Hereâs what you missed from the month of January 2017. Recommendations from Harry Potter (1) and Itâs Always Sunny In Philadelphia (4). Updates from Fiction Critic (3).
Harry Potter
âAzothâ
Itâs Always Sunny In Philadelphia
âDonât Get Your Hopes Upâ
âCharlie Moves Onâ
âSting In The Tailâ
âHey Remember The Timeâ
Fiction Critic
QR: January 2017
WYM: October & December 2016Â [click here to see all WYMs]
Here are the Quick Recâs for the month of January 2017. Recommendations from Itâs Always Sunny In Philadelphia (10).
Itâs Always Sunny In Philadelphia
âBut You Will Always Be Right Hereâ by lizardkid
[Rated: T] [Friendship, Hurt/Comfort]
âWho else would let you crash at their house and spoon with you in a totally heterosexual way? Fuckin' nobody, that's who.â
âBeing Small Is Hard And No One Ever Tells You Howâ by zelicious
[Rated: T] [Friendship, Hurt/Comfort] [â ]
âCharlie was used to them calling him Dirt Grub. But not Mac, never Mac. He would never. He just did.â
âThe End Of All Thingsâ by pointedperception
[Rated: T] [Hurt/Comfort, Song]
âWe can go down to the railroad tracks just to hear the soft clink of rock against metal that always means Christmas...â
âSomething About Eyes And Frecklesâ by LieutenantButts
[Rated: T] [Substance Abuse]
âI swear I heard a ghoul just pitter pattering his tiny little ghoul feet in my cornea.â
âI Hear The Train All Nightâ by stormbornslytherin
[Rated: M] [Friendship]
âCharlie Kelly was a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a series of poor social and hygienic choices...â
âCold Handsâ by dementorsatemysoup
[Rated: T] [Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Suicide] [â ]
âHe curls his fingers around Charlie's, squeezing tightly, and watches as the door slams shut, separating him from his father.â
âThe Gang Makes Mac Gayâ by patheticfangirl
[Rated: M] [Comedy, Friendship, Spoilers] [â ]
ââIâve never done butt stuff,â Charlie says.
âI have,â Frank blurts. Everyone ignores him.â
âThe Good Old Days Sucked, Charlieâ by lasagna_for_one
[Rated: E] [Friendship, Porn, Substance Abuse, Trauma]
âI donât mean that in a gay way, but I would totally bang you again, bro.â
âNo Homo, Broâ by PeaceAndLongLife
[Rated: M] [Comedy, Friendship]
âCharlie and I are two very straight, very heterosexual men, which means when we kiss, our straightness doubles and combines into ultimate heterosexuality.â
ânothing weird about itâ by howlinglight
[Rated: T] [Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Spoilers]
âThere's that feral thing inside of him that comes out when his back is to the wall. It reminds Dennis of himself.â
Summary: âThree times Mac and Charlie did something friends donât.â
Review: There is definitely something special about this fic. It has an emotional and introspective look on the way Mac perceives his sexuality, both good and bad, and how affection and friendship ties into physical attraction. Itâs both exhilarating and heart wrenching to read, with an ending that is neither good nor bad.Â
If youâre new to the fandom, all the staples are present in this fic: drugs, sex, and crippling internalized homophobia. All good things in a dramatic read, if you ask me. ;)
This story contains explicit content. Click here to read.
Summary: âIt should have been pretty obvious that spin the bottle would be a terrible idea.â
Review:Â Dang. Iâm reading porn again.
This is actually really captivating. Thereâs a lot other-than-porn thatâs going on in this work, and it has a lot to do with the power dynamics of our three main characters. It also succeeds very well in humor, balancing the typical IASIP raunchy comedy with sex, catering to both equally.Â
This story contains explicit content. Click here to read.
Summary:Â He knows exactly what he wants. He wants to get better.
Review: Have you ever wondered what a sober and self-aware Charlie Kelly would be like? Me neither, but this story definitely gives it to you. Itâs a story about standing up for yourself, and having the courage to improve your life when you know itâs not going so great. I enjoyed this one because, despite being triggering in many aspects, it has an underlying message of positivity. Charlie realizes the cycle of disrespect and indulgence of unhealthy relationships heâs stuck in, as well as significant substance abuse and mental health problems to boot, and seeks treatment. Not exactly feel-good, but worth the angst.
Tags exclusive to Fiction Critic are now listed in the tag list.Â
New monthly posts are as follows:
What You Missed (WYM) - All of the posts that month.
Quick Recâs (QR) - A list of works under 5k words.
Continue to learn more about these features.
What You Missed is pretty self-explanatory. Itâs a compilation of links to all the blog posts for that month. Useful if you only tune in every once in a while. ;)
Quick Recâs is a monthly list of works that are recommended, but are too short to warrant writing a full review. Youâre given the fandom, rating, some warnings, and an excerpt - THATâS IT. The point is to read something quick and enjoy, not get hung up on details! Hereâs what you need to know:
Must be under 5k words.
Must be One Shots. No multi-chaptered collections.
