soopersara

[soopersara]

Thank you so much again! I really don't know what else to say aside from the fact that I've come back to read this whole post at least five times since I noticed it in the tag this morning. You made my day!

I hope you'll enjoy Book 2 when you dig into it! And I promise that a podfic is coming too (... someday. When the writing is done and I have enough wiggle room in my recording schedule to guarantee weekly updates 😅)!

I need to put this out there now or else I’ll never put it to words. A month or so back, I gave my recommendation for A Tale Of Ice And Smoke by SooperSara while I was in the middle of reading it. Back then I was on Chapter Twenty-Something and at this point I’ve finished it and

OH MY GOSH THIS FIC IS AMAAAAZIIIIIING!!!

First of all, Book 1 of the series is complete and has been adapted into an audiobook narrated by the author herself. Barring a few overlaps in the voice clips (;P), it’s incredibly well put together and the author represents and distinguishes the cast incredibly. If you’re interested and willing, please, please, PLEASE give it a listen.

Imma start talking about the plot itself now, so spoilers if you wanna check the fic out yourself.

So, a friend of mine introduced the concept of podfics to me a little over a year ago, and decided to check a decently sized one out to explore the genre. I chose ATOIAS because, one, it was a fandom I was familiar with, and two, it was my favorite subgenre of fics, that being girlboss roleswap AUs. (my beloved) To put it very simply, it’s basically ‘what if Katara was the Avatar?’. The story revolves around her perspective and her experience as the Avatar throughout all of Book 1, and makes damn well sure to differentiate what this role means to her from Aang. Who is also in the fic, to be clear. And also the Avatar. 

EH!? TWO AVATARS!? EHHHHHH!? So basically Aang died in the iceberg after 84 years and Katara became the Avatar, and then she encountered him in the North, and accidentally used some Avatar mumbo jumbo to bring him back to life. It was an interesting, and admittedly off-putting idea. I originally felt it detracted from the main premise, but SooperSara makes sure to both take full advantage of this plot point and ensure that this story is still very much Katara’s. It’s important to remember that a very important part of a good fic that readapts the original’s plot is to make the bits distinguishable enough to truly make their story their own, and as — especially as — the plot progresses, the author does that very well.

Let’s talk about Zuko. Zuko, Zuko, Zuko. The author ships Zutara HARD. Don’t blame her, it’s peak. Katara/Zuko was a relationship mentioned in the tags, and I was totally fine with it, but little did I know at the time, the fun girlboss roleswap AU fic was just a poorly disguised Zutara fic! To be clear, there is NOTHING wrong with that. At all. I don’t usually go for slow burn fics  barring a handful of ships I fixate on. Zutara is not one of them. That didn’t stop me from growing addicted to the relationship. 🫠 

For starters, Katara’s role as the Avatar is unknown to most of the population, as most people think it’s just Aang. The only ones who know it outside the Gaang and a couple of characters who catch her in the act, are Zuko and Iroh. So Zuko now has to both capture Aang AND Katara to complete his mission and return his honor and yadda yadda yadda and he has to do all of this without stirring suspicion lest a certain Zhao spread the news and try to take over his mission. So Zuko immediately has a strong and unique connection to Katara compared to canon which is the real basis behind the butterfly that leads to the growing relationship. He focuses his pursuits on her and her responses are muuuuuch different than Aang’s, usually by giving him an earful or the occasional fistful whilst the latter would usually attempt to disengage. That’s another thing. SooperSara really knows how to make the cast feel like the kids they are. The squabbles, sputters and scowls (:P) by all of the Gaang make them all feel so natural and in character and it really strengthens their character, especially in Katara and Zuko’s sense. The former is petty and the latter is grumpy and the dynamic between the two of them is just so, SO endearing. Anyway, Zuko ends up being as much of a protagonist as Katara as the perspective constantly changes to his and much of the most important emotional beats involve his time with the reader. Aang and Sokka also get some focus, and their characters are certainly not ignored, but Zuko and Katara are the backbone of what makes this fic so good.

