RA Challenge ♡ #20: Best Fan Fic I Have Ever Read

/ May 12, 2017

Another opportunity for alienating my readership. Because there are several very talented people among this select group of people who have written fan fiction. Do I really want to single anyone out? There are at least five works of fan fiction I can think of off the top of my head which I consider truly great pieces of fan fiction. In quality, they are all on the same level and characterised by an intelligent, eloquent style of writing, stringent plot development, originality, the occasional soupçon of humour, character development in keeping with the canon, believable OCs and the individually appropriate amount of eroticism.

 

So, instead of limiting myself to just one best fan fic, I am offering you this list of suggested reading, including notes, a short synopsis and review. Warning: All of them are NSFW – what point would there be to fan fiction, if it wasn’t… 😂 In chronological order of my discovery of these works:

Guy & Rebecca – The Adventure Continues – Guy of Gisborne/OC, cross-over

by Fedoralady whom I initially discovered through her fabulous slash fics. In fact, she was my first contact with any fan fiction in this fandom, and the reason I de-lurked. TAC is a continuation of a shorter piece that gives the back story. However, in this one, Rebecca is a time-travelling succubus who takes Guy onto her journey in the present. It’s hard to pick the best of Fedoralady’s fics – they are all great – but I have chosen this one because you will meet some other familiar characters in it – to great hilarious and titillating effect.

In the Bleak Mid-Winter – John Standring/OC

by khandy. Set post-Sparkhouse, John rescues a young woman from a car crash. Forced into close proximity due to a blizzard, the two develop feelings for each other. An initiation story of sorts, this fic is particularly sensitive towards John, very romantic, yet a believable continuation of John’s story.

Keeping You Warm – Thorin Oakenshield/OC, cross-over

by hot-elf, who is a RL friend of mine who I entirely blame for getting me into fan fiction. In fact, I did not even know that fan fiction existed, before hot-elf told me. The descent into the abyss promptly followed… In the author’s own words, this a “Crack AU where Thorin Oakenshield ends up in Thedas after the Battle of the Five Armies and finds new hope in Sigrun’s loving arms. Because let’s face it, there are just not enough women in Middle-earth…”. Set post-Hobbit with a Thorin who lives – in a Dragon Age-based AU. (I’m also taking credit for prompting this fic because I complained to hot-elf about the lack of Thorin smut – that was in 2013, though…)

Commissioned cover illustration for hot-elf’s Keeping You Warm. Illustration by Yanagoya

Recovery – John Porter/OC

by obscura. Set after season 1 of Strike Back, a chance encounter brings Porter together with American professor Lindsey. Both equally struggling with events of their past, they enjoy a deep bond. Porter gets to prove himself as a hero again, when Lindsey has to be saved from a dangerous situation. This fic has everything the reader desires – an exciting plot that reaches beyond the sheets, a strong female character and some very enjoyable sexy times.

Manna from Heaven – Guy of Gisborne/OC, AU

by Zeesmuse. An often-mentioned favourite of mine, not least because I had the privilege of ‘gamma-ing” this fan fic. It takes place within Robin Hood season 3 as well as present-day, with Guy encountering a mysterious woman, sent from above. Literally. The two characters have to overcome more than just uncertainty. There is also the small matter of several centuries that separate them. Along the way, they enjoy a passionate relationship and the clash of modernity with the middle ages.

Special mention goes to chapter 9A of Sick of Shadows by Lettered, which the author labels “Victorian porn” with a wink. Thornton/Margaret, post-NS. I find that fic still very touching. – If you have enjoyed that, you might also like a series of chapters on the same theme, entitled Taking Her There With Me, by Redizded which is very similar.

≈ 📚 ≈

Now, this might give you some reading matter for the upcoming weekend. Enjoy and let me know what you think and what your favourite piece of fan fic is.

Note: Might have to slow down on my challenge posts over the next two weeks as I am expecting a visitor from tonight. Plus, I need to catch up with the comments, which have piled up during the last few days while I was resting the arm. The good news is that the pain has subsided somewhat since I have started using a mouse again. 🖱🐁  Hope it holds up.

