In a world where the British Empire is still strong and slavery is her economic backbone, John has become a terrorist for the abolitionist movement. He is caught by Mycroft, enslaved, and given to Sherlock for training. The goal: To test a new kind of slave collar with the power to break even the strongest willed fighter. One that will make even John learn to love being a slave.
Oh my God this fic made my head spin. In this universe, slavery is totally okay. Slaves wear collars. John, a man resolutely against slavery, is a violent abolitionist. However, he gets caught and Mycroft Holmes decides to use his brother to “break” John. Now, I’ll be honest: I wanted to punch Mycroft in the teeth. But, like John and typical of psychological breakdowns, Stockholm Syndrome takes place. As John has to learn to accept that, despite his best efforts, this is where he is, so does the reader. And then, just as I was ready to go “GODDAMN IT THIS IS NOT OKAY”, some things start not adding up. What the hell is Mycroft’s agenda? What does Sherlock know? When it all comes together, the feeling of “OH!” is almost as satisfactory as the collar’s burst of euphoria. I won’t spoil it for you, but the ending was, as I said, satisfactory. That being said, the whole thing is still pretty damn unethical (which IS covered as to why, at least). So this is something dub-con and I’d go so far as to slap a non-con on this one. Just in case. I mean, John is a slave and he has to listen. Come on, kids. Make the jump. You know what happens. Anyways, it’s a good read. It kept me at it, despite the length of it, and I didn’t put it down. It has a lot of interesting aspects: cases, underlying politics, and plenty of action. The emotions are messy, which is perfect for the fic, since the whole thing is messy. I give massive credit to the author, because that is a huge web to string together on top of keeping the balance. The fic could have easily been “whoa that is way not okay” to “that’s far too nice for a supposed slave”. The reader experiences things through John’s eyes, and the fic is just like that too: a delicate perch of reward and punishment. It’s a little dark, but I think it could have been a LOT worse. Definitely worth taking the time to read (and possible reread to understand). MATURE READERS ONLY
Words: 83,028
My Rating: A
Read it here, fic by VelvetMace
Review by: Taylor
John deals- or rather doesn’t- with Sherlock’s absence.
As written in the description, you’ve read a million of these, now read one more. But really, read one more. This is a short piece of John just in the flat, preparing to enter Sherlock’s room for the first time. You would think nothing special, right? Wrong! It’s very short and sad, but there are two reasons it captured my attention. One, the metaphors and images and style of writing were all beautiful. It flowed nicely and nicely described how John was feeling. Two, the reason why this is so remarkable is that this is the author’s first piece. Ever. Of any fandom. Let me just say, if this is how this author does one-shot, I can’t wait to see what else they can do. Just a quick, post-Reichenbach piece, but one that is very worth the read.
Words: 354
My Rating: A
Read it here, fic by noiselesspatientspider
Review by: Taylor
John still knows where he is, in a dimly-lit lab out of a Michael Crichton novel, but damned if that rattling noise doesn’t remind him of gunfire in a hot zone, and the spots flooding his eyes are sun on the desert, burning his retinas.
Oh wow. I really love fics that explore John’s PTSD and this one is fantastic. Taking the events of Baskerville with a bit of a twist, it explores what could have happened if John’s PTSD had flared up. It’s a deeply emotional fic. It’s not very Johnlock unless you see it as established or to be established, but it is clear that the two have that incomparable connection. It’s pretty gut-wrenching when you think about it as what John is seeing and how Sherlock reacts to it. This is one of those reviews where I have to say read it and you’ll understand. And I do highly recommend reading it. I almost wish there was more, like further exploration of the result of this incident. But it leaves it open-ended, which allows a reader to wonder. Hey, who knows? Maybe it will spawn fics of the fic? No matter what, it’s an excellent read.
Words: 1,634
My Rating: A
Read it here, fic by PrettyArbitrary
Review by: Taylor
Sherlock has the worst possible timing. John learns this when Sherlock reveals his longing for John immediately after his wedding to Mary.
This fic is short so this review will be also: ANGST ugh. Mentions of drug use. And it hurts quite a bit. I think that about covers it. But I liked this one, for some odd reason. It just resonated even after I’d closed the window. So here you go!
Words: 631
My Rating: B+
Read it here, fic by sickbacchus
Review by: Taylor
Sherlock meets up with an old friend
I’m not usually one for Victor Trevor fics, but I really liked how this was written. It’s basically a giant headcanon, telling the back story of Sherlock and Victor. Their dynamic is an interesting one, and I like how this one is explored. Victor isn’t necessarily an asshole and Sherlock isn’t necessarily in the right, which is rare for Victor/Sherlock fics. My favorite element to it is definitely how Sherlock just eases into realizing what John means to him. SPOILER: This is not a fic to read if you want anything between Sherlock or John, so it ends with massive UST. There is also mentions of drug use. Just a warning. MATURE READERS ONLY
Words: 7,256
My Rating: B
Read it here, fic by linpatootie
Review by: Taylor
There is a belief in this world that every decision you make opens up dozens of new ones, new and unseen parallel worlds where your decision had gone differently, where you’d done something else, made a different choice. Dozens and dozens of alternate worlds, adjacent but never open; dozens of different lives this version of you will never live. From the moment John Watson walks past Mike Stamford in the park, his decisions spin countless of parallel worlds, parallel lives, where things could have gone differently with Sherlock Holmes. But the reality of it is that he only has this one, and there is no changing that.
