SPN/J2 Big Bang rec post!
Let's talk about spn_j2_bigbang fics! Here are a few which have caught my eye that I want to rec.
3 Jared/Jensen, 2 Sam/Dean, 1 Dean/Cas, 1 John/Jo, 1 Ellen/Mary, 1 gen, 9 in total.
One Thing I Don't Believe In by essenceofmeanin, Dean/Castiel-ish gen, NC-17, 25k
Dean Winchester and Castiel don't manage to stop the apocalypse, but they do find God. In reward, God gives Dean a new beginning, a new life. He is reborn in 1979 into a normal life with his parents, John and Mary Winchester and later, his brother Sammy. Life isn't perfect - Dean is plagued by nightmares, panic attacks and memories he doesn't know are his own.
Review: HOLY SHIT THIS IS AMAZING. It's been almost a month since I read it, and I still daydream about it. Fantastic style, fantastic characterisation, ending? Gaah. My most favourite fic thus far, hands down.
Deep Breaths by apocalypsos, AU, Ellen/Mary, R, 22k
AU. Azazel offered Mary a choice, and she did what she had to do. She looked him in the eyes when he offered to bring her dead boyfriend back to life, and she told him no.
Fifteen years later, she's divorced, a single mom, and living in the sort of quaint small town she used to dream about raising her family in. Enter a strange woman with a mute little girl, a woman who cracks through Mary's barely stable facade of a normal life. Featuring five tequila shots, four threatening angels, three fatherless children (maybe), two kickass women, and a platter of peanut butter brownies.
Review: Um. Wow. Fascinating premise, fascinating narration {2nd person, present tense; I could sit here for a couple of hours and try to analyse it and explain why it's so effective}. Don't run away from the POV -- it's vital for the story. And have I mentioned the premise? How about the plot? Very unusual fic that might get overlooked because of its ship and POV.
One thing did bother me: I wish this had been gen. It would've worked so much better as gen.
Cabinet of Curiosities by like_a_raven, gen, R, 22.5k
Sam Winchester has four problems when he runs into an old friend from high school:
1. Vanessa thinks he’s just a perfectly normal guy. Dean knows better. And balancing the past and present is going to be tricky, especially since . . .
2. Dean won’t stop flirting with her. Except when he’s busy dealing with the fact that . . .
3. Vanessa lives in what just might be the weirdest and creepiest house Sam has ever seen. Oh, and then there’s . . .
4. The ghost.
Review: This is a Feel Good fic. It's a casefic stuck smack in the middle of season 2, with all that it entails. I don't know about you, but I loved season 2. There's an OFC that's absolutely golden and a match to Dean -- who else would be willing to piss off this sort of ghost? ;) Lovely, lovely fic. And the house mentioned in the summary? Is indeed creepy.
Fall on Your Yesterday's Heart by dreamlittleyo, John/Jo & mentioned Sam/Dean, R, 40.7k
Investigating a mysterious statue, Jo Harvelle lands herself smack in the middle of the Winchesters' childhood. She still has a hunt to resolve, with John's grudging cooperation, but Jo can't help getting attached-and before long she realizes she can't imagine saying goodbye. If she ever gets home, her 'normal' life will never be the same.
Review: This reads like a Diana Wynne Jones novel. Which means that once you come after it, you don't exactly remember what you read, only that you enjoyed it greatly. For the record, before it sounds like I'm insulting the fic, I'll just say that DWJ is my favourite writer and is one of the few writers I can reread a book without getting bored. Because I don't remember the details, hahah. I fail. :|
Ending is kitschy though, so beware. :)
The Theory of Relativity by wutendeskind, Sam/Dean & Sam/Jess, NC-17, 20.2k
The Apocalypse is over. Sam writes it all down, and the result tops the New York Times bestseller list for an entire year. Dean loves that Sam's found something to do with his life, but doesn't know how he fits in. When Dean reads Sam’s second novel, figuring things out doesn’t get much easier.
