What are your top Reylo fic recs?
Hello and welcome to this week’s episode of “Lux Lush Recommends….”
*puffs on pipe in a silk dressing gown*
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Canonverse AU. Rated E. Complete.
For the life of me, I cannot figure out how this has less than 150 kudos. It’s one of my favorite fics of all time. Even though it was published after The Last Jedi, the characterization of Kylo Ren reminds me very much of what I’ve come across in post-TFA fics. Not that that’s a bad thing! It just means less soft!boi Ben (well, he is soft for our Rey, but it’s a lot more subtle). This also uses my favorite trope of all time: stranded together. It follows an AU trajectory post-TFA, where Kylo escapes from confinement at a Resistance base and kidnaps Rey, with the goal of bringing her to Snoke. They get marooned on Hoth along the way, and as you can imagine, things start to heat up on the ice planet.
This might seem like just another PWP to some, and while there is indeed tons of smut, it strikes a deeper cord. It’s incredibly well-written, and is a masterful example of show not tell. The feelings that begin to develop are so subtle, but natural. It left me satisfied yet wanting more, which is always a sign of a well-crafted work.
Endless Summer Afternoon by @secretreylotrash
Modern AU. Rated E. Complete.
There is something so gritty yet so beautiful about this author’s writing. Be prepared for writing that stays with you long after you close the tab. Homeless Rey is taken in by a divorced Han Solo, who lives alone in an empty house with the ghost of his son. Only, his son isn’t dead. And yet, his room is kept untouched like a tomb, just waiting for him to come back home. Rey begins living in the room as the daughter Han never had. But soon, this newly-established and delicate routine is broken when Han’s son is required by a rehab center to move back in—only it’s not Ben Solo who comes home, but Kylo Ren.
It’s a story about love, redemption, what it means to belong to a family, believing you can deserve happiness, forgiving others—and most of all, forgiving yourself.
This was one of the fics that inspired me to begin writing my own.
Black Gloves, Orange Soup by Solia
Canonverse. Rated M. Complete.
A beautiful one-shot that is unique in that there is no smut, not even a kiss! But don’t let that dissuade you. I myself lean towards fics with smut, but this is so beautifully written, with so much tension you can cut it with a knife. The characterizations are spot-on. The almost-kiss is just as hot as if they had actually kissed. Trust me.
The entire fic takes place over a single Force Bond. Rey is in the midst of trying to repair her lightsaber, while Supreme Leader Kylo Ren is just being his infuriating self, fascinated with the mechanics of the bond as he eats soup that smells delicious to a starving Rey. The whole Resistance is starving, supplies have run out, and the situation is dire. But Kylo isn’t heartless, and he shows Rey a glimpse of Ben Solo underneath.
Find a Thread to Pull, and We Can Watch It Unravel by again_please
Canonverse AU. Rated E. Complete.
A redeemed Ben Solo is not necessarily a happy Ben Solo. Indeed, there is still something of the moody boy underneath. The war against the First Order has been won, and the entire Resistance is celebrating on base. All except Ben and Rey, who long for the other away from it all, alone in the darkness, together.
World Without End by @kylorenvevo
Canonverse AU. Rated E. Complete.
I debated putting this on the list only because I feel like everyone must have already read it. Diasterisms is one of the most well-known writers in the Reylo fandom (seriously, she’s a rock star), but this story is one of my absolute favorites.
A retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth, Rey finds herself following Kylo to his castle on a habitation sphere “the size of a small planet.” There she is tempted by the Dark, by Kylo, by temptations and desires that come out to play but really have been there all along.
You don’t need me to tell you this is beautifully written. It goes without saying.
Between Dreams and Temptations by @tasogareban
Canonverse AU. Rated E. Complete.
Another heavy-hitter that most likely everyone has already read, but my list would not be complete without. This is the first fic I read in this fandom, and it’s still with me, almost a year and countless fics later.
Set six months after the events of Starkiller Base, Rey finds her dreams haunted by Kylo Ren. Only, she doesn’t know it’s Kylo, but a dark shadow in the shape of a man that represents fear—and ultimately—desire. It’s an interesting interpretation of the Force Bond. The setting moves from the Resistance base to the FO flagship, where Rey is taken prisoner. I’m a sucker for Captive!Rey, especially as I love the power dynamics of a dominant Kylo. The smut is top-notch. The prose truly deserving of the word “epic.” And the ending is so satisfying, you’ll feel like you’ve come full circle.
