Welcome to Lily's page of fic recs.
I don't usually rec fics, but when I do, I rave about them.
Also, I organise by type of fic before fandom.
Alternate Universes[]
Axis Powers Hetalia[]
- You Can't Take the Sky From Me by EverythingIsMagic, rated T
- In-progress??? (last updated 13 September 2011)
- No significant warnings
- Ace pilot America is on a mission for the World Military when a chance encounter with a group of sky-pirates leads him to team up with their captain, England, against a malevolent group that wants to fill the sky with zeppelins. USxUK- Steampunk AU
- The detail in this steampunk world is amazing. The relationship between Alfred and Arthur is well-developed, and while I have yet to catch up on all the chapters I'd like to say that this is an astounding piece of work for the prose, the imagery, the naturally-progressing relationship, and... yeah. Also Pirate!Arthur; who can't say no to that?
BBC Sherlock[]
- Glimpse of Gold by TheOtherMaddHatter, rated T
- Complete, sequel pending
- Warnings for violence, gore, extremely brutal matriarchial cannibalistic mermaids, Moriarty-brand creepiness
- Captain Sherlock Holmes lives life on the open sea, bound to no one, and loved in secret by someone who could never hope to reach him. But Pirates are often drawn in by a glimpse of Gold and flashes of innocence.
- All right, if you're not into AU it might not be your cup of tea, but this is Sherlock in a Pirates of the Caribbean-esque setting. Sherlock as a pirate, essentially. The plot is fantastic; there are some really intense scenes, and I mean intense as in battling and pirating and stuff.
- Darkling, I Listen by You_Light_The_Sky, rated Teen
- In-progress (last updated 11 September 2012)
- Warnings for violence, psychological horror, disturbing-as-hell-demons and witches and whatnot.
- No one who enters old London ever comes out. They say that the beast devours them. When his sister disappears, John ventures into the dead zone beyond the wall, and finds a brilliant madman under a terrible curse...
- The imagery is gorgeous. It lends itself to fanart, with so much detail and... yeah. I basically wish with all my heart that this could be published original fiction. It deserves a movie.
- Most Ghosts Are Idiots by GoldenUsagi, rated General
- Complete
- Warnings for obvious character death (it's kinda the premise of the entire thing)
- The one where Sherlock is already dead but hits it off with John anyway. John returns from Afghanistan later than he did in canon and rents a long vacant flat in Baker Street. But it has a few problems, he discovers, such as the ghost of Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock throws books about, plays the violin at all hours, and leaves ominous messages on the bathroom mirror. John settles in regardless, determined not to let a haunted flat get the best of him. Though he does wish Sherlock would stop hiding his cane. Sherlock’s not an ordinary ghost, but then, most ghosts are idiots.
- This is hilarious. Sherlock makes an amazing(ly annoying) ghost. I love how, despite Sherlock being a ghost, the two still form that infamous friendship and bicker like Sherlock's alive. (Also, it's plain damn funny.)
- The Theory of Narrative Casualty by falling_voices , rated NC-17
- Complete
- Warnings for graphic sex (it's more or less pertinent to the fic, I swear).
- Sherlock and John are BNFs in Sherlock Holmes fandom. Together, they fight crime. (Always.) And write porn, incidentally.
- Okay fine, so the porn is more or less hashed in as John's fanfics, but hey. This is a super-meta fic-within-a-fic story that is about modern Sherlock and John being paired up to write the BBC adaptation of Sherlock as fanfiction for the original ACD series. So it's like putting Sherlock Holmes into Sherlock Holmes so he can Sherlock Holmes while he Sherlock Holmes. Or something like that. Plus, it's funny and extremely well-coded, with gmail chats you can scroll through, and links that actually work, and usernames that actually have accounts and aaaaaaaugh.
Casefics (BBC Sherlock only, for now)[]
- Concertos and Blackmail; or, The Updated Adventure of Charles Agustus Milverton by hoc_voluerunt, rated PG-13
- Complete
- Warnings for non-graphic violence, swearing, dubiously legal actions (if you know the original story, you know what they're up to).
- It's around about when John's in a white dinner jacket, shooting out security cameras and running from guards through the skyscraper of a media tycoon-cum-gentleman blackmailer, that he realises he's probably gone well and truly mad. He couldn't really care less, though. And hey -- he and Sherlock started out sharing a flat; how appropriate if they end up sharing a prison cell. (Case!fic based on the original ACD story The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton.)
