Yuletide Recs, fandoms A through F
Dec. 31st, 2009 10:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edenfallingI kind of suck at timeliness, but here are some Yuletide recs, in fandoms A through F. I will write up more later, but probably not tonight; I have to be at work early in the morning.
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The Acts of Caine -- Matthew Stover
Ankhanan Justice: Caine's second Adventure isn't the sort of thing he expected.
(This was one of my gifts. It is violent and brutal and I love it to itty bitty pieces. Also, I realize that this series is apparently on the ridiculously obscure end of the Yuletide fandom scale -- which makes me sad, because I love it so -- but I swear the story stands on its own as a short fantasy action/adventure tale. Go read it and give the author love!)
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American Gods -- Neil Gaiman
Gaiman's novel never really grabbed me, but the concept behind it is genius. Here are some immigrant deities.
Eris Discordia: "Gods came to America by raft, by boat, by ship, even by plane. They travelled from tongue to tongue, were packed safely in the depths of suitcases, passed around at night to quiet sleepless children. For Eris, it happened differently."
Coming to America: Venus: Venus of love, Aphrodite of the sea. She does well for herself in America.
The Edge of Spring: A story about another stranded god, living a quiet and anguished life under the radar of the modern city around her. (If you ever wondered about San Francisco's summers, this is your explanation.)
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Arthurian mythology
Green the Holly: The Yuletide bonfires were burning low when the ghost of Gawain the Good, who in life had been the first knight of King Arthur's Round Table, finally came home again. (In other words, what happened to Gawain after the events of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, though this is not officially listed as a crossover.)
Daughter of the Ever-Changing Sea: As she rides past the castle gates, Morgan promises herself that if she comes back again, it will be to bury Uther's son.
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Bridge to Terabithia -- Katherine Paterson
And Climb on Every Rung: Jess is dreaming about Leslie again. Ten years post-canon. (This will break your heart and you will be grateful.)
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Calvin and Hobbes
I love this comic beyond all reason, okay?
Every Day Is a Reminder: There's a certain fear that some children share as they grow up, that whatever they do will never be as good as what's come before. Among all the other things he will ever be, Calvin has never been one of those kids.
We Are Six: They are Six. (Crossover with the Eloise series, and terrifyingly cute.)
Who Is I Am: If you're looking at it right, there is little difference between a cardboard box and the universe.
Destination Everywhere: It turns out Calvin can't flip burgers for more than two hours, but he didn't tell his parents he lost the job. There'd be questions he just isn't prepared to answer. Like, "but why did you put the hose there?" and "how many times?"
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Damar -- Robin McKinley
Baga: Aerin, daughter of Harimad-sol, deals with the laprun-minta of the year - a bloody-minded woman from near the Bledfi Gap named Orzala. (This story fleshes out some implications of McKinley's world-building in absolutely fascinating ways.)
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The Dark Is Rising -- Susan Cooper
Three from the Track: Merriman could be wrong. He'd been wrong before. He'd been wrong at Camlann. Christmas holidays with the Drew family.
Summer Meeting: On a summer's day, Stephen Stanton and his baby brother meet an archaeologist. (This will kill you dead of cute.)
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The Darkangel -- Meredith Ann Pierce
Tears of the World: Aeriel and Erin set out to rebuild the world together and discover that's easier to do with hope and love. (This takes a canon fact -- that Aeriel and Irrylath were living with traded hearts until the very end of the trilogy -- and uses that as a springboard into fully requited Aeriel/Erin.)
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Deerskin -- Robin McKinley
I Cannot Promise: And she promised herself and Ossin, and Ash and the puppies, that she would try to stay here, for as long as the length of their lives; that she could put her strength now and hereafter toward staying and not fleeing. But I do not know how strong I am, she said. I cannot promise. (Lissar, healing.)
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Disney Princesses/The Princess and the Frog
Skill Set: The other modern Disney princesses welcome Tiana to the fold by descending on her restaurant en masse. They have their foibles, but their skills are still more useful than Naveen's. Not that he isn't willing to learn. (So okay, I saw The Princess and the Frog over Christmas and I kind of adore Tiana and Naveen, and this fic absolutely nails their voices and personalities and... well... skill sets. *dies laughing*)
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Dragaera -- Stephen Brust
Two Kinds of Insults or: A Brief Lesson in Courtiership as Offered to Morrolan e'Drien by Sethra Lavode : (Brilliantly funny, and also adorable.)
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Fairy-tales
That Was Most Beautiful: (A creepy twist on Snow-White.)
Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Duckling: It's her life story, and she has some issues with it. (Read this. Just... read this. Seriously.)
The Queen Sent Messengers: This is the third day since you sent us out to search for a name. (A retelling of Rumpelstiltskin.)
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The Firebringer Trilogy -- Meredith Ann Pierce
Silver Feathers and Golden Hair: Even after recounting the coming of the Firebringer and the winning back of the Hallow Hills, Jah-lila, the magicker and midwife still has lays to be sung. Come, you who call yourselves the Free-People, and settle in for the story of Lell Darkamber, half-sister to Aljan Darkmoon, and of Illishar Brokenwing, envoy of the Gryphons. (This is a romance between a unicorn and a gryphon. Which produces a child. And it works.)
