Proof that the remaining 10% is worth dying for here.
These are recommendations made by tropers for Alex Rider fanfics, all of which have to be signed to stay on the page. Feel free to add a fanfic of your own to the list, but remember to use the template found here.
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General Fics
Plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. Pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.
Of Madness and Mammals, by Briarwitched (https://archiveofourown.org/series/1215210)
- Recommended by: Jasmineskies
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A three part series depicting Alex being pushed to the edge by MI6 and Yassen picking up the pieces.
'Yassen knew it wouldn't end well for little Alex. The assassin's dull existence within the secret prison in Gibraltar is disrupted suddenly by the little spy's arrival. Babysitting a traumatized teenager with violent fits, mood swings, and who firmly believes that they're both dead wasn't exactly how Yassen imagined he'd spend his retirement. This stupid family.' - Pairing(s): No pairings
- Tags: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage drug use, PTSD, Anxiety, Depression
- Comments: An amazing series that updates regularly. Grammar and writing quality is exceptional! The characters are very developed and have a unique but wonderful bond, they both go through mental and physical challenges together. It's a delight to read and deserves way more attention. All the issues in the fic are dealt with realistically and maturely. Please give this a read, you won't regret it!
The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, by Pongnosis (https://archiveofourown.org/works/10222295/chapters/22682429)
- Recommended by: Jasmineskies
- Status: Complete
- Sypnosis: Alex always knew his curiosity and impulsiveness would get him into trouble. It got him tangled up with MI6, after all. He hadn't expected it to land him in the middle of SCORPIA as Yassen Gregorovich's apprentice. AU after Skeleton Key.
- Pairing(s): No pairings
- Tags: Adventure/Drama, Graphic depictions of violence
- Comments: Certainly one of the fandoms best and most successful fanfictions. A very long fic, the grammar stays consistently brilliant and the characters and plot are so well developed and thought out, you often mistake it for canon when you read. It is a unique take on the series and overall, a must read for an Alex Rider (and Yassen) fan.
Point of Divergence by pongnosis
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: What if Yassen Gregorovich had tracked John Rider down after Hunter's "death" at Albert Bridge? Instead of dying via Scorpia assassination on the way to a new life in France, the Rider family realizes that they cannot rely on MI6 protection and go on the run with Hunter's budding assassin protégé in tow. Old grudges come back to haunt the family as they try to raise Alex in safety.
- Pairing(s): Helen Rider/John Rider
- Tags: AU - Canon Divergence, Family
- Comments: An incredibly well-written work by Pongnosis with a unique premise and their signature impeccable world-building. Not many fan works explore the dynamics of the Rider family that could have been, and the addition of Yassen (who effectively becomes a member of the family) is an added bonus.
Bad Cards by cthulhu_is_chaotic_good
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Alex and a fellow agent are captured by yet another sadistic sociopath, and during the course of their captivity, they encounter some old friends and try to figure out how to survive both this mission and their futures with MI6
- Pairing(s): None
- Tags: Graphic depictions of violence
- Comments: A taut mission fic that delves into the realities of Alex's continued "employment" by MI6, the psychological challenges of captivity, and the complex relationship between Alex Rider and everyone's favorite assassin, Yassen Gregorovich. The added perspective of an outsider (the OC agent) adds some fascinating depth and makes this already tense story even more of a page-turner. Be warned, there are some graphic depictions of torture.
The Handler by cthulhu_is_chaotic_good
- Recommended by Ollie 19-10
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: MI6 is not known for being careful with their reluctant teenage spy. What if Yassen Gregorovich became fed up with MI6's sub-par support and decided to do something about it? Follows Yassen's mission to find Alex a competent handler.
- Pairing(s): None
- Tags: None
- Comments: Another tightly-plotted, thought-provoking work by Cthulhu complete with some great original characters that (rightly) addresses MI6's permissive attitude towards Alex's safety. Warning, some lovely, surprisingly heartwarming moments ahead in this action-filled story.
