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Really lovely essay from Lia about the highs and lows of being a fandom creator. We're sorry we've been a bit quiet here at BG3 Fic Reviews, but we're still working through all the lovely work we've received and writing up our guidelines for reviewing, and hopefully we can get more reviewers in asap! Much love, Aivu 🐉💜 @aivuthedragon Editor/Mod/Reviewer BG3 Fic Reviews

The Highs and Lows of Fandom Creation

Hello darlings~ It has been a little while and this one has been on my list to get to for a while, and with the Baldur's Date Valentine's Fanworks event soon to draw to a close it seems appropriate to start preparing ourselves for the cycle of what happens when we release our works into the wild. So without further ado, our latest essay~

The RollerCoaster of Emotion That Comes With Being A Creative In Fan Spaces (FanArt, FanFiction, Cosplay, Photography, Music, and So Much More) ((Another CallOut Essay Prepare To Be SEEN)) (((Also I Have Some Coping Techniques Here Too!)))

As usual with my essay pieces I will be making plenty of use of the headers to divide topics, and I fully welcome any thoughts and feelings in the comments. Whilst I am really only in the FanFic side, and a focus on Baldur's Gate 3, I do intend to make this essay inclusive of the trials and tribulations that we all tend to face in making and sharing fanworks of all kinds and through all fandoms. The more people I speak to, the more it seems to be a universal experience, so hold on to your hats it's a bumpy ride! The first part will talk about the Rollercoaster itself, the how and why behind it all, and the second will be around how to cope with it. For readers and appreciators of fan content, I urge you to have a little look too, and at the end I will add in some ways you can help support your favourites too~

Creatives Are Emotional Beings

Starting off with the obvious callout - most of us are. We feel things deeply, and that emotion can often be an incredible driving force behind our works. Whether we're creating around things we've experience, being inspired and influenced by our current emotions, or drawing on our well of imagination to work out what characters might feel (and often more importantly how/why they feel that way), emotion is a strong part of the process.

This can be an incredible strength! Tapping in to the deeper parts of ourselves, our experiences, and the emotions at our cores, can bring out the very best in our works across all creative formats. It also tends to help our audiences engage too, as they recognise their own emotions mirrored in the works.

The Downside to Strong Emotion - The Rollercoaster Effect

This chart was initially drawn up based on writing, but truly after speaking with a few beloved Discord friends it was quick to see that this easily applies to art as well, so I'm going to go over this slightly differently to the initial plan.

The Start Of Every Ride

We begin usually around a neutral baseline, or maybe a little below if we haven't created in a while, perhaps we might start higher than baseline with the rush of an exciting new idea. Either way, the first part of the project tends to go up in mood very quickly when we share those early unfinished parts.

For writers this might be a beta reader or sharing a sample of the work as they're still writing as a teaser, artists might see this as their initial sketch or linework stage if they're sharing progress and teasers too. Cosplayers could be the first part of a build, musicians sharing a few bars of the melody - whatever it is, that first little positive boost that says Keep Going is a powerful one.

But what happens next? Well, you still have more work to do! That initial boost and confidence can drop down to a slump, especially if it's taking longer to complete than you thought it would, and double that if something goes wrong that needs to be changed or fixed.

You may, hopefully, find it begins to rise as things start to come together again and that finish line in sight, but then...

I Finished Making The Thing, Now What?

Well, first you're going to feel that massive surge of satisfaction from completing the thing. Sometimes a dopamine rush in the brain, and all that excitement of "Finally I get to share the thing I worked so hard on! It's done!" So, off you go, you post it. You share the links, maybe drop them in some Discord servers, other social media...and then, often very quickly, it hits you.

Post Publishing Drop

Those of you in the convention and event scene might also know this feeling as "Con Drop", which can take a little longer to manifest. Post Publishing Drop hits quite quickly. Sometimes it might take a few hours, but other times it starts almost within minutes of posting as all that rush of energy finishing and publishing is just...gone.

If you're lucky, you might get some quick and early feedback, especially if you're a well known or popular creator, but I imagine even those of you who tend to get very high engagement can feel a lot of this too so I don't mean to exclude any of you in any way at all~ So what is it? What's happening? WHY?!

Well darlings all that adrenaline is wearing off and realistically you're not likely to get that creative feedback and validation instantly. So that wonderfully powerful emotional heart of yours is going to crack a little. It won't last, it won't stay this low, but good gods that lack of engagement and positive reinforcement can be devastating.

The first engagements you get - kudos, likes, reaction emotes on a Discord post - they may be enough to boost you right back up to your baseline or even a little above, until the worry creeps back in again. And I know that it does, clawing and slithering in the back of your beautifully creative mind whispering those horrible lies:

Why isn't this getting the reaction I hoped for yet? Is this work not as good as before? Have people stopped liking me? Is the website/platform hiding my work? Have I upset people somehow in ways I can't even see?

Then Back Up We Go, And What Goes Up...

Hopefully those voices don't get a chance to be too loud for too long before you see more of that engagement. Maybe it's a heartfelt comment from someone, or a share from someone you respect, or just a little surge of interaction in general. You're back on top, darling, your creative heart is soaring, finally your work is being seen in a way that reminds you why you put in all that time in the first place!

And each time, the high wears off again, with a drop, though the extremities of each is likely less and less as time goes on. Unless, of course, we make one little mistake and the gradual confidence build comes crashing back down...

The Perils Of Comparing

Sometimes this might be looking at someone else's work, seeing a similar style or similar topic get far more engagement than your own. It can be really hard not to feel discouraged by this, and falling into that trap of questioning where you're "going wrong" can lead to absolute agony - I urge you to do your best to move away from this as soon as you notice the feeling. I'll cover some proper techniques later though, I promise!

The other trap with comparison can be looking at your own past works, and over-analysing why some pieces never got the same love and appreciation as others. Picking it apart to find what you can do better is not as wise a plan as it seems for one simple reason:

Over half of this is down to pure chance!

