Sutcliff Swap Rec Party: Recs from 2012-2016

[chantefable]

As announced by mod riventhorn, the annual exchange for Rosemary Sutcliff sutcliff_swap will be on hiatus this year. The Swap is coming back next year, but in the meantime -

Let us celebrate the wonderful creations from Sutcliff Swap Collections 2012-2016!

THIS IS OUR SUTCLIFF SWAP VINTAGE REC PARTY.

You are welcome to rec your favourites and comment with your opinions on the treasures through the years. Shine a light on the fics and artworks that were dear to you (whether they were made for you, by you, or simply caught your eye). It is acceptable to be enthusiastic, brandish your spear, play your tambourine, and sing odes to your beloved obscure canons. Share the love!

Comments

Frontier Wolf: The Second Love

[chantefable]

In Sutcliff Swap 2015 Collection, you will find elwinfortuna's The Second Love: a wonderful, wonderful story to be enjoyed even if unfamiliar with Frontier Wolf canon. (Frontier Wolf canon: there's a guy who's in charge of a Roman fort in the middle of nowhere, Britannia, and he's basically a baby fuck-up LT who loves his men but doesn't know shit but he earnestly tries to grow up; his heart is kind of tragically broken while fraternising with the enemy, but it gets better.)

tl;dr Alexios pines for Cunorix. Hilarion pines for Alexios.

But HOW. With so many descriptions of NATURE. Emotional MATURITY. Care and kindness and loyalty and STEADFAST LOVE OMG. It's amazing and lovely, such a warm, delicate story, even the loss tastes bittersweet and there is new strength in their bond of friendship. And more than friendship.

The Fugitives: The Clay Hound

[chantefable]

In the 2016 collection, you will find The Clay Hound by riventhorn, which is:

1) first ever fanwork for this short story to exist, hail fandom!
2) a delight whether you know the original or not. Companionship! Career! Canon disabled character! Social mobility! Otherness! Friendship! Tropes! Subverted tropes! Humour! Life's purpose! This is so great.
3) definitely a thing to discover and love.

Blood Feud: Born in the Purple

[chantefable]

In Sutcliff Swap 2014, bunn wrote Born in the Purple, wherein Princess Anna Porphyrogenita is sent to the North to marry the barbarian prince, Khan Vladimir, in order to pay for the Viking army that helped the Emperor Basil defeat the Bulgars. And she isn't happy about it.

For those who are interested in arranged marriage trope, royal adventures, Byzantium & Constantinople history. You may wish to read it:
1) if you were ever interested in the historical account of Anna sold to the Kievan Rus in return for an army,
2) if you ever thought that Vladimir being historically referred to as 'fornicator maximus' was funny.

The Lantern Bearers: Into the Emptiness Within Him

[chantefable]

In Sutcliff Swap 2013, motetus painted Into the Emptiness Within Him - a majestic illustration for the scene in The Lantern Bearers where Aquila swears loyalty to Ambrosius, Prince of Britain.

So Aquila took his father’s service upon him. It wasn’t as good as love; it wasn’t as good as hate; but it was something to put into the emptiness within him; better than nothing at all.

It is immensely beautiful & atmospheric! Gorgeous lighting, expressive faces, sexy hands - dreamlike and stunning.

Shining Company: The Three of Us Together

[chantefable]

motetus painted The Three of Us Together for Sutcliff Swap 2012, with the excellent OT3 Conn, Prosper and Luned - joined by Gellert the dog! Inspired by the scene when Conn, Prosper and Luned are lying in the grass discussing marriage, it is not a direct illustration, but it captures the mood wonderfully.

I do not want, anything that breaks up the three of us being together.

This is lovely - the gentle, caring expressions, Conn and Luned gazing at each other and holding hands, Prosper looking at Conn but hugging them both. The fondness is palpable.

The Silver Branch: The Unlikely Spies

[chantefable]

In 2012, firerose wrote The Unlikely Spies, which is exactly the kind of John LeCarre spy novel vibe that fits into the world of Rosemary Sutcliff. Shenanigans! Subtlety! Nuance! Much ado about temples and bath-houses! In other words, The work that Paulinus had died for went on. But learning to do it without him took time.

