Two Worlds by Eildon Rhymer (R)

Fandom: The Dark is Rising Sequence
Pairings/Characters: Bran/Will
Rating: R
Wordcount: ~128,000
Warnings: angst
Author: rhymer23
Website: Assorted Fanfic
Summary: Will and Bran meet up again as students in Oxford, but an unexpected enemy is stirring, and nothing will be the same again, for two young men, or for the world.
Why: I've been meaning to read some Dark is Rising fic for a while now, so when this popped up, I couldn't resist. I have no regrets. This is a good one. Eildon Rhymer does a really great job with taking aspects of the series and fleshing them in a way that makes perfect sense. I found this story really thought-provoking, in part for the plot, but also because of the character development. Eildon Rhymer really does a great job with the emotions of both Will and Bran. This is one of those stories that has the power to pull you in entirely, not letting you go until the bitter end. That's certainly what it did to me.

Two Worlds by Eildon Rhymer

And since this story is pretty angst intensive, an added recommendation. If reading this leaves you feeling a bit overwhelmed, you may want to take a peek at The Devil You Know, also by Eildon Rhymer. I'm not a huge fan of parodies, but to me it was the perfect chaser to Two Worlds, making me laugh right when I needed it the most.

Green Apple Elixir and Sugared Vanilla by Ronsard (PG-13)

Fandom: Naruto
Pairings/Characters: Ino/Naruto
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: ~6,100
Author: Ronsard
Website: Ronsard's fic list
Summary: In which everyone in Konoha has relationship problems, and Naruto and Ino may just turn out to be the most well-adjusted of them all.
Why: The first thing that drew me to this story was the idea of Naruto and Ino being the most well-adjusted of them all. I have to admit, that intrigued me, even though it's a pairing I never thought I would read with one of the two main characters being someone I'm not too fond of. What kept me reading was that Ronsard really makes this pairing work. Sure, parts of it are silly, but other parts of it are just perfect for both characters. I loved the idea of Ino being the one to corrupt Naruto, and the way that the author never loses sight of the fact that no matter how much Naruto and Ino complain, they are always there when their friends need them. Most of all, I loved how sweet the romance between Ino and Naruto is, and the way that it kind of creeps up on you until you realize, "Yes, that's just exactly right."

Green Apple Elixir and Sugared Vanilla by Ronsard