XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS - ALTERNATIVE FAN FICTION REVIEWS
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Reviewer can be reached at lunacy@dc.seflin.org
Last updated: 01/21/01

Please make sure to read the EXPLANATORY NOTES before reading these reviews.

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**HOLIDAY OF GIVING (THE) by Red Hope
A touching Solstice story that has Xena and Gabrielle meeting a homeless little boy amidst the indifference of an uncaring town. Red Hope pulls all those heart strings in a story that shows how heroes can be at their most heroic doing the simple things in life. Very enjoyable read but keep those kleenex handy! DO NOT MISS! - 14 pgs., 12/10/00
http://www.geocities.com/red_hope1/other/holiday-giving1.html

HOLLOW by Claire Withercross
Bittersweet, this sixth entry in the RANDOM THOUGHTS SERIES marks a crossroads of sorts for the relationship as Xena and Gabrielle take their partnership to a new level but for the warrior an emptiness remains inside. This one is sweet and funny and sad all at once. - 3 pgs., 5/8/00
http://www.xenaeyes.com/RandomThoughts06.html

**HOLY WAR (THE) by ProudWarrioress
It is the general concensus among fans of XWP that one of the finest episodes of the series to date is THE PRICE. While introducing in the Horde the best new villanous force since STAR TREK'S "The Borg", this episode revolved around the two defining aspects of the show - Xena's dark side and the extraordinary friendship between a former warlord and a bard. ProudWarrioress newest tale is a novel which inspired by THE PRICE goes way beyond the episode in terms of scope, creating a story of such magnitude and such impact that it can only be described as a saga of epic proportions - a blockbuster of XWP fan fiction. Already quite lengthy, this story is till not finished and promises to go on for quite a while. You will thank the gods for this when you start reading THE HOLY WAR because you are not going to want to put it down, you are going to want more, and you are quickly going to realize that what you are reading is something very special from a bard that could easily compete with the best commercial authors publishing today. Set after the events in THE PRICE, this novel begins ominously with the thoughts of a warrior as he prepares to go to war - not an ordinary warrior but a leader among men - a warrior getting ready to unleash the greatest terror Greece has ever known as he leads his army on a holy crusade to recover the Chosen One promised long ago to his people - a prophesy Telmark, Supreme Commander of the Horde, is determined to see fulfilled at any cost. It is this new and deadly threat which Xena and Gabrielle find themselves facing when they join the massive army of several allied Greek City states preparing to do battle with the Horde. At the head of the army is Marmax, the commander from the episode IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE who thanks to Xena and the bard found peace for his own people but now must fight a battle for the very survival of Greece. Despite their mounting fears, Xena and Gabrielle agree to help the allied force and soon find themselves in a familiar situation - heavily outnumbered, facing savage Horde warriors - with little hope of survival. For Xena the solution is to start awakening the darkness within herself and to try to make sure Gabrielle is safe but what the Warrior Princess never suspects is that once again she is spending too much time trying to fight the Horde without considering what their motivations could be - what they want...or whom? This story truly has the feel of great film epics like SPARTACUS or the more contemporary BRAVEHEART. The battle scenes are so well-written and so carefully choreographed that they stand out vividly. ProudWarrioress' depiction of the Xena/Gab relationship, as in her other stories, is one of deep friendship, loyalty, sacrifice and unquestionable commitment. She uses a shifting point-of-view technique that gives us a very thorough insight into the minds of both our heroines and their enemy. This story is an experience you will not soon forget. A MUST READ for every Xenite, it carries my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!! [unfinished] - 7/29/97
http://members.tripod.com/~ProudWarrioress/fanfic/fanfic.html
http://www.iserv.net/~scottc/fanfic.html

