Ninety One Whiskey

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Fanfiction
Title: Ninety One Whiskey
Author(s): komodobits
Date(s): 2014 - 2016
Length: 401,183 words
Genre: Slash, World War II, Historical AU
Fandom: Supernatural
External Links: AO3
"illustration of a the shadow of a gun with a army medic's helmet on top, text=Ninety One Whiskey, komodobits"
Cover art by somuchcolour (2014)

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Ninety One Whiskey by komodobits is a Supernatural AU story, focused on the pairing of Dean Winchester/Castiel. It is known for its characterization, realistic portrayal of war, and action sequences, as well as the very slow build up of the Destiel relationship. The story was tagged as "major character death" for much of the time it was updating as a WIP, which caused much distress among it's readers, but the author removed that tag before posting the final chapters. This fic is often recced, and is considered by some to be one of the best Historical AUs in the Destiel fandom.

Summary

In the spring of 1944, the 104th Medical Battalion of the United States Army is disbanded, and its men reassigned to various infantry companies in preparation for their invasion of occupied France. For First Lieutenant Novak, this is less than helpful, as he has so far met his platoon’s designated medic a grand total of twice, and has both times found Sergeant Winchester to be the optimum combination of reckless, arrogant, and downright insufferable so as to make cohesive platoon function near impossible. When the time comes to move out, however, Castiel has to reconcile himself to the fact that men are going to go down and trust that Dean Winchester may well be the only person who can put them back together again. WW2 ETO infantry AU.

This is part of the Ninety One Whiskey series, where the author also wrote two short sequels set in the same universe:

Reactions and Reviews

This is just simply a good fic and would definitely read it.[1]

This is legitimately one of the best DeanCas fics out there and the writing is insane. I'll admit I started skimming over the incredibly detailed war/battle descriptions eventually, but that's not to say they aren't amazing - they're just intense and long and I'm not a very patient person. Other than that, the lovestory unfolds so beautifully and tragically and almost right until the very end you wonder and wonder and wonder whether things will be okay.[2]

2nd read through as beautiful and heart rending as the first. Tender, brutal, bittersweet and devastating epic story of love in wartime, but a testament to why love is important and should be valued by everyone in whatever form it takes. Deeply emotional, you WILL ugly cry, your heart will break and you will laugh through tears. If you want a happy love story in a fantasy war where no one is harmed, this is not for you. Life is not like that. This is brutal realism. This is life, death, love and wounds laid out bare. It will stay with you forever.[2]

A stunning, novel-length fan fic that treats the historical context with sensitivity and whose writing is worthy of being shelved alongside my other favourite authors.[2]

Simply put, this historical AU rivals the very best in our fandom. The stark, devastating look at WW2 through the eyes of Lieutenant Castiel Novak is horrific, terrifying and brutal. With the exception of the letters home to Sam at the beginning of the chapters, the story is told completely from Cas’ perspective and his internal dialog is frequently at odds with his actual words and actions. There are times, especially in the latter half of the story when it was unclear how Cas continued to actually function, but then there was Dean. Dean, who pushed Cas like no one else, who told the same five jokes lifting the spirits of those who have no reason to be uplifted, and who unflinchingly threw himself into harm’s way time and again - saving those he could and comforting those he couldn’t. I can’t do a re-review without addressing the MCD that was prominent right up until the second to last posting of this fic. The warning has been removed and though many die, both Dean and Cas survive. That doesn’t mean you won’t be screaming, crying and ranting as the story comes to an end, and it doesn’t mean that everything is tied up with an HEA bow. What it means is that this story will still break you, but you will say Thank you through your tears.[3]

Folks, I just finished this fic and it’s absolutely ruined me. It’s so incredibly written, so in depth, and gives you such an incredibly detailed look at the realities of war... plus the romance between Dean and Cas is so vibrant, true to character, and true to era. I love it so much. I spent the last week reading it (it’s about 400,000 words) and I’m so in love. I don’t know anyone irl who would even care, but y’all might so here I am. I’ve spent full days reading it. I couldn’t put my phone down. As a person who is a little more hesitant to start epic fics, I can’t stress enough how worth it this one is.[4]

THE PINING. THE ANGST. THE SLOW, DELICIOUS BURN. But also the terrifying rendition of shrapnel tearing into a man’s jugular o___o

It’s a careful, but riveting, balancing act. Cas is a gay man in the 1940s. His best friend, Inias, knows, but doesn’t approve. His pain-in-the-ass first medic, Dean, doesn’t know… yet. Komodobits writes amazing angsty romances, but also writes amazing action scenes. You might not understand much about WWII warfare, but everything is described in a way that is easy to follow along, albeit with your heart in your throat.

