Thursday, May 03, 2001
FanFiction.Net
Impressively huge archive of fiction (original and fan) on all kinds of topics in all kinds of fandoms.
posted by Anne Vespry 5/3/2001 10:40:45 PM
Tuesday, April 24, 2001
Anne say: Well the challenge was to nominate stories that might be similar to what Merwolf would write if/when she writes a Conqueror tale. IMHO Gin's Negotiations is one, and XWP Fanatic's Aftermath: The Tree of Life is another.
posted by Anne Vespry 4/24/2001 04:20:11 AM
Saturday, November 04, 2000
Three new tales by Nene Adams
Anne say: With long dark winter nights looming ahead, now is a good time to visit Nene's site to stock up on winter reading. A new Gaslight novel gives Halloween thrills as Lina works against time to solve a locked room murder apparently committed by an ancient Egyptian statue. If that isn't enough to make you want all the lights on over night, then check out her newest entry in the Xenaverse horror series: The Legend of Cassus Somnus -- also known as Sleepy Hollow.
I've always been partial to Russian fairy tales featuring Baba Yaga in her many incarnations. Nene has created a welcome addition to this genre with her "Bright Ribbons of Gold": a story that features Gabrielle, driven by her need to rescue Xena, as the challenger to Baba Yaga's power.
posted by Anne Vespry 11/4/2000 11:44:57 PM
Saturday, August 19, 2000
Something I Need -- by Rooks
The Story: Short, hot tale in which Gabrielle explains her need for Xena.
Anne say: It may be somewhat redundant to recommend this here as it's already won an Amazon Ice Co. Award and a Swolen Bud Award in the Instant Gratification category, but, hey, what's a bit of redundancy among friends? Rooks claims this story to be unlike his usual writing, all I can say to that is "What a pity there aren't more like this." Stop listening to me. Go. Read. Enjoy!
posted by Anne Vespry 8/19/2000 09:45:24 PM
Friday, August 18, 2000
Gygr: Black Rage - by Frances Spinella
The story: an alternate universe uber set in a time and culture similar to that of ancient Rome -- think the movie Gladiator meets Xena Conqueror on a world far far away...
Anne say: Oh. My. Freaking. Gods. ... Wow!
It's a little bit hard to be coherent after finishing this novel, not only are my hands cramped from clinging to my seat, but I have this strange feeling that my brain leaked out my ears several roller coaster turns ago and has not quite caught up to the rest of my body... and roller coaster rides do seem like the best analogy for the experience. Most Conqueror tales focus on the eventual taming (more or less) of Xena by Gabrielle. Spinella, instead, has chosen to look at what goes into making a Conqueror-like hero, and it's not an easy process. I highly recommend this story, with the unusual warning that those with weak hearts (or weak stomachs insofar as Chapter 15 is concerned) read it at their own risk...
Now all I need to do is wait for my pulse to fall under 300 so I can go back and re-read the bits I rushed through the first time in my hurry to find out what happens next!
posted by Anne Vespry 8/18/2000 06:41:32 PM
Thursday, August 17, 2000
The Legend of Isolde - by J. Falconer
The story: a re-telling of the classic tale...
Anne say: This light hearted fairy tale makes for good reading in between doses of real life. Falconer's characters are amusing and strangely endearing, at least to those of us who like gruff-but-loveable. Although Falconer's writing skills are not quite up to those of fairy tale artists like Domenica or Nene Adams, her (his?) writing is improving and Isolde is well worth a read.
posted by Anne Vespry 8/17/2000 05:54:28 PM
A Simple Matter Of Trust - by Pam Wilson
The Story a post-rift, pre-India exploration of Xena's relationship with those strange One god folk (among other things).
