2011 Yuletide FK Stories Reviewed

This year's Yuletide scored two Forever Knight stories. Unusually for me — eternally behind on my fanfic reading — I jumped my own queue, downloaded the AO3 mobi files to my Kindle, and have read them while they're still anonymous. I enjoyed both in very different ways.

My remarks below contain spoilers! The ratings and warnings/tags in these reviews are mine as a reader, not those of the authors. Finally, please understand that, writing here in my own journal about [currently] anonymous stories, these are indeed actual, old-fashioned reviews, not comments nor recommendations. That is, they frankly consider both good and bad elements as I have fun musing and analyzing. (If you prefer to avoid negative opinions, please skip this post!)

"The Cross" (PG, Gen, ~1K words)
Characters: Lacroix, OMC
Warnings/Tags: Historical, Early Middle Ages, Vampire Violence, Mob Violence, Murder
( Review )

"A Dark and Stormy Night" (PG, Gen, ~9K words)
Characters: Nick, Tracy, Barbara, Natalie, Sydney
Warnings/Tags: Weather, Hurricane, Flooding, Policework, Homicide, Alcoholism, Family, Flashbacks, Historical, 1950s
( Review )

2011 HL Holiday Ficathon Faves

The 2011 hlh_shortcuts exchange ficathon has revealed its authors. I read more than half of the 28 stories, and beta-read one. My personal top favorites were:

• "Neutral Good" (PG, ~4K) by marbleglove. Starring Duncan and Methos. This plot winds astutely around obstacles of exterior identity for immortals, offers well-tuned references to Tessa and Richie, and ends satisfyingly. Smart!


• "Trefoil" (PG-13, ~3K) by jinxed_wood. Starring Methos, Duncan and Alexa. These "missing scenes" weave in and out of "Deliverance" with strong canon awareness, keeping "Timeless" and "Methuselah's Gift" in view. Bittersweet!


• "Fortitudine" (R, ~5K) by enviropony. Starring Joe. Semi-retired Joe hits two birds with one stone when he volunteers at Bethesda Naval Hospital. History repeats? Shining! (Bonus subtle SG1 cameo.)

The one I got to beta was "Faith, Hope and Charity" by sholio (PG-13, ~5K, starring Joe and Amanda). It begins with a caper and concludes in a celebration of friendship. It renders Joe and Amanda as people who consider themselves fundamentally unsentimental, but who carry sentiments.

Runners-up include "The Street of the Booksellers" (PG-13, ~3K, Methos/Duncan and Connor) by tryfanstone, a demanding post-Gathering construction; "Oh, My Mountain" (PG-13, ~2K, Methos and Duncan) by merriman, a light adventure with thoughts on the rules of holy ground; and "Names Familiar and Not" (PG, ~2K, Rebecca and OMC) by morgynleri_fic, introducing another of Rebecca's students (with bonus subtle Henry V cameo).