In Loco Parentis, by amitai
- Recommended by Lyra_Dhani
- Status: Dead
- Synopsis: When Jack has to go back to Chicago to be with her parents, MI6, as always, get involved with Alex's life, and arrange a guardian for him to stay with. Alex plus unknown guardian equals... oh dear.
- Tags: None
- Comments: It's book-verse but I find myself enjoying this fanfic even though I don't read the books.
Reunion by Lil Lupin and Valaks
- Recommended by: Ancientura
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: London was supposed to be a big enough city to get lost in, yet somehow the Brooklands Alums keep running into their most enigmatic ex-classmate. No one likes a high school reunion, but everyone does enjoy some good gossip and Alex Rider has always been an excellent source of that.///
- Pairing(s): Officially none but everyone ships Kabir (OMC) and Alex
- Tags: 5 and 1 fic Brooklands Students Nothing good ever happens at a school reunionless so unplanned onessome of his classmates get schooledAlex is in a class of his ownBut does he have all of his faculties intacthe super intended to never run into anyone againthese puns are almost as bad as Alex’s gradesoutsider pov
- Comments: An outside POV character study of Alex’s career in MI6 through the eyes of his former classmates. It’s a fascinating look at his past coming back to haunt him, each in a unique way that comes together as a coherent story with a 3 chapter long finale from his point of view. The characters are well fleshed out and engaging and as the fic goes on you become more invested in OCs than you ever thought possible.
Gentleman’s Agreement by Valaks
- Recommended by: Ancientura
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: In the year and a half since his supposed death Yassen Gregorovich had been a busy man. Unfortunately, Alex Rider had been busy too. They had a gentleman’s agreement for handling their business in the field but this was different. The teen had gone to the trouble of finding him, determining his target, and the ideal location of the hit. It would be a shame to waste that kind of effort, besides he needed to know how he had done it when his employers hadn’t. He would go to Alex’s meeting and then he would get his answers.///
- Pairing(s): None
- Tags: Mentor!Yassen, Semi Reluctantly, Post Scorpia Rising, Not Never Say Die compliant, Alex Rider Needs An Adult, LITERALLY, Creative Problem Solving, Crack Taken Seriously, Parent Teacher Conferences and World Class Assassins Mix Surprisingly Well, Yassen Gregorovich Lives
- Comments: There’s a lot of fics out there that ask the question of what would have happened if Yassen hadn’t died in Eagle Strike. This one drops the reader in a surprisingly serious world where Yassen finds himself at a parent teacher conference. Normally that would be enough to write it off as crack but the premise is dealt with in a masterfully realistic way. It’s both fun and a little heartbreaking, so really everything you could ask for in AR fic.
Turncoat by Valaks
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: At one point in Gentleman’s Agreement, Yassen mentions that Alex saved him from MI6. How did that come about? Now we know!
- Status: complete
- Recommended by: Ancientura
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: In one world, Alan Blunt held true in his threat and deported Jack.
- Pairing(s): None
- Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Stormbreaker Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Yassen Gregorovich Lives, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, Street Rat Alex, Nile uses too many knives, Hardcore Parkour, Angst, Body Horror, SCORPIA is savage, MI6 Agents, Bad Jokes
- Comments: Of you’re looking for action, adventure, intrigue and just the slightest bit of found family this is the fic for you. It does a fantastic job of teasing out the relationships of everyone involved and taking them to the logical extremes while keeping the pacing nice and tight. The world building is spot on and the writing is spectacular. It’s one of the most revered fics in the fandom for a reason.
Bite and Bite Again by Galimau
- Recommended by: Ancientura
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Communication is hard, ten years after tragedy. Tom grew up, and Alex got older. The trouble is in the difference between those things.
- Pairing(s): None
- Tags: None
- Comments: Adult Alex and Adult Tom come back together from Tom’s point of view. Brutally realistic, the fic shows just what Alex has become - terrifying, talented, and utterly unnerving to a civilian, even one who has known him for his whole life. It’s a fabulous glimpse of what may come, and of the resilience of old friendships as they're tested by the world.
