- Location
- Prince George
Yeah, the The Green Lord of Dol Goldur's orc origins can be just as canon as corrupted elves, because Tolkien didn't decide on the actual Origin of orcs. They can be corrupted elves, corrupted humans or even have Maia origins.
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- Thread starter Phearo
- Start date
- Discussion
Yeah, the The Green Lord of Dol Goldur's orc origins can be just as canon as corrupted elves, because Tolkien didn't decide on the actual Origin of orcs. They can be corrupted elves, corrupted humans or even have Maia origins.
- Location
- Right Where I Am
I'm pretty sure at one point when developing things he had the idea of them basically being replicas inspired by elves more like the dwarves before Eru gae them real life rather than actual elves that had been twisted.
- Location
- Prince George
Yep, that's one of them, they were also made of stone In that version. The Tolkien gateway has a list of Orc Origins, I don't know If they have all of them, Because I swear there was one where they were Maia that bred further strains of weaker orcs, but I can't recall what that's from.
13th Bee
Worker
- Location
- Tennessee, USA.
I can't recommend Russian Caravan, though I won't go as far as de-reccing it. I dropped it towards what I think was the end of the road trip arc. That entire arc was, near as I can tell, entirely unnecessary and dragged on for far, far too long. Time after time, it reach a point where things could be neatly tied up and the story could get back to the actual damn central plot only to have some new obstacle appear or some prior obstacle show back up.
- Location
- edinbrugh
I was considering whether or not to read that- I'll give it a go!
- Location
- Caracas
Green Lord certainly has caught my eyes, it can be summarized as such: "so shines a good deed in a naughty world."
Bilbo's good heart heals beings that were once cruel and twisted by Morgoth's Machinations. I think it echoes the whole that everything comes from Eru-Iluvatar.
Bilbo's good heart heals beings that were once cruel and twisted by Morgoth's Machinations. I think it echoes the whole that everything comes from Eru-Iluvatar.
- Location
- UK
Sure, and I enjoyed watching the Transformers movie, but I wouldn't put it on a best ever list. I was entertained by Paranoid Mage and it stands head and shoulders above others of its ilk. It's worth a read, especially if you're already a fan of the progression fantasy genre, but I absolutely understand why some people will drop it by chapter five and not begrudge them.
Baron Steakpuncher
Hopeful Idealist
- Location
- Australia
Canonically the only group with no members whatsoever on both sides at the final battle at mount doom was the Elves. By implication, this would mean at least some orcs fought with the forces of good.
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Kemayo
A Certain Cheerful Tone Of Voice
- Location
- Missouri
Also dereccing Time Braid.
I remember it was one of the earlier Naruto fics I stumbled onto, because I always had a weakness for the Sakura-centric ones. It's in an interesting place of having a bunch of legitimately good ideas... and also what I can most-charitably call awful execution on a number of things. Though since its main Naruto time-loop competitor was Chuunin Exam Day, it was easy to give it a pass...
Overall, I'd say that anyone who feels that Time Braid sounds interesting should go and read something like Mother of Learning instead. (There's enough elements in MoL that make me suspect it started out as Naruto fic that it's at least plausible that its origin might have been its author saying "ugh, I can do Time Braid without the bad bits".)
- Location
- edinbrugh
That's fair. I pretty much agree.
Except for the Transformers movie, lol
In fact, the MoL author has explicitly stated that Naruto was a big inspiration when he was developing the magic system. Not the only one, of course, but a big one. I don't recall whether he ever explicitly cited Time Braid (or Chunin Exam Day for that matter) as an inspiration, but given the fandom circles he was apparently running in I wouldn't be surprised if it was.
- Location
- Australia
Now that it is finally complete, I would like to rec Morality Chain By Pureauthor
I honestly believe that this is the best Azula fic out there. I really love how just a small change puts her on such a better path, while also very much keeping her canon characterization. I love how she challenges and is challenged by the ideologies of Katara (and by extension the GAang) and Ozai in very different but believable ways. And I especially appreciate how her change of heart is slow and gradual, even moreso than Zuko.
