Of all the fanfics I’ve read, this one certainly takes the cake. To put it simply, this fic is amazing.

I first read this fic about three months ago, and it gave the same post-completion void that the show itself did! As such, I had to re-read it (alongside a rewatch and a re-read of the comics for good measure). To be comparable to a show like ATLA is a feat in and of itself, but your fic surpasses even that: your writing manages to build onto a masterpiece, improving on the show in ways I never thought possible. Your deft weaving of the show and the comics into Katara’s journal is frankly amazing; however, I found the chapters containing non-canon material to be even better, a true testament to your writing skills and knowledge of the characters. While you cleverly fill in the gaps in Katara’s character throughout the canon chapters, your additions take Katara (and by extension, the other characters in the show) to a whole new level in terms of depth and complexity. While the show left me wanting more because it showed too little of Katara’s thoughts, this fic had me wanting more because what it showed was so good!

A great example of this is Hakoda: a static character in the show, yet one who goes through his own personal arc in your story. Additions about his relationships with his fellow Water Tribe warriors and Kya add immense depth to the character, making him feel like a real person—while in the show he doesn’t really stand out, his continuous struggles and eventual canon reconciliation with Katara greatly improve his character.

Though it’s been roughly six years since you’ve finished this fic, I hope that you can see that it still is a source of great enjoyment to others, even after all these years! On a personal level, this story has been amazing to read and analyze over the course of this summer; however, it has done much more than that. Reading this fic has given me inspiration to write my own, and I thank you for that. It is a testament to both the quality of this your writing skills, this story, and its message. Bottom line, this is both the best and one of the most important things I’ve read. Immense props to you, and I hope you continue writing in the future if you do see this.

This is a really great fic! I was reading this and re-watching series simultaneously and it was super interesting, really loved how you added your own details between episodes! I especially love how you described the beginning of the 2nd season and everything starting from the 2nd seasons final, but other chapters are cool as well. I think you nearly perfectly described Katara/Aang relationship, and every chapter focused on it was exciting. Only thing that looked a little strange to me at first was when Katara thought Meng likes Aang, but now I think it’s a cool feature. Overall, I think it’s one of the best fics I ever read, thank you very much for you work, you’re a great writer!

thank you for writing this, idk where you are now greeneyes, but you are amazing for creating this. It's beautiful.

This was the best fanfic I’ve ever read. Your subtle weaving of the comics and show together in creating one coherent timeline is masterful, and adds to not just the fic, but the show itself; the day-by-day stories really reinforce the strong, lifelong bonds between the members of the Gaang, even if their journey starts and ends in the timespan of less than a year. You traced back multiple episodes, even seasons, in justifying the actions of the characters, and your connections never felt out of place—rather, they were natural and eye-opening. The story enhanced the development of the characters (which wasn’t always displayed in the show) and greatly improved ATLA (an already near-perfect show) for me. I

n addition to your great story, your understanding of the characters amazed me. One of my few qualms with the show was how little we got to see Katara’s view of their adventures and her relationship with Aang, but this fic has amended it—it truly feels canon! All of the characters (especially Katara) seem like themselves, which lends further credence to their strong development. Once again, your connections to past episodes and seasons surprised me again and again with their depth and meaning, making each character more complex (and dare I say better) by the end of the fic. A personal favorite would have to be Hakoda, a pretty basic character in the show; while his words to Katara in S3E1 were impactful, you elevated his character, those very words, and Katara herself with your nuanced characterization of him.

From start to finish, your story had me enthralled—so enthralled, in fact, that I finished it in less than a week! My personal favorite chapters would have to be those about Siege of the North, Katara’s healing of Aang, the Southern Raiders and its aftermath, and, finally, the final chapter itself—a truly beautiful ending to the wonderful work you have composed. I don’t know if you’ll see this review; in the event you do, I hope you do and realize just how good your work is. Ultimately, reading this was a tremendous experience.

