Fandom: DANNY PHANTOM
Pairing: Danny/Sam, possible hints of Tucker/Valerie
Length: ~64,000
Author on LJ: chaosdragon 
Author Website: Fanfiction.net or Pomme de Sang if you want Anita Blake fic

Why this must be read: A future fic with a difference. Danny was presumed dead but reappears in Amity Park. After realistically awkward and relieved reunions, it starts coming out that wherever Danny was and whatever he was up to, it’s left him scarred and much, much older than he’s supposed to be. And he’s steeled himself for an inevitable something that is going to involve a very nasty Vlad….

There and Back Again

Last day of the month and it's been a treat to be able to showcase these terrific Merlin stories all month long. Don't forget, you can take a turn doing this too! Just sign up here.

Fandom: MERLIN
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Length: ~ 7564 / ~ 7864
Author on LJ: claire_debonair
Author Website: Merlin fic on LJ
Why this must be read: I'm not a fan of kid stories, but I adore this one. The author has a light touch and a great sense of humour, the other characters (especially Morgana) are wonderful, and there's something so charming about this Arthur and his five-year old precocious son, Gawain, that even hardened kid-fic fearing souls like me can't resist. Arthur needs a nanny for his child; Merlin is hired. It's love and humour and just plain delightful, old-fashioned romantic fun. The perfect note to end the month.

( It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a young son must be in want of a nanny. )

Read the story and feedback the author: Not Quite Mary Poppins

And the sequel: Not Quite Mrs. Banks Either

Fandom: DC COMICS
Pairing: Dick/Tim
Length: 6,000ish
Author on LJ: aravistarkheena 
Author Website: Fic Index
Why this must be read: This is a really enjoyable hurt/comfort story, first of all. More than that, it deals with the isolation that the characters feel, and how they help each other overcome that. I like how Aravis gradually builds up the relationship between Dick and Tim. I am also really fond of Tim's conversations with secondary characters, and how they help him gain insight. Having Tim react to his schoolmates' remarks is a clever way to get Tim to look at his relationship to Dick from angles that hadn't occured to him. All the conversations between Tim and Dick in this story are a lot of fun to read; Aravis did a great job with both character voices. Tim's uncertainty and Dick's misunderstanding in the climax of the fic ring absolutely true, and the last few lines of dialouge in the story make a wonderful resolution. The repeated use of the "open window" metaphor by the characters keeps the fic tied together strongly, as well as being a wonderful thematic image.

( Excerpt )


Read it!

Fandom: DC COMICS
Pairing: Dick/Roy, Dick/Roy/Wally
Length: Three stories, approx. 3,000 words each
Author on LJ: travelincognito 
Author Website: Tag List
Why this must be read: These fics make me laugh so hard I cry. It's a rare fic that can achieve that. If I am having a bad day, this series cannot fail to cheer me up. The series is called "Weeks", because each of the three fics spans a week. The first story in the series, "One Week", is about Batman's overzealous attempts to stop Dick from dating, and the Teen Titans ' attempts to thwart him, both of which backfire in hilarious ways, though the Titans win out in the end. The second story, "Another Week", is about Wally becoming involved in Dick and Roy's relationship, and the way their mentors react to the revelation of this development. Batman has a conniption, Ollie is gleeful, and Barry... Well, I wouldn't want to spoil it. The last story, "Sick Week", is about Dick getting the flu and trying to hide it from Bruce so that he won't be fussed over. Bruce, noticing something is wrong, pieces the puzzle together wrongly, leaping to an incorrect and hilarious conclusion about what is wrong with Robin. I cannot reccomend these stories enough. Read them, but make sure you aren't drinking anything while you do!

( Excerpt )

Read them!

I'm hoping to get one more rec up tonight, but if not, what better way to end the month than with a story about the series finale? It's been a fun drive. I hope you enjoyed the fics and that you're hooked on the fandom.

