Title: A Shot in the Dark
Fandom: The Hobbit
Pairing: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Okenshield
Categories: AU, Hurt/Comfort, Time Travel
Length: Super-Epic (213K)
Warnings: Character Typical Violence

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: A03

Summary: When he opens his eyes again, he finds himself in his old bed in his old home in his old body. Is this death? Or a trick of magic? Either way, Bilbo recognizes a second chance when he sees one, and this time his adventure with Thorin is going to go a bit differently.

Review: This fic ate my soul. I couldn't put it down for around three days straight.

The Characterization is spot on, and while I've read a lot of going back in time to fix the past fics, I was really impressed by how Silver_pup changed not only Bibo's behavior but that of all the secondary characters as well.

The same events happened, but Bilbo's chanced behavior and outlook had some unexpected effects, even to Bilbo. I can't say much more without messing up the lovely twists and turns Silver_pup works in, but if you are looking for an epic, with a lot of personal character growth and suspense then this might be the fic for you.

There are some spoilers for both the Hobbit and LOTR so read with caution if this is your first time reading in the hobbit fandom.

A Shot in the Dark

Title: A Glittering Abyss
Fandom: Hobbit
Pairing: Thorin/Bilbo
Categories: AU, Epistolary, Hurt/Comfort, Romance,
Length: Medium (18.5k)
Warnings: PTSD

Author on LJ: salvia_g
Website: Salvia_G

Summary:After the Battle of the Five Armies, Thorin has forgiven Bilbo; but Bilbo finds he cannot forgive Thorin.

Review: I love this fic. After the events of the journey and the battle of the five armies, the company is actually allowed to have long-term damage done to them even though everybody lives.

Bilbo has PTSD, Thorin has to live with his past insanity, Fili is in a coma, and Kili has lost an arm. None of them just bounce back over night. It takes many years and many good friends to make things work out and even then it isn't an instant fix.

There is something to be said for a fic that takes the long-way-round to healing, but still gives you a satisfyingly sweet happily ever after.

A Glittering Abyss

Title: Through the Blue Vault of Varda
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis/Lord of the Rings
Categories: SF/fantasy
Length: Medium (3,900 words)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: jedibuttercup (ditto on Dreamwidth)
Author on AO3: jedibuttercup
Author on TtH: jedibuttercup
Author Website: Jedibuttercup.com

Summary:
The city sang to John, and he understood at last why the scholars always spoke of the earliest days of Middle-earth through the medium of music.

Review:
When you think about it, there is an epic sweep to the whole idea of Stargate Atlantis: going to another galaxy to find a city out of legend is about as epic as it gets. Mix this with the epic that is the Silmarillion, and you could end up with a clash of gears as two mutually inconsistent background fight for supremacy.

Fortunately, Jedi Buttercup is a lot better than that. "The truth was probably a lot less metaphorical," the narrator muses early on, and just like that the backgrounds are sweeping in the same direction. That's typical of this story; gentle writing, perfectly evoking Tolkien, leads you through this short story in such a natural way that you accept the incongruities as perfectly natural. At heart it's a character study of someone bridging the gap between the two backgrounds, and it works so well that by the end I was completely sold.

This fic is quite simply beautiful.

Through the Blue Vault of Varda

Title: 101 of Dwarven Haircare: Combs, Razors and Other Scary Stories
Fandom: Hobbit
Pairing: Thorin/Bilbo
Categories: AU, Fluff, Romance,
Length: Long (24k)
Warnings:

Author on LJ: jeza_red
Website: jeza_red

Summary:Dwarf hair is different, okay?

Cultural shock and confusion with strangely funny results. Also a thread of understanding between two confused parties and a little comb that is more precious than whole Erebor.

Review: A series of vignettes set throughout the Company's journey. Set in an AU where everybody lives. I just love how all the different parts of the story are held together by the various character's hair. It allows for time skips and cultural discussions all while keeping the story moving.

If you are just getting into the Hobbit fandom, then I suggest this fic as an entry, because it runs close to the movies' and book's plot while not requiring a lot of canon knowledge.

101 of Dwarven Haircare: Combs, Razors and Other Scary Stories

Title: The One Who Wouldn't
Fandom: Hobbit
Pairing: Thorin/Bilbo
Categories: AU, Hurt/Comfort, Romance,
Length: Medium (11k)
Warnings:

Author on LJ: salvia_g
Website: Salvia_G

Summary:If Adventures make you late for supper, Soulmates make for missing supper entirely.