- An amazing update of MILV. It stays true to the heart of the original and yet adds modern quirks and touches, much like the rest of BBC Sherlock. You can almost hear the violin music in the concerto scene. Also, technically John and Sherlock are supposed to be just bros in this, but if you have slash goggles with those two you can definitely read it as such. Gorgeous writing and excellent characterisation.
- Not Yet Dead by Castiron, rated Teen
- Complete
- Warning for major character death.
- Sherlock Holmes has long been fascinated with (and haunted by) the tragic story of his namesake cousin. When his nightmares about it grow unbearable and he starts seeing hypnotherapist Jim Moriarty, however, Sherlock begins to wonder whether he himself is his cousin's reincarnation. Have Sherlock and the modern John Watson known each other before this life? Can Sherlock solve a nineteenth-century murder and prove the historic Dr. Watson innocent, and also solve the current string of oddly-posed unidentified corpses?
- The plot twists are incredible. Let's start with that. The plot twists are incredible, the melding of BBC and ACD canons almost flawless, and who doesn't enjoy a good reincarnation fic? Technically this also fits under AU, since it diverges from BBC and ACD canons after BLIN and FINA, respectively.
- The River Variations by withoutawish, rated Teen
- Complete
- Warning for near-death experiences, graphic descriptions of wounds and injuries, references to drowning.
- John Watson never knew that he wanted a ‘no toast in the mornings’ normal until he realized what an honor it is to be destroyed by Sherlock Holmes. Written for Johnlock Challenges: “The modern take of The Three Garridebs; essentially, John is wounded during a case and Sherlock loses his mind a little bit. And then gayness. Obviously that last bit is where it deviates from canon…or is it? Any rating.”
- There are some minor issues with grammar and punctuation and I don't think the author ever settled on a proper spelling of Garrideb - but the rest of the fic makes up for it quite admirably. The prose is beautiful - lyrical and powerful, a barrier that strives (and thankfully fails) to contain the emotions held in the fic. It's in the casefic category because it's an adaptation of 3GAR, but it just as easily slots into the good pairing category since it is most definitely dedicated to the emotions of John and Sherlock. This fic is an admirable example of how to write an emotional, in-love Sherlock. He does not understand what to do with his love for John, and so... well, I can't spoil it. Let's say that Sherlock is extremely loving in this story, yet still extremely in-character. And that is a feat well-lauded.
Crossovers[]
- 221B Bag End series by ElderberryWine, Lord of the Rings/Sherlock Holmes, rated Teen (I'd say PG-15)
- In-progress? It's a series; who knows.
- No significant warnings, as far as I know
- Lord of the Rings/Sherlock Holmes crossover AU.
- Okay, this is an amazing series. It’s basically Frodo and Sam as Holmes and Watson - ACD Holmes and Watson, too. There are clever callouts to the ACD canon (the Garridebs reference in the first one particularly comes to mind) and the love shown between both Frodo and Sam and Holmes and Watson is evident in every scene. My only issues are that the love scenes get a bit repetitious and that Watson’s voice tends to overpower Sam’s, but overall the series is excellent and needs more love. Read especially if you ship Johnlock and/or Frodo/Sam.
- Chameleon by velvet_mace, The Sentinel/BBC Sherlock, rated R
- In-progress (last updated 15 May 2012)
- Warnings for non-con, dub-con, coercion, forced bonding, imprisonment, incesty vibes, mild violence.
- In a world filled with Sentinels with heightened senses, strength and endurance, and Guides, with seductive empathy, who knew that seeming "ordinary" could be John's greatest strength.
- Chameleon is really a Your-Mileage-May-Vary sort of fic, but as for me, I enjoyed it immensely. The prose is extremely sensual. There hasn't even been on-screen sex and yet you can tell the fic is rolling in sexual tension. To clarify on the incesty vibes, though: Harriet Watson is a Sentinel, and John is a Guide, and by nature Sentinels are physically attracted to Guides, hence Harriet being overly physically affectionate of John to the point where it almost seems like incest.
