FemSlash Recs & FSAC :: DW06 Stories Feedback....

[ariestess]

So here are my impressions of all 39 entries, barring my own cuz that would just be weird and uppity... In both sections, the entries are in order based on the FemSlash Advent Calendar :: Dead of Winter 2006. There are direct links only to the stories I'm rec'ing. The rest can be found at the calendar, as I've linked to many, many times. *g*

First, the recommendations. These are the entries that really stood out for me in the calendar as important in some way, shape, or form; entries I wanted to make sure other people took notice of.

• "Genesis" by Asianscaper
  Battlestar Galactica, Roslin/Six
  What a fascinating story. Even with a couple of reads already, I'm still finding new tidbits to chew on and consider with each read. The relationships between Roslin and the various Sixes are always so damned fascinating to watch unfolding, each nuance creating more questions rather than answers. And this story did the same thing. Absolutely fascinating!
  
  
• "The Hostage Without" by Merfilly
  Birds of Prey [comics-verse], Black Canary/Oracle
  As I've said before, the comics-verse of Birds of Prey isn't my forte. But this was a lovely, melancholy piece that sucked me in pretty much from the start. I loved the hints of what might have split up these two women's relationship, professional and personal. It made me want to know more, to see if there would be a resolution at some point in the future for them. Lovely work...
  
  
• "Unlimited Access" by Celievamp
  Battlestar Galactica, Laura Roslin/Six/D’Anna Biers
  First things first. Laura Roslin/Six is a major fetish for me. Seeing this Laura with a Six in her head? Blissfully, sinfully delightful! That she would also have a thing for D'Anna Biers is priceless. I really liked the look into this particular situation with the addition of a Six in Roslin's head. It really spoke to me and just continued my personal agenda [gathered from jennyo and tellitstlant in particular] that Roslin is the Cylon God. I'm having that sensation of trying to determine if this was an actual scene that's been reworked or if it's really written well enough to make me think it's from the episode. Guess I'll have to dig out the DVDs to be sure... Oh, and the idea of Roslin in a threesome with Six and D'Anna/Three? Bliss! *swoon*
  
  
• "Twas the Night Before Christmas..." by ncruuk
  Law & Order: SVU, Alex/Olivia
  What a lovely story! A great piece of Alex's history that allowed her to reclaim a tradition she'd hated. And to initially reclaim it for small children needing something good in the wake of bad deeds done to them. Only to be cemented as a new tradition with Olivia. It brings a sense of family, of familiarity to both women. This was very beautiful and the story was posted on the appropriate night.
  
  
• "After the Glass Slipper" by RalSt
  Cinderella, Cinderella/OFC
  This truly cracked me up. I loved the spin on the old tale of Cinderella, and I particularly liked the "ritual" concerning consummation on the wedding night. Utterly brilliant revision of the story!
  
  
• "Tricks of the Gods" by selenay_x
  Battlestar Galactica, Roslin/Six
  Wow! What a lovely interplay between Laura and the Six models. I loved the chess analogy in the visions as well. It really does fit the way that Laura Roslin sometimes sees herself in respect to the rest of humanity in this battle with the Cylons. Lovely, brilliant piece!
  
  
• "Unsolicited" by Lex 'Spork' Tenou
  Kim Possible, Kim/Shego
  This was perhaps one of the most intriguing stories I've seen for this pairing. I can always count on Lex to give me something that will both titillate me and make me think. And honestly? That's one of the highest compliments I can give someone, and it honestly does apply with this particular story. It's hard to make a convincing drama of cartoon characters, but Lex really does do a great job at it with this particular pairing...
  
  
• "Strega: the Cards" by newbie_2u
  Light, Water, Muses, various characters/pairings
  I honestly can't say enough about this entry. When newbie_2u came to me with the request to do a set of Tarot cards to go with the series I'd written, who was I to say no? And honestly? I'd expected to see some sort of fun photomanips based on representations of the Major Arcana cards and the characters involved. Imagine my surprise when I opened the first attachment to see she'd drawn them! And each card got better and better. I was, and still am, completely floored that she did all of this work, and made several modifications at my and shatterpath's request. I think my personal favorite is still 09. The Hermit for Alexis Barnes. This is perhaps the most incredible gift we've been given related to our fanfic. It will not soon be forgotten, that's for sure...
  
