re-read this fic'. And then I decided to check out some of CN's recommendations :-)
Warning: No warnings
Archive: CN's Caldron of Fan Fiction
CN Winters, Susan Carr et al
Watchers
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash-het mixed
Pairing: Various
Themes: Action/adventure, drama, virtual season/series
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 12-10-2003
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: A virtual spin-off series for Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Review: Now that the final episodes of Buffy have aired and we're all starting to go through withdrawal, this is a welcome slayage-fix :-)
A lot of work goes into any virtural series and this is no exception. I was intrigued by the idea of a Buffy spin-off, not certain whether I'd like whatever the authors set up, but after a couple of episodes I can honestly say that this is great. The head writers are well-known in the Xena world (so I now have to hunt down any other Buffy fic they've written) and they have a large staff of artists, writers and techy folks to make this special. So far the eps have been well-written and beautifully presented.
Each episode is only up for one week, but the site owners have promised that there will be re-run weeks so you can catch up on any you've missed. Another tip is to read the backstory because it gives a lot of set-up for the series. Lastly - enjoy this :-)
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Watchers - The Virtual Series
Gary Boshers
Slayers
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Action/adventure, AU, drama, romance, virtual season/series
Reviewed by: Bob the Head
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 14-03-2004
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: What we have here is a series that takes place after Buffy is over but with a couple major differences being that all of the potential Slayers weren't activated and Sunnydale wasn't destroyed. Buffy, Willow and Giles have left town leaving Faith, Spike, Dawn, Kennedy, Xander and a new character. The first season currently has two on-going story-lines, one focussing on an immortal vampire and the other on a former member of a group associated with the Watcher's Council.
Review: Tons of reasons this is a great story. The episodes are sharp and well-written with great unique plots that tie into the larger story arcs. The characters are right on the mark in their dialogue, actions, everything, they feel like the characters we've been watching for years and the evolution of them is very natural. The action sequences are fun and enjoyable as are the more light-hearted moments. The plot is what really shines. All of the episodes keep you wanting to read until the end and usually leave you with a feeling of wanting more. The villains manage to stay unique even though vampires are used frequently. The writers are half-way through the first season with some already outstanding episodes, my personal favorite being the Christmas episode ''Tis the Season' where the gang takes on the Ghost of Christmas Future. Stop by and give this wonderful series a read! I promise you won't be disappointed.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Slayers
HonorH
Five Things That Never Happened to Dawn
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Angst, AU, drama
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 01-07-2004
Length: 2+ chapters, most parts 25KB or under
Plot: Five small changes. Five possibilities. Five ways it could have gone for Dawn.
Review: The 'Five Things' theme (I have no idea who produced the first one but I'd like to shake their hand) has produced a lot of interesting fics in many fandoms. In Buffy, Dawn is frequently either ignored or given the typical 'annoying bratty sister' job in fics. Admittedly, she has some annoying bratty sister moments in the show, but it's great to see a fic that actually looks a little deeper than that.
This is well-written and in character for everyone. Each of the five possibilities are not only interesting, they sparked definite 'hmm' thoughts in me. Any of them could easily be expanded into full fics, but I like the short snap-shot approach here. It works and it makes you think a little.
Warning: Click here to view warnings in a pop-up window
Archive: Fanfiction.Net: HonorH
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
joan the english chick
Always Towards Wholeness
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Buffy/Faith
Themes: Angst
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 01-08-2002
Length: Under 10 KB
Plot: This is a reflection piece. Basically, it's Faith thinking about Buffy in her cell, and doing some angst-ing.
Review: This is an internal dialogue piece, which is not an easy thing to do and keep interest. The author caught Faith's voice well and gave some interesting insights into the character.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: joan the english chick
Jolene Beasley (JBG)
The Bond Series
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Themes: AU, drama, humor, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 01-08-2002
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: A mysterious bond forms between Buffy and Giles and our heroes have to work out what it means.
Review: There are some side-splittingly funny scenes in this series (most of them occurring when 'the bond' plays its part) and also some incredibly tender moments as Buffy and Giles begin to explore their relationship and what their bond actually means. Each part of the series reads like its own little episode, but at the same time there is the overriding arch of 'the bond' plot line. The story began during the third season, so some of the canon history was re-written as this went on, and has now expanded to a couple of years after Buffy starts college. This means that the series has plenty of meat to it and the storyline becomes more complex with each part. I loved this series, every four times I read it!
Warning: No warnings
Archive: buffygiles.com archive
Jolene Beasley (JBG)
Tinsel
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Themes: Humor, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 01-08-2002
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: Getting into the festive spirit, Willow organises a Christmas Formal at college. Guess Buffy needs a partner...
Review: JGB's stories are always warm and loving, and this one is no exception. She has a wonderful grasp of all the characters, particularly a certain Slayer and her Watcher, so you can almost see and hear them saying her lines. This is another Christmas-themed fic, but it's also a chance for those of us who wished Buffy and Giles had danced at the Prom to live vicariously. The action is set in season five, but there aren't actually any spoilers, and it's well worth taking a look at this one. If it can't make you forget your Scrooge tendencies, nothing will.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: buffygiles.com archive
Karen Sanderson
Ripper's Christmas Carol
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Themes: Angst, romance, seasonal
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 01-08-2002
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: In a new twist on 'A Christmas Carol', Ripper is visited by some ghosts while in the present Buffy begins a research project to find out about her Watcher...
Review: Over the years, there have been a lot of stories written to fill out Giles' past and this is one of my favourites. It flashes between Ripper and Buffy and for the first time we get a good reason for Giles returning to the fold. The story is well written, atmospheric and you can almost see the places Karen is describing. At the same time it's great fun for anyone who's read 'A Christmas Carol' as well as for those who haven't. If you're a Ripper fan, or a Giles fan, or a Buffy fan, then this is a story you'll love. Of course, if you can't stand any of those characters you'll probably hate it, but it gives some rare insights into all of them and is definitely a good one to read.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: buffygiles.com archive
Kate Bolin
Curriculum
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jenny/female
Themes: Angst, vignette
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 18-04-2004
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: Like Willow and Tara were the first girls to experiment in college?
Review: If I actually put the pairing into the info here, it will totally ruin part of the point of this story. So I haven't. But it's femslash (like you can't tell from the plot summary) and very good.
This is a short piece, fascinating for the insights into Jenny and the other character, and one of those fics where I just knew that I had to rec it the moment I finished. Kate Bolin is an talented BtVS writer and this is just a sample of how good she is. It has an interesting format (pay attention to the course names) and an unexpected ending - it's always good to see some originality in BtVS fic.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The Pearl
Katyd
Wedding Bells
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Themes: AU, drama, humor, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 01-08-2002
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: With the Council's support now withdrawn, Giles faces deportation due to the lack of his green card. It's up to the Gang and Buffy to foil those plans. There's only one snag...
Review: Katyd bravely tackles something that has been the subject of several B/G fics and manages to surpass them all. The fic is still in the process of being written but there are ten parts out there so far and each one has been worth the wait. This is set after the end of season three so there are some changes from season four canon, although I think those changes are ones most of you will approve of. All the Gang get their chance to shine and for once it's not only Xander who gets the best lines. But it's Buffy and Giles who really steal the show. Telling you where my favourite scenes are would spoil the plot, but there are some that just left me giggling so hard I didn't know what to do with myself!
There is a pairing in this fic that may surprise some of you though...
Warning: No warnings
Archive: buffygiles.com archive
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
Pat Kelly
Summer Friendship series
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Buffy/Faith
Themes: Action/adventure, AU, drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 01-08-2002
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: What would have happened in season three if Buffy and Faith had met each other before 'Faith, Hope and Trick'?
This is the idea explored in this wonderful fic. Buffy and Faith met when they were several years younger, before they became Slayers, and spent an entire summer becoming best friends. But when Buffy went home after the summer they lost contact until they meet in an alley behind the Bronze and learn that they are sisters in arms...
Review: Faith is one of my favourite characters so it's not surprising that I'm a fan of a story with her as the central character. Pat has basically re-written many of season three's episodes so, although some of the parts are eerily familiar, due to Buffy and Faith's changed relationship many of the outcomes are different. It explores a different side to Faith and asks whether she would have turned out the way she did if events have been different. The follow ups to this series should be posted to the archives soon and I cannot recommend this highly enough. Wicked cool!
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The Pink Rabbit Consortium
Pat Kelly
Two of a Kind Love
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Buffy/Willow
Themes: Romance
Reviewed by: Kirayoshi
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 01-08-2002
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: A reworking of the series third season, picking up from the second season cliffhanger 'Becoming'. The main difference is that Buffy comes to realize that she's in love with Willow while Willow recovers from Angelus' attack. The story redefines key scenes from the third season with that new relationship in mind.
Review: With this story, Pat Kelly pretty much invented the Buffy/Willow shipper fic. His marvelous reworking of Season Two was incredibly well thought out, and not once did his characterization falter. He starts with incredible angst(Willow comatose after nearly being killed by Angelus, Buffy grieving as she comes to realization of her feelings for Willow), and continues to run a well-paced emotional gamut, from heartache to joy, from sorrow to comedy. Favorite elements; Willow taking Buffy bowling, Buffy meeting with Willow's disapproving parents, the B/W slant on 'Lover's Walk' with Faith as the spoiler, and the treatment of Faith throughout. Pat took some calculated risks, and pulled them off famously. His story works on every level. Bravo, my friend, bravo.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The Pink Rabbit Consortium
Selena
Five Things Which Never Happened to Warren
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Angst, AU, drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 01-07-2004
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: Five roads not taken. A character portrait through five alternatives.
Review: Another 'Five Things' fic and another interesting look at a Buffy character who doesn't often get much consideration beyond the surface. I've often thought that the Trio of S6 were one of the weaker Buffy villains, but then I look at the individuals (especially Andrew in S7) and what their actions triggered and have a lot of respect for Joss. Warren is one of those characters who doesn't get much development beyond the surface sociopath stuff so it's fascinating to read something that really delves into his character. Each potential path is interesting, sparks the usual 'hmm' thoughts that a 'Five Things' fic sparks and makes you think more deeply about Warren. Some of them are sympathetic, some aren't. The writing is good enough to convince you that they are all possible. I won't tell you which possibility I like best (possibly some may guess, though) - just read this and make up your own mind.
Warning: Click here to view warnings in a pop-up window
Archive: Fanfiction.Net: Selena
Virtual Lunatics
VCL's Virtual Season Eight
Fandom: Buffy
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Would give the plot away :-)
Themes: Action/adventure, drama, romance, virtual season/series
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 11-05-2004
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: Picking up where 'Chosen' left off, Buffy and the rest of the Scoobies go on to new adventures.
Review: A virtual series can work well for any show, but Buffy is the one that has shown the most variety and inventiveness in where it can go. This one is staffed and produced by several well-known Buffy fanfic writers (always a promising start), mainly Buffy/Giles writers, which always bodes well for the writing quality. Luckily, that promise is fulfilled with a very good standard of writing, development and suprisingly good original characters (one of the rare things in fanfiction).
The extras on the site are also well worth checking. The writers describe these as 'the DVD versions of Buffy' so there are fun things like Dawn's Diary and specially created extras to tie in with episodes. They also describe it as Buffy on cable - i.e. there are some episodes that may go to R or NC-17, although the majority are PG-13.
And unfortunately that adds another virtual series to the collection I follow :-)
Warning: No warnings
Archive: VCL-VS8
Regala Electra
Alligator Alley
Fandom: Buffy, Farscape (cross-over)
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Drama, vignette
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 01-07-2004
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: A Slayer and an astronaut walk into a bar. Stop me if you've heard this one.
Review: The summary is remarkably accurate. There are spoilers for the Buffy S7 finale and the Farscape S4 finale, so you can see where and how this might work (especially if you know Farscape better than I do *g*).
Why did I like this?
I didn't have to strain the bounds of the shows too far to convince myself it was plausible. That's always one of the weaknesses of a cross-over. It's basically a conversation between Buffy and John Crichton and it sounded like those characters. There was no awkward attempt to pair the two of them up and I ended it feeling vaguely hopeful for both of them. Basically, it's an example of how a cross-over can work well without mucking with characterisation and plausibility. It does the cross-over well and I felt like I'd learnt something new about both characters. Isn't that one of the reasons we read fanfic?
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Leviathan: The Farscape Fan Fiction Automated Archive
Martha Wells Wilson and Kimberly Rector
When Hellmouths Collide
Fandom: Buffy, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (cross-over)
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Action/adventure, angst, drama, humor, romance
Reviewed by: Susan
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 01-08-2002
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: Buffy, Willow, Giles and Xander accidentally fall into the Hercules universe.
Review: It's very well-written and the characters' voices all 'sound' just right, especially Xander and Giles. Even if you haven't seen Hercules and Xena, there's just enough info for you to understand what's going on and to really get you interested in those characters. The combination of humor and serious moments really makes it feel like a Buffy episode. And when it's funny (which is a lot) it's like ROFL funny. It's very long but reads very quickly and you'll find yourself wishing there was more of it.
Note: Set during Buffy's Season Three.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The Less Than Legendary Journeys
kangeiko
The Gift Trap
Fandom: Coupling
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Steve/Susan
Themes: Humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 20-01-2008
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: Steve tries to avoid falling into the Gift Trap.
Review: This is written just like the series. The story could easily be an episode and the way it's done, inter-cutting between the two groups in the bar really reminded me of Coupling. But mostly, it's really funny. Jeff is just so Jeff, and all the other characters are in character too.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Yuletide
Caroline Crane
Four Things That Never Happened to Greg Sanders (And One That Did)
Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Greg/other, Greg/Sara (implied), Nick/Greg
Themes: AU, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 14-03-2004
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: Four different looks at how things could have gone after the explosion, followed by what actually happened. Really.
Review: As you can see by the plot, this is essentially four (or five) potential paths that Greg's life could have taken. That makes it almost impossible to classify because there is het and slash contect (something I really didin't anticipate when I was setting the site up) and also makes it a different and interesting fic.
I'm not sure whether I can explain why I liked this. Possibly just because it was such an interesting idea and well-executed. Each path could easily be the jump-off point for a fic, but they all work well as the snippets presented here. Maybe I'm just enjoying good writing and an interesting premise.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Desiderium Caritas
Anne (cookie2697)
To Be With My Love on Christmas Day
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Rose
Themes: Drama, romance, seasonal
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 23-12-2007
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: Still...there was something to be said about the familiarity of a place at the holidays. And so it was that the Doctor found himself materializing in that old familiar alley at the Powell Estates, on the evening of Christmas Day, very nearly two years after he lost Rose Tyler into a parallel universe.
Review: This is a beautiful, slightly wistful 'what if' fic. Written before Voyage of the Damned aired but set afterwards, it's a Christmas fic about hope for tomorrow. I loved the Doctor in this one, less manic than normal but fitting for the type of fic, and the attention to the details of the Who-verse. It's one of those fics that leaves you with a warm, happy, fuzzy feeling so it's perfect for the season but at the same time it leaves you wondering what happened next. Curl up with some chocolate and enjoy this one.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: LJ - cookie2697: To Be With My Love on Christmas Day
Cryptile
Downtime
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Drama, episode tag or fix (The Christmas Invasion/New Earth (S2))
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 24-12-2006
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: So much for leaving at Christmas . . .
Review: This fic fills in that gap between The Christmas Invasion and New Earth, stretching that period out a bit and thereby fixing a some minor continuity...errors.
It's an interesting fic because it captures the newly regenerated Ten perfectly. Cryptile has thought about the character and his transition and put it into words that fit. There are some great images in here, particularly the graffiti (needs to be read to understand), and some interesting insights into the other characters. At heart, though, it's about the Doctor and finishing the transition that began in The Christmas Invasion.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: A Teaspoon And An Open Mind: Downtime
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
Jeri Massi
Death and Chocolate
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: 20-06-2006
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: The Third Doctor and Sarah Jane investigate strange goings-on at a place called the Royalty House, a chocolate company.
Review: This reads like it could be an episode of Doctor Who. There's some lovely stuff between the Doctor and Sarah Jane, and great Sarah Jane stuff in general. There's a mystery, or possibly more than one and the whole question of whether the Doctor can work it out in time, or whether Sarah will get there first.
There's only two bad things about this. First, it's written in American English - I just can't see Sarah saying words like gotten, but the whole thing is good enough to overlook the comparitively few words of American English. The second bad thing is that reading this story really made me want to eat chocolate!
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Jeri's Pages
Livii
'literally, stars in their eyes'
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Doctor/Master
Themes: Humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 15-04-2007
Length: Under 10 KB
Plot: The universe isn't big enough for the two of them. AU after Claws of Axos.
Review: This is funny. Of course the Doctor and the Master stuck together would argue and the Master would try to kill the Doctor, but it's the way he's does it, and mostly the way livii describes it that makes it so funny. I don't really like the Master that much, but I really liked this story.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: A Teaspoon and an Open Mind
Meddow
Upon the Upland Road
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Action/adventure, dark fic, drama, episode tag or fix (Last of the Time Lords)
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 30-07-2008
Length: 2-10 chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: With the Master in power and the Doctor missing, a diary, a watch and an old wedding gift send Donna Noble, Sarah Jane Smith and Clyde Langer on a mission to save a planet. But the planet they are saving may not be their own.
Review: This story was hard in places, not because of bad writing but because it deals with the Year That Never Was. When you start to examine that idea in detail you start to appreciate the full horror of what happened to the world in that time and Meddow does a great job with it. She doesn't leave everything hopeless, though. As with the episode, there is a spark of hope in the darkness.
The most interesting thing is that this fic doesn't deal with any of the characters we see on screen, but rather with how Donna, Sarah Jane and the other SJA characters fare during the time. The characterisation is just right and the ideas are huge but well done. It's a fic that stays with you long after finishing and the writing captures the heart of the ideas.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: TARDIS Big Bang
MinervaFan
Here Be Dragons!
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Four/Sarah
Themes: Humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 26-05-2008
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: In order to get a rare substance for the TARDIS, Harry and Sarah must get married. Too bad the Doctor didn't give them much advance warning.
Review: It's an old idea of two people being forceably married in order to get the parts they need on an alien planet. But there's a twist and it's amusing and heartbreaking in turn as we see Harry and the Doctor's feelings for Sarah and her feelings for them.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: A Teaspoon and an Open Mind
mllelaurel
In the Absence
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Romana II/Rose
Themes: Angst, AU, first time, H/C
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 26-05-2008
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: Torchwood gets an alien visitor, but it's not the one Rose has been waiting for.
Review: Pulling off a ship fic between two characters who have never met in canon is tough, but this author did a great job. I love her Rose and she did a superb job with Romana II. It's not really an introspective fic, yet at the same time it is thoughtful and insightful. It is also a fic with an interesting core idea that is done well and keeps you glued. Even with my limited knowledge of Romana II I knew what was happening and why without any clunky exposition. A great little fic.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: A Teaspoon and an Open Mind
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
padawanpooh
Facets
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Doctor/Rose
Themes: Action/adventure, angst, drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 13-05-2007
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: To save her Doctor's future, Rose has to go back in time and meet all previous incarnations of the Timelord. There'll be danger, humour, romance and adventure!
Review: The summary is a pretty good description of what happens, leaving out the fact that this is a good, meaty fic and the writer has studied all the Doctors well enough to get their personalities alive on the page. She doesn't stint on the companions, either, working them into the stories when appropriate and writing them well. The variety of stories that she tells within the story arch of 'Facets' is also great.
I haven't read the sequels yet, but I can promise that 'Facets' is a great, fun story with a hint of something darker every now and again and wonderful Doctor characterisations. It's rare to find a good, long Doctor Who story and this is one of them.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: A Teaspoon and an Open Mind: Index
Pete Galey
Two Smiths
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 04-05-2009
Length: 2+ chapters, most parts 25KB or under
Plot: The tenth Doctor became human to hide from the Family of Blood in a sleepy town on the eve of the Great War. But both he and they are surprised when a second John Smith turns up, looking uncannily like the Doctor's seventh incarnation.
Review: This is a really interesting story, marrying up the two versions of Human Nature and making them both exist in the same canon. Which I wouldn't have thought was possible, but Pete Galey not only does it really well, but adds in other Doctor Who elements that seem to contradict and makes them make sense too.
So not only is it very clever, but it's also very well written. Although it references a lot of Doctor Who mythology, you don't have to know it all for it to make sense.
Warning: Click here to view warnings in a pop-up window
Archive: TARDIS Big Bang
Sangga
chrysalis
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Nine/Rose
Themes: Drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 24-12-2006
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: They are, both of them, evolving
Review: The author wrote this fic before seeing Parting of the Ways, which makes this an interesting fic because regeneration is one of the central themes. Some of the ideas in this fic are remarkably prescient of PoTW but it's a fic that can easily be read if you haven't seen the episode.
The reason for the rec is the writing. Sangga has a very sparse style without frills. She writes what needs to be said and leaves the rest to your imagination. She caught the Doctor and Rose's voices and the writing feels like Rose, even though it's not an internal monologue. Read this fic for good writing and some interesting insights into both characters.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: silverlake: chrysalis
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
Tara LJC O'Shea
Ivory and Horn
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 03-07-2005
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: A quiet walk across the ice fields of Kos turns into more than either the Doctor or Rose planned for.
Review: This was written early on in the series but the story is good enough that any little things that have been made AU are easy to overlook. It's got some nice stuff between the Doctor and Rose, as well as an interesting plot. It reads like a short episode, the characterisation is spot-on and the story is a fairly typical Doctor Who mystery.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: ljc's fan fiction library
Azar
The Trouble with Harry
Fandom: Doctor Who, NCIS (cross-over)
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Angst, drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 04-05-2009
Length: 2-10 chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: Abby's past and present collide when she and the missing Admiral Sullivan they're searching for turn out to have a mutual friend--the Doctor.
Review: I've never seen an episode of NCIS, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this story. The crossover fits perfectly with Doctor Who canon and ended up making me want to know more about Abby. The plot was really interesting - I couldn't tell what the solution to the mystery was going to be, but I enjoyed finding out.
The Doctor was his usual self and I liked seeing how Abby reacted to seeing him and how she convinced the rest of her team about the alien aspect of it. I loved Harry's part in it - he fit in so well.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: A Teaspoon and an Open Mind
E. E. Beck
Shiny Prize
Fandom: Doctor Who, Torchwood (cross-over)
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Ianto, Tenth Doctor/Jack
Themes: Angst, AU, drama, episode tag or fix (End of Days, Torchwood S1)
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 21-01-2007
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: “Bilis, you think?” she asked tensely.
Review: This is an AU of the final three minutes of Torchwood - the author describes it as a blatantly self-indulgent AU, but it was well-written and an interesting alternative. She caught the character voices very well and I could hear the Doctor talking as I read. The interaction between Jack and the other Torchwood members felt right, in keeping with what we've seen. Although this is definitely a Jack/Ianto fic from Ianto's, it isn't rewriting the episode to give that relationship a bigger role, instead finding the reasons and hints behind it. As an alternative to the canon it raises some interesting ideas and gives us a new outlook on a few things.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Don't follow me, I'm following the dog: Shiny Prize
Adaptation Decay
The Running Order
Fandom: Drop the Dead Donkey
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 04-05-2009
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: And now. Drop The Dead Donkey. This fanfiction was first broadcast in December 2008 when Jonathon Ross had been suspended from the BBC for leaving abusive messages on Andrew Sachs' answering machine, the collapse of the Icelandic banking industry was pushing the UK further into a recession and retail chain Woolworths was about to cease trading after sixty years on Britain's high streets.
Review: I never thought I'd read a Drop the Dead Donkey fanfic, let alone review it here. But the summary reminded me of the voiceovers on the DVDs and repeats and I couldn't not. The story was just as good as the summary promised.
If Drop the Dead Donkey was running now, this would be exactly how they'd start an episode. The characters are all just typically themselves - reacting in the ways you'd expect.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Yuletide
amidalashari
There Is Never Enough Food (We're All Going To Die Hungry Remix)
Fandom: Farscape
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: John/Aeryn
Themes: Drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 26-05-2008
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: Ladies and gentlemen, we are floating in space.
Review: It's written in a really interesting way with text in brackets that slows the story down and gives a different perspective about what's happening. It's very typically Farscape with what goes on, and how it's told too. It manages to be quite sad too, even though it's only really about their day to day lives.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: LJ - Remix Redux VI: There Is Never Enough Food
Alyse
The Mechanics of Love
Fandom: Firefly
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash-het mixed
Pairing: Kaylee/Inara (implied), Mal/Inara (implied)
Themes: Vignette
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 26-05-2008
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: Sometimes a man gets to wondering.
Review: This is a lovely little vignette and I'm reccing it mostly because I can hear Mal's voice as I read it. Alyse has the characters just right and gives a bit of thought to the why of the characters as well as their actions. It's the voice that really stands out, though, which in Firefly is a particularly tough thing to do.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: LJ - alyse: The Mechanics of Love
tornyourdress
Never give up, never surrender - to the power of love?
Fandom: Galaxy Quest
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 04-05-2009
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: A journalist investigates a particular fannish phenomenon.
Review: This is basically a parody on the nature of fanfic, slash especially. Which is appropriate, given that the Galaxy Quest film parodies science fiction.
This is very funny. It's just like the sort of thing journalists who have never heard of fanfic write. The people 'interviewed' in it have just the sort of names you see in the looniest parts of fandom and they think the loony things too.
Just like Galaxy Quest, it's more crazy than the original thing, but you can see the love for the original in it and the fun that's being poked too.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Yuletide
Anya (and Karen)
The Naked Quidditch Match
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Harry/Ginny (implied)
Themes: Humor, parody
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 18-04-2004
Length: 2-10 chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: A game of magical Truth or Dare leads to some dire consequences for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
Review: Firstly, I should point out that this was written in 2001 and set during Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts, so there are no Order of the Phoenix spoilers. And no under-aged stuff. So, the review...
Why should you read this? Er...because it's funny. I'm saying that a lot in this update, I know, but it's been that kind of week.
It's written as a long series of emails, which is probably a big part of the reason why it's so much fun - email conversations can get pretty wacky, much wackier than any other form of conversation, and yet it actually keeps in character 'voice' as well. I can't quite explain why I enjoyed this so much. It goes completely against my 'don't read book-based fanfic' rule, it's pretty silly and incredibly unlikely. But it's just so much and so wacky that I couldn't help grinning and giggling the whole way through and now I'm passing the rec onto everyone else.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The Naked Quidditch Match
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
bironic
On Knowledge (All Ye Know on Earth, and All Ye Need to Know Remix)
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Themes: Vignette
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 13-05-2007
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: Remus Lupin doesn't know a lot of things.
Review: This story is about Remus and Sirius going on a date. The original was from Sirius' point of view, this remix is from Remus' And if that was just all it was then it would be good anyway. What really made it great for me was that the remixer has fitted the story perfectly with the original. So for example, the original started talking about what Sirius knows, the remix talks about what Remus doesn't. The two stories fit together like a mirror image, and make each other so much better.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: LJ - Remix Redux V: On Knowledge
Cas
A Promise Worth Keeping
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Angst, AU, drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 24-03-2006
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: Before he ever hears of Hogwarts, Harry has a magical accident which has horrible repercussions for him. In a race to protect him, two old friends end up on opposite sides when the real danger lies elsewhere.
Review: This story is set before Harry goes to Hogwarts but in an AU where he accidentally hurts his uncle, Sirius hears and escapes from Azkaban, and Remus has to find them both. There's a whole lot of irony going on because we know Sirius is innocent and wants to protect Harry, while everyone else assumes Sirius wants to hurt Harry.
This story seemed realistic, in the way that the characters act, with Sirius and Harry trying to stay alive and Remus hating Sirius (and Snape). It's also long because not everything can be solved simply and I liked that.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Schnoogle: Cas
Casira
Mapmakers (Making Moony Laugh: The Suicide is Painless Remix)
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Themes: Angst, romance
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 15-11-2004
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: Discovering just who Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are brings up even more questions for Fred -- and when fate takes another of them away, it's time to go back to the source for some answers.
