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

Sealskin (K/P, Rated M)

Well, well, well, look who found their way back! What can I say, I've been busy trying to find fantastic little stories for all you people to read and boy do I have one for you this month! How about we get right down to it, eh?

Title: Sealskin
Author: Loupee
Rating: Rated M
Pairing: Katniss/Peeta, Katniss/Gale
Summary: "In the cold north folklore told of shape shifters who lived both within the ocean waters and walked on land. Peeta believed they were just a thing of childhood stories until a fateful encounter. Years later he is drawn into the world of a girl with uncanny similarities whose past and future are interwoven with those of the creatures."

Why?

If you're relatively new to THG fanfiction you're probably still diving into the plethora of canon-compliant fics that have a tendancy to fill in the empty holes or other characterizations that you don't get from canon - and that's perfectly fine. If though you're like me and you've been kicking around for a while you may start dabbling in reading fics that take a more liberal approach to the characters by putting them into amazing little alternate universe scenarios that blow your mind.

Sealskin is absolutely one of the fics that will carry you away. I swear, you will show up for the star-crossed lovers and stay because you simply can't stop reading.

One of my favourite things about Loupee's Sealskin is that it is unlike anything I've ever read before. It centers around an old folklore tale but brings a very human aspect to the story that ties it almost seamlessly into the THG world. The characterizations are spot on with both Katniss and Peeta staying very true to form in their expected behaviours alone as well as during the critical moments that could be mirrored by canon elements. My only concern (and this is a personal preference of mine) is that once again Gale is in the role of the antogonist and that simply breaks my heart.

I highly recommend this story to anyone looking for something completely out of THG universe, or anyone who just wants something fantastic to read. Hopefully you go check it out.

Much love.

Hero of the Story (M Rating)

I'll tell you all right now, real life is getting the better of me. I'm writing this early on a Saturday morning because it's come down to me waking up early in order to actually get things done. Oh adulthood, how you steal my hopes and dreams and turn them blah blah.Okay - on to the story rec!

Title: Hero of the Story AO3 / FF.net
Author: atetheredmind (s_e_irvine) AO3 / FF.net
Rating: Explicit
Summary: By the end of the summer, Peeta Mellark had married the shoemaker's daughter. And by the end of the summer, Katniss had wed Gale in a small toasting ceremony. AU where Prim and Peeta are never reaped, and where there is no mockingjay, no rebellion.

Why? Okay, so there are lots of reasons that I would recommend atetheredmind as an author to anyone. For example, her stories are creative (read: explicit and adventurous), sex positive, and often so well written that you forget really who you are. But those are just some of them. I'm rec'ing this story to you today because for what started out as a prompt response, it somehow morphed into this two part story that has the capability to make you re-think nearly every conception you have about endgame Everlark.

Without giving too much away, the summary says it all - Peeta and Katniss are both married to other people. Plain and simple. For most, that's it, that's all. But not in this story - atetheredmind has effectively conveyed the challenges that two people face when their hearts are elsewhere which in turn makes you, the reader, reconsider where you think you stand on the convention of infidelity.

I'm not saying you're going to like it - hell, I had double thoughts while I read it - but you will come away from it thinking a little bit more about your conceived notions of monogamy and people's choices. Give it a whirl and hopefully you'll be as spellbound as I was.

PS. Just so you know, the erotica tag is on here because if you dig around a little more in atethermind's profile you'll find 'The Education of Peeta Mellark' and well, geez, that story is some of the best of the best. Trust me on that. 

Completely Fantasy

Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in. Back from too long of a hiatus, I'm bringing you two stories for the price of one. Both of these stories are fantastic for a light and quick read and they feature the perfect amount of playful writing with a dabble of angst and romance. I truly love the way that the author, HGRomance, has integrated classical myths/storylines into original works. So if you have a moment, please check out...

Title: Legend AO3 / FF.net
Author: HGRomance AO3 / FF.net
Rating: Explicit
Summary: People in the kingdom whispered about a legend: a boy with a bow. They said he took up residence in the woods, hiding out while committing random acts of kindness, namely stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Historical AU. Robin Hood.