Once upon a time, this fic had “Major Character Death” bolded and prominent at the top of its tags. This tag brought great sorrow and tears upon the land. Fortunately, this tag is now gone.[5]

It hurts so bad, fuck. One of the most beautiful pieces of fiction I’ve ever read and it destroyed me in the best way possible. Never, ever, ever thought I would say this about a piece of fan-fiction, which I’m not saying to be a dick but mentioning to say that I’ve always been a bit apprehensive when it comes to that. And still I’m sitting here, unsure of wtf to do with my life now that it’s over. It was phenomenal. Absolutely, undeniably heartbreaking and beautiful and just .. wow. Fuck. I’ll go and watch some episodes of Supernatural now to fill that Dean and Cas-shaped hole in my heart.[6]

I feel the same way and it's weeks since I finished reading it. If someone told me fanfiction (or any fiction really) would get to me like this I would not have believed it. Due to my prepossession towards fanfiction (no offense and I'm working on that) I read it as a stand-alone novel and now spn can't fill the hole. I'm still so invested in the story. I read it twice already and I will definitely read it again at some point. There's no way for me to describe this story without getting too emotional for my own liking. It is so good. So good.[6]

It’s an amazing fic. It’s heartbreaking and it will make you cry every single chapter, but it’s so damn well written. The characterization of Dean and Cas is extraordinary and they feel so real. Their relationship is heartbreaking and painful at first, because it’s the 1940s and the homophobia was strong, but in the end, their relationship becomes something beautiful and real, even if they have to deal with the times they are living in. The story is so well crafted, it’s like reading a historial fiction book, only that with Dean and Cas.

It’s not an easy read, because it will break your heart and destroy you, but you will love it still. Also, it’s quite long for most people (I love long stories and long books, so that’s not a problem for me, but it might be for you). Dean and Cas are constantly struggling with the war and their emotions for each other, and it is so well depicted in the story. The depictions of war are intense, and Dean and Cas’ relationship and emotions are even more intense. It will destroy you forever, and it will give you so many emotions and it will hurt in so many places, but it will be worth it.

91 Whiskey is just perfect. I think it’s one of my top 5 fics ever. I love it. I love it so much. It still destroys me after having read it, because there is so many emotions and feelings and Dean and Cas are in love, and the world is cruel to them, but they still love each other. No matter what. I just fucking love that fic.

If you haven’t read it yet, you should. It’s a masterpiece.[7]

So. This here. This is epic. It's a roller coaster. You want to throttle both Dean and Cas - mostly Cas because various reasons - so many times, it's a delicious, painful burn all the way to the end and leaves you aching and in awe. Aside the characters, this is historically accurate, well researched and executed: the battle scenes make your heart race and you can't stop reading because bombs and shooting and people dying and you're okay as long as you hear the whistle coming and when you don't hear it, that's when you're fucked. I contacted the author at Tumblr after I finished reading, hands shaking and crying, and told them, after one reads something this massive with this sort of impact[8]

Don’t know if you’re getting the feeling that I like extremely long fanfic but uh…. frankly if it’s not 300,000 words of pining it’s not a slow burn. After I finished this I literally had one of those moments where I had to lie down and stare into space and by ‘moments’ I mean like a full 24 hours. Life changing. World War II AU that is so artfully rendered and researched that it makes literally anyone who thinks they could be a writer cry.[9]