In Hobbit society peace and plenty is viewed as more valuable than passion and riches. Marriages are thought best when they're settled, warm affairs between friends. That's why Soulmate marks are thought of as a mark AGAINST a marriage-match...

Dwarves on the other hand, view a soulmate as a blessing from Mahal. If a dwarrow is so lucky as to be born with a mark they spend their life searching for their One. No wealth or jewel is thought of greater value than a soulmate.

So when Thorin and Bilbo meet and see each others marks?...

Review: This is an interesting take on the soul-mates genre. Where almost all Hobbits as a species, have decided that soul-mates cannot be linked in a romantic way. A very similar Bilbo to the one in canon has thoughts that don't quite hobbitish in nature and ends up going on an adventure and falling in love with his Dwarven soul-mate.

With both an interesting concept and great characterization, I really enjoyed this fic. I'm also a sucker for 'everybody lives' AUs.

The One Who Wouldn't

Title: Sing When the Dawn is Dark
Fandom: Hobbit
Pairing: Thorin/Bilbo
Categories: AU, Fluff, Romance, Soul-mates
Length: Long (27k)
Warnings: Past Character Death

Author on LJ: littleblackdog
Website: littleblackdog

Summary:In a Middle Earth where dwarves dream of Heartsongs and hobbits carry the name of their fated partner as private Mark, Bilbo Baggins had never been able to properly translate the strange rows of runes inscribed on his wrist.

And likewise, Thorin Oakenshield had never imagined he would hear the voice of his Heartsong from a fussy little gentlehobbit.

Review: This is a lovely fluffy soul-bonding fic. It's got its darker moments where it deals with the death of various company member's soulmates.

I just love the interaction between Bilbo and Thorin. Bilbo is so sure of himself and Thorin acts like such a kid when it comes to trying to figure out if Bilbo is his soulmate. It makes for great tension without loosing the warm and fuzzie feeling of the story.

Sing When the Dawn is Dark Series

Squeezing in one last entry for Alternative Media Week!

Title: Wild Child
Fandoms: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Doomsday, X-Men, Battlestar Galactica, Merlin, The Last Legion, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Robin Hood (BBC), V for Vendetta, Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Rings, Doctor Who, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 28 Days Later, Children of Dune, Legend of the Seeker, Blake's 7, Star Wars: A New Hope, Terminator: Salvation, Babylon 5, Farscape, The X-Files, Torchwood, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Smallville, Superman II, Pan's Labyrinth, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Peter Pan, Star Trek: First Contact, Enterprise, Underworld, Terminator II: Judgement Day, Aliens, Survivors, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Star Trek, Stargate: Atlantis, Batman Returns, Resident Evil, The Matrix, Star Trek 09, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Ashes to Ashes, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Children of Men, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Star Trek: Voyager.
Pairing: Gen
Categories: Action/adventure, women being awesome!
Length: 3:48 minutes
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: calapine
Author Website: Unknown

Author's Summary:
A multi-fandom vid for halfamoon's celebration of female characters.

Review:
calapine makes an unconventional but beautiful choice with her song, and for something so epic in scope, she makes it impactful on a personal scale as well, and deeply uplifting. This tribute is amazing not only for its subject matter, but also for its diversity. Women are not just awesome when they are gorgeous and kick-ass and come out with both guns blazing, but they're also awesome when they're doing science experiments, or being brave, or making difficult decisions.

Women can be some of the most harshly judged characters on screen -- because often, women are their own harshest critics. This vid highlights some unexpected choices, and reminds us that every single woman is more than just the few seconds we see them on screen -- they each have their own stories.

Wild Child

Title: The Second Time Series
Fandom: Sherlock BBC/The Hobbit
Pairing: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, Sebastian Moran/John Watson
Categories: AU, Friendship, Fusion, Post-Canon, Romance
Length:Epic (44,000)
Warnings:Spoilers for the Hobbit and Sherlock BBC, Torture, and Canon typical violence

Author on LJ: authoressjean
Website: AuthoressJean's A03

Summary:Sebastian Moran can't pull the trigger on John Watson to save his own hide, and what the hell is it with the doctor, anyway? Then Gandalf shows up, meddlesome wizard, and reminds him none too gently of his past life: as Thorin Oakenshield, leader of a company that had once included a small hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. One that looked decidedly like John Watson. And this would be the perfect chance to make things right with Bilbo the way he really hadn't been able to before he died, and that's when Gandalf tells him John doesn't remember being Bilbo, and to leave him alone.

