221b_recs | Entries tagged with character: original character

pipmer1.livejournal.com

Title: Public, Private, Secret
Author: 221b_careful_what_you_wish_for
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 14,000 words
Rating: Mature
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: To the outside world, Sherlock and John are just friends. In private, they're much, much more. They've agreed to keep their relationship a secret to protect John's daughter, but it's not going to be as simple as they hoped.

(Or, bittersweet, hot, angsty, secret-relationship-while-coming-to-terms-with-emotional-baggage johnlock with parentlock as a background.)

Reccer's comments: This is a companion piece to the story Coming of Age, which is told from John's daughter's POV. In my opinion this story stands just fine on its own, although "Coming of Age" will provide additional context. In fact, if you're someone who generally doesn't care for parentlock it may be just your cup of tea, because Olivia doesn't have much of a physical presence in this one. The story's focus is on Sherlock and John, and how they navigate the minefield of a secret relationship that spans several years, and told from their points of view.

I like the sense of inevitability that we feel throughout this story. It's series 3 compliant, and at the start we find John as a single parent to six-year old Olivia. There's a lot of pining and yearning going on, and it doesn't help that John is initially firmly resistant to entering into a romantic relationship with Sherlock. But of course it happens that the two of them just can't stay away from each other for long. The angst is bumped up a notch just from the very fact they decide to keep their relationship 'private and secret'- from everybody, not just Olivia, and for a variety of reasons. Several years pass - over a decade - before a conversation happens that teaches them they had nothing to fear after all.

A lovely story that ends with Retirementlock, I hope you enjoy!

pipmer1.livejournal.com

Title:Ford
Author: theshopislocal
Pairing: Sherlock/John, John/OMC, John/Mary
Length: 31,750 words
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Canon-typical violence
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: He turns back round then and looks down at me, eyes curious. “Your name, W.S.S. Holmes.” That’s not my name. “Is it Walter? Or Wilbur? Maybe something really awful like, er,” he smiles wryly, “Willoughby? Winchester?”

I feel my face go blank as my body numbs over. “Scott,” I say, voice devoid of emotion. “My name is Scott.”

Reccer's comments: Wow does this story pack a punch. It has a unique writing style that I haven't run across before that is very effective and emotionally harrowing. Filled with clever twists, it'll keep you guessing as to what is what (and who is who) until the very last chapter. Out of all of the outstanding fics to come out of the most recent round of Holmestice, this is one of the most memorable for me.

It's a bit difficult giving a rec for this without giving too much away, but I will do my best. The story takes place post-Reichenbach, and is not series 3 compliant. It has all of the angst one comes to expect from such a fic, along with offering its own unique twist to it. Someone is kidnapped off the streets of London - someone who the kidnapper thinks is the 'deceased' Sherlock Holmes. The story is told in first person, mostly from the kidnapped person's perspective. The narrative is non-linear, so we also see scenes from Mycroft's POV as he and Sherlock plot to bring down Sebastian Moran. Mary also has a role here, albeit offscreen.

The scenes between the kidnapped person and the kidnapper are at the crux of the story, emotionally intense and done in such a clever way that I was not completely convinced of the identify of either one of them until the grand reveal. The emotion coupled with heartstopping action left me on the edge of my seat the entire time. This is the type of story that I live for, and that will remain with me for a long time.

A possible trigger warning: there is a death of an unborn child, although it does take place offscreen.

Here is an excerpt from the very beginning of the story to give you a taste of the experience you are in for:

( Sneak Peek )

pipmer1.livejournal.com

Title: Dust and Ashes
Author: Atiki
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 10,000 words
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Suicidal ideation, minor character deaths, pet death
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: John becomes used to it. If he’s perfectly honest with himself, he’s become used to it a long time ago. At night, things are different. The darkness tickles his skin and the cemetery is the loudest place in the world and he tastes dust and iron on his tongue when he hears them talk. In the dark, the bones whisper.

And sometimes John whispers back.

