Challenge 2023 Reading Challenge!

I've updated the list! Congrats to @Thumper09 and @Findswoman for officially recieving the rank of Bibliophile.

You can do it! Can't wait to add your name to the list of Bibliophiles

Yeah, I can't say I'll be sad to see the back of it. It's definitely had its fair share of ups and downs.

I believe in you! You'll smash the exam. Then make sure you take some rest time for yourself afterwards too.

That's okay. Do as much as you can in the time that's left. It's not like I'm going to be hunting down people and saying "Your reviews are overdue!" like a proper librarian.

 

No worries, I'm fairly confident I'll finish, but if DRL does strike, I know you guys won't hold it against me.

 

1. A fic by your favourite* author - What to even say about All These Broken Pieces by @ViariSkywalker? Vi is nothing less than masterful in her handling of emotional nuance, and can always be relied upon to find the beauty in the darkness without ever forgetting to convey the damage that darkness inflicts. This story is an in-depth exploration of the dynamic between Jedi Knight Allana Djo Solo and the Sith Lord Darth Festus, handled with all the poetic sure-handedness to which Vi’s readers are accustomed.

2. A fic with two or more authors - To say I was delighted to happen upon A Profusion of Palpatines by @Bel505 and @SnubJockey would be a considerable understatement. Their Interregnum series is some of my very favorite fanfic, and this crack!fic wherein somehow not one but many Palpatines return completely lives up to their established standard.

3. A short story/one shot - Mending Things; or, The Seamstress of Massassi Base by @Findswoman is a beautifully poignant depiction of grief and endurance, and the importance of seemingly small actions that both support grander ones and bind people together.

4. A fic whose chapters have titles - Remember how I said that @ViariSkywalker finds beauty within darkness while refusing to ever downplay just how bad the darkness can get? Beneath the Gods of the Bright Sky is a shining example of that, giving us the backstory of her OC Darth Ferrus. Have some tissues handy.

5. A fic starring a non-human character - Hondo Ohnaka is always a delight, and @Raissa Baiard continues that tradition with Once a Pirate, wherein Hondo takes Jacen Syndulla on an adventure to prove that he retains his legendary pirate status. Hondo has a tricky voice to capture, but Raissa does that beautifully here.

6. A challenge winner - Intersections by @Thumper09 is technically a group of stories, but we intrepid fanfic readers aren’t going to let that stop us, are we? Thumper completed the Kessel Run Challenge of 2023 with this collection, and used the brilliant premise of using each week’s prompt to write about a different OC background character witnessing or experiencing a scene from each of the 11 movies.

7. A fic recommended to you by someone else - @ViariSkywalker recommended The Fisher Droid by @GregMcP, and I’m so glad she did. The story of a small and humble settlement and all that befalls those who both live and visit there is told through the eyes of a faithful fishing droid trying to fulfill his purpose.

8. A fic with exactly four words in the title - The progression of the lives and relationship of the infamous Chaos Twins (OCs Darth Festus and Darth Ferrus) are explored over the course of a decade and in reverse narrative format in Words We Never Say from Futures and Dreams by @ViariSkywalker. It’s amazing how much she’s made me care about two OC Sith Lords over the years. Read this, and they’ll be your new favorites too.

10. A fic with only canon characters - I’ve never read the Jedi Apprentice books, but A Hidden Harmony by @devilinthedetails makes me feel like I know Tahl, and throws in some lovely descriptive writing to boot.

13. A fic that is outside your favourite time period/show - Gazing At the Distant Lights by @Kahara is set during the High Republic era, but even if, like me, you know nothing about those books, you’ll still enjoy this lovely set of ficlets that bring the characters to life.

14. A fic with a great first line - We get three great first lines for the price of one with The Seduction from Certain Dark Things by @vader_incarnate. In the form of three double drabbles, Elli writes the Sith Code reinterpreted as a revolutionary call to action. Each first line is concise and powerful, and if you just read those three lines, you’d have a tiny but complete story in themselves. Don’t stop there, though. Read the full double drabbles and embrace the dark side disguised as a political manifesto in defense of the downtrodden.

