Oooooh, reading!
*grabby hands*

 

The Advent Calendar

YAY! Great to see this long and intricate casefic posted early on in the exchange so people have plenty of time to read it and comment on it. This casefic belongs to the category I enjoy reading very much. It's all about the case and not about romance, the case is fully believable, complete with the necessary setbacks, not too many murders and a proper heroic role for everyone. And each of the characters is very much IC throughout.
I do confess to being a little bit annoyed when I got this to beta, for I knew I could never hit upon such a good idea for a casefic myself. That's actually a compliment, isn't it?

Excellent read.

Letter from the past

Aw, I loved this! It had everything I'd requested...and Viclock! I loved the little intro, John having to find things for Sherlock, and how it sets up their relationship and describes their habits (and even the flat!) I loved the letter. I loved the way Victor talks to Sherlock. *swoons*
I loved Jealous!John, and I loved that after storming off Sherlock realised he had to come back and reassure John (though I did feel for Victor but hey - you can't have both!
It was such a fun and cute story to read, and very well written. Thank you unknown author!!


ps I also apologise for not having commented on other stories, I've been so busy recently but I will come back and read+comment! x
 

Last edited by Dorothy83 (December 6, 2015 9:49 pm)

I am not quite finished with the last story, so I will comment on that one later. But I would like to give my thoughts about the two stories prior.

A Singular Gentleman
I was very impressed about the speech in this story - the way of storytelling as well as the dialogues. I have to admit, I had some difficulties reading it because it was not the kind of story I usually read therefore I am not familiar with this kind of speech. But nevertheless it was fabulous and it made the story very authentic and vivid. I was very fond of Mrs. Hudson in this story and liked especially the scene when she was gossiping with Billy . Of course she already knew that the boys had fallen for each other

Letter from the Past
I also find stories with Victor Trevor interessting because he is a very mysterious element of Sherlock's past. I seriously hope that he will be in the show one day (preferably played by James McAvoy ). I read many stories in which Victor is more of a bad character, like an abusive ex-boyfriend or someone who brought Sherlock to the drugs. I am glad that this story didn't went that way. Though Sherlock's drug use was mentioned in the letter it still remained open which role Victor played regarding this part of Sherlock's past. But my interpretation is that Sherlock, after he met John, was finally able to put his past completly behind, including Victor. Therefore I didn't felt any pity for Victor (yeah, I am a cold-hearted bastard ). A prequel and/or sequel to this story would be really nice

Last edited by stoertebeker (December 7, 2015 1:40 pm)

The Advent Calender

Not the kind of fic I would normally read - I am very into angst and sadness at the moment - but that is what makes the SSFE so special. It makes you read different stuff.

I like the way you included the mind palace, dear unknown author. Reading about such a harsh mind palace John was very interesting.

The case itself was well thought through. I love how you mixed Christmas and a case fic.

And the Cotswolds. There is a unit about that area in our english books and I have just finished it with my course. (The pupils could not say Cotswolds straight faced because it sounds a bit like the German word for "puke".)

I am sure that your santa reader is very happy about all the work you've put into their fic.

Advent Calendar

I´m glad that after a few romantic stories we finally have a pure, unadulterated case-fic for a change, a nice thrilling piece with an emphasis on Sherlock and on the unique workings of his mind. I have enjoyed this story immensely, it was very suspenseful and cleverly written. Mysterious scenes like "reindeers in the forest" or "the great showdown in the catedral" were quite breathtaking and glued me to the PC. You played with our anticipantion quite masterfully in them and then surprised us greatly with your ingenious solutions, which is not easy and so kudos to you, you pulled it perfectly.

I greatly admire the way in which you interwove the visions from Sherlock´s mind palace, his deductions, fears and nightmares together with the physical reality surrounding him, never losing the thread of your plot and yet changing the nature of Sherlock´s observations every minute. That had to be a hell to write and yet, once again, you managed to let it flow in a very natural manner which never felt forced. I think you also managed to portray the way in which Sherlock perceives the world perfectly and showed us, why he seems so out of touch with reality sometimes, very convincingly. It is not easy to function if your mind is so overwhelmed with sensations and you let us walk in Sherlock´s shoes to experience that for a while. Thank you for that, dear unknown author.

I loved the message you cleverly hid into your case about how acceptation our mistakes and weaknesses makes us stronger and helps us to connect with others. And it was a great idea to let this "revelation" help Sherlock solve the case successfuly, it was much more poignant that way. The juxtaposition of Sherlock who managed to find his "humanity" through this knowledge and of the perpetrator who was consumed by his feelings of superiority could not have been more chilling.

The only thing which was hard to swallow for me in this story was the role of Mary. But not because she was badly written or something similar. Quite the opposite - you used her ingenuously and explained very nicely why it had to be her who could enter the cathedral without rousing the suspicion of the criminal. And she didn´t stick like a sore thumb from the action, she blended in very smoothly. Still, I couldn´t quite accept her in the role of an impromptu "Sherlock´s mentor", that role seemed incongruous for somebody who shot Sherlock. But that just me. I´m sure people who like Mary would have no problem with that. 

Very enjoyable and thrilling tale sprinkled with sageness and interesting insights into human mind. Great fic all around. 

The World
Charming and funny little domestic exchange, there! Something that John would reply to Sherlock (and Sherlock would absolutely WANT to know, obviously). Thank you, Santa!

