Snape's Worst Memory

Title: Snape's Worst Memory
Author: Darkglare
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters:Snape/Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore, Regulus
Warning: R, School, war, illness (Snape, Lily), alcohol abuse (Eileen), character death (OC Helen, Peter, Mr Evans, Eileen, Tobias), eating disorder (Snape), het, werewolf injury (Lily),pregnancy
Length: Novel
Status: Completed


FF


The Marauders have more enemies than just Severus Snape, who's rotten luck is about to change. His friendship with Lily will continue past fifth year.



This is a story not for the faint of heart. The word count will blow you away before you even get to the good part, the writing.
Lily is very immature, and almost disturbing in her careless ways. On the other hand, Snape's infatuation with her -  strong, then waning with his own fortunes shifting - is fiery and very in character. He is deeply flawed in his scheming ways, and certainly dark(ish).
And if you like the Marauders, stay away.

Severus makes his way into the world.

The only criticism I can bring up is the end. It just lacks a sort of... closure.

Hermione Granger and the Intended Vessels

Title: Hermione Granger and the Intended Vessels
Author: Severely_Lupine
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Snape/Hermione, Dumbledore, Remus/Tonks
Warning: NC-17, dub-con, pregnancy, illness (tumor), war, school
Length: Novel
Status: Completed

 Sometimes all it takes to change the world is one small, simple choice. On the night the Death Eaters attack Hogwarts, Hermione Granger makes such a choice. Her life—and her world—will never be the same.

The guilt from killing Draco is bad enough, and knowing she saved Dumbledore doesn’t help it, but when a Ministry decree forces her to marry Professor Snape—a cruel, cold man who’s apparently hated her since she was a child—in order to be used as a breeder of superior wizards, Hermione doesn’t think her life can get any worse. But, of course, she’s wrong.

Soon, Voldemort’s after her and her friends (again), her life is in grave peril, and all her hopes for a future at all, much less a happy one, rest on her own shoulders—and on Snape, her unwanted husband, whose heart still belongs to a woman long dead.

AO3


It takes some time to like the plot. I never was very impressed with the pairing, but the story makes it a bit more believable how Snape could fall in love with her. Or in which ways he could not.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

Little Boy Blue and the Man in the Moon

Title: Little Boy Blue and the Man in the Moon
Author: ariana_paris
Fandom: Sherlock / House (crossover)
Characters: John/Sherlock, Mycroft, Wilson, Irene
Warning: PG-13, illness (John, Sherlock)
Length: Novella
Status: Completed


Sherlock's unexpected visit to Princeton-Plainsboro, ostensibly on a case, threatens to turn House’s life upside down as he has to face up to a secret he has kept for thirty years.


AO3

This story is fun to read but not that deep.
Well-done crossover, that's for sure. If you like House, and if you enjoy crossovers sometimes, that's your cue.

An Age of Silver

Title: An Age of Silver
Author: ImpishTubist
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Sherlock/OMC (Stanley Hopkins), Sally, Lestrade/John
Warning: R, slash, injury (Hopkins), mention of character death (Victor), illness (cancer - Lestrade, chronic disease - Hopkins), marriage
Length: Novel
Status: Completed


Sherlock Holmes is adapting to the pace of a more sedate life when a series of gruesome murders pulls him out of semi-retirement. Meanwhile, a burgeoning relationship with one of Scotland Yard’s own forces him to confront ghosts he thought he had buried long ago.


AO3

I've rec'ed another instalment of this series. This is outstanding enough to warrant another mention. Truly.
I am rather wary of OCs, as probably the count of the "oc" tag shows. I ship Sherlock with a lot of persons. Irene, Lestrade, John, heck, his own brother at times. Then there's the odd Molly/Sherlock story around... Sally, Anderson... Yes. You get the picture. And it is quite easy to notice that my current OTP is Victor/Sherlock which is ridiculous but... well. My excuse.. um. I ship it? Okay, not a strong argument.
Probably as weak as any I could bring up to justify Sherlock/OC. Hopkins is a beautiful OC (and partly canon, so...). Sherlock's grief is shown from a variety of perspectives. I like it. And yes, he deserves some happy end. The previous instalment was sad. I love the fact that Victor would have told him to move on. It's my head canon. That something happened but that Victor, in the end, loves Sherlock enough to let go. Their love is... I should write a meta about it. Why this idea is so beautiful.

