BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Johnlock Fic Recs *warning

ancientsgate · December 7, 2015 4:07 pm

Vhanja wrote:
tonnaree wrote:
The second one will shove a rusty fork in your heart and twist it.

This story, the second one, is seriously f-ed up.

And I can't stop reading.

Is the 2nd one complete?

SusiGo · December 7, 2015 4:33 pm

Yes, it is.

Vhanja · December 7, 2015 5:32 pm

Wow, that was one intense read. I think my heart shattered into a million pieces - several times.

tonnaree · December 7, 2015 6:12 pm

Have you read both stories now Vhanja? I sob for the last couple of chapters in the sequel.

Vhanja · December 7, 2015 7:53 pm

Yeah, started the last one yesterday and finished it today. Absolutely heartwrenching read!

Some thoughts, I put them in spoiler tags as they are quite spoiler-y:

1. Not sure if I would call it a plothole, but one thing I was waiting to be cleared up that never happened: When Mick was told that he had the virus too, because it transferred by human liquid (i.e, sex), my first thought was that John would be infected too. But that never came up.

2. I wasn't too fond of Irene in this story, the second one. It seems she was turned almost into a porn star. Being a Dominatrix doesn't necessarily make you a prostitute - in fact, in majority of the cases, a professional Dominatrix will not have sexual intercourse with their clients. But here she had no qualms working as a prostitute and engaging in a threesome.

3. The development and changes of Sherlock and John towards the last chapters were very well done and mark of a good story (as what they've both gone through would surely have changed them). So storywise it was great. However, I personally didn't quite like it as I felt too much of what charaterizes them and their relationship was gone, and it felt almost like reading about to new, unknown characters. But that is just me, and not a criticism of the story.

It sounds like I am criticising the story a lot, but I loved it. It was really tense, gutwrenching and painful, and I couldn't stop reading it. I loved it. However, these were just minor issues I had in mind after the story was done.

tonnaree · December 7, 2015 8:35 pm

As far as Irene, these stories have my favorite characerization of her.

Vhanja · December 7, 2015 8:41 pm

Me too, for the first one.

ancientsgate · December 8, 2015 9:01 pm

SusiGo wrote:
Yes, it is.

Thanks. You know, I've read this first part before, although it's been a long, long time. I wonder when I read it before if it was even finished at the time. Good read, even on second look. As you said, lots of H/C and angst, both of which I really enjoy.

ancientsgate · December 8, 2015 9:02 pm

tonnaree wrote:
As far as Irene, these stories have my favorite characerization of her.

I agree. I'm only 8 chapters into the first part, but the author's Irene is fascinating.

ancientsgate · December 8, 2015 9:04 pm

Vhanja wrote:
Yeah, started the last one yesterday and finished it today. Absolutely heartwrenching read!

Some thoughts, I put them in spoiler tags as they are quite spoiler-y:

LA LA LA LA LA LA! *fingers stuck in ears* Thanks so much for putting the spoilers under a cut so I had the choice not to look. Since this is only a fic rec list, perhaps you guys should start a discussion thread about this one? I'd read it and take part, once I ever get finished reading. Just an idea.

ukaunz · December 12, 2015 6:33 am

I loved Be Here Now, it was awesome. I'm now up to chapter 17 of Kill Switch and the suspense is agonising!

Vhanja · December 12, 2015 8:01 am

ancientsgate wrote:
Vhanja wrote:
Yeah, started the last one yesterday and finished it today. Absolutely heartwrenching read!

Some thoughts, I put them in spoiler tags as they are quite spoiler-y:
LA LA LA LA LA LA! *fingers stuck in ears* Thanks so much for putting the spoilers under a cut so I had the choice not to look. Since this is only a fic rec list, perhaps you guys should start a discussion thread about this one? I'd read it and take part, once I ever get finished reading. Just an idea.

