merlinficlibrary

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Two Can Play This Game by lordvoldemortsnipple

Title: Two Can Play This Game

Author: lordvoldemortsnipple (@lordvoldemortsnipple​)

Rating: General Audiences

Pairing/Character Focus: Merlin/Arthur

Word Count: 6,666 (omg 👹)

Author’s Summary: Arthur knows the fae are tricky and dangerous, still he has no choice but to accept their challenges.

(Or: 5 times Arthur doesn't know if he's being insulted or not.)

My thoughts behind the cut...

My Comments: This fic was so much fun.  It’s a canon era AU, so Arthur and Merlin meet in a different way but Arthur is still prince of Camelot.  It’s hard to say why I enjoyed it without spoiling things, but here’s a quick rundown:

1. FAE! I loved the role of the fae here and Merlin’s whole identity.  (I am trying SO HARD not to spoil. 🤐)

2. Merlin is HILARIOUS in this fic and so in character even in the ridiculous situations of this fic.  I love every single game he and Arthur play, and I also love his reaction to who wins every single time.  (I’m trying to be vague here but I just wanna spill my guts with all the details if I’m honest)

3. I love how Merlin’s relationship with each of the characters in this fic develops and is shown really clearly even though in some cases, like with Gaius, the relationship development is off-screen.  It’s really clever how even though we don’t see them meet each other or hear their exact dialogue, we can clearly infer what happened/Merlin’s feelings/etc. (again, don’t want to spoil and it’s so hard.)  I also love the development of his relationship with Arthur.

I could list more but I will stop there and just say this is so cute and if you haven’t read it, you’re missing out!

Go read Two Can Play This Game on AO3

[merlinficlibrary]

Home is a Heartbeat by FervidAsAFlame

Title: Home is a Heartbeat

Author: FervidAsAFlame (@fervidasaflame)

Pairing/Character Focus: Merlin/Arthur; Merlin/others 

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 48,238

Author’s Summary: The waiting was hard, of course. But it wasn't the hardest part.

The hardest part was how everything kept changing. Everything was fast and slow; each life a small story that played out across the long messy scrawl of time.

And Arthur sleeps, missing it all -- so Merlin is determined to take in as much as he can. Over the centuries he forges on through terror and triumph, loneliness and love -- sometimes helping and sometimes hurting, but always striving with every passing life to be closer to the man he wants to be when Arthur finally returns to him.

My thoughts behind the cut...

My Comments: I don’t even know where to start with this fic.  It’s legit one of my favorite fics I’ve ever read in any fandom, for SO MANY REASONS!

So, first of all, this is a post-canon fic that follows Merlin from the time immediately after Arthur’s death to Arthur’s return, and it blew me away.  This fic is clearly written with love and attention to detail; we see Merlin experience many different people and places and events, and ALL of them are crafted carefully to be real, round, important characters/events.  

Many times in fics, original characters are clearly there for one purpose alone (ie, the abusive visiting noble trope) and there’s no depth to them, or they lack any real substance, but every person and place in this fic feels just as real (or more so!) as the characters we already know, and that attention to detail and world-making makes this fic beautifully vivid and real.  But most importantly, every single one of the original characters and places we experience during the course of this fic has an important role to play in the story; no scene is superfluous, and the plot and character growth is masterfully crafted so that every word you read has a purpose in telling this gorgeous, heartfelt story.   

We see glimpses of Merlin’s life in many different eras, but somehow, even as we see Merlin grow and change and experience the world without Arthur, it still ties back to Arthur in the end, You might have seen Merlin/others in the pairing section of this, but there is never any point in this story where it is not clearly an epic romance between Merlin and Arthur.  

Did I mention how well written it is?!  It’s a joy to read.  Merlin’s emotions are so real and so relatable, and I absolutely love the constant pull of Arthur in this fic.  I love seeing Merlin’s fluctuations between being part of society and keeping himself apart, and seeing the author’s take on how being immortal would impact him.  Many fics tend to forget how even though Merlin is one of the most emotional characters on the show, and someone who is not afraid to show his emotions when he is grieving or going through something terrible, he still has an underlying resilience that always manages to keep him going and buoy him.  This author doesn’t forget that, and while Merlin definitely has his fair share of bad experiences/emotional times in this fic, he also has that spark that keeps him Merlin, that strength and emotional fortitude that allows him to eventually move through his pain.