Mendeleyevsk by Cym
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synnopsis: A twisty, emotional Yassen-centric story that’s clever, imaginative, and very well-written.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): none
onward march by Ireliss
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: Alex has had better birthdays. This fic focuses less on physical whump than Alex’s psychological turmoil, and the arrival of a certain assassin doesn’t help matters. The angst/hurt is really well done as are the more emotional revelations, lovely writing style.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): none
close the door behind me (I’m leaving) by Silver_Queen_DoS
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: Quiet, poignant time travel fic (of sorts) with an emphasis on second chances rather than any sci-fi or fantasy elements (there are none at all, aside from the "time travel.") Explores how Yassen uses a second chance to redo a few formative months of his and Alex Rider's lives. The glimpse of an Alex Rider who hasn’t been hurt by the trauma of Ian’s death and MI6 missions is particularly moving, and the author offers some believable, poignant insights into how Yassen sees Alex. It’s wonderful.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): none
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: There are lots of Alex at the Brecon Beacons fics, but this is… different. Alex doesn’t have a way out; he hasn’t, not for a long time. To the point where training with the SAS feels like a vacation compared to the rest of his life. It’s a very interesting take on K Unit and their relationship to Alex (and one that makes a lot of sense based on their interactions in canon.) Melancholy and heartbreaking, but not without hope.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): none
Mirrors by Ireliss
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: Incredible, thought-provoking, beautifully-written Yassen-centric role-reversal fic.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): none
In Vino Veritas by Cym
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: Brilliant, hilarious fic with a nonlinear narrative that works incredibly well.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): none
Dhamaka in Delhi by corolune
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: Taking some inspiration from 1001 Arabian Nights, a really unique take on an Alex Rider mission. India isn't just a backdrop for action and a cartoonish villain-of-the-week; it is a character of all its own. (Also features an adult who actually cares about Alex's well-being!)
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): none
A Week in the Life of Alex Rider by Cym
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: Hilarious, clever, cracky fic featuring Yassen living his best and most dramatic life, 10/10 would read again.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): none
Curfew by Suzie_Shooter
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: A creepy (in the best way) mystery with an evocative atmosphere and an entertaining (young) Alex-Yassen dynamic.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): none
Rhododendrons and Azaleas by cthulhu_is_chaotic_good
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: Canon divergence taken from a unusual point, some time after Snakehead has occurred but in a timeline where Scorpia Rising has not. A great look at the internal politics of Scorpia in recovery from Stormbreaker, ES, Scorpia, and Snakehead. It is also an excellent take on how Yassen feels about Alex and the lengths he would go to help him.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): none
Shipping Fics
Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the cast.
Alex shipped with others
Specific Performance and One Year by BurntWhisper
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
Specific Performance:
- Synopsis: It is inevitable that the powers that be realize that Yassen and Alex are really not down with killing each other. And that Alex would become enough of a threat that Yassen would eventually be sent to take him out. It’s interesting to see how over the years their dynamic has changed. Amazing addition to this ‘verse that’s the launchpad for BurntWhisper’s next story— One Year. I’d recommend reading Gentleman’s Agreement before starting on this, as it’ll make more sense that way!
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): Yassen Gregorovich/Alex Rider
- (Rated E)
One Year:
- Synopsis: Alex and Yassen on the run together goes swimmingly. Just kidding. It’s incredibly difficult (which makes it 1000x more fun!) The necessary close proximity forces them to get to know each other better, which sets the foundation for a slooooooow burn. WIP.
- Status: in progress
- Pairing(s): Yassen Gregorovich/Alex Rider
- (Rated E)
Broken Hands, Reaching by GreenQueenofClubs
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: AU wherein Yassen the assassin defects to MI6 after John Rider’s death and meets Alex for the first time when he’s twenty—at which point, he also learns that Ian Rider is dead and MI6 have been using Alex since he was fourteen. Alex needs someone to watch his back, and who better than Yassen? Their professional partnership is not without its challenges. Yassen POV, slow burn.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): Yassen Gregorovich/Alex Rider.
