Fandom: Angel
Author lj: mpoetess and gilascave
Author's Website: Pointy Stakes and Gila's Cave
Pairing: Wesley/Gunn
Rating: PG15
Why this must be read:

It's strange that just omitting one word from a job description can completely alter everything. Wesley reintroduces himself to Angel and Cordelia in Parting Gifts (AtS 1:10) as a 'Rogue Demon Hunter'. James Walkswithwind and Mad Poetess
drop the 'hunter' and recast Wesley simply as a demon attempting to escape from his captors. The story is set towards the end of season two, where Angel is working for Wesley. This is a fascinating look at what makes us human - and what makes up our identities. The characterisation is superb, the romance handled sensitively and the differing reactions of the Fang Gang make this unlikely scenario completely plausible.

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Wesley Rogue Demon by Mad Poetess and James Walkswithwind

Fandom: Angel
Author: Misty Flores
Author's Website: Imperfect
Pairing: Angel/Cordelia, Wesley/Faith, Gunn/Fred
Rating: R
Why this must be read:

Summary: Lorne has his hands full when three men who love three brunettes reveal three stories that meld surprisingly - and the three brunettes go missing. (set after Dad with spoilers for Birthday).

This is an epic story. Well. It's epic length in length. The actual storyline (and bearing in mind that there are technically three separate stories going on and six different narrators) isn't on an epic scale (ie, the end of the world isn't nigh) but it's serious
enough. This is a fantastic read. It's funny, painful and touching by turns. Misty's characterisation is spot on and the three relationships are very different - but somehow, utterly believable. It may seem a tad contrived having everyone paired off but make no mistake, each of the relationships has its own pitfalls and nothing is easy - not until the Jossverse as a whole, I suppose. She made me like Faith as a character and be interested in her and the interaction between Cordelia and Faith in this story is one of the strongest things in it.

And it's funny - and not just in the witty repartee kind of way or the slapstick kind of way but also in the ow-that-hurts-very-black-humour kind of way because things don't go right and people make mistakes and they get hurt and since this is AtS, the ways in which they can get hurt can be... creative.

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How To Date A Beautiful Woman by Misty Flores

Fandom: OZ
Pairings: Keller/Beecher, Keller/various
Author on LJ: I'm not sure - anyone know?
Author's website: Gina's Fannish Stuff
Why this MUST be read:

Because we know very little about Chris Keller before he got sent to Oz, and given the complexities of his adult nature, his background is a mystery that begs to be explored.

It's always easy to ask "What made Keller turn bad?" And maybe there are easy answers at the ready: a rough childhood? Abusive parents? Sexual confusion? The list could go on and on. But "Exegesis" never relegates Keller's pathos into anything that simple. Gina goes beyond the cliches and weaves a complex story about how life teaches us lessons far beyond just the ones we are aware of learning. The story is quiet, and knowing, and in that manner it connects the dots that ultimately lead Keller to Oz, into his relationship with Beecher - and along the way, illuminates his irrepressible fascination with God.

This story wasn't an A/U when the author first posted it, but one specific disclosure in Season 4 canon has rendered it as such. Don't let that deter you, though - the events in this story are more believable, IMO, than many of the things we actually saw happen on the show. (Aging drugs, anyone?)

And, much like canon Oz, the ending will kill you. (Heh.)

Gina Collum is a wonderful writer; her prose is flawless, with a subtle tone that carries you along but never intrudes. I recommend everything she writes - but Oz fen, especially Keller fans, should definitely start with this one.

A taste:

The sex, that it can be this good to come inside somebody, is such a novelty, it takes quite a while for him to get bored. In the future, Keller will more easily recognize the omens of restlessness-- the cold and lonely nights when he'll wonder that wickedness can be a calling, and whether he can make another choice.

Go read Exegesis of Christopher

Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: None. Neville-centric genfic
Author on LJ: _hannelore
Author Website: Author page at Skyehawke
Why this must be read:

Beautiful, poignant, heartbreaking and hopeful fic in which Hermione tells Neville the story of the little girl who attempted to fold a thousand paper cranes because she believed it would make her wish come true, and it sparks something in him.

If you've ever done something completely irrational in the belief that it would make everything turn out all right in the end, you will relate to Neville in this story, and he will break your heart.

( A quote )

Beautifully characterized, with subtle canon details worked in, and lovely, spare prose that doesn't hit you over the head with anything, but lets it all sink in as you read. And the ending... I really did cry, because it's unexpected and completely perfect. In fact, in rereading to make this rec, I cried again.

A Thousand Wishes by _hannelore

Fandom: LOTR
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: tiamatschild
Author Website: none
Why this must be read: Nanni just posted this story last night, and it's absolutely gorgeous. There is so much packed into these few paragraphs, so much vivid imagery. Set during ROTK and the Battle of Minas Tirith, Pippin recalls a childhood incident and reflects on the desperate nature of his situation.

Walking the Deep

Fandom: X-MEN MOVIEVERSE
Pairing: Bobby/Rogue
Author on LJ: trollprincess
Author Website: Troll Princess' Fanfic Stash
Why this must be read:

Because it's quite possibly the most hysterical damned MPREG I've ever read.

Yes, MPREG. Don't even bother trying to escape – I locked the doors. Heh.

Seriously, though – 99.99% of MPREG is godawful. But, the other 0.01%? Absolute gold. And this fic most definitely falls into the latter category. Gasping-for-breath funny in places, while being oddly sweet at the same time; this is a story I've recced to X-Men junkies and people who don't know the fandom alike, and they've all loved it.

The characterisation is also a treat – I don't read much movieverse Bobby fic, as he tends to come across as rather boring to me in most stories, but Troll Princess's Bobby takes the best of both movieverse and comicverse Bobby, and makes me *believe* in a more light-hearted movieverse Bobby.

Plus, there's some lovely Hank, and Logan's brief appearances are hysterical.

If you only ever read one MPREG, make it this one. You won't regret it.

Feed Me To The Tabloid Monster

Fandom: BLAKES 7
Pairing: Blake/Avon
Author on LJ: blakefancier
Author Website: nope
Why this must be read:

This is a very new fic, so I feel all chuffed that I get to be the first to pimp it out. Whee.

Anyway. Zenia's one of the mainstays of the fandom for a reason, so I figured it was about time I recced one of hers. She has a way of oddly summing up various fandom attitudes in her own unique way that I really like.

That's chiefly why I picked this one, actually; it seems to me very illustrative of the whole 'Avon needing Blake even though he'd really rather not' line of thought. Lots of prople run with variations on this theme, but Zenia has a tendecy to feel like her stories are the ones that came first, started the trend. (That's quite a feat when the fic was only posted a few days ago.) This one comes complete with mentions of tea, which as a British person I heartily endorse. *grins at own mug of PG Tips*

It's also rather pretty, more than averagely well written, and generally a good thing to have around. It helps that Zenia's quite obviously spent way too much time analysing these characters and therefore is able to give them that vital sense of being unique, as opposed to just any old people with the same names. Rock.

Those Who Favour Fire