Why? I chose this story this time around because I absolutely love Robin Hood. Okay, so that might be only part of the reason (really, I can whistle the whole opening Disney sequence), but I was on a roll reading everything HGRomance had written and this one stuck with me. Why you might ask? Well, that's easy. It's well written, well formed in terms of plot, and it let's the reader get lost in a fair amount of imagery. Plus, there's some pretty kick-butt romance tied in there that makes you swoon a little bit.

Now, when you think about it, it is also kind of the perfect pairing for a crossover type story - both stories are tales of ordinary people getting caught up in lives that rush them to change everything they've ever known. There's also arrows and bows and the woods which are all symbols tied in perfectly. In addition to all that, both the pairing characters (Peeta/Robin, Katniss/Marian) share a whole whack of similar traits like kindness, loyalty, and rebellious tomfoolery. Think you're interested? Go take a read!

Title: Goddess AO3 / FF.net
Author: HGRomance AO3 / FF.net
Rating: Explicit
Summary: If people knew who she was, they'd be confused. Their first questions would be these: "Where are your wings? Why can't you fly?" Ah, mortals and their fanciful beliefs and misplaced facts. Mythology AU. Cupid.

Why?  I didn't really know what to expect from this story when I read the summary. I mean, Cupid? What? What a silly concept for a story (all because I don't like the idea of a creepy little baby with an arrow shooting people). But I'll let you know, I was happily surprised.

HGRomance does a fantastic job with this story for more than one reason. Firstly, her writing is fun and exciting. The characters practically dance on the page with her descriptive use of language and the scenes play out so vividly that you can almost get lost. Secondly, it's cute. The characters, the plot, and especially the tie ins with the other deities. Thirdly, it's creative. So often do I read stories that tend to drift along familiar lines, repeating canon elements without added a little pizzazz to the story. But this story, this one could almost pull a Fifty Shades and just change the characters names to become 'original' and no longer 'fanfiction' (no, I'm not comparing their literary work, merely referencing the tactics used that somehow lead to Fifty getting published). Anyways. I'd like you to go read it. Now would be a great time. I mean, if you haven't already fallen into Legend.

Note! Update on Goddess, there's now a seasonal themed epilogue! Go check it out!

That's it for now. Enjoy your reading!

Prompts in Panem

I know, I know. This edition of Completed Fics is late - I'm sorry, okay? But I've been out of the country and dealing with things and real life and such.

Which means I also haven't had much time for reading. And you know what happens when you don't have the time to sit down and read through 50k word stories? You find something small that will give you just a small hit of satisfaction.

So this month I bring you something that you all probably know about, and if not, you probably should. Over on Tumblr, take the time to check out:

Collection: Prompts in Panem
Moderators: silvercistern and misshoneywell
Description: "Welcome, welcome...to promptsinpanem, home of week long writing challenges for fans of Everlark. Anyone who follows our simple rules is encouraged to participate! Those who do not will be turned into an Avox."

Why? Well, this is easy. The idea is to have user generated content. From what I've read so far, the stories being submitted (one-shots) based on the prompts are out of this world. Every story comes from a different angle on the prompt which in turn can play into your head-canon or develop into something you never even thought of. And isn't that the joy of one-shots in the first place? To make you see things in little bits so that it's easy to digest? Not to mention, the whole thing is moderated by two pretty trusted names in THG fandom.

Anyways, go, check it out. Find something you want to read. I promise you won't be disappointed!

-Polka Pop

Complete Tearjerkers

If you were to meet me, you'd probably notice that lately I'm a mess. It's alright, it's all cool. But with this comes to mind exactly what my next batch of fic recs will be. 

This month, I'm bringing you two complete tearjerkers. Two stories that up and caught me by surprise and made me ugly-cry in a way that I haven't done since John Green's The Fault in Our Stars.

So nestle up close, grab your favourite brand of liquor (if that's something you do), and read something that will drop your jaw and make you grab for the tissues. 

