VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: [1], 2, 3, 4 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 08:59:32 04/07/03 Mon
Author: morgain
Author Host/IP: modemcable128.9-202-24.mtl.mc.videotron.ca / 24.202.9.128
Subject: Review: "A Long Time" by Mad Poetess


[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> Re: Review: "A Long Time" by Mad Poetess -- Gwynevere1, 17:25:15 04/07/03 Mon (dhcp0228.hrn.resnet.group.upenn.edu/165.123.185.122)

Well, first off, I have to admit that I don't read a lot of slash, so I don't really know how this compares to most slash fic. (Not that I have any objections to slash or anything. I just prefer works that fit within cannon. Just my preference.) I have notice, by just glancing around, that there are a lot of Spike/Xander fics out there. I'm beginning to think that they are the second most popular couple out there, after Spuffy.

As far as this work goes, in particular, I think it had good Xander voice. The author picked up some of the melancholy in Xander and his self-awareness. What doesn't work for me in this piece is Spike. I don't like how the author just skipped over all the existing character attitudes and just had them hope in the sack. Couldn't they have dealt with it before hand? I'm just not impressed with this fic.

Score: 80


[ Edit | View ]

[> Re: Review: "A Long Time" by Mad Poetess -- PJzallday, 12:38:44 04/11/03 Fri (px1so.cg.shawcable.net/24.71.223.140)

A Long Time

That was just so darned sad --- but in a good way (though my chest now aches terribly).

I really liked the author's style of writing for Xander's voice and dialogue. The story had a solid plot (which can be hard to find with Slash), plausible character development and was based on what I consider to be an unique concept. The author included elements of the Joss-verse in a believable way --- including Angel's meeting with his destiny and achieving the Shanshu.

The math seemed more than a little off though --- eg. I honestly couldn't see a near 70 year old Cordelia or 70-something year old Wesley still doing the Angel Investigation thing.


85/100


[ Edit | View ]

[> Re: Review: "A Long Time" by Mad Poetess -- Molloch, 08:40:23 04/13/03 Sun (NoHost/203.55.173.3)

Now let me say that this was my first slash piece. I haven't read any slash fic that's out there and I was a bit wary as to whether i'd like it or not. Well I loved it! It was just so different. The ideas were new and refreshing. Xander has never had any luck with women, even demon women (hey even Cordy's a demon now!) and so trying him with a demon man seems to work.
The piece is built on recognisable elements in the Buffyverse but then goes off into it's own story which works really well. The writer has a strong knowledge of the characters. Xander and Spike seem right on the money. Their voices and the way they acted seemed perfectly real for me. The story is very original and while it hasn't happened in the show it seems like it could have. The story is seemless and moves along at a good pace. I really thought the ending was great. It left me with wanting more but happy with the way the whole thing turned out.
My heart really felt for Xander and Spike too at the end and I want to read more of Mad Poetess's work. I would recommend this to anyone wanting slash or something a little different.


97


[ Edit | View ]

[> Re: Review: "A Long Time" by Mad Poetess -- Kelso, 18:16:44 04/13/03 Sun (c66.190.39.48.fdl.wi.charter.com/66.190.39.48)

I had a mixed reaction to this story. I've read other works by The Mad Poetess and liked them better, because I feel they did a better job of establishing the Xander/Spike relationship. So my first problem with this fic was, why did Xander and Spike get together in the first place? I didn't buy how easily and "naturally" it happened. I mean, look at canon: These two have never liked each other, and did not at the time this story was set! Give me a decent reason to buy them together, and I can do it. Just tell us they get together (apparently merely because the author thinks they make a good couple) and the entire basis of the story is wobbly.

Another thing that bothered me was, the early parts contained way too narration and not enough description. Interesting scenes (or what *should* have been scenes) were skimmed over in a sentence or two. For instance: "Eventually, there was Buffy catching us in a full-on tonsil-hockey session behind a mausoleum on patrol. Yeah, fights, screaming, shouting, recriminations, the usual happy Scooby life, and the Hellmouth nights went on around us." Well, I would have liked to have actually "seen" the night when Buffy caught them together, and *felt* her reaction, rather than having it glossed over so hollowly.

Finally, the solution for Xander being able to leave the Hellmouth was overly familiar. That is, when Willow translated the soul curse to use on Angel, the happiness clause wasn't included, so of course Spike could turn Xander and he could then be cursed and go off with Spike. Do you have any idea how many B/A stories use that screwed-up translation method as, basically, a cop out so Buffy and Angel can conveniently be together without having to worry about him losing his soul? It's about as common as B/A CWC fics, which are also too heavy on the ground. Now, I find it used in a Spike/Xander story, which I never thought would happen. Noooooo! A little more creativity, please!

All of this is not to say I didn't enjoy large parts of the story. It's always good to find a slash fic that has a plot instead of just sex. I liked how Xander was trapped on the Hellmouth. I liked the fact that Spike did not want to stay. The latter parts of the story contained the dialogue and specific scenes I feel the whole thing should have had. It did build up to a nice, emotional ending, and I generally liked the characterization quite well. I also found the fewest grammar and spelling errors of any story on the reading list up to this point. So I do recommend it, but not whole-heartedly.

Rating: 83.


[ Edit | View ]

[> Re: Review: "A Long Time" by Mad Poetess -- Chani *trying to catch up after her indian trip*, 08:25:59 04/23/03 Wed (curie.noos.net/212.198.0.93)

I agree with Kelso, I too have mixed feelings...I liked this story, the way it was written, the sweetness of this slash relationship. It was a love story and not only a sex story which is rare in slash fics. It was refreshing. I found it really moving and touching.

but....

The way Xander and Spike got together isn't really credible. I totally second Kelso about that.

Besides, unlike the others, I have a problem with Xander's voice. Frankly it sounds like a female voice for me. If I hadn't known that Xander was telling the story, I could have sworn a woman was speaking. So I can't give an excellent mark.

80/100


[ Edit | View ]


[ Contact Forum Admin ]

Forum timezone: GMT-5
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.