Fandom: DANNY PHANTOM
Pairing: Danny/Sam, Jack/Maddie; discussion of Danny/Jazz, Tucker/Valerie, Danny/Valerie, and Vlad/Maddie
Length: 32,000
Author on LJ: myaibou 
Author Website: Fanfiction.net

Why this must be read: The series finale, Phantom Planet, tied up a lot of loose threads but still had a few gaps, which people have naturally tried to plug. Some of the biggest problems with the episode are that we don’t know who all knows Danny’s secret by the end, we never really get much of a revelation-reaction from Valerie, and we don’t know what the government standpoint on ghosts ends up being. Tales from the Phantom Planet fixes the problems so smoothly it should be canon.

The fic isn’t just about plugging the gap, though. It’s about the actions and reactions of the main characters as they work to save the world, try to keep Danny’s secret, think they see him die… and then dealing with the necessary aftermath of having saved the world and now what?

Tales from the Phantom Planet

Fandom: YAMI NO MATSUEI
Pairing: Tsuzuki/Hisoka
Length: ~1000
Author on LJ: ranalore (Author prefers her insane journal or dreamwidtht
Author Website: Here (currently down)
Why this must be read:

This is a perfect way to end this month of recs. It's quiet, soft, and absolutely lovely. And it presents a happy ending that I can actually believe, which is a challenge anyway and even more difficult in this fandom.

Achingly beautiful and utterly satisfying, this should not be missed.

( Excerpt )

Karmic Ocean Dried Up

Fandom: The Magnficent Seven
Pairing: Ezra, the rest of the Seven Gen  OW
Length: 5772 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author's web page: This fic is posted on Fanfiction.net
Why this must be read: Very nice look at how the Seven react when Ezra is seriously injured. Great handling of POV and she has the characterizations down very well. Good explanation for why Josiah treats Ezra the way that he does. It's a nice look at Ezra's place in the Seven and how they think about him. I think she did a great job; this is a nice H/C fic.

www.fanfiction.net/s/5168219/1/Strange_Bedfellows 

Hope you like it!

Fandom: STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
Pairing: Jean-Luc Picard/Beverly Crusher/Jack Crusher
Length: 2 500 words
Author on LJ: yahtzee63
Author Website: Yahtzee's Fic
Why this must be read:

This well-crafted, melancholy story begins in the closing moments of "Attached" but soon fades back to the time of Picard's command of the Stargazer. Jack Crusher, unfortunately, isn't a character who gets a lot of respect in TNG fic, so it's especially nice to see how well he and Beverly get on here. When they try to draw Jean-Luc Picard into their relationship, it's to Yahtzee's credit that it seems like it should be canon, dammit entirely plausible. She does a particularly good job with Picard's characterization, her details of 24th century life help bring this story to life, and there are bonus literary references.

( excerpt )

“Pretty To Think So”

This is my final TNG rec for the month. If you've been reading along, I hope you've enjoyed the ride as much as I have.

crack_van is looking for more Star Trek drivers, so if you're you're interested in reccing for this or any other Star Trek fandom, please sign up here.

Fandom: STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
Pairing: Riker/Troi
Length: 23 000 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Her Riker/Troi fic is archived here
Why this must be read:

One of the reasons Star Trek's Mirror Universe (MU) is so fascinating is the glimpses it gives us of our good guys being unrelentingly bad. Fans were never lucky enough to see the MU filmed with TNG characters, but fiction, both professional and fannish, exists to compensate for this oversight.

"Both Sides of the Mirror" is my favourite take on the TNG MU because of its focus on characters over technology. In it, the Mirror!Riker slowly comes to realize that he's transported into a world very different from his own. As he struggles with this realization, our crew come to learn some very unsettling truths about their Mirror counterparts. It turns out the two Rikers have in fact switched places, and the trouble really starts when the Mirror!Riker finds our existence so comfortable that he refuses to return to his own.

BEKi's Rikers are more fleshed-out and likable than the aired version ever was, and even with the focus on the Riker/Troi relationship, I think this is plotty enough to have gen appeal. Definitely give this a try if you like good plotting, sharp characterizations, and lots and lots of angst.

( excerpt )

Both Sides of the Mirror

Fandom: STAR WARS
Pairing: none
Length: one-shot
Author on LJ: gabri_jade
Author Website: n/a
Why this must be read:

Because it's wonderfully well-written, above all. The author also really knows how to set a scene, giving us a cantina locale written so vividly that you can almost smell and hear and see everything it has to offer. Not to mention the absolutely lovely character observations, particularly with the often unfairly maligned Mara Jade.

