unsolicitedopinionsfreelygiven

[unsolicitedopinionsfreelygiven]

Your name, safe in their mouth By astrolesbian

Wangxian & Sizhui/The Untamed/MDZS

Length: 10,500

Rating: G

Situation: On a night hunt, under Wei Wuxian’s supervision, Sizhui gets hurt and Wei Wuxian takes care of him like he did when he was a kid. This prompts Sizhui to consider what they really are to each other, and what he wants them to be.

Review:  *long deep inhale* FINALLY. SOME GOOD. FUCKING. FOOD. All I EVER want to talk about is the family dynamic of these three post canon, and I express my endless gratitude to astrolesbian for addressing it.

[SPOILERS]

Writing: This writing is the perfect balance between things happening and character introspection that is necessary for a really well done character study. The author takes this inciting incident that intensifies the thoughts and feelings of the characters, and uses it as a jumping off point to really delve into the inner thoughts and insecurities that they are BOUND to have in such a ridiculously complicated family dynamic. Dude, I seriously think the entire Wangxian & A’Yuan plot in The Untamed is one of the things that really transcends this story and makes it capital M Matter, but I remember thinking at the end of the show, there’s no fucking way it was that easy. I just love the dynamic between the three of them so so much and this fic hit all the unanswered questions in such a lovely and in-character way. I also really loved how the POV switched between Wei Wuxian and Lan Sizhui to kind of show their parallel insecurities about each other, it honestly just makes me tear up to think about this fic.

Plot: The actual plot is pretty unimportant except for the fact that it acts as the catalyst for this discussion of feelings. Basically, Sizhui gets seriously injured on a night hunt and Wei Wuxian comforts him which sparks Sizhui’s thoughts about missing WWX and desperately wanting him to be a part of his life again. On WWX’s end, this also makes him think about how much he wants to be Sizhui’s father again, but he thinks that that would be crossing the line for Sizhui. So basically they dance around eachother, both interpreting the other’s hesitation as rejection until Lan Wangji is finally like, dude you guys gotta just fucking talk to eachother I’m begging you. 

Characterization: FUCK THIS CHARACTERIZATION IS SO GOOD. This is a character study, and so the entire fic is basically delving into the characters and how they are really feeling. The way I would describe how exactly this author does this is that they expand on the human-ness of these characters. Lan Sizhui is presented as this very kind and open and well mannered kid in the show, with a dash of bravery and righteousness. But to me I always wanted to see more from him. Can you fucking imagine how insane it would be to have your dad from when you were a baby who died for you and your people be resurrected and then marry your other dad???? Bitch???? Like that is bound to bring up some complicated emotions, and this fic really lets Sizhui have those emotions. He feels the apprehension of not really knowing what they are to each other, and then also this guilt for wanting more from Wei Wuxian. I absolutely loved that this Sizhui was allowed to be angry and sad and confused about this INSANE situation because he’s literally a fucking child!!!!!!!! Like that base upset of wanting something so badly, especially a parental figure, and being unsure if they want you back is just so beautifully done here. Wei Wuxian is also really well done. I loved his characterization because it brought up a lot of the questions I had when the Sizhui reveal happened such as what if he doesn’t accept WWX as his father after all this time? What if that’s too weird for someone who doesn’t really even know him? It was so beautiful to see WWX trying desperately to be the adult about this and try to protect Sizhui from his own sadness and feelings, even though that ended up being misplaced. GOD I just loved how this author let these characters be flawed and human and let them work through some of that confusion together.

Cons: My only con is that Lan Wangji wasn’t in this more, which, as usual, is just a me thing. He was VERY well done in this fic the few times he showed up, and especially his interactions with Suzhui and WWX were just stunning. Although I do recognize that this ain’t about him.

Why It’s On That Good Shit: I seriously just needed some closure about this whole family thing. Like I said, that was one of the parts of the show that really solidified for me that The Untamed really is some next level shit, and it was so gratifying to read a story that addressed all of the unanswered questions about this dynamic. I really loved how it was messy, just like it would be in real life.