Review: There are many reasons why I liked this fic. First it's Remus/Sirius from another perspective: Fred's. There are so many stories out there that a different viewpoint tends to make it feel fresh. It helps that the characterisation of Fred is well done, and gives him a character seperate to that of George, which rarely happens in the books.
The second reason is the story of how the Marauders Map was made, which is interesting in itself, but Casira has interspersed it with the rest of the story, rather than a long boring section at the end, where it actually happens.
It's also beautifully romantic and angsty at the same time. Part of the story takes place after Order of the Phoenix, and Casira shows us how Remus, and Sirius, feel about it, without ever dropping out of Fred's POV.
And if you're curious, the original is good as well, this one is just better because it takes the whole thing a bit further, and adds in the map making part.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: We Invented the Remix...Redux
Helene
Beyond the Veil
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Themes: Angst, drama
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 10-08-2004
Length: 2-10 chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: Trapped in a world where he can be neither seen nor heard, Sirius Black struggles to communicate to his friends that he may not be as dead as they think he is... and that something dreadful lurks beyond the veil.
Review: You may be able to guess from the summary that this is a post-Order of the Phoenix fic so there are going to be spoilers here.
Sirius has always been one of my favourite characters, so any post-OotP fic featuring him his going to catch my attention. This is a slash fic, but the real focus is on the story of what is beyond the veil and how to get Sirius back. That said, the relationship between Sirius and Remus and their history together, and with James and Peter, is explored and the fic simply would not work without it.
One of the real strengths of this fic is the plot - it's interesting, plausible and Helene obviously put a lot of thought into it. It kept me enthralled. She has also been careful to keep the characterisations true and avoid any hints of fluffy cuteness. A wonderful combination that I simply had to recommend.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Fanfiction.net: Helene
Lexin
He Said It That Knew It Best
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Themes: Drama, humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 15-11-2004
Length: 2+ chapters, most parts 25KB or under
Plot: Harry visits his godfather during the summer, and makes some interesting discoveries.
Review: I liked this story, it's nice and happy. It's set after Goblet of Fire, so is made AU by Order of the Phoenix, but since it means Sirius is alive and happy that's no bad thing. This is the sort of life that I'd like Sirius, Remus and Harry to have. There is a plot in there, where seemingly unconnected elements at the beginning have an affect later on in the story.
Of all the stories I've read about Harry staying with Sirius and Remus over the summer (which probably only amounts to about three) this one is my favourite.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Azkaban's Lair
librae
The Drought Story
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sirius/Remus
Themes: Vignette
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 24-03-2006
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: A story about the drought in '76, and Sirius's annoyingly melancholy penpal, and dead birds, of course.
Review: This story isn't so much about anything as it is more of a mood story. It's set during a summer heatwave and you can almost feel it with the flow of the story. Sirius and Remus well characterised and you can see them doing what they do. The story is done as six snippets of scenes, which works because you don't feel the need to see any more of the scenes than that. The descriptions are good - you can picture the scenes easily, what the characters are doing and what they're thinking.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: skyhawke dot com: librae
lise
Last Laugh
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Themes: Drama, humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 10-08-2004
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: Remus/Sirius 'ish, with a healthy dollop of James and Peter. who gets the last laugh? there's a prank war, and some juvenile jokes, and wackiness.
Review: I love the kiss in this one. It's not the first, more the second but it's a great kiss and entirely typical of lise's characterisation of Sirius and Remus. I can't say more otherwise I'll spoil the plot. The prank war is great as well - some of the practical jokes James and Sirius played during the course of this story had me laughing out loud.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: It's all in the wand
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
Mad Martha
One Week In The Summer
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Harry/Ron
Themes: Action/adventure, angst, AU, drama
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 04-09-2004
Length: 2-10 chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: It's a week before Harry's 18th birthday; a week before he leaves home, starts Auror training and a new, adult life. But he's in a secret relationship with his best friend, his godfather wants to spend quality time with him, and Voldemort's on the move again.
Review: I've read a couple of Harry/Ron pieces but never reviewed them because they didn't really hook me - this one did. It's the middle piece in a series of connected stories (the rest are on the page I've linked to if you want to investigate) and I haven't yet read the final one, but it stands well on its own. In fact, I'm quite glad that I'm listing in this way because it leaves me room to review the final part seperately if I want to :-)
One of the things that caught me in this fic is that things aren't perfect. Harry and Ron have problems, but they're working them out. I always have difficulty reading teenagers declaring their undying love for each other - this fic acknowledges that they're eighteen and aware of the potential problems and futures for their relationship. Harry and Ron are well-written, fitting in very well with the canon portrals from the books. They aren't perfect, they aren't evil - they're Harry and Ron. There is also more going on in this fic than their relationship. It's an important plot thread, but there are plenty of other things going on as well. This is a well-written, well thought out fic with great characterisation for everyone that kept me reading compulsively.
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
RobinLady
Promises Unbroken & Promises Remembered
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Action/adventure, AU, dark fic, drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 04-09-2004
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: Sirius Black remained the Secret Keeper and everything he feared came to pass. Ten years later, James and Lily live, Harry attends Hogwarts, and Voldemort remains...welcome to a darker world.
Review: This is a work in progress, the first 40 chapters being Promises Unbroken, then the story continues in Promises Remembered. The author does point out that some of the characters have better lives in this AU but in general, it's a much darker universe. The war has been going on for years - long enough for Harry to be starting at Hogwarts at the start of the story. A lot of the characters are in different positions, they've all had different experiences, yet it's easy to believe their characters in this story based on what we know about them already. The original characters are equally well written. I'm a Remus/Sirius shipper and even I was rooting for the Sirius/OFC in this one.
It's impossible to put down because you want to know what's going to happen next, how they're going to defeat Voldemort (or even if they will). It's also quite depressing because of the number of horrible things the characters go through.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The Dark Arts: RobinLady
Torch
Expressions of teenage sexuality at Hogwarts: five case studies
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash-het mixed
Pairing: Lupin/f, Lupin/m, Potter/f, (Potter/Evans), Snape/m, Black/Lupin
Themes: Humor, romance
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 03-12-2004
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: Five things that didn't happen to five boys at Hogwarts. Probably not, anyway.
Review: A lot of these are the usual fanon versions of the characters (which in all fairness probably has a lot to do with not really knowing exactly what MWPP were like at school). But they all contain interesting scenarios and some great conversations between the characters. Each of the five things are quite short so I can't say much without spoiling the plot of each of them.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Expressions of teenage sexuality at Hogwarts: five case studies
woldy
Sailed on Shooting Stars (Three Weddings and a Funeral Remix)
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Themes: Angst, romance
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 24-04-2010
Length: Under 10 KB
Plot: Ceremony or no, they didn’t get the Ministry’s seal of approval, couldn’t make medical decisions for each other, or inherit belongings, or adopt kids. It didn’t matter how they felt about each other. Same-sex couples weren’t entitled to that.
Review: I'd never really thought about marriage and same sex couples in the Harry Potter universe, so for me this was an interesting exploration of that. woldy has tied it in really well with other marriages that Remus attends. Remus's feelings about Sirius and marrying him feel really real in this.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: LJ - Remix Redux VII: Sailed on Shooting Stars (Three Weddings and a Funeral Remix)
debchan
Harry Potter and the Improbable Use of Chaos Theory
Fandom: Harry Potter, Discworld (cross-over)
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 10-08-2004
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: Take one part Discworld, one part Harry Potter, mix well and...
Review: Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Greebo land just outside of Hogwarts. And proceed to teach everyone their own brand of witching. Which involves Scumble, That Song, and Harry and Snape and unresolved sexual tension. If Hogwarts was on the Discworld, this is how it would be. And of course, only Granny and Nanny can defeat Voldemort. The funniest parts of this is seeing the Hogwarts students (and teachers) react to Granny and Nanny being themselves.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: debchan's fiction
nightdog_writes
Letters of Transit
Fandom: House
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: House/Wilson
Themes: Angst, drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 13-05-2007
Length: 2+ chapters, most parts 25KB or under
Plot: Wilson is Wilson, no matter where or when.
Review: This is one of those stories where you start reading expecting one thing and it gradually dawns on you that the story is something completely different and much better. To say too much about the plot would give away why this fic is brilliant, sadly. You'll just have to read it. But expect to be surprised by an original plot and get some great House and Wilson characterisation into the bargain.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: house_wilson: Letters of Transit
thedeadparrot
Things To Do Before You Die
Fandom: House
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: House/Wilson
Themes: Humor, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 13-08-2007
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: In which Wilson turns thirty-eight and a half, thinks about kittens, and doesn't have a midlife crisis. But not necessarily in that order.
Review: This fic manages to be both very Wilson (and quite House) yet at the same time it's a kind of sweet, quirky fic. The inner-Wilson voice is spot on the author has great fun with the fic. It's one of those fics that cheers you up and leaves you wanting a little bit more at the same time.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: LJ - parrotfic: Things To Do Before You Die
AfterEver
Mistress Gilraen
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Vignette
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 14-03-2004
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: Recently relocated to Rivendell after Arathorn's untimely death, Gilraen discovers precisely what price is due for Elrond Halfelven's hospitality. And it is not what she suspected.
Review: I really can't say anything about the plot without giving it all away, suffice to say it's very interesting. The characterisation is good - Elrond is elvish, Gilraen is human. It's done in Gilraen's POV and it's easy to see how she could suspect what is expected of her. The descriptions of what is happening are particularly important, and they are well-done.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Stories of Arda: Mistress Gilraen
Anglachel
Legacy
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Angst, drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 17-02-2004
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: Ten days in Buckland as Bilbo tries to convince his relatives that Frodo belongs with him.
