My Big Damn Buffyverse Recs List, part I
I finally compiled all the recs I posted over the years into one handy file, which I'm posting here. [eta: all the story links should work now, with the exception of a handful for which I coulnd't find new links.]
Go to Part II... [post too large, now that's a first.]
"High" by girlpire
Link: http://girlpire.livejournal.com/107892.html?format=light
Spoilers: thru NFA
Rating: "E for everyone?"
Pairing: "I'd probably call it gen, but there are lots of Spangel
references."
Characters: Angel, Spike, Gunn, Illyria, OC
Summary: "Post-NFA. What's left of Team Angel is fighting the good
fight in Chicago, and a vision leads Spike and Angel down into the
sewers to rescue a young English man called Jacob.
Author's Notes: This story is a prequel to [Like Drowning], the
graphic Angel/Kate story I wrote last summer. Since this comes
chronologically before that one, you don't need to have read it to
understand this one."
I *loved* girlpire's Kate/Angel fic "Like Drowning" so I was naturally
thrilled that she's writing more stories in her Chicago!verse. In
"High" we find out how Jacob came to run into the fang gang. A
charming, funny story with twists and turns. Enjoy! :o)
===============================================
"What Am I to You" by a2zmom
link: http://a2zmom.livejournal.com/150973.html
Written for the IWRY ficathon 2006
Spoilers: set post Chosen/NFA
Rating: NC-17
Length: 11,000 words (novella)
Summary: "When Angel unexpectedtly shows up at Buffy's door, she
realizes how little she knows him and wonders if she ever did."
"Later, it occurred to her that if this had been a chick flick, she
would have leapt into his arms, they would have both exclaimed that
they'd never let each other go, and years of regret, remorse and
rancor would have vanished into thin air, followed by a mind blowing
kiss. Her life, however, had nothing to do with the movies, unless it
was one of those incomprehensible foreign ones where everybody dies at
the end."
In this post-NFA reunion the two of them don't pick up easily right
where they left off... they have changed, grown apart over the years.
A wonderful story, realistic and very convincing, with great character
voices on top of it.
===============================================
"War Stories: Raising the Banner " by tkp
link: http://tkp.livejournal.com/35384.html
spoilers: post-NFA
Rating: PG13?
length: 9,000 words
"Setting: The only AU element is that the episode “Origin” never
happened. No one but Angel knows who Connor really is. NFA happens,
minus the Connor bits. The fic is set post-NFA in a post-apocalyptic
world.
Characters: Focus is on Connor and Angel, with a good side of Spike.
There will be other Buffyverse characters, some major and some minor,
and lots of OCs. There will be ‘ships that happen between all of
these, including slash, but for the most part, this series is gen.
It’s about fictional war and politics, derring-do and
swashbucklingness, burdens of leadership, orders of command, warring
factions, insubordination, that kind of thing, with a father and son
at the heart of it."
This is the first story in a whole AU series. The premise is
intriguing: Connor not knowing who Angel really is opens up a wealth
of possibilities for their relationship, and I can see how tkp has fun
exploring it. And it's great fun to read, too, not just for the
Connor-Angel interaction. This is an ensemble fic, all the characters
voices ring very true. Spike's snarky presence serves well to keep
Angel grounded (surviving The Battle is not a contingency Angel
planned for and it's not something he'd deal with all that well.)
An AU that just draws you in.
===============================================
"The Sure Thing" by Barb C.
link: http://rahirah.livejournal.com/220651.html
Spoilers: none for the show
Rating: PG
Pairing: Buffy/Spike
Length: 4,500 words
Synopsis: A minion's lot is not a happy one.
Author's notes: This story takes place in the same universe as
"Raising In the Sun," "Necessary Evils," and "A Parliament of
Monsters." It's set several years after POM, and contains spoilers.
Written from the point of view of a long-suffering minion - hilarious.
===============================================
"Like Drowning" by girlpire
link: http://girlpire.livejournal.com/73015.html
Spoilers: post-NFA
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Angel/Kate
Length: 8,600 words
Summary: Post-NFA. Kate and Angel run into each other while tracking
the same demon.
Hot, steamy, a pleasure to read. Terrific characterization, great Kate
voice. The two of them are picking up right where they left off. And
then take it a step further.
Man, I missed Kate. This fic made my day.
===============================================
"Life, Resumed" by Speakr2customers (WIP)
http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=speakr2customrs&keyword=Life+Resumed&filter=all
or, shorter: http://tinyurl.com/qk4sb
Spoilers: NFA
Rating: PG
Characters: William (formerly known as Spike) and ensemble
Length: hm, about 10,000 words so far? Five chapters up
Summary: William finds himself in a very different world.
Shanshu with a little twist. Speaker does a convincing William voice,
and the other characters are well written, too. And it's even more
interesting to watch the characters - the whole crazy 'verse -
through the eyes of polite, naive William... who's essentially a time
traveller.
===============================================
"The Nyazian Prophecies"
http://www.nyazian.net/
My favourite virtual season right after AtS No Limits! Terrific
characterization, fleshed-out OCs, great plots... and I see they're
still going strong, episode 2.08 has just been posted to their LJ (I'm
still in season one, trying to catch up on my fanfic reading *eyes
ever growing pile*) I urge you to give this one a shot even if it
doesn't feature your favourite character(s). Connor and Andrew are the
major characters in this spin-off, with occasional cameos by other
characters... the latest one has Angel, Spike, and Lorne, for example.
Title: "Resurrection" (The Nyazian Prophecies, 1x01)
Author: Emcee
Spoilers: post-NFA
Rating: PG-13?
Length: 16.500 words (novella)
Summary: "No spell can stop destiny. No demon can stop the Destroyer"
Four months after fighting Marcus Hamilton with Angel, Connor has
settled into a fairly normal life (with the occassional vampire
slayage). But a new vampire leader named Clarice has plans for Connor.
He is called into action with help from a Watcher sent by Angel...
Andrew Wells.
[...]
The setting is Stanford, where Connor is trying to have a mostly
demon-free lifestyle, only to find he can't escape his past. He gets
teamed up with Andrew. That part did ask for a bit of suspension of
disbelief on my part - the Watcher's Council must have been really
decimated if they assign such an important position to bumbling Andrew
(formerly evil). Then again, it's not like they haven't done it
before. Besides that, pairing these two up and having it set at
Stanford is brilliant. Close enough to the original show to have the
emotional connection, yet different enough to create something fresh.
Add a few three-dimensional OCs in main roles, and guest
appearances by other characters, and you got an interesting recipe for
a spin-off.
Their website is worth a visit in any case - the episode guide looks
like the real thing, and their DVD set (coming soon) cracked me up.
Beautifully done, everything. Definitely worth checking out if you
like Connor and/or Andrew and are looking for another long, involved
storyline to sink your teeth into.
===============================================
"Spike and the Rug Rats" by Meg
link: http://ficbitch.com/slashingtheangel/spikeandtherugrats.html
Spoilers: AtS s1
Rating: NC 17 ("Warnings: m/m sex, property destruction")
Length: 6,000 words (short)
Summary: Kate upsets Angel which upsets Spike who's got a plan to sort
it out.
makd over on ell-jay had a list of Kate fics, which is how I found
this charming piece. Well, Kate appears more in the background, but I
like it a lot nonetheless, for the snarky Spike-voice alone. That
story was fun to read.
===============================================
"What Happens In Vegas" by Barb C.
http://sleepingjaguars.com/buffy/vegas.htm
Rating: NC-17
Setting: Post-Gift AU Season 7/8. No specific spoilers for the show.
Pairing: B/S
Synopsis: One wedding, two murders, and a whole bunch of slot machines.
Author's notes: This story takes place in the same universe as
"Raising In the Sun," "Necessary Evils," and "A Parliament of
Monsters." It's set in the summer after POM, and contains spoilers for
POM.
Well, I was trying to stay spoiler free for POM but I finally caved.
Am now more than mildly spoiled for POM, but this fic was absolutely
worth it.
This story is fun. I'd say it's not just for the S/B crowd. A witty,
plotty, clever ghost story with a very quotable Buffy. Not to be
missed, particularly if you like your fic with a generous dash of humour.
===============================================
"Night of the Hunter" by Jennifer-Oksana
http://glassonion.populli.org/archive/1/night.shtml
Spoilers: That Old Gang Of Mine
Rating: NC-17
Length: 29,000 words
Summary: Cordelia has a vision of a brutal murder--which turn out to
be copycats--or are they? Time gets cut to pieces, Angel and Cordelia
get cozy and it may not turn out all right in the end. Angelus/Darla,
Angel/Cordelia, Dru/Spike.
"Night of the Hunter" is one of Jennyo's earlier AtS stories, and one
of my favourites of her fanfic. This one has a inventive plot, just
the right amount of darkness, and sparkling C/A subtext (mostly).
===============================================
"Cold As It Gets" by EnigmaticBlue
http://www.freewebs.com/enigmaticblue/angeltheseriesfics.htm
Spoilers: AtS s4 through 'Inside Out'; Buffy s6 'Grave'
Rating: PG 15
Summary: Set in a very AU world after the BtVS S6 episode Grave and
the Ats S4 episode, Orpheus. Spike never shows up in Sunnydale, Faith
sticks around in L.A., since there's no First Evil to worry about in
Sunnydale, and Angel and Connor manage to prevent Jasmine from rising.
The AI gang is left fragmented until the Powers That Be decide to
intervene.
Status: WIP, 9 of 12 chapters up, updated every other day
Length: Novella
Ensemble fic, very well written, with convincing characterization and
slowly and realistically developing relationships. I discovered this
fic only yesterday. After devouring the first eight chapters I came
online to rec it and find a new chapter posted. :) Just getting
this quick rec in before I get back to the story...
