Some recs

[omi_ohmy]

I really wanted to join in with Rectober, but I was really short on time in October. So here are some recs now! Um, consider it me carrying the baton on.

I am still catching up on all the amazing fics in this year's hd_fan_fair. I have recced one I particularly enjoyed below, but may well end up reccing more in the future.


First of all, hd_level_two. Where to start?

Episodes Masterlist: HD Level 2, complete list of episodes
What is it?: A collaborative fannish project, in which H/D writers and artists come together to produce a novel-length, illustrated murder mystery, set on Level Two of the Ministry of Magic.
Authors/Artists/Production team: The guessing poll for the episode writers is still up, and I am assuming that a full credits post (naming the artists as well as all who've made each episode possible) will be made once reveals are up.

Why I liked it: I want to do this rec justice, and not just say 'You must read Level 2' (although of course you must). When I first saw the teasers for Level 2, I was intrigued. And then finding out about this original idea for a ten-episode fan project, with weekly stories and an overarching narrative arc too? Sooo excited. I couldn't sign up myself due to timing issues, and those same issues meant that I didn't get to read any of Level 2 until this week, when I gorged on all ten episodes in two days.

And I am so impressed. I cannot imagine the amount of work that went into the whole project. One of the things I liked the most about Level 2 were the little details that made up the world. These were threaded between episodes, and made the world rich and believable for me. I loved the colour-coded files (it felt like instant-fanon to me) and the way that Harry and the others used Apparition all the time. Auror Harry and Unspeakable Draco made a great detecting team, and watching the UST build at the same time was most rewarding too. I found them both swoon-worthy in their own way. Harry was a great detective, and Draco very astute in judging character. Even without the lure of a possible romance, I would have enjoyed their interactions.

There were some amazing OCs, with  a special shout-out for Iris Bustamant, who was fearsome in the best possible way. She rocked. Considering that each episode was written by a different person, in the main the characterisations matched and developed well. Also, I have enjoyed the way the interactions between the magical and Muggle worlds were written - I think the issues of their differences and dangers were addressed well, in a way that fics often tend to skip past.

The stories were all very good. Some were chilling, others sad; all were good puzzles to work through.

And then there was the art. I think that the Level 2 team really lucked out to get three such amazing artists, with pretty compatible styles, signing up. The art was seamless, and you can see just how much though has gone into making it so. The colours were muted, picked through with blues and reds, which really suited the somber nature of many of the stories. At the same time, Harry and Draco's portrayal was delightful: they were shown as men, scruffy and pointy and working together. As a collection it is wonderful and deserves a heap of praise.

If you like mysteries, detectives, great characters, a world of magical detail, and long, well-developed fics as well as beautiful art, then you must rush right over to Level 2 and read it all.



Foundation
Author: _hannelore
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,761
Summary: Hermione returns to Hogwarts while Harry and Ron never finish school, but the person she is looking for isn't the person she expected to find.

Why I liked it: This was written for hp_silencio, and as such is dialogue-free. It is an incredibly beautiful story of loss and healing. I loved the palpable sense of the castle mourning, which was drawn so delicately and with many wonderful details such as the library missing Madam Pince's reign of quiet. I have never seen a building able to show its emotions so well, and it was absolutely fitting as a tribute to Hogwarts. The way some areas of the school were taken back, away from students: I really could feel the protective grief. Hermione's own grieving, for a past she could never return to, was woven in perfectly. This story was quietly moving, and I just loved it..

Sparks from the Fox's Tail
Author: khalulu
Rating: PG-13 (romance, not explicit)
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco
Summary: Draco is frustrated with his career as a travel writer, when a mini-tirade from Mrs. Weasley and an encounter with the portrait of an intrepid great-great-great-aunt lead him to Finland to study wandless magic. Harry is – just being contrary and following his sweet-tooth, or taking the subtle route to saving the world?
Warnings/Content Notes: No deliberate violence, but an accident involving heavy bleeding.
Word Count: 17,000

Why I liked it: Oh my goodness, for me, reading this fic was like falling in love. I was absolutely entranced by the Finnish rune songs. Draco, along with the reader, is initiated into a new world of magic, and it is beautiful: calm, rooted in the earth, and in songs, and filled with gentleness. I loved the depth of research and the beauty of the rune songs; I loved how real the world of Finnish magic was - I hate to say this but JKR's seems pale in comparison. The OCs were wonderful and warm, and I felt immersed in their world. And then on top of that I loved the way that Draco was able to heal and open up in this new world, to find his peace. Harry was wonderful too, quietly moving to his own place of healing. I really loved this story. It was romantic and sweet and refreshing and most of all, magical.

Comments

[birdsofshore]

khalulu's fic is amazing, isn't it? I knew you'd love it!