221B Recs

Title: If You Can't Move Heaven, Raise Hell
Author: splix
Pairing: John/Sherlock, Sherlock/male!Adler, John/male!Adler, past Sherlock/female!Trevor, Moriarty/Moran
Length: 83,084 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Dub-con
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: All John Watson wants is a peaceful fortnight's holiday in Cornwall. Fate has other plans.

Reccer's comments: Old enemies, new mysteries, old loves, and new revelations, all come together in one spellbinding story that pours on the angst against the gorgeous backdrop of the Italian Alps. The premise is that an old friend of Sherlock's asks him to investigate some mysterious deaths and the disappearance of a valuable codex from a remote monastery. If it sounds a bit like Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose, that's because the author did borrow some elements from it, with full acknowledgment. There are also aspects of ASiB and references to TBB, but it all felt absolutely fresh and I was never sure where the next lead was going to take them. The case was intriguing and completely original, with tie-ins to other canon cases and plenty of opportunity for some good old-fashioned UST and angsting on the part of the lads.

I don't as a rule enjoy genderswap, but maybe because it wasn't Sherlock or John, the genderswapped versions of Adler and Trevor scratched an itch I never knew I had. Ian Adler in particular was a fantastic re-imagining of Irene, with all of the character's morally dubious wiles and charms intact. The author makes a point that Tom Hiddleston was the inspiration for Ian's character, as portrayed in this gif. And now you can't unsee that, can you? You're welcome.

And here's Adler in action:

Ian crossed one leg over the other and folded his arms, peering at Sherlock. "How are you feeling?"

"I can still feel traces of the chemical you drugged me with in my bloodstream, and my arm is sore. Thanks for asking."

"I'm amazed that you threw away such a tantalizing opportunity, Sherlock."

"Must sting to be turned down."

"Well, my door is always open." Ian leant back in the chair. "Do consider it, at least. I'd make you beg for more."

"I don't beg. Never have."

"You would, with me," Ian said softly. "Think about it."

I also have to make special mention of Moriarty, because he steals every scene he's in. He is obsessively controlling, head over heels in love with himself, and six steps ahead of everyone else at any given time. Even the Moriarty/Moran was disturbingly compelling. If you already ship them, this will deliver your fix in spades, but he's not such a major character that if they don't butter your toast, you can skim their scenes and not miss much plot. But don't skim, because their dynamic is completely off the rocker.

There are a few scenes that I would call dub-con, so if questionable power dynamics and motivations in sexual situations make you uncomfortable, best proceed carefully. Other than that, the BDSM is pretty mild and brief, and the criminal violence never gets too gory, although guns and knives do what they were made for and a bit of blood does flow.

Title: In My Master's House Master Post on LJ (Alternate AO3 series link)
Author: BrighteyedJill / brighteyed_jill
Pairing: Sherlock/John, Mycroft/Lestrade
Length: ca 136,000 words in 8 parts so far*
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Dub-con
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: None for the series. Summary for the first part: As a new slave in the Holmes household, John is having trouble finding his place.

Reccer's comments: The first part of this series was originally written for the 2011 round of holmestice and has since grown from there. It's a fascinating AU, quite literally, in which slavery is entrenched in society and the law, a modern-day Imperial feudal society. Mycroft and Sherlock are the lords of the powerful Holmes house and have the ear of the Empress. And their personal slaves are, respectively, Lestrade and John. The household (all the main characters live in the same manor complex) slaves also include such familiar faces as Anthea, Sally, Molly, and Mrs Hudson. We see it all through the eyes of John, who is not only new to the household but new to the role of house slave as well. This is a clever device on the part of the author, as it allows explanations that otherwise would be intrusive or break character.

“I know it’s difficult.” Lestrade ducked his head, and John’s attention drifted to the thick leather collar around his neck: black leather traced in silver, adorned with a filigreed silver crest of the Holmes family. John didn’t know enough about collar etiquette to determine if the seal merely designated Lestrade’s status as a head slave, or if it symbolized some deeper connection with their mater. “I was born free, like you. But Lord Mycroft is a fair master. A good man. He’s always shown me kindness, even when— ” Lestrade stopped himself, then said, “Well, you could have done much worse, especially right out of the army.”

The plot is two-pronged, with one fork focusing on the power play and negotiation of the personal interactions between the two main pairings, and the other delving into the shadowy world of political intrigue that the Holmes brothers are inextricably wrapped up in. It's best to read them in order, as there are some continuing plot points that bridge more than one section. However, for the most part, each part can be read episodically.

*The eighth part has not yet been posted to AO3 but can be found at the LJ link. It ends in a cliffhanger, though, so be warned. Part nine is planned.

Title: End of the Story
Author: kres
Pairing: John/Sherlock, background John/Mary
Length: 54,029 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Post-Reichenbach. The return, the fallout, the pieces you pick up.

Reccer's comments: The angst! Sherlock returns, suffering from a nearly fatal case of foot-in-the-mouth disease. John is hardly better, being congenitally unable to do anything but beat himself up. Together, they are a trainwreck of monumental proportions. Never really able to express themselves in words and unpracticed with each other in the language of the body, it is nearly physically painful to watch them desperately attempt to connect and give the other what they instinctively know they need.

( Excerpt... )
There is so much going on beneath the surface throughout this fic. We get glimpses of backstories and motivations like flashes of light through a latticework screen. There are also cases running along beneath everything else, the trundling undercarriage of the story grimly keeping things moving forward while the relationships and the emotional issues pose and smile their fake smiles and jostle against each other in the tired, threadbare compartments above. Mycroft gets his digs in, and Lestrade and Irene both do what they can, but the final destination is entirely up to Sherlock and John.

The author has not put any warnings on the fic (on AO3) other than 'Dark', although I don't really consider this dark!fic. There is, however, infidelity, dub-con, and unnegotiated BDSM, in addition to the usual murder and mayhem, in case any of those are sensitive areas for you.