What's Cullen818 Reading?

Hello everyone! I feel like I haven't been here in dark ages!  My RL has been keeping me really busy and I've been remiss on my reading. But, now that summer vacations are over and the terrors are heading back to school I hope to get back into the swing of things because there are so many amazing stories out there that I can't wait to sink my teeth into. (Yes, I went there.)

As nuts as the past few months have been, I must admit there are three stories that still have me dropping everything to read. They are all very different and each one features a different Cullen man in his dark, frightening, troubled glory. I believe each one of them have been rec'd here by either me or one of my disturbingly beautiful blog cohorts, but they are all such fantastic pieces of brilliance that I didn't think it would hurt for me to revisit them and tell you why they own me. Also, in each story they are human which to me makes them even more scary then when they are vamps. Something about a flawed, dangerous, domineering man does it for me.

All three stories are deep and contain mature not so pretty themes, but if you're here reading what we're rec'ing we probably don't have to worry about that.I just wanted to mention it.

A Beautiful Sorrow by DreamOfTheEndless

Carlisle/Bella

Edward/Bella

Summary - Bella worshiped Carlisle, so when he proposed she didn't think twice before accepting. But then she met Edward, her fiancé's half brother & the other part of her soul. Will they be able to survive the consequences of their betrayal?

Carlisle is the older dominating man in this story. He becomes enthralled with the beautiful, innocent young Isabella. He's intoxicated by the very presence of her and is high on the way he makes her feel. She looks up to him and worships him and while he knows it would be much easier to walk away from the very beginning, he can't.

Let's just say, I'm glad he didn't run in the opposite direction because then we would be denied this brilliant story. This is a slow building plot. The writing is flawless and will draw you in from the very beginning. As anxious as I am to see exactly how Bella and Carlisle got to where they are when the story begins, the flashbacks are just as intriguing. Learning Carlisle's back story explains so much and I think it'll end up being the key to everything.

Learning to Kneel by SneakySnarkySubs

Jasper/Bella

Summary - Bella finds herself ripped from her everyday life and specially selected and sold to Jasper Whitlock. Will she give in to him and his dark world in every way imaginable? Or will she resist and try to get back to her own? A/H Dark/Dominant/OOC

Oh Jasper!  Its not only Bella you scare in this story. I find myslef terrified of him after every chapter. He's chilling and menacing, but I always manage to see that signature smirk coming through in the writing.

This story simmers to the point of eruption!  I can't take it anymore!  And, believe that's a good thing. A good writer always leaves you wanting more and SneakySnarkySubs delivers with every chapter. This is by far my ALL TIME favorite Jasper and I like to think I know Jasper. lol

Learning To Kneel is a process that can't be rushed. The authors are setting an epic story line and you can feel the emotion and character development in every sentence. Nothing is happening by accicent here. Each installment is well thought out and you just know its all going to climax out of control! God help me when it does!

Fold Your Wings by Jadalulu

Edward/Bella

Summary -"The liberties he assumes with my body should enrage me, anger me beyond my own sanity. But its just not that simple." Encounters born of need. Consequences neither saw coming.

Umm, yeah!  This one is EXPLOSIVE! When you first start out you may find yourself saying, "What the hell wis Bella thinking?" But through the amazing writing, you'll see desperate people, do desperate things and sometimes life takes us places we never would've imagined. I never would've imaged feeling the way I do about this Edward now that the story has really moved forward.

I don't believe I've ever read a more troubled version of Edward and now that the certain plot twists are being revealed I find myself totally getting where he was coming from. This fic is deep and isn't for the faint of heart. Its not a love story and you won't feel warm and fuzzy after reading it.  But, its thought provoking and always leaves me wanting more. My twisted little mind has me holding out for hope too! I hope I get it. ;)

***

Well, that's all I got for today. If you're reading something deliciously dark and you'd like to see it rec'd here, leave me a comment and tell me what it is about that particular story that won't let go.

Izzy Recs Demons by See Them Fly

Hello my Darklings! 

I have an amazing fic for you today. This story, as of yet, is not as dark as I usually go with, but something tells me it will end on the darker side before we are done. I could label this as a Darkisle, but we're not far enough into this story to really tell, so it's going up as a Dark Side Rec... for now. 