It might be the time of day it was posted, or just one or two people seeing it and deciding to share it on that gives a work a massive boost to interaction and engagement. Maybe a work was lucky enough to get shared in a prominent community by one of the members, or even had someone with a huge following give it a boost.

At the end of the day, there seem to be very few ways to predict this. Of course there are some characters, topics, art styles, writing tropes, etc that will have a tendency to get more love from their respective fanbases - that's how popularity works - but there is no guarantee that, for example, two portraits of the same character in similar styles by different artists will have the same levels of engagement and "success". The main person you should be aiming to please with your own work is yourself~ After all, when working on it you will be the one going over it again and again, knowing every detail in and out, if you don't love the subject of those details your less likely to even reach that finish line~

And It All Begins Again

At the end of the cycle there's often one last spike up. Maybe it's a comment or interaction from someone who truly felt the depth of meaning in your work as you hoped it would, or you realise that it has done better overall in the numbers, or most often you get that creative surge of a shiny new idea that calls to you with that familiar siren song, promising the high of satisfaction and sweeping the memory of that Post Publishing Drop under the rug all over again so you won't see it coming when you trip on it.

How Do We Get Off This Ride? Where's The Safety Bar?

Darlings, be honest, you didn't want to stop. You still don't. That's why you're still right here, reading this with me. Your cycle might take a day, a week, a month, or you may go through the whole thing in a matter of hours.

Riding The Waves

The first way to begin coping is to prepare. Know yourself and how you're likely to feel, and plan ahead for it. If you know the drop is coming, you can try to avoid it, or deploy distress tolerance when it feels too much.

On a very simple level, this can be reminding yourself that the lows do not last, and those highs will still be there. You might even be tempted to try to regulate the highs as much as the lows, to bring everything a little closer in to the baseline throughout the cycle.

Distress Tolerance techniques can be important to practice when you're feeling close to your baseline and calm so that they're easier to turn to when you're feeling that low hit. There are lots of things that work for different people, so it might be trial and error - largely you're looking at relaxation techniques, distraction from the source of the distress, and/or community support.

You Can Rely On The Community!

It is ok to ask for help! You can ask people for reassurance, directly ask for feedback, or even just talk over how you feel with other creators and find out how they're handling things. Sometimes just knowing you're not alone and that your feelings are real, valid, and matter can be a real boon - that's why I'm here, spending a couple of hours putting all of this into words as best as I can for you all. I've felt this cycle too many times, but the more I talk about it with other fic writers the more I feel we are connected and that I'm not just losing my marbles over nothing~

We are human, we have emotions - strong ones, remember? - and there's nothing wrong with that at all!

There is nothing wrong with having emotions and experiencing them!

Knowing When To Step Away

If you know you're more likely to have a swift drop from lack of quick feedback, it's a great idea to plan to step away from socials as soon as you're done. Have an activity planned, or do it all write before bed so you can switch off and go to sleep. Turn off those notifications so you aren't fussing over each one of them as they come in and don't go back for a while.

Allow a realistic amount of time to pass for people to see and engage with your work before you worry it is invisible!

The Next Shiny Idea

Conversely, if you're feeling too much of a creative itch, then as soon as you're done sharing move right on to starting the next project. Let the initial surge of energy from completing and sharing something be the driving force to kickstart the next great adventure! That way you're thinking more about the new work, the sparkling allure of a fresh idea, rather than fixating on the success of the last.

Cashing in on that adrenaline rush to make a good head-start can boost you right to that early feedback stage too, then if you're really lucky when you hit the first drop-off you'll have the positive engagement from the last work to boost you back up, so in some ways you're overlaying your graphs to balance them out with each other.

Naturally this only works if you have the time and energy to do so. It's also important to know when to take breaks to avoid burning out.

General Mood Boosting Ideas

These might not work for everyone, but here are some things to try when you're in one of those lows. A lot of this may be trial and error and knowing yourself best, so treat this as a few things that may or may not be effective rather than Lia's Super Snake Oil Cure For Everything (you have to buy that from me separately, it's super expensive but it is delightfully cherry and cinnamon flavoured~)

Check in on your basic needs. Drink, food, meds (if applicable), sleep/nap, caffeine (if you usually have it), shower/bath/hygiene needs (even if just a quick freshen up it's better than nothing), fresh air/outside time (if possible), exercise/physical movement (if you're able to), social needs (can be in person or online, any social interaction/support)

Music can be a powerful mood tool. Sometimes it's cathartic to listen to music that matches your current mood, but other times it is better to listen to music with the mood you want to feel.

Media from the fandom, like the book/film/game/etc that you're making fanworks for - return to the thing that inspired you to create and remember all the things that you loved about it in the first place.

Look at other fanworks but be very cautious! Do this for inspiration, to look at things you do and don't like in other pieces, but do not do this if it will be likely to cause a mood drop for you.

Do something different and change up your routine. Something entirely new or something you haven't done for a while.

Try something small, not connected to a large piece. A few sketches, doodles, make a meme, write a few short lines of dialogue or a brief scene. Share something with far lower stakes for a little boost.

Talk to others in the creative community and have a bit of fun, maybe try some games together, whatever you like!

I'm Not A Creative, How Can I Help?

This also counts for creatives who want to support each other, too! Of course I will put the caveat that I do understand that not everyone is comfortable visibly interacting with spice and that's fine~

Drop a like or kudos if you enjoyed the piece, it takes a second and means the world~

Leaving a comment, even a couple of silly words of "I loved it" is great!

Leaving a longer comment, picking out your favourite parts? That is the kind of boost that lasts weeks darlings it really does.

Sharing the work is also a big boost, whether publicly or privately to friend/fan groups, but especially when sharing art/images please share the link with it not just the image or a screenshot~ let people find and appreciate the artist.

