On behalf of jane_elliot:

Title: Shadows in Starlight by Vathara
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin/Star Wars
Pairing: gen
Categories: AU, action, crossover, family, friendship, hurt/comfort
Length: Super!Epic (~137,000 words)
Warnings: n/a


Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: http://traethlin.tripod.com/

Review:
Just after the events of A New Hope (the original Star Wars movie), Obi-Wan (who did not, in fact, die on the Death Star) finds himself drawn to a small, little-known rim planet. A planet that might possibly contain the last of his blood relatives. And which also happens to contain a wandering rurouni who is trying to make up for his violent past...

I had never before considered the idea of a Kenshin/Star Wars crossover, but this fic has made me a believer. All of the bits of Kenshin canon that couldn't possibly exist in a realistic setting (see: all sword fighting techniques) make perfect sense if you factor in the Force, and the political nightmare that is Kenshin's past meshes surprisingly well with politics of the Empire. Mix in some extremely good characterization, a complex plot that encompasses both the action of Kenshin and the politics of Star Wars, and excellent writing and you have a very long, very satisfying read.

Shadows in Starlight

On behalf of jane_elliot:

Title: Shadows in Starlight by Vathara
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin/Star Wars
Pairing: gen
Categories: AU, action, crossover, family, friendship, hurt/comfort
Length: Super!Epic (~137,000 words)
Warnings: n/a


Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: http://traethlin.tripod.com/

Review:
Just after the events of A New Hope (the original Star Wars movie), Obi-Wan (who did not, in fact, die on the Death Star) finds himself drawn to a small, little-known rim planet. A planet that might possibly contain the last of his blood relatives. And which also happens to contain a wandering rurouni who is trying to make up for his violent past...

I had never before considered the idea of a Kenshin/Star Wars crossover, but this fic has made me a believer. All of the bits of Kenshin canon that couldn't possibly exist in a realistic setting (see: all sword fighting techniques) make perfect sense if you factor in the Force, and the political nightmare that is Kenshin's past meshes surprisingly well with politics of the Empire. Mix in some extremely good characterization, a complex plot that encompasses both the action of Kenshin and the politics of Star Wars, and excellent writing and you have a very long, very satisfying read.

Shadows in Starlight

On behalf of jane_elliot:

Title: Shadows in Starlight by Vathara
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin/Star Wars
Pairing: gen
Categories: AU, action, crossover, family, friendship, hurt/comfort
Length: Super!Epic (~137,000 words)
Warnings: n/a


Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: http://traethlin.tripod.com/

Review:
Just after the events of A New Hope (the original Star Wars movie), Obi-Wan (who did not, in fact, die on the Death Star) finds himself drawn to a small, little-known rim planet. A planet that might possibly contain the last of his blood relatives. And which also happens to contain a wandering rurouni who is trying to make up for his violent past...

I had never before considered the idea of a Kenshin/Star Wars crossover, but this fic has made me a believer. All of the bits of Kenshin canon that couldn't possibly exist in a realistic setting (see: all sword fighting techniques) make perfect sense if you factor in the Force, and the political nightmare that is Kenshin's past meshes surprisingly well with politics of the Empire. Mix in some extremely good characterization, a complex plot that encompasses both the action of Kenshin and the politics of Star Wars, and excellent writing and you have a very long, very satisfying read.

Shadows in Starlight

On behalf of jane_elliot:

Title: Shadows in Starlight by Vathara
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin/Star Wars
Pairing: gen
Categories: AU, action, crossover, family, friendship, hurt/comfort
Length: Super!Epic (~137,000 words)
Warnings: n/a


Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: http://traethlin.tripod.com/

Review:
Just after the events of A New Hope (the original Star Wars movie), Obi-Wan (who did not, in fact, die on the Death Star) finds himself drawn to a small, little-known rim planet. A planet that might possibly contain the last of his blood relatives. And which also happens to contain a wandering rurouni who is trying to make up for his violent past...

I had never before considered the idea of a Kenshin/Star Wars crossover, but this fic has made me a believer. All of the bits of Kenshin canon that couldn't possibly exist in a realistic setting (see: all sword fighting techniques) make perfect sense if you factor in the Force, and the political nightmare that is Kenshin's past meshes surprisingly well with politics of the Empire. Mix in some extremely good characterization, a complex plot that encompasses both the action of Kenshin and the politics of Star Wars, and excellent writing and you have a very long, very satisfying read.

