Title: No Wealth and No Ruin.
Fandom: The Social Network/Dead Like Me (with a cameo from Supernatural).
Pairing: Mark/Eduardo.
Categories: Angst, Crossover, Romance.
Length: Epic.
Warnings: Major character deaths (the whole point of the fic), minor character deaths, mentions suicide.

Author on LJ: antistar_e
Author Website: Masterpost at veritasrecords (Writing comm)

Author Summary:
"In which Mark Zuckerberg gets a job, learns important life lessons, makes friends, finds the love of his life, and dies. Not necessarily in that order."

Review:
After being bludgeoned to death, Mark Zuckerberg ends up becoming a grim reaper. Under a new identity, he ends up adapting to not one, but two new jobs (turns out the undead don't get paid for liberating souls), making new friends and reconnecting with Eduardo.

I'll preface this review by saying this fic is more of a fusion with "Dead Like Me" which means no knowledge about the series is needed to enjoy it as the characters are all new and the universe is explained to Mark quite thoroughly.

As someone who had no knowledge of DLM before reading this fic, I thoroughly enjoyed the introduction to this universe. Mark's unlife is populated not only by the demands of his new job as a grim reaper, but also by a series of highly interesting OCs (alive, undead and dead) which - while not quite stealing the show - add an extra dimension to the fic.

The romance side of the story is also dealt with perfectly. I really loved the fact that the author dealt with the impact of Mark's death on Eduardo and that while Mark and Eduardo did get involved, undead!Mark was not a carbon-copy substitute for dead!Mark and their similarities were not swept under the rug. It is also very interesting to see Mark's romantic feelings for Eduardo to grow after his death and not simply being there all along.

There were two points in the fic (Mark's somewhat easy acceptance of his new circumstances in the beginning; Eduardo's job before coming back to the US) which I am not sure I buy completely. Other than that, this story was a treat from beginning to end.

No Wealth and No Ruin (Masterpost, fic in eight parts)

Title: No Wealth and No Ruin.
Fandom: The Social Network/Dead Like Me (with a cameo from Supernatural).
Pairing: Mark/Eduardo.
Categories: Angst, Crossover, Romance.
Length: Epic.
Warnings: Major character deaths (the whole point of the fic), minor character deaths, mentions suicide.

Author on LJ: antistar_e
Author Website: Masterpost at veritasrecords (Writing comm)

Author Summary:
"In which Mark Zuckerberg gets a job, learns important life lessons, makes friends, finds the love of his life, and dies. Not necessarily in that order."

Review:
After being bludgeoned to death, Mark Zuckerberg ends up becoming a grim reaper. Under a new identity, he ends up adapting to not one, but two new jobs (turns out the undead don't get paid for liberating souls), making new friends and reconnecting with Eduardo.

I'll preface this review by saying this fic is more of a fusion with "Dead Like Me" which means no knowledge about the series is needed to enjoy it as the characters are all new and the universe is explained to Mark quite thoroughly.

As someone who had no knowledge of DLM before reading this fic, I thoroughly enjoyed the introduction to this universe. Mark's unlife is populated not only by the demands of his new job as a grim reaper, but also by a series of highly interesting OCs (alive, undead and dead) which - while not quite stealing the show - add an extra dimension to the fic.

The romance side of the story is also dealt with perfectly. I really loved the fact that the author dealt with the impact of Mark's death on Eduardo and that while Mark and Eduardo did get involved, undead!Mark was not a carbon-copy substitute for dead!Mark and their similarities were not swept under the rug. It is also very interesting to see Mark's romantic feelings for Eduardo to grow after his death and not simply being there all along.

There were two points in the fic (Mark's somewhat easy acceptance of his new circumstances in the beginning; Eduardo's job before coming back to the US) which I am not sure I buy completely. Other than that, this story was a treat from beginning to end.

No Wealth and No Ruin (Masterpost, fic in eight parts)

Title: No Wealth and No Ruin.
Fandom: The Social Network/Dead Like Me (with a cameo from Supernatural).
Pairing: Mark/Eduardo.
Categories: Angst, Crossover, Romance.
Length: Epic.
Warnings: Major character deaths (the whole point of the fic), minor character deaths, mentions suicide.