[unsolicitedopinionsfreelygiven]

And I Will Call You Home  By Spodumene

Wangxian/The Untamed/Mo Dao Zu Shi

Length: 42,000

Rating: E 

Situation: Shortly after Wei Wuxian’s return and reintegration to Cloud Recesses, Lan Wangji, the juniors, and he go to investigate a series of suicides and uncover a ghastly tragedy that occurred years ago.

Review: This is a CASE FIC if I’ve ever seen one. Deeply horrifying, nice and long, and so fucking beautiful. Read this on a stormy night with a nice hot drink and a bunch of blankets.

[SPOILERS]

Writing: This writing is what I would call “tight” writing, meaning that it is straight and to the point, with very little fluff or dilly dallying around. This is a 42k word fic, but absolutely none of that is cuttable in my opinion. This author has a clean voice, and a clear and concise plot, but they still find a way to make this an extremely vivid and rich story. Another really well done and interesting part of this story is the fact that it is very sharp and raw, meaning that this is not an idealistic story or a particularly soft one like some of the other stuff I like to read. There are a lot of really dark parts of this story, not only in the actual case but also in the way the characters act, how everything shakes down, and also just the general tone. Even with this, they still find a way to give soft moments and some seriously heart wrenching plot along the way.

Plot: The Team goes to investigate a watchtower off of which the guards have been flinging themselves to their deaths in the sea, and come to find out that it is being haunted by a resentful spirit whose husband was conscripted for construction and then killed along with the other workers and hidden in the walls. The woman goes to find her husband only to be caught by his murderer and instead of being killed by him herself, she jumps to her death off the side of the watchtower, promising to haunt it until it falls down. Anyway, so they go to look into this, Lan Wangji is almost killed, pining ensues and eventually Wangxian get together. This plot is very very sad and very very dark, and also very very beautiful. I think this is exactly what a case fic should look like. There is not a lot of dead time at all, but also it isn’t JUST the case, running around from place to place doing case things. This is the perfect balance between case and interpersonal plot and I literally am obsessed with how upsetting it is.

Characterization: I loved this characterization specifically for Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, although the other characters were great too. I really thought the author absolutely nailed their dynamic in terms of that awkward we-both-are-in-love-with-the-other-but-don’t-think-it’s-mutual stage. Lan Wangji is the ever patient, ever open and honest, ever affectionate person he always is, as if just having the love and Wei Wuxian in his proximity is always enough for him without it being returned. An interesting thing for him was that there are a few moments where he kind of flies off the handle and loses his cool, which at first glance could be considered OOC, but I actually consider them to be SO FUCKING IN CHARACTER. For instance when Wei Wuxian almost falls and he catches him and forgets to finish playing his qin, and then the climax for them where he absolutely fucking snaps after Wei Wuxian risks his life unnecessarily and like comes into his room and Yells at him. This isn’t typical stoic Lan Wangji, but ISN’T it though??? If you just got the love of your life back after sixteen years of them being dead and then AN ADDITIONAL YEAR OF THEM FUCKING OFF TO GOD KNOWS WHERE FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON, wouldn’t you kind of lose it if they kept almost accidentally dying in entirely preventable ways??? God Damn. Anyway, that brings us to Wei Wuxian, human disaster, who is so entirely convinced this whole time that he is so unworthy of Lan Wangji’s love that he ignores his ~literal~ confession and he has to hear Lan Wangji, a man who didn’t even yell when Jin Guangyao was talking all that shit keeping them captive, scream it at him in the middle of the fucking night in front of god and everyone in the while chewing him out. I mean if that’s not him, idk what the fuck is. Also the fact that he’s smart as a whip and very self sufficient, but MOSTLY IT'S THAT HE’S THE DUMBEST MAN I'VE EVER SEEN.

