More Loki recs
More Loki-centric Avengers fic recs, a follow-up to this earlier rec post.
In response to a comment by the multi-talented alby_mangroves, whose gorgeous art works and outstanding stories give so much pleasure to the Merlin fandom, and now to the Loki fandom.
galaxysoup/ Freefall & Landing
(Loki & Thor, gen, bg Thor/Jane)
Author's summary: Loki falls. Thor catches him. This does not solve as many problems as Thor thought it would.
Reccer's comments: Post-Thor movie, the wrath of Asgard and Jotunheim focuses on Loki. Thor sneaks Loki away to Midgard to keep him safe, but how will he keep Loki safe from himself? Beautiful portrayal of Thor's devotion to Loki and very convincing demonstration of the vicissitudes of life in Asgard for Loki. Strong portrait of major depression and how it affects both victim and family.
galaxysoup/ Amateur Theatrics
(Loki & Clint, Loki & Thor, gen)
Author's summary: In which Thor’s primary problem-solving method (a mighty blow from Mjolnir) fails to have the desired effect on a magical artifact, and his secondary method (a mightier blow from Mjolnir) proves to be actively disastrous.
Reccer's comments: Loki is magicked into himself as a child - earnest, brilliant, eager to please, and innocent. Clint cares for him. They develop an intense parent-and-child-like bond. Long, plotty, and so, so good.
astolat/ Chaos War
(Loki/Thor)
Author's summary: It was never easy to find Loki when he wanted to hide, but he wasn't doing a particularly good job of it at the moment. Probably he didn't think anyone from Asgard would be wasting their time hunting for him while the shining ones churned their way steadily through all the realm.
Reccer's comments: Epic canvas, stirring action, marvelous character development. The Loki characterization here is magnificent. One of my all-time favorite stories in this fandom.
galaxysoup/ Control Issues
(Loki, Clint, & Bruce, gen)
Author's summary: An archer, a rage monster, and the Norse god of mischief wake up in a field.
Reccer's comments: Lovely dry humor and character interactions.
stereobone/ Desiderata
(Loki/Tony)
Author's summary: Tony doesn't know anything about love. He's convinced himself it's for the best.
Reccer's comments: Long, plotty story, with great enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Tony and Loki.
teh_helenables/ Tell me the story of how you ended up here & sequel They’re the ones that make it all worthwhile
(Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: Five times Loki protects Steve from little things (like going crazy), and one time Steve saves Loki from the biggest threat of all.
Reccer's comments: Steve is ill, and Loki is the only one who can help. Moving and lovely. Taut, restrained writing that evokes deep emotion.
FelicityGS/ June 21
(Loki & Steve, gen)
Author's summary: Steve has a date book for each year since he joined the Avengers. They sit lined up his desk like little soldiers, bound in a soft and supple brown leather, the year glinting in gold font on the spine. Jarvis has offered before to create him an electronic one, but Steve prefers these. Once, Tony took one to see what he wrote in it, mocking Steve's preference for paper, and when he glanced at one of the pages handed it back immediately, face going dark. Tony did not mock him after that. It is filled with things like August 16th, Doom-2 and September 3rd, Amora-150 Skurg-27. After the city has finally mostly managed to right itself, and after his shower, he sits down at his desk and pulls out the one for this year. He finds the page for June 21st and with the sleek black pen he only uses for this he adds a note: Loki-563.
Reccer's comments: Steve figures out a pattern to Loki's attacks. He sets out to avert the next attack by wooing Loki with kindness and understanding. I've reread this one many times.
LulaMadison/ Remembrance
(Loki + team, gen)
Author's summary: Tony Stark invents a weapon designed to incapacitate Loki, but it doesn't work how they expected it too. Loki loses all his memories, he can't speak, he doesn't know who anyone is, he can't even feed himself so The Avengers have to look after him. Then aliens invade earth and it all goes a little bit crazy.
Reccer's comments: Well done vulnerable Loki and wrong-footed but caring team.
nixajane/ I only speak the truth
(Loki & Thor + team, gen)
Author's summary: After Loki is captured, the team needs to interrogate him. Thor advises against it, but SHIELD has a new experimental truth serum and who better to try it on than the God of Lies?
Reccer's comments: Delicious tart, sly, yet vulnerable Loki, with a great ambiguous ending.
MaverickLoki/ Nine Lives
(Loki & Tony, then Loki/Tony)
Author's summary: After a magic mishap, Loki finds himself temporarily stuck in the form of a cat. Tony's beginning to think he might be more of a dog person.
Reccer's comments: The original cat!Loki fic. Fun times.
trinityofone/ Between the Bars
(Loki/Thor, Loki & Natasha)
Author's summary: Aleksander doesn’t really have friends.
Reccer's comments: A mind-wiped Loki is being rehabilitated on Earth, with Natasha as his minder and protector. Thor finds him. Gripping and bittersweet.
cerebel/ Cryptonomicon in Practical Application
(Loki/Tony, AU)
Author's summary: In which Tony is a codebreaker, and Loki interrupts his perfected routine by having the gall to be a Nazi defector.