-----
The Acts of Caine -- Matthew Stover
Ankhanan Justice: Caine's second Adventure isn't the sort of thing he expected.
(This was one of my gifts. It is violent and brutal and I love it to itty bitty pieces. Also, I realize that this series is apparently on the ridiculously obscure end of the Yuletide fandom scale -- which makes me sad, because I love it so -- but I swear the story stands on its own as a short fantasy action/adventure tale. Go read it and give the author love!)
-----
American Gods -- Neil Gaiman
Gaiman's novel never really grabbed me, but the concept behind it is genius. Here are some immigrant deities.
Eris Discordia: "Gods came to America by raft, by boat, by ship, even by plane. They travelled from tongue to tongue, were packed safely in the depths of suitcases, passed around at night to quiet sleepless children. For Eris, it happened differently."
Coming to America: Venus: Venus of love, Aphrodite of the sea. She does well for herself in America.
The Edge of Spring: A story about another stranded god, living a quiet and anguished life under the radar of the modern city around her. (If you ever wondered about San Francisco's summers, this is your explanation.)
-----
Arthurian mythology
Green the Holly: The Yuletide bonfires were burning low when the ghost of Gawain the Good, who in life had been the first knight of King Arthur's Round Table, finally came home again. (In other words, what happened to Gawain after the events of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, though this is not officially listed as a crossover.)
Daughter of the Ever-Changing Sea: As she rides past the castle gates, Morgan promises herself that if she comes back again, it will be to bury Uther's son.
-----
Bridge to Terabithia -- Katherine Paterson
And Climb on Every Rung: Jess is dreaming about Leslie again. Ten years post-canon. (This will break your heart and you will be grateful.)
-----
Calvin and Hobbes
I love this comic beyond all reason, okay?
Every Day Is a Reminder: There's a certain fear that some children share as they grow up, that whatever they do will never be as good as what's come before. Among all the other things he will ever be, Calvin has never been one of those kids.
We Are Six: They are Six. (Crossover with the Eloise series, and terrifyingly cute.)
Who Is I Am: If you're looking at it right, there is little difference between a cardboard box and the universe.
Destination Everywhere: It turns out Calvin can't flip burgers for more than two hours, but he didn't tell his parents he lost the job. There'd be questions he just isn't prepared to answer. Like, "but why did you put the hose there?" and "how many times?"
-----
Damar -- Robin McKinley
Baga: Aerin, daughter of Harimad-sol, deals with the laprun-minta of the year - a bloody-minded woman from near the Bledfi Gap named Orzala. (This story fleshes out some implications of McKinley's world-building in absolutely fascinating ways.)
-----
The Dark Is Rising -- Susan Cooper
Three from the Track: Merriman could be wrong. He'd been wrong before. He'd been wrong at Camlann. Christmas holidays with the Drew family.
Summer Meeting: On a summer's day, Stephen Stanton and his baby brother meet an archaeologist. (This will kill you dead of cute.)
-----
The Darkangel -- Meredith Ann Pierce
Tears of the World: Aeriel and Erin set out to rebuild the world together and discover that's easier to do with hope and love. (This takes a canon fact -- that Aeriel and Irrylath were living with traded hearts until the very end of the trilogy -- and uses that as a springboard into fully requited Aeriel/Erin.)
-----
Deerskin -- Robin McKinley
I Cannot Promise: And she promised herself and Ossin, and Ash and the puppies, that she would try to stay here, for as long as the length of their lives; that she could put her strength now and hereafter toward staying and not fleeing. But I do not know how strong I am, she said. I cannot promise. (Lissar, healing.)
-----
Disney Princesses/The Princess and the Frog
Skill Set: The other modern Disney princesses welcome Tiana to the fold by descending on her restaurant en masse. They have their foibles, but their skills are still more useful than Naveen's. Not that he isn't willing to learn. (So okay, I saw The Princess and the Frog over Christmas and I kind of adore Tiana and Naveen, and this fic absolutely nails their voices and personalities and... well... skill sets. *dies laughing*)
-----
Dragaera -- Stephen Brust
Two Kinds of Insults or: A Brief Lesson in Courtiership as Offered to Morrolan e'Drien by Sethra Lavode : (Brilliantly funny, and also adorable.)
-----
Fairy-tales
That Was Most Beautiful: (A creepy twist on Snow-White.)
Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Duckling: It's her life story, and she has some issues with it. (Read this. Just... read this. Seriously.)
The Queen Sent Messengers: This is the third day since you sent us out to search for a name. (A retelling of Rumpelstiltskin.)
-----
The Firebringer Trilogy -- Meredith Ann Pierce
Silver Feathers and Golden Hair: Even after recounting the coming of the Firebringer and the winning back of the Hallow Hills, Jah-lila, the magicker and midwife still has lays to be sung. Come, you who call yourselves the Free-People, and settle in for the story of Lell Darkamber, half-sister to Aljan Darkmoon, and of Illishar Brokenwing, envoy of the Gryphons. (This is a romance between a unicorn and a gryphon. Which produces a child. And it works.)
