Previously GabWhacked on
02.17.03!

Negotiations by The Upside Down Kiwi-Bard (UDK_Bard)
http://merwolf.com/academy/fanfic/u/udkbard_negotiationsv1.html

This tasty yarn begins as a meeting between Pompey and the Conqueror, to discuss an alliance between the two against Caesar. However, it quickly turns into something altogether different, and into something far more savory, and much more interesting.

It seems Pompey is in possession of a Grecian slave girl, one who is as feisty as she is untamable. It also is no surprise that she hasn’t taken too well to becoming a slave, and the fire in her verdant eyes is far from being beaten out of her. As the Conqueror and Pompey discuss how to properly handle the scantily clad redhead, it almost becomes a game of sorts; to see if Xena can make the girl submit willingly to her desires, and boy, does she! And with an audience too...

It is a fast paced PWP that explores the slave-master aspect with plenty of sensuality, and it is a well-written, titillating offering to this genre.

Zeen

October by Day (Uber, Unfinished)
http://ca.geocities.com/dayliobserver/OCTOBER1.htm

This story is yet another of my all time favorites, and there are a few reasons why I think that it is deserving of such praise, as well as deserving of your attention. To start with, the characters of Terri and Sarah are real folks, with real problems, like you and I; full of insecurities, doubts, and the desire to be with one another, despite the obstacles they may face. That leads to the second reason, which is that the tale is well thought out, with a few kicks and punches, and not one of those Ubers where it’s a whole lotta love is love is love is love. Yes, there is a bit of strife, a few dilemmas within the relationship, as well as individual issues, and a plot to go with! What can I say, I’m just one of those souls who likes a little reality in my Uber, and this is an excellent example of such.

Third reason is that I think Day is one hell of a storyteller, and I am not ashamed to admit that I am a huge fan. There is a certain amount of lyricism to the writing, the tale and characters revealed in layers so that we aren’t deluged with too many details at once, yet left begging for more. So, I tell you, go and have a look see for yourself, and find your own reasons why this is one of the best in Uber out there.

Zeen

Reece’s Faith, or When to Leave Well Enough Alone, by Vertigo (Uber, Finished)
http://www.angelfire.com/tv/Vertigo/RF/RF1.html

I understand that once an author has a bit of a success with their work, they are often bombarded with emails to write a sequel. It is an easy trap to fall into, trying to please your public. 'Private Dancer,' the first installment, was actually a good read, had a great plot, characters I could get into, and a satisfactory resolution. If only Vertigo had ignored those emails, and moved on to something else.

Reece’s Faith explores the relationship between the actress/former stripper, Faith, and the big, butch, Uber X, Reece, as well as an assorted cast of characters. The problem with this story is after the first few installments, I think Vertigo lost sight of exactly what the story was about, and so did I. It was all a blur of sex scenes, all of which read like a How-To Manual for Lesbian sex, and each coupling had the duo reflecting on how they couldn’t believe how turned on they had gotten, while I was left completely unsatisfied. Throw in the required best friends, the stripper with the heart of gold, and enough piercings to further clutter the story with discussions of(I don’t sit around and discuss my piercings and the benefits of), and the flam-y make-up man that has been done, oh, 100 times, it all makes for boring and shallow characters with no interesting interaction with the two leads.

I finished this monster epic(53 parts?) and hoped all the way to the end that it would get better, but instead, I lost more of my eyesight reading something that never should have left the author’s hard drive. Someone once told me that you shouldn’t write a sequel unless your characters still have something to say, and I think maybe Vertigo should have been made aware of this small wisdom. I also think her beta team should have had the balls to say, 'Hey, this story has to be about something, you know?' I think Vertigo is a talent, one that shouldn’t have been wasted on this mindless drivel. My ass still hurts from sitting through it.

Zeen