Review: I loved how wutendeskind went from Dean's POV to the book itself and alternated between them. I loved the domesticity. I loved Dean. The ending was right what it needed to be: no quick fixes, but no preaching either.
Sam's book parts are in italics, which I personally find annoying to read. Putting them in brackets would've been better, I think, Not a big deal, though.
My biggest problem was how everyone identified Sam and Dean as Winchesters -- Sam and Dean Winchesters are legally dead since season 3, after being wanted for murder. But this is pretty minor. :)
Kant's Dove by tryfanstone, Sam/Dean, AU, NC-17, 34k
In a dystopian paradise angel Inquisitor Samuel and rogue human Dean are uneasy allies. Together, they could knock their world from its foundations, but both of them have secrets to keep.
Review: Another fascinating one. I'm kind of struggling to find something to say here: I loved it, as a whole, but reading it is on a much more concious level than the rest, which were purely emotional. It's very philosophical and borderline-meta. Despite a lot of imperfections I came out awed. It also made a great perspective to the racefail that was in fandom just before it got posted.
What imperfections? Some of the pacing was kinda wonky; some things that should've been solved earlier got solved a little later than the story called for. There were some paragraphs/sentences that were a parsed a little weirdly -- I don't mean the style itself, just some particular ones. There was also the issue of hooker!Dean, which wasn't expanded enough. I suspect that through her usage of 'dude' tryfanstone has outed herself regarding age and level of education. ;) And I really think the tense should've been in present, not past. Her style's perfect for present {you won't hear me say that often}.
So, like I said. Imperfections are there. But they're . . . endearing, in a way, and made me realise just how much was right in the fic.
Queensguard: Knight's Gambit by aramuin, Jared/Jensen, NC-17, 41.1k { prequel: 48.6k}
The world changes a lot in four years. The year is 2013. Jared and Jensen have just finished shooting Season 5 of Supernatural and are looking forward to their first hiatus together. But in a world post-alien invasion where pyschic powers are as common as brown eyes and people can turn into dragons, nothing is ever that simple.
All across America, dragons are being attacked, even killed. It isn't the Others but with this new threat looming, can Jared and Jensen figure it out before Jensen is the one in a sniper's cross-hairs?
Review: Um. This is cheating. I read both this and the prequel in one go. I was pretty sceptical at first, because honestly, non-AU fic in which there are aliens and dragons who fight them? That sounds like some exceptional crack. But it's so not; this is a pretty developed world, with good interaction. There's no dumbing down Jared or making either of the guys any less human. And they're cute together. I've been wanting cute. I was occasionally lol'ing when I saw a Britism, mainly because the writer's managed to sound pretty American to me. However, she wrote 'kerb' for 'curb' and used 'partner' where an American would normally use 'lover' {::shudder::}, and used the single quotation mark as 'emphasis'.
The Life and Times of Lois Lane by vorpalblades, AU, Jared/Jensen, NC-17, 20.1k
It’s not easy being married to a superhero. In fact, as Jensen’s learning, it’s nearly impossible.
Review: HAHAHA, oh, this fic. ♥ I love it when someone pokes a hole at the Superhero culture. Life&Times does exactly that, with great snark and great reprocussions. The villains were kinda suprise!villains, but aren't they always? XD Great read; don't miss it out.
Slow Show by cherie_morte, Jared/Jensen, NC-17, 25k
Three years after Supernatural ends, Jared and Jensen find themselves divorced and needing each other more than ever. Jensen wakes up to discover that he’s been in love with his best friend for ten years, but changing their relationship from friends to lovers proves easier said than done.
Review: I'm more hesitant to rec this one, but it did leave an impression. The writing here is rough, at time overly simplistic and melodramatic, but I loved how cherie_morte portrayed the destruction of relationships without making anyone the bad guy. I loved the awkwardness, the failures, and seeing some ugly sides that you don't usually see in fandom, or in fiction at all.
