Got it, thanks. I don't mind a story lacking ambition so long as it's done right. I like stories that develop characters slowly and then put them to the test with some sudden gear shift down the line. But if the conflict comes from the very nature of a relationship then I'd definitely agree that's not enough conflict.

I'd be fine if it was something like "Character X and character Y are slowly developing feelings for each other but" and then whatever tension building bit would come in, like "one of them has severe trauma," "one of them feels like too much of a loser and tries to improve himself," or "one of them is secretly a lizard-person and doesn't know how to tell the other that."

I mean, I really have no issue with stories lacking ambition so long as that means that the conflict feels like it matters. Not every story needs to have a grand scale, I think they just need to have a premise that can be described as "This but..." as opposed to "This and..." and it's fine. For example, "Oh he kissed me" seems like it could be described as "Oh he kissed me and I don't know what to do next" while something like "Oh he kissed me but only because he's being mind controlled by a lizard" sounds more like a conflict. Those are...really dumb examples, I'm just trying to get my point across.

I'm kind of rambling here for no apparent reason and I'm doing a disfavor to my point with every word I type, so to keep this short thanks for the clarification - I wanted to see if the conflict bit was something I didn't mind or something I had an issue with, so yeah.

 

I PM'ed Munkeymaniac suggesting him to add some action and violence to his 'romance' plots. Guess what, in his Harry/Susan story, when the horcrux in Harry's head is destroyed when Susan fucks him(hilarious I know, the power of love), he turns into a super wizard whose spells are as powerful as Dumbledore.

Also, the author is a 'Snape lover'. That about sums up his stories. The latest Harry/Daphne sounded promising, but it closely resembles another story Harry/Daphne story- 'The lies that bind' and I stopped reading after the third chapter.

 

So, munkeymaniac is writing yet another generic HP/DG fic that reads 90% the same as he previous ones. You can pretty much read any review of his previous stories and it will mostly apply to this one as well. They guy's writing style has only marginally improved since his first story, but they all the generate the same feeling. If you've read one, you've read them all, and even with his improved grasp on what a story should be, it's not any better than the others. He embodies a lot of the old cliches, and is on some sort of crusade to keep them alive. That being said, this thread is probably the right spot for his stories, since I suppose that if you have no standards, it is readable, especially since he does finish his stories.

 

So he's the Clive Cussler of fanfiction. Tons of material, marginally entertaining, and if you've read one you've read them all. Got it.

 

Title: Hogwarts' Dawn
Author: Jeconais
Pairing: None
Rating: M
Link: http://jeconais.fanficauthors.net/Hogwarts_Dawn/index/
Story Summary: There were many ways that Harry could choose to deal with being forcibly entered into the Tri-Wizard Tournament. As everyone knows, the best way to deal with a problem, is to hire expert help. And who better than Fred and George to show Harry the best way to survive?
Escorts, Veela, Bodyguards, Bounties, Alcohol, Mata Hari's, National Championships - it's a wonder if Harry will have any time for the actual tournament.


Basically, after his name comes out of the Goblet he hires Fred and George to keep him alive, and they end up doing their best to get his life in order. Hilarity ensues. He starts really using his resources for things other than new clothes and tuition. By the author's own admission, Harry slowly turns into TonyStark!Harry. Semi-crack, but enjoyable.

 

Damn, when's the last time I read Jeconais?

Uhm... *clicks*

NOT LONG ENOUGH.

CLOSE CLOSE WHY WON'T YOU CLOSE LET ME CLOSE THIS, APPLE PINWHEEL.

 

This wasn't bad. I almost abandoned it in the middle because of romantic angst, a piss-obvious "twist" and it being sort of a canon rehash, but it was well-written and had its moments. I actually got the impression of danger in the Triwizard which I didn't get in the books and loved the blowup on the last few chapters. Maybe a 3/5.

 

Ok goddammit, can someone put this up in "For Review"? It's hilarious! I'll leave a more extensive review in the for review thread that someone puts up but definitely 5/5 as far as the humor category goes.