Anne say:An excellent story, beautifully written. Wilson levens this story's heart rending angst and numerous plot twists with brief, but satisfying, moments of luminescent humour. Despite that levening, I'd recommend not starting this story unless you've got time to read it in one sitting -- you may find yourself unable to stop reading no matter what other obligations you leave unmet. My only complaint, and it's a personal one, is that the tale contains too many bits of fourth and fifth season foreshadowing -- and, as one of the screwy folk who prefer to pretend those seasons never happened, I find this a bit disconcerting.
posted by Anne Vespry 8/17/2000 05:11:25 PM
Thursday, June 15, 2000
Exposure--Season One and Exposure--Season Two
Helen says:Here it is. How Fanatic and T Novan manage to write a high quality episode every week I have no idea.
posted by Helen Smith 6/15/2000 08:14:38 PM
Monday, May 29, 2000
At This Point In My Life (video) by SnowRaven
Anne Say: Yes, I know this is supposed to be about fiction not multimedia, but I can't resist recommending this video. Perfect clips, perfect editing, perfect music... SnowRaven has done the best job I've seen in capturing the spirit of first season Xena. A great reminder to folks like me who wonder why we ever liked this show, and a bit of happy reminiscing for folk who still like fifth season Xena. Wow.
Caveat: It's 8.5 meg long... be prepared to wait a bit for downloading if you don't have a speedy connection. Don't worry, though, it's worth every milisecond!
posted by Anne Vespry 5/29/2000 12:31:10 PM
Never Paint a Moustache on a Warior Princess by Kamouraskan (unfinished)
Anne Say: O.K., I admit it, this isn't one of Kamouraskan's greatest tales. But she's such a damn good bard that even when she's just goofin' around, her stories are great. I don't generally laugh at the more slapstick Xena eps, somehow, though, the humour in Moustache transcends slapstick to reach truly Looney Tunes proportions. And I always had a soft spot for Bugs and Daffy...
For your delectation, a small taste of Kamouraskan's inspired madness:
The avenger jumped up, shook her head a couple of times, and then ran over
to a balanced board teetering in the middle of the square. She adjusted it slightly to point more towards
Gabrielle's window, then picked up a heavy barrel and threw it at the far end of the board, launching herself
into space. Gabrielle moved back and away from the window as the walls trembled again, this time much
closer to the frame, making the shutters shudder. (Bards? See the difference? Shudder? Shutter? )
(Just another public service. Back to our story)
posted by Anne Vespry 5/29/2000 04:00:43 AM
Sunday, May 28, 2000
True Colours by Karen A. Surtees and PruferBlue
The Story: A vet and a rancher. Horses. A wheelchair. True love. Not much more I can say without spoilers.
Anne Say: True Colours and its notquitecompleted sequel Many Roads to Travel are the sort of stories that make it easy to understand why "not yet posted" and "to be completed" are two of the saddest phrases in the English language. Surtees and Pruferblue suck the reader into their story by creating such vibrant and interesting characters that it is impossible not to care about them. More character than plot driven (though there are a few edge of the seat events that spice the mix), these stories give a realistic view of how much friendship and love can help a person grow ... and how much unchangeing stubbornness they can help a person endure.
posted by Anne Vespry 5/28/2000 11:32:51 PM
Friday, May 12, 2000
It Wuz a Dark and Stormy Night by SnowRaven
Helen says: I'm a sucker for risqué Xenaverse humour. This one had me chuckling all the way through.
Anne say: Cute story, enjoyed it, LOL a couple of times, but I've gotta say I'm far more eager to find out what SnowRaven does with the rest of her (unfinished) story The Seventh Path, than I would be to read more adventures of Xe and Gaby Ellen.
posted by Helen Smith 5/12/2000 05:02:14 PM
Wednesday, April 26, 2000
The Purest Love by Seana James
Helen says: Aside from being well written, romantic and at times funny, this is one of the few stories I know of that uses season 5 as its point of origin. This, to me, is interesting in itself since season 5 has, in my opinion, offered little to base stories on -- the fact that this one is well worth reading is a bonus.
posted by Helen Smith 4/26/2000 10:40:55 PM
Saturday, April 15, 2000
Working Lunch by Karen Malevich
Helen says: Anne, as promised, a follow up to our last philosophical discussion. :-)
Wow! Malevich wastes no time getting to the action in this well-written PWP piece. Originally intended to be a one-shot deal, discerning readers prevailed upon her to continue it. This five-parter is a deserving recipient of an Amazon Ice Award. Although marked "to be continued," the author hasn't added to it in a long time, (sadly) so I'm taking a chance and blogging it.
