Rob My World

I’ve partnered up with the always amazing and snarky KStew411 to offer you all some great fan fiction reviews and recommendations! She is providing the recommendations, I’m just giving her the space to do it! I hope you love these! And you best start following KStew411 on Twitter or I will hunt you down and find you…

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Main Menu of Smut

Art School Confidential
Bare
Bella Swan: Zombie Killer
Bright Like the Sun
Burn and Shine
Carpe Noctem & Fiat Lux
Commission
Dying By Degrees
Edward Wallbanger
Elemental
Facebook Friends
I Hate You With An Insurmountable Passion
His Personal Assistant
If This is Fate
Ithaca is Gorges
Just Like Them
La Canzone della Bella Cigna
Last Rites
The Letter
Loner
Masters of the Universe
Mr. Horrible
My Yes, My No
The Naked Guy Upstairs
Sleepers, Awake
The Rain Season
Tropic of Virgo
Wide Awake
The Woods are Lovely, Dark, and Deep
University of Edward Masen
The Vampire in the Basement

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“Art School Confidential” by farkle

Art student Bella is derailed by life model Edward. The end. No seriously, there’s more to the story. When Edward models nude for Bella’s painting class, she finds a new muse. He agrees to keep modeling for her (naked Edward, yay!), and shenanigans occur. Everyone is an art student except for Edward, who is a recent college graduate/couch surfer, and Rosalie, who is a business student who teaches knitting to Emmett. Classic. There’s some dramz in Edward’s past (as per usual), and his pals Jasper and Emmett are always warning Bella away from falling for him for unexplained reasons. Clearly, there is a specter looming over Edward, but as yet all we readers know is that he takes mysterious trips to Santa Barbara. Bella is pretty kickass, if clinging hardcore to the belief that she can’t have a serious art career and a family (sadly, I would tend to agree). She has that dogmatic way of thinking of which only college kids are capable. So between her own fear of being sidetracked from art and everyone warning her away from Edward, Bella does a pretty decent job keeping a lid on her lust. No lemons thus far! And Edward clearly likes Bella, but seems unwilling to involve himself, also. I like this story for the hijinx. Midnight matinees of Rocky Horror Picture Show, references to a performance piece in which Emmett and Bella are naked, Emmett in general. Though her story takes a kind of sad twist, Jessica Stanley is such a poser she’s hilarious, with her crap 3-d mobiles and thinly veiled pickup lines to Edward. Bellward are pretty much as Bellward always are, but Jalice and Rosett bring the lolz. PS: Edward rides a vintage Triumph. FuckHAWT.

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“Bare” by stella luna sky

I like this story lots. Clearly, as I am recommending it. But I like it so much that I have gone back to re-read it 3 times since I first read it. It’s AU/AH. Edward is troubled—of course—and is an artist. Nice touch—like Paintward lots. Bella, despite having that “you don’t see yourself very clearly” attitude about herself, is happy and content with who she is. I like the dynamic of a happy, strong Bella drawing troubled, introverted Edward out of his shell. That doesn’t mean Bella is perfect. She has self-esteem issues and needs to work on standing up for herself, but despite that she isn’t a wallower and she doesn’t take Edward’s crap. The exact nature of Edward’s issue is unclear. He refuses to paint Bella for some reason, but if you read this you can make some educated guesses as to why that is by the last available chapter. This Bellward kills me. Edward isn’t a virgin but he’s not a manwhore either. He’s had a serious relationship in his past, but he still has some anxious-high-school-boy issues. He knows more than Bella, who is a virgin as per usual, but that’s not saying much. They’re awkward and exploratory and sweet, like most young relationships. There’s a really funny incident involving a sheet (line: “…oh that’s fucking sick, it just touched me!”). Emotionally, Bella is definitely further along than Edward. He’s prone to freaking out so hardcore he can’t even speak, and for unknown reasons he smashes his piano benches. Bella is the only one who can reach him when he gets like that, and their interactions using a notebook or Edward’s paint palette are what ground this story. In one facet of their relationship, Edward leads and teaches Bella, but in the other it’s up to Bella to make Edward human again. It creates a nice balance where they each need something specific some from the other in order to be the best possible version of themselves. There’s just enough mystery about Edward’s past and why he won’t paint Bella to provide intrigue, and the Bellward relationship is just complicated enough to make you wonder how it’s going to play out as the issue of Edward not painting Bella becomes a real problem (I am guessing it’s going to become a real problem), but it’s also light and fun enough to be entertaining. The angst is very light here. Beyond Edward’s past, there’s really not any angst here at all. Read “Bare”, love Paintward, embrace “yellow is sorry”, and watch Bella unwind Edward’s fucked up psyche. I, for one, want to know why he keeps breaking his piano benches.

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Bella Swan: Zombie Killer” by Kristen Nicole (recommended by@auntapey)

Um, I kind of love this fic. I want to fix it a candlelight dinner and then listen to it talk about its hopes and dreams while I rub its feet. I would do this fic’s laundry. You all know how I feel about zombies. They are an inevitable plague and we must all be prepared to deal with the onslaught of undead. So this fic being about Bella and Edward fending off the zombie apocalypse? Please. Am sold. I once said it would be cool if someone wrote a fic wherein the Cullens were zombie hunters. Kristen Nicole went one better. She made Bella the slayer of revenants. This Bella ROCKS. Sarcastic, tough, caustically funny, she deals with the zombie apocalypse about as well as one could hope. Which doesn’t mean she’s all, “Yay! Let’s kill zombies!” She’s just trying to survive. She feels grief but can’t stop running to mourn. She’s scared but she can’t give in to fear; she has to care for her little brother. The driving force of the story is that Bella must protect and preserve her baby brother. While fleeing the zombies (on a tandem bike!) Bella and her brother, Tyler, come across a grocery store harboring a few other survivors, captained by Edward Cullen. Or should I say, “Nerdward”? Yes, this Edward is nerdy. He wears science-humor tee shirts. He likes Aliens and is clearly having Sigourney Weaver-fantasies about zombie-killin’ Bella. He recited Flight of the Conchords’ dialogue, which is so awesome my head could explode just thinking about it. But if you know your zombie lore, you know it’s the nerdy ones who end up saving the day. To date, Bella has pretty much saved everyone’s ass three times over, but don’t count out Edward’s ability to ride to the rescue. He’s an MIT math genius and sci-fi freak. I’d bet even money he figures out how to defeat the zombies. In as much as one *can* defeat a ravening mob of brains-hungry undead.