Oh and I've never played DnD so don't let that stop you from reading this.

 

bah, I will if no one else does in the next day or so. I can't be bothered making a properly formatted post from my phone.

 

Title: A Hogwarts Whodunit
Author: Loony-1995.
Pairing: None too important, it's a murder mystery.
Summary: One stormy, cold night Harry Potter is murdered at Hogwarts and there are only five suspects; Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Draco Malfoy and Colin Creevy. Ron is determined to find the killer. Whodunit?

The story isn't anything special, but if you are a sucker for murder mysteries like I am--well, it's worth reading if only because there are very few Harry Potter murder mysteries.[If there are any hey mention them because I love reading those.] Again the writing isn't anything that will blow you away, and there is some weird characters here and there that don't feel like they belong in HP land but hell. I'd only recommend it to huge mystery fans with nothing else to do. It's probably worth noting that the story isn't finished too.

I enjoyed it for what it was though.

 

I've always had a guilty pleasure thing going when reading Jeconais, and this story is no different. Just like all his stories, it focuses on just how awesome Harry is, but sometimes I need a break from all the angst and teenage drama.

 

I know it is Jeconais, I remember that I read his Harry/Gabrielle story and can even admit that I liked it enough to finish it, but his stories haven't really changed or matured at all since then. This one would have been a guilty pleasure read 5 years ago, right now I wouldn't recommend.

 

Agree with most of the opinions on Hogwart's Dawn. It was actually put up for review, that thread can be found here.

 

I don't know, I quite liked reading Hogwarts' Dawn. And not as a guilty pleasure either. IMO, it deserves a spot in the Library, probably under Humor. I took it as comedy, and quite liked it.

Of course, there a few terrible moments of angst, but I could very easily ignore those and focus on the rest.

 

I can't say Hogwarts' Dawn is my cup of tea, but it's not bad in what is trying to achieve. It's the kind of thing I'd refrain from voting on based on thinking I couldn't be fair when ranking it.

Time for more fics! (...I really like murder mystery stories)

Title: Harry Potter and the Book of Changes
Author: SSVD
Pairing: None
Rating: T
Link: Here
FF Summary:Two years before he went to Hogwarts, Harry Potter came across a book in his school library. This book would change his life forever, but not through the kind of magic he would soon grow used to.
An actually helpful summary: Harry reads the Holmes books as a kid, does not have a sudden personality change, murders happen.

This story is...weird. I found it shortly after reading Chronicles of Harry Holmes and even though the concepts are similar, they are really different. It starts out mildly slow, but it starts getting in gear by the fourth chapter and chapter 5 is already on full murder mode. I'm recommending it because of two things. One, this author note:

I think I speak for everyone when I say that's my favorite kind of author's note. And second, chapter 6(the most recent one) is really good and makes up for the first three chapters, plus it sets up a pretty good mystery.

I'd give it a 3/5 or 2/5 for the first three chapters and 5/5 for the more recent three, I think. So...a bit of a schizophrenic story. But hopefully all new chapters will be more like the last three.

 

It's certainly the best HP/SH story I've read, but that isn't saying much.

The introduction is pretty weak, but the last few chapters are good enough for me to at least give it a few more chapters.

 

I'm not even sure it counts as a HP/SH story though. The character himself doesn't actually appear and the series is just treated as a book he likes.

 

There is a lot of potential in HP/SH crossover. So many possibilities. It's such a shame most of them suck after the first few chapters.

 

I'd like to recommend a HP/SG crossover, the "Isis' Bane" series. The ficlet that started the series was reviewed on DLP in 2009 and actually entered the library:

click!

There are two altenative branches spinning of from this fic. On the one hand, you have Harry kicking goa'uld ass, starting with:

Followed by Harry confronting his past:

click

On the other hand, you get the more family friendly version, with more characterisation and development:

click

This series is not earth shattering, but it's a good way to pass some time.

3/5