*rec* ... Smallville: Human!Clark ... *rec*
This is a WIP and I hesitated about rec-ing it before it was done. But -- t(T)oo good to miss. And the daily installments are consistent and quite suspenseful in a fun way. I'll update this rec/review when the story is complete. (Though, frankly, it's so good that I don't want it to ever end.) Edited to add ... soon after I posted this review, Jenn posted the last few installments in her journal. The ending is as wonderful as the rest; the only complaint I had was "what do you mean, 'it's done' -- it *can't* be done, I want moremoremore". Anyway, I've finally updated the list of chapter links below.
Fandom ... Smallville
Title ... Somewhere I Have Never Travelled (see also links below)
Author ... Jenn (seperis)
Notes & Warnings ... Also known as Human!Clark. WIP, but consistently updated on a daily basis. Can be found, in installments, on seperis's lj. For links to individual installments, see also below. Future-fic. Definitely slash. CLex. Romantic suspense-thriller with just a touch of medical drama. Definitely NC-17 for good smut.
Synopsis ... Clark decides to hang up Superman's cloak. He and Lex bridge the Rift. But Lex has a Hidden Agenda (doesn't he always?) and "Human!Clark", with the help of Lois Lane and Bruce /Batman/ Wayne, must stop him.
Technical ... Needs a beta for the grammar/punctuation/spelling stuff, but this is understandable in a WIP. The viewpoint is Clark's 1st person POV. The language sparkles.
Review ... This continuing series is remarkable. The Clark POV is sharp, intelligent and completely believable as he discovers the joys and frailties of being truly human. This Clark has been arch-enemies with Lex for something like 10 years (I'm sure Jenn is clear on the chronology, but my memory for details isn't always the best) and he's no longer the naive young farmboy. It takes him a while to get his equilibrium back after the change-to-human process, but this Clark is believably the world's greatest superhero, even without powers. Or, as he says, paraphrase, "I still have powers -- they're just not the ones you're thinking about." This is a Clark that I can believe Lex would be in love with; this is a Clark strong enough to love and be loved by the damaged man Lex Luthor is.
Lex ... is Lex. There's some interesting revelations along the way about Lex's meteor mutations, and his psychological make-up has become even more complex over the years. Clark walks a tightrope between utter bewilderment at the convolutions of Lex's mind and crisp soul-mate level understanding of Lex's attitudes, actions and motivations. And the hints we get of Lex's life between Smallville and the now of the story are fascinating.
The Lois in this story sets a new benchmark for the character. Too many slash versions of Lois are shrill and obnoxious, exaggerating her personality traits in unattractive ways. This Lois is a stiletto-heeled news shark, sure, but she's also warm and funny and almost smarter than Lex. And, as Lex's ex, her relationship with both Lex and Clark is intriguingly complex.
The supporting cast are deftly sketched, personalities in their own right and with their own agendas. There's Martha and Jonathan, Hope and Mercy, and more than one interesting Original Character to flesh out the cast. And the details about the realities of these characters' lives -- meteor mutants, the Justice League, and other wild science fiction stuff -- are well-chosen to inform the reader without overwhelming us with unnecessary information.
And when the details of Lex's hidden agenda start to fall into place -- wow! The action revs up to a fever pitch as Clark and his allies race to stop Lex from -- well, that would be telling.
There's angst and romance, lots of humor, interesting twists and turns, nail-biting suspense -- and a hint of hope for a happy ending. From what Jenn has said, the story is about 3/4ths done.
The final score is still pending (this *is* a WIP, after all), but what's there so far is highly recommended. And if the ending fulfills the potential of the story so far, then this long saga will deserve a place at the top of the apocryphal Best of Smallville slash list. *****five stars*****
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1 ... 2 ... 3 ... 4 ... 5 ... 6 ... 7 ... 8 ... 9 ... 10 ... 11 ... 12 ... 13 ... 14 ... 15 ... 16 ... 17 ... 18 ... 19 ... 20 ... 21 ... 22 ... 23 ... 24a ... 24b ... 25 ... 26 ... 27 ... 28/the end
Fandom ... Smallville
Title ... Somewhere I Have Never Travelled (see also links below)
Author ... Jenn (seperis)
Notes & Warnings ... Also known as Human!Clark. WIP, but consistently updated on a daily basis. Can be found, in installments, on seperis's lj. For links to individual installments, see also below. Future-fic. Definitely slash. CLex. Romantic suspense-thriller with just a touch of medical drama. Definitely NC-17 for good smut.
Synopsis ... Clark decides to hang up Superman's cloak. He and Lex bridge the Rift. But Lex has a Hidden Agenda (doesn't he always?) and "Human!Clark", with the help of Lois Lane and Bruce /Batman/ Wayne, must stop him.
Technical ... Needs a beta for the grammar/punctuation/spelling stuff, but this is understandable in a WIP. The viewpoint is Clark's 1st person POV. The language sparkles.
Review ... This continuing series is remarkable. The Clark POV is sharp, intelligent and completely believable as he discovers the joys and frailties of being truly human. This Clark has been arch-enemies with Lex for something like 10 years (I'm sure Jenn is clear on the chronology, but my memory for details isn't always the best) and he's no longer the naive young farmboy. It takes him a while to get his equilibrium back after the change-to-human process, but this Clark is believably the world's greatest superhero, even without powers. Or, as he says, paraphrase, "I still have powers -- they're just not the ones you're thinking about." This is a Clark that I can believe Lex would be in love with; this is a Clark strong enough to love and be loved by the damaged man Lex Luthor is.
Lex ... is Lex. There's some interesting revelations along the way about Lex's meteor mutations, and his psychological make-up has become even more complex over the years. Clark walks a tightrope between utter bewilderment at the convolutions of Lex's mind and crisp soul-mate level understanding of Lex's attitudes, actions and motivations. And the hints we get of Lex's life between Smallville and the now of the story are fascinating.
The Lois in this story sets a new benchmark for the character. Too many slash versions of Lois are shrill and obnoxious, exaggerating her personality traits in unattractive ways. This Lois is a stiletto-heeled news shark, sure, but she's also warm and funny and almost smarter than Lex. And, as Lex's ex, her relationship with both Lex and Clark is intriguingly complex.
The supporting cast are deftly sketched, personalities in their own right and with their own agendas. There's Martha and Jonathan, Hope and Mercy, and more than one interesting Original Character to flesh out the cast. And the details about the realities of these characters' lives -- meteor mutants, the Justice League, and other wild science fiction stuff -- are well-chosen to inform the reader without overwhelming us with unnecessary information.
And when the details of Lex's hidden agenda start to fall into place -- wow! The action revs up to a fever pitch as Clark and his allies race to stop Lex from -- well, that would be telling.
There's angst and romance, lots of humor, interesting twists and turns, nail-biting suspense -- and a hint of hope for a happy ending. From what Jenn has said, the story is about 3/4ths done.
The final score is still pending (this *is* a WIP, after all), but what's there so far is highly recommended. And if the ending fulfills the potential of the story so far, then this long saga will deserve a place at the top of the apocryphal Best of Smallville slash list. *****five stars*****
__________________
1 ... 2 ... 3 ... 4 ... 5 ... 6 ... 7 ... 8 ... 9 ... 10 ... 11 ... 12 ... 13 ... 14 ... 15 ... 16 ... 17 ... 18 ... 19 ... 20 ... 21 ... 22 ... 23 ... 24a ... 24b ... 25 ... 26 ... 27 ... 28/the end