===============================================
"Disassociative" by Tesla
part1: http://tesla321.livejournal.com/177875.html
part2: http://tesla321.livejournal.com/177979.html
spoilers: post chosen/NFA
Rating: PG-13?
length: 3,400 words (short)
Summary: Weeks after the fight in the alley, Faith goes looking for
Angel.
A Faith/Angel friendship fic with a strong Faith voice. The
characterization rings true; those two are alike in so many ways, they
just *get* each other.
===============================================
I don't know what's with me and the drabbles and vignettes lateley.
Here's another short one I really liked.
"Monster" by Fia Reynne
link: http://fiareynne.livejournal.com/31898.html
Spoilers: NFA
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Angel, Wesley, Connor
length: vignette
Angel and Wes, post NFA
===============================================
"Birdsong" by a2zmom
link: http://a2zmom.livejournal.com/102108.html
Spoilers: s4, A New World
Rating: none
A drabble, written for Open On Sunday. Connor POV.
===============================================
Archive rec: Volition (Cordy/Angel fic)
I just heard that Volition, the archive of the Angel/Cordelia Angst
Yahoo! group, is back in business after being offline for ages.
http://www.dbfandom.com/volition.htm
This archive hosts some great C/A fic, it's good to see it back. I
have had the hardest time finding good C/A ever since Cordelia was
written off the show.
===============================================
ficlets by flurblewig
link: http://flurblewig.livejournal.com/95677.html
spoilers: let's say all of Buffy and Angel to be safe
Rating: doesn't say... R - NC-17? Lilah and Wes are in there so...
Flurblewig wrote seven vignettes, upon request: all different
characters, pairings and themes. Seven delicious appetizers will make
for a rather nice meal. :o)
I think My favourite is the last one (Lilah and Wes post NFA). I also
really like the Spike/Willow one.
===============================================
"Best Souvenir" by tkp (WIP)
Link: http://tkp.livejournal.com/tag/best+souvenir
Spoilers: it's AU, with vague allusions to canon events
Rating: PG-13 (so far)
Pairing: B/A
Summary: Whistler never existed. Angel never stopped bumming around
Manhattan to go to Sunnydale to meet Buffy. Buffy's experiences are
canon, minus Angel and things that relate to Angel (including Buffy's
relationships with Spike, Drusilla, and Darla. The nature of Buffy's
altered background with these characters will be explained within the
fic). Half a year to a year after S7, Buffy is living in Rome (per
canon), but has to visit Manhattan on Slayer business. Future-fic,
alternate reality.
I broke my no-WIP rule for this story, because I saw it recced after
having just read tkp's daring, experimental "Five Ways NFA Probably
Didn't End" and wanted to check out more by the same author. Well,
this story is different in every imaginable way, I couldn't even have
told that they're by the same writer. While FWNPDE focuses on style
and structure, the style here takes a backseat.
I'm only five chapters in, but I'm already in love with it... hence
the early rec. After spending yesterday reading a mediocre tie-in
novel, this story is a good reminder why I prefer fanfic. The dialog
flows naturally, and the characters are exactly who I imagine they
would be in this reality, not formed by the events we know.
===============================================
"Five Ways NFA Probably Didn't End" by tkp
link:http://tkp.livejournal.com/18369.html (parts 1-3)
http://tkp.livejournal.com/18527.html (parts 4-5)
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: post-NFA/Chosen
length: novella (each part ca. 2.000 words)
A story like... a kaleidoscope. Fragments and threads, intricately
interwoven, in constant motion. Amazing.
===============================================
"Troika" by Barb C.
http://rahirah.livejournal.com/182293.html
Spoilers: Post-NFA
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: B/S, B/A, A/S
"This is an attempt at a 369er, three stand-alone but thematically
linked ultra-shorts of 69 words each."
I don't rec vignettes often; I always feel that the rec would be
almost as long a the fic itself, and besides I'm more partial to
longfics. But I found this ficlet fascinating. Barb sums up this whole
complex love triangle in no more than 3x69 words, in a way that's very
elegant and efficient. And, I can really see this work.
===============================================
Two Cordy fics I saw on livejournal recently and enjoyed reading. I'd
love to be more specific but it's awfully late and my brain doesn't
work any more, so without further ado...
"A Nativity Scene" by Meyerlemon
Link: http://meyerlemon.livejournal.com/490695.html
spoilers: AtS season three
Rating: There is no porn.
length: short
Summary: Cordelia is actually not that great with the baby.
"Five Lovers Cordelia Chase Could Have Totally Had, If She'd Wanted Them " by Starlet2367
Link: http://starlet2367.livejournal.com/181905.html
spoilers: some AtS s2, pretty vague
rating: PG?
Length: short
SUMMARY: The title says it all
===============================================
"The Devil You Know" by ficangel (Mari)
Link: http://tinyurl.com/afnov
or
http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=ficangel&keyword=The+Devil+You+Know&filter=all
Spoilers: post NFA
Characters: Lindsey, Angel, Spike, Illyria, and several well-developed OCs
Rating: R
Length: novel (*long* novel, well over 100.000 words)
Summary: Lindsey died, and then it got interesting.
Mari is the author of Ashes, Ashes, one of my favourite stories last
year. TDYK is a Lindsey/Angel story, but I wouldn't classify it as a
shippy fic. Lindsey's relationship with Angel is a central part of the
story, but the story is heavy on plot and action (which gives the few
close, intimate scenes between the two all the more depth, imho). The
plot: Lindsey finds himself pulled out of hell to find that Angel's
little coup had gone very wrong, and L.A. got taken over by the forces
of hell.
Mari takes a few liberties with Lindsey's characterization, which
doesn't really mesh with season five canon... but since season five
Lindsey never made sense in the first place, I happily went with her
interpretation.
Small quibble: I'm assuming the story is spellchecked but not betaed -
particularly in the middle part there're quite a few typos, small
stuff like 'an' instead of 'can'. It's a bit distracting if you have
to go back and re-read the sentence in the middle of an action
sequence. Nothing that would keep me from enjoying the story, though.
===============================================
If you haven't teared up yet (even a little), here's another excellent
post-You're Welcome story...
"Death of a Superhero" by Phoenix Moon
[eta: can't find working link]
Spoilers: s5 You're Welcome
Rating: G
Length: short
Summary: Parallel universes tend to mirror each other. After a
desolate funeral in the real world post "You're Welcome," the world of
the Cordy!verse adjusts to life without everyone's favourite actress,
Cordelia Chase
Another wonderful tribute to Cordelia Chase. The way the two universes
are contrasted works really well.
===============================================
"Undrowning" by Hannasus
Link: http://hannasus.livejournal.com/65631.html
Spoilers: s5 You're Welcome
Rating: PG
Length: short
Summary: How was one supposed go about comparison shopping for funeral
homes, anyway?
The grief in this is palpable. A sad, painful, and beautiful fic that
seems very real... a fitting goodbye for Cordy.
(really made me realize once more how much I miss that character... sigh)
===============================================
"Goodbye, Cruel World" by Hannasus
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/hannasus/61520.html
Spoilers: Not Fade Away
Rating: PG
Length: 4,400 words (short)
Author's Note: The first installment in my planned Angel: Afterlife
series. Post-ep for "Not Fade Away" and a sequel of sorts to my
earlier story, "Curses." It'll probably make more sense if you've read
that one first.
Summary: It was very late at night, on what was once again shaping up
to be the end of the world.
This story brings back Aggie (Lorne's psychic friend, who made a brief
appearance in season two). I liked the immediate chemistry she had
with the Fang Gang in "Curses", so I was hoping for a sequel. And
Hannasus found a very plausible way to bring her into the game again.
A promising setup, I'm really looking forward to reading more in this
series.
===============================================
"Out of This Stony Rubbish" by Annakovsky
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/annakovsky/155513.html
Spoilers: post-'The Gift' AU
Rating: R.
Length: 11,200 words (nouvelle)
Summary: "sequel to The Weary World Rejoicing, which was set in an
apocalyptic AU where the events of "The Gift" didn't turn out so
great." Spike. Willow. Xander. Anya. Giles. Tara.
For Christmas I wanted to re-rec Annakovsky's hauntingly beautiful
story "The Weary World Rejoicing". (Whenever I listen to 'O Holy
Night' I'll get goosebumps because of the one line, which invariably
evokes the mood and images of that story.)
http://s8219.net/bbfarchive/archive/0/theweary.html
And I discovered Annakovsky has written a sequel. If possible, even
bleaker than the first... not your typical cheerful christmas story.
But despite all the apocalyptic death and darkness it's still a story
of hope. At least that's how I read it. :)
===============================================
"Valley of Ashes" by Hannasus
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/hannasus/58890.html
Spoilers: Post-ep for "The Gift"/"There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb."
Rating: PG
Length: 3.700 words
Summary: Willow goes to L.A. to break the news of Buffy's death to Angel.
A missing scene fic that captures the mood perfectly. Just gorgeous
writing.
===============================================
The final two episodes of this virtual season are up at the No Limits
site:
http://www.ats-nolimits.com/index.php.
The finale's worth the wait. One of those stories that stayed with me.
The resolution, as such, screams for another season... be warned.
(If you haven't read any of this series yet: I highly recommend it,
but make sure you start with episode one, as the whole season follows
a central story arc.)
===============================================
The L.A. Patient by Flurblewig
Spoilers: AtS: s5 'A Hole in the World"; House: haven't got the foggiest
Rating: PG-13?
Length: Novella... around 18,000 words, I'd guess
Summary: AtS/House xover
This story is a fun read, and the best kind of crossover: it got me
interested in all the characters, even though I've never watched an
episode of House. Now I want to catch at least one, to see more of them.
