1. DLP Flash Christmas Competition + Writing Marathon 2024!

    Competition topic: Magical New Year!

    Marathon goal? Crank out words!

    Check the marathon thread or competition thread for details.

    Dismiss Notice
  2. Hi there, Guest

    Only registered users can really experience what DLP has to offer. Many forums are only accessible if you have an account. Why don't you register?
    Dismiss Notice
  3. Introducing for your Perusing Pleasure

    New Thread Thursday
    +
    Shit Post Sunday

    READ ME
    Dismiss Notice

Maternal Instincts - T- ASOIAF

Discussion in 'Game of Thrones / ASoIaF' started by CrackedMind, Jun 21, 2019.

  1. CrackedMind

    CrackedMind Minister of Magic

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2011
    Messages:
    1,353
    Gender:
    Male
    Title: Maternal Instincts
    Author: N/A
    Rating: T
    Genre: General
    Status: Oneshot
    Fandom: A Song of Ice and Fire
    Pairings: Nominally Elia/Rhaegar, Jon/Dany, Aegon/Margaery but the relationships take a major backseat.
    Link: A03
    Summary:
    Rhaegar wins the Battle of the Trident, and Elia makes the best of a bad situation. She never meant to love her stepson.

    As you can probably tell from the summary, this one shot is from the prospective of Elia Martell after Rhaegar wins the war and brings Jon to court. She decides the best way to make sure he’s never a threat to Aegon is to win him over with affection.

    If that sounds like the start of a bad fic where Elia is a saint and everyone lives happily ever after, im not doing it justice. Definitely worth the read.

    Its an easy 5/5 from me.
     
  2. pbluekan

    pbluekan Chief Warlock DLP Supporter

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2014
    Messages:
    1,460
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Dancing in the Mindfield
    It's short, sweet, to the point, and of technical quality. It makes no attempts at whitewashing Elia or truly demonizing Rheagar beyond what is obvious from canon. The author also doesn't try to make Jon into more than he really is. Easy 5/5 read.

    I don't, however, think it's really library worthy. It's 6500 words and isn't even a short story but rather a summary of events from an alternate timeline.
     
  3. JimmyCranberry

    JimmyCranberry High Inquisitor

    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2010
    Messages:
    577
    I did not expect to enjoy that so much. An excellent oneshot, and a fresh perspective on the many 'Jon Targaryen' stories. I am fine with the 'internal commentary' approach to this story, I think that the tone works well in the context of the story and Elia's motivations.

    5/5
     
  4. Otters

    Otters Groundskeeper ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2010
    Messages:
    367
    High Score:
    2005
    Elia feels very Sue-y, but that's fine in something so short as this. It's a look at one dimension of a character, not painting her as perfect in all ways. As said above, it's more like a summary of events than the main story. That works with what's happening, because this fic isn't about the game of thrones, but it does make me disappointed that we're never getting the actual story.

    There are a couple of good character moments, but decisions feel a bit ham-fisted in the way they mirror canon - Jon still joining the Night's Watch, still obsessing over being a bastard (when, in this, he isn't entirely), the childhood friendship with Sam Tarly, and so on. Without a deeper glimpse at Jon's motivation than a short piece from Elia's PoV, it's hard to argue anything other than authorial inertia in moving away from canon.

    “I am old enough to decide for myself!”

    Rhaegar laughed coldly, and Daenerys winced. Rhaegar rarely laughed, and his family knew it boded ill. His wife and children knew better than to exhibit their shock, however, unlike his sister. “What makes you think that?”

    “I am older now than my mother was when you fucked her!”

    This lacks that compelling extra factor which makes a fic top shelf stuff, but it's a relatively decent and easy read.

    4/5
     
  5. Paradise

    Paradise Paraplegic Dice DLP Supporter

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2015
    Messages:
    746
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Pine Tree State
    I really loved it, the whole thing was good, and the pacing was a bit iffy at spots but the characters really drove it home, the dinner scene was amazing, and I really enjoyed the ending, there really needs to be more endings like that.

    4/5
     
Loading...