Yuletide 2021 recs

[schneefink]

This morning I had breakfast with LB on top of the Haus des Meeres ocean museum and enjoyed the great view. We planned to go to the museum after, I haven't been there in ages, but changed our minds when we saw the size of the queue (which to be fair was probably to be expected on a Saturday morning.)
In the afternoon I went running, keeping up my eight-week-streak, go me. Not much of a notable improvement yet but the only criteria I care about rn is did I go yes/no and that one is looking good so far.

February is almost over, which not only means that I will soon start working full-time (which I have mixed feelings about) and my vacation is approaching (which I have very positive feelings about), but also means that I should do some recs for February. This time: 8 recs for fic from Yuletide 2021.


Devotion and Adoration: a Queen/Knight Ship manifesto by MilesBetter
Fandom: Top 5 Rat Movies I Made Up - JP Brammer: Legends of the Great Below
3.9k, f/f ship manifesto
Summary: A manifesto for the Fiona Highrafter/Queen Elisaveta pairing from JP Brammer's Great Below.
Why I like it: A very convincing and well made ship manifesto for a delightful f/f pairing from a sadly fictional fandom.
Canon knowledge required: not at all.

asdfghjkl they did what?? (a few excited tumblr posts on the occasion of the Barrayar V extended trailer) by lurknomoar
Fandom: Barrayar Expects That Every Fan Will Do Their Duty: Excerpts From A Fandom by lannamichaels
5.9k, fandom reactions & worldbuilding
Summary: After a ten-year hiatus, a new Barrayar trailer drops. Tumblr loses its mind.
Why I like it: Great worldbuilding and fandom reactions :)
Canon knowledge required: No, but canon is a great fic and you should read it.

vehigadta (and you shall tell) by roga
Fandom: The Princess Bride – William Goldman
3.2k, fictional meta/letters
Summary: Assorted items from the writings and correspondences of S. Morgenstern, and how I came to find them.
Why I like it: This was an excellent Yuletide for fictional fandom meta! I enjoyed this post and the letters from a world in which The Princess Bride is historical fiction very much.
Canon knowledge required: probably yes.

serve me the sky tonight by yasaman
Fandom: Sense8
2.6k, Wolfgang/Kala/Rajan, post-canon fluff
Summary: “Do you think I should take Wolfgang out on a date?” asked Rajan at breakfast one morning.
“A date? Why?” asked Kala between sips of her chai.
“I just feel that I should, I don’t know, woo him,” said Rajan.
“I think we’re a little bit past that point, Rajan,” said Kala with a smile. “We’ve, you know, already had sex. I’m pretty sure that’s enough wooing for Wolfgang.”
Why I like it: This is very sweet and made me like Rajan even more. Yes Wolfgang deserves some wooing :)
Canon knowledge required: The central premise – that some people form a “cluster” which means that they can psychically visit each other – is probably sufficient.

Dreaming in Silver and Void by frith_in_thorns
Fandom: Shadows of the Apt – Adrian Tchaikovsky
2.3k, gen, OCs
Summary: She was found in the Lowlands, but she was from so much further away.
Why I like it: Very cool worldbuilding and lovely atmospheric writing.
Canon knowledge required: Barely, and it is all explained in the notes at the beginning.

What the Water Gave Me by ConvenientAlias
Fandom: Nirvana in Fire
3.2k, AU: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Summary: Five times Qin Banruo did some waterbending for Prince Yu and one time Prince Yu did some waterbending himself.
Why I like it: Very well done fusion. Of course Princess Xuanji was the greatest bloodbender, and Qin Banruo her student in both bending and politics and scheming. Prince Yu's whole situation is an excellent set-up for angst, and this adds yet another aspect.
Canon knowledge required: NiF yes, A:tla no.

The Smart Girl´s Guide to Keeping Your Crown by DachOsmin
Fandom: Crusader Kings 3 / 11th century CE PRF
5k, Matilda of Tuscany, multiple pairings
Summary: I shan't bore you with the era of my reign in which I took over the rest of the peninsula and traded my ducal coronet for a queen’s crown. Conquest is the least interesting part of ruling, in my mind—at least it is when you’re surrounded by a gaggle of solo counties that can’t get their act together long enough to present a united front.
Why I like it: If you occasionally enjoy some nice outwitting of enemies and ruthless politicking this is a good fic for you.
Canon knowledge required: no.

The Road Home by philomytha
Fandom: James Asher Vampire series – Barbara Hambly
8.2k, gen, WWI
Summary: Ysidro no longer has to make people trust him and then kill them in order to survive. James, undercover in the German army, is not so fortunate.
Why I liked it: This would probably be even better if one knew canon, but even so I enjoyed it as a story about spying and moral dilemmas and difficult decisions during wartime.
Canon knowledge required: not required but helpful.

Comments

[alchemise]

That's one of my favorite Sense8 fics!

[schneefink]

Mine too (though admittedly that is a low bar since I have not read many.)

[dolorosa_12]

Those Sense8 and James Asher fics were great! (I think I read them both back when the collection had just opened, but it was nice to revisit them, so thanks for sharing!)

[schneefink]

Glad you enjoyed revisiting them :)