15. A fic whose main character is an OC - Heroes from Lovely Dark and Deep by @Pandora is another Kessel Run reverse narrative prompt; this one telling the story of a young woman from a small town, her closest friend, and her younger half-sister, on the day they play an integral role in the legendary Battle of Tanaab. Pandora’s writing is silkenly lyrical and evocative, and she establishes both the characters and the setting with effective grace.

16. A fic whose title catches your attention - We’re going to double up here, and when you see my choices you’ll understand. Inquisitter by @Starith is a beautifully done one-shot fancomic wherein Ninth Sister has a run-in with a young Luke Skywalker, and The Courtship of Prince Isolder from A Strange and Dazzling Array by @ViariSkywalker is a set of three 300-word stories that puts an AU spin on the first meeting of Luke Skywalker and Teneniel Djo. If you’d told me that I’d love stories about an Inquisitor and Prince Isolder as much as I love these fics, I’d have thought you were crazy, but a talented author (and artist!) can clearly make any premise amazing.

17. A fic that started in the month of your birthday - So @Mira_Jade's told me before that I should read Lore Olympus, and based her All That Heaven Will Allow from Your Reach Into the Far, clearly she’s right. This set of drabbles adds an unexpectedly modern humanity to the classic Greek myths.

19. A fic with love, kiss or hug in the title - Who wants some creepy dark romance haiku? Are you ever in luck, because @ViariSkywalker did just that with “you love in whispers” from Fire In Our Bones. It’s Darth Ferrus’s turn to be the Stalkeriest Stalker Who Ever Stalked, and Vi made it beautiful, because she does that.

20. A fic that states a relationship in the title - Old Friends from Futures and Dreams by @ViariSkywalker shows us how integral Artoo has been to the Skywalker family for generations, and you’ll probably need a full assortment of “my feels” gifs after reading it.

21. A fic with a five-syllable title - Luminous Beings from Our Hearts Were Never Meant to Kneel may only be a humble 100 word sprint from the 2023 Summer Olympics, but @Mira_Jade packs plenty of emotion into that tiny package, letting us see an AU reunion between Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul.

22. A fic with an 'author's note' at the start - I’m giving you a twofer again because how can I be expected to resist these author’s notes? Your Heart Will Catch Its Breath Again is @Mira_Jade's mod challenge that focuses on her delightful - delightful, I say - AU version of Darth Maul, based on a glorious prompt that includes one of my own favorite lines of dialogue ever, and I am completely disobeying the author’s note that prefaces The Black Queen from On the Creation of Monsters by @vader_incarnate by including it here, because despite Elli’s claim, everyone should read this set of drabbles that combines Dark Empire and Legacy of the Force into pure distilled Star Warsian horror.

23. A fic that's written from a villain's perspective - No one could argue against a @vader_incarnate fic being a perfect fit for this category, so let’s go with Resolute from Certain Dark Things, where—well, let’s just let the summary speak for itself, shall we: On the Death Star, Vader is on his way to execute a Rebel princess when a ghost intervenes. The line "Welcome to your forever, beloved”, will echo in my head for decades to come.


Four categories to go. I might make it Hopefully I didn't mess up the links, and I'll be back to edit my original post properly when the adulting allows

 

7. A fic recommended to you by someone else – @Gabri_Jade recommended that I read Rocks and Hard Places by @Thumper09 (twice, actually), and I’m very glad she did! It’s such a unique and even heartfelt story that I enjoyed immensely; the main protagonist, Nnnzzz is incredibly endearing, something I never thought I would say about a being who consumes rocks and communicates through vibrations. The worldbuilding in this fic is also excellent, with so many great details about the planet’s environment and weather and inhabitants, but never in a way that overshadows the characters themselves. I highly recommend you give it a try!