Reccer's comments: This is something a little different. In this AU (not series 3 compliant), John can hear the bones of dead people, and he can talk back to them as well. It makes for an intriguing, if a bit macabre, premise. What makes it truly unique, is that the most interesting character in the story is Sherlock's skull. Per the author's tag, the skull is a bit of an asshole, and yet ends up being the impetus John needs to face his fears and acknowledge his feelings.

The story follows John from childhood all the way through Sherlock's Fall and eventual Return. The language evokes within the reader all of the emotions that John is feeling as he deals with his mixed blessing/curse. A highlight for me is a scene during which John puts his unique skill to use in solving a crime before Sherlock does.

A warning: there is some suicidal ideation here, and at the very start of the story there is a pet death that may be upsetting.

A lovely story. Here is a sneak peek:

( Sneak Peek )

amindamazed

Title: Your Want is Bigger Than You
Author: PhoenixFalls
Pairing: Ms. Hudson/Joan Watson, Ms. Hudson/OC
Length: 6000
Rating: Gen
Warnings: N/A
Verse: Elementary
Author's summary: Marthe has been keeping secrets from Joan. Joan never would have guessed this.

Reccer's comments: A thoughtful exploration of Joan's friendship with Ms Hudson (Marthe), set soon after the end of season 2. Here, Joan isn't alone to process the aftermath of her kidnapping and Sherlock's absence, and while she suspects Sherlock asked Marthe to spy on her while he was away, their friendship quickly becomes their own. Joan confronts some of her own misguided thinking about Marthe and her work as a muse. She eventually meets Marthe's new partner, Manami, who has a beautifully insightful perspective on the nature of relationships, possessiveness, and sharing (in addition to an utterly unexpected personal history that I won't spoil but is so perfectly delightful it's the reason to read this fic).

dioscureantwins.livejournal.com

Title: Game Theory
Author: 7PercentSolution
Pairing: none
Length: approx. 246,800 words
Rating: Teenage
Warnings: attempted rape/non-con
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Set between The Great Game and The Scandal in Belgravia, both Sherlock and John have to deal with the collateral emotional damage that comes after Moriarty's pool-side revelation that their relationship was a weakness that could, and would, be exploited. Mycroft Holmes meddles, as usual, and it all goes to hell rather quickly.

Reccer's comments: You’ll need to accept the author’s clever arguments for her explanation for Sherlock’s often appalling behaviour but if you’re willing to accept that this series will have you in for hours of glorious reading.

The author’s take on the characters is flawless, her exploit of and explanations for the constant sibling warfare very convincing and the often gripping angst is relieved by bouts of welcome humour and wonderfully warm friendshippy feels. The dialogue is spot on.

Told from John’s POV the author manages to convey that constant sense of wonder and admiration that pervaded ASiP, TBB and TGG so gloriously. Meet Sherlock Holmes, marvel extraordinaire and weep for him. Even though he’ll scorn you for it.

Revealing anything of the plot would be a huge spoiler that would take away all your fun. You’ll just have to read this wonderful fic yourself to find out how clever it is. Really, the author could give Moftiss a run for their money.

dioscureantwins.livejournal.com

Title: Tall, Dark and Belstaff
Author:

dimity_blue
Pairing: Mrs Turner’s married ones
Length: 3,400 words
Rating: gen
Warnings: none
Verse: BBC Sherlock
Author's summary: What do the married ones next door think of Sherlock and John?

Reccer's comments: I know of few fics with a more adequate summary than this one. What we get in this fic is a rendition of that fateful evening Sherlock and John moved into Baker Street, told from the POV of Mrs Turner’s married ones.
Nothing ever happens in Baker Street so Matt and Ryan are almost constantly glued to the windows to goggle and speculate at the perpetual comings and goings, apart from the time they spend eavesdropping with the aid of a glass to the wall.