Now, moving along.  Today I give you...

Demons

by

See Them Fly

Summary: Everyone has their own demons. When Bella wakes up next to her ex-boyfriend's brother, both are forced to confront their demons from five years ago in order to move into the future. All human. OOC. Rated M.

This fic is amazing! 

I feel like I could stop right there and it be enough, because that literally sums  it up. However, being the wordy bitch that I am, I have an all consuming need to tell you more. I am a SUCKER for an All-Human Jasper fic. Vamp fics nowadays all tend to be the same old thing when we're dealing with Jasper, so I'm on an AH J/B kick. It's hard to find well-written and intriguing fics with this premise, but this story is owning me right now. 

We start out by having Bella wake up after a drunken night of passion, only to find she is lying beside the last person she needed to be with. It's actually in these first few lines that drew me in and had my instantly hooked. 

I don't remember much about how I lost my virginity. I guess, in a way, that's the best way to do it; no memory, no anxiety, no worries. The whole awkward episode is over and you don't have to remember all the grimy little details of how you stumbled over the button of your jeans and knocked your head against the headboard. In fact, the only thing I remember with clarity is that my roommate dragged me to a club to celebrate the New Year, against my will, and dressed me in a shirt that could barely be classed as a bra, let alone decent outerwear. In a way, it is the best way to do it.

Well, that is as long as you wake up next to someone who isn't your ex-boyfriend's brother.

Gah! That kills me. 

At first, Bella doesn't remember much from the night before, but eventually her memories start to resurface through the haze of alcohol to realize that she's given her ex-boyfriend's stepbrother her virginity. Queue Jasper, who is just as "Oh, fuck!" about this as Bella.

The more she remembers, the more she realizes it was everything she had ever hoped it to be; passionate, good, right. But, not with the brother of the man who hurt you beyond reason. And no, we're not talking about your typical Edward leaving Bella or moving on type of situation here. It's something bigger than that, and I'll explain in a minute. 

Back to this one night stand, or is it?

The morning after, when most people in their situation would be running for the hills - never to speak of this again -  they somehow come to a decision that will change everything for them both.

"It's just sex," he added. "It means shit. We don't even have to play host. It's just sex."
"Just sex," I repeated as his thumbs did their dance across my virgin skin, resisting the urge to buck my hips. "Just sex."
"No strings attached," he added.
Mindlessly, I nodded, lost in the feeling of his skin on mine and that electric current that shot up my spine every time he touched me in that way.
"No strings attached," I repeated. "I can deal with that."

Hey, if I was Bella, I'd do it, too. Mmmhmm. The lemons in this story are sexy and just... unf. Bella and Jasper might not be the best at dealing with each other with their clothes on, but when they come off, they have no problems connecting. It's like they were meant to be with each other in this way. I know, that sounds cheesy, but I shit you not, it's that good. 

So, now that they've decided to become "fuck buddies", we start delving into other things. What happened between her and Edward? What did it have to do with Charlie? And why does Jasper stay away from the Cullens? 

There is some really heavy shit going on in this fic, and we are led to believe that it revolves around Carlisle and Charlie. This is why I believe this story deserves the title of "Dark". Carlisle is a sum'bitch. Simply put. If you want to know why or how, you'll have to read it. I will say, that I've never wanted to punch him more than I did while reading his interactions with Jasper. Dude has issues, that's all I'm saying. 

Whatever this is that happened between the Cullens and Charlie, leads me to believe it is FUBAR, and I have a feeling it's going to be bad. There is a very foreboding undertone in some parts of this story, especially when Carlisle shows up, that give it a very dark feel. 

While we're given hints along the way as to what might have happened, we are also seeing this thing - whatever it is between Jasper and Bella - grow and turn obviously complicated. There are feelings there, and no I'm not saying these two are in love, because right now, they're not. But there are other things. Confusion, lust, and dare I even say a little jealousy swirling between these two to create a fantastic mix of angst. 

They have a dark history that connects them by association, and that, in itself, is what causes most of the friction between these two. It's done so beautifully, and as of now, there is not unnecessary angst thrown in. Just demons from their past that are bringing them both down while trying to deal with their new situation. 

