ext_12399 ([identity profile] ardent-muses.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] crack_van2004-06-27 10:48 pm

Frozen, by Keelywolfe (NC-17)

Fandom: THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.
Pairing: Napoleon Solo/Illya Kuryakin
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] keelywolfe
Author Website: http://www.ravenswing.com/~keelywolfe/

Why this must be read:

I'm a big fan of Keelywolfe's take on MFU and, of my favorites among her stories, "Frozen" is the one I come back to most often.

A lot of fanon -- especially some of the older fanon -- paints an image of Napoleon as an unsympathetic sexual predator, with Illya as a fragile innocent. For me, that just doesn't fly. It's not at all what I see on the screen. Keelywolfe's stories portray a very different dynamic and, even if you don't necessarily see the boys this way, you have to admit it's a refreshing change. I love reading about an Illya who is tough and uncompromising -- anything but a cuddly little urchin. Keelywolfe's Illya scares me a little, and I like that. Even more, I enjoy reading a story that shows Napoleon as the sweet, emotional bottom boy he surely is. *G*

Although Frozen, like Keelywolfe's other MFU stories, is about a sexual encounter, it's not "just" about sex. It's about what the sex means. That is, the sex *is* the plot and the theme and the *point* -- it's an experience that transforms the characters and their relationship. Which is not to say that it isn't all just plain *hot*. Because it *is*!

Here's a sample:

"Do you want me to keep going?" His breath was as hot as a flame against Napoleon's ear, the soft brush of his lips punctuated by the delicate sweep of his tongue around the curve. Napoleon couldn't speak, shivering helplessly as Illya blew softly on the damp skin. "Are you still cold?" Illya whispered teasingly, his fingers moving in slow circles on Napoleon's thighs but staying maddeningly exactly where they were. "Napoleon?"

Keelywolfe's language is simply gorgeous. She has one of the most distinctive voices I've read in any fandom. She excels in her ability to convey in a word or two *exactly* how things look, sound, taste and, um, feel. You get the picture.

Frozen