ss/hp_prophet 20 - 23 April
Ok so I was driving down this old country road when I saw bright lights ahead of me. My car died, so naturally I got out and walked towards the unearthly disturbance (as one does in such situations) But anyway, the little green fellows that invited me abord for tea were not much for medical experiments (I later learned the Great Anal Probe Debacle was based on administrative red tape and colossal misunderstanding dating back to 1947 when Earl Jenkins of Derry, New Hampshire said, "You can take your alien invasion and shove it up your ass") I spent a week month with our new Alien Overlords and this is why my homework is missing my reviews were delayed*.
*Of course LJ acting up didn't help either
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Severus Snape: Hogwarts Healer (NC-17) by eeyore9990. Under-18. Rec +, crack!
Hogwarts
This is fun! It's so silly & improbably and total crack. This one is so improbable - a teenage Harry has no, absolutely ZERO sexual knowledge - it borders on a fourth wall fics, but fuck it, you'll love being in on the joke. Snape gets his, and while he's a softer Snape than I like, he's certainly got the Slytherin opportunism down pat.
Inspectum Animus (Look Into My Heart) (PG-13) by eeyore9990. Under-18. er. Recish
post HBP
I feel a bit weird at reviewing challenge fics. But whatever. I tried to get into this three times. Not sure why exactly, but I kept getting "reader's drift". You know, when you can't quite get into something so you idly start flicking through your flist or playing solitaire?
Yeah, anyway. Not a great sign. Snape's musing about Potter's unauthorized trips and the deaths that follow is great, but not to start the story with. The fic isn't bad by any means, but maybe too heavy on plot. It does touch on something I'm particularly interested in: Conundrumdore. I LOVE the idea that Snape has had a mirror into Harry's room all along, and the final third of the story was excellent: Snape and Draco in Hogwarts under Harry's care? Fabulous! What an interesting and yet plausible idea! This bit was well paced, good characterization, engrossing. But on the whole the style was too disjointed, there's too much going on and it's just too ambitious. Try and answer one of the questions left after HBP maybe, instead of all of them. And take scissors to the first two thirds. Big scissors.
Harry Potter and the Superstitious Potions Master (NC-17) by hel_bee Rec to Rec +
Post War
I love the title. This is schmoop. But it's funny as well, so the schmoop isn't too hard to take. And I love a good FredandGeorge tale, so yeah. It's a good time.
Demand (NC-17) by occasusvenustas. Also includes Harry/Fred/George. Rec to rec + HOT PP/PA
Post Hogwarts
What a promisingly smutty summary:
Harry dreams about Snape and knows he truly wants the man. The problem; Harry's never been with a man before and he knows Snape will expect the best. The solution; Fred and George seem to have a good one. Crash course in gay sex.
whew! I feel like I need a cigarette and I haven't even started the story yet. Honestly with foreplay that good it almost doesn't matter what the story's like. Even a DooBee doobee doo story. I'm guessing from the comments that it's rather good I waited to read this, because by the time I got here the errors were fixed, and what was left was a well paced, interesting, and well (fanon) characterized story. I could have done without "the older man", some of the prose, and well, the anatomy was a bit off (and HELL "tearing" arseholes are about as sexy as scissors) BUT overall it's fun, clearly written and hot.
Always Hungry (R) by melora98 Rec +, maybe Rec ++. I dunno yet. Needs a reread. I'm stunned
War
Great start. It's like a Michael Bay movie; you're just thrown right into it. This has subtlety that some challenge fics lack: a thoughtful turn of phrase:
He heard a sharp intake of breath, but then Snape continued in an even tone. "... killing people among them. Some even against their will."
Can provide as much exposition as a paragraph of why-Dumbledore-really-really-asked-me-to-kill-him. This story is awesome. Stunning and dark and angsty as all hell. Intelligent. Authentic. There's these little breaks that tear at your heart: Harry's confessions, Snape's looks. I wonder if this is too short. It's so utterly devastating that it might need to be longer to truly punch the reader in the ribs a few *more* times before going for the KO.
Holy Crap.