Shadows in Starlight

On behalf of jane_elliot:

Title: Shadows in Starlight by Vathara
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin/Star Wars
Pairing: gen
Categories: AU, action, crossover, family, friendship, hurt/comfort
Length: Super!Epic (~137,000 words)
Warnings: n/a


Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: http://traethlin.tripod.com/

Review:
Just after the events of A New Hope (the original Star Wars movie), Obi-Wan (who did not, in fact, die on the Death Star) finds himself drawn to a small, little-known rim planet. A planet that might possibly contain the last of his blood relatives. And which also happens to contain a wandering rurouni who is trying to make up for his violent past...

I had never before considered the idea of a Kenshin/Star Wars crossover, but this fic has made me a believer. All of the bits of Kenshin canon that couldn't possibly exist in a realistic setting (see: all sword fighting techniques) make perfect sense if you factor in the Force, and the political nightmare that is Kenshin's past meshes surprisingly well with politics of the Empire. Mix in some extremely good characterization, a complex plot that encompasses both the action of Kenshin and the politics of Star Wars, and excellent writing and you have a very long, very satisfying read.

Shadows in Starlight

On behalf of jane_elliot:

Title: Shadows in Starlight by Vathara
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin/Star Wars
Pairing: gen
Categories: AU, action, crossover, family, friendship, hurt/comfort
Length: Super!Epic (~137,000 words)
Warnings: n/a


Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: http://traethlin.tripod.com/

Review:
Just after the events of A New Hope (the original Star Wars movie), Obi-Wan (who did not, in fact, die on the Death Star) finds himself drawn to a small, little-known rim planet. A planet that might possibly contain the last of his blood relatives. And which also happens to contain a wandering rurouni who is trying to make up for his violent past...

I had never before considered the idea of a Kenshin/Star Wars crossover, but this fic has made me a believer. All of the bits of Kenshin canon that couldn't possibly exist in a realistic setting (see: all sword fighting techniques) make perfect sense if you factor in the Force, and the political nightmare that is Kenshin's past meshes surprisingly well with politics of the Empire. Mix in some extremely good characterization, a complex plot that encompasses both the action of Kenshin and the politics of Star Wars, and excellent writing and you have a very long, very satisfying read.

Shadows in Starlight

Title: Recovery
Author: Haku Baikou
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin
Pairing: gen with hints of past Kenshin/Tomoe and pre-Kenshin/Kaoru
Category: drama, character study
Length: long
Warnings: n/a
Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: HakuBaikou.com - A Rurouni Kenshin Fan Works Site

Author's Summary: As Kenshin recovers from his wounds after his duel with Shishio, his friends sense a threat and take precautions for his safety.

Review:
This is the story of what happens after the rather frenetic climax of the 2nd season. In the series we jump from Kenshin being near death to his being essentially fine and the Kenshingumi preparing to leave Kyoto. It's a lovely story full of character details with some action as well to spice things up. I especially love that it's told from Megumi's point of view. Megumi is often shortchanged in fandom, in my opinion - either overlooked or cast as the bitchy competition. Haku Baikou captures her voice beautifully, painting her as an thoughtful, intelligent woman and physician who handles her unrequited love very maturely.

A lovely, thoughtful story that fills in that missing time period perfectly.

Recovery

Title: Recovery
Author: Haku Baikou
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin
Pairing: gen with hints of past Kenshin/Tomoe and pre-Kenshin/Kaoru
Category: drama, character study
Length: long
Warnings: n/a
Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: HakuBaikou.com - A Rurouni Kenshin Fan Works Site

Author's Summary: As Kenshin recovers from his wounds after his duel with Shishio, his friends sense a threat and take precautions for his safety.

Review:
This is the story of what happens after the rather frenetic climax of the 2nd season. In the series we jump from Kenshin being near death to his being essentially fine and the Kenshingumi preparing to leave Kyoto. It's a lovely story full of character details with some action as well to spice things up. I especially love that it's told from Megumi's point of view. Megumi is often shortchanged in fandom, in my opinion - either overlooked or cast as the bitchy competition. Haku Baikou captures her voice beautifully, painting her as an thoughtful, intelligent woman and physician who handles her unrequited love very maturely.

A lovely, thoughtful story that fills in that missing time period perfectly.

Recovery

Title: Recovery
Author: Haku Baikou
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin
Pairing: gen with hints of past Kenshin/Tomoe and pre-Kenshin/Kaoru
Category: drama, character study
Length: long
Warnings: n/a
Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: HakuBaikou.com - A Rurouni Kenshin Fan Works Site

Author's Summary: As Kenshin recovers from his wounds after his duel with Shishio, his friends sense a threat and take precautions for his safety.

