Fandom: X-men Comicverse
Title: Kid Dynamo
Pairing: No main pairing, side of Magneto/Stevie Hunter
Author Website: None, author seems to have disappeared from the Internet
Why this must be read:

Kid Dynamo is set during the time of the New Mutants as a sort of What-If. It weaves the character of Jessica Drew into the "Fall of the Mutants" time-line, which seems like an odd setting for an OC fic, until you realize that Kid Dynamo was written in 1992. That said, don't get turned off by the OC or the age of the fic! Jessica Pierce is one of the most convincing and well-rounded OCs I've seen (I didn't realize that she was one until several Internet searches for her turned up empty). Her entry into the fic is believable, as are her history and mutant powers, and she's not involved in any major pairings, so don't worry about rabid fangirl self-insertion.

The plot of this story is well-constructed, mirroring the events of the time. However, Kid Dynamo is written in first-person, and Jessica is anything but a dull narrator. Her cutting wit and decidedly cynical view of things both brighten and strengthen the flow of the story. The characterization of the rest of the canon characters isn't sloppy either. Connie is good at writing the New Mutants as believable teenagers with emotions and faults. She also writes a pretty damn good Magneto, if I do say so myself, illustrating many of the oft-forgotten facets of his personality as they are revealed to Jessica. After all, Magneto hasn't been a 2-D throw-away villain for a long time now.

If you've been searching for New Mutants fic, for a well-characterized Magneto, or even just for a solid read, Kid Dynamo will be quite satisfactory.

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Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 4a, 5, 6, 7a, 7b, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Fandom: POPSLASH
Pairing: AJ/Brian
Author on LJ: cocoalatte
Author Website: N/A

Why this must be read: This popped up on my friends list out of nowhere one day and I was so very, very happy to see it. An AU, which is a pretty popular concept in popslash, this one is set in an investment bank in London. AJ, who runs the place, is deaf. While this could've just been a ploy to get more readers interested, it's portrayed in a very real and wonderful way. The whole story has a quiet feel to it, and AJ's personality shines even if he never actually speaks. Brian's wonderful here, too, as well as Nick, who's hired to be AJ's voice. The ending lines especially make this story for me. A really wonderful read.

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Fragile - This Way Up

Fandom: POPSLASH
Pairing: Justin/JC/Lance
Author on LJ: synecdochic
Author Website: Venus in Furs

Why this must be read: Synecdochic writes things that are so painfully hot that you practically need to defog your computer screen when you're done. The language is always so stunning, too. While this story is more sensual than anything, it still makes you squirm in your seat by the end.

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All Your Mental Armor