Reccer's comments: Historical AU, WWII setting. Different and really good. Great translation of the characters' issues into this context.
cerebel/ You feed me fables from your hand
(Loki/Clint)
Author's summary: Three years ago, the twilight of the Gods: Clint Barton watched as Asgard descended into chaos, unimaginable monsters against unimaginable power, death and destruction to a degree he never thought possible. Three years ago, he saw Thor wade into the fray and fight his way to his brother, Loki. Three years ago, he ran, fleeing with the rest of the Avengers, as the gods dissolved into memory and dust. Today, he sees Loki again.
Reccer's comments: Nifty reincarnation/redemption fic, from Clint's intense pov. We feel Clint's inchoate longing vividly as he searches for what he can't name. The austere Alaska setting reflects and amplifies the emotional atmospherics.
youcrashstanding/ Built Like a Moth
(Loki/Tony, WIP)
Author's summary: Loki shows up in Tony Stark's penthouse at a ridiculous hour, on the run and demanding that drink Tony never gave him.
Reccer's comments: WIP but still being updated. Terrific. Hot and psychologically intense.
Salazar101/ Summon My Personal Demons
(Loki/Tony)
Author's summary: When Tony finds a book left behind by Amora he tries his hand at capturing Loki using magic instead of science. He may have bitten off more than he can chew.
Reccer's comments: Wonderful momentum, tight characterizations, and mix of humor and drama. Nicely done.
belmanoir/ Flying from the Blast
(Loki & Thor, Loki/Tony, bg Tony/Bruce, Tony/Pepper, poly relationship)
Author's summary: Thor and Loki go on the run together post-Avengers, road-trip across Australia, and get family therapy. Then Loki is captured by S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Avengers assemble.
Reccer's comments: Beautiful character exploration of Loki, Thor, and Tony. Very long, but could not be put down. Great original character in the therapist. Smoothly continuous novel for the first 3/4ths with sadly unfinished plot arc; time-stamp-type fics for the final 1/4. Highly recommended.
FelcityGS/ Enough
(Loki/Clint, gen w/ hint of slash at very end, Loki & team)
Author's summary: None of them even knew Loki had been missing from his imprisonment on Asgard when Thor shows up with a shell of a god in his arms. Clint finds himself almost unwillingly starting to feel sympathy for the god as he gets to know him and realizes maybe not everything was as it seems.
Reccer's notes: Moving and believable. Suspenseful and fast moving.
Ordis/ Drown
(Loki, Tony, & Steve, gen, WIP)
Author's summary: Three months after Operation Avengers all is well. Or is it? When Steve and Tony hack into SHIELD to find missing weapons shipments they find more than they bargained for in the form of a prisoner who should, by rights, have been sent to Asgard long ago.
Reccer's comments: 371-page WIP, steadily updated. Loving what's been written so far of this long, plotty novel. Lovely smooth and steady advancement of the plot. Enjoyable and interesting characterizations and friendship development.
abstractconcept/ A Good Rogering
(Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: Steve was always too busy fighting Nazis to worry about sex. All the same, he never expected his first time to be with a weird blue alien bent on the destruction of the human race.
Reccer's comments: Wonderfully funny in parts. Great voices and dramatic action scenes.
teh_helenables/ Down from the Rafters
(Loki/Steve, Loki & Tony, AU)
Author's summary: Tony Stark is the worst friend ever.
Reccer's comments: Human AU. Tony insists that introvert Loki get a date for the company holiday party. Dryly funny interactions between the characters, who, in this author's talented hands, come across as believable adults in transcendence of their rom-com situation.
Like_a_Hurricane/ Of Liars' Gifts and Gifted Liars
(Loki/Tony)
Author's summary: A series of exchanges between a pair of talented showmen: mutual torment of a verbose nature, unexpected gifts, and the peculiar honesty of a pair of craftsmen proud of their own work, and willing to admit admiration of another’s. Also featuring: Loki talking his way out of incarceration, Tony Stark making reckless business decisions on a whim, and much much more.
Reccer's comments: Great drama, leavened with humor and believable romance. Very enjoyable.
teh_helenables/ A Dime Among Pennies
(Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: Steve doesn’t believe in the Avengers, because they don’t believe in him. Loki is the exception.
Reccer's comments: A great alternate reality, which the reader has to come to understand by degrees. Wonderful use of pov - in this case, the pov of a character for whom the alternate reality is uncomplicatedly the singular reality. Nicely mind-bending without overshadowing the character focus.
sphinxofthenile/ Snowblindness Is a Victimless Crime
(Loki/Magnus, crossover with Wallander)
Author's summary: There is always more to a case than it seems at first glance. What starts out as a mundane murder case soon has Magnus in over his head.
Reccer's comments: Moody and atmospheric, borrowing a dark, grainy hopelessness from the setting and situations of Wallander. Conveys Magnus's desperation and loneliness, as well as his unwilling attraction toward a vibrant but ambiguously good/evil Loki, rather like the Jane Eyre/Rochester dynamic. I very much wish there had been more of this. Warning for dub-con fantasy of non-con.
