How to Train Your Dragon Fanfic Review: Crossing The Line by The Antic Repartee / Avannak

Fanart by the author

This month of April has got something to look forward to. I waited almost a year to see this ever since I first saw the trailer: the sequel to How To Train Your Dragon. Finally, something to overtake the overused Frozen memes and fads.

No offense to Disney's latest entry, but I want something a little new and different for this summer. Last winter season may have been the Ice Queen's time, but this summer will belong to the dragons.

A lot of fanfics had been made expanding the HTTYD world, and some of them delved into the future of the characters after the movie. I've seen plenty of them, but this one goes into such detail about the Viking culture that was absent in most and the social impact of having dragons as pets. Because there is one fact that we can easily forget when we see the main cast: they maybe child-friendly Vikings, but they are still Vikings. Vikings on dragons.

Anyone who knows their history and culture - their warrior culture - should get an idea where this is going. So basically, this fic explores what would happen in the HTTYD world when actual Viking culture is applied. When old rivalries with other clans are in effect, the troubles of adjusting into a new life felt, and the idea of going to war on the backs of dragons is tempting... Yeah, it gets a whole lot more complicated.

It also explores the dynamics of the relationship between Hiccup and Astrid, as well as what would happen when include one more person from the books into the equation. It's more mature and realistic in its portrayal, as well as justified in its developments.

I haven't read the books myself, but there are several elements from there incorporated into the story. Such as the characters of Berk identifying themselves as Hooligans, and the introduction of other characters not included in the movie but are present in the books. Anyone who had tried both might get a kick in this; but for someone like me who was only familiar with the movie, I had reeled from the fact that there's a third wheel in the pairing.

It's still a good read, despite the unfamiliar elements. It's from the same author who gave us Hitchups, The Antic Repartee or Avannak, so it is worth it.

You can read it here:

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7021226/1/Crossing-the-Line

and here:

http://avannak.deviantart.com/gallery/38585809

Enjoy :)

How To Train Your Dragon Fanfic Review: Tradition by The Antic Repartee / AvannaK

Artwork by the author, AvannaK, herself

I only got into the How to Train Your Dragon bandwagon just recently. I never had the chance to watch the movie until I leeched a copy off the internet a few weeks back. Before that I hadn't been interested in seeing another movie adaptation of another popular book series - much less one aimed for little kids, if the books' artwork was any indication.

Then I watched Dreamwork's pragmatic adaptation of the damn thing and was left breathless.

Since then, I've been scouring fanfics online that could give that same kind of feeling again. Thank whatever gods out there for TVTrope's FanficRecs section for narrowing the search down.

That was how I managed to find The Antic Repartee - also known as AvannaK in deviantart. She's one of the best, if not THE BEST, fanfic writer for this franchise so far. It helps that she's also familiar with the book series and she incorporates some elements from there to flesh some of her stories out more. She is also best known for the epic What If? fic Hitchups which is widely acclaimed amongst the HTTYD fandom for its well-developed characters and intriguing plot when compared to the source material. She had also done a few other fics for the franchise. Some set in her Hitchups universe and a few more from the original movie and books.

Tradition is a creative take on the events that follows after the Gift of the Night Fury animated short. It hadn't been all celebrations in the end. Berk was still in shambles after Astrid's dragon-egg fiasco, and almost everyone in the village would be busy with repairs in the morning.

Oh, and Astrid's grounded for her little stunt. Meanwhile, Hiccup gets an idea with a branch of mistletoe that had gotten tangled in his hair.

It's kinda easy to imagine these events happening after Hiccup's and Toothless swandive at the end of the short, because the fic might as well have started at that point. Anyway, the plot of this fic practically referenced a deleted scene that never got into the finished product - so this girl has definitely done her homework on this one. Apparently, Astrid had this idea of starting a tradition where you punch the face of whatever poor shmuck who got under someone's missing toe hung over them. It also addressed something about Astrid in the short that kept bothering me: she was a little too much of a genki girl there than in the movie and series.

This passage from the fic pretty much spelled it out for me:

Vikings found Hiccup's ideas to be disturbing at best. Astrid never came up with new ideas before she started dating Hiccup; she was content to practice and master the ideas of warrior Vikings before her. If her behavior over Snoggletog was anything to go by, Hiccup had somehow convinced her it was okay to create ideas.

It was not okay.

And this coming from Snoutlout's frame of mind. Especially after the... hehe... yaknog incident.

You can read the complete fic through these links here:
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7667885/1/Tradition
http://avannak.deviantart.com/art/Tradition-A-HTTYD-Holiday-Story-275547787

And, as you can see, the author had also made a fanart related to this story, which also includes an extra scenario that goes along with the fic. You can check it out here:
http://www.deviantart.com/art/Happy-Snoggletog-338320391

Enjoy :))