Through a long-forgotten mirror buried deep within Starswirl the Bearded's laboratory lies the equine kingdom of Hevosenvalta. There, the unicorn medical mare Silver Scalpel has just received an honorable discharge from Her Majesty's cavalry due to injuries she sustained on the frontier. She finds herself at loose ends in the capital city of Ehwazton until a chance encounter with the aardhorse detective Currycombs changes both their lives forever.
The cover art was commissioned from Wilvarin-Liadon, and the first chapter, "A Study in Sorrel," was originally published in NonBinary Review #9, Spring 2016. But the rest of the stories are all new to the site here.
Chapters (9)
Did I mention:
That they're kinda Homes and Watson? 'Cause they're kinda Holmes and Watson...
Mike
Oh gee - I never would have noticed.... snicker. Anyway, this looks like fun, please carry on,
Do you know if Wilvarin-Liadon does requests?
And I can just see Currycombs saying, "Stay put, you bleeding stupid bugger, or I'll have to beat your head in and drag you to the police to clear your name of the murder!"
Good job filing off those serial numbers!
Not half as annoying to read as I'd imagined that sort of thing would be.
Will the real Equestria make an appearance?
Also kinda want to read a 15,000-word flashback telling the harrowing story of Violet Peony's parents among the Maremons -- but the description seems to suggest we won't be getting that?
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Thanks!
I've got the next two "cases" mostly finished, and I'd like to have the fourth one done by Feb. 1st. So look for the next one here by, oh, let's say Jan. 16th.
"Maremons" is such a fine word that I might have to bring Peony and Springs back into things in a later chapter just so I can use it. I do have rough plans for Currycombs and Scalpel to pop briefly through the mirror at the end of the whole Casebook, but I've got to get stuff set up first.
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Her commission info is here. She's just moved to Russia to live with her boyfriend, so she says she might be a little slow getting artwork out till she can get herself situated, but if you don't mind waiting, it looks like she's taking orders.
Mike
Nice! Sherlock Holmes and ponies seem to go together very well indeed. It'll be interesting to see what Currycombs & Scalpel will tackle next.
A bit of linguistic nitpickery: you're using "Hevonenvalta" in analogue to "Pferdreich", aren't you? It looks unnatural to a Finnish reader, though; "Hevosenvalta" ("Realm of Horse") or "Hevosvalta" ("Equine Realm") would be more correct.
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You do know that there was a contemporanous Holmes-Watson knockoff, with female characters, right? Loveday Brooke and Amelia Butterworth.
thriftytexan.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Mrs.-Butterworths-Syrup.png
No relation
It was by
Baroness Orczy, who wroteThe Scarlet Pimpernel. Anna Katherine Green. Orczy wrote the Lady Molly of Scotland Yard mysteries.Incidentally, it was the Baker Street Irregulars who first used the term "canon" to refer to the original body of works on which a fandom is based.
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Hevosenvalta:
It shall therefore be! One of the hazards of using Google as a linguistic source is that it gives you information that's mostly accurate... Thanks!
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One of my sister's:
Prize possessions is a tattered collection of the Baroness's "Old Man in the Corner" mysteries, but I haven't heard of Anna Green's books till right now. More source material to investigate!
Still vaciliatiing, though, as to whether I'll use the phrase, "Come, Scalpel! The game's ahoof!" at any point...
Mike
That was fun, can't wait to see more of this.
Great cover art, too.
Two in a row, solving crimes that are not actually crimes. Amazing work.
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Thanks, folks!
My plan is to approach the whole "crime solving" concept from an odd angle, so we'll see how that works out...
Mike
'Tis a pity one of the queens had to be black (or blue?) rather than red.
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Hmm, I can't speak for Equestria (or Hevosenvalta), but around here false allegations (with intent for an innocent to be convicted) are actually a crime, and a pretty serious one at that.
7881138 Ah, but the prime minister is the one who called for the investigation, even after being told by Queen Nimbus to not worry about it.
"Investigator?" Her Majesty smiled and shook her head. "Derailleur, I told you there was no need to worry."
It can easily be excused as ignorance of the complete situation on his behalf. An ignorance which will continue for the rest of his life. Currycombs and Scalpel are quite lucky Queen Nimbus did not simply order "Off with their heads!" in order to keep the Royal Secret perfectly safe.
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I was talking about the first case. There false allegations were definitely made, which crime was subsequently solved by Currycombs.
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There will definitely be:
Complications arising from that first case--like I said, I've gotta bring those characters back so I can use Tropo's word "Maremons". I'm thinking that'll be in chapter 5...
Mike
>>AugieDog
Whats with the finnish name? It feels out of place...
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I thought it'd be fun:
To use root words from non-Romance languages for some of the names. It's an alternate universe, after all!
Mike
Looks like:
Maybe two chapters a month.
Mike
Sometimes those things hardest to see hit with the most force.
Serendipity, that this story features a young orphan pony with an unappreciated talent who has several failed palacement attempts, and ends happily, when I'm going to start publishing tomorrow a story about a young orphan pony with an unappreciated talent who has several failed....
I think we're setting an Annie trend.
