If You Want Something Done Right

Title: If You Want Something Done Right

Author: Rukiie
Fandom: Harry Potter

Characters: Snape/Lily

Warning: M, het, mention of non-con, Horkrux, magical creature (Basilisk)

Length: Novel

Status: Ongoing

...you have to do it yourself. In their 6th year a mysterious disappearance forces Lily and Severus to work together despite their falling out and puts them on the path meant for a certain bespectacled boy but if you want something done right...

FF

This is huge. And brilliant. Lily is sometimes a bit nuts, but the author claims it will make more sense in the end. Also, everything is told from Snape's perspective. In a way, it's normal that Lily would appear nuts to him at times. You can really overlook that part, because the story is full of riddles, sentimental parts, puberty issues, angst, hope, redemption, trust issues, friendship, and more. This is THE story to go for if you a) like the pairing b) are not sure about the pairing but want Snape to be happy c) don't care about the pairing but like clevver stories d) like confusing stories. It will confuse the hell out of you. But it's worth it. Every chapter is worth the read.

St Petersburg

Title: St Petersburg
Author: redherring
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Sherlock/Victor
Warning: PG-13, illness (Victor)
Length: Short
Status: Completed

It’s been so long since you’ve seen him, and in two weeks he would have been back in London, in your flat, in your bed, in your arms. You would have protected him then. He is all you have left, the one piece that can never be allowed to go missing.

And yet he had been.

AO3

A one shot which may make your heart bleed. In the end, "everything is gonna be alright", to quote another story I love.

A Dream Carved in Stone

Title: A Dream Carved in Stone
Author: diadelphous
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Snape/Lily, Dumbledore
Warning: M, het, pregnancy, war
Length: Novel
Status: Completed



When an unmarried Lily Evans joins the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore gives her a simple mission: meet with the Death Eater Severus Snape and tell him what she's done.



FF

Beautiful story in which Snape "got" the girl. A few years later, but he did. Lily is independent and head-strong. They fit together very nicely. I quite enjoyed their dynamic.

Give Your Heart to a Wild Thing

Title: Give Your Heart to a Wild Thing
Author: kenopsia
Fandom: Sherlock / His Dark Materials
Characters: Sherlock/Victor, Mycroft, Mommy Holmes
Warning: PG-13, slash, character death (Father Holmes), AU, crossover
Length: Medium
Status: Ongoing


Mycroft is just hoping he doesn't have to kill Sherlock's daemon in her sleep to help Sherlock live to see adulthood. It might as well be his prime directive, because nobody else seems capable of doing it.


AO3


Bloody brilliant story. This has just hit my all time favorites! Last time I was as impressed with a story as right now was when I read Chrysalis by starcrossed_lover or Mad Lori's Performance in a Leading Role.

Not Quite the Shilling

Title: Not Quite the Shilling
Author: Annie D
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Snape/Harry, Dumbledore
Warning: NC-17, slash, potion, post-war
Length: Medium
Status: Completed


Harry's back to teach at Hogwarts. It's mostly boring, but he likes it that way. Snape likes it that way, too.


AO3


Young(er) Snape and Harry. Not quite in character, but nonetheless a very enjoyable reading experience.

Grownups

Title: Grownups
Author: emmyAngua
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Sherlock/(John), Archie, Mary
Warning: PG-13, mention of slash, character death (Mary)
Length: Medium
Status: Completed


Somehow - without anyone ever being sure how it happens - Sherlock becomes Archie's mentor. At least he *thinks* he's the mentor.



AO3

There's something very melancholic about this work. I like how time creeps up on the reader. The skips are not linear, and thus it seems random. Frightening in a way. It's quite easy to let yourself fall into this narrative. I like the writing style, too.

Sun that Burns on a Cloudy Day

Title: Sun that Burns on a Cloudy Day
Author: InsaneTrollLogic
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Mycroft, Sherlock, John, Lestrade
Warning: AU
Length: Short
Status: Completed


Sherlock and John are rebels in a dystopian world.

AO3


AU with Mycroft who has taken over the world. Very in-character but darkish. He is still Mycroft, and Sherlock and John are Sherlock and John. Mycroft is simply guided by other moral concepts. His brother, however, will always be his world.

Reinvent, Rediscover

Title: Reinvent, Rediscover
Author: kenopsia
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Sherlock/Victor, John
Warning: PG, amnesia (Sherlock)
Length: Medium
Status: Completed


Sherlock wakes up after a nasty head wound demanding someone fetch him his Victor. John has no idea who he means. Victor is on the first plane back to London.


AO3


A beautiful story which explains Sherlock and Victor's backstory. And it brings him to 221B Baker Street.

Fairy Tale of Regent's Park

Title: Fairy Tale of Regent's Park
Author: Basingstoke
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock, Lestrade, Mrs Hudson, Jim
Warning: PG, AU
Length: Short
Status: Completed


There is a swan, and he's not named Sherlock. And there is a duck, and he's not named John.



AO3

Utterly cute story of Roadblock (Sherlock) the Swan, and Johnny the Duck. And Norbury, their peachick.

Rats in the System

Title: Rats in the System
Author: GarrulousGibberish
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John(/Sherlock), Mycroft, Jim, Anderson
Warning: R, murder (Sherlock, John), illness, character death (Mrs Hudson, Lestrade), injury (John, Lestrade, Sherlock)
Length: Medium
Status: Ongoing


No one knows where the virus started. No one knows how to stop it, either. But Sherlock will find a solution. He always does. Or he'd better, because otherwise he's going to be short a flatmate.


AO3


That's one story to enjoy angst at its finest. The characterization is superb, and the setting just screams challenge. I did not have high expectations when I began to read it, but this story captivated me after the first chapter.

The Smart One

Title: The Smart One
Author: Basser
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Sherlock, Mycroft
Warning: PG
Length: Short
Status: Completed


And this, Mycroft thinks, is why sitting vigil at his brother’s bedside was a terrible idea. A conversation in the hospital.


AO3


Lovely one shot that shows their brotherly ties very well.
And this from an author well-known for rather dark scenes.


