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XWP Bards - V
Bell of the Mist by Ali Vali
Recommended by: Jaden - 11.10.01
Classification: Uber
Sex/Violence Content: Alt
Length: Short Story, 17 pages - Complete
In Bell of the Mist, the author takes two of her established characters and uses them to bring us the tale of another duo, as well as a tale of old New Orleans, when pirates walked the city, and the mode of transportation was often a horse drawn carriage. The newly married Bell encounters the infamous Gentleman Bandit one evening on her way home, and cannot forget the man*s easy manner and beautiful eyes. Their story, of discovering love, and secrets, plays beautifully against the backdrop of the Big Easy, of which the author has first hand knowledge. This is a gorgeous story, highly recommended, that will have you enthralled up to the exciting climax.
http://www.merwolf.com/academy/halloween/alivali_bellofthemist.html
(The) Chosen One by Verda
Recommended by: Rocky - 10.19.99
Classification: Uber
Sex/Violence Content: Alt/NC-17
Length: Novel, 191 pages - Complete
In a word "Wow". I have just been on a magical journey and I invite everyone to take the same trip. "The Chosen One" by Verda.
Ryshta is a land of the ruling class and the slaves that serve them. When Lord Athol sends his only daughter to meet the man he has chosen as her husband, she is caught in the middle of a slave rebellion. Lost and alone Roslin tries to find her way home.
Brice is the chosen one, foretold to be the leader who will set his people free. He finds a dying young woman and brings her to his mother, a healer, to save her life. This sets in motion a tale of love that will that will make your heart soar.
The characters are so full and rich, and the crafting so skillful that you'd swear you just watched a movie. I do hope that some day Verda decides to breathe life into the yet another tale of Ryshta and the friends I met there.
http://www.amazontrails.com/fiction/chosenone.htm
Sad One, The by Verrath
Recommended by: Valkyrie - 07.06.03
Classification: Classic/Post-FIN
Sex/Violence Content: Alt
Length: Short Story - 14 pages - Complete
This haunting story is set fifteen years to the day after Xena’s ghost disappeared from Gabrielle’s life. Gabrielle, sad and bitter, has retired from adventuring and fighting for the greater good. Settling for a time in a remote Egyptian village, she has earned fame, but not found peace, except for a self-imposed emptiness, or “Calm,” that enables her to keep her precarious sanity.
The story begins with an old man coming to Gabrielle for help. His granddaughter, Nakht (meaning Strong One), has run away. He asks Gabrielle to find her. Apparently Nakht has long admired Gabrielle, and he believes that the girl may have left to find her. Gabrielle is indifferent, even when she hears that this is the girl’s 15th birthday.
Even this “aha!” moment is not enough to raise Gabrielle’s spirits. She’s been disappointed before; has learned not to hope, and Verrath’s writing is such that the reader is afraid to hope as well. That is part of the power of this story.
The next day Gabrielle decides to leave, riding a camel named Fate. She lets Fate lead her where she will, aimlessly wandering the desert with no particular destination in mind. It is not surprising that she eventually meets the gangly runaway girl, but I will not spoil the story by revealing the circumstances.
I found this story to be almost painful in its portrayal of Gabrielle. It was painful, but also so real that the ending left me in tears. That doesn’t happen to me very often. Verrath is a genius for giving Gabrielle a rebirth in Hamunaptra, fabled City of the Dead. And she does a marvelous job of showing how “everything happens precisely as it should.”
http://www.futuremuse.com/xena/stories/sad_one.htm
Sad One, The by Verrath
Recommended by: Kamouraskan - 07.06.03
Classification: Classic/Post-FIN
Sex/Violence Content: Alt
Length: Short Story - 14 pages - Complete
I’m not a big fan of FIN or post-FIN stories. Of the hundreds upon hundreds of stories I have edited, or the dozens I have reviewed, only a very select handful are of this subject. But Verrath has always been an exception to most rules. Her writing has always been admirable, widely varied in tone and subject, and this piece is a good example of that. It begins fifteen years after Xena broke her final promise to Gabrielle, the one that went, ‘Even in death Gabrielle…’ Alone with her anger, resentment and loss, Gabrielle manages to find sleep through intensive meditation and has become the warrior she once so admired. One that is hard, filled with regret, and wishes for death. Then she is faced with a challenge, one she does not know if she wants to take anymore. As you can guess, this begins as a somewhat somber tale, and one that does not rely on a solution where Gabrielle wakes from a dream or somehow returns to change the past. If I had any criticisms, I might say that the resolution is not entirely unexpected, but as it is complemented by excellent writing and storytelling throughout, one that is quite satisfying.
http://www.futuremuse.com/xena/stories/sad_one.htm
Tell-Me Series (Adventures of Sina & Gabby) by Verrath
*This series is also indexed under the title, "Adventures of Sina and Gabby" *
Recommended by: P.D. - 08.05.99
Classification: Uber
Sex/Violence Content: Gen
Length: Complete
Sina and Gabby along with their faithful bike Argo take you along on their hilarious childhood adventures. Vivid imaginations and a love for Xena: Warrior Princess pit the dynamic duo against quarry monsters, a crabby neighbor, solar eclipses, a sleep over, things that go bump in the night, and camp counselors. Gabby's vivid imagination and Sina's fearlessness and sense of adventure often get the girls into trouble, but their hearts are always in the right place.
Verrath presents a sense of nostalgia as Sina and Gabby become Xena and Gabrielle. Transforming daily life to mythical misadventures. These feel good stories bring a smile to your face as you watch the girls take on all that life has to throw at them with typical childhood enthusiasm, drama, and friendship. Sina and Gabby possess many of the traits a familiar mythical duo possess, yet they have their own unique personalities. Above all, they are best friends who risk everything important - being grounded, missing desert, extra chores - for each other.
Story Index:
http://www.verrath.de/tellme
The Stories:
Tell Me, Gabrielle
I'm Bored, Gabrielle
What's With The Sun?
Pillow Talk
We Got Him, Gabrielle!
Summer Slave Camp
Companion Piece: *please note that this companion piece can be/is classified
by indexes as ALT*
Remember When, Gabrielle?
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