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ibitchytimemachine · 5 years

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VBO Mini Bang Round-Up

I know that I had mini reviews of the art for the @vegebulocracy Big Bang this past winter, but there are SO MANY stories and pieces of artwork for the mini that I just can’t (minus one). What I will say is that the talent and artwork that was presented in this event was just amazing, and I am not sure I could pick a favorite nearly as easily as I did for the Big Bang! One thing that did bother me with SEVERAL of the stories, it the fact that they are broken into multiple parts. Not so much that they are broken up, but the fact that they are broken up in a way that doesn’t have a satisfying close to one part of the story. If you are gonna write for an event like this I think it is SUPER important to bring your story to some sort of conclusion, even if you don’t finish the story, just so people feel satisfied at the end. That is really one of my biggest criticisms of several of the works here. So with that out of the way, lets jump into the stories! There are probably spoilers below, so beware! (I’ll try to keep them light)

Dive

@rockykelboa

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 13,448

This is a fun little one shot written as though you are watching a movie. I really got a tarantino-esque feel reading this story. The dialogue had that irreverent dark humor feel to it. Nothing was sacred and everything a joke. I really love the way characters interact with each other. The smutty sex scene is steamy and goddamn Bulma is bad…. Also something about the thought of Raditz listening in on them does things to me. I love the twist, and she sets it up so nicely in the story. If you are not thinking about the end game, you probably won’t even see it coming, but little things Bulma does and says throughout the story really set up the twist ending nicely. I feel like the delivery is a bit forced and feels a little out of place. But overall the story is very well written and I am honestly not sure I can give any reasons for anyone to not read it.

Blinded

@scarletraven1001

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 14,765

What happens when blind dates go wrong, and then oh-so right? And then maybe wrong again? This story is funny, sweet, and over all a wild ride. I have said it probably a million times, but I will say it again, I love how she incorporates nods to canon into her fics. And there are so many “easter eggs” in this story. I like how it doesn’t take itself seriously. It’s a dry humor but completely not dark. And Damn does this fic feel like the slowest burn ever. The whole first four chapters happen in one night but never have I needed them to get to the point more than reading this story. She builds the tension in the date night really nicely. Then you get the raging of the end of chapter 4. I know when I read it all I wanted to do was slam my fists against the keyboard. Another A+ story definitely worth your time reading.

Life at the Edge of a Blade

@bearstarseraphffxi

Rating: General Audiences

Word Count: 20,459

Reading this was like reading the weirdest filler episode ever. The plot is odd but shockingly believable in the DragonBall Verse. I mean if they had episodes dedicated to baseball between universes, I am sure they would get Vegeta figure skating in direct competition with Yamcha. Bear’s characterizations were done quite well. I really can’t think of a character that the author didn’t peg. There were some funny moments too, I remember at least once laughing out loud. There is some fluff between V/B but no romance really. It is a very dry piece, and a lot of the writing feels very technical, but if you like really canon characterizations and if you are interested in reading a piece that could really be a several episode filler for the three year gap, you may enjoy this one.

Within

Blacksheep115

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 11,020

Gosh, what an interesting story! In general I am in love with the interesting ideas blacksheep has in her stories. This is a story that could very well fit in the canon, it occurs during the three year gap and it really doesn’t follow a story about them as a couple, although there are some QUITE STEAMY moments in it (but no sex).Speaking of...I love the idea of Vegeta using his sexual energy against Bulma. You read so many fics of Bulma going after Vegeta and really amping up the sex appeal to get him to do things, but the idea of him pouring water all over himself ‘cause he knows she is watching him and later pinning her and using her attraction for him against her… just A+ and so in character for him. I don’t wanna give away the twist ending cause GODDAMN it is so good and unexpected… and just wow.. You really gotta read it.

#badman

@1vulgarwoman

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 17,319

So I love everything I have ever read from 1vulgarwoman, she writes such fun pieces and I came into this one with images of Heavy Lifting and Fundamentals of Chemistry in mind. I loved the way the plot and the romantic subplot were equally interesting. The world was rich and vibrant, humor was on point. The handling of character relationships and interactions in this fic were done fantastically well. And then the smut scenes. I think anyone who has ever read any of her fics know that when it’s time for the smut, you need to prepare yo’ body cause its about to get real. She does not disappoint, with a STEAMY sexting/Facetime scene and then the last half of the last chapter is just splooshworthy. I will say that talking only about the smut really downplays the greatness of the rest of this fic though, and I would 1,000 percent recc this to anyone.