Follow or Subscribe or Turn on notifications if you really want to see more of their work, then you can interact sooner and give that much needed boost~

Try to be patient, especially with longer or higher effort works. Expressing excitement is a boost, but just be careful you're not putting too much pressure on the creator. We do have things going on behind the screen that can delay our plans at times.

Consider dropping an interaction on something else, or check in on how they're doing in general - a little kindness outside of just the works being produced can be a boost too!

The Grand Finale of the Rollercoaster

Thank you for staying with me to the end darlings, I know this was likely a bit of an emotional ride, but please do drop in some comments or reblogs with the other things you experience and how you handle the emotional whirlwind of being a fan creator. Always remember, you are valued for more than just what you can produce, your works are adored but the person behind them is worth so much more and always will be. Look after yourselves, I love you dearly~

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 fanfic #writing tips #fanfiction #fandom creator life

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bg3ficreviews · 7 days

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Hi everyone! @tolnas-vault is another review blog inspired by our project! The folks at Tolnas focus almost exclusively on fics about rare pairs and NPCs. Please do give them a follow, and support our ever expanding BG3 fanfic community! Much love, Aivu 🐉💜 @aivuthedragon

Editor/Mod/Reviewer, BG3 Fic Reviews blog

Fic Review: Book, Singular

Reviewed: April 19 2024

Fic Data

Rating: G

Status: Complete

Word Count: 1959

Main Ship(s): Rolan & Cal & Lia

Side Ship(s): None

Other Side Character(s): None

Summary:

A short backstory fic about how Rolan found Cal and Lia. I have a lot of feelings about them.

Ao3 Stats (As of April 18 2024)

Rolan & Cal & Lia on Ao3: 35

Rolan: 576

Cal: 203

Lia: 208

Review (Mild Spoilers Only)

Warnings: Child neglect.

Favorite Quote:

"The tiny little bed in the tiny little room in the tiny little shack was as uncomfortable as it had been every day of every year since he’d been brought here — but, today, it was even more ill-suited to reading than usual. "

Main POV: Rolan

Thoughts:

A very sweet little fic about how Rolan, Cal, and Lia first met and became a family. I just adore these three as a found family. Even with the short word count each of their characters really shines through. You can see Rolan's ambition and ill temper, Lia's stumborness, and Cal's good nature. I just adore these three and this fic was such a perfect background for them.

Who I'd recommend this fic to: Anyone who wishes there were more sibling and family dynamics in BG3. This trio is truly one of the best.

#bg3 #bg3 fanfic #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 rolan #bg3 fic recs #absolutely loving watching our community grow #please support the fanfic author with kudos and comments!

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bg3ficreviews · 9 days

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life's too short to write for an imaginary critic that you fear will hate what you wrote

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bg3ficreviews · 19 days

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Quick question to our followers! We're thinking of adding different kinds of content to the blog, beyond just our reviews themselves. What kind of content would you be interested in seeing? These are some of the things we've been considering:

writing tips

writing prompts (BG3 or more general)

Encouragement for Writers

AO3 tips/tricks (for writers and readers alike)

If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to send an ask or reply below. Thank you, and happy writing! Aivu 🐉💜 Mod/Editor, BG3 Fic Reviews @aivuthedragon

#bg3ficreviews info post

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bg3ficreviews · 21 days

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Thunder reforged: Rolan x Dammon - #BG3 FanFic Review

Review by Aivu (@aivuthedragon)

Happy timezone, dear readers! Today I'm happy to bring you this incredible series of works by velocitross on AO3. What's hotter than a tiefling wizard with a knack for a well-timed thunderwave? Said tiefling wizard having a rendezvous with his tiefling blacksmith paramour, of course.

A note from the BG3FicReviews team: The entire BG3 community was been rocked by the recent controversy surrounding Dammon's VA, including the various fanwork creators who've fallen in love with Dammon, included him in their work, and are part of the LGBTQAI+ community themselves. We want to express our support and love to Dammon fans, Dammon fan work creators, the LGBTQAI+ community generally and all those adversely affected by what's happened. As such, we have decided to feature such works in our reviews this week. Make your love louder than the hate. 💜

As always, mind the tags! Our review is continued below the fold due to the NSFW nature of the content in these works.

This incredible artwork by @arczism was inspired by velocitross's Rolan x Dammon fic Working Steel, which is included in today's review.

Working Steel, the first of velocitross’ three works that include this rare pair, is a masterwork in character portrayal. The author adeptly captures the at-a-glance somewhat incompatible personalities of the two tiefling refugees who fled Elturel together and now reside in Baldur’s Gate. In this work, the relationship between Rolan, the ever-surly wizard and the newly ‘appointed’ master of Ramazith Tower, and Dammon, the gentle yet infernally talented blacksmith of the Forge of the Nine, has grown far beyond mere friendship.

Rolan, frustrated by his attempts to catalogue the mindless chaos remaining after the untimely death of the tower’s former owner, approaches Dammon to ask for his help and visits him at his forge. But what could a blacksmith possibly offer a wizard? Well, a good fuck, for one thing. Rolan is pent-up, impatient, and needs a good lay. And, it turns out, so does Dammon. The smut that ensues is not only blazingly hot but also beautifully captures the tender affection between the two tieflings through not only their words, but small, unique gestures of love and care. (Mind the tails. I mean, tags. No, tails.)

In Up in the Tower, it’s Dammon’s turn to visit the wizard’s domain. But the blacksmith receives a less-than-warm welcome, as the ever-grumpy Rolan becomes highly annoyed at having his work interrupted. But considering Rolan is dressed in little more than his underwear and an open robe, I’m more than willing to forgive him for his surliness. Dammon, however, being the sweet, gentle soul that he is, insists on taking care of Rolan beyond his carnal needs alone. In this work, the relationship between the pair deepens, and the author has wonderfully captured the intimacy of the pair. Lastly, we have Within the Storm. This work takes us back to the Shadow-Cursed Lands as the tiefling refugees attempt to cross its desolate lands on their way to Baldur’s Gate. When the Absolute’s forces ambush the group, Rolan expertly wields his magic to stave them off. But when something happens to Zevlor, the battle takes a turn for the worse. In the chaos, Rolan’s siblings, Cal and Lia, are kidnapped and several of his friends and co-travellers are brutally murdered.

