Spuffy Fanfic Recommendations

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I agree, I really love her writing style. I recently read and loved 'I love you' is a thing you say to people who are dying.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/4483937

The timeline can be a bit confusing at the start, but once you get used to it, it's great.

Yes, the timeline got me so confused that I tried to sort the paragraphs into the correct timeline. I gave up on that though

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[redtent]

Yes, the timeline got me so confused that I tried to sort the paragraphs into the correct timeline. I gave up on that though

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Well, if you ever change your mind, let me know. I would love to read it in chronological order.

[Stoney]

I really like her writing of soulless Spike but haven't enjoyed her depiction of souled Spike as much in the ones I've read that fall S7 onwards. I do think she is a really good writer though. I wouldn't know where to start with recommending 5 things. I've actually come to really dislike trying to recommend fics as everyone has so many likes/dislikes it is a minefield trying to gauge where people's priorities and preferences might lie.

[flow]

Do you have a specific story in mind, Stoney? I have read two series by Quinara now with souled Spike and I think he is spot on. But I remember that I could not get into the very first story I read by her an that nearly kept me from ever reading anything by her again.


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[Stoney]

The first story I read of Quinara's was the Turn and Face the Strain series, which I loved. But that's soulless Spike. I deliberately looked for other stories by the same writer because I enjoyed that so much and read Walking at Midday and that portrayal of souled Spike bothered me (although the writing was still really good generally). I don't remember great details/specifics about it other than I felt that she tried to tie the soulless/souled characterisation continuity by having his internal feelings/attitude remaining the same about some things that I just didn't agree with. So I read To Apprehend Air, to give her idea of souled Spike another chance because I'd enjoyed Turn and Face the Strain so much, and I really didn't like it. It just read as if she was confused over what difference the soul would make to him beyond giving him a conscience to me and as I remember it, in that one Buffy thought he lost something when resouled and was just in pain or some such too. I just didn't enjoy the perspective in either so stopped reading her souled Spike stories.

[flow]

Stoney:

So I read To Apprehend Air, to give her idea of souled Spike another chance because I'd enjoyed Turn and Face the Strain so much, and I really didn't like it

Hah! I thought so because it is exactly the story that nearly kept me from reading anything else by Quinara. I have to admit it wasn't souled Spike's characterization (wasn't he soulless in this one?) but the plot in general. I simply couldn't get into it.

We read Walking At Midday in our group and I remember liking the writing style but being confused by the story. I don't remember it well enough anymore to tell you what I did like or not. But you seemed to have had bad luck in picking souled Spike fics written by Quinara. I am pretty sure you will not find anything off about her characterization of souled Spike in Long Distance London although I warn you that Spike and Buffy make a video of themselves while having sex and later watch it together. I know how awful that sounds but Quinara can pull that off. And she does.

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[Stoney]

Hah! I thought so because it is exactly the story that nearly kept me from reading anything else by Quinara. I have to admit it wasn't souled Spike's characterization (wasn't he soulless in this one?) but the plot in general. I simply couldn't get into it.

Yes he was soulless, it starts with finding out his soul has been stolen in S7, but his and Buffy's reactions both didn't work for me as I recall and introduced again this question (as I felt in Walking At Midday) of what distinction the writer feels the soul actually makes to them both in how Spike and Buffy would/should react to it being lost. If I recall correctly, it including Buffy feeling Spike lost something when he became souled (I can't remember exactly how that was written, but I think that was the gist) and something around the idea that just being willing to fight for his soul was significant enough in itself. I think he got resouled in the end, but Buffy's attitude towards him soulless in between sat with that question of the soul's significance/importance to him that I felt was shaky in how he was written in some of Walking. There's a dismissal, lack of understanding (from my pov) of what difference the soul really makes to him/them. So I decided I was better avoiding her stories if it was post him being souled after reading those two. They really made me feel that her take on the soul and the difference it makes to Spike was different enough to my own that I would find all her stories that involved the soul frustrating. Now if you're telling me that Long Distance London is great then I'll put it on my 'to read' list because I really did rate Turn and Face the Strain and I think she's a very good writer. But I'll probably still be reading it assuming crash position tbh. The videoing themselves thing doesn't bother me, it doesn't sound awful like the story that had everyone watching their S6 relationship and judging Buffy/overly praising Spike. If they did it for themselves I don't really care and if it gets tedious to read (as many sex scenes do), I'll just skim it. It'll probably be a while before I get to it though.

[flow]

I'd like to recommend a rather unusual William fic. As you all probably know by now I am a sucker for Wuffy fics. This is probably the most unusual one I've ever read. It's called Fool's Paradise by kats meow.

https://dark-solace.org/elysian/viewstory.php?sid=6113

A confused young Victorian gentleman from 1880 who suffers from amnesia tries desperately to piece his identity together by keeping a diary. The only problem? It's 2004. Will he be content to live in his fool's paradise or have the courage to find out the truth about who he really is and all that he has done?