Author on LJ: antistar_e
Author Website: Masterpost at veritasrecords (Writing comm)

Author Summary:
"In which Mark Zuckerberg gets a job, learns important life lessons, makes friends, finds the love of his life, and dies. Not necessarily in that order."

Review:
After being bludgeoned to death, Mark Zuckerberg ends up becoming a grim reaper. Under a new identity, he ends up adapting to not one, but two new jobs (turns out the undead don't get paid for liberating souls), making new friends and reconnecting with Eduardo.

I'll preface this review by saying this fic is more of a fusion with "Dead Like Me" which means no knowledge about the series is needed to enjoy it as the characters are all new and the universe is explained to Mark quite thoroughly.

As someone who had no knowledge of DLM before reading this fic, I thoroughly enjoyed the introduction to this universe. Mark's unlife is populated not only by the demands of his new job as a grim reaper, but also by a series of highly interesting OCs (alive, undead and dead) which - while not quite stealing the show - add an extra dimension to the fic.

The romance side of the story is also dealt with perfectly. I really loved the fact that the author dealt with the impact of Mark's death on Eduardo and that while Mark and Eduardo did get involved, undead!Mark was not a carbon-copy substitute for dead!Mark and their similarities were not swept under the rug. It is also very interesting to see Mark's romantic feelings for Eduardo to grow after his death and not simply being there all along.

There were two points in the fic (Mark's somewhat easy acceptance of his new circumstances in the beginning; Eduardo's job before coming back to the US) which I am not sure I buy completely. Other than that, this story was a treat from beginning to end.

No Wealth and No Ruin (Masterpost, fic in eight parts)

Title: No Wealth and No Ruin.
Fandom: The Social Network/Dead Like Me (with a cameo from Supernatural).
Pairing: Mark/Eduardo.
Categories: Angst, Crossover, Romance.
Length: Epic.
Warnings: Major character deaths (the whole point of the fic), minor character deaths, mentions suicide.

Author on LJ: antistar_e
Author Website: Masterpost at veritasrecords (Writing comm)

Author Summary:
"In which Mark Zuckerberg gets a job, learns important life lessons, makes friends, finds the love of his life, and dies. Not necessarily in that order."

Review:
After being bludgeoned to death, Mark Zuckerberg ends up becoming a grim reaper. Under a new identity, he ends up adapting to not one, but two new jobs (turns out the undead don't get paid for liberating souls), making new friends and reconnecting with Eduardo.

I'll preface this review by saying this fic is more of a fusion with "Dead Like Me" which means no knowledge about the series is needed to enjoy it as the characters are all new and the universe is explained to Mark quite thoroughly.

As someone who had no knowledge of DLM before reading this fic, I thoroughly enjoyed the introduction to this universe. Mark's unlife is populated not only by the demands of his new job as a grim reaper, but also by a series of highly interesting OCs (alive, undead and dead) which - while not quite stealing the show - add an extra dimension to the fic.

The romance side of the story is also dealt with perfectly. I really loved the fact that the author dealt with the impact of Mark's death on Eduardo and that while Mark and Eduardo did get involved, undead!Mark was not a carbon-copy substitute for dead!Mark and their similarities were not swept under the rug. It is also very interesting to see Mark's romantic feelings for Eduardo to grow after his death and not simply being there all along.

There were two points in the fic (Mark's somewhat easy acceptance of his new circumstances in the beginning; Eduardo's job before coming back to the US) which I am not sure I buy completely. Other than that, this story was a treat from beginning to end.

No Wealth and No Ruin (Masterpost, fic in eight parts)

Title: No Wealth and No Ruin.
Fandom: The Social Network/Dead Like Me (with a cameo from Supernatural).
Pairing: Mark/Eduardo.
Categories: Angst, Crossover, Romance.
Length: Epic.
Warnings: Major character deaths (the whole point of the fic), minor character deaths, mentions suicide.

Author on LJ: antistar_e
Author Website: Masterpost at veritasrecords (Writing comm)

Author Summary:
"In which Mark Zuckerberg gets a job, learns important life lessons, makes friends, finds the love of his life, and dies. Not necessarily in that order."

