#this book is like 123k

[angelsaxis]

whyyyy are editors so expensive

[magpiefngrl]

halfway through 2024 book review

June isn't over yet but I'm looking at a couple of very busy weeks so it's unlikely I'll read a gazillion new books or something by end of month. So we do this now!

books I enjoyed so far

Aliette de Bodard's Dominion of the Fallen series, set in a post-apocalyptic Paris with fallen angels and magic and dragons in the Seine. I didn't quite love the three main novels, but I enjoyed how unique the world-building was. However, I REALLY loved the last two novellas about Asmodeus and his husband Thuan, who are a delicious pairing. The novellas are: Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances and Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders.

Pacat's Dark Heir, which I enjoyed so much that I went back to reread Dark Rise and then again, Dark Heir. I liked the second novel a lot more than the first (and I actually ended up appreciating the first novel more on my reread). Needless to say, I am very, very impatient about the end of the series.

A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel. KJC has done it again. The sequel to her Doomsday Books series is fantastic, with a vivid cast, an excellent main pairing, and superb pacing. Couldn't put it down. A great historical m/m romance.

The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold. I'd heard a lot about Miles and it was fun seeing him bullshit his way across the galaxy.

The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold. A novella in the Vorkosigan saga. Very touching and emotional and a great character study of Miles. Really loved this.

Newcomer by Keigo Higashino. This dude is seriously amazing at crafting unusual murder mysteries. This one is structured as vignettes of shop-owners in a Tokyo neighbourhood and, as the stories progress, more light is shed on the mystery of a strangled woman.

Faithful Place and The Secret Place by Tana French. Fantastic prose, absorbing murder mysteries that are more like deep character studies as well as an incisive portrait of contemporary Ireland.

The Lady of the Lake by Andrzej Sapkowski. This is pretty grim at times, ngl, but it has a daring structure with lots of POVs, switching between numerous timelines, a frame device, lots of found materials (essays and chapters from fictional books). All that worked for me very well. I love some experimentation with craft. I wouldn't say it was my fave read, but I'm happy that I finally reached the end; completing a series always gives me a dopamine rush so yay

progress on my reading goals

A reminder that my two goals for the year are:

to read (some or all of) the Vorkosigan saga

to read less or no US authors

I'm doing pretty well on those two scores. Read a few installments of the Vorkosigan saga, and (besides Bujold and a poetry anthology by Maggie Smith) have read no other US-based authors. My intention was to diversify my reading and, indeed, so far, I've read French, Japanese, Polish, UK, Australian, Irish, and currently reading a Ukrainian author.

fics I loved

I've not read as many books as I normally do so far, esp in the last couple of months, but I read a lot more fic than recent years. I've read some fab stuff in a variety of fandoms. The fics I'm going to rec below are the longer ones that I read on my ereader:

Tarnished Gold by Prim_the_Amazing (bingqiu/svsss, M, 118k) Inventive premise. Couldn't put it down.

Memory (T, 23k) and Out of the Dead Land (M, 62k), both stucky, both orphaned by one of my top authors ever. The second one gave me the worst fic hangover I had in ages. I had to go and rewatch Captain America.

contrapasso by damagecontrol (jegulus, E, 41k) Very horny. I like that.

Fire Burn and Caldron Bubble by pastapug (jegulus, E, 40k) Lush language, fascinating setting.

Beholden by Faith Wood (faithwood) (drarry, E, 123k) Gave me all the drarry feels.

Shout out to @hoko-onchi-writes's WIP: To Hold You in the Earth's Unholy Din, which I am loving <3

That's all, folks. Here's hoping for more wonderful reads till December!

[lunarthecorvus]

Six Of Crows Canon Divergence fanfiction recommendations

part of Lunar's soc fanficiton rec series

-------------------------------✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧----------------------------------

The Pugilist's Creed by @bardelow

Wordcount: 123k Chapters: 30/30

Characters: Jesper Fahey, Kaz Brekker, Matthias Helvar, Nina Zenik, Inej Ghafa, Wylan Van Eck, Original Characters

Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Violence, Gun Violence, Angst, Established Relationship, Slow Burn, Kidnapping, Major Character Injury, Gunshot Wounds, Matthias Helvar Lives, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fjerda, Ketterdam, Canon-Typical Violence, Protective Kaz Brekker, multiple POVs, Inej Ghafa is THAT bitch, Really everyone is THAT bitch, Eventual Fluff, Slow burn Kanej, Established Wesper, established helnik, Helnik Wedding

Author's summary/notes: “I wonder if you’d be dragging your feet like this,” Nina spoke through gritted teeth. “If it was Inej’s life on the line.” A storm fell over Kaz’s features, but he did not move, did not let his eyes fall away. Instead, he spoke in a slow, calculated tone. “I’d choose your next words very carefully, little deathrender. However soft you think I’ve grown, remember that I am always willing to show you that the monster is still alive and well.” It's been sixteen days since Matthias and Wylan were taken, and Kaz Brekker has chased down every possible lead only to come up empty handed. However, with an angry Nina and desperate Jesper at his side, he is willing to do whatever it takes to find his missing crows and bring them back home - even if it means more blood on his hands. My summary/notes: The first part of this fic is VERY angsty and consists of Nina and Jesper being mad at Kaz. Kaz is gen really trying to do his best. This fic comes with a side of badass Inej scenes. The rescue mission/'heist' was so fun to read even if it was intense and emotional. Matthias' POV's are written brillantly and I loved seeing the way his mind worked, he was very book!Matthias in this fic. I will end this with saying Inej, knife, heart.. that scene-

---------- ☾₊ ⊹

carry your heart in their teeth by boybi_i

Wordcount: 21k Chapters: 1/1

Characters: Inej Ghafa, Wylan Van Eck, Nina Zenik, Jesper Fahey, Matthias Helvar, Kaz Brekker, Jan Van Eck, Alys Van Eck, Kuwei Yul-Bo

Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Book 1: Six of Crows, Kidnapping, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Except it takes like 17k to get to the comfort, Murder, Rescue Missions, Major Character Injury, Blood and Injury, Implied/Referenced Torture, None of said torture happens on screen but it is referenced and talked about, Knives, Knife giving as a love language, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Haphephobia, Canon Disabled Character, Inspired by a The Crane Wives Song, Jan Van Eck Bashing, Canon-Typical Violence

Author's summary/notes: “They will consume your sweet resistance And they'll carry your heart in their teeth But I am always feeding them The ugliest parts of me” - Take Me to War, The Crane Wives - On Vellgeluk, Van Eck kidnaps Kaz. Inej discovers the lengths that which she will go to get him back. My summary/notes: I loved reading Inej's thought process throughout the whole fic, the feelings were written so well. This fic was so interesting especially because its ck Inej and not post canon Inej dealing with Kaz. The crows do argue a lot in this fic, and Inej is focusing all her energy trying to figure out how get Kaz back while ignoring her pain. Very whumpy.

