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June 16, 2013 at 12:00 AM
Words cannot truly express how I feel at this very moment, and to be honest, I'm not exactly sure I can accurately express (as hard as i may try) just how I feel.
The only things I can say is that the 10 days It has taken me to read this story has my mind reeling over more things than I care to think of at this moment. The only thing I can say is that the 10 days it has taken me to read this story have been absolutely, and with out a doubt, completely worth it.
This is without a doubt the best fanfiction I have ever read, and quite possibly the best story I have read period (rather a real novel of a fan-made continuation of some existing work).
Thank you. Thank you for sharing this beautifully constructed piece and allowing fans like myself the chance to read it.
Thank you.
The only things I can say is that the 10 days It has taken me to read this story has my mind reeling over more things than I care to think of at this moment. The only thing I can say is that the 10 days it has taken me to read this story have been absolutely, and with out a doubt, completely worth it.
This is without a doubt the best fanfiction I have ever read, and quite possibly the best story I have read period (rather a real novel of a fan-made continuation of some existing work).
Thank you. Thank you for sharing this beautifully constructed piece and allowing fans like myself the chance to read it.
Thank you.
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June 24, 2012 at 12:00 AM
WHAT THE ACTUAL - WHAT - WHO - HOW?
This is fantastic. Like, fantastic. Like, my brain is not actually functioning right now because that is how fantastic this is. I - I don't even have words. This is certainly one of the best pieces of fanfiction I've read in this fandom - maybe even in any fandom. Although the prose is rather unpolished - something I can look past, because this is fanfiction - the plotting, characterization, and narrative arcs are on the level that I tend to expect from actual, published fiction.
Although DN canon is stunning from a psychological and plot-driven perspective, it lacks the character exploration and development that I tend to like in this fiction, and in that respect, I certainly prefer Redeemer. If I truly get into it, this review is going to go on for about a million, billion years and end up looking more like an essay, so I'll save the bulk of my thoughts for when I've finished the several (!) sequels, but I'll just give a brief overview of my feelings here…
I can honestly say I love all the characters. Their portrayals are both similar and different from how they are in canon, and the ones that don't appear in canon are all wonderfully engaging as well. As for specific thoughts:
Light - I have to preface with the fact that, although I love L/Light and find Light to be a fascinating, well-done character in canon, I've never before actually liked him. Like, on his own, without anyone around, just as a person in and of himself, I've always found him either off-putting or obnoxious or a combination of both. And as Redeemer went on, I went from finding him annoying, to finding his antics sort of amusing, to finding him almost vaguely endearing, to being terribly, monumentally impressed by him by the end. And I think this is the most striking thing about the story, and it took me a while to really figure it out, to figure out how this was going to go and what his character arc really was, and finally in the last few chapters - it him me.
The story is called Redeemer, and obviously I knew it would involve redemption, but in my experience with DN fanfic, that usually amounts to changing Light's character around a lot - and L's, too - to make him even slightly redeemable. And when, in the prologue, L more or less picked Light up off the warehouse floor in what seemed like a rather cliche yaoi story opener, that was all I was really expecting. But this story does so, so much more than that.
Because you didn't change Light's characterization, or his ideals, or his opinions, or his arrogance, or much about him at all, except for one thing. You made him care about someone (two someones, actually) besides himself. The dangerous thing about Light has never been the death note, or his crazy ideals, or his ability to plot flawlessly - it's that fact that he just doesn't care about other people. He claims that he wants to save that world, and all the good people in it, but from his thoughts, he seems to see everyone who is not himself as either stupid or evil. It's classic sociopathy, it's frightening and it's desolate (like his dream about that empty, grey world with no one but he and L in it, and that was striking, by the way, and definitely the right way to do fictional dream sequences, as it was neither melodramatic nor overly complex, - but I digress.)
But, of course, L - as most people trying to write L/Light romance can point out - is the outlier, the one that can become more than that, that can become the fissure, the flaw in the plan. I think what differentiates this story from other stories of the same kind (other than the fantastic length, amazingly charming dialogue, awesome action sequences, etc., etc.) is that L is actually not enough. Because if it's just he and L, then they can survive in their own little bubble, playing cat-and-mouse and forgetting the rest of the world. Which is where Mello comes in, because Mello is different from L is so many ways, he is human, he is emotional and volatile and he can burst the bubble and say, "hey! there is more to the world than just you and L! there's me!" And that, that is enough. The combination of the two, of L and Mello, is enough to tip the scale and make Light care enough about them to set aside his grand ambition.
