Horatio Hornblower - 9 recs

[recsforalloccasions]

A lot of early Horatio Hornblower fic is no longer online. Stories for which I can no longer find active links have been removed from this recs set.

Hornblower Recs for All Occasions

Part IV: I've heard disturbing rumors about what happens in the next two movies and I'm already practicing my denial, so um, how about distracting me with more Horatio/Archie stories?? (Shore Leave Tales)

Of course there are a lot of Series One Hornblower stories that don't take place during any of the episodes, the majority of these are shore leave stories. Ranging from brief encounters and interludes to long swashbuckling adventures, these are some of the most varied and entertaining stories in the fandom.


Baser Impulses by nindulgence - Nin neatly turns fanon convention on its head and turns it into this perfect little gem of a story. Archie Kennedy is only human. It turns out, so is the seemingly-perfect Horatio Hornblower. Nin's Horatio and Archie are fabulous. This is an Archie Kennedy who both loves and resents his friend's perfection; meanwhile Horatio is both the voice of upright virtue and the man of action, processing all the facts and coming to a snap decision Both are rendered here perfectly, and the whole is once again wrapped up in Nin's deliciously sparing prose.

Relative Awakening by la_reine_bleu - A week's shore leave post-Ferrol and Archie invites Horatio to spend it with him at the family estate. What follows resembles nothing so much as a classic romantic comedy. There are awkward encounters with relatives, mistaken interests and misunderstandings, comic misadventures, and all throughout the slow, growing awareness that Horatio Hornblower has fallen in love with his best friend. la_reine_bleu has a great way with words and this story is liberally sprinkled with fabulous one liners. Her supporting cast of Kennedy relatives and hangers-on are both delightfully eccentric and refreshingly believable. This is truly a sweet and funny treat.

The Gentlemanly Art of Conversation by widget285 - A week's shore leave provides the perfect opportunity for Lt. Horatio Hornblower and the newly confirmed Lt. Archie Kennedy to explore and experience London. And they do just that. Widget brings Regency London to life, from society parties to Vauxhall Gardens. The theme of conversation and revelation/self-discovery via conversation is woven expertly throughout the story and adds an added dimension to an already-excellent tale. The characterizations are delightful. Archie is witty and introspective, clever but still able to be completely blindsided. Horatio meanwhile is both the shy young man, nervous around high society, and the dashing and confident officer with absolute faith in his instincts and a willingness to take the riskiest of chances. Really, just a fabulous story.

Close to Flying by MissKittie - While visiting Archie's family, Horatio Hornblower finally comes face to face with his sexuality -- on horseback. And in sex, as in riding, he finds that he can handle anything if he has Archie Kennedy to hang on to. MissKittie does a fabulous job writing from Horatio's point of view -- his nervous awkwardness, his tendency to over-analyze everything, his near-pathological need to heap guilt upon himself, and his implicit love of and trust in Archie Kennedy. Everything about this story is awkward and sweet and very realistic. A delightfully different take on the first time story.

Masquerade by clotho123 - There is a great freedom in costumes, as Horatio discovers when he and Archie attend a Masquerade at Vauxhall Gardens. Seen from behind a mask, the world becomes a romantic, otherworldly place. Cloaked in masks and dominoes the familiar becomes strange, the common-place mysterious, and long-denied feelings become very much possible. clotho123 brings regency London to life beautifully, in a swirl of details that never bog the story down but rather bring it more fully to life. Masquerade is a fascinating and compelling look at the inhibitions that keep people apart and the freedom that comes from wearing a mask.

Rumpelstiltskin by widget285 - Archie and Horatio learn a universal truth: if you go home to visit your parents, you don't get to have sex. In Dr. Hornblower's cozy little cottage, the hospitality is lovely but the privacy is rather nonexistent. Archie is understandably frustrated but Horatio has a solution. The result is a sweetly charming and smolderingly sexy encounter that perfectly exhibits the more playful side of Horatio and Archie's relationship. The sex is hot, the characterizations are perfect and where else do you get to see two officers in the British Navy having a roll in the hay?

Flying by mickleditch - A short snippet of time -- could be almost anywhere or anytime -- Horatio and Archie sitting on top of a cliff. For once they are not having sex -- although it's on both their minds -- instead, they're just talking, in that way you do when laying back in the grass on a bright sunny day under a beautiful blue sky. Mickleditch perfectly captures what I love so much about the Horatio/Archie pairing. It's about flirting and love and attraction. And it's about healing and trust and risk. Really, it's about flying.

A Common Sailor by la_reine_bleu - la_reine_blue uses all the tropes of the classic ghost story to create this fresh, shiver-inducing tale. Blending the ghost story elements perfectly with some terrific and terrifically funny Horatio/Archie banter, la_reine_bleu does a great job of keeping her readers on their toes. She plays with tension excellently here, ratcheting it up and letting it down, then ratcheting it up again. As always, her use of language is excellent here, blending humor and tension perfectly and bringing the English countryside spookily to life.

A Midsummer Night's Dream by mickleditch - A seemingly-simple story with unexpected depth. The magic of Midsummer eve brings Horatio and Archie together, but come the light of day everything is much more complicated. Mickleditch weaves a beautiful and sensual romance full of magic and hope and possibilities, and then manages to bring in the harsh challenge of reality without upsetting the balance of the story. Mickleditch does a fantastic job of capturing the changing moods and complex fears of Archie Kennedy and the persistence -- and patience -- with which Horatio works to earn and keep his friend's trust.