Same author as:
They're Gonna Be All Right (Lestrade/Sherlock)
Winter's Child (John/Sherlock, Lestrade)
The Coming of the Night (Lestrade/Sherlock)
The First and Only Convention of the Scotland Yard Matchmaker Committee
A Memory That Never Forgets
The Fall of Gods

The Fall of Gods

Title: The Fall of Gods
Author: ImpishTubist
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: Victor/Sherlock, John/Lestrade, Moran
Warning: NC-17, slash, injury (Sherlock), illness (Victor), character death (Victor)
Length: Novel
Status: Completed

Sherlock remembers a time before Moriarty. It seemed to go on forever. It was over all too quickly.

Sherlock finds an ally in death and begins the slow process of dismantling Moriarty's network, not knowing if he'll ever be able to return home. Meanwhile, back in London, John and Lestrade mourn, remember, and move on.

AO3

And when it rains, think of me.
Think of me, and know that you were loved.

This fic is cruel. It is. One of the few stories that made me cry.
I knew he'd die from the moment he joined Sherlock. He was too perfect, too big a character for life...
Still it hurts. I ache for Victor, and I ache for Sherlock.
Marked classic because this is... the story.

Part of the Until the Night is Gone Series. To my shame, I haven't read all instalments yet. I felt like this piece of fiction is too valuable and emotional to "taint" the rec with the almost fluffy instalment before it, and the pondering mood of the following one...

ImpishTubist managed to make me cry once again.
God damn, I hope they'll give Victor an appearance in season 4. I feel ridiculous crying over a OMC. If this continues, this will be my favorite pairing... with one character that has never appeared in the actual series. I begin to see why so many Mystrade fans went crazy when Mycoft and Lestrade finally were seen in the same room.

Same author as:
They're Gonna Be All Right (Lestrade/Sherlock)
Winter's Child (John/Sherlock, Lestrade)
The Coming of the Night (Lestrade/Sherlock)
The First and Only Convention of the Scotland Yard Matchmaker Committee
A Memory That Never Forgets
An Age of Silver

Be Here Now

Title: Be Here Now
Author: Todesfuge
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock, Irene, Mycroft, OMC (James Moriarty)
Warning: NC-17, slash, illness (Sherlock), drug abuse (Sherlock), injury (Irene, John), PTSD (John), suicidal (John), amnesia (John), locked (John)
Length: Novel
Status: Ongoing


John Watson was already fighting demons when he and Sherlock met. With Sherlock's suicide, it all comes flooding back, forcing Sherlock to intervene before he's solved the persistent riddles of Jim Moriarty and his game. Together they find that something darker lurks behind Moriarty, forcing Sherlock, John, and Irene Adler into an even deadlier game with a much more dangerous foe.


AO3

Amazing series, for sure.
Todesfuge has got the ability to make the story seem really dense, no matter how long it takes for things to proceed. There are many facettes to this work that make it worthy to be read. There's revenge, love (mutual, unrequited, brotherly), anger, despair, a case of sorts, meeting old friends, saying goodbye to them, mental problems, health issues, recovery, ... and so on. Dense, as I said, but by no means overloaded.

And All My Pirates Share the Grave

Title: And All My Pirates Share the Grave
Author: cathedral_carver
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock, Mycroft, Mrs. Hudson
Warning: R, slash, character death (Mrs. Hudson), illness (Sherlock, John)
Length: Short
Status: Completed

Where shall we adventure, to-day that we’re afloat,/
Wary of the weather and steering by a star?

Work Text:

“Aye. Maybe it’s the black plague,” the Captain whispers at last and he no longer sounds obstinate. He sounds very small and very scared. His hand slides along the tabletop and takes the First Mate’s hand. The First Mate takes it and squeezes it, hard. “Maybe.”

The First Mate doesn’t reply, because in all honesty he doesn’t know, and it very well might be something just like that.

AO3

This is very similiar to another apocalyptic story I am reading. I'll rec it when I am done.
While it does not compare to the gloomy world the other story offers, this one is unique in its own way. It is difficult to create an apocalyptic setting that does depict living, death, and fear in a combination people will believe it to be true. To manage that in less than 6000 words. Brilliant.
Sherlock's mental escape is believable, too.

