Fic Rec: Bond/Q angels and archangels AU

Espionage is a Family Affair (78403 words) by nagapdragon
Chapters: 41/41
Fandom: Skyfall (2012) - Fandom, James Bond (Craig movies)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: James Bond/Q, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Characters: James Bond, Q (Bond - Craig movies), Eve Moneypenny, Female M (James Bond), Q | Major Boothroyd, Alec Trevelyan, Miscellaneous Double-0s, R - Character
Additional Tags: Angels, Magic, Slow Build, Dysfunctional Family
Summary:

It's common knowledge that angels make good weapons and terrible soldiers. They're hard to kill, hard to catch, and leave a swathe of destruction wherever they go. That's why MI6 likes them.

James Bond, Agent 007, is one of the most devastating weapons MI6 will admit to having. Explosions follow his every whim and he's nearly impossible to kill, despite the best efforts of terrorists worldwide. He's second only to the weapons MI6 pretends don't exist- archangels are only a theory, after all.

Aren't they?

What I liked: This story is so good in such a creative way that when I made a quick list of highlights of 2016, I put reading this story on it. I reread it this week, and it was just as engrossing and amazing the second time around. While it is a Bond/Q story, the main focus is on Q, his family, and the plot.

One of the most incredible things about this story is the worldbuilding. nagapdragon builds a whole culture and history around the angels, their existence, and their powers. Each chapter begins with a passage from an in-world reference work, mission report, or gossip site that gives us the background that fills out the world around Q's experiences. One of the other strengths of the story is the mix of strong relationships. In the story, Q and his twin sister Vivi are M's children, Major Boothroyd is their uncle, and Eve is their cousin. We get a really good sense of the strength and meaning of those relationships, as well as Q's relationships with the Double-0s who make up their chosen family and the characters we meet later who I won't spoil for you. I also enjoy a lot of the little bits around the angels. When I think about this story, I usually think first about the blueberries.

There is a fair amount of canon-typical violence and a bit of textual nudity. There is no sex in the story, so it is safe for work.