April 24th, 2010 
02:17 pm Without Rules, by Irene Heron (NC-17)
Fandom: MAN FROM UNCLE
Pairing: Slash - Napoleon Solo/Illya Kuryakin
Length: 3,300
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] irene_heron
Author Website: http://partnermine.luminousbeings.net/stories.html
Why this must be read: It is intense and darkly beautiful. Imagine stepping into a Canaletto painting at night and turning onto one of the smaller streets and you have the setting for this passionate and reflective story which reveals one of Napoleon and Illya's secrets.


"But that's the whole point of Carnevale, tovarisch. Indulging one's fantasies."





Without Rules
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04:09 pm Amortentia by excentrykemuse (T)
Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Harry/Romilda, Draco/Pansy, Draco/Astoria, Ron/Lavender
Length: 50,106
Author on LJ: [profile] excentrykemuse
Author Website: Cen's FFN profile; Cen's Dreamwidth account; and Cen's Yahoo group
Why this must be read: There is a growing group of writers within the Harry Potter fandom who are focusing on rare pairings and combining it with exploring pureblood and wizarding traditions. Cen is one of these writers and with Amortentia she provides a rare pairing that works really well. Romilda Vane knows she wants to marry Harry. She has an entire plan set out and is forced to accelerate it when Harry is touted as the "Chosen One" after his fifth year so she doesn't have to compete with other girls. Despite her concerns, she is able to attract his attention and more importantly, keep it I like that Cen doesn't try to make Romilda sympathetic; she has various prejudices that make you wonder if she could actually have a long-term relationship with Harry. What makes this one worth reading is the way Cen explores what it means to be a young girl growing up with all sorts of expectations and burdens. Cen makes Romilda a fully rounded character and shows us a different Half Blood Prince complete with wizarding traditions, pureblood traditions and romance.

snippet )

Amortentia can be read here
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04:51 pm 4 Ways that Darren Nichols Failed at Germany and 1 Possible, Partial Success by rue_du_hoquet(PG-13)
Fandom: SLINGS & ARROWS
Pairing: None
Length: Flashfic
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] rue_du_hoquet
Author Website: Here is her Fic Master List.
Why this must be read:

I like to think that Darren's adventure in Germany went something like this. The lure of vital, true-to-the-core-of-what-makes-the-theater-experience is too power for a self-proclaimed brilliant artist with post-modernist sensibilities like Darren crumbling into a convoluted mess. We go along with Darren as he meets and tries to direct a rather loopy group of theater folk. The fic keeps building up until a New Burbage connection brings him back to Earth. [livejournal.com profile] rue_du_hoquet gives us a Darren who is both perplexed and fascinated by the situation he finds himself in. A very fun read.


An excerpt )


Four Ways that Darren Nichols Failed at Germany and One Possible, Partial Sucess
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05:10 pm Those That Play Your Clowns by tangleofthorns (PG)
Fandom: SLINGS & ARROWS
Pairing: None
Length: 3,800 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] tangleofthorns
Author Website: Her website
Why this must be read:

Because even though we know how things went down the night Geoffrey Tennant went mad, we can't help but be swept away into seeing it again through Cyril's eyes. As it stands, Cyril is one of the series' secondary characters, but he is also someone whose theatrical knowledge (as an actor, at least) is very much alive. Intertwined with that particularly terrible Hamlet performance, we get to see a little bit more of what Cyril's life is like. There is some humour in Cyril's reflections about his relationship with the absent Frank. A worthy read.


An excerpt )

Those That Play Your Clowns
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05:41 pm A Foolish Wit by Petronelle (PG-13)
Fandom: SLINGS & ARROWS
Pairing: Geoffrey Tennant/Ellen Fanshaw, unrequited Oliver Wells/Geoffrey Tennant
Length: 3,900 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] petronelle
Author Website: Her Delicious Tags
Why this must be read:

A better question would be what are you waiting for to sit down and read it? For those who don't know, [livejournal.com profile] petronelle's Slings and Arrows fics are fantastic. In this story, for example, she takes what is a ridiculous premise (Sloan and dead!Oliver write a play) and infuses it with so much humour and heart that it is virtually impossible not to love it.

An excerpt )



A Foolish Wit
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07:34 pm God is in the Rain by XtinethePirate (M)
Fandom: STAR WARS
Pairing: Anakin/Obi-Wan, mentions of Anakin/Padmé
Length: 10,851
Author on LJ: [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]
Author Website: [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]
Why this must be read:

A story told in ten parts, I loved how [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] used the rain as a motif showing Obi-Wan and Anakin throughout the years and the evolution of their relationship. Tragic and yet a little hopeful, this piece remains one of my favorites for the beauty that the author puts into this story, and the chance for redemption that she leaves her readers with in the end.

Excerpt )

God is in the Rain
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