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Bright Like the Sun” by dryler

Don’t worry, this story isn’t nearly as angsty and dark as The Vampire in the Basement. In fact, this one is hardly angsty at all. It’s an all-human story, and it keeps the canon function of the Cullens being a foster family, but with a very unique spin. The reason the Cullens stay out of the sun took me by complete surprise. Bella moves to Forks, as per usual, and weird, creepy Edward Cullen saves her from the careening van. Except he breaks her arm in the process, and so ends up driving her to school every day. And then Bella finds out that Edward isn’t so weird and creepy after all, just shy and misunderstood by the town at large, thanks to his tendency toward pyromania. Of course this means Charlie is strongly against Edward being around Bella in any capacity, so one of the central conflicts of the story is that Bella is deceiving Charlie in order to be with Edward. The other major conflict is that Edward, thanks to his circumstances, has been rendered pretty socially inept, and so moves at a snail’s pace in terms of courting Bella. She’s all, “Let’s make out,” and he’s like, “Let’s watch Spaceballs.” Watching never-had-a-boyfriend-before Bella and never-had-a-friend-before Edward come together is awkward and funny and frustrating. But all in a good way. In a really cool turn, Carlisle is a bit out of character. He’s lighter, cheekier, with a ready wit. The whole story (to this point), is pretty light, but Carlisle in particular brings some delightful levity to the plot. The way he treats Bella in the hospital is hilarious. Since I’m a closet Carlisle-lover, I always love a story that brings a unique spin to his character. But the real heart of Bright Like the Sun is watching Bella and Edward mince their way through social awkwardness, misunderstandings, pyromania, and their painful mutual shyness to get together. I can see several ways for this story to take a darker, moodier turn, but so far it’s been pretty light reading with a feisty Bella narrating and an adorable, awkward, pyromaniac Edward starring. And in case you can’t tell, I totally love Pyroward.

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“Burn and Shine” by pulsepoint

Dark Edward and naïve Bella cross paths in the Clallam County police station and their disparate worlds collide. This is a freaking awesome story. Bella is a college student at a fictional liberal arts college in Port Angeles. Charlie died several years prior, in the line of duty, and Renee seems to be permanently absent as well, though it’s not yet clear exactly where she is. Bella is a sweet kid, a nice girl, all those things. She’s young and naïve and tries to be kind, which of course means that she will rub Edward wrong in every way possible. For this Edward is an ex-con, veteran of multiple prison stints and regular law breaker extraordinaire. He is cynical, jaded, antisocial–everything you would expect from a career felon. Except… Edward has survived a terrible childhood. Abused from the earliest age, Edward’s body is a road map of scars. He recounts growing up in squalor, and hints at possible sexual abuse, as well. I do not love stories that take that turn, however, as of right now it’s mostly a suspicion in Bella’s mind, but it seems pretty clear Edward’s mother was doing something awful to him beyond beating him. Frowny face. So why tolerate all this angst and pain? Because this is a beautiful Edward. He’s damaged and deals with crippling anxiety attacks, especially when faced with an irate female, but in the next moment he’s breaking and entering or “handling” Bella. He tries to steer clear of her, of course, but goody-goody Bella won’t back down. She stands up to him, sometimes to disastrous effects, sometimes to lemony ones, and she refuses to run away when he tries to scare her off. If I have any complaint about this story it’s that maybe everyone is a little hard on Bella–I don’t think she’s as judgmental as some of the characters accuse her of (that role belongs to Rose). She’s just really naïve and sheltered and has no frame of reference for dealing with someone of Edward’s ilk, which leads to a lot of misunderstanding and miscommunication. Burn and Shine also features the greatest. Jasper. EVER. I have never loved Jasper more than I have here. Edward’s fellow ex-con, his best friend–his only friend–he is a Southern charmer, a pathological liar, and a master manipulator. He’s sly and slick and for all his good-ole-boy manners, he is dangerous. I ADORE this Jasper. Also big time props for an OOC Carlisle (Edward calls him a “sport coat wearing asshole”) and a really clever take on Jake. The pacing is excellent, the POV balanced between Bella and Edward, and though it is an angst-fest, Burn and Shine is definitely worth your time.

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Carpe Noctem & Fiat Lux” by queenofgrey

I lose my shit when this story updates. I jump up and down and pump my fist in the air and lick my computer screen. I adore this story. I can’t say enough good stuff about it. As I mentioned before, I am very tough on canon fics. This story is not straight canon (I would call it AU/Canon), but everyone who should be a vampire is a vampire, and Bella lives at home in Forks with Charlie. So the groundwork, it’s all canon. Where it diverges: Bella is a wee bit older. She’s 21 but Edward is still eternally 17, so if you’re uncomfortable with that, this may not be for you. I am a total hypocrite—Art After 5 completely grosses me out, but this one doesn’t bother me. Why? Probably because Edward isn’t trying pass as a high-schooler. When we meet him in this story, he’s living apart from the Cullens as an adult, and the author makes a good point in one of her notes. While his body is 17, he is more than 100. And since this Edward isn’t trying to be a 17 year old, I’m okay with his relationship with Bella. And that relationship is what makes this story so special. Edward labors, he fucking crawls on hands and knees over broken glass for every inch he gains with Bella. This is no “you’re cute, I like you, I don’t want to eat you anymore, we’re cool now” crap. First off, their first meeting is a wee bit rougher than staring at someone rudely in biology. So Edward not only has to make amends, he also has to overcome his hunger, which is staggering and difficult for him to do. Then some stuff happens, and Bella has to find it in her to forgive him. These two really work to be together, which only makes their relationship more compelling. At every step, they are weighing odds and considering the ramifications, and still they choose to be together.

They rely heavily on Jasper’s influence to keep Edward under control. Jasper and Alice are deeply involved in fostering the Bellward relationship—without Alice working between them and Jasper keeping Edward level, there is zero chance those two would be together. And so far, their being together does not include turning Bella at all. I can’t wait to see how this works out, because it seems very plausible that this Bella never becomes a vampire. I consider CN & FL a must-read, so get to reading and join me on the spazz-train every time it updates.

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Commission” by SpikeIsHotter

There seems to be a relationship between readership and the number of reviews a story has. Stories a lot of people are reading (which I call “mega-fics”), have thousands of reviews. This story was published six months ago and it’s on both fanfiction.net and twilighted.net. Between both posts, it has less than 300 reviews. So I get the feeling most of you aren’t reading this story. Boo on you. This is AU, zero canon beyond names and basic physical descriptions. Edward is a vampire, but there are no Cullens. He is also a bit older, approximately 30, and the vampire physiology is different (read: more realistic) than Twilight’s. The sun, for instance, bothers him. And no sparkling, which I love, since sparkling vampires is about the lamest idea ever. Yeah, I said it. Bella is also older, in her twenties, and she is seriously messed up. Like, into self-harm messed up, so if that stuff bothers you, this might not be the story for you. Their relationship starts out totally screwed up and it doesn’t get much better once she figures out Edward’s secret. It’s realistically constructed though, and it’s fascinating so see Edward trying to be normal for Bella, and Bella trying to be normal for Edward, when they’re both so fucked up. It’s the man who can’t have friends and the woman who wants no friends becoming friends, and I love it. I just wished it updated more often. So go read it, leave a review for the author so she knows we’re out here waiting for updates, and then let me know what you think of this Edward. I luuurve him.