- Observations on Sentinels and Guides in Victorian London by RyuuzaKochou, The Sentinel/RDJ Holmes, rated Teen
- Complete
- Warnings for violence, Guide-kidnapping and possible coercive bonding, negative portrayals of Mormonism (but really, it's a crossover adaptation of STUD; what did you expect?)
- A Victorian era AU where Sentinels and Guides are members of everyday society. Starring Sentinel! Holmes and Guide! Watson.
- The 2009 counterpart to Chameleon (okay, not really, especially not in terms of plot). Dark Sentinel!Holmes is amazing, Guide!Watson is amazing, the plot is amazing, the climax is amazing, everything's bloody amazing and awesome. I haven't even seen an episode of The Sentinel and yet I know all this stuff about their 'verse. It's awesome.
- Stardust by KismetJeska, The Hunger Games/BBC Sherlock, rated T
- Complete
- Warnings for violence (it's the Hunger Games, what did you expect?) and major character deaths (also, really, what did you expect?)
- For Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, the odds are far from in their favour. The 74th Hunger Games will change their lives in every way- if either of them make it out alive.
- Heartwrenching yet adorable. This crossover is a supplantation/fusion!AU of THG and Sherlock, with plenty of John/Sherlock to savour and plenty of callouts to the BBC canon despite the grim setting. Amazing characterisation, amazing prose, and dear god the twist at the end!
- The Magic of Deduction by TheShoelessOne, Harry Potter/BBC Sherlock, rated T
- Complete
- No signifcant warnings, as far as I know
- John Watson spends seven years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he meets the boy who will become the greatest man he'll ever know. Eventual John/Sherlock.
- Seamless fusion!AU, extended cohabitation with the Potter cast (it's post-Potter era). Shoutouts galore to BBC and ACD canon. Written before second series came out, though, so Irene is a bit different. Nevertheless, this is pretty much the fic for Potterlock - the prose is amazing, the emotions very gripping (especially in those post-OWLs years), the development of John and Sherlock's relationship breathtaking. Also, yay for stories that focus on different Houses! This one focuses on Hufflepuff and just how warm and welcoming they are. Fuzzies all around with the Puffs.
- Equilibrium by augustbird, BBC Sherlock/Flowers for Algernon, rated Mature
- Complete
- Warnings for neurodegeneration (not sure if that could really be a warning, but hey. It's just heartbreaking to watch it happen in this fic.)
- At Baskerville, John is infected by a virus that turns him into a genius. But when the infection progresses into neurodegeneration, it's a race against time to save himself. Flowers for Algernon fusion.
- Did I mention earlier how heartbreaking it is? If you've read Flowers for Algernon you know what I'm talking about. If you don't, then... well. Just read it and weep. This fusion is extremely seamless, and the bits of psuedoscience stuck in there are pretty believable (to me, at least).
- That Which Holds the Image by TheAngelsHaveThePhoneBox, Doctor Who/Harry Potter, rated K+
- Complete
- Warnings for... Weeping Angels. Because they're scary, and this fic shows how scary they really can be.
- Harry Potter faces a boggart that doesn't turn into a Dementor or even Voldermort, but into a horror from his childhood. Now the boggart isn't even a boggart anymore. There's no imitation. That which holds the image of an Angel, becomes itself an Angel.
- The Doctor is scarily in character. Really, everyone is scarily in character to the point that even the writing style seems a lot like Rowling's. The action is extremely well-paced, the humour excellent, and I will admit I drew inspiration from this fic to write "Plotholes and Meatloaf and Angels, Oh My!".
- Clarke's Third Law and Clarke's First Law by tinyrose65, Doctor Who/Harry Potter, rated T
- Complete (both installments)
- Warning for hints of an abusive relationship between Rose and Jimmy Stone.
- Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, but as a witch, Rose Weasley would beg to differ. So what happens when a witch meets the last of the Time Lords? Things become a tad confusing. And more than a bit fantastic. (Doctor/Rose)
- Rose Weasley, now going by "Rose Tyler", is stuck in Fred's World and the Doctor knows that getting her back is impossible. But then again, doesn't the universe just love to prove him wrong? Meanwhile, trouble is brewing for Rose on the other side of the wall. (Sequel to Clarke's Third Law.)
