UBER-XENA AND ORIGINAL FICTION REVIEWS
L
Reviewer can be reached at lunacy@dc.seflin.org
Last updated: 02/15/01

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

The file includes reviews of both uber-Xena and/or original fiction. It is a combined file of general and alternative stories. The alternative titles are designated as such with an [Alt] at the end of the title line.

Also, several of the uber stories deal with the characters of Mel Pappas and Janice Covington featured in the episode THE XENA SCROLLS. Mel/Janice stories are designated as such with a [M/J] at the end of the title line. You can also find them listed separately in the Mel/Janice Fan Fiction Reviews

LETTING HER GO by a href="https://lunacyreviews.ausxip.com/Raine.shtm.htm">Raine
Xena and Gabrielle face overwhelming odds when they challenge a warlord threatening Poteidaia and other nearby villages. Their biggest problem, however, might not be the warlord himself but a familiar enemy from Xena's past coupled with Gabrielle's own stubborn determination to keep a young girl safe. Reading very much like a TV episode, this one offers a good combination of angst and action. - 54 pgs., 4/29/00
FANFIC ART: a href="http://www.dreamworker-magazine.com/fanfic/lettinggo.html">Raine Story Cover
http://www.dreamworker-magazine.com/fanfic/lettinggo.html

**LION AND THE LAMB (THE) by a href="https://lunacyreviews.ausxip.com/Lois_Cloarec_Hart.shtm.htm">Lois Cloarec Hart - [Alt]
Having climbed the fast track as a banking executive and bored with the lack of challenge the club scene now offers her, Jacqueline Lanier is intrigued when her best friend Victoria suggests there might be at least one woman out there she can't seduce. Very certain of herself, the arrogant beauty takes the bet dismissing the unfamiliar feelings stirred within her the minute she meets her prey. Engaged but with some doubts about her fiance and the life they seem headed toward, twenty-five year old Christi finds herself immediately responding to Jac's easy charm and friendliness after Victoria introduces the two. Within a week Jac and Christi have become fast friends as the small blonde eagerly agrees to help Jac redecorate her home. In the days to come, as a friendship and something more grows between the two both women will find themselves struggling with very unexpected feelings - one sensing that the life she was planning is not at all what she wants and another realizing that the casual bet she accepted without care weeks before could endanger the one thing she's come to care about more than anything. Lois has written here a thoroughly compelling story with characters that are uberly familiar and yet appropriately modern. The plot unfolds along expected lines but keeps us riveted nonetheless because of the care Lois takes in developing the relationship. We see not only the attraction develop but also the friendship and a level of care and respect that is at the heart of what keeps us glued to this story - because we know the perilous foundation that lies beneath. A MUST read for the helpless romantic in us all. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! - 54 pgs., 2/3/01
http://www.storycorner.org/ljchart/Lion1.htm

**LION OF AMPHIPOLIS (THE) by a href="https://lunacyreviews.ausxip.com/Yellowjacket.shtm.htm">Yellowjacket - [M/J]
A WONDERFUL new treat from one of my favorite bards - this one featuring Mel and Janice in a grand adventure guaranteed to make you laugh, cry and believe in the power of a legendary friendship. The story traces the lives of Mel and Janice, in parts through flashbacks, from the moment they first meet to the years immediately following the war when they settle in Greece to resume Janice's search for the one thing she yearns to find more than any other - the final resting place of Xena, the Warrior Princess of Amphipolis. To aid in this search, the spunky archeologist and her partner set out to recover stolen ancient tablets containing a description of the mysterious ceremony used long ago to invoke the prophetic power at the Oracle of Delphi. Hoping the Oracle can point the way to their ancestors, Mel and Janice will risk it all to recover those tablets culminating in a deeply emotional ending which can only be described as unforgettable. This is exceptionally well-written with a terrific take on the Mel/Janice friendship. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! - 10/1/97
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/7045/lionofa.html

LITTLE MOMENTS: A DAY IN THE DESERT by a href="https://lunacyreviews.ausxip.com/CN_Winters.shtm.htm">CN Winters - [Alt, M/J]
The first in a series of short tales about a certain archeologist and her Southern belle of a partner, this new entry is told from Janice's point of view as she observes the love of her life and remembers some happy times from the past. Nicely written. - 3 pgs., 4/26/00
https://ausxip.com/fanfiction/l/little_moments.html

LITTLE PIECE OF PARADISE (A) by a href="https://lunacyreviews.ausxip.com/Midgit.shtm.htm">Midgit - [Alt]
Promising new uber tale set in modern day Bath, England which has real estate agent Eden Gallagher getting a very welcomed assignment when a stunning brunette walks into her office looking for a place to rent. Intrigued by the lovely stranger and encouraged by her roommate, Eden decides to try her luck with Victoria Conrad never suspecting that a friend is precisely what her mysterious client might need. Nice writing and an intriguing scenario in this one. - 175 pgs., 3/15/99
AWARDS: a href="http://members.spree.com/entertainment/sb_awards/index.html">"All Nighter" Swollen Bud Award (Aug. 15, 2000)
http://www.btinternet.com/~a.e.c/paradise1.html
http://members.tripod.com/Trag_88/nbards/midgit/paradise.html