The author has a wonderful sense of truly dry British humour. The second sentence produced a smile on my face. Halfway through I was swiping my eyes and my sides were splitting from laughter. And yet, ridiculous as Matt and Ryan seem the reader does sympathise with them. Only imagine ending up with a pair of neighbours like Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.

theanglophile.livejournal.com

Title: Dream #11
Artist: MarionPoinsot34
Pairing: Gen (mostly)
Length: 1 page
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC / Star Wars / Harry Potter crossover
Author's summary:
French video version : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_UJAcUBSzg
With : Sherlock, Watson, Darth Vader, Admiral Thrawn, Dumbledore, Voldemort, Gellert Grindelwald
Location : London

Reccer's comments:
Here is a wonderfully cracky crossover comic-fic, to lighten things up after my last rec. This little tale is based on a dream the artist had, and is accordingly fairly bizarre (in a good way). If you ever wondered what might happen in a universe where Sherlock, Dumbledore, and Darth Vader are all real people, you can find out here!

Make sure to click the 'download' button on the right side of the page to be able to read the text.

Dream #11

theanglophile.livejournal.com

Title: The Silent Girl
Artist/Author: Devilry
Pairing: Watson/Lestrade
Length: 60 pages
Rating: R (mature subject matter, sex)
Warnings: Contains spoilers, highlight to view Implied non-con/incest/underage
Verse: Canon
Author's summary:
During Holmes' absence Watson and Lestrade travel to a village on a case.

Reccer's comments:
This is one of my favourite fanworks in Sherlock Holmes fandom, and it is a standout piece among all the fandoms I've participated in, as well as being one of the most sophisticated and successful graphic novels I've had the pleasure to get my hands on. This is a complete graphic novel pastiche that pairs Watson and Lestrade during the Great Hiatus to investigate the disappearance of a young girl from a prominent family. As well as providing us with an intriguing (and tragic) case to follow, the author also weaves in several other story elements, including Mycroft's correspondence with Sherlock, a plotline featuring Sebastian Moran, Watson's continuing grief over the loss of Holmes, and some very satisfying character and relationship development involving Lestrade.

The supporting characters are lively and believable as individuals, each with their own inner lives and motivations. While there aren't many significant female characters in canon to work with, the artist does an admirable job adding in the women in this story, and even creates an original character who I would love to know more about. Exterior and interior shots are meticulously detailed and create a living, atmospheric world for the characters to inhabit, with weather, architecture, period clothing, animal and plant life all given the time and attention needed to paint a portrait of the era and location in the reader's mind. Gentle touches of humour are incorporated into the artwork, and I particularly enjoyed a certain canine character who appears briefly.

I find myself thinking back over this story often, particularly when I'm considering how to improve my own writing skills, and the book stands up very well to re-readings. The artist has generously shared the whole tale online, and it can be enjoyed here: The Silent Girl

swissmarg

Title: Sherlock: The Story of Redbeard
Music Title & Artist: None (voiceovers and background soundtracks only)
Vidder: beautifullytragic6
Pairing or Character: Sherlock Holmes, 'the other one', additional cast (Gen)
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Link: Vidder's announcement on tumblr
Vidder's Summary: This was partly inspired by a tumblr post I read the other day! The gist is that "Redbeard" is in fact Mycroft and Sherlock's older brother.

Reccer's Comments: Sorry for posting 2 recs in one day but I just watched this and cannot wait to share it! To put a twist on an old saying, I think this vidder could probably make a video of a phone book and I’d beg for more. This is far from a phone book, though. This is a gut-wrenching, high-tension, expertly edited work of art that in all honesty is probably better than whatever the writers on the real show will do with Redbeard. This is based on a fan theory (you can see it here, by @wellthengameover) that in itself is highly seductive and that’s what makes this fanvid even more exceptional for me, because the creator has basically brought someone else’s vision to life, gone out and found footage from several other sources – including Amanda Abbington in Cuffs, which is super awesome and the first time I’ve seen Cuffs used in a Sherlock fanvid – and made it one step closer to reality. Even if it turns out that Redbeard really was just a dog, and is never mentioned again, that doesn’t matter because we have this, we have the entire story here, and it is beautiful and emotional and real.

pipmer1.livejournal.com

Title: Everybody Knows
Author: Susan
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 44488 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: As if John and Sherlock don't have enough problems already (that whole Sherlock getting shot by Mary thing), now there's a cold case detective from Canada snooping around asking questions about Moriarty.

