Music

As C. S. Lewis said in The Screwtape Letters, Hell is "occupied by noise", while Heaven is described as "the regions where [...] all that is not music is silence". The risk to make just noise is high for every author that struggles to say something remarkable with his/her stories and his/her characters; but the aim to make something full of harmony and beauty is what makes worth the try. 

An even more challenging task is represented by the choice to tell a story using words, pictures and music all together, as in

• Sins of the Piano Man by solareclipses

Summary: "Twilight AU. A reclusive vampire's bittersweet swan songs for the victims he regrets draw in a young woman struggling with her father's illness. As fate brings them together, Edward's dark past threatens to tear them apart. ExB".

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Solareclipses is a very talented young artist; using different media, she offers as many ways to approach her story: a video trailer, a rich playlist, a collection of evocative pictures, the words she writes.
From the original saga, we know that Edward had a very dark period in his first years as a vampire, but we don't know the details about those years; in this AU story, we get an explanation - and a very fascinating one - to some key choices that Edward made before meeting Bella; and we get a different insight in Edward's life. It's like the prelude.
Then, we can listen to the notes that compose every movement of this symphony; a first set of notes is represented by the episodes that, step by step, make Bella and Edward fall in love. Solareclipses is very detailed; she makes her readers savour every feeling and every thought of her characters, with a deliciously slow pace.
Another main theme, like another movement, is represented by the importance of the truth: in the original saga,  Jacob helps Bella to discover Edward's secrets; in this fic, instead, the struggle is completely up to Edward, who has to face the risk of losing Bella by either telling the truth or lying to her.
But Bella has also other issues about the truth in her relationship with her father; in a certain way, Edward's feelings towards Bella and Bella's ones towards Charlie have deep similarities: both the characters have to face the fact that a person they love is going to die; although in Charlie's case death seems really closer, Bella's lifespan as a mortal doesn't appear so much longer if compared to a vampire's one.
In both cases, Edward for Bella and Bella for Charlie endure sacrifices and lies  for their beloved's sake. Is it right? Is it going to work?
The symphony is not over yet: the leitmotiv of the entire story is Edward's love for the music. The canon Edward can play piano very well, but it's just one of his many talents. In this story, instead, Edward is not only a gorgeous pianist, but his music is at the same time a memento and an atonement; it's a way to overcome Death, because the people who inspire Edward's songs can still live in his memory and in his songs, although they can't live anymore in this world, and with every note Edward can regain a new piece of his humanity, of his compassion,  of his  control over his inner monster.
Sometimes words are not enough to communicate: the pictures and the playlist that are offered as a companion to each chapter are not a mere ornament, but are part of the whole message. Like it happens with a good piece of music, that you'd like to listen to again and again, the pictures and the playlist of this fic will give you the opportunity to savour this story in many different ways. Please visit the website http://sinsofthepianoman.tumblr.com/.
Sins of the piano man has also the best video trailer I've ever seen for a fanfiction. You can enjoy it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3i6X4CD7Ng.

If you read this fanfic, please don't forget to tell the author that "Raum sent you" and say "Ciao!" from me! Thanks!

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A pearl and its secrets

There's a story that I started to read because sunflower-queen -- a special author I had the pleasure to introduce some posts ago -- highly recommended it and defined it as a "gem". Let's try to find what gems have to do with

• Metaphysics by Anais Mark

Summary: "Edward & Bella are graduate students in London 'coincidentally' researching the same poets. More than 300 years after the fact, Carlisle & Edward must find out why Carlisle's past won't stay there - before Bella digs it up researching her thesis".

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If this story was a gem, it would be a pearl. 

Like a pearl, with its multiple layers, Metaphysics offers to its readers many paths to follow. 

The first one is the story of a smart and passionate young woman; it's not Bella: her name is Sophie, she's a talented poet, and, when the story begins, we meet her in London in 1688. How will her story go? Who is Mr. Cullen? What secrets can be revealed reading Sophie's poems? 

We soon discover that we're not the only readers willing to find the truth:  another path opens in 2009; there's another brilliant girl that has left everything behind -- her friends, her family, her country -- to follow Sophie's traces in the old Continent. Bella, now graduate student in London, discovers that also a certain Edward is studying Sophie's works. But why does their research suddenly become dangerous for many people? Why does it involve vampires? 

Chapter by chapter, we can follow not only Edward's and Bella's exciting research, but also the development of their relationship; it leads to another path and arise other questions: why, some years ago, did Edward leave Forks after meeting Isabella? What is he trying to cover with his abrupt changes of attitude towards her? When Jake comes to London, which secrets will be figured out?

Like a precious gem, Metaphysics has many other facets; I was particularly touched by the visit that Rosalie pays to a certain grave (chapter 7); it speaks volumes about the way Rose cope with her immortality and with her vampire life. 

As an expert jeweller, Anais Mark refines every facet of her story; her writing style is elegant and shows a great capability to deal with different tones -- romantic, ironic, angsty -- and puts, along her  paths, many references that will catch the curiosity of her readers; you might be surprised to find also references to other fics of this fandom (have you ever heard about a certain TUOEM?).

Like an elegant pearl, Metaphysics doesn't shout out its brightness; it will hook you slowly, it will require your attention to follow its plot and will delight you with its mysteries.

If Anais was a gem, she would be a pearl too! If you read this fanfic, please don't forget to tell her that "Raum sent you" and say "Ciao!" from me! Thanks!