**HOME AGAIN by Kim (KP) Pritekel
Set after the episode A NECESSARY EVIL, this tale has the warrior and bard going to Amphipolis for what they hope will be a relaxing family visit only it develops into everything BUT that when an unlikely catalyst finally makes the warrior reveal her heart. An effective combination of angst and romance, this is a sweet, sexy first time story in the tradition of fanfic from the early seasons. DO NOT MISS! - 17 pgs., 11/22/00
http://www.amazontrails.com/xena/homeagain_kp.htm

**HOME AGAIN by Planet-solin
The SPECTACULAR sequel to IF...THIS HAD BEEN THE BEGINNING picks up the story where the first one left off, with the Conqueror on her way to fight the Horde forces in the North, while back in Corinth Gabrielle spends time learning about her partner's government. These are lessons that will serve her well in the weeks ahead when, too lonely to stay in the palace without the Empress, she decides to pay a visit to Poteidaia. The fateful trip will unleash a series of events that will have the young bard making a heartbreaking choice between her past and her present and will have her embarking on a new adventure into Amazon territory where a new future awaits her. Meanwhile, Xena will be tying up several loose ends, dealing with enemies both outside and within her empire, all the while looking forward to a reunion with her bard. When ultimately that reunion is delayed, it is a VERY determined Conqueror who will go looking for the blonde storyteller, intent on destroying whoever has kept Gabrielle from her and about to realize just how much trouble the young woman can get into. Planet-solin gives us here an absolutely MARVELOUS re-working of the Xena/Gabrielle story we fist saw in the TV series, expertly weaving in many of the same major elements of the story but massaging them to better fit the Conqueror timeline and to develop further the captivating relationship between warrior and bard depicted here. These are two of the best characterizations of Xena the Conqueror and Gabrielle the bard I've ever seen. Planet-solin makes Xena a very appealing character despite the Conqueror's brutality - a warrior but also a woman in transition, rediscovering her humanity and reaching out toward an emotion she never thought she needed. Gabrielle is delightful - smart, sometimes foolishly brave, insightful and with that penchant for trouble that was an endearing hallmark of the character as she was first conceived in the TV series. This story DEFINITELY proves that sequels CAN be every bit as good as the original stories they're based on. Put it at the top of your MUST READ list folks - it gets my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION! [See the sequel SURRENDER] - 72 pgs., 6/18/00
http://www.amazontrails.com/xena/homeagain.htm

HOME AGAIN by T. Novan
The LEGENDS LEGACY SERIES continues as Xena and her Amazon Queen get reacquainted with life back home and the next generation starts letting their presence be known. Light, playful entry in the series. - 5 pgs., 2/7/00
https://ausxip.com/fanfiction/ll/legends5.html

**HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS by Melissa Good
Melissa Good is quickly proving to be one of the best things to ever happen to XWP fan fic. After reading AT A DISTANCE, I didn't think she would ever be able to top that effort but with this sequel she is well on her way to doing just that. HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS made it into my favorites list with the first chapter. The story begins where AT A DISTANCE left off, with our heroines on their way to Potidaea after receiving a summons from Gabrielle's father. Xena immediately senses her bard's unease about returning home but does not suspect the terrible secret Gabrielle is hiding - the pain which once almost silenced the stories within her and which in a moment of desperation two years before prompted a young village girl to follow a half-crazed warlord on her quest for redemption. It is a secret Xena will slowly unravel as Gabrielle once again finds herself amidst people with no tolerance for those who are different, forced to deal with a family who have never understood her, and having at last as a woman to confront what years before a child could not. For both the warrior and the bard Potidaea will be a difficult struggle but one they are determined to face together, drawing strength from their love and the incredible connection they feel even...at a distance. The exchanges between Xena and Gabrielle in this story are some of the most moving, most beautiful you could ever read - even the most minor scenes between them burrow themselves in your heart sparking a warmth that just makes you want to read this story again and again. There are no graphic scenes. It is a MUST READ and carries my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!! [Note: Make SURE to read the sequel BOUND, part of the JOURNEY OF SOULMATES SERIES]. - 169 pgs., 7/8/97
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