Some of My All-Time Favorite Fanfictions
Fanfiction is the best. It can also be the worst. But I read only the best stuff. All the time. And so, today I present to you my most highly recommended fanfiction pieces, out of the embarrassing number that I have consumed.
Most of these fics are long. Fandoms include Harry Potter, Frozen, Wicked, The Legend of Korra, and other things.
A note about my fic preferences: I want my fics to expand upon things not properly explored in canon. They also veer towards lots of angst and violence, so be forewarned. I hate excessive angst, OCs of any kind, modern AUs, and most squicks. I'm fine with violence and interesting non-canon pairings. I've also made the warnings and ratings from my own memory. The usual fanfiction lingo applies here.
In no particular order:
1. Walk the Shadows, by jharad17
Fandom: Harry Potter
Genre: hurt/comfort, angst, action-adventure. AU
Word Count: 113,854 plus a ~50,000-word sequel
Major Relationships: Severitus (mentor, not parent/child), later Harry/Draco friendship
FFnet Rating: T, I think
Link to Fic
Summary: "AU. The summer after 5th year, Death Eaters find Harry abandoned in the Dursley house and bring him to Voldemort. Will one particular Death Eater give up his position and his hate to save his enemy's son? Snape mentors Harry fic. violence, child abuse, rape."
The Harry Potter fandom tends to be extremely tolerant of super-long fics. Probably because the entire series is over a million words long.
I, for some reason, am a huge fan of Severus mentor/Harry student fics. The dynamic between our favorite bullheaded Gryffindor and the surly, obsessive dungeon bat really gets me going. Walk the Shadows is a re-telling of the summer before Book 6. This fic is one of the most realistic Severitus fics I've come across, as nobody is out of character. A nice slow burn for the awkward relationship to blossom, complete with a realistically traumatized Harry and Snape's trademark snark. Also good if you hate Bellatrix and Lucius Malfoy—and who doesn't?
I have only a few gripes: I wanted more Golden Trio, and some of the later chapters drag a bit.
2. Gathering Storm Revamped of Thunder and Lightning, by someonerandome
Fandom: Wicked
Genre: action-adventure, family. AU.
Word Count: 232,173
Major Relationships: Fiyeraba, Liir/Candle, OC/OC (but I promise you'll love them)
FFnet Rating: T
Link to Fic
Summary: "Gathering Storm revamped. In a twist of events, Morrible takes her time before getting rid of Nessa. The result of this interlude before Elphie rushes to her sister's aid will set off a chain of events that will change Oz forever..."
This fic ruined the original story for me. With a few headcanons, it becomes better than the musical. I've re-read Gathering Storm about three times and it never gets old.
99% of the time, I never read anything with an OC as the central character. I just don't trust authors enough to pull it off. But despite the first part being basically a re-telling of Shiz-era Wicked, despite the main character being a Mary Sue, despite the kids stealing the show from Fiyero and Elphaba, this fic is good.
It's a re-telling of Wicked if Morrible didn't take out Nessa immediately. Basically, Elphaba gets pregnant, is captured by Morrible, and a three-way war eventually breaks out. AUs always depend on the strength of the writer, and this writer does a bang-up job of preserving Wicked's original themes and tone while spinning a new, action-packed story with new characters.
If you get past the first few, poorly written chapters, I promise you'll thank me later. I cried at the end of this fic. Over a damn OC.
3. Cold Comfort, by AeschylusRex (Unfinished as of time of posting)
Fandom: Frozen
Genre: angst, hurt/comfort. college AU, no powers.
Word Count: 65,970 and counting
Major Relationships: Elsanna, Elsa/OC friendships
FFnet Rating: M (this one's on AO3 but it'd be M on ffnet, trust me)
Link to Fic
Summary: "Modern AU—Elsa is a murderer, and her new college roommate, Anna Sorenson, has a dirty little secret."
My stomach usually heaves at the thought of modern AUs. I just think they're boring. But Elsa as a murderer, and Anna as her enigmatic roommate? And lots of Elsa angsting over what a bad person she is, in poetry-like prose? Now you've got me.
This story is about both Elsa's character development and a slow-burn Elsanna. It's unhurried, and manages to have a plot underneath all the ruminating. I also love Elsa's interactions with her OC friend. Good stuff.
