5 Raksura fic recs
Jul. 19th, 2021 08:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
schneefinkFive Books of the Raksura recs, including one crossover (SPN) and two that are Raksura AUs of other fandoms (BoB, FF7).
Canon knowledge required: probably yes for the first one, probably not for the second and third, and imo not at all for the other two.
Several of these are imo underappreciated, so if you enjoy them it would be especially nice if you let the author know.
how river learned to stop worrying and love the moon by![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
oriflamme
18k, River/Moon (Moon/Chime, River/Moon/Chime)
Summary: Chime is, apparently, useless. No one else seems to notice or care that their first consort wears almost the exact same jewelry to every formal event.
Really. It's been years.
So River takes matters into his own hands.
Why I like it: This gives me many feelings about River, and about staying in a place and tight-knit community where you screwed up massively and alienated almost everyone and now you are trying to carry on somehow (while everyone watches.) Also, emotions are hard, especially when some cultural differences are in the mix.
Into the Sunrise bysarpenur
52k, gen focus, canon-divergent AU (mind the warnings)
Summary: Alternate ending to The Cloud Roads. After Jade and Moon bring back the Fell poison and attack the Fell at the colony, a kethel manages to fly away with some of the Arbora, and Moon pursues. But Ranea has settled her flight at a destroyed groundling city, and Jade doesn't get there in time.
Why I like it: Good early-series Moon voice and great h/c.
The Distant Sky byfallintosanity
41k, gen, SPN crossover
Summary: Moon is supposed to be avoiding Consolation, but a mishap during a visit to Opal Night puts Consolation in danger. Moon and Malachite have to navigate a city stranger than anything either of them have ever seen to rescue her.
Sam and Dean, newly reunited after Dean's miraculous return from Purgatory, investigate reports of mysterious disapperances and cattle theft near Cleveland. But the case turns out to be far more complex than they thought when an enemy they believed dead resurfaces, and they must ally with strange and dangerous creatures to protect all of Cleveland from their common enemy.
Why I like it: Turns out, some Raksura (especially Moon and Malachite!) accidentally landing on Earth, and then meeting Sam and Dean who try to figure out what the hells is going on, is a lot of fun. It also makes for some fantastic character moments (especially involving Kethel) and great action.
From the Court of Gale and Iron bymuccamukk
44k, Lewis Nixon/Richard Winters, Band of Brothers – Raksura AU
Summary: Nix is a high-born shapeshifter who should want for nothing, but family trouble drives him into danger and eventually to Fortress Currahee. Trapped in hostile territory, Nix knows that he can't let himself trust anyone, no matter how interesting a certain soldier turns out to be.
Why I like it: I don't know "Band of Brothers" at all, but this worked very well for me as a Raksura OC/OC story. It's also a Raksura/human romance where neither knows anything about the other, so there are plenty of cultural misunderstandings, and also some h/c, action etc.
raksura core byoriflamme
29k, gen focus, Final Fantasy VII – Raksura AU, series WIP (4 completed stories)
Summary of first fic: Laughing, the other shifter darts away. His bronze-tinted scales flare bright in the sunlight. He flies like he loves it, like it's inextricably part of him, circling in wider arcs as they ascend and leave the jungle and the plateau and the valley behind.
Cloud's never seen anyone so like him before.
So when the stranger gestures - a ripple of angled spines to accompany the cheerful wave of his arm and his bright, enthusiastic smile - Cloud follows quietly.
Why I like it: I only know FF7 from osmosis, but I enjoyed this. Here Cloud is the solitary who is introduced to a Raksura court (an unusual one, not that he knows that) and finds it very strange, and I enjoyed the mutual cautious getting-to-know-each-other and the even slower building of some understanding and trust.
Now I want to reread the books, and also read the Tales of the Raksura which I have never read so far for some reason. As always, too many books to read, too little time.
Canon knowledge required: probably yes for the first one, probably not for the second and third, and imo not at all for the other two.
Several of these are imo underappreciated, so if you enjoy them it would be especially nice if you let the author know.
how river learned to stop worrying and love the moon by
18k, River/Moon (Moon/Chime, River/Moon/Chime)
Summary: Chime is, apparently, useless. No one else seems to notice or care that their first consort wears almost the exact same jewelry to every formal event.
Really. It's been years.
So River takes matters into his own hands.
Why I like it: This gives me many feelings about River, and about staying in a place and tight-knit community where you screwed up massively and alienated almost everyone and now you are trying to carry on somehow (while everyone watches.) Also, emotions are hard, especially when some cultural differences are in the mix.
Into the Sunrise by
52k, gen focus, canon-divergent AU (mind the warnings)
Summary: Alternate ending to The Cloud Roads. After Jade and Moon bring back the Fell poison and attack the Fell at the colony, a kethel manages to fly away with some of the Arbora, and Moon pursues. But Ranea has settled her flight at a destroyed groundling city, and Jade doesn't get there in time.
Why I like it: Good early-series Moon voice and great h/c.
The Distant Sky by
41k, gen, SPN crossover
Summary: Moon is supposed to be avoiding Consolation, but a mishap during a visit to Opal Night puts Consolation in danger. Moon and Malachite have to navigate a city stranger than anything either of them have ever seen to rescue her.
Sam and Dean, newly reunited after Dean's miraculous return from Purgatory, investigate reports of mysterious disapperances and cattle theft near Cleveland. But the case turns out to be far more complex than they thought when an enemy they believed dead resurfaces, and they must ally with strange and dangerous creatures to protect all of Cleveland from their common enemy.
Why I like it: Turns out, some Raksura (especially Moon and Malachite!) accidentally landing on Earth, and then meeting Sam and Dean who try to figure out what the hells is going on, is a lot of fun. It also makes for some fantastic character moments (especially involving Kethel) and great action.
From the Court of Gale and Iron by
muccamukk44k, Lewis Nixon/Richard Winters, Band of Brothers – Raksura AU
Summary: Nix is a high-born shapeshifter who should want for nothing, but family trouble drives him into danger and eventually to Fortress Currahee. Trapped in hostile territory, Nix knows that he can't let himself trust anyone, no matter how interesting a certain soldier turns out to be.
Why I like it: I don't know "Band of Brothers" at all, but this worked very well for me as a Raksura OC/OC story. It's also a Raksura/human romance where neither knows anything about the other, so there are plenty of cultural misunderstandings, and also some h/c, action etc.
raksura core by
29k, gen focus, Final Fantasy VII – Raksura AU, series WIP (4 completed stories)
Summary of first fic: Laughing, the other shifter darts away. His bronze-tinted scales flare bright in the sunlight. He flies like he loves it, like it's inextricably part of him, circling in wider arcs as they ascend and leave the jungle and the plateau and the valley behind.
Cloud's never seen anyone so like him before.
So when the stranger gestures - a ripple of angled spines to accompany the cheerful wave of his arm and his bright, enthusiastic smile - Cloud follows quietly.
Why I like it: I only know FF7 from osmosis, but I enjoyed this. Here Cloud is the solitary who is introduced to a Raksura court (an unusual one, not that he knows that) and finds it very strange, and I enjoyed the mutual cautious getting-to-know-each-other and the even slower building of some understanding and trust.
Now I want to reread the books, and also read the Tales of the Raksura which I have never read so far for some reason. As always, too many books to read, too little time.
no subject
Date: 2021-07-20 10:13 am (UTC)ETA: the link for The Distant Sky is a bit borked - got some stray characters attached to it.
no subject
Date: 2021-07-20 05:39 pm (UTC)Sadly I don't have the time/patience for audiobooks.