Review:
After being bludgeoned to death, Mark Zuckerberg ends up becoming a grim reaper. Under a new identity, he ends up adapting to not one, but two new jobs (turns out the undead don't get paid for liberating souls), making new friends and reconnecting with Eduardo.

I'll preface this review by saying this fic is more of a fusion with "Dead Like Me" which means no knowledge about the series is needed to enjoy it as the characters are all new and the universe is explained to Mark quite thoroughly.

As someone who had no knowledge of DLM before reading this fic, I thoroughly enjoyed the introduction to this universe. Mark's unlife is populated not only by the demands of his new job as a grim reaper, but also by a series of highly interesting OCs (alive, undead and dead) which - while not quite stealing the show - add an extra dimension to the fic.

The romance side of the story is also dealt with perfectly. I really loved the fact that the author dealt with the impact of Mark's death on Eduardo and that while Mark and Eduardo did get involved, undead!Mark was not a carbon-copy substitute for dead!Mark and their similarities were not swept under the rug. It is also very interesting to see Mark's romantic feelings for Eduardo to grow after his death and not simply being there all along.

There were two points in the fic (Mark's somewhat easy acceptance of his new circumstances in the beginning; Eduardo's job before coming back to the US) which I am not sure I buy completely. Other than that, this story was a treat from beginning to end.

No Wealth and No Ruin (Masterpost, fic in eight parts)

Title: No Wealth and No Ruin.
Fandom: The Social Network/Dead Like Me (with a cameo from Supernatural).
Pairing: Mark/Eduardo.
Categories: Angst, Crossover, Romance.
Length: Epic.
Warnings: Major character deaths (the whole point of the fic), minor character deaths, mentions suicide.

Author on LJ: antistar_e
Author Website: Masterpost at veritasrecords (Writing comm)

Author Summary:
"In which Mark Zuckerberg gets a job, learns important life lessons, makes friends, finds the love of his life, and dies. Not necessarily in that order."

Review:
After being bludgeoned to death, Mark Zuckerberg ends up becoming a grim reaper. Under a new identity, he ends up adapting to not one, but two new jobs (turns out the undead don't get paid for liberating souls), making new friends and reconnecting with Eduardo.

I'll preface this review by saying this fic is more of a fusion with "Dead Like Me" which means no knowledge about the series is needed to enjoy it as the characters are all new and the universe is explained to Mark quite thoroughly.

As someone who had no knowledge of DLM before reading this fic, I thoroughly enjoyed the introduction to this universe. Mark's unlife is populated not only by the demands of his new job as a grim reaper, but also by a series of highly interesting OCs (alive, undead and dead) which - while not quite stealing the show - add an extra dimension to the fic.

The romance side of the story is also dealt with perfectly. I really loved the fact that the author dealt with the impact of Mark's death on Eduardo and that while Mark and Eduardo did get involved, undead!Mark was not a carbon-copy substitute for dead!Mark and their similarities were not swept under the rug. It is also very interesting to see Mark's romantic feelings for Eduardo to grow after his death and not simply being there all along.

There were two points in the fic (Mark's somewhat easy acceptance of his new circumstances in the beginning; Eduardo's job before coming back to the US) which I am not sure I buy completely. Other than that, this story was a treat from beginning to end.

No Wealth and No Ruin (Masterpost, fic in eight parts)

Title: The Indelible series.
Fandom: Marvel (616/Noir).
Pairing: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark.
Categories: Action, Angst, Romance.
Length: Super!Epic (43,825 + 60,971 words).
Warnings: None.

Author on LJ: penumbren
Author Website: Shadows of the Moon

Review:
In "Indelible" an accident causes 616!post-deletion!Tony and Noir!Tony to switch places. While Noir!Tony struggles to find his place in a world where all the friends he remembers are wary of him because of events he cannot remember, 616!Tony, certain he has been abandoned, starts building a place for himself through his friendship with Steve. In "A Long Hard Road" Noir!Tony and Noir!Steve try to build a friendship and later a relationship while the twin ghosts of 616!Tony and WWII lurk in the background.

