This is a notice to all the BGC lurkers on the FFML....you're missing a
good fanfic.

No we're not... some of us are just slow...

I'm speaking of the recently-released "Into the Shadows", co-authored by
Jeanne Hedge and Andy (Panda) Skuse. 

And just read by me a couple hours ago.  Wonderful work...  as soon as I
can print it off I'm going to read it to my wife...

	1. Everyone C&C's their story, and I don't pun the mailing list. (-_^)

What, and deprive us?

	2. Everyone C&C's their story, and I'll post the update of Zone #10
	    which, BTW, now has a completed birthday party scene at
	    Sylia's. (^_^)

Ah, well, then, that's a reasonable offer.


Jeanne, Andy...

Very nice piece of work.  One of the first things I look at in a fic is
how "right" the characters' "voices" sound -- that's my particular strong
point in fiction writing and the one that stands out most immediately to
me.  And I have to say that they all sound just about dead on.  

The little bits (and large bits) of backstory are wonderfully inventive,
and dovetail nicely into the canon -- Sylia's "year abroad as a soldier of
fortune" answered the number one question I've always had about her.  The
growing development of the friendship we see from episode one is well
handled and never feels strained, although I don't think I would have seen
Nene having *that* much of a confidence problem at first....

My only complaint is that Priss and Linna's flashbacks in their first
combat, while narratively balancing Nene's, don't give us exactly the same
effect as Nene's.  I can't quite put my finger on exactly what's failing
there -- Linna's comes much closer to working, though, than Priss'.  They
also spoil the flow of the fight...  Oh, and I'm curious if Sylia had a
flashback that we just didn't see... <grin>

Overall though, a fine work that is going right into my personal archive.

-- Bob

-- 
===============================================================================
Robert M. Schroeck            || "When in trouble or in doubt,
rms@cnj.digex.net             ||     Run in circles, scream and shout."
http://www.cnj.digex.net/~rms || I have no mouse and I must scream.