"Let it go," L says, and the entire story rests upon that moment, and it is beautiful. From Light littering the floor with bodies in something that - despite my eyerolls at Light's purported divinity - is powerful enough to actually become divine in it's ruinous triumph, to the next chapter - the shortest one in the story, I believe - that operates on a completely different level, and one that is even more powerful. I cried my way through that scene, and the epilogue, and I am unashamed of that. Those scenes, like much of this story, were brilliant.
Okay… wow, that part was not brief. I'll try to keep the keep the other parts shorter, I promise.
L - Admittedly, L is my favorite in canon and it is not hard to get me to like him, but I truly think this is a whole different level. He is like he is in DN, and he is not. He is much the same, and very different. But it does not feel OOC at all, in fact, you weave the threads of characterization so well that it feels not like a change of character, but rather like an expansion. As if the L we see in DN canon is actually a small glimpse at a much bigger, more complicated person. The gunfights, the torture withstanding (and omg, can you guys do torture sequences or what? I literally squirmed and winced my way through the foot cutting scene. Mentions of blood don't really bother me, but as soon as the word 'tendon' comes into play, my stomach does flips. eeek.) and Denueve? It's all fantastic. Plus, his past. I'm assuming from the descriptions of the later stories that you're going to go into both the Beyond Birthday stuff and the stuff with his father. I am seriously flailing with excitement at the moment.
Because seriously, the B stuff in the villa was frightening as hell. Of everything in the story, that's what freaked the ever-loving fuck out of me the most. Even though I knew it was Misa. (I think it was all Misa? It was all Misa, right? RIGHT? asdfgkl;!) I'm not overly fond of the horror genre in and of itself, but I do love some horror mixed in with my drama, so I'm def looking forward to more of that.
And seriously, L/Mello? It literally taps into one of my favorite types of dynamics, which is mixing platonic love with the sexual, because it creates the kind of relationship that is completely different from a romantic one, but equally as beautiful. The fact that you went there raises my respect for you as writers to new heights (as if it wasn't already through the roof, which it is.) And I think that's another great thing about this story, because you avoided, pointedly and maybe purposefully, a mistake that a lot of DN fic writers make when trying to write stories where L/Light and Matt/Mello work together, and that it is to actually make them L/Light and Matt/Mello, to section them off into neat little exclusive pairings. You give us Mello/Light, Mello/L and L/Linda, which are all awesome, and open up a lot of new doors for different personal and group dynamics.
Plus, even the non-sexual relationships are interesting. Light/Matt? I love their scenes and, for many parts of the story, Matt felt like such a mascot for everything I was feeling in regards to Light. Like, OMG LIGHT SHUT-UP ALREADY. And Linda/Matt friendship? Adorbs. Matt/L? I love the Matt/L scenes, especially near the end, when they're talking about Matt's drug habit. It's such a different dynamic than L has with Mello, but so awkwardly endearing nonetheless.
… Okay, so I kinda got off the L-track there. I AM SORRY I AM SO BAD AT REVIEWS.
Ahem.
Mello and Matt - (yes, they are a packaged deal.)
Mello is another of my favorites from DN-canon, and you have basically taken everything that I like about him and compounded it times, like, a million - while adding on new and different facets that I never expected from him. Although he's the most blatantly emotional character, there are also levels of stark sobriety here that fit in perfectly and feel so natural and true to character. And his religion, asdfghjkl;! Beautiful and fascinating, all the blood on his hands, the blood on his cross. Him crying in the church. Wow.
Matt, on the other hand, who I have gotten used to seeing in fic and have never had any outright problem with, obviously was never important for me in DN canon because, duh, he's there for like two minutes. Despite that, I've gotten to like the Matt/Mello pairing alright from my time in fandom, just because it occasionally shows up in the background of L/Light fics, but I've never had any desire to seek it out specifically. WELL, THERE GOES THAT. You have sold me. I am sold. Matt is my spirit animal, omg. He feels so much like a person, so much like an actual human being that you could meet and hang out with and such - I suppose because his personality is more or less fan-created, but wow.
I think the initial hook-point for Matt was one of his first (?) scenes with Light, where Light keeps challenging him and Matt just kind of lets it roll off, because, smart as hell or not, he really wants nothing to do with that bullshit. Just because he doesn't rub his intelligence in everyone's face like an asshat, doesn't mean he's not intelligent, and that's such a contrast to Light, who is all about shoving his intellect at people because he is a jerk like that. And the drug use, having his own personal demons that he also keeps to himself without making a big show of them, is just another nail in my Matt-loving coffin.
And the level of trust, of emotional equality, of actual friendship that shows in the Matt/Mello relationship is strikingly different from L/Light or Mello/Light, but powerful and beautiful in it's own way.
Also, British slang! I love the British slang. It took some getting used to at first, because although I watch enough british television to be familiar with it, I suppose I didn't expect it from these characters. But they are British, so I'm not complaining. I love British slang, anyhow.
