December recs

[spatz]

Sliding in not-quite-late with these! The Untamed recs are first since I think that’s what most of ya’ll are around for, then Yuletide & related small fandoms and some random anime fandoms under the cut.

THE UNTAMED

With Absolute Splendor by Lise / @veliseraptor - I’ve seen this recced all over the place, and for good reason! Absolutely my favorite Jiang Cheng POV, as he insists that Wangxian get married at Lotus Pier then repeatedly fails to get out of his own way as he rebuilds a relationship with Wei Wuxian. His complicated layers of trauma and grief and anger are so well-written, and he’s trying so hard <3

make this chaos count by devotedbones - Wei Wuxian returns to Cloud Recesses after his travels and immediately gets in a fight with some assholes talking shit about Lan Zhan. Sounds a bit cracky, but it’s not, and Wei Wuxian’s voice is so compelling - mischievous and longing and righteous, with his belief in LWJ just enough to counterbalance his belief that he’s unwanted.

Keep the Customer Satisfied by @whenas-in-silks/WhenasInSilks - modern AU where Meng Yao deploys his Customer Service Smile and sneakiness in an actual customer service job, and Lan Xichen just keeps breaking his computer for some reason. (+ excellent comic relief from frenemy/coworker Xue Yang, and The Hat)

combat baby by dustyloves/@theo-decker - Buffy fusion, in which Lan Zhan is called as Slayer after Wei Ying’s death - but Wei Ying comes back. I was surprised by how much I liked this, since normally I am reflexively cranky when the Slayer gets AU’d to being male, but something about Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan’s trauma and anger and the weight of expectations really worked for me. And also the kinky sex. :D

The One-Body Problem by metiskit - in which Jingyi accidentally gets possessed by the Yiling Patriarch - who turns out to be a really nice guy? Hilarious, but with Wei Wuxian’s deep well of Issues as a compassionate counterpoint. Starts stronger than it finishes, imo, but absolutely worth reading.

YULETIDE & ADJACENT

I had a very quiet Yuletide this year, because I did my semi-annual fandom thing where I read all the YT fic for a fandom and then went and caught up on the last six months of fic that I'd missed. So I basically just binge-read Queen's Thief, The Goblin Emperor, and Nirvana in Fire, with side trips in anime fandoms that I've never even seen the canon for, because why not end 2020 on the appropriate 'fuck it' note.

QUEEN'S THIEF

everything else left up to you by hippolytas - gorgeous coda for the final book, with the politics and intrigue and everything rolling right along after the war, but Gen and Irene finding peace in the center of the hurricane.

words like water into dry earth by betony - sneaky, fantastic story about Phresine and Irene over the years, and stories shared. I got to the end and had to read it all over again.

Beginning to End by ama - rich, sweet story about the friendship between Relius and Kamet, through the end of Return of the Thief. Both of them are such prickly, brilliant, caring men, they’re a fun dynamic.

that which is worth waiting for by ryfkah/@bookelfe -  wonderful Costis/Kamet fic where their tentative first steps towards a relationship are interrupted by the Mede invasion, featuring a fantastic and very *them* love confession that I adored.

blessings denied, blessings shared by @venndaai​ - precise, intimate Costis/Kamet story from Costis bringing Kamet home through RotT. Implied past Costis/Gen/Irene, great use of Immakuk and Ennikar stories.

Blessings Accepted and Blessings Deserved by pendrecarc/@unlettyrde​ - ​in which Kamet gets a new translation of an Immakuk and Ennikar story and shares it with Costis. Very sweet (hah) get-together.

GOBLIN EMPEROR

Like a Tightrope over the Istandaartha by wedgetail - Marquis Lanthevel’s outsider POV on the coup and Maia. Great, grouchy, and original.

The Stairs Beneath the Heart by @hermitknut - long, rich outsider POV on the beginning of Maia’s reign, from the perspective of various people in the Alcethmeret. The sequel is still ongoing, but this one’s already satisfying and worth a read all by itself.

NIRVANA IN FIRE

Records of the Land of Xiang by kitsunealyc - AU where Prince Qi survived and runs a jianghu sect, and Jingyan is sent to investigate Mei Changsu as a potential ally. Just in case you wanted even MORE identity porn and nonsense disguises and intrigue, with some bonus MCS thinking Jingyan is dead for once, which of course you do want! Who would not!

Adverse Event by meguri_aite/ @izumisays - in which Mei Changsu faces his worst nightmare: compulsory honesty! (aka truth serum fic) Such fun watching him dance around the truth with Jingyan.

NARUTO

Tried and Tested by twentysomething - hysterically funny story where they realize that Naruto can’t become Hokage because he still, technically, has never been promoted from genin. I literally laughed until I cried reading this.

Building Traps for Gods by HazelBeka - creative and creepy story set shortly after the kyuubi attack: orphans are going missing amidst rumors of a boogeyman figure, but the adults think it’s just part of the aftermath, so Iruka decides to investigate himself. Really fascinating casefile and window into Iruka’s messy, grieving, hungry-for-attention years.

The Perks of Promotion: Choose Your Own KakaIru by @flailinginlove & multiple authors - I am weak for Choose Your Own Adventure, and this is a great one that starts with Iruka taking the test to become a tokubetsu jounin. Clever concept with easy to navigate formatting, and different authors for different chapters.

BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA

Complicated Creation by Elemental/@elementalsight​ - magical AU where Izuku can see the spirits that give people quirks, and has had a really rough time because of it. When Izuku starts helping the heroes who’ve lost their powers to quirk-erasing bullets, he gets a lot of unwanted attention. I’m not even in this fandom, but this is a long, wonderful hurt/comfort-y adventure featuring Aizawa, everyone’s favorite grumpy-soft badass teacher.

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