Once at Last Light Inn, Rolan is a fucking mess, devastated by his siblings’ capture. Lost in the depths of his despair and way too much drink, the tiefling wizard finds comfort in the arms of a fellow refugee he’d known since childhood - Dammon. And thus the gentlest embers of affection between the pair begin to spark to life. This lovely one-shot serves as a prelude to the author’s much-anticipated long fic about the pair, their growing affection for one another and what looks to be a truly beautiful love story. If you would like to follow velocitross’ incredible work about the love between a tiefling wizard and blacksmith, please be sure to subscribe to the author on AO3 and follow their work and the pending long fic. We have included a snippet of Working Steel below for your enjoyment. As always, please support the writers of our incredible fandom by leaving kudos and comments on their work. 🫶

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Working Steel

By velocitross on AO3

The ring of his hammer fills Dammon’s ears and his attention as he works. A soft frown of focus curves his lips. It’s a simple enough repair—restoring a blade for the halfling woman standing outside the forge watching him work. Still, there’s a satisfaction to it: the rhythm of his strikes, the heat of the day in Baldur’s Gate warming him beneath his layers of apron and clothing. The ordinary busy noise of the city goes on just outside his focus, a subtle, stabilizing comfort even months after the Netherbrain’s defeat.

When he glances up from his work, a distinct figure catches his eye amongst the passersby. Rolan, with his proud bearing and his regal blue and red robes, coming toward the smithy with a tense, bothered scowl and his tail lashing behind him. A smile touches Dammon’s lips. He knows that look.

“I’ll be with you in a moment,” he says as Rolan comes to a stop an awkward few feet from the halfling waiting on her sword.

“Well, don’t take too long,” Rolan snaps, and then reddens further when Dammon raises an eyebrow at him. “Sorry. I’ll just—I’ll wait.”

Dammon lifts the blade off his anvil to study it. He smiles at the halfling as he passes her the sword.

“Give that a try. Come back if you need anything else.”

She moves off to the side to examine the blade, allowing Rolan to step up to the forge. He stands, arms crossed, his face flushed as he fixes Dammon with his bright yellow stare.

“Anything I can help you with, Rolan?” the blacksmith prompts.

Rolan sighs. He places his hands carefully on the edge of the anvil, glances again toward the halfling woman, and leans in toward Dammon.

“I need . . . Steel.”

Dammon breathes a good-natured chuckle.

“Come on,” he says, nodding over his shoulder toward the building. “I could use a break, anyway.”

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bg3ficreviews · 23 days

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The Wilted Dreams of Baldur's Gate series - BG3 Fic Review

Review by Apollo (@apollo-stories)

Good news, dear readers, after taking it outside and fighting the other reviewers in a Wendy’s parking lot, I have won the rights to review this wonderful collection with our favourite vampire, Astarion.

Wilted Dreams Of Baldur’s Gate is a seven-part collection examining Astarion and Tav’s relationship across the game and post-canon written by author emicha on AO3. You can also find emicha here on Tumblr at @wilteddreamsofbaldursgate.

There’s something for everyone in this series with some fluffy slice of life here, a little angst there, and a generous portion of smut. The series beautifully explores the ups and downs of a relationship between two traumatised individuals trying to find healing and hope.

A note from the BG3FicReviews team: As always, mind the tags! Our review is continued below the fold due to the NSFW nature of the content in some of these works.

This incredible virtual photography of our favourite vampire spawn was taken by @astarielx over on Twitter. Shared here with her permission.

This collection reminds me of a Studio Ghibli movie. If you’d like, you can read it once and enjoy it for the warmth and romance of the domestic, mundane life. That said, However it speaks to the talent of the way the author has that they have managed to create a story that feels so effortlessly natural, yet still includes weight and depth to both the characters and the plot is truly remarkable.

The series begins with You, Blinding Like The Sun.

We dive into Astarion’s feelings and conflict in the early days of his relationship with Tav. The feelings are new, and difficult to manage. We can see some initial comparisons with Cazador here as Astarion sees Tav as some perfect being he cannot hope to emulate, someone superior to him. He creates his own power imbalance because he doesn’t know any other option. Astarion has been shoved into the sunlight both literally and figuratively. Overwhelmed by the situation he finds himself in, his immediate response is to lash out.

As their journey progresses, however, this balance shifts. The author shows the reader the imperfections in both characters and how their relationship adjusts around those personal flaws.

Astarion decides that Tav is someone he wants to have alongside him through the blinding difficulty and the imperfections. It’s a wonderful beginning to a well-rounded relationship.

The following two works - Steady Hands, Frame My Love and A Gift That Keeps On Giving - focus on the developing relationship between Astarion and Tav. More specifically, the author demonstrates how the pair navigate complicated situations together.

The reader sees Astarion’s flaws and Tav’s love for him because of them (rather than in spite of them), with Astarion mirroring the sentiment about the ever imperfect Tav.

You can also see Astarion’s healing with the way he views Tav. There is little focus on appearance, more on the smaller inflections and imperfect edges. After Astarion was used for his good looks so many times, this is a refreshing contrast. The reader can see this in several of the works; as the relationship develops, we can see how they prioritise each other over appearances every time.

This collection was surprisingly relaxing to read. The work Darling, Mind if I Enjoy Myself? is a lovely smutty treat with no small amount of teasing and fluff. It’s easy enough to enjoy for the smut alone, but a deeper read reveals the depth of their affections for one another and just how much the pair enjoy being together. They are in love, and every moment is drawn out as they relish every moment.