Batsutousai/ Walkin' Through This World Alone
(Loki/Tom Hiddleston)
Author's summary: "Loki Odinson, you are hereby sentenced to Midgard for one hundred full rotations around its sun. For one hundred rotations, you will be unable to interact with any mortal; they will not see you, nor hear you, nor touch you. You will be as a ghost, corporeal, but without being. Until you have learned truly the duties you owe those of other realms as Prince of Asgard, you will be unable to access your magic, as powerless as the mortals you walk among." Loki's punishment for his crimes left him in a living hell on Earth, where no one knew he existed. Until, one day, someone did.
Reccer's comments: Not strictly believable, but definitely enjoyable.
Mikkeneko/ A Villain State of Mind
(Loki & Charles Xavier, crossover with X-Men First Class)
Author's summary: Written for the Norsekink prompt: "SHIELD has Loki in custody, with the gag on to keep him from spellcasting, but they don't really know what to DO with him. They can't give him food or water or attempt to interrogate him with the gag on, and they don't dare take it off. Their solution? Call in a telepath! But Charles Xavier may find more things in Loki's head than SHIELD bargained for..."
Reccer's comments: Wow, I absolutely loved this. Awesome character interactions between an imprisoned Loki and a mind-reading Charles who has been sent to interrogate him. This is one of those rare fics with equal appeal to the id and the brain. YUM!
teh_helenables/ Volition
(Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: Written for the prompt: "When Loki turns up on the Avenger's doorstep, brokenhearted and realizing that he's been in the wrong and wants to join the good side, Steve is the only one at home." No one chooses for Loki. He chooses for himself. He chooses his brother, and Midgard, and Steve Rogers.
Reccer's comments: Loki is revolted by Doom's latest terror attack and decides enough is enough. A perfect redemption story, with understated, believable emotions and motivations.
forcryinoutloud/ Sympathy for the Devil (archive locked; must be logged in to read)
(Loki/Steve, WIP)
Author's summary: There's something different about the Loki they find in Tony's tower after they've won, but Steve is the only one that seems to notice; the only one that seems to care enough to find out what exactly Loki's hiding.
Reccer's comments: Really enjoying this so far; I've reread several times while waiting for updates. Hurt/comfort genre, with ample helpings of both. Gentle, hopeful characterizations.
dfotw/ The lines, here are written
(Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: In a world where everyone has their soulmate's name written on their wrists, Steve Rogers has quite a lot more... and Loki, a lot less.
Reccer's comments: Soulmate trope, compellingly written. Nice scene construction. Deliciously angsty in places, with a hopeful ending. Memorable, fiercely intense moment between Loki and Natasha.
startekfanwriter/ The Texture of His Skin
(Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: Steve Rogers knows what it is to be an abomination.
Reccer's comments: Short, but powerfully written. From author's notes: "I thought someone growing up homosexual in the early part of last century and someone who is 'the monster parents tell their children about at night' might have a bit in common."
Mikkenekko/ Hospitality
(Loki & Thor)
Author's summary: Written for a prompt on Norsekink requesting a retelling of the lay of the giant Geirröd, from the Thorsdrapa.
Reccer's comments: Moving and skillful retelling of one of the Norse myths. Lovely interweaving of the mythology with the characterizations from the movie. I had tears in my eyes during parts of the story.
RC_McLachlan/ Theorems
(Loki/Tony, perm WIP series)
Author's summary: Whatever the number or value may be, the answer stays the same.
Reccer's comments: Post-Avengers, Loki is sentenced to live as a mortal with the Avengers. Tony draws him out of his cell and into the human world. Appealing, adult, complex characterizations. Sexy and emotional, this story really conveys WHY these two characters like each other. A favorite.
jeannedecarnin/ Your ambitions are small and filled with childish need
(Loki/Thor)
Author's summary: Loki gives up on taking over the world and gets a job in a Starbucks in North London.
Reccer's comments: Small but beautifully written story of a fleeting encounter between Thor and Loki sometime after the end of the first Thor movie. Vivid capture of the North London setting, and of the strong, adult emotions of the two characters. Not much of a plot to this one, and no real resolution, but sensitive, sympathetic capture of both characters' intense, conflicting, loving emotions.
astolat/ Revelations
(Loki/Thor)
Author's summary: When Thor fell, everything trembled.
Reccer's comments: When Thor is struck down in battle, Loki embarks on a harrowing journey to the Underworld to get him back. He takes the Avengers with him as back-up. Astolat's final, awesome epic for the Thor fandom.
underscorefandom, vassalady/ Inside Fighter
(Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: "I do believe I should start reevaluating you, Rogers."
"Call me Steve," Steve says. "Now, are you gonna teach me how to throw a punch or are we gonna have small talk all day?" This only widens Loki's smile, although it is now less sardonic.
"I do believe I can understand why you often get into fights." Steve bristles at this, throwing off his cap and then his coat, revealing that his shirtsleeves have already been folded until his elbows. He casts them both aside and stands in the center of the lot, beckoning him with a cock of his eyebrow.
