Exceptional Reading Season
Reading Season seems like a very poignant term for the summer of sshg_exchange. But given the amazing story, I'm glad my reading season is comparatively boring.
The story is rich in points that you would praise in fics for originality. In here, they come on armloads rather than alone and lonely. Written by an author not only talented, but also skilled, the originality shines. Hermione reads the books she should sort through aloud to herself, only to find out that it is not only childish, but potentially stupid too. I like that the danger shifts from character to character always keeping up with misguided motivations and the narrative. The reader shifts with them. Some of the best characters are beyond alive, and the Cabinet would be an excellent comic relief if it didn't drive the story so strongly. Coupled with house-elves' need to help and obsession of the giant squid to be useful, the combination is explosive. Severus could talk, if he hadn't decided that the topic if off bounds. And, honestly, I cannot begrudge him his reluctance, even though I hardly manage to stifle a silly grin. The story takes place in hidden nooks of the library that are more magical than you have read before, and outside by the lake where sunshine puts stark contrast to dank scenes and lets you feel unsafe everywhere. We reveal why the Department of Mysteries is mysterious, what those guys' work days look like and how they still live normal civil lives, and I must say that for them only the story would be a worthy read.
But no. The Reading Season is packed to the brim with high points. It says on the title page that it is a crossover. Do not believe that. It reads like pure SSHG with loads of originality.
The story is rich in points that you would praise in fics for originality. In here, they come on armloads rather than alone and lonely. Written by an author not only talented, but also skilled, the originality shines. Hermione reads the books she should sort through aloud to herself, only to find out that it is not only childish, but potentially stupid too. I like that the danger shifts from character to character always keeping up with misguided motivations and the narrative. The reader shifts with them. Some of the best characters are beyond alive, and the Cabinet would be an excellent comic relief if it didn't drive the story so strongly. Coupled with house-elves' need to help and obsession of the giant squid to be useful, the combination is explosive. Severus could talk, if he hadn't decided that the topic if off bounds. And, honestly, I cannot begrudge him his reluctance, even though I hardly manage to stifle a silly grin. The story takes place in hidden nooks of the library that are more magical than you have read before, and outside by the lake where sunshine puts stark contrast to dank scenes and lets you feel unsafe everywhere. We reveal why the Department of Mysteries is mysterious, what those guys' work days look like and how they still live normal civil lives, and I must say that for them only the story would be a worthy read.
But no. The Reading Season is packed to the brim with high points. It says on the title page that it is a crossover. Do not believe that. It reads like pure SSHG with loads of originality.