- (Rated E)
Spies and Recreation by Nanimok
- Recommended by: Ollie 19010
- Synopsis: MI6 allows a documentary film crew in their base of operations, where they get a firsthand glimpse at the unique relationship between their teen prodigy and the terrifying assassin he managed to convince to work for MI6. Laugh-out-loud funny, an awesome concept executed really, really well. Alex is a total himbo in this and it works.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): Yassen Gregorovich/Alex Rider
The Alec Walker Series by Nanimok
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: 10/10 tears in your eyes hilarious AU. The characters and the actual books are incorporated into the mockumentary brilliantly. (Though this is about porn star Alex, there is no explicit sex in it.)
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): Yassen Gregorovich/Alex Rider
- (Rated M)
My Bloody Valentine by Suzie_Shooter
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: Great crack featuring some unbelievably awkward Alex and a very snarky Yassen. This is fun, clever, and unexpectedly sweet for such a bloody premise. (No actual gore.) Lots of brilliant second-hand embarrassment!
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): Yassen Gregorovich/Alex Rider
Out of the Cold by moo_said_the_cow
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: Mockumentary/mock-interview AU with a unique premise executed very, very well. The dry, deadpan delivery of some of the funniest lines feels very in-character.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): Yassen Gregorovich/Alex Rider
- (Rated M)
young love, first love by Nanimok
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: Nanimok is here to manipulate your emotions and destroy your heart in the best, most beautiful way. Established relationship Yalex, but one in which insecurities understandably linger. Yassen’s delirious ramblings are interspersed with flashbacks to the history of his relationship with Alex, one that has come very far and is so full of tenderness but, due to who Alex and Yassen are and the traumas they’ve sustained, also leaves a lot unsaid. What unfolds is aching and painful but by the end, is incredibly fulfilling.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): Yassen Gregorovich/Alex Rider
Christmas in Chelsea by BoldAsBrass
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: BoldAsBrass has a breathtaking writing style (the descriptions, the atmospheres…) that would probably make a 50k manifesto on how to do your taxes compelling and beautiful. A melancholy Alex’s spirits are lifted when he runs into Yassen, and through their Christmas shopping expedition together, we see sparkling chemistry and an intimacy that comes with time spent becoming familiar with each other. It’s a lovely glimpse into what a version of them in an established relationship might look like.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): Yassen Gregorovich/Alex Rider.
Our Endless Numbered Days by galimau
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: This post-apocalyptic story is the sweetest, coziest take on an “after the end of the world” scenario that is written with the most beautiful language. Yassen and Alex are in an established relationship here and the love is palpable.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): Yassen Gregorovich/Alex Rider
a puppet on a lonely string by Nanimok
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: Beautiful, delicate writing with stunning imagery and emotions. Nanimok is excellent at that.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): Yassen Gregorovich/Alex Rider
Overture in G Minor by BurntWhisper
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: Clever, humorous "holy shit you aren't dead?" reunion fic for Yassen and Alex. Featuring no slashy subtext. Whatsoever. (In case you couldn't tell, that was sarcasm.)
