Recs by Jane Elliot

Title: A Time to Forget by GatewayGirl
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Harry/Snape
Categories: post-canon, angst, amnesia
Length: ~25,000 words
Warnings: n/a

Review:
While teaching at Hogwarts, Harry discovers a secret room. Inside that room is Snape, still alive but missing some very important memories.

I love how difficult it is to classify this story: on the one hand, Severus is younger than Harry and his mind is that of a teenager. On the other hand, there is no deaging involved -- Snape's just been in suspended animation for a couple of decades, while Harry caught up (and surpassed) him in age. And the mental deaging is a side effect of the amnesia, rather than him actually having the mind of a teeager.

All of this results in a story with some very unique moral and ethical implications as Harry and Severus interact with each other, especially as Severus's memory slowly starts to come back. You've also got some great interaction between Severus and the other students, as Snape's memories are no longer politically correct and he is, to some extent, still an adult.

I will admit that this story feels a little unbalanced -- the beginning (before Snape's awake) feels long, and the ending feels rushed. Compared to the sheer awesomeness that is a sorta-but-not-really teenage!Severus, however, that's a minor quibble. Mix in some great characterizations and fantastic writing, and you've got a wonderful Harry Potter fic for Snarry fans.

A Time to Forget

Title: We could be a whole parade by belmanoir
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Kowalski/Vecchio
Categories: pre-slash, friendship, post-canon
Length: ~8,000 words
Warnings: Fraser isn't portrayed in the best light (then again, it's pretty much the way he is in canon, so YMMV)

Review:
Ray comes back from Canada, licking his wounds, and runs into Frannie at a ballroom dancing class.

Despite the pairing, this fic is mostly about Ray K. and Frannie's growing friendship. I love these two so much together -- they're both a little broken and both often underestimated and they make a fantastic platonic couple. Mix in some closure on the whole Stella issues, as well as a lovely understated romance between the two Rays, and you have one of the best Due South fics I've read in years. Just lovely.

We could be a whole parade

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

Title: Turn a New Page, Tear the Old One Out by shrift
Fandom: Breakfast Club
Pairing: Brian/Bender
Categories: post-canon, drama, virgin
Length: ~8,000 words
Warnings: underage (technically)

Review:
John Bender's life, post-movie.

I'll be honest, all of the Breakfast Club fics I've read and liked to this point have had basically the same plot: John drops out of high school, life occurs, and then he meets up with Brian again. Thing is, John Bender is such an interesting character and his relationship with Brian has so much potential, that there seem to be an endless number of ways this story can be told. This one is a great version, with John joining the Army (despite the expectations of everyone in his family, who are hysterical and awful at the same time) and living his life and running into Brian a few times along the way. Sweet, hot, and satisfying, this is a must-read for Breakfast Club slash fans.

Turn a New Page, Tear the Old One Out

Title: Reversal of Fortune by shayheyred
Fandom: Gorgeous Carat
Pairing: Ray/Florian or gen, depending on how much weight you place on innuendo)
Categories: post-canon (I think), angst, drama
Length: ~2,900 words
Warnings: n/a

Review:
After Ray gets exposed as Noir, he is publicly lashed and left to live or die with nothing to his name. That's how Florian finds him.

I have to confess something: if this fic were in a large fandom, it probably wouldn't have gotten recced. Not because it isn't great (it is), but because it feels more like the first chapter of a wonderfully epic character study that I really wish had been written and which I really want to read.

That said, what better compliment can I pay to a story but that I wish it were a lot longer? Ray and Florian are beautifully in character, which is impressive considering how different their places in the world are from canon, and the writing and dialogue are both tone perfect and enjoyable to read. Good Gorgeous Carat fic is hard to find, and fic where Ray and Florian exchange the master/slave dynamic is nearly non-existent, which makes this a must-read for any fan of the fandom or of really well-written reversal of fortune fics. A fun, very enjoyable story.

Reversal of Fortune

Title: The Day Is Saved by miss_pryss
Fandom: Die Hard 4 (Live Free or Die Hard)
Pairing: gen
Categories: humor, post-canon
Length: 2,760 words
Warnings: n/a

Review:
John, Lucy, and Matt keep trying to have a day off, but bad shit *just keeps happening*. And it is hysterical.

The vast majority of the DH4 fic I've read is John/Matt and kind of angsty, which is why this story is such a breath of fresh air. The various misadventures of the McClanes and Farrell are kind of ridiculous (but no more ridiculous than actual canon) and at the same time awesome, as all three of the people in question are more than equipped to kick ass. Even if that ass happens to belong to a rogue Santa. Funny and very fun.

The Day Is Saved

Title: Marriage a Trois by Sorrel
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes
Pairing: Holmes/Watson/Mary
Categories: angst, post-canon, hurt/comfort
Length: ~33,000 words
Warnings: n/a

Review:
Mary always knew that to be married to John she'd have to learn to accept Sherlock. She just didn't realize what accepting Sherlock truly meant.

While I deeply appreciate the fact that the Sherlock Holmes fandom has mostly refrained from female-character bashing, most gen and slash (and even threesome!) authors tend to push Mary aside or even ignore her outright. Which makes this fic such a unique and precious gem: not only does Sorrel embrace Mary and show her as a fully articulated, intelligent, and interesting woman, she does so using Mary's POV.

The story itself is less a Mary/John or Holmes/Watson story and more a Mary/Sherlock story, because for the threesome to truly work, Mary and Sherlock have to do more than just get along. The end result is a magnificent slow-building romance featuring a wonderful female protagonist. A very satisfying and enjoyable read.

Marriage a Trois