---------- ☾₊ ⊹

Plan F by bbbeautifulboy

Wordcount: 168k Chapters: 30/? (hasn't been updated in a year)

Characters: Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, Nina Zenik, Matthias Helvar, Jesper Fahey, Wylan Van Eck

Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Book 2: Crooked Kingdom, Alternate Ending, Jurda Parem, Matthias Helvar Lives, On the Run, Canon Disabled Character, Deaf Character, Found Family, Jesper Fahey Has ADHD, Sign Language, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Angst with a Happy Ending, this fic is so unhinged, Mental Instability, Chronic Pain, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Addiction, Platonic Relationships, Service Dogs, Plot, Healing, POV Multiple, Pirates, Crows as Found Family, Captain Inej Ghafa, Time Skips, Domestic Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Suicidal Thoughts, Simp Matthias Helvar, Original Character(s), Including a baby, Minor Character(s), Developing Friendships, Hallucinations

Author's summary/notes: The Auction fails, leaving all of the Crows with a warrant for arrest over their heads and all of Ketterdam and the countries beyond officially their enemy. They've lost everything: their money, obscurity, and their last chance at winning and walking away free. They can only be helped by the Saints and each other now. What will they do to survive? The home that’s lived for years in his nightmares surrounds him, but he cannot see past the five people in front of him. His crew- they’re all looking to him, and as long as they are, he has something to fight for and protect the way he did his reputation and name in Ketterdam. He’s not letting them go. My summary/notes: In this fic you have everything, cottagecore, fluff, angst and a whole bunch of plots. The crows really feel like found family in this and its so sweet. A whole bunch of angst so be warned. Helnik is so cute in this fic. This was one of the first big fics I read and I absolutely adored it.

---------- ☾₊ ⊹

l'appel du vide by @alltheworldsinmyhead

Wordcount: 41k Chapters: 8/8

Characters: Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, Jesper Fahey, Wylan Van Eck, Tante Heleen

Tags: Angst with a bittersweet ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Marriage of Convenience, Kaz and Inej make a deal, jokes on them, mentions of past trauma, Canon Backstories, Past Rape/Non Con, Partners to Lovers, slowburn, Inej nevr becomes the Wraith, post-revenge Kaz, Kanej - Freeform, secondary wesper, Canon-Typical Violence

Author's summary/notes: “He was hoping that bringing a famous prostitute on his arm to the saloons and ballrooms of the rich and the powerful of Ketterdam would at least bring him some entertainment if nothing else. But what Kaz did not take into consideration was what marrying a woman like Inej really meant.” CANON DIVERGENCE AU: Kaz comes to the Menagerie for Inej many years too late and bites off more than he can chew. My summary/notes: Honestly this fic is the best thing I've ever read. It presents Inej's character so her but at the same she's so different and its expected as she has been in the menagerie for so many years. This story is a marriage of convenience and follows both Kaz and Inej's path of miscommunication angst and some healing along the way. If you read this fic you will never be the same.

---------- ☾₊ ⊹

A Shift in the Air by Just_Another_Bookworm

Wordcount: 176k Chapters: 66/66

Characters: Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, Jesper Fahey, Wylan Van Eck, Nina Zenik, Matthias Helvar

Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Pre-Canon, Kaz is Deaf, Post-Canon, Slow Burn, Slow Build, canon adjacent

Author's summary/notes: The chattering masses of people he passed didn’t know it yet, but they would one day fear the half-drowned nine year old shaking from the cold and the effects of the plague. Then again, no one knew much about Kaz Brekker. They didn’t know he wasn’t from the Barrel or that he’d once had a family. They never guessed where the rasp in his young voice came from. They certainly didn’t know why he really wore gloves. Most weren’t even convinced he was human. No one ever suspected that Kaz Brekker was deaf. *** Basically a random story of what if Kaz went deaf from the plague. It starts sort of pre-canon and has expanded. I am bad at summaries so read the first chapter if you want to get a feel for what this story is. My summary/notes: Reading this Deaf Kaz AU was so fascinating, they adapted Kaz being deaf around canon soc so well. The Kanej in this fic captures that beauty of understanding each other through not saying words. It also goes into Kaz and Jesper's brother bond and it so sweet to read.

[imogenleewriter]

Hi! I'm reading your PA fic and it's amazing, I was wondering if you had some other famous/non famous AU that you love?

Hey, I'm so glad you like it!! I can definitely rec some - most are pretty well-known but hopefully, there is something you haven't read. I've recced some of these ones before when I did a favourites post. Ordered from longest to shortest. (All the below summaries are ones I have written, and I promise the fics are much better written than my summaries)

Empty Skies (WC: 134k)- by green_feelings (@greenfeelings) Famous Louis/Non-Famous Harry. Louis Tomlinson is 1/3 of the biggest boyband in the World, and all he had to do to get in there was go against everything he believed in. Harry Styles dreams of being a Musician, and after three years of putting it off while he deals with his own anguish, he is determined to give it a shot. Not only are their futures intertwined, so are their pasts.

got the sunshine on my shoulders (WC 124k)- by hattalove (@hattalove) Famous Harry/Non-Famous Louis. Exes-to-Lovers. Harry left his small hometown to become a recording artist. He is rich, famous, and when his boyfriend proposes, he knows he has everything he has ever wanted. Plus one thing he doesn't want - a husband who keeps returning unsigned divorce papers.

California Sold (WC:123k)- by isthatyoularry (@isthatyoularry). Famous Harry Styles/Non-Famous Louis Tomlinson. Friends to lovers. Fake Dating. Harry Styles is at risk of being outed. So, as we've come to expect, management is struck with an ingenious plan; Stunting! With! A! Female! Which makes sense because history shows it always works out so well. Anyway, shocker: it doesn't. Harry's best friend, Louis, has to intervene and get's papped with Harry. So, maybe it works out well, after all.

Our Lives, Non-Fiction (WC 113k)- by indiaalphawhiskey (@indiaalphawhiskey) Famous Louis/Less Famous* Harry Marcel Styles. Enemies to lovers. Marcel Styles' is a newly published fanfiction** writer (love that for him) who finds out Louis Tomlinson is joining him for his UK book The Louis Tomlinson. The one that Marcel had spent the same amount of time reading and re-reading his debut novel as he did staring at Louis' photo on the cover***. His fantasies about meeting and touring with his idol come crumbling down after their first encounter when Louis proves himself to be an arsehole. Marcel concedes that the entire tour is going to be a nightmare... until Louis proves that writing isn't the only thing he is a master at. *It's arguable that Harry is less-famous, just different kinds of fame. **Technically original online fiction - but he also wrote fanfiction, so it counts. *** I may have taken some creative liberties with that one.

Tired Tired Sea (WC:113k) - by MediaWhore (@mediawhorefics) Famous Harry/Non-Famous Louis. Strangers to lovers. Harry needs some solitude... so much solitude that he finds one of the most remote seaside villages he can find. He wanted to go somewhere where no one would know his name, and he got that wish. Turns out that maybe he should have been wishing for the owner of the BNB and his dog, Clifford, instead.