Uncharted by @tasogareban
Canonverse AU. Rated E. WIP.
Another fic by this amazing writer. This was published after TLJ, but the characterizations of Kylo and Rey are very much in line with post-TFA. This utilizes two of my favorite tropes: stranded together and enemies-to-lovers. The fire-side scene was one of the hottest things I’ve ever read. It hasn’t been updated since August, but I cannot wait until the next chapter.
Comfort Zones by Emmyjean
I never thought I’d be so in love with a fic featuring porn!star Kylo, but here we are. It’s a slow burn folks, but it’s delicious. Kylo/Ben is portrayed as such a soft!boi, your heart will melt for him as much as you’ll want to shake him, all the while yelling that he needs to break the hell away from Snoke and his seedy hold on him.
This fic is so beautifully written, it’s sent me into an existential spiral. The angst is strong with this one. Incredibly detailed, incredibly painful. You’re going to suffer, but you’re gonna be happy about it.
Please fix my heart soon, Sophia. It’s currently being held together by Elmer’s glue and paper clips.
A Good Fall by @ohwise1ne
Ben Solo is a famous movie star with the name of Kylo Ren on the silver screen. Rey Sanders is his physical therapist, who he starts to see after breaking his leg during a stunt gone wrong. Ben doesn’t like to be touched, but he certainly doesn’t mind it when Rey touches him. Sexual tension galore.
I also highly recommend Kat’s other fic Little Thieves, which is an E-rated WIP ABO. Anything she writes is gold. She’s truly one of the best writers in this fandom, and I’m not just saying that because I have the honor of calling her my friend. Her writing is both descriptive and tightly controlled at the same time. Keep an eye out for this writer, and trust anything she puts out will be well worth it.
A Royal Mistake by reyofdarkness
Modern AU. Rated E. Complete.
Ben Solo is known as the Playboy Prince of Alderaan. Rey, meanwhile, is a mechanic who lives in the living room of a small apartment she shares with Rose and Paige. While taking on a one-night gig at a Met gala one night, she comes across the prince and is instantly attracted, like a magnet. (Side note: watching a sex tape online of someone you’re intrigued by is not the ideal way to get them out of your head.)
I love the “rich boy, poor girl” trope, as well as the slutty!Ben characterization, as not only does it provide just a hint of jealousy, but it makes you long for Ben to realize how different Rey is from all the rest.
Arm the Doors by @minkel23
Modern AU. ABO. Rated E. WIP (nearly complete).
This is one of my favorite fics by one of my favorite writers, who truly seems like a lovely person—definitely someone I would love to get to know better. If you’ve been in the fandom for a while, and you don’t mind reading ABO-verse, you surely have already read this. And you’re also aware of some mild controversy regarding an angsty element later on in the story.
The thing is, I personally love angst. And I love that this writer wasn’t afraid to shy away from it. A lot of readers jumped the gun and assumed it wouldn’t have a happy ending, despite the fact there were still epilogues left. And there is still indeed one more epilogue before the fic is complete. All you need to know is it’s incredibly, beautifully well-written, Ben Solo loves Rey, Rey loves Ben Solo, and there will be a happy ending.
Sometimes things are not always clean-cut. Sometimes things are very unexpected. Just keep in mind that everything in the fic is there for a reason—to lead to and demonstrate growth so that when the happy ending comes, it sticks around for good.
Doing the Unstuck by @slipgoingunder
This is a brilliant When Harry Met Sally… AU, where Rey is Harry and Ben is Sally. The banter, the writing, the workskin—all of it is just perfect.
Both @ohwise1ne and I have gushed to each other about this fic, and we can’t understand why it doesn’t have a bajillion kudos. It has all the makings of a cult classic, just like the film. Plus the writer’s reviews are legendary.
To Be With You by @semperfidani
This is set in a college in the mid-2000s. Ben Solo is a senior football player while Rey is a junior cheerleader. This is an ensemble piece that flashes back to the 1980s. It’s in the early stages, but it’s very promising. Dani is not only a lovely writer, but a lovely person, and another member of this fandom I am honored to call a friend.
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That’s it for now! There are loads other fics and writers I adore, but that’s all I have the time to list. Part II coming eventually.
pixelskylines
jacobvanloon
snowghoul
yousharknotpass
germansingergirl
dededos
janainaart
titsay