I promise you that you will not be disappointed in reading this fic. I've barely touched the surface with the things going on here, and there is so much left for you to explore throughout the story. We're seven chapters in so far, and there are so many questions going through my head. The Jasper/Bella dynamic, each of their individual demons (which I believe this fic is rightly named by the way), the Cullen mystery and also what happened to Charlie? 

I literally bounce every time I find an update in my inbox for this story, and I hope you will run over and give it a chance. It is a very under appreciated fic and I hope that she picks up more readers, and reviews, for her work here. She deserves it, and she's also a complete sweetheart. 

Now go, read and leave her some love. Tell her Izzy sent you, and how amazing this story is. 

Darkfic rec: Satellites of Deception by December.Eclispe

Satellites of Deception by December.Eclipse

Sumary: When the authorities fail to solve the mystery behind the tragic deaths in her family. Bella approaches a secret clan of detectives to help solve her case, only to discover the hidden depths of her family's life and a deadly secret that haunts her world.

To be honest, I'm not usually a Carlisle/Bella kinda girl...well, alright, not as much as I am Jasper or Edward.  And, I have to say, that December.Eclispe is the author that made me love the paring.  She brought me into the Carlisle/Bella world with her first fic, Beyond the Broken Scars, and has kept me firmly ensconced within it with the sequel and now with this little gem of awesomeness.

This is completely AU, roles have been changed, factions added, intrigue and murder and mystery and sexual tension and tension in general and all sorts of awesome Carlisleiness.

I would love to harp on about this fic, I could literally write pages and pages about it.  But one of the biggest and greatest things about this is the mystery...and I don’t want to spoil it for anyone.

But I can tell you that this is a well rounded, well thought out, well written fic.  Incredibly so, in fact.  It’s a fantastic read, one that kept me on the edge of my seat and dying for the next chapter.  I literally bounce and happy dance in my seat when I see an update.  Now, granted, I'm generally highly excitable, but I have limits and happy dancing for fics is only reserved for a choice few.  This being one of them.

The plot is what makes this dark, and gives it its home here at the Darkest Temptations.  Bella’s attempts to find answers to her mother and sisters murder only land her further and further into danger and provide more questions than answers.  I love this fic and every chapter just makes me love it more.  It also makes me want to capture the author, set her up in my attic and make her write for me and get the chapters faster...but then, even if she just handed me the whole book I would be wanting more.

Her Carlisle is brilliantly written, she really captures his struggle and emotions and gives us more and more glimpses into his character as the story unwinds.  It's a wonderful look into Carlisle's psyche, a real pleasure to read.

I would suggest this to anyone and everyone, even if you’re not a C/B fan this is one that you should at least check out.  It’s an awesome introduction to a new paring if you’ve never read them before.  And for all those Carlisle lovers out there...run, don’t walk!  Get clicking, reading and leave some love!!

That is all...

EdwardsChipper's Rec

Dias de los Muertos

By: Stitchcat

Hellooooooo all you lovely devourers of all things dark, demented, and downright delicious. I’ve meted out something a wee bit different for all of you today, something I normally wouldn’t read, and not because it’s a Jasper fic.

*gasp*

Yes, it’s a Jasper fic, but it’s…

so…

much…

more…

than just a Jasper fic. *snickers*

I came upon this little doozy once upon a last Halloween. It was for a contest, the name of which is escaping me right now, and I apologize PROFUSELY to those who hosted it. Flog me later. ;) I was prereading for another entry for it, and decided to read ALL of the fics entered because…well, I’m not so sure. Morbid curiosity? I wanted the shit scared out of me? Yeah, I think it was one of those.

See, normally, I’m rather a…chickenshit when it comes to all things scary and…well…dark, (IRONY!!!) especially if there is gore and maiming and blood spurting. Some of you are aware of this and exploit this knowledge, especially when said horror is mixed with an occasional…clown. (See DT’s Halloween ’10 post). I don’t seek out the slasher movie, and I have a tendency to shy away from slasher fics.

But Halloween…well, it has a tendency to bring it out in all of us, and we’re back to that morbid curiosity thing again.

Once again, I digress. You’re all used to that by now though. ;D

But this fic? Holy Linda-Blair-neck-whip. Not only did it have the cojones (aka cahones to us gringos) to leave me quite breathless even amidst the middle of the first chapter, but it also KEPT ME READING, which considering that first chapter, is quite a feat.