"C’mon. Don’t go easy on me."
Reccer's comments: Setting alternates between present day and 1940s. Powerfully emotional, the story made me really care about the characters. Nice capture of Loki's lack of understanding of the gritty realities of human life under poverty. Believable change in both characters over the course of the story.
Mikkeneko/ An Eye for an Eye
(Loki/Clint)
Author's summary: After the events of Avengers, Clint Barton just wants to get back to his old life. But he finds he can't get Loki out of his mind -- or his dreams.
Reccer's comments: Wow, awesome. Beautiful psychological exploration of Clint's feelings about his tesseract possession.
Speranza/ Fear and Loathing in Asgard
(Loki/Thor)
Author's summary: In which Loki loses the plot. "Being one, Loki didn’t particularly believe in gods, but he did believe in the power of stories."
Reccer's comments: Funny, moving, and thoughtful story. Extremely clever structure, moving through iconic story types as Loki tries to figure out which story he’s living and how that should inform his actions. Both Loki and Thor are interesting and layered characters here; they managed to surprise me, even after I'd read so much fic about them. Beautiful character development and many fabulous lines. Loki’s voice in particular is startlingly fresh even as it sounds perfectly him.
melonbutterfly/ And time will give us nothing
(Loki/Tony)
Author's summary: Depending on from which universe you count, it's either 559 hours or 23,280 hours before Tony returns this time around. He's not alone.
Reccer's comments: Loki and Tony make their way home after being held prisoner by aliens. The intense bond they've forged baffles Tony's disapproving teammates. Gripping and memorable.
icarus_chained/ All the Way Down
(Loki/Tony, WIP series)
Author's summary: He has traversed space and walked countless worlds, and there are still some things that take his breath away. Loki considers Tony Stark.
Reccer's comments: Very intense. Doesn't compromise on the love-hate feelings between these two. The story captures a sense of wonder and dark ineffability that is Loki through Tony's eyes.
teh_helenables/ Sleeping is Giving In
(Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: Not even Steve can love someone indefinitely without being loved in return.
Reccer's comments: Loki's slow turning as he comes to realize that what he feels for Steve is love. Adult and beautiful.
thisiswhatthewatergaveme/ In the Land of Gods and Monsters
(Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: Steve makes a mistake: he lets his guard down. He lets a momentary relief cloud his judgment. He doesn’t spring into action when Loki spins around and presses a tight-lipped kiss against his mouth. Doesn’t even move when it softens, slightly, Loki’s hands curling over his arms. And then the god is gone and Steve realizes something important. He realizes, perhaps for the first time, that there are different kinds of war.
Reccer's comments: Loki helps Steve clean up New York and surprises him with a kiss. Yummy and hot, with a nice, slow build.
bigscienceybrain/ In The Realm of Ungrateful Cockroaches
( Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: Instead of returning to Asgard after the battle of New York, Loki finds himself in a time loop, repeating the events of the Avengers over and over again.
Reccer's comments: Long, plotty Groundhog Day fic, with Steve and Loki on parallel lines of character development that the reader very much hopes will converge at some not-too-infinite point in the future. Strong writing and precise, believable psychological capture of the characters at each point in time. Very engrossing. Sad ending, alas, though the story is continued to an extent in the Refuge series vignettes.
Scyllaya/ Bend Around the Wind
(Loki/Tony)
Author's summary: A few months after the battle of New York the God Loki appears back on Stark Tower under chaotic circumstances. This time however he is on the run. Tony Stark gets caught up in the crossfire and is taken along with the Aesir. Can the two of them ever make truce in order to get away? And even if they do, how does one escape from such a dark corner of the universe, when they are so very far away from the Nine Realms, that not even Loki knows the way back home. But first, they need to survive.
Reccer's notes: Plotty, epic adventure. 403,000 words and complete! I followed this as it was posting, a chapter at a time, and each new chapter was a bright spot in my day, as it was for apparently thousands of other fans, too. With 183,453 hits and an amazing 6,245 comments, I think this fic counts as a fandom-wide event.
goddamnhella/ Off the Record
(Loki/Tony)
Author's summary: It started with a message, a late-night visit, and a God of Mischief in Tony's bed. A story of trust, trickery, unwilling aid and inevitable attraction.
Reccer's comments: A true fanfic classic that attracted the attention of readers from far outside the usual fannish circles. Pro-level writing, with sparkling, diamond-hard characterizations of Tony and Loki.
goddamnhella/ Winterheart
(Loki/Tony)
Author's summary: For his crimes, Loki's punishment began in a lonely and endless winter. For Tony's sacrifice, his imprisonment began with a rescue. A story of ugliness and beauty, inside and out - and learning what the word 'monster' really means.
Reccer's comments: A brand new story, just completed Jan 2015. I haven't read it yet, but considering the author, I'm expecting great things. Near the top of my to-read list.
Are there some more recent or classic Loki fics that you'd add to the list? Please feel free to toss some suggestions into the comments!
