Five Fics I Like From 2005

[sockmonkeyhere.livejournal.com]

It's a motley group. Some Spike/Fred, some Fanged Four, bit of The Immortal..

Enjoy!

-sockmonkeyhere-



(1)
title: Good Friday
author: kats_meow
rating: R
length: nine chapters (complete)
primary characters/pairings: Spike/Fred, Wesley
setting: alternate reality; post-"Shells" (late AtS season 5)
why I like it:
Nobody can get inside a character's head like kats_meow. In this version of the Illyria arc, brink-of-madness Wes concocts a dark spell to bring Fred back to life, and forces a priest with "flexible morals" (a fabulous original character created by Kat) to assist him. Fred's and Illyria's reactions to Wesley's work are riveting. The budding Spred romance is both gritty and sweet (and whoa! hot), and I love the Bible-quoting duel between Wes and Father Richards as each tries to convince the other to see things his way.
link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2242247/1/

(2)
title: The Web
author: kidcyclone
rating: PG-13
length: one-shot ficlet
primary characters/pairings: Spike
setting: 1880s
why I like it:
It's an extremely well-written vignette. In a rare moment of quiet reflection, a newly-turned William contemplates a spider in its web and the similarities between that web and the intricate relationship he shares with Drusilla, Angelus, and Darla. Lyrical, dream-like, and darkly beautiful, as well as very accurate and very astute, it's a great peek into William's thoughts.
link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/kidcyclone/9153.html

(3)
title: Electrical Impulses
author: sexymermaid
rating: NC-17
length: six chapters (WIP)
primary characters/pairings: Spike/Fred
setting: alternate reality; post-"Conviction" (early AtS season 5)
why I like it:
Sexymermaid writes great erotica, and her Spike/Fred is no exception. On what began as a one-shot vignette she's built an entire story, with mystery, villains, drama, romance, and surprise guest stars (hurrah!) Mermaid's imagination is boundless, and I can't wait to see where she takes this tale next.
link: http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=sexymermaid&keyword=Electrical+Impulses&filter=all

(4)
title: The Other Side of the Tracks
author: frimfram
rating: PG-13
length: fourteen chapters (WIP)
primary characters/pairings: Spike/Dru, Angelus/Darla
setting: London, England in the 1880s
why I like it:
Frimfram has a marvelous gift for Victorian-style writing, as well as a canny eye for description of 1880s London. Tracks tells the story of William's introduction into the world of vampires, and features Sherlock Holmes writer Arthur Conan Doyle's efforts to solve the crimes committed by the "fanged four." Frimfram's haunting atmosphere is deftly mixed with wit and humor, and her characterization and voices are spot-on.
link: http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=frimfram&keyword=The+Other+Side+of+the+Tracks&filter=all

(5)
title: Heartwood
author: Renee2939
rating: PG-13
length: one-shot ficlet
primary characters/pairings: Buffy/The Immortal
setting: post-"Chosen" (after BtVS season 7)
why I like it:
It's a haunting, cautionary vision of the consequences of unwise choices. Told in third person, mostly from The Immortal's viewpoint, it gives that new, offscreen character a voice and a personality -- as you read, you may very well begin to feel sympathy for the man. We see what Buffy and her new beau are reaping from what they've sown, and it isn't pretty.
links: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2612751/1/
and http://www.livejournal.com/users/renee2939/3048.html