tani_recs

Fandom: Gundam Wing
Pairings/Characters: 1x3, but really Duo gen
Rating: G
Wordcount: ~4,000
Author: Anria Lalumin
Website: Anria on Raygun Works
Summary: Let me tell you, it was the hardest mission I was ever assigned when I swore to myself that I would get that genuine smile out of all the pilots.
Why: I liked this for the insight that it gave into all of the pilot's characters, but especially for the insight into Duo. Anria writes him with a good introspective voice, and even though the concept is simple, it works really well. I also kind of liked the twist at the end, although I haven't personally been able to get into the sequel that it leads into.

True Smile by Anria Lalumin

Fandom: Scrubs/Supernatural
Pairings/Characters: JD, Dr. Cox, Sam, Dean
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 5,900
Author: gekizetsu
Website: gekizetsu.net
Summary: Sam is hurt, Dean worries and lies, Cox rants, and JD just wants everyone to love him, especially after the vampires show up.
Why: If the Scrubs and Supernatural universes were ever going to meet, I think this is how it would happen. I like the author's JD voice a lot, even though it's slightly toned down on his usual imaginings. I also liked the way that she handled the outsider perspective of Sam and Dean, which is always something I like to see. The action scenes are also very well-done, which I always appreciate.

My Supernatural Smackdown by b stearns

Fandom: Naruto
Pairings/Characters: Gaara/Naruto
Rating: NC-17
Wordcount: 22,500
Spoilers for: post-timeskip Gaara arc
Author: crazy_toffee
Website: none?
Summary: Temari wasn’t entirely honest when she sought Naruto’s help. She said Gaara had been missing for a few days, but he’d been missing for a few weeks...
Why: This has been next on my to-rec list for a while, but I've been skipping over it. You see, the problem is that this is the best Naruto fic I've read in a while. It completely knocked my socks off and now I don't know what I can say to do it credit. Still, I guess I'll just have to do my best. The first thing I loved about this story was the mood that the author creates: quiet, melancholy, full of longing. The second was probably the emotional intensity. Naruto and Gaara are both pretty intense in their emotions, and the author did a wonderful job of capturing that. Third was the way that intensity pulled me into the story; once I started reading, I just couldn't stop. Fourth, the characterization in general is amazing. Even though this is a Gaara/Naruto fic, the author is a Naruto/Sasuke fan, so she really works hard to convince you of the Gaara/Naruto. At the same time, she doesn't discount the depth of the connection between Naruto and Sasuke, which I really appreciated. I also particularly loved Naruto's emotional progression in this story. It really reminded me of just how much I love him. I just...there are so many things right with this story that I'm never going to be able to tell you all of what makes it amazing. It's really that good.

Haven by Toffee

Fandom: Yamada Tarou Monogatari
Pairings/Characters: Mimura/Tarou
Rating: R
Wordcount: 1,700
Author: honooko
Website: abscondpress
Summary: Five times Takuya tried to get it on.
Why: Ah, Tarou and Takuya. The perfect combination of oblivious cuteness and infatuated subtlety. And that pretty much sums up why I love this fic. I loved Takuya's subtle attempts to get somewhere with Tarou about as much as I loved Tarou's innocent obliviousness. Seeing Takuya out of his depth is just so much fun, don't you think? And then seeing things finally work just makes it so much better. ♥

Five Times Takuya Tried to Get it On by honooko

Fandom: Inuyasha
Pairings/Characters: Inuyasha/Kagome, Kagome/Kouga, Kagome/Sesshoumaru
Rating: R
Wordcount: ~1,100
Author: Sharibet on Ff.net
Website: Michaela August - Historical Fiction Author
Summary: Another victim of Kristine Batey's 100word challenge...for me, this is a real challenge. I like to write long. Each chapter its own story.
Why: I'm usually not a big fan of drabbles, but there's something I liked about these. There's a good mix of humor and drama and each drabble is strongly focused on a single central idea. The author claims that she's not very good at the format, but I think she does a really great job with making each drabble pack a punch without cramming too many things into it.

Inuyasha, Briefly by Sharibet

Fandom: Heroes
Pairings/Characters: Matt/Mohinder
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 1,604
Author: tiptoe39
Website: Tiptoe Writes!
Summary: Mohinder's in love with me. I hear thoughts, so I know.
Why: I liked the simple pattern that this story follows. It makes it easy to follow the progression of Matt's thoughts and emotions. I also liked Matt's voice in general, which struck me as very true to his character. Oh, and the ending of this is just right.