Starlit Skirts is the end of the timeline of this series, but it is not the final story. It’s a beautifully sweet climax, with a lovely surprise at the end.

The sixth work in the series, The Scent of Missing Buttons, is actually a prequel to the previous five, and touches on the night Astarion was taken by the nautiloid.

In the prequel, the author shows us Astarion’s life as Cazador’s spawn. Astarion’s trauma is made manifest, reflecting how deeply he has been dehumanised, even to himself, to the point that he scolds himself for not grovelling enough in front of his abuser and tormentor. We are introduced to a version of Astarion that has been shattered into a thousand different pieces over the past two centuries.

Once you’ve read The Scent of Missing Buttons, the entire story unfurls like a flower in bloom. The writer has sewn links and connections into each work like the pearls on a wedding dress, and you can enjoy finding each Easter egg on your re-read (which I highly recommend). For example, you’ll find a change in sentence structure and shorter paragraph length in The Scent of Missing Buttons. It reflect Astarion’s dissociation and disconnection while under Cazador’s command, his mind numb, focusing only on what is necessary to his survival. In contrast, once Astarion meets Tav, the author’s writing becomes increasingly descriptive and poetic as Astarion starts to see the world with new eyes. The Author’s work is a fascinating example of how even something as simple as formatting and sentence structure can convey depth and nuance.

As a character, Astarion is remarkably malleable, and I’ve yet to find an interpretation of him that I don’t enjoy. His journey towards a healthy romance with Tav makes for a beautiful story with a great deal of depth, akin to a thousand fragile threads linking together with the strength of steel and creating a beautiful tapestry of their love for one another.

With the work’s excellent depiction of Astarion’s struggle to survive, his panic in a new relationship and the active choice he makes to choose loving Tav over fearing Cazador, I would happily read each chapter again and again.

Not to be outdone with the already excellent six works I've already mentioned, emicha has now added a seventh work (published only a few days ago) that I have yet to read, namely Springtime Caresses. If it is anything like its predecessors, I absolutely can't wait to sink my teeth into it.

We have included a snippet of the first work in the series below for your enjoyment. As always, please remember to support the author's work with comments and kudos. 🫶

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You, Blinding Like the Sun

He despises you.

From the moment Astarion first laid eyes upon you—confident, selfless little elf, blinding like the sun—he has despised you. You with your dazzling golden eyes, the sweet flush on the tip of your pointy ears. Your artfully arranged hair, kissed by the sun to make it shine like fine silk. The cute little freckles sprinkled all over your unmarred skin—skin that has never been touched by undesired hands. You who lived long enough to choose a name for yourself—to make a name for yourself.

How he despises all of it.

The way you win anyone over with nothing but an honest smile; the sheer purpose in your every step. That nasty confidence of yours that isn't some skill you ever needed to acquire because, to you, it comes all-natural, of course—you were born with it. Astarion can tell it's true because he’s spent two centuries mimicking the behaviour of people just like you.

And he despises you for it.

Before you were even born, the gods have bestowed their gifts on you, and here you are, not even knowing what power you hold, how very blessed you are. You wouldn’t even care if you knew, because the fact of the matter is that you have no need for gods nor gifts nor skills. Not when people gravitate towards you as if you have hung the stars. And how dreadfully inviting you always are, so very accommodating.

You can find the entire series here on AO3.

Review edited by Aivu (@aivuthedragon).

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bg3ficreviews · 23 days

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We're all so glad you enjoyed it, Emi! @apollo-stories also read your seventh work (Springtime Caresses) that you added after they'd already written the review, and we'll be reposting the review with an addition about that one too! 🫶 Thank you for submitting you work to us to read - it genuinely has been an absolute pleasure to read your work, and you've definitely gotten subs from all of us on the team 💜 Keep writing and I hope you have a lovely day, Aivu 🐉💜 Mod/Editor, BG3 Fic Reviews (@aivuthedragon)

The Wilted Dreams of Baldur's Gate series - BG3 Fic Review

Review by Apollo (@apollo-stories)

A note from the BG3FicReviews team: As always, mind the tags! Our review is continued below the fold due to the NSFW nature of the content in some of these works.

This incredible virtual photography of our favourite vampire spawn was taken by @astarielx over on Twitter. Shared here with her permission.

The series begins with You, Blinding Like The Sun.

As their journey progresses, however, this balance shifts. The author shows the reader the imperfections in both characters and how their relationship adjusts around those personal flaws.

Astarion decides that Tav is someone he wants to have alongside him through the blinding difficulty and the imperfections. It’s a wonderful beginning to a well-rounded relationship.

The reader sees Astarion’s flaws and Tav’s love for him because of them (rather than in spite of them), with Astarion mirroring the sentiment about the ever imperfect Tav.

Starlit Skirts is the end of the timeline of this series, but it is not the final story. It’s a beautifully sweet climax, with a lovely surprise at the end.

The sixth work in the series, The Scent of Missing Buttons, is actually a prequel to the previous five, and touches on the night Astarion was taken by the nautiloid.

We have included a snippet of the first work in the series below for your enjoyment. As always, please remember to support the author's work with comments and kudos. 🫶

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You, Blinding Like the Sun

He despises you.

How he despises all of it.

And he despises you for it.

You can find the entire series here on AO3.

Review edited by Aivu (@aivuthedragon).

#bg3 #bg3 fanfiction #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 fic reviews #astarion #thank you for your support fellow writers!#please read this incredible collection #remember to leave kudos and comments <3

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bg3ficreviews · 24 days

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A wee update!