The first quarter of the fic is a retelling of the first half of Book 1, while taking some creative liberties to alter certain plot points, and that was all fine and dandy and exactly what I expected, but the plot takes a BIG change during the adaptation of Episode 15 where Aang and the group have their falling out over the map to Hakoda except Zuko and June actually succeed in their mission to catch the Avatar mainly because the fight with Aang has increased meaning for Katara and Katara is actually Zuko’s primary target. The augmented drama ends up with Katara stuck on a Fire Nation ship for… quite a while. Like… for weeks. Like… the second quarter of the 80-chapter fic is in this boat, mainly in this cell. It’s a very small, tight setting. And I was initially very impatient as to when this chunk would be over, wanting to go back to ‘episodes of avatar but katara is the mc’. What I didn’t realize was how this new setting would be the perfect place for the relationship between Zuko and Katara, as well as Iroh and Katara for that matter. The way she’s so self-defeatingly and dangerously defensive in the beginning and the efforts Zuko went to make sure she didn’t end up killing herself in the cell — by keeping her in Iroh’s company — were admirable. And Katara slowly comes to realize that Zuko, despite himself and his own feelings, is, at the very least, a very decent and complicated person. And Zuko is constantly conflicted by how much he finds he cares about not only his prisoner, but the other people around him as Katara constantly calls him out and gets on his nerves in their verbal skirmishes while still showing each other respect. In the end, they’re both kids, and they were thankfully raised on good morals despite their actions. Katara’s animosity between him for his actions, calling him just as bad as Zhao, remains until he ends up saving her life when Zhao blows up Zuko’s ship. I was initially a little detached from this change, constantly wondering which chapter would be the end of this tangent, but the growing bond between these two seemingly incompatible kids had somehow snared me sometime within. The chapter where Zuko returns Katara’s necklace was the first time I have EVER cried during a fanfic, and that was only enhanced by listening to the audiobook. (Another reason to go listen to it >:[)

So, yeah. About that. Preceding The Siege of The North, Zhao dismisses Zuko’s crew and basically destroys his mission to capture the Avatar all in his father’s name, and after attempting to blow the prince up as well as his newfound doubts of his mission via Katara being herself (in the most annoying way possible) Zuko is practically broken. He survives the explosion and stows away on Zhao’s ship with Iroh and when the plans to attack the North become apparent, Zuko, good-natured, guilty, and disillusioned by Katara’s constant questions feels a responsibility to protect and prepare the Avatar for the oncoming invasion. Not necessarily because he likes her or anything… o_o …but because his own conscience, now clearer than ever, recognizes that this attack is wrong and he has to do something about it.

The entire second half of the 80-chapter fic is in the Northern Water Tribe, which I was actually happy with, especially after how my feelings changed after the Fire Nation ship. It meant we’d get to spend more time with Yue and see Katara grow as a waterbender, and it would help strengthen the character and relationships between the rest of the Gaang. It takes a bit for Katara to actually get to train, Pakku being Pakku, but it really feels as if it pays off by the end. And Zuko. Zuko, Zuko, Zuko. He shows up much earlier than in canon to warn Katara, albeit with no real plan past that… because he’s Zuko. So when he’s found, which is thankfully very quickly, Katara drags him by the ear and sticks him in an ice pit for the next twenty chapters. In that time he becomes acquainted with the Gaang and soon gets dismissed as a threat. They talk, they bond, they spar once Zuko is allowed out and the relationships get plenty of time to develop and solidify in ways that never could’ve been possible in 20 minute episodes while still maintaining an enjoyable pace, which is impressive considering this is 40 chapters that represent 2 episodes. Zuko and Katara’s relationship carries the whole thing. Zuko’s awkward, angsty and bad with feelings, and Katara’s ill-tempered, spiteful and wears her emotions on her sleeve. They’re kind of perfect for each other. The perfect people to talk to — read ‘argue with’. Seeing them feel so much responsibility and connection for each other (though, not quite love [yet]) more and more is an addicting feeling.  While I won’t spoil the ending with the Siege, I will say that everything that’s happened wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for Zhao being an asshole. So thank him for the Zutarany goodness.

But seriously, this is one of the best fics I’ve indulged in, and certainly the best one I’ve ever listened to. Author’s in the middle of Book 2 right now, which I have admittedly not begun, but I’m really looking forward to reading it.

tl;dr, came for the girlboss, stayed for the zutara. 

also sokka says fuck. 10/10 would recommend.

