Introducing…FanFiction Reviews from KStew411!

I am so excited to be partnering up with KStew411 to bring you fanfiction reviews and recommendations! She always has the best ones, so I thought I’d provide her a home to share them with the world! I hope you enjoy! KStew411 will also have her very own page on my site, which you should bookmark now: FanFic Reviews from KStew41

An Introduction to FanFiction Reviews by #411

Fanfiction and I met because of two people. On the same day that JAG from Random Acts of Rob lost her shit cos something called “DSOTM” “updated”, my twit bestie emailed me a link saying I know it’s weird and kinda lame but just read it, it’s pretty interesting. Approximately 30 minutes later I get a second email from Bestie going, Holy SHIT, I didn’t know, I swear I didn’t know they’d start having sex and stuff! I’m so embarrassed!

She was totes mortified and apologized all day. It was hilarious.

So in one night, killing time in a hotel room, I read “Dark Side of the Moon” and a Robsten fanfic called “Quiet” (to date, the only real-life fanfic I have liked). And the obsession was born. I get my fanfic recs from 3 places. 1) JAG’s TwiPorn Library on Random Acts of Rob, 2) The Lazy Yet Discerning Ficster blog, and 3) followers tweet links to @KStew411. We had a contest looking for new fanfics purely because Team 411 is way too lazy to search for ourselves, and ever since our wonderful followers have shared their favorites. I also like to check out any rec’s authors I like may have put up in their profiles, or sometimes they list them in author notes. If you really like a certain fic, check out what the author is reading.

So what can you expect from fanfic reviews written by #411? Angst, I guess. I’ve been accused of liking it angsty (that’s what she said). I swear I don’t do it on purpose, and I am trying to throw some funny fics into the mix. There is such a thing as too much angst, even for me, though. There are several very popular fics I don’t like because they are just too damn depressing. Not a lot of in-canon fics. I am very tough on stuff that’s in-canon. The story has to take the Twilight universe someplace new and unexpected for me to like it. While it isn’t tough to write better than Stephenie Meyer, it is tough to take established and well-known characters and change them into something that feels fresh and new while playing by the same rules. You will see a lot of alternate-universe/all-human stories. Those do tend to be my faves.

Thanks to Amber for hosting the posts, and also for the spectacular idea of putting fanfic in binders to make it look like work. I can read at my desk during lunch and people think I’m being productive. Joke’s on you, bitches! I hope you all enjoy the fanfic rec’s, and also enjoy the de-clogging of your twitters with fanfic linkage.

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“The Woods Are Lovely, Dark, and Deep” by bananapancakes7

This story owns my ass lately. It’s AU and rated mature, though it isn’t particularly lemony at this point. It’s definitely grown up, though. Bella has some issues thanks to a traumatic episode, and Edward is beyond traumatized. So why do I like this story, and think you should read it? It’s exceedingly well written. Lovely poetry references, especially Robert Frost, which one would expect with that title. Bella is very likeable. Bella can make or break a story, and this Bella is one that comes through strong and capable, yet is still haunted by past events and is dealing with her own shit, even as she tries to reach Edward inside his misery-bubble. It makes excellent use of secondary characters, and adds a couple really cool original characters. And this Edward—you’re going to want to spoon him so bad. He needs it. He is Spoonward.

“The Woods” is set at a lodge outside Forks, from which Charlie has retired as police chief. He arranges for stressed-out Bella to take a vacation there and get some rest and relax in the quietude of Forks. She goes, meets Doris the charming, somewhat pushy/nosy innkeeper, and settles in only to find the person across the hall from her has loud nightmares. Enter Edward. Twilight conventions are maintained. Edward blows her off, keeps his distance, and saves her from traffic. Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory are obnoxious ho-bags, but are used to superb comic effect. There’s an older gentleman-guest who plays chess and says eerie things about the woods, Mr. Miller.

About the woods. The summary for this story states that “there will be vampires”. To date, exactly how vampires tie in to the story is a mystery. That’s the best word for this fic: “mysterious”. Mr. Miller’s creeptastic warnings about the woods around Forks and the slow unraveling of Edward’s past added to the promise of vampires makes for an intriguing story. The sharp dialogue and genuinely funny scenes involving Jessica and Lauren keep it from being slit-your-wrists angsty. Give it a read.

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“The Rain Season” by elusivetwilight

The newest addition to my favorites list, “The Rain Season” makes the cut thanks to two words: “Tattward” and “Kiltward”. That’s right—Edward has tattoos (of a Celtic nature), and he wears a kilt. Shirtless! This is an AU/AH story rated mature and lemons come in later chapters, and also Edward has a pretty filthy mouth.

Bestie blew this story off because Edward wears a kilt. Her loss. The Cullens are in Scotland for Rose and Emmett’s wedding, and a traumatized Bella (seriously, when isn’t she traumatized?) comes to stay with them. There is much wearing of kilts. Alice retains her ability to see the future. Bella is a sad-sack, but she’s realistically drawn and makes an effort to not be such a sad-sack, so it’s tolerable. Mostly, this story gives good Edward. He’s profane and earthy and tattooed and wears a kilt, and that’s fuckhawt. His own past issues give him some ground for dealing with Bella’s shit, and their interactions are sweet and sad and sometimes funny. I give this fic points for not being set in Forks or Chicago. Scotland makes for a wild, moody backdrop that suits the tone perfectly, and of course, allows for Kiltward. And since the author actually lives in Scotland, it all rings true in the details. This fic deserves some attention, so read it, review it, and then let me know if you like TattKiltWard as much as I do.