Related Works:
Can't Rewind Verse

What's in a Name

Title: What's in a Name
Author: Clara
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock, Lestrade
Warning: PG
Length: Short
Status: Completed


 In a misguided attempt at altruism, Lestrade sets John up with some bloke named Sherlock. Only, he doesn't know anybody named Sherlock. In fact, he's not entirely sure that the name Sherlock even exists.


LJ

Brilliant oneshot, I especially loved how Lestrade went on to shout "Sherlock" in public because he was that desperate to find him. Or rather, "one."

Whispers in Corners

Title: Whispers in Corners
Author: esama
Fandom: Sherlock/Harry Potter (crossover)
Characters: Mycroft/Harry Potter, John/Sherlock
Warning: PG-13
Length: Novella
Status: Completed


Everything started with a stumble - his new life in a new world as well as his surprisingly successful career as a medium.



AO3

Another crossover that works rather well. I liked how the author dealt with Reichenbach Fall.

Secrets

Title: Secrets
Author: CrimPsyche
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Mycroft/Lestrade, Sherlock
Warning: PG-13, violence
Length: Medium
Status: Completed


After a rather painful night, Mycroft Holmes and Sherlock Holmes are kicked out of their home. Without money, their only choice is to live in a downtrodden flat. With Mycroft struggling for enough money, they live on a week-to-week basis. However, when he meets a rather handsome officer at the coffee shop where he works, will Mycroft be forced to swallow his pride and admit that, maybe, just maybe, he needs help? 


AO3

Is Mycroft a good or a bad brother? Neither, I suppose. Yes, he is responsible, he seems to love Sherlock, but he also resents him somewhat.
This is like a meta fic of their relationship.

Red Number Day

Title: Red Number Day
Author: PipMer
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock, Jim, Mycroft
Warning: R, slash
Length: Medium
Status: Completed

In a world where everybody has a set deathday, Sherlock Holmes is the only person who can see them. As with most talents, it's both a blessing and a curse. Because Death is a fixed point. Indelible, unchangeable, inevitable. It can't be altered, cheated or delayed.

Or can it?

AO3

Magic realism. Very similiar to This Thing All Things Devour. I liked Sherlock's desperation to understand, to bring about change. And then frustration.

Golden Boy

Title: Golden Boy
Author: paperandfeather
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock, Mycroft, Jim
Warning: R, slash, magic, AU, amnesia (Sherlock)
Length: Novella
Status: Completed


"Do you know what you have done? A bond was created. You two are now irreversibly connected to each other..." At first neither Sherlock nor John is happy about it but their animosity begins to fade...



AO3

Another AU for the list.

Ink Your Name

Title: Ink Your Name
Author: prettyvk
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock, Mycroft, Mary
Warning: NC-17, slash, disability (Sherlock), amnesia (Sherlock)
Length: Novella
Status: Ongoing


he metaphor is imperfect but still workable. If my long term memory is a hard drive, then my short term memory is RAM. The hard drive became read-only following the illness. New data is stored in RAM and can be used while I remain awake. Going to sleep – ‘turning off’ – wipes the RAM, returning the system to what it was prior to the illness.


AO3

This is absolutely brilliant, and heart-warming, and the end is a hopeful outlook. There's another story like Ink Your Name out there but it ends rather sadly. This one does not. You end the story on a cheery note. It's lovely.

Other works:
Crazy Love

The Vibe

Title: The Vibe
Author: ms_soma
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Sherlock/John, Jim
Warning: R, slash, AU
Length: Medium
Status: Completed

(Mostly straight) John is desperate for a change in vocation. Along comes the imposing, and slightly intriguing, Mycroft Holmes with an offer for John to join his brother's shop. Sherlock is doubtful his brother is capable of hiring anyone who is not prudish, squeamish or a complete prat, yet maybe he's on a winner with the good doctor. Not that he'll admit it. Yet.

Featuring all the regulars you know and love (and hate), a trip to Sexpo, pining of the requited and unrequited variety, and lots of talk of butt-plugs and dildos.

AO3

The setting is just too funny not to rec it. The end is somewhat rushed but well... it's funny. Check it out.

A Study in Strays

Title: A Study in Strays

Author: philalethia

Fandom: Sherlock

Characters: John, Sherlock

Warning: PG-13, animal!Sherlock

Length: Medium
Status: Completed

John Watson moves to 221B Baker Street. Unfortunately, the flat's already occupied.

AO3

Sherlock as a cat is rather cute. As well as John as an owner. The magical part remains unexplained but it is fine that way. Let's just call it magic realism.

Major Pieces

Title: Major Pieces
Author: Lindentreeisle
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John, Sherlock, Lestrade
Warning: PG
Length: Medium
Status: Completed


Sherlock knew that he could thoroughly rely upon John Watson's moral sense. And that's why he knew that Lestrade was wrong, wrong, wrong.



AO3

Casefic with John as the main suspect.

Both Sides Now

Title: Both Sides Now
Author: QED_221B
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Sherlock, Mycroft
Warning: PG-13, child abuse (Mycroft), violence
Length: Medium
Status: Completed


Mycroft and Sherlock didn't meet until Sherlock was 7, Mycroft lived with his abusive father. Sherlock doesn't learn of the abuse until years later


AO3


This story highlights different aspects of Sherlock and Mycroft's characters.
Sherlock's a brat. And a bastard. Then he's adorable. Then protective. And an idiot. Mycroft claims he isn't, though.
Mycroft appears weak, which was at first rather distracting. A tad OoC one might think. Well, then he is hopeful, just to get all his hopes crushed. Then he forgives Sherlock.

I haven't seen a story that illuminates their relationship from so many different angles.

We Go Anywhere But to the Ground

Title: We Go Anywhere But to the Ground
Author: geordielover
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock
Warning: R, slash, suicidal (John)
Length: Medium
Status: Completed

Every second that ticks by is a reminder of the deafening quiet Sherlock has left behind. John feels his soul slip out of his fingertips, inch by inch, with every passing day.

At some point, he stops trying to hold on.

AO3

Good story. A nice post-TRF.