Summary: Jasper found his closest companion and Maria her worst enemy in one night of terror. AU.

It begins with a rather ambitious priest, Padre Benito Vela, who is pastor over a rather unambitious parish with only 50 “souls” to lead after war, drought, and disease have dwindled the town’s inhabitants. A stranger to the ole Padre and to his town finds his way to the church, one twenty-year-old Pedro, with news of death and destruction following him, of secret attacks on his own home town, “red-eyed demons” coming in the dark of night to steal away the strongest of men – soldiers – and how in three-days’ time they had all gone missing. Of how he had traveled to other pueblos, his warnings to their villagers having gone on deaf ears.

Dun, dun, duh…

I’ll warn you the first chapter is a brutal one, filled with blood, rape, slash, and slaughter to twist even the staunchest stomach, imho, but I have to share with you this one paragraph. It’s the one that took my breath away with the sheer simplicity of description, and yet depicted a scene so vivid:

He had chanced a look at the main street – all he could see – and immediately wished he hadn't. These were not men, they were monsters. The scene below him, hindered though it was, was that of a nightmare. For an intelligent man like Pedro it was almost impossible to comprehend. Shapes blurred from house to house, room to room, dragging the occupants into the street. The first few minutes of the attack appeared to be pure savagery. People were torn limb from limb, several of the demons converging on what remained and drinking the blood spurting from severed arteries. Body parts were tossed around like children's toys, blood was running in the slop channel in the street. It was as if the creatures had been taken over by a feeding frenzy.

Our sweet Stitchcat has woven a tale of the very beginnings of Maria and Jasper and of Maria’s quest to build her army. However, it’s centered around the POV of Pedro, and of our dear Padre, both of whom meet their fate one warm evening in their town, and its church.

"All you need know is that we are vampires. We feed, we fight and we fuck. That is what we are created for, what we excel at, what we are. You will see soon enough that fighting fuels the need to feed, that feeding fuels the need to fuck. You will fuck anything that moves, anything with a mouth or a hole. It is how it is, there is no God here to shame you, no priest to punish you. Welcome, Pedro, welcome to Hell."

If you’re looking for something new, something different, and a perspective that’s not common, I HIGHLY suggest you scurry on over to Stitchcat’s Dias de los Muertos. It’s only three chapters so far, but even in those three I find myself wanting more. That, and my CardboardWard to snuggle and protect me. Don't forget to leave Stitcheroo some good lovin' by way of reviews, too.

Until next time, may your Darkest Temptations be served…

Izzy Rec's Unloved Unwanted by content1

Hey everyone, 

I've got an awesome story for you all today, and one that is not as dark and demented as I usually rec, but damn good nonetheless. So for those of you who only marginally love the dark, I think you'll be pleased with this story. 

Unloved Unwanted

by

content1

Summary:

Abandoned by Edward and Jake, Bella runs away, right into the arms of danger and the Volturi. Can her new family help her heal? When the Cullens come back for her, which side will she choose, and who will win her heart in the end?
Rated M
Edward/Bella

Now, I was a little skeptical at first, because although I'm a Non-Canon girl, (and yes, I do enjoy canon as well if it's OOC enough) I am not a fan of Volturi/Bella pairings. I prefer a Cullen or Whitlock to be Bella's beau of choice, so when I started to read, I was a little worried we were going to see some of that, but I continued on because of the subtle hints at this being canon later on. 

I am so very, VERREH glad I did. 

I should tell you up front that there are two versions of this story, something that I usually don't agree with an author doing, because I think you should write your story how you want it and the hell with what everyone else thinks. (shrugs) But I am glad she did, what she calls the Divergence chapters, separately. I have to be honest and say if the Divergence chapters was the real story, I would have had to flounce, because it does have slash in the storyline. I have not read the Divergence chapters, but I encourage those of you who are more adventurous in that field to do so. I am solely doing this rec from the main story side, which I absolutely adore by the way. 

You can read the Divergence chapters by clicking the banner here: 

Now, on to the story. 

