Sparkweed
| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Sparkweed |
| Author(s): | Minerva McTabby (McTabby) |
| Date(s): | 2004 |
| Length: | ~2750 words |
| Genre(s): | m/m slash, enemyslash, gapfiller |
| Fandom(s): | Earthsea |
| Relationship(s): | |
| External Links: | @Skyehawke; @ff.net; @AO3 |
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Sparkweed is an Earthsea story by Minerva McTabby. Written for Yuletide 2004, it was one of the first three Yuletide stories in the fandom. It forms a gapfiller in A Wizard of Earthsea, the first novel of the series, and is set at the Roke school while Ged is an adolescent. A rare m/m slash story in this fandom, it pairs Ged & Jasper, an enemyslash pairing with something of the feel of Harry/Draco.[1]
The author's summary is Ged/Jasper slash. Set after the Festival of Sunreturn at the end of "A Wizard of Earthsea" Chapter Three. The title is presumably an allusion to the yellow spark-like flower invented by Le Guin in A Wizard of Earthsea. In addition to the Yuletide archive, the story is also archived at Fanfiction.net & Skyehawke.
Recommendations & Reviews
The story was well received, and is one of the fandom's few m/m slash stories to be widely recommended. Reviewers praised the canon-like feel, the characterisation, the tense dialogue and the lyrical Le Guin-like language. 'Sparkweed' was recommended by Beth H,[2] Espresso Addict[3] & Victoria P.[4]
Ged (also known as Sparrowhawk) is the central character in much of the Earthsea series, and he also dominates fanfiction. The majority features him as an adult, master of himself & his powers, but Le Guin paints a rich picture of the long path to that dual mastery in A Wizard of Earthsea, and a few stories have explored this era. When Ged first enters the Roke School of Wizardry (read boys-only Hogwarts) as an arrogant 14-year-old, his humble background -- a goatherd from an outlying farming island -- draws some teasing. Jasper is a handsome & suave older student, the son of one of the Lords on the Archipelago's large central island, and the bitter rivalry that develops between them is at the heart of A Wizard of Earthsea. It's just crying out for a slash reinterpretation.
'Sparkweed', like much Earthsea fanfiction, is a missing scene, set early during Ged's school days. Minerva's characterisations in this encounter are absolutely spot on, and the wonderful tense dialogue twists & turns rapidly enough that the reader is kept almost as unsettled as Ged. Despite the slash, the story has a very canonical feel. (Espresso Addict at Crack Van)[3]
A tense moment between Ged and Jasper that feels as if it could slot right into the books, with Ged's confusion and hatred and Jasper's scorn and arrogance perfectly realized. (Victoria P at Unfit for Society)[4]
Jasper... he twists Ged - and Ged words - right to the end, doesn't he? And Ged's besieging pride and competitiveness haunts him still. You really captured the flavor of Earthsea, and when Ged siezed Jasper to prove he was not the one in control, oh, that was definitely Ged. Thank you. There should be more Ged-slash in the world. (Icarus)[5]
This is very good, you make use of LeGuin's language patterns and the combination of style and sexual tension is impressive. I always thought the competition between Ged and Jasper should have ended up like this...most enjoyable. (wildestranger)[5]
References
- ^ Espresso Addict comments in her Crack Van overview: A wizardly boarding school -- two young rivals, one from a privileged background [Jasper], the other poor [Ged] -- an Everyman sidekick -- shapeshifting -- dragons -- an evil wizard who aims to conquer death ... Sounds familiar? Think again, because I'm talking about Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea series, which first appeared in 1964.
- ^ beth-h: Misc Recs (for Fandoms with fewer than 10 Recced Stories) (accessed 22 June 2016)
- ^ a b crack-van: Sparkweed by Minerva McTabby (PG-13) (accessed 22 June 2016)
- ^ a b unfitforsociety: to light a candle is to cast a shadow (yuletide recs v.9) (accessed 22 June 2016)
- ^ a b c Comment to 'Sparkweed', originally posted to Yuletide collection & archived at AO3 (accessed 23 June 2016)