Jack/Doctor
Clues/Choices by Lindenharp (Robin C)
These are actually two separate stories, and I don't understand why two fics from the same author are allowed to be nominated in this category. Then again, CoT seems to allow entire series to be nominated in a story category, or at least doesn't explicitly disallow it, or possibly just didn't pay attention when the nomination came in.
Regardless of whether these stories should both be eligible, they're great. In "Clues," Jack is still firmly in con-man mode, trying to figure out all the angles, including what species the Doctor is. In "Choices," the Doctor negotiates for Jack's release from the Time Agents who have captured him, allowing the two men to explore their loyalty to one another. Jack's interior monologues feel true to his character, and even if I wish Nine's dialogue had fewer dropped letters at word endings, both stories are lovingly written.
Mind you, if you're looking for actual Jack/Doctor content, you're not going to get it here. These are both stories about friendship, not sex, as much as any story involving Jack can separate friendship from lust.
Held at a Distance by Rallalon
Previously reviewed here; a terrific set of stories.
Atonement by Sahiya
Previously reviewed here, and definitely worth reading if you're an angst fan.
Through The Eyes of a Child by Nightrider101
I wanted to like this one more than I did. It's not a bad story by any means - the writing is pretty solid, and I liked Jack's introspection. At times the author seemed to be trying too hard to build parallels between Jack's actions in this story to what he did in "Sleeper," and I would have preferred to let Jack's dialogue and actions speak for themselves rather than have the author spell things out for me.
One Quiet Moment by Szm
Brief little vignette in which Jack feels restless, finds Nine listening to the TARDIS' humming, and falls asleep on his shoulder. There are some missing commas and a typo or two I found slightly distracting, but mostly I found myself wishing for more introspection here - just a little bit more to chew on than what the author gives us.
A Very Bad Idea by Joolz
A cute and funny story with a familiar plot: the Doctor takes Jack to a formal ball, gets jealous when he sees Jack flirting with other people, and finally decides it's okay to sleep with Jack. There were moments when I didn't quite buy Ianto's dialogue, and Mickey seems uncharacteristically nasty, but it's otherwise entertaining.
Don't Close Your Eyes by Becky_H
After the Doctor burns the Master's body, Jack spends the night on the TARDIS, and the two men work out the pain and suffering of the past year in the time-honored manner: rough, desperate sex. There was so much physical description of whose body part was where at any given time that ironically, I occasionally had problems following the action, but as PWP goes, this is very good stuff, and there's a rather sweet coda with Martha.
Wrongs by Shinodabear
The dialogue here between Jack and the Doctor is wonderful - sparkling, witty, flirtatious sparring that's entirely true to character. I wish the Doctor's elliptical statements comparing Jack to the Master (really, it makes sense in context) had been a touch clearer at times, but I'd happily read this again just to imagine Tennant and Barrowman delivering these lovely lines.
Overall: No real bad choices here, though there were clear standouts: Clues/Choices if you're a fan of Jack/Doctor friendship, Don't Close Your Eyes if you'd rather vote for porn, and Wrongs if you want to reward fantastic dialogue. (There's nothing wrong with Held at a Distance, either, though it's already getting my Short Story vote.)
These are actually two separate stories, and I don't understand why two fics from the same author are allowed to be nominated in this category. Then again, CoT seems to allow entire series to be nominated in a story category, or at least doesn't explicitly disallow it, or possibly just didn't pay attention when the nomination came in.
Regardless of whether these stories should both be eligible, they're great. In "Clues," Jack is still firmly in con-man mode, trying to figure out all the angles, including what species the Doctor is. In "Choices," the Doctor negotiates for Jack's release from the Time Agents who have captured him, allowing the two men to explore their loyalty to one another. Jack's interior monologues feel true to his character, and even if I wish Nine's dialogue had fewer dropped letters at word endings, both stories are lovingly written.
Mind you, if you're looking for actual Jack/Doctor content, you're not going to get it here. These are both stories about friendship, not sex, as much as any story involving Jack can separate friendship from lust.
Held at a Distance by Rallalon
Previously reviewed here; a terrific set of stories.
Atonement by Sahiya
Previously reviewed here, and definitely worth reading if you're an angst fan.
Through The Eyes of a Child by Nightrider101
I wanted to like this one more than I did. It's not a bad story by any means - the writing is pretty solid, and I liked Jack's introspection. At times the author seemed to be trying too hard to build parallels between Jack's actions in this story to what he did in "Sleeper," and I would have preferred to let Jack's dialogue and actions speak for themselves rather than have the author spell things out for me.
One Quiet Moment by Szm
Brief little vignette in which Jack feels restless, finds Nine listening to the TARDIS' humming, and falls asleep on his shoulder. There are some missing commas and a typo or two I found slightly distracting, but mostly I found myself wishing for more introspection here - just a little bit more to chew on than what the author gives us.
A Very Bad Idea by Joolz
A cute and funny story with a familiar plot: the Doctor takes Jack to a formal ball, gets jealous when he sees Jack flirting with other people, and finally decides it's okay to sleep with Jack. There were moments when I didn't quite buy Ianto's dialogue, and Mickey seems uncharacteristically nasty, but it's otherwise entertaining.
Don't Close Your Eyes by Becky_H
After the Doctor burns the Master's body, Jack spends the night on the TARDIS, and the two men work out the pain and suffering of the past year in the time-honored manner: rough, desperate sex. There was so much physical description of whose body part was where at any given time that ironically, I occasionally had problems following the action, but as PWP goes, this is very good stuff, and there's a rather sweet coda with Martha.
Wrongs by Shinodabear
The dialogue here between Jack and the Doctor is wonderful - sparkling, witty, flirtatious sparring that's entirely true to character. I wish the Doctor's elliptical statements comparing Jack to the Master (really, it makes sense in context) had been a touch clearer at times, but I'd happily read this again just to imagine Tennant and Barrowman delivering these lovely lines.
Overall: No real bad choices here, though there were clear standouts: Clues/Choices if you're a fan of Jack/Doctor friendship, Don't Close Your Eyes if you'd rather vote for porn, and Wrongs if you want to reward fantastic dialogue. (There's nothing wrong with Held at a Distance, either, though it's already getting my Short Story vote.)