Z-Men

Super_Saiyanerd

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 8,290

I have some pretty big issues with this piece. As my faithful readers are probably aware, I really have a hard time with crossovers, because so often it is two things I love mashed together, and the spark that makes the things great is lost. That is one of the problems with this piece. It didn’t feel like either a Dragon Ball AU or an X-Men AU. But the biggest issue I have with this piece is scope and flow. This author is trying to tackle too much in the time and word limit provided. We are working on a love story between Vegeta and Bulma, but also the whole of the Dark Phoenix saga. It’s just too broad and because of that the flow is off. There are huge time jumps that don’t make sense, and while I get that we are seeing little vignettes of the story, it is confusing. I would have liked to nix the Phoenix storyline and go with OC X-Men, that are based off of the traits of the Dragon Ball characters. Bulma would make a great Beast for example. But then explore the characters relationships through a much simpler plot than anything Phoenix related.

War Thunder

@jonahwhalesw1

Rating: Explicit

Word Count:24,994

So this is a WWII all human AU. There are some really nice things going on set up for the plot, however it just never kicks in. We are 25,000 words into the story and most of the writing has been about sexual tension between Bulma and Vegeta. Now don’t get me wrong, I like a build up of sexual tension, it really makes the pay off of when they finally kiss or fuck or whatever they are gonna do so much better. I wish that maybe BSV had slowed down the romantic plot of this fic a bit and interspersed more of the other parts of the plot. Or maybe written some interactions that built up their attraction in a nonsexual way. It feels very Porn without Plot to me right now, and it is because the romantic plot is so in your face. I really want to know more about what the war is doing to the community. What kinds of changes in our history does having the Colds on planet and fighting with Nazis? Is there gonna be an extermination of Saiyans? I feel like with some of those war time plot bunnies thrown into the mix the story would feel more vibrant and alive, cause right now it is PWP, but also without porn at this point in the story. It was a fun read, it just left me wanting more.

Elusion

@piccoloisgreen

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 19,550

So, I fucking loved this story. It shared shocking similarities to some of the ideas and themes in my story, which I loved reading about. I love the Bulma in captivity trope apparently. I really dont want to give too much away, but I love the beginning of the fic, this idea that they are instantly attracted to each other and there is no real dancing around the subject and they are just diving right into it is nice. I am not sure if it is because of the word count restrictions, or time limit or what, but I felt like the jump from the escape to the first death was a shocking break. I would have liked to see more of what was happening during those lost years. I appreciate the surprise of the killer, and their abilities, and I feel like it wrapped up nicely, but the beginning of the last chapter felt so rushed and leaves me wanting more information about thought processes and feelings. Overall, a fantastic fic, and worth your time to read.

Healing

@starrcrossrose

Rating: Mature

Word Count:

So when I first read this fic I was amazed at how well Starcross emoted. So many of the paragraphs just felt like being right inside Vegeta’s head as he was descending in this spiral of self loathing. The formatting choices were a nice touch, to show how he is quarreling within himself. I like the idea also of Bulma NOT being so happy go lucky and needing this kind of comfort. She is for all intents and purposes in canon alone so much. Yamcha comes around sure, but her friends are really never around. So she is alone a lot and life gets sad when you are alone. I think she caught this feeling and nuance really well. I really enjoy this story, it follows the timeline of canon pretty well, so if you aren’t super into AUs this is a good choice for you. It is pretty angsty, and with a title like Healing, you probably think it will have a happy ending, but if you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention.

A Mermaid’s Tale

DBZVB1991

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 15,740

This is a Book One situation here. And the entirety of this submission is just setting up the intrigue of the story. I had mentioned in the Big Bang that it makes me nervous when I see crossovers between two things I love because so often it is just a mish mash of the flavors of two worlds that don’t go together. I do think that DBZVB1991 worked hard on worldbuilding a believable crossover world between the two. It is way more Dragon Ball than Little Mermaid and I am OK with that honestly. For most of the fic they follow The Little Mermaid storyline pretty closely. There are one or two plot bunnies that are different than TLM, but mostly it follows the plot pretty closely. I like where I think it may be going, but really it is so hard to review this properly because the story just hasn’t even really started yet. This is a story that is worth a read, but feels unsatisfying mostly because of how unfinished it is at the moment.

