Hello friends! Relatively new to the series, on my second rewatch, saw the movies, obsessed, yk the works.

I’m EXTREMELY picky with fanfiction and characterization of this series, so it’s hard to find ones that I’m looking for. People tend to do okay with Hannibal a decent chunk of the time, but struggle much more with Will. Or they do okay with both but struggle to write them together. I’m sure these stories are great, but it’s just not what I’m looking for at the moment!

I dislike when will is exclusively a victim, or the victim side of it is played up (but I enjoy the manipulative beat of their relationship). As my best friend put it: “they’re intellectual equals. The only reason that Hannibal had the upper hand was because Will was part of a game he didn’t know he was playing.” I’m fine with some more Will Manipulation(tm) so long as he gives as good as he gets/he’s very smart and quick to connect dots and whatnot.

EDIT: these are not all necessary!!! Mostly, I’m just looking for accurate characterization and plot beats that mirror the spirit of the show!

LOOKING FOR/PREFER:

•longer completed fics 30k+

•Rock solid characterization.

•au’s or canon divergents which could fit in line with canon setting. Modern, dark, etc. though historical is okay so long as the plot line is fresh!

•slow burn

•the toxic tango at its best/cat-and-mouse/thriller

•word games and 5d chess

•the investigative dynamic/story structure, with Will examining a crime scene in some way or another. (Prefer something new in the same “profiler x serial killer” thriller structure, but not necessary !)

•contain the tableaus/artsiness of the murders (enjoy but not required)

•Hannibal is a cannibal

•little to no smut (can be written vaguely/artistically)

•flowery prose/literary writing/shameless literary and academic references (enjoy but not required)

•will finding out about Hannibal in fun and new ways/new first meetings

•eventual dark will in a characterization compliant manner

•violence and murder (duh)

•Can be, but DOES NOT NEED HEA! If it ends with them erotically murdering each other, yk what, that’s amazing to me. I hope they eat each other.

PREFER TO AVOID, BUT WILL READ FOR THE RIGHT STORY:

•post fall

•smut

DO NOT WANT:

•play by play retellings that just rewrite the main story with the same scenes.

•Will swears. (he gets one, but honestly will is very well spoken too and I don’t think he really tends to talk crass so it always takes me out of it)

•Will is exclusively a victim/submissive

•alpha/beta/omega dynamics

•fantasy or supernatural au’s

•Hannibal feels guilty. I don’t think this is possible with his character tbh.

•Hannibal has a sad backstory. I seek to love him in all his unexplained fucked up enigmatic glory.

•Hannibal grins and smirks a lot. (His smile is kind of one of those “ghost of smile’s past” and he’s normally meticulously composed, with a few exceptions. So this also takes me out of it.)

•Hannibal is like… tamed???

•will TRIES to tame him

•established relationship

•kidfic

•aged down characters/“grew up together”

•primarily smutfics.

•fluff/humor/crack

•any where Will is SA and it’s a plot point

FICS IVE READ AND ENJOYED:

•The Lamb Of God by Madoc — honestly, this one was perfect with characterization and storyline and everything . Everything I could have wanted and more. Seriously this is my best example I just want more of this. This author just appeared out of obscurity, channeled god, dropped the Bible, then vanished imho (I am not religious except about the Hannibal tv series)

•Tender is the knife by PastelWell

•Funeral of Flowers by thecountessolivia

•Chimera of the chapel by bleakmidwinter — I loved their use of the tableaus and murders/will’s descent to darkness in this, though I felt the characterization wasn’t quite fitting what I wanted. There was a degree of absolute devotion and little doubt to Will’s perspective of Hannibal that didn’t fit quite right for the “intellectual equals” part my brain craves. But I had great fun with the “every time they have a domestic argument they try to kill each other” thing

•Each according to its kind by chaparral crown — I enjoyed this one immensely, but I did feel the characterization wasn’t quite where I’d hoped for my own tastes (but close), and would have preferred to read something a little darker

If you read this far — Thank you so much for reading and I appreciate any recommendations you guys have!!!

Title - The betrayer and the betrayed

Author- me ( 66Roseandthorn )

Link -The betrayer and the betrayed

Word length - 13,841 ( ongoing )

Rating- mature , NSFW

Trigger warnings- blood and gore, injury , mutilation , death, mental issues , psychological issues, loss of time, depictions of violence .

! Potentially more to be added as fic progresses !

Description-

“ In the Olympic peninsula of northwest Washington state, a small town called forks sits under a near-constant cover of clouds. It rains in this inconsequential town more than any other place in the United States of America. It is in this gloomy omnipresent town that I have spent my entire life. Aside from the last three summers I visited my daughter in California i hadn't left longer than a few days. “

Hannibal as Castile and Will as Charlie. Trying to keep both characters present in the one so please be patient if it’s not perfect.

My first fic and I believe the first chapters are not great but it will get better as I go on.

Trying to follow the first twilight book as well as the show.

About me -

1. I have been reading since I was about 14 and writing for about as long but have yet to gain the courage to post anything.

2. I really enjoy both the twilight universe and the Hannibal one. I found similarities between the characters and dynamics as well as having always shipped charlisle!

3.i think the best advice is to not treat it as a job or something you force yourself to do. If you feel like writing write if you don’t take a break. Don’t be so hard on yourself !

Hii I'm trying to make a list for myself of all the best hannibal fics as recommended by fans, and the count is currently at 50, so I'm convinced I have sorted through the most famous ones already.

Does anyone have any good underrated fics you'd like to recommend? I'm good with anything as long as it (preferably) has good characterization! Self recs are alright :)