Linda - I've skimmed some of the other reviews, and apparently people don't like Linda, and honestly, that's rather expected because of the underlying sexism in fandom in general, but especially in slash fandoms, but OMG, YOU GUYS, I LOVE LINDA. I did not expect to like her this much, if at all, but gosh, she's adorable. I appreciate the fact that she does, indeed, act very much like a young girl. The fact that she doesn't know how to handle a weapon, that she hides when there's trouble, that she has a crush on L - it's all terribly believable, and rather endearing. The idea that female characters need to be tough or badass or cynical - essentially, to be like a man - in order to be considered strong or interesting is ridiculous, and an obnoxious trend that tends to pop up a lot in fiction.
She is a girl, she likes girly things and gets girly crushes and is emotional, and it's certainly gender stereotyping if all your female characters are like this, but judging from Bella and Misa, that is likely not going to be the case. And I hope you guys do write more female characters, because your characterizations in general are all excellent and engaging, and I'd love to see a wider range of women.
And I honestly really enjoy Linda/L. Shipping main characters with OCs (which Linda essentially is, because everything besides her name and her interest in drawing came from you guys, didn't it?) is usually a dangerous thing to do, but your character and relationship building skills are good enough that it does not feel forced or un-genuine, in fact, it feels rather natural, and the idea of an L who sleeps around all the time should conflict with the idea I have of him, but you've arranged it so that it feels quite believable for his character. And the hugs! The fact that Linda always hugs everybody is awesome!
Dr. Gregory - "Dr. Gregory had already berated them both with a grating lecture on how they were incredibly stupid for a pair of geniuses, and that Light was 20 steps ahead the victor because he’d tricked them all into letting him live this long—and that essentially, L needed to ‘pull his head out of his arse long enough to see that,’ to which L vaguely responded, that his head wasn’t in his arse, but it was feeling rather bad all the same."
I LOVE DR. GREGORY. I JUST DO. He is not a Watari replacement exactly, but I do think L needs someone to keep him in line, somewhat, and Dr. Gregory is awesome at it. I hope he's in the other stories.
Bella - I appreciate the fact that the villain is a sexy Italian woman. Like, this pleases me greatly. She is kind of ridic and so, sooo Italian, but I especially enjoyed her scenes with L near the end. I also love the fact that, although she is set up as the villain, she is not actually a huge part of the conflict. Light is. Light is his own villain and the overhanging choice that he has to make is really the thing that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The battle with Bella is just for show - the real battle goes on inside. That's one of the best things about the story.
Misa - Misa, you poor, crazy thing, you. In DN canon she is one of the saddest parts, and that really continues here, with an extra layer of out-of-her-fucking-mind thrown on top. God.
Near - Although I'm not overly attached to Near in canon, he's been rather vilified, hasn't he? I mean, I can throw it off and accept that that is just how you're characterizing him, and it works within the confines of the story, but their is a certain amount of dissonance between your Near and canon!Near. I'm interested to see how this will ultimately be dealt with.
Am I missing anybody? I don't think so. Gosh, sorry this is ridiculously, stupidly long and that I did it by character rather than in actual chronological order. How about I end with some of my other favorite bits? Like:
- The fact that there is a chapter called 'Not According to Plan.' Heh.
- Aiber! I hope there is more Aiber to come. Skeezy bastard, indeed.
- The sex. All the sex! Like, whoa, that is some good sex, if I've ever read it.
- Basically everything that goes on in the villa, but especially the ridiculously amusing L/Light stuff, along the lines of, "We were kidnapped by bears."
- Also, this:
“You still haven’t told me about B,” Light said, balancing his food over the soap.
“Not while we’re eating,” L replied.
“I’m going to tie you up and torture it out of you,” Light mumbled back.
“Not while we’re eating,” L replied.
I'm pretty sure I actually cackled at that.
- Mello and his cello. Christ, that was a powerfull scene.
- All the B stuff. All of it! He is creepy and fascinating as fuck and I cannot actually wait to start the next fic.
- The, "omg, L and Linda are fucking, what is actually happening to the world!" scene with Matt, Mello, and Light.
- Denueve, the Mello/L that's involved, and what comes off as very thinly-disguised self-loathing from L when he talks about himself as Deneuve.
- The last Mello/Light sex scene, with the men dying in the background. That was truly horrifying and gorgeous as the same time.
- Everything about the last few chapters, and the epilogue. Most notably: “Redemption?” Mello muttered after a moment. “Dunno. But I’m certain you can see it from here.”
I MEAN, WOW. I HAVE TO SLEEP NOW, BUT WOW. I know I said this would be brief. I guess I totally lied. Sorry! I just want you guys to know how truly, ridiculously marvelous this is. I mean, I'm sure you already know that, but that will not stop me. Just, thank you for bringing this story into existence.
