NOTE: I do not update these reports after they are posted so some of the links may not work after a while. If you find a broken link check the title in the alphabetical lists of alternative or general reviews at the end of this report.

MONDAY FAN FICTION REPORT - 9/1/97
[Previous report was for 8/31/97]

Hi folks,

A reminder as the month begins to please remember to drop by Dax's OBSESSION page to vote for your favorite XWP alternative story. The winner each month will receive the SILVER LATH AWARD. You can vote for any XWP alt. story, new or old, and it can be one located at any Web site. To vote either visit the Silver Lath Page at: http://www.obsession14.com/
SilverLath/vote.htm or send an e-mail to goddesstoy@aol.com with "the name of the story, the author's name and email addy, where it can be located, and anything you might like to say about the story.

*****IMPORTANT NOTE BELOW*****
I'd also like to REMIND all of you fellow fan fiction fanatics out there, how IMPORTANT it is to SUPPORT our bards, give them feedback and generally just show them how much we appreciate them sharing their talent with us. It takes INCREDIBLE courage to share a personal, creative effort with thousands of people on the Internet. Our bards take this risk without asking for ANYTHING in return. Particularly during reruns, when we all tend to suffer a bit from XWS (Xena Withdrawal Syndrome), the fan fiction is something new we can look forward to on an almost daily basis. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO LET THE BARDS KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE READ AND ENJOYED ONE OF THEIR STORIES!! If possible don't just tell them you loved the story - tell them WHY you loved it. Did you like the way Xena was depicted? Did you like the action? Did you think the first-person approach was effective?, etc. LETS SHOW SOME APPRECIATION GUYS!!!

Tonight we have three new stories and two updates :)

GENERAL FICTION:

WAR OF SILENCE by Tammy
A very intense and highly emotional hurt/comfort story by a new bard. Xena is in a panic after discovering that raiders have attacked Poteidaia, kidnapping a visiting Gabrielle. The true, mystery, however, begins after the warrior finds her friend, in shock and strangely unable to tell what happened to her. Desperate for revenge, the Warrior Princess is then challenged to try to control these feelings so she can care for a bard who is suddenly very fragile and completely dependent. This story features a poignant look at the relationship between warrior and bard as they discover in each other their greatest strengths. Included with the individual chapters are WONDERFUL new poems by Tammy and well-known Xenite bard Wishes. Note: The story does include graphic violence.
http://ausxip.com/bards.html#tammy
http://www.xenafan.com/fiction/content/warofsilence1.html

IT'S A KIND OF MAGIC by Beaugrnt
Part 3 of this story is now available. This is a very clever XWP/HIGHLANDER crossover tale that has the warrior, Gabrielle and some of the other characters from XWP living in an Ancient Greece where the immortals from HIGHLANDER are a reality. In these first two chapters, the immortal Xena of Amphipolis, former Warrior Princess, comes upon a young girl desperately fighting the raiders who have already decimated her village. Recognizing what the young woman, named Gabrielle, is and why the raiders want her, the warrior becomes determined to save her from a fate she knows all too well. In this latest section, more of the mystery surrounding Gabrielle is unraveled. Beaugrnt does a nice job of integrating the characters of XWP with the elements of the two series. This should be a fun read for fans of both XWP and HIGHLANDER.
http://www.tiac.net/users/beaugrnt/fanfic.htm

ALTERNATIVE FICTION:

THE SNAKEHEAD GORGON by Xenia
Xena and Gabrielle travel to Athens to help a friend of the warrior rescue the woman he loves. One slight problem though - to do so they will have to help him defy a goddess.
http://www.amazontrails.com/xena/altfict.htm

DARK BEAUTY by Mil Toro
This is a follow-up to Mil's excellent DOWN TO THE DARKNESS (reviewed 6/16/97) which continues that story's exploration of Xena's darker side - this time by contrasting who the warrior is now with what she once was. The tale has a now happy Xena and Gabrielle being hunted by a very dangerous enemy - an enemy who was once the victim of the Warrior Princess - an enemy who has been obsessed with her since the fiery destruction of a village called...Cirrah. Very well-written and passionate, the story is partly told through a series of flashbacks which paint a chilling characterization of the Warrior Princess and give insight into the psyche of the one now hunting her.
http://web.archive.org/web/20010606234709/http://xwp-altfic.simplenet.com/fiction.html

WARLORD DAZE by Katrina
Chapter 17 of this story is now available. OUTSTANDING folks but be warned - do not even THINK of reading this at work!...unless you work at home >:) It is a somewhat different warlord/slave story guaranteed to get that pulse racing...fast ;-) With Xena in warlord mode once again, a determined Gabrielle enlists the aid of friends to help her get back to the warrior's side the only way it is possible for her to do so - as Xena's personal slave. It is a decision that could bring them closer than ever before but which will also bring challenges and risks neither may be quite ready for. In this latest chapter - er - well, Xena prepares for dinner :) The tale is a psychological exploration not only of the characters of Xena and Gabrielle but also of their relationship and of the nature of power itself. Note: this story contains light S&M. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
http://whoosh.org/katrina/xenafic.html

For those of you reading this post who are not familiar with the term alternative (alt.), it refers to ADULT stories that add a romantic element to the relationship between Xena and Gabby, depicting them as more than just friends.

Happy reading!

Lunacy 8-)