Cons: This is absolutely a personal preference thing, but there is a sex scene in this one and the ~vibe~ is closer to Wangxian’s vibe from the novel than from The Untamed. By this I just mean that it’s a little lower on the communication and checking to make sure everyone is cool with what’s happening than I typically prefer. And weirdly enough that’s even brought up after they’re done when Lan Wangji asks Wei Wuxian if he’s okay and Wei Wuxian is like I’m not sure that was a lot. Again, it’s still very well written and seriously it’s really blink-and-you-miss-it, it’s really just a preference thing.

Why it’s on the God Tier list: This is honestly just a really good story. It is so richly told, has so many different beautiful components, and the ~vibes~ are just absolutely impeccable. I really loved that the conflict here was a very human conflict and has such a touching and sad story behind why the ghost was resentful.

[unsolicitedopinionsfreelygiven]

A hundred days of sorrow By xiuzhe

Wangxian/The Untamed/MDZS

Length: 17,000

Rating: E

Situation: Wei Wuxian, after sixteen years apart from Lan Wangji, leaves again. Lan Wangji bears it.

Review: This fic addresses how absolutely fucking devastating and horrible it must have been for Lan Wangji to watch Wei Wuxian walk away after literally mourning him for sixteen years straight.

[SPOILERS]

Writing: I’m very grateful to this author for writing this fic because I think it does a really good job of conveying the sadness that Lan Wangji had to feel after coming so close to finally being with Wei Wuxian and then having to watch him walk away of his own accord. The subtle difference in the sadness this time, where Wei Wuxian is alive and presumably well as compared to before when he was dead, is very noticeable. I think the author does a great job of showing the kind of slow, wet blanket sadness of Lan Wangji as he has to just quietly bear this. One piece of imagery that I thought was especially devastating was when Lan Wangji pours his heart into letters for Wei Wuxian, and then immediately burns them. This just felt so perfect for what he is doing here, feeling so much love and devotion for someone but refusing to bring it up. I also thought it was really beautiful how the author integrated other characters and their individual griefs about Wei Wuxian into this story as well, instead of just making it seem like only Lan Wangji misses him.

Plot: This plot is fully Lan Wangji centric, following him in his years as Chief Cultivator without Wei Wuxian. He lasts about a year before he decides, you know what, actually? Fuck this. And basically gives all the clans two years to provide a candidate to replace the position of Chief Cultivator with a council. Once all this is over, he finally goes out in search of Wei Wuxian himself and finds him. I think this plot is relatively simple, actually, but it is the perfect substrate to show the grief that Lan Wangji is feeling and the frustration of being tied to his responsibilities and unable to be with the person he loves. 

Characterization: The characterization in this is absolutely stunning, not only of Lan Wangji but also of all the supporting characters as well. For instance, this fic lets Sizhui be SAD about Wei Wuxian being gone, and it shows him and Lan Wangji TALKING about it which is just *chef’s kiss*. Also, Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng sort-of bonding over Wei Wuxian being gone, and letting Lan Wangji be a little testy in return about not knowing where he went. ALSO Wei Wuxian sneaking into Lan Wangji’s house in the middle of the night to have a fraught cuddle session where he /asks LWJ to ask him to stay and LWJ is like you don’t really want me to do that and then he replies no I don’t/. Scream. 

Cons: I have no critiques.

Why it’s on the God Tier list: This fic is sexy because it allows the characters to really feel their feelings which is often something that I think is not shown in the show, while still keeping them faithful to who they are in canon. It’s honestly kind of unbelievable how emotional and beautiful this story is but then you think about the context for half a fucking second and realize ahhhh this is how it SHOULD have been in the show. Let Characters Be Sad And Feel The Emotions Their Trauma Calls For 2021.

[unsolicitedopinionsfreelygiven]

This House of Ill Repute By Jo Lasalle

Wangxian/The Untamed/MDZS

Length: 13,500

Rating: M

Situation: Three months after Lan Wangji has left his position as Chief Cultivator to travel the world with Wei Wuxian, the two get caught in a thunderstorm. In need of a place to stay the night and wait out the storm, they accidentally find themselves in a brothel.