Caution: the author is extremely slow to update--I'm talking at least a few months. Get hooked at your own peril.
4. March of Progress, by Writerleft (the author is Three Hours From Troy on tumblr.com)
Fandom: The Legend of Korra
Genre: action-adventure, romance, angst
Word Count: 167,177 and counting; the author is about 2/3 done with the story
Major Relationships: everything that's canon, including a Mako/OC (again, a good OC)
FFnet Rating: T
Link to Fic
Summary: "The Avatar must protect nature, foster peace, and keep the world safe. The CEO of Future Industries must expand, innovate, and, at the end of the day, turn a profit. Korra and Asami have fallen in love, and fallen hard. But when their duties come between them, their world convulses around them, and their pasts still haunt them both, can the world's most powerful couple survive? (Lots of Fluff, Lots of Character Analysis and Development, Copious Angst later on. Very wide-ranging but Korrasami focused.)"
I had a great, long chat with the author on tumblr about lazy Korrasami writing, the viability of guns in the Avatar universe, modernizing a country after a dictatorship, and plot bunnies. She really knows her stuff.
Have you ever read a fic and thought "I wish I had written this?" March of Progress is that fic. It basically addresses everything important left of Book 4: the evolution of Korrasami, homophobia in the Avatar universe, guns and technology development, spiritual patching-up in the face of said development, and Red Lotus uprisings after Prince Wu attempts his democracy. It's a long, thought-provoking read. High-quality action scenes, consistent character development and writing, the whole nine yards.
The author is one of those rare ducks who writes fluff, action, and angst equally well. Hats off.
5. In Care Of, by Fang's Fawn
Fandom: Harry Potter
Genre: hurt/comfort, family. AU
Word Count: 46,781 including the ending author's note about various bat species
Major Relationships: Severitus mentorship thing
FFnet Rating: T
Link to Fic
Summary: "During the summer before sixth year, Harry finds an injured bat in the garden and decides to try to heal it...and an unwilling Snape learns just what kind of a person Harry Potter really is. No slash."
Apparently, my roommate read In Care Of a few years ago and loved it as well.
What hooked me was the hysterical image of Severus Snape as a fruit bat. What made me stay was the fluid, fast-paced writing and the incredibly high-quality, slow-burn Severitus. Most Severitus fics run into two problems: writing Severus as either too mushy or too cold and making Harry an overly submissive vessel for Snape's sympathy. This fic does neither. It keeps the austere, objective, surly Severus we all know and love while growing his genuine affection for Harry, using a combination of Severus's own abusive childhood, connection to Lily, and shriveled remains of a heart. At the same time, Harry keeps his trademark "saving-people-thing" while being stubborn, proud, and scared as hell.
In addition to its high-quality characterization, In Care Of has great action scenes. The fic also manages to be funny in spots. The ending is satisfyingly sweet without inducing eye-rolls. Overall, this shorter fic is one of the most creative Severitus fics out there, and is a great lazy afternoon read if you like your angst served with a side of fruit bat.
6. Maelstrom, by GoodWitchesOfOz
Fandom: Frozen
Genre: hurt/comfort, family. AU
Word Count: 4k+ (which I assume means less than 5k words)
Major Relationships: sisterly!Elsanna
FFnet Rating: T
Link to Fic
Summary: "Elsa forcibly separates herself from Anna out of love. Can the sisters close the rift between them to build something greater, or will Anna's attempts to get her sister to open up prove futile? What if Anna tries something drastic?"
This story isn't even five thousand words but manages to tell a full story which spans several years. This AU basically destroys the need for Frozen the movie to exist at all, because the central conflict resolves itself by the time the sisters hit their teens.
I like this fic more for its take on Anna than for the writing. Don't get me wrong; the writing flows nicely and speeds the conflict along with a deft hand. But this characterization of Anna as a peppy girl driven to suicide out of desperation is what caught my eye, especially since it's usually Elsa who suffers in the fandom.
If I had any complaints, I'd say the entire thing could be a bit longer and more fleshed out, particularly the interim between the first chapter and the climax. The author also spelled Arendelle incorrectly. But ah, well. It's still an intriguing little piece that says a lot with a few words.
