There is nothing more impressive than the fanfic authors with enough talent, patience, and dedication to complete fics that could easily be considered novels.
On the sixth day of Christmas TJLC gave to me...
Note: I'm consider novel length to be above 50k, as per the rules of Nanowrimo.
Two Two One Bravo Baker (abundantlyqueer | 114,574 | NC-17)
Captain John Watson of 40 Commando, the Royal Marines, is assigned to protect and assist Sherlock Holmes as he investigates what appears to be a simple war atrocity in Afghanistan. An intense attraction ignites between the two men as they uncover a conspiracy that threatens everything they’ve ever known, but Sherlock is as much hunted as hunter, and everyone close to him is in deadly danger. Can he solve the case in time to save himself and John?
This is probably my second favorite Johnlock fic. If there's a fic that deserves to be in a list about novel-like fanfic, it's this one. Filled with plot twists and amazing character and story arcs, 221BB is brilliantly plotted and brilliantly written.
The Swan Triad (Pennin_Ink | 121,654 | NC-17)
Sherlock and John grow up spending every summer together. Their mothers’ attempts to play matchmaker only fuel their mutual resentment and scorn. But then, one summer…
The Swan Triad is such a lovely, beautiful read. Like 221BB, it's very plotty and intense, making it more than worthy of being the equivalent of a Johnlock novel. There's tons of gorgeous writing and symbolism in this fic. It's well-worth your time.
A Finger Slip (Pawtal | 46,637 | PG)
"You may be the most interesting person I’ve ever met."
"We haven’t met."
"A minor detail."
The famous A Finger Slip! I'm going to put this in despite the fact that it's under my 50k limit (just by a little!), because this could totally be a contemporary novel that capitalizes on technology/texting. Sweet, funny, but realistic and serious when it needs to be, A Finger Slip is heartwarming and a fun fic to read.
Collared (velvetmace | 83,028 | NC-17)
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.
Velvetmace does some unbelievably good world building in this fic. There are twists and turns aplenty, but I really love this fic for its portrayal of a relatively common AU: slavery. Dark, brutal, heartbreaking, and harsh, Collared doesn't bother softening or romanticizing the cruel, terrible, and non-consensual nature of John's situation. Stockholm syndrome elements make the plot more complex. Of course, velvetmace handles all of it beautifully. This is a must read. Major TRIGGER WARNINGS on this.
School For Scandal (rubberbird | 222,199 | NC-17)
Sherlock lusts from afar. John tries hard to fool himself.
Although perhaps not as overtly dark as Collared, School For Scandal provides a horrifying look at the nature of schools, bullies, homophobia, social pressures, and other unfortunately relevant issues. Sad and surprisingly dark at many times, School For Scandal is a read that feels realistic. Well-written and, like the other fics on this list, well-plotted, this 200k fic is Johnlock hs au at its best.
Performance in a Leading Role (madlori | 156,716 | NC-17)
Sherlock Holmes is an Oscar winner in the midst of a career slump. John Watson is an Everyman actor trapped in the rom-com ghetto. When they are cast as a gay couple in a new independent drama, will they surprise each other? Will their on-screen romance make its way into the real world?
What novel-like fics list would be complete without this classic? One of the first few fics I read for Johnlock, Performance in a Leading Role is the beautiful development of a love story between our two favorite characters. Filled with great information about the movie industry, this fic is an excellent AU. Really, though, even if AUs aren't your thing, the Johnlock dynamic here is undeniably amazing.
So, obviously, this kind of just turned into a list of fandom classics. Oh well! These are meant to be fics that really resemble novels, so they're plotty and pretty intense! MATURE READERS for all of these fics except AFS and WARNINGS on some for triggering content.