Coiners

Title: Coiners
Author: oliversnape
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Snape/Harry, Teddy
Warning: R, slash, asexual Harry, post-hogwarts
Length: Novella
Status: Completed


The Ministry needs to approve Severus Snape's application for him to start his life again after the war. Harry Potter has set himself up with a non-dangerous specialist muggle career. Neither have been particularly good at avoiding trouble for long.




AO3


oliversnape. Says everything. I quite liked the combination of asexuality, homosexuality, and family. It mixed well, and it was a calm conoction. No explosion. Just introspection.



Same Author as:
The Pumkin Scone Conspiracy
The Definition of Home (With Sequels: The Definition of Family; The Photo Album)
Far Beyond a Promise Kept

Lover's Eyes

Title: Lover's Eyes
Author: moffnat
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock
Warning: PG-13, character death
Length: Medium
Status: Completed


Sherlock is only doing what's necessary to keep John safe. John is doing what's necessary to keep going.


AO3



Not for the faint of heart. This is sad. There aren't many stories that touched me like this story does. It broke my heart.

Baker Street

Title: Baker Street
Author: StarMarple
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John, Sherlock, Molly
Warning: PG, AU
Length: Medium
Status: Completed


John Watson, lately of the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers, has returned from war with a limp, a bullet in the shoulder, and very little in the way of job prospects. He's down to his last dime and about to be kicked out of his bedsit when he runs into his old classmate Mike Stamford who insists on taking him for pastry and a coffee at a bakery located at 221 Baker Street, where he meets a very unusual pastry chef.


AO3

A yummy story in which Sherlock is a pastry chef who owns a strange but good pastry shop.
You really should have a sweet tooth for this. There's not much up and down. It's more about a wonderfully fluffy universe. In which there is a lot of cake. And biscuits. And don't forget the tea. To compliment the biscuits.

Hindsight

Title: Hindsight
Author: LapisLazuli
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John, Sherlock,  Mycroft
Warning: PG-13, disability (blind Sherlock), injury (Sherlock)
Length: Medium
Status: Completed


Sherlock is seriously injured during a case. John is there to support him as he struggles to cope with the changes this injury causes to his life. Despite set-backs, this newfound level of intimacy gradually draws them even closer together, bringing their already close relationship to the next level.

AO3

Sherlock!whump. I quite liked how it wasn't overly dramaticized but you feel how Sherlock suffers before he comes to accept his disability. Then there's this light at the end of the tunnel.

A Week Is just Seven Days Isn't It?

Title: A Week Is just Seven Days Isn't It?
Author: scifigrl47
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Sherlock, John, Lestrade
Warning: PG-13, injury (Sherlock)
Length: Medium
Status: Completed

When John heads overseas for a week, Sherlock's forced to fend for himself. It goes about as well as anyone could have anticipated. Which is to say, very, very poorly. Don't worry, things'll be fine in just seven days.



FF

Simply hilarious. One of the best comedies out there in the fandom.

Something New

Title: Something New
Author: Aithilin, Wind_Ryder
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Sherlock/Lestrade/Victor
Warning: PG-13, threesome, pregnancy, omegaverse
Length: Short
Status: Ongoing


Sherlock and Lestrade spend Sherlock's heat together while their partner, Victor, is out of the country. Sherlock becomes pregnant, and they decide not to tell Victor until he comes home. They don't realize that the shock might be a bit too much for him.



AO3

Very sweet compilation of short stories from a specific universe. I quite like the characterizations. They just... fit.

Wind_Ryder also wrote:
Brother Mine
Finally

Finally

Title: Finally
Author: Wind_Ryder
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Victor, Sherlock, John
Warning: PG
Length: Short
Status: Completed


Sherlock's friend Victor Trevor stops by uninvited, and John isn't happy. He hates everything about Victor, but that's not what bothers him the most. What bothers him the most is that he's slowly realized that he might have feelings for Sherlock, and Victor might be in the way.


AO3


Such a sweet, fluffy oneshot. I quite liked the explanation why Victor calls Sherlock "Bee" and nobody else does. It somehow... fits. If the writers ever introduce Victor Trevor to the show, they better do it like this ~ Wind_Ryder shows how it's done.


Same author:
Brother Mine
Something New

The Six Steps of Courtship

Title: The Six Steps of Courtship
Author: emptycel
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock
Warning: PG-13, omegaverse
Length: Medium
Status: Ongoing

Sherlock doesn't hold any love for his omega status. However, that doesn't stop him from going undercover and joining on online dating site to try and find the person responsible for a string of vicious omega homicides.

It should have been easy, open and shut.

He just didn't expect to meet an alpha named John Watson.

AO3

A very good omegaverse story that isn't fixated on smut. There's comedy, there's fluff, there's a case. Yay ~

Same author:
Predator

The Ichor of Talos

Title: The Ichor of Talos
Author: Nikoshinigami
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John, Sherlock, Lestrade
Warning: PG-13, character death (Sherlock - but not like you think)
Length: Novella
Status: Completed


After being convicted of the murder of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. John Watson is sentenced to confinement, therapy, and to the constant companionship of a hologram of his victim to aid in his rehabilitation. While John remains uncertain of his guilt, Sherlock is only too happy to engage in the mystery of his own murder to try and discover why he died and how events set his path to cross with the war ravaged stranger he's now posthumously bound to.


AO3

Another work of Nikoshinigami's that I fell in love with. It's an anxious relationship, though. Unlike with stories like "Chrysalis", there's so much right about the setting, and yet you feel the darkness hovering over everything. I cannot but be wary of what is to come.
Still, I love it.
Definitely one of the best authors in the fandom right now.

Same author as:
The Circle of Fifths
Two of Every Kind
Naked, Stripped, and Raw

You and Sugar Plums

Title: You and Sugar Plums
Author: canolacrush
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock, Mummy Holmes
Warning: PG-13,
Length: Novella
Status: Ongoing


In which Sherlock reluctantly agrees to be this year's Father Christmas, John accidentally agrees to help, and both of them discover that there's a lot more involved in this Christmas thing than they ever imagined.