I can't tell you how excited I was to see this chapter go up, just a few hours after I'd read the first two! This story is terribly addicting. I'm quite fond of our newest friend, dear Anisette. Of course Currycombs has those same faults as Holmes was known to have, but at the same time is a pleasure to read about, and I find myself enjoying her moments immensely. I enjoy your interpretation of Watson as Silver Scalpel as well; she's a glorious viewpoint character and there isn't any hint of a lacking in her intelligence the way so many ...I suppose "Holmes-inspired stories" is a bit grand for the tales I'm thinking of; perhaps "Holmes knock-offs" would better suit? Not that this story falls in any way into the second category, but I did go in braced to wince at some of Silver Scalpel's clueless remarks, and I'm happy to say that hasn't been the case. She doesn't register as slow; Currycombs just registers as a genius, especially in deduction, which admittedly seems to fit a great deal of (to me) unexpected situations. I am very fond of Silver Scalpel
I eagerly await more!
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Y'know:
I've never thought about the hidden connections between Anne of Green Gables and Little Orphan Annie. So very mysterious!
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Thanks!
I've always been much more of a Watson than a Holmes, so I find I'm really enjoying writing a character of that sort. About the only thing I enjoyed in the two or three episodes I forced myself to watch of the modern BBC version of "Sherlock" was Martin Freeman's portrayal of Watson, now that I think about it...
Mike
I must confess to feeling somewhat disoriented by the word "heresy" here. Usually heresy means straying from the established dogma of an organized religion (it needs to be organized in order to maintain a body of well-defined teachings that one can meaningfully deviate from short of rejecting it entirely). But here the ponies that accuse others of "heresy" seem to follow folk beliefs, half-remembered from earlier times and disapproved of by organized society. Even more confusingly, simply the state of having no cutie mark as an adult is described as being heretical, even though it's not the kind of chosen belief that the word "heresy" otherwise describes.
So this is interesting! And (considering the intelligently thought-out spiritual worldbuilding in this author's other work) probably deliberately so. I hope we'll hear more about this later.
One possibility here is of course that Scalpel's grasp of the situation is not quite as full and objective as she thinks -- she and Currycombs seem to be suspiciously quick to denounce "tribalism", and even though the tribalists in this chapter don't make a particularly splendid showing, I get the feeling they don't exactly have a monopoly on prejudice.
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Speaking of Holmes-inspired TV shows, have you ever seen the (I believe it's American) show "Elementary"? I haven't watched much recently, but I liked the show quite a bit when I did watch it. It's set in New York City and follows the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Joan Watson (yes, she's female!) Because Wikipedia sums it up so well, let me quote their article:
"The show follows Holmes, a recovering drug addict and former consultant to Scotland Yard, as he assists the New York City Police Department in solving crimes. His indifference to police procedure often leads to conflict with Captain Thomas Gregson (Aidan Quinn), although the two still remain mutually respectful of one another. He is accompanied by Dr. Joan Watson, who initially acts as his sober companion. She is a former surgeon and was hired by Sherlock's father to help him in his rehabilitation. They eventually begin to work together on his cases, and she becomes Holmes' apprentice. "
Interesting premise, hmm? It's an interesting take on Holmes and Watson both, if nothing else.
Chapter Five:
Sometime in mid-March maybe?
Mike
Hum... the calling card of the Moriarty of this story, I suppose...
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That would be a wonderful treat! This chapter was excellent!
Now that is a really interesting reinterpretation of Celestia and Luna. I like it.
Achievement unlocked: Nemesis.
Whoops. Not really very pleasant at all.
Oooo, looks like we have a nemesis.
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Thanks, folks!
Nemesis? Or potential romance? Though I guess they're kinda the same thing, really...
Mike
7967686 All of the best romances have a little of each in them, a dance of violence and wits, like Daring Do and... (ahem).
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I seem to recall:
My bunny-eared alter ego exploring that very subject at some point...
Mike
(Not like I've been clicking the story every five minutes since the last update... No, that would be stalking.)
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There's nothing wrong:
With a little stalking in a detective story. I mean, they wouldn't call it a deerstalker hat otherwise...
Mike
Another excellent chapter!
"I clambering after" should of course be "I clambered after".
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Thanks!
I always have trouble with clams...
Mike
I love this story
Wonderful chapter! I started reading this months ago, no idea why I've only just now added it to my favorites.
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Thanks, folks!
I seem to be unwisely working on three different stories simultaneously right now--this one, one on my Baal Bunny account, and one that's not related to Pony at all. But I'm determined to see them all through to the end!
Mike
This is a Sherlock Holmes story through and through.
Bravo. I'd like to thank your presentation at BC, otherwise I wouldn't have know that this amazing story existed.
I've only read the first chapter, but if the rest is a s good as this, i know ill love it.
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Here's hoping!
I've got a Nightmare Night story I want to finish before the end of October, then I'll be back to this one for the last couple chapters.
Mike
Looks like a reference to Pleasantville to me. An excellent movie either way.
Wait, wasn't his eigensigil a lump of dough last chapter?
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It's like:
In the original Holmes stories. Sometimes Watson's war wound is in the leg and sometimes in the shoulder. Sometimes Watson's married and sometimes he's not. Sometimes his first name's "John" and sometimes it's "James"...
Mike
This is fantastic! I'm very glad you posted that blog; otherwise I might have spent even longer without reading this. It's a fascinating averaging of Equestria and Holmes's London, and I eagerly look forward to more of it. Especially if and when I find out what that Equestria Girls tag is doing there. (Plus, you made Sherlock Holmes a red and black OC, which is hilarious on multiple levels.)
My hope:
Is to wrap this whole storyline up in two more chapters by the end of summer. So let's see what happens!
Mike
Omg all tingly now!