My English Love Affair (WC: 19k) - by isthatyoularry (@isthatyoularry). (This is the stupidest summary ever and only like 3 people will get it, and I'm not going to explain it any further. I apologise). Famous Harry/Non-Famous Louis. Out Of All the Gin Joints In All The World Louis and Harry met at the same one. The Only Reason they Ended Up Here was because they Wasted The Night Danceing Dance, and Stayin' Out All Night. After A Little Less Sixteen Candles, (and) A Little More "Touch Me", Louis became Harry's My English Love Affair. Louis thinks that he I Slept with Someone in Fall Out Boy Famous, and All I He got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me Him. It was definitely not his Favourite Record because Harry has No Shame and his My Songs Knows What You He Did In The Dark. Even though Harry isn't American Made he acts like Mrs All America and has mastered the Art Of Keeping Up Disappearances. Louis expects their romance to be Short, Fast and Loud but His My Heart Is The Worst Kind Of Weapon. It's not his fault that Harry is Irresistible and She Looks So Perfect. It's Easier to say " Kiss Me, Kiss Me" and "I Don't Care" than Everything He I Didn't Say. After spending a Golden two weeks Alone Together, Louis thought they were So Good Right Now, not know it was the Calm Before The Storm. Harry decided to Fly Away on a Permanent Vacation leading to The Mighty Fall without even saying 'Thnks Fr Th Mmrs". Louis realised that Harry was The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes and became a Complete Mess. He wished he had Novacaine or Amnesia and questioned The Pros and Cons of Breathing. Harry had to accept that The Worlds Not Waiting and even though he was Miss Miss Missing You Harry, he chose to ignore Bad Omens. In the end there was Heartache On The Big Screen, and they both said "I Want You Back, so Take My Hand". XO

This is a Rainbow War (WC: 15k) - by Lululawrence (@lululawrence) Famous Harry/Non-Famous Louis. Strangers to lovers. When Louis is hired as part of Harry Styles' road crew, Harry gives him what seems like a very simple project. Louis, never one to do things by half-measures, turns it into a war. He didn't realise he'd end up fighting for Harry's heart.

(okay, that one was cheesy, I apologise)

Feel Your Way (WC: 3k) - by kingsofeverything (@kingsofeverything). Famous Harry/Non-Famous Louis. Strangers to lovers. Louis doesn't care much for or about celebrities, and for the longest time, Harry Styles was just a name he heard from time to time. That was until he stumbled across a photo of Harry that caused him to moan Harry's name every night. One night, he doesn't need to rely on his hand and Harry's photo to help him come because Harry's there to do it for him, bearing Louis' favourite assets.

(So this one snuck its way here because it's so good... but the Famous/Non-Famous trope isn't the main focus of it. Hiddies are)

[sitp-recs]

kinda been wanting to reread hp after years but ive been busy as hell, i would love it if you could recommend me some very magical / wonderous drarry fics. it can be any tags or even retellings.

Hi anon, that’s a great ask! I haven’t read a lot of retellings but here are some fics that brought me that special feeling of “wow this feels so much like reading a book”. I went for fics that prioritize world building and interesting magical theory so I hope they work for you!

Hogwarts fics:

Dwelling by aideomai (2017, T, 83k)

Curses, James and Lily Potter ride again, several Ministry balls, a teenage Summer of Love, a grim young adult dystopian winter, a few different Draco Malfoys, secrets and the problems re: not having any, alternate lives, impossible lives, real lives, allusions to Dirty Dancing, and just because it's not called the Mirror of Erised doesn't mean you shouldn't know better.

Azoth by zeitgeistic (2013, E, 88k)

Now that Harry is back at Hogwarts with Hermione for eighth year, he realises that something’s missing from his life, and it either has to do with Ron, his boggart, Snape, or Malfoy. Furthermore, what, exactly, does it mean when one’s life is defined by the desire to simultaneously impress and annoy a portrait? Harry has no idea; he’s too busy trying not to be in love with Malfoy to care.

Hermione Granger's Hogwarts Crammer for Delinquents on the Run by waspabi (2016, T, 93k)

'You're a wizard, Harry' is easier to hear from a half-giant when you're eleven, rather than from some kids on a tube platform when you're seventeen and late for work.

At Your Service by Faith Wood (2012, E, 95k)

Hogwarts students are in danger; Harry is determined to save them all. There's only one thing he knows for certain: Draco Malfoy is somehow involved.

The Secret Keeper by fools_errand (2021, M, 225k)

On Halloween 1981, Albus Dumbledore made a decision that would change the course of history, concealing Harry Potter’s survival at the hands of Lord Voldemort underneath a Fidelius Charm. But when Harry comes of age in the Muggle world, Dumbledore realises too late that the fate of the world may depend on a boy who has never held a wand.

Post-Hogwarts fics:

Turn From Stone by harryromper (2019, M, 45k)

Something happened in the hours after the final battle, after the evacuation of the living and the dead. As the last of the survivors left the castle, and as the castle itself turned its wounded back on them all. The loss of Hogwarts has been felt by their entire community. And it’s something that needs to be put right.

Heal Thyself by astolat (2022, T, 46k)

"Are you going for the course?" Lovegood asked. "You have the NEWTs.”

Stately Homes of Wiltshire by waspabi (2016, E, 57k)

Malfoy Manor has mould, dry rot and an infestation of unusually historical poltergeists. Harry Potter is on the case.

The Compact by astolat (2021, E, 64k)

Hermione frowned. “The real question is why the magic of Britain would be failing now, in fact.”

Transfigurations by Resonant (2003, E, 71k)

Five years after Voldemort's defeat, Harry returns to England to help re-open Hogwarts.

Timecode by Rasborealis (2019, M, 73k)

Harry Potter has been dead for two years, and Draco would laugh in the face of anyone claiming differently. Well, anyone but Hermione Granger.

Never Grow a Wishbone by ShanaStoryteller (2016, T, 123k)

Draco returns to Hogwarts. He has a duty to his blood and his name and his house, and he will fulfill it.

In The Dark by bixgirl1 (2020, E, WIP)

In the aftermath of an apocalypse, Harry receives an order to find and bring Draco Malfoy nearly a thousand miles, to the tenuous safety of Hogwarts. But more than distance separates them from their goal. The world has fallen, and death is hungry.

[cheerfulripley]

SHE'S HE~RE!!

My destiel fanfic 'Contingency' is now available as a printed book!!

It's a s4 retelling where Cas possesses Dean so they can escape Hell and save Sam as they struggle to stop the Apocalypse. It's a humorous adventure with romance, healthy brotherly bonding, Cas in a waistcoat, Sabriel (if you squint) and some angst with a happy ending. It's 123k words, 417 pages.

Edited by @stxticsxturn

Typset by @chaoticdean

Cover art by @varlovian

Original fic link:

If you'd like a copy, please dm me :3

In the meantime I'm gonna cry in the corner over how pretty she is

[severeweatheralert]

Hi! I'm severeweatheralert, and this is my (rather belated) writeblr intro! Mid twenties, go wild with pronouns. I'm on AO3 here. I also make art, sometimes; you can find it by searching "my art" on this blog.

I've got some original stories lying around, and a longform project on the backburner, but right now I'm primarily writing fanfic for Alice in Borderland. I like to inhale longfics overnight but it turns out that actually writing them takes. A lot longer. I also have a weird music taste that I'd love to yell about if you'd like, an unhealthy amount of second hand books lying around the house, and a massive assortment of off-and-on hobbies. I'm always open to chat!

