Amplirecathon: 12 femslash recs in 4 fandoms

[woldy]

Merlin BBC
"Dreamsweepers" written by fitz_y & read by afterandalasia (Morgana/Morgause, R, ~45,000 words & multiple hours)
This is a dystopian contemporary AU in which magical people have been medicalized and criminalized. As the story unfolds we learn how Morgana ended up living an isolated life that centers around her parole officer and the hospital, and then Morgause intervenes to suggest a rebellion against the government. Afterandalasia reads in a smooth, matter of fact way that reflects Morgana's tension and lets the quiet horror of the story unfold. This is a WIP and at the moment only the first three chapters have been recorded, so keep watching for updates!

"Pastimes & Lifestyles" written by netgirl_y2k and read by sophinisba (Gwen/Morgana, PG-13, 103 mins)
I have listened to this story more often than I can remember, probably because it's a cute, funny, swashbuckling tale that retells the first series of Merlin with a twist - Merlin never arrived so Morgana and Gwen fought monsters and rescued Arthur on his behalf. A feel-good tale that makes an absolutely perfect bedtime story.

"Merrily on High" written by gnimaerd & read by sophinisba (Gwen/Morgana, NC-17, 99 mins)
This contemporary AU story tells the tale of Gwen and Morgana's rocky progression from childhood friends to girlfriends, framed through the question of sexual kink. Sophinisba does an excellent job with the character voices and the sex scenes.

"Oil Paintings" written by skellerbvvt & read by such_heights (Gwen/Morgana, PG-13, 21 mins)
This is a fluffy feel-good story in which Gwen is an artist who meets Morgana meet at a cuddle party. Such_heights' narration style is a great fit for the warm mood of the fic, and I especially like her inflection and differentiation of Gwen and Morgana's voices.

"Grease-stained" written by heather and read by sophinisba (Gwen/Morgana, NC-17, 4 mins)
If you ever doubted that it was possible to capture scorching sexual tension and hot, messy, mechanic-overalls sex in less time than it takes to boil a kettle then this answers your question.

St Trinians
"Of String Theory, Bad Poetry, and Head Girl Badges" written by language_escapes & read by via_ostiense (Kelly/Polly, Kelly/Andrea, & Polly/Harriet PG-13, 120 mins)
The best St Trinians fics in fandom hail from this author, and this is one of a much longer series exploring the lives of the St Trinians girls beyond the films. Here, we learn about Kelly's first days at the school, her penchant for stealing the Head Girl's badge, how she met Polly, the romances and mis-adventures (often at the same time) that occur along the way. All the characters here are more fleshed out than in canon, the world-building is fantastic, and via_ostiense reads it (and others in the series) beautifully.

"The da Vinci Con" written by scintilla10 and read by ExmanHater (Peaches/Chloe/Chelsea, PG, 40 mins)
This fandom lends itself to stories of crime and high adventure, and this is a great example - the Posh Totties have been framed for an art heist and need to prove their innocence, with a series of break-ins, narrow escapes, and revelations along the way. Exmanhater's reading of the story captures the spirit of this fandom perfectly, especially at the ending, which I won't spoil. Stonkingly good fun!

"Mischief, Shenanigans and Hijinks of All Sorts" written by scintilla10 & read by fishpatrol (Kelly/Annabelle, PG, 2 mins)
This charming podficlet was recorded as part of the 2012 Awesome Ladies Podfic Anthology. Fishpatrol's reading captures both the mayhem and the sweetness of this pairing.

Harry Potter
"Accept the Extraordinary" written by roozette & read by fire_juggler (Luna/Tonks, R, 18 mins)
Firejuggler has fluid reading style and thoughtful interpretations of characters, which makes for a wonderfully dreamy account of Luna. The fic starts after the events of Deathly Hallows, when Luna is recovering from her experiences at Malfoy Manor and Tonks is recovering from the loss of her husband. There is some difficult content in this story (including mentions of past sexual assault) but it's ultimately a narrative of healing and hope.

"The Sporting Life" written by byblythe & read by anna_unfolding (Pansy/Cho, R, 19 mins)
This is a classic Hogwarts-era femslash story filled with banter, dry humour, and sexual tension. Anna_unfolding provides an excellent reading that captures the snarky humor of Pansy's narration and the delicious flirting between Pansy and Cho.

"Love Accidentally" written by delphi & read by via_ostiense (multi: Gilderoy Lockhart/Kingsley Shacklebolt, Millicent Bulstrode/Dudley Dursley, Argus Filch/Horace Slughorn, Augusta Longbottom/Pomona Sprout, G, 19 mins)
This is a lovely Christmas story in which Neville's efforts to buy his gran a gift lead to a series of fortuitous encounters. Via_ostiense's reading has great pacing and captures the moods of the characters, ranging from Neville's minor frustration to Lockhart's hints of the whimsical and Dudley's inept flirtations.

The Devil Wears Prada
"What I wore to the revolution" written by Jae-W & read by exmanhater (Emily/Andy, R, 30 mins)
This is a great story that merges humor and romance as Emily goes from hating Andy to showing her softness underneath . Exmanhater does an amazing job capturing Emily's snooty perfectionism, dry wit, and in reading Emily's lines in a British accent and Andy's in an American one - far easier said than done.