Review: There are lots of minor hobbits, along with Bilbo and Frodo, all of whom have different characters and ideas about where Frodo should live. This isn't a cute hobbit story - it's much more of an adult one with sexual themes in. It's only at the end when the characters' agendas become clear that you find yourself rooting for Bilbo to put it right. There's also some hobbit politics in there, although they're easy enough to skim-read if you don't find that interesting.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Henneth Annûn: Legacy
Camilla Sandman
The Official Fanfiction University of Middle-earth
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: AU, humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 14-03-2004
Length: 2+ chapters, most parts 25KB or under
Plot: The residents of Middle-earth decide that if they want realistic fanfic written about them, they'll have to teach the authors themselves. But things do not go exactly according to plan.
Review: This fic is quite silly. The basic idea is that there's a university where students can learn to write good fanfic. Only thing is, the university staff are characters from The Lord of the Rings and they like to torture to students. Especially students who throw themselves at the staff.
Most of it is seen through the eyes of one of the students, Lina, whose lust object is Legolas, naturally, and it's about her year at OFUM, which includes the delights of Grammar Boot Camp (where students have grammar drummed into them - literally). It sounds like a horrible place but as I read more I couldn't help but think how much I'd like to be there.
I've put this one down as gen but it does have a bit of everything in it really.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Miss Sandman's World of Dreams
Claudio
How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Elladan son of Elrond
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Multiple
Themes: Drama, humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 10-08-2004
Length: 2-10 chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: Elladan is on his summer holiday from Grey Havens University.
Review: There are various slash pairings in this fic, and it's sequels, so I won't bother mentioning them all. They don't matter too much anyway because they just help the humour. In this universe Middle earth is the same as in the books, except that they have modern things like cars, planes and computers. It's all written from the point of view of Elladan, writing in his diary. He seems like the only sane person in his family but perhaps it's all relative.
Everything that happens that summer is quite clearly ridiculous. Glorfindel gets a girlfriend who is still in high school, Aragorn and Elladan go on a trip to Lorien where Elladan is spotted at a gay club, and Elrond lusts over Legolas. It is laugh-out-loud funny.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Elf Fetish
Darma Druid
Fortress Around the Heart
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Legolas/OC
Themes: Drama, romance
Reviewed by: Katja
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 13-04-2005
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: What if a few elves didn`t leave for Valinor with the rest of their kind and live among us today? This is a really fascinating story about power, seduction and love. The sequel, Pentimento (WIP), is different, but very good nevertheless.
Review: The idea of elves beeing amongst us amazes me and the story is very well written. It kept me glued to the screen for weeks! Grammar and spelling is very good, which is rather important to me. This is definitely one of my favourite LOTR stories - some will call it a Mary Sue, but who cares!?
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Fanfiction.Net: Darma Druid
Darth Maligna
Visit Scenic Arda (series)
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Multiple
Themes: Humor, parody
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 18-04-2004
Length: 2-10 chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: For A Walking Tour of Middle-Earth: A full-length scripted parody. Featuring slash, burritos, and bishounen in Spandex. **The Special Edition!** Now with 100% more lembas!
For A Riding Tour of Rohan: A full-length scripted parody of The Two Towers. Faramir goes to characterization hell, the Rohirrim learn about grammar and personal hygiene, and Aragorn is late in the most unlikely way imaginable.
Review: To be honest, the only reason to read this is because it is side-splittingly funny. That's it. This is a parody in the most extreme sense of the word, poking fun at just about everything in the movies and I'm looking forward to 'A Sneaking Tour of Mordor' because it's all just too silly and funny for words.
This is written in script format with comments from the audience, the slashers (because this is a completely slashy parody), the director...everyone. The style will probably be familiar to anyone who has been reading the recent Breadbox Editions of Stargate season 7 episodes and it works perfectly in parodies like this.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Friday Night In
Fennelseed
A Strange Ghost Indeed
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Frodo/Sam
Themes: Humor, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 18-04-2004
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: Frodo buys a priceless book of Elven artwork, only to discover it comes with a frightful ghost of a young woman, who has a violent streak and a penchant for slashy voyeurism. Whatever shall he do? (No het content, but could be considered to have a Mary Sue. But at least she's a dead Mary Sue...)
Review: This is possibly one of the few cases where a Mary Sue (more of a Yenta Sue, really) is genuinely entertaining :-)
This is a funny, slightly silly fic that had me grinning and giggled the whole way through. Somehow, it also had quite a touching relationship between Frodo and Sam as well. Sam, Frodo and even the Mary Sue jump off the page and refuse to let you go until you've finished it. It's one of those fics that you know is fluffy and light, with absolutely no dark angst or derring-do to redeem it, but it's going to be pulled out whenever you need a pick-me-up from a bad day or a depressingly dark (yet morally 'worthy') fic. Enjoy without guilt because you deserve it :-)
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Fanfiction.Net: Fennelseed
FirstMate
Lost
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Angst, drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 17-02-2004
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: While on a trip to purchase horses from Rohan, Elrohir vanishes without a trace. He is lost for over two years when he finally found, but without his memories. The story follows his journey home and Elrohir's attempts to rediscover his lost life.
Review: First there's the mystery of what happened to Elrohir and then there's the angst of recovery. There are a few odd canon hiccups but they can be forgiven given the quality of the writing. Each chapter is long enough to suck you in so it's impossible to stop reading - the only problem being the story is a WiP.
There is really nothing to criticise about the writing - the POV always seems to naturally be the right one, the changing relationships between the characters are well done and the angst is so beautifully written.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Stories of Arda: Lost
Isabeau of Greenlea
Captain My Captain
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Canon pairings
Themes: Action/adventure, drama, romance
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 17-02-2004
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: Events in RoTK as experienced by a young Ranger of Ithilien.
Review: The main character - who narrates the story - has all the characteristic of a Mary Sue, yet she isn't one. Through it you come to care about what happens to her, and to the characters around her. Isabeau has developed Imrahil and his family wonderfully. The characterisations of other major characters are perfect so their actions are never unexpected (at least not to the reader) which is impressive given it is written in first person POV. It is very long but impossible to put down.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Fanfiction.Net: Isabeau of Greenlea
Jay of Lasgalen
The Search
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Action/adventure, angst
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 17-02-2004
Length: 2+ chapters, most parts 25KB or under
Plot: Elrohir leaves Imladris on what should be a simple errand - but he does not return. Elladan and Legolas set out to search for him. Set Third Age 1636, when plague devastated Eriador.
Review: First there's the mystery of what happened to Elrohir and the angst of Elladan (and the rest of the family) not knowing. Jay writes some lovely friendship stories between the twins and Legolas and this is no exception. It's long, it's unfinished as yet, and every time you think it could be finished there's more angst to come.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Stories of Arda: The Search
Nilmandra
History Lessons
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Angst, drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 17-02-2004
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: Elladan and Elrohir learn the history of the first age from Glorfindel and others who lived through it, while Elrond reflects upon his past and parenting elflings.
Review: There are two stories within one here. One takes place in the Third Age when the twins are young, the other starts when Elrond is young and goes up until the end of the First Age. It's a great introduction to the Silmarillion for those who haven't read it and fills in the gaps for those who have. It's also the story of Elrond and what makes him the way he is. Nilmandra also writes lovely Elrond angst and there are several moments that will make you cry.
There's a sequel being written called History Lessons: The Second Age, and a Third Age one to follow.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Stories of Arda: History Lessons
airin
Liberties
Fandom: Merlin
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin, Gwen/Morgana
Themes: First time, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 12-01-2009
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: As he nears his rooms though, Arthur remembers that Merlin will probably be inside. He slows to a walk and then stops. It's late and Merlin should be waiting for him to arrive. Should be waiting to help Arthur undress for bed.
He can't go back. He can't have Merlin undress him now. After seeing Gwen and Morgana together, Merlin helping to remove his clothes feels like too much.
Review: I'm just starting to dip my toe into Merlin fic, but this one was beta-ed by authors I trust and I thought I'd take a chance and see what it was like. It's a lovely little fic, light-hearted and fun with that sense of new beginnings that the show is filled with. There's no huge angst so it's a nice, comforting read for a Sunday afternoon and a good intro to the Merlin/Arthur scene.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: LJ - airin: Liberties
astolat
That Shall Achieve The Sword
Fandom: Merlin
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Action/adventure, drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 12-01-2009
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: Arthur had just started to get really irritated, as opposed to the low-grade and permanent Merlin-is-late-again irritation that somehow managed to be endearing -- and how exactly Merlin had managed that, Arthur would really have liked to know, mostly so he could work out how to use it on Uther.
Review: I picked this out to review before the reveal, so I had no idea that I would be reviewing another astolat fic but it really does deserve to be picked out. The fic deals with some fairly weighty issues within the Merlin world but it does so with the show's trademark mixture of humour and drama. It felt like something that could really happen on-screen and the characterisations were just perfect. And like the show, it can easily be read as gen but the affection and UST is there under the surface.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Yuletide
Kaneko
Twice Upon a Time
Fandom: Pushing Daisies
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Ned/Chuck
Themes: AU, drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 20-01-2008
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: At that very moment (in the sense that the infinite encompassed all moments), the narrator was making himself a cup of tea.