AiB fanfic - ongoing:

Call of the Void - multichapter (11/12) - Niragi/Chishiya - main post - AO3 link - sequel to Neither of us were good people

AiB fanfic - finished:

Sins of our fathers universe

The Long Way Home - multichapter (123k) - Chishiya/f!OC - main post - AO3 link

Road to Nowhere - multichapter (17.4k) - Chishiya/f!OC - main post - AO3 link - Alt Ending AU to The Long Way Home

Firelight universe

Neither of us were good people - multichapter (53k) - Chishiya/Niragi - main post - AO3 link

Freelance - oneshot (1.9k) - Niragi/m!OC - Ao3 link - main post - prequel to Neither of us were good people

Bad Habits - oneshot (1.5k) - Chishiya/Niragi + Niragi/m!OC - Ao3 link - should be read after Neither of us were good people

Oneshots

Bloodlust - oneshot (3.5k) - Chishiya/Niragi - Ao3 link

Cannon Fodder - oneshot (587 words) - gen (OCs) - Ao3 link

Teeth - oneshot (1.8K) - gen (Niragi) - main post - Ao3 link

Warmth - oneshot (500 words (Chishiya/Niragi) - Ao3 link

Icebreaker - oneshot (5.3k) - Chishiya/Niragi - Ao3 link

Original work:

Ashes, a short story about grief. Written for a discord prompt.

Bonus content:

Pinterest boards for my fics!

[writeblrfantasy]

lila's wip wrap up 2022!

i did this last year! it's wild to see for one what i thought i would be writing this year vs what i actually wrote, and i'm sure i'm going to say that next year too.

i don't usually like to talk about word count or the number of books i write because i don't want anyone to ever think that their own worth with writing is equal to how much they write and how much they finish

so if you read this, please just know that everyone writes at their own pace and there is no right or wrong way to write, and no way more worthy than another. i just happen to be a very fast writer with a fair bit of free time to write big amounts, who gets bored of wips quickly and is constantly moving on <3

projects i finished this year:

fate of smoldering ruin (50k)

the lover with five names (123k)

the red king's mystical suitors (73k)

as the sea horn blows (48k)

empire of gilded sand (60k)

my mr. adlay (21k)

other things i wrote this year:

she who killed the elf queen (50k)

order of the os (32k)

jack of fools trilogy (all incomplete, 24k in total)

goldbloods (23k)

the lover's spell (42k, to be edited)

the water mage & the sun soldier (40k, ongoing!)

a variety of other novellas/short story collections that add up to about 60k

some fanfic which added up to about 11k (you can read it on ao3 if you're a fan of mash and supernatural! my username is taliamytalia)

projects planned for next year:

the artist & the warden, sequel to the water mage & the sun soldier

editing the lover's spell

editing she who killed the elf queen

a certain all queer woman wip

whatever else i feel like writing! i have been reading again recently and getting some mad ideas, as well as begging by my irl bestie for a wlw main wip

of all the things i wrote this year, the lover with five names and as the sea horn blows were my favorites. i've been trying to finish sea horn since last christmas, and to get it done this june was an incredible accomplishment that i'm very proud of<3 the lover with five names was just a huge project on another level.

once again, i would like to thank my bestie @magic-is-something-we-create for being a constant inspiration and rubber duck, bainstorming partner, and otherwise incredible human. love you bro <3

other people i have to thank for being lovely, helping with writing problems, and everything else are @ashen-crest @ettawritesnstudies @47crayons @faithfire @chayscribbles and so many more!! thank you all for another wonderful year on writeblr. i'm so excited to see what we all create in the next one <3<3 i love you all so much!

also, thank you to everyone who participated in my self love challenge!!

also also: shameless self plug to check out my sideblogs @devastatingly-handsome-friend and @hawksredrobe if you're a fan of supernatural or mash! i am very active on the mash one, not so much the spn one

[holdinonto-heartache]

Hello to my new followers! Welcome to my blog!

I mainly write smut, but I will sometimes throw in some fluff blurbs here and there.

If you have any requests at all, please send them to me! My ask box is open and the anon is on!

Likes and reblogs are appreciated on my one shots! thank you :)

I am also the writer on @cinemastyles-blog and @wastedonhoran so feel free to check those out, my Harry one shots are my most popular, 123k on one dirty oneshot book and 15k on book 2 of dirty oneshots. Both on Wattpad: _CinemaStyles

[millennialgrandma]

Wrangling the Words

I read a lot, and I love providing recommendations to other people. But I'm never going to be the person that maintains recommendation lists (and let's be honest, there are people out there that do this far better than I would). Instead, I maintain a massive database of everything I've read back to mid-2020 (weeps in a decade of lost reading history). This way, when someone says "hey, I'm looking for a fic that has xyz" I can say "babycakes, give a minute to set my filters and then I got you." Side note: if anyone is ever interested in talking fic tracking, hit me up. I'm your gorl.

As part of this elaborate system, I've been doing monthly wrap up posts (where I link to everything I've written, read, and am reading) to track my statistics for something like a year and a half now. This is meant to be a landing page for those posts. Partly so I can see some high-level data points side by side. Mostly because I'm tied of going on a little treasure hunt every time I want to track one of those old posts down for reference. All wrap up posts are linked below, separated out by month/year.

Monthly Posts

❄️January

2022

Read: 343.9k words (56 fics + 5 WIPs)

Written: 0.3k words (1 ficlet)

2023

Read: 135.1k words (29 fics + 2 WIPs)

Written: 1.9k words (1 fic)

2024

Read: 24.9k words (5 fics + 2 WIPs)

Written:

💌February

2022

Read: 546.9k words (42 fics + 9 WIPs)

Written: 4.9k words (2 fics)

2023

Read: 141.5k words (16 fics + 2 WIPs)

Written:

🍀March

2022

Read: 218.9k words (18 fics + 6 WIPs)

Written: 2.0k words (1 fic)

2023

Read: 123.5 words (18 fics + 1 WIP)

Written:

☔️April

2022

Read: 153.8k words (13 fics + 4 WIPs)

Written:

2023

Read: 862.6k words (7 books + 3 fics)

Written:

🌷May

2022

Read: 212.1k words (18 fics + 6 WIPs)

Written: 11.4k words (2 fics)

2023

Read: 110.4k words (11 fics + 3 WIPs)

Written: 0.5k words (1 ficlet)

🌞June

2022

Read: 453.3k words (27 fics + 8 WIPs)

Written: 1.1k words (1 fic)

2023

Read: 49.7k words (5 fics)

Written:

🎆July

2022

Read: 312.1k words (6 fics + 2 WIPs + 1 book)

Written: 5k (1 fic)

2023

Read: 105.2k (17 fics)

Written:

⛱️August

2021

Read: 538k words (31 fics + 3 WIPs)

Written:

2022

Read: 287.6k words (20 fics + 13 WIPs)

Written: 1.0k words (1 ficlet)

2023

Read: 288.1k words (1 book + 20 fics + 5 WIPs)

Written:

📚September

2021

Read: 494k words (28 fics + 5 WIPs)

Written: 0.3k words (1 ficlet)

2022

Read: 63.8k words (5 fics + 4 WIPs)

Written: 0.5k words (1 ficlet)

2023

Read: 190.7 words (1 book + 9 fics)