 

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77 thoughts on “RA Challenge ♡ #20: Best Fan Fic I Have Ever Read”

  1. Glad your hand is better!

    And thank you for the reading recs… and the rec. I’m still blown away anyone likes Manna… I didn’t think more than a dozen people would read it.

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  2. Wow you listed my all time favourite, In The Bleak Mid-Winter! I read many wonderful fanfics over the years but that one really stands out. Beautifully written.

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  3. There are a couple of good ones I’ve read relating the John Proctor/Abigail Williams pre-Crucible story. (Again NSFW.) On AO3, I liked ‘God Help Me’ by Gamma Orionis which starts with Elizabeth needing some help in the house.

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  5. I read LOTS of Guy fanfictions, and there are many of them that I liked a lot. Here’s a little list of some of the ones I read many times (I’m sure I’m forgetting many of them)
    A fortnight of smiles http://archiveofourown.org/works/2170152/chapters/4746621
    A Friend Closer Than a Brother https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6726795/1/A-Friend-Closer-Than-a-Brother
    Both Sides of the Coin http://archiveofourown.org/works/4771640
    Persistence of Memory http://den-of-folly.livejournal.com/15105.html
    Outlaw Guy http://archiveofourown.org/series/56390

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    • I am totally bookmarking all of these. Chances are, I have read some of them – I was an insatiable reader of Guy fics when I first became a fan. But sometimes re-reading is as good as the first time…

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  6. I discovered fanfics only two years ago. I had no idea that there are lots of talented writers who create well-written stories around my favourite characters…
    My favourite fics so far are ‘Everything is a choice’
    http://archiveofourown.org/works/198446/chapters/293423 and its sequel ‘Endgame’ by jadey36 http://archiveofourown.org/works/205473/chapters/305316.
    It’s a Guy-Robin-Story, set directly after Marian’s death. The circumstances of their growing relationship and their cautious getting to know each other are written in a laconic style and I devoured every sentence.
    My favourite Bagginshield story is “A Remover of Obstacles” http://archiveofourown.org/works/2004093/chapters/13361887 by MistakenMagic
    telling the tale of Thorin and Bilbo in a hospital environment, both are PTSD inpatients and fall in love despite the struggle of their psychologic problems. Heartwrenching and absolutely convincing and you learn a lot about the daily routine in a psychologic ward. The whole bunch of characters from TH appears and the story is to be continued.
    And ‘In The Bleak Midwinter’ is also quite good. I’ve got the hint from this blog, thank you once again.

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    • I agree with you on jadey36 stories. Actually I like all the stories she writes. They can be really funny, but also dramatic like Endgame. 🙂

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    • Oh brilliant, thank you for the recommendations. More bookmarks for me.
      Yeah, I was absolutely stunned, too, when I discovered fan fiction. Initially I read almost everything with my favourite characters, whenever I got my hands on something. These days I am more discerning. If something doesn’t please me from the beginning, I abandon it. However, I haven’t really kept up with fan fiction much – I seem to go through phases. Sometimes I read and read and read – then followed by long stretches when fan fiction doesn’t interest me at all… I think I am just on the cusp of getting into an intense fan fic phase again…

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  8. I’ve just read Keeping You Warm – a good way to start the day, thank you! I know Manna from Heaven, great story! My first introduction to fanfiction was The Saga of Venomar by oakenshield89 (https://oakenshield89.wordpress.com/2012/03/27/the-saga-of-vaenomar-chapter-1/), which I loved! I also loce Thorin’s Heart by durinheir (https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9314739/1/Thorin-s-Heart) and The crown series by Ava626(https://archiveofourown.org/works/4980085). An all time favorite is The Tempest by Charlotte Hawkins, I don’t know if you count it as fanfiction, being a published book! A guilty pleasure is Fortune’s Wheel by an_lagat_glas (http://an-lagat-glas.livejournal.com/3706.html). I enjoy Grati’s stories very much, the last one I’ve read is Encouragement (https://www.wattpad.com/305896195-encouragement-a-regency-love-story-by-gratiana) but there are many others.