Kate took her time, wanting to give him time to get settled. When she returned, John had cleared away the tea and Sherlock was sitting in the leather chair wearing sweat pants and a faded white t-shirt under a blue silk bathrobe.

She didn’t know men still wore silk bathrobes.

Thinner than his pictures, paler too. All cheekbones and unruly dark hair. Blue eyes dulled by the pain meds. Needs to shave. Bare feet. Holds one arm against his chest. Like he’s literally trying to hold himself together. Is he aware that he’s doing that?

Reccer's comments: Apologies for my absence this month, time has gotten away from me! I offer up this story by the same author who gave us the brilliant Skip Code. It takes place during HLV and beyond, mostly during that missing gap between Sherlock being shot and Christmas at the Holmes's. It manages to be a Series 3 fix-it fic while also remaining completely canon compliant. It's a testament to the author's skill that they manage to do this in a believable and satisfying manner.

This story is set apart from other fix-it fics by the inclusion of a fascinating female OC, Kate, a character who has her own relationship issues that she's juggling as she gets caught up in a cold case that somehow has to do with Moriarty. We mostly see the Sherlock and John relationship through her eyes, when she shows up at 221B to interview Sherlock - who is still recovering from the gunshot wound that Mary gave him.

There are so many twists and turns in this story; every time clues seem to point in a certain direction, new evidence pops up that indicates something else entirely. How Moriarty and Mary are linked, if there even is a link... if Mary's baby is John's or someone else's... and Kate has her own personal mystery she's trying to solve at the same time. And through it all, John's love for Sherlock is obvious and yet he's still emotionally tied to the idea of wife/marriage/baby.

A brilliant read!

pipmer1.livejournal.com

Title: An Innocent Man
Author: Fangs_Fawn
Length: 183,531 words
Pairing: Gen
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Violence, attempted suicide
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: "And what about John Watson?" Sherlock had asked. He had expected a rather dull answer...after all, he had been away. He had not expected to hear that John had spent the past two years in prison. Series 3 AU. Not slash.

Reccer's comments: If you like John whump, this is certainly the fic for you. Sherlock comes back after two years of being away, only to find out that John has spent that entire time behind bars, convicted of being an accessory to Sherlock's supposed 'crimes.' He's exonerated and released just before Sherlock's return - but not before going through some pretty traumatic experiences at the hands of certain guards and prisoners.

This is a Series 3 AU, but you will still meet some of the characters from that series, only under different circumstances. And some of the same dialogue takes place as well - only, again, in different scenarios than in canon. I particularly liked Bill Wiggins here, as he happens to meet John while they are both serving time, and ends up in a happier place than his counterpart does as a result.

I really liked Lestrade's character her as well, as he ends up being the loyal friend and champion that John needs to secure his eventual release.

A big part of the story is John coming to terms with the fact that the people who knew about Sherlock's fake death - Mycroft and Molly - never came forward with the truth so as to exonerate John before he ever went to trial. Sherlock is off the hook in this regard, at least, since he had no idea what was happening with John while he was away.

Throughout all of this, there is also an actual "Empty House" scenario unfolding through it all. We get an actual Sebastian Moran and an actual, very tense confrontation, something I really missed in the BBC's version.

And one final warning: There is mention of John having attempted suicide while in prison, although the event itself occurs offscreen. Just be aware.

Enjoy!

pipmer1.livejournal.com

Title: A River Without Banks
Author: Chryse
Pairing: Sherlock/John, John/Mary
Length: 203,286 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Violence, rape/non-con, character death (Please keep in mind that this is a time travel story, and unfortunate occurrences are not necessarily permanent)

Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: "You love this, being Sherlock Holmes." He had once. When had it all gone so wrong?

Reccer's comments: First of all, I will directly quote the author from their beginning notes: "I assure you that there WILL be a happy ending, by which I mean John and Sherlock, together exclusively and forever, world without end, amen. (Just so we’re clear.)" So if the warnings scare you, know that EVERYTHING IS TEMPORARY AND IT WILL BE FINE. But the bad stuff still happens, so if it's triggery be aware that parts of this fic get very intense. The first half has a lot of angst, but never fear; there are also happy, romantic times as well.