🎃October

2021

Read: 590.1k words (16 fics + 5 WIPs)

Written:

2022

Read: 23.4k words (2 fics + 1 WIP)

Written: 5.9k words (1 WIP + 3 fics)

2023

Read: 82.9k (24 fics + 3 WIPs)

Written:

🍂November

2021

Read: 280k words (25 fics + 6 WIPs)

Written: 1.3k words (1 fic)

2022

Read: 123k words (1 fic + 1 WIP + 1 book)

Written:

2023

Read: 364k words (2 fics + 3 WIPs + 1 book)

Written:

🎄December

2021

Read: 510.8k words (55 fics + 4 WIPs)

Written: 0.1k words (1 drabble)

2022

Read: 424.5k words (23 fics + 1 WIP)

Written:

2023

Read: 435.2k words (3 fics + 1 WIP + 3 books)

Written:

Annual Wrap Up & Stats

2021 Wrap Up Post

18 books (word count unknown)

616 fics (7.013 million words)

14 WIPs (823k words)

2022 Wrap Up Post

2 books (165k words)

231 fics (2.173 million words)

23 WIPs (836k words)

2023 Wrap Up Post

13 books (1.539 million words)

147 fics (1.308 million words)

7 WIPs (86k words)

[justwriteyoudummy]

Reread Fragments of Magic today as I’m waiting for editor and publishers to get back to me

Also please stare at my cover font for a minute...

Alright there we go

Thanks

-oOo-

Gahhh sometimes it’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that I actually wrote a THING(tm) that is like 123K words long. THATS A WHOLE bOOK LIKE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Imposter Syndrome has been trying to kick my butt lately but im like... No. I wrote this. I wrote a whole thing and the little negative nancy voice in my head says “ewww no one’s gunna like thissss’ and it’s SO HARD to constantly fight that! I reread it (well the back half of it anyways) and it’s like... I really wrote this? I really sat down and actually heckin’ wrote a THING.

This is all jitters ofc as I struggle with no communication back from publishers JIC they want to take me up on the offer. Either way I’ve already decided that I’m going to be publishing next year no matter what so uh.. please stay tuned for more later when I get my stuff together and can actually be coherent about what I’m talking about. Tumblr is honestly my venting space while writing and I appreciate everyone’s chill patience as I scream into the Void about this.

(Fanart by @re-pyper​ )

I’m half tempted to just say Eff it and post up my cover as I work on it but at the same time im like NOOOO YOU MUST KEEP IT A SECRET FOR FOREVER UNTIL BIG REVEAL so I’m like torn. I hate keeping secrets like this and it’s eating me up because DANG IT I WANNA SHARE THE PRETTY ART I COMMISSIONED OF MY GAL AMBER AAAAA

So yeah lots of dilemmas and nonsense on my end as I deal with not hearing back from publishers. I’m handling it well...

[blind-alchemists]

with the second anniversary rolling around and me having finished the main fic as well as the two prequels I decided to write, because, clearly, this fic isn't long enough, I think I can give a little update!

It has been an equally long and short journey, I suppose. 1.5 million words is a lot but two years, during which I finished my degree and started my job, aren't. It's odd to have "finished" this story in any capacity, while I know I am far from done with my work.

I'm curious to see how my fic will be received, since I'm pretty sure it's quite a peculiar story, but, oh, well.

The good news is: I may have a title. The bad news: I have a very long-winded summary I'm not very happy with.

My collection of "essential writing tools" has grown a little since last year: In addition to Scrivener and the music player of my choice (Spotify), I have fallen in love with Aeon Timeline and Calibre for, respectively, the ability to create timelines with all the necessary additional stuff I need and the ability to keep a virtual library of research works / my own epubs to re-read, highlight, and annotate. (I am using a bunch of plug-ins for Calibre, such as a split/merge one, one for annotations, and one that allows me to keep my Amazon-bought e-books as epubs.)

I have also learned a lot more about Scrivener, such as that I can have a neat output of my word count in the Outliner and the ability to use a gross amount of keywords to overhaul my binder structure again. Reason being that my tolino app has an issue with very large epub files, and that I have chapters longer than the maximum character count AO3 allows. (But what else is new?)

I have also - largely - gotten around Scrivener's compile successfully, which is a skill I am very proud of.

I have also learned much about me, my writing style, and how to formulate second drafts -- along with character profiles (Din's has, like, 7k and I have still things to fill in), lore, meta -- and how to get structurized for my third draft.

I hope I have everything for the third draft soon. I have a neat little checklist that's about as long as you'd expect it to be and a 40h work week that doesn't leave me as much time as I had when I was doing my degree.

Stats

First Draft: 12 chapters, 104k -- finished

Second Draft: 33 chapters, 1.508k -- finished

part 1: 15 chapters, 372k -- finished

part 2: 11 chapters, 931k -- finished

part 3: 7 chapters, 205k -- finished

Third Draft: in preparation

Playlist: 203 songs, +12h playtime

Prequels: 2 works, 123k -- finished

Prequel 1: 3 chapters, 43k -- finished

Prequel 2: 4 chapters, 80k -- finished

Well, in honor of not only one of my rare fanfics getting way out of hand but also the most productive (writing) year I've ever had, I'll have a look at 2021!

Anyway, I don't write many fanfics. Or finish them, at the least. There are about three or four started longfics on my hard drive vs. the +20 different finished drafts for different prose projects and a ridiculous number of started oneshots for one of these projects. Me writing a fanfic is like finding a four-leaved clover.

I have, actually, written a 150k long fanfiction before. And uploaded it until around November 2020, when I realized I hated everything about it for good reasons. So I deleted it.

The crux of my problem was: I knew how to write first drafts. Put the words out, quickly. But I didn't know what to do then. 'Editing, obviously', I thought and slugged through ~2 years of it with the aforementioned fic. By all standards though, I was just catching up my writing style and the characterization was terrible and there were plot holes and I really didn't like any of it.

It should be mentioned that I'm a pantser. Straight-up. I loath plotting. I have characters with an appearance and personality, some plot points / scenes, and I know where I want to go. I don't know anything else at that point -- I discover these details as I write. I make the connections between scene A and B as I rush through my first drafts. They get the job done; that's all there is to it.

Origin of "fangs"

Somewhen, a while ago, I also started a different Dragon Age fic. Time Travel, Alternate Timelines, IHW gone wrong, pretty dark, focusing on f!Lavellan as Inquisitor turned Dread Wolf in the dark future, Solas as the Inquisitor, and Dorian trying to undo the time magic before something worse happens. I got about 65k into a draft before I realized I didn't like where I was going. I also knew this could have turned into a very, very long fic, so that killed my motivation very, very fast, too. (Oh, the irony.)

From this fic, I got Ase, Din, Esha, and Dirthamen with his incredibly spoiled ravens. Now, this is crucial going forward.

In December of 2020, I thought, 'has anyone written a corruption arc for their Inquisitor?' So I subjected myself to slogging through AO3 with different filters only to find ... that no one had done exactly what I was envisioning. As it happens so often.

'Bummer,' I thought and let it be, given my dislike for writing fanfics (for a number of reasons that boil down to: perfectionism) and the absence of any interest in writing longfics (lol).

