REVIEW: Troika by Mortissues

Some stories have such a big following that it’s hard to remember where you first heard about them because every-freaking-body you know is reading them.  They're the stories that are recognized by initials or stand-apart details and are immediately connected to an author's name. They get you talking, screaming, and swooning about fic, and often become the standard by which other stories are compared. These are those stories.


We've invited three guest reviewers to share their thoughts on some of our recent ‘we can’t stop talking about them’ favorites.

Troika by Mortissues

https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2290933/Mortissues

Waking up, not matter how long it takes, should be a wonderful thing. Powerful and liberating. Like emerging from the chrysalis. I should have known it wouldn't be like that for me . . .

Staceleo ~

Troika, oh Troika, how much do you thrill me? Obsessively thrill me. So much in fact, that I have been known to pull over on the side of the road to read updates, while my small children yell at me, while pelting the back of my head with stuffed animals and fruit snacks. Mother of the Year, I am not.

You see, Mortissues, I have read you other stories. I place bets in my head on who you are going to pair with who, and how exactly you will rid yourself of Edward. I was doing pretty well until this story. There was a curve ball every chapter. I would start shaking in anticipation for my Troika fix. You had me swooning over Carlisle, keeping my fingers crossed for Garrett, and even thinking Bella and the jail bait puppy were smoking hot. I mean Jacob. That last one made me want to bleach my brain, but that dear author, made me also truly appreciate the power of your writing.

The introduction of Freya was inspired and even that made me question what your end game would be. Would poor Bella ever be changed? Then I didn’t really care. Freya was fun and what I wished Stephenie Meyers wrote the canon Bella to be like. Following her change was interesting and when many original characters fall flat in being added into fanfiction, you made her a vibrant addition to the group.

Quick question about Edward, if you will allow me to ask. How much alcohol did you have to drink to have his ending with Bella be what it was? I’m completely serious. I imagine a computer screen, a bottle of whiskey, lots of screaming of creative curses, and crying uncontrollably when writing about him. I understand, dear author, I do the same thing whenever I write about Emmett.

What is it exactly that I’m trying to say with all of my ramblings? Thank you for this story. It has been a constant joy these past months. I don’t review like I should, but I will try harder. I’m really enjoying your new story, Bachman Twilight. It’s making me like Emmett and harder to kill him off in my own stories. What did you do, Mortissues? What did you do? Where’s my whiskey bottle?


Jiff Simpson ~

I have such mixed feelings when it comes to Troika. It was the first fic of Mortissues’ that I’d read and I was immediately hooked when I started reading. It was different and I was intrigued by the plot and the new characters that were featured. After a while, though, I became sad, angry, confused, and frustrated. That’s a crazy thing to admit when writing  about a fic, I know, but here’s the thing: this story made me FEEL.

Did I want to slap this Bella and shake some sense into her? Yes. Did I want to skip around the room, showering myself with flower petals when certain characters fell in love? Of course. Did I want to fall to my knees and beg Morti not to break my heart? Absolutely. Many, many times, in fact!

I swear, this fic had me running the gamut of emotions but I still felt refreshed from all the ‘feeeeels’, even the negative ones. That’s what great writing does. It makes you experience many different emotions while making you thirst for even more.

What I loved the most about reading Troika were the friendships I made and/or strengthened while reading it. With every update, there’d be a discussion thread with other ladies who were reading along. We’d talk about theories, our fears, and how a particular chapter made us feel. A lot of times, we felt differently about the same update! It was great.  There was no judgement, just sharing with a ton of freaking out thrown in. It made the fic even more fun to read. So, thank you, Mortissues. Thank you for your words. Thank you for leading me to a wonderful group of ladies. Mostly, thank you for making me feel. By the way, you’ve done it again. I just became hooked on your new fic, Bachman Twilight. Hopefully, my girls are reading it, too!


Susan Q ~

How far out of your comfort zone are you willing to go? Would you step into a story that is based on canon, but has an Edward that didn’t come back…right away? Could you enjoy a single mother Bella who’s been missing something—someone—for nearly two decades?

Once in a while I’ll start a fic with a fabulous premise and hope that the execution is as strong. Troika delivers. The title alone will get you thinking: a group of three people. But which three people? We follow (a great) Bella on a journey that at times is not for the faint of heart, but the return on your investment of time and emotion is so worth it.

The author, Mortissues, is a brilliant writer. She can have you laughing, gasping, and then flailing all in a 2,000 word chapter. Her stories are fun to read and she always takes liberties with canon and you just aren’t sure where she’s going to go.

I love Edward and Bella. Love them together. But Mortissues has a way of making me appreciate other pairings, and care so much about an original character, that I’m on the edge of my seat worrying about her. That is masterful writing.

When you finish with Troika, go read An Unobservable Entity and Rosalie’s Baby and start her new WIP, Bachman Twilight. I don’t wholeheartedly recommend a lot of stories, but Troika is first-rate.