Warning, this does not have a fluffy or happy ending.

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Sigyn has published a new story. It's rather short with 8 chapters and I absolutely love it. But this is dark, folks. It's really really dark. Fantastic but dark.

Off Again by Sigyn

https://dark-solace.org/elysian/viewstory.php?sid=6237

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[Priceless]

I think A Terrible Thing is the darkest (angstiest?) that Herself ever goes, which is saying something. I wouldn't put this in my top 3 of her stories, but I love them all.

Top 3 (not counting the Bittersweets series): Let's Get Lost, Spike's Girl, and Distance. (Her Spander series, which eventually becomes Spuffy, is also great.)

Finally read all these fics and can honestly say these are some of the best written fanfics out there. I wish I could write so well. Thank you for the recommendations Rebcake

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The story was published for the 12 years Elysian Fields challenge and is called Rewritten:

https://dark-solace.org/elysian/viewstory.php?sid=5907

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Finally read Rewritten by Sigyn, and really enjoyed it, so thank you for the recommend flow. Sigyn is such a great writer.

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Have you seen Twinkles Inky Drabbles as well?:

https://dark-solace.org/elysian/view...t=ok&warning=5

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I'm late to the party, but have just read Twinkles Inky Drabbles and it's amazing! The work that must have gone into that piece of work is tremendous. Much respect to Twinkles. Thank you for the recommendation flow.

[flow]

I have two fics I'd like to recommend:


OffYourBird has published a new story. It's called Predicaments, it's a one-shot and it's set between season 5 and season 6 but sans Buffy's death. It's about exploring kinky sex in a not dark or angsty way. If you don't want to read about Buffy and BDSM, it might be safer for you to stay away from this fic. But if you don't mind, then this fic is incredibly well written and very enjoyable.

https://dark-solace.org/elysian/view...t=ok&warning=6

Breaking Novikov by reenasas is a (young) classic. It's a time travel Spuffy fic which starts early season 4 and covers all of season 4 and five (I think). What's very unsual about this story is that it's Dawn who time-travels back to Sunnydale 1999. You have to roll with the premise that unchipped, soulless Spike would become good just because she tells him he has to but if you are willing to do so you will be rewarded with a detailed and rich story which follows canon events so closely that it always feels "like home" but at the same time alters enough details to be new and refreshing. On top of that you get a wonderful Dawn-Spike friendship and a sloooooooooow Spuffy burn. This story is epic. It has a word count of almost 400k words which is why it has been on my to-read-list for ages. If you want to get completely lost in a story for days, this is just what you are looking for. I have to admit though that I have only finished the first third of this story but I do hope (and expect) the second and third part to justify my high praise and my recommending this story to you.

https://dark-solace.org/elysian/viewstory.php?sid=3999

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[Puppet]

Breaking Novikov by reenasas is a (young) classic. It's a time travel Spuffy fic which starts early season 4 and covers all of season 4 and five (I think). What's very unsual about this story is that it's Dawn who time-travels back to Sunnydale 1999. You have to roll with the premise that unchipped, soulless Spike would become good just because she tells him he has to but if you are willing to do so you will be rewarded with a detailed and rich story which follows canon events so closely that it always feels "like home" but at the same time alters enough details to be new and refreshing. On top of that you get a wonderful Dawn-Spike friendship and a sloooooooooow Spuffy burn. This story is epic. It has a word count of almost 400k words which is why it has been on my to-read-list for ages. If you want to get completely lost in a story for days, this is just what you are looking for. I have to admit though that I have only finished the first third of this story but I do hope (and expect) the second and third part to justify my high praise and my recommending this story to you.

I second this one!

[Priceless]

The Ewer of Enheduanna was written specifically with this trope in mind. There was a great discussion around how to avoid the very squicky non-con factor until Barb suggested making it Buffy’s idea! Mooney also hated Spike’s penchant for using sexist insults. You’ll never find “poof” in her stories...lol!

Really good story. I did enjoy it, though the time jumps got a bit annoying. I would also so it's great that she didn't use the term 'poof' in the story, but Spike did call Buffy a 'bitch' twice, so . . . swings and roundabouts.

[Priceless]

Yes, I enjoyed the Sharing Game too. I've also been reading Ripples on a Hellmouth, the other story stuffandnonsense posted to the most recent round of Seasonal Spuffy. It's good! It's a WIP (which I don't usually read) but it's almost finished.

Just finished this fic and it is very good, and finished. I'd recommend, though I wish there were more Spuffy content, still a great story and very well written.

[Priceless]

This is still a WIP but it's lovely and it's being updated regularily. Benji is a published author living with his daughter Lily in a city called Sunnyvale in the year 2110. His next door neighbours names are William and Buffy...

Myth Taken by Twinkles

https://dark-solace.org/elysian/viewstory.php?sid=6171


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Finally got around to reading this fic (and yes it is finished). So lovely and heartwarming, I had a few tears at the end. Thank you for the recommendation.