Showing posts with label nightlock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nightlock. Show all posts

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Goodbye!


Hi everyone :) This is the last post here on the Nightlock Recs blog!:'(

 Please remember that we are still going to be recommending Hunger Games fanfics at our amazing tumblr.

From myself, Little Miss Mionie, I would just like to thank all of the lovely souls who helped me make Nightlock what is today, and to keep it thriving for three whole years! Thank you to Amata, Polkapop, Cindella204, Lavender Flame, For The Genuine, Debs and Titania for helping me recommend some of the greatest fanfics we've ever read, and for dazzling us all with your brilliant writing. 

Thank you to everyone who submitted their fics to our many segments and to the authors who graciously allowed us to interview.

We're keeping the site up so you can always scroll back and peruse reviews of your favourite fics. You can do this by using the tags section in the sidebar.

Lots of love, and may the odds be ever in your favour!

Little Miss Mionie,
Nightlock Recs Mod

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Nightlock Reader's Choice Awards: The Results!



We're very proud to present the winners of the Nightlock Reader's Choice Awards! Thank you to over one hundred of you who nominated and voted. You're the reason these awards have turned out so successfully - thank you! :)

Congratulations to all our nominees - in every category, the votes were so close because of all the amazing fics!

The banners are made by a very talented soul who you can find at nightlockinthecave.tumblr.com. Thanks to everyone in the Nighlock team past and present who helped organise and get the word out about these awards, too!

Best Hunger Games - When The Moon Fell in Love with the Sun by Mejhiren


While at times a sensuous indulgence, When The Moon Fell in Love With The Sun is one of the most unique, well-written fanfictions that has ever been written the THG universe.  That is a huge statement but there is a level of sensual description that is incomparable.  The uniqueness of the language, the effort to adhere to the conventions of the true fairy tale, the ability that the writer has to truly transport the reader and literally leave the taste of the fic in the reader's mouth long after the reading is over - this is a difficult accomplishment. 

Best Catching Fire - Portrait of a Victor by Sponsormusings

           
Portrait of a Victor tells the story of Katniss and Peeta falling in love and fighting against the Capitol regime in a different context. Despite it's AU premise, this alternative fic set in Catching Fire is rich in canonesque details and characterisations. The complex and established nature of some of THG's finest minor characters are much more than simply canon fodder or a name check in Portrait of a Victor. Sponsormusings uses beautifully, meticulate writing style to weave this story not only into our hearts, but into our favourites lists, too.

Best Mockingjay - The Other Mockingjay by MockingjayFlyingFree

Not for the faint of heart, The Other Mockingjay is worth investing the time to read.  It reinvisions Mockingjay in which Katniss and Peeta were not reaped for the Quarter Quell but forced to get married.  Unflinching in its depiction of their life together, the angst of their union and the demands placed on them by Snow.  Again, not an easy read if you like fluffy, uncomplicated Everlark but it is an excellent alternative to Canon.
                               
Best Modern AU - Do NotGo Gentle by dracoisalooker

Do Not Go Gentle is a heartbreaker, for sure. It is impossible for  ct522 to read this fic and not sob into her pillow, hugging it hard. We don't want to spoil the read, but it is a wonderful fic which is both sad and life affirming at the same time.  Truthfully, Peeta's drives in his old truck and Katniss' being her surly, wonderful self are the true power of this fic - it keeps both Peeta and Katniss brilliantly in character. Excellent read!

Best Historical AU - The Blind Date by Malibustacy

The Blind Date is slow-burning romance done right. This fic is a hark back to classic fanfiction; it even has a snowed-in scene! Malibustacy has written a solid story with a unique premise and flawless characterisation. Historical tidbits and a great contextual knowledge make for a great, different read in the THG fandom. Watching Katniss and Peeta's relationship progress in The Blind Date is an obsession for many us here at Nightlock.

Best Canon Complaint - Fishers of Men by A_Necklace_Of_Rope

Fishers of Men is a dark fic, to say the least. A_Necklace_of_Rope has expanded the character and world of Finnick Odair in a unique and absorbing fashion. This dark, gritty story echoes of realism and abuse that lower-class living in an oligarchical society brings; echoes that Suzanne Collins only hints at in her series. Familial disruption and Finnick's identity are at the core of this engrossing read, with strong, melancholy writing that rings true.