[soopersara]

Zutara Week dates are here! This year's fandom celebration will be held August 10th thru August 16th, 2025 here on Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter, and Bluesky! We'll be posting official guidelines in the following weeks regarding submissions and how to participate for new folks, but please feel free to send a message to our ask box if you have questions/concerns prior to the event! Also big shoutout to @addictofreading for volunteering their art for this year's icon/prompt menu! Go give them a follow! Discord Server :: http://discord.gg/e24vVT8YeR Mods :: @pugcrumbs @a-rose-by-any-other-doctor @soopersara

[soopersara]

A Tale of Ice and Smoke

Chapter 40: Into the Night

With the lessons and the battles of the North Pole behind them, Katara and Zuko set off on separate journeys across the Earth Kingdom. While Katara pursues her next element, Zuko flees the nation and family that tried to destroy him. Though their paths promise new friendships and new challenges for them both, destiny seems determined to bring them back together someday.

This time:

The Avatars' journey to find and join the Southern Water Tribe fleet begins.

Read it on AO3

[soopersara]

A Tale of Ice and Smoke

Chapter 40: Into the Night

With the lessons and the battles of the North Pole behind them, Katara and Zuko set off on separate journeys across the Earth Kingdom. While Katara pursues her next element, Zuko flees the nation and family that tried to destroy him. Though their paths promise new friendships and new challenges for them both, destiny seems determined to bring them back together someday.

This time:

The Avatars' journey to find and join the Southern Water Tribe fleet begins.

Read it on AO3

[soopersara]

A Tale of Ice and Smoke

Chapter 40: Into the Night

With the lessons and the battles of the North Pole behind them, Katara and Zuko set off on separate journeys across the Earth Kingdom. While Katara pursues her next element, Zuko flees the nation and family that tried to destroy him. Though their paths promise new friendships and new challenges for them both, destiny seems determined to bring them back together someday.

This time:

The Avatars' journey to find and join the Southern Water Tribe fleet begins.

Read it on AO3

[soopersara]

Souvenirs We Never Lose written by Taliax (aka @taliaxlatia)

Zuko remembers what Katara said about the spirit water. Now there are two scars to heal, and both his and Katara's feelings are more complicated—but if he wants to erase the past, she's willing to help. She owes him that much, and more.

Podfic on AO3

[soopersara]

Souvenirs We Never Lose written by Taliax (aka @taliaxlatia)

Zuko remembers what Katara said about the spirit water. Now there are two scars to heal, and both his and Katara's feelings are more complicated—but if he wants to erase the past, she's willing to help. She owes him that much, and more.

Podfic on AO3

[soopersara]

A Tale of Ice and Smoke

Chapter 39: Eavesdropping

With the lessons and the battles of the North Pole behind them, Katara and Zuko set off on separate journeys across the Earth Kingdom. While Katara pursues her next element, Zuko flees the nation and family that tried to destroy him. Though their paths promise new friendships and new challenges for them both, destiny seems determined to bring them back together someday.

This time:

While Aang wrestles with unfamiliar feelings, Toph sets out to confront her newly-discovered bending vulnerabilities.

Read it on AO3

[soopersara]

A Tale of Ice and Smoke

Chapter 39: Eavesdropping

With the lessons and the battles of the North Pole behind them, Katara and Zuko set off on separate journeys across the Earth Kingdom. While Katara pursues her next element, Zuko flees the nation and family that tried to destroy him. Though their paths promise new friendships and new challenges for them both, destiny seems determined to bring them back together someday.

This time:

While Aang wrestles with unfamiliar feelings, Toph sets out to confront her newly-discovered bending vulnerabilities.

Read it on AO3

[soopersara]

A Tale of Ice and Smoke

Chapter 39: Eavesdropping

With the lessons and the battles of the North Pole behind them, Katara and Zuko set off on separate journeys across the Earth Kingdom. While Katara pursues her next element, Zuko flees the nation and family that tried to destroy him. Though their paths promise new friendships and new challenges for them both, destiny seems determined to bring them back together someday.

