fanfiction recs (Snarry Games)

[clauclauclaudia]

The Snarry Games ended not long ago, and I've finally read every single story in it. Here are links to the ones I found worthy of bookmarking.

Things you might like to know:
Snarry is Severus Snape/Harry Potter slash.
I hate fluff, not that there was a lot of it in the Snarry Games. (Fluffy Severus?!?)
I love angst.
I also love happy endings if I feel they're earned.
This go-round, the teams in the Games were Wartime vs. Postwar. Writers on those teams chose from the same set of genres and prompts, as the basis for their fics. (Wartime won, which says next to nothing about the quality of any individual fic by a member of either team. It was really quite close, and there was lots of excellent writing.)
These are in approximately chronological order as they were posted, but really I'm just working backward through my bookmarks.
Some of the links might need updating in time, as the stories go to permanent archives. I'll try to keep an eye on that.

I hate warnings on fanfic, so there are no warnings below, unless my reasons/descriptions include them accidentally. But the links are all to the snarry_games community, where there are warnings you can read if you highlight them. So go forth and choose for yourself.

No Way Back by meri_oddities, Wartime, 77,779 words (what, she couldn't delete 2?): a whole novel of a fic, with an alternate universe through a mirror, where Harry Potter got to be about 35 before popping out as a 15-year old. (It's both AU and not, as we follow what happens in the universe of the books with the one twist of the mirror's existence... except that Harry can change events through his future knowledge. I love time travel fics, which this almost is.)

Covenant by auctasinistra, Wartime, 8,900 words: angst and espionage and one really hot sex scene.

Sheer Dumb Luck by rexluscus, Wartime, 7,800 words: ... so suppose Harry really needed to get past Severus's Occlusion, and the throes of orgasm was his most vulnerable time?

Beacon by venivincere, Wartime, 2,300 words: aw, it's short, just give it a try if the headers don't faze you.

Fields Before Each Other by aqua_alta, Wartime, 7,420 words: exquisite angst.

Surrendering the Mark by igtow, Postwar, 16,700 words: did we mention angst? If, like me, you don't like warnings, then don't read the headers when you click the link *off* of LJ--they forgot to hide them there.

In the Gloaming by joanwilder, Wartime, 40,200 words: angst and romance galore. And it's all about trust. This may be my favorite, for its lovely pacing.

Out of His Mind by captain_tulip, Wartime, 11,367 words: angst angst desperate angst. And Legilimency sex.

Aftertaste by swtalmnd, Postwar, 8,350 words: Harry is Severus's only hope. ;-) Disclaimer: I beta'd this one.

Every Wand I've Ever Sold by diagonalist, Postwar, 12,172 words: excellent use of the prompt "Ollivander's".

Be Good and Don't Make a Sound by sevenmes, Wartime, 18,000 words: alternate universe where James is alive. And kind of evil.

Help Wanted: God and Executioner by pir8fancier, Wartime, 20,000 words: angst, and this one's got a bodycount.

The Red Cloak by synn, Wartime, 2,250 words: short and sparse and gorgeous.

Two Lockets by sinick and ac1d6urn, Wartime, 57,000 words: combines snarkeriffic Snape with a living breathing Grimmauld Place that sometimes seems Disneyfied but it works.

Just Another Soldier in the War by ziasudra_fic, Wartime, 35,000 words: I said I like time travel fics. This one takes in the first and second Voldemort wars, but either way it's wartime.

Morior Animus by vain_chan, Wartime, 15,200 words: It's a miniature If You Are Prepared. By which I mean to say sob-inducing levels of angst. And a hollow feeling at the end. And it's exquisite. I lied above, this is my favorite. I'd just blocked it out of my mind.

The Trial of Henri Blanc by klynie1, Postwar, 20,000 words: dark!Harry. Disclaimer: I beta'd this one.

Shades of Grey by snakeling, Postwar, 17,800 words: really awesomely done morally-ambiguous Snape.

Act of Faith by amanuensis1, Wartime, 8,350 words: alternate universe, the Spanish Inquisition. I kid you not. Impeccably done.

Can't Take the Sky by cluegirl, Wartime, 58,500 words: turns out the cost of destroying a horcrux is high. Angstfest.

The Impossibility of Crows by loupgarou1750, Wartime, 41,000 words: ... or maybe this one's my favorite. I'm reluctant to say anything about it other than, it's good.

... that's a lot. This is something like, my top third of the Games. But there ya go. There's good stuff I didn't rec, too--it's all a matter of taste.

Edited to add "Just Another Soldier in the War", which my imperfect filing system led me to lose.

Comments

[tinyankletbells.livejournal.com]

Cool! I'll check 'em out.

So, this isn't Harry Potter fanfic, but I've been enjoying it thoroughly and it's thematically similar:
http://mutales.livejournal.com

[madbodger.livejournal.com]

the throes of orgasm was his most vulnerable time?

Makes sense to me.

[clauclauclaudia]

*grin* It does, doesn't it?

Love the icon.

[angelbabe_cj]

I finally finished all of these. Gah, your recs are just amazing. :D

[clauclauclaudia]

I had good material to work with. :-D There are certainly other worthy fics in the Games, but one has to draw a line somewhere. Or else just link to the master list. :-P

And--whee! That's several novels' worth of reading you did there. Some of it on individual novel-length fics. Are you completely dazed?

Do you have any clear favorites?

[angelbabe_cj]

Oops, I've just found one I didn't read, am rectifying now. I had read a couple of them before, but yes that was a HUGE amount of reading I've done. I am a bit dazed to be honest.

I like them all for different parts and different reasons. I think maybe my favourites include Morior Animus (I was so close to crying and I cry so rarely) which was painful but beautiful, Help Wanted: God and Executioner - it had some utterly fantastic lines and descriptions, In the Gloaming I'd already read but I remember loving that too.

I could go on for pages, the games were fantastic, I'm looking forward to the art ones soon. :D

I'm a bit of a compulsive and enthusiastic reader - I find it really hard when I don't have something on the go, novels or fic, or whatever.

[angelbabe_cj]

Okay, I just read The Trial of Henri Blanc, which was the only one on the list I hadn't read. I loved it, it totally blew me away, all the twists and turns, and particularly the ending. Definitely added to the favourites list. :)

[clauclauclaudia]

I got to read a few different versions of that. I hope none of this is indiscreet to say: we beta-readers collectively convinced the writer to make Harry just a leeeeeeeeetle less dark than he had been initially. Other than that, we didn't convince her of anything, because every aspect of the story that someone disliked, someone else loved! Which I think just says the story is rich, complex stuff. Love it.

[angelbabe_cj]

I don't see it as indiscreet, I don't think I'd have enjoyed it if Harry was any darker. I read a dark Harry once where he was really dark, or I started to read it, and much as I was enjoying it in one way I just couldn't read Harry quite that dark.

Oh, and icon love! I must stop collecting Garfield ones and collect ones from different fandoms instead! I'm assuming you've seen the most recent series, so the episode this one is from totally freaked me out! I'm a recent Who convert, but I really want to see the older episodes sometime. :)