Beholder Recs

[therealsnape]

This week the fabulous hp_beholder was good for another trio of winners.

In order of appearance:

The Vultures of Love. It has a top-notch Severus/Minerva pairing and a great Argus/Irma. And a most unusual twist. There's banter and snark galore, characters who are both beautifully IC and much more fleshed out than in canon, especially Argus, and it's a most satisfying read.

Then there's the beautiful Sunlight in the Garden. An unconventional love-story between Pomona and Alice Longbottom, with great characterization, great tenderness, and an interesting way of dealing with some of canon's crueler aspects - life at the Janus Thickney ward, for instance. A real treat.

And then the story that had me hesitating briefly when I read the pairing (Dudley/Firenze) and length (well over 10K). Which shows that one should never go by prejudice. It's a wonderfully-told and totally believable take on two unusual characters. The author does a great job of showing what these two have in common, how boxing shaped Dudley's life, and what Centaurs talk about other than the brightness of Mars. This story deserves a large audience. Hop over to Love is a Battlefield. You won't regret it. Beholder at its best.

Also, in case anyone has missed the news, hp_friendship is back. The Golden Trio (or Bad Knuts as Kelly, who knows us well, has called us) consists of tetleythesecond, lash_larue, and yours truly, and it looks as if it'll be a grand little fest once more.

Prompting will start on Wednesday 1st May.


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Comments

[kellychambliss.livejournal.com]

Great recs. I'm looking forward to the Dudley/Firenze. This is really Firenze's year, isn't it? Last year, the break-out star was Andromeda Black, who seems to have disappeared totally this year. Instead, we have Firenze and Marietta for 2013. Dudley's popularity remains fairly consistent each year: always 3-4 good stories.

And HP_Friendship! *\o/*

[magnetic-pole.livejournal.com]

So glad to see HP_Friendship back again! I missed last year's entirely due to the move. Glad to see I've got a second chance! M.

[therealsnape.livejournal.com]

I'd noticed the Marietta & Firenze fashion, too. Now all we need is a Marietta/Firenze.

Funny, how these things really go in fashions, and funnier still that it is in one fest. One can imagine people reading stories about a character and then thinking about that character themselves, but when it happens in one fest, it really seems to be something in the air.

I'm so glad you'll be there at Friendship!

[therealsnape.livejournal.com]

It really is a fun fest. Last year yielded some great stories - the mods got six hot recs out of it.

[tetleythesecond]

Isn't it yet another fine Beholder year? Sunlight in the Garden left me with such a feeling of gratitude, and I would never, ever, ever have thought that one can write such a full, whole, round, believable story about Dudley Durseley and Firenze.

You're right, it is interesting about Marietta and Firenze. And although Marietta is popular this year, it also seems that the run on the younger-generation characters has ebbed off a bit. I'm happy to see quite a few old-lady pairings this year! *g*

[therealsnape.livejournal.com]

I loved that Firenze/Dudley so much! And the Pomona is all kinds of wonderful.

Another great-sounding one with older characters just posted! I already look forward to reading. I love a good Sluggie.