READ! THIS! Well, there is some really disturbing war related and time period related stuff, but if you can stomach that, read it! Along with the Angel’s Wild, this is my favorite fanfiction. This fic is heart wrenching and so, so good.The characterization is on point. Historical accuracy is on point. Slow burn is on point. Everything is just perfect. However, as I said, this fic is heavy stuff. There is some serious angst (I cried. I almost never cry when reading) and trauma. But there is glimmers of hope, even if sometimes it feels hopeless. Expected recovery time: at least two weeks.[10]

It’s an amazing fic. It’s heartbreaking and it will make you cry every single chapter, but it’s so damn well written. The characterization of Dean and Cas is extraordinary and they feel so real. Their relationship is heartbreaking and painful at first, because it’s the 1940s and the homophobia was strong, but in the end, their relationship becomes something beautiful and real, even if they have to deal with the times they are living in. The story is so well crafted, it’s like reading a historial fiction book, only that with Dean and Cas. It’s not an easy read, because it will break your heart and destroy you, but you will love it still. Also, it’s quite long for most people (I love long stories and long books, so that’s not a problem for me, but it might be for you). Dean and Cas are constantly struggling with the war and their emotions for each other, and it is so well depicted in the story. The depictions of war are intense, and Dean and Cas’ relationship and emotions are even more intense. It will destroy you forever, and it will give you so many emotions and it will hurt in so many places, but it will be worth it.[11]

so guess who just read all of ninety one whiskey in two days. me. I'm not the same person[12]

This is a classic. Writing is professional quality, very long but worth it. Made me cry.[13]

  • 10/10
  • The best and most consistent characterization of Dean and Cas that I have ever seen
  • Cas has the best and most realistic character development and growth that I have ever seen in a fanfiction before
  • There is nothing about this that is boring. I love that it makes every scene matter. Nothing is useless and nothing can be easily skipped over without missing something
  • The emotion is flawlessly delivered and hits every single time; every interaction is either hilarious, moving, compelling, horribly gut-wrenching, or meltingly heart-warming
  • The writing is fantastic and masterful, and it stuck with me days after I read it in a way that hardly anything else ever has
  • The characters are so much more than a translation of one [14]

so, i totally didn’t just ditch getting ready for work to read the last chapter of Ninety One Whiskey by @cuddlebabies

i definitely didn’t sit there happy-crying while contemplating life for 10, 20 minutes bc wow

i can’t believe it’s over but at the same time!!! i’m so happy i chose to go on the journey with this fic because not only is the author super kind and amazing at what she does, but that was the most intense, captivating, and emotional fic i’ve ever read and i just can’t believe it’s over[15]

Inspired Fanworks

Art

Crafts

Graphics and Gif Sets

Vids

Example Art Gallery

References

  1. ^ Comment by Chloe_may_be_Michigan on International Fanworks Day Feedback Fest 2022
  2. ^ a b c Goodreads reviews
  3. ^ "Jan 28, 2016 post at destielfanfic". Archived from the original on 2022-08-31.
  4. ^ Ninety One Whiskey posted to r/Supernatural July 29, 2019
  5. ^ "Sept 13, 2016 Tumblr post". Archived from the original on 2022-08-31.
  6. ^ a b "Guys.... I just finished Ninety-One Whiskey posted to r/destiel". Archived from the original on 2022-08-31.
  7. ^ "Dec 12, 2019 Tumblr post". Archived from the original on 2022-08-31.
  8. ^ "FIC REC: Supernatural: Ninety One Whiskey by Komodobits Aug 3, 2018 Pillowfort post". Archived from the original on 2022-08-31.
  9. ^ "Nov 9, 2020 Tumblr Post". Archived from the original on 2022-08-31.
  10. ^ "My 6+1 favorite SPN fics: AU". Archived from the original on 2022-08-31.
  11. ^ "Apirl 10, 2020 Tumblr post". Archived from the original on 2022-08-31.
  12. ^ "Jan 11, 2022 Tumblr post". Archived from the original on 2022-08-31.
  13. ^ "Fanfic Recs - Supernatural, Harry Potter, Sherlock". Archived from the original on 2022-08-31.
  14. ^ "Nov 22, 2021 Tumblr post". Archived from the original on 2022-08-31.
  15. ^ "September 10, 2016 Tumblr post". Archived from the original on 2022-08-31.
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