This is fantastic. Like, fantastic. Like, my brain is not actually functioning right now because that is how fantastic this is. I - I don't even have words. This is certainly one of the best pieces of fanfiction I've read in this fandom - maybe even in any fandom. Although the prose is rather unpolished - something I can look past, because this is fanfiction - the plotting, characterization, and narrative arcs are on the level that I tend to expect from actual, published fiction.
Although DN canon is stunning from a psychological and plot-driven perspective, it lacks the character exploration and development that I tend to like in this fiction, and in that respect, I certainly prefer Redeemer. If I truly get into it, this review is going to go on for about a million, billion years and end up looking more like an essay, so I'll save the bulk of my thoughts for when I've finished the several (!) sequels, but I'll just give a brief overview of my feelings here…
I can honestly say I love all the characters. Their portrayals are both similar and different from how they are in canon, and the ones that don't appear in canon are all wonderfully engaging as well. As for specific thoughts:
Light - I have to preface with the fact that, although I love L/Light and find Light to be a fascinating, well-done character in canon, I've never before actually liked him. Like, on his own, without anyone around, just as a person in and of himself, I've always found him either off-putting or obnoxious or a combination of both. And as Redeemer went on, I went from finding him annoying, to finding his antics sort of amusing, to finding him almost vaguely endearing, to being terribly, monumentally impressed by him by the end. And I think this is the most striking thing about the story, and it took me a while to really figure it out, to figure out how this was going to go and what his character arc really was, and finally in the last few chapters - it him me.
The story is called Redeemer, and obviously I knew it would involve redemption, but in my experience with DN fanfic, that usually amounts to changing Light's character around a lot - and L's, too - to make him even slightly redeemable. And when, in the prologue, L more or less picked Light up off the warehouse floor in what seemed like a rather cliche yaoi story opener, that was all I was really expecting. But this story does so, so much more than that.
Because you didn't change Light's characterization, or his ideals, or his opinions, or his arrogance, or much about him at all, except for one thing. You made him care about someone (two someones, actually) besides himself. The dangerous thing about Light has never been the death note, or his crazy ideals, or his ability to plot flawlessly - it's that fact that he just doesn't care about other people. He claims that he wants to save that world, and all the good people in it, but from his thoughts, he seems to see everyone who is not himself as either stupid or evil. It's classic sociopathy, it's frightening and it's desolate (like his dream about that empty, grey world with no one but he and L in it, and that was striking, by the way, and definitely the right way to do fictional dream sequences, as it was neither melodramatic nor overly complex, - but I digress.)
But, of course, L - as most people trying to write L/Light romance can point out - is the outlier, the one that can become more than that, that can become the fissure, the flaw in the plan. I think what differentiates this story from other stories of the same kind (other than the fantastic length, amazingly charming dialogue, awesome action sequences, etc., etc.) is that L is actually not enough. Because if it's just he and L, then they can survive in their own little bubble, playing cat-and-mouse and forgetting the rest of the world. Which is where Mello comes in, because Mello is different from L is so many ways, he is human, he is emotional and volatile and he can burst the bubble and say, "hey! there is more to the world than just you and L! there's me!" And that, that is enough. The combination of the two, of L and Mello, is enough to tip the scale and make Light care enough about them to set aside his grand ambition.
"Let it go," L says, and the entire story rests upon that moment, and it is beautiful. From Light littering the floor with bodies in something that - despite my eyerolls at Light's purported divinity - is powerful enough to actually become divine in it's ruinous triumph, to the next chapter - the shortest one in the story, I believe - that operates on a completely different level, and one that is even more powerful. I cried my way through that scene, and the epilogue, and I am unashamed of that. Those scenes, like much of this story, were brilliant.
Okay… wow, that part was not brief. I'll try to keep the keep the other parts shorter, I promise.
L - Admittedly, L is my favorite in canon and it is not hard to get me to like him, but I truly think this is a whole different level. He is like he is in DN, and he is not. He is much the same, and very different. But it does not feel OOC at all, in fact, you weave the threads of characterization so well that it feels not like a change of character, but rather like an expansion. As if the L we see in DN canon is actually a small glimpse at a much bigger, more complicated person. The gunfights, the torture withstanding (and omg, can you guys do torture sequences or what? I literally squirmed and winced my way through the foot cutting scene. Mentions of blood don't really bother me, but as soon as the word 'tendon' comes into play, my stomach does flips. eeek.) and Denueve? It's all fantastic. Plus, his past. I'm assuming from the descriptions of the later stories that you're going to go into both the Beyond Birthday stuff and the stuff with his father. I am seriously flailing with excitement at the moment.