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“Dying by Degrees” by reamhar

This is the week for Alternate Universe rec’s. As you may have figured out by now, I do not like New Moon very much. It is my least favorite of the books. I don’t like how Bella just rolls over after all Edward does and accepts him, no questions asked. I feel like a self-respecting young woman would ask some questions. But Edward is all, “I’m sorry, I lied, I really do love you,” and Bella goes, “Okay, we’re cool,” and everything’s swell, no repercussions of his abandonment. It has always bugged how easily Bella forgives Edward. I get it, they’re like, so in loooove, but that doesn’t mean you just swallow ill treatment from your significant other. So I really like AU fics that recast New Moon in a way that shows Bellward struggling to heal after their separation (see also: “My Yes, My No” by LolaShoes). This story is all about that reconciliation. It picks up after the confrontation in Volterra, as Edward and Bella return to Forks. At first, Bella is so happy to have saved Edward, to be alive, that she is able to just be with him. But then doubts creep in, as they inevitably would. Their reconciliation is painful. Bella needs time and space, Edward is almost physically incapable of giving her those things. Make no mistake, this is not Bella “punishing” Edward. He punishes himself enough, and Bella doesn’t want to keep apart from him, either, she simply realizes they need to heal themselves before they can heal together. She understands that Edward needs to forgive himself before he can accept her forgiveness. It’s all about taking one another off the pedestal and meeting in the middle. Probably the best comparison I can make is that this is like a couple trying to recover from infidelity. Obviously, Edward wasn’t really unfaithful, nor was Bella, but the damage his leaving wrought is very similar. Bella’s trust has been destroyed, Edward has a lot of self-directed anger, and this story frames their “recovery” as a painful process of re-learning to love one another as equals. Snaps for also giving Bella a scene to call out the Cullens for abandoning her when Edward leaves. When they try and claim her as their sister and daughter, she shuts them down. And she’s right to—Bella never expresses her anger to the Cullens at all in canon Twilight. Here, the family is going to have to earn her trust back, too.

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“Edward Wallbanger” by feathers_mmmm

We need to start a fundraiser to allow feathers_mmmm to stay home and finish this story. It’s painful, waiting for updates. This story is the fanfic equivalent of a romantic comedy. Edward and Bella meet cute thanks to thin walls and Edward’s proclivity for loud sex. Throw in some pink nighties, a cat named Clive who crushes on Edward’s lady friend, and the fact that Bella hasn’t had a big O in over 6 months and you get a hilarious story. Poor, sexually frustrated Bella is totes hot for her neighbor, but Edward keeps a harem. Good on Bella for not wanting to be in the harem. Don’t judge Edward, though! He has his reasons for being the way he is, and following the logic of his life, his harem makes sense. But Bella’s feelings make sense too. Enter the conflict. Edward wants Bella, Bella wants Edward. But Bella is strong and very confident—despite her big O issues—and she won’t be one of many. Edward isn’t ready to settle with only one, so they continue at loggerheads. “Let’s be friends”—hah. Good luck with that, Wallbanger and Pink Nightie Girl. The story is mostly BPOV, but there is some EPOV thrown in. In a really excellent twist, when Bella’s girls meet Edward’s posse, Rose goes for Jasper and Alice goes for Emmett. I smell some funny stuff coming up getting that straightened out. Esme and Carlisle are fun, but the best secondary characters are Jessica Stanley and Jacob Black. Read this and tell me you don’t love Jessica. I love that the author took Jessica and Jacob in the direction she has. It’s a unique choice. I love this story, and it’s pretty much at mega-fic status, but I’m always surprised when people ask for a link to it. So it’s linked permanently now, and you have no more excuses. Everyone needs to be reading Wallbanger.

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“Elemental” by TallulahBelle

Have you ever asked yourself, what if everyone was witches instead of vampires? No? That’s okay; I just did it for you. The answer is the plot of “Elemental”. It’s AU/AH, and the Cullens (indeed, every character from the books) are witches. Bella and her parents, a still-married Charlie and Renee, return to Forks because “the Coven” needs all its members at home to stop some weird shit happening in the forest. I was sort of meh on this story because I’m not super into The Craft or Wicca or anything, and this story is heavy on that lore. Also, through 13 chapters there isn’t much Edward (besides a two second cameo, he doesn’t show up until chapter 4), although each chapter is annotated as “BPOV”, which makes me think it could switch to “EPOV” at some point, or else Bella just needs to hang with Edward more. So why am I recommending it? Mostly because of Bella—she is sassy, and I like a sassy Bella. Also, for as big of a deal everyone makes about how powerful Edward is, it becomes clear fairly early that Bella is going to be just as powerful, and I always like a story that puts Edward and Bella on a level playing field. So much of Twilight is about Edward being this perfect awesome creature and Bella being a spazztastic fuckup, and I hate that. Even after she’s changed in Breaking Dawn, I never feel like Edward and Bella exist on the same level. I like that this story says, “She’s still learning the rules, but Bella and Edward are equals.” There should be more strong Bellas. Also, this story borrows imprinting from the Quileutes. The witches imprint after turning 18 just like the wolves do, but in order to solidify the “mating”, the imprinted couple has to have sex. Twist! Sounds kinda gross, and it is kinda gross. Bella doesn’t like Edward, at all. And he doesn’t seem very fond of her, yet they must have sex or else they’re gonna die of a stomach ache or something. And Carlisle, Esme, and Emmett are involved in this, which just makes it weirder. I liked this story more for having such a completely unromantic first time for Bellward. Best part? The moment this story won me over and I decided to put it on alert? After completing their imprint, Edward’s all, “We’re mates, I like you now, let’s spoon,” and Bella’s like, “You’re a dick, get away from me.” So though the poor girl is stuck with Edward, whom she is clearly way too cool for, she is not just going to bow down and obey his every whim. He’s going to have to earn her devotion. I’m hoping Jacob Black shows up eventually to give Eddie some competition. Obviously, nothing real could come of it because Bella IS stuck with Edward, but this Edward deserves to suffer a little. He’s a pompous ass and needs to be brought down a couple pegs. I have a feeling sassy “I hate you” Bella is going to bring Jerkward to his knees.