Title: Forever Until

Author: lieselmemingers

Summary: "When Peeta is diagnosed with a terminal illness, Katniss must learn to let go."

Rating: M (Obviously, major character death)

Rec'd because...

Oh, boy. I just read this fic like an hour ago and I still have the red marks on my face. I highly recommend this story if you're in the mood for something that is incredibly well written, highly-evocative, and paced so delicately that it gets inside you and claws at your heart. The best part is that it's not written with the focus of death, but with survival and rebirth as the main undertones. Just read it, okay?

Title: The Good Wife FF.net / AO3

Author: Silvercistern

Summary: "You're an awful wife, sweetheart." He's said worse, and so have I, but something about this, maybe the fact that this is the second time I've been told the same thing in one day, makes me burst into tears. Katniss discovers that being married is hard.

Rating: M
Rec'd because...

Okay, so maybe this one didn't get me to cry until the very end, but when it did, boy did I bawl like a wee babe fresh off the mother's teet. Honestly, this fic comes crazy recommended because not only is Silvercistern like magic with words, but the story is also part of a three-part series (The Ashes of District Twelve) all with outstanding outtakes and additions. Like Annie to Finnick, it creeps up on you.

The Bun is Really in the Oven - Cherrypit8 Request

In any fandom, there always seems to be that one nagging 'What If' moment that seems to latch onto any and all reader's and fanfiction writer's minds. In THG fandom, we've got a lot of them. For example, we've got the 'post-Mockingjay epilogue fill in'; we've got the 'Prim in the Games'; and we've got the 'nobody dies', to name a few.

All of these 'What If' moments have a plethora of stories that are magnificent, practical, and filled with detail that we, as reader's, felt were moments of particular interest.

So when Cherrypit8 came to us at Nightlock and asked, "What about the 'Katniss is really pregnant fics' like KaKaVegeGurl's?" - we thought, huh, now there's a 'What If' that's hard to track down.

With that in mind, we went on a mission: Find the Katniss-is-knocked-up stories that give depth, quality and justice to a storyline that can be a pretty difficult one to write simply because, well...


Hormones. Characters change with hormones, okay?

Now, I'm not saying this mission was easy. There's a lot of fic-diving going on when you're looking for a particular story angle. We trudged through a few difficult-to-read stories and by no means should this list be considered the final word (*cough* We are open to suggestions!)

Without further ado, here's some completed "Katniss is really pregnant" stories, just for you Cherrypit8:

Title:  Running Right Into the Fire

Author:  Julia101

Summary: "You could live a hundred lifetimes and not deserve him you know." Haymitch is right. What other boy could still love me after what I've done? What other boy would still stick by someone pregnant by another? Katniss/Peeta/Gale

Rating: M

One Line Rec:  Taking a spin on the Gale train, this fic takes the 'What If' and turns it around a bit, leading the reader down a pretty heartbreaking road.

Title:  Missing a Part of Me

Author:  lovelyladybug5

Summary:  One night before the Quarter Quell changes Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark's life forever. When Peeta is captured by the Capitol, Katniss turns to Julian, Peeta's brother, for help getting the boy with the bread back, and for help with two big changes.

Rating: M
One Line Rec: Though I'm not a fan of the formatting (warning, italics in use), this story has a pretty decent plot to follow, using Peeta's brother as a significant character to add depth and a creative twist to the general idea.

Title:  Will He Remember - WIP

Author:  batbaby

Summary:  What if when Peeta is rescued, he finds Katniss to be pregnant and draws out his memories?

Rating: M
One Line Rec: A good story with solid follow-through, it's still a work in progress so we'll have to wait to see how it ends.

Title:  It Isn't a Trick FF.net  / AO3

Author:  lollercakes

Summary:  It isn't a trick, she is really pregnant. A spattering of ficlets around the idea that Katniss is indeed knocked up. Launched from a prompt by lillian raven over at the kolms Girl on Fire ficathon.

