Recs by Jane Elliot

Title: Anywhere on this Road by Sineala
Fandom: The Eagle
Pairing: Esca/Marcus
Categories: angst, drama, hurt/comfort, action, favorite
Length: ~31,000 words
Warnings: non-graphic mentions of pre-story rape

Review:
A retelling of the movie from Esca's POV, with some extra scenes (and, if possible, even more gayness).

So many Eagle stories brush over Esca's previous experience as a slave. This fic goes the other route, showing how all of Esca's behavior would be colored by his past as a body slave. As a result, the trust building that occurs between Esca and Marcus even more powerful, and their growing relationship even more laden with angst. The end result is a story that hits my trust and angst kinks *hard* and delivers a powerful emotional punch at the same time. A very potent read.

Anywhere on This Road

It's the start of the holiday season! To celebrate, I'm going to be posting a rec a day for as many days as I have recs for -- hopefully at least through the month of December. If I have any left on December 31, I'll spam you with the remainder. Enjoy!

Title: Bound by Jain
Fandom: The Eagle
Pairing: Marcus/Esca
Categories: angst, miscommunication, post-canon
Length: ~11,000 words
Warnings: n/a

Review:
With one well-intentioned but disastrous lie, Esca might lose everything that matters to him.

I have to admit, it took ages for me to produce the above summary, because this story has almost nothing to do with plot and everything to do with miscommunication. If miscommunication is a kink for you, then this is a must-read story full of angst and emotional turmoil. If you aren't a fan of miscommunication, this may not be your best bet.

Personally, I *love* well-done miscommunication, especially when the author is talented enough that the reader can recognize both characters motivations, even when the story is just from one POV and the POV's character is being an emotional idiot. Jain does an excellent job conveying Marcus's motivations through Esca's POV and I was really impressed with how deftly she handled the growing rift between the characters despite their obvious and intense desire to be together. The only downside is an ending that is a bit too quick and neat and which doesn't quite pay off all of the prior angst. It's a minor quibble, however, compared to the awesomeness of the rest of the story.

Bound