Fic Title: Backwards Compatible
Author: Ruskbyte
Links: Backwards Compatible on Fanfiction.Net
Content: PG-13
Status: In Progress (8 chapters/40,000+ words so far)
Rating: G-Good
Backwards Compatible is another good fic by Ruskbyte. Set immediateley after Harry Potter and The Order Of The Phoenix, it is rather angsty. There are some elements of time travel and mixing technology with magic which I think is handled very well.
Most of the characterizations in Backwards Compatible are well done, but I think Ruskbyte’s version of Dumbledore in this fic is very non-canon. Despite that, I really enjoyed this fic and am looking forward to its continuation. Pairing is Harry/Hermione.
Comments Off on Backwards CompatibleFic Title: Flying Without A Broom
Author: Ruskbyte
Links: Flying Without A Broom on Fanfiction.Net
Content: PG-13
Status: In Progress (7 chapters/19,000+ words so far)
Rating: G-Good
Flying Without A Broom is a humorous fic set post-Harry Potter and The Order Of The Phoenix. Harry is slipped a Mickey by Death Eaters. While high as a kite, Harry’s true level of power comes out, and much wackiness (and a little angst) ensues. The fic is well written with good characterizations and is very funny. Pairing is Harry/Tonks.
Comments Off on Flying Without A BroomWhile I was working yesterday, I had a sudden realization that the original Star Trek has a lot in common with Harry Potter. Specifically, I was thinking about the trio of Harry, Hermione and Ron and it dawned on me that they, and the dynamics of their relationships, are very similar to Kirk, Spock and McCoy.
Harry and Kirk are the leaders of their respective groups. The are often impulsive and intuitive, with a tendency to “think outside of the box.” Hermione and Spock are the intellectuals. While both have emotions, their primary attributes are their knowledge, intellect and logic. Ron and Dr. McCoy are the emotive ones of the bunch. They are not unintelligent, but their passions and emotions are what drive them, not reason or logic.
Not only the characters are alike, but their interactions are very similar. Spock and McCoy often have arguments over the correct course of action to take, each attempting to sway Kirk to his point of view. McCoy often complains about Spock being cold and unfeeling and at times professes to hate Spock’s logic. Spock, in turn, expresses disdain over McCoy’s excessive emotionalism. It seems to me that the frequent arguments between Ron and Hermione show the same sort of conflict between emotion and logic, even if the characters don’t express it as such.
Now if I can only work this to show that Harry/Hermione is “The One True ‘Ship” … 😉
Comments Off on How Harry Potter Is Like Star TrekIt came to my attention during a chat Saturday night that there were some people who had never heard of the Slightly Skewed Recaps of the Harry Potter films. Such a terrible tragedy demands that I immediately link to said recaps:
Slightly Skewed Recap of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Slightly Skewed Recap of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The recaps are simply still screen captures from the films, with an alternate version of the dialogue posted from the viewpoint of a Harry/Hermione shipper. To be blunt, they are hilarious. Even non-Harry/Hermione shippers will love them.
The rest of the site is pretty good, too, with lots of screen caps of the actors from the films and some interesting essays.
Comments Off on Slightly Skewed RecapsPharnabazus has an excellent essay on political and historical makeup of the Harry Potterverse called Expecto Patronus: or How the Wizarding World Really Works. The various comments are also quite interesting.
Comments Off on Essay on the Wizarding WorldI went to see Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with a friend yesterday. The interesting thing is how different our reactions were. I was thoroughly spoiled from reading online reviews and the Harry Potter mailing lists I subscribe to. She has read the books for times but is not part of the online Harry Potter community at all.
I knew the movie was very different from the book. She didn’t and it kept surprising her. She must have whispered “that wasn’t in the book” at least a dozen times through the course of the film and told me at the end that she just didn’t enjoy it as much as the first two films. I, on the other hand, liked Prisoner of Azkaban a great deal though I think it had a great many flaws as well.
Some of my observations/comments on the film in no particular order (warning – spoilers ahead):
(more…)
Fic Title: Harry Potter and the Rising Darkness
Author: kyc639
Links: Harry Potter and the Rising Darkness on Fanfiction.net
Content: Mystery story. Rated PG-13 by author.