Review: This story is like drinking a warm cup of tea but then you get to the bottom of the cup and you find heart wrenching literary analysis.

[SPOILERS]

Writing: There is something really interesting about this writing that is difficult to pin down, which i know I say about all of these stories (it’s almost like I am not a literary scholar and this is just a weird hobby I have…) As with all these other stories, the author is quite good at writing on a basic level- meaning very vivid descriptions, very smooth and flowing plotline - but there are several details about this story that caught me off guard. All in all this is a very soft and comforting fic- there is nothing dire happening, there is not even really a case going on, it’s just two companions spending a cozy night at an inn during a thunderstorm. With that being said, as you read it there are pieces of it that stick out and demand your attention- this author has a really skillful way of portraying what it feels like to be on the edge of something important but for a really long time which is essentially the entire relationship between these two. Even though this is a simple and relatively short fic, it finds a way to lay bare all the aspects of this relationship that matter, and it tells you the actual gravity of what happens here- two people who have been in love for twenty years, who have experienced death and loss to an extreme, and who have seen the impossible become real in front of their very eyes finally finally being together. The way this is written shows you that even when something happens quietly and naturally, it can still be an extremely momentous occasion.

Plot: After a hunt, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian get caught in a storm and are forced to take shelter in the first inn they come across for the night. Wei Wuxian quickly realizes that this place is not a normal inn, but is in fact a brothel. This causes some discomfort for Lan Wangji, but they end up having a lovely evening. They then go up to their room and neither of them can sleep because people are having loud sex next door. This prompts a conversation and teasing and eventual sleeping together. Here’s the thing. Some of the really interesting parts of this fic are the things that seem unimportant but your mind catches on. The madam coming to have wine and talk with them, the parallels between them and the other patrons of the brothel- them walking up the stairs together just like everyone else, making the headboard bang once later in the night. The point is made by Wei Wuxian over and over again that just because this is a place considered unconventional does not mean that there can not be joy here. Wei Wuxian, king of Non Conventional Living, loves the brothel’s atmosphere, and he makes the point to Lan Wangji that the sounds are sounds of people enjoying themselves, and should not be seen as negatives.

Characterization: I love how these two act in this fic, because as I said, there is something about this writing that really just puts it all on the table without putting it all on the table. Wei Wuxian, for instance, loves the environment that they are in- he sees it for what it is, regardless of convention. He sees people laughing and drinking and playing music and he likes it, not because he has ever been or ever wants to be a patron, but because he recognizes it as people living happily. When they go upstairs to sleep and they can hear headboards banging, he does not see it as improper, instead he realizes that it simply signifies people having a good time. Lan Wangji on the other hand, feels tense in the environment. He obviously is a product of his upbringing and while he does not seem to judge any of the people participating, it is foreign and stressful to him. When Wei Wuxian tells him that no one cares about what they are doing, he replies, I am not used to not caring. Another brilliant exchange that they have which pretty much sums up their entire relationship is when they are about to have sex, Lan Wangji pulls away, saying that this is not an honorable place, and he feels that Wei Wuxian deserves to be honored. Wei Wuxian says that it does not matter. Lan Wangji replies that Wei Wuxian does not care when people slander him and do not honor him, but Lan Wangji cares. To that, Wei Wuxian says, People were kind to us here, we had good food, and drink, and were warm. We were respected. People are having fun around us….Anywhere I am with you, I know I am honored. 

Cons: None? I think none. I wish it were longer but I also don’t.

Why it’s on the God Tier list: I am obsessed with works like this that say a lot by saying only a little. I mean, when you break it down, this is just a story about staying over at an inn during a thunderstorm and having a nice time, but what the author says expands out to a commentary on the relationship between these two people- the love and closeness you can feel with someone, while still feeling fear as you stand at the precipice of change with them. I loved so much how this author managed to capture the gist of a 50 episode long, 520k word story in like one single night. It shows us how much Lan Wangji has changed and grown, his concerns about Wei Wuxian in terms of being honored and respected by others but also by himself, and his equal fear of changing what they are to each other and staying the same. It also shows us Wei Wuxian’s character, the way he views convention, and the way he wants to protect Lan Wangji from discomfort around his views of convention. The list goes on and on. I love this story.