Right. Like that's going to happen.

Review: This series is a great romantic thriller. All the characters are a good combination of who they were in their passed lives and who they are in their present lives.

The villians are a nice mix of new and old, and it keeps you guessing. Authoressjean even manages to throw in a few curve-balls to add to the whole experience.

I can't tell you much about the plot, without giving away the twists and turns, but there is a very nice romance twisted in among all of the intrigue, and no matter how bleak it seems when you are reading it, the ending is nice and happy.

The Second Time Series

Title: As Sunshine Falls on the Wretched
Fandom:Tolkier Words: The Hobbit
Pairing: Gen
Categories: AU, Family, Kids
Length: Medium (18,500)
Warnings: Off-screen near death of a child

Author on LJ: kivrinengle
Website:KivrinEngle's Ao3

Summary: Bilbo Baggins, the newly appointed Master of Bag End, has just reached his majority. He lives alone in his fine house, managing his estate, and ignoring the people of Hobbiton as much as they avoid him. When a storm lands him with an unexpected (and unwelcome) little visitor, all Bilbo wants to do is find the baby Dwarf's missing family so he can get back to his own life.

That's not what happens.

Review: I love found family, and two men and a baby style fics. Which probably surprises nobody.

This is one of my favorites in the Hobbit fandom. KivrinEngle isn't afraid to take her time to render a good bit of world building, but you never have to worry about the world building slowing the fic down either.

Kili is just precious (In a toddler dwarf kind of way). Bilbo really comes into his own as a parent, and I just love how he handles Thorin in the end.

As Sunshine Falls on the Wretched

Sorry I've been MIA for two weeks!

Title: My Adventure, by Belladonna Baggins nee Took
Fandom: Tolkien: Hobbit & Lord of the Rings
Pairing: gen (with background Belladonna Took/Bungo Baggins, and OFC/OMC elves)
Categories: Action/Adventure, Humor, Pre-Canon
Length: Medium (11,443 words)
Warnings: implied secondary character deaths

Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Thimblerig (on AO3), Thimble (on fanfiction.net)

Summary:
Gandalf exclaimed once: 'That I should live to be 'Good morninged' by a son of Belladonna Took!'

Bilbo's mum has a story to tell and this is it. Holidays by the Sea, Elves, and much Falling in the Water.

Review:
I was utterly charmed by this story. Belladonna (Bilbo's mother) wants an adventure before her coming-of-age birthday, and does just that. Her narration is lots of fun, with her slightly unreliable perspective on things and her gung ho, exuberant attitude. The best parts, for me, were when she interacts with characters the reader would be familiar with from Tolkien's other works and how she sees them, such as some of the dwarves from The Hobbit or the nice "bandits" she runs into (Aragorn's great-grandfather). Though it's a small part of the story, I also really liked the relationship between Belladonna and Bungo.

Make sure to read the notes at the end of each chapter, which read like a historian's notations on Belladonna's diary with extra information and commentary.

( Click here to read an excerpt. )

My Adventure (AO3), (ff.net)

Sorry I've been MIA for two weeks!

Title: My Adventure, by Belladonna Baggins nee Took
Fandom: Tolkien: Hobbit & Lord of the Rings
Pairing: gen (with background Belladonna Took/Bungo Baggins, and OFC/OMC elves)
Categories: Action/Adventure, Humor, Pre-Canon
Length: Medium (11,443 words)
Warnings: implied secondary character deaths

Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Thimblerig (on AO3), Thimble (on fanfiction.net)

Summary:
Gandalf exclaimed once: 'That I should live to be 'Good morninged' by a son of Belladonna Took!'

Bilbo's mum has a story to tell and this is it. Holidays by the Sea, Elves, and much Falling in the Water.

Review:
I was utterly charmed by this story. Belladonna (Bilbo's mother) wants an adventure before her coming-of-age birthday, and does just that. Her narration is lots of fun, with her slightly unreliable perspective on things and her gung ho, exuberant attitude. The best parts, for me, were when she interacts with characters the reader would be familiar with from Tolkien's other works and how she sees them, such as some of the dwarves from The Hobbit or the nice "bandits" she runs into (Aragorn's great-grandfather). Though it's a small part of the story, I also really liked the relationship between Belladonna and Bungo.

