#(pza)

zagreus: *exists*

achilles, with badly disguised feelings: this is my son ward

pat: yeah well, that's my boy toy

a little busy there, achilles? 😏 recent piece for @thehadeslounge gift exchange!

2023 Fic Recs here

I meant to do an end-of-year fic rec list last year but wasn’t able to manage it, so this year I’m doing one big super list! Fics are organized by ship but otherwise listed in no particular order. There was also no particular quantity/cut-off number in mind… I came up with 14+ fics I wanted to recommend so that’s how many I’m listing :) These are also all over the place content-wise, so be sure to heed ratings & tags on each story’s respective page. Thank you so much to all the writers out there creating… I hope to read much more of your works next year as well <3 Peace & love!

Afterimage by @sonderlivra (Eruri, T)

I didn’t get to read many new Eruri fics this year, but whenever I do, it’s like a homecoming, where I get to spend time again with dear loved ones (both fictional and real) and nothing encapsulated that feeling more than reading this fic written by a beloved friend in dedication to another beloved friend. Sentimentality aside, it’s simply a cozy & comforting read with just a pinch of melancholy, so I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories where Erwin & Levi survive the war and navigate gentle bumps in the road as they enjoy their retirement together <3

The Maiden and the Myrmidon by The_Cecilia_Egg (Patrochilles, T)

I love the concept of Zagreus being told even more stories about his friends from Greek myth, and him learning of the story of Achilles on Skyros was so cleverly executed here with cheeky dramatic irony as he gradually connects the dots. A very sweet story!

Broken Oaths by @baejax-the-great (Patrochilles, M)

A lot of my favorite retellings/“what-if” AUs invite us to view the original canon in new ways, and this fic very interestingly explores what it might’ve been like if Achilles went to Troy without Patroclus by his side, the life-long grooming of Achilles by the men in his life, what it would really take to get him to reject his doomed destiny, among other considerations. Heavy on the angst but in an “aches-so-good” sort of way, plus Patroclus’ sardonic pov narration cuts through it much of the time. Like Baejax’s other fics, she does a great job bringing supporting characters—the girls, the other Myrmidon soldiers, even the horses—into the story and making them interesting & engaging.

baby born blue by @johaerys-writes (Patrochilles, E)

A modern AU in which Achilles & Patroclus are exes who can’t seem to quit each other and make it everyone else’s problem. Still in-progress, but I just can’t resist messy toxic Patrochilles drama. I’m also recommending at a point where the plot has thoroughly thickened in the most recent couple of chapters (ch13-14) and I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out… hop to it if you wanna be in time for the fireworks💥👀

How long has it been? by @sleepy-pigeonn (Patrochilles, G)

Hey did you guys know that in addition to being a talented artist and animator, Pigeon is also great at writing fics?? :’) All of them are pretty short n sweet little vibe morsels but I picked this one just because it feels like a prologue to a very exciting Patroclus POV mystery/adventure story… A Very Long Engagement if it were in the Hades II timeline, lol (I would read that story so bad!!!)

love letter by @rowanisawriter (PZA, T)

A straightforward Zagreus-as-messenger/proxy-lover-to-Patrochilles pza fic, but the romance and tenderness of this one is SO achingly sublime, I just adore it. I also particularly enjoy Zagreus’ characterization in this story, highlighting his godly qualities and his naïveté more as a result of mortal customs & behaviors being foreign to him. Reading this story made me want to replay the Patrochilles quest in Hades and reunite them all over again :’)

botany, physiology, and other life sciences by thesoulundone (PZA, E)

Zagreus is hired by married couple Patrochilles to landscape their yard, until he takes a nasty fall that earns him a spot on their couch and then eventually in their bed. Tbh I can’t remember exactly when was the first time I read this but I’m always rereading it constantly so I’m including it here lol. The narrative voice and dialogue is just so effortlessly breezy and humorous, it’s such a fun & silly set-up for a smutfic… perfect for when you’re in the mood for something sexy and light!

Love Thy Neighbor by Loca (PZA, E)

This one is just. SO fun. A smutfic with a 21k word count, but honestly I remember completely breezing through it. A lot of it is spent building up tension so that when they all finally go to pound town it’s SO satisfying lol. I feel like Loca took all the best elements of other pza fics she likes and combined them all into one giant, delicious pot of soup for all of us to slurp on. A meal! A FEAST!

You Understand by red_smear (PZA, E)

Red is known of course for On The Ropes (aka the boxing pza fic) but at some point I went digging through their works to see if they had any other pza fics and OH BOY. This is a sex pollen fic where a charm has made Zag irresistible to literally everyone he encounters, and after suckin n fuckin his way through Elysium, he reaches Patroclus’ glade where the spell takes hold of Patrochilles as well. There’s an undercurrent of something like almost horror & dread, like when you get stunlocked playing the game and you watch helplessly as Zag’s HP drains while being unable to move him. He thought he would be safe but there truly is no escape and all the while Achilles repeats the title of fic as a refrain but they can’t stop, it’s so wicked :)

Professionalism, Or Lack Thereof by @pokemonheartgold (Zagchilles, E)

First fic in the Motorlicker series, a Zagchilles bodyguard AU with eventual PZA. This is the kind of story where I would be sold on the premise alone (a world-weary Achilles is hired as a bodyguard for rich, wayward party-boy Zag and they end up in an illicit situationship) but luckily Hound is also a fabulous writer who executes it all very well! Motorcycles, leather, cigarettes, and grimy underground clubs, but also with underlying tenderness and vulnerability… the whole thing is such a vibe and so vivid and immersive! Definitely recommend the entire series as well.

now I’ve thought it through by terraces (Zagchilles, E)

I like reading fics where Achilles grappling with his guilt and trauma manifests in toxic, mentally unstable ways, and I also I like it when fics can be a little more abstract conceptually—more about the emotion and symbolism and the vibes rather than what is happening in the story, precisely. For me this fic is both… it has blood imagery that I thought was so inspired and impactful and it is what I remember most about it.

to the victor and sub teacher by naxtique (Ares/Zagreus/Achilles, E)

At some point this year I started seeking out Ares/Achilles fics because of THE SPICY ANGST POTENTIAL🤌 And so I ended up back in naxtique’s yard when I saw they had a couple of fics with Zag also thrown into the mix. I’m SO obsessed with all the deliciously wicked scenarios they come up with—domination, trickery, and deceit via mind control & shape shifting… and the pain of Achilles still finding himself helpless against Ares’ influence at Zag’s expense :’)

bane of men by @sencaeneus (Thanares, M)

I got to dip my toes into a lot of new Hades ships this year and it was nice to meet Sen, who writes Thanares! I really enjoyed this fic in their “war and death” series (threads of gold is next on my TBR) I was drawn to this one for its nods to the Iliad and that it gave me a succinct and compelling introduction to their dynamic… check it out!

Under the Table and Dreaming by hollycomb (Sid/Andy, E)