I don't imagine that this is the sort of fic that most people go looking for. Aside from backstory and dream sequences, only two canon characters appear. All the others are OC's. It's a future fic- as in, the main action takes place three and a half centuries after "The Gift". The setting is so unfamiliar as to be immediately off-putting, especially for fans who just want to see more of their favorite characters.
Ignore that reaction. This fic is magnificent.
The OC's are wonderfully developed, particularly the other slayers. Same deal with the setting (an extremely vamp-infested version of London). Despite the unfamiliar setting and characters, this definitely feels like it takes place in the Buffyverse, and Buffy's characterization is spot-on.
It's hard to talk about everything that makes this fic so great without spoiling the whole thing, but the plot is as great as all the other elements. Buffy finds herself in an unfamiliar setting, after she thought she was done for good. At first, it's just a matter of getting through each day without allowing her grief to destroy her, but eventually she's thrown into council politics and has to figure out what exactly is going on in this world. Oh yeah, and the one person she knows is her centuries-old ex-boyfriend. It's not the least awkward position she could have found herself in.
I think this is one of the few fanfics I've read that is truly excellent, even compared to a lot of published works. Is it perfect? No, of course not. No work of fiction is. However, this one is near enough that I don't really care. There was nothing significant enough to pull me out of the story, and at the end of it, I was completely satisfied. I'm not going to start comparing it to great classics or something, but the person who recced this said it deserved a place on the New York Times bestseller list. I was positive that was an exaggeration, but when I think about the books on that list now, I'm not sure this book isn't of roughly the same caliber. It's well-crafted and entertaining, and I have no criticisms that should in any way keep you from reading it. It's awesome. Go forth and read it.
FanficRecs Nothing Short of Excellent
I don't imagine that this is the sort of fic that most people go looking for. Aside from backstory and dream sequences, only two canon characters appear. All the others are OC's. It's a future fic- as in, the main action takes place three and a half centuries after "The Gift". The setting is so unfamiliar as to be immediately off-putting, especially for fans who just want to see more of their favorite characters.
Ignore that reaction. This fic is magnificent.
The OC's are wonderfully developed, particularly the other slayers. Same deal with the setting (an extremely vamp-infested version of London). Despite the unfamiliar setting and characters, this definitely feels like it takes place in the Buffyverse, and Buffy's characterization is spot-on.
It's hard to talk about everything that makes this fic so great without spoiling the whole thing, but the plot is as great as all the other elements. Buffy finds herself in an unfamiliar setting, after she thought she was done for good. At first, it's just a matter of getting through each day without allowing her grief to destroy her, but eventually she's thrown into council politics and has to figure out what exactly is going on in this world. Oh yeah, and the one person she knows is her centuries-old ex-boyfriend. It's not the least awkward position she could have found herself in.
I think this is one of the few fanfics I've read that is truly excellent, even compared to a lot of published works. Is it perfect? No, of course not. No work of fiction is. However, this one is near enough that I don't really care. There was nothing significant enough to pull me out of the story, and at the end of it, I was completely satisfied. I'm not going to start comparing it to great classics or something, but the person who recced this said it deserved a place on the New York Times bestseller list. I was positive that was an exaggeration, but when I think about the books on that list now, I'm not sure this book isn't of roughly the same caliber. It's well-crafted and entertaining, and I have no criticisms that should in any way keep you from reading it. It's awesome. Go forth and read it.
Final Verdict: A+