This story is by the same writer who gave us "The Frost is All Over". The fic begins right where HLV left off, with Moriarty supposedly returning from the dead. In essence, it is a time-travel fic, with Sherlock going back in time in an attempt to put the universe back on its correct course after being shifted out of alignment by Moriarty's actions on the rooftop of Bart's. I am a *sucker* for time travel stories, with all of the paradoxes and twists and turns that that genre entails. And boy, does Chryse deliver in spades. Because not just one journey back in time is required; each failed attempt ends with Sherlock's death in that timeline kicking him back into his own (hence the character death warning). And every time Sherlock makes another attempt, his memory of all the previous timelines is erased, making each journey back its own self-contained story with its own adventure and ending, some happier than others. There's also a case that keeps showing up in subsequent timelines, just biding its time until the 'correct' version of Sherlock Holmes shows up to solve it.

My heart ached for Sherlock during a large portion of this fic, as I watched him struggle, literally time and time again, with the emotional fallout of each and every timeline. The storytelling is vivid and layered, with each timeline building on the previous ones and moving the story forward in Sherlock's search for the 'true' timeline that will set everything to rights. The perfect 'fix-it' fic for Series 3, in my opinion.

( Read Excerpt )

dioscureantwins.livejournal.com

Title:The Case of the Engineer's Petard
Author: AJHall
Pairings: none
Length: approx. 7,800 words
Rating: teenage
Warnings: none
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Sherlock is called to a suspicious scene, but there are more things going on than he dreams of.

Reccer's comments: There’s something rotten in the Royal Borough of Kensington, smelling distinctly fishy and Sherlock is having the time of his life while unwittingly playing a huge part in uncanny background machinations.

Meanwhile John is kept busy with the fall out of interesting storylines in soap operas.

Fast, furious and packed with so many laughs your ribs will be hurting by the time you reach the end the punchline is bound to leave you gasping.

Anything more will spoil your fun. Just hurry over and have the time of your life reading yet another marvel from one of the best writers in this fandom.

dioscureantwins.livejournal.com

Title: Seek Out the Unworthy
Author: squire
Pairing: none
Length: approx. 44,100 words
Rating: teen and up
Warnings: none
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Set after the events of His Last Vow - but this time, the plane carrying Sherlock off to Eastern Europe never turned around, and John's life is very different as a result.

Reccer's comments: A fast and furious thriller that will keep you perched on the edge of your seat while reading.

John and Mary are firmly settled in suburban life. Every now and then John worries faintly because Sherlock has completely disappeared from the radar. Mycroft, as ever, is extremely unhelpful.

Then John’s life takes an unexpected turn and in less than twenty-four hours he finds himself on the continent, running for his life together with Mary. They end up in Eastern Europe and there he finds Sherlock, horribly changed and apparently having sold his soul to Moriarty, or worse…

With the Holmes brothers however, nothing ever is what it seems to be.

scfrankles.livejournal.com

Title: The Seventeenth Page Affliction
Author: EmmyAngua
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Length 10,326
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: N/A
Verse: ACD Books
Author's summary: As always, I was ever curious to the thoughts of my friend and in the years that followed I puzzled over that moment. His face was so severe, so preoccupied that I knew at once that this case would be either a most intriguing story for my readers or one I never dared to retell.

Reccer's comments: This is a gripping story from Round 6 of

acd_holmesfest, told in first person from Watson’s POV. It really stood out for me during the fest—the author had gone down a completely different route from everyone else. What seems to start off as a lighthearted case fic becomes something much darker, covering several years and involving a fascinating original character. And the story also turns into a brilliant character study of both Holmes and Watson—I was particularly impressed with how the author allowed Watson to be a man of his time—before giving us a relatively happy ending and a truly beautiful last line.

dioscureantwins.livejournal.com

Title: Compromising Positions
Author:

daasgrrl
Pairing: Mycroft/OMC, Mycroft/Sherlock
Length: approx. 3,600 words
Rating: explicit
Warnings: none
Verse: BBC Sherlock
Author's summary: Mycroft makes do.