--
I have a couple other fics to jot down, namely a long Elsanna AU and a couple smaller HP novellas and things. But I'm super tired and should consider going to bed before 2AM.
Most of these fics are long. Fandoms include Harry Potter, Frozen, Wicked, The Legend of Korra, and other things.
A note about my fic preferences: I want my fics to expand upon things not properly explored in canon. They also veer towards lots of angst and violence, so be forewarned. I hate excessive angst, OCs of any kind, modern AUs, and most squicks. I'm fine with violence and interesting non-canon pairings. I've also made the warnings and ratings from my own memory. The usual fanfiction lingo applies here.
In no particular order:
1. Walk the Shadows, by jharad17
Fandom: Harry Potter
Genre: hurt/comfort, angst, action-adventure. AU
Word Count: 113,854 plus a ~50,000-word sequel
Major Relationships: Severitus (mentor, not parent/child), later Harry/Draco friendship
FFnet Rating: T, I think
Link to Fic
Summary: "AU. The summer after 5th year, Death Eaters find Harry abandoned in the Dursley house and bring him to Voldemort. Will one particular Death Eater give up his position and his hate to save his enemy's son? Snape mentors Harry fic. violence, child abuse, rape."
The Harry Potter fandom tends to be extremely tolerant of super-long fics. Probably because the entire series is over a million words long.
I, for some reason, am a huge fan of Severus mentor/Harry student fics. The dynamic between our favorite bullheaded Gryffindor and the surly, obsessive dungeon bat really gets me going. Walk the Shadows is a re-telling of the summer before Book 6. This fic is one of the most realistic Severitus fics I've come across, as nobody is out of character. A nice slow burn for the awkward relationship to blossom, complete with a realistically traumatized Harry and Snape's trademark snark. Also good if you hate Bellatrix and Lucius Malfoy—and who doesn't?
I have only a few gripes: I wanted more Golden Trio, and some of the later chapters drag a bit.
2. Gathering Storm Revamped of Thunder and Lightning, by someonerandome
Fandom: Wicked
Genre: action-adventure, family. AU.
Word Count: 232,173
Major Relationships: Fiyeraba, Liir/Candle, OC/OC (but I promise you'll love them)
FFnet Rating: T
Link to Fic
Summary: "Gathering Storm revamped. In a twist of events, Morrible takes her time before getting rid of Nessa. The result of this interlude before Elphie rushes to her sister's aid will set off a chain of events that will change Oz forever..."
This fic ruined the original story for me. With a few headcanons, it becomes better than the musical. I've re-read Gathering Storm about three times and it never gets old.
99% of the time, I never read anything with an OC as the central character. I just don't trust authors enough to pull it off. But despite the first part being basically a re-telling of Shiz-era Wicked, despite the main character being a Mary Sue, despite the kids stealing the show from Fiyero and Elphaba, this fic is good.
It's a re-telling of Wicked if Morrible didn't take out Nessa immediately. Basically, Elphaba gets pregnant, is captured by Morrible, and a three-way war eventually breaks out. AUs always depend on the strength of the writer, and this writer does a bang-up job of preserving Wicked's original themes and tone while spinning a new, action-packed story with new characters.
If you get past the first few, poorly written chapters, I promise you'll thank me later. I cried at the end of this fic. Over a damn OC.
3. Cold Comfort, by AeschylusRex (Unfinished as of time of posting)
Fandom: Frozen
Genre: angst, hurt/comfort. college AU, no powers.
Word Count: 65,970 and counting
Major Relationships: Elsanna, Elsa/OC friendships
FFnet Rating: M (this one's on AO3 but it'd be M on ffnet, trust me)
Link to Fic
Summary: "Modern AU—Elsa is a murderer, and her new college roommate, Anna Sorenson, has a dirty little secret."
My stomach usually heaves at the thought of modern AUs. I just think they're boring. But Elsa as a murderer, and Anna as her enigmatic roommate? And lots of Elsa angsting over what a bad person she is, in poetry-like prose? Now you've got me.
This story is about both Elsa's character development and a slow-burn Elsanna. It's unhurried, and manages to have a plot underneath all the ruminating. I also love Elsa's interactions with her OC friend. Good stuff.
Caution: the author is extremely slow to update--I'm talking at least a few months. Get hooked at your own peril.
