HD MPreg Fest 2012 - Week 01 Recs
HD MPreg Fest 2012 - WEEK 01
Recs of Fic and Art for the first week of the HD MPreg Fest. Sometimes a post doesn't have an opinion piece yet, that just means I haven't gotten round to writting one.
Post 10 - 20-05-2012 - Fic: Broken Expectations - Preg!Harry
Sum.: Generations of careful breeding, ruined because his son couldn’t just do as he was told.
MY OPINION:
Post 09 - 19-05-2012 - Fic: Unbelievable - Preg!Harry
Sum.: Harry and his in-laws has never gotten along, but the arrival of their grandchild changes their attitudes. However, Harry finds this hard to believe.
MY OPINION:
This was a nice read, but a bit cliché. It used a lot of tropes that have become a bit standard / formula in MPreg fics - the tapestry, the magic and baby don’t mix, you are banned from work, no-one -except Harry - is surprised men can become pregnant etc. I read a ton of MPreg, so I noticed most of them. But you don’t have to write a super innovative fic every time.
I did think it could have used a bit more tension in places, but that is just a personal preferences. The author choose for a more mellow, happy-go-lucky feel for this fic and it worked, but in some places I would have enjoyed a tad bit more friction between characters.
This is a nice, enjoyable and mellow read, but I think it will be a tad bit more enjoyable for more newbie MPreg readers than seasoned ones.
Post 07 - 17-05-2012 - Fic: Your Eyes - Preg!Draco
Sum.: Our children were raised on the fairytale of you - because you always were so much bigger than life.... Perhaps you were simply too big for life.
MY OPINION:
This was painful and so heart breaking, but at the same time super beautiful. This fic was a gem in both writing and story. The writing is absolutely gorgeous, I was suck in by the first sentence and the entire fic really moved me. The author did a wonderful job translating the short/vague prompt into a heart wrenching fic.
The fic is from Draco’s POV where Draco is remembering certain aspects of his life that changed him. The author did his POV justice. It was Draco, but you saw him grow and develop. And she really did a spot on job in showing the development between Harry and Draco. I loved her Draco, but I loved her Harry through Draco’s eyes even more.
The story itself is not of great importance here, but the how it is being said and the emotions behind it all are and both the writing and the emotions are heart wrenching yet beautiful.
This is a beautiful fic that claims you from the get go, but DO READ THE WARNINGS because this is not a happy fic.
Post 06 - 16-05-2012 - Fic: My Child, Who Are You? - Preg!Harry
Sum.: Harry and Draco are in the family way. They are nervous and excited to see who their offspring might be.
MY OPINION:
Despite finding the whole idea a bit disturbing, this really was a well-developed fic and I enjoyed reading it. This was a very original prompt and the author really did do it justice. The author took the prompt and really made it her own thing. The writer really did develop the story and I like how she had it all unfold. The writing itself was also good. A fairly good balance between telling and showing and also good balance between dialogue and text blocks.
The character depictions are rather typical ones for this kind of fanfic as and thus a bit run-of-the-mill, but they were well-done. Although I did love her Luna and her OC Belonna - the child of Harry and Draco - was also precious. And the interactions between characters was good.
The only thing that put me off was the first part of her story, where she introduces her topic through a conversation between Harry, Ginny and Draco. Not the way it was written or set-up, but rather I did not like Ginny’s and Draco’s rather blasé attitude to Harry’s shock over this new revelation. Quite often when writers introduce something non-canon or typical magical they use the “Oh, didn’t you know” method. Now I get that a lot of ignorance about pure-blood customs and other things can be explained away by that method, but certain things just can’t. And when your husband is near delivery time is not the time to go “Oh, no one told you that wizard babies are re-incarnations of other wizards”. This is not something that you can expect a muggle-born to know and also not something you forgot to mention.
Besides the start, the author really develops the story and I like how she showed everyone dealing with certain revelations. So this is well worth a read and I don’t think anyone will be unhappy with who the author chose as Bellona’s re-incarnation.
