The Worst Journey in the World by Shapinglight/Glassdarkly

[ruuger]

Fandom Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Pairing: Buffy Summers/Spike
Fic Title: The Worst Journey in the World
Author: shapinglight (Glassdarkly)
Link: http://distortingmirrors.notanothersite.com/theworstjourneyintheworld.html (whole story)
http://plot-wout-porn.livejournal.com/6644.html (chaptered)
Rating/Warning(s): R for violence and swearing
Genre: Adventure
WIP?: complete

Why This Must Be Read: shapinglight is better known for her slash and kink fic, but she has also written many long and plotty Spike/Buffy fics and this is my favourite of them. She writes, IMO, the best Buffy in fandom - strong yet flawed, but most importantly a hero - and is a rare writer who seems to live both Buffy and Spike equally.

In this story, set five years after "Not fade Away" (no comics canon), Buffy and Spike set out on a dangerous journey across the frozen country to save the world together with the help of Wesley, and the result is 25 000+ words of good plotting and excellent characterization.

Challenge 77 - More SGA by Kariesue

[2bluaeryn.livejournal.com]

Fandom Category: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing: Teyla Emmangen/John Sheppard
Fic Title:Short and Sweet
Author: Kariesue
Link:http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7425876/31/Short_and_Sweet
Rating/Warning(s):T-M/some sexuality
Genre:Scifi romance/humor/angst
WIP?:Y

Why This Must Be Read:Because it's simply amazing how much story this writer can tell in so few words. The stories grew from a 100 word prompt challenge on the Beya LJ. This writer has taken these and just created wonderful little gems. So each story is as the series title suggests *short and sweet* but she's only done about 38 promts and there were 100 so the protential for so much more goodness. Enjoy!

( Read more Kariesue )

Challenge 77: Epic/Long Fic | Tales from the House of the Moon by Resmiranda

[luxken27]

Fandom Category: Inuyasha
Pairing: Kagome Higurashi//Sesshoumaru
Fic Title: Tales from the House of the Moon
Author: Resmiranda
Link: Clean | Explicit
Rating/Warning(s): MA (sex, language, violence)
Genre: Drama, Adventure, Romance
WIP?: No - 343,755 words (42 chapters)

Why This Must Be Read: Ah, ToHM: the epic fanfic that launched a thousand fanon ships. Whenever someone asks me, "what's the story that brought you into the fandom?" this is my answer. It seems strange, considering I was very much a canon shipper...but this story is so well told, even canon-pairing shippers can find something to love about it. If you ever needed to be convinced of the plausibility of this pairing, though, this story is the one that will make you a believer. Three of the four major arcs are adventure stories, where Sesshoumaru and Kagome are merely companions, trying to get through their quest without killing each other. It's the best kind of enemies-to-lovers story, because the evolution of the relationship is fully explained. My personal favorite arc is the second one, the quest to find the special medicine needed for birthing hanyou babies. The characterizaton of Sesshoumaru is beyond excellent; I think everyone who reads this story and sets out to write Sesshoumaru fanfic unconsciously carries this version of him with us, just as much as the anime and manga versions.

Challenge 77: The Firefly Chronicles by dayzejane M

[hiddencait.livejournal.com]

Fandom Category: Firefly/Chronicles of Riddick
Pairing: River/Riddick
Fic Title: The Firefly Chronicles
Author: dayzejane
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/564946 4/1/The_Firefly_Chronicles
Rating/Warning(s): M for violence and some sexuality - basically the things you'd expect from combining these two fandoms
Genre: Action/Adventure and Sci-Fi
WIP?: Yes

Why This Must Be Read: First off if you like either of these two fandoms, I can say you will probably enjoy this. Dayzejane does an incredible job of keeping the tone and feel of both universes even while mostly occupying the FireflyVerse. This is basically a re-write of the entire series based on the assumption that Riddick got on board in episode one instead of Book. Though, don't worry - Book does show up eventually. And neither does DayzeJane only stick to the show - she adds in believable interludes and "lost episodes" and all in all builds a fantastic new picture of the 'Verse.

There's a ton of really fantastic gen and secondary shipper moments, as there would always be within Firefly, but the meat of this story's shipping is River/Riddick with all sorts of twists and turns there in (btw, she does up the ages just a smidge so River is legal - just in case you were worried). River is every bit as feng le as you'd expect her to be at the beginning of Firefly, but the introduction of Riddick into her worldview brings quite a few changes in her stability and her trust in her gifts.

Just all around an addictive read. Don't expect to finish this quick though: I took the epic/long story challenge to heart. No really - thus far she's written through "Heart of Gold" and is at oh... 84 chapters and over 600,000 words. Yes I did type the correct amount of zeroes.

Epic I tell you.

Rarely Told in Full by violacoye (PG-13)

[sandystarr88.livejournal.com]

Fandom Category: A Series of Unfortunate Events
Pairing: Beatrice Baudelaire/Lemony Snicket
Fic Title: Rarely Told in Full
Author: violacoye
Link: http://yuletidetreasure.org/archive/68/rarelytold.html
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13 / none
Genre: Romance, Angst
WIP?: No
Special Rec: 19/30

Why This Must Be Read: As anyone who has read the books knows Lemony Snicket has a very distinct voice that this author does an amazing job of duplicating in this piece. With the same VFD codes, unexplained references, and dark humor of the series this is such a great story and your heart can't help but break for Beatrice and Lemony in the end.

And if a woman you loved for years says, "I love you, but I can not be with you and I hope this two hundred page book I have sent with your engagement ring explains why," you would likely look over the fact that she still loves you and instead focus on the fact that she is now married to another man and pregnant.

A Hinge in the Air by mingsmommy (PG-13)

[siljamus]

Fandom Category: Criminal Minds
Pairing: Emily Prentiss/David Rossi
Fic Title: A Hinge in the Air
Author: mingsmommy
Link: A Hinge in the Air (link goes to part 1)
Rating/Warning(s): rated PG-13 (maybe R for some parts). Crime, some violence and undercover work.
Genre: Romance, case-file fic
WIP?: No

Why This Must Be Read: It's a well written old-fashioned falling-in-love story.

Challenge 77: How to Fight Loneliness by MadLori

[wolfinred.livejournal.com]

Fandom Category: Criminal Minds
Pairing: Emily Prentiss/Spencer Reid
Fic Title: How to Fight Loneliness
Author: MadLori
Link: Chapter One
Rating/Warning(s): FRM; character death, flangst
Genre: Romance, casefile fic, angst?
WIP?: N

Why This Must Be Read: It's awesome! ::flails::