Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: slash J/B
Length: 42,718 words (total of both stories in the series)
Author on LJ: mab_browne
Author Website: Mab's Fanfic Site

Warnings:
for Hell of a Town: graphic depictions of violence
for Hell of a Situation: graphic depictions of violence, rape/non-con

Why this must be read:

Blair as an incubus. Seriously, isn't that, like, the best premise ever for an AU?

And boy, does Mab deliver incubus!Blair and this terrific AU in which a very familiar-seeming world has unwisely managed to unleash supernatural beings and powers upon itself and Jim is a demon hunter (which is a pretty darn fine premise in itself). Because this is Mab fic, it's very well-written. Because it's Mab fic, it's intelligent and strongly atmospheric and real — the fantastic made as tangible, as part of the fabric of life for the reader as it is for the characters in the fic. Because it's Mab, there's twistiness and (lots of killer) angst, and Jim's wry and frequently pissed-off jadedness as one of Cascade Paranormal Defense's finest is perfect.

The first fic, Hell of a Town, is a hell of a read; witty, sardonic, vivid, dangerous, with scenes between Jim and Blair sharp enough to cut to the bone. The second, Hell of a Situation was written for Spook Me, and it's deliciously horrific, framing a further glimpse into the lives of Jim and Blair a few months after Hell of a Town with the creepiest of creepy...things.

Also? Blair as incubus is everything you could've imagined and more. It's not all hoodoo and heat and perfect, supernatural sex, for one thing. (Except when it is. :-))

( Excerpt from a Hell of a Town (an excerpt which isn't about the perfect, supernatural sex -- except that it sort of is) )

Links:
  ~  Hell of a Town series at AO3
  ~  Hell of a Town series at ASR3

Podfic by laurie_ky is also available for Hell of a Town:
  ~  Hell of a Town, MP3 format
  ~  Hell of a Town, audiobook format
 
 

Fandom: FRINGE
Pairing/Characters: Amberverse Red!Olivia/Blue!Lincoln
Length: 1866
Author on LJ: ziparumpazoo
Author Website: Fic Master Post; http://archiveofourown.org/users/ziparumpazoo/
Why this must be read:
I kept changing my mind about which story of ziparumpazoo's to rec, and finally settled on this one. Why? It's really hot. Seriously. It's smoldering.

Read Dance With the One Who Brung You

Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Pairing: John/Rodney
Length: ~60,600 (plus 14,000 for the sequel)
Author on LJ: gillianinoz (but it appears private only now)
Author Website: Gillian's Stargate Fiction


This was one of the first McShep fics I read back in the day and it's stuck with me since. What I like about it is that the genderbendering is more unusual than most. The change appears permanent and so Rodney HAS to get used to it. It's not something he can simply work at to fix the mechanical nature of the problem. Watching John and Rodney's relationship develop is interesting and sweet. Again, it's slightly unusual in that both men are straight, which just might complicate things.

The writing is action packed and smart which keeps the story moving along, leaving you wanting more.

( Mini-Teaser )

Cute As...

And the sequel: Alternate

Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Pairing: John/Rodney, Rodney/OFC, others hinted at mainly with OCs
Length: ~72,200 between the two stories
Author on LJ: springwoof and Leah.
Author Website: Leahwoof Stories and springwoof's AO3

This is technically two stories. But it is better to think of it as a prequel and the full story. Left to Fend was written by springwoof while The Body Holographic was written by both springwoof and Leah (leahwoof is the journal of the stories they've written together). If you read the notes of The Body Holographic the authors have provided more information on the genesis of the story.

This 'verse is one of my favorites. It has all the components of my favorite "what could have been" type fics where Atlantis loses contact with Earth, where Atlantis secedes, and Weir isn't assimilated byleft to the replicators. There's mystery as we're first presented with an Atlantis that is very different from the (S2) Atlantis we knew, and the whole rest slowly unravels that mystery and explains the relationships. The OCs and new cultures are complex and interesting. It's terribly romantic and sad, but not saccharine. It's beautifully written, engaging, and painful but in that oh-so-good way. The authors manage to weave a fantastic story together that I simply want to keep reading about it forever. And the ending! My heart! Such love, for this story, honestly.

( Mini-Teaser )

Left To Fend

The Body Holographic

Fandom: STAR WARS
Pairing: Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan
Length: Short
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: n/a
Why this must be read:

Cute and smutty story about newly-bonded Jedi "working out the kinks in their relationship" after a month of forced abstinence.

Oblivious

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS (specifically THOR)
Pairing: Thor/Loki
Length: 14,000 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: AO3 Account

Warning: Author Chose Not to Warn. [Violence. Gore. Consent Issues.]

Why this must be read: An absolute rollicking see-saw/rollercoaster/whirligig/every damn unsettling ride in the amusement park, dialled up to eleven. Equal parts black comedy and tragedy, this story melds myth, comic and movie canons with a touch of psychological profiling to give us a not remotely flattering peek into the culture of Asgard and the princes it produced. Neither Thor nor Loki come off as particularly laudable or particularly sane -- a refreshing change from the rafts of fic that take one part or the other -- but in the best OTP tradition they do come off as made for each other, and world-shatteringly aware of it.

Looks like a Nail

This is my last rec of the month. I want to thank everyone who tried out the stuff I posted here and I hope this got a couple more people interested in the fandom. I highly encourage people to sign up to rec this fandom under the small fandoms category. There's lots of good stories out there for such a new fandom, and I know I have not uncovered them all, or spoken to everyone's tastes. That said, I really enjoyed the hell out of reccing this month, so, yay!

Fandom: SUITS
Pairing/Characters: Jessica, Harvey
Length: medium
Author on LJ: copperbadge
Author Website: Fic Master Post
Why this must be read:

I am, admittedly, biased when it comes to this fic, because I got to see it being written, but I knew from the very beginning that I was going to end with this puppy because it is from JESSICA'S POV, and there's just not a lot of that in the fandom, and Jessica is kind of not-so-sekritly my favorite. Also, this gives really good Harvey history, as well as some excellent insight as to how Harvey views Mike. All in all, I love this fic.

( Excerpt )

Come Go With Me

Fandom: DOCTOR WHO
Pairing: Doctor/Martha Jones (more friendship than romance)
Length: 1,170 words
Author on LJ: gnimaerd
Author Website: fanfic masterlist
Why this must be read:
This is a fantastic short story set when Martha and the Doctor are stuck in 1969 due to the Weeping Angels and Martha has to work to support him. I love it because it shows how lovely their friendship is.

And Jelly Babies by The Hebridean Queen