Recs by Jane Elliot

Title: A Cure for Boredom by emmagrant01 (very, very NC-17)
Fandom: Sherlock BBC
Pairing: Sherlock/John (essentially)
Categories: BDSM, smut, drama, smut, angst, smut, smut, smut (can't really emphasize the smut too much), favorite
Length: ~81,000 words
Warnings: John has sex with a *lot* of other people (but it's really all about Sherlock)

Review:
Sherlock is bored and John is complaining about a lack of sex. So, Sherlock takes John to a sex club. As you do.

I can't believe I haven't recced this fic before, considering this is quite possibly the best BDSM fic I've read for people who (like me) rarely read BDSM. I'm deeply impressed with the way the author manages to build up an intense sextual relationship between Sherlock and John without actually involving any sexual contact between the two of them. Equally impressive is the way she writes John's gradual understanding of his own submissive desires, without altering his character or making hims suddenly want to be submissive 24/7 (at least no more so than he already is). And I can't forget to mention her skill in writing OCs -- John's sexual partners are an essential part of the story, but at the same time, they don't take the story over. That's a fine line that emmagrant01 handles beautifully.

The slow escalation of the Dom/sub relationship between Sherlock and John, the growing sexual attraction between the two of them, and the emotional impact as all of this drama comes to a head -- all of it comes together for one of the most satisfying fics I've read in years.

A Cure for Boredom

Title: Lord of the Tansy Cakes by thesexbots
Fandom: A Knight's Tale
Pairing: Chaucer/Wat
Categories: humor, smut, crack
Length: ~3,000 words
Warnings: n/a

Review:
Chaucer, Wat, and Roland undertake a challenge of gastrointestinal fortitude to win the right to be Will's best man. Somehow, this leads to smut.

This fic is as light and lively as a tansy cake. (For the record, I have no idea what a tansy cake is.) As cracky as the movie and just as much fun, this is an entertaining morsel for anyone needing a smile.

Lord of the Tansy Cakes

Title: No Refunds or Exchanges by astolat
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing: Rodney/John
Categories: AU, angst, humor, virgin (to gay sex), fluff, favorite
Length: ~10,000 words
Warnings: n/a

Review:
Rodney McKay's apartment on Atlantis is an absolute mess and Jeannie *refuses* to come play maid. What other option is there than a mail-order bride? What he gets is John Sheppard. (AU, obviously.)

This is one of my most reliable go-to fics if I need a pick me up. Astolat's dialogue sparkles, as always, and the story is the perfect length to sustain the ridiculous (and utterly awesome) plot. I especially love the way that she manages to convey John's thoughts even though the story is from Rodney's POV (and Rodney, himself, is clueless).

Fluffy and fun with just enough angst to keep things interesting, this is one of my favorite SGA fics of all time.

No Refunds or Exchanges

Title: Getting to Know You by miss_pryss
Fandom: Die Hard 4
Pairing: Matt/John
Categories: friendship, fluff, post-canon
Length: ~10,000 words
Warnings: n/a

Review:
While recovering in the hospital, John and Matt make a mutual pact to start having some fun together.

This is such a sweet, fun, and fluffy way of getting John and Matt together. I loved their Sunday play dates and the various adventures that they embarked on and the fact that they took turns picking what they were going to do. Even more, I loved all of the secondary characters: Lucy and Chen and even Warlock's two-line cameo. Most of all, however, I loved the way that Matt and John take the time to become friends before they become anything more. A lovely story about friendship and fun.

Getting to Know You

Title: Coffee May Be Hot by BlueMorpho
Fandom: Dead Zone
Pairing: Johnny/Bruce
Categories: humor, angst, virgin (to gay sex)
Length: ~22,000 words
Warnings: really, really bad sex

Review:
Starbucks is making Johnny gay. Or maybe it's just all of the sex-with-guys he's had in visions over the years. Either way, Bruce is looking pretty damn fine right now.

It's been a long time since I've seen the Dead Zone, so I can't promise that these characters are at all in character. That said, they're certainly entertaining characters, from Bruce's hysterical laid-backedness to Johnny's would-put-Woody-Allen-to-shame neuroses. I especially love Sarah, who is completely awesome, even when having to have The Talk with Johnny. Fair warning, though: when the sex comes, it's very, very bad. Which I sort of liked (too much sex in fanfic is blandly perfect), but must admit is sort of icky. Still, the end result is a fun ride, and there's even hope by the end that Johnny will one day have actual good sex. Eventually. Bruce willing.

Coffee May Be Hot

Title: The Crown of the Summer Court by astolat
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Categories: AU, action, drama, humor, fantasy, favorite
Length: ~24,000 words
Warnings: n/a

Review:
A troop of elves comes to Camelot to pick their next king. (Uther is not pleased.) Turns out Merlin is in the running. (Uther is really, really not pleased.) And Arthur is his champion. (...Uther? Uther!)

