Thorns by Vathara (PG-13)
Title: Thorns
Author: Vathara
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII (plus, blink-and-you'll-miss-it Gargoyles)
Pairing: Gen with a bit of Zack/Aerith
Categories: AU, action/adventure, hurt/comfort, drama, creature/wing
Length: Epic
Warnings: n/a
Website: Urban Legends: the Site
Author’s Summary: What if Aeris found unexpected help before Zack broke out?
Review:
Vathara has a knack for clever stories - ones you have to really read and not just skim through. This take on the Zack-survives genre definitely falls into that category. Vathara does an excellent job fleshing out the details of their escape - the AU elements turn out to be not very intrusive during most of this, allowing Vathara to really expand and build on what we know from canon.
One of the things that really sets this story apart is that a large portion of it focuses on the OCs who comprise Zack and Cloud's pursuers. Not to fear! The characters are interesting without dominating the story and, along with cameos from Tseng and the Turks, are a critical part of the subtle and disquieting atmosphere that goes hand-in-hand with Shinra's behind-the-scenes machinations and inhumanity.
It's a clever story, as I said, with an eye for details and a need to make sense of some very bizarre source material. I have to admit, the discussion of Hox genes in an attempt to explain some of the "science" of the story made the science geek in me giddy with glee.
Thorns
Author: Vathara
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII (plus, blink-and-you'll-miss-it Gargoyles)
Pairing: Gen with a bit of Zack/Aerith
Categories: AU, action/adventure, hurt/comfort, drama, creature/wing
Length: Epic
Warnings: n/a
Website: Urban Legends: the Site
Author’s Summary: What if Aeris found unexpected help before Zack broke out?
Review:
Vathara has a knack for clever stories - ones you have to really read and not just skim through. This take on the Zack-survives genre definitely falls into that category. Vathara does an excellent job fleshing out the details of their escape - the AU elements turn out to be not very intrusive during most of this, allowing Vathara to really expand and build on what we know from canon.
One of the things that really sets this story apart is that a large portion of it focuses on the OCs who comprise Zack and Cloud's pursuers. Not to fear! The characters are interesting without dominating the story and, along with cameos from Tseng and the Turks, are a critical part of the subtle and disquieting atmosphere that goes hand-in-hand with Shinra's behind-the-scenes machinations and inhumanity.
It's a clever story, as I said, with an eye for details and a need to make sense of some very bizarre source material. I have to admit, the discussion of Hox genes in an attempt to explain some of the "science" of the story made the science geek in me giddy with glee.
Thorns