Also the writing, especially towards the end of the fic has a certain lyrical quality that really compliments the emotional journey Azula goes through.
I honestly believe that this is the best Azula fic out there. I really love how just a small change puts her on such a better path, while also very much keeping her canon characterization. I love how she challenges and is challenged by the ideologies of Katara (and by extension the GAang) and Ozai in very different but believable ways. And I especially appreciate how her change of heart is slow and gradual, even moreso than Zuko.
Also the writing, especially towards the end of the fic has a certain lyrical quality that really compliments the emotional journey Azula goes through.
Dakkaface
Extra Shooty Wordsmith
To be accurate, both of those things happen, but not in that order or those chapters. Sakura learns Sexy Jutsu in the first chapter and evil loop Sasuke does his genjutsu torture in chapter four. Small potatoes though. Still a derecc.
Egleris
Vagrant Dragon
- Location
- Italy
Adding my own recommendation for Green Lord of Dol Goldur (and the sequel, too) - it's an enjoyable little tale that really feel like a very middle-earthish take on a surprisingly original idea. I liked it a lot, and it's definitely something worth reading.
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Dakkaface
Extra Shooty Wordsmith
I enjoyed it, but I also am not a member of the Hollow Knight fandom, so I am unsure if I should recc it.
I really didn't get this impression? At no point did it feel like everything was misery. It's not light-hearted and theres a lack of any jokey MCU banter. But it felt dark in the way a lot of traditional fantasy is. The threat is there, the threat is bigger than the heroes, and it hangs over thier heads as a continual danger - but that's Tolkien. That's Lloyd Alexander. That's Robert Jordan. The dark is big and scary and that's why we need heroes. Mary is Bilbo, thrust into the role of hero unprepared but not unable.
Reading about Storyteller trying to fight the infection with tools powered by others' belief in thier stories kept making me think of one of Jane Yolen's drabbles.
"Story," the old man said, looking beyond the cave to the dragon's tracks. "Story is our wall against the dark."
I give Russian Caravan a rec too. Really great world-building, though Taylor is the only relevant Worm character for a large part of the story, with the rest being OCs. Well-done OCs, but don't read the fic for interactions between occult Taylor and e.g. Shadowstalker, is what I'm saying.
Edit: Maybe that's not quite correct? It's just that there are no Worm characters except Taylor in the main cast until like half a million words in the story.
Also very long. Maybe don't binge the whole 2.6 million words. Also, don't read the sourcebook until you've finished the story, unless you don't care about getting spoiled, since it's explicitely post-end.
Edit: Maybe that's not quite correct? It's just that there are no Worm characters except Taylor in the main cast until like half a million words in the story.
Also very long. Maybe don't binge the whole 2.6 million words. Also, don't read the sourcebook until you've finished the story, unless you don't care about getting spoiled, since it's explicitely post-end.
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- Location
- Australia
I'm going to add a rec to Harry is a Dragon and that's okay. It's perhaps the only HP fanfiction I've read that has a canon-accurate Dumbledore, and it has a really relaxing and fluffy tone that suits the story quite well. I absolutely love the background political details, and I think the author does a better job at showing how to undo and overcome systematic injustices than JK Rowling ever did. One of the best fics in the fandom by far. Also, Hermione being a Velociraptor animagus is inspired and the best thing to ever come out of this fandom imho.
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'm giving Hoops, Strings, and Other Placebos a rec.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Honestly I dropped it after a while. The first chunks are really good, but it can't seem to decide whether it wants to be slice-of-life or more 'impactful' on the setting, and in my opinion because of this it accomplishes neither to the degree it could have. Not quite a de-rec, but almost.
- Location
- America
I do not think time braid is that bad, I do not remember the underage sex scenes (I am guessing I just did not pay attention to them, when their was cool powers and world building to have) it is a strange and imprefect fic, and prehaps more suitable to QQ, but it not awful, just weird.