Anne say: Indeed deserving of an entire Amazon Iceberg... For folk who don't like cliff hangers, I'd strongly suggest stopping at part four... unless part six is online. Suffice it to say, part five does not end well. <grrrrrrr>
posted by Helen Smith 4/15/2000 04:47:42 PM
Gun Shy by Laurie L. Lake
Helen says: I suddenly realized that I had never blogged this story -- definitely an oversight! Interesting characters, angst, and some insight into the life of a cop. Well worth reading!
posted by Helen Smith 4/15/2000 04:10:15 PM
Sunday, April 09, 2000
Gumboots For Hire by Lariel
Anne say: I'm not sure what it is about the hardboiled detective genre that makes it so much fun to parody, but whatever it is, Lariel has tapped the wellspring in Gumboots For Hire. A great way to spend a cold snowy afternoon at work -- as long as you work alone! Yet another nominee for an Amazon Depends Award for the other kind of wetness...
Helen says: So that's why you were grinning when I arrived this afternoon...
posted by Anne Vespry 4/9/2000 07:43:08 PM
Friday, April 07, 2000
The Phases of Fire by Sharon Bowers
The Story: an X-files/Silence of the Lambs cross-over which has Scully, tired of teaching and watching Mulder self-distruct, volunteering to assist the solitary agent, Clarice Starling.
Anne say: I've climbed mountains, had teeth filled without anaesthetic, and succeeded in law school, but the hardest thing I've ever done was pulling myself away from the middle of this story. Don't start Phases unless you've got a couple of hours of reading time ahead that will not be interrupted. Bowers is such a consumate craftsperson that one cannot relax in the simple belief in happily ever after. Her characters are three dimensional enough to make it always a possibility that their logical necessity will twist the tale to a darker end. Some lives just do not seem to be designed for happily ever after... only a sequel (series of sequels?!? please? if we ask nicely?) will show how this one works out.
Folks, this one's worth reading, and re-reading, and re-re- ...
well, you know what I mean.
posted by Anne Vespry 4/7/2000 05:31:00 PM
Thursday, March 30, 2000
The Doctor is Out
Helen says: an old nemesis of X and G returns in the person of Dr. Laura. An amusing put down to respond to LS's homophobia.
posted by Helen Smith 3/30/2000 08:21:50 AM
Sunday, March 26, 2000
Second Soul by Revan
Helen says: A Xippy award winner and deservedly so. I spent the day reading instead of doing all the things I was supposed to do on my day off. I hope the author will visit these characters again.
Anne say: Another great example of a story that relies on the characters for tension rather than extraneous and distracting crimes or disasters. Excellent work on the supporting cast, great detail in setting both in the hospital and the city(ies) at large. I too would be more than pleased to sacrifice another evening to a sequel to this story.
posted by Helen Smith 3/26/2000 05:20:39 PM
Tuesday, March 21, 2000
The Heart of a Leopard by Verrath
Anne say: Interesting concept, cross X&G with Kipling's Jungle Book (sans Mowgli) to get leopard soulmates. Well written, though sometimes the bits not included make it clear not only that there will be a sequel, but that the sequel should be soon! Unfortunately "Heart" was started in March 1999 and not completed until March 2000, so there are a whole bunch of unanswered questions that probably won't be answered any time soon. Of course, if "Heart" wasn't such a good tale, one would not care...