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“Facebook Friends” by GreenPuma

As the title would suggest, Facebook plays a major role in this story. I do not have, never have had, nor will I ever have a Facebook page. I stopped talking to the people I went to high school with for a reason. The last thing I want is to sign up for some website and have all those people crawling out of the woodwork. That said, I do realize most everyone else in the world is nicer than me and actually enjoys human interaction, so I will roll with the premise of this story. Forks high school students Bella and Edward have secret crushes on each other, but they don’t mingle at school. Edward is uber-popular, and Bella is her usual shy, quiet self. Then one day, Edward friends Bella on Facebook, and suddenly they’re talking to each other and then going on dates. But was it really Edward that friended Bella? It wouldn’t be Twilight fanfic without some angst, since Bellward are all about the sexual tension and lack of communication and breaking up. But this story is about as light as it gets, and is witty, and really is just a fun, enjoyable read. I went nuts when the author, GreenPuma, threw down a “Say Anything” reference. Other enjoyable instances in this story: Alice and Rosalie play roller derby, Bella’s aim with a slushie, and a pretty cool Carlisle and Esme (they have “Beatles hour” during dinner!). Chapters are titled after songs, including several Jeff Buckley songs and one of Pearl Jam’s lesser known but extremely awesome songs (“Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town”), and music plays a key role in Bella and Edward’s relationship. A lot of fic’s work music into the story, but this is one of the better ones at blending pop/rock music into the story—the Foo Fighters make a cameo. A fun, quick read that is almost complete, I believe. Give it a go, even if you’re like me and loathe Facebook.

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I Hate You with an Insurmountable Passion” by Crittab

Have you ever had a guy friend and then sex got in the way? Edward and Bella were childhood BFFs, but as puberty sets in, things go awry. Edward is confused and hesitates, Bella takes the opportunity with someone else, misunderstandings and accusations follow, and then they hate each other. With a couple years of mutual dislike between them, Edward and Bella reconnect at a party. Edward has become the most popular boy in school, a lothario and must-have lover by reputation—or is he? And Bella, though not slutty, craves sex after an active relationship with her first boyfriend (guess who). So the two strike a deal… And of course it doesn’t go well. With so much unspoken hurt and disappointment between them, how could it? This story is pretty angsty, but it does deliver some good lemonade to make up for it. Though at first you want to smack both of them for being so obtuse, as they begin to untangle the knot of problems between them, you can’t help but root for Bellward to get it together. And Edward’s big scene at the end—classic. There is a plot device which is thin at best, however, I suppose I can accept that over-dramatic Edward might actually agree to something so dumb, and then actually stick it out for so long despite all the personal turmoil it caused. It’s worth it just for Esme’s, “Oh Edward, really?” moment. This is not a long story, just 15 chapters, and it’s a pretty fast read. Dip your toe in the angst pool with this one.

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“His Personal Assistant” by NorthernLights17

And now for something completely different. This is one of my favorite stories. Whenever I read a story that bugs me and/or upsets me (happening a lot lately), I re-read His Personal Assistant to cleanse my palate. Light, fluffy, with only minimal “will Edward and Bella be apart” angst—which is actually handled pretty hilariously as Edward devolves into an emo bitch—this is a lemony, fluffy piece of goodness. As part of her business course at college, Bella is working at Cullen International as CEO Edward Cullen’s personal assistant. Pretty unbelievable but Edward is 24 and the CEO of a major Fortune 500 international conglomerate. Erm…okay, I’ll buy it because this is fanfic and it’s not supposed to be very serious. But I could’ve believed a slightly older Edward. Anyway—Bella has a crush on her boss and fantasizes about him frequently. She decides to enlist the help of her roommates, Alice and Rosalie, and her boss’s brothers, Emmett and Jasper, in attracting seemingly impassive Edward’s attention. This involves a lot of dressing up like porno characters and reading dirty books. Eventually Edward caves which leads to some of the funniest misunderstandings and miscommunications I’ve found yet. This is a very lemony story. Between Bella’s fantasies early on and then her relationship with Edward later, there’s a high smut content and some of the lemons are really…creative. I found myself going, “Really?” a lot during the lemons. There are fist fights, Edward and Jake pissing matches, Edward’s secret porn stash, quirky Esme—this is just a funny story. And it’s complete!

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“If This is Fate” by earthprincess4

This story is pretty heavy; however, I also think it’s a pretty realistic look as to how teenagers would handle this terrible situation. The story begins with Bella at Renee’s funeral. Renee has died, leaving Bella and her younger brother, Seth, as well as Bella’s step-sister Leah, in the care of Bella’s step-dad (and Seth and Leah’s father), James. James is the chief of police of Forks, is a nice guy, and the town loves him. James is beating the shit out of Bella, who thinks he killed her mother to cover up the fact that he was beating the shit out of Renee first. With Renee gone, the responsibility of raising Seth and Leah falls to Bella, as does keeping James’s house in order. It’s very sad, but even more heartbreaking is Bella’s acceptance of the situation. It’s an all-too-familiar response to abuse, to just accept it and think you deserve no better. Let’s pause to sadface. Then one day Bella meets Edward in school, whom she has admired from afar for ages. Of course Edward isn’t stupid, and he knows something is wrong with Bella. He puts it together but does nothing. I know right?! Ugh, it’s so frustrating to get through Edward’s period of indecision. He does eventually begin to help Bella, and he hangs out with her, but Bella won’t let him tell anyone about the abuse. One day, though, Bella doesn’t show up to school and of course Edward must ride to the rescue. This story is pretty angsty, and it’s hard to read in some places (confession: I skimmed a little), but it’s realistic enough and Edward and Bella’s relationship provides some happpytimes among the sadfaces. Also, Edward can be a bit of an emo bitch, but Bella’s so grown up and mature it provides a nice contrast. Seth and Leah are also solid characters, and the spin on Emmett and Rosalie is interesting, especially as Bella is lately beginning to click with Rosalie due to Edward’s said emo bitchiness. In all, a tough read, but a good one, but because I know a lot of people are like me and don’t always like these types of stories, I will put a big fat ANGST/ABUSE warning on this one. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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“Ithaca is Gorges” by Giselle-lx

This is a unique spin on a New Moon AU. It’s told from a split POV between Edward and Carlisle. I think there’s a little more CPOV as Carlisle narrates what the Cullens go through in Ithaca, from arrival until that fateful trip to Alaska during spring break. EPOV covers Edward’s crushing sense of loss once he leaves Bella (his behavior in the Ithaca house will *destroy* you), as well as what he does once he leaves. Carlisle also recalls Edward’s transformation and newborn year, and both POVs go through Edward’s first time away from the Cullens and his subsequent return. This is the most unique New Moon AU I’ve found, simply because it had never occurred to me to think about Carlisle in this mess. In Twilight, he is so contained, always so assured and perfect—Saint Carlisle. But here the author goes into his insecurities, his self-doubt, his mental haranguing regarding how he handled Edward, Bella, and their break up. It’s not that this Carlisle is any less of a good person than Canon Carlisle, it’s just that through his perspective we can see all the questions and doubts that plague him. Edward and Bella lose their soulmate when Edward leaves, but Carlisle loses his son—for the second time. That’s a terrible loss and it is handled with sympathy and realism here. There’s no smut, little real action (EPOV blows through most all the “exciting” stuff), but this is an intriguing, thoughtful portrait of a family coming apart at the seams, and steps a devoted father takes to bring them back together.