I think I started looking up which achievements I was missing for DA:I around this time, too, and came across the Fair-Weathered Friends one.

So I started a new playthrough and since Ase & Co. kept lingering, I ended up using Din for that save. And I started thinking how he would play out as the Inquisitor if the game gave me more choices. (Spoiler: he doesn't end up becoming Inquisitor)

And then, around the 14/15th December, I said to myself, 'well, I can write just a bit of this idea because it's persistent since I found music to go with it.' I thought it would be started and then immediately abandoned like so many other fanfics.

... Yeah, well, that turned into a little two-week sprint and ended with a ~100k first draft. (Din didn't get a corruption arc. Not sure if he had any character arc, though.)

And then, past!me said, 'yeah, I'll just leave it here, on my hard drive, and come back to it when I want to because I want to focus on my prose projects'.

'When I want to' turned out to be the 3rd January 2021. The idea, stubbornly, refused to leave me.

The 100k first draft swayed me. 'Well, it's not that long', I said. 'It's probably not going to get much bigger*. It'll be fine. I'll just do some editing.' In retrospect, I believe, there are few things I was ever so wrong about in my entire life.

*Remember me posting about that one chapter that had 167k by the time I was done with it?

And so I started the second draft of "fangs".

And that's where I still am!

What did I learn?

I know how to write second drafts.

Scrivener. I love Scrivener. Even if it keeps semi-crashing whenever I load my stats.

I love worldbuilding.

I can whip up +3k character profiles after a certain stage.

I don't describe. anything. ever.

I need to do a lot of research. I lack the ability to visualize things well, so I've built my own personalized ability trees and watched so many playthroughs of the in-game regions again and again to get the mood right.

I write a lot of notes. Scenes, dialogue, bullet points of what could happen. Sometimes culminating in 2.5k squashed into the small "Notes" section Scrivener has.

Everything eventually finds its place. Like, the one scene that doesn't fit in chapter 4? It's perfect for chapter 14. Sometimes, the best thing I can do with my notes is drag them around until they find their place on their own.

I do subconsciously follow the typical plot structures. Kind of. So I don't need to plot much! I just need to put it all in order and pay attention to pacing! (I'm a pantser. I hate plotting.)

My preferred method of organization is sub-folders and sub-documents in unreasonably high numbers.

Chapters are a problem for the third draft that I will address no sooner than that.

Things continue to develop as I write. Characters most of all (in their beliefs, motivations, and convictions) but also worldbuilding, setting, ... I write to learn and discover, and it shows.

I love my mirror themes.

I love de-constructing tropes.

I adore minor characters.

I love older characters as protagonists. Gives me much more time to work with, to give them a definite personality, and ... trauma I can give them.

I love addressing relationships of any kind.

I love subtle foreshadowing.

My goal is to check every checkbox on my "to-do before 3rd draft" list and keep my hands from the (then!) finished second draft until I'm done. Fingers crossed I'll have enough self-control for that.

Stats

And now, the fun (or horrendous) part!

First Draft: 12 chapters, 104k -- finished

Second Draft: 18 chapters (so far), 715k -- in progress

part 1: 15 chapters, 372k -- finished

part 2: 3/10 chapters, 343k -- in progress

part 3: to be done

Playlist: 163 songs, +9.5h playtime

[thelarriefics]

FARM FIC REC: Below you’ll find fics that have a farm theme. 

📖 Wild And Unruly by @gloriaandrews & @100percentsassy (123k)

Harry is a cowboy sitting on the biggest oil reservoir in Wyoming, and Louis is the paralegal assigned to pressure him into selling his land.

📖 Baby, I think we might be too cold to float by @forreveries (81k)

Harry is a journalist that goes to Lake Tekapo, New Zealand, to look into a girl’s disappearance after a year of no movement from police. What he finds instead is his ex boyfriend Louis, who, six years earlier, ghosted him after five months of dating in university. A story of trauma, secrets, and the power of finally letting people in.

📖 across city skyline (and straight through my heart) by @halohamilton (76k)

The one where Louis owns a small bakery that's well known in his town and Harry Styles is an actor who comes to town to film a new movie. Louis is endeared by him, but that doesn’t seem to matter since Harry Styles is already taken.

📖 Right Beside You is Where I Belong by @chloehl10 (46k)

Harry lives on his farm in the British countryside with his two children, loving the peace and quiet of his surroundings.

Louis is a writer who lives in the city, and decides it is time to take a break, to recharge and find some inspiration for his next book.

When Harry's daughter is left heartbroken by the unkindness of strangers, Louis decides it is time to right some wrongs, but doesn't expect to be reunited with the one who got away...

📖 An Invincible Summer by @twopoppies (44k)

Never content to stay in one place for long, a few months down south researching for his novel seemed like an idyllic, slow-paced summer to Louis. He wasn't ready for the blistering heat, the backbreaking work of watermelon picking, or how stifling the attitudes in rural Georgia would feel. And he definitely hadn’t anticipated falling in love with the farmer’s son.

The summer of 1946 would turn out to be everything worth writing about.

📖 Caves End by @jacaranda-bloom (39k)

When a recurring injury cuts short Harry’s time as the Captain of the English Football Team, he needs to rethink his career and his future. His best mate and manager, Niall, decides that what Harry really needs is a change of scenery, time to relax, and to get some perspective on his life. What Harry doesn’t expect is for them to end up in Australia, on a farm, with the most gorgeous man he’s ever laid eyes on.

OR the one where Harry has lost his future, Louis has lost his past, but maybe together, they can find a way through the dark.

📖 Until by @allwaswell16 (38k)

Rural Eagle County, Colorado wasn’t the type of place to find a famous musician or actor. At least not until songwriter Louis Tomlinson showed up with pop star Niall Horan to visit his uncle’s horse ranch, and they just happened to find themselves next door to a reclusive former movie star.

📖 It's the Climb by @lululawrence (25k)

The Hannah Montana AU where Louis is a world famous punk rock singer with a stage name of William and Jay drags him back to Tennessee for the summer. In her attempt for Louis to get back to his roots, he just so happens to reconnect with Harry, and things never go quite as Louis expects them to.

📖 Lambing Season by @helloamhere (24k)

“Shut up,” Louis says, an involuntary grin tugging at his mouth. It’s not every boy who will stand in the middle of a cold barn in a suit and play musician trivia. “I’m Louis.”

//lambing season brings sleep deprivation, noisy alarms, cold barns, demanding animals, and warm strangers.

📖 Naked & Proud by @icanhazzalou (18k)

In which Harry runs an organic store, not a nudist colony, and Louis doesn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed.

📖 Love and Other Antidotes by @haztobegood (16k)

Arrogant pop star Harry Styles is transformed into a cow by his bandmate Amy Z after a heated argument. Left in the back of a truck, Harry finds himself at a rural farm hours away from his band. Harry has three days to make it back to London and turn back into a human before his next show. His only chance to reclaim his glamorous life rests with a kind farmer named Louis. They must work together to find the antidote before Amy Z finishes him off and takes over the band.

