TARDIS Big Bang on Delicious
I am slowly plowing through stories from the TARDIS Big Bang. As I read, I'm tagging the stories I liked on Delicious, under the "tardisbigbang" tag. (This tag does cover stories from both rounds, although I haven't got around to wholesale tagging of Round 1.)
And Seven for a Secret by aeshna-uk Torchwood, gen, Jack-centric, Original Characters
Summary: If you are reading this then I am dead, and with my death dies a promise I made a long, long time ago... When Ben Haldane is left a cryptic note in his grandfather's will, it leads him to a story far stranger than he could ever have imagined.
Comments: This story wins the "Best Story That's Most Likely To Be Skipped" award, so I really wanted to nudge it out into the spotlight a bit. It's a World War II Jack-centric adventure, told through the perspective of two original characters. I absolutely loved it. The writing is superb. Reading the action parts was actually more like watching a movie, with vivid visuals and riveting descriptions. The original characters are fully-fleshed, interesting people, as terrific a supporting cast for Jack's story as anyone could wish--and in fact, Jack is the only Torchwood regular to appear in the story. There's always a huge danger of original characters distracting from a fanfiction story, but in this case the new characters add perspective and depth to the tale. I really cared about them, and what happened to them. If you passed this one by, and any of the above sounds in the least bit appealling, give it a second look.
For Captain and Cardiff by blackhemlock New Doctor Who/Torchwood crossover. Tenth Doctor, Ianto, Jack. Adventure. There's some Jack/Ianto, but it's not the central theme of the story.
Summary: "At midnight, a nationwide security alert was sent out... Torchwood London, demands all agencies' cooperation in issuing an arrest warrant for Ianto Merric Jones, 24, of Cardiff." Torchwood Three's Archivist has gone rogue. But, he does have a very good reason, and he looks stunning in his new suit.
Comments: This is mostly a story about Ianto and the Doctor, and it's a terrifically plotted and developed relationship. I don't want to give much away, but the thing I think I enjoyed most about this story is development of the characters. It's very Ianto-centric, and the author picks up on aspects of Ianto's personality that I think are sometimes overlooked. She also does a terrific Doctor, and the rest of the team aren't neglected, either. I enjoyed the plot, enjoyed the mystery, and especially enjoyed the interactions of all the characters. There's also plenty of Jack/Ianto to make me happy, even if it isn't the central focus of the story.
Break and Brace by donutsweeper Classic Doctor Who/Torchwood crossover. (Jack/Ianto exists, but it's primarily a gen adventure story.)
Summary: With the rift unusually active, the Torchwood team struggles to find a pattern in what has come through and determine who or what is behind it.
Comments: This is a nice adventure crossing Classic Doctor Who with Torchwood. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that the author did a terrific job inserting characters from the old series into Torchwood. There's a distinct style shift between the two eras, and I was surprised at how well certain aspects of Torchwood could be made to fit with the style of the old series. It's a fun, entertaining story.
I've also finally cleared out the 300+ stories from the folder where I dump newly saved stories, and as a result there are quite a few new Torchwood recs up. While they're skewed towards newer stories, there's a mix of older stuff in there as well.
And Seven for a Secret by aeshna-uk Torchwood, gen, Jack-centric, Original Characters
Summary: If you are reading this then I am dead, and with my death dies a promise I made a long, long time ago... When Ben Haldane is left a cryptic note in his grandfather's will, it leads him to a story far stranger than he could ever have imagined.
Comments: This story wins the "Best Story That's Most Likely To Be Skipped" award, so I really wanted to nudge it out into the spotlight a bit. It's a World War II Jack-centric adventure, told through the perspective of two original characters. I absolutely loved it. The writing is superb. Reading the action parts was actually more like watching a movie, with vivid visuals and riveting descriptions. The original characters are fully-fleshed, interesting people, as terrific a supporting cast for Jack's story as anyone could wish--and in fact, Jack is the only Torchwood regular to appear in the story. There's always a huge danger of original characters distracting from a fanfiction story, but in this case the new characters add perspective and depth to the tale. I really cared about them, and what happened to them. If you passed this one by, and any of the above sounds in the least bit appealling, give it a second look.
For Captain and Cardiff by blackhemlock New Doctor Who/Torchwood crossover. Tenth Doctor, Ianto, Jack. Adventure. There's some Jack/Ianto, but it's not the central theme of the story.
Summary: "At midnight, a nationwide security alert was sent out... Torchwood London, demands all agencies' cooperation in issuing an arrest warrant for Ianto Merric Jones, 24, of Cardiff." Torchwood Three's Archivist has gone rogue. But, he does have a very good reason, and he looks stunning in his new suit.
Comments: This is mostly a story about Ianto and the Doctor, and it's a terrifically plotted and developed relationship. I don't want to give much away, but the thing I think I enjoyed most about this story is development of the characters. It's very Ianto-centric, and the author picks up on aspects of Ianto's personality that I think are sometimes overlooked. She also does a terrific Doctor, and the rest of the team aren't neglected, either. I enjoyed the plot, enjoyed the mystery, and especially enjoyed the interactions of all the characters. There's also plenty of Jack/Ianto to make me happy, even if it isn't the central focus of the story.
Break and Brace by donutsweeper Classic Doctor Who/Torchwood crossover. (Jack/Ianto exists, but it's primarily a gen adventure story.)
Summary: With the rift unusually active, the Torchwood team struggles to find a pattern in what has come through and determine who or what is behind it.
Comments: This is a nice adventure crossing Classic Doctor Who with Torchwood. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that the author did a terrific job inserting characters from the old series into Torchwood. There's a distinct style shift between the two eras, and I was surprised at how well certain aspects of Torchwood could be made to fit with the style of the old series. It's a fun, entertaining story.
I've also finally cleared out the 300+ stories from the folder where I dump newly saved stories, and as a result there are quite a few new Torchwood recs up. While they're skewed towards newer stories, there's a mix of older stuff in there as well.