Anything Interesting (NC-17) by bar_bar_ella (a.k.a. anal_cram_ink) Rec +
Post War
I like this writers style. It's so clean and yet there's subtle humor lurking just below the surface. It's like the joy of writing is coming through in the reading. Or maybe I'm projecting but hell, it was a joy to read. Inept seduction is one of my favorite themes anyway. And fuck it's sweet.
Blood And Fire (NC-17) by cluegirl. Possibly Under-18. Rec + to ++
Post War
This was the first Snarry Olympics piece I read, setting the bar rather high for everyone else. Like high jump high. Or pole vault. Men's pole vault is one of my favorite Olympic track and fields to watch. It's almost as good as Men's water polo. Of course water polo doesn't involve high poles, so the metaphore wouldn't have worked. Just lots of aggressively handsome men wrestling eachother in speedos. Anyway, THAT was a tangent I'd be happy to stay on. This fic is just gorgeous, spot on characterization and a nice gritty darkness to "the light". The structure is magnificent, keeping me in twisty knots all the way to the end, making me chant "oh no oh no oh no..."
Poor Snape! He's rather bloodied up, and I just want to shake Potter. He of all people should understand what it's like to live a life that isn't your own. It's a nice twist on the fannish love story as well. A more mature look maybe, gently guiding the reader to the conclusion Potter reaches: if you love it set it free. Poor Harry. There's a very real fork in his road here. Harry the boy or Harry the future Dark Lord. But it's gently written, coaxing more than hammering.
And GOD that end. Made all the angst worth it.
Small Acts (R) by meri_oddities Rec +
Just for this:
Some conniving Slytherin Snape was. Harry snorted. "You really should have been sorted into Gryffindor. I can't imagine why you weren't."
He was surprised when a dry, hoarse voice answered. "I met Sirius Black on the train and he was sorted into Gryffindor."
I love this story. Parts reminded me of Mindwalk (which reminds me...*toddles over to Amazon. Nope, still not on DVD*), one of my favorite movies (shaddup). This is perhaps less philosophical and more introspective, but the structure of the conversations work for me. Conversations with little gems like the one above. I like the contrast I think. Harry's had time to develop emotionally, mentally and yet the very thing that pushed him belong his age also kept him... untouched. Yeah, virgin kink here. Shaddup.
And a song, of no particular significance to this review:
Another one bites the dust by Queen
*Of course LJ acting up didn't help either
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Severus Snape: Hogwarts Healer (NC-17) by eeyore9990. Under-18. Rec +, crack!
Hogwarts
This is fun! It's so silly & improbably and total crack. This one is so improbable - a teenage Harry has no, absolutely ZERO sexual knowledge - it borders on a fourth wall fics, but fuck it, you'll love being in on the joke. Snape gets his, and while he's a softer Snape than I like, he's certainly got the Slytherin opportunism down pat.
Inspectum Animus (Look Into My Heart) (PG-13) by eeyore9990. Under-18. er. Recish
post HBP
I feel a bit weird at reviewing challenge fics. But whatever. I tried to get into this three times. Not sure why exactly, but I kept getting "reader's drift". You know, when you can't quite get into something so you idly start flicking through your flist or playing solitaire?
Yeah, anyway. Not a great sign. Snape's musing about Potter's unauthorized trips and the deaths that follow is great, but not to start the story with. The fic isn't bad by any means, but maybe too heavy on plot. It does touch on something I'm particularly interested in: Conundrumdore. I LOVE the idea that Snape has had a mirror into Harry's room all along, and the final third of the story was excellent: Snape and Draco in Hogwarts under Harry's care? Fabulous! What an interesting and yet plausible idea! This bit was well paced, good characterization, engrossing. But on the whole the style was too disjointed, there's too much going on and it's just too ambitious. Try and answer one of the questions left after HBP maybe, instead of all of them. And take scissors to the first two thirds. Big scissors.
Harry Potter and the Superstitious Potions Master (NC-17) by hel_bee Rec to Rec +
Post War
I love the title. This is schmoop. But it's funny as well, so the schmoop isn't too hard to take. And I love a good FredandGeorge tale, so yeah. It's a good time.
