BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Marvellous Midyear Fic Exchange 2016

SusiGo · July 15, 2016 9:23 pm

Horsed

Thank you, dear unknown author, for this refreshing fic. Great command of language, funny allusions to popular culture, a clever connection between the first half with Sherlock's self-experiment and the beheadings case which in the end comes full circle. Well done.

While reading I felt a certain nostalgia because the characterisations in this fic often reminded me of series 1 and the fanfics written then. We get a long-suffering John and a Sherlock who hardly shows the softer sides we have seen in series 3. All the more beautiful therefore the contrast of Sherlock's tenderness with the horse and his worries about John at the end.

Thank you for a very entertaining read.

nakahara · July 16, 2016 9:37 pm

A Case of Identity, or: Life is a Masquerade

I really enjoyed this story. The idea behind this fic – the continuation of the scene of Sherlock leaving the airport in TAB – was very well thought off and nicely realised. It was interesting to read what exactly happened after John, Sherlock and Mary got home and were left to their own devices once again. And of course, it was very rocky to pick up the torn up threads of the old life again... your description of the time after Sherlock´s return from his “exile” was very powerful, dear unknown author. I could so imagine John and Mary growing slowly apart and Mary watching sourly from the side how her relationship deteriorates...

That shooting scene, though, was such a shock! I never expected that and felt as out of it as John did.

And the revelation that followed... wow! That certainly was the most original introduction of thethird Holmes that I ever encountered. Jim´s portrayal was captivating. He was his usual delusional self and yet I could kinda see the possibility of him being Sherlock´s sibling quite well. Similar to Susi, it´s not something I would really like to see in the show itself, but at the same time, it´s a fascinating idea realised with chilling convincingness. Kudos for this, dear author and for a nice taste of approaching S4 that we could encounter in your fic!

Last edited by nakahara (July 16, 2016 9:38 pm)

nakahara · July 16, 2016 9:40 pm

Horsed

Oh my, what a great case fic we have here! I stand in awe, dear unknown author, before your skill with which you interlaced the dark scenes of horror and sinister atmosphere (like your introductory scene) with the scenes full of drama (Molly´s deductions and Sherlock´s fall into a coma) and scenes of mad-cap humour (the entire Sherlock´s investigation at the Vale which was hilarious to the point of crazy comedy). Your colourful language and active imagination made reading of this story a delight. I especially liked your descriptions of places, flashbacks from John´s and Sherlock´s life, Sherlock´s rude behaviour and an exasperation of his long-suffering friends. Althrough they were more long-suffering than friends from time-to-time, or so it seems... but they stood by each other at the end and that´s what important.

The setting you chose for your story was absolutely perfect. The White Horse and its mystery made a nice background for the mystery taking place between the protagonists.

Sherlock was magnificently insufferable, but devious and clever here. I absolutely loved his gay couple impersonation in the pub and the immediacy with which he made it up. His story with the eye of the White Horse was so romantic even than I am sad it was only his fabrication – what a marvellous idea! (Still, I am quite miffed at John´s bigoted reactions in the same scene. Being mistaken for gay is certainly NOT so insulting as to leave you sneering and disgusted, ready to resort to physical violence, especially not if your own sibling is gay.)

Sherlock´s gentleness with horses was very moving and a pleasant contrast to his harshness with people. It nicely showed his soft kernel hiding under a hard shell. And his final solution of the case caught me absolutely unprepared – I never expected this part of the case would be connected with the case that ended with Sherlock´s overdose at the beginning of the fic. Excellent misdirection and plotting there, dear unknown author. The appearance of the riders of Apocalypse was a delight also and gave the story a much needed macabre touch which did not diminish even after the case was finally wrapped up.

A damn good piece of reading for a spooky summer night and a joy for all Sherlock´s admirers. Fantastic job, dear unknown author!

Last edited by nakahara (July 16, 2016 9:40 pm)

Vhanja · July 16, 2016 9:45 pm

Horsed

This is actually the first non-Johnlock Sherlock fic I've read, so kudos for having me enjoy that. I was quite impressed with the case, how it unfolded and how it was concluded. Very well done! I too got the feeling of S1 Sherlock and John, which was actually a bit "new" for me, so to speak, seeing as most fics I've read are set after S3.

The pub scene was hilarious, thank you for that gem!

Last edited by Vhanja (July 16, 2016 9:45 pm)

ukaunz · July 17, 2016 6:32 am

The last fic has been posted. Thank you all for your participation!

