Sold Down the River IS SO GOOD. I love that Hannibal's opium addiction saves the day! I love Shaw's using Greek myths to set up a signal system! I love everyone getting to escape! I love Ben quoting Dante while literally running through fire! I love Ben basically getting so upset when he thinks Hannibal is dead! (I really want post-Sold Down the River h/c fic, where Ben's like "I thought you were dead!!" and Hannibal's like "No, I thought you were dead!!" and then there is hugging.) I loooove Ben finding out about his father so much. You are right, every one does need hugs in this book.

The Eagle of the Ninth is really fun! I'm not incredibly fannish about it, but it does have a lot of good fic.