  
• "Five Resolutions" by ncruuk
  The West Wing, CJ Cregg/Kate Harper
  Okay, this was quite sweet and adorable. I liked Kate's resolution, the thought behind it. And I adored the conversation getting up to CJ understanding it. And what's not to love about someone being read to by their lover? *happy sigh*

And now for my feedback on the rest of the stories in the calendar. These stories are all nicely done and I wanted to take the time to let the authors [and others] see what I thought of them. *g*

• "The Fairy at the Bottom of the Garden" by Celievamp
  Stargate SG-1, Sam/Janet
  This was a lovely look into the beginnings of what could be a lovely relationship between Sam and Janet. And I adored the addition of A MidSummer Night's Dream and Peaseblossom. Lovely!
  
  
• "Go-to-Gal" by ncruuk
  The West Wing, CJ/Abbey, CJ/Other
  Despite seeing this being written in the IM window, basically on a dare, I still love reading this story. It doesn't matter that Kate's the "unknown" person at the other door. It doesn't matter that Abbey is so devastated by what's going on. It doesn't matter that CJ's basically martyring herself. There are still lovely hints of Abbey/CJ, despite ncruuk's not writing said pairing. And this is still one of my favorite fics, in spite of the fact that it was basically written for me. The raw emotions and revelations of this story are absolutely fantastic, and get to me every time. No matter how many times I read it.
  
  
• "Only the beginning" by Maaike
  CSI, Sara/Sofia
  I know I did a basic beta on this one, but it still gets me all giggly and giddy at the thought of Sofia being so domineering and demanding in what she wants from Sara. And these two women are just sex on a stick as far as I'm concerned. This was a lovely little foray into what could be so much more, and I'll steal the title, only the beginning...
  
  
• "Five Christmases Aiden and Sara Might Have Had" by Emily
  CSI/CSI: NY crossover, Sara/Aiden
  I've only seen part of the series premiere of CSI: New York, so don't really know the characters well at all, or anything about the show outside of the fact that I like Melina Kanakaredes and should probably watch it [but she alone isn't reason enough]. But I gave this story a shot, partially because I'm reading everything in the calendar, and partially because of Sara. And despite my lack of knowledge re: Aiden, I found I liked this very much. It read very much in character for Sara, all the way through. What a wonderful character piece!
  
  
• "To Catch A Thief" by Ann
  Karen Sisco, Karen/Marley
  I've never seen Karen Sisco before. I'm not even sure how I missed its presence in TV in the first place. But I like Ann's writing, and I do adore Kate Walsh, so I gave this one a go. It's utterly fascinated me. I may have to see about catching a few eps of this show somehow... Who knows, it may spawn something off. So thank you to Ann for making the characters believable enough for me to give this fandom a shot!
  
  
• "Words Not Needed" by Debbie
  Birds of Prey [comics-verse], Oracle/Huntress
  While I've never read the comics, I adored the far-too-shortlived TV series. This story made me interested in the comics, which is a big thing for me. And of course, I have a not-so-subtle thing for redheads with glasses, and Oracle/Barbara certainly fits that bill. But this definitely made for a lovely story of two strong women in a serious relationship, both personally and professionally, who want things to work out. Lovely, indeed.
  
  
• "Bothered and Bewitched" by Elizabeth Carter
  Star Trek: Voyager, Janeway/Seven
  I did skim this one while I was coding it up for the calendar, so have a basic idea of what the story's about. And while I love a good Star Trek: Voyager story, particularly where Janeway and Seven are concerned, I really had a hard time reading this one because of the dialect of the Irish/Scottish-based aliens. I feel bad that this was more than I could handle in trying to read the story, but it unfortunately kept throwing me out of the story when I'd do a bit of stumbling over the dialect. Of course, I am thrilled that Liz wrote us another story, and that she delved into the ST: Voyager fandom to do so.
  
  
• "Mood Indigo" by Celievamp
  CSI, Sara/Sofia
  One of the more interesting 6th season eps of CSI, and one that so beautifully featured both Sara and Sofia. And this story is a perfect epilogue to the ending of that same episode. It really does fit with how other people can view Sara and how she views herself. Very nice...and potentially the beginning to something more...
  
