Review by Predatrix
Reasons (A/B) - Ellis Ward
As usual with this writer, a short, angsty piece. PGP hurt/comfort. Cautious rapprochement -- can they ever forgive each other?
Unbecoming Conduct - From the Archives of the Rat Cellar
PWP. Servalan shows us how she keeps (one of) her troopers in line.
A Midsummer Night's Dream - ?
The Shakespeare plot with a science-fictiony gloss. Blake, Jenna, Cally and Avon as the confused quartet of lovers, "O'Vron" and "Etania" as their alien or faery selves, and Vila as Bottom (although he seems to be a better lover than you could imagine in the case of a workman with a donkey's head). A fluff -- pans out much as you'd expect really, everything sorted out by the final curtain.
Xenophiles (J/ocf, oc?) - xBryn Lantry
A wonderfully piratical and restless Jenna, and excellent sensual imagery of quasi-erotic love between different species. One of my favourite stories in this 'zine.
The Lady in Red (A/?) - Falcon d'Arenberg
Unconvincingly romantic hazy 2-page fluff between Avon and "the lady in red". The point of it is apparently that the identity of "the lady in red" is a surprise, but the characterisation of the pair of them is so weak that it doesn't really work for me. No dialogue during the romantic bit, just very soft-focus description... you can tell this isn't my sort of thing, can't you?
Roj's Rebels (gen) - Adrian Butcher
Very silly piss-take played for broad farce. Doesn't push buttons for my particular sense of humour, but I'm sure somebody will find it amusing...
If Wishes Were... (A/D) - Margaret Pitcher
Another one inspired by the "Avon chained to a Pillar" illo. Dayna is trying the more obscure reaches of the dream simulator to get what she wants from Avon. Doesn't work, but she's determined to keep trying...
On Sauterne (A/V) - Severely Weird
A splendidly loopy piss-take of the "Avon needs a Teddy Bear" school of slash fiction. The riotously overwritten sex scenes remind me of London Bates for some reason. Excellent moment when Avon notices Vila's teddy bear tattoo and realises the factual basis of a few drugged hallucinations he once had: "...that was you as WELL??!!'[....] "I dreamed of Anna... Anna with a tattoo!!'"
Mirror Image (A/Se) - Susan Clarke/Venessa Kelly
Servalan, with, apparently, a very sweet, innocent clone of Avon. However, she doesn't know the whole truth.
First Person (A/ocm, A/V) - London Bates
I don't believe it! A London Bates story with Blake dead! However, along comes the Baron, who is powerful, masculine... and looks exactly like Blake except that he's a natural redhead. Business as usual, then. Vila (and the Baron) help Avon back to sanity after Gauda Prime.
Ill-Met By Moonlight - from the archives of the Rat Cellar
Very silly fluff. Nice punchline - which I won't give away.
At Each Other's Throats Again (A/B) - xBryn Lantry
Even xBryn's fluffs are memorable. I think of this as a vampire companion piece to the werewolf in _The Howling_ (_Southern Comfort 6.5). Excellent humour and dialogue. One of my two favourite stories in this 'zine.
last changed on 21st of December 2007