Fanfic Recommendations

[kristensk]

As I've done before, here's some of my recent fanfic reads and/or re-reads that I thought deserved recommendations:

Walk Through the Valley by Vathara
Series: Rurouni Kenshin
Rated: T/PG-13 for some profanity and violence.
Located: On Fanfiction.net
Status: Complete (though there is sequel potential)
Summary: Times and technology may change. People don't. AU, Hiko POV. (Summary taken directly from the one posted on FFN)
Comments: If I drooled over this as much as I would like to, I'd short out the keyboard. I have a particular penchant for sci-fi reinterpretations of very non sci-fi fandoms. This is probably the best I've ever read (well, Saro's Inuyasha AU "Synthetic Emotions" could compete if she'd ever finish it). While it has abundant parallels to the Kenshin storyline so that it doesn't become an original story with fandom names, it's also unique enough to be interesting in its own right.

Blades of Blood by Vathara
Series: Rurouni Kenshin
Rated: T/PG-13 for profanity and violence.
Located: On Fanfiction.net
Status: Complete (But, I'd love sequels... lots of them.)
Summary: In a world where monsters roam city streets, a mildmannered New Yorker has just picked up a blade called Battousai... Modern AU, based off the NightLife RPG. (Summary taken directly from the one posted on FFN)
Comments: Vathara + Rurouni Kenshin AU is proving to be a winning combination. This was actually written before "Valley", but I hadn't commented on it before. Which is sad because I've probably re-read it five times since my first reading. The touch of having Battousai actually be Kenshin's sword rather than Kenshin himself is particularly interesting.

Under the Dog Star by Catwho
Series: Inuyasha
Rated: T/PG-13 for mild profanity and some violence.
Located: On Fanfiction.net
Status: Complete
Summary: A retro-generation fic dealing with how Inuyasha's parents met. This is now AU based on movie three canon. First documented use of the name Inutaisho! (Summary taken directly from the one posted on FFN)
Comments: This one should have been on my recommendation list ages ago. As much as I love the third Inuyasha movie and its brief glimpse at Inuyasha's parents, I wish Catwho's version was canon. Oh, how I wish it. I love her characterization of both parents, particularly Inuyasha's father. Fandom-wise, Catwho's tale, in my opinion, is much more true to what little information the canon has offered than ninety percent of the other retro-generation fics I've found. It's also a wonderfully fun read if you enjoy a prequel with a lot of little nods to later events in the storyline. There are ominous glimpses of the Shikon no Tama, hints as to Tessaiga's creation and the implications of a curse as the root of the tragic outcome of Inuyasha and Kikyou's relationship. There is one original character who might tread into Mary Sue territory for some, but Makoto's part is small enough and she does serve a useful purpose in the storyline. Personally, I liked her. Of course, all she had to do to earn my favor was to snap, "And stop talking in third person, baka," after Sesshoumaru.