Witcher HALP

[ivyfic]

So as I dive into Witcher fic, it seems that it comes in two categories:
- astolat's amazing fic, which I've read multiple times.
- Jaskier/Geralt. 100% of which is specifically about making Geralt feel bad about episode 1x06 Rare Species, and at least half of which gives Jaskier a background as some sort of immortal or magical being.

I'm not saying I'm not enjoying it. But. I feel like I've read the exact same story twenty times now.

Does anyone have Witcher recommendations for literally anything else? (Particularly season 2, though I know there's only been a month for that.)

Comments

[melannen]

The Iorveth/Roche I recced awhile back! (It's mostly based on the second game but if you know the basic Witcher setup you should be fine - I was.) Also the first one I rec'ed there is part of a massively long series, that starts as Jaskier/Geralt/(Yennnefer) but then wanders off into good, mostly-standalone longfic for a bunch of rarepairs.

I also fell down a Lambert/Aiden hole awhile back, there's good stuff on AO3 for that if you're interested, though I didn't save any links.

[ivyfic]

I'm in the weird position of having watched the show and only knowing the video games through astolat's fic. (I suck too hard to be a gamer.) And focusing on the show leads straight into Jaskier/Geralt, which, again, not opposed to! It's just, far from the most interesting thing going on even if I just look at the show? I've ordered the books, but I've literally never read an epic fantasy series end to end (except Tolkein, and that's 900 pages total so barely counts by modern standards). The Witcher novels would take my entire reading alotment for a year at my current pace. So I'm going to sally an attempt, but I don't expect to get that far.

[melannen]

I mean, I haven't even watched the show, just read a couple of the books. I don't really know what else is going on in the show, "cause like you said, the fic is pretty laser-focused. And I think once writers start being interested in other characters, they seem to get drawn to the other canons. And it depends on your tolerance for just diving in, I guess! But if you managed Emhyr/Geralt without canon, you should be able to manage the Iorveth/Roche I rec'd.

I'd still recommend the bomberqueen17 series if you want to branch out - it starts with show-based Jaskier/Geralt and then slowly eases you into the rest like boiling a frog. ( She also had a live log of 'watching her housemate play the games' since she, too, does not game.)

[cathexys]

Oh thanks. I'll try that.

Like you, ivy, I came to The Witcher via astolat's fic and then played the game forever with that pairing in the back of my mind. So I can't do Jaskier. He's a fun guy but...he's not my love interest for Geralt for all the reasons....

I'm happy for all the show folks, but I'd give a lot for some great non Jaskier romance...

[melannen]

I too came via Astolat's fic but then I did read some of the books, where that pairing's not even a little bit on the horizon, and then (as chronicled in my first Witcher 100 days rec) found out some more about Emhyr in the books (which are theoretically in continuity with the games) and kind of went off the pairing...

[ivyfic]

I like Jaskier! I even buy him pining over Geralt! And for a good fic, I can get there. But at this point I'd even like a story about their friendship--cause people can relate to each other than romantically. This is what I get for sorting by kudos, clearly.

[melannen]

You can filter out the ship tag you know! :P

(For show fic I've mostly been filtering in Yennefer, which at least usually gets me stuff that isn't just them in an isolated romance.)