Like Music by tiptoe39

Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairings/Characters: James/Scorpius, James/Teddy, James/Scorpius/Teddy, hints of background Harry/Draco
Rating: NC-17
Wordcount: ~25,000
Author: Snegurochka Lee
Website: Fanfiction by Snegurochka
Summary: The company of Gryffindors was bad enough. The company of naked Gryffindors – a Potter and a werewolf spawn, no less, and totally unasked for, thank you very much – was outrageous. The company of naked, muscled Gryffindors claiming a sodding Muggle prophecy device had foretold his seduction was just too much to take. All things considered, Scorpius Malfoy really was having a very, very bad week.
Why: As much as I didn't like the epilogue of DH, playing with the next generation is one thing we've gained from it. The author does a brilliant job of creating her own version of these characters, especially Scorpius. I couldn't help laughing at his perspective on things. His denial and confusion were just too fun to read about. James was also brilliantly done, bold and brave but with just enough hesitance to make him interesting. The progression of events and characterization were also top notch. I especially liked the explanation for all the inexplicable things that happen during the course of the book. I really hope that the author decides to write more in this universe.

Scorpius Malfoy's Very Bad Week by Snegurochka Lee

Fandom: Vorkosigan
Pairings/Characters: Ekaterin/Miles
Rating: G
Wordcount: ~4,000
Author: sahiya
Website: Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
Summary: Regret . . . And what if she and Miles had met at twenty, instead of she and Tien? It had been possible; she'd been a student at the Vorbarra District University, he'd been a newly minted officer in and out of the capital. If their paths had crossed, might she have won a less bitter life? - pp. 534, A Civil Campaign
Why: Isn't this an awesome idea? Seriously, I was thrilled with this one, and since it's Sahiya, of course it's well done. I think that my favorite was the last one, but all these are just really great. Sure, I wouldn't trade Ekaterin and Miles's real relationship for the world, but it's still a lot of fun to think of what might have happened if only they had met sooner.

Five Ways Ekaterin Never Met Miles at Twenty by Sahiya

Fandom: Naruto
Pairings/Characters: Team 10, implications of Ino/Shikamaru
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 1,539
Author: Sadie Dragonfire
Website: The Dragons Gate
Summary: Team 10 is given an important mission. More or less.
Why: This is just a nice slice of life from the average day in the life of pre-timeskip Team 10. I like it for the amusingly accurate Shikamaru voice and for the chance to spend a little more time with some of my favorite genin. Not deep, but great for a few moments of entertainment.

Walking the Dogs by Sadieko

Fandom: Buffy/Star Wars
Pairings/Characters: Xander-centric, ensemble
Rating: PG
Wordcount: ~230,000
Spoilers for: events from the first three seasons of Buffy
Author: The Dark Scribbler
Website: The Dark Scribbler on Ff.net
Summary: Xander goes for a rather different costume at Halloween. May the force be with him?
Why: I was going to wait to rec this fic until I had finished the sequel, but as I was looking through the things I intend to rec, this popped out at me and I realized that I hadn't touched the sequel in months and have no clue when and if I will again. So, I guess it's time to rec this. Although it should be somewhat obvious from the title, this story is based on the idea that on that fateful Halloween, Xander went dressed as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Just as in the real episode, some of the skills from his costume remain, and so Xander ends up training himself as a Jedi. I enjoyed this for being Xander-centric and for taking Xander's development in an interesting direction. I also liked that although the story is about Xander, all the other characters get their parts to play and moments to shine.

Can you sense the 'but' coming here? I'm afraid this story falls into a little bit of a trap eventually. You see, by the end of the story, Xander is more powerful than Buffy. Which is fine, maybe, but it takes away some of the suspense and it makes it really hard to honestly threaten him. That is the reason that I've been unable to finish the sequel. Now, this is something that bothers me, but maybe won't bother other people. So if the idea intrigues you, I recommend you go for it. This is definitely a well-written story written by an author with a good grasp of character voice. But if you're a little more picky, this is your warning. In any case, the first 2/3rds of this story does not fall into the trap and presents a very enjoyable 'what if' that more than make up for its eventual decline. I can really recommend this story with very little hesitation. However, if you find yourself bothered by some of the things I've mentioned as you near the end of Jedi Harris, my current recommendation is to not worry about the sequel. Just treat this as a standalone.

And hopefully my prolonged warning won't keep anyone who's interested from reading. I really do recommend this. I just think that it's best to be forewarned when you're starting a story of this length. :D

Jedi Harris by The Dark Scribbler