Chaouen's Keep

As I’m an 80’s girl and had some free time today I felt in the mood of doing this..

SANSAN FANFIC RECOMMENDATION

I confess I don’t read as many fanfics as I’d like, because I don’t usually have much free time for reading and I alternate them with published books, but during the last year I’ve read some awesome stories that I’ve enjoyed even more than some tradicional books. Some of them are very popular and some not so, but I would give my right hand to write half as well their authors do.

So, these are some of my favourite Sansan fics so far (as usually, I’m sorry that my english doesn’t allow me to praise better their virtues). 

Into the wood, Water Gilman (WIP)

Close to canon, realistic and poetic at the same time, one of the best fanfics out there. It’s a Blackwater AU whose prose is above the average, though I know I’m not saying anything new, Sansa’s chapters are wonderful, but Sandor’s ones, from ch. 27, are perfect. I’ve re read it plenty of times and some of its images and scenes are still struck in my mind. It’s a shame the author doesn’t update since ages.

God and Monsters, Dr_Supernova_Dragon_Cat (WIP)

My new favourite. Modern Sansan set in the mafia world, it has little to do with Westeros but who cares! If you give me a great story, an interesting plot and a great dosis of our favourite characters, I buy it! The story is intriguing and has a very build up plot. The interesting original characters, the details the author puts in every chapter, the background of each character, the stories inside the story (so Paul Auster!) of course, the love story between a moss boss and a sweet (but strong) little bird makes G&M a very special work. I left apart one of my favourites series (Prince of Nothing) to read it in one sitting as if it were a novel, and didn’t regret it for a moment. I wrote a longer post here.

You show me, and I see. You reflect it back to me, and I see now in a way I couldn’t before.“

Songbird and Proscript to love, redcandle17 (COMPLETE)

Redcandle has plenty of wonderful fics (I love her Gendry/Arya and Jaime/Brienne fics too), but these two are my favourite. With a very insightful knowledge of the characters she is writing about, she dares to go further than anyone. Songbird is the most realistic AU Blackwater I’ve ever read; austere, hard and certainly not romantic. I never get tired to read it. The same could be said for Proscript; what happens in it could be hard to read but it could perfectly be the next Alayne chapter of TWoW. Her fics are so true to canon that they look like a lost chaper GRRM left apart and didn’t published; any of them could perfectly be part of one of the Asoiaf books (published or to come)

Running with the Hare and Hunting with the Hound, kimberlite8 (COMPLETE)

A work of art. You can not define this beautiful and precious work any differently. A unique and outstanding work in the fandom that her author gives us all for our enjoyment. But not only the fan art is really wonderful, the text is delicious: sexy, sexual, intense … a delight to read and a Sansan wet dream come true. Besides, the writer has a very profound understanding of the psyche of the characters, specially Sansa’s, and so, throught their sexual encounters, she leads us into her thoughts and we learn more about Sansa’s thoughts and the dark corners of Sandor and The Hound. If you don’t like porn stories, don’t read it read it anyway or you’ll be missing some of the better hours of your week, because it is a must.

Kindred, smallestgrackle (WIP)

Kindred is also a Blackwater AU and in a way it reminds me to Into the Wood but keeping its own style and personality. What I really like about this story is how the author keeps Sansa and Sandor always IC. Her descriptions are precious and they make you feel inside the story with them. The text is perfect; not even need to spare it a single word or sentence. And it has magic. Maybe the plot so far isn’t too original, but the realism of the story mixed with a veil of fairytale that surrounds it thrills me and makes me shiver in equal measure. There isn’t a chapter without a sentence of the protagonists, a description or a single line that doesn’t get me goosebumps. There is always something that leave me breathless in her writing and I think this is very difficult to achieve. 

Things preserved and things lost, zmeisha (COMPLETE)

The story of Sansa Stark told as the chronicles of Westeros would tell it a thousand years after her death. I don’t agree with all the assumptions on which the story departs, but I admit that the tone in which it’s told, original and different, has conquered me. And If you don’t shed a tear in the end is because you’re made of stone.

Unbreakable, kalabangsilver (COMPLETE)

I’d never seen this fic recommended before but I do like it a lot. Sandor doesn’t leave Kingslanding after the BW and Sansa stays as a hostage for Joffrey to punished her as his wish. But at least she has Sandor to give her come comfort among all her suffering. I like a lot the style in which is written, melancholic and kind of sad. Doesn’t really have a happy ending but it leaves an open window through which we can dream about them having some hope in the future.

In a Castle built of Snow, ConnecticutJunkie (COMPLETE)

A short Sansan tale through Gregor’s eyes. Strange, different and unique. I haven’t read something similar in the fandom. Don’t miss it.

Pas de deux, once beautiful and brave / amplifyme (COMPLETE)

Maybe it isn’t her most popular fic but as I have a soft spot for one shots, this has been one of my favorite for long and I guess it’s one of the first fics I ever read. I don’t know what cheers me up the most: the fact that Winterfell is full of life again, seeing Sansa happy, drinking and dancing or that lovely and happy ending. It’s short, but it doesn’t need any other word to be perfect, like a small jewl. I have read it more than 12 times and I’ve enjoyed every one of them as if it was the first.

Meet the Starks, littlefeather (WIP)

What I like about Littlefeather it’s that she knows very well the characters and the books she is writting about. She has a lot of great stories (i’d sell my soul to the devil to have so many great ideas to write). Maybe Meet the Starks isn’t her most popular and I don’t really know why I like it above others; it isn’t very true to canon and a priori it shouldn’t be of my liking but, as I said before, if you write a good story I buy it. I guess I cann’t help to love seeing all the Starks together again (even if it’s in a fic) and some scenes between Ned, Cat and their new son in law made me laugh out loud, and that, ladies, is unpayable!

