http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5390119/1/The_University_of_Edward_Masen

Official Description: Edward Masen is the selfish and brooding university professor; Bella Swan is his shy, but determined graduate student. Appearances can be deceiving. Have their paths crossed before? Rated M for good reason, all human, canon pairings, AU, OOC, ExB

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Beans827 says: After reading a Monday Teaser here on the Fictionators regarding the new fic, The University of Edward Masen, I decided to check it out. I’m always on the prowl to see if a new story can catch my interest. Well, I have to tell you that this fic has definitely captured and held my interest through the seven or so chapters that have posted. It pulled me in almost immediately with its rather nasty and full of himself Professor Masen berating a new grad student, Bella Swan. Bella has moved to the University of Toronto on scholarship to study Dante under the genius that is Edward Masen. However, she soon fears that he will dismiss her from the program when a series of unfortunate but hilarious events occur that do not help her cause. It’s also due to these same incidents that we find out that Professor Masen and Bella have some type of previous relationship but we don’t have enough information yet to understand why Edward doesn’t seem to remember her.

So far, one of the very best things about this story is Bella’s response to her situation. She has had one bad thing after another happen to her in just the space of the first few chapters, but her inner spirit is what shines through and she doesn’t let any of it break her. Despite the fact that she has been thrown out of the graduate program, faced utter humiliation at the hands of Edward Masen and is now walking home in a torrential downpour, her thoughts come through as strong and indomitable.

“She thought of the lone tampon underneath his desk and knew that when he leaned down to pick up his briefcase at five o’clock her humiliation would be complete. At least she wouldn’t be there to witness his shocked and disgusted reaction. She envisioned him having a cow, literally; lying down on the beautiful Persian rug that graced his office and painfully and loudly giving birth to a calf.”

You can almost see her chin raise and her backbone straighten in her defiance to not let Professor Masen win. There is also a hint of another someone from her past who is banking on her failure and, therefore, she is determined to not let the situation, and those controlling it, break her.

As for Edward, he does come across as a vicious and pretentious snob at first whose prized possessions include a Burberry trenchcoat, his immaculate silver Volvo, and, Bella fears, “a shrunken head? Perhaps from a former graduate student?” Oh no, I meant medieval Dante illustrations. But in the last chapter which takes place 6 years prior, we see insight into Edward’s past and why he has become the tortured sole that he is. Apparently all was not Paradise at the Cullen home but we’ll have to wait to find out why.

The story is really well written and the author is obviously knowledgeable about the subject of Dante and his works. The story comes through as intelligent and mysterious while the author uses humor and angst to weave beautiful imagery. I hope you’ll give it a try and leave the author some love! And keep in mind, a good Teaser really can attract readers.

MF’er says: Like Beans, I kept seeing this story mentioned and receiving teasers for it was making me crazy. So last week, I devoured every chapter I could in one sitting.. and I loved it!

The originality of the storyline has me so intrigued, I’m bursting at the seams with all of the questions still left unanswered and of course the possibility for the future between these characters, I’m seriously considering kidnapping Sebastien so I can get an inside peek at what’s to come, but don’t tell her.

Go read it, you won’t be sorry. Here’s a little something that turned me to goo, and I’m sure once you read it, you’ll understand why… *swoon*

“I want her petals to open,” Edward breathed.

Kassiah says: Just wanted to add that this story is really well-written and not your typical student/teacher relationship. I love the way that Edward and Bella connect and the unexpected characterization of Angela is total win. I think you should check it out, you won’t be sorry!