posted by Anne Vespry 3/21/2000 01:52:05 AM
Monday, March 20, 2000
Through the Looking Glass: Better Left Behind by Jashan
Anne say: A bit of original fiction featuring D&D universe Elves. It does read somewhat like an uber -- in that it deals with the attraction between dark and light. Though in this case the result is not the darkness redeemed. Well written, engaging characters. An enjoyable read.
posted by Anne Vespry 3/20/2000 09:10:55 PM
Wednesday, March 15, 2000
Chained by Lariel
Anne say: I absolutely and passionately hated this story. It is beautifully written, incredibly intense, and if it were about any other two characters I'd probably have been loudly praising the author for the masterful way she described their relationship. But it's about X & G and although I recommend it I've also got to say I hated it.
posted by Anne Vespry 3/15/2000 08:26:46 PM
Tuesday, March 14, 2000
Tomorrow's Promise by Radclyffe
The author say: One timeless summer on a small private island, two women discover the power of passion to heal, and the promise of hope only love can bestow.
Anne say: After a while of reading other stuff, finding a new novel by Radclyffe is rather like being served a fabulously tasty meal after being forced to live on pablum for several months. In the world of haute cuisine stories, Tomorrow's Promise leans more towards the "less is more" styling of the Nouvelle than the "drown it in sauce" ramblings of more traditional novels. No extraneous hi-jackings, blond psychopaths or macho bashers mar this feast. Instead Radclyffe explores the difficulties of intimacy with a heat and focus that is alternately pleasantly warm or endorphin rush scalding. My only complaint about this tale is that it ended.
posted by Anne Vespry 3/14/2000 12:36:39 AM
Wednesday, February 23, 2000
Resa by Journs
The Author says: Nuns Warning: There be nuns in this here story though no effort is made to foist a particular religious
point of view upon the reader. I just happen to like nun stories. I have no idea why...Actually, the
notion to use them first came about as I was struggling to think of a modern equivalent of Amazons
(it’s true) and since lesbian biker bars a) aren’t my style and b)have been done to death, I searched for
another all-female institution where our two leads could find refuge. Hence, nuns. Strangely, it worked
well. Hmmmm…
Anne say: I don't normally do this, but I'm going to recommend this one before I've finished reading it. I'm about half way through, and it's Grrrrreat! This is undoubtedly one of the better ubers I've read for capturing the X&G dynamic. Lots of suspense, action, subtext and nuns. Sorry, Helen, the maintext bits are pretty tiny and at the end... but getting there is well worth the journey.
posted by Anne Vespry 2/23/2000 02:17:14 AM
Monday, February 21, 2000
That Road Once Trodden, Behold a Pale Horse, and Degree of Separation by Karen A. Surtees
Anne say: Another cool characterization of Xena as MPD, though this time one of the personalities is interestingly influenced by -- or at the service of -- Hades. In some ways reminiscent of a Conqueror story (evil Xena does get to play a big role in these), this series delivers good deep characterizations both of X and of G. Also kinda nice to have a G who isn't quite perfect...
posted by Anne Vespry 2/21/2000 01:45:04 AM
Sunday, February 20, 2000
LYSISTRATA REVISITED
I haven't had time to read much of anything recently, so, just to keep in blogger practice, I decided to blog a classic by Della Street. A very short, wickedly funny story that always makes me laugh.
posted by Helen Smith 2/20/2000 08:38:23 PM
Thursday, February 17, 2000
Artwork by Angelique
Anne say: Nope, not fiction, but I couldn't resist recommending this artist. Angelique's drawings are just about hot enough to melt your monitor, or your eyeballs ... Wowza ...
My particular favourites?
Cuddle | Gaabrieelle | So Soft
posted by Anne Vespry 2/17/2000 06:17:24 PM
Wednesday, February 16, 2000
I, Conqueror by SwordnQuil
Anne say: the author of Redemption does Xena the Conqueror -- and quite nicely too. Oh, and as a bonus, Callisto gets to star as the psycho we all know and love ...
