Fandom: NEW GIRL
Pairing: Jessica Day/Nick Miller
Length: ~13k
Author on LJ: falseeeyelashes
Author Website: AO3, LJ
Why this must be read:

This is my first rec of the month because it a) is AMAZING, and b) was written very early in the show's run and takes place after the third episode, which means you can go watch the first three episodes of New Girl (at a little over an hour), finish up with the wedding episode (one of my favorite early-season digs), and then come back here and read this incredible fic.

It has a sharply funny and rambling Jess voice, some very hot making out/smut, and pitch-perfect interplay between the guys in the loft, Cece, Jess, and Nick. It's a sexy look at an early (secret! friends with benefits!) Nick/Jess relationship, and a classic in the fandom for a reason.

lay my head on the hood of your car (AO3, LJ)
Jess moves on. And gets it on with her roommate. Normal stuff. Nothing to see here.

Hey, I'm toucanpie and I'm behind the wheel of The Eagle this month as a small fandom!

Fandom: THE EAGLE
Pairing: Marcus/Esca
Length: ~40k
Author on LJ: frackin_sweet
Author Website: On LJ and on AO3
Why this must be read:

This fandom has some awesome AUs and this is one of the best. Marcus is an ex-cop with an interest in road bikes while Esca is a scruffy motocross kid. Starting off with a scorching one-shot the story then opens up into a longer piece with some great plotting. The backstory here really shines as does the crazy chemistry the two of them have going on. I also love how in-depth the characterisation is and the care given to portraying both their worlds. No canon knowledge required at all to read this one but prior knowledge does allow an appreciation of how well all the canonical characters are represented.


Bottoming Out and One Percenters

Hiya! I'm CyberMathWitch, and I'll be flying the Helicarrier for Avengers this month. I'm primarily a Black Widow/Hawkeye 'shipper, but I also have a huge amount of Team feels, both of which I hope to showcase here.

Fandom: THE AVENGERS (MOVIEVERSE)
Pairing: None/Gen
Length: 1460
Author's Warnings: Violence, stream-of-consciousness, strange
Author on LJ: icarus_chained
Author Website: LJ or AO3
Why this must be read:

I'm going to dive straight in with one of my favorite authors, icarus_chained. It was extremely difficult to pick one fic to highlight (and if you like this one, you definitely want to check out the rest of her fic, trust me) -- but I finally settled on "Howl" because it not only features my favorite character, but because it showcases all the reasons why I like her writing so much. She excels at drawing comparisons between characters that aren't immediately evident (but seem incredibly true and obvious once revealed), and her work is often fluid and almost poetic.


"Howl" is a point-of-view peice of Natasha Romanov immediately following the Battle of New York, as she is still caught up in that experience. Natasha as a character is all about debts, and red, power, and freedom, all of which are felt here. She resonates with each and every other Avenger in a unique and powerful way, and I'm a complete goner for stories that expound on that. "Howl" feels like all those possibilities in microcosm - it's short, but powerful. It has a mythic quality to it that I love and it's easy to let the language sweep you up and away into the kind of dizzying adrenaline rush that comes from the heat of battle. Particularly a battle with people who come together to make a whole much greater than the sum of its parts.


( Excerpt: Click for more )

Howl AO3 or LJ

Howdy, all. I'm so excited to have the keys again.

Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Characters: Blair Sandburg, Jim Ellison, Eli Stoddard, OFC
Length: 6400 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Gil Hale’s Fan Fiction

Why this must be read: Gil writes comedy and drama equally well, and I was really torn having to choose between two stories that are polar opposites. Since I’ll probably be recommending some lighter stuff because of Halloween, I’m going with the angst.

It’s been four years since Blair left Cascade, cutting all ties and wandering the world. His health is still fragile; lungs that have never healed from his drowning seem to mirror his wounded soul. Because four years and two weeks ago, while Blair was out of town, Jim left without waiting to talk to him, leaving Simon to explain Jim’s motivations. Now a dying Eli Stoddard, Blair’s beloved mentor, wishes to see Blair one last time and Blair is unable to refuse the request.

Four Years by Gil Hale (PG)

If you like this, take a moment to tell the author. You will absolutely make her day!

Hello! I am very pleased to commandeer the crack_van and take you on a delicious ride to damnation and beyond; I have sworn it Terre d'Ange! I have struggled with how much detail to go into, because pretty much anything past the first book is guaranteed to be spoilerific, but thank goodness we have lj-cuts and spoiler tags.

These are my very favorite books and my very favorite fictional world! Bear with me as I wax poetic, which is actually fairly canon.


Basic Premise

Alternate medieval France where the inhabitants are descended from angels and a masochistic courtesan must save the realm.

(Lots of kink. Very LGBT and BDSM friendly.)



Backstory

When Yeshua ben Yosef hung dying on the cross, his blood ensanguined the earth's soil and mixed with the Magdalene's tears. From the womb of the Earth sprang Blessed Elua, a first overlooked and then cherished angel whose sacred precept is Love as thou wilt.

And this he did. He traveled the world, with flowers springing up in his footsteps and animals coming to dote upon him. Various nations reacted in various ways – fear, apathy, treachery. Several angels really dug his happy free-love vibe and left heaven to wander with him. Naamah, who laid down with kings to free Elua from captivity and then lay with commoners to feed him; Kushiel, punisher of hell who loved his charges too much and was drawn to Elua's sacred precept; Azza, full of pride; Anael, who brought husbandry to the people; Shemhazai who brought knowledge; Camael the warrior; Eisheth the healer; and Cassiel, the Perfect Companion who, alone among the fallen angels, maintained the One God's traditions but protected Elua out of a sense of duty that even the One God had forgotten.

Cassiel alone remained chaste and acted as Elua's bodyguard. The rest Loved as thou wilt across the land, dividing up France and begetting pseudo-angelic offspring until the One God and Earth called them off to the Terre d'Ange beyond.





( The Books – a breakdown of three trilogies. )

( Characters & Fanfic-Favorite Pairings )

Fandom Links!

eluaschildren All fic, all the time

kushiel_trilogy Kushiel discussion community

kushielexchange Fic & art exchange community that is just getting started. Jump in now!

night_court A little dead at the moment, but a Night Court sorting community. I'm a mod there.

Jacqueline Carey - Author website

Rod & Weal - Great info on the books. Used to be just a reference, but looks like they've added RP now.

Kushiel's Legacy Wiki

Kushiel RPG and Kushiel RPG – OOC list - Kushiel Roleplaying Game! Play-by-email; original characters. Disclaimer: This one's mine! Has just been rebooted for a new game. Come on in! Set 200 yrs before Dart takes place, so that's really the only one you need to have read.

Edited to add:

kushielsorting - Noble House (as opposed to Night Court) sorting community

FuckYeahKushielsLegacy - Tumblr

Night's Doorstep - DeviantART