[unsolicitedopinionsfreelygiven]

A Lifetime of Study By Tepre

Length:14,600

Rating: E

Situation: A series of vignettes as Lan Wangji’s relationship to Wei Wuxian grows from disdain into something more intimate, starting from their time as disciples at Cloud Recesses all the way to Wei Wuxian’s bitter end.

Review: This was one of the first fics I read from The Untamed, and I literally have re read it like 8 times because it is so heartbreaking and beautiful.

[SPOILERS]

Writing: So this selling point of this fic is the way that the author describes intimacy between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. Most of the time in this fic is spent with them being in really depressing and dire situations (duh, it’s this show) and finding moments of relief in each other’s arms. I am absolutely obsessed with the way that this author found a way to describe the letting go that I wanted to see happen so desperately in the show- meaning, a lot of the original work includes them both privately being in horrible situations and wanting to reach out to the other but finding that their circumstances prevent them. This fic is the Total letting go of that barrier, allowing them to find comfort in each other and also beautifully portraying the vulnerability and high emotions that letting someone in like that brings with it.

Plot: This plot follows along parallel to the original plot, only adding in scenes here and there of them being intimate (it’s like….70-80% sex, starting with the pretense that Wei Wuxian is “teaching” Lan Wangji). It is also from Lan Wangji’s perspective and actually starts way back before he even met Wei Wuxian, observing his brother losing himself over a girl when he was fourteen. It then weaves its way through their Cloud Recesses days, all the way through to Wei Wuxian at the Burial Mounds. The plot really lies in how their relationship grows and how all the pretenses they set up fall away as they begin to trust each other.

Characterization: This is very good characterization. I think the author absolutely nailed Lan Wangji especially- listening to his hyper-repressed inner monologue and feelings about being an outcast is so incredibly heartbreaking and simultaneously so dead on for what I imagined he would be thinking. The way he speaks and acts is very very similar to the show, and the way he behaves in the sex scenes is how the Lan Wangji from the novel deserved to be written. Wei Wuxian is also very well done. His character sticks very closely to his temperament from the show, the kind of jokey-defensive affect but still sincere especially to Lan Wangji.

Cons: This story ends kind up abruptly for my taste- basically just showing the last scene after they sleep together at the Burial Mounds. There seems to be very little resolution, especially knowing how the canon ends up going, but maybe that’s just because it is kind of in vignette style.

Why it’s on the God Tier list: The way that this author writes intimacy is out of this world. There is something so extremely tragic about this entire fic because you know what the context is for these scenes, and so you know how limited the relief that they find in each other is and kind of how futile and fleeting it is, but honestly even if you didn’t know the underlying plot, you would still be able to pick that out from the way it’s written. Very intricate and skillfully done.

[unsolicitedopinionsfreelygiven]

In the Territory of the Dragon King By curledupkitten (Chanyeol)

Length: 120,000

Rating: M

Situation: Baekhyun, an innkeeper on an island off the coast of South Korea, gets a mysterious guest, and the two become close as they work through the issues that life creates.

Review: This is, unironically, my Favorite Book of All Time.

[SPOILERS]

Writing: This story is probably the furthest thing from fanfiction that I have ever read that is still technically fanfiction. If you just handed me this, printed out, there would be absolutely nothing in here that would lead me to believe that it is based off of real people in a kpop band, and that is a compliment. This author has created one of the richest, most beautiful, most soothing and wonderful settings and stories I have ever read, if not THE most. The way that they illustrate this place, talk about its history, and create the absolutely stunning tone and mood, is just simply un fucking paralleled. When I read this for the first time, I was so floored by how beautiful it was that I literally just had to like take a few days to recover, and then once I came out of it, I decided that I would spend the rest of my life searching for the feelings described in this book. 