AO3

Sherlock is Father Christmas. No. No, I haven't got this wrong. He's not dressing up as Father Christmas. He IS Father Christmas. This story is lovely. Truly.

Predator

Title: Predator
Author: emptycel
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John, Sherlock
Warning: PG-13, mention of non-con, AU
Length: Novella
Status: Completed


John Watson just wanted a nice, peaceful year at Baker Academy, but when a sexual predator and serial rapist makes the school his hunting ground, John gets caught up in the crime solving whirlwind that is Sherlock Holmes.


AO3

A good case fic set in their school days. I don't rec school fics that often, so take my word. This one is good.

Same author:
The Six Steps of Courtship

The Letter of the Lore

Title: The Letter of the Lore
Author: Anonymous
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Sherlock, John, Mycroft
Warning: PG-13, murder (Sherlock), AU
Length: Short
Status: Completed

Sherlock is a half-faerie. It is not easy to live under ancient laws.

LJ

I really love the embedded fantasy elements. And how John reacts. You feel the love in there. The author truly loves BBC Sherlock.

Soldiering on Through Friendly Fire

Title: Soldiering on Through Friendly Fire

Author: Schmiezi

Fandom: Sherlock

Characters: John, Sherlock, Moran

Warning: PG-13, violence, suicide (Moran)

Length: Medium

Status: Completed

A shadow from Sherlock's past forces the boys to reunite after the fall.
Set directly after Reichenbach. John is not as unknowing as Mycroft thought, and not as easy to break as Moran thought. Sherlock might not be as unaffected by this caring thing as he thought himself.

AO3

I've taken the liberty to grade this as a friendship fic instead of pre-slash. While there are some hints, I cannot see it as more than the deep friendship John and Sherlock share in canon, too.

It's very interesting to see Sherlock have some history with Moran. Usually, John is the one who was in the army with Moran, or who gets to know him. Somehow, I like the chemistry. Sherlock and Moran were both graspable, and I could imagine it rather well. With all of Moran's obsession.

It's Complicated

Title: It's Complicated
Author: Mistress Scribbles
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John, Sherlock, past Victor/Sherlock
Warning: PG-13, mention of slash
Length: Medium
Status: Completed


A case leads Sherlock & John to a Holmes family friend's mansion, and to an event in Sherlock's past that he would rather not revisit.


AO3

A nasty Victor, beware. I really loved John and Sherlock's friendship. At the end, I wasn't sure if it wasn't more but for now, I'd interpret it as friendship. John really had Sherlock's back. Beautiful.

About Mary

 I've become very weary, though. That hatred within the fandom gets to me. It makes me sad to see people turn their back to the fandom because they feel unwelcome. I've never seen the Sherlock fandom claw at each other like this. I've got plenty of reasons why I would like Mary to leave the show. But lately, the most prominent of those is because she disrupts the fandom. This will sound strange but with every post about how people are reluctant to be honest, how people would rather not post anything and would rather turn their back to all of this... it makes me so sad. Before, people had fights. But they could relate to each other. Understand where they were coming from. There was no "superior" and "inferior" side to it. It was "I have my opinion, you have yours, but I like mine better." Now some people put others down. It's ugly. And it's not exactly a good prospect that this is still around, now that it has been months since the series has aired for the first time. I fear this will stick around. Like a stigma Mary put on the fandom. I even have found myself weary of posting. Usually, I've given my opinion but tried to reach out, to show that "all is fine." Lately, I've found myself accepting that there's no use. They don't take you seriously as soon as you state on "which side of that dividing line you are."

Fully second that.

A Slight Misunderstanding

Title: A Slight Misunderstanding
Author: Coragyps
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock, Moran
Warning: R, slash, murder (Sherlock --> Jim)
Length: Medium
Status: Completed


In which I, John Watson, manage to accidentally convince my flatmate I'm in love with him.


AO3

A fluffy fic in which John tells Sherlock that he loves him. Too bad Sherlock interprets it as romantic love. And John is not so sure if Sherlock isn't right...
Basically: John does a lot of soal finding, meanwhile Sherlock finds the balance in their relationship.

Her Eyes

Title: Her Eyes
Author: drachenmina
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Snape/Harry
Warning: R, slash, disability (Harry - blind)
Length: Medium
Status: Completed


 Severus Snape is the only one who can heal the injuries inflicted on Harry by a vengeful Bellatrix Lestrange.


AO3

The dialogue is especially well-done. The writing isn't dense but everything happens within a month. So in a way, it is a rather tight story. There are almost only scenes, not much flashbacks/descriptions/... .
I like drachenmina's works.

Spare Change

Title: Spare Change
Author: Ermerness
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock (switch), Mycroft, Jim, Mummy Holmes
Warning: NC-17, slash,AU, slash, marriage
Length: Novella
Status: Completed


The Holmes family is one of the richest and most powerful in England. Sherlock spends his time flying around the world on the family's private jet drinking a lot and shopping at expensive boutiques as a way of trying to alleviate his endless boredom. His mother decides it's time he settles down with someone powerful, wealthy and well connected. John Watson happens to be none of those things.


AO3


A nice AU with rich!Sherlock who is supposed to marry a dull person. Then John Watson happens. And Sherlock is no longer bored.

Arguing and Corpses

Title: Arguing and Corpses
Author: AggressiveWhenStartled
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Sherlock/John, Sally
Warning: R, slash
Length: Novella
Status: Completed

“You’ve stuffed an entire body into the fridge this time,” John accused. “What happened to the milk? The leftover risotto? My bloody jam?”

Sherlock opened his eyes at that. “As a doctor, it should be readily apparent to you that there is only a partial body in our refrigerator. Popular horror stories notwithstanding, it’s rare for an entire corpse to fit into one this size. I had to cut it up into several parts to pack it in, and there is still only seven eighths of it there.”

John stared at the ceiling. “That’s... not better.”

AO3

A hilarious work that focuses on John and Sherlock's interactions, as well as their budding relationship. I very much enjoyed it. It's clever, funny, and intriguing.

