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Complete Harry Potter and the Wastelands of Time by this_old_dance (joe6991) - M

Discussion in 'The Alternates' started by Oz, Feb 25, 2008.

  1. Oz

    Oz For Zombie. Moderator DLP Supporter

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    Title: Harry Potter and the Wastelands of Time
    Author: this_old_dance
    Rating: M
    Genre: Time Travel
    Pairings: H/Fleur/Tonks
    Chapters: 31
    Words: 282,609
    Updated: August 4, 2010
    Published: February 12, 2008
    Status: Complete


    Summary: Take a deep breath, count backwards from ten… and above all else – don’t worry! It will all be over soon. The world, that is. Yet for Harry Potter, the end is just the beginning. Enemies close in on all sides, and Harry faces the greatest challenge of all... Time.
    The Boy Who Lived will do so again, as an ancient legend will rise from the dark, murky depths of time, screaming with enough power to shatter the world.
    Post OotP - Harry/Tonks/Fleur - written in first-person - novel length - a time-travel story with a difference.

    Link: FFN
    Link: PatronusCharm
    Link: Work by Author thread.

    You've all probably seen it in WbA, but I felt it was time it was put up for review, now that it's 6 chapters in.
    With brilliant characterisation, Joe's penchant for epic battles, fluid writing style and an almost complete lack of clichés, this is gearing up to be quite possibly the best time-travel story ever.

    5/5


    Sequel:

    Harry Potter and the Heartlands of Time
    Chapters: 14
    Words: 59,926
    Updated: October 8, 2012
    Published: September 15, 2010
    Summary: Sequel to Wastelands! Time has all but run out for Harry Potter. There are no more second chances. No more desperate bids for salvaged redemption. The game has changed, and in the end Harry will learn that the cost of his defiance has never run so high.
    Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6325846/1/Harry-Potter-and-the-Heartlands-of-Time
    DLP-WbA: https://forums.darklordpotter.net/showthread.php?t=17122&highlight=6325846




    Checked by Minion, January 8, 2013
    Added the sequel
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 8, 2013
  2. Andro

    Andro Master of Death DLP Supporter

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    If there is any story deserving of unaminous 5/5 ratings, this is it.

    5/5.
     
  3. Skeletaure

    Skeletaure Magical Core Enthusiast ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    PC link:

    http://www.patronuscharm.net/s/76/6/

    Definitely a good story, though I get the feeling that it could wear you down after a while. It lacks the slightly frivolous nature of even the darkest parts of Harry Potter...which is by no means a bad thing - just different.
     
  4. Voice of the Nephilim

    Voice of the Nephilim Death Eater DLP Supporter

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    I found this story to be fantastic, well conceived in really every fashion.
     
  5. Cathal

    Cathal Sir Nils' Right Hand

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    I already expressed my opinion on this story in Work by Author section but it never hurts to repeat it: This fic... no, masterpiece, is truly magical.
    5/5
     
  6. Skeletaure

    Skeletaure Magical Core Enthusiast ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    I think I'm going to go for a 4/5, rather than a 5/5.

    There are some problems I have with the story that prevents it from achieving 5/5.

    Firstly and most significantly, is what can only be described as the sheer "epicness" of this fic. It's just too big. This quote I think is the best example:

    One could almost expect Harry to turn to Fleur and say, "I'm OVER 9000, Honey!"

    On top of this, the power boost is rather inconsistent. Harry can blow up continents, yet for some reason he's pussyfooting around with fake Muggle ID and so forth. If he's that powerful he doesn't need it. Same with money, same with the ring. If Harry is that powerful, he could have just walked into Gringotts and taken the ring. Hell you don't even need to be that powerful - canon Harry did it.

    The story would go a lot simpler if Harry were just to destroy the whole UK with Voldemort in it. Lots of people would die, but far less than in his apocalyptic future.

    Another inconsistency is the fight at the end of the latest chapter. For the last few chapters we've been hearing all about Harry's amazing powers, and yet here his skills in re are nowhere near as advertised. Again, even canon Harry was able to do better, since he knows the actual explosion spell - Confringo - whereas all Harry in this fic was able to muster was the blasting curse.

    The sheer amount of power inflation someone destroys the story for me. It reminds me of that story a while back, Harry Potter and the Power of the Magus (I don't know if that title is right) in which every single character in the series ended up with special super powers. It just isn't right.

    There's AU, and then there's AU. Which leads me on to the second point...

    This just isn't Harry Potter.

    There comes a point at which you have changed so much that a story is so far from Harry Potter that it just...isn't. A Second Chance at Life is a perfect example of this, and Wastelands of Time looks like it's going to be the second. Demons, Gods, weird dimension-rift-traveling-uber-monsters, over9000!Harry, and most importantly the tone of the story, all feel wrong. Harry Potter always has had a certain magical-ness about it, a bit of fairy tale. This has none of that. We really can't see anyone using magic to do the washing up in this story. You can imagine the scene:

    "Harry, could you clean up your bedroom please?"

    "Sure Mrs. Weasley! Scourgify!"

    BOOM!

    "Oops, I blew up a continent," said Harry, before wandering off to go swimming in the Earth's core.

