Review: face death in the hope by LullabyKnell
Summary: Harry looks vaguely nervous, scratching the back of his neck. “It's a really long story,” he says finally, almost apologetically, “and it's really hard to believe.”
“Try me,” Regulus says, more than a little daringly.
Alternate universe/Time-travel fix-it - Harry P., Regulus B. - 47 Chapters, Words: 202, 017, Rated Teen and up
Status: WIP (last updated July 14, 2019)
Review: Face death in the hope is pretty much perfect. It’s not a read I expected to find this summer, but almost from the first chapter I found myself impatiently engrossed in Harry’s alternate universe.
One of the best things about this story is just how well Regulus and Harry carry the story. I’ve said it before, it’s difficult to write characters that are not necessarily written to be likeable but still make the reader resonate with them. The story takes that extra step to bleed new life into the time-travel fix-it genre, and it’s subtle but extremely effective.For example, Harry and Regulus’ early adventures believably start off where Harry’s life left off. Harry uses spells that would have been part of his Hogwarts repertoire, and apparates to locations that were just visited in Deathly Hallows, a detail that actually makes it more believable for the reader to understand just how abruptly Harry ended up in this new universe.
Furthermore, the fic is dense, but not slow – an important distinction when reading a long fic. When action isn’t happening, you get an intimate glance into Harry and Regulus’ minds, and in turn realize just how relatable, complex and young these characters are. Their mental deterioration's and hesitations make sense in relation to who these characters are, and the experiences we’ve been through.
The story is set-up in a way that there aren’t many action heavy fight scenes, but the set-up works because it lets us focus on the character’s development and the building of this alternate universe. Beyond the plot, LullabyKnell writes in an unassuming straightforward prose that doesn’t beat around the bush, and I honestly thank them for it.
If you haven’t had a chance to check out this story – go for it right away. Maybe then I’ll finally have someone to join me while I agonize over when the next update will be.