This Thing All Things Devour

Title: This Thing All Things Devour
Author: cypress_tree
Fandom: Sherlock / In Time
Characters: John/Sherlock, Mycroft, Molly, Sally, Lestrade
Warning: NC-17, slash, AU, crossover
Length: Novella
Status: Completed

 In 2169, time is money—literally. Humans are genetically engineered to stop aging at 25, when the numbers on their arm start counting down from one year. When that time is up, they die. The only way to get more time is to earn it, borrow it, or steal it.

John Watson lives day-to-day in the crowded slums of Zone 13. He never imagined living any differently—until he meets the practically-immortal Sherlock, and helps him on a case to track a local time-thief...

AO3

Brilliant story. I didn't know "In Time" but I think the main elements of the universe are very conflicting and dark. Putting Sherlock and John in there... yes, it works. It does.
I loved the general mood. You can feel "the time is running." You expect it to run out.

Curved Space

Title: Curved Space
Author: taylorpotato
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Lestrade/Sherlock
Warning: NC-17, genderbender, slash/het
Length: Short
Status: Completed

Things can be difficult when you don't fit into a neat little box of gender or sexuality. Some days, everything is fine. Other days, it feels like Sherlock has woken up in the wrong body. They cope with it as best they can, perhaps by drowning in an opiate high more often than they should. But there's always the work. Puzzles to solve. Ways to keep busy. There's also Greg Lestrade. Who Sherlock is definitely not dating. At least, not on purpose.



AO3


The gender issue is well-described, and I consider this important and educational enough to rec it. No, you are not bombarded with facts. It's more like an impression, a "human story."

Same author as:
Blank Canvas, Warm Bed

Fade to Black

Title: Fade to Black
Author: twistedthicket1
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John, Sherlock, Mycroft, Moriarty (John)
Warning: R, het, murder (John), illness (multiple personality disorder- John)
Length: Novella
Status: Ongoing

John Watson believes one day he'll just fade.

That he'll drown in the black spaces of his mind, and that one day he will no longer exist. It's always been like this, the dark spots marking out moments in his life he can't remember. Where for just a moment he's someone else. Having a Dissociative identity disorder, he can't even be entirely sure he's really who he says he is.
Then he meets Sherlock Holmes. A brilliant detective who when he looks at you can read your entire life story. John is immediately fascinated and afraid, half-wondering if maybe Sherlock can see the other personalities in him and half terrified of the thought of him finding out. Becoming his flatmate seems at once to be a wonderful and horrible idea. Yet as John's Blackouts become more and more severe and his other personalities begin to truly awaken and show themselves with Sherlock's help, the two soon discover that sometimes even the kindest person can harbour a demon best left untouched inside of them.
Because not all of John's other personalities play nicely. and some may be hiding secrets best left undisturbed.....

AO3

A very introspective work. The multiple personalities are John's weakness just as much as they are his strength. I abhor stories that either romanticize or dramaticize disorders. This one is a very good attempt at showing "what if."

This Is Where I Began

Title: This Is Where I Began
Author: dioscureantwins
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Mycroft, Sherlock, Daddy Holmes (Sherlock), OMC (John, Mr Talbot, Mr Mancini), John, Mommy Holmes
Warning: R, character death (Daddy Holmes, Mr Mancini), illness (Mummy Holmes), non-con (Sherlock), drug abuse (Sherlock)
Length: Novel
Status: Ongoing


The only evidence remaining is the expression on his face. Now he remembers it was different from his usual scowl of disgust at the utter dullness of the whole human race – with the exception of John of course. In fact it’s the expression that immediately crops up in his mind at the thought of Daddy’s face. A look of quiet benevolent fondness, not cast around without discrimination but almost always there while looking at his mother, Mycroft, himself.



AO3


There are too many great lines not to quote them. And I think they actually tell more about the quality of this work than any of my praise would do. It just... explains so much, and in so much depth about Mycroft and Sherlock.

“I do hope you will find a John of your own one day Sherlock, because we all need a John."

"He could have been so much more but he chose not to.”

“I … I know I should love him, I want to love him but he’s making it really hard for me. Why does he have to resemble you so much? He’s like a clone and sometimes I feel each day he lives he saps your strength. He’s going to make you die on me.” (Mummy Holmes to Daddy Sherlock about Sherlock)

 “You’re not him,” she says. “You’re nothing but an impostor."

 "I love you. I want to love you. But you’re making it so hard for me. You’ve always rejected me, right from the start. You didn’t want my milk … You squirmed away from my breast with a look of disgust on your tiny face. Your lovely tiny face. And whenever I bent over your cot to pick you up … you were just lying there … looking at me with his eyes … but no kindness … “ (Mummy Holmes to Sherlock) 

 The loss of Mycroft. That’s what the school uniform signifies.

 That night he had crept into Mycroft’s bed to be close to a body he could trust to do him no harm.

 Sherlock wants to reach out to him, to lay his small hand on Daddy’s big long-fingered one to tell him it’s all right, he won’t tell Mummy what he’s seen.

 But it would help if you’d change your attitude, if only a bit. For Christ’s sake, Sherlock, I’m not yet sixteen. I’m nothing but a schoolboy myself and all these worries get heaped on my plate. Mummy is no help at all. She just tells me to arrange everything as I see fit.

 "That’s just stupid and you know it, Sherlock. Or you should ask Mycroft if you don’t. He could explain it well enough. In the real world one doesn’t choose the gardener over the estate. Those fairy stories only happen in novels.”

It is  very sad, a very detailed fictional universe. One of the best works I've ever read.

John and Sherlock's friendship has become inequal

I whole-heartedly second this. Quote by a user from sherlockforum.com named Zain:

I've been watching some fan vids ( god, I really waste a lot of my time on this show. Ridiculous...)
And I finally understand the exact reason why I find the idea of Victor so compelling. Dunno if anybody cares but maybe somebody recognizes that feeling? Because I've read more than once that others feel similiar about the third season.

In the past three seasons, we've seen a lot of different characters. It's a narrow set in comparison to other TV shows but there have been plenty of faces. While the show is about Sherlock, positive interaction rarely happens in his presence. Yes, he has got Mrs. Hudson, and Lestrade, and Molly, but I don't think he ever really laughed around them. We never get to see him happy around somebody but John. He's content, yes. But he never appears happy. To me, the most memorable scene is when John and Sherlock return to 221b in ASiP after chasing the cab. I don't think Sherlock ever shares something like this with anybody else.
John, on the other hand, seems happier throughout the series. Then, in season 3, it becomes even more pronounced when he has got Mary.
It's like Sherlock needs John around to be happy, while John is capable of finding that elsewhere. He misses Sherlock, yes, and I am sure he values their friendship. But in this regard, their friendship is not on equal footing. John doesn't need Sherlock as much as Sherlock does need John. It's why John says "Goodbye" instead of "Take me with you because I can't let you go a second time." And that in itself is perfectly okay. It would be stupid to criticize that John is happy. But to me, season three makes a point of showing how Sherlock and John have not the same priorities.
I suppose that's where the idea behind Victor Trevor gets in. I feel like Sherlock should have at least one true friend before John. Someone that made him laugh, someone that laughed with him. Since season 3, I feel like their friendship is very fragile. Not because Sherlock faked his death, but because it has become evident that John can do without Sherlock. He might not want to, but he could walk away if he wanted to. I don't think Sherlock could.
It makes me feel very sad for Sherlock. He reminds me of a raven looking for breadcrumbs. And the man who enjoyed feeding him has found another afternoon activity. The man might drop by sometimes, but he does no longer feel the inner need to be there every day at the same time. The raven, meanwhile, remains at the same spot. Hoping. Because maybe this day will be the day, the day when the man will drop in once again.
I feel uncomfortable with this. To me, their friendship was beautiful because it was equal, no matter how bossy Sherlock sometimes had been.

And I don't think you can repair this. Even if John lost everything else, Sherlock would now be just be "an option", not "the option." I have a hard time seeing how their relationship could be put on an equal footing once again. I feel like Sherlock needs another person that fascinates him, that draws Sherlock's eyes to them whenever there's nothing to focus on. Like the moment when you avert your eyes from the TV screen, just to make sure that the person next to you is alright. Just to check that they are still there. Because you couldn't do without them. I want somebody like this for Sherlock. Someone who looks at him, and someone Sherlock looks at.
 I believe that John and Sherlock's friendship can only get more equal when John realizes that it is inequal. When he sees it from the other side, when he's the third person, the one Sherlock is not looking at for confirmation.

And I believe this has got to happen in season 4. I cannot imagine another season with their friendship in utter ruins. Something has got to make them approach each other once again. It'll never be the same, but I really hate this inequality. 

Brother Mine

Title: Brother Mine
Author: Wind_Ryder
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Mycroft, Sherlock, OMC (Sherrinford), OMC (Kent)
Warning: PG-13, illness (Sherrinford - psychopathy), character death (Kent)
Length: Medium
Status: Ongoing

Mycroft Holmes knew there was something wrong with his older brother. He could see it in the way that he moved, the way that he smiled, the way that he spoke. To everyone else he was a perfect child: happy, grateful, and kind. But Mycroft knew better, and he would do everything he could to keep his younger brother as far away from him as possible.

Sometimes though, he fails.

AO3

A brilliant series which shows us a sweet little William who is very much in need of protection. The characters are believable, and it is a good interpretation of Mycroft's "the other one" comment in S3.
Definitely worth a read. There's a certain darkness lurking at the edge but it's not too uncomfortable. For now, PG-13.

Same author as:
Finally
Something New

Drowning

Title: Drowning
Author: Dayja
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Sherlock, John
Warning: PG-13, character death (OC - Sherlock's cousin)
Length: Medium
Status: Completed


Sherlock has never learned to swim.



AO3


I really like the uplifting epilogue. It's strange to talk about a story like that. The topic's not especially nice. And yet that epilogue makes me feel good whenever I read the story.
Sherlock moved on. I suppose.



Same author as:
Harry Potter of Baker Street

Harry Potter of Baker Street

Title: Harry Potter of Baker Street
Author: Dayja
Fandom: Sherlock/Harry Potter (crossover)
Characters: Sherlock, John, Harry
Warning: PG, childfic
Length: Medium
Status: Ongoing


Sherlock Holmes discovers family he never knew he had, and John Watson finds a child living in the cupboard.


AO3


A nice crossover. I love how Sherlock trains Harry like a pet to react to another name. It's just... really funny at times. And John's hilarious, the way he accepts this madness.

Same author as:
Drowning

Periodic Tales

Title: Periodic Tales
Author: sevenpercent
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John, Sherlock, Mycroft, Daddy Holmes
Warning: PG-13, character death (Mummy Holmes), illness (autistic - Sherlock)
Length: Novella
Status: Ongoing

As a chemist, Sherlock uses the Periodic Table for many reasons. A collection of short fics that add up to a better understanding of what he is and how he reacts to the catalysts in this life.



AO3


A very good story that shows how Sherlock grew up. It's an autism fic.
The writing is rather interesting. Every chapter brings together two time lines: Sherlock's childhood to teenager days, and his cases with John. The time lines are connected through chemical facts which are partly very interesting.



Same author as:
Got My Eye on You

Crazy for Love

Title: Crazy for Love
Author: prettyvk
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Sherlock/John, OMC (James Moriarty), John/Mary, Molly
Warning: PG-13, character death (Mary, Moran), childfic
Length: Novel
Status: Completed

It starts with five words.

“Is my father really dead?”

Or maybe, that’s how it ends.

AO3


Might turn into a series! Update: It did. Sequel's up.

This is by no means as bad as it sounds. I really had discarded it the first two times I found it, and the third time I was bored enough... to shoot the walls. So I gave it a go.
James is a difficult child to hate, and a difficult child to love. At first, he seems too... perfect and developed for his age. Then we get into his issues, and his limits (like when playing the violin). It's a clever approach.
I still disliked Mary - what's interesting about inserting a boring person into John's life to make him boring and occupied? ... I was really glad Sherlock found a purpose in James. I wish there was somebody like that for Sherlock in canon, too... That's another story, though.
For now, I have to say: An excellent read.

