The Post of Reylo Recs
Jan. 11th, 2018 11:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maplemoodA few days ago sunlit_stone and I got to talking about Reylo and I promised some recs, then went to write them down and ended up with a fairly long and (most likely) annoyingly gushy list. They're tons more amazing stories out there, but I narrowed it down to my personal five essentials; I hope you find a story or two to enjoy here. :)
Janus by englishable: The essential of the essentials; this is the one fic I can honestly say I think everyone who ships the pairing should read. It's deeply romantic and deeply sad, and puts a lot of focus and thought into a redemption arc for Ben Solo without skimping on Rey's character development or turning her into a manic-pixie-dream-girl-type character. It's also a modern-day AU, which I know isn't everyone's thing, but seriously, give it a try. I reread sections of this fic regularly, and I'm planning to do a full reread pretty soon--it's that good. Also includes lots of wonderful Ben & Leia interaction and a fabulously despicable Snoke.
Summary: She moves into the apartment beside his, with her flowers and her singing and her brisk optimism, and Ben Solo knows himself just well enough to realize that a person like him really shouldn't have anything to do with a person like her. His good friend Snoke, of course, has other plans, because he gets a certain enjoyment from watching Ben - Kylo Ren, rather, as he calls him - screw things up. Which Ben inevitably does: but that's not where he wants them to end, and maybe Rey doesn't either.
landscape with a blur of conquerors by diasterisms: Conquerors is a work-in-progress fic that's regularly updated every weekend or so. This one's another AU, but one set in the canon universe and one that incorporates lots of wonderful details and worldbuilding from the Expanded Universe/Star Wars Legends books. Best of all, it's an arranged marriage AU full of pretty much every single romantic trope I adore, gorgeous dresses, and a crap ton of political maneuvering. Rey and Ben have a wonderful rapport; they're almost constantly bickering about something as they slowly (very slowly) come to realize they care about each other. It's a joy to read.
Summary: "While I share your contempt for this situation in which we find ourselves, do not mistake it as apathy," he hissed through gritted teeth, dark eyes burning. "I hardly expect your disposition to sweeten, but I will be damned if I allow my future Empress to behave in a manner that reflects poorly on me and on the First Order!"
"If you allow?" She wrenched her arm out of his viselike grasp, batting his hand away for good measure. "I don't belong to you. I don't belong to anyone."
"That might have been the case back when you were a scavenger on that pitiful scrap heap of a planet, but now?" His sardonic gaze flickered over her silk robes and the jewels woven through her elaborate braids. "Now you are the Chume'da, and the Chume'da belongs to her people. Their fate is entirely in your hands. Should you cross the line, it is they who will suffer for it. Am I making myself clear?"
"I hate you," she said bitterly.
He sneered at her. "See? Already you are acclimatizing so well to married life."
left-handed kisses by incognitajones: Another canon AU wherein Ben Solo has defected to the Resistance and is completely oblivious to the fact that Rey may be be falling in love with him--not that she makes it very easy for him, or herself. This story is on the shorter side, with a simple but enjoyable writing style that I envy SO MUCH.
Summary: Rey turns away, but it doesn’t matter where she's looking; she could chart the precise location of every point on his body relative to hers with her eyes closed.
Morning in the Burned House by diasterisms: I adore a good romance seen from an outsider's point of view; this is Reylo seen from Leia's point of view! It was written pre-TLJ and so doesn't line up with canon in some ways, but features a glorious ending and lost of tension between both Rey & Ben and Leia & Ben. Luke also comes across as particularly wise and compassionate in this one.
Summary: Leia's not really surprised at all, to be honest, but, for the sake of his pride, she should probably pretend to be.
The Sword of Prince Hector by englishable: Fair warning--I found this one very, very hard to read. It's beautifully written and ultimately ends on a note of hope, but it found its inspiration in this kink meme prompt: “Kylo has returned to the Light Side and Leia has decreed that he won’t be executed. Certain people within the Resistance are very angry that he’s been ‘let off easy.’ They really, really want him to suffer and die, but they can’t do anything about it openly. So they decide to drive him to the point where he does it for them.” Again, though, this isn't one of those stories about suffering for the sake of suffering. It's about Ben finally accepting mercy and forgiveness, and it's about Rey and Leia standing by him, no matter what, and it's just. So. Painfully. Good. Not for everyone, but I absolutely loved it.
Summary: Kylo Ren - or whoever he thinks he is, the popular opinion runs, it won't change what he's done anyway - returns to the Light. He does not receive a warm welcome, not that he ever expected one.