There are not many Noir!verse stories out there, so the fact that most of the action in the series takes place in the 40s was one of the things I liked most about it. Unsurprisingly, though I usually can't get enough of good stories patching Tony and Steve's relationship post-Registration, my favourite parts of the Indelible series take place in the Noir!verse. 616!Tony and Noir!Tony's relationships with Steve are beautifully constructed in very different ways. I love the fact Penumbren manages to make both Tonys dissimilar enough that it shows that they have been affect by their different life experiences, yet still managing to make them similar enough that the fact that they are both versions of one person is never in doubt.

All in all, this is a very long, very well written series that delivers a lot of ultimately satisfying emotional upheavals.

Indelible
A Long Hard Road

Title: The Indelible series.
Fandom: Marvel (616/Noir).
Pairing: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark.
Categories: Action, Angst, Romance.
Length: Super!Epic (43,825 + 60,971 words).
Warnings: None.

Author on LJ: penumbren
Author Website: Shadows of the Moon

Review:
In "Indelible" an accident causes 616!post-deletion!Tony and Noir!Tony to switch places. While Noir!Tony struggles to find his place in a world where all the friends he remembers are wary of him because of events he cannot remember, 616!Tony, certain he has been abandoned, starts building a place for himself through his friendship with Steve. In "A Long Hard Road" Noir!Tony and Noir!Steve try to build a friendship and later a relationship while the twin ghosts of 616!Tony and WWII lurk in the background.

There are not many Noir!verse stories out there, so the fact that most of the action in the series takes place in the 40s was one of the things I liked most about it. Unsurprisingly, though I usually can't get enough of good stories patching Tony and Steve's relationship post-Registration, my favourite parts of the Indelible series take place in the Noir!verse. 616!Tony and Noir!Tony's relationships with Steve are beautifully constructed in very different ways. I love the fact Penumbren manages to make both Tonys dissimilar enough that it shows that they have been affect by their different life experiences, yet still managing to make them similar enough that the fact that they are both versions of one person is never in doubt.

All in all, this is a very long, very well written series that delivers a lot of ultimately satisfying emotional upheavals.

Indelible
A Long Hard Road

Title: The Indelible series.
Fandom: Marvel (616/Noir).
Pairing: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark.
Categories: Action, Angst, Romance.
Length: Super!Epic (43,825 + 60,971 words).
Warnings: None.

Author on LJ: penumbren
Author Website: Shadows of the Moon

Review:
In "Indelible" an accident causes 616!post-deletion!Tony and Noir!Tony to switch places. While Noir!Tony struggles to find his place in a world where all the friends he remembers are wary of him because of events he cannot remember, 616!Tony, certain he has been abandoned, starts building a place for himself through his friendship with Steve. In "A Long Hard Road" Noir!Tony and Noir!Steve try to build a friendship and later a relationship while the twin ghosts of 616!Tony and WWII lurk in the background.

There are not many Noir!verse stories out there, so the fact that most of the action in the series takes place in the 40s was one of the things I liked most about it. Unsurprisingly, though I usually can't get enough of good stories patching Tony and Steve's relationship post-Registration, my favourite parts of the Indelible series take place in the Noir!verse. 616!Tony and Noir!Tony's relationships with Steve are beautifully constructed in very different ways. I love the fact Penumbren manages to make both Tonys dissimilar enough that it shows that they have been affect by their different life experiences, yet still managing to make them similar enough that the fact that they are both versions of one person is never in doubt.

All in all, this is a very long, very well written series that delivers a lot of ultimately satisfying emotional upheavals.

Indelible
A Long Hard Road

Title: The Indelible series.
Fandom: Marvel (616/Noir).
Pairing: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark.
Categories: Action, Angst, Romance.
Length: Super!Epic (43,825 + 60,971 words).
Warnings: None.