- Location
- edinbrugh
Derec for Hogyoku ex Machina - it was painfully boring
Not sure if it needs it, but rec for Involate - the Luthor fic - made me much more interested in Lex Luthor as a character and was really fun
Derec for Bad Publicity - this was a 6/10. A seven at best for me. And that's being very generous. There's a thousand 'fics' like this. Not really bad, but nowhere close to 'best ever'.
Derec for 'Mirror, Mirror' - this is garbage.
"
"Oh, come on." Rin snapped. "All right, my Archer: You are officially now Gilgamesh One. Other Archer, you are Gilgamesh Two."
"Why do I have to be Two?" Gilgamesh Two whined.
"Because you're second best." Gilgamesh One crowed. "Especially in the bedroom, which Rin is going to be knowing firsthand." "
Not sure if Harry the Hufflepuff should be on the list - it was fun, but don't know if I'd call it the 'best ever' - neither reccing nor derecing atm.
Rec for Fuzzy Logic - was a lot of fun. Some parts were kind of awkward/boring, but not for long. First few chapters are the least interesting and skippable, imo, if not your first Naruto fic.
Not sure if it needs it, but rec for Involate - the Luthor fic - made me much more interested in Lex Luthor as a character and was really fun
Derec for Bad Publicity - this was a 6/10. A seven at best for me. And that's being very generous. There's a thousand 'fics' like this. Not really bad, but nowhere close to 'best ever'.
Derec for 'Mirror, Mirror' - this is garbage.
"
"Oh, come on." Rin snapped. "All right, my Archer: You are officially now Gilgamesh One. Other Archer, you are Gilgamesh Two."
"Why do I have to be Two?" Gilgamesh Two whined.
"Because you're second best." Gilgamesh One crowed. "Especially in the bedroom, which Rin is going to be knowing firsthand." "
Not sure if Harry the Hufflepuff should be on the list - it was fun, but don't know if I'd call it the 'best ever' - neither reccing nor derecing atm.
Rec for Fuzzy Logic - was a lot of fun. Some parts were kind of awkward/boring, but not for long. First few chapters are the least interesting and skippable, imo, if not your first Naruto fic.
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- Location
- Chimney Canopy, just offscreen
(EDIT: So apparently it's not only still in progress, but the creator hasn't updated in months... urgh. Sorry. I should've read the OP first.)
I've read very few fics, but I'm enjoying "Assembly", a Rain World fic.
The concept is (Rain World Downpour spoilers - SRS/NSH spoilers, and Spearmaster/Hunter campaigns) Seven Red Suns figures out a way to for Iterators to directly explore outside of their superstructures via complex remote pilots. It also heavily ships Seven Red Suns and No Significant Harassment, with solid chemistry. It's so good it gave me a new ship, and I rarely ship.
It is, however, like the rest of Rain World in that it has some exceptionally depressing content. It doesn't shy away from any of the awful implications of the setting, and in fact leans into them and makes them more explicit. Especially as they pertain to Spearmaster and the Hunter.
Link here.
Edit-Edit:
This fic probably requires a familiarity with Rain World's worldbuilding and deeper lore. So beware if you haven't dug into the game.
I've read very few fics, but I'm enjoying "Assembly", a Rain World fic.
The concept is (Rain World Downpour spoilers - SRS/NSH spoilers, and Spearmaster/Hunter campaigns) Seven Red Suns figures out a way to for Iterators to directly explore outside of their superstructures via complex remote pilots. It also heavily ships Seven Red Suns and No Significant Harassment, with solid chemistry. It's so good it gave me a new ship, and I rarely ship.
It is, however, like the rest of Rain World in that it has some exceptionally depressing content. It doesn't shy away from any of the awful implications of the setting, and in fact leans into them and makes them more explicit. Especially as they pertain to Spearmaster and the Hunter.
Link here.
Edit-Edit:
This fic probably requires a familiarity with Rain World's worldbuilding and deeper lore. So beware if you haven't dug into the game.
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