Old and New Project: 9 by athena_crikey, 2 by Shoshanna, 2 by Corvidology

[tinturtle]

Fandoms in this post: The Professionals, The Illiad, The Mysterious Mr. Quin, the Jeeves stories, Yes Minister

In this post, I won't be writing up all the fics I read, because four are based on a work that I've decided not to discuss outside dedicated contexts. There will be more posts in the future where this restriction applies, since I have a fair number of fics based on that work in my collection.

The fics I had collected were:

Four undisclosed works by athena_crikey.

Sule Skerrie by Shoshanna (The Professionals; 11,125 words; slash)
This is a supernatural AU set in Medieval Scotland. It is not fanfic that one could recognize if the names were changed. There is very little in it that is identifiably Pros; even the backstories are completely different, rather than being the canon ones adapted for the alternate world. Nevertheless, I think the characters resemble themselves, and I like the fic a lot despite often struggling with this type of total-conversion AU. It has a magic about it.

Ninety-Nine Yew Trees by Corvidology (corvidology) (The Professionals; 34,049 words; slash)
This fic finds Bodie recovering in the country after he is captured by an enemy from his past. This was one of the first long Pros stories I read, if not the first. I still really like it. It's mostly a relationship story, and I find the Lads' interactions very emotionally vivid. I also like the backstory the fic provides for Bodie. This isn't the first time since collecting it that I've reread it.

The new fics I read were:

*Fire and Ash by athena_crikey (The Illiad; 1,044 words; slash)
I've never read The Iliad—my education only included The Odyssey—but I've picked up enough here and there to understand most of this fic about the life of Achilles. It's both beautifully written and moving.

The Harlequin Mask by athena_crikey (The Mysterious Mr. Quin; 4,657 words; slash)
This fic is based on a lesser known work by Agatha Christie that captured my imagination strongly when I was a teenager. It relates another meeting between Mr. Satterthwaite and Mr. Quin. There is a lot to like in this fic. It is written in a skillful imitation of Christie's style, and it has the slight eeriness of the original. The ending didn't quite work for me, though. Shipping any ordinary person with Mr. Quin just feels like a mismatch of types. Like trying to plug a cucumber into a power outlet.

*But You've Got Silver in the Stars by athena_crikey (the Jeeves stories; 1,986 words; gen)
In this fic, Bertie makes a discovery while searching for ink. I can't say much else without spoilers, but I found this fic unexpectedly moving. I will think of it often when I read the Jeeves stories in the future.

The Silly Season by athena_crikey (Yes Minister; 3,099 words; gen)
This is a light fic in which Hacker tries to navigate the late summer lull. All the characters contribute canon-typical shenanigans and athena_crikey renders their voices very well. Their ear for such things is one of their strengths as a writer.

Darker Days by athena_crikey (Yes Minister; 4,249 words; gen)
This fic is more serious than The Silly Season. It relates an episode involving Bernard and Sir Humphrey many years before Hacker's time in the Department of Administrative Affairs. It's well done, but it made me sad in a way I didn't really enjoy. In a way, it felt like a story told backward, with the character arc taking the opposite trajectory to the one the reader would hope for. (I'm sure that was entirely intentional.)

Quiet Efforts by Shoshanna (The Professionals; 3,560 words; slash)
When looking for a new fic by Shoshanna, I found that I had read almost everything of hers that's available online. I think I had even started this one but not finished it. There was a reason for that. This fic is not for me. As in, I'm not the person this fic is for. It's very sex-focused, and I prefer my fics to be mostly other stuff, in general. Someone without that handicap would probably enjoy this fic, though. It has an interesting premise and some sweet moments.

Down to Zero by Corvidology (The Professionals; 5,733 words; slash)
This is a relationship fic. Near the beginning, Bodie's attempt to declare his feelings to Doyle goes badly; things continue from there. I quite liked this story. It has an element that I think some people might find annoying, but it wasn't a problem for me, and as in Ninety-Nine Yew Trees, I found the emotions satisfying.

Also reads: 0

* = newly collected

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