“You do know what goes on in a marriage bed, I hope?”

She thought of Tyrion, and of the Hound and how he’d kissed her, and gave a nod.

As the boy’s lips touched her own she found herself thinking of another kiss. She could still remember how it felt, when his cruel mouth pressed down on her own. He had come to Sansa in the darkness as green fire filled the sky. He took a song and a kiss, and left me nothing but a bloody cloak.

“Joffrey called out, “Dog!”

Sandor Clegane seemed to take form out of the night, so quickly did he appear. He had exchanged his armor for a red woolen tunic with a leather dog’s head sewn on the front. The light of the torches made his burned face shine a dull red. “Yes, Your Grace?” he said.

“Take my betrothed back to the castle, and see that no harm befalls her,” the prince told him brusquely. And without even a word of farewell, Joffrey strode off, leaving her there.

Sansa could feel the Hound watching her. “Did you think Joff was going to take you himself?” He laughed. He had a laugh like the snarling of dogs in a pit. “Small chance of that.”

“I could keep you safe,” he rasped. “They’re all afraid of me. No one would hurt you again, or I’d kill them.” He yanked her closer, and for a moment she thought he meant to kiss her. He was too strong to fight. She closed her eyes, wanting it to be over, but nothing happened.

Via @chaouenmadrid

This year I’ve been doubly blessed when it comes to the “SanSan Fandom” because I got to be part of the Montreal SMU back in April, and yeasterday I had the chance to hangout with @bgona and @chaouenmadrid !!! 😃🙌🏻💁🏻‍♀️💁🏼‍♀️💁🏻‍♀️

It was fantastic because the former and I entered the fandom around the same time (2012), and I wasn’t one bit surprised to learn that she’s as sweet and funny in person as she’s online! Plus, her meta about GRRM’s foreshadowing/writing style/symbolism is mind blowing! 😱👌🏻

And as to the latter, last year I was lucky enough to win a gorgeous copy of the “Ink and Roses” fanfic, but I never dreamed I would be meeting it’s author (and so soon!) But it was a joy to get to know her more; she is so creative and as a fellow fanfic writer, I was in awe of the level of commitment she puts into her work! 📝💪🏻

Overall, girls you’re both AMAZING and I’m SO HAPPY that we got to get to know each other more as I start my journey across Europe. I hope it’s just the first of many more meetings! ❤️😊

Well, that’s a long list!  Remember you can always find the fics I have personally read and made notes on on my Sansan Fic Recs Page, now up to 117 recommended fics and still growing!  Lemme just give you some of my top reunion fics, both show and book verse.

Ink & Roses by @chaouenmadrid 

Burning Bridges by @asimplylucia

The Ghost of You by irismoon

Northern Lights and Midnight Sun by Ownsariver

The Triangle by @ladytp

The Northman’s Daughter by @kimberlite8

Alyssa’s Tears by pinkolifant

Winter, thy enemy, thy friend by @ladytp

The Magpie’s Song (Mama, I’m Coming Home) by @ruebella-b

Bones and Rubies by @bluelemonsforever (yeah I’m gonna shamelessly butter my own bread)

Of Louts and Men by Jajwok

Because You Are All I Long For by luvxena

The Vow of Silence by @chaouenmadrid

The Second Son by CatONineTails

Reunited by Vermilion_Sunrise

The Sword in the Darkness by @naturesinmyeye

the gamekeeper’s hut by lemonbalmlemonverbena

The Reward by @redcandle17

Be Mine by Underthenorthernlights

HERE IT IS!!! THE MOST WONDERFUL PRESENT ANYONE HAS EVER GIVEN ME!!! 

Yes, @kimberlite8 really did commission an original artwork from Bubug to represent my fics, edited them, laid them out and published them into books! O_O So far, I have only the first one, but there are going to be three volumes in total, all with the same amazing illustration and exquisite cover texture (it feels so good - soft and as rich as leather!). I am honestly going to treasure these books for the rest of my life – or no, even longer than that, because I certainly won’t be leaving them behind once it’s time to leave for good! :P

Honestly, I’m just so blown away by your generosity, Kim! I don’t think I know anyone who would have done something like this. I was completely speechless when I unwrapped the brown paper it was in. I keep grinning like a fool anytime I look at it, or even just think about it. It is just so beautiful!!! I’ll never be able to thank you enough for this, but I’ll try: 

THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!!! <3 <3 <3   

Bonus picture, my book and its brother:

@chaouenmadrid

Fields of Gold (79784 words)

Summary: When Sansa Stark returns to her hometown six years after she ran away from there without looking back, she still isn’t aware of how confronting her past, and especially a certain man, is going to turn her safe world in the city upside down.

Sandor Clegane has lived a quiet and boring life at Invernalia for the past years, until Sansa Stark comes back to the village to sell her parents’ house. Does he really need her into his life again or, deep inside, has he been waiting for this to happen for the last six years?

Misunderstandings and Sandor’s big mouth abound as they learn to work together and they know each other again.

Brandon. Yes. Brandon would know what to do. He always did. It was all meant for Brandon. You, Winterfell, everything. He was born to be a King’s Hand and father to queens. I never asked for this cup to pass to me.

– Eddard Stark

Brandon was different from his brother, wasn’t he? He had blood in his veins instead of cold water. More like me.

- Jaime Lannister

Brandon was never shy about taking what he wanted. I am old now, a dried-up thing, too long a widow, but I still remember the look of my maiden’s blood on his cock the night he claimed me. I think Brandon liked the sight as well. A bloody sword is a beautiful thing, yes. It hurt, but it was a sweet pain.

- Barbrey Dustin