(All) Good Things
What a nice retirement fic!
That call immediately pulled me in, I needed to know more. Well done!
Anna taking after her Pa and becoming an Inspector is really a nice touch. Couldn’t imagine her in another type of work, tbh.
That’s a very, very silly reaction given that it was just the beginning of the fic (!) but “It is time” made me think of something totally different, and much more dramatic.
Sherlock would be the same as ever, even in old age. I’m glad his relationship with his brother softened, somehow.
Their first kiss…Quite the opposite reaction John usually has (headbutt in TEH…) but so…adequate!
Some humour in here (because I found it rather bittersweet, to be honest. Not that I mind. God, no!) was really great, helped ease the somewhat tense atmosphere. Pink! Ha! Loved that!
I really liked the fact that the two of them got together because John realised they already were together. Nice.
I liked how you inserted every character of the show in it…and developed that of the Skull, as well. Sir William! Ha, really liked that!
And the various flashbacks were nice, as well. As well as the whole plush toy scene.
Thank you, unknown author, for offering us a reaaaally decent retirement!lock
That reminded me that I also liked these, and I shall find others to indulge in. Mwahahahaha!



 

Last edited by Lilythiell (December 15, 2015 9:56 pm)

(All) Good Things

What a warm-hearted and well-constructed fic. I like the retirement story framing flashbacks telling us the whole family story of Sherlock, John, and Anna. You are dealing with difficult subjects like death and old age and loss of home but it never feels hopeless or depressing. 
One of my personal favourites ist the JUST. DON'T. LEAVE scene. Sherlock getting desperate and thereby winning John forever. 
I love the idea of 82-year-old Greg trekking through Australia with his wife. 
Nice allusion to our beloved German Steiff animals.
And you gave me the chance to deduce a pregnancy earlier than Sherlock AND John. This made me very happy. 

Thank you, dear unknown author, for this lovely read. 

 

Last edited by SusiGo (December 8, 2015 9:31 pm)

(All) Good Things
 
I must confess, I am not much into retirement fics. I usually don´t understand what appeal is there in Sherlock retired and being deprived of the meaning of his existence – the cases. That´s why this Secret Santa Exchange is so good – it makes you read about the themes that you would avoid under normal circumstances. It was similar with this story. It is not the type of a story I would usually try to read, but I did and I am very glad to do so – it was beautiful.
 
Dear author, in your story you managed to give us the masterful description of the life well-lived, tempestuos and troubled at times, full of warmth, harmony and love at other moments, life lived to the full... and in a few words, you wonderfully enumerated the list of all the good things that happened to our heroes, indeed. I greatly enjoyed the mosaic of present moments and flashbacks you used to built up the suspense in your story – the structure worked perfectly for me. It was almost magical how we could look into one fragment of our heroes lives , then into another – as if they were the shards of a big mirror of the past-and-present... very lovely effect.
 
You also did a very good job with Anna. Adding an original character to the row of characters already established can be very risky, it may not work for the readers if done incorrectly... but Anna felt as if she was in the story from the very start, just one of the characters we have seen in the show... and she was very sympathetic and feminine, but never ceased to be strong. Relatable and lively, I would tell...
 
I still can´t get over the manner in which you described the emotionaly charged situation in your fic. Sherlock´s stroke, Greg´s retirement, Mrs. Hudson´s passing, abandonemnet of Baker Street... it was all so moving. Even Mary... I don´t like her character much and yet here I felt so sorry for her... the scene in which she gave up her daughter was heartbreaking and you really milked our emotions so much in this sequence, dear author, adding details like „Mary kissing her baby goodbye“, „baby cooing happily, not knowing that she´s being abandoned“ etc, that I must reatroactively apologise to the person who wrote „Advent Calendar“. I would rather have Mary as a part of a team, alive and unshakable, then relive this emotional torture... (but it was only torture in a good sense of the word, hehehe).
 
The last thing I must definitely praise is an easy-going style in which the story was written. It flowed smoothly like the waves of a big river, pouring itself into the delta of warmheartedness, tenderness and life-wisdom. It was really a magnificent Christmas tale, thank you so much that you enabled us to read it and kudos to your writing sklls, dear author.
 

The Adventure of the Mechanical Turk

First of all, I am very, very angry at you, dear unknown author! Want to know why? Because I had so much work today and instead read everywhere, even in the kitchen while stirring the sauce. And then I had to finish my work in the evening, just so you know. 

Of course you will have deduced by now that I love your fic! Wow!

You skillfully captured the Canon style with all its Victorian eloquence. You managed to conjure images of the stately house and the wintry London streets, of all the precious interiors and dark corners. And your description of the intricate mechanical Turk - hats off! I love how you built the story around this mysterious device and its secret hiding place. 

And then there are the characters that are so convincing and lovingly conceived, the major characters as well as the many minor characters. Do not get me started on jealous but protective and hopelessly-in-love Watson. And Holmes who is brilliant and self-assured in his work but shy and insecure and hopelessly-in-love in his private life. The scene in the carriage, sigh. And the Ghazal and the pocket watch. 

And the plot itself is inventive and also very worthy of ACD. The story of Robert Kelly and his children creates a heartwarming contrast to Johnson's ruthless villainy.

What did I forget? Ah, yes, the use of "Sherlock" and "John" which is wonderfully intimate and symbolic of their relationship. 

And I thank you for "the manly physical reaction in his nether regions". This is destined to become a classic. 

So, thank you again for keeping me from work and giving me so much pleasure, dear unknown author.