#rickey_a

And an Owl Named Romeo by Rickey_a, read by Fire_Juggler

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Length: 26k | 3 hours, 16 minutes

FIC || PODFIC

Author’s Summary:

Draco breeds owls, Harry's an Auror, and an owl named Romeo is going to bring them together.

What I love about the writing:

Ok, so I always talk about how I want ridiculous gay rom-coms that make me laugh and feel good -- and this fic hits every beautiful rom-commy button in my heart.  I’m not usually one to jump at fics with epistolary elements, but Rickey has managed to keep each of the character’s voices so perfectly true here that I believe every second and love them as much as the prose.  Featuring odd jobs (owl-keeper!), a ridiculously wonderful pet (Romeo the owl), owl magical theory, and so many moments to fill your heart up with smiles. A favorite little moment to pique your interest:

"I need to ask you something," Harry said softly.

"Obviously."

"Malfoy… did you know he was…?" 

"What?"

"That he flies for my team?"

What I love about this podfic: 

Well, if it’s not already obvious how much of a Fire_Juggler fan I am, here it is! I’m a giant Fire_Juggler fan!  This fic is made brighter with Fire’s lovely sound edits (Romeo’s hooting), perfect pacing for the snappy sarcasm and witticisms of this text, and a lovely voice for Harry.  As I said in the text bit here, epistolary elements are not usually my jam, but read in Fire’s voice has made me a quick convert.  I found myself giggling out loud as I listened along, completely enraptured by the way Fire’s voice draws me in every time.

Title: And An Owl Named Romeo

Author: rickey_a

Pairings: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy

Chapters: 5

Words: 26,500

Status: Complete

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: Explicit slash content

Epilogue Complaint? No.

Draco breeds owls, Harry's an Auror, and an owl named Romeo is going to bring them together.

Author: rickey_a

Rating: NC-17

Word Count: 26,500 

Warning(s): Bottom!Draco

Wizarding Level: Acceptable 

Snape Says: Commendable writing effort; the owl-keeper concept an approach I've never seen before, which, considering the amplitude of works out there, is a significant upside.  

READ THE FULL REVIEWS UNDER THE LINK!

Reviews:

Techie 

Plot: 4/5

Characterization: 3/5

Writing level: 4/5

Creativity: 4.5/5

Wrap up: 4/5

Total: 19.5/25

Cute, if a bit overdone at times, I really enjoyed this fic for the different take the author took on Draco, even if the plotline itself is a bit typical the elements of the story keep it bright and fresh. The characters are a bit overdone but Draco remains snarky and Harry remains a pleasant, persistent dolt. Their interactions for the most part are believable, as are the rest of the characters n the story and the humor keeps what is sometimes a slow plot entertaining. Overall this is a nicely done, short read that I enjoyed, even if at times I had to force myself through some of the awkward dialogue.

    Subtleties

Plot: 3/5

Characterization: 3/5

Writing level: 4/5

Creativity: 4.5/5

Wrap up: 4/5

Total:   18.5 /25 

This was a fun read. The plot was fairly drawn-out and predictable but the humour was entertaining enough to keep me reading. The author’s take on Draco was different from what I’m used to but I still enjoyed it. The interactions of Draco and Harry, as well as the different characters were convincing enough. The story was nicely written, and the ending cute. If you want a light and easy read to make you smile, give this fic a try.

  Cash:

Plot: 4/5

Characterization: 3/5

Writing level: 3.5/5

Creativity: 4/5

Wrap up: 4/5

Total:   18.5 /25

I suppose it’s not a sign that two days after I read this fic, I couldn’t really remember how I’d felt about it, but on the other hand, I don’t have anything particularly bad to say about it either. I do remember that I wasn’t buying it in the first chapter. Though i can’t remember what exactly, there were a few things about the writing style and dialogue between Harry and Draco that sat oddly with me, and I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like it. By the time I was halfway into the second chapter though, i had warmed to it, and the story had managed to more or less win me over. Draco as an Owl keeper was a really interesting take on him, and I found it believable. Draco’s always been the type to be better with animals than he is with people, so I appreciated the characterization there. I also appreciated the effort and detail put into Harry’s job as an Auror. Quite often fics gloss over the idea of Harry’s work but never venture to be creative with it, so this was something different to read.

Something I thought was quite well done was the way the story was told through the progression of letters in certain segments, where months passed and things happened and the author showed the passing of time and events through letters alone. This is a technique that can go awry if used too excessively or if not tread careful. But the author used it well, and managed to bring the readers swiftly through the story, without leaving the impression that he or she was just being lazy.

All in all, a cute fic, a not a bad way to spend an hour or two.

Read the fic here

Final Grade: Acceptable; 3.5 stars