idw-tf-library

[idw-tf-library]

This is your regularly scheduled reminder that this blog runs on reader submissions! If you’ve read any great gen or teen-rated IDW Transformers fanfic the submission box is always open.

[idw-tf-library]

Fic Rec - The cold by veto-power-over-clocks

The cold by @veto-power-over-clocks, recommended by @squireofgeekdom

Status: Complete / Length: 816 Words / Location: AO3

Focal Characters: Deadlock (Drift), Hot Rod (Rodimus)

Focal Relationships: Deadlock/Hot Rod

Matching Categories: Canon Divergence, AU, Wartime 

Review/Recommendation:

Note: The previous fic in this series has tactile/pnp interfacing, but it’s not referenced in this fic 

This is a vignette that punches above its weight. Though it covers a lot in a relatively short piece, the details in the descriptions and the little moments still stand out, keeping the fic from feeling like it’s painted with an overly-broad brush. And wow, do the details pack a gut punch, the ending absolutely kills me every time. The characterization and relationship work is spot-on and very compelling in all of those details too. If you’re interested in  Decepticon!Hot Rod and/or driftrod / hotlock, come have your heart broken by this fic! 

[idw-tf-library]

Fic Rec - the ways of the stars undone by oriflamme

the ways of the stars undone by @sunderedstar​, recommended by @choomchoom

Status: Complete (has one completed sequel; second sequel is ongoing)/ Length: 50114 Words / Location: AO3

Focal Characters: Starscream, Wheeljack, Windblade, Ensemble Cast 

Focal Relationships: Starscream/Wheeljack, Starscream/Windblade

Matching Categories: plot-centric, action-adventure,  worldbuilding, drama, humor, post-war, canon-divergence

Review/Recommendation: This fic is an immensely clever and satisfying rewrite of Unicron. It diverges from canon at the beginning of the TAAO annual, fleshing out plotlines and bits of worldbuilding with a depth that the comics never managed to achieve. The style is vivid and engaging, blending humor with emotion, and the plot is detailed and gripping. There are many great things about this fic (& the series that follows from it) but one that stands out is the compassion and understanding with which every character is approached. This series feels inhabited by fully actualized people, with faults and goals, who are each and every one the hero of their own story. Finding out what characters, plot details, and satisfying resolutions are going to show up was an absolute delight on my first readthrough. 

The sequels, wind the shakes the seas and stars  and and the wheel of the world roll under them are at least as magical. wind that shakes the seas and stars focuses on Windblade, and the worldbuilding it contains around the Thirteen Primes is especially breathtaking. and the wheel of the world roll under them is ongoing, and I’m loving every new chapter as the characters inhabit the rich universe of the series. 

[idw-tf-library]

Fic Rec - A Soul Beneath The Surface by veto-power-over-clocks

A Soul Beneath The Surface by @veto-power-over-clocks, recommended by @squireofgeekdom​

Status: Complete / Length: 9668 Words / Location: AO3

Focal Characters: Whirl, Cyclonus, Tailgate

Focal Relationships: Whirl & Cyclonus, Whirl & Tailgate, Whirl & Cyclonus & Tailgate

Matching Categories: AU

Review/Recommendation:

WARNING: implied/referenced child abuse (specifically, references to broken bones, and scalds). More details about what to skip can be found at the end notes.

I thought I had recced this already and I had not and I am so sorry

From the summary: “There’s Tailgate, the nursing student, Cyclonus the Nurse Manager, and Whirl, the Worst Pediatrics Patient.

There’s also a dog. It’s very important.”

This fic came for my soul within the first two sentences and then it just kept going. The characterization is so good and the details in this fic are so, so powerful in getting at the characters and the relationships. The construction of the AU is so well done and detailed and phenomenal. Wonderfully written, I feel like I quoted half the fic in putting down my favorite bits in the comment. I love this fic and this au with all my heart, soul, and liver. All the feels. All of them. If you like Whirl and Cyclonus and Tailgate - even if human aus aren’t normally your thing - I cannot recommend this fic highly enough. 

