The Canonical Five by EchoesofTwilight

Official Description:

What if before he became the respectable patriarch we all know and love, Carlisle was a killer? A very famous killer. DARK. M for disturbing themes and lemons. Entry for the There Will Be Blood contest.

Word Count: 8,263

Some writers in the fandom bring a broad base of knowledge and diverse interests to the Twilight universe, showing the readers a dazzling collection of diamonds well hidden in the rough. EchoesOfTwilight is one of those writers.

Her entry in last summer’s There Will Be Blood challenge grabbed me by the throat with an unexpected twist on history and character. In The Canonical Five, Echoes takes a dark look at Carlisle Cullen’s past and weaves it brilliantly into one of the most famous mysteries of the 19th century. A mystery that still haunts historians today.

I’m going to assume the cryptic title of this story is one of reasons for the appalling lack of reviews, so I’ll give you a little background to whet your appetite for blood. Beginning in 1888, a string of gruesome murders was committed in the slums of London. The killer was infamously dubbed Jack the Ripper and he was never caught. Although there were 11 murders in the Whitechapel district, authorities were only confident that five of them were Jack’s work – those women were referred to as the canonical five.

Echoes boldly speculates that such a violent and unchecked spree could easily be attributed to our favorite creature of the night: vampire. Even more shocking is her presentation of Carlisle – the perfect patriarch – as the famed vicious killer.

I’m drawn to flawed, complex characters and Echoes’ Carlisle is miles away from the saintly, one dimensional father figure of the original saga. She has exposed the darkness we might glimpse beneath the benevolent surface, and answers the obvious question of how Dr. Cullen could survive all those centuries with such an untainted soul. Maybe he didn’t.

The Canonical Five expands upon Carlisle’s complicated relationship with his father and his raw loneliness through the decades as he yearns for a companion, for family, and for love. We’re introduced to another character – Edward’s would-be predecessor, Joseph – as Carlisle struggles with his overwhelming desires for both blood and sex.

EchoesOfTwilight’s mastery of Victorian morals, proper English syntax and Ripper history is spectacular. The lemons are not those usually found in the groves of fanfic, but heavy with dark, forbidden passion, as this line so beautifully illustrates:

“Because I am burning in a fire more consuming than that of my transformation from human to vampire.”

I must confess I’ve always had an unhealthy fascination of Jack and others of his ilk, so being asked to review this particular story was a gift. Echoes has written a dozen others as well, and none of them fit into a neat fanfic package. She explores several characters, including Edward, Bella and Alice, in a variety of fluff, slash and angst. If you’re a fic snob *cough*like I am*cough* then you’ll be deeply satisfied reading The Canonical Five. The story is original and superbly written, as are her other ventures. Go give this criminally unknown writer a look, followed by lots of review love.

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