Holy shit, how did I end up with 3 J2? I don't even like RPS all that much!
|Meduza|
3 Jared/Jensen, 2 Sam/Dean, 1 Dean/Cas, 1 John/Jo, 1 Ellen/Mary, 1 gen, 9 in total.
One Thing I Don't Believe In by essenceofmeanin, Dean/Castiel-ish gen, NC-17, 25k
Dean Winchester and Castiel don't manage to stop the apocalypse, but they do find God. In reward, God gives Dean a new beginning, a new life. He is reborn in 1979 into a normal life with his parents, John and Mary Winchester and later, his brother Sammy. Life isn't perfect - Dean is plagued by nightmares, panic attacks and memories he doesn't know are his own.
Review: HOLY SHIT THIS IS AMAZING. It's been almost a month since I read it, and I still daydream about it. Fantastic style, fantastic characterisation, ending? Gaah. My most favourite fic thus far, hands down.
Deep Breaths by apocalypsos, AU, Ellen/Mary, R, 22k
AU. Azazel offered Mary a choice, and she did what she had to do. She looked him in the eyes when he offered to bring her dead boyfriend back to life, and she told him no.
Fifteen years later, she's divorced, a single mom, and living in the sort of quaint small town she used to dream about raising her family in. Enter a strange woman with a mute little girl, a woman who cracks through Mary's barely stable facade of a normal life. Featuring five tequila shots, four threatening angels, three fatherless children (maybe), two kickass women, and a platter of peanut butter brownies.
Review: Um. Wow. Fascinating premise, fascinating narration {2nd person, present tense; I could sit here for a couple of hours and try to analyse it and explain why it's so effective}. Don't run away from the POV -- it's vital for the story. And have I mentioned the premise? How about the plot? Very unusual fic that might get overlooked because of its ship and POV.
One thing did bother me: I wish this had been gen. It would've worked so much better as gen.
Cabinet of Curiosities by like_a_raven, gen, R, 22.5k
Sam Winchester has four problems when he runs into an old friend from high school:
1. Vanessa thinks he’s just a perfectly normal guy. Dean knows better. And balancing the past and present is going to be tricky, especially since . . .
2. Dean won’t stop flirting with her. Except when he’s busy dealing with the fact that . . .
3. Vanessa lives in what just might be the weirdest and creepiest house Sam has ever seen. Oh, and then there’s . . .
4. The ghost.
Review: This is a Feel Good fic. It's a casefic stuck smack in the middle of season 2, with all that it entails. I don't know about you, but I loved season 2. There's an OFC that's absolutely golden and a match to Dean -- who else would be willing to piss off this sort of ghost? ;) Lovely, lovely fic. And the house mentioned in the summary? Is indeed creepy.
Fall on Your Yesterday's Heart by dreamlittleyo, John/Jo & mentioned Sam/Dean, R, 40.7k
Investigating a mysterious statue, Jo Harvelle lands herself smack in the middle of the Winchesters' childhood. She still has a hunt to resolve, with John's grudging cooperation, but Jo can't help getting attached-and before long she realizes she can't imagine saying goodbye. If she ever gets home, her 'normal' life will never be the same.
Review: This reads like a Diana Wynne Jones novel. Which means that once you come after it, you don't exactly remember what you read, only that you enjoyed it greatly. For the record, before it sounds like I'm insulting the fic, I'll just say that DWJ is my favourite writer and is one of the few writers I can reread a book without getting bored. Because I don't remember the details, hahah. I fail. :|
Ending is kitschy though, so beware. :)
The Theory of Relativity by wutendeskind, Sam/Dean & Sam/Jess, NC-17, 20.2k
The Apocalypse is over. Sam writes it all down, and the result tops the New York Times bestseller list for an entire year. Dean loves that Sam's found something to do with his life, but doesn't know how he fits in. When Dean reads Sam’s second novel, figuring things out doesn’t get much easier.