Make sure to read the notes at the end of each chapter, which read like a historian's notations on Belladonna's diary with extra information and commentary.

( Click here to read an excerpt. )

My Adventure (AO3), (ff.net)

Title: On Adventures and Other Forms of Conduct Unbecoming of a Wizard
Fandom: Tolkien: The Hobbit (both book & movie 'verses)
Pairing: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield
Categories: Action/Adventure, AU, Romance, Canon Fix-it
Length: Epic (51,524 words)
Warnings: Spoilers for Entire Book

Author on LJ: manic_intent
Author Website: manic_intent (on AO3)

Summary:
That AU where Bilbo is a hobbit-shaped wizard who doesn't approve of adventures.

For as long as even the old Gaffer could remember there had been a wizard living in the hill at Bag End, overlooking the Shire. As wizards went, this one wasn't the wandering sort, always out to lure gentle folk out onto nasty adventures, or even the powerful kind, the sort that lived in high towers, reaching out into the ways of the world.

Review:
This story follows canon closely, save for the major difference that Bilbo is a wizard...and that is a difference that makes all the difference in the world. Events are tweaked in just the right ways with a wizard hobbit along on the journey instead of a burglar hobbit (I was particularly fond of the resolution of the dragon problem here). The developing relationship between Bilbo and Thorin is at turns sweet and fraught, with two such people having so wildly divergent outlooks and motivations while still pulled together by friendship and affection. The tragedies of the book still occur, but in slightly different forms, a trade-off of one type of pain for another. That said, there is a happy (if slightly bittersweet) ending for the story and characters.

Overall, the story is so well written with great understanding (and playful tweaking) of Tolkien's mythology and just great fun.

On Adventures and Other Forms of Conduct Unbecoming of a Wizard

Title: On Adventures and Other Forms of Conduct Unbecoming of a Wizard
Fandom: Tolkien: The Hobbit (both book & movie 'verses)
Pairing: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield
Categories: Action/Adventure, AU, Romance, Canon Fix-it
Length: Epic (51,524 words)
Warnings: Spoilers for Entire Book

Author on LJ: manic_intent
Author Website: manic_intent (on AO3)

Summary:
That AU where Bilbo is a hobbit-shaped wizard who doesn't approve of adventures.

For as long as even the old Gaffer could remember there had been a wizard living in the hill at Bag End, overlooking the Shire. As wizards went, this one wasn't the wandering sort, always out to lure gentle folk out onto nasty adventures, or even the powerful kind, the sort that lived in high towers, reaching out into the ways of the world.

Review:
This story follows canon closely, save for the major difference that Bilbo is a wizard...and that is a difference that makes all the difference in the world. Events are tweaked in just the right ways with a wizard hobbit along on the journey instead of a burglar hobbit (I was particularly fond of the resolution of the dragon problem here). The developing relationship between Bilbo and Thorin is at turns sweet and fraught, with two such people having so wildly divergent outlooks and motivations while still pulled together by friendship and affection. The tragedies of the book still occur, but in slightly different forms, a trade-off of one type of pain for another. That said, there is a happy (if slightly bittersweet) ending for the story and characters.

Overall, the story is so well written with great understanding (and playful tweaking) of Tolkien's mythology and just great fun.

On Adventures and Other Forms of Conduct Unbecoming of a Wizard

Title: Second Chances
Fandom: LOTR
Pairing: Fёanor/Thranduil
Categories: fantasy, romance
Length: long
Warnings: angst, violence

Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: n/a

Summary: This was a little idea I had when wondering how to throw two of my favorite elves together. Someone told me once that in Judaism they believe in something called the Well of Souls. It is believed that when a person dies, that soul returns to the "well of souls" to wait until it is reborn in a new body.

Review:
When I found this story on the Elves and Men Archive I got really excited since it features my favourite elf of all times. Yes, Feanor is THE evil elf of the Lord of the Rings universe but still his tragic story and his drive, had him worm his way into my heart. And then I come across this story.

Not only Feanor but Thranduil as well. It is a story about love, longing, redemption and forgiveness. Feanor spends his time in the underworld repenting his actions and the consequences of his vendetta. At such a crucial and vulnerable time he comes across a soul that has yet to be born. And he falls in love.

Elves, gods, Middle Earth and great writing is all it takes to create an amazing piece of fanfiction.