📖 Leave Your Damage Behind and Gone by @becomeawendybird (15k)

It's the spring of 1882 and Sir Louis Tomlinson is a simple man with simple needs. Money. Running an old estate and dairy farm costs money, and he would much rather focus on his science experiments than take a trip to the Exposició Universal de Barcelona to beg for funding especially when everyone there is English anyway. He's taking a walk one night to clear his head when he comes upon something mysterious on the beach that may or may not change his life forever.

📖 Won't Let You Down by @noellehenryfics (15k)

Harry inherits his beloved eccentric great-aunt Lucille's business, which includes a B&B, a farm, unlabeled bottles, illegal trading and a whole lot more...

On top of that, his everlasting crush has returned to town.

📖 A Light Illuminated (Calling You Home) by @londonfoginacup (14k)

Louis has inherited a farm from an uncle he barely knew. It's not in the best state, and he's facing the reality of having to let some of the workers go if profits don't drastically improve. It's not a nice idea.

Then Harry comes into the picture. A prince in need of a place to lay low for a while. It's a little awkward, and a lot unconventional, but he's paying well and Louis can't turn down the opportunity.

If only he didn't give Louis such conflicting feelings.

📖 A Fateful Snow by @parmahamlarrie (13k)

Christmas can be the busiest time of year for small business owners. Louis Tomlinson, owner of Tomlinson’s Tree Farm, and Harry Styles, owner of A Bashful Taste bakery, know this all too well.

The busyness of the season can lead to - well, quite literally missing the subtle (and not so subtle) nudges fate gives you.

Will Harry allow a simple misunderstanding keep him from the hottest alpha he’s ever seen? Or will a bit of snow and the magic of Christmas bring the two together?

📖 No One Needs To Know by @tommokat (2k)

Am I dreamin' or stupid? I think I've been hit by cupid But no one needs to know right now

[livingroomlibrary]

Classics

Classic fics every larrie should read.

Young and Beautiful by Velvetoscar (M, ~228k)

Escapade by dolce_piccante (M, ~146k)

Tired Tired Sea by MediaWhore (M, ~113k)

Unbelievers by isthatyoularry (E, ~137k)

Soft Hands, Fast Feet, Can't Lose by dolce_piccante (M, ~113k)

Relief Next To Me by dolce_piccante (M, ~334k)

Flightless Bird by audreyhheart (E, ~98k)

Note about Flightless Bird, we know many people find this book triggering which is completely understandable. But, we also know many people who have experienced sexual violence or depression like reading about it because it comforts them to read about what they have gone through, hence why we have added this book and others to our recommendation list. Please be cautious when you are looking for books to read and check out the tags on AO3 to be safe!

Here In The Afterglow by fondleeds (NR, ~88k)

Wild and Unruly by 100percentsassy (E, ~124k)

These Inconvenient Fireworks by mensch and everydayslike (NC17, ~190k)

And Then A Bit by infinitelymint (E, ~158k)

got the sunshine on my shoulders by hattalove (E, ~124k)

Fading by tothemoonmydear (M, ~202k)

Red Brick Heart by hazmesentir (E, ~98k)

For As Long As I Can Remember (It's Been December) by green_feelings (E, ~128k)

Gods & Monsters by Velvetoscar (M, ~201k)

To the Ends of the Earth by stylinsoncity (M, ~68k)

California Sold by isthatyoularry (M, 123k)

Want You More Than A by TheCellarDoor (M, ~77k)

Emperor's New Clothes by sunsetmog (E, ~92k)

You You You by isthatyoularry (M, ~137k)

Paint Me In A Million Dreams by green_feelings (M, ~112k)

falling into you by stylinsoncity (M, ~143k)

Empty Skies by green_feelings (E, ~134k)

[cinematicnomad]

Hi Kat!

I kind of want to read a drarry fic but I don’t know where to start. I saw you reblogged an old fic rec of yours, but there was so many it was kind of overwhelming.

I follow you for Buddie/911 and I’ve read all the great buddie ones and I want to read something a little different, you now?

So if you could rec one or two drarry fics to a newbie, what would it be?

ohhhh interesting. okay. WELL, let me preface this with saying that i haven't read a drarry fic in a couple years, and i haven't gone through this list in a while. but i know they're all bangers and i trust past me, so i'm going to just highlight a few that i am absolutely certain i loved (but...might have loved when i was like, 15, 19, 23, etc so it's been a while, make of that what you will). let me ALSO preface that by pointing out that i highly prefer to read lengthy fics (100k+) and so these fics are LONG, but definitely worth it.

bond by anna fugazzi (22/22 | 204k+ | M) OOTP compliant; forced bonding; slow burn; enemies to lovers yet another one of those harry and draco are forced to be together by something beyond their control and then stuff happens leading to twoo wuv stories. because every HD writer has to write at least one.

notes: okay, so this is a fic i remember reading as a teenager? but it's def one i went back to a bunch and re-read a lot. there was a pretty common trope in hp fics that involved the idea of like, magical marriage/soul bonds, etc, and this fic basically starts off with the premise that draco and harry—post-OOTP who hate each other—end up accidentally bonded and it's too risky or whatever to end the bond, so they have to try and live with it. it's a solid classic in the fandom.

irresistible poison by rhyssen (15/15 | 123k+ | T) GOF compliant; love potion; dubcon; slow burn; enemies to lovers under the influence of a love potion, draco learns that poison doesn’t always bring death — there are other ways to suffer and live. chemical emotion runs feverish as harry and draco discover the intoxication of love.

notes: similar vibe! this was the FIRST drarry fic i ever read when i was like...13, and if memory serves it holds up. from what i remember it's one of those fics where draco and everyone is aware how out-of-character he's acting, and they're all trying to find a cure for it while, naturally, harry and draco are falling in love for real.

marathon by lomonaaeren (57/57 | 176k+ | M) epilogue compliant; life debts; slow burn; angst with a happy ending harry’s life has become an endurance run, through the remnants of his stressful divorce, his strained relationships with his children, and his increasingly complicated job. yet it seems what’s going to complicate it most is saving scorpius malfoy’s life. since scorpius is underage, draco assumes the debt—and he is determined to pay harry back. now if only he could find something harry actually wanted.

notes: here's something a little different: this fic was written after the books were over and is canon complicant—harry did marry ginny and have all the kids, draco did have scorpius, etc etc. but the fic starts with harry and ginny getting a divorce and then follows how these adult versions of harry and draco might cross paths again and fall in love. very different from the previous two fics which were written in the midst of the hp series and were v much focused on their nemesis status—they're more mature in this fic. ALSO i remember LOVING everything this author wrote (you'll notice i have multiple of their fics on my rec list), so their ao3 profile is a good place to bounce off of.

as for the rest of my rec list, anything that has a star next to it is a pretty good place to start. hope this helped!

[oldbay-on-apples]

Dystopian Larry Fic Rec

Inspired by some of the lovely people and fic recers on here, I’ve decided to start making my own fic recs.  If you’d like, you can request recs in my inbox and I’ll see what I can do <3!

Please read the ratings and tags to these fics (because some of them are dark or have dark themes) and enjoy!