Ao3 seriesâ are allowed, but each individual work must be linked separately.
Hereâs what you missed the months of October, November and December 2016. Recommendations from Death Note (1), Harry Potter (2), and The Maze Runner (7). Updates from Fiction Critic (3).
Summary:Â âCharlie rarely gets what he hopes for, and yet he and Mac always seems to wind up together somehow.â
Review: A collection of Charlieâs memories from childhood through adulthood, focusing mainly on his increasing substance abuse, mental instability, and the slow realization that heâs in love with his best friend.
I really liked reading this fic; itâs my first foray into the fandom and I hope thereâs a lot more like this in my future. It has a slow, somber pace to it which sets the tone for Charlieâs emotional conflict, and it contrasts really well against the future-Charlie we see on the show who is the culmination of such conflict.
The writing is clean and simple and emotive. I would definitely recommend this one to a newbie in the fandom, or a casual reader. Itâs probably also good for someone who doesnât watch the show religiously, and can be seen as fandom-blind.Â
Summary: In which both Harryâs greatest desire and worst fear are himself. â Azoth is the essential agent of transformation in alchemyâthe animating spirit hidden in all matter that makes transmutation possible.â
Review: After their Christmas holidays in their 8th year, Harry discovers the Mirror of Erised beside an old wardrobe containing a boggart; the strangest thing is that his greatest desire is also his worst fear: simply himself, standing alone. This is the Catalyst that sets the story into motion. It is what gets Harry realizing that heâs afraid of staying the same old dark-wizard-fighting Boy Who Lived.Â
Thatâs important, because the whole story is about change. About Harry changing, about Draco changing, about everyone and how theyâve changed after the war. The reader follows Harry as he strives to change from who people expect him to be into who he wants to be - by way of his career choice and by who he canât help but love.
I would say this is a hard read - it definitely is in the sense that itâs rife with symbolism and metaphors and allusions to science both real and magical. But also itâs not too difficult because of the authorâs ease of explaining things. Also the fact that you simply cannot stop reading. The story pulls you in and propels you with a moderate pace, realistic emotions, and easy humor.
If you like science and renaissance art, this one is for you. Especially if you like a witty oil painting of Severus Snape.
This story contains explicit content. Click here to read.
Summary:Â âIt always rains for Draco Malfoy. Metaphorically. And literally.â
Review: Set in the Trioâs 8th year, this story follows Draco Malfoy as he has to cope with a cloud which follows him around all day. It rains more often than not, and heâs not really sure why.
I absolutely loved this read. Itâs heavy on symbolism and metaphors, which is guaranteed to make me happy. Because of the stunning writing, I would say Iâd read it again (which is pretty rare for me)! The characters are deep and affected in different ways from the Second Wizarding War, and we get to see some personalities explored that we didnât see much of in the books.Â
I think the best thing about this read is its commentary on depression and recovery. Itâs clear from the beginning that Malfoy is very depressed; from his point of view, we as readers can see how alone he feels, yet also see the signs of caring friends and gestures of true kindness that he doesnât interpret correctly (and infuriatingly).
Recommended for the casual reader, even though itâs a bit on the longer side for a one-shot. Spoilers for the whole series. Not epilogue-compliant.
This story contains explicit content. Click here to read.
Summary: âIn which Draco betrays the Death Eaters and saves Harry from capture, not expecting to be saved in return.â
Review: Beautifully dark and emotional. This story follows Draco Malfoy through a single act of rebellion against his own kind. He rescues Potter from a torturous situation, and the rest is what follows. Since Iâm a fan of the author, Iâm pretty much guaranteed to enjoy anything they write, but I especially loved this for itâs realistic portrayal of Malfoyâs anxiety. His emotions were raw. I could easily see this happening in the original series just as much as canon.Â
Summary: âWhere (one-sided) note passing yields fixed replies in terms of red, yellow, green and blue, and minho called it from the start.â
Review: This story has an introspective take on a budding romance, as instigated by cryptic, color-coded messages. The plot device is unique, and the writing is rewarded with heavy motifs of color and emotion. I really enjoyed reading it, as it was very well thought-out and paced, with sparse dialogue and LOTS of metaphors - my favorite! Enjoy!
Summary: âNobody leaves the Maze truly behind. Not even in Paradise, not even in their sleep.â
Review: A wonderfully unsettling piece. The story takes place in the aftermath of the series, and deals with how the survivors cope with their trauma. Artistic and beautifully written. Short enough for the casual reader, but still full of thematic content.
Summary: âSo when he comes across Gally harassing a certain Gryffindor, Thomas decides enough is enough and intervenes.â
Review: Despite the bullying, this story is pretty dang cute and fluffy. Itâs pretty much everything you expect out of a quick one shot - the main characters meet under unusual circumstances and hit it off. BUT WITH A HOGWARTS TWIST. Itâs not the only Hogwarts AU in the fandom, but itâs still pretty rare and thus stands out. Itâs also pretty fandom blind.Â
pixelskylines
ellievsbear
germansingergirl
yousharknotpass
gracieabrams