Beatae Memoriae

@ambrosiaswhispers

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 15, 724

This is absolutely an amazing fic. The story follows Vegeta through losing his memory, and it just freaking brings the feels. Tashana really knows how to craft an emotionally charged story, and she brings bits of the canon back in a very organic way that doesn’t drag the piece down. There is a squidgeta cameo in the piece, so if you are into my wiggly boi, you are in luck! The pacing of this story is on point, she nails both sweet family man Vegeta AND feral angry Vegeta perfectly. I wanted more of the interactions of Gohan and Goten with Bra, but dammit I am so glad she didn’t give it to me, cause I feel like it would have damaged the pacing. This story was crafted so beautifully, and it is one that gives you this little insight into their lives and leaves you wanting more - but doesn’t drag on so you get tired of reading. Fantastically done, you really should go read it cause it is amazing.

Captive

@janxangel

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 24,979

SO one thing that I noticed while reading this fic is how BAD ASS the women are in the story. Like good grief, Chi Chi and Launch were just KILLER (Bulma too, but we are used to seeing her be cool)I like that this is a story with no romantic plotline. Like they are working together not because they wanna bone, but because it is the most strategic thing to do. And Janx writes strategy really well. I felt like the fight scenes drug on a little long, and I would have liked them to be shorter and interlaced with more emotion, instead of blow by blow. Plus I think with the word limitations they could have gotten more bang for their buck with some better wrap up. I wish that things had turned out a little differently, the events on Namek were so similar to canon, and I wonder what could have happened differently than canon with this AU. Overall a fun and easy read, if not a little dry - definitely something that I would recommend to someone who is not interested in a romantic plotline.

Revel (In Our Time)

@jadefyre

Rating: Explicit

Word Count:19,979

Ok so this has a full story arc and whoa buddy is it a doozy. Its intriguing, cause there is this wonderful mishmash of all these fantastic post-apocalyptic cyber-punky worlds and it just works really really well together. From the Big Brother aspect of 1984 to the Ghost in the Machine philosophy that spawned so much, it captures that feel of the grey maddening world. I loved and hated the first chapter, cause I thought the whole story would be written this way (which would make a really cool story BTW, just really hard to follow cause you have to really pay attention). I love the world, I love the plot and intrigue and how DARK it is, I love the mini romance, but I REALLY love the twist. I mean you kinda see it coming, but hope it doesn’t happen, but it is perfect cause it closes the story well, and then leaves you NEEDING the next part of the series. Really fantastic job, yall should read this one definitely.

Legends

LeonaHart

Rating:mature

Word Count: 6,172

When the outlines were dropped this was one that i was dying to read. I am super intrigued by this idea of the Saiyan creation myth. I am curious how the Vegeta destruction God and Bulma creation Goddess could come around later as some sort of destined lovers trope. I really liked the nods to cannon (omg buu being the God of Destructions bubblegum is awesome) i wish it was finished, so i have a hard time really commenting much more on it, but i definitely hope it gets finished cause it has such an interesting premise. I also have to say that while I like the story, the writing feels very proper and antiquated. Now it may very well be that this is a style choice because of the story, but I struggled with it a little.

The Dark Prince

EmbarrassedButKinky (I tried to @superbandanna but Tumblr sucks)

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 18,241

The very first chapter of Dark Prince had me so nostalgic for Obsidian. The demon pact to save the company(world), the ability for Bulma to be taken care of “magically”. Then it splintered into this interesting mix of like… underworld mafia hitmen meets Death Note. I think that EBK is on point with all her references, something she does really well in her fics. I know a lot of people really liked this fic, but it just fell flat for me. Don’t get me wrong, it had some wonderful moments, and wonderfully smutty! It just felt so rushed. It was too insta-love for me, and I wished the development of the Ray betrayal scene, subsequent rescue and the aftermath all could have been developed and drawn out more. I liked this story, but coming from the writer of Stages of a Claim (my absolute favorite of hers, fight me) I just expected this to be a little more developed and polished.