Other works:
Ink Your Name

Into the Living Sea of Waking Dreams

Title: Into the Living Sea of Waking Dreams
Author: Hekate1308
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Mycroft, Sherlock, Jim, John, Lestrade
Warning: PG-13, murder (Mycroft - Jim), Parallel Universe
Length: Novella
Status: Completed


Choices could alter the course of our lives; Mycroft Holmes was about to learn this in a way no one ever had before. 


FF


Main focus on Mycroft and Sherlock, as well as their relationship over the years. I already liked Hekate's other Parallel Universe AU, and this one's just as nice.



Same author as:
Made Weak by Time and Fate, but Strong in Will

Saving Sherlock Holmes

Title: Saving Sherlock Holmes
Author: earlgreytea68
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock, Mycroft/Lestrade, Mrs. Hudson
Warning: PG-13
Length: Novel
Status: Completed


Sherlock Holmes, schoolboy. Yeah, that basically sums it up.


AO3
also on LJ.


Reasons to read this:

• Delightfully protective Mycroft
• Utterly loved and spoiled Sherlock

This is more than epic, and a fine exploration of Mycroft and Sherlock's relationship.

I consider this classic.

Same Author as:

John Watson's Twelve Days of Christmas
Scotch
The Bang and the Clatter

Nature and Nurture

The Only Emperor

Title: The Only Emperor
Author: coloredink
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John, Sherlock
Warning: PG, AU
Length:, Medium
Status: Completed

It never occurred to Sherlock Holmes that an ice cream shop might attract children.


AO3


Sherlock is a very eccentric cook who is specialized in ice cream flavors. John is a sous-chef. Now he's distributing ice cream.
You think that sounds boring?
Believe me. It isn't. The Only Emperor is one of the sweetest, fluffiest AUs I've ever read. The characters are are still recognizable, and yet they have been completely taken from their usual surroundings.

The Adventure of the Three Bedirrags

Title: The Adventure of the Three Bedirrags
Author: marysutherland
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Sherlock/Lestrade
Warning: PG
Length: Medium
Status: Completed


A policeman's work is never done, even when he's supposed to be on leave. 


AO3

Lestrade on a private case. Beautiful voice. Very funny, too.


Same author as:
The Match Is on
Desperate

Six Underground

Title: Six Underground

Author: dietplainlite

Fandom: Sherlock

Characters: Sherlock/Sally, OFC

Warning: R, het, drug abuse (Sherlock)

Length: Medium
Status: Ongoing

"He's just a lunatic, and he'll always let you down." What's the story, Morning Glory? Set in 1996.

AO3

An unusual pairing and an unusual version of Sherlock in an unusual setting. I like Sally's voice. It's very authentic but not overly expressive. 

Blank Canvas, Warm Bed

Title: Blank Canvas, Warm Bed
Author: taylorpotato
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Sherlock/Lestrade
Warning: R, slash (but asexual!Sherlock)
Length: Short
Status: Completed


Sherlock starts sleeping in Greg's bed, but he just likes to sleep. A love story told through fragile late-night snapshots and half-murmured conversations. 


AO3

Sweet and short Sherstrade with asexual Sherlock.

Same author as:
Curved Space

The Match Is on

Title: The Match Is on
Author: marysutherland
Fandom: Sherlock, crossover (Lord Peter Wimsey, Maurice)
Characters: Sherlock/Lestrade, John
Warning: PG-13
Length: Short
Status: Completed


Lestrade, Sherlock and John investigate dodgy goings on at a country house cricket match.


AO3

A case that involves cricket. Sherlock playing cricket... okay? Sounds fun? It is.
There's also a very cheesy come on line.
It's not necessary to know the other fandoms. I don't. And I still enjoyed this.

Same author as:
Desperate
The Adventure of the Three Bedirrags

Resurrection

Title: Resurrection
Author: SilentAuror
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock, Mary/(John), Moran
Warning: R, slash, cheating (John)
Length: Novella
Status: Completed


It's been three years. Can a man simply come back from the dead? 

AO3

Why can't this be canon?
Plot is fairly easy.
Sherlock returns.
John marries Mary. Sherlock is the Best Man.
John misses Sherlock, and Mary is nasty.

The feelings are very nicely depicted. A bit sappy, maybe even.
Fix it fic.


Same author as:
Deductions of a Lesser Mind
Against the Rest of the World
Vena Cava

Nature and Nurture

Title: Nature and Nurture
Author: earlgreytea68
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock, Mycroft/Greg, OMC (Oliver)
Warning: R, slash, childfic
Length: Novel
Status: Ongoing


The British Government accidentally clones Sherlock Holmes. Which brings a baby to 221B Baker Street.


AO3

Lovely. I love earlgreytea68's works. They always are very expressive, fluffy but with a very honest attitude. Heart-warming.
Baby Oliver is really cute. I am a bit wary of childfics with babies. Often they are depicted all wrong, all unrealistic. This is not too far-fetched.

There's a spin-off about how Oliver wants to go to Eton, and how John shows Sherlock a bee museum, pardon, apiculture museum.

Same Author as:
John Watson's Twelve Days of Christmas
Scotch
The Bang and the Clatter
Saving Sherlock Holmes

Vena Cava

Title: Vena Cava
Author: SilentAuror
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock, Mary
Warning: R, slash, cheating (Mary)
Length: Medium
Status: Completed

Sherlock has been shot in the chest; John has been shot in the heart. Though everything is broken, they do their best to heal the wounds that Mary left on them both.


AO3

Fix-it fic. Beautifully written, and many aspects that have been questioned after HLV have been implemented, such as the questionable thumbdrive.


Same author as:
Deductions of a Lesser Mind
Against the Rest of the World
Resurrection

Deductions of a Lesser Mind

Title: Deductions of a Lesser Mind
Author: SilentAuror
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock, Mary
Warning: R, slash, character death (Mary)
Length: Medium
Status: Completed


John isn't an idiot, but some things just take him longer to work out. He's not Sherlock or Mycroft or Mary. 



AO3


Fix-it fic. We're getting there...
So, Mary's a rotten apple, John finds his common sense, and Sherlock's lovely. The usual.