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When Shakespeare meets Twilight

In Twilight, Edward says that he graduated at the college more than once during his long  (vampire) life. Maybe that explains why there are many authors that set Edward and Bella at the University, both in AH and in vampire stories. When it happens, Bella usually studies humanities (good choice!), as in

• The Weight of Words by georgeygirl

Summary: "Bella is in the final months as an undergrad student at U of T. When she meets the PhD candidate who will be the TA of her senior Shakespeare course, her world is turned on end . What do you do when the only man you want is the one you can't have?". Complete.

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This is a very good fanfic not only for Twilight fans, but also for Shakespeare lovers; they can recall that Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is mentioned also in the original Twilight saga, especially in New Moon. This fic explores new ways to create a connection between great literary masterpieces and an Edward and Bella love story; just quoting a famous book is not enough to make a connection with that author and, in fact, georgeygirl goes far beyond: she shows a deep knowledge of many of Shakespeare's works, and every Shakespearean quote that she puts in her story is discussed by the characters or is important for the plot.
It doesn't mean that you have to be a scholar to enjoy this story: it's not a literary essay, but it deals with love, trust, and with the importance of being truthful, especially with those you care about;  anyway, the literary  references, that you can enjoy even if you've never read anything about Shakespeare, could be a good start to broaden your horizons.
I believe this is one of the most precious things that literature can offer to every reader: the possibility to feel  that a literary work, also if  it comes from another century, can be the best way to describe a present situation and sometimes an author from a completely different country or time seems to understand us better than a close friend. Edward and Bella use Shakespeare's words to try to express their feelings, and often find themselves identifying with Shakespeare's characters as they try to grapple with their day to day trials and tribulations and the developing relationship between them. 

But this fic doesn't deal only with literature: it's set in Toronto, and the setting is described so well that you'll often have the impression that you have seen those places with your own eyes,  as you read about Edward showing to Bella some of his most loved places or watch them making new memories in these special places. 

The Weight of Words is an AH fanfic, and it means that this time Edward is really human, with flaws and insecurities and health issues, while sometimes in other AH fanfics Edward is featured as a not-so-human strong, brave and flawless man. If you like a romantic Edward, if you want to follow him in a long journey to deal with his baggage, this fic is for you!

Georgeygirl is not only a fascinating writer, but is also a very kind and nice person! If you read this fanfic, please don't forget to tell her that "Raum sent you" and say "Ciao!" from me! Thanks!

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Being "different"

I always thought that the canon Twilight is mainly the story of a "different" boy who aims to be truly loved.

I'm currently reading a very good fanfiction where the author has caught this feature of Twilight in a very fine way: Edward is different not because he's a vampire, but because he has  a serious health issue; in this story Edward and Bella have a deep and troubled personality and a heavy baggage to deal with. As it happened to me, I hope you'll have the desire to read this fic in every moment of spare time:

• Dead on my feet by Cesca Marie

Summary: "Recovering from a serious illness, Edward knows what it is to be invisible but obvious to everyone around him. Bella, who has watched a loved one die of protracted illness, understands the tightrope-act of life in an unpredictable body. Alienated by his disease, Edward finds a friend in Forks' newest resident. The only problem is that she sees far more than anyone else does – including the things he doesn't want seen".

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Cesca Marie had a great courage choosing this subject, but she also shows that she can tell this story, also in its more difficult parts, without false pity, never in a banal way. Edward's and Bella's stories are revealed step by step, because there are things that can't be said to everyone and anytime, but only out of trust (and trust is a delicate thing to earn and to keep). This story made me cry and think  and even laugh in the same page. There's a lot of dark humor, that I can compare to Dr. Gregory House's sentences in the famous TV show: the jokes between Cesca Marie's characters are often more revealing than a long speech and give a new insight on the whole story.

The plot is developed with many details and I believe that is essential to make the readers attuned with the characters, seeing them as people and not just as "cases" or "patients". 

The author caught also other features of the canon characters of Twilight, as Carlisle's scientific attitude, or Esme's maternal sensitivity, and explore them in a very reliable way.

This fic is updated every week.

If you read this fanfic, please don't forget to tell that "Raum sent you" and say "Ciao!" to the author from me! Thanks!
I'd like to thank CyraBear for her kind and precious suggestions. Don't miss her fanfic "For whom the Bell tolls" (previously reviewed)! 

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Beautiful Voice, Ugly Words

This time, the title of the post is the English translation of the Italian title of two special fanfictions that are a unique in the fandom for several reasons: first of all, this time the fascinating, complex vampire with a long history (and a heavy baggage), who falls in love with a human young and beautiful (outside and inside) person is Bella, while Edward is the human boy. Then, the story is not set in the USA (at least when it starts) nor in the present time, but it takes place in France in the XIX century. You'll find that some characters of the original Twilight are still vampires, while others this time are humans. You'll find love, adventure, suspense and a lot of excellent music.
 

• Bella Voce by Morgan Locklear and the sequel
• Brutte Parole by Morgan Locklear

Summary: "Paris 1891: Bella is a popular stage vocalist and theatre owner. She's also a very powerful vampire. Edward is a piano teacher who attends one of her performances and captures her attention. Together they explore the Bohemian Revolution and each other".

Don't miss it because...

I really like the ironic note of Morgan's writing style; his chapters are always witty and brilliant! Be ready for many plot twists and don't miss even the disclaimers: they'll make you roll on the floor laughing (don't say I didn't warn you). While many authors provide a playlist to give a soundtrack to their fanfics, Morgan Locklear will surprise you with new, original and excellent songs (he's a songwriter and a very, very talented one). Enjoy!

If you read these fanfics, please don't forget to tell that "Raum sent you" and say "Ciao!" to the author from me! Thanks ;-)

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