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Title: Thomas and the Society of Sentinels
Author:![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
Alex51324 aka ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
alex51324
Fandom: Downton Abbey
Genre: Romance, Sentinel/Guide fandom fusion
Pairings: Thomas Barrow/Original Male Character
Length: Very Long (Words: 133,807)
Admin Note: rec'd on fancake, and again on fancake
Author's Summary:
After being arrested for gross indecency with another male person, Thomas Barrow learns that he has a natural gift which will plunge him into a startlingly different society which exists in parallel with the one in which he has lived his life until now. He’s not entirely sure whether or not that’s a good thing….
Downton Abbey/Sentinel fusion. (If you are not familiar with the Sentinel, fear not: the note at the beginning of chapter 1 will fill you in on everything you need to know.)
Diverges from canon toward the end of series 3 (3x07 UK or 3x06 US)
Review:
The Sentinel/Guides idea is explained pretty well in this fic so I'd say it doesn't require any prior knowledge.
It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a fic so very much as this one. I stayed up far, far too late two nights in a row because I couldn't put it down. I cried sometimes out of empathy for poor Thomas who spends the first third of the fic deeply, deeply unhappy but I really liked Thomas' character development arc here. I think it's very true to the canon character. He worked hard for his happy ending in this story.
There are a lot of OCs in this story but they're all fantastic. The world-building is amazing too. I particularly like that the language of the Sentinel/Guide fandom are Victorian-ized ("zone out" becomes "enthralled") and the choices to downplay the soulbond concept and ignore the spirit animal aspect were really good and work well with Downton Abbey world and tone.
No with cover art:
Author:
alex51324 Fandom: Downton Abbey
Genre: Romance, Sentinel/Guide fandom fusion
Pairings: Thomas Barrow/Original Male Character
Length: Very Long (Words: 133,807)
Admin Note: rec'd on fancake, and again on fancake
Author's Summary:
After being arrested for gross indecency with another male person, Thomas Barrow learns that he has a natural gift which will plunge him into a startlingly different society which exists in parallel with the one in which he has lived his life until now. He’s not entirely sure whether or not that’s a good thing….
Downton Abbey/Sentinel fusion. (If you are not familiar with the Sentinel, fear not: the note at the beginning of chapter 1 will fill you in on everything you need to know.)
Diverges from canon toward the end of series 3 (3x07 UK or 3x06 US)
Review:
The Sentinel/Guides idea is explained pretty well in this fic so I'd say it doesn't require any prior knowledge.
It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a fic so very much as this one. I stayed up far, far too late two nights in a row because I couldn't put it down. I cried sometimes out of empathy for poor Thomas who spends the first third of the fic deeply, deeply unhappy but I really liked Thomas' character development arc here. I think it's very true to the canon character. He worked hard for his happy ending in this story.
There are a lot of OCs in this story but they're all fantastic. The world-building is amazing too. I particularly like that the language of the Sentinel/Guide fandom are Victorian-ized ("zone out" becomes "enthralled") and the choices to downplay the soulbond concept and ignore the spirit animal aspect were really good and work well with Downton Abbey world and tone.
One thing I should mention - Lord Grantham is bashed in this fic for a couple of scenes. I don't think it's a detriment to the fic, or necessarily so unreasonable as presented, but if you're a big fan of the character then you might find it unfortunate.
Thomas and the Society of Sentinels (on AO3) and sequel Pack Up Your Troubles: Guide Thomas At DowntonNo with cover art: