Hornblower recs
Posted on January 18, 2008
Filed Under Horatio Hornblower, Hornblower recs, small fandom recs |
## means “loved to bits OMG!”
# stands for “liked.”
[] means “rather liked,” or sometimes, on the brink between “liked” and “not my thing.”
LKU stands for ‘Live Kennedy Universe’, DKU is, correspondingly, ‘Dead Kennedy Universe’.
Inside the groups, stories are sorted in alphabetical order by title.
Horatio Hornblower newbie guide: places to go.
Horatio/Archie, Horatio/Pellew, Horatio/Bush, Other and various, Gen
Blackbird (formerly “Song of Oak”), by Janis Cortese ##
Archie/OMC, Archie/Horatio, Archie/OFCs at the beginning, Archie/Simpson rape/non-con, NC-17, novel-length. Dark/sweet, LKU. This is essentially Archie’s life story prior to joining the Navy, while in Justinian, and beyond. A large portion of it revolves around his youth in Drury Lane. He meets up with a young actor there, and … events transpire. This story is extremely long and comes in three parts.
I’m a fan of spoilers. If I can’t have them, then I want to know as much about the story I’m going to read as possible: pairings, kinks and warnings, proper summary or an effective teaser, length, rating, genre. To entice me, the more relevant details the author discloses the better. I don’t want to know circumstantial things: what they thought while writing, what music they listened to, and such — I don’t care. But detailed headers are a very important thing for me because they make my choice among dozens fics easier. But I’m going on a tangent here.
What I want to say is, if I knew more about the contents of this story, I would have never read it. I wouldn’t want to. And it would be a sad, sad thing. Because the story has left the strongest impression on me. It’s gripping, moving, interesting, rich. But I wouldn’t have known. Why?
Because, for one, I’m a Horatio girl and this story is all about Archie. I would have been seduced with the promise of Archie/Horatio, for Horatio’s sake, but after having seen no Horatio for a long time, I’d have quit. If I knew that the entire very long chapter 2 would be devoted to Archie’s torment on Justinian, I’d not open the story at all. Because I don’t like reading about rape, and proportionately less if it’s a systematic abuse, as it is here.
But thankfully, I knew nothing about it and had an opportunity to enjoy this wonderful, powerful story. I’ve been reading it as if glued to the screen. The author takes Archie, a character we know very little about, and runs with it, giving life to a wonder to fall in love with. In the first part, he’s barely sixteen, a naive, horny, and exuberant boy who loves theatre and actors. It’s lovely and fascinating. He meets a fantastic OC, a popular actor David Dyn, the man with bottomless dark eyes and curly black hair (Real name Rhys ap Dafydd ap Iorwerth. Does it make you smile? Read to his choosing another pseudonym and it will make you laugh out loud :D It’s a lovely fangirly homage to Ioan Gruffudd, well, apart from Horatio :D) In the middle part, he’s an unwilling midshipman on Justinian, under the very un-watchful eye of an old, ill captain but very much a prey of a sick and malicious elder midshipman Simpson. He’s tortured, both physically and psychologically. It’s a hard part to read but it’s not gratuitous abuse for the sake of abuse. You begin to see how Archie grows up; you begin to understand him better. Part 3 goes AU after ‘Retribution’ but follows the previous events smoothly. Love and families, navy and theatre, hotels and carriages, gardens and streets, London and America. The story reaches far and wide, giving you a glimpse of many a layer of the late XVIII - early XIX centuries.
I laughed. I cried. I fell in love with David, worried about him, and cried for him. I totally fell for Archie. And I had my dose of a magnificent Horatio, as seen through Archie’s eyes. Wonderful story!
Duet, by Janis Cortese (tanacawyr) #
Horatio/Archie: sweet, wanking. NC-17, short. Only one day after his transfer, Archie is much more relaxed aboard Indefatigable, and one particular part of him seems to recognize this. So does Horatio.
and First Blush
Horatio/Archie: light, teen wanking. NC-17, short. This might be in the “The Duel” universe; I’m not sure. At any rate, Horatio and Archie are both nervous, horny teenagers in love. Awwww … Insulin warning on this one.