Best Canon Divergent - When The Moon Fell in Love with the Sun by Mejhiren


There are really not enough accolades that this fic can recieve. The only defect as that the reader must wait literally months between updates.  But when it does update, wow!  Worth the wait!

Best Romance - In The Elysian Felds by Tomistaccato


This retelling of the myth of Persephone and Hades is filled, literally filled with cannon parallels that it seems the myth was written for the trilogy, from Katniss' volunteering to the character of Hades.  Another rich writer, filled with detail and fearless in using the tone of the genre (it takes a gift to write in such a way as to honor the source material of a fic based on a myth or a fairy tale without feeling forced and the writer has it). An excellent peice of writing.

Best Growing Together - Good Again by ct522


The rest of the team were are over the moon to see that Ct522 had won the award for Best Growing Together fic. Good Again is an engrossing, near flawless fic that is sometimes hard to find in a fandom so bejwelled with drabbles and AUs; one that is canon compliant, in character and above all interesting. Good Again is a wonderful exploration of  Katniss and Peeta's relationship post-Mockingjay. ct522 not only explores our favourite couple's relationship, but expands this new world she is exploring through fascinating and exceptional details and plot points. One moment in particular that Little Miss Mionie enjoys is Katniss' meeting of the Mayor, and reading the universal right's declaration. Innovative ideas like this make Good Again one of the most popular fics of the past two years.

Thank you once again to everyone who helped make these awards possible - including you, all of our fabulous nominees and winners!

Yours,
Little Miss Mionie, Debs The Owl, Cindella204 and ct522

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Only 3 Days Left To Vote For Your Fave Tributes



There's only three days left to vote for your favourite Hunger Games fics in the Nightlock Reader's Choice Awards! Thanks to everyone who's voted so far  - we've had over 70 so far.



Good luck to all our nominees!

Monday, June 30, 2014

Vote for your fave fics in the Nightlock Reader's Choice Awards!



You have two weeks to vote for your favourite Hunger Games fics in the Nightlock Reader's Choice Awards!


Thanks to amenityeverlark, loverdeen, vitaestspesest, Glittermanic, Suk-fong/BabydollRia, Ellarose88, ETnRL4L, chinchin unicorn, icbiwf, Noelle Erikals30, sabaceanbabe, SpotlessMind, Fortunefaded2012, Norbert's Mom, hakanaii, Baroness Kika, Tentadorabismo, Little Miss Mionie marblesharp, ForestFairy/Shinrin no Yousei, Nprbert, MTK4FUN, fnur and LastLeaf for nominating their favourite Hunger Games fanfictions.


Good luck to all our nominees!

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Nightlock Reader's Choice Awards


To send us off in style, and to thank all of our readers for following and contributing to Nightlock Recs for four years, we've decided to host a little awards ceremony!

We will be asking you to nominate and vote for your favourite Hunger Games fanfiction in a range of categories. We will be awarding the winners a banner and a collective review from the Nightlock team - myself (Little Miss Mionie), Cindella204, ct522 and The Owl!

The categories are:
Best Hunger Games fic
Best Catching Fire fic 
Best Mockingjay fic
Best Canon Compliant fic
Best Canon Divergent fic
Best Modern AU fic
Best Historical AU fic
Best Romance fic
Best Growing Together fic


Nominating is open now and will close on June 30. Voting will run for two weeks, closing on July 14.  The winners will be announced and awarded very soon after that.



So, what are you waiting for? Volunteer your favourite fics as tribute!! (And please share this with your fellow allies).

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Nightlock Recs is coming to an end

Hi lovely readers, tributes and lurkers alike,

This is just a quick announcement to let you know in the next couple of months, we will be finishing up reviewing fics here at our blog. The staff all have busy lives to lead, and the fandom has evolved and grown in different ways since we first started, so we have decided this year will be our final chapter.




We've got a few more recs up our sleeves, which should be posted in the coming months. At this point, my fellow staff (Cindella204, Debs and Titania) will be continuing with our epilogue, aka recommending and reviewing Hunger Games fics through our tumblr, Nightlock Fic Recs. 

We will be leaving the blog up so that our readers are more than welcome to peruse back through our old pages once again.