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Just Like Them” by Kaz-i-mir-6 (recommended by Tiago)

So this was rec’ed by a dude. Yup, you heard me. A GUY. Tiago sent a very nice email to the 411 inbox, admitting he was a Twi-guy, and also a reader of fanfic. Really, there’s no shame in that, for our male readers (of which there are surprisingly many). Everyone needs a guilty pleasure, and Tiago’s is Twilight and fanfiction. So anyway, Tiago rec’ed this fic, and I devoured it. It’s borderline angsty, but nothing too bad. Bella and Edward are in lecture together at Dartmouth. Edward seems pretty together, Bella, however, is a mess. She’s shy to the point of being socially crippled. She has such low self-esteem and is so insecure she almost has an anxiety disorder. She’s completely shut down, locked within her shell and showing no signs of coming out. But yet she crushes on classmate Edward. She admires from afar, convinced the fantasy of knowing Edward is better than actually knowing him because then she can’t screw up and ruin their relationship. Poor Bella. There’s not great trauma in her past, just a lifetime of small hurts and disappointments, combined with an innate shyness and reservation. She isn’t a complete sap, however. She knows she’s a little too withdrawn from humanity, and does wish to be more interactive, but there’s also a strong core of self-awareness in Bella. She may be painfully shy and insecure, but she does know herself well enough not to pretend to be something she isn’t. Even as Edward draws her out of herself, she doesn’t change her essential self for him. She just makes the effort to take the hand he’s reaching out to her. This is a lovely, slow, gentle story. Bella has a lot of issues to work out, and Edward has some of his own, but their relationship unfolds in a very realistic manner. And Edward’s determination, his patience and devotion to Bella are so sexy. I kind of feel like this fic needs some love. Over twenty chapters and only 556 reviews. So read and review for Kaz, and maybe she’ll post the next chapters sooner rather than later.

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La Canzone della Bella Cigna” by Philadelphic

All of a sudden last week everyone started recommending this story to me. Appreciate it, but I was already sucked in along with you. I’ve got several of these “Bella in music school” fics, but this is by far my favorite of the lot. Add in the fact that it’s an Alternate Universe, and I like it even more. Edward is a Cullen, he is perpetually 17, and he is a “piano prodigy”. He’s in the music conservatory as a doctoral student when 19 year old Bella enters as an undergrad to study opera. He is assigned as her accompanist, and you know the rest. He resists, she is intrigued, she discovers his secret. This is a more logical take on the world of Twilight. Stephenie Meyer tended to dispose of her own rules when they became inconvenient—Philadelphic remains consistent in her characterizations and logic. Edward is sensitive, he is gentle, he is so careful with Bella. But he is also a vampire. No matter how hard he tries, he leaves bruises. He has an appetite to consume he can’t deny (spoiler—lemons!). He does not want to change Bella, but when they are threatened with indefinite separation, he accepts it without all that puffy-shirt whining. This Bella has a lot in common with Canon Bella, but here she is more sharply defined, more independent, more fully drawn. She has real friendships outside of Edward (Jasper and Alice—you won’t believe how that goes down), and she stands up to and for Edward more decisively, I think. Here, when Edward tries to withdraw, Bella flatly refuses to let him. She does not meekly accept his leaving because she knows, without having to experience it, that she won’t make it without him. And then there’s the Volturi. This is by far my favorite characterization of Aro and crew to date. I once heard Jamie Campbell Bower (Caius, in the movies) describe the Volturi thusly: “They don’t think of themselves as evil. They aren’t evil. They’re the government. Not everyone likes the government.” That is EXACTLY how these Volturi behave. Aro is cunning, crafty, a master strategist. He wants something and is determined to get it. His relationship with Carlisle is far pricklier than anything I’ve seen in fanfiction. Aro is a despot, spoiled on his own tyranny. He was probably once a great leader, but absolute power corrupts absolutely. In order to save himself and Bella, as well as some others, from Aro and the Volturi, Edward is going to have to wage a prolonged and subtle campaign of wits and wills against Aro in Volterra, where he and Bella are going to continue to study music—under Aro’s tutelage. This is a good one—complex, deep, richly drawn. It also gets bonus points for excellent use of some beautiful opera and classical music.

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“Last Rites” by Halo Jones

Halo Jones is the only ficster to make multiple appearances on my favorites list to date, but I decided to rec Last Rites first because it’s my favorite of her stories. As I’ve said before, I’m really hard on AU stories that remain somewhat in canon because in order to be interesting to me, you must take the established Twilight universe somewhere completely fresh and new. Last Rites does just that. Like Carpe Noctem & Fiat Lux, this Edward has a much more visceral, disturbing reaction to Bella. He goes in for the kill, literally, and then must make amends. He’s the same eternal seventeen-year-old living with the Cullens in Forks, but this Edward has a predilection for going to the movies alone. Also, Bella is already 19, and not a student at Forks High. There’s a twist on the parking lot scene, too. I love this story for how Bellward work their way together and then apart. The idea of Edward spending his nights on Bella’s apartment balcony, in a ratty old lawn chair, watching over her is both sad and hilarious. So is the image of Edward stalking after her, taking out his frustration on Fate’s seeming determination to kill Bella on hapless pebbles on the ground. This story is founded on individual lines from the Twilight books, which Halo Jones uses to inspire events, but then takes in a wholly new direction. Also like CN&FL, I actually like this story better than Twilight. The internal logic of this world makes more sense, the vampires actually behave like real vampires (as in, they are dangerous and capable of great violence at the drop of a hat, which they actually follow through on). In Twilight there’s a lot of talk of Edward being dangerous, but we never really see it. In Last Rites, you see it. He is a threat, even as he tries to regain some of his humanity for Bella’s sake. And the Cullens aren’t such pushovers either. Alice was recently introduced to the story and I’m really interested to see more from her as events progress. Updates are somewhat infrequent, but trust, this story is worth the wait.