Also, I’ve read SO many “Arthur returns” fics, and I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I really loved @fervidasaflame‘s take on how Arthur comes back.  I also love Merlin’s whole journey of understanding and accepting his sexuality - again, I don’t want to give spoilers, but the moment in this story when Merlin understands his sexuality really stood out to me as so real and relatable and still SO MERLIN.

Ugh I could go on for forever about how much I loved this fic but I will cut myself off.  Please go read it.  It is SUCH A TREAT.  We are so lucky to have this fic in this fandom.  I love this Merlin, I love this world, I love all of the original characters... I am obsessed!!

Go read Home is a Heartbeat on AO3

[merlinficlibrary]

For the Love of... Camelot by AngstandPizzaRolls

Title: For the Love of... Camelot

Author: AngstandPizzaRolls

Pairing/Character Focus: Merlin/Arthur

Rating: Teen and Up

Word Count: 22,966

Author’s Summary: Arthur was just waiting for his manservant to crack, to show some measure of disloyalty but, besides the occasional grumbling and his inability to address Arthur with the proper title, he was…not a model servant because he was still crap, but he was just as good as he had always been. Arthur wondered how long it would take his magic to corrupt him.

or, in which Arthur finds out about Merlin's magic in his battle against Cornelius Sigan in s02e01 and has to come to terms with the fact that Merlin is a sorcerer.

My thoughts behind the cut...

My Comments: I really like the premise of this fic, which is that Arthur was awake during the Cornelius Sigan battle and overhears that Merlin has magic and would rather be Arthur’s servant than take over Camelot with Sigan.  Then, Arthur mulls on that for a while, and eventually, this fic turns into a kind of alternate season 2 in which the events of canon happen, but some of the more pivotal moments happen differently.  I don’t want to spoil, so I don’t want to say which of those pivotal moments change, but it kind of turns season 2 into an “everyone has a happy ending” season.

There’s a lot of retelling of things that happen in episodes with dialogue straight from the show, which is not always my cup of tea - no shade to the author, that’s just not what I prefer to read - but the author had an interesting take on how things could’ve played out differently that made me want to keep reading despite that to see how they would resolve everything.  

Go read For the Love of... Camelot on AO3

[merlinficlibrary]

For the Weary by lady_ragnell

Title: For the Weary

Author: lady_ragnell

Pairing/Character Focus: Merlin/Arthur

Rating: General Audiences

Word Count: 4,926

Author’s Summary: When Arthur becomes King, Merlin overworks himself.

My thoughts behind the cut...

My Comments: This story builds on the overarching theme of the whole show, which is, MERLIN NEEDS A BREAK!!! Honestly, he does so much more than any other servant on top of saving Camelot every two seconds... give him a break!

So in this fic, he is court sorceror to Arthur, so Arthur Knows, but Arthur is still oblivious to Merlin in the ways that count because he doesn’t notice that Merlin’s been working himself into the ground until it’s too late.  I like how Arthur takes care of Merlin in this fic, and I also loved how their relationship blooms.  

(Also, I’m being ambitious and starting an overworked!Merlin tag because I know I’ve read a million fics where he is exhausted and no one notices until he is suddenly sick and everyone takes care of him, which tbh is a trope I love, but hopefully I find those fics to add them to the tag... cross your fingers)

Go read For the Weary on AO3

[merlinficlibrary]

Love That Was in Here by arthur_pendragon

Title: Love That Was in Here

Author: arthur_pendragon

Pairing/Character Focus: Merlin/Arthur

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 5,429

Author’s Summary: Arthur is not accustomed to hearing the lustful moans of a couple in passionate embrace in the castle unless he is one of the two; he is especially unused to hearing Merlin let out such sounds, so that he is undoubtedly hearing Merlin sigh, “Oh, please,” in that wanton tone makes his heart clench anxiously and him quicken his footsteps towards the sound.

(Alternatively, the one where Arthur tries to reconcile being jealous and selfless at the same time, Merlin tries to fix an imagined fuck-up, and Gwaine just is an A+ friend to both of them.)

My thoughts behind the cut...