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): Yassen Gregorovich/Alex Rider (pre-slash)
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: Alex is tired. He's all but given up, in fact, when Yassen Gregorovich offers him a way out. Really, really beautiful writing (keep an eye out for the heaven and hell imagery), a lovely, uplifting ending.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): Yassen Gregorovich/Alex Rider
Dead Man Walking by Suzie_Shooter
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: Hurt/comfort and romance wherein Yassen is hurt and adult MI6 agent Alex takes care of him.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): Yassen Gregorovich/Alex Rider
July Morning by fredbassett
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: Yassen isn't taking Alex's calls. Fine. Alex doesn't need him anyway. He's perfectly happy here, in the delightful town of... well, whichever beach town Alex's night of hepatic punishment landed him. A fic that has both laugh-out-loud hilarious and tenderly emotional moments.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): Yassen Gregorovich/Alex Rider
Maiden Voyage by Suzie_Shooter
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: A very sweet perspective on a Yassen who's never trusted anybody enough to be intimate with them. Until he meets Alex and naturally, love ensues. Good thing it's mutual.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): Yassen Gregorovich/Alex Rider
- (Rated E)
Other Pairings
A Difference Of Time, by Zyzyax
- Recommended by: Jasmineskies
- Status: Ongoing
- Sypnosis: Alex Rider dies and makes a deal to go back and fix everything with a suspicious figure...surprise! It works. Now he is back four years before the day his uncle dies. Can he train and pass as his age without raising suspicion? Good thing keeping up a front is what he was trained for... Note: Rating may increase. Updates are aimed at once a month, and never more than two apart.
- Pairing(s): Ian Rider/John Crawley
- Tags: Adventure/Fantasy
- Comments: Another amazing Alex Rider fic, it explores Alex going back in time with the help of Death to 4 years before Ian died. It intertwines fantasy with real life effortlessly, you hardly realise that it is fictional. Yassen, Nile, Brendan Chase and many more appear in the story, brilliantly in-character, to spice up Alex's adventurous new life. Mix in a seemingly inhumane, mutant dog and a super-computer, you get an exciting fic with a jam packed plot! A must read for sure.
Coins in the Fountain by fredbasset
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: Monica Peretti is a character from the (very short) Yassen Gregorovich story The White Carnation that many readers had completely forgotten about before reading this. It’s beautifully written, spectacular attention to detail and sweet characterization.
- Status: complete
- Pairing(s): Yassen Gregorovich/Monica Peretti
Alternative Universes
Breathing Underwater by corolune
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Synopsis: SELKIE AU. This is a gorgeously written urban fantasy AU that incorporates Alex’s selkie nature and folkloric/mythical and supernatural elements seamlessly with the grittier, more mundane world of MI6 and Alex Rider canon. It also blends elements of the books and TV series, very effectively. Also, Alexseal is adorable. It’s so creative, the language is beautiful, the story is compelling…
- Status: Dormant; last updated July 2021
- Pairing(s): none
Monster and the Shallow Muddy River by oceanbreeze7
- Recommended by: shes-sidhe
- Synopsis: You’re Yassen Gregorovich, Alex tried to say over the dead shot body of Sayle. The Russian stared at him, eyes fixed on Alex’s face. It was impossible to tell what the man was thinking, even as Alex shakily reached to his face. Smearing blood across his cheeks, drooling foam from his mouth. I can’t breathe, Alex realized, and only then did the pain register.
“Stop trying to talk.” Yassen Gregorovich said, talking with no trace of an accent in his voice. He spoke softly, direct with a purpose Alex couldn’t register. “You have been shot through your throat.” - Status: Complete
- Pairing(s): none
- Comments: Alex discovers he’s a monster, and not the metaphorical kind. Luckily, Yassen is around to help. Fun cosmic horror fic featuring baby monster Alex and mentor!Yassen.
Spin of the Storm by jenks
- Recommended by: Ollie 19-10
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Sabina Pleasure's best friend Felix Lester is assassinated and she finds herself unwillingly recruited by MI6 to investigate suspicious events surrounding Herod Sayle. One-shot canon-divergent AU covering the beginnings of Stormbreaker.
- Pairing(s): None
- Tags: AU - Canon Divergence, Graphic depictions of violence
- Comments: Well-written work that really develops Sabina's character. It's a thought-provoking take on a Stormbreaker AU (for instance, how do you convince/blackmail a teenage girl in a stable home into doing a dangerous task for you after her best friend has been murdered?), and though it is a one-shot, it leaves room for future installments. It doesn't have too many reads, but it is a story that should not be overlooked!
Remember, kudos ≠ quality! Go beyond the first few pages of sort by kudos, there are some great fics out there!