Because seriously, the B stuff in the villa was frightening as hell. Of everything in the story, that's what freaked the ever-loving fuck out of me the most. Even though I knew it was Misa. (I think it was all Misa? It was all Misa, right? RIGHT? asdfgkl;!) I'm not overly fond of the horror genre in and of itself, but I do love some horror mixed in with my drama, so I'm def looking forward to more of that.
And seriously, L/Mello? It literally taps into one of my favorite types of dynamics, which is mixing platonic love with the sexual, because it creates the kind of relationship that is completely different from a romantic one, but equally as beautiful. The fact that you went there raises my respect for you as writers to new heights (as if it wasn't already through the roof, which it is.) And I think that's another great thing about this story, because you avoided, pointedly and maybe purposefully, a mistake that a lot of DN fic writers make when trying to write stories where L/Light and Matt/Mello work together, and that it is to actually make them L/Light and Matt/Mello, to section them off into neat little exclusive pairings. You give us Mello/Light, Mello/L and L/Linda, which are all awesome, and open up a lot of new doors for different personal and group dynamics.
Plus, even the non-sexual relationships are interesting. Light/Matt? I love their scenes and, for many parts of the story, Matt felt like such a mascot for everything I was feeling in regards to Light. Like, OMG LIGHT SHUT-UP ALREADY. And Linda/Matt friendship? Adorbs. Matt/L? I love the Matt/L scenes, especially near the end, when they're talking about Matt's drug habit. It's such a different dynamic than L has with Mello, but so awkwardly endearing nonetheless.
… Okay, so I kinda got off the L-track there. I AM SORRY I AM SO BAD AT REVIEWS.
Ahem.
Mello and Matt - (yes, they are a packaged deal.)
Mello is another of my favorites from DN-canon, and you have basically taken everything that I like about him and compounded it times, like, a million - while adding on new and different facets that I never expected from him. Although he's the most blatantly emotional character, there are also levels of stark sobriety here that fit in perfectly and feel so natural and true to character. And his religion, asdfghjkl;! Beautiful and fascinating, all the blood on his hands, the blood on his cross. Him crying in the church. Wow.
Matt, on the other hand, who I have gotten used to seeing in fic and have never had any outright problem with, obviously was never important for me in DN canon because, duh, he's there for like two minutes. Despite that, I've gotten to like the Matt/Mello pairing alright from my time in fandom, just because it occasionally shows up in the background of L/Light fics, but I've never had any desire to seek it out specifically. WELL, THERE GOES THAT. You have sold me. I am sold. Matt is my spirit animal, omg. He feels so much like a person, so much like an actual human being that you could meet and hang out with and such - I suppose because his personality is more or less fan-created, but wow.
I think the initial hook-point for Matt was one of his first (?) scenes with Light, where Light keeps challenging him and Matt just kind of lets it roll off, because, smart as hell or not, he really wants nothing to do with that bullshit. Just because he doesn't rub his intelligence in everyone's face like an asshat, doesn't mean he's not intelligent, and that's such a contrast to Light, who is all about shoving his intellect at people because he is a jerk like that. And the drug use, having his own personal demons that he also keeps to himself without making a big show of them, is just another nail in my Matt-loving coffin.
And the level of trust, of emotional equality, of actual friendship that shows in the Matt/Mello relationship is strikingly different from L/Light or Mello/Light, but powerful and beautiful in it's own way.
Also, British slang! I love the British slang. It took some getting used to at first, because although I watch enough british television to be familiar with it, I suppose I didn't expect it from these characters. But they are British, so I'm not complaining. I love British slang, anyhow.
Linda - I've skimmed some of the other reviews, and apparently people don't like Linda, and honestly, that's rather expected because of the underlying sexism in fandom in general, but especially in slash fandoms, but OMG, YOU GUYS, I LOVE LINDA. I did not expect to like her this much, if at all, but gosh, she's adorable. I appreciate the fact that she does, indeed, act very much like a young girl. The fact that she doesn't know how to handle a weapon, that she hides when there's trouble, that she has a crush on L - it's all terribly believable, and rather endearing. The idea that female characters need to be tough or badass or cynical - essentially, to be like a man - in order to be considered strong or interesting is ridiculous, and an obnoxious trend that tends to pop up a lot in fiction.
She is a girl, she likes girly things and gets girly crushes and is emotional, and it's certainly gender stereotyping if all your female characters are like this, but judging from Bella and Misa, that is likely not going to be the case. And I hope you guys do write more female characters, because your characterizations in general are all excellent and engaging, and I'd love to see a wider range of women.