    Which brings us again rather neatly to my third and final objection: how seriously this story takes itself. It's just so open to parody. It's an epic fic - so epic, in fact, that it's hard to take lines like this seriously:

    I mean, imagine seeing that sort of thing happen in real life. You'd just be like, "WTF?!". It's so easy to think of ways you could turn this into a humour fic:

    Or whatever. You get what I'm saying.

    Anyway, it's for these reasons that I give the story a 4 rather than a 5. But it's still a 4 - well written and enjoyable.
     
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2008
  7. ParseltonguePhoenix

    ParseltonguePhoenix Unspeakable

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    I've posted my thoughts on this in the WbA thread already, but like others, I have no problem doing so again.

    A Harry who's been put through so much shit makes changes to the HP universe are huge...but that isn't necesarily bad. I can see Taure's point about this story being too serious in places, but at the same time...this seems directed at an audience that's older, worldier, and perhaps more cynical than the child-audience JKR was shooting for. Don't many of us gripe that the world around HP should have gotten more grown up and serious as Harry did?

    The writing style is brilliant, and while the story is of epic proportions...little things like silent apparition and avoiding detection wards add a flavor to it that many stories just don't have.

    I'm really impressed by the originality displayed, since I haven't noticed any of the usual cliches being used. I can't wait to see where Joe takes this, but also like Taure, I'd like to see a little playfulness inserted...so long as it isn't overdone, and doesn't feel like filler material.

    At this point, I'd give it a 4.7/5, and a full endorsement for those who haven't picked it up yet.
     
  8. Hobbes

    Hobbes First Year

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    i read the summary and I already think its amazing.

    5/5 for being a good story. Finally something to read.
     
  9. Mr. Merriman

    Mr. Merriman Groundskeeper

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    303
    Awesome story so far. I'm really looking forward to the rest, although it is a bit daunting at the beginning due to the sheer scope of Harry's situation.

    Joe's writing style is excellent, and this is possibly one of my new absolute favorites, so long as it continues in the same style.

    A good 5/5 for the first six chapters.
     
  10. Calis Clayr

    Calis Clayr Seventh Year

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    Blast, I haven't checked this story in a while... oh well, more chapters to read is never a bad thing, especially with this fic.

    For what I've read up till now, 5/5
     
  11. Randeemy

    Randeemy Headmaster DLP Supporter

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    The best first person fic I have read. I stay away from them because it takes talent to pull it off.

    I've read the first three chapters and it is brilliant. Harry's obsession with time is brilliant.

    4.5/5... Because nothing is perfect
     
  12. PsyckoSama

    PsyckoSama Groundskeeper

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    Well written, but the plot is a bit contrived and its too over the top yet seems to be a super-harry that epically fails at being super.

    I give it a 3.5
     
  13. LogrusMage

    LogrusMage Supreme Mugwump

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    It is epic... almost too epic. This could all go to hell with the slightest plot misstep. Voldemort is going to need one hell of a buff if Harry, who is able to melt a continent, hasn't been able to defeat him despite having tried dozens (possibly hundreds) of times.

    However, the writing is brilliant. One of the best styles in fanfiction. As well, the characters are well written. I don't like Tonks, though. But I just don't like her in general.

    The whole Goblin scene was... over the top. I agree with Taure; it is almost a caricature of itself. The author will have to be very careful to avoid that fate which is oh so common among characters and works with very extreme and/or epic traits.

    4/5 - But it's teetering either way. A single misstep could make this fic fall to a three or worse, but if he continues without falling into the pit holes this kind of fic creates for itself, this could be 5/5 material.
     
  14. Oujou Akaash

    Oujou Akaash Unspeakable

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    5/5 amazing.
     
    Last edited: Feb 28, 2008
  15. QuixoticStoic

    QuixoticStoic First Year

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    Id say 4/5 the story has a wonderful hook to it. It takes the idea of time travel and just turns it on its head. My only concern is will there be too much action. Already there is the threat of Voldemort, Demons?, and now goblins. Will the author be able to balance it all without going over the top?
     
  16. The Sinner

    The Sinner Looked into the void

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    Somewhere between the heretic and Un'aria
    4.5/5

    This story is epic indeed, and very well written. But my problem with it would have to be a lack of mental visuals. I've always been big on extensive detail, and this story does not have that in great amounts. It is a first-person, so I can understand that.

    Looking forward to more!
     
  17. Joe

    Joe The Reminiscent Exile ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter ⭐⭐⭐

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    This story is feckin' awesome.

    Although it needs more debauchery, violence, and chaos - and not necessarily in that order. Also sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll - again, order optional.

    5/5 because I know what's to come... and in what order.

    Cheers, folks,

    joe
     
  18. Mors

    Mors Denarii Host DLP Supporter

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    ... Another Jon. -_-

    Excellent story though.
     
  19. Blaise

    Blaise Golden Patronus

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    ...arrogant little fuck.

    I'm mad that I can't even really get upset, 'cos your story IS feckin' awesome.

    .....arrogant little fuck.:D
     
  20. World

    World Oberstgruppenführer DLP Supporter Retired Staff

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    1/5, because the author is a stupid doodoo-head that reviews his own stories.
     
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