Aspara, Queen of Sadala

@lisac1965-blog

Rating: Mature

Word Count:15,922

I liked this one. It is based off the book of Esther and I wish she would have adapted the story a little more to fit the characters better. Bulma seemed out of character a bit and I imagine her relying more on her own brains and technology to bring people through rough times than a God. I do think this book of the Bible works well as a VegeBul adaptation though, and except for a few things I really think lisa did a good job with it. The flow was mostly really good, I feel like she was battling word count, or maybe time limits cause some things felt so rushed. While I understand she is remaining faithful to the source, I wish some more creative liberties were taken. For example, I would either omit the Zarbon/Dodoria plot line and focus on Ray being the big baddie, he seems to just come out of nowhere as the bad guy and I wish there had been more foreshadowing of him being a douche than just “There are a lot of Saiyans who want to exterminate humans” The story however was very fun to read. Descriptors were vivid and made the world feel more real. The relationship felt forced, but honest - true, cause hell it was forced. The Epilogue of sorts was nice cause you got to see how their relationship developed and grew. Overall a quick, simple read that was fun!

Sanguinary

@ibitchytimemachine

Rating:Explicit

Word Count: 21,309

So this is my piece for the Mini Bang, and since I am biased, I will just tell you a little about the piece. It was inspired by RPG’s like Dungeons and Dragons (and you nerds out there may catch some of the DnD easter eggs I put in there) and epic fantasy. My main thought was, what if Bulma and Vegeta’s roles were completely reversed? So we tell the story of their lives with the idea that Bulma was in the PTO for years, while Vegeta has been living peacefully on his home planet. Not everything is OK on Vegeta-sei though, so trouble is brewing. As with a role reversal story, this is told through the eyes of the opposite person, AKA Vegeta. This is the first part in a trilogy that I have named Surgere et Cadere, and the next installment will be called Imperium. This first part follows us through the story of Vegeta and Bulma’s meeting, and the consequences of her being on Vegeta-sei. I really hope you enjoy my submission!

So I know that I had a top three for the Big Bang, but there are SO MANY fics for the Mini, I am gonna do a top five!! It was really hard to pick these, cause there are some really fantastic stories for this event!! In no particular order, the pieces that I think are the best 5 are: Beatae Memoriae, by @ambrosiaswhispers, Elusion by @piccoloisgreen, Revel (In Our Time) by @jadefyre, #badman by @1vulgarwoman and Sanguinary by ME ;P!

#BTM Fic Review #Vegebulocracy #vbo mini bang 2019 #fanfiction #fan fiction review #fan fiction recs

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ibitchytimemachine · 6 years

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FanFiction Recommendations

Pretty much everyday I see some post about people looking for Vegebul fanfics. Here is a list of fics I have read (or are currently reading) and enjoyed. There are other fics I have read and liked, but maybe not enough to recommend (if that makes sense). Some of these I already have longer reviews for and I have linked the review just incase you want to see what I thought about it before you read the story. Some of these I have reviews in process. I will update the post as I read more, and as I review more fics! I tried to tag any of you that I could, If you aren't tagged, just send a message and I’ll pop you in! Dig in Below the cut!

Some of the fics below are our lemon goodness (with some plot) I will mark these with a ~

Black Coffee - @jadefyre

Concerto - @bitchii-usa

Red - LadyVegeets (I need more of this one!!)

On Set - LadyVegeets

City of Stars - Mynsii

Girl Next Door - LadyVegeets

Hindsight - @neala-ernswa. (see My Review)

Choices - @saijanbulma

Ready? - LadyVegeets

Never Ever Land - @dragonbabezee

Endlessly (and the sequel Butterflies and Hurricanes)- @froglady15 (see My Review)

Accidental Intimacy - Springandbysummerfall

Vengeance - catgirl26 (See my review)

~ Blue Doll - LadyVegeets

Friends - LadyVegeets

Hiraeth - @jbae654

Clandestine - @thats-my-bulma

Surviving Paradise - theAsho

Diamond in the Rough - vegebul_soup

Matchmaker - @jadefyre

Burnout - blackcatscratch

Out of Time - Writersblock42

The Lost Prince - PearlsValeMel

~ Insurrection - ScarletRaven1001

Cut from the Team - @rockykelboa (see My Review)

Camp Four Star - vegebul_soup

Road to Recovery - @lovethecrystalrose (see My Review)

Playing to Win - springandbysummerfall

Purge - @brinker-hadley

~ War Drums - Cardinal_Daughter

The Prince of Ash and Snow - @thenotsosupersaiyan

~ Monkey Business: A Misummer’s Night Dream - dragonbabezee

Tit for Tat - @the-tesseract-wrinkling-time (See my review)

Yellow Roses - SarahW

~ Lectures on Phonetics - saiyan_no_hime

A Glad Day - Lisalu. (see My Review)