===============================================
"Felt or Fur: The Cautionary Tale of Puppet Angel" by spikeNdru
Link: http://www.angelfire.com/vamp/swordandstake/Felt_or_Fur.htm
Spoilers: 'Smile Time'
Rating: PG-13
Length: short
Summary: Written for dovil's Mpreg Challenge Ficathon
I'd actually stumbled over that story a few months ago, but when I saw
the ominous word 'mpreg' I went Eeek and closed the window (it's a
reflex). But I saw it rec'ced again on makd's rec-by-ep list, so I
gave it a go. What can I say: it's funny, it's cute, the ending is
absolutely hilarious. Don't scroll down, though, it would ruin the
punchline.
*checks if hell has, indeed, frozen over*
===============================================
Title: "Curses"
Author: Hannasus
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/hannasus/52783.html
Spoilers: AtS s5 You're Welcome
Rating:PG-13
Length: 10,300 words (novella)
Summary: When Angel gets cursed yet again, Lorne enlists the reluctant
help of his empath friend Aggie (who briefly appeared in the episode
"Over the Rainbow.")
I'm always looking for good genfic that's in tone with the show, and
it's not getting any easier to find... so I'm thrilled whenever I
discover a new gen writer. This story is in the vein of Rheanna's
fanfic: a plotty, episodic ensemble fic with excellent dialog.
(Really, the dialog alone would make it worth reading.) Aggie makes
for a likeable, well-developed not-quite-OC, and underying it all is a
rather interesting moral dilemma.
Enjoy!
(And don't forget to feed the author so she'll write more! ;o)
===============================================
"Rearview" by Yhlee (AtS/Bones crossover)
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/yhlee/458578.html
Spoilers: AtS: set post-NFA; Bones: nothing specific
Characters: Angel, Booth
Rating: PG-13
Length: 3,000 words (short)
Summary: Reflections, demon-hunting, water. Not to mention the new
Caritas.
Yhlee wrote this excellent story in reply to a challenge, and it's
amazing what she came up with. She's a skilled writer, I love her
style - evocative yet understated... in short, I'll recommend this fic
even if you have never watched an episode of 'Bones'.
===============================================
"Eternity in Sixty Minutes (or Less)" by Saliery
part 1: http://www.livejournal.com/users/st_salieri/137669.html
part 2: http://st-salieri.livejournal.com/138347.html
Spoilers: AtS S5
Rating: PG
Length: 4,600 words (short)
Author's summary: an Angel, Wes and Illyria piece that takes place
during the events of Time Bomb. (or: Angel/Wes/Illyria
dimension-shifting wackiness)
I see from the wishweek requests that I'm far from the only Genfic
lover here. Heh. Here's a story I just discovered on Livejournal: it's
got plot, it's got excellent characterization, it ties neatly into the
episode and is just very well written overall.
===============================================
"Echoes" by Janedavitt and WesleysGirl (NoLimits episode 6.18)
Link: http://www.ats-nolimits.com/episodes/ep0618.php
Spoilers: post-NFA
Rating: no higher than R
Length: 15,000 words (novella)
Summary: A girl Connor saves may prove to be Angel's undoing. Also:
the battle between Angel and Wesley heats up.
I want to get my rec in before ep 19 premieres next Wednesday...
This is a darker episode, after last week's comedy. It'd be worth
reading for the character interaction and dialogue alone. Gripping
plot, too, pushing along the season's arc. This season has really
picked up the pace during the last couple eps. I can't wait to find
out what Wesley is up to (or, rather, the writers).
===============================================
"Remains" (Ats NoLimits, ep 17) by Stakebait, WesleysGirl, and Jane Davitt
Link: http://www.ats-nolimits.com/episodes/ep0617.php
Spoilers: through 'Not Fade Away'
Rating: um, maybe PG-15?
Length: 16,000 words (novella)
Summary: A mission goes horribly awry, leaving Spike in charge while
something nasty makes its way towards Los Angeles.
The NoLimits team have outdone themselves with this one. I could so
see that as a tv episode... well, possibly there's a tad more slashy
goodness than we'd get to see on network television (though overall
it's still pretty Gen in my book, with a generous side of Slash). The
dialogue: snarky and in character. Great plot... self-contained plot,
too, so this ep works fine as a standalone, for those readers who
haven't followed this virtual season. But above all, this ep is funny
as hell. This is definitely one of my favourites of this season.
===============================================
"Depressed There" by Tania
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/itsabigrock/267711.html
Spoilers: None
Rating: R-ish
Pairing: Spike/Angel
Length: 116 kb / 8,500 words
Summary: Angel always remembers Montana with a little smile.
I don't seek out historical fic but I love it when done well... and
this is done very well! She really catches the feeling of the period
(what I imagine the period would've been like, anyway). The setting,
the descriptions, the mood are all vivid, and the character voices are
spot on as well.
===============================================
I found this gem in my huge stack of printed-yet-unread fanfics. Can't
believe I almost missed this one. Yay for insomnia.
"Uncontrolled Circumstances" by Eloise Bright
http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=eloise_bright&keyword=AtS+End+of+Days+fic&filter
or: http://tinyurl.com/6wu47
Spoilers: AtS s4 Spin The Bottle
RATING: PG13
Length: 100 kb/9,500 words
Summary: What exactly happened to our heroes' grown-up selves in STB?
The story of Head Boy Wesley.
I loved this fic, the stuffy atmosphere at the Watcher's Academy. Lots
of amusing details and little references. Wesley as head boy is just
fun to watch, and still you can always see a glimpse at the hardened
side of his character. Great plot, too; makes perfect sense (finally,
an answer to one of the buffyverse's gnawing questions.)
===============================================
The Good, The Bad, and Cordelia Chase by Speaker2customers
Spoilers: Buffy s3 'The Wish'; a few spoilers for s5
Rating: PG-13?
Length: 141 kb
A lighthearted story that takes wishverse canon and runs with it...
tugging and twisting it a bit until it's even more AU than before.
===============================================
"Word of Advice" by Helga von Nutwimple
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2267797/1/
Spoilers: post NFA
Rating: T. That's, what, PG-13?
Author's summary: Meet the newly reformed Angel Investigations in
Cleveland, where the god-king receptionist's phone manners leave
something to be desired and Angel... has changed.
Length: short
I was checking for updates of 'As the Romans do' and stumbled upon
this little fic - a bit of unabashed fluff. Plus, your one (and
presumably only) chance to see Angel in a pink lacy bonnet.
in other news...
No Limits (virtual season six) has been updated with another
excellent, Connor-centric episode:
'Natural Born' by Ros Fod, http://ats-nolimits.com/episodes/ep0613.php
(rec for the entire series found in the bookmarks/links section)
===============================================
"And Other Strangers" by Karabair
http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=karabair&keyword=AndOtherStrangers&filter=all
or: http://tinyurl.com/58lts
Spoilers: Anges s3 'Birthday'
Rating: NC-17
Length: 12.300 words
Notes: Wesley/Cordelia.
Author's summary: A spin-off of the AtS season 3 episode "Birthday."
I love stories which explore the Birthdayverse some more. And I'm not
a Cordy/Wes shipper at all, but the story really did a good job
selling me on the pairing. Great character voices, too.
There's an epilogue called 'Scrubbing', found under the same link.
===============================================
"Pinch Me" by Tania
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/itsabigrock/286694.html
Spoilers: Not Fade Away
Rating: R
Pairing: Angel/Spike
Length: 7.000 words
Summary: A Shanshu tale, of sorts.
This one had me in its grip right till the end. Just the perfect
balance of angst and fluff. A story that bears re-reading.
===============================================
"The Signs that We Missed" by redbrickrose
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/community/ats_endofdays/17499.html
Spoilers: 'Reprise' through 'Not Fade Away'
Rating: PG-13?
Length: 4.260 words
Notes: Written for the ats_endofdays tribute on LiveJournal, for the
episode 'Reprise'
Redbrickrose writes, "It's a series of vignettes, really. They're
character studies. Yeah. That's it." Which is a really modest way to
describe this fic... What she does is weave a tapestry of a story -
out of these little snippets that are yet all connected in the greater
context of the show's arc, from the events of 'Reprise' right through
'Not Fade Away', with amazing insights into each character. The
language is beautiful, the last sentence - just perfect. One of the
stories I want to re-read right away, one which offers food for
thought (and makes me love this show all the more).
===============================================
"Never Fall in Love With the Good Guys" by HonorH
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/honorh/110654.html#cutid1
Spoilers: NFA, Chosen
Rating: PG-13?
Length: 1.500 words
Summary: Lorne and Anya, chatting in a bar.
Both the voices are just excellent. My only gripe is that it whets the
appetite for more. It screams for a sequel.
Besides, there's never enough Lorne fic out there.
===============================================
"Ronin" by Cyn
link: http://home.att.net/~lubakmetyk/crypt.htm#cynthia
Spoilers: post Not Fade Away
Rating: R
Length: novella
Author's summary: Andrew Watches over Spike and Dana, after an
Apocalypse. Set in Los Angeles and Mexico.
Status: This story is complete and there's a sequel in the works.
I like Cyn's writing style a lot.
Anyway, roadtrip with vampyre. Enjoy.
===============================================
Title: "Groundhog Night" by Sajinn
Link: http://sajinn.com/buffyfic3/groundhognight.html
Spoilers: Some general AtS s4-ness
Rating: R (a rather tame R, imho)
Author's summary: Angel and Cordelia follow in Bill Murray's
footsteps. This is the Yule 2002 Secret Slasha for Dolores. She
requested the following pairings: Joyce/Cordelia & Oz/Angel.
