HD MPreg Fest 2012 - Week 03 Recs
Week 03
The Recs of Fic and Art for the third week of the MPreg Fest. If it doesn't have opinion piece yet, I just haven't gotten round to writting one.
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Post 32 - 03-06-2012 - Fic: In the Forest They Found Fate - Preg!Harry
Sum.: Total AU - Harry didn’t want to mate, but Fate’s never much cared for the desires of others.
MY OPINION:
Ok, this is as AU as AU can get and it is a good AU. I’m not going to say too much about the story, because that would ruin your reading pleasure. But it had a good pace and the plot made sense and was quite well-developed.
Character wise I liked this Harry and Draco. The author gave them both some background and let their relationship unfold at a good pace. Their interactions were fun too and I liked how Draco was learning Harry to fight. I wouldn’t really say they were IC, but there were IC elements to their characterisation. Also in an AU it is sometimes quite hard to stay IC, but on the other hand it is a lot easier as a reader to go with the flow when it comes to character depictions.
If the fic had been longer that would have been awesome, because then this world could have more background, explanations etc. There were no glaring holes and actually the progression of the fic was great. Despite its more average to shorter length it had depth and good development, it would just have been that bit more amazing if it had been longer.
The writing itself was good and read really fluid.
This was a great AU and the first one this year I think, or at least the first one I read, so if you like AU give it a go. I think you’ll really enjoy it.
Post 31 - 03-06-2012 - Fic: Wanted - Preg!Harry
Sum.: Draco wants a child. Harry says he doesn’t. When the Ministry holds their yearly Duelling competition, Draco decides to take matters into his own hands.
MY OPINION:
I'm reccing this fic despite my thorn feelings towards it, because I think a lot of others will like it and I just wanted to say why I partly liked and disliked it.
I really liked this prompt when I first saw it on the prompt lists and I was looking forward to seeing what a writer did with it. But I’m sad to say I didn’t like the way the author worked it all out. It is not that it isn’t an good fill, because it is, I just didn't like the way she worked it out. I would have prefered a different approach, but this is a personal preference and I sure others will love the approach the author chose.
First the good parts. The actual writing - ie spelling, grammar, word choice - is all right. It isn’t anything super special, but it did have a good cadence to it and thus read really smoothly.
The characters themselves were also fairly IC. The author chose certain character depictions and kept their actions and reactions consistent throughout the fic. While they were not carbon copies of the books (which doesn’t work anyway, because in the novels HD would never happen) they were IC enough that I completely recognized them and did not have to tilt my head and squint through one eye to have a "'Aha, there you are Draco/Harry/..." moment.
Ok, so why didn’t I like this fic … well I think it can all be brought back to the fact that the author chose a flangsty - actually it was all quite fluffy - and super mellow route and in this piece of fiction I would have preffered a more angsty, grainy and confrontational route (with a happy ending preferably). This choice lead to a tension balance that I didn't like … the author created all these tension build ups and every time the moment where you think there would be an explosion it all fizzled out. Her choice for flangsty/fluffy and mellow also influenced how the characters reacted and while all the reactions fit in the styly/feel the author choose, some of the character's reactions just did not sit well with me. I would have preferred a fic with a pissed of Harry who leaves Draco and has to fight for his position on the force, an incensed Hermione, a bewildered Ron and a Draco (like here) who hasn’t got a clue what he did wrong, but unlike here does come to the conclusion that what he did was wrong and has to really fight to get Harry back. But this is just personal preference and the author really executed her flangsty mellow fic well.
This is a good fill and one that reads quite easy. But I would have preferred the more angsty and grainy route unlike the flangsty route the author chose. This is just personal preferences and I think a lot of people will like the route the author chose, but I do stand by my opinion that the built up tension never gets a real let out.
