by Cad (link)
Genre cest, drama/angst
Pairings Zaylor
Length 24 chapters
Status Completed (with sequel in progress)
I’ve been excited about this fic since I first saw it; for whatever reason, Zaylor stories seem to be on a bit of a decline right now. There isn’t much out there for those of us who enjoy that pairing, and so I’ve been very anxious to read Behind Walls and see if it lives up to the hype.
The story is mostly told from Zac’s point of view, although we do see some of it from Taylor’s perspective. Unfortunately, those point of view changes aren’t labeled, so it can be difficult at times to follow the story because it takes a paragraph or so to realize someone else is narrating. Likewise, there’s a lot of backstory, such as Zac’s alcoholism and nightmares, that doesn’t get explored quite as much as I would like. It was even difficult for me to pinpoint when the story was taking place until I was several chapters in.
Despite the fact that they could cause plenty of drama on their own, the nightmares and alcoholism aren’t even the focus of Behind Walls. For a relatively short story, it tries to juggle quite a few different plots, with the main one being a random but debilitating injury Zac suffers.. Although an editor wouldn’t hurt, Cad’s writing is at times very strong, but there’s still just a bit too much going on for my preferences. The sequel will, I hope, tie up some of these loose ends and plot threads.
Review by Bethany (website)