Official Description:
Edward’s been a solitary vampire, hunting on the edges of society. He rejoins his family in Forks, ready to abstain and runs across a young woman praying. A choice must be made between one’s heart, one’s desires and one’s soul. Darkward ExB AU
Word Count: 141,630
Don’t Miss the Prequel, The Beginning.
“Why haven’t I read this sooner?”
That was my first thought when I finished the first chapter of this story.
A Litany at Dusk is one of those amazing stories that you read and it sticks with you. It makes you think about the characters and their decisions, and how they are so realistic to how people react to certain situations. It picks up after life-changing events that have affected Edward and Bella’s lives, which, for Bella’s past, we aren’t privy to right away.
At the start, Edward finds himself drawn back to the Cullens after years away, hoping to find some peace with his decisions. He goes to Carlisle right after his return, looking from some guidance, and I believe has one of the best conversations written between the two men in fan fiction.
[dcs_p]“I can’t play judge and jury and executioner anymore.”[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]No one ever asked you to.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]“I know.” I had to whisper the next part. It was what scared me most. “Was it always just an excuse to indulge the bloodlust? Have I been that weak?”[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]There was no answer he could give me. I was being eaten alive by my own guilt and shame. “There are things that even God cannot forgive,” I quoted softly.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]He rose from his place on the grass, and I felt his hand on my shoulder. “If it’s forgiveness you’re after, Edward, you must start with your own.”[/dcs_p]
It is this tone that starts the story and each character’s journey to find forgiveness. Not from other people, but forgiving themselves.
In this story, Bella and Edward have their issues and each believe that they are coping with them in a way that is good for them. While Bella looks to religion to find this, Edward has his litany – the list of all the people he has killed over the last several decades. However, it’s not until they meet that they realize they aren’t coping and they aren’t putting their pasts behind them. Instead, they carry around their sins and shame and it weighs them down and affects every aspect of their lives.
What I think is so unique about this story is that Bella and Edward are each their own person. They’ve made mistakes and genuinely feel terrible about them, and when they meet, they don’t hide from each other. It might take them awhile to open up completely, but they know that they have scars that the other notices.
The brilliant writing from Duskwatcher2153 captures all their feelings, reservations, and guilt. She gives a grieving Bella depth and sorrow, but at the same time, you can see that just under the surface, she is still a fighter. She takes an Edward who could be played out and so cliché and makes him complex and different.
One of the best things about the story is that it’s complete. There’s no waiting, and the journey unfolds so beautifully for these two. In my opinion, it is one of the best AUs that I’ve ever read.
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