Length: 6.800 words
Groundhog Day goes medieval...
===============================================
"Still the Same Old Story" by Wolfling and WesleyGirl
(No Limits 6.8, standalone episode)
Rating: guessing PG-13
Spoilers: post NFA, AtS s6
Length: 14.400 words
Summary: A night off sends Angel and the gang into a place where
everything is not as black and white as it seems. Also, Wesley has
difficulty with his ties to Wolfram & Hart.
I love the whole virtual season but this episode tickled me in
particular. The visuals of the first scene drew me into the story
right away. Pitch-perfect voices for every single character and a
nifty 'film noir' plot idea that's really well executed. Wesley's role
remains shadowy... setup for future conflict a-plenty.
I like the subtle way the writers go about the relationships. Sure,
they're important to the storyline, it's all character driven. But it
doesn't center around any one romantic ship, and it doesn't look like
it will anytime soon. They're really taking their time setting up the
relationships, with room for speculation. And I'm enjoying the subtext
way more than I would enjoy out-and-out ship fic.
===============================================
"Alla Prima" by D.M. Evans
http://www.foreverfandom.net/viewstory.php?sid=5814&PHPSESSID=b0b8af111798824b0634be7078f57065
Rating - PG-13
Spoilers - S5 of Angel thru 'Damage'
Length: 8.750 words, complete
Summary - Something is making the art work in LA come to life,
something dark from Angel and Spike's past
Solid plotfic; I found the premise of the story quite interesting.
===============================================
Okay, the author categorizes this as 'silly drabble' and indeed, that
describes it well. I found it hilarious... maybe I just got a really
weird sense of humour. Well, so does Nickle, apparently.
Title: "Surviving the Wrath of Cordelia"
Author: Nickle
link: http://www.stranger-things.net/justfic/index/n/nickle/surviving.htm
Rating: G
Spoilers: none
Pairing: well, it says C/A, but this is *not* a shippy story. Silly,
yes. Shippy, no.
Summary: Almost kill her, sleep around on her, give away her clothes,
but don't ever mess with her tapes of Survivor.
length: 435 words
I did mention the sillyness, no?
===============================================
Title: "Goldilocks and Blondie Bear Meet Beauty and the Beast or A
Midsummer Night's Dream (complete with Ass)"
Author: Jo
Link: http://www.octavesoftheheart.com/angeltexts/goldilocks.htm
Spoilers: AtS s4 'Orpheus'
Rating: G
Length: 4.000 words
Author's summary: It's about soul magic. A response to Dark
Star's
challenge at the Blood Roses forum.
A bit of insanity that takes a, say, slightly-AU turn during
'Orpheus'.
===============================================
"Two Steps Back" by Yahtzee
http://www.thechicagoloop.net/yahtzee/chivalry/chivfic/TwoStepsBack/TSBIndexPage.html
Spoilers: All of AtS
Rating: R
length: 32.460 words
Summary: Angel has a chance to go back and put everything right - but
where can he begin? And where can it possibly end?
Yahtzee is one of the very best fanfic writers out there, along with
Rheanna my favourite author... and she has written another Angel
story, which I just stumbled upon tonight. :o)
'Two Steps Back' is a right tour de force - you don't want to put it
down, not for one second. It moves at an incredible pace and at the
same time takes its time to build up the underlying themes. I wish I
could come up with a rec that would do this story justice, but hey,
it's 4:30 am. Go, read. Seriously.
===============================================
A treat for AtS fans :o)
kassia06 over on LJ has written a missing ep gen story that is so
amazingly true to the characters, season two really comes to life.
With plot ::happy sigh::
"Homemaking" by Kassia
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/kassia06/27278.html?view=47502#t47502
Spoilers: AtS s2 AYNOHYEB
Rating: PG?
Length: 7.850 words
Summary: Cordelia and Wesley are exploring their new base of
operations. Angel is acting strange.
===============================================
Rec: Angel: No Limits, eps 2 and 3
I read the third episode of this virtual series today and am once more
in a state of inarticulate squeeing, but I'll try to post something beyond
'Wow'.
This is simply my favourite kind of fanfic: really well written; plot driven
and with plenty of action scenes but without the emotional distance
from the characters one sometimes encounters in plot-driven stories
(most notably the official novels, bleh). Characterization and dialogue,
totally on the mark. Countless humorous lines sprinkled in. And it's all
fresh and original while being true to the show.
Ep 2 is the continuation of the season opener. Ep 3 works as a
standalone but I'd definitely read the series in the right order; they
have seasonal arcs going, as well as episodic plots. The writing is
consistent. Even though there are different writers for the eps, the
season so far is very coherent as a whole, a great team effort.
Astrid
'6x02: Tremor' by Wolfling and Mad Poetess
Link: http://ats-nolimits.com/episodes/ep0602.php
Spoilers: all of AtS
Rating: no higher than R
Length: 13.800 words
Summary (or, in this case, tv guide blurb): A new, seemingly
unstoppable form of demon is still overwhelming the forces of Angel
Investigations in the concluding part of the two-episode season-
opener. However, the return of an old friend provides help just when
the gang needs it most.
'6x03: A Temp is Just a Temp' by Kara
Link: http://ats-nolimits.com/episodes/ep0603.php
Spoilers: all of AtS
Rating: no higher than R
Length: 15.200 words
Summary: Angel and his gang investigate a series of ritual killings.
Meanwhile, a string of increasingly unsuitable job applicants have
Angel wondering if some positions just can't be filled.
===============================================
"Last One Before Closing" by Selena
Link: http://archive.shriftweb.org/archive/29/lastone.html
Spoilers: AtS S5 'Origin'
Rating: PG
Length: vignette
Summary: After regaining his memories, Wesley asks Lorne for a
favour.
A short character study. Made me ache for both of them and who they
used to be.
===============================================
"6.1 Flutter" by The Brat Queen
http://ats-nolimits.com/episodes/ep0601.php
Spoilers: Post NFA, so all of Angel
Rating: guessing... PG-13?
Length: 18,700 words
'Flutter' is the season opener of 'AtS No Limits', the virtual season
six, and I gotta say, the show may have been cancelled but this is
pretty close to the real thing. From the sound of it, this virtual
season is being put together with incredible care, effort, love, and
skill. They got a team of writers, editors, deadlines... the website
features promos and interviews, even spoilers .
The first ep really feels like _the_ season opener. That special AtS
vibe, it's there - the dialogue is snarky, the characters three-
dimensional - I could hear the voices, and saw the images in my head.
There are already hints at character- and plot arcs. The plot picks
up three months after where NFA left off and is so interesting that
I'm tempted to look up spoilers for next week's ep.
I had the silliest smile on my face all the while I was reading it.
===============================================
First one to rec... heh :)
Title: "It's Just a Jump to the Left" by kimberly_a
http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=kimberly_fan&keyword=My+Fic:+It%27s+Just+A+Jump+to+the+Left&filter=all
Spoilers: AU after BtVS s5
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Spike/Xander
Length: 38.000 words
notes: LJ rec for now; according to the author a revised version will
be archived eventually. (I just couldn't wait with my rec... and this
doesn't read like an unbeta'ed story in any case.)
Summary: Xander is having the strangest night -- repeatedly.
I saw this story rec'ced on LJ today, and have read it in one go. Or
rather, inhaled it. What a great read - spot-on Xander voice, lots of
demony action, humour, and above all a solid plot... (it doesn't hurt
that it hits on my favourite plot kink, says the fangirl who watched
Groundhog Day eight times ). And I absolutely loved the ending.
And the nuances in the S/X relationship. Heck, I loved every bit
about it.
And I just saw that she's already started to post a sequel... hard to
resist that temptation, WIP or not.
===============================================
I'd planned to bring this up for a while and this is a good
opportunity. It's a promising story by a first-time author that's
currently being posted at ff.net (not the most likely place to find
good fic, but it happens on occasion). At the moment it's updated
almost daily and the first part is already finished so I have hopes
not to get burned by this one. There's a lot of emphasis on plot...
an classic action-adventure plot with a generous side of buddy-movie
Spike/Angel snark (and quite a bit of Spike/Angel UST; no idea
whether that's intentional, but anyway, I like it particularly
because it's not too on the nose.)
The story is unbeta'ed and I don't know if she plans to have it
edited eventually... it could use a beta, though it's nothing majorly
annoying, just those hundreds of little details that will keep a good
story from being a great one. Still, it's enjoyable to read as it is,
and I'm really interested to see where it goes (at the moment I'm
still at the end of the first part).
"Short Walk to Daylight" by Malakhim
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1874597/1/
[edit: looks like she took down the story, but the sequel is still up:
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1966194/1/]
Spoilers: AU after AtS S5 'Damage', Buffy through 'Chosen'
Rating: PG-13
Notes: WIP, part one complete. Plotfic.
Pairing: According to the author's notes, this story is heading in a
B/A direction... though you couldn't really tell from the sheer
amount of A/S subtext in the first part.
Length: part 1 52.000 words; part 2 so far 31.000 words
Author Summary: Angel and Spike must team up to fight a powerful foe
with dark links to Angel's past. To defeat it they must travel to
Rome to seek the help of some old friends.
It's pretty much the only WIP I'm still reading - everything else
I've given up on following because I apparently can't juggle several
WIPs in my head: by the time the next chapter gets posted, I've
usually forgotten what happened in the previous ones. I just created
an extra folder where each new chapter of each story gets stuffed in,
so I can read them in one once the stories are completed.
'Short Walk to Daylight' gets updated faster than I can read it...
which, okay, doesn't mean too much at the moment (I manage about one
page each day before falling asleep...) so running out of new
chapters is not a problem.