In response to a comment by the multi-talented alby_mangroves, whose gorgeous art works and outstanding stories give so much pleasure to the Merlin fandom, and now to the Loki fandom.
galaxysoup/ Freefall & Landing
(Loki & Thor, gen, bg Thor/Jane)
Author's summary: Loki falls. Thor catches him. This does not solve as many problems as Thor thought it would.
Reccer's comments: Post-Thor movie, the wrath of Asgard and Jotunheim focuses on Loki. Thor sneaks Loki away to Midgard to keep him safe, but how will he keep Loki safe from himself? Beautiful portrayal of Thor's devotion to Loki and very convincing demonstration of the vicissitudes of life in Asgard for Loki. Strong portrait of major depression and how it affects both victim and family.
galaxysoup/ Amateur Theatrics
(Loki & Clint, Loki & Thor, gen)
Author's summary: In which Thor’s primary problem-solving method (a mighty blow from Mjolnir) fails to have the desired effect on a magical artifact, and his secondary method (a mightier blow from Mjolnir) proves to be actively disastrous.
Reccer's comments: Loki is magicked into himself as a child - earnest, brilliant, eager to please, and innocent. Clint cares for him. They develop an intense parent-and-child-like bond. Long, plotty, and so, so good.
astolat/ Chaos War
(Loki/Thor)
Author's summary: It was never easy to find Loki when he wanted to hide, but he wasn't doing a particularly good job of it at the moment. Probably he didn't think anyone from Asgard would be wasting their time hunting for him while the shining ones churned their way steadily through all the realm.
Reccer's comments: Epic canvas, stirring action, marvelous character development. The Loki characterization here is magnificent. One of my all-time favorite stories in this fandom.
galaxysoup/ Control Issues
(Loki, Clint, & Bruce, gen)
Author's summary: An archer, a rage monster, and the Norse god of mischief wake up in a field.
Reccer's comments: Lovely dry humor and character interactions.
stereobone/ Desiderata
(Loki/Tony)
Author's summary: Tony doesn't know anything about love. He's convinced himself it's for the best.
Reccer's comments: Long, plotty story, with great enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Tony and Loki.
teh_helenables/ Tell me the story of how you ended up here & sequel They’re the ones that make it all worthwhile
(Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: Five times Loki protects Steve from little things (like going crazy), and one time Steve saves Loki from the biggest threat of all.
Reccer's comments: Steve is ill, and Loki is the only one who can help. Moving and lovely. Taut, restrained writing that evokes deep emotion.
FelicityGS/ June 21
(Loki & Steve, gen)
Author's summary: Steve has a date book for each year since he joined the Avengers. They sit lined up his desk like little soldiers, bound in a soft and supple brown leather, the year glinting in gold font on the spine. Jarvis has offered before to create him an electronic one, but Steve prefers these. Once, Tony took one to see what he wrote in it, mocking Steve's preference for paper, and when he glanced at one of the pages handed it back immediately, face going dark. Tony did not mock him after that. It is filled with things like August 16th, Doom-2 and September 3rd, Amora-150 Skurg-27. After the city has finally mostly managed to right itself, and after his shower, he sits down at his desk and pulls out the one for this year. He finds the page for June 21st and with the sleek black pen he only uses for this he adds a note: Loki-563.
Reccer's comments: Steve figures out a pattern to Loki's attacks. He sets out to avert the next attack by wooing Loki with kindness and understanding. I've reread this one many times.
LulaMadison/ Remembrance
(Loki + team, gen)
Author's summary: Tony Stark invents a weapon designed to incapacitate Loki, but it doesn't work how they expected it too. Loki loses all his memories, he can't speak, he doesn't know who anyone is, he can't even feed himself so The Avengers have to look after him. Then aliens invade earth and it all goes a little bit crazy.
Reccer's comments: Well done vulnerable Loki and wrong-footed but caring team.
nixajane/ I only speak the truth
(Loki & Thor + team, gen)
Author's summary: After Loki is captured, the team needs to interrogate him. Thor advises against it, but SHIELD has a new experimental truth serum and who better to try it on than the God of Lies?
Reccer's comments: Delicious tart, sly, yet vulnerable Loki, with a great ambiguous ending.
MaverickLoki/ Nine Lives
(Loki & Tony, then Loki/Tony)
Author's summary: After a magic mishap, Loki finds himself temporarily stuck in the form of a cat. Tony's beginning to think he might be more of a dog person.
Reccer's comments: The original cat!Loki fic. Fun times.
trinityofone/ Between the Bars
(Loki/Thor, Loki & Natasha)
Author's summary: Aleksander doesn’t really have friends.
Reccer's comments: A mind-wiped Loki is being rehabilitated on Earth, with Natasha as his minder and protector. Thor finds him. Gripping and bittersweet.
cerebel/ Cryptonomicon in Practical Application
(Loki/Tony, AU)
Author's summary: In which Tony is a codebreaker, and Loki interrupts his perfected routine by having the gall to be a Nazi defector.
