I... couldn't read this fic first time around. I found it bingeing these here reclists and I tried the prologue of Saving Connor and... I locked up. Panicked. Complete, total NOPE-out. I immediately closed the tab, and resolved to never think on it again.
Back then, I was just coming out of an incredibly manipulative and emotionally abusive relationship. This should tell you just how accurate the abuse aspects of this series are.
Later, about a year and a half? I'd healed up a chunk from what my ex had done and one of my friends recommended the series to me. I will admit I'd forgotten the name by then. So I sat down, and I opened up the fic.
Mild panic, that time. Decided, what the hell, I trusted the word of this friend, I should try to push through this and at LEAST read the first chapter, rather than quitting at the prologue again. So I did.
I did not come up for air until halfway through book 5.
Harry's mindset is amazing. If you have a mind capable of keeping track of many characters you'll have an easy time with the OCs, if not, the author's old LJ is still up and has character lists covering most of the most important ones if you need the help. My favourite of the OC's is probably Sylarana, although Kanerva, Indigena and Ignifer also come close. Every character - and I do mean every character - in this fic is amazingly done. They are diverse, they are distinct, you can see a lot of the motivations and reasons for their choices in each and every case. Female characters are never shat on. Ron never goes evil. The Weasleys are not bashed and, ok this is the best bit for me even though this fic feat. Dumbledore going evil there is never at any point any bashing.
It's incredible.
The worldbuilding is also incredible. New species, snippets of different cultures, spells, rituals, professions, cliched ideas done so SO well (Necromancy. I have so many issues with how that's used these days to mean "zombies" because the word actually comes from the Greek Nekros - dead, and -manteia - to divine .'. to divine by way of the dead and this fic does both and I'm not even slightly mad.)
This fic is not easy to get into if you've ever been emotionally abused or severely manipulated. It will be a regular reminder and it will hurt.
But it is so SO worth it. You will see Harry heal and, at least for me, I found that helped me to heal some. It will give you small ideas to chew on and to think on, fic concepts you will find niggling at your mind late at night. You will end up staying awake for 36 hours straight because you can't bear to leave the story where it was. I almost didn't write an essential coursework essay because of this fic!
This fic will make you laugh and smile and cry and rage and you will get to the very end and feel that perfect relaxation of a story well handled and well done and well rounded to it's finish.
Sacrifices... (Spoilers herein)
I... couldn't read this fic first time around. I found it bingeing these here reclists and I tried the prologue of Saving Connor and... I locked up. Panicked. Complete, total NOPE-out. I immediately closed the tab, and resolved to never think on it again.
Back then, I was just coming out of an incredibly manipulative and emotionally abusive relationship. This should tell you just how accurate the abuse aspects of this series are.
Later, about a year and a half? I'd healed up a chunk from what my ex had done and one of my friends recommended the series to me. I will admit I'd forgotten the name by then. So I sat down, and I opened up the fic.
Mild panic, that time. Decided, what the hell, I trusted the word of this friend, I should try to push through this and at LEAST read the first chapter, rather than quitting at the prologue again. So I did.
I did not come up for air until halfway through book 5.
Harry's mindset is amazing. If you have a mind capable of keeping track of many characters you'll have an easy time with the OCs, if not, the author's old LJ is still up and has character lists covering most of the most important ones if you need the help. My favourite of the OC's is probably Sylarana, although Kanerva, Indigena and Ignifer also come close. Every character - and I do mean every character - in this fic is amazingly done. They are diverse, they are distinct, you can see a lot of the motivations and reasons for their choices in each and every case. Female characters are never shat on. Ron never goes evil. The Weasleys are not bashed and, ok this is the best bit for me even though this fic feat. Dumbledore going evil there is never at any point any bashing.
It's incredible.
The worldbuilding is also incredible. New species, snippets of different cultures, spells, rituals, professions, cliched ideas done so SO well (Necromancy. I have so many issues with how that's used these days to mean "zombies" because the word actually comes from the Greek Nekros - dead, and -manteia - to divine .'. to divine by way of the dead and this fic does both and I'm not even slightly mad.)
This fic is not easy to get into if you've ever been emotionally abused or severely manipulated. It will be a regular reminder and it will hurt.
But it is so SO worth it. You will see Harry heal and, at least for me, I found that helped me to heal some. It will give you small ideas to chew on and to think on, fic concepts you will find niggling at your mind late at night. You will end up staying awake for 36 hours straight because you can't bear to leave the story where it was. I almost didn't write an essential coursework essay because of this fic!
This fic will make you laugh and smile and cry and rage and you will get to the very end and feel that perfect relaxation of a story well handled and well done and well rounded to it's finish.