9. An intimidating fic you have avoided – Obviously “intimidating” is meant as a compliment in this context, and that’s exactly how I felt about Interregnum by @Bel505 & @SnubJockey. Would you believe I spent three years avoiding this fic? Seems silly in retrospect, but I’m so glad I finally dove in. This story is incredibly well-written and ties in seamlessly with the Legends EU while taking things in a believably AU direction, and it features many of the canon/EU characters we know and love. I’ve barely even scratched the surface with this one, though based on everything I’ve seen, I’m sure it’s only going to get better, in this story and its sequels.


11. A fic by a new author – Though I’ve only read and reviewed the first entry in @DLR001's Kessel Run collection, Distant Whispers, I was nevertheless intrigued by the post-KOTOR setting (and dark side endings for both, at that!), by the characters themselves, and by the nuanced, descriptive writing. I’m very much looking forward to reading more!


12. A fic you’ve been meaning to try – I’ve had @Pandora's fics on my to-read list for a long time now, and I was very excited when she signed up for the KR with Lovely Dark and Deep because it gave me a chance to follow one of her threads from the beginning. I’ve only reviewed the first story so far, but I’ve read most of them by now, and Pandora’s poetic descriptive style and the voices she strikes with her characters are truly singular. With loads of dark subtlety and keen, knife-edged insights, this collection is a great introduction to her work and one that I’m definitely glad I tried.


18. A fic you meant to read in 2022 – Pull Me Home by @Gabri_Jade is a story I read in 2022 but completely dropped the ball when it came time to review it. I’ve happily corrected that now, and have to recommend this story to any and all fans of Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade. It deals with L/M in the early years of their marriage and is perhaps a more realistic take on the situation the EU put them in than canon itself. As always, Gabri’s grasp of these two characters is masterful, and her writing is by turns funny and poignant and painful. I won’t spoil what happens in the story, but I think it’s safe to say that this is one of the more unique AU ideas I’ve seen for this couple, and I hope we’ll see more of it in the future.


20. A fic that states a relationship in the title – The relationship between The Captain and the Commodore is the focus of a delightful romantic short story set in @Mira_Jade's, ever-expanding Sense and Sensibility ‘verse. It features a spirited main character in Margaret Dashwood (the titular “captain”) and a charming newcomer in Mira’s OC Arthur Jennings (the “commodore”), and I can’t wait to see what twists and turns Mira has in store for us along the way.

 

Challenge completed.

 

Thanks! All done with the semester now and spending some time fanficcing before RL strikes again.

So far I've got:

5. A fic starring a non-human character: [Penguins of Madagascar] Crash and Burn by @pronker

6. A challenge winner: [Multifandom] Endless Echoes of Angst (for the Angstober 2023 Challenge) by @devilinthedetails

10. A fic with only canon characters: Palo's Sketchbook by @Findswoman

15. A fic whose main character is an OC: Promise by @Gabri_Jade

16. A fic whose title catches your attention: [Sense and Sensibility] "... and Shake the Rising Soul" by @Mira_Jade

18. A fic you meant to read in 2022: Cargo Hauler by @Thumper09

21. A fic with a five-syllable title: On A Moonlight Path by @Hopefulwriter

22. A fic with an 'author's note' at the start: [Avatar: The Last Airbender] Dances and Disguises by @devilinthedetails

23. A fic that's written from a villain's perspective: Revenge of Shaurkoo by @earlybird-obi-wan

 

Congratulations to @Seldes_Katne for attaining the rank of bibliophile!

There are only 8 days left in the challenge! You can do it!

 

I'll probably skip the last two categories (the 'recommended fic' and 'fic by your favorite author' because how am I supposed to choose? ) but everything else is done! Thanks for running this challenge, and hope to see it again!

