Series Rec: Bibliophilia

[swissmarg]

Title: Bibliophilia Series
Author: Velma68
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Length: 65,099 words
Rating: Teen to Mature
Warnings: Character death (OC)
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: None provided for the series. Summary for part 3: Much has been buried, much lost. But loyalty endures. Sherlock and John find their way to help an old friend.

Reccer's comments: While I'm reccing the whole series here, I'm mostly going to talk about the third part, The Gladstone Ritual. The first part, Bronze Blaze, is a relatively short (ca. 15K) yet excellently researched adaptation of the ACD story The Silver Blaze along with some fantastic UST, set during series 2. It is cleverly illustrated with stock photographs culled from various sources, adding a fun dimension to the story. Part 2, Grief, is a 100-word post-Reichenbach drabble.

Part 3 is the masterpiece of the collection (so far... I can only hope that more stories are planned). It is once again delightfully illustrated by a variety of stock images, so it is best viewed in its entirety on AO3 rather than downloaded. Set in an alternative series 3 following Sherlock's return, it weaves together a compelling modern-day casefic (based on the ACD story The Musgrave Ritual), medieval monks, early Renaissance lords, Welsh history, and the fragile emotional landscape of John and Sherlock's relationship. Rich in context and steeped in tradition, the story sweeps us away to Wales, where John and Sherlock have been invited to investigate the case (one of the first they've taken since Sherlock's recent return) of a missing librarian that soon turns into something much more sinister.

John Watson peered out the cab window at lush, rolling fields crossed by ancient stone walls. The bustle of Chester, only a few kilometers distant, fell away at the Welsh border. A bilingual road sign announced Penarlâg/Hawarden ahead. Sherlock Holmes sat forward eagerly, some of the old excitement gleaming in his pale eyes. With a plummy trill, he enunciated the English name of the village. “Hawarden, John. Sounds like Arden.”

John allowed himself a long look. His friend—once his lover—was too thin, his body hardened and wiry from the chase. The waves at his temples showed touches of silver. A gnarled scar was just visible above the collar on the nape of his neck. He had not shared the story of that scar. In the pandemonium filling the days since Sherlock returned to 221B Baker Street, he had said little about the two years after he stepped off St. Bart’s roof. John knew one thing: He had acted to protect John—but not as a partner. As a liability. As a pawn in the game.

The author demonstrates great skill in keeping the focus on the case without losing track of the tension bubbling away between John and Sherlock. The effort is aided by several wonderful OCs and a judicious smattering of Welsh phrases that I really hope someone podfics so they can be fully appreciated. If you enjoy puzzles, riddles, illustrated manuscripts, historical fiction, or anything Welsh, this will deliver your fix in spades.

Warning for graphic suicide and (original) character death.

Comments

thanks

[velma68.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for the kind recommendation, Swissmarg. I'm delighted that you enjoyed the series.

The Gladstone Ritual is an adaptation of ACD's The Musgrave Ritual, an English Civil War story in a different context. No decision yet on further stories, I'm afraid--time for a bit of a rest.

xx Velma

Re: thanks

[swissmarg]

Sorry, yes, I got that name mixed up. Fixed! Also sorry for jumping the gun on a continuation. I saw that the series wasn't marked as completed and hoped... but I've edited that in the above rec as well. :)

[rachelindeed.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for this rec, it looks like it's right up my alley -- I look forward to reading it :)

[chapbook.livejournal.com]

I quite enjoyed BB's atmosphere and the discussion of the world of rare books, so I'll definitely second this! I hadn't yet read TGR as I wasn't sure if it was S3 compliant or not. Since it's not, I'll be happy to read on!