Hi everyone, I wanted to let you know we are full steam ahead with our reviews, but with only two reviewers on the team at present, we are going to be a bit slow in posting. We are currently working on review guidelines so that we can open up a call for more reviewers, and will share more information on that as soon as we are ready. Since we started the blog on 16 March, so far we have reviewed twelve individual AO3 works (including two series) across three reviews. And we have many more to go through, with our current queue having over 50 works/series bookmarked for reviewing. 👀 You can see what's in our current queue on AO3 here. We are truly so thrilled that you share our enthusiasm for this project and for BG3 fanfiction, and are very grateful for your support. Please do follow us to see more of our reviews in future! I have included a list of the reviews we've published so far below the fold. Much love, Aivu 🐉💜 Editor/Mod, BG3 Fic Reviews @aivuthedragon

The Wilted Dreams of Baldur's Gate series (Review published 3 April 2024)

A seven-part collection examining Astarion and Tav’s relationship across the game and post-canon. There’s something for everyone in this series with some fluffy slice of life here, a little angst there, and a generous portion of smut. Tags include: NSFW

Thunder Reforged: Rolan x Dammon works by velocitross (Review published 27 March 2024)

What's hotter than a tiefling wizard with a knack for a well-timed thunderwave? Said tiefling wizard having a rendezvous with his tiefling blacksmith paramour, of course. Tags include: NSFW

The Loving Master series (Review published 18 March 2024)

A series based on the worst possible version of Ascended Astarion as he masters the art of creating his own vampire spawn cohort and inflicts pain and anguish on them in what he has deluded himself into believing is 'kindness'. Tags include: NSFW; dead dove; sexual trauma

#bg3ficreviews info post #bg3 fanfic #bg3 #bg3 fanfic reviews #baldurs gate 3

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I was today years old when I learned that when you type "otp: true" in AO3 search results it filters out fics with additional ships, leaving only the fics where your otp is the main ship

#ao3 #ao3 tips

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More incredible Thunderforge art by @arczism, who also did the wonderful fan art inspired by 'Working Steel', a Thunderforge fanfic we reviewed last week! Read more here.

A blurb from the review:

"What's hotter than a tiefling wizard with a knack for a well-timed thunderwave? Said tiefling wizard having a rendezvous with his tiefling blacksmith paramour, of course."

Thank you for your beautiful work on our latest favourite ship, Arczi! 💜 Aivu Mod/Editor, BG3 Fic Reviews

new [Patreon] posts

#thunderforge #bg3 dammon #bg3 rolan #bg3 fanfic #bg3 #bg3 fanart

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Hi! I'm not submitting a fic today, just a request. Would it be possible for you to start adding gender tags for Tav and Durge on the review posts? I've been trying to get fandom as a whole to start doing that on Tumblr, and have been largely unsuccessful getting anyone to listen. But on a review blog it would be incredibly useful for searching. And if you're willing to do that, would you also be able to tag for the POV type? Thanks so much! Loving your reviews so far :)

Hello! Absolutely willing to do that if it would be helpful! What should the tags say exactly? I was thinking it would be good to use a standard format that everyone else uses, and I'm sure there are some in circulation already! Thank you so much for letting me know about this. I am the primary/final editor of the review posts specifically, so will definitely try my best to help with this in future. Thank you again! Aivu 🐉💜

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bg3ficreviews · 24 days

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The Wilted Dreams of Baldur's Gate series - BG3 Fic Review

Review by Apollo (@apollo-stories)

A note from the BG3FicReviews team: As always, mind the tags! Our review is continued below the fold due to the NSFW nature of the content in some of these works.

This incredible virtual photography of our favourite vampire spawn was taken by @astarielx over on Twitter. Shared here with her permission.

The series begins with You, Blinding Like The Sun.

As their journey progresses, however, this balance shifts. The author shows the reader the imperfections in both characters and how their relationship adjusts around those personal flaws.

Astarion decides that Tav is someone he wants to have alongside him through the blinding difficulty and the imperfections. It’s a wonderful beginning to a well-rounded relationship.

The reader sees Astarion’s flaws and Tav’s love for him because of them (rather than in spite of them), with Astarion mirroring the sentiment about the ever imperfect Tav.

Starlit Skirts is the end of the timeline of this series, but it is not the final story. It’s a beautifully sweet climax, with a lovely surprise at the end.

The sixth work in the series, The Scent of Missing Buttons, is actually a prequel to the previous five, and touches on the night Astarion was taken by the nautiloid.

We have included a snippet of the first work in the series below for your enjoyment. As always, please remember to support the author's work with comments and kudos. 🫶

----------------

You, Blinding Like the Sun

He despises you.

How he despises all of it.

And he despises you for it.

You can find the entire series here on AO3.

Review edited by Aivu (@aivuthedragon).

#bg3 #bg3 fanfic #bg3 fanfic review #astarion #astarion ancunin #bg3 fic reviews #bg3 smut

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bg3ficreviews · 28 days

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'Too Many Burdens to Bear' - #BG3 FanFic Review

Re-posted with the permission of the review author, @mishtress.

Friends, I bring you a review of a fanfic that I hold very close to my heart, and written by a very dear friend.

Too Many Burdens to Bear is an in-depth, insightful exploration of what it means to be a survivor of sexual violence and trauma. In it, @autistichalsin explores the toll that profound, untreated trauma can have on not just the psyche of a survivor, but also those who love them most. The story is centred around Halsin Silverbough, the once Archdruid of the Emerald Grove, and his lover and partner Kiaran, himself a victim of profound trauma as a result of his Bhaalspawn lineage, in a post-canon setting.

Burdens is a difficult, heavy read, and not for the faint of heart. That said, the way the author has navigated the deep complexities of trauma - not just for Halsin, but Kiaran as well - is a masterwork that few writers will ever achieve in their lifetime. I review books professionally as a journalist. I have studied works like JM Coetzee's award-winning novel Disgrace at length in an academic, university setting for a number of years. Coetzee won a number of awards for Disgrace, which also explores sexual violence. And yet, Coetzee's work cannot begin to even hope to compare to the nuanced, trauma-sensitive and profoundly compassionate narrative and story that autistichalsin had embarked upon in Burdens.

Shame is a prominent theme in Burdens as Kiaran tries to help Halsin overcome his profound sense of shame after his years held in captivity as a sex slave in the Underdark. Halsin's traumatic experiences are triggered after a horrifying encounter with someone from his past, and his anger, fear, and self-isolation in response threatens to destroy the couple. And yet, their love for one another and mutual trust perseveres through Halsin's pain as the couple try to find a way to help the former Archdruid find healing after centuries of repressing the most traumatic moments of his life.

Autistichalsin deftly, carefully, and compassionately explores the deep wounds that remain after sexual assault, with a particular focus on how such trauma can alter how survivors relate to sex, love, and romantic partners.

I have never, ever, in my entire life, read any work that so expertly navigates sexual violence, trauma, and the profound difficulties survivors must face on the path to healing, and particularly in relation to reclaiming their sexual agency. I have never before read a work that so insightfully examines the impact trauma can have on the mind of survivors, and how thoroughly and completely sexual violence can fuck up the way we think about ourselves and the world around us. I have worked in and researched the trauma field for a very, very long time (both academically, and in trying to understand my own experiences of sexual violence). There is not a single line, turn of phrase, or description of Halsin and Kiaran's experience that I could not somehow relate to or that I have not heard other survivors express over my many years - spanning more than a decade - working in this field.

This work deserves to be classed among the world's leading fiction that explores the vastly underrepresented field of recovery from sexual violence and how survivors strive to find healing and joy in sex after the most brutal and intimate of violations. As a rape and abuse survivor myself, I have found hope and healing in Burdens and the beautiful, loving and heartfelt relationship between Halsin and Kiaran. I hope other survivors find the same comfort that I have with this truly wonderful work.

As always, mind the tags on AO3, as Burdens includes heavy themes as well as NSFW elements. You can find Burdens here, and it is an ongoing work. I have included a snippet below the fold, and a picture of the husbear taken by @druidicwhisper.

Chapter 1

Halsin was hurting.

Kiaran wasn’t sure why- wasn’t sure what had happened. And he wasn’t sure how, or even if he could help. But the past few weeks, it had become glaringly clear that something was wrong. The elf loved to talk, and yet he had been so quiet, even when surrounded by the commune’s orphans. Even at night, when telling them their bedtime stories, he opted to read from a book instead of telling one of his own tales. And his voice was so distant while doing so, too, like he was going through the motions of reading while his mind was elsewhere.

If it was just that, Kiaran might have thought Halsin simply had a lot on his mind in this transitional time in their lives. They hadn’t been at their commune for too long, after all, and surely Halsin was thinking of many heavy things as they reclaimed the land that had spent the past century covered in shadow. But Halsin was distant from Kiaran, just as he was with the others: deliberately so. Kiaran could tell it was deliberate, for Halsin pulled away almost half the time Kiaran reached for him now. Even at night, in his meditations, Halsin would jolt when touched and then proceed to find somewhere else to rest, with a mumbled apology and a promise to find him later.

No, something else was clearly the matter, and Kiaran didn’t know what, nor did he know how to ask Halsin. True to form, his kind and supportive partner was all but unable to ask for help, no matter how much he needed it, and that went doubly so when those troubles were of the emotional sort. Halsin had admitted once to having gone for so long without confidantes thanks to the Shadow Curse that he was still adjusting to the idea it was possible for someone to care about his troubles.

Kiaran kept wracking his mind for an event that might have triggered such a reaction, but nothing came to him. Their lives had been blessedly quiet since arriving at the commune; their greatest worries were in blending the multiple cultures their members came from, in maintaining their food stores properly, and other such mundane issues. No longer were they balancing the world’s fate on their shoulders, or fighting to break a Shadow Curse, or doing anything that resembled the other traumas Halsin had fought against in his long life.

Unless…

Kiaran frowned suddenly. Could that be it? Maybe Halsin was so used to living one crisis after another that he was unprepared for true peace. Maybe his mind was still experiencing the tumult, even removed from the situation. After all, it wasn’t like the last century had been conducive to healing, and the idyllic calm would give his mind plenty of time to wander to those deep wounds that had never healed, only half-scabbed over.

Kiaran watched Halsin, currently in bear form, curl in on himself in the corner of their hand-built treehouse. It was only a theory, but it was the best lead he had, really. If it turned out to be something else, Kiaran might never figure out what it was unless Halsin volunteered the information himself, and that seemed highly unlikely, if Halsin hadn’t said anything already.

There was no way to find out but by talking to him, Kiaran supposed. He sighed and wandered over to Halsin’s spot, sitting next to the wildshaped cave bear and petting his fur. “Hello, love. Can we talk?” he asked softly. “I… won’t beat around the bush here, sweetheart. I’m worried about you. Very worried.”

Continued on AO3 here.

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The Loving Master series - #BG3 FanFic Review

Review by Apollo (@apollo-stories)

Good timezone my friends, I am happy to present another constellation in the bright sky of fanfiction: The Loving Master series by calqmity on AO3. (You can find the author on Tumblr at @calqmity and on Twitter.) This is a re-post of our most recent review for those who may have missed it!

PLEASE NOTE: As always, mind the tags, and for this wonderfully dark work in particular, as it includes numerous controversial and dark themes and is NSFW. These include dead dove; necrophilia; non-con elements; and abusive relationships; among others. Our review is continued below the fold due to the heavy nature of the content in this particular series.

Virtual photography by @xandirge.

The series is comprised of three separate works exploring the dark desires of our favourite bloodsucker Ascended Astarion. It starts with The Doll Collector, a fantastic title in and of itself with no small amount of sinister foreshadowing.

In this story there is a constant and ominous theme of dehumanisation as well as an exploration of Astarion’s relationship with death. The author details Ascended Astarion’s recently devised methods of collecting his new vampire spawn cohort, as well as the addiction he develops in controlling their lifeless bodies. (Reminder: mind the tags!)