2. A fic with two or more authors: Old Friends by @Mira Grau and @Adalia-Durron

3. A short story/one shot: Bright Sadness by @Findswoman

4. A fic whose chapters have titles: [LOTR] Sauron: The Lord of the Cats by @gizkaspice

8. A fic with exactly four words in the title: [Star Trek: Strange New Worlds] The Need to Remember by @brodiew

9. An intimidating fic you have avoided: [Victoria] "A Kingdom Where My Love Can Stand" by @Mira_Jade

11. A fic by a new^ author: What They Grow Beyond by @Kadar Ordo

12. A fic you’ve been meaning to try: She Didn't Begrudge Them...Not Really by @JediMaster_Jen

13. A fic that is outside your favourite time period/show: Denial Deferred by @brodiew

14. A fic with a great first line: From a Holorecording Found in a Cabin Drawer on the Ghost by @Findswoman

17. A fic that started in the month of your birthday: Letters Across Hyperspace by @Raissa Baiard

19. A fic with love, kiss or hug in the title: [Narnia] Music, Beetles, and Love Necklaces by @devilinthedetails

20. A fic that states a relationship in the title: Han Solo's First Meeting With Maz Kanata by @Hopefulwriter

 

But you're so close! You can do it...and a fic by your favourite author doesn't mean they have to be your absolute favourite...one of your favourites is still a favourite

 

9. An intimidating fic you have avoided - I started to read Death and the Maiden by @Pandora back when she first posted it, but I must have been on angst overload at the time because I couldn’t bring myself to finish it. That was clearly my loss, since Pandora is extremely talented at adorning her angst with unforgettable beauty.

11. A fic by a new^ author - Friends from Distant Whispers by @DLR001 takes us back to the KotOR era, where a father and his young son share a quiet moment together after the father is awakened by dreams of old friends.

12. A fic you’ve been meaning to try - I don’t read a lot of non-SW fanfic, but @Mira_Jade channels Jane Austen astonishingly well, and she continues that trend with The Captain and the Commodore, where Margaret Dashwood encounters a dashing young merchant commodore.

18. A fic you meant to read in 2022 - There just aren’t enough Bodhi Rook fics. Fortunately for us all, @Thumper09 helps to rectify that oversight with Cargo Hauler, giving us a window into Bodhi’s mind as he comes to realize the truth about the Empire and finds the courage to rebel.

And with that, my reader challenge is complete!



Oh dang, I still have to edit my original post. I'll get to it, I swear

 

YAY! YOU DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've updated the first page and given you the rank of Bibliophile

 

Done! Thank you to @earlybird-obi-wan for the rec! And thanks again to @Kit' for hosting.

1. A fic by your favourite* author: Four Ways to "I Love You" by @devilinthedetails
7. A fic recommended to you by someone else: Revenge of the syndicate by @earlybird-obi-wan

 

Okay, here we go! Filling in the gaps.

1. A fic by your favourite* author
(Following my usual rule of favorite = favorite author that I hadn't reviewed in a while, because there are so many and I cannot pick one!)
The Inspector's Pet Theory by @rktho
A "day in the life" story of rktho's stubborn antagonist from Stars in Their Multitudes (also recommended, but you don't need it to read this), Inspector Koss. Shown here in all of his blinkered, conspiracist glory as he chases after his vision of an archnemesis and drives his coworkers to distraction in the process. The dry, bleak humor of the piece is really well-delivered and you can just feel the frustration of the memos (you'll see the memos; they're not to be missed ) being sent Koss's way.

2. A fic with two or more authors
Old Friends by @Mira Grau and @Adalia-Durron
An action and intrigue-packed collaboration between these two authors. I really like how the characters created by both (Adalia by her namesake and Ilona by Mira) each have a part to play in both the action and the personal/emotional arc of the plot. The scenes of them dealing an attempted assassination/burglary at a charity event are very entertaining with a good old-fashioned Star Warsy feel to them.

4. A fic whose chapters have titles
Star Wars: Tides of Darkness by @Theodore Hawkwood does indeed have chapter titles, and an engaging cast of OC and background EC characters to go with them. There is something rotten, or maybe eldritch, in the world of Mon Cala and Crix Madine has sent Theodore's OC Ben and his companions to investigate.