Same author as:
Against the Rest of the World
Vena Cava
Resurrection

Against the Rest of the World

Title: Against the Rest of the World

Author: SilentAuror

Fandom: Sherlock

Characters: John/Sherlock, Mycroft, OMC (Duncan)

Warning: NC-17, slash, cheating (John), injury (Sherlock)

Length: Novel
Status: Completed

Sherlock has been away from London for nine hundred and twelve days and counting, and has no idea what sort of reception to expect when he finally returns. 

AO3

A bit more action-based than the original series. The relationship is important but I like this story as an action story better.

Same author as:
Deductions of a Lesser Mind
Vena Cava
Resurrection

Returning to Tomorrow

Title: Returning to Tomorrow
Author: Setep Ka Tawy
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John, Sherlock, Jim
Warning: PG-13
Length: Novel
Status: Completed


Six months probably isn't long enough for John to begin picking up the pieces. Fortunately, Sherlock is trying to ensure that he doesn't have to. But in the meantime, a good old-fashioned friend is already setting up the board for the next round - and this time there's an ominous twist in the story that's more focused on John than Sherlock cares to admit.


FF

Your typical post-TRF story. Mostly case-fic, and it's nicely written. Plot is a bit thin, though, for novel-length.

Mirror Magic

Title: Mirror Magic
Author: goseaward
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Snape/Harry, Snape/Lupin
Warning: R, slash
Length: Medium
Status: Completed


Or, to put it another way, Snape has a stalker and a fiftieth birthday.


AO3

Not much to add. The writing's rather good, and I like both pairings, so it worked for me.

In the End

Title: In the End
Author: whitchry9
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John, Sherlock
Warning: PG-13, injury (Sherlock), disability (Sherlock), character death (John)
Length: Short
Status: Completed


When a brain injury leaves Sherlock unable to make new memories, John wonders how Sherlock will cope, and what it will mean for The Work and their life. Because after all, how can you live if you can't feel time passing?


AO3

Very sad story. The last chapter broke my heart.

Same author as:
Love Is Watching Someone Die

Got My Eye on You

Title: Got My Eye on You
Author: sevenpercent
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Lestrade, Sherlock, Mycroft, John/Mary, OMC (Sam)
Warning: PG-13, suicidal (Sherlock), illness (Sherlock - autistic), injury (Sherlock)
Length: Novel
Status: Ongoing

Lestrade may have only "known" Sherlock for five years when the serial suicide murders started (Study in Pink), but he met him for the first time years before, when Sherlock was only sixteen. This is the story of their journey, both before, during and after. No slash, just friendship


FF

Brilliant paternal!Lestrade fic. Mycroft's a bit on the obsessive-brother spectrum, but I can see where the author is coming from.
It's a very good portray of autism. There's Sam, and there's Sherlock. The disorder is part of the story but it doesn't take over.

Same author as:
Periodic Tales

Two of Every Kind

Title: Two of Every Kind
Author: Nikoshinigami
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock, Mycroft
Warning: PG-13, AU, illness (Sherlock), character death (Molly)
Length: Novella
Status: Completed


A viral outbreak has caused the world to take doomsday precautions. While the best and brightest are locked away in the Ark, the rest of humanity has only death as a comfort to the pains of infection. John and Sherlock must either survive or die, but neither option is the easy way out.


AO3

A very angsty and apocalyptic story. I feared for Sherlock for some time. Great series though the last instalment is rushed and not as finely written.

Same author as:
The Circle of Fifths
Naked, Stripped, and Raw
The Ichor of Talos

Safe Distance

Title: Safe Distance
Author: merripestin
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock
Warning: NC-17, slash, injury (John)
Length: Novel
Status: Completed

The mother was apparently poisoned, the son seems to have killed himself playing Russian roulette. It's a murder and a suicide. Or is it a suicide and a murder?

At least the case is distracting John from the fact that sex with Sherlock was probably a mistake right from the start.

John will learn to cope, one way or another.

AO3


Heterosexual John in a homoromantic relationship with homosexual acts on the menu.
Basically, it's about him coming to terms with loving Sherlock, and accepting his masculinity when he does not particularly feel attracted to the male body. It's a very honest approach, and I love this story. I do. I've read well-done asexual!Sherlock in sexual relationships stories, and this is basically part of the trope family.

Naked, Stripped, and Raw

Title: Naked, Stripped, and Raw
Author: Nikoshinigami
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Sherlock(/John), John/Mary, OFC (child)
Warning: PG-13, injury (John), character death (Mary)
Length: Novella
Status: Completed


Time passes, John moves on in love and life, but no matter of distance or separation can ever truly make him say goodbye to Sherlock Holmes.


AO3

For the records: I think John very cruel until the last part of the last instalment. It feels wrong. If he truly loved Sherlock, he'd have said goodbye, he'd have released him instead of burdening him with John's indecision.
It's a difficult fic.

 I'd have to say I'm going to my dealer. I can't change what I don't like about my life. It's more than just being lonely. You were more than just someone to pay the other share of the rent. I can't replace you the way you replaced me. But I can stop it from mattering for a few hours at a time.

I mean, that sums it up pretty well. It's difficult. And it's very true considering season three. In more than one way does this story resound with what we got last season. It makes for a horrible premonition...

"Grow up! Will you just grow up!"
"What for? So I can be like all the other friends you have? I'm not like them! I'm better than them! I am better than her!"
"I. LOVE. HER."
"So what are we doing out here!?"

This author is killing me. God. There are so many raw emotions floating about.
I mean, let's face it: John does not stick around anymore. He seeks out Sherlock at times but they are not as close as they once were. While John enjoys Sherlock's company, he actively decides against him. So why is he still accompanying him? This story leads to the same question: What are they doing there? Stress on they. I hate it when John is indecisive. I hate it in general when people run with the hare and hunt with the hounds instead of choosing what they want and face the consequences. It's cowardly.
John's a coward throughout this story. He stops being one in the epilogue, I think. When he stops reacting and starts acting.


Same author as:
The Circle of Fifths
Two of Every Kind
The Ichor of Talos