Rating: M
One Line Rec: This story takes a variety of POV's and uses them to provide a full-circle telling of a pretty tragic event that spans not just the Quell but into the Epilogue as well.

Hope you enjoy these and please, let us know if you have any others you'd like to add to the list!

Much love, Polkapop


Post-script: I'll do my best to link up any recs I give with AO3 or other sources due to the crackdown on M rated fics over at ff.net, just an fyi. I could only locate It Isn't a Trick on AO3, please let me know if any others are cross-posted. 

10k Stories [Completed Fics]

Hi! This month I'm pulling out the big guns. And by big guns I'm clearly referring to completed one-shot stories that measure in at just over 10,000 words and have enough punch to knock you out cold. So check them out!

Title: Let Me Name the Stars for You
Author: SamSnead
Rating: Rated M - Romance
Pairing: Johanna/Gale
Summary: This is the story of how the Hawthorne family puts Johanna back together again. Or maybe it's the other way around. Post MJ.
Words: 10,905

Recommended because... 

Johanna Mason has grown on me. Really, she has. In the past little while I've read some amazing Johanna fics and this one has absolutely stood out to me because it's maintained her hard edged personality but also made her loveable. There's a scene that's about 700 words long (without giving too much away) regarding nightmares that solidifies her character as someone deserving of redemeption - and the author makes you feel it.

Using a pretty standard style of formatting for 10k oneshots (which actually seems to be a thing), the piece offers incredible punches of romance, friendship and familial kindness, that will make your heart just bleed. The author cohesively creates a story around the idea that Johanna can fit into the Hawthorne bunch and therefore can heal as a result which makes you, the reader, relate better to her character.

Title: Pieces in Their Games
Author: crazyundeadfairy
Rating: Rated M - Hurt/Comfort/Angst
Pairing: Katniss/Peeta
Summary: President Snow sets out to show that no Victor is truly safe before the Quarter Quell announcement. Slight AU tweaking of a cannon event. Katniss/Peeta.
Words: 10,696

Recommended because...

When the author says it's a slight AU twist, they mean it. It is slight. But it's a killer.

I loved this story because it takes one moment of canon and turns it around. The author has written the characters so strongly in character that you could almost imagine the story happening this way, instead of that. The conversations, the implications, it all makes sense which can sometimes be hard to figure into a 10k story. I rec this not only for the twist, but for the simple enjoyment of imaginging something went different and seeing how it plays out.

Hope you enjoy them!

May's Author of the Month: monroeslittle

Hola mi amigo! Welcome to the 100th post here at Nightlock!

I'm pleased to present you with this month's Author of the Month, monroeslittle!

I first found monroeslittle's stories when I was fic diving on ff.net and boy, oh boy, was I pleased. With six outstanding stories written for The Hunger Games (five being extended onehots and the lastest being a multi-chap), the author has written just under 150k words for this fandom and all of them will leave you reeling.

Now, there's a small problem with this next part. I'm supposed to recommend some specific pieces or bits of writing, but I'm having a hard time zeroing in on exactly which ones I want to feature. If I name drop The Sun is Gonna Shine or The Water is Rising Quick, surely you'll read them. But then, I also want to talk about All this Waiting for Skies to Fall and Knot Your Fingers Through Mine. Such choices.

Okay. Read them all. But here's a small featurette of some of the "stop-breaking-my-heart-it's-just-so-sad" moments:

All this Waiting for the Skies to Fall

"The day the war ends, the sky is pinker than ever, the sun flaming as it rises, and he sees a girl.
He thinks she might be more radiant than the sun."

 The Water is Rising Quick

"It's like the last Games. Just one kiss, a kiss to live for and to die by. Just one kiss, that's all he needs. She kisses him to shut him up, just like last year, but this is a real kiss. His blood runs hot with the knowledge. He knows her lips so well, knows a fake kiss from Katniss like he knows how to breathe, and this is so achingly real as her hands curl into his hair and she kisses him."