6. A challenge winner
The Song of Experience by @Pandora is a wonderfully complex story with a young Naboo woman coming to terms with her society's hypocrisies, the unpredictability of the future, and a developing romance with the "scourge of her political career", Florian (a fantastic OC in his own right). It won an OTP Challenge, and I can see why!

7. A fic recommended to you by someone else
The Fair and the First Flame was recommended to me by @Findswoman and it is a beautiful and heart-tugging tale of first love featuring Cliegg Lars and his first wife Aika. (Thanks for the rec!)

9. An intimidating fic you have avoided
The Lands of the Dead by @ViariSkywalker is an old favorite that I had never gotten to reviewing because it definitely needed some emotional fortitude to tackle. This story is intense and it will make you feel horrified and heartbroken for her OC's like never before. Which is really saying something if you've met the Chaos Twins in any of their appearances. The horror aspect of the story is just pitch-perfect, and I really admire how Viari manages to balance it out such that you're never so caught up in the creepiness that you miss the tragedy or vice versa.

10. A fic with only canon characters
Twin Suns at the Door of Night is an inventive and enthralling AU focused on Vader, Luke, Leia, Sabe, and the droids with a surprise appearance by Ochi (the assassin from TROS) and a very fun "have to work together even though we're enemies" plotline. The story spins off from the comics, but I never read them and wasn't lost at all.

11. A fic by a new^ author
A Certain Point of View from the Distant Whispers Kessel Run thread by @DLR001 is a fantastic re-imagining of ANH where Mara Jade is the central character, and not quite the one that we know, and the history of the galaxy is turned upside down and sideways from the OT.

12. A fic you’ve been meaning to try
Allies by @UltramassiveUbersue is a story that I meant to read, several times, and finally did for this challenge. And I'm glad that I did, because it's a wonderful short-and-bittersweet story of Luke struggling to figure out if he should embrace a new relationship after Mara's death. Even though it's a very sad story, there are also some great little touches of humor and fluff that I really enjoyed as well.

16. A fic whose title catches your attention
Strict, Unbending Rules for Dealing with Stray Loth-cats by @Raissa Baiard has a marvelous title, and of course this cat-lover had to read further! This story features Sabine post-Rebels canon and the angst is really well-portrayed while her adventures in definitely-not-acquiring-a-loth-cat add the perfect counterpoint.

17. A fic that started in the month of your birthday
Collage of Memorable Scenes started in my birth month of June and it is a romantic, summery feast of bite-sized stories about Luke/Mara and Han/Leia, with lots of appearances by their growing family.

18. A fic you meant to read in 2022
And They Danced by @Gabri_Jade
If I'm not mistaken, I meant to read this in 2022 and then meant to review it about three times before I finally got to it this December. And it is a spectacular love story seasoned with delightful family fluff with just a pinch of angst. Gabri's version of Mara's family is fantastic as always, and it's a joy to watch her OC Corissa and Julian (also OC) fall head over heels while bickering in true SW fashion.

19. A fic with love, kiss or hug in the title
THEIR LAST KISS by @Hopefulwriter
A sad and beautiful tribute to Han and Leia, that gives them one last moment of tenderness in the TFA movie timeline. I really appreciated the way that Hopefulwriter gave us a look into both of their thoughts in a rare and treasured moment.

20. A fic that states a relationship in the title
So Few Things by @Mira_Jade
Okay, I picked one with a relationship in the title line and maybe not technically the title itself -- close enough, surely? Anyway, this story is another old favorite that I'd neglected to review up until this year. So Few Things is a fantastically shippy tale of Bly and Aayla realizing their feelings for each other on a mission to Kiffu (there's a "fake relationship" that isn't quite, there's literally an "only one bed" scene; it's got all your tropes and more). I knew fairly little about these characters going in, but Mira makes them so vivid and lovable that you'll find yourself cheering them on!