Review:
This is the story of what happens after the rather frenetic climax of the 2nd season. In the series we jump from Kenshin being near death to his being essentially fine and the Kenshingumi preparing to leave Kyoto. It's a lovely story full of character details with some action as well to spice things up. I especially love that it's told from Megumi's point of view. Megumi is often shortchanged in fandom, in my opinion - either overlooked or cast as the bitchy competition. Haku Baikou captures her voice beautifully, painting her as an thoughtful, intelligent woman and physician who handles her unrequited love very maturely.

A lovely, thoughtful story that fills in that missing time period perfectly.

Recovery

Title: Recovery
Author: Haku Baikou
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin
Pairing: gen with hints of past Kenshin/Tomoe and pre-Kenshin/Kaoru
Category: drama, character study
Length: long
Warnings: n/a
Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: HakuBaikou.com - A Rurouni Kenshin Fan Works Site

Author's Summary: As Kenshin recovers from his wounds after his duel with Shishio, his friends sense a threat and take precautions for his safety.

Review:
This is the story of what happens after the rather frenetic climax of the 2nd season. In the series we jump from Kenshin being near death to his being essentially fine and the Kenshingumi preparing to leave Kyoto. It's a lovely story full of character details with some action as well to spice things up. I especially love that it's told from Megumi's point of view. Megumi is often shortchanged in fandom, in my opinion - either overlooked or cast as the bitchy competition. Haku Baikou captures her voice beautifully, painting her as an thoughtful, intelligent woman and physician who handles her unrequited love very maturely.

A lovely, thoughtful story that fills in that missing time period perfectly.

Recovery

Title: Recovery
Author: Haku Baikou
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin
Pairing: gen with hints of past Kenshin/Tomoe and pre-Kenshin/Kaoru
Category: drama, character study
Length: long
Warnings: n/a
Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: HakuBaikou.com - A Rurouni Kenshin Fan Works Site

Author's Summary: As Kenshin recovers from his wounds after his duel with Shishio, his friends sense a threat and take precautions for his safety.

Review:
This is the story of what happens after the rather frenetic climax of the 2nd season. In the series we jump from Kenshin being near death to his being essentially fine and the Kenshingumi preparing to leave Kyoto. It's a lovely story full of character details with some action as well to spice things up. I especially love that it's told from Megumi's point of view. Megumi is often shortchanged in fandom, in my opinion - either overlooked or cast as the bitchy competition. Haku Baikou captures her voice beautifully, painting her as an thoughtful, intelligent woman and physician who handles her unrequited love very maturely.

A lovely, thoughtful story that fills in that missing time period perfectly.

Recovery

Title: Recovery
Author: Haku Baikou
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin
Pairing: gen with hints of past Kenshin/Tomoe and pre-Kenshin/Kaoru
Category: drama, character study
Length: long
Warnings: n/a
Author on LJ: n/a?
Website: HakuBaikou.com - A Rurouni Kenshin Fan Works Site

Author's Summary: As Kenshin recovers from his wounds after his duel with Shishio, his friends sense a threat and take precautions for his safety.

Review:
This is the story of what happens after the rather frenetic climax of the 2nd season. In the series we jump from Kenshin being near death to his being essentially fine and the Kenshingumi preparing to leave Kyoto. It's a lovely story full of character details with some action as well to spice things up. I especially love that it's told from Megumi's point of view. Megumi is often shortchanged in fandom, in my opinion - either overlooked or cast as the bitchy competition. Haku Baikou captures her voice beautifully, painting her as an thoughtful, intelligent woman and physician who handles her unrequited love very maturely.

A lovely, thoughtful story that fills in that missing time period perfectly.

Recovery

Title: Tanabata Jasmine
Author: Nekotsuki
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin
Pairing: pre-Kenshin/Kaoru (in the same vein as the anime series)
Categories: action/adventure, drama
Length: epic
Author on LJ: whiteadelphi
Author Website: n/a

Author's Summary: When Kenshin goes missing on the night of the Tanabata festival, will his friends be able to find him and bring him home?

Review:
This is one of those rare gems that I could actually see fitting into the series as an ongoing arc of episodes. Like the show, it's truly an ensemble piece, and Nekotsuki does a wonderful job of balancing the various plot threads and bringing it all together with no obvious plot holes that I could see. She pays attention to not only Kenshin in his captivity and his friends' efforts to rescue him but also to her OC villains. They are particularly human characters with realistic motivations and this is used well in the action scenes. One of the things that I loved about the original series is that there was often a psychological aspect to the fights beyond fists and swords and this story uses that to good effect. The action scenes are also detailed and most importantly, easy to understand.