The Sun is Gonna Shine

"He wants this. But she knows that; he has always wanted this, has hinted at it. He has been patient about it, has waited and waited and waited, even when she shouted that it would never happen and that he was welcome to leave her for a woman who would happily, carelessly have his babies.

 (But Peeta will never leave her; she knows it like she knows how to breathe. And as if to make that clear, he had looked at her plaintively and replied that he didn't want a baby, he wanted her baby.)"

And finally, Knot Your Fingers Through Mine - I would quote this one, but it's multi-chap and set during the Civil War and as AU as you think that sounds it is just absolutely amazing and you should read it because every chapter is written with such precision that you think "Oh, maybe Katniss and Peeta were totally real people and this is a real story."

Please, take a few hours and give monroeslittle a slow clap for an amazing job. You won't regret it.

Everlark Completed Fics!

 

 Ah dear friends! My apologies for my tardiness in this month's update - life has been incredibly busy and I'm just now beginning to catch up. In an effort to appease you, I offer two 'coffee shop' fics this month from easily the most common pairing in the fandom (and the one you seem to go mad over) - the Everlark fic pairing. Coffee shop fics are stories I consider to be easy reads that are the perfect size and could be read while hanging out for an hour or two.


Title: Bliss
Author: DustWriter
Rating: Rated M - Romance/Angst
Summary: After the fall of North America, life is dismal in District Twelve even without the Hunger Games. Katniss must do the unthinkable to save her starving family, but her actions bind her to the baker's son forever.
Warning: This fic has earned its 'M' rating and deals with mature subject matter - it's not for the faint of heart, so be aware of that.

Recommended because...

We over here at Nightlock seem to love us some DustWriter. This author has serious talent, no word of a lie. So finding this story, a slightly AU version of District 12, absolutely did me in. I recommend this one for two reasons, the first being that it takes canon characters in a different emotional direction that I find incredibly interesting and is portrayed extremely well. The second reason is that it's a decent size, complete fic, that fits into an easy read category. Especially for those who are busy but crave something more substantial than a one-shot. Go check it out, you won't be disappointed.

Title: Pretending That She Don't Care

Author: BleedtoLoveHer
Rating: Rated T - Romance/Friendship
Summary: The Games don't exist, but Katniss is still just as adverse to relationships. A story of how Katniss and Peeta come together without the arena.

Recommended because... 

Here's another coffee shop fic that I read and just loved.  I recommend it for all of its lighthearted goodness and the excellent way that it's written. The characters are endearing, the story is touching, and the author never misses a beat to keep the reader entertained. Not to mention that Gale is actually redeemed as a character in this piece - a rarity it seems in the Everlark cycle. Go check it out, you'll have a good time, I promise.

That's all for now, have a good month!

as far as tales go, this one is cautionary (Johanna/Finnick, Johanna/Gale)

Hi all. This month's rec is amazing, I promise.

Title: as far as tales go, this one is cautionary
Author: jada_jasmine
Rating: Rated R
Summary: They never stood a chance. People say that makes this romantic.

Recommended because...

Okay, so there's a lot of reasons that I would recommend this fic. The first being, most simply, is that it is amazing. It is amazing in that it makes you emote feelings for a character that is often generally assumed to just be a horrible person. Maybe I consider myself like her, the way she's often written, or maybe just because people have freelance to make her a terrible human being, but Johanna Mason as written by jada_jasmine is above all things, human.

And that is a feat in and of itself in my books.

The second reason that I'm recommending this fic is because it can actually be the backstory to Finnick/Jo, Jo/Gale. There's a believability in the writing and in the way the characters interact that make it both heartbreaking and challenging. The relationships of Johanna have a transformative effect - the writing actually shows the evolution of the character.

Finally, I recommend it because it is a damn good read. It does fall under my usual word count of 10k+, but I felt that I could give it the 100 word discount because it's a one shot that made me hurt inside.

The writing is fantastic - it gives depth, evolution and believability to the characters. And it makes Johanna Mason, the sarcastic bitch punching bag of the THG fandom, have a little more ground (and pity) to stand on.

