Fic Rec Fridays 2019 - part 10

All Things Inherit (53682 words) by BeautifulFiction
Chapters: 6/6
Fandom: Sherlock (TV)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Greg Lestrade
Additional Tags: Friends to Lovers, Werewolves, Sort Of, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Pack Dynamics, Wolves, Telepathy, john is still an army doctor, Sherlock is still a consulting detective, Frottage

Summary:

"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.

 

Note: Please do not redistribute my fanfiction on other archives or sites such as goodreads or ebooks tree without my express permission. Thank you :)

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This fic hand-delivers a very particular brand of supernatural world-building and story-telling that I simply can't resist.

First off, the supra-normal element - in this case, the (contagious) ability of some people to transform into wolves -- is not hand-waved, but described as a phenomenon that's both believable and logical in the context. It’s a fantasy that feels like it could work, even if only in a world that's tilted just that little, delicious bit sideways.

Which brings me to another immersive quality of the work: the author's trademark evocative and exuberant prose style feels like a perfect fit for describing how the world looks -- or smells and feels or sounds -- to a character who's not wearing the skin they were born with. To be honest, I'd read and rec this for that experience alone.

But of course, I don't need to, because on top of every other good thing, this is also a romance. And what a romance -- solid, relatable characterization, credible motivation, and some twists quite unique to this particular iteration (in other words, this is where I call “Spoilers!” and look smug).

Or, you don’t need me to tell you all that -- with a lovely read-in-a-weekend length, it couldn’t be easier to enjoy for yourselves!