We start out with the scene in New Moon where Jake tells Bella they can't be friends anymore. Jake has just recently turned into a werewolf, and Bella does not know this. On her drive back home, she realizes that everyone she has ever loved, with the exception of her parents, leaves her. She starts to slip into a depression and thinks that she's unloved, unwanted. 

Bella's state of mind in these early chapters is downright heartbreaking. I may or may not have had a few tears here and there for her. Her heartbreak is just, well, heartbreaking. I felt so bad for her, that I just wanted to hold the poor girl and sob with her. 

Bella decides it's time she left. She feels like she's a burden to everyone, and if no one wants her anyway, what's the point in staying? Little does Bella know, that while she's deciding to leave, Edward is planning to come back. Yup, he finally got his head out of his ass and he can't take being away from her anymore. I realizes that he'll have to sacrifice everything, including Bella's life, to be with him. Hallelujah!

This begins our journey, and a whirlwind of things to come. This fic is full of action and decisions and events. It's a ride for sure. The Cullen's decide they have to find Bella immediately, and with unlikely help from Jacob Black, who is feeling insanely responsible for Bella's departure.

I don't want to give away too much of this story, because it's packed with beautiful detail and vivid emotions that I think everyone should discover themselves. I'm a detail hoor and I love to feel what the characters I'm reading are feeling. I want to know their thoughts and relate to them, and content1 captured my attention with this fic and gave me just that!

I will say, however, that while you are given subtle hints of things to come, things that would normally have me leaving, she kept me interested enough to want to continue regardless, and I was glad to see that things weren't as they seemed in some of the earlier chapters. She has absolutely blown me away with this story and I can NOT wait for more.

I really do not get excited about fics much anymore, because I honestly don't have time to read that much with TwiWrite and DT and RL and ... well, you get it. But this story excited me very much. It is laced with greed and deception, love and hate, confusion and mayhem. It's why I think this story is dark enough to make it on this blog, and I think you'll all agree.

At the time of this rec, this story is 29 chapters in, I do believe that two of those chapters are divergence chapters though, since she originally decided to put them in the story together, only to decide late to take them out. We are left with a very precarious situation regarding Edward, and his life is hanging in the balance. I dare you not to go read to find out what is happening. You won't be disappointed.

Now, off you go. Make sure to leave her some love in the form of reviews, and tell her how much you love it, because I know you will. This is vamp fic at it's best people. Enjoy.

GemmaLisaX recs: Monstress by Mystycal Mysty

Monstress by Mystycal Mysty

I was going through my reading list for this week’s rec, when my Gtalk pings and a friend of mine is telling me to go read Monstress by Mystycal Mysty.  It’s one that I hadn’t heard of, but she said the magic words...she hadn’t read anything like it before.  <Shrugs> I'm a sucker for anything new and different and I love originality.  So I looked it up and started reading.  It’s 6 chapters in, very recently updated, and it shows a side of Jasper and Bella that I haven’t really seen before.  Or rather, I haven’t seen done quite like this.  At all. 

Mysty rewrites the Twilight world, adding in a whole new hierarchy and back grounds for the characters.  She sets it some years after the epic party faux pas of Jasper flying, teeth bared, for Bella on her 18^th birthday, and Bella is already a vampire at the start of the fic.  Already a vamp and already with Peter and Char.  Mysty puts in her own twists and turns, little tid bits of info and added fuckery that makes the fight scenes fun and exciting.  It deals with some dark themes; experimentation, lies and betrayal being just some of them.   And let me tell you that when Jasper and Bella meet, you will be slack jawed at how she writes it.  Their mating truly is animalistic, feral and hot as all hell. 

Just a little taste...

Jasper stopped pacing. He stood in all his glory, rage rolling off of him. Tall, dishevelled dirty blond locks ending at his sharp angled jaw, lips pulled back in a snarl. Lean tight muscled shoulders, narrow hips, long defined legs.

If I wasn't in heat before, I was now.

And I couldn't stop it. My head swam with need and want. My entire body aware of the presence before me.

Monstress was motionless, almost in a silent tribute to the man.

To the Beast.

No matter what happened or what the outcome, this man became the centre of my world in less than a second.

Unshakably.

He was it.

The center of my existence.

I would kill for this man.

I had killed for this man.

He was everything to me.

How did I go this long without him?

He was my world.