Post 05 - 16-05-2012 - Art: You Drive Me - Preg!Harry
Sum.: Draco is quite mad for Harry.
Prompt #141 - Against his better judgment, Harry sleeps with playboy!Draco. A few weeks later, he discovers an unwelcome surprise: he's pregnant and he can't imagine telling the only candidate for the father.
MY OPINION:
I loved this, it is absolutely gorgeous. I really like this artist Harry and Draco and the entire piece is just so sweet and fluffy. The art style is of the more sketchy variety but it has been coloured in with watercolours(or method that resembles watercolours to my untrained eye). Overall it creates this soft look.
Only comment would be that it isn’t the best fill of the original prompt, but the author acknowledges this. The artist focussed on the special request for “baby-mad!Draco” instead of the plot-line of the prompt and I think that choice here delivered some beautiful work.
Post 03 - 14-05-2012 - Fic: The Smallest Thing - Preg!Draco (past) / Preg!Harry (present)
Sum.: Prompt #63 - Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.
MY OPINION:
This was actually an interesting fill; the author did not choose to new-born baby route, but had Draco and Harry remembering their daughter’s life on the eve of her wedding day. I thought that was a nice route to take. While I liked all the remembering and HD interaction, I felt that in places Harry’s speech was a bit too explanatory. For example: Narcissa, who suggested 'Gwyneira'. It's from Draco's and my Welsh roots meaning 'white snow'. Lily is after my mother and Maia for the star in Taurus, Gwyn's zodiac sign.” I just felt that the people at the wedding should know this info already and if they do not then they really do not care. But considering I’m not the biggest fan of fics with a lot of reveal and explanations moments - I’m more a show me than tell me girl - this is a personal preference.
This fic is a sweet and fluffy read with a touch of flangst, so make sure you are in the mood for it. I think I just wasn’t really in the mood when I read it, because to me it was just a bit too smarmy in places.
I also really liked how the author showed that both characters had grown and were no longer their teenage selves. This Draco and Harry read as two middle-age guys (although for wizard standards they are quite young I guess), so I found she did a great job capturing their older “voices”.
The author did a great job in filling the prompt and while it wasn’t completely my thing I did think it was a nice read.
Post 02 - 13-05-2012 - Fic: Unexpectedly Expecting - Preg!Draco
Sum.: Harry and Draco were desperate to get pregnant, and then they did! Everything worked out, right? Wait why is Draco scowling?
MY OPINION:
Despite the harder topic, I can only describe this fic as a fun read. It was actually quite realistic in its portrayal of a couple who have been trying to get pregnant without success, but the author never lets this fic descend into a complete angst fest. There was pain and a lot of talking and soul searching, but the author managed to keep it a light read - as in she did the topic justice and you, as the reader, really felt with Draco and Harry but I was just never dragged down into full on angst when reading. I know my description here is sounding a bit weird, but all I can say is I liked the balance the author created and I think she did a brilliant job.
The author also did a great job on capturing all the characters. The author chose certain character depictions she wanted and then worked with what canon offered her.
This was a nice read, I liked the length, the way it was written, the feel of the fic and it had a good progression and balance of fluff, angst and development.
Post 01 - 13-05-2012 - Art: SUR...pris? - Preg!Draco
Sum.: Prompt 51 - Harry and Draco telling Lucius and Narcissa that Draco's pregnant
MY OPINION:
This was a great way to open the fest. I’m not going to say too much because that will spoil your fun. But the comic had a simple, but fabulous build-up to a marvellous last panel. This is how I imagine the Malfoys would interact without the threat of death hanging over their head. The Malfoys were not a nice family towards others and felt themselves above other wizards, but they were a close-knit family. And I do think the Narcissa-Lucius dynamic was spot on J!
Style wise it made me think of the older American comic style/ pop-art with its pixelly colouring and drawing style. Plus I loved the style of clothes and the characters’ poses the artists chose.
Yes, a brilliant start to a brilliant fest.
Week 01 is done, onto Week 02