[idw-tf-library]

Fic Rec - on the drive home by choomchoom

on the drive home by @choomchoom, recommended by @squireofgeekdom

Status: Complete/ Length: 9893 Words / Location: AO3

Focal Characters: Rodimus, Drift 

Focal Relationships: Drift/Rodimus

Matching Categories: AU

Review/Recommendation: Such a wonderful fic! As always, choomchoom writes Rodimus and Drift so well. The AU backstory and context for each of them translates their context and character so well, and their conflicts and insecurities both feel very true to who they are and pack several gut punches worth of feels. Rodimus and Drift’s growing friendship and mutual support and eventual romance in the fic is so so wonderfully written, I have all the feels. And the AU setting itself is excellently done, full of detail and relatable! If you like AUs and Driftrod  and great character and relationship work you should really check this out! 

[idw-tf-library]

Fic Rec - The Things We Forget by ckret2

The Things We Forget by ckret2, recommended by @squireofgeekdom

Status: Complete/ Length: 6040 Words / Location: AO3

Focal Characters: Rung, Tyrest, Prowl, Starscream, Chromedome, Megatron, Tarn

Focal Relationships: Various friendships, past Chromedome/Prowl

Matching Categories: Worldbuilding, Character Introspective, Multiple Eras

Review/Recommendation: 

Spoilers through LL23!

From the summary: Information creep is an unnatural mnemosurgical plague, a curse placed on all born on Cybertron. It stands to reason that mechs who are not BORN, but BUILT, might just be exempt. An exploration of the implications, and the interrelations between those who remember everything, and those who only think they do.

This fic is so incredibly good I knew immediately after I finished it that I had to rec it here. The exploration of the implications of what information creep actually is is phenomenally well done and well thought through across many characters and eras that that alone would have been enough for me to consider reccing it but there’s more! It’s so well written, and it manages to do an excellent job of making things clear by implication rather than spelling them out, and it creates such an impact. And gosh, the character exploration and the character moments pack such a punch, they’re so so well done, this fic had me having feelings about characters and moments I never expected - and it hit especially hard in my Prowl feels. Exceptionally well done all around, if you’re interested in this kind of worldbuilding, if you’re interested in character exploration for really any of the characters on the list above, I highly recommend you check it out! 

[idw-tf-library]

Fic Rec - Easy as ABC by Aphidity

Easy as ABC by Aphidity, recommended by @squireofgeekdom

Status: Complete/ Length: 1503 Words / Location: AO3

Focal Characters: Hot Rod, Medics

Matching Categories: Character Introspective, Canon Divergence, Pre War, Multiple Eras

Review/Recommendation: This is a phenomenal canon divergence au set in the aftermath of Nyon, where Hot Rod trying to save as many people as he can sets him on the path to learning to be a medic. The fic is wonderfully written and structured in such a way that it juxtaposes Rod’s struggle in Nyon with experiences he has learning from medics later, and not only are the juxtapositions incredibly compelling all of the medics shine in their own way even in the brief descriptions. Across it all, it does a fantastic job of capturing Hot Rod perfectly, framed in a way that had never crossed my mind but which fits so, so perfectly. And the ending is spot-on. If you like Roddy, or medics/cybertronian medicine and canon divergence, I’d recommend checking it out! 

[idw-tf-library]

Fic Rec - Broken Pieces by lushspecimen

Broken Pieces by @lushspecimen​, recommended by @daisyachain

Status: Complete/ Length: 15219 Words / Location: AO3

Focal Characters: Fortress Maximus, Prowl

Focal Friendships: Fortress Maximus & Prowl, Fortress Maximus & Cerebros & Red Alert

Matching Categories: drama, canon-divergence (more of a you-can’t-say-it-didn’t-happen thing), friendship-focused

Review/Recommendation: Exploration of how Prowl and Max try come to understand each other and try to rebuild their fractured kind-of-friendship, feat. the Scavengers. Frikkin amazing. It’s a serious look at just how badly Max was affected not just by his experiences, but by his perceived betrayal as well, but it doesn’t stay in the dark and ends up as a fun romp with the Scavengers and an…unexpected but really very, very cute hint at a relationship, though it’s far from the focus. The blend of psychology and fun reads like an actual issue of MTMTE, and it’s a great showcase for everyone’s favourite minor characters. Prowl in particular is given a great treatment, showing his insensitivity without making him into a villain. 