This story isn't quite as silly as my summary would lead you to believe -- in fact, it's a damn good old school fantasy, full of challenges and intrigues and the aphrodisiac qualities of magic. The beauty of the story, though, and what truly makes it worth reading over and over again, is the fact that astolat doesn't take her premise or her plot too seriously, which results in a lot of banter, a lot of humor, and a truly engaging tale of bravery, sacrifice, and magic.

Reminiscent of season 1 Merlin (with a less dickish Arthur), The Crown of the Summer Court is a fantastically fun way to while away a few hours.

The Crown of the Summer Court

Title: We could be a whole parade by belmanoir
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Kowalski/Vecchio
Categories: pre-slash, friendship, post-canon
Length: ~8,000 words
Warnings: Fraser isn't portrayed in the best light (then again, it's pretty much the way he is in canon, so YMMV)

Review:
Ray comes back from Canada, licking his wounds, and runs into Frannie at a ballroom dancing class.

Despite the pairing, this fic is mostly about Ray K. and Frannie's growing friendship. I love these two so much together -- they're both a little broken and both often underestimated and they make a fantastic platonic couple. Mix in some closure on the whole Stella issues, as well as a lovely understated romance between the two Rays, and you have one of the best Due South fics I've read in years. Just lovely.

We could be a whole parade

Title: A Meeting of Equals
Fandom: The Sentinel
Pairing: Jim/Blair
Categories: canon divergence, angst, epistolary, favorite
Length: ~30,000 words
Warnings: Some of the formatting isn't quite right, which can make some of the e-mails hard to read.

Review:
After a nasty fight with Jim, Blair decides that it's time to learn how to stand on his own two feet.

I'm a total sucker for Blair Runs Away From Home fics, and this one is quite possibly my favorite of the entire genre. I love the fact that Blair isn't just running away to punish Jim, I love the fact that Blair and Jim correspond throughout the story, and I love the fact that the entire story is more about Blair growing as a person than it is about potential romance between Jim and Blair (though that's there, too). If you're a fan of epistolary fics or just are in the mood to follow along as two characters work out their issues over a long distance, you should find this a very satisfying read.

A Meeting of Equals

This is the last one of this batch. Hopefully it won't be so long until my next one! If you're impatient, I occasionally post recs on my Twitter account: @IMJaneElliot.

Title: Trust by Neery
Fandom: Avengers
Pairing: Clint/Bruce
Categories: angst, drama
Length: ~13,500 words
Warnings: n/a

Review:
After the events of the movie, The Powers That Be decide that someone needs to keep an eye on Bruce. Fury decides to assign Clint to the job.

Gah. This hits my trust kink so hard it hurts (but in a good way). Not only do Bruce and Clint have to learn to trust each other, but they also have trust issues with themselves, thanks to the Hulk (for Bruce) and Loki's magic scepter (for Clint). My favorite part is probably Bruce coming to terms with the Hulk during weekly "playtime" sessions in the desert -- lots of fun (especially with the Thor cameo).

I will admit that the ending is a bit spare (which is the only reason why this fic doesn't have a favorites tag), but overall this is a lovely, well-written, and highly enjoyable story of trust and growing affection.

Trust

Title: A Slight Misunderstanding and Dangerous Assumptions by Coragyps
Fandom: Sherlock BBC
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Categories: angst, humor, hurt/comfort, drama, action, casefile, virgin (to gay sex), favorite
Length: ~64,000 words (combined)
Warnings: In A Slight Misunderstanding, there are three instances where John thinks of Sherlock as *Sher*. (*shudder* -- that was almost bad enough to turn this rec into a rant.) Fortunately it's all in one scene in Chapter 9. Unfortunately it kind of ruins the climactic relationship scene.

Review:
In which John accidentally convinces Sherlock that he's in love with him. Or, from Sherlock's POV in the sequel, how his plan to turn John from his Assistant into his Lover goes horribly awry.

These are both highly entertaining stories that cover essentially the same time frame, but from John and Sherlock's POV respectively (though the author says that they both stand alone, I strongly suggest reading Misunderstanding first). My personal favorite of the two is A Slight Misunderstanding, because it has one of the most interesting and engrossing plots I've ever read in Sherlock fic, namely how Sherlock Holmes would commit and cover up the perfect murder (the victim in this case is Moriarty). I found the entire process fascinating to read, even more so than John's baffled and winding journey from friendly mates to physical love with Sherlock. While John's journey is hugely enjoyable as well and is laced with plenty of humor to cut the angst, the plot is what earned this fic its 'favorites' tag.

Dangerous Assumptions is more of a character study of Sherlock than a true retelling of Misunderstanding. Coragyps has given an intriguing backstory to Sherlock that's a lot of fun to read, and Mycroft is hysterical as he tries to give Sherlock advice in the most vague and unhelpful way ever.

In the end, these two stories have the best of both worlds. If you're in the mood for a plotty fic with a silly (but entertaining) romantic subplot, A Slight Misunderstanding is perfect for you. If, on the other hand, you want an in-depth character study, check out Dangerous Assumptions. Either way, you're in for a great read.

A Slight Misunderstanding
Dangerous Assumptions