Best Long Mass Effect Fanfics
Mass Effect fanfics in the 50k–100k range — full novel length without the multi-week commitment. Curated from AO3 and ranked by kudos.
Top 12 Long Mass Effect Fanfics
Ranked by AO3 kudos. Mid-length Mass Effect fics — 50,000–100,000 words.
HEAVY FIRE
by spicyshimmy
Actually based on the merc!Shepard and Spectre!Alenko prompt on the kinkmeme. Earthborn Shepard never makes it into the Alliance. Merc life suits him just fine, as does teaming up with C-Sec officer Garrus Vakarian every now and then. And then he meets Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, poster boy for doing
THE STEPS AND THE SHORE
by spicyshimmy
When Shepard died the first time, Cerberus specialists implanted a graybox in his brain—and, when it was destroyed by the blast on the Citadel, his memories of the year since his resurrection were destroyed along with it. Kaidan keeps his distance in order to keep Shepard from feeling trapped by the
Sonata
by swaps55
After the Battle of the Citadel, the Alliance calls the Normandy home to Vancouver to face an inquest. Things get...complicated. On every possible level. Especially when Kaidan discovers an unfortunate misunderstanding with his parents. ~“Have to admit though,” Shepard says, swallowing the rest of h
Long Train Runnin'
by captainshakespear
Shepard is just some guy Kaidan sees sometimes on the subway home from work, all the way up until he isn't.
unintended auralism
by skittidyne
As it turns out, turians hear drell voices differently. Garrus suffers accordingly.
an indentation in the shape of you
by interventionsandlullabies
“Oh no,” Garrus said. “I know that face. That’s your problem-solving face. That’s your I think I can fit through this air vent and drop down behind their reinforcements face.” “What if we do it first?” He stared at her. “Shepard. I fear the consequences of the next four words immensely. What do you
I'm a What?
by DragonDreads
Shepard goes to Illium to follow up on Thane's dossier. He ends up with more than just a new contract.
One Shepard is not enough
by Eclipsephoenix
John Shepard has lost everything. His friends, family, home and more. Given a second chance and a mission by a Watcher, he is sent to another world to help another Shepard in her quest and to counter dark forces at work. But nothing is ever simple as more divergence events happen and more Sheaprds a
Mass Effect 1: Sole Survivor
by KyraVail
The colony of Mindoir burned when Khaleesi Shepard was sixteen years old. Slavers took everything from her. Her home, her family, and the future she had imagined. Years later, a disastrous mission on Akuze left her the sole survivor of an entire unit. Since then, Shepard has lived by one simple trut
Mass Effect: Become Legend
by TheScarletGrave
"The Light offers us a fresh start. But if we don't know where we came from, how will we know where to go?" Five years after the Reaper War, a heartbroken Garrus Vakarian struggles to find meaning in his life after the death of Shepard. One day, Garrus begins to suffer strange and vivid dreams of a
In Your Arms
by ShadowOfTheStorm197
The war is over. For the first time in generations, the galaxy is quiet. In the years that follow the Concordance War, scarred worlds begin to heal and shattered lives slowly find their footing again. Legends fade into history. Soldiers return home. Families once torn apart finally have the chance t
Love, Reapers & Becoming Shepard: A Memoir
by Neurodivergent_Melody (Neurodivergent_Pixels)
An in-universe memoir written by an alternate universe version of Shepard that is non-binary, AuDHD, four years younger and grew up with and eventually dated Tali’Zorah in their formative years. They break up after attending the Alliance Academy together, and reunite during the events of the first g
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About This List
This list of 12long Mass Effect fanfics spans 867,476 total words. Kudos range from 8 on the newest entries to 1,412 on the most established. 58% are marked complete — check the status flag before committing to a longfic. The most common rating is Mature (6 of 12 fics).
Recurring tags across this list: Alternate Universe · Slash · Slow Build · Comedy · Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence.
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