- This is how you do a supplantation fic. The two Roses are reconciled quite nicely in terms of their canon character disparities - all the details of Rose Weasley's life are used to enhance her new role as Rose Tyler (I especially loved how Albus Severus and Hugo played the intermingled parts of Mickey and Jackie, and Jackie Tyler herself shows up in the parallel world). The addition of the Doctor into the Wizarding world seems second-nature (it feels more like an Alternate Universe Doctor Who than a supplantation crossover), and his romance with Rose is well-developed.
- The Weapon We Have by St. Aelphaba, Doctor Who/Harry Potter, rated M
- Complete
- Warning for a teacher/student affair, even if both participants are of age.
- The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher goes by the name of the Doctor. Rose Tyler, a Seventh Year Gryffindor, has no idea what to do with her life. (Does it need saying? This is AU.)
- Another excellent Alternate Universe rendition of Doctor Who. I especially enjoyed the briefcase TARDIS and Donna as Rosmerta. The lines from the show that are snuck in help make the entire story quite natural, although I'd have liked to see the Doctor leave the post of DADA teacher in a better way than what is carried out. Despite that, the story is very good with a well-developed romance and excellent attention to detail.
Good OCs[]
BBC Sherlock[]
- The Secret Identity of John Watson by scifigrl47, rated T
- Complete
- Warnings for raunchy humour and bits of foul language
- Taken out of context, John Watson leads a terrifying life. You have to wonder what those poor women he dates thinks of it, especially if John decides to try keeping one away from Sherlock, and Sherlock decides that it'd be best if he could get rid of her
- Good OCs are pretty hard to come by. Sam Carter (not the one you're thinking about) is phenomenal. She presents an oblique, out-of-context view of John Watson (and this view is completely logical given the unsettling details she has to work with), and she has the best friends ever. They're all so believable and relatable and hilarious and I want to befriend all of them.
- The Makings of a Good Man by thebermuda, rated Mature
- In-progress (last updated 15 September 2012)
- Warnings for discussions of Asperger Syndrome, depersonalisation disorder, and psychopathy
- Post-Reichenbach Fall, Sherlock finds himself lost without John, surrounded by the useless men Mycroft gave him to defeat Moriarty’s web of crime. After just a month on his own, he has a real fall, collapsing ill in his hotel room. Just when it’s clear he won’t be able to complete his mission on his own, a woman by the name of Dr. Madder comes to help. Genius and eccentric in her own ways, Dr. Madder offers him the insight he needs to take down Moriarty’s web: kill Moriarty’s right-hand men, Sebastian Moran and Adelbert Gruner. But if he wants her help to do it, then she needs something in exchange – annihilate every trace of a certain computer key code that she once made, one that has been sadly ill-used…
- Sherlock is breathtakingly in-character. That's a good sign. There's no cheapening of the Holmes/Watson friendship. That's also a good sign. Couple that with an intensely reflective plot, wonderful writing, and this genius yet still utterly human OFC who's responsible for the keycode that Moriarty claimed to have in FALL, and you have this fic. True, Anabelle has been Moriarty's past 'love' interest, but Moriarty still remains decidedly psychopathic and it's not clear how much of that is genuine and how much of that is an act. For a more dramatic Sherlock OC, this is it.
Good Pairing Fics[]
A lot of the other recs would fall into this, of course, but this list is for those without any other significant defining factors.
Gattaca[]
- The Beauty of the Dark by Candle Beck, Vincent/Jerome, rated M
- Complete
- Warning for character death.
- Slash, JeromeVincent. You don't belong here, and I wish you would stay.
- Heartbreaking. That pretty much sums it up. The prose is hauntingly beautiful. Do not read with the Gattaca soundtrack playing, or you might cry.
BBC Sherlock[]
- Alone on the Water by MadLori, John/Sherlock, rated K (I'd say T or light M, for the seriousness of the entire issue, really)
- Complete
- Warning for character death; come on just look at the summary. Come on!
- Sherlock is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Warning: angst like whoa.
- I swear this isn't the good angst category, all right? Anyway, another one of those fandom-famous, Your-Mileage-May-Vary types of fics, but wow. Heartbreaking. And then the fanvideos done for this fic really rub lemon juice in the wound that used to be your heart. Most of fandom reread this story to prepare for FALL, so I think that gives you a good indicator on how terribly sad it is.