Review: This is a really interesting look at the narrator, what he's like and what he does. The look at Ned and Chuck's possible future in this meant that after reading it I almost didn't care if they never made another episode of Pushing Daisies because I could believe this story was what happened.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Yuletide
Azar
For I Would See the Sun Rise Upon the Glad New Year
Fandom: Quantum Leap
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Angst, vignette
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 04-05-2009
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: Even 'never' can be undone when you have time on your side.
Review: This is the perfect ending to Quantum Leap. This is how it should have ended and since it fits with what we saw in the last episode, as far as I'm concerned this is how it did end. It's so sad at the start, but interesting to see what happened to Al and the Project afterwards.
It's hard to say too much without spoiling it, but I really liked the problem that Sam leaped in to fix and how we saw the before and after.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Yuletide
Aeshna
...And Things That Go Bump in the Night
Fandom: Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood (cross-over)
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Sarah/Jack
Themes: Humor, vignette
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 12-09-2008
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: 'You really shouldn't be seeing this. It's not... appropriate.' Luke is curious, Sarah Jane is embarrassed, Jack is Jack.
Review: This is so funny because all the characters are perfectly in character. Luke reacts to the situation not like a 14 year old boy, but like only Luke can. And Jack's very Jack. I could actually see this happening.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: A Teaspoon and an Open Mind
Jas Masson
Maybe Baby
Fandom: Smallville
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Themes: First time, humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 01-06-2004
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: Lex has a problem.
Review: Oh boy, does Lex have a problem. He's regressed to a five and a half year old (as far as his mind is concerned). Which wouldn't be so bad but he latches onto Clark. And has no idea about anything, like dressing himself. Which also wouldn't be so bad, except Clark has to do it. Without it being at all sexual - which Clark doesn't find at all easy.
The best thing about this fic is the young Lex - the characterisation is spot-on. Everything he does (or doesn't do) is exactly how you can imagine Lex being as a child.
There's also a more business-type subplot revolving around the Luthors and these two plots are linked and they come together so well.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Smallville Slash Archive
Prufrock
Adaptability
Fandom: Smallville
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Lex/Clark
Themes: Humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 03-07-2005
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: Clark Kent, better known as Superman, had been the proverbial wrench in Lex's life plans.
Review: The summary doesn't say much but it's about Clark getting pregnant. But isn't mpreg, though. The story is mainly Clark thinking he's pregnant and Lex trying to convince him he isn't. Mostly it's Lex's thoughts that make me laugh but the situation does too. Lex is very Lex here, which makes it all the more funny.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Prufrock's LiveJournal: Valentine's fics
Gigi Sinclair
Tomasu
Fandom: Star Trek: Enterprise
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Archer/Tucker
Themes: Action/adventure, angst, drama, episode tag or fix (E2, season 3)
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 03-12-2004
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: Lorian has issues. No, other ones.
Review: This fic interweaves with the episode E2, offering a slightly different look at the episode and the characters without contradicting anything in there. It's also focused completely on Lorian, which gives it a unique 'voice'. Using the POV of a character outside the slash pairing often doesn't work well - this fic does. It gives the thoughts and motivations of someone who is, in some ways, just seeing the outside of the relationship. At the same time, Lorian has a connection to Archer and Tucker that leaves him with issues that I haven't seen explored in fanfic often. To sum up, it's an interesting, clever, well-written fic that will keep you absorbed as pieces slowly fit together to flesh out an intriguing backstory for the episode.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Gigi Sinclair's Slash Emporium
Cassia
Follow You Down
Fandom: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Angst
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 01-07-2004
Length: 2+ chapters, most parts 25KB or under
Plot: The emotionally devastating aftermath of a traumatic event sends Qui-Gon on a dark and dangerous quest that will in all likelihood end in his own destruction and fall. The only thing that might stand between Qui-Gon and the darkness that wants to have him is his apprentice Obi-Wan. But when even the Council thinks Obi-Wan should leave, will the Padawan risk his own life, future and soul to try to save his Master? (Alternate Universe for JA#16)
Review: You don't need to have read JA16 to appreciate this. Cassia give you the background you need to know as the story progresses.
I really like the role reversal in this story, as Obi-Wan is looking after Qui-Gon - perhaps not literally but he is certainly looking after Qui-Gon's soul. This story shows a different side of Qui-Gon, yet it still feels in character. You can't help but get wrapped up in the story, seeing how close Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan get to the dark side, wondering if they will be able to stay on the light side of the Force, and what extremes they both go to.
It's also a lovely look at the relationship between the two of them, which is certainly going towards a father/son one if it hasn't got there already.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Jedi Apprentice: Fan Dimension
Emily Glick
One Day & Permanent Twilight
Fandom: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Angst, AU
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 01-07-2004
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: A rather different sort of day in the life of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Review: These are really two stories, but they read more like they were two parts of the same one. I'd just say the same thing about both of them, so I might just as well review them at the same time.
They are a prequel to Sharon Nuttycombe's Cast my Soul to the Sea, with One Day taking place in the day leading up to the events in that story, and Permanent Twilight two years before. They both give more of a picture of Obi-Wan's life.
I can't say much more about the plot without spoiling anything. Apart from Obi-Wan, everyone else in it are OCs, and them, and their relationships with Obi-Wan, are completely believable. The ones who do good things, do them for a reason, and the ones who do bad things also do them for a reason. It's easy to understand everyone's motivations and sympathise with Obi-Wan's plight.
What makes it angsty is that there's always a bit of hope - it's just a question of whether Obi-Wan can find a way to exploit it.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Obi-Wan Kenobi Estrogen Brigade Fan Fiction Archive
Emily Glick
This Way Became My Journey
Fandom: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Angst, AU
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 01-07-2004
Length: 2-10 chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: This is a 'what if' of the AU that created based on Cast My Soul to the Sea by Sharon Nuttycombe. If her story had ended with Qui-Gon taking Obi-Wan with him, this is what would have happened. How else can you explain why Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan spend all their time in TPM hot wiring ships, gambling, and shoplifting?
Review: This gets complicated because it's an AU of an AU, which sort of makes it canon... This is Obi-Wan's happy ending and his journey back to normality and the Jedi. Of course nothing is ever easy, so it's hard to tell throughout this story if he will make it. Or even if he wants to.
There are more well-written OCs in here, with only Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon the established characters. There's not much I can say without completely spoiling everything, except to say that everything in this story is believable - the characters and the plot. And there's happiness in amongst the angst, which is always nice for a change - and also makes the happy times seem so much more happy and the angsty ones so much more sad.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Obi-Wan Kenobi Estrogen Brigade Fan Fiction Archive
Sharon Nuttcombe
Cast My Soul to the Sea
Fandom: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Angst, AU
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 01-07-2004
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: What if Qui-Gon had not accepted Obi-Wan as his Padawan, all those years ago? And what if things had gone horribly wrong because if it?
Review: This story is essentially an AU to the first two Jedi Apprentice books. In those, Qui-Gon resists choosing Obi-Wan as his apprentice and Obi-Wan is sent to be a farmer on Bandomeer. But Yoda manipulates the situation to force the two of them together.
Cast my Soul to the Sea is written from Qui-Gon's POV, so we find out what exactly happened to Obi-Wan as he does. And whenever we do find anything out it's only a tiny little bit at a time, so you never quite build up the whole picture. Which is great because that, along with what's going on at the same time, keeps you reading because you really want to know how it's going to end.
The characterisations of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are particularly good as well. They're just like you would expect them to be, just a bit younger, and a bit different. Qui-Gon hasn't really had that much of a different life in this Au, so he's pretty much the same. But in Obi-Wan, you can see he is in there, but because his life has changed so much, so has he. And the clues Sharon gives out explain why he has changed, and explain it all well.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Obi-Wan Kenobi Estrogen Brigade Fan Fiction Archive
Annie D
It's All About The Quantum
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: Angst, drama, first time
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 04-09-2004
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: It's a big multiverse out there. Or, an exercise on the unaddressed implications of the quantum mirror.
Review: A couple of people told me that I should read this and they were right. This is, quite simply, one of the most interesting explorations of the quantum mirror idea that I've read. It's also very well-written, has good characterisation and all the characters are given equal time in the fic, very unusual in a slash fic.
It's one of those fics where I began it and was hooked within a couple of paragraphs, finishing it despite a rumbling stomach and pesky cat. The slash isn't the important part here; it's the musings on the nature of the quantum mirror and the infinite alternative realities out there that are the core of this fic. The slash is just the icing on a very good cake.
If you want a fic that has some interesting ideas on reality and philosophy and manages to be a team slash fic, then get thee hence and read this fic.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: It's All About The Quantum
Dangermouse
Roses Are Blue...
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: ER, humor, romance, seasonal
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 17-02-2004
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: A challenge answer. Roses are blue, violets are red... Blame Joy. I do.
Review: You'll need to read the fic to understand the title :-)
This is the other fic to come out of Joy and DM's private Valentine challenge. It's a completely different tone from Joy's, as befits an established relationship fic instead of a first time, and just as good. Daniel's motivations are completely in character and DM, as usual, has both his and Jack's voices just right. More importantly there is a humorous tone to this fic that never gets out of hand and left me grinning at the end and it's a great antidote to all the diabetic-coma-inducing sappiness around me.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Feisty Daniel Appreciation Society - Challenges
Karen T
Tethered (The Wocka-Wocka Remix)
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Cassandra/other, Sam/Jack
Themes: Angst, AU
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 20-06-2006
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: She's unfamiliar with not being needed.