Astarion is obsessively controlling, and takes great delight in stripping any sort of independence or autonomy from his spawn that they may have once enjoyed in their former lives. It is a dark work, and there is no healing to be found here. This is an excellently constructed examination of Ascended Astarion’s dark mind and how he fulfills his most toxic needs as his spawn become his latest possessions to play with at his leisure.

The Unbearable Pressure, the author's second work in the series, is no different to its predecessor in its exploration of Ascended Astarion's growing darkness and cruelty. This work focuses more on on his relationship with his most disobedient spawn, Blaze, and his efforts to break her and ensure her obedience.

The theme of dehumanisation and dollification gets more pronounced the further we read. Astarion wants to control every single part of his spawn. And even despite the obvious sadism of his actions, Astarion genuinely believes he is doing his spawn a kindess, and grapples to understand why his spawn are not more grateful for his 'assistance' and what he considers his dedicated 'care'. The author has expressed Astarion's delusion of benevolence well, as our narrator is wonderfully unreliable.

Haunted By Your Touch, Aching For Your Love is our third and final work in the series, and quite possibly my favourite of the three! (I would call it a crowd pleaser, but that requires that the crowd in question likes breaking characters down and making them suffer oh so deliciously.)

The cycle of abuse and the affection for one’s captor can be difficult to write in fiction. There is a common mistake of stepping back from the scene and becoming more clinical in order to convey why the cycle is happening and why it continues, and, in so doing, create a disconnect between the reader and the characters. This work sees that tripping point coming from miles away and does cartwheels over it.

We are deep in Astarion’s mind and psyche in this work as his delusions and twisted perspective have completely erased any distinction between reality and his wicked desires. It is left to the keen eye of the reader to pick up on the subtle hints and evidence of his delusions, which are expertly described by the author via the reactions of the other characters that suffer Astarion's whims and mistreatment.

The Loving Master, as a whole, is a wonderful exploration into dark themes and abusive relationships. Astarion’s character is portrayed consistently through the entire series using beautiful metaphors that I could hear Astarion himself repeating in his own voice. And beyond our lead antagonist, the author's original characters are well-written and developed, becoming well-established personalities in their own right. Each one has their own clear motivations and responds to Astarion differently, adding to the depth of the overall narrative with every line. These stories are also structurally sound, as you can look forward to a healthy mix of short and long paragraphs and sentence structures that makes the story easy to read and easy to enjoy.

Mind the tags on AO3, as The Loving Master does not shy away from NSFW elements and very heavy themes.

Enjoy your dove, but be aware. It is very, very dead.

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We have included a snippet of The Doll Collector below for your enjoyment, as well as the author's tags as they are currently listed on AO3 for this particular work. Please remember to support the author by leaving kudos and comments on their work on AO3. 🫶

The Doll Collector

"One more bite, is all it would take."

And now his beautifully pliant Lydia laid underneath him, fully submitted to his one desire: for her to become his. Her jet black hair framed her round, delicate face. Through her long, black eyelashes, her dark purple eyes stared up at him, wide and vulnerable. The indigo moonlight skin that bruised wonderfully under the force of his fingers was soft and warm to the touch.

"Be gentle," her quiet voice trembled.

There was nothing gentle about forging an undead monster out of an innocent, precious soul—his perfectly obedient, beautiful little monster, yet a monster nonetheless—but he could pretend, for just a moment.

He brought her wrist up to his mouth, laying a feather light kiss on top of the flesh, eating the garnish before digging into the main course. He cradled it in his hands before sinking his teeth in. Her quick yelp from the sudden pain sent a raging, hot inferno through his abdomen, encouraged by the red delicacy on his tastebuds.

Eventually he forced himself to pull away, letting the bloodied, shaking hand fall from his grasp. He leaned forward, placing his hands on either side of her head, trapping his prey.

"You have given me everything...thank you." His words came out breathy and in between sighs of pleasure. The taste of her blood lingered on his lips, but it wasn't enough. He needed every last drop. While the ritual had rid him of the hunger caused by his supernatural curse, it had been replaced with a new hunger: to take, to take, and to take, from everyone around him. He wanted it all.

She look terrified out of her mind about what was about to happen, her eyes glancing at the liquid ruby dripping down his chin. In this moment, she looked like a porcelain doll. Her plump lips and flushed cheeks had a warm glow cast on them from the candle light in the tavern room. But when his fangs pierced her neck, she did not crack—only screamed. It was like biting into the plumpest, ripest fruit in the orchard, and her cries of pain were the beautiful notes of the birds' song high above in the sky.

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Thunder reforged: Rolan x Dammon - #BG3 FanFic Review

Review by Aivu (@aivuthedragon)

As always, mind the tags! Our review is continued below the fold due to the NSFW nature of the content in these works.

This incredible artwork by @arczism was inspired by velocitross's Rolan x Dammon fic Working Steel, which is included in today's review.

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Working Steel

By velocitross on AO3

“I’ll be with you in a moment,” he says as Rolan comes to a stop an awkward few feet from the halfling waiting on her sword.

“Well, don’t take too long,” Rolan snaps, and then reddens further when Dammon raises an eyebrow at him. “Sorry. I’ll just—I’ll wait.”

Dammon lifts the blade off his anvil to study it. He smiles at the halfling as he passes her the sword.

“Give that a try. Come back if you need anything else.”

She moves off to the side to examine the blade, allowing Rolan to step up to the forge. He stands, arms crossed, his face flushed as he fixes Dammon with his bright yellow stare.

“Anything I can help you with, Rolan?” the blacksmith prompts.

Rolan sighs. He places his hands carefully on the edge of the anvil, glances again toward the halfling woman, and leans in toward Dammon.

“I need . . . Steel.”

Dammon breathes a good-natured chuckle.

“Come on,” he says, nodding over his shoulder toward the building. “I could use a break, anyway.”

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