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“The Letter” by changed_by_edward

In keeping with the theme today, I thought I would recommend another music-centric fic. And this one takes the cake because Edward is “EC Velvet”, rapmaster extraordinaire. That’s right. You heard me. Edward Cullen, rap star. Think Eminem—in fact, if you’re at all familiar with Eminem, Velvet’s back-story is going to sound very familiar. That said, this is an interesting fic. Superstar Edward courts shy, recovering-from-a-bad-relaysh Bella, and in his hothouse world of tours and record labels, Bella finds herself growing stronger and more independent. This is actually a pretty serious, angsty fic, but I find the idea of Edward Cullen, rap star, so funny I laugh at some point in every chapter. It’s just not the most obvious choice of career for Edward, you know? But the author really makes it work. The details in this story are solid—Bella joins Edward on tour and suffers from exhaustion, the details about the buses, the assistants, the groupies, all of it rings true. And the Bellward relationship is great, in turns they are both strong, vulnerable, angry, peaceful, supportive, scared. I have to imagine that it paints a fairly realistic portrait of what it would be like for a normal woman to fall for a super-famous guy—stressful. I recommend this story knowing it’s a little out there what with the whole rap thing, and Bella’s semi-stalkerish beginnings, but the central relationship is so well drawn, it’s worth it. Besides, who doesn’t want to see Edward throw down some mad rhymes?

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“Loner” by Nilla

This story comes with a big fat ANGST/ABUSE warning. It is clear from the very first paragraph that Edward has suffered the worst kind of sexual abuse. Now look–I hate this type of stuff. I have bailed on more stories I can count because of this kind of plotline, but for some reason I ended up giving this story a chance. It kept popping up in my searches for new stories and I read the summary several times and then, just this last weekend, decided to finally give it a shot. I read the available chapters straight through in three hours. Is this story disturbing? Yes. Edward was beaten and raped by his stepfather, James, for years before being “rescued” by the Cullens. Is this story incredible? Yes. Edward is an unstable vortex of rage and shame. He can’t bear to be touched in even the most casual of ways and his self-loathing has grown to epic proportions. He has no friends and a barely-civil relationship with his adopted family. Enter new kid in Forks Bella Swan. Despite their rocky start–Edward is really antisocial–Bella senses that there’s more to Forks High’s resident loner and “freak”. The pacing of this story is a bit slow, but true to the sad reality of many rape survivors, Edward is just not going to open up in five minutes for Bella. It takes a lot of Bella’s–and the reader’s–patience to draw Edward out of his shell. He truly believes himself to be utterly worthless, he is absolutely convinced that he is “bad” and deserves nothing. But Bella won’t give up. And Edward, despite his own instincts of self-preservation, tentatively reaches out. Bella has her own past–devastating in its own way but not nearly as brutal as Edward’s–so she can meet Edward on something of a level playing field, both dragging their traumas behind them. Yes, this story is very dark, and yes, this is a deeply damaged Edward. But there are no graphic depictions of anything except James knocking Edward around. The author handles the whole topic of sexual abuse with amazing sensitivity and care, and the product is this sad, desperately lonely Edward whose thoughts and reactions are completely believable given his circumstances. His Bella is a strong young woman, determined not to give up on him despite her own fears and insecurities. She stands up to Edward and for Edward, and I couldn’t help but do a fist pump when she decided she was going to be friends with Edward Cullen if it killed her. I put a heavy CAUTION on this story–it won’t be for everyone. But if you can deal with the darkness, this is a lovely story about forgiveness, friendship, and love. It kind of reminds me of Wide Awake.

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Master of the Universe” by Snowqueens Icedragon

Smut alert. Domward alert. Sassy Bella alert. Your-panties-will-go-poof alert. This story has it all. In a nutshell: Young CEO and business whizkid Edward Cullen is being interviewed by Bella Swan for her university’s graduation-edition newspaper. Sparks fly, but there’s a catch. Edward is a Dominant. Is this different from The Sub & The Dom? Yes. For one, Edward and Bella are a bit younger. Bella is just graduating college, Edward is twenty-seven, I think. So really, Bella is younger. And this Bella is not a Submissive. *gasp* That’s right—she’s not. Unlike the superb and one-day-to-be-rec’ed The Sub & The Dom, Bella is not seeking out this type of relationship. Quite the opposite, in fact. It makes for an interesting Bellward dynamic, since he has to sway her to the Dark Side, and Bella must weigh her desire for Edward against her comfort-level for his lifestyle. And for the record, I am not sure this Edward is 100% a Dom. I definitely think he has control and power issues, but after reading this story twice and picking it apart with Bestie, I think being a Dom simply allows Edward to nurse some bad habits. There are some mysteries in this story. Edward has a troubled past (durr). He has issues with food and being touched, and his first sexual relationship was as a submissive to a much older woman, whom Bella calls “Mrs. Robinson”. Bella views that relationship as sexual abuse, but Edward doesn’t, and he is still in contact with Mrs. R. I foresee problems because of that. I love this story. It has hijacked my life for nearly two weeks. I just keep reading and re-reading and pondering. This is a complex and reticent Edward paired with an open and fairly frank Bella. It’s a good mix—she’s adorable. Her reactions to Edward’s lifestyle are very realistic for someone with no prior knowledge/experience of the D/S lifestyle. I highly recommend this story, but I also suggest you set aside some time to read it through without interruption. It’s a quick read and you won’t want to stop, trust me.

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“Mr. Horrible” by algonquinrt

To make up for rec’ing one of the saddest fics ever, here is one of the funniest. I don’t even know how to explain this one. You know those screwball comedies of the Thirties, like Bringing Up Baby? This is kind of the fanfic equivalent of that. Edward “Rich Kid” Cullen is an internet millionaire who falls for Bella “Baby Swan” Swan, who is an aspiring writer. Hilarity ensues. This fic wins the Best Use of James/Victoria/Laurent award, with special notice going to the fantastic Laurent. His white-trash-cook-off with Bella is inspired, and for a character who says little, he accomplishes much in effect. Winning for Best Use of an Original Character is Grandma Platt, Esme’s nine-hundred-year-old, socialite grande dame, possible-closet-alcoholic mother. Grandma Platt makes my life. There’s a unique twist on the Bellward relationship, especially how Bella handles the issue in cake-form, and I laughed all the way through this story. There are some elements which are less than funny. Bella has issues with Edward’s money, which I believe any self-respecting woman would have. There is that unique twist they must deal with. They have to reconcile their disparate friends (Emmett the conspiracy theorist!) and deal with their own, “Maybe we’re too young for all this” insecurity. But this story is by no means angsty. It’s pure long-form comedy. I’ve re-read it a couple times and laughed just as hard on the second reading as I did on the first. It’s almost complete, and algonquinrt is teasing a sequel to come, which hopefully will continue the hilaritude. Definitely read “Mr. Horrible”, if for no other reason than to learn to what the title refers.

