NOTE: I do not update these reports after they are posted so some of the links may not work after a while. If you find a broken link check the title in the alphabetical lists of alternative or general reviews at the end of this report.
MONDAY FAN FICTION REPORT - 5/3/99
[Previous report was for 4/29/99]
Hi all,
First of all a reminder to those of you who read this report through a Xena mailing list or through the Xena NetForum - I also have a mailing set up exclusively for the fanfic report. Subscribers to that list only get the fanfic report - no other messages. If you need to unsubscribe from one of the regular Xena lists or you aren't having much luck accessing the NetForum (which seems to have gone to that Forum resting place in the sky ;-) you can still get the fanfic report as soon as I publish it by subscribing to it at: http://www.egroups.com/subscribe.cgi/Lunacy-Reports
The reports also get posted at my web site but I usually publish them via e-mail 1-2 days before they go up at the site.
One new Xena fanfic site now online - THE POWER AND THE PASSION located at: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Thebes/7405/
Two new ones and two updates below including the continuing appearance of that wicked but ever-so-fascinating Conqueror ;-)
ALTERNATIVE FICTION
DUTY CALLS by T. Novan
The latest installment in the RAISING MELOSA SERIES is a fun look at the daily duties of an Amazon Queen as she and her champion attempt to negotiate a treaty and then attend to some more personal negotiations ;-) One of the lighter entries in a series that just continues to get better. DO NOT MISS! - 6 pgs.
https://ausxip.com/fanfiction/d/dutycalls.html
INVITATIONS by Gin
A sequel to Gin's second Conqueror story COMPLICATIONS, this newest tale finds the Conqueror and the Amazon Queen busy with their respective kingdoms even as they make plans for their reunion during an upcoming festival at Corinth. It's a reunion that will be full of surprises and much palace intrigue as the Conqueror and her queen investigate the forces plotting against them and very determined enemies threaten to destroy the happiness they've so recently found. Gin gives us a very different take on the Xena and Gabrielle characters in this Conqueror series - keeping them nevertheless, familiar and likeable. The supporting characters are well-defined in their own right adding to a complex, intelligent storyline guaranteed to entertain. DO NOT MISS! [unfinished] - 44 pgs.
https://ausxip.com/fanfiction/i/inv1.html
CONQUERING THE CONQUEROR by Seana James
Chapters 7-8 are now available. Set in the world of Xena the Conqueror, this VERY promising new story revisits the scene from the Hercules episode ARMAGEDDON NOW that marked the first-ever confrontation between the infamous empress and the courageous insurrectionist, Gabrielle of Poteidaia. Impressed by the young woman's bravery but determined to show the people how pointless any efforts at opposing her will be, Xena does not hesitate to order the insurrectionist's crucifixion, instructing the soldiers to break her legs in the process. The cruel empress stands by stoically as her victim's screams flood the courtyard but once her eyes are captured by the anguished ones starring back at her from that cross suddenly another vision floods her mind - a vision from another time and place on a snowy mountain where she is herself on a cross and on another one right beside her those same green eyes are shinning back at her with nothing but love. It is a vision that shakes the Conqueror to the depths of her souls making her realize that she may have just made the most horrible mistake of her life... In these latest chapters the Conqueror thinks about the changes taking place within her heart while she continues the search for those trying to hurt her and Gabrielle. Seana sets up a terrific premise here and does a great job of maintaining the characterizations from that ARMAGEDDON NOW episode. Her Gabrielle is courageous, smart and very human while her Xena is remarkably likeable despite the rough and deadly exterior - sympathetic and yet frightening in her determination to keep the gentleness in her heart from surfacing. Definitely one to monitor in the weeks ahead, this one comes VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! [unfinished] - 12 pgs.
http://xenafiction.net/scrolls/seana_james_ctc.hts
TENDER IS THE NIGHT by Llachlan
Part four is now available. Llachlan has been delivering some first class fanfic for a while now but with this new uber story this bard is well on her way to outdoing herself. Part of that new second generation fanfic that incorporates elements of OTHER Xena fanfic, Llach's latest is initially set in Tinseltown where second unit director Jae Cavanaugh gets the shock of her life when the death of her mentor suddenly propels her into a very unexpected opportunity as the lead director of a major Hollywood film called "Balance of Power". It's an opportunity filled with difficult challenges as the production is already racked with problems not the least of which is having a lead known among her peers as the Amazon Ice Queen. A fiercely private actress with an infamous temper and little tolerance for incompetence, Reed Lewis has a lot more on her mind than the problems with the film but having experienced a series of recent setbacks she knows this is her last shot at reviving a dwindling career. Amidst this fast-paced world of movie-making excitement, Hollywood deals, long hours, hard work and compromises, these two very different women come together to create a film and in the process discover a bond, undeniable and sweet which begins drawing their souls together despite the odds and which before their work is complete will have tested them like nothing or no one before. In this latest part, back in Hollywood the media grows increasingly interested in Jae's film and star while Reed struggles against memories she'd rather forget. Llach presents us here with richly drawn characterizations of two very complex, fascinating and wonderfully appealing leads. Both the relationship and the surrounding story are fleshed out carefully establishing a very believable pace which easily draws us into the unfolding drama. In a tribute to fellow bard Missy Good, Llach has the movie in her story actually be a film adaptation of Missy's novel TROPICAL STORM - a clever plot development which allows for a number of guest stars and inside jokes that should be familiar to anyone who's a part of Missy fandom. More than a story, TENDER is an experience folks. It gets my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION! [unfinished] - 29 pgs.
https://ausxip.com/fanfiction/t/Tender.html
For those of you reading this post who are not familiar with the term alternative (alt.), it refers to ADULT stories that add a romantic element to the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle, depicting them as more than just friends.
Happy reading!
Lunacy 8-)