21. A fic with a five-syllable title
Enter the Foreign by @ViariSkywalker
A riveting time-travel story featuring Anakin Skywalker meeting his grandchildren (the ones that are still around, anyway) in an even-darker, Legacy-inspired version of later Legends canon. This is an epic in every sense of the word -- just a wonderful, angsty, heartfelt story about family, love and loyalty. The OC's and canon characters are all really well-realized and the universe that ViariSkywalker constructs is so real that it will linger with you for a long time. (Also, I love several of the plot twists that I won't tell you because spoilers.)

22. A fic with an 'author's note' at the start
Given in Love by @DarthIshtar
Bail and Breha have the chance to visit Leia in her dreams shortly before her wedding. The characterization of all three is just brilliant, and it's a really beautiful conversation and moment.

23. A fic that's written from a villain's perspective
Palpatine Babyfic Fluff: Unlimited Pow-Wah!
It's exactly what it says on the label (yes, Palpatine + babyfic + fluff) and just as utterly, delightfully cracky as it sounds. We see the story from Palpatine's perspective as he adopts a baby, who he names Fluff (what else?), and begins to re-examine some of his priorities.

---

And that's all 23 done!

 

2. A fic with two or more authors – A Profusion of Palpatines by @Bel505 & @SnubJockey is crack!fic at its best: smart, zany, and very well-written. The situation portrayed in this story might be absurd (though perhaps no more absurd than certain aspects of both old and new canon, ymmv), but the characterizations are excellent, the humor is sharp, the banter is snappy, and the whole thing left me with the biggest grin on my face.

6. A challenge winner – For this category, I chose @Gabri_Jade's And They Danced, which was a winner of the Something Borrowed, Something New Mod!Challenge last year. If you’d asked me years ago if I thought Gabri would write an OC/OC romance centered around the ballet-dancing younger sister of Mara Jade, I would have said absolutely no way – but life is full of surprises, and this story is a most welcome one. It’s the sort of wholesome, witty, slice-of-life romance that Gabri excels at, and it’s entirely believable as a story set in the GFFA. Go give it a try; you won’t regret it!

19. A fic with love, kiss or hug in the title – @Mira_Jade's A Kingdom Where My Love Can Stand is truly a powerhouse collection of stories filled to the brim with lush historical details, blossoming romance, gut-wrenching tragic backstories, and so much gorgeous prose. It focuses on an alternate history romance between Queen Victoria and Lord Melbourne, but that’s only the beginning as Mira explores each of these very human characters in profound and loving detail.


And that's my last batch of reviews, putting me at 23 total! Thanks so much for running this challenge, @Kit' - I enjoyed participating!

 

Congratulations to @amidalachick, @Gabri_Jade. @ViariSkywalker, and @Kahara for completing the challenge! I've assigned you all the esteemed ranks of Bibliophile!

With only 2 hours and 16 minutes of Drop Bear time left before the end of 2023, I would like to thank everyone who took part. I hope you enjoyed the challenge and found new and exciting fics to read!

I won't be running this challenge next year (too much stuff on my plate), but never fear...the amazing mods have plans

Finally, a massive congrats to those who attained the rank of

- Bibliophile -

@Chyntuck
@earlybird-obi-wan
@devilinthedetails
@Mira_Jade
@Findswoman
@Thumper09
@Seldes_Katne
@Gabri_Jade
@amidalachick
@ViariSkywalker
@Kahara

 

Thank you @Kit' for hosting this challenge.
Congrats for all who participated
And with 7,5 hours to go in Holland, Happy New Year to everybody

 

Thanks for hosting this challenge @Kit'! It was a great way for me to catch up on stories I hadn't read, and by seeing other participants' recommendations to add more stories to read to my list.

6 hours to go until 2024 over here. Happy New Year everyone!

 

I didn't finish this challenge, but I got about halfway there, so. Here is my post if you want to see what I did read.

 

The exactly wrong one.

It took me a record three tries, but the link should go to the right place now.