Sunday Selections for 07-11-10

Maelyn recommends Guarding Edward by katmom

A stalker is trying to get close to 24 y/o HUMAN Edward Masen, a concert pianist. He hires Elite Guardians to keep him safe and to find out who is hunting him. Bella Cullen is the owner/operator of the company AND she's a 110 y/o VAMPIRE. AU/Canon couples



For me, it’s hard to think of too many fics where the female character stands out just as much if not more than the male. As I imagine many of us do, I tend to focus on the male character. I think because I like to put myself in the female’s place. Really, what woman wouldn’t want to do that for most of these fics, right? *grins and winks*

Anyway, so when I started thinking what to recommend for this week, I thought of this little gem. It’s won and been nominated for a few awards:

Won Fan Fiction of the Month for August at Twilighters Anonymous
Won Best Supernatural Award at the Silent Tear Awards
Nominated for Best Alternate Universe WIP and Most Original Story Line WIP at the Indie TwiFic Awards, placing in the top ten of about 100 in each.

Now, you may wonder about this fic, beyond the short summary that’s listed. Think Twilight, but with a reversal of roles – Edward and Bella swap – and a little bit of a twist. I mean, who really wants to go through high school over and over again? Seriously? If you were immortal with near unlimited funds, wouldn’t you find a more fun way to spend your time?

Well, in this fic they decide it would be fun to play bodyguard, and more specifically, Edward’s bodyguard. Of course, it’s still role reversal, so when Bella first scents Edward, we come to find out he’s her singer. So there is a bit of time where that’s a little tricky to deal with, but it’s handled very well, I think.

From there, it’s full of romance, drama, intrigue, mystery and more. You wonder what is going on, what will happen next, who is after Edward, etc. Then there is the whole Edward finding out about vampires, his change, etc. Due to a confrontation to occur late in the story, they have to desensitize Edward from blood fast, and the author finds the most ingenious way, I thought. I quite liked that little twist.

And, of course, there is Bella. She is nearly 100 and has been happy with her life, spending it with her family and delving into their current business as bodyguards. But, of course, when she meets Edward she finds everything she was missing, now understanding the bond the others share with their mates. This didn’t make her weak, not having her mate, just ignorant, if you will.

But really, she is a strong woman. She knows her strengths and has learned to take what life gives her and make the best of it. She finds what she wants and goes after it. That is what you have to admire about this Bella. It was her idea to start the current business and she’s been having a great time doing it, and doing it really well. I love seeing a confident, secure Bella. She still has her insecurities and vulnerabilities, just as everyone does, but I don’t get that feeling of wanting to smack her upside the head like I do with canon Bella sometimes.

So really, check out this fic. It’s interesting in both characterization and plot and I think you’ll like it.

JaspersDestiny recommends The University of Edward Masen by SebastienRobichaud

Edward Masen is the selfish and brooding university professor; Bella Swan is his shy, but determined graduate student. Appearances can be deceiving. Have their paths crossed before? Rated M for good reason, all human, canon pairings, AU, OOC, ExB



I came upon this story whilst lurking my Twitter feed. At this point I can't remember if it was torsstupidmouth of ADF or Twilight Awards (perhaps Ysar) who tweeted out the fact that the story was causing that individual to perish due to laughter, but I clicked the link nevertheless just to "see" the reason why. Who knows? It could have been a crack fic for all I knew, and I would have read a bit, and then moved on my merry little way.

What I was brought to was The University of Edward Masen. I almost clicked the little 'x' in the upper right hand corner when I saw the title name - who's kidding who here, people? I NEVER read Edward/Bella fics. You all know that. I avoided Edward month like the plague. Granted, I was being a busy beta at the time, but still. Excuses, excuses…

But...I decided to read the first little bit. And then I read some more. And then I made a cup of tea...and read some more. And then I avoided phone calls from my mother...because I couldn't stop reading. This story is like a drug. I can't put it away, and I sit on my couch all shifty-eyed, waiting for Jasper readers to come bleach my brain out for my sacrilege.

