The Green Light Job by LithiumDoll (PG-13)

[jane_elliot]

Title: The Green Light Job by LithiumDoll
Fandom: Leverage
Pairing: gen
Categories: casefile, action
Length: 14,200 words
Warnings: n/a

Review:
When a good (albeit naive) man gets set up as the Mob's fall guy, the Leverage team steps in to help him. The end result: Eliot in prison, Parker playing a prison guard (!), and Nate wearing a feather boa. How could this possibly go wrong?

It's been a while since I've found Leverage fic I liked enough to finish, so I was happy to discover this intriguing casefile fic. I will say that two of the three flashbacks in the story are unnecessary, but otherwise this is a very solid fic that could very easily have been pulled straight from the show, with a good plot and some fun twists and turns. Full of team respect, humor, action, and drama, this is a fun story for anyone who has been craving a bit more Leverage team!fic.

The Green Light Job

The Fast and the NBTs series by Jedi Buttercup (PG-13)

[jane_elliot]

Title: The Fast and the NBTs series by Jedi Buttercup
Fandom: The Fast and the Furious/Transformers (Bay 'verse)
Pairing: Brian/Dom
Categories: crossover, drama
Length: 22,000 words (so far)
Warnings: n/a

Review:
For reasons that don't really matter (and which, to be honest, I didn't really understand), Brian was in Mission City when Sam released that pulse of Allspark. Which means that, given enough time and motivation, he can fulfill the ultimate dream of car geeks everywhere: he can create his own Transformers.

A few notes up front: first, this series is apparently still in progress, though each story stands on its own. Second, unfortunately every story in the series thus far has had a bizarrely rushed and abrupt ending. Third, there's a lot of references to the movies of both franchises and if you haven't seen the movies (or if, like me, they went right out of your mind the moment you left the theater) you might be a bit confused.

Normally I wouldn't rec a fic with this many caveats, but this is one of those rare cases where the premise is good enough to carry a story (or a series of stories) despite the fics' flaws. Brian's transforming talent is positively inspired and the Transformer OCs he creates are both adorable and wonderfully unique personalities. Honestly, I'm reccing the story for them, because they're likable enough that even with the rushed endings and the random movie exposition, I wanted more stories so I could see more of the various Transformers Brian has created. Mix in solid characterizations for Mia and Dom, some cute Rome family connections, and cameos from nearly every other Fast and Furious secondary character and you have a fun, light, entertaining set of stories.

The Fast and the NBTs series

The Substance of Things Hoped For by vega rin (PG)

[jane_elliot]

Title: The Substance of Things Hoped For by vega rin
Fandom: Haven
Pairing: gen
Categories: angst, hurt/comfort
Length: 7,500 words
Warnings: n/a

Review:
While chasing a Troubled serial killer, Nathan and Audrey end up stranded in the middle of the snowy woods on a very, very cold night.

There isn't much Haven fic out there, and the majority of what I have found has been very middling. Not so this fic, which is beautifully written, has tone-perfect Audrey and Nathan voices, and manages to incorporate an unusual and quite intriguing Trouble. There's also a stab at creating a mythology for the show's central mystery (namely: who, what, and why is Audrey Parker) that gives readers something to think about.

If you've found yourself stuck in the mire of mediocre Haven fic, give this fic a try. It's definitely the best of the fics I've read so far in the fandom.

The Substance of Things Hoped For