Status: Complete
Rating: A-Acceptable
Harry Potter and the Rising Darkness by kyc639 is mystery story set after Harry Potter leaves Hogwarts and becomes an auror. It is a Harry/Hermione shipper fic, although that is not the main plotline.
I have mixed feelings about this story – it is well written from a grammatical point of view and has lots of potential. Harry’s characterization is well done and the original character of Robert Toms is rather interesting. The groundwork for the mystery is laid out rather nicely also. Where I feel the fic falls short is in the endgame. The mystery is very straightforward…nary a red herring in sight. What is a mystery without at least one detour leading the character(s) and reader astray? We don’t learn much about the main villain(s) in the story either…they seem rather flat and one dimensional, as does kyc639’s characterization of Hermione. While I am a Harry/Hermione shipper, it just doesn’t interest me in this story.
Overall, Harry Potter and the Rising Darkness is better than the average fanfic, but it didn’t leave me wanting to reread it or hope for a sequel, which is why I rated it merely A-Acceptable.
Comments Off on Harry Potter and the Rising DarknessFic Title: Realizations
Author: Wishweaver
Links: Realizations on fanfiction.net, Wishweaver’s Yahoo Group
Content: PG for the most part.
Status: Work in progress
Rating: E-Excellent
Realizations is an AU Harry Potter fic that begins the summer after Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I mentioned in an earlier post that it is tied with Harry Potter and the Acceptance of Fate for being my favorite Harry Potter fanfic. Every time I read one, that one becomes my favorite. Then I reread the other, and my opinion changes. Both are top-notch fics, either way.
Realizations is a nice, long fic (although not as long as Acceptance of Fate). Currently it is about 160,000+ words spread out over 27 chapters.
I don’t want to give any real details about the plot, other than to say it is very interesting and flows seemlessly. I do feel that I should mention that Realizations is not a ‘shipper fic. Also, there seems to be a little more interaction between the Muggle and Wizarding worlds than in the novels, which I think Wishweaver has actually handled better than in the real books.
Characterizations are also nicely done – all of the main characters seem to be canon. I especially like the way Wishweaver has portrayed Dumbledore. Dumbledore is powerful and wise, but also human and fallible. I also think Wishweaver did an excellent job with Hermione.
In addition to the major characters from the books, Wishweaver has fleshed out the Grangers making them seem quite real and three dimensional. Wishweaver has also created some original characters (the Wrights) so interesting I wish they would show up in J.K. Rowling’s books.
Realizations is a work in progress, with Wishweaver posting a new chapter about every month or so.
One commentFic Title: Harry Potter and the Acceptance of Fate
Author: Arya
Links: Acceptance of Fate Yahoo Group, Acceptance of Fate on Fanfiction.net, Arya’s Livejournal
Content: Varies. A few R & NC-17 sections, but mostly non-smutty.
Status: Work in progress
Rating: E-Excellent
Harry Potter and the Acceptance of Fate by Arya is tied with Realizations for being my favorite Harry Potter fanfic. It begins the summer following Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and continues into Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts.
Acceptance of Fate is a long, plot-heavy fic with excellent characterizations. At the time of this review, it has 52 chapters and well over 400,000 words. The plot is somewhat darker than J.K. Rowling’s stories, but other than that, I think it has much of the same feel.
While Acceptance of Fate is a Harry/Hermione shipper fic, I find that Arya has managed to integrate said relationship into the story in logically and seamlessly. In addition, Arya has shown Harry becoming a highly-skilled wizard, without turning him into über-Harry. The rest of the characters are either portrayed as they are in canon or as logical extrapolations of canon.
The fic is updated regularly – Arya generally posts a new chapter on her Yahoo group every other week or so. She has also said there will be a sequel set in Harry’s seventh year, although not as long.
Favorite quote:
“Harry occasionally found Dudley staring at him in a peculiar way. Harry thought he may have been thinking again but really could not believe Dudley would do such a thing.”