Track 35: Russian Castiel

Welcome to episode thirty-five of the Mixtape Book Club Podcast.

In this episode, Ellen and Mal welcome author Zation to discuss fics where Castiel is Russian. Fics include Zation’s Life is a Highway, Better Than Revenge by Castielslostwings, Russian to the Altar by MalMuses, and plenty more.

You can find our Mixtape Book Club Ao3 collection here, containing the stories we’ve discussed on the podcast so far.

As always, Mixtape Book Club contains swearing and discussion of adult topics. Please listen at your own discretion, with attention paid to any little ears that might be nearby!

A transcript is available for this episode.

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Our Guest – Zation

Other fics of Zation’s mentioned:

• The right kind of wrong (43k words, E)
• For the rest of my life (83k words, E) – A/B/O

Find Zation’s Destiel stories on AO3 here: Zation.

Mixtape Ko-fi

We’re pleased to announce that if you enjoy our podcast, you can now support us on ko-fi to help us cover our hosting and production costs, either through a one-time donation or a membership basis. Members will have access to our discord server, although we’ll still be hanging out in Profound Bond’s server as well. Check out our ko-fi page for more information: ko-fi.com/mixtapebookclub

Featured fics (timestamps in brackets)

Life is a Highway by zation
Published 2021, 60k words, E

Original prompt: “College-age Dean, immigrant Russian Cas. I like the idea of the guy that Dean is falling for/having sex with having this whole other life and trying to hide it from Dean”

Or,

The one where Dean falls for fellow student Cas, who’s so much more than first perceived. Will Dean be able to live with the secret once revealed, or will it doom them both?

Better Than Revenge by castielslostwings
Published 2021, 147k works, E

Dean Winchester is #blessed. He’s got a great family, a million followers on social media, ad endorsements coming out of his extremely fine omega ass, and he’s about to graduate with a hard-won Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering. Said degree is an escape hatch to the life he craves, away from the scripted roles his well-meaning father keeps trying to corral him into. Dean’s a lot of things, but he’s not cut out to be a Don—or to fall in love.

Castiel Krushnic is a ruthless, hardened alpha underboss for the Russian Mafia and his only soft spot is for his daughter. When she’s sent away to the U.S. in hopes of a better life, Castiel follows, reluctantly moving a chunk of the operation with him. His marching orders are clear—first order of business is to send a message to John Winchester, Don of the enemy local syndicate.

The easiest way to do that? Use his son.

Sounds easy, but Castiel wasn’t expecting to fall head-over-heels, or for Dean to want him back. What’s an alpha to do when a beautiful omega and an unorthodox mob boss have him questioning everything, abandoning his past and all of its pain for something much better than revenge?

Russian to the Altar by MalMuses
Published 2019, 144k words, E

“I need you to marry Castiel.”

They weren’t the words Dean expected to hear from his business partner’s mouth before their bakery-slash-chocolate shop opened for the day. He’d been quite happy being single—and who the fuck was Castiel, anyway?

It turned out that Castiel was a Russian erotic novelist in need of a ticket to America, and Dean… well, Dean was a last resort.

Thanks to all the people who sent Ellen messages about Russian to the Altar <3

Other Russian Cas AUs (1:22:15)

• South Side Swing series by tiamatv (75,859, E) – 6 shortish works
• Every Great Top Deserves a Great Bottom by TrenchcoatBaby (4682, E)
• American Dream by Soupernabturel (4737, E)
• run on for a long time by Duckyboos (6918, E)
• cupid carries a gun by Duckyboos (1098, T)
• Adventures in Problem Solving by blueeyesandpie (5727, T)
• White Russian by vipjuly (132,715, E)
• Feeding the Soul by jessschlinky (7894, T) – omegaverse
• Russian Twist by Briston (71,857, E)
• Po Lazarus by emwebb17 (24,286, E)
• In the Running by Unforth (1992, G)
• remember this feeling by superhoney (9605, E)
• The Cost of Falling by JinxedAmbitions (85,227, E)
• Roll With It by saltnhalo (72,818, E)
• Выйдешь за меня (Marry Me) by NavajoLovesDestiel and Winchestifer (16,131, E)
• I’ll Come For You by InvictaAnimi (30,177, E)
• Tem Semya by Mydestielbabies_67 (86,703, E)

Other links

• Love Destiel? Join the community of readers and writers at the Profound Bond Discord server. We have a Mixtape Book Club channel there!
• Our RedBubble shop is here. Any profits will go directly to Random Acts.

What’s your favorite Russian Cas fic? Please let us know, we’d love to hear from you!

Our intro music is “Angel with a Shotgun” by The Cab, arranged by Ellen.