[idw-tf-library]

Fic Rec - Autobot City Help Agency by bennybonny

Autobot City Help Agency by bennybonny​, recommended by @daisyachain

Status: Incomplete / Length: 63443 Words / Location: AO3

Focal Characters: Ultra Magnus/Minimus Ambus, Megatron

Focal Relationships: Ultra Magnus/Megatron

Matching Categories: character introspective, humour, AU

Review/Recommendation: Episodic AU story that takes cues from Brooklyn 99, focuses on the growing friendship/??? between Megs and Mags after Megs is placed both in charge of Mags and under Mags’ protection/supervision, quite similar to canon! A crime-fighting dramedy that pays attention to the characters and relationships in the broader cast and features a slow, slow, slow burn romance between two characters who, against all odds, genuinely like and respect each other. Great, show-like pacing, interesting subplots, great balance between the main relationship and the day-to-day lives of the character, and a overall a really funny and incredibly touching read.

[idw-tf-library]

This is your regularly scheduled reminder that this blog runs on reader submissions! If you’ve read any great gen or teen-rated IDW Transformers fanfic the submission box is always open.

[idw-tf-library]

Fic Rec - -and ten that you forget. by oriflamme

-and ten that you forget by @sunderedstar​, recommended by @choomchoom

Status: Complete/ Length: 5834 Words / Location: AO3

Focal Characters: Chromedome, Brainstorm, Trepan, Rewind

Focal Relationships: Chromedome & Brainstorm, Chromedome/Rewind, past Chromedome/Prowl 

Matching Categories: character introspective, drama, canon-compliant, wartime, worldbuilding

Review/Recommendation: This fic explores Chromedome’s time at the New Institute and introduces a possibility for what might have transpired there. Everyone is exceptionally characterized, the tone is haunting in a wonderful way, and and every passage feels true to the characters. From the notes: Warning for suicidal ideation and suicide mentions throughout. 

[idw-tf-library]

Fic Rec - Taking Care by notwhelmedyet

Taking Care by @notwhelmedyet​, recommended by @choomchoom

Status: Ongoing / Length: 16419 Words / Location: AO3

Focal Characters: Drift, Ratchet

Focal Relationships: Drift/Ratchet

Matching Categories: romance, action-adventure, drama, hurt-comfort, post-war, canon-divergence or canon-compliant (depending on your opinions on Empire of Stone)

Review/Recommendation: This fic is the Empire of Stone replacement romance we’ve all been waiting for! It builds on the incredible worldbuilding and relationship-building from Observing Drift and Never Sleep and immediately starts throwing Drift and Ratchet into seemingly inescapable dilemmas. Each chapter is an arc of its own, making each update wonderfully satisfying to read through. It’s fairly early on in a slow-burn romance - early enough that I’d be hesitant to rec it if it were by almost any other author. However, notwhelmedyet has been proving her aptitude for writing these characters for a long time and I cannot recommend this highly enough! 

[idw-tf-library]

Fic Rec - Behind Me A Sword by oriflamme

behind me a sword by @oriflamme, recommended by @squireofgeekdom

Status: Complete / Length: 1554 Words / Location: AO3

Focal Characters: Cyclonus, Tailgate, Whirl

Focal relationship: Cyclonus/Tailgate/Whirl

Matching Categories: plot-light, character/relationship focused, worldbuilding, AU

Review/Recommendation:

This is an excellent MTMTE Imperial Radch AU. If you’re not familiar with the Imperial Radch trilogy, and you’re a fan of MTMTE, these novels will probably be right up your alley - they’re excellent sci fi / space drama with great characters and lots of feels, really fantastic worldbuilding, a lot of interesting political worldbuilding and commentary in particular - much like MTMTE - and a fair number of similar themes surrounding identity and agency and who gets to be treated as a person, all from a really great author. Of course, this rec is for this very excellent fic, which you could certainly read without having read the trilogy, however, I think it is much more enjoyable if you understand the significance of the worldbuilding going in. Also the fic technically has an implied spoiler for the ending of the trilogy, so I might bookmark it and come back to it after you’ve read the trilogy.