Helen says: We agree! Can't do that too often or we'd have nothing to talk about!
I thought the author did a particularly good job with Callisto -- I could picture her quite clearly doing and saying these things. SwordnQuil says that because of her distaste for season 5 she thought of putting down her quill after this story was over (aside from finishing Desert Storm) but decided against it. I'm glad she's not, because IMO this is the best thing she's written so far.
posted by Anne Vespry 2/16/2000 10:27:23 PM
Tuesday, February 15, 2000
With Faltering Steps by Tonya Muir
Author say: With the world of horse breeding as a background, the tale begins with Mafia henchwoman Lacey Montgomery visiting a racetrack to look into the reason why her boss's horses are not performing well as of late. She finds much more than she bargained for in the form of a spirited little rider named Rachel Wilson who suspects foul play herself and who immediately volunteers to help. As the investigation proceeds, Lacey finds herself not only learning a lot about horse breeding and racing, but growing increasingly close to the kind-hearted young woman whose troubled past rivals her own and who soon has her yearning for a different life - a life away from the violence of the Mafia, a life with a soulmate she'd never thought she'd find.
Anne say: Yeah, okay, I know I'm way behind everyone else in the world. Glad I finally got around to reading this one. Actually all of Tonya's stuff I've read in the last day or so has been good. May she write many more.
posted by Anne Vespry 2/15/2000 10:51:49 PM
Monday, February 14, 2000
The Gabrielle Effect by Kamouraskan
Lunacy says: VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Anne say: This story is dangerous. I laughed until it hurt, and I'm still laughing. There's a horendous pun lurking near the end of this tale that, in the hands of a lesser author, would make it no more than a shaggy dog tale. As it is, it's just one more reason to take more ventolin and keep on laughing.
posted by Anne Vespry 2/14/2000 01:39:56 AM
Sunday, February 13, 2000
Lunacy's Fan Fiction Reviews - My Warrior
Okay, so the normal routine is to blog a story, one, but what do you do when you find someone who couldn't write a bad bit of fiction to save her life? Well, in the honoured tradition of Xena, I say "Blog 'em all!" Lunacy lists most of MyWarrior's stuff at the above link, and the Athenium has one other story here
Most of these are real short, suitable for my desperately damaged attention span, and pack an emotional punch quite out of proportion to their size.
posted by Anne Vespry 2/13/2000 11:53:30 PM
Sonnet by Kamouraskan
Anne say: Wow!
Another short piece, kinda answers the question of what happens if soul mates don't find each other for a while ... in this case a long while ... Interestingly non-traditional heros. Funny and (excuse me while I hide my butch card) heart warming.
Oh, and we've got yet another Canadian star here -- IMHO she can do no wrong, or at least she's not managed to yet -- check out Lunacy's site for more by Kamouraskan.
posted by Anne Vespry 2/13/2000 03:54:45 AM
Perfection Remembered by Merry Gangemi
Anne say: Short, very short, poetic romance between a law librarian and an attorney -- possibly the least likely characters in the universe to be either terse or poetic. I generally prefer less flowery prose, but somehow I did like this one. Brevity, perhaps, being the soul of something or other.
posted by Anne Vespry 2/13/2000 03:40:43 AM
Tango by Kerry McCommon
Anne say: A science fiction uber set in a star trekish universe though -- AFAIK -- without any recognizeable star trek characters. Finally a story with enough action and plot twists to keep me from wanting to skip ahead to try to find the good bits.
posted by Anne Vespry 2/13/2000 03:24:19 AM
Thursday, February 10, 2000
Fade to Black - X:WP Fan Fiction by K. Piper
Anne say: I hadn't heard of this bard before, pity -- she's pretty good. I particularly like The Chosen, which she describes as: Ares decides on a new Chosen in his bid for the ultimate revenge. Alt but not explicit, though, IMHO, Gabrielle as warlord is an inherently hot concept.
posted by Anne Vespry 2/10/2000 10:31:18 PM
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