**JUST LIKE XENA by L.J. Maas
Written in answer to a challenge on the Ex-Guards mailing list, this modern-day uber is a delightful children's story chronicling the first meeting between rambunctious 8 yr. old Charlie Cunningham and the new girl in school - Katie Tyler, a smart little seven-year-old who's been allowed to skip a grade. A Xena-wannabee, Charlie immediately feels protective toward her new friend and thrilled when instead of laughing at her for playing make-believe, Katie volunteers to be "Gabrielle". Instant best friends, the two are soon faced with a challenge neither quite understands, however, when Charlie's mother, upon learning her daughter's new friend has TWO moms, refuses to let them play - prompting Charlie to make a drastic decision and inadvertently setting the stage for one adult to learn an important lesson about friendship, parenting and prejudices. A story for the whole family with a couple of charming little ubers, this one comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! - 22 pgs., 7/21/00
FANFIC ART: "Just Like Xena" by L.J. Maas
http://www.art-with-attitude.com/artist/like_xena.html

**MERIDIO'S DAUGHTER by L.J. Maas - [Alt]
Just when I think the quality of writing in Xena fanfic could not impress me more than it already has, along comes an uber novel like this to once again leave me in utter amazement at the excellence our bards are capable of. Through my years reading fanfic I've noticed that for some reason a number of the best stories I've ever read and most of the ones that have gone on to become my long-time favorites I've started reading late at night - have been unable to "put down" and have ended up finishing in the early morning hours. Well, it was 3:15 am by the time I finished this gem and it promptly shot its way straight into my list of all-time favorites. Set amidst the breathtaking beauty of the Greek Isles, this is a riveting epic about family ties, old traditions, deadly dealings and those bittersweet passions of the heart. Returning to Greece after living most of her life in the United States, Cassandra Meridio is looking forward to settling into a new life and new career and seeing the father she hasn't spent time with in over six years. Daughter of one of the wealthiest and most powerful businessman in the country, Casey expects to have to deal often with her father's "Karê" - or right-hand man. What she doesn't expect is the surprise greeting her at the airport when Andreas Meridio's Karê doesn't turn out to be a man at all, but a woman - and one with the most beautiful eyes Casey has ever seen. Tall, dark and beyond deadly, Tessa Nikolaidis has built a reputation throughout the region which serves her well as Meridio's Karê and which ensures his daughter will be safe under her care. Entrusted with the young woman's safety, Tessa finds herself spending more and more time with Casey and feeling emotions for her employer's daughter she knows she should not have - emotions which could eventually end up hurting them both more than any assassin's bullets. Fighting a losing cause, the Karê is helpless nevertheless to stop the young woman's incursion into her heart. Together they will chart a course that will have them experiencing a love unlike anything either has ever known even as it leads them also toward a fateful confrontation with the past and the certainty of future heartbreak. LJ has crafted a novel here that is not simply among the best I've ever read in uber fanfic but that can easily compete with anything you'll find in the commercial arena. Tessa and Casey are two of the most engaging characters you'll ever come across - two fascinating women with an inner strength that grows even more intense as the connection between them gives them the determination to fight both inner fears and the deadly evils of a world where a love like theirs could endanger even their very lives. The storyline is beautifully paced with moments of suspense, humor, passion, romance, action and despair all intricately weaved into a fictional tapestry that will have you engaged from page one through the last. It simply does NOT get better than this guys. A phenomenal TOUR-DE-FORCE that gets my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION! - 211 pgs., 3/19/00
FANFIC ART:

**PETAL OF THE ROSE (THE) by L.J. Maas - [Alt]
The second entry in LJ's hugely popular CONQUEROR SERIES begins with the Lord Conqueror looking forward to the marriage that will turn her one-time slave Gabrielle into Queen of the Empire. It's a joyful time for the two as they get more comfortable in their relationship and as the young woman who stole the Conqueror's heart tries to put her past behind her to embrace her new role in Xena's life and the realm. One challenge immediately presents itself, however, when a visitor from the Centaur nation arrives - a very angry young man with a secret connection to the Conqueror and an attitude that could get him in more trouble than he could ever imagine. In the weeks ahead, Xena and Gabrielle will have to deal not only with this visitor but with a long-time presence in the Conqueror's life - a darkness which still resides within the warrior and which only the gentle emotions stirred by her betrothed seem capable of mitigating. LJ maintains the first person narrative style she used throughout the first novel giving us a keen insight into this very different Conqueror whose life is changing so much in her middle years. Her Gabrielle is also a very unique one - a young woman with a tortured past who nevertheless seems stronger for it, displaying an intelligence and quite determination that makes her a fitting partner indeed for the Conqueror of the known world. One to follow closely in the days ahead, this one comes VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! - 228 pgs., 2/3/01
http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/l/lj_rose1.html

**TIME'S FELL HAND by LJ Maas - [Alt]
LJ's popular CONQUEROR SERIES continues as the Conqueror and her beloved new wife prepare to go on a tour of the empire. With a deeper level of trust between them than ever before, the two will share painful memories as Gabrielle reveals a devastating secret and Xena recalls the events that led to her embracing a life of violence. Together the two will work toward healing those old wounds as they set off toward their childhood homes and Amazonia where a former slave will officially become queen of the Amazons. LJ's very distinctive treatment of the Xena/Gab relationship continues to make this series a delightful and touching one. Having achieved a much more solid sense of equality now, the relationship is not only passionate but both playful and emotionally intimate. With each other these two characters can let down the guards they've been forced to maintain most of their lives. A strong supporting cast and a compelling plot makes for another terrific addition to the series. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! [unfinished] - 44 pgs., 8/7/02
http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/l/lj_time1.html

Copyright © 1997-2010 - All rights reserved. The contents of this Web document may not be used or reproduced in any form or by any means, or stored in a public database retrieval system, without prior written or electronic permission of the L.J. Maas.