Author on LJ: penumbren
Author Website: Shadows of the Moon

Review:
In "Indelible" an accident causes 616!post-deletion!Tony and Noir!Tony to switch places. While Noir!Tony struggles to find his place in a world where all the friends he remembers are wary of him because of events he cannot remember, 616!Tony, certain he has been abandoned, starts building a place for himself through his friendship with Steve. In "A Long Hard Road" Noir!Tony and Noir!Steve try to build a friendship and later a relationship while the twin ghosts of 616!Tony and WWII lurk in the background.

There are not many Noir!verse stories out there, so the fact that most of the action in the series takes place in the 40s was one of the things I liked most about it. Unsurprisingly, though I usually can't get enough of good stories patching Tony and Steve's relationship post-Registration, my favourite parts of the Indelible series take place in the Noir!verse. 616!Tony and Noir!Tony's relationships with Steve are beautifully constructed in very different ways. I love the fact Penumbren manages to make both Tonys dissimilar enough that it shows that they have been affect by their different life experiences, yet still managing to make them similar enough that the fact that they are both versions of one person is never in doubt.

All in all, this is a very long, very well written series that delivers a lot of ultimately satisfying emotional upheavals.

Indelible
A Long Hard Road

Title: The Indelible series.
Fandom: Marvel (616/Noir).
Pairing: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark.
Categories: Action, Angst, Romance.
Length: Super!Epic (43,825 + 60,971 words).
Warnings: None.

Author on LJ: penumbren
Author Website: Shadows of the Moon

Review:
In "Indelible" an accident causes 616!post-deletion!Tony and Noir!Tony to switch places. While Noir!Tony struggles to find his place in a world where all the friends he remembers are wary of him because of events he cannot remember, 616!Tony, certain he has been abandoned, starts building a place for himself through his friendship with Steve. In "A Long Hard Road" Noir!Tony and Noir!Steve try to build a friendship and later a relationship while the twin ghosts of 616!Tony and WWII lurk in the background.

There are not many Noir!verse stories out there, so the fact that most of the action in the series takes place in the 40s was one of the things I liked most about it. Unsurprisingly, though I usually can't get enough of good stories patching Tony and Steve's relationship post-Registration, my favourite parts of the Indelible series take place in the Noir!verse. 616!Tony and Noir!Tony's relationships with Steve are beautifully constructed in very different ways. I love the fact Penumbren manages to make both Tonys dissimilar enough that it shows that they have been affect by their different life experiences, yet still managing to make them similar enough that the fact that they are both versions of one person is never in doubt.

All in all, this is a very long, very well written series that delivers a lot of ultimately satisfying emotional upheavals.

Indelible
A Long Hard Road

Title: Rabbit Jumps Out the Window.
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski and Fraser/Victoria.
Categories: Angst, Family.
Length: Short.
Warnings: None.

Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: Basingstoke @ AO3

Review:
Fraser receives a late night call from Maggie and through their conversation tries to make some sense of his life.

As "Hunting Season" is one of my favorite episodes, I always bemoaned the fact that there isn't a lot of good Maggie fic out there. Though "Rabbit Jumps Out the Window" is about Fraser and his demons (namely his inability to accepts his feelings for Ray K. because of what happened with Victoria), his inner thoughts are slowly drawn out through his conversation with his sister and the parallels he draws between them, making Maggie an essential part of the story. I love how both Fraser and Maggie are portrayed here (very human and very alike despite the fact they did not grew up together), which is what makes this fic stand out for me despite its short length.

Rabbit Jumps Out the Window

Title: Rabbit Jumps Out the Window.
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski and Fraser/Victoria.
Categories: Angst, Family.
Length: Short.
Warnings: None.

Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: Basingstoke @ AO3

Review:
Fraser receives a late night call from Maggie and through their conversation tries to make some sense of his life.

As "Hunting Season" is one of my favorite episodes, I always bemoaned the fact that there isn't a lot of good Maggie fic out there. Though "Rabbit Jumps Out the Window" is about Fraser and his demons (namely his inability to accepts his feelings for Ray K. because of what happened with Victoria), his inner thoughts are slowly drawn out through his conversation with his sister and the parallels he draws between them, making Maggie an essential part of the story. I love how both Fraser and Maggie are portrayed here (very human and very alike despite the fact they did not grew up together), which is what makes this fic stand out for me despite its short length.