Such a good read.

Serendipity

It's been a joy to rec for bandom this month. I wish I could've gotten around to more but hopefully I gave some great fics to read in between big bangs and summer good times. ♥

Fandom: BANDOM
Pairing: Jon/Spencer, Frank/Gerard, minor Tom/Butcher, various other bandomy folks
Length: 22,000 words
Author on LJ: adellyna
Author Website: frillythings.net
Why this must be read:

Last rec of the month and I bring the zombies I promised. Being something of a big fan of them now, I can honestly say I credit much of that love to this fic. It's the perfect blend of horror and story, done fantastically well in prose-format given that the genre lends itself more toward the screen, and on top of that it's written by one of the most talented authors in bandom.

Like any zombie story, this one starts with an outbreak. The catch? It happens on a cruise ship. The cruise staff, consisting of our favorite band boys and girls, struggle to survive on the ship while being relentlessly pursued by the ravenous undead. adellyna has an amazing way with words. She captures not only the essence of horror with vivid descriptions and atmospheric writing, but she draws the human experience as well - which is one of the keys to good horror in the first place. There is character death, but it only amps up the tension because the reader is left fearing for the protagonists and all the while the shuffling, moaning zombies are a constant, ominous threat. But don't think this fic is just blood and guts (although there is that). It's also love, friendship, trust, loyalty, bravery, and above all, hope.

Warnings for violence, gore, character death, and general horror situations, but give this one a try even if you're not a horror and/or zombie fan. I wasn't and I read it anyway and I'm so glad I did. It's absolutely worth it. And don't forget to leave the author feedback!

( excerpt )

The Risen

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS
Pairing: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Length: ~9,000
Author on LJ: crimsonquills
Author Website: CrimsonQuills.com

Why this must be read:

I'm ending my month of recs with one of my all time favorite Marvel fics, crimsonquill's "Beneath the Armor." This get-together fic, set early in the Avengers timeline, captures the feel of Classic Avengers (that would be the Silver Age 1960s comics) better than almost any fic I've seen yet, right down to gleefully cracky science and bonus Tony-needs-his-chestplate-to-live!drama. And it's a secret identity reveal, too! What more do you need?

Beneath the Armor

Fandom: The Magnificent Seven/Deadwood
Pairing: Ezra/Chris
Length:  8005 words
Author on LJ: zekiel 
Author website: www.zekeblack.slashcity.org
Why this must be read: This is a fantastic crossover between Magnificent Seven and Deadwood. Zeke has Jane's voice down very well and this explains how Jane was wearing Vin's season one coat in Deadwood. The words are just lyrical and so very descriptive, especially of the hot sex that Ezra and Chris were having. Also a nice reminder of how dangerous it was back then. Zeke is a gifted writer and this is a delight to read. I intended to post this rec on crossover day but the site was having a few problems which are resolved now; enjoy the story! 



zekeblack.slashcity.org/fiction/chaqueta.html

Drivers are needed in the Harry Potter, Highlander, and Smallville fandoms as well as others. To ensure your fandoms remain in full-time rotation, please sign up to make a month of recs!

Sign up here!

Fandom: MCFLY
Pairing: Dougie/Harry, gen.
Length: one-shot
Author on LJ: _afterism
Author Website: Psychorandom.
Why this must be read:

Emily is one of those fab authors that can create an amazing story in a short space. She was one of the authors that introduced me to the fandom, and I have a special fondness for her fics. The fandom is full of brilliant AUs of varying lengths, and this little fic from Emily showcases that nicely. Tom runs a demon huinting agency, and they're all really, really useless at their jobs.

Tom had quickly learned that it didn't matter how thoroughly you had researched, or how many high-tech gadgets you owned that picked up heat and disturbances and high concentrations of fucking weird, or how highly trained you and your team mates supposedly were - it always came down to rock salt and silver bullets.

Oh, and that you should always be ready to start running.

Adorable and hilarious, this is a fab little fic for when you need something to make you smaile and be warm inside <3


Snakes and Ladders