**LONDON BLITZ by a href="https://lunacyreviews.ausxip.com/Joseph_Connell.shtm.htm">Joseph Connell - [Alt]
An intriguing new entry in the INFINITY SERIES begun by Redhawk, this new modern-day tale is set in London where plans are underway among a very secretive society to closely monitor the activities of a couple of visitors to the English capital. Accompanied by her young partner Rickie Gardner, the immortal Xena of Amphipolis has traveled to the city in hopes of recovering a lost part of her past only what awaits her there is a greater link to that past than even she suspects. Maintaining the sense of history, passion and suspense that are hallmarks of the INFINITY SERIES, this latest entry immediately draws you in to the unfolding mystery with a sophisticated, clever storyline, solid writing and a very loving, sexy depiction of the Xena/Rickie relationship. Joseph's latest should improve on an already excellent series. DO NOT MISS! [unfinished] - 62 pgs., 5/11/99
a href="http://members.spree.com/romance/dmredhawk/London/Blitz1.html">http://members.spree.com/romance/dmredhawk/London/Blitz1.html
[Palm Pilot version available at a href="http://members.xoom.com/xenadocs/jconnell.htm">XENA FAN FICTION FOR THE PALM PILOT]

**LONG WAY HOME (THE) by a href="https://lunacyreviews.ausxip.com/Scout.shtm.htm">Scout - [M/J]
With stories like JUST AN ORDINARY DAY and THE CYPRESS GROVE Scout has delivered some of the most moving and beautifully written tales in XWP fan fiction. It is a reputation she more than lives up to with this newest effort - a novel which is her longest story to date and arguably her finest. This is a tale about two friendships separated by eons, but forged by the same fierce love, loyalty and trust. It is a story about slavery and courage, cruelty and hope. It is a story that will touch the deepest recesses of your heart and leave you believing in the ability of the human spirit to pass on the best parts of itself to the generations yet to come. This begins as a Mel/Janice story with Mel's niece Carrie going to visit her aunt. The young girl is delighted when the two women decide to take her along on a trip to the Mediterranean where they are going to investigate a new archeological find - a find which could give them more clues about the lives of their legendary ancestors. Most Mel/Janice stories to date have featured Xena and Gabrielle as well but mostly in secondary roles where they are seen briefly through flashbacks or in dreams. In THE LONG WAY HOME, by contrast, they are EVERY bit as important as their descendants with a story of their own which is truly at the heart of this novel. As we read about Mel and Janice uncovering the past - we also SEE that past - one of Xena and Gabrielle's most trying and emotionally draining adventures as they join the crew of Xena's old ship, now run by slavers, intent on making sure they don't continue using it for that purpose. On board they find a young boy who is regularly subjected to the worse of cruelties - a boy who Gabrielle becomes determined to save at any cost. The struggle of these two women to give back freedom and hope to those from whom it has been stripped parallels the dogged determination of an archeologist and her partner millenniums later to uncover that story and reaffirm the legend of a warrior and her bard. Similar also is the impact the friends will have on the young lives they come in contact with - with Xena and Gabrielle giving a child hope in the ancient past and Janice and Mel inspiring the soul of another in the present. Scout uses a different perspective for the present-day and ancient parts of the novel with Carrie telling the story about her trip with Mel and Janice while the tale involving Xena and Gabrielle unfolds on its own. It is an effective technique which gives a distinctive flavor to the two separate plots. This is a poignant, marvelously crafted story guaranteed to put a tear in your eye one moment and a smile on your face the next. A wonderful read which receives my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION! - 11/24/97
https://ausxip.com/fanfic/longwayhome.html
[Palm Pilot version available at a href="http://members.xoom.com/xenadocs/scout.htm">XENA FAN FICTION FOR THE PALM PILOT]

LONGING (THE) by a href="https://lunacyreviews.ausxip.com/Protek.shtm.htm">Protek - [Alt]
The conclusion is now available. This newest entry in the INFINITY SERIES begun by Redhawk, this new story finds the immortal Xena of Amphipolis remembering the time she first escaped from her self-imposed exile in the jungles of the Amazon to embrace the world again. It was a juncture that would take her to Europe and then on a long sea voyage headed to the United States aboard a majestic liner on her maiden voyage in April 1912. This final part has Xena remembering those fateful April days and recovering a part of her ancient past. Protek successfully presents here the mixture of past and present that are common to stories in the INFINITY SERIES and that were a hallmark of the HIGHLANDER TV series on which the series is partly based. Particularly timely given the current interest on the specific liner featured here, this tale is entertaining and well-written. DO NOT MISS! [See the follow-up BLOODLUST] - 7 pgs.
http://members.spree.com/romance/dmredhawk/Longing/Pt1L.html

LOST AND FOUND by a href="https://lunacyreviews.ausxip.com/Lela_Kaunitz.shtm.htm">Lela Kaunitz - [Alt, M/J]
A wild action-adventure tale very much in keeping with the spirit of the XENA SCROLLS which has Janice Covington and Melinda Pappas trying to save those precious scrolls, running from Nazis while running toward each other :) Nicely written with some very cute moments. - 13 pgs., 9/23/98
https://ausxip.com/fanfic4/lostandfound.html

**LOST SOUL WALKING by a href="https://lunacyreviews.ausxip.com/DJWP.shtm.htm">DJWP - [Alt]
A favorite of many a fanfic reader, this talented bard returns with a turbulent story about a quest for redemption that has spanned the centuries, fueled by a love for the ages. An uber tale of sorts, DJ's latest is set in contemporary times where psychologist Gayle Bardo is determined to interview a mysterious serial killer before she's executed - determined more than anything to find out what it is about those tortured blue eyes that so captured her when she first saw them. What she uncovers is an incredible tale of two souls desperate to be together - willing to risk it all for that chance. This is a very moving, well-written piece which gives a timeless quality to the Xena/Gab relationship. A wonderful new read you should NOT miss! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! - 36 pgs., 11/16/98
FANFIC ART: