221b_recs | Entries tagged with content: animal transformation

Title: Excultus
Author: mottlemoth
Pairing: Mycroft/Lestrade
Length: 315,000 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: 23rd-century London is a divided city. Two hundred years of genetic tampering has fractured humanity into subspecies, not all of whom are willing to get along. The capital's crime-ridden streets are now home to some fairly fantastic variants of human - some of them more dangerous than others.

For DI Greg Lestrade, Cross-Human Relations at Scotland Yard, it's all just part of the day job.

But when a horrifying discovery forces him to seek the help of Mycroft Holmes, Head of Criminal Psychology, Greg might just be tested past his limits. Mycroft is unpleasant, unforgiving, and famously impossible to please.

But if Greg needs anyone right now, it's a vampire expert.

With dangerous forces fast on their tail, Greg and Mycroft must work together to avert the vampire threat - before it's too late.

[Mystrade Supernatural/Sci-fi AU.]

Reccer's comments: That author's summary pretty much says it all. Futuristic, Sci-Fi AU where some human subspecies co-mingle openly with other humans -- and some do not. This is basically one big epic casefic, where the mystery to be solved involves murderous vampires, and where DI Lestrade and Mycroft Holmes team up to contain the threat, assisted by some nicely fleshed-out OCs.

I should start out right away by letting everyone know that the only Sherlock canon characters here are Greg Lestrade and Mycroft Holmes.There is no Sherlock. There is no John Watson. If that puts anyone off, feel free to move on. I will stress, however, that you will be missing out on a grand action-packed adventure, where the relationship development between the two main characters is a wonder to behold. And I have never read a fic where I am so enthralled by the many OCs who play their supporting roles with so much heart and soul.

At the beginning of the story, Lestrade and Mycroft are strangers who meet one night and have a one-night stand. Unbeknownst to them both, they will soon be caught up in a whirlwind of unsolved murders that require their particular brand of expertise and will force them to work together for the foreseeable future. As the mystery unfolds and their relationship progresses, it becomes clear that Mycroft is holding his cards very close to his vest, and that he is keeping a very large secret from his partner.

I found this story completely enthralling, heart-stopping, and emotionally satisfying. There are several twists and turns, and unexpected reveals, but it all progressed very naturally within the story, and none of it felt like surprise just for the shock factor or for the sake of cleverness. Some you will see coming, and some you won't. But it all comes together in a perfectly logical way. Please do give it a try.

rachelindeed

Title: No Ordinary Cats
Author: philalethia
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 8,700 words
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Mrs Hudson adopts a cat called Sherlock, who soon becomes bored being an only cat. So she tries to find a friend for him. Silly little AU in which Sherlock and John (and Mycroft) are cats.

Reccer's comments: The author's summary makes this sound like an adorable piece of fluff (literally!), and to a large extent it is. Light and charming, it always brings a smile to my face. But ironically, given the fic's title, what I most enjoy about it is the loving detail with which it portrays Sherlock and John as thoroughly ordinary cats. This fic was clearly written by someone who loves the animals and has a fond, familiar eye for their behaviours, postures, temperaments and mannerisms. Translating Sherlock and John's personalities into the animal world has often been done, but I've rarely seen a version in which they remain simultaneously so recognizable and so genuinely feline. Mrs Hudson's irritated adoration with her beloved but occasionally awful tenants translates perfectly into cat ownership :)

Every time I read this story, I am surprised at how easily it engages me and how utterly sold I am on the details and descriptions.

vulgarweed

Title: Curse of the Were-Tuna
Author: WhoGroovesOn
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Length: 46,916
Rating: Explicit
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: John couldn’t help but feel as though the large tuna beyond the glass was staring at him, which was weird because it’s not like fish had eyelids, they always seemed to be staring at things.

Reccer's comments: The author says this isn't crack, but I think it's a shining gem of the crackfic genre - a premise that seems ridiculous on the surface treated with absolute commitment, until it becomes vivid and real. Take the plunge into this splashy tale of piscine lycanthropy and you'll never see a fishtank quite the same way again.

When wounded army vet John Watson applies for a job as an aquarium security guard, he has no idea what’s about to happen after dark.

This underrated author has a spectacular sense of worldbuilding, and this fic is suspenseful, sexy, vivid, hilarious and surprisingly touching. The plot twists come fast and furious, and I especially love this very inventive version of Moriarty and Moran (who are both female in this story). Fishnappings! Sushi-related threats! Weird and eldritch magic!

Also, it’s set in the London Aquarium and was written long before any pivotal scenes occurred there on the show.

Excerpt: Mycroft was the one who became the killjoy for the tuna pair. A few days after the discovery of their morse code capabilities Mycroft appeared at the window of their tank. Dressed formally as usual, umbrella and all, he sat down facing the glass and proceeded to unfold the paper under his arm.

After floating by a few times trying to read the news, Sherlock darted to John, fin flicking a short message, S - T - O - P / C - O - D - E.

The urgent message made John want to see what Sherlock had read on the paper and managed to catch Mycroft before he folded it away. There on the offered page was a small article questioning “Are Sea Life’s Fish Intelligent?” Below was a little black and white picture of their tank and, sure enough, the black shapes of John and Sherlock within. The paper itself was one of those silly “Are aliens cavorting amongst my sheep?!” types, but still, the fact that someone had written in to say they’d seen the fish at the aquarium doing code and talking to each other in an intelligent manner was unsettling. And who knew who else would see it and start watching a little closer.

MODS: may I have tags for fem!moriarty and fem!sebastian moran, please?

keerawa.livejournal.com

Title: Nine Inches, Yew
Author: ceywoozle
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Length: 56,730 words
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Mentions of past rape and torture
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Sherlock is an animagus. John's not quite sure how he feels about cats.
Reccer's comments: This is a cross-over with Harry Potter, but that's not why you should read it. At it's heart, this is a story about two wounded men who build a new life together. It's an excellent piece of hurt/comfort that explores some of the horror inherent in Potter canon, and surprised me in ways that few can pull off.

Here's an excerpt shortly after John first meets Sherlock's alter-ego:

( Read more... )

Enjoy!

chapbook.livejournal.com

Title: In Silence We Take Flight
Author: Aiisling
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 13,627
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Major Character Death (canonical)
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Sherlock jumps, and from the moment his body hits the pavement, John Watson does not say a word. There is a way to bring Sherlock back from the dead, if John is strong enough-and Moriarty doesn't beat him to it.

A Sherlock fusion fic with Hans Christian Andersen's "Wild Swans."

Reccer's comments: A fairy tale AU for a series set in 21st-century London? Yes! References in Sherlock to the stories collected by the Brothers Grimm and the epic quality of the characters have inspired several authors to set Sherlock in the dark, compelling world of fairy tales. Aiisling has produced a superb example, with a haunting, bittersweet atmosphere, varied pacing, and memorable characters.

John is the primary focus. Unspeaking, grief-stricken, and brave, he is determined to sacrifice what he must to bring Sherlock back to life:
( Excerpt One... )

Mrs. Hudson is also beautifully wrought; she has sharp edges and a strength that makes her more than a one-dimensional motherly figure:
( Excerpt Two... )

As in many a fairy story, what is desired is only won at great personal cost. Nothing will be the same, even if the enchantment is broken. But that does not mean Aiisling's work features unrelieved misery. There is always light in the darkness; a small, fragile candle kept lit by many hands.

the-hobbet.livejournal.com

Title: The Autumn Moon is Bright
Author:

barrowjane or on A03
Reader:

lily_wordsmith
Podfic: The Autumn Moon is Bright podfic
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Length: 23935 words
Rating: Mature
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: John has two secrets he keeps from Sherlock - he manages this, he thinks, only because Sherlock would find the idea that John is attracted to him just as unlikely as the idea of John being a werewolf. He's not sure what it says about his life, that love and lycanthropy are considered equally impossible events.

Reccer's comments: I was amazed to discover this fabulous fic hasn't been recced here.

John was born a werewolf. It saved his life in Afghanistan and again when Sherlock exploded the bomb at the pool. Later, when Sherlock goes missing, know-it-all Mycroft enlists John's special talent to save his missing brother. Still, Sherlock doesn't know until John is forced to shift in front of him to save his life once again. But Moriarty knows ("people do get sooo attached to their pets").

This is a clever, exciting episodic story told with wit and sharp observation. If you like BAMF!John or werewolf fics, don't miss this one.

( Read More... )

swissmarg

Title: Copy That
Author: maybemalapert
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Length: 18,554 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock (BBC)
Author's summary: Afghanistan changes a man, some more than others. In which John develops the ability to transform into any animate being he sees. [Includes: caracal!John, guinea pig!John, fly!John, mouse!John, Sherlock!John, and John!John.]

Reccer's comments: It's not crack. It's friendship and adventure and a smidgen of angst and a little bit of casework and just the right amount of humour.

John does exactly what it says on the tin. Of course, Sherlock is enthralled and sets about to experiment his way to an answer, whether John cooperates or not. This leads to all sorts of awkward, surprising, and, yes, hot situations.

I particularly like the way the author brings the reader inside each transformation, such as in this one where John is a fly:

Excerpt:

John lurches towards the light, flying in anything but a straight line. He almost smacks into the door, stops himself just in time, and more drops than lands, awkwardly, right in front of it. His legs (all six of them) are easier to manipulate into doing what he wants. He doesn't even have to think about it, but he gets distracted by the fact that every time he brushes against the door above or a crumb or anything his leg is telling him how that thing tastes. Cold metal, as it turns out, leaves something to be desired taste-wise.

Then he's on the ship proper and— Jesus, all these things, all these things. John can't take them in. So many, and most of them showing up several times and fuck, his eyes won't close. (No eyelids, he notices, absently. He has no eyelids.)

It's not just a novelty fic, though, with Sherlock making John go through his tricks. There is a thread of mystery pulling things along, interspersed with flashbacks to John's experiences in Afghanistan, as well as the ever deepening interactions between Sherlock and John. And then Reichenbach happens. All in all, a wonderfully creative story that mixes magic with the scientific method and brings everything back to where it started.

thehighwaywoman.livejournal.com

Title: how subtle-secret is your smile
Author: Zundaerazylym
Pairing: Gen
Length: 8350
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Canon-typical violence, hunting for food
Verse: BBC
Author's summary: There's rather more to John than one would expect.
Reccer's comments:
I love a good bit of magical realism, and this author--while new to me--hooked me from the first word of this story. It's a neat twist on shapeshifting, with backstory and current events woven together in a way that was not only easy to follow but fascinating, each new scene informing the next. As the cherry on top, John's the one to surprise the heck out of Sherlock post-Reichenbach. (And for a cherry on the cherry, the last few lines are a delight.)

methylviolet10b

Title: Here Is What My Heart Will Give You (and Here Are the Things I Will Give Up for You)
Author:

nickelsandcoats
Pairing:Sherlock/John
Length:11,973
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None.
Verse: BBC Sherlock
Author's summary: Sherlock has never been so glad that John found his feathers.

Reccer's comments:

nickelsandcoats is another author whom I can’t believe hasn’t been recommended here before. She’s written many beautiful stories, but this one remains one of my absolute favorites of hers. Sherlock as a son of the Morrighan? It sounds utterly unlikely, but nickelsandcoats makes it all very believable and touching and beautiful.

oreganotea.livejournal.com

Title: Gone Is My Past
Author:

cyerus
Pairing: Gen
Length: 7,801
Rating: Teen
Warnings: none
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: John is an army bomb detection dog who has been turned into a human. Angst. No, really, angst.

Reccer's comments: What the author's summary says. It sounds like crack, but it's really not. It is, however, a picture-perfect illustration of the "hurts so good" adage. John is a bit (okay, more than a bit) OOC here, but I think the author does a good job of staying true to his basic disposition while accounting for the fact that he is (was?), well, a dog. I'm not sure whose POV I loved more, his or Sherlock's.

Excerpt:

He felt half-mute in his awkward human body. No ears or tail to help him speak, only words. And humans lied, with their bodies and words, but how could he tell when he couldn’t smell their deceit? So many times he had been fooled, because he was a dog and dogs had no use for untruths.

It was exhausting, trying to navigate the minefields of the human world. Most days, John felt like he was drowning.

misplaced-exile.livejournal.com

Title: Fireflight
Author: augustbird
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Length: 2529 words
Rating: M
Verse: Sherlock BBC, AU
Author's summary: The Holmeses are the last of the dragons. Sherlock finds himself collecting John Watson.

Reccer's comments: This is a great "magical realism" one-shot, that has powerful worldbuilding and great writing in a fic that will leave you wanting more. Told in short snips, it has amazing characterization, beautiful language, and is one of the best creature!fics I've read in this fandom.

Excerpt: The last of the dragons, Mycroft repeated to him. As if emphasizing it would somehow suddenly cause Sherlock to care.

stupidmuse-hate.livejournal.com

Title: How to Tame Your Dragon
Author:

Mad_Maudlin

Pairing: John Watson & dragon!Sherlock Holmes
Length: 12859
Rating: R
Warnings: dubcon, mindfuck, D/s themes, emotional manipulation, collars
Verse: AU Sherlock BBC

Author Summary: Sorcerer!Sherlock sets out to trap himself a pet dragon. Said dragon turns out to be far more interesting than he initially anticipated.

Reccer's Comments: I will say this right now--there is a reason that there is not a bestiality warning on this fic. That said, I loved this fic. It took me completely by surprise. I thought--oh dear, Sherlock finds a dragon, does some experiments on it, leaves it behind, etc. etc....But that wasn't what I got at all. What I got was Sherlock growing as a character. What I got was a fully fledged alternate universe in which Sherlock and John reside--but very few people intrude upon their life specifically. This is not a case-fic. This is something between Sherlock and John (with Mrs. Hudson, Mycroft, and occasionally Lestrade tossed in the mix) in which the boys grow closer and figure out what they mean to each other.I loved this fic (and read it twice).

unovis.livejournal.com

Hi!
Just a few words on our tags and tagging your recs.

Tags are useful search tools for grouping the recs by categories: by pairing, genre, content, and sources for the stories or other fanworks.

We ask that reccers attach tags that are relevant to the works they rec. You don't have to add everything that applies-- for example, not a character tag for everyone who might appear in the story, or every theme or content. But if Molly has a significant cameo, say, that you think people searching for her might appreciate, then by all means list her in a tag. Likewise if you think this is the addiction story people should read, then use the content: addiction tag.

The required aspects to tag are pairing (if it applies), relationship genre (i.e., gen, slash, or het*), and verse (the source: ACD books, Sherlock BBC, Granada, etc.).

The easiest place to see all of the tags available is in this list of tags.

Tagging is enabled only for the author of the post and the mods. Only the mods can add new tags. We have a beginning list up now, anticipating likely categories and characters. We'll add more as recs are made, if characters and pairings, for example, aren't covered already. You can request a new tag to be added by commenting here or by contacting one of the mods. Keep in mind, again, that we'll be adding character tags as additional characters appear in recs.

Sherlock Holmes and John Watson have been abbreviated as SH and JW in pairings and some other places (e.g., content: sick jw). Since this recs comm is open to all versions of Sherlock Holmes, it seemed the simplest way to identify the characters. Lestrade, Gregson, and Dimmock are listed as "inspector" following ACD book canon, and Moriarty is listed only once by his (their) surname alone. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is abbreviated throughout as ACD.

*We won't add a category for "slash-if-you-squint" or similar invitations for the reader to see subtext in a story. If the author hasn't labeled her work as slash, then it's genre: gen or genre: friendship.

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221B Recs

A Sherlock Holmes Recs Community

Entries tagged with content: animal transformation

Fic Rec: Excultus

Fic Rec: No Ordinary Cats

Fic Rec: Curse of the Were-Tuna, by WhoGroovesOn

Fic Rec: Nine Inches, Yew

Fic Rec: In Silence We Take Flight

Fic and Podfic Rec: The Autumn Moon is Bright

Fic Rec: Copy That

fic rec: how subtle-secret is your smile

Fic Rec: Here Is What My Heart Will Give You (and Here Are the Things I Will Give Up for You)

Fic Rec: Gone Is My Past

Fic Rec: Fireflight

Fic Rec: How to Tame Your Dragon

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