#ff reviews

[haruniven]

Idk why I didn't get the email notifs, but I'm so gladdd to be receiving these reviews. I'll be getting back to writing very soon. The last year has been so hectic. What used to mean so much, turned out to mean so little. See you all soon, Shamy fans!

[piracytheorist]

I dk what that was either but man dass was good! Just the right amount of everything! like for once I managed to not cry x) Maybe, maybe things will be ok ;p

Maybe :P

[hookedonapirate]

So I’ve been witnessing some of the drama on Tumblr about whether you should leave a review or not on someone’s work, and I’m normally not one who likes to get involved in any sort of drama or start anything, but I have to put my unpopular opinion out there. So if you don’t want to hear it then fine, move along.

For one, I’m not opposed to negative criticism. Like I tell my beta-readers, if something I write doesn’t make sense, is not flowing, not consistent or is just plain garbage, I wanna know about it! If my facts aren’t correct or I exaggerated about something or didn’t add enough thought or emotion I want to be told so! I’d rather have people say something rather than nothing at all.

How are we supposed to learn and grow as writers if all the reviews we get are “that’s a great story!” or “love it, please update!”? What does that tell us if the exact same reviews are on every other post? I would think that the idea with any craft is to have people critique your work so you know what you need to improve on and what you’re excelling at, or am I wrong? But lets be honest, most peoole are reading late at night or during a brief break in their hectic day, or they’d rather plead the fifth or are too afraid to say anything, so its highly unlikely you’re going to get a well throught-out concrit. So, if it takes a jackass to be the one brave enough to call out the BS then I’m sorry, I’ll take the jackass.

I just think it’s sad to see people leaving comments on author’s works saying they will no longer comment anymore because anything that’s not sweet and fluffy isn’t welcomed. There are many negative comments I’ve recieved that actually HELPED me become a better writer or have helped me see things differently.

This brings me to my next point. If someone’s leaving a review about a sensitive topic, displaying their disapproval or “negativity” perhaps instead of getting all defensive and assuming they’re just trying to be a condescending ass, maybe take a step back and ask yourself if maybe your story has hit a nerve on a personal level. Maybe there’s a good reason they felt the need to point something out. Maybe I just always try to give someone the benefit of the doubt, but maybe in their own way, they’re trying to express something that happened to them personally.

I know that most of you don’t agree with me, but that’s okay. I appreciate honesty, and I’d rather have my mistakes and flaws pointed out, in a respectful way, then to look like a jackass repeating the same thing over and over. I’m not saying that I want readers saying that my story is crap, but rather what was it you didn’t like about it? or what could I do to improve? Do I ramble on and on to the point where you’re bored with tears? Is there too much angst or is there too much fluff or not enough this or that? I want to know those things, so if you are a person who likes to express their opinions with no filter when you’re reading a story, you are Amazing and I’m sorry if you’ve been deterred from doing so.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with sweet and fluffy reviews; I live for the positive reviews that make me smile or laugh or cry after I’ve spent many hours writing something. All of you who leave these wonderful reviews are amazing and I love all of you, but I am open to all forms of critiques. I met my best friend @rouhn because she pointed out a mistake on one of my stories. and I’m forever grateful for her. 

Let’s not forget why we are leaving reviews and comments in the first place. It’s to tell the writer we are listening and that we are inspired and we are personally involved in your story.

So please, authors, don’t let negative reviews get you down! Let them help you keep on writing and growing!

[distant-rose-archive-blog]

LOVED your fic recs! You mentioned that you had runner-ups, what are they? I'm curious because we have similar fic tastes and I've read most on your list.

Thanks mate! I’m glad you appreciated that and yes, I was originally going to post 15 fics, but I cut it down to 10 because I’m a lazy bastard. The following are honorable mentions to my treasure trove (or part two, view it anyway you want.)

Make a Wish by AcrobatElle

Rated: E

Noted Features: Wish Realm!AU, Canon Divergence (Season 6), Wish Realm Fix It, Older!Killian, Porn with Feelings

Author’s Description: Stuck in the Enchanted Forest after her wish was granted, Emma seeks out Killian. She doesn’t expect what she finds. 