This is such an incredibly written, well-developed and tightly woven story! Your understanding of Katara is amazing and I appreciate how in-depth you go into her feelings and her relationships which were developed so beautifullly. Particularly with Aang - it develops them beautifully, and provides so much of the story that was missing from s3 especially. But also with Sokka, Zuko, & her enmity with Azula, which I found fascinating. Another one I especially appreciated was her growing understanding of Mai ... the extent of detail in this fic is just wonderful and I can't think of another fic to even compare it to, it's a true masterpiece and one I'll definitely be rereading. Not only did you give attention to all the nuances of Katara, but all the other characters were so well-done and given such justice. There are so many examples of this but one I really appreciated was Aang's struggle over killing Ozai and how perfectly you put into words the way this rests on his unique position as the last airbender. There was also many moments that packed such an emotional punch, such as the discovery of the airbender girls' bodies at the Western Air Temple, it was so terribly sad, and the way the kids tried to protect Aang from it, particularly in the scene with Teo and Katara was really moving. I honestly can't compliment this fic enough, thank you so much for writing it!

I read this back when you finished up writing it back in 2014, and let me just say it gets better every time that you read it! I've always loved Kataang and this work should be canon...it shows the Kataang buildup in the missing scenes and thoughts of Katara in every way that was needed. This is a true masterpiece :)

This is the best fanfic I have ever read. It was absolutely perfect, and the only criticism I have to offer is that I wish it was longer! After following Katara and Aang's relationship painstakingly for 670 thousand words through 97 chapters, I can't help but feel so disappointed that it ended like that. They finally get together after all this time in the final chapter, share a couple kisses, and it's over. It just left me with such an empty feeling, and I feel so unsatisfied after all that buildup, wishing for more.

This is wonderfully written, and as a big Kataang fan, had me grinning goofily throughout the whole chapter. Honestly, 14 chapters in, this is canon to me now.

Holy smokes. 670,000 words. There’s no way I can capture everything I want to say in this small review.

Within the first 5 chapters, this story became one of my favorite fics of all time. After reading all 97, it might just be my favorite. You provided closure and a perspective I didn’t know I needed.

I personally consider this fic canon now, something that only one other fanfiction author has done for me. However, I consider Writing In Water more canon to ATLA than I do the previously mentioned fic to its actual canon.

I hope that all makes sense. I’m writing this review being up 11 hours after getting only 2 hours of sleep.

I haven’t checked your other works yet, so I don’t know what else you’ve written. But I hope you have more. And I especially hope you write a sequel to Writing In Water! I understand that would be pretty daunting, as you wouldn’t have the same amount of source material to base that potential fic of off, but after reading the last bits of Chapter 97, I know that you have the ability.

Thanks again for such a wonderful fic, that I will undoubtedly come back to many, many times.

Oh yeah. So far, this chapterand 38are the best. Makes sense, as the desert episodes were two of the better episodes of the show. You definitely lived up to them.

Holy crap

Wow! This is By far the best Canon Centric Fan-Fic I've ever Read! It took me around 3-4 months! To complete the story but Man, it was Worth it! Everything in this Fic was so Sophisticated & Detailed and I loved it. And notnto mention that you even included not just the show but also the Comics in a quite precise manner. This fic almost answers all of questions regarding Katara & Especially Kataang so I don't know about the others but I can say that this Fic is CANON for me. Thank you for taking your time to write this & giving us a chance to read this Amazing Piece of Work.

You write Katara's voice very well and I appreciate the little details that explain the context of the events. It adds to the world building and characterization.

Fuck hakoda honestly...can he not see that they already love eachother? He Already Died For Her. The time for cautious warnings is long passed cheif mcasshole now you're just rubbing salt in it

WOW!
You probably won’t see this, but thank you so much for writing this fic. I always felt like I was missing Kataras POV on the romance with Aang aswell as the whole journey. I know this isn’t canon, but it really should be. Your writing is amazing and the characters are written perfectly. I always felt like I needed some more stuff when it came to Aang and Kataras romance, and you have completely filled that void.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for writing this.