Demand (NC-17) by occasusvenustas. Also includes Harry/Fred/George. Rec to rec + HOT PP/PA
Post Hogwarts
What a promisingly smutty summary:
Harry dreams about Snape and knows he truly wants the man. The problem; Harry's never been with a man before and he knows Snape will expect the best. The solution; Fred and George seem to have a good one. Crash course in gay sex.
whew! I feel like I need a cigarette and I haven't even started the story yet. Honestly with foreplay that good it almost doesn't matter what the story's like. Even a DooBee doobee doo story. I'm guessing from the comments that it's rather good I waited to read this, because by the time I got here the errors were fixed, and what was left was a well paced, interesting, and well (fanon) characterized story. I could have done without "the older man", some of the prose, and well, the anatomy was a bit off (and HELL "tearing" arseholes are about as sexy as scissors) BUT overall it's fun, clearly written and hot.
Always Hungry (R) by melora98 Rec +, maybe Rec ++. I dunno yet. Needs a reread. I'm stunned
War
Great start. It's like a Michael Bay movie; you're just thrown right into it. This has subtlety that some challenge fics lack: a thoughtful turn of phrase:
He heard a sharp intake of breath, but then Snape continued in an even tone. "... killing people among them. Some even against their will."
Can provide as much exposition as a paragraph of why-Dumbledore-really-really-asked-me-to-kill-him. This story is awesome. Stunning and dark and angsty as all hell. Intelligent. Authentic. There's these little breaks that tear at your heart: Harry's confessions, Snape's looks. I wonder if this is too short. It's so utterly devastating that it might need to be longer to truly punch the reader in the ribs a few *more* times before going for the KO.
Holy Crap.
Anything Interesting (NC-17) by bar_bar_ella (a.k.a. anal_cram_ink) Rec +
Post War
I like this writers style. It's so clean and yet there's subtle humor lurking just below the surface. It's like the joy of writing is coming through in the reading. Or maybe I'm projecting but hell, it was a joy to read. Inept seduction is one of my favorite themes anyway. And fuck it's sweet.
Blood And Fire (NC-17) by cluegirl. Possibly Under-18. Rec + to ++
Post War
This was the first Snarry Olympics piece I read, setting the bar rather high for everyone else. Like high jump high. Or pole vault. Men's pole vault is one of my favorite Olympic track and fields to watch. It's almost as good as Men's water polo. Of course water polo doesn't involve high poles, so the metaphore wouldn't have worked. Just lots of aggressively handsome men wrestling eachother in speedos. Anyway, THAT was a tangent I'd be happy to stay on. This fic is just gorgeous, spot on characterization and a nice gritty darkness to "the light". The structure is magnificent, keeping me in twisty knots all the way to the end, making me chant "oh no oh no oh no..."
Poor Snape! He's rather bloodied up, and I just want to shake Potter. He of all people should understand what it's like to live a life that isn't your own. It's a nice twist on the fannish love story as well. A more mature look maybe, gently guiding the reader to the conclusion Potter reaches: if you love it set it free. Poor Harry. There's a very real fork in his road here. Harry the boy or Harry the future Dark Lord. But it's gently written, coaxing more than hammering.
And GOD that end. Made all the angst worth it.
Small Acts (R) by meri_oddities Rec +
Just for this:
Some conniving Slytherin Snape was. Harry snorted. "You really should have been sorted into Gryffindor. I can't imagine why you weren't."
He was surprised when a dry, hoarse voice answered. "I met Sirius Black on the train and he was sorted into Gryffindor."
I love this story. Parts reminded me of Mindwalk (which reminds me...*toddles over to Amazon. Nope, still not on DVD*), one of my favorite movies (shaddup). This is perhaps less philosophical and more introspective, but the structure of the conversations work for me. Conversations with little gems like the one above. I like the contrast I think. Harry's had time to develop emotionally, mentally and yet the very thing that pushed him belong his age also kept him... untouched. Yeah, virgin kink here. Shaddup.
And a song, of no particular significance to this review:
Another one bites the dust by Queen