And I honestly really enjoy Linda/L. Shipping main characters with OCs (which Linda essentially is, because everything besides her name and her interest in drawing came from you guys, didn't it?) is usually a dangerous thing to do, but your character and relationship building skills are good enough that it does not feel forced or un-genuine, in fact, it feels rather natural, and the idea of an L who sleeps around all the time should conflict with the idea I have of him, but you've arranged it so that it feels quite believable for his character. And the hugs! The fact that Linda always hugs everybody is awesome!
Dr. Gregory - "Dr. Gregory had already berated them both with a grating lecture on how they were incredibly stupid for a pair of geniuses, and that Light was 20 steps ahead the victor because he’d tricked them all into letting him live this long—and that essentially, L needed to ‘pull his head out of his arse long enough to see that,’ to which L vaguely responded, that his head wasn’t in his arse, but it was feeling rather bad all the same."
I LOVE DR. GREGORY. I JUST DO. He is not a Watari replacement exactly, but I do think L needs someone to keep him in line, somewhat, and Dr. Gregory is awesome at it. I hope he's in the other stories.
Bella - I appreciate the fact that the villain is a sexy Italian woman. Like, this pleases me greatly. She is kind of ridic and so, sooo Italian, but I especially enjoyed her scenes with L near the end. I also love the fact that, although she is set up as the villain, she is not actually a huge part of the conflict. Light is. Light is his own villain and the overhanging choice that he has to make is really the thing that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The battle with Bella is just for show - the real battle goes on inside. That's one of the best things about the story.
Misa - Misa, you poor, crazy thing, you. In DN canon she is one of the saddest parts, and that really continues here, with an extra layer of out-of-her-fucking-mind thrown on top. God.
Near - Although I'm not overly attached to Near in canon, he's been rather vilified, hasn't he? I mean, I can throw it off and accept that that is just how you're characterizing him, and it works within the confines of the story, but their is a certain amount of dissonance between your Near and canon!Near. I'm interested to see how this will ultimately be dealt with.
Am I missing anybody? I don't think so. Gosh, sorry this is ridiculously, stupidly long and that I did it by character rather than in actual chronological order. How about I end with some of my other favorite bits? Like:
- The fact that there is a chapter called 'Not According to Plan.' Heh.
- Aiber! I hope there is more Aiber to come. Skeezy bastard, indeed.
- The sex. All the sex! Like, whoa, that is some good sex, if I've ever read it.
- Basically everything that goes on in the villa, but especially the ridiculously amusing L/Light stuff, along the lines of, "We were kidnapped by bears."
- Also, this:
“You still haven’t told me about B,” Light said, balancing his food over the soap.
“Not while we’re eating,” L replied.
“I’m going to tie you up and torture it out of you,” Light mumbled back.
“Not while we’re eating,” L replied.
I'm pretty sure I actually cackled at that.
- Mello and his cello. Christ, that was a powerfull scene.
- All the B stuff. All of it! He is creepy and fascinating as fuck and I cannot actually wait to start the next fic.
- The, "omg, L and Linda are fucking, what is actually happening to the world!" scene with Matt, Mello, and Light.
- Denueve, the Mello/L that's involved, and what comes off as very thinly-disguised self-loathing from L when he talks about himself as Deneuve.
- The last Mello/Light sex scene, with the men dying in the background. That was truly horrifying and gorgeous as the same time.
- Everything about the last few chapters, and the epilogue. Most notably: “Redemption?” Mello muttered after a moment. “Dunno. But I’m certain you can see it from here.”
I MEAN, WOW. I HAVE TO SLEEP NOW, BUT WOW. I know I said this would be brief. I guess I totally lied. Sorry! I just want you guys to know how truly, ridiculously marvelous this is. I mean, I'm sure you already know that, but that will not stop me. Just, thank you for bringing this story into existence.
schedule
January 25, 2012 at 12:00 AM
The personalities of everyone involved is pretty spot on. I love Light's seductive, sleek acts and his bipolar nature, with L's quirky, firm nature and Mello's "I can bring the worst out in anyone" attitude. I will definitely be reading on, and especially hoping for more Light and L.
schedule
August 17, 2011 at 12:00 AM
Wow. Where to even begin? This story has been one hell of a wild ride. Words fail... You delve so deeply into the psychology of these characters, making them real in ways I never could have imagined possible. You paint this amazing picture of every moment, every thought and action and scene throughout the story. When watching Death Note for the first time (which sadly did not happen until just last month), I became completely hooked, refusing to sleep until I'd seen it all. This story gave me the exact same feeling (though I can't imagine anyone reading all this in a single sitting, lol). I was constantly on the edge of my seat, desperate to know what would happen next. For all that Death Note pushed the limits with its plots and subplots and twist after twist, this story has done the same to fanfiction.