Review: This is about Sam and Cassandra and the relationship between the two of them after Janet dies. It's a remix of Tether by nanda (also reviewed) and I liked them both. This one is Sam's point of view and the two stories connect really well. This is less angsty but no less awkward.
Warning: Click here to view warnings in a pop-up window
Archive: We Invented the Remix...Redux
Martha
Cold
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: Angst, drama, H/C
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 15-11-2004
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: First contact goes badly.
Review: I'm reccing this mainly because it's an interesting fic - there's a good, well-developed culture, the ideas are interesting and Martha does a good job of getting under Jack's skin. Jack and Daniel's reactions to what is going on seem real and drawn you in. Martha's descriptions of the sounds and smells add a sensory level to the fic that many authors forget about. It's a little angsty, a little painful and definitely absorbing.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Good morning, sunshine: Slash index
Nanda
Tether
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Cassandra/other, Sam/Jack
Themes: Angst, AU
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 20-06-2006
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: but this is no big deal, right? i mean, i lost a whole planet once.
Review: This is so sad. It's set after Janet's death, although Nanda wrote this before Heroes. Cassandra and Sam fail to bond, Cassie can't work out what she's doing with her life and her and Jack have some lovely scenes. It's just beautifully sad and I couldn't stop reading to see if they were going to work it all out in the end.
Warning: Click here to view warnings in a pop-up window
Archive: nanda's lament
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
Otter
Proclivity
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Themes: Humor, vignette
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 01-06-2004
Length: Under 10 KB
Plot: We all have our little habits.
Review: It's very short, so there's very little I can say without giving away the entire thing. But...
I liked Otter's Jack and Daniel, there are some very funny lines and I could see exactly what Jack was complaining about. It's one of those short things that isn't about anything in particular but manages to convey a lot about the characters.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: faded (press)
Pink Rabbit Productions
Bits and Pieces series
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sam/Janet
Themes: Action/adventure, angst, drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 30-03-2003
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: Series follows Janet and Sam's relationship through the show.
Review: The author calls this an oddball of a series. I think it's a gem. She focuses on the relationship between Sam and Janet through the series, writing around some episodes and adding adventures of their own. The characterisation is spot-on and the chemistry between Sam and Janet sparkles. She even writes the other characters well, which is sometimes rare in slash. It's great to see friendship blossom and mature and I haven't been able to tear myself away from this for the past few evenings. Go read, now :)
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The Pink Rabbit Consortium
RocketChick
The Beat of a Heart
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sam/Janet
Themes: Action/adventure, angst, drama, episode tag or fix (Grace, Fallout, Chimera, Death Knell, Heroes - all S7), first time, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 10-08-2004
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: A different take on certain episodes from Stargate's season 7.
Review: Certain season 7 episodes were very traumatic for any Sam/Janet fan, so seeing a Sam/Janet fic set around them is always going to interest me. Knowing that Heroes is going to come up keeps a certain amount of tension up and I'm not going to tell you which route RocketChick takes with it.
I particularly liked the use of certain points from Grace (particularly the character of Grace and Sam's other subconscious figures) to tell this story. It gave the whole thing a slightly more introspective feel than I might have expected, touching lightly on ideas about the inner pysche that aren't often explored in fanfic. The voices of all the characters were just right and I'll freely admit to a slightly teary moment in reading.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: RocketChick's Homepage
Tiffany Park
Have Yourself A Manic Little Christmas
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Humor, seasonal
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 23-10-2005
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: The SGC and a wayward Goa'uld cross paths on Christmas Eve...
Review: This story is quite silly. SG1 are determined to make sure Jack O'Neill has a good Christmas whether he wants to or not. They're not helped by a surprise inspection of the SGC on Christmas Eve by Senator Kinsey, or the arrival of a Goa'uld on Earth. Basically it's a satirical look at Christmas, which makes it really funny.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Tiffany Park's Stargate SG-1 Fanfiction
Wendy Parkinson
Danny Lurks
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Sam/Jack
Themes: AU, humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 17-02-2004
Length: 2+ chapters, most parts 25KB or under
Plot: Actually a series of stories where Daniel Jackson is revealed to be a lurker on the samandjack mailing list.
Review: Basically it's funny. Each story tends to centre around particular episodes and what the list have been discussing but you don't need to have read the list to get the jokes. It's not just Daniel reading the list either, Sam, Jack, Teal'c and Jonas are all similarly addicted.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Wendy's Stargate Fan Fiction
Abi
We Used To Be Friends (The ComeOnNowSugar, BringItOnBringItOnYeah Remix)
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash-het mixed
Pairing: McKay/Weir, Sheppard/McKay
Themes: Drama
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 13-05-2007
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: A long time ago we used to be friends, but I haven't thought of you lately at all.
Review: Of all the Atlantis pairings I read, McKay/Weir isn't one of them. But I took a chance on this one and I'm so glad I did because it's very good and convinced me of that pairing. In this setting at least. It's a really interesting look at Elizabeth's backstory and what happens to the team when they're stuck on Earth after Return part 1. I can totally see it happening.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: LJ - Remix Redux V: We Used To Be Friends
Amireal
Breaking up is Hard to do
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Themes: Humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 14-04-2006
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: Do you remember in college how you’d stay up for 36 hours straight and have conversations that seemed really deep at the time? Yeah well, this fic is nothing like that. But it is.
Ok I give, it’s a cliché but its not.
Review: This is probably something of a cliche in that it's a high Rodney inadvertantly telling Sheppard that he fancies him. But that's ok because it's funny. I mean, it has dancing penguins in and Sheppard discovering a whole new way of talking dirty. And an inadvertant way of doing the same.
Even though Rodney's high he's still in character - he's just himself here, but more, as well as revealing secrets he'd never usually tell.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Fanfiction.Net: Amireal
kassrachel
More of the Stars and Sea (The Three Meals Remix)
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Teyla/Radek
Themes: Vignette
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 26-05-2008
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: They were merely colleagues who dined together from time to time. Strangers on the cusp of becoming friends.
Review: This is an interesting look at Teyla and Radek and what they have in common. They're both very much in character and together they're really sweet. It's well paced so that they go from strangers to friends at just the right speed.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: LJ - Remix Redux VI: More of the Stars and Sea
Layton Colt
Sexual Tension
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Themes: Humor
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 14-04-2006
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: McKay has a proposition. A sleep-deprived John needs some convincing.
Review: This is funny. McKay and Sheppard are equally blunt with each other. Sheppard can close and open the door by thinking about it. McKay tells it how it is and gets all of the best lines. Well, most of them. The slightly worrying thing about this fic is that I can see McKay doing exactly this, which is what makes it good. Sheppard's reactions are entirely in character as well.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: McKay/Sheppard Slash: Sexual Tension
Leah
Pygoscelis (Or, a Gift of Pebbles)
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Themes: AU, H/C, humor
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 13-04-2005
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: A sequel to Tarsiidae (Or, a Simian Vacation) in which animal transformations occur and silliness is had.
Review: I should first point out that this is a story set in the Pegasus B universe, an AU playground that various Atlantis writers have been playing around in. The Pegasus B community contains information and links should you need to get aquainted with this universe.
You should probably read the first story in this duology as well, but it's this one that really had me reaching for the review page. It manages to be completely hilarious and oddly sweet all at once. Writing broad slapstick isn't easy, but Leah manages it and had me curled up giggling at various points. At the same time, there were some quiet moments that induced the 'aww' response without a sugar overload.
Animal transformation fics are a thing of bad fic cliche, yet Leah takes the idea and runs with it to produce a great fic.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Wraithbait: Pygoscelis
Little Red
Six Degrees
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Sheppard/Weir
Themes: Romance
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 20-06-2006
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: They begin seeing each other in the spring.
Review: I love Little Red's portrayal of Sheppard and Weir's relationship. It's very subtly done. It's Teyla and some original characters who really highlight to Sheppard what is going on between them. The conclusion they come to is one that seems most logical, given their relative positions. If Sheppard/Weir was ever on the show, I think this is the way it should be done.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: ... out of the badlands
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
msgordo
Romancing Rodney
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Dex/McKay
Themes: First time, humor, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 17-09-2006
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: Ronon has an idea and Miko very helpfully supplies him with some reading material that she thinks will aid him.
Review: If you're looking for a funny, lighthearted, slashy Atlantis fic that's slightly different from much of the other slash fics out there then this is your fic.
The Harlequin challenge on sga_flashfic spawned a number of great fics and it's own, dedicated community. It was the challenge that still hasn't died. Most of the Harlequin fics are AUs set in typical Harlequin-esque settings. This one is a little different because it's set in the familiar Atlantis world with the Harlequin element coming from a book that Ronon unfortunately uses as a mating techniques guide. The end result is incredibly funny, not just Ronon and Rodney's interactions but Sheppard's reactions to what's going on. It's definitely a pick-me-up fic and laughing out loud is a real possibility.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Harlequin Atlantis: Romancing Rodney
munchkinott
Vent
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Angst
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 03-12-2004
Length: Under 10 KB
Plot: Some stories can only have an ending.
Review: Read this because it has an emotional impact that I can't put into words. The writing is beautiful, powerful and absolutely riviting. It's too short to say anything more and I don't think anything more is needed - just read this.
Warning: Click here to view warnings in a pop-up window
Archive: JAM's Padded Cell
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
TanaquiSGA
Through the Looking Glass
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Sheppard/Heightmeyer
Themes: Angst, drama, romance
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 07-09-2007
Length: 2-10 chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: For the members of the Atlantis expedition, the trip through the Stargate was a step into the unknown. Things didn't turn out quite the way any of them expected – especially for Dr Kate Heightmeyer. Saddled with a new role that forces her to deal with others' fears as well as her own, yet which isolates her from the rest of the team, can a burgeoning friendship help her cope with life in Pegasus?