Plot: The plot of this is absolutely amazing. It is, at its heart, very simple. Just one person who owns an inn, and one person who stays there for a few months on leave from work. But really, this plot is about life, expectations, pressure, the feeling of being trapped, and escapism. It’s also about allowing yourself to heal and grow. This is the most human plot I have ever read, and it deals so gracefully with so many things. One facet is Kyungsoo’s trauma, having made a mistake that caused a lot of pain to people as a young architect, he cracks under the pressure and tries to escape to the island to heal from that. While Baekhyun has been experiencing an opposite pressure; to stay and maintain his family’s guesthouse and never be anything more than what he is at that very moment. The pressure of overachieving and underachieving- illustrating that every human experiences the crushing weight of expectations, no matter where they are in their life, and we can all connect based on that weight and help each other let go of it. 

Characterization: This contains one of my favorite character tropes, which is basically hyperactive extravert who overcompensates for insecurity by being the life of the party meets type-A introvert who is so career oriented that they have become kind of a hardass, and then type-A falls in love with extravert and they make a beautifully complementary pair and I love it. Another aspect of this story that I really liked is the calmness of Baekhyun’s realization that he has feelings for a man. It is so natural and not catastrophized, there’s very little panicking, only some confusion, and it’s truly just beautiful. These two characters are written so well, and so richly, and it is just so wonderful to watch how perfect they are for each other in terms of allowing the other to grow and change and heal.

Cons: I literally don’t have even one. This is the perfect story.

Why it’s on the God Tier list: This story is funny because I actually kind of stumbled upon it accidentally. It’s a relic from my kpop phase back in 2017, but it actually isn’t a duo that I cared about at all? There’s no reason that this story should exist- I don’t even think these two people are friends in real life at all, but I kind of just read it on a whim. I also think it is worth noting that this is the reason I started The God Tier List in the first place, and that is because this story is the most impactful story I have ever read, personally. It’s actually really hard to explain verbally what is so beautiful about this story, but all I know is that it is the best thing I’ve ever read, and I have probably re-read it 6 or 7 times over the past few years because it makes me so happy.

[unsolicitedopinionsfreelygiven]

Cores of Diamond By speaks

Length: 25,000

Rating: M

Situation: Set (kind of) somewhere in season 1 or 2 canon, but it’s pretty unclear and it doesn’t really matter. This is the one where they watch the two binary stars crash into each other.

[SPOILERS]

Review: Listen. They fuck in front of a star. We all know this. But this story is about the yearning.

Writing: The writing is very similar to that of the show. For the most part, there is an overtone of lightness that is quite easy going and fun. Notably, though, this author is very skilled at portraying love and longing which is a treat to read. There are a lot of parts in this story, in the dialog and the intimate scenes specifically, that I remember vividly years after reading this for the first time. There is something about the style that is really just excellent to read. Also, the writer knows what the fuck they’re talking about re: space, and personally, I love that, especially because that means the comparison between Lance and Keith vs argent and aurum is not lost on me and you know I’m a sucker for a good metaphor.

Plot: Honestly? There’s not much plot. I mean there’s not an overarching narrative that the characters happen to be a part of- the characters are the narrative. This story is a cinematic- style telling of how they got together, weaving a rich story that starts in their garrison days, and reaches all the way forward, while only really going over a few month's time in the actual story. 

Characterization: As I said before, the characters in this story are very reminiscent of the ones in the show, but definitely the season 1 and 2 versions of themselves. Keith and Lance both have that immature but very sincere energy that makes this a fun read. It isn’t overly serious for most of it, but it definitely is a character study that dives into their insecurities about each other and about their place in the universe. 

Cons: this is a character study, and again, doesn’t have much plot. It’s mostly there as a vehicle for the interpersonal relationships, which I don’t really mind at all, but if you are looking for something that is plot driven, this isn’t it.