I laughed , I cried, I screamed in frustration, I... got incredibly turned on. I repeatedly found myself biting my nails and whispering, "No. No. Nonononono..." My heart raced during every intense situation; my breath caught every time a new twist was introduced. I loved how each relationship had its own unique dynamic, relevant to the characteristics of those involved, and how those relationships changed as the characters did. It's a logical progression that so many authors ignore or simply fail to convey. I loved the imagery, especially that of Kira's church, with its apocalyptic tapestries and windows and blood running down from the balconies. I loved the sex, the violence, the combination of the two. I loved when Mello tried leaving to avoid the discussion of kinky sex and was assigned an essay on The Philosophies of the Marquis De Sade and his Contemporary Libertines, lol (literally; my brother kept giving me this strange look as if he was wondering what could possibly be so funny). I loved Mello saying the ending to the Lord's Prayer before shooting (please tell me that's a Boondock Saints reference!). I lvoed the way it was described when Mello was playing the cello; it made me think of Apocalyptica.
I loved/hated the uncertainty that stretched throughout the whole story, the constant thrill of not knowing which side Light would ultimately choose, whether he would betray those that loved him. It kept me at the edge of my seat, desperately reading on, but oh it was so heartrending every time I thought he'd pushed too far. And his execution! Oh, I cried... The torture scenes were hard to read in such detail, but they fit everything else, a starkly realistic representation of this world. So much pain... I hated how I actually jumped and sometimes made that pathetic little squeal that girls do when something startling happened. I don't do that during thirllers or horror movies, but I did while reading this story. (Which also earned some strange looks from my brother.)
It's so strange how I came into this story not even liking Mello, and barely even being aware of Matt, yet now they are my favorite pairing, my favorite characters to read about. You've put these characters into a new perspective for me, one I'd likely never have discovered otherwise. It's as if this story has replaced canon in my mind, and should I ever decide to write Death Note fanfiction, there's a (somewhat sad) possibility that I won't be able to break out of this universe you've created.
And now, onward to the next story...
I laughed , I cried, I screamed in frustration, I... got incredibly turned on. I repeatedly found myself biting my nails and whispering, "No. No. Nonononono..." My heart raced during every intense situation; my breath caught every time a new twist was introduced. I loved how each relationship had its own unique dynamic, relevant to the characteristics of those involved, and how those relationships changed as the characters did. It's a logical progression that so many authors ignore or simply fail to convey. I loved the imagery, especially that of Kira's church, with its apocalyptic tapestries and windows and blood running down from the balconies. I loved the sex, the violence, the combination of the two. I loved when Mello tried leaving to avoid the discussion of kinky sex and was assigned an essay on The Philosophies of the Marquis De Sade and his Contemporary Libertines, lol (literally; my brother kept giving me this strange look as if he was wondering what could possibly be so funny). I loved Mello saying the ending to the Lord's Prayer before shooting (please tell me that's a Boondock Saints reference!). I lvoed the way it was described when Mello was playing the cello; it made me think of Apocalyptica.
I loved/hated the uncertainty that stretched throughout the whole story, the constant thrill of not knowing which side Light would ultimately choose, whether he would betray those that loved him. It kept me at the edge of my seat, desperately reading on, but oh it was so heartrending every time I thought he'd pushed too far. And his execution! Oh, I cried... The torture scenes were hard to read in such detail, but they fit everything else, a starkly realistic representation of this world. So much pain... I hated how I actually jumped and sometimes made that pathetic little squeal that girls do when something startling happened. I don't do that during thirllers or horror movies, but I did while reading this story. (Which also earned some strange looks from my brother.)
It's so strange how I came into this story not even liking Mello, and barely even being aware of Matt, yet now they are my favorite pairing, my favorite characters to read about. You've put these characters into a new perspective for me, one I'd likely never have discovered otherwise. It's as if this story has replaced canon in my mind, and should I ever decide to write Death Note fanfiction, there's a (somewhat sad) possibility that I won't be able to break out of this universe you've created.
And now, onward to the next story...
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July 16, 2011 at 12:00 AM
I absolutely LOVE this story from beginning to where I am now and will probably love all the rest save for a few minor annoyances, 1. Linda bleh, and 2. too much british slang, 3. not enough Matt and Mello lovin going on but I look past that and see the perfection of this story. I'm currently on chapter 50 I think, Kitchen Counter and it was awsome, angry Matt and whorish Light fighting is a definite favorite thing to read and you write it so well, bravo this is one of my favorite chapters among many others that I didn't review simply because signing in can be a pain sometimes.