Very plotty, with adventures and a very Sucliffian style - the descriptions are vivid, the nature is very present, and the atmosphere of the coast and towns is transfixing.

The Eagle of the Ninth: The Centaur

[chantefable]

In 2013, sineala wrote The Centaur. A seminal work in fandom, truly as important as the first ever Eagle work with dinosaurs, etc.. Centaurs rejoice! Centaurs abound! Well, it's technically one.

It's a (back)story about Marcus' uncle and his old pal meeting an actual centaur - The Tenth Legion's primus pilus and its new tribune embark on a possibly-ill-advised quest for a possibly-legendary being, in the course of which they grow to know each other rather better than before. (A delight for those who ship Uncle Aquila and Claudius Hieronimianus as well.)

Discover the ultimate Exciting Judaean Adventure circa 2nd century AD!

The Lantern Bearers: Last of the Romans

[chantefable]

In 2016, caithnard made a fanart of Ambrosius pondering his command. In Last of the Romans, he is seen as a "figure out of fading Rome, rather than one of Dark Age Britain", aged and bitter through experience. Lovely, evocative, with darkness and imperial purple.

Eagle of the Ninth: Shelter

[chantefable]

In 2015, alby_mangroves made gorgeous traditional pastel art of Marcus and Esca, Shelter. It is so strong, vibrant, and absolutely alive! The characters' likeness is closer to film incarnations, Tatum & Bell, the chosen scene is great, the huddling for warmth trope is done to PERFECTION.

If you think of 'huddling for warmth' or 'stuck in a cave', this is IT. The protectiveness and the gentleness arrest the eye. The colour choice is excellent, the interplay of greens and browns is stunning.

Dawn Wind: The Garden of Kyndylan's Palace

[chantefable]

In 2014, motetus made a fantastic illustration of Owain's return to Viroconium and reunion with Regina, The Garden of Kyndylan's Palace.

The understatement and restrained worthy of a courtly ballad, vivid nature and lush wilderness, and the whole "I think I should have known you again, under the change, even if I had not been waiting for you; and I am still here for you to find me" thing coalesce in a breathtaking series of digital panels. Wistful and glowing.

Outcast: Sons From the Sea

[riventhorn]

In 2014, isis wrote a lovely AU for Outcast where Jason and Beric both survive and are reunited in Britain, Sons From the Sea

Lovely h/c (my favorite!) and wonderful to see both Beric and Jason find families to love and support them.

The Silver Branch: The Golden Apple

[riventhorn]

Also in 2014, Firerose wrote a fic exploring the backstory of Paulinus, The Golden Apple.

I love fics that take on minor characters and flesh them out. Firerose does a wonderful job of writing Paulinus's pov as a child and also created an OC that I love in the figure of optio Felix.

The Eagle of the Ningth: Aquila goes to Britannia

[riventhorn]

In 2015, chantefable wrote a hilarious and brilliant Uncle Aquila fic, Aquila Goes to Britannia.

As the name implies, it is a travel narrative about Uncle A's journey to Britain. He happens to meet a centaur along the way and has various adventures. The style and humor of this fic is just fantastic. I can't do it justice in a comment--go read!

Warrior Scarlet: Heart and Hand

[tanaqui]

I hadn't read Warrior Scarlet when opalmatrix wrote Heart and Hand about Talore the Hunter in 2012.

When I finally read the book in late 2015 and went looking for fic, I was thrilled to find this story. It explores how Talore, who loses a hand in battle, is helped by his family -- with the aid of some clever Bronze Age technology -- as he deals with the emotional and physical impacts of his disability.

The story shows how loving and supportive the whole family is, which fits with everything we see in the novel, and how Talore must wrestle with mental demons as much as physical limitations during his healing. All of that is wrapped up in an abundance of gorgeous description and imagery. A really nice insight into a secondary character in the book who is a key influence and counterpoint for the main character, Drem.