===============================================
[eta: lakrids404 posted his BBF list]
Go to Part II... [post too large, now that's a first.]
"High" by girlpire
Link: http://girlpire.livejournal.com/107892.html?format=light
Spoilers: thru NFA
Rating: "E for everyone?"
Pairing: "I'd probably call it gen, but there are lots of Spangel
references."
Characters: Angel, Spike, Gunn, Illyria, OC
Summary: "Post-NFA. What's left of Team Angel is fighting the good
fight in Chicago, and a vision leads Spike and Angel down into the
sewers to rescue a young English man called Jacob.
Author's Notes: This story is a prequel to [Like Drowning], the
graphic Angel/Kate story I wrote last summer. Since this comes
chronologically before that one, you don't need to have read it to
understand this one."
I *loved* girlpire's Kate/Angel fic "Like Drowning" so I was naturally
thrilled that she's writing more stories in her Chicago!verse. In
"High" we find out how Jacob came to run into the fang gang. A
charming, funny story with twists and turns. Enjoy! :o)
===============================================
"What Am I to You" by a2zmom
link: http://a2zmom.livejournal.com/150973.html
Written for the IWRY ficathon 2006
Spoilers: set post Chosen/NFA
Rating: NC-17
Length: 11,000 words (novella)
Summary: "When Angel unexpectedtly shows up at Buffy's door, she
realizes how little she knows him and wonders if she ever did."
"Later, it occurred to her that if this had been a chick flick, she
would have leapt into his arms, they would have both exclaimed that
they'd never let each other go, and years of regret, remorse and
rancor would have vanished into thin air, followed by a mind blowing
kiss. Her life, however, had nothing to do with the movies, unless it
was one of those incomprehensible foreign ones where everybody dies at
the end."
In this post-NFA reunion the two of them don't pick up easily right
where they left off... they have changed, grown apart over the years.
A wonderful story, realistic and very convincing, with great character
voices on top of it.
===============================================
"War Stories: Raising the Banner " by tkp
link: http://tkp.livejournal.com/35384.html
spoilers: post-NFA
Rating: PG13?
length: 9,000 words
"Setting: The only AU element is that the episode “Origin” never
happened. No one but Angel knows who Connor really is. NFA happens,
minus the Connor bits. The fic is set post-NFA in a post-apocalyptic
world.
Characters: Focus is on Connor and Angel, with a good side of Spike.
There will be other Buffyverse characters, some major and some minor,
and lots of OCs. There will be ‘ships that happen between all of
these, including slash, but for the most part, this series is gen.
It’s about fictional war and politics, derring-do and
swashbucklingness, burdens of leadership, orders of command, warring
factions, insubordination, that kind of thing, with a father and son
at the heart of it."
This is the first story in a whole AU series. The premise is
intriguing: Connor not knowing who Angel really is opens up a wealth
of possibilities for their relationship, and I can see how tkp has fun
exploring it. And it's great fun to read, too, not just for the
Connor-Angel interaction. This is an ensemble fic, all the characters
voices ring very true. Spike's snarky presence serves well to keep
Angel grounded (surviving The Battle is not a contingency Angel
planned for and it's not something he'd deal with all that well.)
An AU that just draws you in.
===============================================
"The Sure Thing" by Barb C.
link: http://rahirah.livejournal.com/220651.html
Spoilers: none for the show
Rating: PG
Pairing: Buffy/Spike
Length: 4,500 words
Synopsis: A minion's lot is not a happy one.
Author's notes: This story takes place in the same universe as
"Raising In the Sun," "Necessary Evils," and "A Parliament of
Monsters." It's set several years after POM, and contains spoilers.
Written from the point of view of a long-suffering minion - hilarious.
===============================================
"Like Drowning" by girlpire
link: http://girlpire.livejournal.com/73015.html
Spoilers: post-NFA
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Angel/Kate
Length: 8,600 words
Summary: Post-NFA. Kate and Angel run into each other while tracking
the same demon.
Hot, steamy, a pleasure to read. Terrific characterization, great Kate
voice. The two of them are picking up right where they left off. And
then take it a step further.
Man, I missed Kate. This fic made my day.
===============================================
"Life, Resumed" by Speakr2customers (WIP)
http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=speakr2customrs&keyword=Life+Resumed&filter=all
or, shorter: http://tinyurl.com/qk4sb
Spoilers: NFA
Rating: PG
Characters: William (formerly known as Spike) and ensemble
Length: hm, about 10,000 words so far? Five chapters up
Summary: William finds himself in a very different world.
Shanshu with a little twist. Speaker does a convincing William voice,
and the other characters are well written, too. And it's even more
interesting to watch the characters - the whole crazy 'verse -
through the eyes of polite, naive William... who's essentially a time
traveller.
===============================================
"The Nyazian Prophecies"
http://www.nyazian.net/
My favourite virtual season right after AtS No Limits! Terrific
characterization, fleshed-out OCs, great plots... and I see they're
still going strong, episode 2.08 has just been posted to their LJ (I'm
still in season one, trying to catch up on my fanfic reading *eyes
ever growing pile*) I urge you to give this one a shot even if it
doesn't feature your favourite character(s). Connor and Andrew are the
major characters in this spin-off, with occasional cameos by other
characters... the latest one has Angel, Spike, and Lorne, for example.
Title: "Resurrection" (The Nyazian Prophecies, 1x01)
Author: Emcee
Spoilers: post-NFA
Rating: PG-13?
Length: 16.500 words (novella)
Summary: "No spell can stop destiny. No demon can stop the Destroyer"
Four months after fighting Marcus Hamilton with Angel, Connor has
settled into a fairly normal life (with the occassional vampire
slayage). But a new vampire leader named Clarice has plans for Connor.
He is called into action with help from a Watcher sent by Angel...
Andrew Wells.
[...]
The setting is Stanford, where Connor is trying to have a mostly
demon-free lifestyle, only to find he can't escape his past. He gets
teamed up with Andrew. That part did ask for a bit of suspension of
disbelief on my part - the Watcher's Council must have been really
decimated if they assign such an important position to bumbling Andrew
(formerly evil). Then again, it's not like they haven't done it
before. Besides that, pairing these two up and having it set at
Stanford is brilliant. Close enough to the original show to have the
emotional connection, yet different enough to create something fresh.
Add a few three-dimensional OCs in main roles, and guest
appearances by other characters, and you got an interesting recipe for
a spin-off.
Their website is worth a visit in any case - the episode guide looks
like the real thing, and their DVD set (coming soon) cracked me up.
Beautifully done, everything. Definitely worth checking out if you
like Connor and/or Andrew and are looking for another long, involved
storyline to sink your teeth into.
===============================================
"Spike and the Rug Rats" by Meg
link: http://ficbitch.com/slashingtheangel/spikeandtherugrats.html
Spoilers: AtS s1
Rating: NC 17 ("Warnings: m/m sex, property destruction")
Length: 6,000 words (short)
Summary: Kate upsets Angel which upsets Spike who's got a plan to sort
it out.
makd over on ell-jay had a list of Kate fics, which is how I found
this charming piece. Well, Kate appears more in the background, but I
like it a lot nonetheless, for the snarky Spike-voice alone. That
story was fun to read.
===============================================
"What Happens In Vegas" by Barb C.
http://sleepingjaguars.com/buffy/vegas.htm
Rating: NC-17
Setting: Post-Gift AU Season 7/8. No specific spoilers for the show.
Pairing: B/S
Synopsis: One wedding, two murders, and a whole bunch of slot machines.
Author's notes: This story takes place in the same universe as
"Raising In the Sun," "Necessary Evils," and "A Parliament of
Monsters." It's set in the summer after POM, and contains spoilers for
POM.
Well, I was trying to stay spoiler free for POM but I finally caved.
Am now more than mildly spoiled for POM, but this fic was absolutely
worth it.
This story is fun. I'd say it's not just for the S/B crowd. A witty,
plotty, clever ghost story with a very quotable Buffy. Not to be
missed, particularly if you like your fic with a generous dash of humour.
===============================================
"Night of the Hunter" by Jennifer-Oksana
http://glassonion.populli.org/archive/1/night.shtml
Spoilers: That Old Gang Of Mine
Rating: NC-17
Length: 29,000 words
Summary: Cordelia has a vision of a brutal murder--which turn out to
be copycats--or are they? Time gets cut to pieces, Angel and Cordelia
get cozy and it may not turn out all right in the end. Angelus/Darla,
Angel/Cordelia, Dru/Spike.
"Night of the Hunter" is one of Jennyo's earlier AtS stories, and one
of my favourites of her fanfic. This one has a inventive plot, just
the right amount of darkness, and sparkling C/A subtext (mostly).
===============================================
"Cold As It Gets" by EnigmaticBlue
http://www.freewebs.com/enigmaticblue/angeltheseriesfics.htm
Spoilers: AtS s4 through 'Inside Out'; Buffy s6 'Grave'
Rating: PG 15
Summary: Set in a very AU world after the BtVS S6 episode Grave and
the Ats S4 episode, Orpheus. Spike never shows up in Sunnydale, Faith
sticks around in L.A., since there's no First Evil to worry about in
Sunnydale, and Angel and Connor manage to prevent Jasmine from rising.
The AI gang is left fragmented until the Powers That Be decide to
intervene.
Status: WIP, 9 of 12 chapters up, updated every other day
Length: Novella
Ensemble fic, very well written, with convincing characterization and
slowly and realistically developing relationships. I discovered this
fic only yesterday. After devouring the first eight chapters I came
online to rec it and find a new chapter posted. :) Just getting
this quick rec in before I get back to the story...