Rose’s Review: If I were a bigger cunt than I already am, I would just download this fic and sent it to A&E and be like “See this? This is what you should have done you bloody fucking wankers instead of going for the laugh!” (I’m not bitter I promise.) This isn’t just amazingly crafted Captain Swan smut, it’s amazingly crafted Captain Swan smut that rips out your heart and makes you weep for Wish!Hook because he’s just so unhappy but so gracious and in love with Emma (all Killians are in love with all Emma’s, let’s just face it). He really could have been bitter but he’s just so accepting and encouraging of Emma and his main verse self that it makes you want to curl in a corner with a bottle of rosé and weep to “White Flag” by Dido. It doesn’t make you cry because it’s angsty, it makes you cry because they just fucking love each other so much and Wish!Hook kinda gets the raw deal because he has no Emma of his own. He arguably doesn’t really exist but you still feel bad because despite the fact he was unhappy that doesn’t mean he didn’t have a good heart. Ugh. Just read it and have feels. 

Put me in coach, I’m ready to play by killians-dimples

Rated: T

Noted Features: Modern!AU, PR!Emma, Athlete!Killian, Baseball & Killian

Author’s Description: PR Director Emma Swan moves to Pittsburgh intent on restarting her life. But playboy shortstop Killian Jones is making her job a hell of a lot harder with his antics.

Rose’s Review: Guys, baseball and Killian is my absolute weakness. I’m completely gaga for baseball player Killian. I honestly got a lot of Bull Durham and For the Love of the Game vibes from this (I don’t know if the author watches Kevin Costner baseball movies, but I sure as hell do because those are the only good Kevin Costner movies there are) with a twist of Trouble With the Curve (I love baseball movies, shut up!). This is unfinished and I seriously want to see where BK goes with it because I love it so and the tension between Killian and Emma is just getting started. As for usual, Killian is a hot mess with a heart of gold and Emma is the hard ass who is working to put him in line. There’s only a few chapters to this (and a super awesome smutty one-shot here: [LINK]) but I do love the tenderness displayed between them when they’re just hanging out and watching the Home Shopping Network. BK does an actually incredible job of giving Killian an air of loneliness without bluntly saying he’s a lonely guy during a scene where he’s having a conversation with a telemarketer he’s on friendly terms with. Before you even read Emma’s thoughts on the subject, it really just strikes you that this version of Killian has no meaningful relationships outside of David and Robin. I really hope she revisits it but it’s only five chapters in and I fucking love it.

Walking in a Straight Line by msgenevieve

Rated: M

Noted Features: Modern!AU, Drunk Kiss, UST, Slow Burn-ish (because they’re idiots), Roommates!Captain Swan, Lawyer!Killian

Author’s Description: It’s one of the oldest stories in the book. Two old friends have a few too many drinks, two old friends share a kiss. Happens all the time, right? But what happens when only one of them actually remembers it?

Rose’s Review: Technically this isn’t finished but where the author left off makes for a decent enough ending. This fic really pulls at you with the sexual tension and angst between Killian and Emma to the point where when they finally happened, I literally cheered in my seat and basically made a scene on the bus I was on. They’re so frustrating in this story and the rest of the cast (especially Mary Margaret and David) are notably agitated by it as well, which makes the ending result very satisfying. I am actually amazed that David and MM were friends with them for so long and just didn’t lock them in a room one day so they would finally just break all the damn tension. Walsh is positively wicked in this fic, knows all of Emma’s weaknesses and plays on them so well that you can’t help but flinch when he all but metaphorically stabs her and twists the knife. Killian is almost as much as an emotional mess as Emma is and the weight of his emotions is crushing, but not to the point where you start to hate Emma (which has happened to me with some fics.) All and all, the ending is worth the amount of emotional torture this fic puts you through.

Stardust in Your Skin by midwestwind

Rated: T

Noted Features: Soulmates!AU, One Shot

Author’s Description: Emma Swan may believe in magic and curses and fairy tales but she absolutely does not believe in soulmates.

Rose’s Review: I don’t usually read Soulmates!AU, but honestly this barely constitutes as an AU and the soulmates aspect is subtle, which is why I love it so much. The soulmates aspect is not overly played and I would argue meshes well with the whole OUAT True Love mythos. I love the constellation element to the soul marks and the added element of different constellations from different realms. Emma’s reluctance to buy into the soulmates thing is so characteristically her, and her mixed emotions of curiosity, anxiety and reluctance towards Killian’s soul stars is very palpable without being entirely in your face. The tenderness and vulnerability displayed in the final scene between Emma and Killian when she reveals her soul stars is so powerful and well written that it gave this one-shot a real place in my heart and a place among my favorite fics.