Review: I loved how wutendeskind went from Dean's POV to the book itself and alternated between them. I loved the domesticity. I loved Dean. The ending was right what it needed to be: no quick fixes, but no preaching either.
Sam's book parts are in italics, which I personally find annoying to read. Putting them in brackets would've been better, I think, Not a big deal, though.
My biggest problem was how everyone identified Sam and Dean as Winchesters -- Sam and Dean Winchesters are legally dead since season 3, after being wanted for murder. But this is pretty minor. :)
Kant's Dove by tryfanstone, Sam/Dean, AU, NC-17, 34k
In a dystopian paradise angel Inquisitor Samuel and rogue human Dean are uneasy allies. Together, they could knock their world from its foundations, but both of them have secrets to keep.
Review: Another fascinating one. I'm kind of struggling to find something to say here: I loved it, as a whole, but reading it is on a much more concious level than the rest, which were purely emotional. It's very philosophical and borderline-meta. Despite a lot of imperfections I came out awed. It also made a great perspective to the racefail that was in fandom just before it got posted.
What imperfections? Some of the pacing was kinda wonky; some things that should've been solved earlier got solved a little later than the story called for. There were some paragraphs/sentences that were a parsed a little weirdly -- I don't mean the style itself, just some particular ones. There was also the issue of hooker!Dean, which wasn't expanded enough. I suspect that through her usage of 'dude' tryfanstone has outed herself regarding age and level of education. ;) And I really think the tense should've been in present, not past. Her style's perfect for present {you won't hear me say that often}.
So, like I said. Imperfections are there. But they're . . . endearing, in a way, and made me realise just how much was right in the fic.
Queensguard: Knight's Gambit by aramuin, Jared/Jensen, NC-17, 41.1k { prequel: 48.6k}
The world changes a lot in four years. The year is 2013. Jared and Jensen have just finished shooting Season 5 of Supernatural and are looking forward to their first hiatus together. But in a world post-alien invasion where pyschic powers are as common as brown eyes and people can turn into dragons, nothing is ever that simple.
All across America, dragons are being attacked, even killed. It isn't the Others but with this new threat looming, can Jared and Jensen figure it out before Jensen is the one in a sniper's cross-hairs?
Review: Um. This is cheating. I read both this and the prequel in one go. I was pretty sceptical at first, because honestly, non-AU fic in which there are aliens and dragons who fight them? That sounds like some exceptional crack. But it's so not; this is a pretty developed world, with good interaction. There's no dumbing down Jared or making either of the guys any less human. And they're cute together. I've been wanting cute. I was occasionally lol'ing when I saw a Britism, mainly because the writer's managed to sound pretty American to me. However, she wrote 'kerb' for 'curb' and used 'partner' where an American would normally use 'lover' {::shudder::}, and used the single quotation mark as 'emphasis'.
The Life and Times of Lois Lane by vorpalblades, AU, Jared/Jensen, NC-17, 20.1k
It’s not easy being married to a superhero. In fact, as Jensen’s learning, it’s nearly impossible.
Review: HAHAHA, oh, this fic. ♥ I love it when someone pokes a hole at the Superhero culture. Life&Times does exactly that, with great snark and great reprocussions. The villains were kinda suprise!villains, but aren't they always? XD Great read; don't miss it out.
Slow Show by cherie_morte, Jared/Jensen, NC-17, 25k
Three years after Supernatural ends, Jared and Jensen find themselves divorced and needing each other more than ever. Jensen wakes up to discover that he’s been in love with his best friend for ten years, but changing their relationship from friends to lovers proves easier said than done.
Review: I'm more hesitant to rec this one, but it did leave an impression. The writing here is rough, at time overly simplistic and melodramatic, but I loved how cherie_morte portrayed the destruction of relationships without making anyone the bad guy. I loved the awkwardness, the failures, and seeing some ugly sides that you don't usually see in fandom, or in fiction at all.
Holy shit, how did I end up with 3 J2? I don't even like RPS all that much!
|Meduza|