The Athenaeum's Index Of Fiction

Fiction by Ana Ortiz     

Xena | Alternative (Mature) | Romance (alt) | Very Short Story - 7 pages | Finished | Cast: Gabrielle, Xena, Lone, Joxer Links: The Bards Corner @ AUSZIP
Absolutely brilliant! Now all has been revealed, there's no finer reason why bards should Share The Love. Brava! - ancienthracian - Oct 31st, 2004    This was wonderful, truly wonderful. - Sketch - Apr 16th, 2005    Ana has penned a fantastic tale of such exquisite melancholy that youll feel haunted by it long after youve put it down. - 3creeks - Sep-07-2007    This is my third time reading this story. And third time must truly be the charm, because now I get it - I *finally* get it. And I'm so glad I didn't skip out on trying it again, because this truly is a an amazing piece. Haunting, with an undertone of melancholy that stays with you long after you're done - the idea of giving life to something, but not free will or self-control - and having that something come to be aware of it eventually. Miss Ortiz leaves you constantly wanting more, and more, and more...I wish she'd come back. - Anonymous - Aug-25-2008    This is a strong, hauntingly melancholy piece. It reaches deep inside you stays with you for a time that really makes you think. This bard did an especially wonderful job paying homage to our heroes which made them more real than watching them or reading about them. I myself wish to write that story for Gabrielle, not just because of my love for these characters, but out of the respect and reverence they deserve for all that they have done for me. This is a very deep piece. If you cannot read it now, bookmark it for later because it needs to read. This is a whole new way of storytelling that brings a new facet of our heroes and how we can view them. One that I have not come across in the many, many years I have been reading fanfic. Absolutely beautiful. Thank you Ana Ortiz, for reminding me just what these heroes have done for me all these years, and what they have gone through to do so. A wonderful way to pay homage to their creation itself, though bittersuite. - Furrybear - May-27-2011    how can something so beautiful can be achingly sweet and melancholy? it's by ana ortiz, that's how. it is a testament of writing skill how in a very short piece, the characters come to live and stay with you. - kc - Jul-22-2011    well written from a unique perspective.. - xtra dog - Sep-29-2011

Habaname by Ana Ortiz     

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative (Mature) | Drama | Novel - 258 pages | Finished | Cast: Barbara, Chela, Jonas, Irene, Eladio, Crying, Shamrocks, Murphy, Jeffrey, Southie, Boston, Venga Honors/Awards:  #18 in 2007     Links: The Academy Of Bards
This story is one of the best I have ever read. When I finished reading I was truly moved. A rare thing. Passionate, and enlightening I learned about and felt along with the characters and the culture. Well written and yet entertaining. A must read. - Sam in michigan - Oct 4th, 2003    A rare treat in style, characterization, dynamics, and cultural content. Very moving and exceptionally profound. Recommended highly for anyone who is not just looking for light entertainment. - annika - Apr 12th, 2005    I can't say thanks enough for recommeding this story. Ana Ortiz, you are an amazing writer, and story-teller..and poet. The words certainly come to you, along with meaningful characters...I refer to everyone you threaded into your story. This story should have been written for profit and should be a made into an indie. The plot leads and spins the reader, never a dull word of sharing. I loved it all. - Anonymous - Apr 15th, 2005    This story is a cut above. The unique story line, the characters' backgrounds and interaction, the dialogue, and the overall tone stayed with me long after I read it. It's truly exceptional. - Della - Apr 23rd, 2005    MASTER PIECE !!! Ana Ortiz has written a fascinating story, with complex characters, a beautifully constructed prose and a romance, that will probably have you reading the book in one sitting, an assumption based on personal experience... - Anso - Jun-30-2007    Really heavy story, emotionally and in subject matter, but Miss Ortiz definitely knows her stuff. Barbara and Chela are wonderful characters. Definitely worth a read. - Arassar - Jul-09-2007    Companera Ana, your story is fantastic ! Thanks, from the bottom of my heart. - calypso - Jul-12-2007    Incredible writing and characterizations. Kept me up until 2 a.m. on consecutive nights. It is deeply moving and wonderful. Highly recommended! - Luciddream - Jul-12-2007    I'm constantly looking for new stories to keep me up all night, and when I can't find any to hold my attention, I often turn back to this one. Just finished up my third (or fourth?) read through... This is up there as one of my all time favorites. If you haven't done so yet, read this! - Jen - Jul-15-2007    Wow...this story totally blew me away! Definitely one of the best I have read! I definitely recopmmend reading it!! - kaysy_1994 - Jul-30-2007    This is an amazing story!!!! It should be published. Thank you for the wonderful read. - Anonymous - Aug-02-2007    What a great read! The complexity of the characters, the richness of the storyline, the poetry. It has called me back several times. Thank you. - Lee - Mar-10-2008    This story was one of the most beautiful, and moving, I've ever read. No, scratch that - it's more than a story. It's an *experience*. In fact, it was so emotionally harrowing it left me exhausted at the end, and I've never found the gumption to read it again. You live with them, breathe with them, hear the whispers sharing their head, and if you're lucky you'll emerge a changed person, the way Barbara and Chela did, too. I can't recommend this story enough, and I just wish there were still some way to contact Miss Ortiz and tell her how this made me feel. - Anonymous - Aug-25-2008    This really ought to be published. Moving, inspiring, thought-provoking, exciting, harrowing, passionate. Thank you so very much for putting this out there for us! - Hoback from UT, USA - Sep-09-2008    This is a fantastic story with great depth and the writer really makes Cuba and in particular the tradditional worship of the Yoruba Orishas come to life.I also like the way it balances the good the bad and ugly of people without being judgemental or flippant. This could only have been a labour of love and I am not surprised the writer has taken a sabbatical before writing another master piece which I cannot wait to read. - LsC - Feb-12-2009    Very touching story and I didn't want it to end. A must read! - LeaAnn - Aug-31-2009    What an intense tale - and so believable. Compelling story, intriguing characters, drama, angst. It pulls you in and tugs at your heart strings. Also, a small glimpse into life in Cuba was very interesting. I do wonder why the US continues it's current policy against Cuba. - Anonymous - Oct-03-2010    Yeah, this book is a real experience. I felt a poetry, a soul that absolutely touched me so very deeply. I felt like crying just reading the poems at the beginnigs of every chapters. This bard is a poet. She barrowed some of beautiful lines, but put the melancholy that lives in them in motion. - yuka - Apr-19-2011    Phenominal read. So much emotion stirred up right now. Brilliant, just brilliant (and eye-opening). - ~M - Aug-05-2011    Beautiful. Just sent this author an email encouraging her to write some more. Incredibly moving and inspiring man! - Nerdy One - Sep-25-2011    Beautifully written story, enjoyed every moment and found I could not put it down until the end. Now that it is over I feel I miss my friends. Next thing, I want to travel to Cuba... - Inema69 - Apr-28-2013    A wonderfully written story. Do not miss this one. - Anonymous - Dec-29-2014    There are no words adequate for this stunning novel.I agree with everything others have said.you do NOT want to pass this up. And be prepared to stay up all night because u will not want to stop until u finish. I too wish there was some way to contact her because Ana has talent one that should not be ignored. - Anonymous - Mar-19-2016