Post 30 - 02-06-2012 - Fic: Endurance - Preg!Harry
Sum.: After the steady deterioration and eventual breakdown of his relationship, Harry finds it hard coping alone with his 'bundle of joy'. HEED THE WARNINGS
MY OPINION:
This is one disturbing and totally scary story and it is absolutely brilliant. You definitely need to heed the warnings and if you are freaked out and squicked emotionally you should totally skip this one. But if like me you take pause and are considering reading this despite it usually not being your thing, you should give it a go. It is exactly what the warnings say it will be, this isn't one of those fics that warns for something and then after reading it you wonder why the heck she put those warnings there. No, this fic is gritty and real and oh so painfull, but it gripped me from start to finish. I think it was the author's writing-style; can't really put my finger on why though, but grip me it did. I did like how she didn't show/tell us every second, but sometimes made jumps and these jumps were very well excuted. Also the ending was perfect, kind of SPOILER *** The ending isn't a happy one, but surface wise it isn't an unhappy one either. It was a very realistic one ***
IC or OOC? Well that is a rather difficult one, for me most reactions were IC. The author choose the kind of story she wanted to tell and then choose her character depictions and then kept her characters IC within those parameters. So yes, I could see those reactions happening within the story she wrote, but this is not your typical HD fandom dynamic.
Do heed the warnings, but this is a well developed fic and while the subject matter isn't light it was a great read.
Post 29 - 02-06-2012 - Fic: The Times, They are A’Changin’ - Preg!Draco (past pregnancy)
Sum.: You can’t blame a guy for trying to escape this chore, can you?
MY OPINION:
FUNNY, HILARIOUS, ENTERTAINING, COMICAL, had me LOLing. Really I can't say more than that this was such a fun read and if you want a laugh then go and read it now. Also everyone was pretty IC, the characters interaction was brilliant and it is a very smooth read. The ending just made it perfect.
Post 28 - 01-06-2012 - Fic: A Safe Bet -Preg!Harry
Sum.: Really, they were only interested in the person who'd been enchanting teapots. No need for all these curse-jumping pregnancy-causing shenanigans. Or, Law & Order: Ministry of Magic.
MY OPINION:
Post 27 - 01-06-2012 - Art: Karma is a b**** - Preg!Harry
Sum.: Karma is a bitch and what goes around, comes around. Especially when your name is Draco Malfoy
MY OPINION:
Post 26 - 31-05-2012 - Fic: Our Family - Preg!Draco
Sum.: Snape is a child. Draco is pregnant. Harry is... well.. Harry.
MY OPINION:
Post 25 - 31-05-2012 Art: Cherished - unknown (past pregnancy)
Sum.: Draco and Harry discover how much one little addition to their lives could draw them closer together.
MY OPINION:
Post 22 - 29-05-2012 - Fic: Only In My Dream - Preg!Harry
Sum.: Harry has always wanted a family of his own, but it just never seems to be the right time with Ginny. When he turns up pregnant, neither of them is sure what to do. But the inquiry after the child's birth reveals a surprise link to the one person Harry never wanted to admit to dreaming about, and he has to figure out what, exactly, family means.
MY OPINION:
Not finished reading yet, I didn’t finish reading this fic today, purely because I wasn’t in the mood for it. I wasn’t really in the mood for reading a fic right now, but the prompt intrigued me so I gave it a go. This is a great fic, but falls just short of those rare fics that can convince you to continue reading even if you originally didn’t feel like reading. But the beginning is really promising, so if the prompt intrigues you and you feel like reading a fic just shy of the 10.000 word mark then definitely give it a go. I'll properly rec it when I have finished reading it.
Post 21 - 29-05-2012 - Art: Like Ulysses - Preg!Draco
Sum.: Happy the man who, like Ulysses, has made a fine voyage, or has won the Golden Fleece, and then returns, experienced and knowledgeable, to spend the rest of his life among his family!
MY OPINION:
This fill is rather unique and not what I was expecting when I click on the link, but I really like what the artist did. She did not use the traditional art medium, but used Polymer Clay.
This was a really good fill of the prompt and I liked where the artist put her focus. I won’t say more because that will ruin your appreciation and surprise when first seeing it. But just know that this artist must have very nimble fingers. The whole set-up just radiates love and sweetness.
I also appreciated the fact that the artist kept Draco taller than Harry, that is just one of my little pet peeves when reading fic or looking at art.
Only comment would be that I thought the title and summary a bit odd when looking at the prompt and her fill of it. My first thought when seeing the title wasn't the Greek mythology story, but James Joyce's Ulysses and that does not entice me too take a closer look. Plus the sum. is just a bit besides the point really. A backstory is nice with an artpiece, but here the backstory is just a bit off-point.
In short; I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it and really think the artist did a great job.
End of Week 03, onto Week 04