Hello, random person. This is a partial list of fanfiction I, eatpraylove, read that both interested me and delivered something truly memorable. I hope the same happens to you.
Crossovers[]
Another Day for the Whooves by Golden Vision - rated Everyone
- Fandoms: Doctor Who and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
- Complete (has a prequel)
- Summary: Wake up, clean the TARDIS, have some tea, get chased by Daleks, have more tea, lose the Vortex, make muffins, find the Vortex, eat muffins and tea, blow up the planet. It's just another day for the Whooves family! ...Oh, and Carrot Top has NO idea what's going on. Just saying.
- I like it because...: It's brimming with the kind of insane, almost-over-the-top hilarity that the best Doctor Who/My Little Pony crossover fics have. The first chapter has Sparkler fighting a Cybermat that broke her coffee mug and Dinky's toys talking to her/each other, and things only escalate from there. Definitely good for reading if you've had a bad day.
The Hetalian Job by RainyMeadows - rated T
- Fandoms: Soul Eater and Hetalia: Axis Powers
- Complete, as are its two sequels (which also come recommended)
- Warnings: graphic violence (including torture), blood, swearing, attempted suicide/suicidal thoughts (one character)
- Pairings: Primarily GerIta, though the sequels include more.
- Summary: It was supposed to be a simple mission: go in, slay the prospective kishin, come straight back out. But when Death the Kid encounters an asymmetrical pasta-loving coward, his life becomes anything but simple. Rated T for violence, swearing and dark themes, but not enough to constitute an M. Image by Skim-ART. First in the SoulHeta series.
- I like it because...: Well, for one thing, everyone reacts believably in-character to the weirder aspects of Soul Eater. And by "believably in-character," I usually also mean "in a way that gives me the giggles." Italy also gets to be a MAJOR badass partway through, and anything that makes Italy awesome is fine by me.
Lyrics of Sorrow and Lyrics of Sorrow: Assault - both rated T
- Fandoms: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha and Castlevania (specifically Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow)
- Lyrics of Sorrow complete, Assault in progress
- Spoilers for the Chronicles of Sorrow series
- Summary: The Jewel Seeds: 21 Lost Logia that bear the power to grant any wish, no matter how evil. They, and those that seek them, have landed on an Earth embroiled in a hidden war of magic, darkness, and souls. Can the forces of light reclaim these dangerous gems before those of evil intent use them to change the world… forever?
- I like it because...: It's a surprisingly good introduction to the Nanoha-verse even with the presence of Soma, Yoko, and all their friends. The handful of OCs don't derail the plot--indeed, one in the sequel plays a role in the Wolkenritter subplot--the canon characters are recognizably themselves, and there's some fascinating exploration into the soul magic used in Aria and Dawn and how it interacts with Nanoha's magitech.
- Strike: Some technical issues here and there, but nothing that distracts from the overall experience.
Paper Mario: The Land of Harmony by Blade Strike - rated Teen
- Fandoms: Paper Mario universe and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
- On hiatus since August 2014
- Summary: When Princesses Peach Peach [sic] and Daisy drag Mario and friends all the way from the Mushroom Kingdom to Equestria, Mario was expecting (for once) a normal vacation. In a land of talking ponies. However, as luck would have it, tragedy strikes during Princess Peach and Princess Celestia's meeting, when the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony are attacked and the Elements scattered throughout a papery Equestria! Now Mario, Hammer in hand, cap on head, and a baby dragon sidekick at his side, has to save not just Equestria, but the entire world from a sinister plot that was NOT made by Bowser. Cheesy? Yes. Fun? Hopefully!
- I like it because...: The author wrote it as if he were pitching a Wii U game. No, really, he included controls and everything. Mario's characterization is believable, the OCs work well (special mention goes to Diggsie the Diamond Dog), and the villains are appropriate(ly hilarious) for both canons.
- Strikes: The fourth wall humor/breaking can get excessive, and as you see from the summary, the author's technical abilities could use some improvement.
Republic of Heaven Community Radio series by SailorPtah - series rated Mature, individual Books rated Teen
- Fandoms: Welcome to Night Vale and His Dark Materials
- Book One and first interquel complete; Book Two in progress (sequels also come recommended)
- Warnings: canon-typical violence (including torture), disturbing images (mostly due to Strexcorp. Those monsters.), explicit male/male sex scenes
- Pairings: Cecil/Carlos, OC/OC (within Carlos' team of scientists), Dana/Maureen, Steve Carlsberg/Janice's mom (OC?)