This time:

While Aang wrestles with unfamiliar feelings, Toph sets out to confront her newly-discovered bending vulnerabilities.

Read it on AO3

[soopersara]

Thank you so much! Finishing Book 1 (both the fic and the podfic) is by far my proudest accomplishment so far, and I'm glad to hear that you enjoy it!

Now if I can just get the huge amount of writing time I'll need to push through the rest of Book 2 so I can start releasing the podfic of that part too... 😅

I’ve been listening to A Tale Of Ice And Smoke by SooperSara and I am just baffled by the amount of effort being put into it. And yes, I said “listening” because this 80 chapter behemoth had been narrated by the author herself. Not only does she do so with impressive professionalism, but is able to represent each character amazingly. (I am a sucker for banter.) She perfectly encapsulates Sokka’s Sokka-ness. I have nothing but respect and envy for the author’s passion and work ethic.

Quite possibly THE Avatar!Katara fic. Highly recommend. The link directs to the audiobook which fully covers Book 1, but it’s also on AO3, where the author is currently in the middle of Book 2. Please give it a listen/read!

[soopersara]

Zutara Week 2025!

August, fellas! We're looking forward to this year's Zutara Week! Below you can fill out our Google Form to help us select from a carefully curated list of prompts, as well as help us choose which dates in August will better work for when to hold the event! We are also looking for some artwork to use for our icons/banners this year! So if there were any participants from the last few years that wouldn't mind for us to use their work, please reach out! Responses will close at the beginning of June, with announcements following soon after. Thanks a bunch, guys!

[soopersara]

Update:

It appears that this specific blog has been terminated, but the warning still stands! Scammers don't give up that easily.

Hey, folks, be cautious of people reposting fanart, especially if they keep the original poster's caption and add a fake "read more" link! I just saw a repost of my A Tale of Ice and Smoke cover art from @doymadakitun in the Zutara and ATLA tags, and the URL of the "read more" link looks extremely fishy. I've already reported the repost (and ~10 reposts of other ATLA art pieces on their account), but who knows how long it will be before Tumblr takes action. In the meantime, please don't engage with those posts! In addition to stealing art, I wouldn't be surprised at all if this account is an attempt to hack other people's accounts.

[soopersara]

Hey, folks, be cautious of people reposting fanart, especially if they keep the original poster's caption and add a fake "read more" link! I just saw a repost of my A Tale of Ice and Smoke cover art from @doymadakitun in the Zutara and ATLA tags, and the URL of the "read more" link looks extremely fishy. I've already reported the repost (and ~10 reposts of other ATLA art pieces on their account), but who knows how long it will be before Tumblr takes action. In the meantime, please don't engage with those posts! In addition to stealing art, I wouldn't be surprised at all if this account is an attempt to hack other people's accounts.

[soopersara]

A Tale of Ice and Smoke

Chapter 38: The Road Forward

With the lessons and the battles of the North Pole behind them, Katara and Zuko set off on separate journeys across the Earth Kingdom. While Katara pursues her next element, Zuko flees the nation and family that tried to destroy him. Though their paths promise new friendships and new challenges for them both, destiny seems determined to bring them back together someday.

This time:

Now that they're all together again, the group decides on a new destination.

Read it on AO3

[soopersara]

A Tale of Ice and Smoke

Chapter 38: The Road Forward

With the lessons and the battles of the North Pole behind them, Katara and Zuko set off on separate journeys across the Earth Kingdom. While Katara pursues her next element, Zuko flees the nation and family that tried to destroy him. Though their paths promise new friendships and new challenges for them both, destiny seems determined to bring them back together someday.

This time:

Now that they're all together again, the group decides on a new destination.

Read it on AO3

[soopersara]

A Tale of Ice and Smoke

Chapter 38: The Road Forward

With the lessons and the battles of the North Pole behind them, Katara and Zuko set off on separate journeys across the Earth Kingdom. While Katara pursues her next element, Zuko flees the nation and family that tried to destroy him. Though their paths promise new friendships and new challenges for them both, destiny seems determined to bring them back together someday.

This time:

Now that they're all together again, the group decides on a new destination.

Read it on AO3