Two young midshipmen; wankfics. Hot, lovely, wonderfully written. They are PWPs but very pleasant ones. Or maybe they simply hit my kinks :)
Dutch Courage, by Misskittie []
Horatio/Archie, NC-17, short. Dirty teenage boy porn involving candles. Set during “The Duel”, the boys are nervous about their new sexual relationship and curious about buggery. Written as Christmas present for She Knows Who She Is.
Sequel: Promises (R) : Follows “Dutch Courage”. Reunions in Ferrol.
Pretty hot. I like PWPs where the character sees something as forbidden but he desires it anyway. Here the boys do everything except what they really want.
The sequel is a bit too mushy for me though.
Kama Sutra, by Janis Cortese (tanacawyr) #
Horatio/Archie, NC-17, novellette, DKU (Dead Kennedy Universe). Horatio comes upon an odd volume during the Indy’s travels, and it weaves its way into his and Archie’s lives.
A story of Horatio and Archie’s relationship from the time at Indy till Archie’s death — and beyond. On a shore leave in India, Horatio buys a strange book off an old man’s blanket. Archie, ever curious about books, joins Horatio in reading. A young love takes its first awkward steps. The story follows. It’s lovely and very sad. The book offers us — and Horatio — the clue to help navigate through the relationship. The scene in Italy during ‘Mutiny’ where Archie suggests they desert and raise sheep is heartbreaking. I can see this Horatio, at the end of it, getting married just because and later on, promising his hapless wife to try and be a better husband. Because what else is there for him?
The Morning After, by Isis (isiscolo) #
Archie/Horatio, “hangover” - R, 752 words.
This is an accidental story born out of a challenge. But it does show why I love sharing a fandom with Isis. Look at the word count. It’s a very short fic. Just one small scene, a morning after. But damn, it’s rich! The way Isis highlights the two characters — one line here, one phrase there, a gesture, a nuance — is amazing. It’s precise and deep. Sexy and moving. It also hints at a future story that I would simply love to read.
This is my first Hornblower rec. Even though I have read no less then 20 fics already, this is the first to really resonate with me, even though it’s not my pairing of choice.
The Other Shoe, by Janis Cortese (tanacawyr) []
Horatio/f, Archie/f, H/A pre-slash: angst. NC-17, short. Archie drags Horatio on shore leave and promptly drives him out of his mind without realizing it. Horatio can’t look away. Archie is nonverbal. This story really is rather smutty.
This is a het fic. Archive leads Horatio to find some willing girls and enjoy their shore leave, which they do. Only Horatio spends it watching Archie fuck girls, while his own paramour of the moment tries to engage him in the activity. Lovely.
Telemachos, or The Genealogy of Buggery, by Resonant (or here) #
NC-17, short. A venerable Navy tradition is passed on. (Based on the novel ‘A Ship of the Line,’ in which Hornblower is a captain; Hornblower/Longley with implied Hornblower/Pellew.)
Brilliant. Subtle, sly, hot. The last line made me squeal :) It’s a balm on the wounds caused by the absence of fic, for a Pellew lover.
The Towel, by thehappyreturn []
Horatio/Pellew, NC-17, short, PWP. Spoilers: Lieutenant Hornblower. Summary: Indy shower fic. I can’t believe I’m stupid enough to attempt this pairing with my first ever PWP.
This is not how I see Pellew but I enjoyed it nevertheless. IMO, it’s simply a good PWP, with enough of characters (how the author sees them) in it to make it stand out.
Trial Run, by la_reine_bleu []
Horatio/Bush, NC-17, short, PWP.
Found this fic via Fairestcat’s Hornblower recs for all occasions. Horatio asks Bush (uses him, more likely, only it’s not as if Bush minded) to train for his upcoming wedding night. I wasn’t going to rec it, while I was reading. I thought it was a decent PWP, to be enjoyed but forgotten soon. But then there was the last line that put everything in place by jumping on me and punching me in the face, in a very good way.
Close Quarters: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], by thehappyreturn #
Horatio/Bush, OC het in ch. 3, passing mention of Horatio/Simpson, Horatio/Archie, PG, a very slow WIP, AU. Warnings: Character wise, this is very much based on the Hornblower and Bush from the novels rather than from the TV series.