===============================================
"Disassociative" by Tesla
part1: http://tesla321.livejournal.com/177875.html
part2: http://tesla321.livejournal.com/177979.html
spoilers: post chosen/NFA
Rating: PG-13?
length: 3,400 words (short)
Summary: Weeks after the fight in the alley, Faith goes looking for
Angel.
A Faith/Angel friendship fic with a strong Faith voice. The
characterization rings true; those two are alike in so many ways, they
just *get* each other.
===============================================
I don't know what's with me and the drabbles and vignettes lateley.
Here's another short one I really liked.
"Monster" by Fia Reynne
link: http://fiareynne.livejournal.com/31898.html
Spoilers: NFA
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Angel, Wesley, Connor
length: vignette
Angel and Wes, post NFA
===============================================
"Birdsong" by a2zmom
link: http://a2zmom.livejournal.com/102108.html
Spoilers: s4, A New World
Rating: none
A drabble, written for Open On Sunday. Connor POV.
===============================================
Archive rec: Volition (Cordy/Angel fic)
I just heard that Volition, the archive of the Angel/Cordelia Angst
Yahoo! group, is back in business after being offline for ages.
http://www.dbfandom.com/volition.htm
This archive hosts some great C/A fic, it's good to see it back. I
have had the hardest time finding good C/A ever since Cordelia was
written off the show.
===============================================
ficlets by flurblewig
link: http://flurblewig.livejournal.com/95677.html
spoilers: let's say all of Buffy and Angel to be safe
Rating: doesn't say... R - NC-17? Lilah and Wes are in there so...
Flurblewig wrote seven vignettes, upon request: all different
characters, pairings and themes. Seven delicious appetizers will make
for a rather nice meal. :o)
I think My favourite is the last one (Lilah and Wes post NFA). I also
really like the Spike/Willow one.
===============================================
"Best Souvenir" by tkp (WIP)
Link: http://tkp.livejournal.com/tag/best+souvenir
Spoilers: it's AU, with vague allusions to canon events
Rating: PG-13 (so far)
Pairing: B/A
Summary: Whistler never existed. Angel never stopped bumming around
Manhattan to go to Sunnydale to meet Buffy. Buffy's experiences are
canon, minus Angel and things that relate to Angel (including Buffy's
relationships with Spike, Drusilla, and Darla. The nature of Buffy's
altered background with these characters will be explained within the
fic). Half a year to a year after S7, Buffy is living in Rome (per
canon), but has to visit Manhattan on Slayer business. Future-fic,
alternate reality.
I broke my no-WIP rule for this story, because I saw it recced after
having just read tkp's daring, experimental "Five Ways NFA Probably
Didn't End" and wanted to check out more by the same author. Well,
this story is different in every imaginable way, I couldn't even have
told that they're by the same writer. While FWNPDE focuses on style
and structure, the style here takes a backseat.
I'm only five chapters in, but I'm already in love with it... hence
the early rec. After spending yesterday reading a mediocre tie-in
novel, this story is a good reminder why I prefer fanfic. The dialog
flows naturally, and the characters are exactly who I imagine they
would be in this reality, not formed by the events we know.
===============================================
"Five Ways NFA Probably Didn't End" by tkp
link:http://tkp.livejournal.com/18369.html (parts 1-3)
http://tkp.livejournal.com/18527.html (parts 4-5)
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: post-NFA/Chosen
length: novella (each part ca. 2.000 words)
A story like... a kaleidoscope. Fragments and threads, intricately
interwoven, in constant motion. Amazing.
===============================================
"Troika" by Barb C.
http://rahirah.livejournal.com/182293.html
Spoilers: Post-NFA
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: B/S, B/A, A/S
"This is an attempt at a 369er, three stand-alone but thematically
linked ultra-shorts of 69 words each."
I don't rec vignettes often; I always feel that the rec would be
almost as long a the fic itself, and besides I'm more partial to
longfics. But I found this ficlet fascinating. Barb sums up this whole
complex love triangle in no more than 3x69 words, in a way that's very
elegant and efficient. And, I can really see this work.
===============================================
Two Cordy fics I saw on livejournal recently and enjoyed reading. I'd
love to be more specific but it's awfully late and my brain doesn't
work any more, so without further ado...
"A Nativity Scene" by Meyerlemon
Link: http://meyerlemon.livejournal.com/490695.html
spoilers: AtS season three
Rating: There is no porn.
length: short
Summary: Cordelia is actually not that great with the baby.
"Five Lovers Cordelia Chase Could Have Totally Had, If She'd Wanted Them " by Starlet2367
Link: http://starlet2367.livejournal.com/181905.html
spoilers: some AtS s2, pretty vague
rating: PG?
Length: short
SUMMARY: The title says it all
===============================================
"The Devil You Know" by ficangel (Mari)
Link: http://tinyurl.com/afnov
or
http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=ficangel&keyword=The+Devil+You+Know&filter=all
Spoilers: post NFA
Characters: Lindsey, Angel, Spike, Illyria, and several well-developed OCs
Rating: R
Length: novel (*long* novel, well over 100.000 words)
Summary: Lindsey died, and then it got interesting.
Mari is the author of Ashes, Ashes, one of my favourite stories last
year. TDYK is a Lindsey/Angel story, but I wouldn't classify it as a
shippy fic. Lindsey's relationship with Angel is a central part of the
story, but the story is heavy on plot and action (which gives the few
close, intimate scenes between the two all the more depth, imho). The
plot: Lindsey finds himself pulled out of hell to find that Angel's
little coup had gone very wrong, and L.A. got taken over by the forces
of hell.
Mari takes a few liberties with Lindsey's characterization, which
doesn't really mesh with season five canon... but since season five
Lindsey never made sense in the first place, I happily went with her
interpretation.
Small quibble: I'm assuming the story is spellchecked but not betaed -
particularly in the middle part there're quite a few typos, small
stuff like 'an' instead of 'can'. It's a bit distracting if you have
to go back and re-read the sentence in the middle of an action
sequence. Nothing that would keep me from enjoying the story, though.
===============================================
If you haven't teared up yet (even a little), here's another excellent
post-You're Welcome story...
"Death of a Superhero" by Phoenix Moon
[eta: can't find working link]
Spoilers: s5 You're Welcome
Rating: G
Length: short
Summary: Parallel universes tend to mirror each other. After a
desolate funeral in the real world post "You're Welcome," the world of
the Cordy!verse adjusts to life without everyone's favourite actress,
Cordelia Chase
Another wonderful tribute to Cordelia Chase. The way the two universes
are contrasted works really well.
===============================================
"Undrowning" by Hannasus
Link: http://hannasus.livejournal.com/65631.html
Spoilers: s5 You're Welcome
Rating: PG
Length: short
Summary: How was one supposed go about comparison shopping for funeral
homes, anyway?
The grief in this is palpable. A sad, painful, and beautiful fic that
seems very real... a fitting goodbye for Cordy.
(really made me realize once more how much I miss that character... sigh)
===============================================
"Goodbye, Cruel World" by Hannasus
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/hannasus/61520.html
Spoilers: Not Fade Away
Rating: PG
Length: 4,400 words (short)
Author's Note: The first installment in my planned Angel: Afterlife
series. Post-ep for "Not Fade Away" and a sequel of sorts to my
earlier story, "Curses." It'll probably make more sense if you've read
that one first.
Summary: It was very late at night, on what was once again shaping up
to be the end of the world.
This story brings back Aggie (Lorne's psychic friend, who made a brief
appearance in season two). I liked the immediate chemistry she had
with the Fang Gang in "Curses", so I was hoping for a sequel. And
Hannasus found a very plausible way to bring her into the game again.
A promising setup, I'm really looking forward to reading more in this
series.
===============================================
"Out of This Stony Rubbish" by Annakovsky
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/annakovsky/155513.html
Spoilers: post-'The Gift' AU
Rating: R.
Length: 11,200 words (nouvelle)
Summary: "sequel to The Weary World Rejoicing, which was set in an
apocalyptic AU where the events of "The Gift" didn't turn out so
great." Spike. Willow. Xander. Anya. Giles. Tara.
For Christmas I wanted to re-rec Annakovsky's hauntingly beautiful
story "The Weary World Rejoicing". (Whenever I listen to 'O Holy
Night' I'll get goosebumps because of the one line, which invariably
evokes the mood and images of that story.)
http://s8219.net/bbfarchive/archive/0/theweary.html
And I discovered Annakovsky has written a sequel. If possible, even
bleaker than the first... not your typical cheerful christmas story.
But despite all the apocalyptic death and darkness it's still a story
of hope. At least that's how I read it. :)
===============================================
"Valley of Ashes" by Hannasus
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/hannasus/58890.html
Spoilers: Post-ep for "The Gift"/"There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb."
Rating: PG
Length: 3.700 words
Summary: Willow goes to L.A. to break the news of Buffy's death to Angel.
A missing scene fic that captures the mood perfectly. Just gorgeous
writing.
===============================================
The final two episodes of this virtual season are up at the No Limits
site:
http://www.ats-nolimits.com/index.php.
The finale's worth the wait. One of those stories that stayed with me.
The resolution, as such, screams for another season... be warned.
(If you haven't read any of this series yet: I highly recommend it,
but make sure you start with episode one, as the whole season follows
a central story arc.)
===============================================
The L.A. Patient by Flurblewig
Spoilers: AtS: s5 'A Hole in the World"; House: haven't got the foggiest
Rating: PG-13?
Length: Novella... around 18,000 words, I'd guess
Summary: AtS/House xover
This story is a fun read, and the best kind of crossover: it got me
interested in all the characters, even though I've never watched an
episode of House. Now I want to catch at least one, to see more of them.