He was everything.

He was mine.

He was ours.

We stared at each other, both slightly panting, nostrils flaring.

Monstress was front and center in my eyes capturing every minute detail of him. Every scar, every twitch of muscle in his thighs as his muscles bunched and released, every strand of hair curled around his face. Every spasm his shoulders endured from his fisted hands he held at his sides.

Our eyes never left his.

I squinted and breathed in a long slow breath of our surrounding air into my body, bringing in his smell, tasting him in the air, stirring reactions in me I didn't know I was capable of.

I was full of heat.

He was full of heat.

He hissed.

I hissed.

He pounced.

I watch him come.

Snarling, and snapping at the air, he came at me like a heat seeking missile.

I dodged him right before he touched me, flying halfway across the room over chairs, couches, tables, before turning in a crouch to face him.

I registered movement out of the corner of my eye.

"Peter, leave." I hissed through gnashing teeth.

"But…"

"NOW." I hissed

<Smirks> and it just gets better from there...there’s a whole mating dance thing going on.  And the way that she explains why Bella wasn’t with Jasper in the first place is just awesome.  I'm not saying anything more; you’ll have to read it to find out...I’m not giving anything away.

Her characters are well thought out and well written, I love her Jasper and Bella.  For her Bella think vamped up Lara Croft with a side order of leather, a myriad of powers and the Monstress lurking around inside.  Now, I don’t normally like a Bella with many different powers, but this one works and the idea and execution of the Monstress ‘character’ is truly fantastic.  Bella’s powers and her use of them is understated, and she’s not infallible or perfect or a one woman army.  She has a team around her and she uses them well, hell she has her own army.  With gadgets!  Lots of gadgets and other cool things to play with.   The same goes for her Jasper, though not so much Lara Croft, thank God, as (to use her own words) cowboy mercenary.  He has his own beast to contend with, and you come to learn a few things about him and Bella and...Well, everyone you can think of.  Peter and Char are in there too, along with the Cullen’s.  Although we haven’t heard from Alice yet, just about her and hearing from her is something that I am dying to read.  She also has a boat load of original characters thrown in the mix too, including different species and folklore spliced with science.

It’s refreshing, exciting, engaging, intriguing, funny, sexy and compelling.  I would recommend this to everyone; it’s definitely on my favourite and alerts lists, as a great addition to the Jasper/Bella fic pool.  It really is an awesome fic and deserves lots and lots of love.  So get your arses over there and give it a read, you won’t regret it.

So there you have it, go get reading and let me know what you thought of it!  And don't forget to leave Mysty some love. :D

Cullen818 Recs - Secret Lovers

I'm switching things up this week. Usually, you can expect a dark fic that contains a really tortured character from me, but I was thinking does a character have to be dark to classify the fic as dark, or can you just have subject matter that makes the story ominous by nature.  Sometimes good people do naughty things. That's the theme of Secret Lover's by Lady Tazz.

Secret Lovers by Lady Tazz

Carlisle/Bella

Summary - What happens when you meet your destiny, and you both belong to others? This is a Carlisle and Bella love story.

Infidelity is what we're dealing with here. And, normally I wouldn't condone it. I mean, would I really want my hubs to cheat on me?  Of course not, but that's what FF is for. We can get lost in the notion of taboo! And taboo makes for an incredibility sexy, forbidden fic.

The story was born from a Lemon Drizzle that Lady Tazz submitted on jaspersnaughtygirls.blogspot.com. And, I'm happy to say she has continued it.

Bella is living a less than exciting life. Her husband, Edward, is a successful businessman who seems to get lost in his work and travels. He's never around. Bella takes on a new job as a nurse at an OBGYN practice where she meets the hot Dr. Carlisle Cullen. The good doctor is also having some martial difficulties, dealing with an increasingly distant wife. 

Lady Tazz had set the stage for these two lonely soul mates to come together. And, cum together they do! Sorry, couldn't resist!  But, in any case, this isn't just a story of cheating. It goes far beyond that. Its about a connection and a pull that two people feel for one another. It explores giving into their Darkest Temptations. And, really, isn't that what it's all about around here?

Check back with me on Friday when I try to get into Lady Tazz's head and see what her motivation was for writing this steamy little story.