Desert Blossom - Peeta/Katniss, AU

Who's up for another totally completed fic? This month I'm bringing another DustWriter story into the spotlight as we look at Desert Blossom. This fic is an awesome alternate universe tale that mixes cultural, social and world themes together to create a compelling and entrancing story.

Title: Desert Blossom
Author: DustWriter
Rating: Rated M - Romance/Tragedy, AU
Summary: Peeta meets Katniss under very different circumstances in this present-day AU. Together, they must struggle together in a war-torn land to overcome tragedy and find the strength to live again.

Recommended:

I'm going to be honest - the THG fandom is incredibly talented. There are so many fics out there that are completed already that it makes my job hard sometimes, just picking one. But I think this month it was easier than most as I read Desert Blossom and it reminded me of why fanfiction is fun - it takes the characters we know and love and builds on them. An author of fanfiction can often create a character backstory that changes your canon view, can make storylines happen that confuse your canon, or even make it so totally believable that the characters exist outside of canon.

And that's exactly what DustWriter does in Desert Blossom. She makes the characters exist in a world that has nothing to do with Panem.

I'm recommending this fic for not only it's fantastic writing and inventive storyline, but more importantly for it's oustanding feat of making the name "Peeta" seem completely reasonable in modern day society.

The story follows the POV of Peeta as he, Gale and Haymitch study abroad in Afghanistan and struggle with the cultural divide between an American upbringing and the society that exists in the Middle East. And also he meets Katniss, obviously. This story is so far out of Panem that if not for the strong characterization loyalty you'd think that DustWriter had written accommplished original fiction. In my opinion, they have.

A further reason I recommend this fic is because it's researched (seriously, there's a legit bibliography). There are no (noticable for me, at least) negative stereotypes that would often be associated with an author unaware of cultural differences. The story is written with Katniss and Prim being of Afghani origin and it isn't just a forgotten fact - it's key to the characters development.

I love this fic. I really do. I think it pushes the comfortable boundaries of fanfic to create a story that bridges so many divides. Further, I think it's an important story to tell especially in a political climate such as this. It tells the story of people connecting regardless of their origins while still respecting their culture.

If you want to follow Peeta and Katniss out of Panem and into reality, this is the fic to read.

Sponsors/Game Over (OC)

Allo, allo folks! I'm Polkapop and I'll be rec'ing the more complete side of THG fics. Which means I'll be spending countless hours reading through extensive stories for your enjoyment! And... maybe mine as well.

So let's get started, shall we? My first two fic rec's are by the wonderful gethsemane342. I've chosen this set because of my need to get the full picture of Panem. So today I bring you:

Title: Sponsors
Author: gethsemane342
Summary: So, why would someone actually sponsor a tribute? Twenty-four sponsors and their reason for picking their tribute

&

Title: Game Over
Author: gethsemane342
Summary: We know why someone would sponsor a tribute. But how do they feel when their tribute dies or wins the Hunger Games? Twenty-four oneshots for twenty-four tributes, sequel to Sponsors.

Recommendation: Okay, I know what you might be thinking - how on earth does a capture of one-shots make a complete story? Well, in my pursuit of completion I'm not only searching for stories that are technically complete, according to the authors, but also stories that make the idea of Panem complete. Both "Sponsors" and "Game Over" are outstanding ideas to add to the fanfic of THG. They're well written and are strong in their character development of the sponsors themselves (each one-shot features a different sponsor). In these short stories the reader is given a character who they know nothing about and in less than (typically) 500 words, the reader knows a backstory, scenario and reasoning for why they chose their tributehow they felt post-tribute death. That to me is excellent construction. Further, each story hints at the bigger picture of Capitol residents - they tell of rebellion, pity, selfish pursuit and realization. The author gives a side of humanity to characters that readers often only see as one-dimensional.

Mostly, I just liked the idea of breaking the mold set out by canon. These stories are snapshots of the characters who are the audience - and that viewpoint is strangely intriguing.