Don't Need to Know Canon
On The Trail Of The Killers Of My Father.The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells. I never set out to start a robot uprising when I came to Pelling Station. I just wanted the leaked pilot of the new Sanctuary Moon spinoff, On The Trail Of The Killers Of My Father.
What it says on the can. Murderbot is a cyborg on the run that just wants to be left alone to inhale its favorite TV shows. I am enjoying the hell out of this Yuletide's run of stories in which Murderbot engages more with canon and/or fandom and/or fellow fans.
Borderline Regarding Need to Know Canon
Those parts, which maids keep unespy'dKushiel's Legacy - Jacqueline Carey. There are few things Phedre has never done. There's one she's never done with Joscelin.
Hot and sweet porn. Could probably be enjoyed just as that, but what I liked best was how in-character it was.
Light in Midwinter. Mushishi. In the depths of winter, a strange warmth. Casefic.
If you don't know canon, a manga and anime set in a pastoral Japan in which a traveling naturalist/seer studies and solves problems involving mushi, supernatural creatures which are part of the ecosystem, this might be a good intro. If you do, this story really captures the delicate yet earthy atmosphere of canon.
Need to Know Canon
dust of the chase.Dark Tower - Stephen King. The man in black knows the score, but who's counting?
Fantastic prose, great concept (the man in black remembers everything; Roland doesn't), great execution of the concept, great characterization. Definitely a don't-miss if you like Dark Tower. In fact, if you like Dark Tower, you should just read all the stories this Yuletide because while I still have one or two left to read, every single one I've read has been excellent.
One Leaf Falls. Clover - CLAMP.
Only when they are not lost does your heart remain intact.
That something, someone, who makes a piece of your heart take on their own shape
And where is that happiness inside a now-broken heart?
A woman with two loves: a man and her music. A girl who listens from inside a cage. The point where two lines that never touch, converge.
Absolutely stunning story which manages to recreate the comic onscreen just with graphics and typography - and not just visually, but also by telling a touching and heartbreaking story that is completely served by the visuals. A tour de force. I think you have to read it online rather than downloading it.
Crossposted to
https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2176771.html. Comment here or there.