A good long read featuring plenty of hurt!Kenshin but no weak!Kenshin with a strong showing from the rest of the Kenshingumi, Misao, Aoshi, and the OC villains.

Tanabata Jasmine

Title: Tanabata Jasmine
Author: Nekotsuki
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin
Pairing: pre-Kenshin/Kaoru (in the same vein as the anime series)
Categories: action/adventure, drama
Length: epic
Author on LJ: whiteadelphi
Author Website: n/a

Author's Summary: When Kenshin goes missing on the night of the Tanabata festival, will his friends be able to find him and bring him home?

Review:
This is one of those rare gems that I could actually see fitting into the series as an ongoing arc of episodes. Like the show, it's truly an ensemble piece, and Nekotsuki does a wonderful job of balancing the various plot threads and bringing it all together with no obvious plot holes that I could see. She pays attention to not only Kenshin in his captivity and his friends' efforts to rescue him but also to her OC villains. They are particularly human characters with realistic motivations and this is used well in the action scenes. One of the things that I loved about the original series is that there was often a psychological aspect to the fights beyond fists and swords and this story uses that to good effect. The action scenes are also detailed and most importantly, easy to understand.

A good long read featuring plenty of hurt!Kenshin but no weak!Kenshin with a strong showing from the rest of the Kenshingumi, Misao, Aoshi, and the OC villains.

Tanabata Jasmine

Title: Tanabata Jasmine
Author: Nekotsuki
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin
Pairing: pre-Kenshin/Kaoru (in the same vein as the anime series)
Categories: action/adventure, drama
Length: epic
Author on LJ: whiteadelphi
Author Website: n/a

Author's Summary: When Kenshin goes missing on the night of the Tanabata festival, will his friends be able to find him and bring him home?

Review:
This is one of those rare gems that I could actually see fitting into the series as an ongoing arc of episodes. Like the show, it's truly an ensemble piece, and Nekotsuki does a wonderful job of balancing the various plot threads and bringing it all together with no obvious plot holes that I could see. She pays attention to not only Kenshin in his captivity and his friends' efforts to rescue him but also to her OC villains. They are particularly human characters with realistic motivations and this is used well in the action scenes. One of the things that I loved about the original series is that there was often a psychological aspect to the fights beyond fists and swords and this story uses that to good effect. The action scenes are also detailed and most importantly, easy to understand.

A good long read featuring plenty of hurt!Kenshin but no weak!Kenshin with a strong showing from the rest of the Kenshingumi, Misao, Aoshi, and the OC villains.

Tanabata Jasmine

Title: Tanabata Jasmine
Author: Nekotsuki
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin
Pairing: pre-Kenshin/Kaoru (in the same vein as the anime series)
Categories: action/adventure, drama
Length: epic
Author on LJ: whiteadelphi
Author Website: n/a

Author's Summary: When Kenshin goes missing on the night of the Tanabata festival, will his friends be able to find him and bring him home?

Review:
This is one of those rare gems that I could actually see fitting into the series as an ongoing arc of episodes. Like the show, it's truly an ensemble piece, and Nekotsuki does a wonderful job of balancing the various plot threads and bringing it all together with no obvious plot holes that I could see. She pays attention to not only Kenshin in his captivity and his friends' efforts to rescue him but also to her OC villains. They are particularly human characters with realistic motivations and this is used well in the action scenes. One of the things that I loved about the original series is that there was often a psychological aspect to the fights beyond fists and swords and this story uses that to good effect. The action scenes are also detailed and most importantly, easy to understand.

A good long read featuring plenty of hurt!Kenshin but no weak!Kenshin with a strong showing from the rest of the Kenshingumi, Misao, Aoshi, and the OC villains.

Tanabata Jasmine

Title: Tanabata Jasmine
Author: Nekotsuki
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin
Pairing: pre-Kenshin/Kaoru (in the same vein as the anime series)
Categories: action/adventure, drama
Length: epic
Author on LJ: whiteadelphi
Author Website: n/a

Author's Summary: When Kenshin goes missing on the night of the Tanabata festival, will his friends be able to find him and bring him home?

Review:
This is one of those rare gems that I could actually see fitting into the series as an ongoing arc of episodes. Like the show, it's truly an ensemble piece, and Nekotsuki does a wonderful job of balancing the various plot threads and bringing it all together with no obvious plot holes that I could see. She pays attention to not only Kenshin in his captivity and his friends' efforts to rescue him but also to her OC villains. They are particularly human characters with realistic motivations and this is used well in the action scenes. One of the things that I loved about the original series is that there was often a psychological aspect to the fights beyond fists and swords and this story uses that to good effect. The action scenes are also detailed and most importantly, easy to understand.