You Try To Be Everything (I Need) by lululawrence - @lululawrence​  (NR, 36k)

Wars, and rumours of wars, were nothing new for the world in the twenty-fourth century. The fighting had evolved over the years, and rarely did it involve traditional weapons. A group most widely known as the Southern Powers gained strength amongst portions of the western European continent and spread quickly. There was a fight the Southern Powers didn’t expect coming from the north of England, though. Resistance came in the form of an organised underground; a group comprised of people with the Touch that did the best they could to enforce a line that would not be crossed. Slowly, that line was moved from the Channel to boundaries further and further north. It seemed only a matter of time before the Southern Powers took over everywhere. Until that time, people did the best they could to live their lives in some semblance of normality. For Louis Tomlinson, that sense of normality was about to change when his best friend, Harry Styles, goes missing. Louis embarks on the journey of a lifetime where he uses his newly developed abilities to search for his friend, even when it takes him to places he never thought he would see while surmounting trials he never could have imagined. -

I loved the way the magic and technology in this fic intersected in such a unique way and the way the world was built was extraordinary!

red hands by reveries_passions - @dystopianharry​ (T, 132k)

I’ve never told anyone,” Harry murmurs, voice so soft no one else would be able to hear, if it wasn’t just the two of them. “But you’ve told someone,” Louis says firmly. “And that’s not gonna fucking happen around here. You don’t speak a word of it, or someone’s going to kill you, and we can’t let that happen.” * a dystopian au in which harry, an ex-soldier who’s escaped from his government run camp, accidentally stumbles across the biggest rebel movement in the country, and louis, one of the rebellion’s mysterious leaders who appears to hate him, seems to simultaneously have an obsession with keeping him alive. or: harry is wanted for treason, niall hasn’t changed in four years, liam is always smiling, and louis is angry. like, really angry.

- The plot of this is just *chef’s kiss* in so many ways!  I love the way the characters interact with each other and I’m weak for Niall and Harry’s friendship in this.

Love After the End of the World by writing_practice - @mercurial-madhouse​ (E 158k)

“Wait. Just so I’m clear in me fucking noggin,” Niall says. “An international worldwide takeover is well under way and the only thing standing between having hot showers and a second end of the world is us five fuckers?”    -----    Society shattered when all electricity suddenly cut off across the globe, plunging the world into darkness. Now, Prometheus Industries is the sole remaining supply of power, a saving grace to those who survived Lights Out. As fugitives in no-man’s land struggling to break into Prometheus HQ, death lurks around every corner for Louis and Zayn. Things get complicated when a routine recon falls apart and Louis collides with Harry and his mates Niall and Liam, survivors with their own agenda.    When staying alive is already a constant battle, the deadliest weakness is to be in love. For Harry and Louis, finding each other sits on top of the endless list of What Else Could Go Wrong.

-

This just came out in the most recent Big Bang (that’s still on going so you should definitely check that out) and this fic is so amazing!  I think it does a great job of just really immersing you in the world the characters exist in.  Love After the End of the World is also a Soulmate AU and I love the way those parts come together.  It also has an amazing prologue called PROMETHEUS RISING (M 5k) that I enjoyed immensely set in the same world!

at last, at last by suspendrs - @suspendrs​ (NR 41k) Locked

“Come with us,” Tommo says, stopping at the other end of the gymnasium, near the doors. “Don’t let them make you suffer any longer. Come with us, and be human.”

   Before Harry has even finished thinking it through, he’s on his feet, gaining the attention of every single person in the gymnasium. What has he got to lose, anyway?

   Or, Harry is born into a cult in a post-apocalyptic world, and Louis is the leader of the rebel group tasked with the mission of shutting them down. Together, they make a rather effective team.

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This fic does a great job of making you feel like you’re experiencing with the characters, like I could practically smell what the characters were smelling!  The world it’s set in is so cool and the entire fic feels so well thought out and everything is so consistent!

my love will never leave you by we_are_the_same @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed​ (T 10k)

In a world where memories are used as currency, Louis will do anything it takes for Harry to get better.

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I loved the idea behind this. Like the entire world is so brilliantly done! And it was all based on ONE word (because of the wordplay challenge).  Even though it’s set in a different world everything feels so grounded and realistic and I really really like that about it.

a prayer for which no words exist by Eliane (M 34k) Locked

"Louis is a few seconds away from blowing up a rather important section of the New York subway when he sees Harry for the first time."

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In this fic the characters motivations are so clear (to the reader) and I love how it goes from Louis accidentally sort of, kind of, kidnapping Harry to them becoming friends then more.  I also love how no matter where they are the fic has a real sense of place. This is part 1 of landscapes of war.  The entire series is really good!

Who Painted the Moon Black by throughthedark (E 95k) Locked

   “People died,” Harry whispers so quietly Louis strains to hear. “People died, and I killed some of them. How does life just go on after something like that?”

   Louis shakes his head. “I don't know. It just does.”

   Hunger Games AU where Louis Tomlinson is district six's victor from the 69th Hunger Games and Harry Styles is district seven's victor from the 72nd Hunger Games.

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This fic is a hunger games AU that both people who have and haven't read/watched the Hunger Games can enjoy. I like how it explores the world of the Hunger Games in a way that isn’t explored in the Hunger Games canon.  It’s really intense (like the E is for the darker themes and violence) and I enjoy it a lot.  There is a happy ending (as the author assures in the tags) and I really enjoy all the struggles that the characters go through.

Nobody Marks You by graceling_in_a_suit @graceling-in-a-suit​ (T 33k)

“The plan is: we’re gonna put on a play. Now, I see some doubtful faces–” Louis looked around and found zero doubtful faces. Liam looked intrigued, Zayn looked bored, and Harry looked scarily blank. “But this is what’s happening. We’re gonna do some fucking acting, we’re gonna perform our hearts out, and we’re not going to think about anything else. The past, the future; none of it. All we’re going to think about is... “ Niall trailed off, eyeing the bookshelf to his left. He closed his eyes and reached a hand out towards it, running his fingers over the covers before pulling a book out at random. “William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.”

AU: Five assholes stuck in a bunker put on a play.

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This is one of my absolute favorite fics.  I just love the way the characters interact and they way the story is told.  It’s nonlinear so you jump around in time and it shows the way the character's relationships change throughout.  I’m a sucker for Much Ado About Nothing and though you don’t need to read it to fully appreciate the fic I think the use of the play throughout is genius. 

@1dfanfictionbookcovers​ has a really cool cover for the fic as well HERE

With a whimper by kitundercover  @kitundercover​​ (M 132k)

Dystopian AU. Louis has been alone for too long to remember how not to be, and Harry has too much to worry about to deal with a scrawny, wild, stranger.

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The man grips his arm tightly. “You’re not going to say anything.” It’s not a question.

Louis shakes his head, his body twitching.

“Fine.” Large green eyes survey him before letting go. “It’s cold. Take this. Wear it.”

Louis can’t help another flinch as the man’s long scarf is wrapped around his tender neck, it’s still warm. He touches the soft material. “Thank you.”

The man bears his teeth. “Don’t thank me. Don’t ever thank me.”

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The thing this fic does really does is showing emotional reactions.  Louis’ inner monologue is so well done and I really like the plot of the story.

these bountiful silences by tommoandbambi (T 123k)

they live in a world where they can only say four words per day. harry meets some people that don't want to live that way.

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I really, really, really, like this plot and the story! The world that the characters exist in is so interesting and I just love the way in which it is a dystopia.