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“My Yes, My No” by lolashoes

This story is a little tough to introduce. It’s by Lola Shoes, who you all know is a terrific writer, so right away you know it’s a good story. It’s basically an AU take on New Moon, but it tells the story in parallel arcs. In one story line, Bella tells Edward that yes, she can let him back in her life. In the other, she says no, that he needs to give her time and space to come to terms with his leaving. Chapter 1 starts it all off, then the even-numbered chapters tell the “My No” story while the odd chapters follow the “My Yes”. At chapter 10 the story converges once again. Does that make sense? Basically, read chapter 1, then read all the even chapters. Then read chapter 1 again, followed by all the odd chapters. Oh just read the damn story. I have a big problem with Twilight, and that’s how easily Bella rolls over for Edward. I know they have this epic untouchable love, but I always struggled with how easily Bella forgives Edward. She never takes him to task for thinking for her, not of her! Ridiculous. I get that she’s selfless and generous and blah blah, but any self-respecting young woman is going to stop her ex-lover and say, “Hey, you really hurt me, and we need to deal with that.” But no, Bella just pants at him and gets dazzled and all is well. I just can’t quite like that. So I appreciate stories that attempt to flesh out the issue of Bellward reuniting. There’s a lot of pain and misunderstanding there. Even if they’re both willing to forgive, it doesn’t mean there aren’t still things to talk about and consider. I like seeing that struggle worked out, and so far this is my favorite take on it. Bella is still in love with Edward, she still wants him forever, but she’s realistic about dealing with him again, after his long absence. And Edward has gone crazy without Bella and doesn’t pussyfoot around about being with her again. He knows what he wants and he’ll beg on his knees to get it back. It’s an intriguing premise worked out by a good writer. Give it a read and let me know which storyline you prefer—yes or no? And oh yeah, Edward’s a talker. You know, a talker. Hot.

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“The Naked Guy Upstairs” by AngryBadgerGirl

Bella moves into a new apartment at the beginning of her senior year at Harvard. Due to a troublesome wi-fi connection, she goes upstairs to meet her neighbor and ask about his internet connection. That neighbor turns out to be Edward Cullen, naked guy, and a doctor in his last year as an OB/GYN resident at a prestigious Boston hospital. Let that sink in for a moment. Edward Cullen…gynecologist… Can you imagine his waiting list? After an initially poor impression (Edward thinks Bella is a prude, Bella thinks Edward is a manwhore—a threesome is implied), Edward and Bella begin to see there is more to their new neighbor than they originally thought. And Edward is pretty emotionally stunted, but there’s a reason for it, and his emotional growth is kind of funny and adorable—he’s so clueless about his own feelings. Rosalie and Alice are Bella’s best friends and they’re pretty loud and profane but provide some solid laughs. TNGUS, as Bella calls Edward, is a man alone here—Emmett and Jasper are Bella’s friends, not his. As a resident doctor in a competitive hospital, Edward is determined to impress his boss, Aro, so that he can receive the coveted promotion from resident to staff doctor (or whatever you call a doctor that’s no longer a resident—I don’t know these things). In order to do this, he asks Bella to be his date to work functions, and in return for this favor, Bella asks Edward for a special favor in return. And thus their “arrangement” is born. Twitter plays a part in this story. Bella has a habit of drunktweeting her feelings (who doesn’t?) and Edward makes a routine of tweet-spying on her. The Twitter updates throughout the story are pretty hilarious, and the screen names are funny, too. Edward is @DrWhoHaHa.

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“Sleepers, Awake: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme” by Fiesty Y Beden

Are you a wussperv? You should probably skip this one. I’m going to ruin it for you: This story revolves around Edward Cullen’s death. If you can’t deal, go read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It’s funny, and you’ll be that much more prepared for the inevitable onslaught of brains-hungry undead. “Sleepers, Awake” is beautiful. It’s an elegiac tale of grief and what it means to really live. A couple years out of college and freshly dropped-out from a graduate art program, Bella—who lives in Boston and is so petrified of flying she hasn’t been back to Forks since she left high school—learns that her first and only love, Edward Cullen, has died in a plane crash. Wracked with grief because now Edward can never know her, Bella returns to Forks for the memorial and the weirdness sets in. This is a very original plot. Yes, it is terrifically sad, and yes, you will probably cry (I did). Bella’s whole life has been about “becoming someone” so that she can be worthy of Edward. Although she has romantic dreams, her more realistic hope is just that he would simply know who she is. It’s so sad it’s almost pathetic, but Bella is so earnest about this, and so cognizant of her own pathetic nature, that you don’t pity her. Instead you cheer her on as she begins conquering fears and insecurities, especially because she does it even though it’s too late. Or is it? Because you see, Bella has these dreams. And sometimes what happens in these dreams seems to affect her waking life. So while she moves through real life trying to come to grips with Edward’s loss—there are lovely interactions with Alice and Jasper—she seeks sleep to follow a more proactive course in her dreams. Because maybe… You just need to read it. Extra points for the creative use of Alice, and super extra bonus points for my favorite Rosalie ever. Rose is awesome, her friendship with Bella is so special, and given the canon function of Rose and Bella having a prickly relationship, I appreciate Fiesty Y Beden taking it in such an original direction. Does this story have a happy ending? Kinda. If you have to have the fairytale, Google the German at the end that Rosalie doesn’t know. Otherwise, the resolve is as beautiful and sad and real and hopeful as the rest of the story.

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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.

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“Tropic of Virgo” by In.a.blue.bathrobe

Seriously, why did it take me so long to review this fic? I love this story! I’ve read it probably half a dozen times. This is my favorite fic featuring the Cullens in a band, and it’s my all-time second favorite high school fic, second only to “Wide Awake” (which is like saying I like ponies, but only because I can’t actually own a unicorn). I once described this story to Bestie as, “They’re in high school, but also, they’re in a band.” And that pretty much sums it up. Except not really. Carlisle and Esme are newlyweds who kids date (canon pairings) and also make up the jazz/rock band Breaking Dawn. In my head, this band is like The Decemberists—madly talented, lots of different members, very hipster. Bella moves into Forks and it turns out she can sing (like Sarah McLachlan in my mind), and she gets drawn into Breaking Dawn. Except she has terrible stage fright. Last relevant plot point is that Bella has an online pen pal with whom she shares her writing, and Edward has an online pen pal, too, so…I think you can figure that out before Bella and Edward do. I love this story. Alternately funny, angsty, lemony, and with serious music knowledge infused throughout. Music lovers will love this fic just for all the references thrown down (Rosalie plays a red Gibson SG—perfect, right?). Bella and Edward do the usual “I like you but I shouldn’t” dance, with miscommunications and misunderstandings galore. There’s a dollop of mystery mixed in, and the story follows most Twilight conventions. This story wins points for an excellent use of Jasper. He plays bass while wearing red long johns and cowboy boots. How cool is that? Bonus points for this fic being complete. If you’ve followed me on twitter for a while, you’ve probably seen me rec this story before. It’s one of my all-time faves, one of the first fics I ever read. If you haven’t read this one yet, do so. It’s one of the best-written fics out there, with one of the most enjoyable casts of characters. Oh, and Tanya is, well….just read it. It’s pretty funny how the Cullens get “revenge.” Also, there’s a sequel of sorts going, or maybe a re-telling, called “Tropic of Gemini”—it’s the same group of Cullens but it’s Jasper and Alice’s story.