===============================================
"Felt or Fur: The Cautionary Tale of Puppet Angel" by spikeNdru
Link: http://www.angelfire.com/vamp/swordandstake/Felt_or_Fur.htm
Spoilers: 'Smile Time'
Rating: PG-13
Length: short
Summary: Written for dovil's Mpreg Challenge Ficathon
I'd actually stumbled over that story a few months ago, but when I saw
the ominous word 'mpreg' I went Eeek and closed the window (it's a
reflex). But I saw it rec'ced again on makd's rec-by-ep list, so I
gave it a go. What can I say: it's funny, it's cute, the ending is
absolutely hilarious. Don't scroll down, though, it would ruin the
punchline.
*checks if hell has, indeed, frozen over*
===============================================
Title: "Curses"
Author: Hannasus
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/hannasus/52783.html
Spoilers: AtS s5 You're Welcome
Rating:PG-13
Length: 10,300 words (novella)
Summary: When Angel gets cursed yet again, Lorne enlists the reluctant
help of his empath friend Aggie (who briefly appeared in the episode
"Over the Rainbow.")
I'm always looking for good genfic that's in tone with the show, and
it's not getting any easier to find... so I'm thrilled whenever I
discover a new gen writer. This story is in the vein of Rheanna's
fanfic: a plotty, episodic ensemble fic with excellent dialog.
(Really, the dialog alone would make it worth reading.) Aggie makes
for a likeable, well-developed not-quite-OC, and underying it all is a
rather interesting moral dilemma.
Enjoy!
(And don't forget to feed the author so she'll write more! ;o)
===============================================
"Rearview" by Yhlee (AtS/Bones crossover)
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/yhlee/458578.html
Spoilers: AtS: set post-NFA; Bones: nothing specific
Characters: Angel, Booth
Rating: PG-13
Length: 3,000 words (short)
Summary: Reflections, demon-hunting, water. Not to mention the new
Caritas.
Yhlee wrote this excellent story in reply to a challenge, and it's
amazing what she came up with. She's a skilled writer, I love her
style - evocative yet understated... in short, I'll recommend this fic
even if you have never watched an episode of 'Bones'.
===============================================
"Eternity in Sixty Minutes (or Less)" by Saliery
part 1: http://www.livejournal.com/users/st_salieri/137669.html
part 2: http://st-salieri.livejournal.com/138347.html
Spoilers: AtS S5
Rating: PG
Length: 4,600 words (short)
Author's summary: an Angel, Wes and Illyria piece that takes place
during the events of Time Bomb. (or: Angel/Wes/Illyria
dimension-shifting wackiness)
I see from the wishweek requests that I'm far from the only Genfic
lover here. Heh. Here's a story I just discovered on Livejournal: it's
got plot, it's got excellent characterization, it ties neatly into the
episode and is just very well written overall.
===============================================
"Echoes" by Janedavitt and WesleysGirl (NoLimits episode 6.18)
Link: http://www.ats-nolimits.com/episodes/ep0618.php
Spoilers: post-NFA
Rating: no higher than R
Length: 15,000 words (novella)
Summary: A girl Connor saves may prove to be Angel's undoing. Also:
the battle between Angel and Wesley heats up.
I want to get my rec in before ep 19 premieres next Wednesday...
This is a darker episode, after last week's comedy. It'd be worth
reading for the character interaction and dialogue alone. Gripping
plot, too, pushing along the season's arc. This season has really
picked up the pace during the last couple eps. I can't wait to find
out what Wesley is up to (or, rather, the writers).
===============================================
"Remains" (Ats NoLimits, ep 17) by Stakebait, WesleysGirl, and Jane Davitt
Link: http://www.ats-nolimits.com/episodes/ep0617.php
Spoilers: through 'Not Fade Away'
Rating: um, maybe PG-15?
Length: 16,000 words (novella)
Summary: A mission goes horribly awry, leaving Spike in charge while
something nasty makes its way towards Los Angeles.
The NoLimits team have outdone themselves with this one. I could so
see that as a tv episode... well, possibly there's a tad more slashy
goodness than we'd get to see on network television (though overall
it's still pretty Gen in my book, with a generous side of Slash). The
dialogue: snarky and in character. Great plot... self-contained plot,
too, so this ep works fine as a standalone, for those readers who
haven't followed this virtual season. But above all, this ep is funny
as hell. This is definitely one of my favourites of this season.
===============================================
"Depressed There" by Tania
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/itsabigrock/267711.html
Spoilers: None
Rating: R-ish
Pairing: Spike/Angel
Length: 116 kb / 8,500 words
Summary: Angel always remembers Montana with a little smile.
I don't seek out historical fic but I love it when done well... and
this is done very well! She really catches the feeling of the period
(what I imagine the period would've been like, anyway). The setting,
the descriptions, the mood are all vivid, and the character voices are
spot on as well.
===============================================
I found this gem in my huge stack of printed-yet-unread fanfics. Can't
believe I almost missed this one. Yay for insomnia.
"Uncontrolled Circumstances" by Eloise Bright
http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=eloise_bright&keyword=AtS+End+of+Days+fic&filter
or: http://tinyurl.com/6wu47
Spoilers: AtS s4 Spin The Bottle
RATING: PG13
Length: 100 kb/9,500 words
Summary: What exactly happened to our heroes' grown-up selves in STB?
The story of Head Boy Wesley.
I loved this fic, the stuffy atmosphere at the Watcher's Academy. Lots
of amusing details and little references. Wesley as head boy is just
fun to watch, and still you can always see a glimpse at the hardened
side of his character. Great plot, too; makes perfect sense (finally,
an answer to one of the buffyverse's gnawing questions.)
===============================================
The Good, The Bad, and Cordelia Chase by Speaker2customers
Spoilers: Buffy s3 'The Wish'; a few spoilers for s5
Rating: PG-13?
Length: 141 kb
A lighthearted story that takes wishverse canon and runs with it...
tugging and twisting it a bit until it's even more AU than before.
===============================================
"Word of Advice" by Helga von Nutwimple
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2267797/1/
Spoilers: post NFA
Rating: T. That's, what, PG-13?
Author's summary: Meet the newly reformed Angel Investigations in
Cleveland, where the god-king receptionist's phone manners leave
something to be desired and Angel... has changed.
Length: short
I was checking for updates of 'As the Romans do' and stumbled upon
this little fic - a bit of unabashed fluff. Plus, your one (and
presumably only) chance to see Angel in a pink lacy bonnet.
in other news...
No Limits (virtual season six) has been updated with another
excellent, Connor-centric episode:
'Natural Born' by Ros Fod, http://ats-nolimits.com/episodes/ep0613.php
(rec for the entire series found in the bookmarks/links section)
===============================================
"And Other Strangers" by Karabair
http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=karabair&keyword=AndOtherStrangers&filter=all
or: http://tinyurl.com/58lts
Spoilers: Anges s3 'Birthday'
Rating: NC-17
Length: 12.300 words
Notes: Wesley/Cordelia.
Author's summary: A spin-off of the AtS season 3 episode "Birthday."
I love stories which explore the Birthdayverse some more. And I'm not
a Cordy/Wes shipper at all, but the story really did a good job
selling me on the pairing. Great character voices, too.
There's an epilogue called 'Scrubbing', found under the same link.
===============================================
"Pinch Me" by Tania
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/itsabigrock/286694.html
Spoilers: Not Fade Away
Rating: R
Pairing: Angel/Spike
Length: 7.000 words
Summary: A Shanshu tale, of sorts.
This one had me in its grip right till the end. Just the perfect
balance of angst and fluff. A story that bears re-reading.
===============================================
"The Signs that We Missed" by redbrickrose
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/community/ats_endofdays/17499.html
Spoilers: 'Reprise' through 'Not Fade Away'
Rating: PG-13?
Length: 4.260 words
Notes: Written for the ats_endofdays tribute on LiveJournal, for the
episode 'Reprise'
Redbrickrose writes, "It's a series of vignettes, really. They're
character studies. Yeah. That's it." Which is a really modest way to
describe this fic... What she does is weave a tapestry of a story -
out of these little snippets that are yet all connected in the greater
context of the show's arc, from the events of 'Reprise' right through
'Not Fade Away', with amazing insights into each character. The
language is beautiful, the last sentence - just perfect. One of the
stories I want to re-read right away, one which offers food for
thought (and makes me love this show all the more).
===============================================
"Never Fall in Love With the Good Guys" by HonorH
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/honorh/110654.html#cutid1
Spoilers: NFA, Chosen
Rating: PG-13?
Length: 1.500 words
Summary: Lorne and Anya, chatting in a bar.
Both the voices are just excellent. My only gripe is that it whets the
appetite for more. It screams for a sequel.
Besides, there's never enough Lorne fic out there.
===============================================
"Ronin" by Cyn
link: http://home.att.net/~lubakmetyk/crypt.htm#cynthia
Spoilers: post Not Fade Away
Rating: R
Length: novella
Author's summary: Andrew Watches over Spike and Dana, after an
Apocalypse. Set in Los Angeles and Mexico.
Status: This story is complete and there's a sequel in the works.
I like Cyn's writing style a lot.
Anyway, roadtrip with vampyre. Enjoy.
===============================================
Title: "Groundhog Night" by Sajinn
Link: http://sajinn.com/buffyfic3/groundhognight.html
Spoilers: Some general AtS s4-ness
Rating: R (a rather tame R, imho)
Author's summary: Angel and Cordelia follow in Bill Murray's
footsteps. This is the Yule 2002 Secret Slasha for Dolores. She
requested the following pairings: Joyce/Cordelia & Oz/Angel.
Length: 6.800 words
Groundhog Day goes medieval...
