tani_recs

Fandom: Firefly
Pairings/Characters: eventual Jayne/River with light Kaylee/Simon, Inara/Mal, and Wash/Zoe, ensemble
Rating: ranges from PG-13 to R
Wordcount: >100,000 words overall
Spoilers for: everything
Author: Dyce
Website: None
Summary: Jayne is left all alone with a bad leg and a crazy girl for two days. It doesn't go as badly as it could.
Why: I have a huge weakness for the Jayne/River pairing, but it's really difficult to find good fic for them, as you might imagine. That's what initially drew me to this series. This is top-rate Jayne/River, without a doubt. The characterization is wonderful, the development of the relationship takes just as much time as might actually needed for such an unlikely pair, and just because it's Jayne and River-centric doesn't mean that the other characters are neglected. The plot in this series runs parallel to the later parts of the actual series, but reshapes events based on the new relationships that have developed, which I also found very interesting.

Even if you're not a fan of the Jayne/River pairing, I'd recommend that you read at least the first two stories, "Two Gorram Days" and "Kinship" which are very enjoyable without being at all shippy. And if you enjoy those, maybe you could even give the rest of the series a try! It really is worth it.

Also, just so you're aware, "Prodigal," the final story in the series is still a WIP (I know, I'm breaking my own rules). However, it doesn't leave things at a cliffhanger and is still being worked on as far as I know, so there's no need to worry too much about that aspect.

Two Gorram Days
Kinship
Bank Job
Miranda
Prodigal

Fandom: Firefly/Yu Yu Hakusho Crossover
Pairings/Characters: Kurama, River
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 50,000
Author: AngelsFall
Website: Stories from AngelsFall
Summary: With his human life now centuries distant, Kurama finds a new home withthe one crew in the 'verse that attracts as much trouble as Yuusuke.
Why: I stumbled on this when I was in the midst of my Yu Yu Hakusho kick. Obviously it's a crossover that you would never expect to find, but it's one that the author really makes work well. I think that my favorite part of this story was the connection between Kurama and River. I didn't expect it, but AngelsFall makes it work beautifully. I also really enjoyed the ending to this story: a little bittersweet, but perfect nonetheless.

That Gorram Fox by AngelsFall

Fandom: Firefly
Pairings/Characters: River, some Mal/River and Kaylee/Simon
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 600
Spoilers for: Serenity
Author: LizBee
Website: mirrordance dot net
Summary: River knows a great many things. Here is a random sampling of twenty-one.
Why: This is inspired by the 20 Random Facts meme and it's basically a list, but parts of the list have comments. Saying that is probably not the best way to get you to read this. However, at first glance, I had my doubts about this one too, so fair warning. However, I really came away from this with the feeling that the author knows River. The comments of the list items are in perfect River voice, and once you're into it even the items that don't have comments lose their sterile feel because they just so perfect. LizBee also does a great job of saying a lot in a few words, and the result is a powerful piece.

What River Knows by LizBee