- Synopsis: Carlos and his Magisterium-approved team are on a mission to study Rusakov particles in the most theologically interesting community in Hispania Nova. They are in no way prepared for anything they're about to meet. (A partial list: angels, witches, hooded spectres, portals between worlds, and a man who walks around with no daemon in sight and knows things he shouldn't possibly be able to know.)
- I like it because...: To be frank, this is the best crossover AU I have ever read.
Single Fandom[]
Alphabet Soup by CoffeeIncluded - rated T
- Fandom: Pokémon
- Complete
- Pairings: Dualrival (Cheren/Bianca), Ferriswheel (White/N)
- Summary: N can only remember bits of the ceremony. Bree can't remember anything from before her sixth birthday. Bree White, Cheren Shiro, and Bianca Noir are in no way prepared for what lies buried. Memory's a funny thing, isn't it? Slight Cheren/Bianca, White/N
- I like it because...: I don't normally ship White/N, but this fic made it work for me. It's that well-written and funny. The author really delves into the logistics of Pokémon (Black and White); how Steel-types stay healthy under a trainer's care, for example, and why people think Litwick "go all dementor on you", as Bianca says (according to the author, they just cause radiation poisoning). Also, CoffeeIncluded ensures that every time something Sueish happens to Bree, she has to work her ass off and/or suffer to make up for it, thereby making her not a Sue. Definitely worth your time. (The "slight" up there in the summary isn't totally accurate, BTW.)
Better Off Alone by The Great Chicken Miasma - rated T
- Fandom: Paper Mario (specifically The Thousand-Year Door)
- Complete
- Warning: Physical and emotional abuse within a "family"
- Pairing: Vivian/Koops
- Summary: Vivian can only wonder if she'll ever fit in anywhere. Often abused and put down by the world, she quietly laments in the darkness of her own fate... This is a moving tale about how everyone deserves love, friendship... and a second chance.
- I like it because...: It goes into some really astounding depth regarding the reign of the Shadow Queen, the Crystal Stars, Shadow Sirens in general, and the four heroes who defeated her (the Shadow Queen) the first time. Also, everyone's in character and Vivian's woobie-ness is believable without being overdrawn and/or melodramatic.
Difficulty by FriedCatfish - General Audiences
- Fandom: Undertale
- Complete
- Summary: "papyrus... finds difficulty in interesting places. yesterday he got stumped trying to 'solve' the horoscope." Someone has to lead the Underground, and Papyrus is as good a candidate as any.
- I like it because...: This is one of a handful of times I've related to a fictional character on a personal level. I never even considered that Papyrus might be on the spectrum before reading this, and it makes total sense in hindsight. (Undyne, too.)
Follow Me by SakuraMota - rated T
- Fandom: Pokémon
- In progress
- Pairings: SoulSilver, NewBark (Gold/Kris), Leaf/Green, teased Soul/Red
- Summary: After Soul lets slip she met Giovanni, Silver sets off, determined to find him, with Soul along for the ride. Can they survive the journey together, or will their tempers drive them apart? Can they get together by journey's end?
- I like it because...: Good writing, funny interactions between characters, a believable romance arc or three, and most importantly, Silver stays in character. The first fanfiction I ever favorited on deviantART!
Fortitude by Ingie - rated T
- Fandom: The Legend of Zelda
- Complete (undergoing "Epic Edit")
- Warnings: violence, possible trigger for abusive relationship
- Summary: Nearly 15 years after Ocarina of Time, Link and Zelda struggle to preserve political peace after their controversial marriage. But when disaster strikes, Zelda finds herself facing far more than political turmoil...
- I like it because...: Ingie has written a very convincing political-magic-romance-drama while keeping the canons in character (so far as I can tell) and the various OCs non-disruptive. (Except for Ashton, but he drives the main conflict, so...) She does a very good job at portraying Zelda's emotions as well; her fear, her anger, her love. Has a TV Tropes page which desperately needs expansion and editing.
Girl She Loved by Fabulolz - rated T
- Fandom: Free!
- Complete
- Pairings: Chigusa/Hoshiko, Gou/Chigusa
- Warning: emotional abuse
- Summary: Hanamura Chigusa is having a hard time believing that her longtime girlfriend, Nakano Hoshiko, isn't cheating on her. Chigusa thinks maybe it's because she isn't interesting enough. Matsuoka Gou is very much alarmed by the emotional abuse her friend is going through. Will Hana eventually understand that she is being mistreated? ((Rated T for some swearing and emotional intensity))
- I like it because...: To date the only femslash fic I've seen in this fandom (all the others are het or regular slash), so that's an automatic plus. It's also cute, heartfelt, and gives two out-of-focus female characters the love they deserve. :)
It Takes a Village by Determamfidd - rated T
- Fandom: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
- Complete
- Pairings: Fluttermac, Spike/OC, Rainbow Dash/Applejack, others alluded to
- Summary: Spike only wants things to stay the same. Time, however, has other ideas. He's going to need a lot of help... An Everypony Story.