  
• "Regrets Are No Fun" by newbie_2u
  Karen Sisco, Karen/Marley
  Another story in the Karen Sisco fandom that's making me considering finding copies of these episodes somewhere. The story really pulled me into the two women and their budding relationship. I genuinely got all worried and relieved by turns as the story continued. I like having that kind of reaction to a story where I get all caught up in it, especially when it's a totally new fandom for me...
  
  
• "Collective Responsibility" by ncruuk
  Star Trek: Voyager, Janeway/Seven
  What a great visit with the Voyager crew! I like that Seven and Kathryn haven't changed too much essentially, yet you can still see their growth, individually and as a couple. And I thought the comparisions between B'Elanna and Hakmens was brilliant! Thoroughly enjoyed myself in reading this one!
  
  
• "Temporal Displacement" by Lex 'Spork' Tenou
  D.E.B.S., Amy/Lucy
  I still haven't seen D.E.B.S. yet, and I really should. It might help me in reading fics like this one. I liked what I read, don't get me wrong, but without knowing the fandom or anything, it's a little difficult to go beyond that.
  
  
• "Frightened" by kelloggs921
  CSI, Sara/Sofia [Sara's POV]
  This was a lovely video. It made a really nice use of the various clips and scenes used. The song was very nice and really did fit the mood of Sara's POV. And the ending was brilliant! It was a really nice use of a scene with dialogue, as was the opening scene.
  
  
• "New Year's Resolutions" by Emily
  The West Wing, Ellie/Gina
  Ahhh, Zoey the matchmaker. And who better for Ellie than Gina Toscano. This was very nicely written, and involves Gina, whom I adore! Lovely piece of work!
  
  
• "Shadows of the Present" by Elizabeth Carter
  CSI, Catherine/Sara
  Admittedly, Catherine/Sara is no longer my OTP in CSI, despite being my introduction into that show's femslash. Occasionally there are stories that will remind me of that "first love." I did enjoy the back and forth of the relationship, but had some issues with Lindsey's crass language seeming rather out of character and over the top for me. But seeing a story where Sara can be more interpersonal and "maternal," like she was with Lindsey, is a very nice thing.
  
  
• "Small Steps" by Electronis Zappa
  Stargate Atlantis, Elizabeth Weir/Teyla Emmagan
  Stargate Atlantis is another fandom that I really don't know, as I don't watch it. So I can't really say much on the characterization or any sort of show-specific continuity/canon/etc. But what I can say is that this was an interesting look into the life of a relationship. I have always liked the idea of a flashback for information, as opposed to an excess of exposition. Nice work!
  
  
• "The Story of Us" by Debbie
  CSI, Catherine/Sara
  Wow! I said in an earlier feedback that Catherine/Sara isn't my OTP for CSI, but this story really made me believe it. I loved reading the entire evolution of this particular relationship, including all of the pitfalls regarding Sofia and Gil. This story took that horrendous ending to Season 6 and put a spin on it that I could stomach. That's saying a lot. And having Catherine as more of a polyamorous type actually does fit with what I find comfortable for the character. Fabulous job!
  
  
• "Deus Ex Machina" by Asianscaper
  Battlestar Galactica/Star Trek: Voyager crossover, Roslin/Janeway
  What an utterly fascinating piece. This whole crossover pairing of Roslin and Janeway has been a great look into combining these two rather disparate fandoms. And this story further cemented that combination. This was a fascinating look at the socio-political beliefs of both the BSG and Star Trek worlds: how they're similar, and how they're not. A truly fabulous job!
  
  
• "Other Possibilities" by newbie_2u
  The X-Files, Dana/Monica
  I've always had something of a soft spot for Dana Scully. The logical, scientific redheaded doctor. *swoon* And then one Monica Reyes came on the scene, unfortunately after I'd pretty much given up hope on this show. But she made me go back and watch again, because she's sexy and she has that paganesque "Mother Earth' aspect to her that is such a turn-on for me. So seeing this combination in this story, seeing how Monica helped to change Dana's outlook? Pure poetry!
  
  
• "Lovefool" by kelloggs921
  CSI, Sara/Sofia [Sofia's POV]
  This was definitely more fun and upbeat, in contrast to "Frightened." And that fits the two characters' personalities, as well. Great use of combining scenes that are comepletely different into what could be seen as a seamless whole, in particular the lingerie bit. What's really nice is that there weren't a lot of repeated clips between the two videos, which can tend to happen in certain fandoms, this one included.
  