Rabbit Jumps Out the Window

Title: Rabbit Jumps Out the Window.
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski and Fraser/Victoria.
Categories: Angst, Family.
Length: Short.
Warnings: None.

Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: Basingstoke @ AO3

Review:
Fraser receives a late night call from Maggie and through their conversation tries to make some sense of his life.

As "Hunting Season" is one of my favorite episodes, I always bemoaned the fact that there isn't a lot of good Maggie fic out there. Though "Rabbit Jumps Out the Window" is about Fraser and his demons (namely his inability to accepts his feelings for Ray K. because of what happened with Victoria), his inner thoughts are slowly drawn out through his conversation with his sister and the parallels he draws between them, making Maggie an essential part of the story. I love how both Fraser and Maggie are portrayed here (very human and very alike despite the fact they did not grew up together), which is what makes this fic stand out for me despite its short length.

Rabbit Jumps Out the Window

Title: Rabbit Jumps Out the Window.
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski and Fraser/Victoria.
Categories: Angst, Family.
Length: Short.
Warnings: None.

Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: Basingstoke @ AO3

Review:
Fraser receives a late night call from Maggie and through their conversation tries to make some sense of his life.

As "Hunting Season" is one of my favorite episodes, I always bemoaned the fact that there isn't a lot of good Maggie fic out there. Though "Rabbit Jumps Out the Window" is about Fraser and his demons (namely his inability to accepts his feelings for Ray K. because of what happened with Victoria), his inner thoughts are slowly drawn out through his conversation with his sister and the parallels he draws between them, making Maggie an essential part of the story. I love how both Fraser and Maggie are portrayed here (very human and very alike despite the fact they did not grew up together), which is what makes this fic stand out for me despite its short length.

Rabbit Jumps Out the Window

Title: Rabbit Jumps Out the Window.
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski and Fraser/Victoria.
Categories: Angst, Family.
Length: Short.
Warnings: None.

Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: Basingstoke @ AO3

Review:
Fraser receives a late night call from Maggie and through their conversation tries to make some sense of his life.

As "Hunting Season" is one of my favorite episodes, I always bemoaned the fact that there isn't a lot of good Maggie fic out there. Though "Rabbit Jumps Out the Window" is about Fraser and his demons (namely his inability to accepts his feelings for Ray K. because of what happened with Victoria), his inner thoughts are slowly drawn out through his conversation with his sister and the parallels he draws between them, making Maggie an essential part of the story. I love how both Fraser and Maggie are portrayed here (very human and very alike despite the fact they did not grew up together), which is what makes this fic stand out for me despite its short length.

Rabbit Jumps Out the Window

Title: Rabbit Jumps Out the Window.
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski and Fraser/Victoria.
Categories: Angst, Family.
Length: Short.
Warnings: None.

Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: Basingstoke @ AO3

Review:
Fraser receives a late night call from Maggie and through their conversation tries to make some sense of his life.

As "Hunting Season" is one of my favorite episodes, I always bemoaned the fact that there isn't a lot of good Maggie fic out there. Though "Rabbit Jumps Out the Window" is about Fraser and his demons (namely his inability to accepts his feelings for Ray K. because of what happened with Victoria), his inner thoughts are slowly drawn out through his conversation with his sister and the parallels he draws between them, making Maggie an essential part of the story. I love how both Fraser and Maggie are portrayed here (very human and very alike despite the fact they did not grew up together), which is what makes this fic stand out for me despite its short length.

Rabbit Jumps Out the Window

Title: Heroes and Devils.
Fandom: Marvel/Echo Bazaar.
Pairing: Steve/Tony.
Categories: Action, crossover.
Length: Long (35,275 words).
Warnings: A bit of gore, mind control, character deaths alluded to.

Author on LJ: marinarusalka
Author Website: Marina's Homepage

Author's Summary:
"Three years after Dr. Doom cast the entire island of Manhattan into the dark depths of the Echo Bazaar, life goes on. The people of Lowered Manhattan, including the Avengers, have adapted as best they could to their shadowy new existence. But then the Avengers find themselves in possession of a mysterious locked box that could save them all -- if it doesn't kill Tony first."