Two Holmes Are Better Than One

That was... Amazing. This may have been the last fic, but it was well worth the wait I was really looking forward to this particular fic, as kgreen's prompt had really grabbed my interest all those months ago when she posted it in the plot bunnies thread. So much so, that I even attempted to write it myself. Unfortunately I didn't really get much further than an opening scene, so I was hoping that whoever got the prompt in the exchange would do something good with it... and you, dear author, went above and beyond my imagination. Your Victorian Holmes and Watson were perfect, the action and adventure was thrilling, the dimension travel aspect was plausible and exciting, there was humour, clever and amusing references for fans of BBC Sherlock and ACD canon, a cute almost-RPF crossover, and the possibility of a sequel! Fantastic

Last edited by ukaunz (July 17, 2016 10:52 am)

Vhanja · July 17, 2016 11:23 am

Two Holmes Are Better Than One

Wow, what a story. I will admit, I was a bit put off by the prompts, as I'm not that interested in neither time travel nor fanfics about Granada Holmes/Watson. However, this was a really enjoyable read. Great story, wonderful parallells and charactrizations of them all. This was a joy to read.

I also loved all the small references, in particular the use of the word "ejaculated" as Doyle did. And all the lovely similarities and differences between the two Holmes' and the two Watons. Very well done!

Last edited by Vhanja (July 17, 2016 4:28 pm)

ukaunz · July 17, 2016 12:18 pm

Hey Vhanja, you should get an award for being the first to comment on all the fics
(besides your own, of course)

Last edited by ukaunz (July 17, 2016 12:20 pm)

SusiGo · July 17, 2016 12:26 pm

Give us a little time, ukaunz! *panting*

ukaunz · July 17, 2016 12:27 pm

Lol, I'm sure Vhanja won't be the only one, but she was the quickest

SusiGo · July 17, 2016 12:31 pm

Yes, she should indeed get a prize for that.

Vhanja · July 17, 2016 3:12 pm

Haha, didn't know I did that.

Schmiezi · July 17, 2016 3:56 pm

Well done you! :-D

Vhanja · July 17, 2016 4:38 pm

Thanks, but I wasn't the first for evey fic, excluding my own.

Lilythiell · July 17, 2016 5:58 pm

That is true, Vhanja, you were very quick every time! I agree, you should get a prize for that!

Onto some comments, now (I'm continuing tonight and tomorrow, but I've got family over, hence my somewhat slowed commenting. And no commenting on *every* fic...for the (soon-to-be-over) mystery of who wrote what )

Apollo And The Aluminium Crutch

I really, really liked that story. Thank you, unknown author for a thrilling, humorous and dramatic piece of writing!
Very sensual description of a statue – wonder why John would associate it with Sherlock teehee. No, but seriously, kudos for a very vivid description! Very well done.
Sherlock on the Eye…that is so completely IC, so believable…! And the whole scene was very gripping -and a Three Garridebs moments just before John recovered (as well as all the little Johnlock sprinkled throughout your story). My Johnlocked heart thanks you. And you deftly dealt with the ‘problem’ of Mary (another ‘final’ problem?) as well.
The case was really good, I’m always amazed when writers can spin a believable case-fic, that’s awe-inspiring. And the resolution of it…! I was crushed into debris when the wall crumbled and well, I believed that something had happened.
On the Johnlock part…it fits so well that Sherlock would not believe John really cares for him…I would very much like to read more of that – and the fulfilment of John’s promise, of course!

A Day At The Beach – The Baker Street Way

How to lure a stubborn detective to the beach^^ I liked very much how you incorporated the Victorian times as a dream sequence from John’s POV. I feel like John, I would like very much to know how Holmes and Watson are doing.
I would like to read John writing one their cases set in Victorian London … and read Sherlock’s reaction. Thank you

Lilythiell · July 17, 2016 7:35 pm

Horsed

Thank you, unknown author, for a very thrilling story! I really enjoyed it very, very much, from beginning to end. I was hooked from the first lines. The case was awesome and the story very, very enthralling. I can’t decide on the scene I liked the most, all of your story was very well thought-out and everything was linked. I’m so sorry I can’t say anything more – I’m afraid my vocabulary’s just been offed^^- and in any case not in an articulate way worthy enough of your prose. But please know that this story was brilliant. Thank you for such a wonderful story

Schmiezi · July 17, 2016 8:27 pm

Btw: Once the authors are revealed, I can open a collection for our fics on AO3 again if you want me to.

Lilythiell · July 17, 2016 8:28 pm

Oh yes, please, do

SusiGo · July 17, 2016 8:31 pm

This would be great.☺

nakahara · July 17, 2016 9:45 pm

Schmiezi wrote:
Btw: Once the authors are revealed, I can open a collection for our fics on AO3 again if you want me to.

Wonderful idea!

kgreen20 · July 17, 2016 11:17 pm

Whoever wrote "Horsed," that was quite a touch, bringing Tobias Gregson from ACD canon into your BBC fanfiction story--a modern-day Gregson, of course! =)

So, someone is beheading innocent people, including a 16-year-old girl! Grrr. Good thing that Sherlock is on the scene, even if he is insulting to Gregson, huh? (He hasn't exactly made a fan of Gregson for obvious reasons; I'm surprised that Gregson didn't end up wringing his neck!)

Sherlock did well to rescue John from an agonizing torture session. Heck of a thing that poor John ended having to use a crutch, though! At least, though, he gets to enjoy some well-deserved fussing from Mrs. Hudson when it's all over.