===============================================
"Still the Same Old Story" by Wolfling and WesleyGirl
(No Limits 6.8, standalone episode)
Rating: guessing PG-13
Spoilers: post NFA, AtS s6
Length: 14.400 words
Summary: A night off sends Angel and the gang into a place where
everything is not as black and white as it seems. Also, Wesley has
difficulty with his ties to Wolfram & Hart.
I love the whole virtual season but this episode tickled me in
particular. The visuals of the first scene drew me into the story
right away. Pitch-perfect voices for every single character and a
nifty 'film noir' plot idea that's really well executed. Wesley's role
remains shadowy... setup for future conflict a-plenty.
I like the subtle way the writers go about the relationships. Sure,
they're important to the storyline, it's all character driven. But it
doesn't center around any one romantic ship, and it doesn't look like
it will anytime soon. They're really taking their time setting up the
relationships, with room for speculation. And I'm enjoying the subtext
way more than I would enjoy out-and-out ship fic.
===============================================
"Alla Prima" by D.M. Evans
http://www.foreverfandom.net/viewstory.php?sid=5814&PHPSESSID=b0b8af111798824b0634be7078f57065
Rating - PG-13
Spoilers - S5 of Angel thru 'Damage'
Length: 8.750 words, complete
Summary - Something is making the art work in LA come to life,
something dark from Angel and Spike's past
Solid plotfic; I found the premise of the story quite interesting.
===============================================
Okay, the author categorizes this as 'silly drabble' and indeed, that
describes it well. I found it hilarious... maybe I just got a really
weird sense of humour. Well, so does Nickle, apparently.
Title: "Surviving the Wrath of Cordelia"
Author: Nickle
link: http://www.stranger-things.net/justfic/index/n/nickle/surviving.htm
Rating: G
Spoilers: none
Pairing: well, it says C/A, but this is *not* a shippy story. Silly,
yes. Shippy, no.
Summary: Almost kill her, sleep around on her, give away her clothes,
but don't ever mess with her tapes of Survivor.
length: 435 words
I did mention the sillyness, no?
===============================================
Title: "Goldilocks and Blondie Bear Meet Beauty and the Beast or A
Midsummer Night's Dream (complete with Ass)"
Author: Jo
Link: http://www.octavesoftheheart.com/angeltexts/goldilocks.htm
Spoilers: AtS s4 'Orpheus'
Rating: G
Length: 4.000 words
Author's summary: It's about soul magic. A response to Dark
Star's
challenge at the Blood Roses forum.
A bit of insanity that takes a, say, slightly-AU turn during
'Orpheus'.
===============================================
"Two Steps Back" by Yahtzee
http://www.thechicagoloop.net/yahtzee/chivalry/chivfic/TwoStepsBack/TSBIndexPage.html
Spoilers: All of AtS
Rating: R
length: 32.460 words
Summary: Angel has a chance to go back and put everything right - but
where can he begin? And where can it possibly end?
Yahtzee is one of the very best fanfic writers out there, along with
Rheanna my favourite author... and she has written another Angel
story, which I just stumbled upon tonight. :o)
'Two Steps Back' is a right tour de force - you don't want to put it
down, not for one second. It moves at an incredible pace and at the
same time takes its time to build up the underlying themes. I wish I
could come up with a rec that would do this story justice, but hey,
it's 4:30 am. Go, read. Seriously.
===============================================
A treat for AtS fans :o)
kassia06 over on LJ has written a missing ep gen story that is so
amazingly true to the characters, season two really comes to life.
With plot ::happy sigh::
"Homemaking" by Kassia
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/kassia06/27278.html?view=47502#t47502
Spoilers: AtS s2 AYNOHYEB
Rating: PG?
Length: 7.850 words
Summary: Cordelia and Wesley are exploring their new base of
operations. Angel is acting strange.
===============================================
Rec: Angel: No Limits, eps 2 and 3
I read the third episode of this virtual series today and am once more
in a state of inarticulate squeeing, but I'll try to post something beyond
'Wow'.
This is simply my favourite kind of fanfic: really well written; plot driven
and with plenty of action scenes but without the emotional distance
from the characters one sometimes encounters in plot-driven stories
(most notably the official novels, bleh). Characterization and dialogue,
totally on the mark. Countless humorous lines sprinkled in. And it's all
fresh and original while being true to the show.
Ep 2 is the continuation of the season opener. Ep 3 works as a
standalone but I'd definitely read the series in the right order; they
have seasonal arcs going, as well as episodic plots. The writing is
consistent. Even though there are different writers for the eps, the
season so far is very coherent as a whole, a great team effort.
Astrid
'6x02: Tremor' by Wolfling and Mad Poetess
Link: http://ats-nolimits.com/episodes/ep0602.php
Spoilers: all of AtS
Rating: no higher than R
Length: 13.800 words
Summary (or, in this case, tv guide blurb): A new, seemingly
unstoppable form of demon is still overwhelming the forces of Angel
Investigations in the concluding part of the two-episode season-
opener. However, the return of an old friend provides help just when
the gang needs it most.
'6x03: A Temp is Just a Temp' by Kara
Link: http://ats-nolimits.com/episodes/ep0603.php
Spoilers: all of AtS
Rating: no higher than R
Length: 15.200 words
Summary: Angel and his gang investigate a series of ritual killings.
Meanwhile, a string of increasingly unsuitable job applicants have
Angel wondering if some positions just can't be filled.
===============================================
"Last One Before Closing" by Selena
Link: http://archive.shriftweb.org/archive/29/lastone.html
Spoilers: AtS S5 'Origin'
Rating: PG
Length: vignette
Summary: After regaining his memories, Wesley asks Lorne for a
favour.
A short character study. Made me ache for both of them and who they
used to be.
===============================================
"6.1 Flutter" by The Brat Queen
http://ats-nolimits.com/episodes/ep0601.php
Spoilers: Post NFA, so all of Angel
Rating: guessing... PG-13?
Length: 18,700 words
'Flutter' is the season opener of 'AtS No Limits', the virtual season
six, and I gotta say, the show may have been cancelled but this is
pretty close to the real thing. From the sound of it, this virtual
season is being put together with incredible care, effort, love, and
skill. They got a team of writers, editors, deadlines... the website
features promos and interviews, even spoilers .
The first ep really feels like _the_ season opener. That special AtS
vibe, it's there - the dialogue is snarky, the characters three-
dimensional - I could hear the voices, and saw the images in my head.
There are already hints at character- and plot arcs. The plot picks
up three months after where NFA left off and is so interesting that
I'm tempted to look up spoilers for next week's ep.
I had the silliest smile on my face all the while I was reading it.
===============================================
First one to rec... heh :)
Title: "It's Just a Jump to the Left" by kimberly_a
http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=kimberly_fan&keyword=My+Fic:+It%27s+Just+A+Jump+to+the+Left&filter=all
Spoilers: AU after BtVS s5
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Spike/Xander
Length: 38.000 words
notes: LJ rec for now; according to the author a revised version will
be archived eventually. (I just couldn't wait with my rec... and this
doesn't read like an unbeta'ed story in any case.)
Summary: Xander is having the strangest night -- repeatedly.
I saw this story rec'ced on LJ today, and have read it in one go. Or
rather, inhaled it. What a great read - spot-on Xander voice, lots of
demony action, humour, and above all a solid plot... (it doesn't hurt
that it hits on my favourite plot kink, says the fangirl who watched
Groundhog Day eight times ). And I absolutely loved the ending.
And the nuances in the S/X relationship. Heck, I loved every bit
about it.
And I just saw that she's already started to post a sequel... hard to
resist that temptation, WIP or not.
===============================================
I'd planned to bring this up for a while and this is a good
opportunity. It's a promising story by a first-time author that's
currently being posted at ff.net (not the most likely place to find
good fic, but it happens on occasion). At the moment it's updated
almost daily and the first part is already finished so I have hopes
not to get burned by this one. There's a lot of emphasis on plot...
an classic action-adventure plot with a generous side of buddy-movie
Spike/Angel snark (and quite a bit of Spike/Angel UST; no idea
whether that's intentional, but anyway, I like it particularly
because it's not too on the nose.)
The story is unbeta'ed and I don't know if she plans to have it
edited eventually... it could use a beta, though it's nothing majorly
annoying, just those hundreds of little details that will keep a good
story from being a great one. Still, it's enjoyable to read as it is,
and I'm really interested to see where it goes (at the moment I'm
still at the end of the first part).
"Short Walk to Daylight" by Malakhim
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1874597/1/
[edit: looks like she took down the story, but the sequel is still up:
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1966194/1/]
Spoilers: AU after AtS S5 'Damage', Buffy through 'Chosen'
Rating: PG-13
Notes: WIP, part one complete. Plotfic.
Pairing: According to the author's notes, this story is heading in a
B/A direction... though you couldn't really tell from the sheer
amount of A/S subtext in the first part.
Length: part 1 52.000 words; part 2 so far 31.000 words
Author Summary: Angel and Spike must team up to fight a powerful foe
with dark links to Angel's past. To defeat it they must travel to
Rome to seek the help of some old friends.
It's pretty much the only WIP I'm still reading - everything else
I've given up on following because I apparently can't juggle several
WIPs in my head: by the time the next chapter gets posted, I've
usually forgotten what happened in the previous ones. I just created
an extra folder where each new chapter of each story gets stuffed in,
so I can read them in one once the stories are completed.
'Short Walk to Daylight' gets updated faster than I can read it...
which, okay, doesn't mean too much at the moment (I manage about one
page each day before falling asleep...) so running out of new
chapters is not a problem.
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[eta: lakrids404 posted his BBF list]