Found via quigonejinn’s rec (AKA rhoddlet to HP people), whom, in turn, I found via a helpful link given to me in response to my request of HH recs. This is a slow story where nothing much happens event-wise. A young lieutenant Bush arrives on a ship. An even younger fifth lieutenant with an unfortunate name Horatio Hornblower arrives there too. He’s bullied (milder than in the films) by a senior officer Simpson. Later on, Bush and Hornblower transfer to a ship under the command of Captain Pellew where they meet another young lieutenant Kennedy, whom Hornblower knows from their midshipmen’s days. It’s a WIP, and a very slow one it is: it took about two years for these eight chapters to be posted. People say there are inaccuracies and anachronisms — not that I would notice; I’m no naval historian. There are also wandering POV (usually in the middle of a scene) and sometimes tense shifts. It all should be a reason not to read, right? But while noticing it all and noting it in my draft for others, I found myself enjoying this story. A lot. The story has a very pleasant voice, best of all when it belongs to Bush. Contemplations, observations, i.e. not my things in fiction at all, here make for a wonderful reading, surprisingly.
The Windward Series, by Atropos Lee #
An alternative biography of Lord Horatio Hornblower, late Admiral of the Fleet. Various pairings — I won’t be stating them ‘cos it can be a spoiler for some stories. I’ll comment on the two of my particular favourites from the series but they are all well worth reading. Links below.
I remember intending to check more fics by this author after accidentally reading the last story in the series below but, not unexpectedly, I forgot. And came to them now from another side, following a trail of links and recs. My note to self said: “Well-written, interesting but I’m not sure older, Admiral H is my thing. Too contemplative and sad for me. To read more of this author.”
1. 1778 - 1782: Cherry Stones and Lavender (taken down by the author)
Introduction: Kent, weather variable. Childhood Memories.2. 1799: Hornblower, Deptford Dolls
Introduction: Acting Lt Kennedy requests an interview with the Captain…Clever and intense. I loved Kennedy here but I loved Pellew even more.
3. 1802: Kennedy, Disconsolate
Introduction: In a dockside inn, Kingston, Jamaica. Lt. Kennedy considers his future, as he watches his companions spend their prize money after the capture of the Gaditana. Based on Lieutenant Hornblower - it’s not quite CS Forester - but not Retribution either.4. 1805: Hornblower, Reflective (or on LJ)
Introduction: Somewhere in the English Channel, HMS Hotspur on blockade duty. A ray of sunlight on a dull morning.Fantastic use of detail. Captain Hornblower wakes up and craves coffee. There’s no coffee but there’s a highly disturbing (for him) letter from home, and rain, and mindless but dangerous task to be performed on repeat. And then there’s a tiny thing to make it all better. Wonderful, subtle.
5. 1808: Bush, Meditative
Introduction: Somewhere in the Pacific. Blazing light, blue sea, fair winds. A few moments for William Bush to review his life.6. 1833: Beating to Windward
Introduction: The streets of Portsmouth, February, wind easterly. An ancient mariner, alone on a wide, wide sea, visits an old friend.
The Untold Story, by Clotho []
Gen (Horatio and Archie’s friendship), PG, novelette. LKU. Summary: ‘Retribution’ left a lot of unanswered questions, and ‘Loyalty’ created a lot more. This is just an attempt at answering some of them, which at the same time gets rid of ‘Retribution’’s most disliked feature…
That was clever. To make the story work, the author needed a rather devious Pellew, Dumbledore’s kind of devious, and even though I view Pellew as considerably more clueless, it was a pleasure to see him here. It was also a pleasure to see a ‘Live Kennedy’ story set during ‘Loyalty’, and done plausibly, too. Archie survives. He finds himself sent on a secret mission to collect evidence on Black Charlie Hammond’s (whose identity is known to us, who have watched ‘Loyalty’ and ‘Duty’ but not Archie) plot. Horatio, meanwhile, must deliver Major Côtard to his rendezvous near the same location. Plotty, interesting fixit.
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