Recommendation strongly seconded. As far as well-executed plot goes, this fanfic is second to none (consider that the first chapter of The Shadow Chronicles was released in 1997), and I have read a lot of fanfiction. The characterization is very strong as well; this guy should really be a published author. In my opinion (YMMV, of course) it is significantly better than The Shadow Chronicles; it is also fairly independent from the earlier series and really only requires reading the Cast a Long Shadow arc of the original series. As mentioned, though, whereas the original Shadow Chronicles really is a continuation of the canon Ranma 1/2 universe, this story has very little to do with either Ranma 1/2 or Sailor Moon and should, in this troper's opinion, be considered more of a web original than a fanfic. Sure, the Ranma and Sailor Moon characters are there, but their backstories, motivations and behaviors are changed significantly, everyone is several years older than in the canon works, the world it takes place in is completely original (and very well done) and the atmosphere and general feeling of the story make the entire thing so far removed from both of the original stories that you're not even in the same genre neighborhood anymore. People looking for in-character interactions and general exploration of the themes of the original series should look elsewhere; on the other hand, it is more than well worth reading entirely on its own merits. As mentioned, it's an extremely tightly plotted fantasy novel with many dark themes, mixed with gripping tales of romance and friendship. Unfortunately the author has been inactive since 2008, but since he's been going at it for over 10 years already and has taken long hiatuses in the past, it's still too early to declare it a dead fic.
YinLihua's review
Recommendation strongly seconded. As far as well-executed plot goes, this fanfic is second to none (consider that the first chapter of The Shadow Chronicles was released in 1997), and I have read a lot of fanfiction. The characterization is very strong as well; this guy should really be a published author. In my opinion (YMMV, of course) it is significantly better than The Shadow Chronicles; it is also fairly independent from the earlier series and really only requires reading the Cast a Long Shadow arc of the original series. As mentioned, though, whereas the original Shadow Chronicles really is a continuation of the canon Ranma 1/2 universe, this story has very little to do with either Ranma 1/2 or Sailor Moon and should, in this troper's opinion, be considered more of a web original than a fanfic. Sure, the Ranma and Sailor Moon characters are there, but their backstories, motivations and behaviors are changed significantly, everyone is several years older than in the canon works, the world it takes place in is completely original (and very well done) and the atmosphere and general feeling of the story make the entire thing so far removed from both of the original stories that you're not even in the same genre neighborhood anymore. People looking for in-character interactions and general exploration of the themes of the original series should look elsewhere; on the other hand, it is more than well worth reading entirely on its own merits. As mentioned, it's an extremely tightly plotted fantasy novel with many dark themes, mixed with gripping tales of romance and friendship. Unfortunately the author has been inactive since 2008, but since he's been going at it for over 10 years already and has taken long hiatuses in the past, it's still too early to declare it a dead fic.