4. March of Progress, by Writerleft (the author is Three Hours From Troy on tumblr.com)
Fandom: The Legend of Korra
Genre: action-adventure, romance, angst
Word Count: 167,177 and counting; the author is about 2/3 done with the story
Major Relationships: everything that's canon, including a Mako/OC (again, a good OC)
FFnet Rating: T
Link to Fic
Summary: "The Avatar must protect nature, foster peace, and keep the world safe. The CEO of Future Industries must expand, innovate, and, at the end of the day, turn a profit. Korra and Asami have fallen in love, and fallen hard. But when their duties come between them, their world convulses around them, and their pasts still haunt them both, can the world's most powerful couple survive? (Lots of Fluff, Lots of Character Analysis and Development, Copious Angst later on. Very wide-ranging but Korrasami focused.)"
I had a great, long chat with the author on tumblr about lazy Korrasami writing, the viability of guns in the Avatar universe, modernizing a country after a dictatorship, and plot bunnies. She really knows her stuff.
Have you ever read a fic and thought "I wish I had written this?" March of Progress is that fic. It basically addresses everything important left of Book 4: the evolution of Korrasami, homophobia in the Avatar universe, guns and technology development, spiritual patching-up in the face of said development, and Red Lotus uprisings after Prince Wu attempts his democracy. It's a long, thought-provoking read. High-quality action scenes, consistent character development and writing, the whole nine yards.
The author is one of those rare ducks who writes fluff, action, and angst equally well. Hats off.
5. In Care Of, by Fang's Fawn
Fandom: Harry Potter
Genre: hurt/comfort, family. AU
Word Count: 46,781 including the ending author's note about various bat species
Major Relationships: Severitus mentorship thing
FFnet Rating: T
Link to Fic
Summary: "During the summer before sixth year, Harry finds an injured bat in the garden and decides to try to heal it...and an unwilling Snape learns just what kind of a person Harry Potter really is. No slash."
Apparently, my roommate read In Care Of a few years ago and loved it as well.
What hooked me was the hysterical image of Severus Snape as a fruit bat. What made me stay was the fluid, fast-paced writing and the incredibly high-quality, slow-burn Severitus. Most Severitus fics run into two problems: writing Severus as either too mushy or too cold and making Harry an overly submissive vessel for Snape's sympathy. This fic does neither. It keeps the austere, objective, surly Severus we all know and love while growing his genuine affection for Harry, using a combination of Severus's own abusive childhood, connection to Lily, and shriveled remains of a heart. At the same time, Harry keeps his trademark "saving-people-thing" while being stubborn, proud, and scared as hell.
In addition to its high-quality characterization, In Care Of has great action scenes. The fic also manages to be funny in spots. The ending is satisfyingly sweet without inducing eye-rolls. Overall, this shorter fic is one of the most creative Severitus fics out there, and is a great lazy afternoon read if you like your angst served with a side of fruit bat.
6. Maelstrom, by GoodWitchesOfOz
Fandom: Frozen
Genre: hurt/comfort, family. AU
Word Count: 4k+ (which I assume means less than 5k words)
Major Relationships: sisterly!Elsanna
FFnet Rating: T
Link to Fic
Summary: "Elsa forcibly separates herself from Anna out of love. Can the sisters close the rift between them to build something greater, or will Anna's attempts to get her sister to open up prove futile? What if Anna tries something drastic?"
This story isn't even five thousand words but manages to tell a full story which spans several years. This AU basically destroys the need for Frozen the movie to exist at all, because the central conflict resolves itself by the time the sisters hit their teens.
I like this fic more for its take on Anna than for the writing. Don't get me wrong; the writing flows nicely and speeds the conflict along with a deft hand. But this characterization of Anna as a peppy girl driven to suicide out of desperation is what caught my eye, especially since it's usually Elsa who suffers in the fandom.
If I had any complaints, I'd say the entire thing could be a bit longer and more fleshed out, particularly the interim between the first chapter and the climax. The author also spelled Arendelle incorrectly. But ah, well. It's still an intriguing little piece that says a lot with a few words.
--
I have a couple other fics to jot down, namely a long Elsanna AU and a couple smaller HP novellas and things. But I'm super tired and should consider going to bed before 2AM.
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