  
• "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Ann
  CSI, Sara/Sofia
  This is a lovely, lovely pre-relationship piece that technically sticks really close to canon, at least for Sara's background. I loved the duality of sensitivity and playfulness shown in Sofia. I have a real soft spot for Sara/Sofia, and this story hits all of my buttons that don't include outright sex. And nicely enough, I didn't feel the need for actual sex in this piece. I adore the romanticism, even for "cynical" Sara. Very lovely piece...
  
  
• "Ripples Within Ripples" by Elizabeth Carter
  Stargate SG-1, Sam/Janet
  This was an interesting look into a possibility of this particular episode. After Janet had been killed in "Heroes," I stopped watching SG-1 [I only watched the ep where Jacob died & "Ripple Effect"]. So many possibilities, so many realities, and so many Janets and Sams. All that opportunity. This was a nice look into a potentially very bittersweet moment between these two women from different realities who shared in such strong, loving relationships.
  
  
• "Underneath it all" by Maaike
  CSI/CSI: Miami crossover, Sara/Calleigh
  This was fascinating. A pretty good case, and it brings back Calleigh. I don't watch CSI: Miami because of the dickweed in charge [I don't like that actor, whom shatterpath refers to as the "asshole actor whose name I refuse to remember"], so it means I don't get a weekly fix of Emily Procter. But this pairing is fascinating in so many ways. And I really liked the idea of seeing Sara be involved with someone that sees her for her. Not that Catherine or Sofia don't, but this pairing is different... And this story makes me believe in that pairing, so that's even better...
  
  
• "Honey and Salt - Part 1: Honey" by au
  CSI, Catherine/Sofia
  An interesting approach to bringing these two characters together. I'm not normally a Catherine/Sofia fan, tho' I've written it once or twice when the mood and/or muses struck. That said, I'm always curious how others get these two disparate characters together. I admit there were a few spots where both characters seemed a bit out of character to me, and I'm curious to see where the rest of this story will head.
  
  
• "Masked Intention" by Lex 'Spork' Tenou
  D.E.B.S., Amy/Lucy
  This really is a fandom I'm not conversant in at all. And this particular story seems very fandom-specific. I may be wrong about that, of course. The execution seems quite sound and had me curious as to what would happen next, even if I had no idea about the canon or anything like that. Perhaps one day, if I ever watch the movie, I'll understand this piece better...
  
  
• "Long Way To Go" by Celievamp
  Stargate SG-1/Dr. Who/Torchwood crossover, Sam Carter / Sarah Jane Smith [among others]
  I'll be the first to admit that Dr. Who and Torchwood really mean nothing to me. What I mean is, I don't watch either show, don't read the fanfic, don't dip into the fandom other than politely skimming thru posts on my flist. Well, that and the fact that the chick that plays Tosh was Nicola in Spiceworld. That said, this story was hard for me to follow, since I know so very little about the two primary fandoms involved. While I got the idea of why Sam Carter [and the SGC by extension] was involved, if I didn't know her, she could have been anyone added into this fandom. That's not necessarily a bad thing, just that this story really was out of my league in a lot of ways. Tho' I'm thrilled that celievamp pulled this one together for us as a pinch hit.
  
  
• "Finding One's Way" by ceridwyn2
  Wire in the Blood, Paula McIntyre/Chris Devine
  This is a fandom that I absolutely don't know at all. There's a part of me that's curious to see what it's actually like. This story, to me, had a lot of exposition, not that that's necessarily a bad thing. There was a lot of backstory packed into a relatively short story, and yet it didn't seem excessively so. That's definitely a sign of a good writer in my book.
  
  
• "Baked Apples" by Shatterpath
  Light, Water, Muses, no specific pairings
  *chuckles* It's been quite some time since I've read this story. So long, in fact, that I realized I'd made an error in a story I wrote about 8 months ago. Thankfully, since this is part of LWM, where rewrites and edits are a way of life, I'm sure the error can be corrected. This one was completely and wholly shatterpath's baby, outside of my introducing Ben & Ian. *veg* I adore revisiting the "clan" on occasion...