The Year in Review (2009) by Miss Winterhill
Well, a year in review isn't exactly true for me. I joined Torchwood_House in the week that Children of Earth aired. It was a strange week to be part of Torchwood fandom; the bubble of hope and anticipation that had come with having Season Three air over five consecutive nights had burst, and we were suddenly a fandom united in mourning instead of in excitement.
In those first few weeks after the episodes aired, a few pieces really stood out to me, and so I'm going to start with those and then move on to a few more that I have recced during my six months or so here at Torchwood_House.
Everywhere is Walking Distance, if You Have the Time by mellacita is both the first fix-it story that I read, and my favourite fix-it fic. It has images that have stuck with me since reading it for the first time (the characterisation of Jack and the initial fate of Ianto, for a start). I said when I first recced it that Ianto's death isn't cheapened by a quick and easy return, and I think that this is key to the story for me, and what makes it a great fix-it. If you couldn't bear to read it when it was posted but time has softened the blow a little, then consider reading it; I found it very satisfying and a believable way to continue the story of Jack and Ianto after CoE.
The Long Way Home by azriona is just beautiful. It will forever, for me, set my interpretation of Mica; she is well characterised by azriona in a heartbreaking but optimistic post-CoE story. The honesty of the portrayal of Mica and those around her is something that I really value in a fic, and I felt that this could -- or did -- happen. This story still had the power to make me choke up when I read it again making this list; that said, I really think that it is worth the tears.
The next one is an interesting one for me. In the days following CoE, I know that I was tossing up whether I'd take a break from fandom in general and Torchwood in particular. Browse the Brows, Bro! Parts 1 and 2 by snaxcident is a post-CoE piece that helped me to make the final decision that I would stick with Torchwood, and with the wonderful people who make up Torchwood fandom. snaxcident has a brilliant sense of humour and her choices of brows for us to browse is right on key; it's the first Torchwood-related thing that I remember laughing at in the fallout from Day Four, and I still find it hilarious when I go back and browse the brows now.
My other three pieces are each very different to the others, but I think that all three are worth a look.
If you are looking for a story to settle in for an evening of fun with, then Guard Them, and Him Within by etharei is a Big Bang story that is original and plotty. It's a story of Ianto displaced in time, with a Jack who doesn't know him and a terrible secret at the heart of the conflict that he finds himself in the middle of. It's romantic, action-packed and the characterisation of both canon characters and OCs is just great. I found myself caring about everyone, and completely drawn into the world that etharei created. I've enjoyed it on a second, third, fourth and fifth reading...
Half the Battle by ivy03 is a classic in the fandom, for good reason. It's an uncomfortable look at a non-exclusive relationship between Jack and Ianto; this is a story and an interpretation of the line "He cheats, he always cheats..." that has stuck with me since I first read this piece. I don't want to spoil too much of the plotline, but this is a story about relationships that works with the idea of Jack desiring more than one person, and the fallout that this can create.
Torchwood in Knitting and Crochet: I couldn't leave this entry without mentioning these. I hope to have a few more fandom craft links to share in 2010 -- one of my favourite things about fandom is the sheer variety of media across which people create, and this rec has items that you can make for yourself! There's a Torchwood coffee cup to knit, a vortex manipulator to crochet and some Torchwood socks of the wooly variety.
Here's to 2010! Thanks for supporting me these last six months as I found my feet here as a reccer, and I hope that I shared something with you that you enjoyed, because I've really enjoyed my time here! ♥
In those first few weeks after the episodes aired, a few pieces really stood out to me, and so I'm going to start with those and then move on to a few more that I have recced during my six months or so here at Torchwood_House.
Everywhere is Walking Distance, if You Have the Time by mellacita is both the first fix-it story that I read, and my favourite fix-it fic. It has images that have stuck with me since reading it for the first time (the characterisation of Jack and the initial fate of Ianto, for a start). I said when I first recced it that Ianto's death isn't cheapened by a quick and easy return, and I think that this is key to the story for me, and what makes it a great fix-it. If you couldn't bear to read it when it was posted but time has softened the blow a little, then consider reading it; I found it very satisfying and a believable way to continue the story of Jack and Ianto after CoE.
The Long Way Home by azriona is just beautiful. It will forever, for me, set my interpretation of Mica; she is well characterised by azriona in a heartbreaking but optimistic post-CoE story. The honesty of the portrayal of Mica and those around her is something that I really value in a fic, and I felt that this could -- or did -- happen. This story still had the power to make me choke up when I read it again making this list; that said, I really think that it is worth the tears.
The next one is an interesting one for me. In the days following CoE, I know that I was tossing up whether I'd take a break from fandom in general and Torchwood in particular. Browse the Brows, Bro! Parts 1 and 2 by snaxcident is a post-CoE piece that helped me to make the final decision that I would stick with Torchwood, and with the wonderful people who make up Torchwood fandom. snaxcident has a brilliant sense of humour and her choices of brows for us to browse is right on key; it's the first Torchwood-related thing that I remember laughing at in the fallout from Day Four, and I still find it hilarious when I go back and browse the brows now.
My other three pieces are each very different to the others, but I think that all three are worth a look.
If you are looking for a story to settle in for an evening of fun with, then Guard Them, and Him Within by etharei is a Big Bang story that is original and plotty. It's a story of Ianto displaced in time, with a Jack who doesn't know him and a terrible secret at the heart of the conflict that he finds himself in the middle of. It's romantic, action-packed and the characterisation of both canon characters and OCs is just great. I found myself caring about everyone, and completely drawn into the world that etharei created. I've enjoyed it on a second, third, fourth and fifth reading...
Half the Battle by ivy03 is a classic in the fandom, for good reason. It's an uncomfortable look at a non-exclusive relationship between Jack and Ianto; this is a story and an interpretation of the line "He cheats, he always cheats..." that has stuck with me since I first read this piece. I don't want to spoil too much of the plotline, but this is a story about relationships that works with the idea of Jack desiring more than one person, and the fallout that this can create.
Torchwood in Knitting and Crochet: I couldn't leave this entry without mentioning these. I hope to have a few more fandom craft links to share in 2010 -- one of my favourite things about fandom is the sheer variety of media across which people create, and this rec has items that you can make for yourself! There's a Torchwood coffee cup to knit, a vortex manipulator to crochet and some Torchwood socks of the wooly variety.
Here's to 2010! Thanks for supporting me these last six months as I found my feet here as a reccer, and I hope that I shared something with you that you enjoyed, because I've really enjoyed my time here! ♥