Thanks to everyone over the past four years (FOUR YEARS!!!!????!!!) who has helped made Nightlock Recs possible. There will be a few more specific thanks when the time comes.

Please email us at nightlockrecs@hotmail.com or comment on our tumblr how you would like us to celebrate in style...a best of the best post? More crying gifs? Best and worst fic lists? A guide to reviewing Hunger Games fanfic?

Happy reading (and sobbing?),
Little Miss Mionie
on behalf of the Nightlock Team



Nightlock Prompt Challenge Winner: Eirenewrites

Congratulations to fanfiction author eirenewrites, who is the winner of our writing challenge! The staff at Nightlock (Little Miss Mionie, Owl, Titania and Cindella204) have written a review of this fic. To remind you, the prompt was:

"She heard the music, first. It was the music that made her realise she was truly home."


Eirenewrites wins this shiny new banner (along with some others): 


As well as our review! Without further ado....

“You’ve subdued the districts, but nothing has changed. You are entertainment. Show up when they say show up. Sing when they say sing. Marry when they say marry.”

Convince Me is an interesting story that had us right from the get-go. It is essentially a rewrite of Catching Fire, with author eirenewrites teasing out or including scenes shippers wish they got to see in the original series. The story feels very canon, and all of us had no problem diving right in to read it. This idea has been done before, but eirenewrites' plot, along with her effective employment of dialogue, reenergises what could have been quite a generic fic.



Eirenewrites' writing style is clearly that of an accomplished writer who knows how to write well.  The author captured Katniss' narrator voice perfectly. The chemistry between Katniss, Peeta and Gale feels very canon. The fanfic as a whole reads very solidly, in that there is enough plot and fandom knowledge to support the main focus of the story, aka Katniss' romantic relationships. A lack of convincing, interesting and dynamic storyworlds are often what let novella fic writers down in this fandom - this is a problem Convince Me definitely does't have!

We all really like how Eirenewrites has included our prompt. It both inspires a scene in the third chapter, and seems to be inspiring further events as the story continues.



Convince Me is currently WIP, with 4 chapters. You can also find it on ff.net.

Happy reading,
The Nightlock Team

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Nightlock Recs Tumblr!!


We're excited to announce that we now have a tumblr!
You can find more fic recs and pretty gifs as well as contests and challenges at nightlockrecs.tumblr.com!

Kudos to Cindella, Titania and Owl for creating, designing and moderating our tumblr.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

A Message From HalfHope

Hello fellow tributes, Little Miss Mionie here. As per request of the lovely Halfhope, we've pulled the fics from our GDrive. HalfHope has also sent everyone a wonderful and heartfelt message she'd like us to share with you:

"I'm very sorry to everyone. Your support and love for my writing was amazing and something I never expected and honestly I didn't really feel like I deserved. It was a hard decision that I struggled with for a long time. But my fanfiction had been distracting me from developing my dream of becoming an original, published author, because the payoff was more immediate than that of my own original work. I pulled everything down because I didn't want more reviews coming up and tempting me to get into fanfiction again. In order to move forward, I had to remove everything. I'm so sorry that I'm so weak I had to take it to these extremes.

It was my readers who kept me at it for so long, and what made the decision so hard. I felt selfish at times, and I hate knowing I've made people upset. But it was what was best for me. And I hope, eventually, I'll get to share my writing with you again, but with my own characters and world. 

Thank you for all of your kind words and support. And once again, I'm sorry."

On behalf of your fans, Halfhope, we thank you for all your wonderful writing - there's no need to apologise. We wish you all the best with your future writing endeavours.

Happy reading,
Little Miss Mionie

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Nightlock staff review Catching Fire!

We're here to share our thoughts on the latest film in the franchise, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.


Spoilerific reviews under the cut! 

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Say 'Hello!' to our newest staff member, Owl!

It's my pleasure to introduce you to our newest team member, Owl! She'll be recommending not so popular fics once a month with her segment "Owl's Obscure Fic Recs."



Welcome, Owl, we're glad to have you aboard!

And just a quick reminder of who is currently part of the Nightlock Team -


  • Little Miss Mionie - Mod; recommends dark, Katniss-centric fics whenever she can (usually monthly), as well as posting the Weekly Fan's Fic Rec
  • Cindella204 - Recommends her fave reviews monthly, and posts the Authors of the Month and Self-Promotion Sundays
  • Titania - Recommends WIP Katniss/Peeta 'Everlark' fics fortnightly
  • Owl - Recommends indie fics monthly
Happy staff lurking,
~ Little Miss Mionie 

Friday, November 15, 2013

Goodbye, Forthegenuine!