Keiyaku (and the sequel Kotonari) - @emmaekay

~ Tell Me - MajinNeda. (see My Review)

Broken Down Universe - dragonbabezee. (see My Review)

Fire Meet Gasoline - MsDocWho

The Sweetest Dream - @blacksheep115stuff

The Art of War - Roz

Places That We Knew - wbss21

~ Selcouth - jbae654

Something Borrowed, Something Black and Blue - @rcmclachlan

College 101: Intro to One Night Stands - Vegebul_Soup

Additions as of January 2019

Big Bang 2018 STORIES

First of all, if you haven’t checked out the Vegebulocracy Big Bang Stories and Art, go do that now! I 100 percent recommend those fics. HERE IS THE LINK TO MY REVIEWS OF THE FICS!

Lucid Dreams - @hannabelllecter

Fake It Till You Break It - @aladylan

Glorious: Book 1 - @froglady15

On Guard - @maiikawriter

Gunship - @rockykelboa

Emissary - @jadefyre

Illuminary Inc. - @dragonbabezee

Retribution - @scarletraven1001 (See my in depth review)

Other Fics

Unwanted - LavenderGoddessV (see My Review)

In the Shadows - @niteryde (see My Review)

Hookups and Hangups - springandbysummerfall

Collide - @aladylan

Into This Night I Wander - @nudepasta

A Gift Lost - Zero_paradise

~Heavy Lifting - @1vulgarwoman

Additions as of July 2019

Mini Bang 2019 Stories

You can read through my reviews of all the stories here.

Although everyone did an amazing job writing their fics and you should read as many as you can (and the art was amazing), my favorite picks from the mini were:

Dive @rockykelboa

Blinded @scarletraven1001

Life at the Edge of a Blade @bearstarseraphffxi

Within @blacksheep1105

#Bandman @1vulgarwoman

Elusion @piccoloisgreen

Beatae Memoriae @ambrosiaswhispers

Revel @jadefyre

Sanguinary @ibitchytimemachine

Other Fics

At His Mercy @neala-ernswa (See my review)

Flight bluelily3 (See my review)

Command Me Lightphyre (See my review)

Galactic Pursuit @lady_red (see my review)

Obsession @vegebul-soup

Evil AnyMonoUs

Grand Opening xingshous

Nothing Interesting Happened Today pandare

Small Miscalculations jacotaco

A Place in the Sun @rockykelboa

Capsule Corp Cryptid WugBug

Pop Culture Mahagonydoodles

Destiny Khandy_raynne

Bandaids on Bulletholes @1vulgarwoman

Cake, Coffee and Confession @ultra-butane-baby

Reign @thats-my-bulma

I read MOSTLY VegeBul Fics, however there are two non VegeBul fics that I 100 percent recommend.

Real Men Don’t Make Sandwiches - anenglisheducation

Hilarious, Krillin and Veggie. (see My Review)

Fairy Tails Don’t Exist - Under8000

Raditz Centric, heartbreaking must read

Writers who I enjoy pretty much everything

I have probably added some of their works above, but literally everything I have read from these writers has been fantastic.

@ladyvegeets

@scarletraven1001

@rockykelboa

@sarahw-world

@vegebulsoup

@jbae654

@dragonbabezee

Shameless Self-Promotion

I can promise you that my writing is nowhere as good as some of the stories above, but if you want give my stuff a chance, here are the links!

Sanguinary

Book one of a trilogy. Vegeta-sei AU. Bulma is a warrior. Written for VBO mini bang. Complete

In His Head

Vegeta introspective following the three year gap. One shot, subtitled Resting Bitch Face.

Childhood Memories

Written for TPTH Smutfest 2019. Mostly fluff, complete.

Hippies

Veggie at an Earth Day festival. (for Vegebulocracy BBB)

Training Day

Daddy/Daughter training (for the TPTH BVDN 11/18)

~ The Story of Us

Pure Filth, for the TPTH SmutFest 10/18

~Long Time

Also Pure Filth

Here are some links to other lists like this one.

The only reason I have my current list is because I ran into other peoples lists of fics, so here are a few I have kept over time and refer back to when I am in the mood for something not bookmarked on Ao3.

Vegebulocracy’s Author Showcase: Volume 1

Jbae654′s Fanfic List

List of authors

@ultra-butane-baby‘s list of Vegebul Reads in 2017

#fanfiction #list #Vegeta x Bulma #vegeta #bulma #recommendations

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