Reccer's comments: I’ll continue to lament the relative lack of Holmescest fics when compared to the ocean of Johnlock fics spanning the Sherlock fandom. Thank god for dependable authors like the excellent

daasgrrl for providing those with Holmescestian needs with a safe harbour regularly replenished with excellent stuff.

This is her newest and the summary perfectly sums up the fic’s contents… for the first half. Then, in an excellent move that took my breath away a new player crops up. With this move all the reader’s assumptions and… for the soppy romantics like yours truly, hopes of a happy ending are razed to the ground, turning a story that was already brimming with angst into a veritable angst fest.

This story left me almost crying over all the misguided pride and achingly deep longing. In short, it accomplished everything one could want from this particular pairing. In just 3,600 words. Wow!

Mods. Could we have a tag for Mycroft/omc please?

pipmer1.livejournal.com

Title: Game Nights
Author: Random_Nexus
Pairing: Gen
Length: 6700 words
Rating: Teen
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: John's meeting with Greg, Molly, and another DI from NSY for game nights. Sherlock's feeling a bit jealous and has to figure out what to do about the problem.

Reccer's comments: The AO3 entry is locked and only accessible to those with an account, so an alternate link to their LJ is here: Game Nights

This is very cute and funny. John meets up with Greg and others for a Dungeons and Dragons game night at Greg's flat, leaving a note for Sherlock who is, of course, stuck in his mind palace and unaware that John has left. Most of the story takes place during the game itself as John and his friends play the game. The names and characters the players have chosen for themselves are amusing and apropos; I found myself giggling and thinking 'but of course, what else could they have chosen?' Sherlock comes out of his mind palace to find John gone, and decides to find out for himself what these game nights are all about. But instead of just coming to the front door and knocking like a normal person, he sneaks in by breaking into Lestrade's bedroom and spying on everyone as they play.

The funniest part of the story happens when Sherlock surprises John by accepting his standing invitation and tagging along for the next game night. The reveal for what character and name Sherlock has chosen for himself is epic, and the very last line? Priceless.

Enjoy!

pipmer1.livejournal.com

Title: Kill Switch
Author: Todesfuge
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 87377 words
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, life-threatening illness, medical trauma, minor character deaths
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, and Mycroft Holmes had never been under the illusion that they'd beaten Moriarty at his games, but the uneasy truce that had been struck had become a fairly comfortable place. That is until strange reports start to reach Whitehall, a friend falls ill, and John notices changes in Sherlock that he can't begin to explain.

Reccer's comments: This is actually a sequel to Be Here Now, which I'm assuming most people have already read, but if not you'll probably want to read that one first for context.

This story is full of angst, tension, and action-packed drama that will barely let you catch your breath before another heart-stopping scenario drops into your lap. In other words, much like the prequel. It takes place post-Reichenbach and goes AU after series 2.

Sherlock and John are back in London after a truly harrowing experience going against James Moriarty Senior, a true psychopath with an agenda that goes far beyond revenge for his son's death. At the opening of this story, Moriarty has not yet been neutralized, making our heroes still tense and anxious as they wait for him to make his next move. When he does, in spectacular role reversal it's up to John to do whatever it takes, including sacrifice himself, in order to spare Sherlock a horrifying and painful death.

As it turns out, it's not just *Sherlock's* life that hangs in the balance...

swissmarg

Title: Prior Engagements
Author: PlaidAdder
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Length: 125,527 words
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Character death (offscreen)
Verse: Sherlock (BBC)
Author's summary:

Years after Mary melted into the darkness, John and Sherlock are at their wits' end. Rachel Watson, aged nine, is proving harder to handle than Irene Adler and Jim Moriarty combined. John hopes that the right boarding school might give her the structure she seems to need. Not until after Rachel disappears do they discover that someone else appears to have had the same idea.
*****
It's really difficult to give a synopsis of this story that doesn't spoil things about it. So let me just list a few of the things it contains, in no particular order: secrets, lies, double-crossing, action, adventure, explosions, fistfights, danger, intrigue, plot twists, underground lairs, sheep, character development, John and Sherlock being the most bamf! dads ever, and nearly all of Sherlock's underutilized female characters kicking a lot of ass in many different ways.
This is a sequel to "Law Like Love," but works well enough as a stand-alone story. For truly full appreciation you may want to read the earlier stories in the "Wild About Harry" series, but that's not necessary.