Hey fellow tributes,


Today we must sadly farewell Forthegenuine, who's leaving our fair district (don't worry, she hasn't been reaped!). We thank her for wonderful contributions to Nightlock recommending her fave alternate universe fics, and wish her all the best in her future real life and fandom endeavours! We love you and we'll miss you!


You can find most of Forthegenuine's recs by searching the 'AU' and 'forthegenuine' tags.

~ Little Miss Mionie

Monday, November 4, 2013

Welcome, Titania!

It is my pleasure to introduce Titania to the Nightlock Team!


Titania will be recommending WIP "Everlark" Katniss/Peeta fics every two weeks, crossposting some of her recs from her own blog.



Stay tuned for her first recommendation - and if you want to find out more about Titania, head over to our fancy, sparkly staff page!

Happy staff lurking,
Little Miss Mionie

Monday, October 21, 2013

What's coming up at Nightlock Recs?

Here's what fic recommendations got planned for the rest of 2013!


  • Femmeslash fics (finally, I swear I will post this!)
  • Electrumqueen's "this you can keep"
  • AU, 'Peeta as a soldier in an American war' fics (Civil War - Iraq)
  • Our Project Team Beta prompt challenge in November
  • A Guest Review
  • Bamboozledone's "Alternate Takes" series
  • Hunger Games/Harry Potter crossover fics
  • More Weekly Fan Fic Recs
  • Little Miss Mionie's 'Fave Fics Of All Time, Hands Down'
  • Solaryllis' "Gale's Guide to Hunting and Fishing"
Remember, we're looking for fic reccers to join the Nightlock team. No experience necessary! Email us at nightlockrecs@hotmail.com for more info.

Happy reading,
Little Miss Mionie 

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Our Fantabulous Forms!

Did you forget about all the cool ways you can get involved in recommending your fave Hunger Games fics? Well, never fear: the forms are here!


Want to be a once-off guest reviewerSign up here.

Want to recommend us a great fic (that isn't your own)? Do it here and we'll pick one rec to feature each week for our Weekly Fan's Fic Rec.

Want to share your favourite Author of the MonthFill in this form

Want your fic recc'd by yourself on NightlockFill in this form and see it on Self-Promotion Sundays.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Do you want to write fic recommendations with us?


Hey! We're looking for two new people to write regular review segments. The segments could be anything you enjoy reading: in-progress fics, completed fics, your favourite ships, rare pairings, minor characters, poetry, SYOT fics...anything! If you can't think of something, we can help you figure it out :)

We are happy for you to write weekly, fortnightly or monthly.

Email nightlockrecs@hotmail.com with your fanfiction penname/name, a link to any fanfiction profiles, any review/writing experience and what you'd like to review and we'll get back to you!

Bon Voyage, Polkapop!




Sadly, our fantabulous reviewer Polkapop has to leave us for that pesky real-life business. We wish her all the best and thank her so much for recommending completed fics with such talent and energy!

You can still find her previous recs using this label ('polkapop', found on the left sidebar).

~ Little Miss Mionie

Monday, June 10, 2013

What's Coming Up at Nightlock?

Here's some cool features and reviews that will be coming your way over the next couple of months!


• Femmeslash fics
• Trope request: Peeta wins the Games fics
• Trope request: Peeta with a disability fics
• An interview with acclaimed THG and HP fanfic author FernWithy 
• Reviews of Bookgirl318's fics as per her request :)
Our All Time Fave Fanfic, Hands Down series from Nightlock Staff
• Erotica Fics pt. 3


Now I KNOW you're excited about the last one, you naughty Capitol citizens! Erotica Fics Part 1 and Part 2 are our most popular posts, with over 34,000 hits to the first installment. Wowza.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

As you can see, we've had a bit of a spruce up here at Nightlock Recs! The 'Pasts Posts' page and 'Sections' part of the sidebar has been removed, since mostly everyone just searches the site via tags.
I've also decided to go with a 'sunny' colour scheme for a while - let me know what you think :)

~ LMM