Stargate Atlantis/SG-1--Retrograde, by ltlj

[beatrice_otter]

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Pairing:  John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagen, Jack ONeill, Cameron Mitchell, Sam Carter, Daniel Jackson, Tealc
Length: 102,270
Author Links:  ltlj 
Theme: novel length

Summary: The Atlantis expedition has been lost for three years. SG-1 goes to find them, and arrives just a little too late.

Reccer's Notes: This is one of the classic AUs of SGA fandom, for obvious reasons. It is well-written, and has a unique plot, and the author handles both sets of characters very well. It is a plausible and gripping what-if.

Story Links: Retrograde
Also, do not miss this funny one-shot, set towards the end of the series-- When Your Job Description (You Announce Chevrons!) Is a Total Lie by svmadelyn.

The Eagle: Widdershins by beederiffic

[gekko11]

Fandom: The Eagle
Pairing: Marcus/Esca
Length: 91,000 words
Author Links: beederiffic
Theme: Novel-length fic

Summary: Esca's a house master and history teacher at a 1950s boys school on the English/Scottish border, where welcoming the new Latin teacher proves to be a challenge.

Reccer's Notes: Beederiffic very cleverly transports Marcus and Esca to a post-WW2 setting, deftly bending the events and prejudices of the movie to fit the new time period. The story is rich with detail and the writing top notch.

Story Links: Widdershins

Final Fantasy vii: The fifth Act by Sinnatious

[qem_chibati]

Fandom: Final Fantasy VII (Compilations)
Pairing: Gen
Length: 178,399
Author Links: Sinnatious sinnatious sinnatious
Theme: Long fic

Summary:
Cloud has an accident with a Time materia. There are people to save, and for that, some people need to die.

Reccer's Notes:
This is a wonderfully plotty story, that fits in together amazingly with the details and characterisation. The characters really come together well in this story and it's one of my absolute favourites.

The authors posted a couple of side stories to their own livejournal as well.
Story Links:
Livejournal: http://sinnatious.livejournal.com/tag/act%20v
Archive of our own: http://archiveofourown.org/works/362128
Fanfiction.net: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5951824/1/The_Fifth_Act

Pride and Prejudice--The Prudent Motive by Malini

[beatrice_otter]

Fandom: Pride and Prejudice
Pairing: Elizabeth/Darcy
Length: ~70k words
Author Links: no link known
Theme: novel length

Summary: When Darcy makes his first proposal, instead of responding with a refusal, Elizabeth offers him a an answer based on prudent inclinations.

Reccer's Notes: Elizabeth Bennet was intriguing to readers of the early 1800s because she did something inconceivable for the time period: she rejected the marriage proposal of a highly desirable gentleman with all the right connections. Today, any sensible young women would most likely reject a man that insults her family and really has nothing to recommend himself other than his large fortune.

Malini's Elizabeth does the opposite--the thing any good woman of her era would. She accepts a well-off and well-connected man who may be disagreeable but is not actually abusive. The problem is, of course, she does not like him and he is too full of himself to actually pay much attention to the perspective and feelings of the woman he supposedly loves. This is not a good recipe for marriage, to say the least. As in the novel, Darcy and Elizabeth eventually work through their mutual issues and come to a good and truly loving relationship, but this way is actually a little bumpier and a lot more angsty.

Despite the premise of the AU, all the characters are very much themselves and the writing is very good.

Story Links: The Prudent Motive

Bandom: In Production by ladyfoxxx

[turlough]

Fandom: Bandom
Pairing: Brian/Gerard, Pete/Patrick
Length: 68,460 words
Author Links: ladyfoxxx / ladyfoxxx
Theme: Novel-length Fic, Rare Pairings
Summary: The AU where bandom are filmmakers and Gerard is directing the Umbrella Academy movie. Brian is the distractingly hot stuntman, Pete is the producer, Patrick is the studio babysitter and everyone gets lucky at the wrap party.

Reccer's Notes: This is a great story. The writer actually managed to make even someone like me, who doesn't even watch movies, care deeply about the making of the film and the trials and tribulations of the whole crew. The portrayal of the characters as dedicated professionals engrossed in their chosen work was very convincing and I paticularly loved the characterisations of Gerard and Pete. The very different ways their infatuations with Brian and Patrick developed felt completely true to their characters and positions. It was really interesting to see two so very different scenarios play out in the same story.

Story Links: In Production (on AO3) or here (on LJ)

Bandom: Tintsverse by turps

[turlough]

Fandom: Bandom
Pairing: Bob/Gerard, Frank/Mikey
Length: 65,010 words
Author Links: turps / turps33 / turps
Theme: Novel-length Fic
Summary: A MCR AU where Ray has his own gardening firm, and one day he does a job for the Ways.

Reccer's Notes: This was recced once before, for the Hurt/Comfort prompt back in August last year, but it's so good it deserves to be recced again.

I love this universe and the characters in it enormously. It's one of the most realistic yet hopeful depictions of severe depression and how hard trying to recover is that I've read in any fandom ever. It's sad and happy and bittersweet and hopeful and full of love.

The writing is both realistic and symbolic and I love the way light and colours play such an important part both for the characters and for the way the story develops. How the dark and "dead" garden & home of the Ways and the light and "life" of Ray's gardening team begin interacting, leading to both the dead garden and Gerard and Mikey's life slowly starting to grow and change again.

The characters are all absolutely wonderful in their own unique ways. Ray so thoughtful and *good*, Frank colourful and enthusiastic, Bob a quiet, unflappable force, and of course Gerard & Mikey, how much they love and worry about each other.

This is an absolutely fantastic story and while reading it can be emotionally exhausting it's also deeply satisfying.

Story Links: Tintsverse (masterlist)
Individual stories: Tints of Rainbow Hue (on AO3) or here (on LJ) & Richard of York... (Let's Start Anew) (on AO3) or here (on LJ) & Grey Crimson Skies (on AO3) or here (on LJ)