Yuletide Recs
Another year where I didn't do Yuletide myself - my ability to string words together has been pretty sporadic since everything fell apart back in 2017, though maybe I'll be able to dive in again next year. But other people wrote things! And some of them are very, very good!
The Dark is Rising
My fandom true love every year, and this year doesn't disappoint!
Once and Future by Phoenixflight (Will/Bran)
Both the author and the recipient have been around TDIR fandom for a while now, and know the characters very well. This story has a lot of what I love about this pairing: the inevitability of it, like it's still fated no matter what the High Magic says. Bran is delightfully knowing and confident, Will is sweet and a little clueless.
but a dream within a dream by Leiascully (Will/Bran, and Jane)
The recipient of the above. Bran and Will are in an established relationship here, which isn't something that turns up quite as often in TDIR fic. It's not the focus of the story, which is about what Bran and Jane remember, but when Will does appear there's this lovely ease about them that I love. And Jane has a great line about knowing how to be herself - her humanity is just as important here as Will's lack of it.
The Water Key by Dolorosa (Merriman)
A story about Merriman when he was much younger. I had a moment here where I suddenly realised I know the author IRL (we had not exchanged fandom names) so I'm not surprised that she knows her way around early medieval Britain - which she does, and takes us through it quite skillfully. I really appreciate Drustan, the king whose land this is all happening in, but also appreciate when Merriman screws something up rather badly.
(There is one more TDIR story - I am not neglecting to rec it; I just haven't actually got round to reading it yet.)
Other fandoms
Through the Eye of a Needle by cefyr (Cadfael Chronicles, gen)
Brother Cadfael, with some expert help from Sister Magdalen, solves the mystery of an altar cloth that has been misdelivered. This reads very like actual Ellis Peters, and the details of the altar cloth itself - both what's wrong, and how it plays out - are really quite clever.
New Perspectives on Chaucer's Alris: An Introduction by CenozoicSynapsid (Chaucer's Legend of Good Women/Beowulf kind of)
Brought to us by the person who once wrote Welsh literary criticism fic featuring my old professor, so I'm not surprised this is excellent. This is the introduction to a book that might have happened if the text in question - a work by Chaucer on Grendel's mother - actually existed. It includes slightly-altered real citations and attributes imaginary works to both real and fictional medievalists, and all in all makes you want to go read the original which unfortunately does not exist. I have a very soft spot for fake academia, and this hit it nicely.
Flower, Flower, Promise by Selden (The Mabinogion)
This is a very strange story, and haunting, and one of those things that reminds you how amazing Yuletide can be, because I'm pretty sure I can think of two Welsh literary magazines that would publish this right now. It's a post-apocalyptic story about Branwen ferch Llŷr, and Blodeuwedd, and a cauldron. And it is not what you expect.
I'm out of time so will add the rest later, but I also need to share this thing I learned:
The Duolingo Welsh Course is now a fandom on Ao3 with no less than four fics about Owen and his parsnip habit. Two are all yn Gymraeg, one is bilingual, and one is in English, and they are hilarious. The very fact this exists is hilarious. Enjoy.
The Dark is Rising
My fandom true love every year, and this year doesn't disappoint!
Once and Future by Phoenixflight (Will/Bran)
Both the author and the recipient have been around TDIR fandom for a while now, and know the characters very well. This story has a lot of what I love about this pairing: the inevitability of it, like it's still fated no matter what the High Magic says. Bran is delightfully knowing and confident, Will is sweet and a little clueless.
but a dream within a dream by Leiascully (Will/Bran, and Jane)
The recipient of the above. Bran and Will are in an established relationship here, which isn't something that turns up quite as often in TDIR fic. It's not the focus of the story, which is about what Bran and Jane remember, but when Will does appear there's this lovely ease about them that I love. And Jane has a great line about knowing how to be herself - her humanity is just as important here as Will's lack of it.
The Water Key by Dolorosa (Merriman)
A story about Merriman when he was much younger. I had a moment here where I suddenly realised I know the author IRL (we had not exchanged fandom names) so I'm not surprised that she knows her way around early medieval Britain - which she does, and takes us through it quite skillfully. I really appreciate Drustan, the king whose land this is all happening in, but also appreciate when Merriman screws something up rather badly.
(There is one more TDIR story - I am not neglecting to rec it; I just haven't actually got round to reading it yet.)
Other fandoms
Through the Eye of a Needle by cefyr (Cadfael Chronicles, gen)
Brother Cadfael, with some expert help from Sister Magdalen, solves the mystery of an altar cloth that has been misdelivered. This reads very like actual Ellis Peters, and the details of the altar cloth itself - both what's wrong, and how it plays out - are really quite clever.
New Perspectives on Chaucer's Alris: An Introduction by CenozoicSynapsid (Chaucer's Legend of Good Women/Beowulf kind of)
Brought to us by the person who once wrote Welsh literary criticism fic featuring my old professor, so I'm not surprised this is excellent. This is the introduction to a book that might have happened if the text in question - a work by Chaucer on Grendel's mother - actually existed. It includes slightly-altered real citations and attributes imaginary works to both real and fictional medievalists, and all in all makes you want to go read the original which unfortunately does not exist. I have a very soft spot for fake academia, and this hit it nicely.
Flower, Flower, Promise by Selden (The Mabinogion)
This is a very strange story, and haunting, and one of those things that reminds you how amazing Yuletide can be, because I'm pretty sure I can think of two Welsh literary magazines that would publish this right now. It's a post-apocalyptic story about Branwen ferch Llŷr, and Blodeuwedd, and a cauldron. And it is not what you expect.
I'm out of time so will add the rest later, but I also need to share this thing I learned:
The Duolingo Welsh Course is now a fandom on Ao3 with no less than four fics about Owen and his parsnip habit. Two are all yn Gymraeg, one is bilingual, and one is in English, and they are hilarious. The very fact this exists is hilarious. Enjoy.