Okay! I do have more but I figured starting with the gold standards would be less overwhelming (plus, I'm lazy).
sunlit_stone and I got to talking about Reylo and I promised some recs, then went to write them down and ended up with a fairly long and (most likely) annoyingly gushy list. They're tons more amazing stories out there, but I narrowed it down to my personal five essentials; I hope you find a story or two to enjoy here. :)Janus by englishable: The essential of the essentials; this is the one fic I can honestly say I think everyone who ships the pairing should read. It's deeply romantic and deeply sad, and puts a lot of focus and thought into a redemption arc for Ben Solo without skimping on Rey's character development or turning her into a manic-pixie-dream-girl-type character. It's also a modern-day AU, which I know isn't everyone's thing, but seriously, give it a try. I reread sections of this fic regularly, and I'm planning to do a full reread pretty soon--it's that good. Also includes lots of wonderful Ben & Leia interaction and a fabulously despicable Snoke.
Summary: She moves into the apartment beside his, with her flowers and her singing and her brisk optimism, and Ben Solo knows himself just well enough to realize that a person like him really shouldn't have anything to do with a person like her. His good friend Snoke, of course, has other plans, because he gets a certain enjoyment from watching Ben - Kylo Ren, rather, as he calls him - screw things up. Which Ben inevitably does: but that's not where he wants them to end, and maybe Rey doesn't either.
landscape with a blur of conquerors by diasterisms: Conquerors is a work-in-progress fic that's regularly updated every weekend or so. This one's another AU, but one set in the canon universe and one that incorporates lots of wonderful details and worldbuilding from the Expanded Universe/Star Wars Legends books. Best of all, it's an arranged marriage AU full of pretty much every single romantic trope I adore, gorgeous dresses, and a crap ton of political maneuvering. Rey and Ben have a wonderful rapport; they're almost constantly bickering about something as they slowly (very slowly) come to realize they care about each other. It's a joy to read.
Summary: "While I share your contempt for this situation in which we find ourselves, do not mistake it as apathy," he hissed through gritted teeth, dark eyes burning. "I hardly expect your disposition to sweeten, but I will be damned if I allow my future Empress to behave in a manner that reflects poorly on me and on the First Order!"
"If you allow?" She wrenched her arm out of his viselike grasp, batting his hand away for good measure. "I don't belong to you. I don't belong to anyone."
"That might have been the case back when you were a scavenger on that pitiful scrap heap of a planet, but now?" His sardonic gaze flickered over her silk robes and the jewels woven through her elaborate braids. "Now you are the Chume'da, and the Chume'da belongs to her people. Their fate is entirely in your hands. Should you cross the line, it is they who will suffer for it. Am I making myself clear?"
"I hate you," she said bitterly.
He sneered at her. "See? Already you are acclimatizing so well to married life."
left-handed kisses by incognitajones: Another canon AU wherein Ben Solo has defected to the Resistance and is completely oblivious to the fact that Rey may be be falling in love with him--not that she makes it very easy for him, or herself. This story is on the shorter side, with a simple but enjoyable writing style that I envy SO MUCH.
Summary: Rey turns away, but it doesn’t matter where she's looking; she could chart the precise location of every point on his body relative to hers with her eyes closed.
Morning in the Burned House by diasterisms: I adore a good romance seen from an outsider's point of view; this is Reylo seen from Leia's point of view! It was written pre-TLJ and so doesn't line up with canon in some ways, but features a glorious ending and lost of tension between both Rey & Ben and Leia & Ben. Luke also comes across as particularly wise and compassionate in this one.
Summary: Leia's not really surprised at all, to be honest, but, for the sake of his pride, she should probably pretend to be.
The Sword of Prince Hector by englishable: Fair warning--I found this one very, very hard to read. It's beautifully written and ultimately ends on a note of hope, but it found its inspiration in this kink meme prompt: “Kylo has returned to the Light Side and Leia has decreed that he won’t be executed. Certain people within the Resistance are very angry that he’s been ‘let off easy.’ They really, really want him to suffer and die, but they can’t do anything about it openly. So they decide to drive him to the point where he does it for them.” Again, though, this isn't one of those stories about suffering for the sake of suffering. It's about Ben finally accepting mercy and forgiveness, and it's about Rey and Leia standing by him, no matter what, and it's just. So. Painfully. Good. Not for everyone, but I absolutely loved it.
Summary: Kylo Ren - or whoever he thinks he is, the popular opinion runs, it won't change what he's done anyway - returns to the Light. He does not receive a warm welcome, not that he ever expected one.
Okay! I do have more but I figured starting with the gold standards would be less overwhelming (plus, I'm lazy).
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Date: 2018-01-11 08:32 pm (UTC)(I don't have a 'really excited' icon, I really need to up my game there, but just pretend that I do and I used it here. Thank you so much!!)
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Date: 2018-01-11 11:29 pm (UTC)And to think, I was once so sure I'd never look at any Sequel Trilogy ship but Rey/Finn...no subject
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