Reccer's comments: Historical AU, WWII setting. Different and really good. Great translation of the characters' issues into this context.
cerebel/ You feed me fables from your hand
(Loki/Clint)
Author's summary: Three years ago, the twilight of the Gods: Clint Barton watched as Asgard descended into chaos, unimaginable monsters against unimaginable power, death and destruction to a degree he never thought possible. Three years ago, he saw Thor wade into the fray and fight his way to his brother, Loki. Three years ago, he ran, fleeing with the rest of the Avengers, as the gods dissolved into memory and dust. Today, he sees Loki again.
Reccer's comments: Nifty reincarnation/redemption fic, from Clint's intense pov. We feel Clint's inchoate longing vividly as he searches for what he can't name. The austere Alaska setting reflects and amplifies the emotional atmospherics.
youcrashstanding/ Built Like a Moth
(Loki/Tony, WIP)
Author's summary: Loki shows up in Tony Stark's penthouse at a ridiculous hour, on the run and demanding that drink Tony never gave him.
Reccer's comments: WIP but still being updated. Terrific. Hot and psychologically intense.
Salazar101/ Summon My Personal Demons
(Loki/Tony)
Author's summary: When Tony finds a book left behind by Amora he tries his hand at capturing Loki using magic instead of science. He may have bitten off more than he can chew.
Reccer's comments: Wonderful momentum, tight characterizations, and mix of humor and drama. Nicely done.
belmanoir/ Flying from the Blast
(Loki & Thor, Loki/Tony, bg Tony/Bruce, Tony/Pepper, poly relationship)
Author's summary: Thor and Loki go on the run together post-Avengers, road-trip across Australia, and get family therapy. Then Loki is captured by S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Avengers assemble.
Reccer's comments: Beautiful character exploration of Loki, Thor, and Tony. Very long, but could not be put down. Great original character in the therapist. Smoothly continuous novel for the first 3/4ths with sadly unfinished plot arc; time-stamp-type fics for the final 1/4. Highly recommended.
FelcityGS/ Enough
(Loki/Clint, gen w/ hint of slash at very end, Loki & team)
Author's summary: None of them even knew Loki had been missing from his imprisonment on Asgard when Thor shows up with a shell of a god in his arms. Clint finds himself almost unwillingly starting to feel sympathy for the god as he gets to know him and realizes maybe not everything was as it seems.
Reccer's notes: Moving and believable. Suspenseful and fast moving.
Ordis/ Drown
(Loki, Tony, & Steve, gen, WIP)
Author's summary: Three months after Operation Avengers all is well. Or is it? When Steve and Tony hack into SHIELD to find missing weapons shipments they find more than they bargained for in the form of a prisoner who should, by rights, have been sent to Asgard long ago.
Reccer's comments: 371-page WIP, steadily updated. Loving what's been written so far of this long, plotty novel. Lovely smooth and steady advancement of the plot. Enjoyable and interesting characterizations and friendship development.
abstractconcept/ A Good Rogering
(Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: Steve was always too busy fighting Nazis to worry about sex. All the same, he never expected his first time to be with a weird blue alien bent on the destruction of the human race.
Reccer's comments: Wonderfully funny in parts. Great voices and dramatic action scenes.
teh_helenables/ Down from the Rafters
(Loki/Steve, Loki & Tony, AU)
Author's summary: Tony Stark is the worst friend ever.
Reccer's comments: Human AU. Tony insists that introvert Loki get a date for the company holiday party. Dryly funny interactions between the characters, who, in this author's talented hands, come across as believable adults in transcendence of their rom-com situation.
Like_a_Hurricane/ Of Liars' Gifts and Gifted Liars
(Loki/Tony)
Author's summary: A series of exchanges between a pair of talented showmen: mutual torment of a verbose nature, unexpected gifts, and the peculiar honesty of a pair of craftsmen proud of their own work, and willing to admit admiration of another’s. Also featuring: Loki talking his way out of incarceration, Tony Stark making reckless business decisions on a whim, and much much more.
Reccer's comments: Great drama, leavened with humor and believable romance. Very enjoyable.
teh_helenables/ A Dime Among Pennies
(Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: Steve doesn’t believe in the Avengers, because they don’t believe in him. Loki is the exception.
Reccer's comments: A great alternate reality, which the reader has to come to understand by degrees. Wonderful use of pov - in this case, the pov of a character for whom the alternate reality is uncomplicatedly the singular reality. Nicely mind-bending without overshadowing the character focus.
sphinxofthenile/ Snowblindness Is a Victimless Crime
(Loki/Magnus, crossover with Wallander)
Author's summary: There is always more to a case than it seems at first glance. What starts out as a mundane murder case soon has Magnus in over his head.
Reccer's comments: Moody and atmospheric, borrowing a dark, grainy hopelessness from the setting and situations of Wallander. Conveys Magnus's desperation and loneliness, as well as his unwilling attraction toward a vibrant but ambiguously good/evil Loki, rather like the Jane Eyre/Rochester dynamic. I very much wish there had been more of this. Warning for dub-con fantasy of non-con.