Why it’s on the God Tier list: This is on here because of /that one scene/. You know the one. DON’T come for me, okay? I literally don’t think I’ve ever come across a love scene that is as good as this one ever in my life, and I’m not ashamed to say that it’s the reason this story is on here. I have never seen anyone convey the feelings of intimacy, fondness, and longing so well, and the dialogue, fuck, I mean the line “I would follow you anywhere, I would follow you to hell if that’s where you were going” will HAUNT me until the day I die, I’m serious. And the scene where he takes off the gloves?? I’m dead. Anyway, that’s all, sorry ‘bout it but I love YEARNING.

[unsolicitedopinionsfreelygiven]

Do Not Go Gentle by Prevalent_Masters

Length: 130,000

Rating: M

Situation: Immediately following season 8, Allura lives. Basically, it follows Lance as he struggles through post- war PTSD and the Alliance tries to right itself amid instability. 

Review: If I had to sum up this story in just a sentence, I would say it is, at its core, a story about Lance and his struggle finding himself again after the war.

[SPOILERS]

Writing: To start, the writing style of this story is some of the rawest shit I’ve ever seen - I would say professional quality. Although, it is nothing at all like the show. If you’re looking for the same lighthearted banter and funny, campy plot, you aren’t going to find it in this story. The best way to describe how this writer manages to create an extremely visceral and moving narrative, while also staying true to the characters, is that this is like an aged- up version of the show. It is more maturely written, the illustrations of the situations are lively but visceral, and all in all, it fully sucks you in not only with world building, but also with the emotion in the writing.

Plot: this is one of the most comprehensive plots I’ve read. The author manages to hit every single base - the slow recovery of Lance, the plot about Ranveig, Keith’s injury, their love story, whatever else- this story does it all, but it doesn’t seem rushed, or crammed, or unnatural in any way. The actual canon of the show is hardly changed at all, with the exception of Allura not dying, and yet this story grows so far beyond the depth of the show, that it even reaches back into the old canon and validates past plot points that were previously stupid and pointless. Also, a major pro to this story is that it feels real. It feels like the things that happen actually have consequences, like the feelings of the people and how they handle them actually has output into the story. It also, in a beautifully satisfactory ending, ties up all loose ends. Nothing in this story just happens to happen, you get to various points along the story (whether it be plot related or character related) and you get to watch it come full circle later, which isn’t even something you can say for the real show.

Characterization: This is some realistic ass characterization. And by realistic I don’t necessarily mean extremely accurate to the show, but realistic as in lifelike and human. This is like when you see someone do a hyperrealistic painting of an animated character to show what they would look like in “real life”, and it’s incredible. The author takes out the most genuine parts of each character and turns them human. Also, the depiction of mental illness is amazing, but almost even more amazing is the depiction of other people’s reactions to mental illness. The author does not shy away from pain at all, but the story is made better because of it.

Cons: there’s a lot of action scenes, which can be hard to sit through. I will say though, if you choose to read them fully, they are actually very good and fun to read, meaning they aren’t just action for action’s sake. Also (and I don’t really think this is a con) but a lot of the second half of this story is just straight up plot, while the first half is more of a character study, so if you aren’t in the mood for plot, this may not be the right story. This is by no means a casual read, and it demands engagement from the reader to really work as a story, but if you participate, it is excellent!

Why it made my God Tier list: Look. The plot is captivating, the characters are well made and realistic, the atmosphere and the writing are stellar yada yada, we all know this. The thing about this story is that it makes you feel when you read it. This is an immersive experience, and it’s not always happiness that you are immersed in. There were multiple times in reading this that I would tear up, not even because it was a climactic tragic point, but because I felt the sorrow, grief, shame, guilt, pain (both physical and emotional), and love that the characters felt. When Lance sinks his hands into the red dirt in Cuba, you feel it. This is a harrowing story about recovery and acceptance, and it’s for anyone who has ever needed to work through those things themselves.