I really loved this fic for how well it blended the characters of MTMTE - specifically Cyclonus, Tailgate, and Whirl - into the world of the Imperial Radch, and kept what I really love about both of the two series. The characters were translated in really clever ways and felt so true to themselves - down to the very details - and to their relationships with each other. Keeping those relationships and what I love about those characters, while staying perfectly true to the worldbuilding, themes, and conflicts of the Imperial Radch, was handled exceptionally well. The fic is delightful to read - I’ve already read through it three times - and leaves me wanting more from this perfectly melded universe.

[idw-tf-library]

Fic Rec - Through the Red Tape by lantadyme

Through the Red Tape by lantadyme​, recommended by @choomchoom

Status: Complete / Length: 10829 Words / Location: AO3

Focal Characters: Chromedome, Rewind, Prowl, Brainstorm

Focal Relationships: Chromedome/Rewind

Matching Categories: plot-heavy, character introspective, canon-compliant 

Review/Recommendation: An older gem that has spot-on depictions of all its characters and a beautifully weaved-together plot that meshes mystery and personal drama. It’s set after Spotlight: Kup but I haven’t read that so I can guarantee you don’t need the context to enjoy the fic. A really excellent depiction of the relationships between the focal characters. 

[idw-tf-library]

Fic rec - Beautiful Radiant Things by Owlix

Beautiful Radiant Things by @owlixowl, recommended by @graviton-surge

Status: Complete / Length: 1,192 words / Location: AO3

Focal Characters: Soundwave

Focal Relationships: Soundwave & Ravage & Laserbeak & Buzzsaw, Soundwave & Megatron

Matching Categories: pre-war, character introspective, worldbuilding, canon-compliant

Review/Recommendation: 

A fic about Soundwave, centering around music. Every character is beautifully written, and the writing is a balance of concise and expressive.

[idw-tf-library]

Fic Rec - The Trust Job by squireofgeekdom

The Trust Job by @squireofgeekdom​, recommended by @choomchoom

Status: Complete / Length: 1805 Words / Location: AO3

Focal Characters: Rodimus, Drift

Focal Relationships: Drift & Rodimus

Matching Categories: plot-light, character introspective, AU

Review/Recommendation: A peek into an AU where some of the Lost Light crew make up a team of thieves and grifters doing crime for a good cause. Through one conversation between Rodimus and Drift, we get a really great peek into how their personalities express themselves in this environment. Their circumstances are very different from how they are on the Lost Light, making it all the more impressive that their personalities and interaction feel so authentic to them. The emotional arc in this short fic is lovely in and of itself - I’m always a sucker for seeing a character’s negative perception of themselves be gradually and definitively proven wrong. Highly recommended for anyone interested in these two characters and/or AUs!

[idw-tf-library]

Fic Rec - Seeing Double by not_whelmed_yet

Seeing Double written by @notwhelmedyet, recommended by @choomchoom

Status: Complete / Length: 20978 Words / Location: AO3

Focal Characters: Chromedome, Rewind, Cyclonus, Tailgate

Focal Relationship: Chromedome/Rewind, Chromedome/Rewind/Chromedome, Cyclonus/Tailgate

Matching Categories: plot-centric, romance, hurt-comfort, drama, post-war, canon-divergence

Review/Recommendation: I can’t believe this fantastic fic hasn’t made it onto this blog yet. Its premise is this: when the alternate Lost Light is attacked by the DJD, Chromedome erases his memories of Rewind to save Rewind’s life. He’s later rescued by the other Lost Light crew - alone. The fic is about finding Rewind and dealing with the consequences of it all. It’s got gutwrenching emotional moments, pitch-perfect characterization, and well-earned moments of lightheartedness. It explores the things that are central to Rewind and Chromedome and their relationship while being a stunning story on its own. 

The fic is part of a series that also includes shorter tie-in fics from Rewind’s perspective. Those are most effective in the context of Seeing Double, and they come highly recommended too!