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May 20, 2011 at 12:00 AM
Okay, first I have to say I love you for having L say 'I love you' to Kira while he's in a coma. Because L would only ever say those words to him if he were dead, or something like it which is a coma. Beautifully done. I can't bare the Mello thing, not so well, because to me romping who the hell cares but having feelings just makes me itchy. He comes off as needy and hungry for just about anything and anyone and its creepy. But very realistic because that is Mello. But him and Light kept me from reading this when it first came out, a friend said no no its great, which is why I'm reading it now. Sometimes you can't be stubborn and I'm more than glad I am. l-i-n-d-a still bugs me but I'll let it go. These stories are awesome and thank you for writing them, you make me sick with happiness as a reader and green with envy as a writer ^_~.
p.s. I heard you're watching the killing and getting case ideas for them. I love that you do that because I do to, just haven't gotten around to writing them yet. But that being said, I have a serious request for you two, watch Criminal Minds, they're so Death Note you'll know who is who the moment you finish an episode the L, Light, B, Mello, Matt, Near. Near is Hotch it seems unlikely at first but trust me he is deadpan Near. They have them at youtube to load I believe. I hope you take viewing request, adios.
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January 14, 2011 at 12:00 AM
Wow I looooove this story so far. Your characters are dead on, the plot amazing, the action is good the yaoi is so good. A few eh things in your choice of words but I can look past that. The chapter 9, Dinner Date, was by far my favorite, so far. Love the way it was written how it played out everything in that chapter was perfect. Can't wait to read more hope you see the reviews I leave.
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January 1, 2011 at 12:00 AM
Okay I am just now finishing this after 2 weeks...and I know I had seen this
story awhile back, but forgotten about it.
Anyway, this was too brilliant...I guess 2 minds do work better
than one as the saying goes, in order to crank out such a heartfelt
story...and may I applaud whomEVER came up with the idea of putting
L in that blasted suit..and Deneuve!
Drool worthy indeed! :-)
I also recognized inspiration from fanart, during earlier chapters
like the hairwashing/bath scene with L & Light. Too funny! :-)
Now, I HAD to get used to the Matt/Light scenes, because I am
L/Light all the way and L & Light's chemistry was endearing and
funny and HOOOT in this!
Anyway, now I have to play catch to the last story, if it is
truly the last one.
story awhile back, but forgotten about it.
Anyway, this was too brilliant...I guess 2 minds do work better
than one as the saying goes, in order to crank out such a heartfelt
story...and may I applaud whomEVER came up with the idea of putting
L in that blasted suit..and Deneuve!
Drool worthy indeed! :-)
I also recognized inspiration from fanart, during earlier chapters
like the hairwashing/bath scene with L & Light. Too funny! :-)
Now, I HAD to get used to the Matt/Light scenes, because I am
L/Light all the way and L & Light's chemistry was endearing and
funny and HOOOT in this!
Anyway, now I have to play catch to the last story, if it is
truly the last one.
schedule
September 14, 2010 at 12:00 AM
Okay good and bad on this story bad first Linda noooo and then to touch L! nobody touches L it was icky I could of liked her fine but euw. And the british talk was creeping me out nothing against them there talk is fine but on death notes not so much, but looking past all that this story was kick ass one of the best death notes ever THE best death notes ever!!! It tickled my hair and my weiner and that's a good thing.
It was action and comedy and drama and spooky all good movie types all boiled into one super sweet fic I was on the edge of my seat through all of it never knowing what was going to happen the characters were written So so good! It was like my drug addiction when I wasn't reading it I wanted to read it some more and when I was reading it I was thinking about then next time I'd get to read some I love how lengthy it was I loved the plot twosts I loved the love that scene when L was injecting Light I had the saddest song going through and was literally in tears and tears don't come easy to me so bravo it was sad and sweet and beautiful(I reccomend listening to BoA Implode when reading that.) and the thing with the piece of note in him didn't see that coming. All death note writers should watch out for you because this story was it award winning. Best story ever I didn't want it to end I'm sad it is but now it's on to the next one. Speaking of you need to write just an L and Light story their romance in this fic was to cute.
It was action and comedy and drama and spooky all good movie types all boiled into one super sweet fic I was on the edge of my seat through all of it never knowing what was going to happen the characters were written So so good! It was like my drug addiction when I wasn't reading it I wanted to read it some more and when I was reading it I was thinking about then next time I'd get to read some I love how lengthy it was I loved the plot twosts I loved the love that scene when L was injecting Light I had the saddest song going through and was literally in tears and tears don't come easy to me so bravo it was sad and sweet and beautiful(I reccomend listening to BoA Implode when reading that.) and the thing with the piece of note in him didn't see that coming. All death note writers should watch out for you because this story was it award winning. Best story ever I didn't want it to end I'm sad it is but now it's on to the next one. Speaking of you need to write just an L and Light story their romance in this fic was to cute.
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June 30, 2010 at 12:00 AM
A lot of drama in chapter 3. Wow, everyone is crazy.