Reading Journal #3

[foolartist]

Reading Journal #3

4/5-4/20

A Summer Inheritance by Heather68
Harry thought his life would go back to normal once Voldemort was defeated, but on his 17th birthday he discovers a secret that will change his future.
Harry Potter - Fiction Rated: M - English - Romance/Humor - Chapters: 22 - Words: 71,463 - Reviews: 834 - Updated: 9-14-07 - Published: 5-25-07 - Harry P. & Severus S.
Status: Complete
My Thoughts: A good story overall, though not the best. It was entertaining though. Reminds me of how I felt about Eragon after I read it. While read it's carries you along nicely and you don't notice all the cliches and plot holes but when you're finished you wonder how you could ignore them. *thinks* That makes this story and Eragon seem really bad when really I'm trying to say the opposite. Oh well.

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A White Coat for My Blond by scyllablue
SLASH. HarryLucius. Harry and Lucius discover that not all magic can be learned and that sometimes it just happens to you.
Harry Potter - Fiction Rated: M - English - Romance - Chapters: 6 - Words: 21,280 - Reviews: 67 - Updated: 2-10-06 - Published: 2-4-06 - Harry P. & Lucius M.
Status: Complete
My Thoughts: Really good. Really really good. I love LM/HP, I wish there was more, well written ones. I liked that the classic Dom/Sub relationship is turned around. In L/H fics you often get a Harry looking for shelter in a powerful Lucius' arms. To have Lucius be forced to a submissive role to Harry, and than take to it so swimmingly is delicious. The Veela creature is interesting. Although from what I assume from Canon i thought they were more Hawklike. Nevertheless I like these Veela and it has it's intriguing plots, like the furcoat steeling/surrendering. I'm glad Hermione came in at the end, I was afraid that every female in the universe was evil, since only Narcissa and Mrs. Black were mentioned, and all characters to show up 'in person' were men in slash relationships. *grin* not that i don't love slash.

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Changing of the Guard by Lomonaaeren
Post-DH, HPDM slash. Need a perfect stranger? Come to Metamorphosis. Harry Potter runs the business secretly and becomes whoever's needed for each occasion. Now he's posing as Draco Malfoy's "perfect" boyfriend, Brian. COMPLETE
Harry Potter - Fiction Rated: M - English - Romance/Humor - Chapters: 50 - Words: 216,702 - Reviews: 2620 - Updated: 7-19-08 - Published: 3-3-08 - Draco M. & Harry P.
Status: Complete
My Thoughts: Wow. This was a really amazing novel. Really wow! The psycho-babble was interesting and made sense without being too... technical? The plot was interesting, involved, complicated and ensnaring. There were several places where the plot could have given up and taken an easy cliche out, and didn't. At first this was frustrating. "Why didn't Harry just confess all and Draco accept him and everything be WONDERFUL?" The answer that wasn't apparent to me than is that: the story wouldn't have been half so wonderful as it is if that had happened. In the end everything is perfect. Relationships are mended, not just patched, evil/ill-intentioned characters are chastised/punished according to their works... though Grey... well. There is one complaint I have, though. I don't know that it could be 'fixed' without sacrificing some of the superb plot, which is unacceptable. About ch. 25 I started to get restless with the pace of the story, I wanted my resolutions now thank you! There was a lot of internal debate and scheming and to be honest I begun to wonder if it was worth reading 25 more chapters. I kept at it though and around 35ish that pace picked up enough that I hardly notice how quickly the last chapters went. But during those chapters... Suffice it to say that if anyone reading this hasn't read the story, when you do have patience, you shall be rewarded.

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Snake Boy by Random Dispatcher
Abandoned by the Dursleys at the age of four, Harry is raised by a magical serpent called a Syren. What happens when he decides the Dark Lord is the only one who can help him ‘get hatchlings’? ChallengeFic. COMPLETE! HPLV
Harry Potter - Fiction Rated: M - English - Romance/Adventure - Chapters: 20 - Words: 22,128 - Reviews: 505 - Updated: 7-3-05 - Published: 5-10-05 - Harry P. & Voldemort
Status: Complete
My Thoughts: A really good story, especially since its a first try by this author. Considering that this is not the first "Snake(s) raised Harry" fic I've read, I passed this fic by several times, but when I looked at peoples favorite stories tab, this one kept popping up. In fact I was prepared to give up quickly, since others I've read have been well... I decided to give it a try and was delightfully suprised. Was it the best story I've ever read, no. Sorry. But it was good and I think that any future stories can only be improved.Edit Wow, When I went to review this I found out I had already reviewed! This is what I wrote 2006-02-26: Splendid! I was looking for something "not serious" after a series of very very serious stories that were making my brain go numb. I'm glad I found this. Not only did this lighten my mood but was very different from anything I've ever read. Tom and Harry is a hard pairing to do well. Either Tom or Harry end up horribly out of character. Notice I say "horribly". OOC isn't always bad, but it can make you cring. Canon wise this was very OOC. You handled it well, adapting canon but not completely ignoring it. I'm realising that some might take this as a backhanded compliment but really I mean it with all praise! No I don't think it needs a re-write. I'd much rather see what else you write, new is good! I agree with myself! *g* It's funny but I don't remember reading this fic before at all! Its weird cause I obviously liked it both times. *scratches head* Oh well.

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Goblin Conspiracy by loralee1
AU, Post OotP, No HBP, Harry knows that he must take on Voldemort and finds unexpected allies
Harry Potter - Fiction Rated: T - English - General - Chapters: 11 - Words: 33,754 - Reviews: 370 - Updated: 1-25-07 - Published: 1-17-07 - Harry P.
Status: Complete
My Thoughts: A good story, very worth the read. A note to people who know me, this is gen, with epilogue mention of het. Sorry no slash.

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BOOK

Poison Study(link to Amazon.com) by Maria V. Snder
Yelena has committed the ultimate sin and for that, she has been sentenced to die by hanging. Yet when she faces the man whom will send her to the noose, she receives an offer instead to live. Granted, there are catches, first and foremost the duty of food taster. Assassination by poison is ever a favored way to strike at the Commander and as the next prisoner to be executed, and as they need to fill the position, Yelena is next in line for the job. Thinking escape is surely in her future, she takes on the dangerous new duty. Her new handler though, Valek, has many tricks up is sleeve and soon Yelena finds it's not as easy to escape as she thought.
Price: $10.94
Status: Complete
My Thoughts: Just finished reading this book. I really liked it and I've already passed it along to my roommate, who finished it in one night. She's now stolen the sequel before I could finish reading the first chapter! The characters are interesting with lovely twists and depths. I love Valek, he has a lot in common with two of my other favorite characters of all time, Snape and Fitz Farseer. In other words the snarky, sarcastic, spy, and the emotionally stunted, ruthless assassin. Valek fits right in! I love it. It's a het fantasy with a bit, but not a lot, of military background. The bulk of the story is mostly Yelena trying to find a path that doesn't end in dying for her... not as easy as that sounds.