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“Wide Awake” by AngstGoddess003

This was not the first fanfic I read. I read the real-life ficQuiet and the New Moon AU The Dark Side of the Moon in one weekend, and I liked those stories, but I didn’t immediately fall into a fanfic addiction. And then someone said, “Have you read Wide Awake? It’s amazing.” So I read it. And two days later I surfaced, a changed person. Wide Awake is authored by AngstGoddess003, through whom I learned of The Lazy Yet Discerning Ficster, and at that point I was injecting the heroin straight into my eyeball. From that lovely site I got all my first fanfic rec’s. And it is all because of Wide Awake that I got hooked, and to this day it is Wide Awake I want newbies to read first. Because Wide Awake is not fanfic. I repeat, it is NOT fanfic. It is…an online novel. What sets this story apart? For one thing, it is exceptionally well written. For another, well it’s kind of like porn. You just know it when you see it. You know when you read a story that it’s going beyond just a reimagining or retelling of a story already told. Wide Awake does that. A few chapters in and you’re thinking, “We’re not in Kansas anymore.” This story is so good that after all the fics I’ve read, there has only been one that I can even remotely begin to consider as maybe being almost as good as this one (that other one being MotU).

Quick rundown: Edward and Bella, both traumatized high school students, are insomniacs. Despite a prickly beginning, the two begin to gravitate toward one another, and eventually they discover they can actually sleep—so long as they have each other to curl up with. At first it’s platonic, then it becomes more, then they’re discovered, then they have to face their pasts. Bella and Edward are both deeply traumatized, but Edward at least can function. Bella is so crippled by her experiences she literally cannot bear to be touched, and Edward, secretly sweet boy that he is, works slowly with her to help her regain that part of herself. Of course, part of what makes this story so spectacular is its realism—even at the end Edward and Bella are not A-OK. They’ve been through the sort of traumas that leave lasting, permanent marks. They will be working on overcoming for a lifetime. But, they do make progress. Together they manage put some pieces back together, and Bella, though she’s left a long way from a “full” recovery, is living a pretty normal life with Edward. And Edward, who at first seems to willing to throw it all away, is pursuing a bright future. So, it’s not all sunshine and daisies, but Wide Awake isn’t all doom and gloom, either. It’s just real. And, it has leant some of the best vocabulary to the Twi-fandom. Unicorns. Shiny fucking curls. Red Bella and White Bella. Plus, each chapter is titled after one of Bella’s cookie-creations, and there are recipes for many of them on the LJ. Be sure to check that out. It’s hard to say exactly what about this story sets it apart from all others. It’s a combination of the writing, the realism, the devotion of Edward and Bella, the uniqueness of the story line (this fic comes before so many others that try to trod the same path), and the characters. There are just so many wonderful little things that combine to make Wide Awake something really special and unique. And honestly, the more fics you read the more this story is set apart. It just is different from all the rest. It’s not just fanfic. It’s something else entirely.

PS: Though this story is very intense and there are some scenes of violence, there is no rape/self-harm. Wide Awake is dark, yes, but it’s nothing you can’t handle.

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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 University of Edward Masen” by SebastienRobichaud

This is the story I linked to from Snowqueens Icedragon’s profile. And good lord. I don’t think I did any work for two straight hours. Just read. This story is beyond description. Maybe the most wildly intriguing thing I’ve read since Carpe Noctem & Fiat Lux. Like that story, I totally spazzed when I got my first University update. I squealed a little, I admit it. This is the douchiest Edward ever. At this point in time, I am actively rooting against him. He is such a Prickward! I am so Team Peter right now (read, it will make sense). To the standard, Edward is troubled. Obviously, he has anger issues. The exact reasons for this are still not clear. In fact, this story is chock full of mystery. What’s on Edward’s bedroom wall, what really happened in the meadow, who is the “him” in Bella’s past and what precisely did he do. The list goes on. This is a very mysterious story. Still, Edward’s attitude and behavior is so petty, priggish and hateful that even knowing he has issues I can’t be on his side right now. Maybe in the future as the story develops, but not yet. He doesn’t deserve it yet. You know who does deserve reader support and love? Bella. She is sweet, young, kind. She’s everything Canon Bella was supposed to be, minus the obnoxious self-absorption and whining. This Bella doesn’t whine. She makes the best of what little she’s got. I love this Bella. She might be my favorite Bella yet. Near the top of the list, anyway. The big draw for this story is unraveling Edward and Bella’s pasts. Why is Edward so angry and mean, and what happened to Bella back in Seattle? For some reason, she stopped talking to Alice, her high-school BFF, and she refers to some guy negatively as “him”. So clearly there’s a story. But there’s also the question of whether or not Bella and Edward may have known each other back in the day. It’s all a mystery, with heaping sexual tension thrown on top. Edward is a bit older in this one. Grad student Bella is 23, and while Edward’s age isn’t stated yet, I am assuming he’s at least ten years older. So there’s some older man/younger woman stuff happening, but the bigger tension comes from the fact that Edward is Professor Masen, Bella’s thesis advisor. Giant no-no there. But clearly he likes her, and he’s covetous, oh, so deliciously covetous of Bella. “Angelfucker” is my new favorite term (read, it will make sense). Read this story. Then read it again. Then come tell me if you’re Team Edward, Team Peter, or maybe even Team Michael?

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The Vampire in the Basement” by michellephants

This is one of the most intriguing concepts in all of Twilight fanfiction. It’s built on canon roots—the Cullens are vampires who live in Forks and go to high school, Bella is a human, she and Alice are best friends. Everyone has their special vamp-gift, all canon pairings exist. The major change is Edward. He doesn’t start out with the Cullens, but since the entire story revolves around his origins, I’ll just skip all that to save from spoiling it. What I like about this story: First and foremost, this is a kickass Bella. She is strong and smart, determined to the best thing for Edward, and while accident prone, she isn’t helpless (something Stephenie Meyer had a hard time separating). Also, the Carlisle/Edward relationship is intriguing. Fanfiction often presumes that they have an established history because that’s how it is in canon, but here michellephants gets to develop their unique bond from scratch. It’s done with such delicacy and finesse—Carlisle is totally his canonical self but Edward is quite different, yet they are establishing the same sort of father/son, mentor/mentee (is that a word?) relationship we know from the books. I’m late to the party with this fic—a lot of people have read it, but since I just found it, I will assume there are those of you out there who haven’t read it yet, either. This story is complicated and intense, but it represents one of the most deep and beautiful Bella/Edward relationships out there. I rank this Bellward right up there with the Wide Awake Bellward (Wide Awake being the standard for all other fanfiction, of course). The Vampire in the Basement is so complex and mysterious it can be frustrating waiting for updates, but it’s so worth it.

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