The Worst by alchemystique

Rated: T

Noted Features: Henry Centric, One Shot, Future!Fic, College!Henry, StepDad!Killian

Author’s Description: His life is so weird, weird weird weird, he used to think it was so cool but who the hell would believe him if he told them David Nolan was his grandfather - oh and also Prince Charming, no, seriously, like, the actual, real life husband of Snow White - and his mom is around here somewhere, probably figuring out the amount of time it takes to break in and sneak past security, or cataloging every emergency exit on campus. Weird.

Rose’s Review: I love everything about this one-shot here. It makes me laugh every time I read it because though it’s a much older Henry which we haven’t seen yet, the voice the author has chosen feels very organic and realistic. His exasperation with everyone, especially with Killian and David, is hilarious. Though Captain Swan is not the real focus here, I really love the depiction of Emma and Killian in this. They seem so comfortable with their relationship and I really love the lack of jealousy on Emma’s end towards all the co-eds and college moms ogling Killian. The ease and comfortability is just so refreshing because it’s Captain Swan and there’s always drama, and the lack of serious drama is a breath of fresh air. The banter is just so natural and loving and Henry’s lack of surprise/what-took-you-so-long-Killian reaction to their engagement is incredibly amusing. The best line: “Oh my god, my mom and Killian are literally True Loves, you actually can’t get any closer to it than those two unless you’re, like, Snow White and Prince Charming, and my mom could kill you with a toothpick for even having dirty thoughts about him”

The Dark Horizon by qqueenofhades

Rated: M

Noted Features: Black Sails!AU, Black Sails/OUAT Crossover, Pirate!Emma, Lieutenant!Killian, Pregnancy, Angst, Jones Family Dysfunction

Author’s Description: The Caribbean, 1715: Royal Navy Lieutenant Killian Jones and his brother, Captain Liam Jones, have just arrived to help pacify the notorious “pirates’ republic” of New Providence. But they have dangerous allies, deadly enemies, and no idea what they’re getting into when they agree to hunt the pirate ship Blackbird and the mysterious Captain Swan.

Rose’s Review: I’m going to admit it, it took me awhile to get into this fic and that’s mainly because I’m a terribly shallow bitch and for some reason huge paragraphs bug me (this is such a minor thing and something that is definitely easy to get over), but regardless I pushed through my bitchiness and actual read it because I love both OUAT and Black Sails, and goddamn. It’s very good fusion of the two worlds and it was fascinating to see a Captain Swan variation where Emma is more of the “moral corruptor” than Killian is and I do love the twist on that. I have to say the character I loved the most is Black Sam, who is just the unsung hero and moral support for everyone in this story. I was like “goddamn, I need this guy on the legit Black Sails show.” I’m more a Vane fan and he isn’t featured as much as Flint and Miranda are, but I could live with that. You really don’t need to watch Black Sails or have that much knowledge of it to fully enjoy this fic, which you definitely will because it’s so action packed. This fic is unfinished and I eagerly await to see what the author does with it.

[hookedonapirate]

I've posted 644,049 words and this person has read every single one??? Bless your heart!!! To you and all of my lovely readers, you give me life. Thank you so much!

[justsomewhump]

I am so sad DLS is ending, I really love it when you do multi chapters and this is one was really good

You know what they say, when one door closes, another one opens ;) I’m definitely not gonna stop writing whump for Killian, including sexual whump, and thanks to @killian-whump I already have a new idea for a multi-chapter. I’m also really thinking about opening the blog for prompts. Not yet though, I still have to write the last chapter of DLS and a prompt from @cocohook38 that has been half-finishedon my drafts for EVER, but there’s a high chance I will in the very near future. Thank you so much for your words :)

[justsomewhump]

@mathildia reblogged your post and added:

Oh my god. This is INCREDIBLE.Bless your heart for...

Why, thank you! Would I be evil if I said I actually wanted to write more, with that particular scene to be the ending, but was bored and also thought it would be a total repeat of your own fic “Blame”? I just wanted some dirty CC sex and decided I should try to write some myself. You and your writing are most definitely a great inspiration for that.

[justsomewhump]

Give me a whump non con fic over a fluffy fic any day. Fluff is so common these days, I love when a whump story pops up cause hardly anyone really does it and does it well. Like you!! :)

I appreciate this so much, nonnie. Both for wanting a n*n-con fic with me and for liking my fic. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!