Review:
Trapped underground in a world without sunlight, the Avengers try to continue to protect Manhattan while looking for a way to bring the Island back to Earth. While the opportunity to do so finally seems to have presented itself, nothing is ever so simple when dealing with demons and Hell itself.

It's been a long time since I've come across a plot so intriguingly different and well put together, which makes a nice departure from the - often well written, but somewhat commonplace - "alien invasion/regular super villain wrecking havoc" stories. I am not familiar with the world of "Echo Bazaar," so I can't tell how faithful a reflection of the game it is, but the world marinarusalka describes is well rounded and interesting. The way our heroes adapt (or fail to do so) to their new reality is realistic, as is their unfailing desire to get back to where they belong. Tony's obsession rings particularly true, as does his downward spiral.

Combining an interesting plot with a well-written character ensemble, this is one of my favourite stories to come out of the Captain America/Iron Man 2011 big bang challenge.

Heroes and Devils

Title: Heroes and Devils.
Fandom: Marvel/Echo Bazaar.
Pairing: Steve/Tony.
Categories: Action, crossover.
Length: Long (35,275 words).
Warnings: A bit of gore, mind control, character deaths alluded to.

Author on LJ: marinarusalka
Author Website: Marina's Homepage

Author's Summary:
"Three years after Dr. Doom cast the entire island of Manhattan into the dark depths of the Echo Bazaar, life goes on. The people of Lowered Manhattan, including the Avengers, have adapted as best they could to their shadowy new existence. But then the Avengers find themselves in possession of a mysterious locked box that could save them all -- if it doesn't kill Tony first."

Review:
Trapped underground in a world without sunlight, the Avengers try to continue to protect Manhattan while looking for a way to bring the Island back to Earth. While the opportunity to do so finally seems to have presented itself, nothing is ever so simple when dealing with demons and Hell itself.

It's been a long time since I've come across a plot so intriguingly different and well put together, which makes a nice departure from the - often well written, but somewhat commonplace - "alien invasion/regular super villain wrecking havoc" stories. I am not familiar with the world of "Echo Bazaar," so I can't tell how faithful a reflection of the game it is, but the world marinarusalka describes is well rounded and interesting. The way our heroes adapt (or fail to do so) to their new reality is realistic, as is their unfailing desire to get back to where they belong. Tony's obsession rings particularly true, as does his downward spiral.

Combining an interesting plot with a well-written character ensemble, this is one of my favourite stories to come out of the Captain America/Iron Man 2011 big bang challenge.

Heroes and Devils

Title: Heroes and Devils.
Fandom: Marvel/Echo Bazaar.
Pairing: Steve/Tony.
Categories: Action, crossover.
Length: Long (35,275 words).
Warnings: A bit of gore, mind control, character deaths alluded to.

Author on LJ: marinarusalka
Author Website: Marina's Homepage

Author's Summary:
"Three years after Dr. Doom cast the entire island of Manhattan into the dark depths of the Echo Bazaar, life goes on. The people of Lowered Manhattan, including the Avengers, have adapted as best they could to their shadowy new existence. But then the Avengers find themselves in possession of a mysterious locked box that could save them all -- if it doesn't kill Tony first."

Review:
Trapped underground in a world without sunlight, the Avengers try to continue to protect Manhattan while looking for a way to bring the Island back to Earth. While the opportunity to do so finally seems to have presented itself, nothing is ever so simple when dealing with demons and Hell itself.

It's been a long time since I've come across a plot so intriguingly different and well put together, which makes a nice departure from the - often well written, but somewhat commonplace - "alien invasion/regular super villain wrecking havoc" stories. I am not familiar with the world of "Echo Bazaar," so I can't tell how faithful a reflection of the game it is, but the world marinarusalka describes is well rounded and interesting. The way our heroes adapt (or fail to do so) to their new reality is realistic, as is their unfailing desire to get back to where they belong. Tony's obsession rings particularly true, as does his downward spiral.

Combining an interesting plot with a well-written character ensemble, this is one of my favourite stories to come out of the Captain America/Iron Man 2011 big bang challenge.

Heroes and Devils