Prism by Anna Faze

Official Description:

A father and daughter, bound by blood and torn apart by secrets. There are a hundred versions of the truth, it all depends which way the light shines. AU.

 

So let’s start this off with a single, very important statement:

This ain’t your typical fic.

And while we’re at it, let’s add a second, very frustrating statement:

This fic is criminally under-read and under-reviewed.

Now, do I have your attention?

Or, in the words of the Verizon guy, Do you hear me now? Good.

Over the last few months, we’ve reviewed a wide variety of vamp fics in this column. We’ve ranged from canon to canon-compatible, all the way to very, very AU. And at the same time, we’ve covered an array of genres: romance, humor, angst, drama, and even tragedy.

But there’s one area that we’ve not really covered yet. And that’s true supernatural mystery.

You might ask, what do I mean by that…

I’m talking about stories that defy normal logic and worlds that make you tilt your head. Puzzles, if you will. Puzzles that are maybe a little eerie or maybe even a little spooky, that show the promise of something other. Ones that make you sit up a little straighter in your chair and lean into your monitor so that you don’t miss a single thing. Because there are all of these mysterious little hints – little lines, phrases, gestures, and whispers – all pointing at something and you’re left fumbling in the dark, looking for more and more clues, reading every line like it’s important and critical. But really… even with all the clues, all you know is that something big and awesome is waiting for you and you just gotta read, read, read so you can find out what it is. Yeah, that’s what good supernatural or paranormal mystery is all about.

And I have to say that so far, even at only six chapters in, Prism is one of the best examples I’ve seen in Twific of exactly what I described above. Seriously, we’re talking top-notch stuff here. And oh, by the way, this genre isn’t easy. It’s hard to do right. It takes a lot of skill and a lot of planning to pull something like this off. This fic has all of that.

As an aside, yes, I’m flailing a little. I have no shame when it comes to good AU and especially when something excites me like this.

This a slow boiling mystery in which we, the readers, are plunged into a world that’s familiar and yet not. We’re in Forks. We’ve got a Bella, a Renee, a Charlie. There are Quileutes. There are a host of familiar faces and names. But…I should point out that one of the first things you need to do when you start this fic is to take all of your preconceived notions about Twific – about how the stories typically go, about who and what people are, about how things work – and well, throw them right out of the window. Because this is a very AU fic. In a very good way.

We start out in the head of Charlie Swan, and he’s contemplating the near-term arrival of his only daughter, Bella. This isn’t exactly the Charlie we know either… He’s introspective and there’s a mystical air about him that I’ve not seen before in fic.

And the mood that’s immediately set (in the first half of chapter 1!) for this fic is just incredible. It’s dark and foreboding, and it doesn’t take long at all to realize that something very serious and very strange is going on in Forks, Washington. All is not well. And while it’s clear that the Chief loves his daughter, he’s terrified for her arrival…

I walk to the kitchen window and lean in close, my breath forming a cold, grey cloud on the glass. Hidden in the darkness beyond my yard is the forest that’s the lifeblood of this town. The trees that have been logged and milled for decades are the reason that Forks exists at all. Hikers come from miles around to trek in that forest, to admire its beauty and uncover its secrets. Fishermen gather on the banks of the river that winds through it, the trees rising like a wall at their backs as they bait up and cast out. Botanists, hunters, campers; the forest teems with energy and activity and industry.

So much life for such a deadly place.

As if on cue, as if the mere thought of those ancient moss covered trees is enough to stir the demons, the sound I’ve been dreading all night shatters the silence. The glass of water flies from my hand as I lunge for the phone, a whispered prayer falling unbidden from my lips.

Please, don’t be Billy.

“Chief?” My mouth is so dry I can’t speak. I stare greedily at the water on the floor.

“Chief? Are you there?”

Weeee!!! Oh, the promise in that little, “So much life for such a deadly place.”

From here, we’re given bits and pieces, both through Charlie and, after Bella arrives, through her strange interactions with her parents and new found friends.

We learn that for undisclosed reasons, Bella and her mom were kept away from Forks for seventeen long years. We learn that whatever it was that made them leave is now (supposedly) gone and that mother and daughter are home to stay. We learn that something scary and abnormal is going on with the nearby Quileutes and that Charlie’s bloodline holds some very critical key to it all. Too, we learn that some want to tell Bella all of these secrets, but others do not. And so we feel all of the frustration Bella does because she’s in the dark about it all. But one thing is absolutely clear: Bella is… important. And there are those who, it would seem, would use her…

One big question looms over them all, however… now that Bella is back in Forks, are those scary demons with no names really gone?

“Billy, I just want to say thank -.” He cuts me short with a wave of his hand, his eyes glinting in the half light and I know when I see them that I was right. I settle back on the couch.

I won’t sleep tonight. I won’t even try.

The nightmare, the flash of red out of the corner of my eye like a flame in the dark that I can never extinguish, can wait for another night.

Instead I’ll sit here in this room with Billy, our faces flickering blue, and wait out the last, long night.

Per my usual, I’m purposefully being vague here. And it’s for good reason, too: I don’t know the answers!!!

Like I said above, this story is a fantastic mystery, full of clues and hints and all sorts of juicy tidbits, all of which promise a fascinating, inhuman world that by chapter 6 (the last posted chapter at the time of this review), we’re only just beginning to understand. I scorched through all of the available chapters and nearly threw my computer wanting more. Dude. Now that’s the sign of a good fic. It’s been a while since a story grabbed my attention like this one has.

Before I stop, another thing that I really want you all to take away from this recommendation is that this author can write. In addition to the plotting and planning, AF’s prose is accomplished and professional in reading. It’s nimble and elegant, and it flows like few can manage. Each word matters and at the same time, each one is a pleasure to read. Additionally, while the story bounces between two heads – Bella’s and Charlie’s – you never once doubt where you are. She’s created two distinct voices and points of view, and there’s zero overlap. And in each chapter, no matter whose head you’re in, AF feeds you just a little bit more, building the plot up bit by bit, gradually laying the puzzle out. What she’s doing is rather impressive. Seriously.

So, all of that being said, I want every one of you to click on the link to this story. I want you to hide away from work and kids and yammering spouses and read. I want you to enjoy this story because it’s wonderful and complex.

And… I want you all to leave some notes for Miss Anna Faze and tell her just how awesome her story is.

Oh! And while you are at it, you might as well read her short O/s, Seraphim. It’s beautiful and haunting, and it stuck with me for days. She’s a very talented lady.

Until next month!

v-v

Wednesdays With Teeth

Past Recommendations:

2011
July – AU – The Music of the Night, by theladyingrey42
August – Canon AU – The Count of Tuscany, by wythanie
September – Canon AU – Giving Way to Dusk, by HelenahJay
October – Canon – Cowboys Have Fangs, Too, by Pastiche Pen
November – AU – Sins of the Piano Man, by solareclipses
December – Canon AU – Sundowners, by missbluejuju