Batsutousai/ Walkin' Through This World Alone
(Loki/Tom Hiddleston)
Author's summary: "Loki Odinson, you are hereby sentenced to Midgard for one hundred full rotations around its sun. For one hundred rotations, you will be unable to interact with any mortal; they will not see you, nor hear you, nor touch you. You will be as a ghost, corporeal, but without being. Until you have learned truly the duties you owe those of other realms as Prince of Asgard, you will be unable to access your magic, as powerless as the mortals you walk among." Loki's punishment for his crimes left him in a living hell on Earth, where no one knew he existed. Until, one day, someone did.
Reccer's comments: Not strictly believable, but definitely enjoyable.
Mikkeneko/ A Villain State of Mind
(Loki & Charles Xavier, crossover with X-Men First Class)
Author's summary: Written for the Norsekink prompt: "SHIELD has Loki in custody, with the gag on to keep him from spellcasting, but they don't really know what to DO with him. They can't give him food or water or attempt to interrogate him with the gag on, and they don't dare take it off. Their solution? Call in a telepath! But Charles Xavier may find more things in Loki's head than SHIELD bargained for..."
Reccer's comments: Wow, I absolutely loved this. Awesome character interactions between an imprisoned Loki and a mind-reading Charles who has been sent to interrogate him. This is one of those rare fics with equal appeal to the id and the brain. YUM!
teh_helenables/ Volition
(Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: Written for the prompt: "When Loki turns up on the Avenger's doorstep, brokenhearted and realizing that he's been in the wrong and wants to join the good side, Steve is the only one at home." No one chooses for Loki. He chooses for himself. He chooses his brother, and Midgard, and Steve Rogers.
Reccer's comments: Loki is revolted by Doom's latest terror attack and decides enough is enough. A perfect redemption story, with understated, believable emotions and motivations.
forcryinoutloud/ Sympathy for the Devil (archive locked; must be logged in to read)
(Loki/Steve, WIP)
Author's summary: There's something different about the Loki they find in Tony's tower after they've won, but Steve is the only one that seems to notice; the only one that seems to care enough to find out what exactly Loki's hiding.
Reccer's comments: Really enjoying this so far; I've reread several times while waiting for updates. Hurt/comfort genre, with ample helpings of both. Gentle, hopeful characterizations.
dfotw/ The lines, here are written
(Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: In a world where everyone has their soulmate's name written on their wrists, Steve Rogers has quite a lot more... and Loki, a lot less.
Reccer's comments: Soulmate trope, compellingly written. Nice scene construction. Deliciously angsty in places, with a hopeful ending. Memorable, fiercely intense moment between Loki and Natasha.
startekfanwriter/ The Texture of His Skin
(Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: Steve Rogers knows what it is to be an abomination.
Reccer's comments: Short, but powerfully written. From author's notes: "I thought someone growing up homosexual in the early part of last century and someone who is 'the monster parents tell their children about at night' might have a bit in common."
Mikkenekko/ Hospitality
(Loki & Thor)
Author's summary: Written for a prompt on Norsekink requesting a retelling of the lay of the giant Geirröd, from the Thorsdrapa.
Reccer's comments: Moving and skillful retelling of one of the Norse myths. Lovely interweaving of the mythology with the characterizations from the movie. I had tears in my eyes during parts of the story.
RC_McLachlan/ Theorems
(Loki/Tony, perm WIP series)
Author's summary: Whatever the number or value may be, the answer stays the same.
Reccer's comments: Post-Avengers, Loki is sentenced to live as a mortal with the Avengers. Tony draws him out of his cell and into the human world. Appealing, adult, complex characterizations. Sexy and emotional, this story really conveys WHY these two characters like each other. A favorite.
jeannedecarnin/ Your ambitions are small and filled with childish need
(Loki/Thor)
Author's summary: Loki gives up on taking over the world and gets a job in a Starbucks in North London.
Reccer's comments: Small but beautifully written story of a fleeting encounter between Thor and Loki sometime after the end of the first Thor movie. Vivid capture of the North London setting, and of the strong, adult emotions of the two characters. Not much of a plot to this one, and no real resolution, but sensitive, sympathetic capture of both characters' intense, conflicting, loving emotions.
astolat/ Revelations
(Loki/Thor)
Author's summary: When Thor fell, everything trembled.
Reccer's comments: When Thor is struck down in battle, Loki embarks on a harrowing journey to the Underworld to get him back. He takes the Avengers with him as back-up. Astolat's final, awesome epic for the Thor fandom.
underscorefandom, vassalady/ Inside Fighter
(Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: "I do believe I should start reevaluating you, Rogers."
"Call me Steve," Steve says. "Now, are you gonna teach me how to throw a punch or are we gonna have small talk all day?" This only widens Loki's smile, although it is now less sardonic.
"I do believe I can understand why you often get into fights." Steve bristles at this, throwing off his cap and then his coat, revealing that his shirtsleeves have already been folded until his elbows. He casts them both aside and stands in the center of the lot, beckoning him with a cock of his eyebrow.