- I like it because...: Dragons haven't really been explored in canon, and Determamfidd's vision of how their society and biology work feels right for the show. It's a coming-of-age story about Spike getting used to his larger body and what that means for Ponyville as a whole. (Here's a hint; lots and lots of drama.)
Nothing Gold Can Stay by perkynurples - rated Teen
- Fandom: The Hobbit
- Complete with sequel (also recommended)
- Pairing: Bagginshield
- Summary: Bilbo Baggins led a rather peaceful life, thank you very much, until an old acquaintance decided to turn it upside down, and he found himself agreeing to take a job that’s… let’s say not exactly up his alley, and might eventually cost him a little more than his treasured cozy lifestyle. Who would have thought tutoring a slightly menacing monarch’s more than slightly overbearing nephew could prove to be such an… adventure?
- I like it because...: Like most white girls on the Internet, I am a sucker for good slash fanfics. Especially good modern AU slash fanfics. As far as I can tell (I haven't and won't see the movies, and it's been a while since I read the book), Bilbo, Thorin, and the others are in character. Special mention goes to AU!Smaug for being the finest-written villain I've read in a long time, AU!Bofur for being hilarious, and AU!Gandalf for being the world's greatest Chessmaster meets Indiana Jones meets master spy.
- Strike: She doesn't use commas and periods in dialogue quite right, which gets distracting.
On Her Undying Majesty's Secret Service by Imperial Girl - rated T
- Fandom: Girl Genius
- Complete with a sequel
- Pairings: Wooster/OC
- Summary: Ardsley Wooster, British Intelligence, has an important assignment in Paris-ingratiate himself with the heir to Baron Wulfenbach. But Ardsley's not the only one in Paris with a secret agenda. Set approximately two years before the comic begins.
- I linked the comic in the summary for your convenience. Anyway, I love a good spy drama, especially in verses that don't usually lend themselves to such.
- Strike: I really, really wish she'd mark the scene and POV shifts more clearly.
Sansukh by Determamfidd - rated Teen
- Fandom: The Lord of the Rings (takes elements from The Hobbit) (bookverse and movieverse)
- In progress
- Pairings: Bagginshield (sort of), Gigolas, Aragorn/Arwen, Éowyn/Faramir, Kili/Tauriel, Bifur/Ori (or so I'm told)
- Warning: Major character death
- Summaries: The battle was over, and Thorin Oakenshield awoke, naked and shivering, in the Halls of his Ancestors. The novelty of being dead fades quickly, and watching over his companions soon fills him with grief and guilt. Oddly, a faint flicker of hope arises in the form of his youngest kinsman, a Dwarf of Durin's line with bright red hair. (Follows the story of the War of the Ring).
- I like it because...: Ho. Lee. Valar. I think this is the first one I've found/put on my List that I'd nominate for Legendary Goodfic. Besides the whole "dead dwarf peanut gallery" thing and Determamfidd's impeccable writing (everyone's in character, and there are boatloads of feels), there's so much inclusiveness in this vision of Middle-Earth; multiple POCs, a trans elf (MtF), a nonbinary dwarf (they/them), neurodiversity (Thorin's dragon sickness, one of the younger dwarves is autistic), and "Gimli teaching Legolas how to check his elvish privilege", to quote Lily Winterwood. Seriously, GO READ IT NOW. NOW!
SLASH by jarec - rated T
- Fandom: Batman
- Complete
- Summary: Who's posting this stuff, anyway? And why is it all over Gotham City?
- I like it because...: Of the many fics where the characters discover fanfiction about themselves, this is one of the funniest, and the first one I ever read.
The Wall Street Cops by Spatialist - rated Mature
- Fandom: Free!
- Lacking an epilogue but essentially complete
- Warnings: graphic depictions of violence, some language, a male/male sex scene
- Pairings: Makoharu, Reigisa, teased Gou/Mikoshiba
- Summary: Detective Inspector Haruka Nanase is, as his assistant Nagisa likes to say, "all work and no play." But it's hard to be cheerful when there are crimes to solve and dangerous criminals to chase. When an infamous serial killer resurfaces and the case lands in Haruka's division, he's forced to take on the help of Private Investigator Makoto Tachibana.
- I like it because...: OH MY GODS THE LEVELS OF SHIP TEASING AAAAAAAAAA. In all seriousness, it's a well-written cop/detective AU featuring, as the best mysteries do, memorable investigators and a killer who comes right out of left field.