My Comments: Okay so full disclosure: I hate when Merlin/Gwaine is just a vehicle for merthur, so I avoided reading this fic for ages because I assumed that’s what it was even though I generally really like what this author writes.  BUT, I finally read this fic and I loved it!  Yes, there is Merlin/Gwaine, but it’s not the kind where Gwaine is desperately in love with Merlin and takes what he can get even though it’s not what he deserves and Merlin is like just using him and crying about how much he loves Arthur while Gwaine pretends it doesn’t bother him - this fic doesn’t do that, and I loved it, and I loved Gwaine’s role in this.  I think it fit what we know of his character really well.

I also love seeing Arthur jealous, which was a treat in this fic.  Plus, I feel like Arthur has this whole idea that he knows Merlin, but he knows Merlin as he chooses to see him - which is a servant with not much identity outside of his time with Arthur.  So, I love in fics when Arthur sees an unexpected side of Merlin and has a whole like “!!!!” moment as his entire concept of who Merlin is changes radically.  (Obviously, that happens a lot in magic reveal fics, but it’s even better when it’s in more subtle character trait ways, like the fact that Merlin would have a sexual/romantic life.)

Anyway, enough of my tangents.  This fic was well written and fun to read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  A note on the tags - I’m tagging this Merlin/Gwaine, since that technically exists in this fic, but if you’re looking for a proper Merlin/Gwaine fic where they live happily ever after, this is not your jam.

Go read Love That Was in Here on AO3

[merlinficlibrary]

A Growing Suspicion by nsowlwrites97

Title: A Growing Suspicion

Author: nsowlwrites97

Pairing/Character Focus: gen

Rating: Teen and Up

Word Count: 3,897

Author’s Summary: A one shot in which Arthur begins to notice that Merlin has some special skills.

My thoughts behind the cut...

My Comments: I love when Arthur starts to figure out that Merlin has magic... it’s such a different take on the magic reveal when Arthur has time to process it before he talks to Merlin about it.  This is one of those fics, and it was a quick, well-characterized, enjoyable read.

Go read A Growing Suspicion on AO3

[merlinficlibrary]

Decisions by nsowlwrites97

Title: Decisions

Author: nsowlwrites97

Pairing/Character Focus: Gen

Rating: General Audiences

Word Count: 7,627

Author’s Summary: It started with a secret.

My thoughts behind the cut...

My Comments: This is the kind of comforting magic reveal fic I love to read.  There’s tension, of course, but there’s also understanding and reconciliation and friendship, and it isn’t just Merlin groveling while Arthur blusters indignantly (although we all love an indignantly blustering Arthur, right?).  I love Gwaine and Gaius in this, and I love that Arthur is actually thoughtful and caring (that’s not to say there is no tension when Merlin makes his reveal, though!), and I love how in character Merlin is.  But I especially love that Arthur shows character growth, and he shows that side of him that is willing to hear others and change and grow, like we often saw him show with Gwen (like when he stayed in her house in the William of Deira episode), but that we don’t often see him show with Merlin.

I also really liked the format of this fic.  The author had a little “It started with...” pattern going on that came to a really satisfying conclusion in the very last line.  I don’t want to describe it further than that for fear of spoilers, but it’s a satisfying read with clever writing.  Overall, this fic was a treat!

Go read Decisions on AO3

[merlinficlibrary]

To Kill a Nightmare by N16

Title: To Kill a Nightmare (series)

Author: N16

Pairing/Character Focus: gen

Rating: Teen and Up

Word Count: 45,359

Author’s Summary: Will Arthur ever be able to forgive Merlin for the lies he told? With a creature of dark magic threatening Camelot, does he even have a choice?

My thoughts behind the cut...

My Comments: Okay so this fic starts with a magic reveal, and Arthur is kind of a jerk about it.  I feel like I should warn about part of his reaction, but don’t want to give spoilers, which is a tricky spot to be in, so I just won’t give a warning.  That being said, I don’t mind reading fics where someone reacts badly to Merlin’s magic, as long as there is some kind of reconciliation, and this fic definitely has that.

And actually, even though Arthur’s reaction is kind of extreme, I think it’s well written and well explained, and I love Merlin’s reactions to Arthur in it.  Then, there is a quest and an interesting magical enemy they have to defeat.  I love the friendship between Arthur and Merlin in this, and I think they are both very well characterized.  The knights are great, too.