If you think you’re losing steam on your own personal S.S. Johnlock, this might revive you. This is a look at the different things that could have happened had one or the other made a different decision. John deciding to take a walk in the park could have gone entirely differently and he may never have met Sherlock and his life may have been meaningless. On the other hand, he could have refused an offer from Sherlock and gone on to marry Sarah and retire early. This fic lays them all out and it somewhat made me grateful that it does play out the way we see it. From a walk in the park to avoid the loneliness of his pathetic flat to a chase through the streets of London and to the return of a dead friend, you get a chance to read all the what ifs and could have beens. That should put some fire back under your belt for your OTP. There are only brief mentions of sex, so I think you guys can handle this one without a mature reader warning.
Words: 3,099
My Rating: B+
Read it here, fic by harlequindreaming
Review by: Taylor
Love is a dangerous disadvantage for the Holmes family, immortals until they’ve given their heart to someone else. Nevertheless, it’s not like Sherlock planned to lose his to John.
I have never used the word ‘pretty’ to describe a fic before, but I feel like that works. The content is not being described, but the fic as a whole. It’s deep and thoughtful with a touch of magic. Sherlock has immortality, but only if he protects himself from ‘giving his heart away’. That way, he can preserve his immortality. Mycroft warns him, but it doesn’t matter once he meets John Watson. As far as the fic goes, I should probably do th actual review part now. Reading about Sherlock’s heart and how he gives it away and trying to know if John will give him his in return is beautiful. On top of that, if he does give his heart away, any injury that comes to John also comes to Sherlock. I somewhat wish that could have been played on more, but I like how it IS revealed. SPOILER there is a scene where LMycroft does something to check on whether or not Sherlock has given his heart to John. I have to say that is my absolute favorite part because it’s a bit not good, but it’s perfect. Of course Mycroft would do something like that. Anyways, I really liked this and I want to read more of this magic idea in the future.
Words: 4,926
My Rating: A-
Review by: Taylor
John Watson and Molly Hooper are each paid a visit after Sherlock’s fall. John, a visit from a very alive Sherlock, who’s investigating the bizarre murder that’s drawn him back to London. Molly, a visit from a very alive Moriarty, who only plans on a quick little interrogation—until he wonders if Molly’s not quite as boring as she seems.
I was hesitant to read this one because I saw a LOT of warnings on it, which seemed overwhelming. I am so glad I finally decided to. This fic was stunning. It keeps your attention instantly. There are 21 chapters and I finished it in one sitting. I simply could not stop reading. Sherlock and Moriarty both survive the Reichenbach incident. As expected, Sherlock returns to John. Jim returns to Molly. While he’s there, he discovers that Molly has some untapped potential. It’s a dark fic, taking the reader through the thought processes of both John and Molly as they deal with the twist life has thrown at them. There are a few scenes of torture and descriptive murders that might send the squeamish running, so be warned. However, it is psychologically fantastic. With an unreliable narrator that makes even the reader question motives and reasoning, it’s a fantastic. I do not want to give anything more away. The fic is brilliant and a phenomenal read. Oh, and if nothing else has convinced you, Toby the cat is featured and there are also sexy times. MATURE READERS ONLY
Words: 35,880
My Rating: A
Read it here, fic by redhandsredribbons
Review by: Taylor
The one where they are both cats.
Zombie Catlock!!!! No trust me, it’s not stupid at all. This story works remarkably well, and it’s entirely due to the writing. When I actually get back into the swing of reviewing I’ll be posting more of this author, but do not hesitate to read her other works because she is fantastic. This story actually hurt my heart in a way I didn’t think was possible with Catlock. It’s supposed to be cute and fluffy right? Well let’s bring one of them back from the dead and see what happens. The cats are remarkably in character for being, well, cats. They honestly do seem like the Sherlock and John versions of cats which I’m sure is not an easy thing to accomplish. I’m just very blown away by how well this prompt worked. Awesome, but kind of sad, story!
Word Count: 1,370
My Rating: A
Read it here, fic by michi_thekiller
Everything felt wrong. His hair was going the wrong way. His arms were bent in ways he wouldn’t choose to bend them. His neck hurt and he couldn’t really feel his toes. Something was dripping on his face – and rolling up.
No, this definitely wasn’t right.
“Sherlock? Sherlock!” a frantic and pained voice whispered next to his ear. Sherlock groaned and turned his head, hissing as the muscles at the juncture of his neck and shoulder flared with pain.
“All right, it’s all right, it’s fine.” Sherlock couldn’t finish turning his head for fear of the muscle seizing completely, but the rest of his senses were kicking back in. Metallic creaks and groans, cracking glass, the distinct smell of petrol and burnt rubber.
A car crash. He had been in a car crash.
This is one that I read quite awhile ago actually and just now found in my bookmarks! It’s actually a very heartwarming story that stays, for me, reasonably in character. John also talks about Detroit in this one, so it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that I like it! In this story, Lestrade, Sherlock, and John are in a car crash and John is hurt much more than he’s letting on. What’s interesting to me is that it’s not painfully obvious that Sherlock and John are in a relationship, you catch on very quickly but they never act dramatic. I really like the slow realization of their relationship and how close they actually are. The Detroit part will always be my favorite about this, despite my bias it’s actually a very beautiful parallel to their situation. The buildings John describes are very beautiful in their destruction, much like their crash. It’s scary and exhilarating to be in a place of so much danger but it’s peaceful and beautiful at the same time. While the crash was all destruction, what was happening between Sherlock and John was wonderful. Things from there get a little confusing. John ends up in the hospital but the narrator jumps around too fast. There’s actually a sex scene snuck in there that I missed at first and had to turn around and figure out exactly when Sherlock got on top of him! It was just a little addition that felt out of place and ended up just being confusing. Overall a very well done concept, and if you have the time I definitely suggest googling “Detroit Ruin Porn”!
Trigger Warnings for car crashes and injury
Word Count: 4,256
My Rating: B+
Read it here, fic by BootsnBlossoms