A good long read featuring plenty of hurt!Kenshin but no weak!Kenshin with a strong showing from the rest of the Kenshingumi, Misao, Aoshi, and the OC villains.

Tanabata Jasmine

Title: Tanabata Jasmine
Author: Nekotsuki
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin
Pairing: pre-Kenshin/Kaoru (in the same vein as the anime series)
Categories: action/adventure, drama
Length: epic
Author on LJ: whiteadelphi
Author Website: n/a

Author's Summary: When Kenshin goes missing on the night of the Tanabata festival, will his friends be able to find him and bring him home?

Review:
This is one of those rare gems that I could actually see fitting into the series as an ongoing arc of episodes. Like the show, it's truly an ensemble piece, and Nekotsuki does a wonderful job of balancing the various plot threads and bringing it all together with no obvious plot holes that I could see. She pays attention to not only Kenshin in his captivity and his friends' efforts to rescue him but also to her OC villains. They are particularly human characters with realistic motivations and this is used well in the action scenes. One of the things that I loved about the original series is that there was often a psychological aspect to the fights beyond fists and swords and this story uses that to good effect. The action scenes are also detailed and most importantly, easy to understand.

A good long read featuring plenty of hurt!Kenshin but no weak!Kenshin with a strong showing from the rest of the Kenshingumi, Misao, Aoshi, and the OC villains.

Tanabata Jasmine

Title: Blades of Blood
Author: Vathara
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin, NightLife RPG, Law and Order: Criminal Intent
Pairing: pre-Kenshin/Kaoru
Categories: AU, action/adventure, horror, supernatural, bonding, crossover
Length: epic
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: Urban Legends: the Site

Author's Summary: In a world where monsters roam city streets, a mild-mannered New Yorker has just picked up a blade called Battousai...

Review:
While technically a crossover, the focus is on the cast of RK and this story reads more as a particularly enthralling AU as a modern urban horror/fantasy.

It's a very clever re-imagining of the characters and their interactions. One of the things I find most intriguing about the anime is the relationship between Kenshin's two sides: his rurouni side and his Battousai side. Few stories really treat the topic well, in my opinion, but the neat thing here is that Vathara actually makes them two different characters with Battousai as an ensoulled sword that is not quite possessing Kenshin but definitely sets up shop in his mind and body. The dynamic between them is a fascinating read, especially as Kenshin is drawn deeper into Battousai's world.

We also get what might be my favorite depiction of Kaoru in this story. I admit that I'm not a huge fan of her normally - for me, the anime never quite struck the balance between tough, competent swordswoman and lovesick girl. Here, she is as I wish she would have been - perfectly believable as a dojo instructor and someone to take seriously but still feminine and interested in Kenshin. This Kaoru just really works.

On top of that, you have an intriguing plot with elements from the original but "remixed" and a good strong showing from Yahiko and Sano as well. (There is a sequel available on ff.net called Witchy Woman, but I haven't read it yet myself.)

Blades of Blood

Title: Blades of Blood
Author: Vathara
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin, NightLife RPG, Law and Order: Criminal Intent
Pairing: pre-Kenshin/Kaoru
Categories: AU, action/adventure, horror, supernatural, bonding, crossover
Length: epic
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: Urban Legends: the Site

Author's Summary: In a world where monsters roam city streets, a mild-mannered New Yorker has just picked up a blade called Battousai...

Review:
While technically a crossover, the focus is on the cast of RK and this story reads more as a particularly enthralling AU as a modern urban horror/fantasy.

It's a very clever re-imagining of the characters and their interactions. One of the things I find most intriguing about the anime is the relationship between Kenshin's two sides: his rurouni side and his Battousai side. Few stories really treat the topic well, in my opinion, but the neat thing here is that Vathara actually makes them two different characters with Battousai as an ensoulled sword that is not quite possessing Kenshin but definitely sets up shop in his mind and body. The dynamic between them is a fascinating read, especially as Kenshin is drawn deeper into Battousai's world.

We also get what might be my favorite depiction of Kaoru in this story. I admit that I'm not a huge fan of her normally - for me, the anime never quite struck the balance between tough, competent swordswoman and lovesick girl. Here, she is as I wish she would have been - perfectly believable as a dojo instructor and someone to take seriously but still feminine and interested in Kenshin. This Kaoru just really works.

On top of that, you have an intriguing plot with elements from the original but "remixed" and a good strong showing from Yahiko and Sano as well. (There is a sequel available on ff.net called Witchy Woman, but I haven't read it yet myself.)

Blades of Blood