tani_recs

Fandom: Inuyasha
Pairings/Characters: Sesshoumaru/Kagome
Rating: NC-17
Wordcount: ~91,000
Author: Resmiranda
Website: Resmiranda on MediaMiner
Summary: The present revolves around the past; truth and remembrance are two different things. After the well closes forever,Kagome finds a familiar face in the present era.
Why: This isn't a happy story, and it isn't what I would hope for the characters, if everything were to go the way I want it to. However, it is a story that I can believe. Resmiranda does an amazing job of putting the characters through the wringer and making it a story that you want to read, just to find out how everything's going to end up. This is a darkly captivating view of life after Naraku that will really make you think about what it means to be a survivor.

Fugue by Resmiranda

Fandom: Inuyasha
Pairings/Characters: Inuyasha/Kagome, past Hojo/Kagome
Rating: R
Author: Kristine Batey
Website: The Hero in the 21st Century
Summary: Many years after the end of the quest for the Shikon no Tama, Kagome returns through the well.
Why: This is such a gorgeous, heart-breaking story. The author really does an amazing job with creating and then sustaining the emotion in the story. She absolutely made me ache for Kagome and her abandonment and the way that it makes her lose her way. So much of this story is bittersweet that it makes the truly happy moments just that much more precious. Even though it was painful, I was enthralled by the author's vision of where Inuyasha and Kagome were after 20 or so years. I loved their characterizations; they were still the people we know in the series, but changed by the passing of time. This story is really an emotional journey, and one that I think will be sticking with me for a long time to come.

Rebound by Kristine Batey

Fandom: Inuyasha
Pairings/Characters: Kagome, Sesshoumaru
Rating: T
Author: enkida
Website: Enkida on Ff.net
Summary: On a seemingly normal trip back to the modern era, Kagome suddenly realizes the consequences of playing with the past. In trying to discover a balance between two vastly different worlds, she finds help from the most unlikely of sources.
Why: Once more, I have ventured forth into the world of Inuyasha fanfiction, and once more I have come out with a gem. While I was reading it, this story occupied my attention completely. It's difficult to know what to say that will do it justice.

I guess the best place to start would be characterization. I'll be honest and say that I've never seen much of a connection between Kagome and Sesshoumaru, so when it became apparent that the story was going to heavily involve the two of them, I was skeptical. However, the author does a beautiful job of first creating the situation that brings the two of them together and then letting the relationship flow from there. I know that most would find the Sesshoumaru characterization in particular to be impressive, but I was also very happy with the characterization of Kagome. Her emotions really became clear to me in this story, and they were what made it so effective for me.

The plot of this story is also nothing to scoff at. Although events may seem to be moving slowly at times, they always move with purpose. It is very apparent that the author put a great deal of thought into how the plot should go. This results in a story that captures your attention and holds it for the duration.

In all, this story was a pleasure to read. Now if only I can find more like it!

Concordia Discors by Enkida