Review: Before I read this I couldn't think of a single reason to read a story primarily about Kate Heightmeyer because I just didn't find her that interesting. But I was intrigued about this story and I'm very glad I read it because the Kate in this story is really interesting. She's got a whole lot more backstory than we ever saw in the series.
I really like her relationship with John Sheppard in this story. It develops slowly and you can tell what they think of each other without either of them having to articulate it or, since it's from Kate's point of view, it being pointed out in the narration.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: The M.A.J.O.R. Fanfic Archive
trinityofone
Daemonology
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis, His Dark Materials (cross-over)
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Themes: Angst, AU, drama
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 17-09-2006
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: They had always wanted to fly; John couldn’t fly; Nioke flew for him.
Review: If you're reading this, then probably the first question on your mind is...His Dark Materials? With Atlantis?
Surprisingly, it works very well.
It's not a cross-over in the strictest, characters from the two fandoms meeting sense of the word. The fic is more of an Atlantis AU set within the logic of the His Dark Materials universe. So each of our Atlantis character has a daemon and elements of the HDM-universe are mentioned, but they're in the Pegasus galaxy fighting the Wraith.
The major reason to read this is just how well trinityofone has managed to integrate the two worlds and make it all work. It's a fascinating fic with some great characterisation, good world-building and plot ideas that will keep you glued to the final word.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: tales of an unreal city: Daemonology
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
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
Maud Walter
The Choice
Fandom: The O.C.
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: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: Seth and Ryan get in trouble, and the Cohens-plus-1 are forced to examine and redefine their relationships.
Review: I never meant to read OC fanfiction at all, but stumbled on this one and carried on reading because it reads like an episode. Well, perhaps a few episodes, but what strikes me is that the characterisation is spot on. I can totally see the characters doing these things. And the worst part is the horrible situation they all find themselves in, but you can't fault them for their decisions - they all seemed right at the time.
You also can't help feeling for the characters as they find themselves in situations they never wanted and never meant to happen. And it changes them and their relationships with the other characters. Which is what The OC does best, really.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Fanfiction.net: Maud Walter
Amy
Investigations
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Ianto, Ianto/Lisa
Themes: Angst, drama, episode tag or fix (Season 1)
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 20-01-2008
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: Since Ianto arrived at Torchwood, he’d been trying to work Jack out.
Review: This fic is an interesting look inside Ianto's head through season 1. He's one of those interesting characters who keeps everything to himself most of the time but we've already had evidence that he's got a lot of secrets. Amy tries to get inside Ianto's thoughts, into that very private person, and I think she succeeds very well and gives us some insights into Jack at the same time. It's well-written, interesting and not your typical Ianto/Jack piece.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: LJ - such_heights: Investigations
Lady Paperclip
People That I Wasn't
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Themes: Angst, dark fic, drama
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 03-12-2006
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: Jack and Ianto have to deal with death in all sorts of ways.
Review: This is a fic that I'm recommending because it's such an interesting, and ocassionally painful, look at Ianto and Jack. There are a few spoilers for Cyberwoman, which should give you an inkling about some of it, but that's not what it's really about. It's not a perfect fic, but it pulls you in and makes you think about the characters in a way that you might not have before.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: paperclipbitch: People That I Wasn't
MaraG
Hate Can Pardon
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Themes: Angst, drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 24-12-2006
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: Hate can pardon more than love. -- Henry David Thoreau
Review: Although Jack/Ianto is a big pairing and has tons of potential for fic writing, so far it's had a distressing lack of quality in its fic. I'm pleased to report that this fic is good, it actually addresses a few of the issues that the pairing may have and it leaves you wanting a bit more.
The sequel, Guilty of Dust and Sin, therefore needs to be added to this rec.
Combined, they provide an interesting, intriguing take on the Jack/Ianto pairing that actually worked for me and is a step ahead of most of the other fic for this pairing.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Dangerously Subversive Athiest Penguin: Hate Can Pardon
Mydeira
Workout Routine
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Humor
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 03-12-2006
Length: Under 10 KB
Plot: Gwen discovers something interesting one early morning at Torchwood.
Review: The first two episodes have just aired and the fic is just starting to be written, so it's nice to see that we're starting with a few nicely written bits of fic. This is short, funny but has managed to catch Jack, Ianto and Gwen just right. It's not a big plotty thing, but the fic is worth it for the characterisation alone and its humour captures the series' humour.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Of Death and Penguins: Workout Routine
sheldrake
To The End
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash-het mixed
Pairing: Jack/Estelle, Jack/Ianto
Themes: Angst, episode tag or fix (Small Worlds, S1), romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 24-12-2006
Length: 10-40KB
Plot: He always means it at the time.
Review: This is a lovely, thoughtful fic that says a lot in a few words. It's an interesting look at Jack and his relationships that isn't quite comofortable at times, but echoes some of the hints we're given in the show. It makes you think a little bit harder about Jack, Estelle and Ianto. I like fics that make you re-examine the episodes they're based around and that's what this one does. The writing style fits the tone of the fic and the author has thought carefully about what she's doing. The result should stand up for a long time as a particularly good Torchwood fic.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: sheldrake: To The End
xwingace
Stuck in Traffic at the Magic Roundabout
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating: PG-13
Type: Gen
Pairing: n/a
Themes: Action/adventure, drama
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 03-12-2006
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: The importance of not running into oneself had been drummed into him from the first day in the academy.
Review: This fic needs to be read because it's well-written, absorbing and has great Jack characterisation. It also uses the idea of time paradoxes in an interesting way that I haven't seen much in Doctor Who or Torchwood fic. The author has actually thought through the ideas she's used and the tying together of the various story threads works very well.
Possibly the greatest reason for reading this fic comes in the last line, but I refuse to spoil that for you. If you're looking for a good, plotty, Jack-centric story then this is definitely for you.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: xwingace: Stuck in Traffic at the Magic Roundabout
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
Merwolf
Tropical Storm
Fandom: Uber-Xena
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Dar/Kerry (Xena/Gab)
Themes: Action/adventure, drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 10-11-2002
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: To quote the author, 'This is about two people who meet and happen to change each other's lives.' I can't think of anything to add to that.
Review: I will rave about Dar and Kerry to anyone I know :) The characters jump off the page and I don't think there's a fan out there who isn't a little bit in love with them. It's not just the main characters who are so well developed. Missy has populated her world with a series of secondary characters who are as captivating as her heroines. Dar's slow thaw as she befriends Kerry is particularly well-developed.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Merwolf's Den
Philomytha
The Rules of Barrayan Sex
Fandom: Vorkosigan series
Rating: PG-13
Type: Het
Pairing: Aral/Cordelia
Themes: ER, romance
Reviewed by: paranoidangel
Reviewer's home URL: Angelic Paranoia
Dated added: 24-04-2010
Length: 40-100KB
Plot: Cordelia's never been good at following rules.
Review: My favourite characters in the whole Vorkosigan series are Aral and Cordelia and I wish there had been more of them in the books. This story gives me just what I'd have liked to have read of their relationship and how it changes with time, their relationship with Miles and Mark, and their reaction to various events. And Miles managed to have quite a few events. Each section starts with various Barrayan rules that relate to the section, if not quite in the way the rules put them and showing how Cordelia doesn't follow them at all.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Archive of Our Own
Merwolf
Journey of Soulmates (series)
Fandom: Xena
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Xena/Gabrielle
Themes: Action/adventure, drama, romance
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 22-10-2003
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: A series of stories exploring the growing relationship between Xena and Gabrielle, with a few swash-buckling adventures along the way.
Review: Merwolf has a talent for creating real, believable, beautiful relationships, whether it's Xena and Gabrielle or Dar and Kerry, their modern counterparts. The stories she writes in this series are so vivid you can see them and could almost be episodes of the TV series. Initially the stories shadow the events in the show, but the series goes AU after The Rift and succeeds wonderfully - in a way, this is a series that cancels out a lot of what fans didn't like about The Rift storyline and provides and wonderful alternative. The relationship between Xena and Gabrielle is well thought out and believable and their dialogue sounds just right. Merwolf's trade-mark flashback scenes are great for adding substance to the series without distracting from what's going on.
If you want to know my favourite story in the series, it is 'At a Distance' (you'll probably work out why when you read it), but they are all must-reads.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: Merwolf's Den
Various authors
Xena Virtual Subtext Seasons
Fandom: Xena
Rating: PG-13
Type: Slash
Pairing: Xena/Gabrielle
Themes: Action/adventure, angst, drama, humor, romance, virtual season/series
Reviewed by: Selenay
Reviewer's home URL:
Dated added: 11-05-2003
Length: 10+ chapters, most parts over 25KB
Plot: Picking up from the end of season six, these are virtual seasons with a full compliment of episodes where the subtext between Xena and Gabrielle is main text.
Review: This is organised and written by some of the most talented writers and graphical artists in the Xena fandom so the results were bound to be good. Each part is presented as an episode in script form, illustrated with beautiful graphics. There is the usual mix of drama and humour but with the added bonus of the relationship betwen Xena and Gabrielle being developed fully. This is well-written with great characterisation and dialogue. I loved every episode of it, and as I write season nine is due to debut in the fall.
Warning: No warnings
Archive: XWP Subtext Virtual Seasons