This story takes place in Toronto - my city, my hometown, my love. It takes place at The University of Toronto - my alma mater *waves hi to Woodsworth College*. So, it's easy to become wrapped up in a story I can relate to geographically, for one. But most importantly, I can't tear my eyes away from our protagonists, Edward and Bella. Both Bella and Edward hail from Forks, but Edward is now a Professor of Italian Studies - specifically a Dante specialist - at UofT, and Bella is his graduate student.

Now, SebastienRobichaud's profile page tells you that "UOEM is a story about suffering, love, sin and redemption that takes its narrative cues from Dante's Divine Comedy." I, however, have no inkling about Dante or his work, other than the fact that he wrote The Divine Comedy. But you do not need to have any background knowledge to be able to enjoy this beautiful story. In fact, read a little, learn a lot, my friends. And I am left fascinated by the way SR has paralleled Edward and Bella to Dante and his love, Beatrice.

Edward is a cold, distant, bastard of a man, who believes he is without salvation. He likens himself to all of the Seven Deadly Sins - lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, pride - while he holds Bella to all of The Seven Virtues - chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, humility. But neither Edward nor Bella hold all of one group of traits. As human beings, they encompass a myriad of both - Edward, more so while in Bella's presence. I flew over to Wikipedia (yes, excellent source for information, I know...but still) to read about Beatrice, and I found something that seems to fit in line with the way I see Bella and Edward’s relationship over time:

The manner in which Dante chose to express his love for Beatrice often agreed with the Middle Ages concept of courtly love. Courtly love was a secret, unrequited and highly respectful form of admiration for another person. Yet it is still not entirely clear what caused Dante to fall in love with Beatrice. Since he knew very little of the real Beatrice, and that he had no great insight to her character, it is perhaps unusual that he did. But he did, and there are clues in his works as to why:

"She has ineffable courtesy, is my beatitude, the destroyer of all vices and the queen of virtue, salvation."

Dante saw Beatrice as a saviour, one who removed all evil intentions from him. It is perhaps this idea of her being a force for good that he fell in love with, a force which he believed made him a better person.

Edward and Bella met once, many years before, in Forks after Bella arrives to the Cullen home only to find the family in emotional ruin, thanks to Edward. She finds him drunk on the back patio, and she and Edward proceed to spend an evening together in the ubiquitous meadow. This sets the scene for their 'medieval courtship' because they do not see each other again until Bella becomes his student years later. With Edward, too, it is not entirely clear what caused him to fall in love with Bella (or she for him) because neither knows very much about the REAL other. But Bella unknowingly saved Edward that night in the meadow, and Edward has admired Bella from 'afar' ever since - she is his brown-eyed angel, his Beatrice, pure in body and soul. And Bella, too, has held fast to her Dante, placing him on this pedestal she has created for him because she ‘knows’ of his inner beauty, his virtues, and deep down WANTS to be his saviour. Edward ruined all other men for Bella with just that one night’s experience, and she wants to bring to life that man she met so many years before. But life has altered Edward, and he is not entirely the same damaged soul she met years before. Oh, he is there, but it is she who will be his salvation again and coax that beauty out of him once more.

I didn't say it would be pretty, though. Edward is a destroyer, and time will tell (for me, since I have only read up to Chapter 15 so far) if Edward destroys his Beatrice in the process of his salvation.

Now, UoEM is not a story that needs any introduction to many Edward fans, I’m sure. Apparently, it is HUGELY popular. And while I tend to not recommend ridiculously popular stories, in favour of the lesser known, I think I would be doing a disservice to non-Edward fans if I didn’t recommend it here.

Oh, and to hark back to torsstupidmouth’s or Twilight Awards’ mention of this story’s sense of humour – yes, it is ridiculously funny at times. SR has a wonderful sense of humour – in one chapter, the author’s note indicates “There is lemon rind in this chapter. You've been warned.” Ha ha ha, SR. Very funny… But, really, this story is just…so many different things all wrapped up into one big disaster of a love story, and I love it – every single chapter.

Read it.

*scampers off to Chapter 16*