You're welcome. And I think fics have been discussed before in this thread, so I thought that was ok.

ukaunz - you have my sympathy, I was on the edge of my seat for some of the chapters!

ukaunz · December 12, 2015 11:40 am

I'm finished now, and I'm emotionally wrecked! Wow, it was worth it though. Todesfuge has done an exceptional job with that series. I'm sad it's over, but glad for the

happy ending

I agree with your thoughts Vhanja, and also thought that

it was a major oversight to send Greg Lestrade to Tunis undercover, considering Moriarty would have been able to see him on his hidden cameras in the hospital and Baker Street when he visited Sherlock, so of course Moriarty would have known him on sight. They knew about the cameras by then, didn't they?

Last edited by ukaunz (December 12, 2015 11:45 am)

ukaunz · December 12, 2015 11:52 am

I just found out that Todesfuge made a playlist for Be Here Now
http://todesfuge.livejournal.com/8096.html
Wish I could have listened to it while I was reading, but maybe next time.

tonnaree · December 14, 2015 5:07 pm

This is a wonderful bit of Victorian angst.five times sherlock holmes lied to john watson (and one time he finally told the truth) miss_frankenstein

http://archiveofourown.org/works/5409782/chapters/12498497?show_comments=true&view_full_work=false#comment_46569227

SusiGo · December 14, 2015 5:42 pm

Thank you for the rec. I love Victorian angst. Which reminds me of reading Katie Forsythe once again.

Schmiezi · December 14, 2015 6:10 pm

There are some very good Johnlock fics over at the Secret Santa 2015 thread. You should all go there and read them. :-)

SusiGo · December 14, 2015 6:13 pm

Yes - this is the short commercial break for the Secret Santa: We have an amazing diversity this year and lots of Johnlock as well.

TeaCub · December 20, 2015 10:26 pm

Be Here Now is hands-down one of the best Sherlock fics I've ever read. For me, one of the best things about it was how tender the romance is between Sherlock and John. The love-scenes got me on the first go because they were just right; John was caring and compassionate and Sherlock was trusting and it all just went together so nicely. It was everything I didn't realise I needed with this pairing; it was just the kind of thing I'd been looking for. Sure, Kill Switch takes them into incredibly dark territory but hang in there. Do hang in. It's worth it.

Vhanja · December 21, 2015 1:00 pm

Be Here Now was amazing, one of the better reads.

I want to share another amazing story to you guys, one I just finished:

Breakable by MissDavis
Summary: After John is seriously injured, Sherlock struggles to figure out how to help him, keep himself sane, and maybe, just maybe, get their life back to the way it's supposed to be.

This is a 34 chapter long (and completed) hurt/comfort fic where John - after a fall from a ladder during a crime chase - becomes paralysed from the waist down and how Sherlock and John try to cope with the new situation and re-build their lives again.

Very well-written, very realistic and not trying to either over-dramatize nor trivialize how it would be to cope with such a profound change of life - for both of them. The story is full of deep love and caring, from both sides. But, of course, considering the topic, also h/c and angst. I started this story last night and ended up reading for two hours instead of going to sleep, and finished the last half of the story today.

But what I liked the most about this story was how incredibly real and grounded Sherlock and John's relationship feels like. The author writes like Martin Freeman acts, making it work because it feels down to earth, grounded and very real.

I have never experienced something like this happening to someone close to me, thankfully, and neither am I a medical expert. But the story feels well-researched, both in terms of medical, practical, sexual and emotional issues. The author admits that John's recovery are quicker than it would be in real life, due to moving the story along and not having chapter after chapter where more or less nothing happens.

I highly recommend this story, very well done in all aspect and nuances, I think. As she says in the tags - the story has a happy, but not miracuolus ending. And I know some stories tag John as the saint, but here I would say it would go for Sherlock. He's written amazingly, and is the rock and foundation John usually is. Yet still also of course being Sherlock, for better and for worse.

Last edited by Vhanja (December 21, 2015 1:03 pm)