Freedom was a pretty good story, but I hated the title. Also, I'm unclear on why the framing device of the grave was necessary. (I mean, I know that spoily events occur, etc., but, said events didn't figure nearly as heavily into the resulting story as they might have.)

Still, yes, good story -- and very much a telling story rather than an intimate one. I find the fannish attachment to viewpoint character intimacy (and, oft-times, to lyric excess in prose) kind of overwhelming, so this story came across as -- minimalist. Good style.

Oh, I'm so glad I'm not the only one thrown off by the title. I thought it was kind of over-dramatic.

...or that could actually *be* Syn's big epic SGA fic and I've just not checked my livejournal all weekend. Anyway, yeah. Yay for you guys liking it.

I always feel like such a baby when stories like this come around, but...I don't want to read it. I was pretty sure what happened in the story, and I peeked, and...I don't wanna.

You know I'll read it for you.

It's odd, the different reactions people seem to have to the story. In the comment thread (now up to, like, 800 comments in total!) they were all these people saying it was all so unbelievably sad and made them bawl, etc., and I didn't get that at all. Of course there was tragedy, but the story didn't wallow in it--it was more about rebuilding of self in the aftermath. I thought it was lovely and quite hopeful, actually.

I'd say it's bittersweet with a hopeful slant, but the writing's good enough that the sad parts bring on tears where a story that's just tragedy piled on top of angst might not.

I don't know if it makes a difference, Dana, but all the sad happens in the past of the story. The story itself is all about rebuilding, as Vonnie said.

Dana, you should read it. Matt's description is spot-on, and it's just lovely.

And I really, really, really didn't need a new reading fandom.

Curse the good writers and favorable syndication schedule.

Nope. Still not going to read it.