Monday, April 26, 2010

"'The Parallel Worlds' Series" by LouisaB

When I started this blog, I decided to only recommend one fic per author, and that was it. After just a couple of months, I'm already bending the rules, though in my defense, it's for an interconnected series.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3920327/1/Double_Trouble_COMPLETE


http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3959071/1/Triple_Trouble_COMPLETE


http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4072843/1/Trouble_with_a_Capital_T_COMPLETE

I left out one story there - "Catch a Quaffle," technically second in the series, though it has nothing to do with inter-dimensional Marauders as it does Remus/Sirius fluff. And I just don't care about that.

After accidentally opening a portal and finding a parallel universe, the marauders (and Lily!) get into all sorts of adventures and wacky hi-jinks. These fics are actually really well-written, enjoyable, and pretty damn brilliant. The different marauders running around at all times is sure to make you smile. I doubt these fics would be half as popular as they are if it weren't for the RLSB aspect, but I actually feel like that's the weakest part to the whole series.

"Harry Potter and the Slytherin Spy" by Christine Morgan

What if there was another Hogwarts student in Little Whinging?

This fic, written/set right after Order of the Phoenix, is about Harry meeting a Slytherin girl and forming a friendship with her in his sixth year. It's fairly-straightforward and not excessively (wonderfully) violent at all. (Sarcasm.)

http://www.eskimo.com/~vecna/hp_spy_01.html

Morgan can imitate Rowling's writing style well, and there is something so satisfying about reading a fic you can confuse for the genuine article; especially when it gets to where Morgan is describing gruesome deaths in Rowling's simple, yet descriptive prose.

I'm not pretending this fic is without problems; it's focused on a female OC, which is a no-no to most in the fandom, though trust me when I say the writing is good enough you won't care. And there are a few canon things that would raise eyebrows - Kreacher's characterisation is all wrong in this fic, in my opinion, while I think Morgan's explanation of where Sirius was hiding during Harry's thirteenth summer is a brilliant twist. Morgan also abuses ellipses, and the ending seems a bit rushed and simplistic, but trust me when I say:
YOU SHOULD READ THIS.

"Rise from the Ashes" by MidniteMarauder

Out of all the stories I thought I'd rec here, I never thought one would be a Teddy/Cedric fic, but here we are.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3991733/1/Rise_From_the_Ashes

I can't think of how to describe this fic without giving away the plot. It is a Time Travel fic, so that should tell you all you need to know. It's only eight chapters, and they're pretty short, so the story feels a bit rushed in some ways - for example, certain people seem to accept Teddy's identity a bit too easily - but, for the most part, this fic has a great story and is an enjoyable read.

Don't worry about the pairing, either, because the slash isn't dominate and is handled really well.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Writing Suggestions from Yours Truly, Number 1

Never end a chapter with someone fainting.

It's hackneyed.