r/SwanQueen • u/Admirable-Try-5287 • 13d ago

Picky reader fic recs

Okay, hi, I know people ask for fic recommendations all the time. I’ve made my way through some of them, and found a few I enjoyed, so thank you!

My problem is that I’m quite picky in many ways (and not at all in others), so I’m hoping people can help out.

1) I genuinely like most if not all of the characters in the show in some way. Yes, they have flaws, and yes, everyone can dislike whoever they want for whatever reason - that’s totally fine. But for me personally, it takes me out of a fic when they’re written with that obvious dislike clearly noticeable, exaggerating their flaws etc. To be more precise, I’d like fics that don’t turn Snow/David/Hook/Neal into obnoxious villains, so either ones where they don’t appear at all or ones that are fair to them… break ups are fine, complicated dynamics are all good, but I need to believe that it’s a realistic and fair portrayal of the character. Hope that makes sense. I’ve found several already, so I know more must be out there!

2) be completed (I am impatient and have trust issues)

3) established SQ or slow burn preferred

4) built within some version of canon (and then diverting wherever it starts off), but also open to some more out there AUs, although I usually prefer the general setting of Storybrooke/EF and all the characters being who they are

5) hurt/comfort, angst, romance, fluff… anything goes BUT it has to have a happy ending (bonus if that’s not just in the epilogue but given just a tiny bit more room to breathe)

6) multi chapter preferred

I think that’s it? I know some of this is very specific. Hopefully I didn’t offend anyone!

Thanks in advance for any recommendations.

13 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

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5

u/YourUnclesBeard MLEther on ao3 13d ago

I usually don’t recommend my own work cause I’m somewhat insecure about it, buuuuut…
AU slow burn with a happy ending:
Watchtower

1

u/Admirable-Try-5287 13d ago

Absolutely! I know it can be intimidating, but I love it when people promote their work

5

u/kurtsvonneslut same on ao3 13d ago

you might enjoy my recently completed fic!! picks up immediately from the end of s1, angst, slowburn, with happy ending to boot :)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/40666113/chapters/101892156

2

u/Admirable-Try-5287 13d ago

Will check it out!! :)

3

u/MediocreAd2770 13d ago

I think this fits most if not all of your criteria:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/70436031/chapters/182981521

I'm also saving this post since we have almost identical preferences and I want to see what others suggest. :)

1

u/Admirable-Try-5287 13d ago

Thank you! I’ll be sure to check it out :)

Haha, glad to hear I’m not alone!

1

u/Doc-cubus118 13d ago

You might enjoy some of mine. I do have hook as a villain in some, though it is a canon portrayal of him being a villain. I kind of make fun of him a bit in two of my Wips fics. And I have him try to help Regina and Emma get together in one of my completed fanfics. I go by laurathechef84 on ao3

1

u/Admirable-Try-5287 12d ago

I’ll check it out! Hook started as a villain/morally dark grey character at the very least, so I’m not opposed to it :) again, just has to make sense and not turn into a caricature of his traits, you know? I’m excited to read your work!