An Interesting Puzzle

Title: An Interesting Puzzle
Author: awanderingbard
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John, Sherlock, Mycroft
Warning: PG, illness (Mycroft)
Length: Short
Status: Completed


Mycroft Holmes has had a very bad day. And now it's up to Sherlock and John to make sure he lives to see a new one.


AO3


This story made me realize that I also like Mycroft!whump. The brotherly interaction is really funny, and overall, a good oneshot.

Same author as:
Lost for Words

To Light Another's Path

Title: To Light Another's Path

Author: BeautifulFiction

Fandom: Sherlock

Characters: John/Sherlock

Warning: NC-17, slash, illness (Sherlock)

Length: Novel
Status: Completed

Teaching John to observe seems to be a losing battle, but when Sherlock falls ill and submits himself to John's care, will he realise that there is more to life than the science of deduction? Meanwhile, there is a murder to solve, and John must try and convince Sherlock not to sacrifice his own health for the sake of the case.

AO3

Rather centered on Sherlock's illness. It also helps to reveal his medical history, and how John reacts to that.

This fanfiction is an exploration of John's character, in a way. How he reacts to the "other" Sherlock, the one he knows about but never knew.

Same author as:
All Things Inherit
Midnight Blue Serenity

All Things Inherit

Title: All Things Inherit
Author: BeautifulFiction
Fandom: Sherlock
Characters: John/Sherlock
Warning: NC-17, slash, illness, werewolves
Length: Novella
Status: Completed

"For John, it's not a bullet that throws his existence into disarray – it's a bite."

In a world where twelve percent of the population are Mactiri - people with the ability to turn into wolves at will - John finds himself struggling with a new and horrifying existence. The victim of a shocking attack, he is discharged from the army and sent home, determined never to acknowledge what he can now become.

However, when his health starts to fail, it is up to his enigmatic new flatmate to show him that perhaps his life is not the nightmare John believes it to be.

AO3

Werewolves; yes, this theme does exist, next to the vast omegaverse stories.
I quite liked the exploration of pack dynamics, and how Sherlock got infected. Interesting story.

Same author as:
Midnight Blue Serenity
To Light Another's Path

Castle and Sand

Title: Castle and Sand

Author: grey853

Fandom: Sherlock

Characters: John/Sherlock, mention of Sherlock/others, Mycroft/Lestrade, Mommy Holmes

Warning: NC-17, slash, illness (PTSD, cancer - Mommy Holmes), child abuse (Sherlock), non-con (Sherlock), 

Length: Novel

Status: Completed

Sherlock and John both have difficult pasts that affect their evolving relationship. When John prevents a mugging, it sets off a dangerous chain of events that not only impacts him, but his whole family. In the end there's a wedding and a honeymoon, but will there really be a happy ending?

AO3

Another goodie for my novel collection.

I particularly like how both, Sherlock and John, are broken in their own regards and need each other to find some sort of closure. They do not wall in their misery, but it is definitely an issue. Haunting them. Well-done, grey853.

A Memory that Never Forgets

Title: A Memory that Never Forgets

Author: ImpishTubist

Fandom: Sherlock

Characters: Sherlock/Victor, John(/Mary), OMC (child)

Warning: R, illness (Sherlock - depression)

Length: Novella
Status: Completed

The eldest son of a high-profile diplomat has been murdered, and pressure is mounting for the Yard to bring the case to a swift close. But when the prime suspect turns out to be Sherlock Holmes’ oldest friend and a man he knows to be innocent, Sherlock must find a way to clear his name - and uncover the real killer before he strikes again.

AO3

ImpishTubist and Victor/Sherlock... dare I say more?

I am highly anticipating the upcoming chapters. This might develop into one of my favorites. So far, it shows promise.
Update:
Finally complete. Well, I actually didn't like Victor in the end. He's still incredibly selfish. I don't think he'll make Sherlock happy in the long run. Didn't like the end that much... well, the story still remains good enough to be rec'ed.

Same Author as:

They're Gonna Be All Right (Lestrade/Sherlock)
Winter's Child (John/Sherlock, Lestrade)
The Coming of the Night (Lestrade/Sherlock)
The First and Only Convention of the Scotland Yard Matchmaker Committee
The Fall of Gods
An Age of Silver