Reccer's comments:

This is such an amazing fic and doesn't have nearly the number of hits and kudos it deserves. It has plot out the wazoo, breathtaking twists and turns, wonderful original characters, and an incredible way of incorporating canon and making it ten times more brilliant than in the series. There are creepy psychopaths, political plots, secret societies, skeletons in closets, and a sexy visit to my hometown Chicago. What more could you want?

I mentioned the original characters, first and foremost of which is Harry. Although she’s technically canon, it’s by name-drop and a couple of bare facts only. The author has taken those bare facts and run with them, creating a fantastically three-dimensional, complex, engaging personality who would have no problem carrying off the lead role. Then there is Rachel, John and Mary’s daughter, who is nine years old in the story and comes with her own set of baggage, the fact that her mother is a professional assassin only being the start. There are even more OCs I could rave about, but it would be spoiling to tell. ;) In addition to them, there is a full supporting cast of secondary canon characters, especially Molly, Janine, Anthea, and Lady Smallwood, who are brought to full, rich life in a deeply satisfying way. But don’t worry, even with all of the OC goodness, John and Sherlock are at the center of the story in all their complicated, devastatingly gorgeous glory.

This story starts out very much in media res, which at first had me wondering whether I needed to go back and re-read “Law Like Love” (the previous story in the series, and if you haven’t read it yet, do, because it is simply excellent) but it turns out it was all done on purpose. Everything will be revealed in due course, so be patient. :) And what a reveal it is! I didn’t see any of it coming, although in retrospect it was all perfectly obvious and logical, which just makes me admire the skill of the author even more.

As a side note, the story deals with the very personal, very sensitive issue of parenting a child who has an extremely difficult time conforming to mainstream schooling. As a teacher of primary school aged children myself and seeing the difficulties and helplessless on both sides, this hit me really close to my heart. I thought the author did a very good job of representing the situation, and I found it to be a very brave depiction.

There is one sex scene that would fall under the provenance of BDSM (specifically the bondage and Dom/sub aspects), but it’s not very extensive so I’m not tagging it explicitly.

( Excerpt... )

cherrytide.livejournal.com

Title:Can't Rewind Now We've Gone Too Far
Author: Basser
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/OMC
Length:111887 words
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/non-con, drug abuse, implied child abuse
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: At age nineteen, Sherlock Holmes dropped out of university to become a drug addict.

Reccer's comments: There are a lot of fics out there where Sherlock does drugs and ends up on the streets, but this is one of the few that I felt really convincingly dealt with the psychology behind Sherlock's actions in a way that was in character, realistic and detailed. Basser's take on Sherlock is unusual in fandom, potraying him as suffering from a form of ADHD, which is not a diagnosis I'd have thought of for Sherlock but a very convincing case is made for it and how it affects him and his ability to relate to others.

I love the author's take on Sherlock and Mycroft's relationship and how their behaviour each fuels each other's insecurities, Mycroft's spying aggravating Sherlock's paranoia and anxiety, Sherlock's rebellion and drug abuse a source of terror for Mycroft.

Basser also creates an original love interest for Sherlock, Eric Crenshaw, who is one of the more endearing OCs I've encountered - he is a total contrast with Sherlock, from a very poor background, sweet natured and streetwise. It's very interesting to see Sherlock interact with such a different character, and their loving but doomed relationship is handled very well.

If you like stories that delve deep into character's psychologies in new and fascinating ways this could be one for you!

(Sorry this rec is a little late! End of the month snuck up on me )

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November 2018

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A Sherlock Holmes Recs Community

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