"C’mon. Don’t go easy on me."
Reccer's comments: Setting alternates between present day and 1940s. Powerfully emotional, the story made me really care about the characters. Nice capture of Loki's lack of understanding of the gritty realities of human life under poverty. Believable change in both characters over the course of the story.
Mikkeneko/ An Eye for an Eye
(Loki/Clint)
Author's summary: After the events of Avengers, Clint Barton just wants to get back to his old life. But he finds he can't get Loki out of his mind -- or his dreams.
Reccer's comments: Wow, awesome. Beautiful psychological exploration of Clint's feelings about his tesseract possession.
Speranza/ Fear and Loathing in Asgard
(Loki/Thor)
Author's summary: In which Loki loses the plot. "Being one, Loki didn’t particularly believe in gods, but he did believe in the power of stories."
Reccer's comments: Funny, moving, and thoughtful story. Extremely clever structure, moving through iconic story types as Loki tries to figure out which story he’s living and how that should inform his actions. Both Loki and Thor are interesting and layered characters here; they managed to surprise me, even after I'd read so much fic about them. Beautiful character development and many fabulous lines. Loki’s voice in particular is startlingly fresh even as it sounds perfectly him.
melonbutterfly/ And time will give us nothing
(Loki/Tony)
Author's summary: Depending on from which universe you count, it's either 559 hours or 23,280 hours before Tony returns this time around. He's not alone.
Reccer's comments: Loki and Tony make their way home after being held prisoner by aliens. The intense bond they've forged baffles Tony's disapproving teammates. Gripping and memorable.
icarus_chained/ All the Way Down
(Loki/Tony, WIP series)
Author's summary: He has traversed space and walked countless worlds, and there are still some things that take his breath away. Loki considers Tony Stark.
Reccer's comments: Very intense. Doesn't compromise on the love-hate feelings between these two. The story captures a sense of wonder and dark ineffability that is Loki through Tony's eyes.
teh_helenables/ Sleeping is Giving In
(Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: Not even Steve can love someone indefinitely without being loved in return.
Reccer's comments: Loki's slow turning as he comes to realize that what he feels for Steve is love. Adult and beautiful.
thisiswhatthewatergaveme/ In the Land of Gods and Monsters
(Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: Steve makes a mistake: he lets his guard down. He lets a momentary relief cloud his judgment. He doesn’t spring into action when Loki spins around and presses a tight-lipped kiss against his mouth. Doesn’t even move when it softens, slightly, Loki’s hands curling over his arms. And then the god is gone and Steve realizes something important. He realizes, perhaps for the first time, that there are different kinds of war.
Reccer's comments: Loki helps Steve clean up New York and surprises him with a kiss. Yummy and hot, with a nice, slow build.
bigscienceybrain/ In The Realm of Ungrateful Cockroaches
( Loki/Steve)
Author's summary: Instead of returning to Asgard after the battle of New York, Loki finds himself in a time loop, repeating the events of the Avengers over and over again.
Reccer's comments: Long, plotty Groundhog Day fic, with Steve and Loki on parallel lines of character development that the reader very much hopes will converge at some not-too-infinite point in the future. Strong writing and precise, believable psychological capture of the characters at each point in time. Very engrossing. Sad ending, alas, though the story is continued to an extent in the Refuge series vignettes.
Scyllaya/ Bend Around the Wind
(Loki/Tony)
Author's summary: A few months after the battle of New York the God Loki appears back on Stark Tower under chaotic circumstances. This time however he is on the run. Tony Stark gets caught up in the crossfire and is taken along with the Aesir. Can the two of them ever make truce in order to get away? And even if they do, how does one escape from such a dark corner of the universe, when they are so very far away from the Nine Realms, that not even Loki knows the way back home. But first, they need to survive.
Reccer's notes: Plotty, epic adventure. 403,000 words and complete! I followed this as it was posting, a chapter at a time, and each new chapter was a bright spot in my day, as it was for apparently thousands of other fans, too. With 183,453 hits and an amazing 6,245 comments, I think this fic counts as a fandom-wide event.
goddamnhella/ Off the Record
(Loki/Tony)
Author's summary: It started with a message, a late-night visit, and a God of Mischief in Tony's bed. A story of trust, trickery, unwilling aid and inevitable attraction.
Reccer's comments: A true fanfic classic that attracted the attention of readers from far outside the usual fannish circles. Pro-level writing, with sparkling, diamond-hard characterizations of Tony and Loki.
goddamnhella/ Winterheart
(Loki/Tony)
Author's summary: For his crimes, Loki's punishment began in a lonely and endless winter. For Tony's sacrifice, his imprisonment began with a rescue. A story of ugliness and beauty, inside and out - and learning what the word 'monster' really means.
Reccer's comments: A brand new story, just completed Jan 2015. I haven't read it yet, but considering the author, I'm expecting great things. Near the top of my to-read list.
Are there some more recent or classic Loki fics that you'd add to the list? Please feel free to toss some suggestions into the comments!