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    • Glad if you enjoyed Keeping You Warm. Even though I knew nothing of the Dragon Age Universe (the author, my friend, is a big fan of that, hence the cross-universe fiction), I loved her fic, mostly because a) she let Thorin “live” and b) Sigrun is a strong female character.
      Thanks for those recommendations – bookmarked, too!

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  10. Awwww – I’m thrilled to see Recovery up there among so may great stories!

    If anyone is interested, Dreamerfiction membership it’s terribly complicated – I think you just need to validate you are a legal adult. It unlocks a pretty sizable collection of fics, many of which aren’t posted anywhere else. Food for thought.

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  11. Manna from Heaven habe ich gelesen, das war richtig gut 🙂 Aber zur Zeit schaffe ich noch nicht mal die Bücher die hier auf dem Tisch liegen 😦 leider….

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  12. I wrote a reply last night and it disappeared into the ether and it’s happening again tonight, so this is just a test I have read so many great fics it’s hard to know which to list. I do recommend Dreamerfiction, as there’s a lot on there you won’t find anywhere else.

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  14. I’m a newbie here. I’ve only read a John Standring tale Just What the Doctor Ordered by Tauriel777. But I loved it. I’ve had a lot of people sing the praises of Manna From Heaven so I think I’m going to have to read that next.

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  15. More romantic, only North and South’s fanfiction.
    In particular Sophia Quills’ “N/S retold”. Because, while thinking of the story line, I could have a near fatal
    accident. Do not let ones mind wandering, while car driving.
    The next question could be: What risks involved fanaddiction?

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    • Yes. The spin-offs are a fantastic bonus to this fan fiction. Unlike most fan fics, it actually continues on after the main work had finished. Exactly what insatiable fangirls want!

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  17. I am a North & South fanfiction nut! I like romance but not too much angst. If you enjoy a N&S romp, I would recommend “Midnight in Milton” on Wattpad and “Midnight Delusions” on fanfiction net!
    Sounds like I should join Dreamerfiction given my tastes… Is it OK to use your name? X

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  18. A very tardy thank you for this post and the recommendations within. Note – I am a very disorganized person that spread herself far too thin across the RA universe in those heady first months after discovering this extraordinary gentleman (now 2 1/2 years in…) and as a result have flitted here and there (and back again) in chaotic fashion in pleasurable pursuit of all things RA.
    And here to my second apologetic confession…of your recommended fics I have only had the pleasure of reading Manna. The apology necessary as I have read it a few times through having found it extraordinary on first read, but have yet to thank the author (please zeesmuse, accept my profound appreciation and contrition!)
    It is the Sir Guy I imagined (fantasized and ached for!) come to life beyond the series, so vivid and sensuous…mmmm
    It is a clear favorite among many of my friends as well and I remember thinking on first read the story so good it could/should be published, as it has such interesting elements as to hold up well beyond the borders of the fandom.
    Anyway, could speak much more about it but it has taken me weeks just to get this down so…again…thanks again Zeesmuse for writing it and thank you Guylty for all you do on a regular basis…very inspiring to a well-intentioned but ultimately terrible poster-responder like myself! :))

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    • Hello Chiara – no need for apologies 🙂 There is no obligation to comment or *when* to comment! But I am sure that your praise of ‘Manna’ will be appreciated by Zee, even if delayed. I completely agree btw, that it is original and well-written enough to be published. (I’ve been at Zee about that behind the scenes for a while… but it takes time to get a piece of fan fiction ready for publication. I hope it will happen some day because I would love for Zee to actually make a bit of money with the hard work she put into her writing…)
      And thank you for your kind words – it’s a pleasure to write the blog, and knowing that others appreciate it, is all the reward I want 🙂

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