Second Chances

Title: Second Chances
Fandom: LOTR
Pairing: Fёanor/Thranduil
Categories: fantasy, romance
Length: long
Warnings: angst, violence

Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: n/a

Summary: This was a little idea I had when wondering how to throw two of my favorite elves together. Someone told me once that in Judaism they believe in something called the Well of Souls. It is believed that when a person dies, that soul returns to the "well of souls" to wait until it is reborn in a new body.

Review:
When I found this story on the Elves and Men Archive I got really excited since it features my favourite elf of all times. Yes, Feanor is THE evil elf of the Lord of the Rings universe but still his tragic story and his drive, had him worm his way into my heart. And then I come across this story.

Not only Feanor but Thranduil as well. It is a story about love, longing, redemption and forgiveness. Feanor spends his time in the underworld repenting his actions and the consequences of his vendetta. At such a crucial and vulnerable time he comes across a soul that has yet to be born. And he falls in love.

Elves, gods, Middle Earth and great writing is all it takes to create an amazing piece of fanfiction.

Second Chances

Title: Fragments of Truth by cruisedirector
Fandom: Lord of the Rings (movie-verse)
Pairing: Aragorn/Arwen, Aragorn/Boromir (past)
Categories: Angst, Drama, Post-Canon
Length: Short (500+)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: cruisedirector
Website: cruisedirector @ AO3

Review:
What Aragorn does and doesn’t tell Arwen when he sees her again.

There’s something quietly heartbreaking about this story. Written as part of a contrelamontre challenge, this fic, though short, manages to be poignant in its briefness, touching on Aragorn’s character in a way that is both powerful and telling. If you’re looking for something brief and bittersweet, I’d definitely recommend this.

Fragments in Truth

Title: Fragments of Truth by cruisedirector
Fandom: Lord of the Rings (movie-verse)
Pairing: Aragorn/Arwen, Aragorn/Boromir (past)
Categories: Angst, Drama, Post-Canon
Length: Short (500+)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: cruisedirector
Website: cruisedirector @ AO3

Review:
What Aragorn does and doesn’t tell Arwen when he sees her again.

There’s something quietly heartbreaking about this story. Written as part of a contrelamontre challenge, this fic, though short, manages to be poignant in its briefness, touching on Aragorn’s character in a way that is both powerful and telling. If you’re looking for something brief and bittersweet, I’d definitely recommend this.

Fragments in Truth

Title: Fragments of Truth by cruisedirector
Fandom: Lord of the Rings (movie-verse)
Pairing: Aragorn/Arwen, Aragorn/Boromir (past)
Categories: Angst, Drama, Post-Canon
Length: Short (500+)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: cruisedirector
Website: cruisedirector @ AO3

Review:
What Aragorn does and doesn’t tell Arwen when he sees her again.

There’s something quietly heartbreaking about this story. Written as part of a contrelamontre challenge, this fic, though short, manages to be poignant in its briefness, touching on Aragorn’s character in a way that is both powerful and telling. If you’re looking for something brief and bittersweet, I’d definitely recommend this.

Fragments in Truth

Title: Fragments of Truth by cruisedirector
Fandom: Lord of the Rings (movie-verse)
Pairing: Aragorn/Arwen, Aragorn/Boromir (past)
Categories: Angst, Drama, Post-Canon
Length: Short (500+)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: cruisedirector
Website: cruisedirector @ AO3

Review:
What Aragorn does and doesn’t tell Arwen when he sees her again.

There’s something quietly heartbreaking about this story. Written as part of a contrelamontre challenge, this fic, though short, manages to be poignant in its briefness, touching on Aragorn’s character in a way that is both powerful and telling. If you’re looking for something brief and bittersweet, I’d definitely recommend this.

Fragments in Truth

Title: Fragments of Truth by cruisedirector
Fandom: Lord of the Rings (movie-verse)
Pairing: Aragorn/Arwen, Aragorn/Boromir (past)
Categories: Angst, Drama, Post-Canon
Length: Short (500+)
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: cruisedirector
Website: cruisedirector @ AO3

Review:
What Aragorn does and doesn’t tell Arwen when he sees her again.

There’s something quietly heartbreaking about this story. Written as part of a contrelamontre challenge, this fic, though short, manages to be poignant in its briefness, touching on Aragorn’s character in a way that is both powerful and telling. If you’re looking for something brief and bittersweet, I’d definitely recommend this.

Fragments in Truth