Compiled by the Espresso Addict

Espresso Recommendations

Innovative and stylish fanfiction, showcasing the very best across multiple sf, fantasy & literature fandoms. Good writing in all its forms can be found here, including gen, het, slash, OCs, AUs, crossovers, future fics, humour & pastiche

Contents: 1010 recs in 235 fandoms; 65 links

Harry Potter

Lily Evans

Select other characters via the dropdown menu, or return to the Harry Potter characters index

Dudley Dursley and the Hogwarts Letter by KindKit

'Right up until he turned eleven a couple of months ago, Dudley used to hope that he'd got magic too.' A brief AU that is both thought provoking and surprisingly touching

[Added 09/07/2008; Drama; 1000-2500; Harry Potter; Characters: Dudley Dursley, Lily Potter, Harry Potter, James Potter]

The End of the Beginning by Mariner

A page-turner of a crossover novel, featuring an interesting external view of the Marauders in adulthood plus a surprisingly persuasive mixture of the Joss- & Potterverse magics (BtVS/HP)

[Added 09/10/2005; Drama; >50,000; Harry Potter; Characters: Rupert Giles (BtVS), Ethan Rayne (BtVS), James Potter, Lily Potter, Albus Dumbledore, Voldemort, Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy; Crossover]

Romance of the Age by Livesandlies

'The wizard ... was not by any means a small man. He had, however, a collection of very miniscule attributes – small eyes, a small nose, thin little lips, and a thin little chin – that seemed to suggest he had been sketched out on parchment by a child only just learning to use a quill, who'd had very grand ideas to begin with, and who, discovering for the first time the very disagreeable runniness of ink, had splashed on a few dots for the features and then given up.' The first war, à la Vile Bodies. The Waugh pastiche provides the perfect lens to view the terrible events as they inexorably unfold, and the novella overflows with sparkling wit at the expense of almost all of its enormous cast. A wonderful achievement

[Added 15/01/2014; Drama; 20,000-50,000; Harry Potter; Characters: Severus Snape, Lily Evans, Narcissa Malfoy, Regulus Black, James Potter, Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black, Voldemort, Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy, Barty Crouch Jr, Walburga Black, Eileen Prince, Tobias Snape, Death Eaters, Marauders & Order; Crossover]

Spiritus, Sanguis et Aqua by Heretical Vision

'And then her sister screamed and when Petunia turned around all she saw was blue glass in the light, a strange wooden stick, and Lily's face covered in Mrs. Snape's blood...' A very dark AU, which escalates from the original premise outwards to encompass the entire wizarding world. Heretical Vision sometimes sacrifices the characters to the idea, but when the idea is as novel & interesting as this one, I'm happy to go along for the ride

[Added 13/08/2012; Drama; 2500-6000; Harry Potter; Characters: Severus Snape, Lily Evans, Albus Dumbledore, Eileen Snape, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Harry Potter, Lucius Malfoy, Petunia Evans, Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley, original character; Adult]

To Sever the Lining from a Cloud by Textualsphinx

'He would never leave the earth and reach the stars. He was mud, he was slugs, he was worms, he was maggots: worse than maggots, in fact.' A highly original piece, mixing fairy tale with modernity to (cough) magical effect

[Added 18/03/2006; Romance/Erotica; 2500-6000; Harry Potter; Characters: Severus Snape, Lily Evans, James Potter]