There is a second fic in the series that I LOVE, that deals a lot with how hard it would be for Merlin to adjust to living openly - Arthur gets mad at him for keeping injuries secret, but Merlin doesn’t think he’s done anything wrong because it’s so much his norm to just carry on with day to day life while injured and ignore it.  I loved loved loved that fic - it’s so real.  The third fic is great, too.  

All in all, this series is well-characterized, presents a new and interesting magical villain, has lots of interesting magical details, and was a joy to read.  

Go read To Kill a Nightmare on AO3

[merlinficlibrary]

Intension by Ryne

Title: Intension

Author: Ryne

Pairing/Character Focus: Gen

Rating: General Audiences

Word Count: 2,486

Author’s Summary: "Sometimes I feel the weight of my destiny crushing me." And never more so than after talking to the druids, who may understand about his magic, but still do not understand Merlin any more than the rest of the world.

My thoughts behind the cut...

My Comments: This fic explores the angsty side of destiny as well as Merlin’s relationship with the druids.  I always wished he would have more interactions with them on-screen, and this fic gives us the chance to see the author’s take on what that might look like.

I think Merlin, as a character, generally shows a lot of resilience and a strong capability to handle whatever destiny throws at him rather than succumb to the weight of it, but on the other hand, there is no one he can go to about how hard it is who truly understands, and so we never get to see him succumb.  This fic was an interesting take on how Merlin is different even from those with magic, and how he is kind of doomed to be lonely/different from everyone whether he’s amongst druids or non-magical people of Camelot - and it does show him succumb to that weight a little bit.

Personally, I like to read fics that explore that loneliness and then show how he moves past it and connects with Arthur and the knights after a magic reveal and gets to be who he is and is loved and accepted by everyone, but that happy ending doesn’t come without the angst of him being isolated first.  This fic explores a different side of that isolation, and even though there isn’t that nice happy resolution I love to read, it’s still an interesting fic worth reading.

Also - I love fics with druids.  Just saying.

Go read Intension on AO3

[merlinficlibrary]

The One Who Saw by Fulgance

Title: The One Who Saw

Author: Fulgance

Pairing/Character Focus: Gen, Merlin/Gwaine friendship

Rating: General Audiences

Word Count: 2,422

Author’s Summary: It had been a gift, a taste of joy and freedom to have someone other than Gaius aware and accepting of his magic. In losing Lancelot, Merlin had lost the closest friend he had in Camelot. (One-shot.)

My thoughts behind the cut..

My Comments: I have mentioned before that I’m borderline obsessed with Merlin and Lancelot’s friendship, and this story is a great exploration of Merlin’s grief after Lancelot’s death.  Also, I love the way his magic reveal happens... I don’t want to give any spoilers, but it definitely fits in with my headcanons about Gwaine.

This is a great little fic, and it’s part of a larger series of unrelated one-shots that deal with different ways Merlin’s magic could be revealed.  Most of them are great - some are a little dark for me, but overall, I recommend the whole series.  This fic stood out to me, though, because of the focus on Merlin’s grief.

Go read The One Who Saw on AO3

[merlinficlibrary]

Creature of Magic by N16

Title: Creature of Magic

Author: N16

Pairing/Character Focus: gen, great Merlin/Lancelot friendship

Rating: Teen and Up

Word Count: 73,257

Author’s Summary: Two prophecies speak of the coming of Emrys. One says he will be the king’s protector, his greatest friend and ally. The other says he will abandon Arthur in his hour of need. Now Merlin and Arthur both have to come to terms with who – and what – Merlin truly is, and what it means to be two sides of the same coin.

My thoughts behind the cut...

My Comments: Okay, I am such a sucker for fics where Arthur finds out that Emrys exists and tries to find out who he is and meanwhile Merlin is like low-key (okay high-key) panicking while everyone discusses Emrys in front of him and he has to act like he has no idea what’s going on.  This is one of those fics, and on top of that, it’s got some really cool/unique magic details in the form of some original baddies that are complicated and well thought-out.

I have to say, though, my favorite part of this fic is LANCELOT! I love Lancelot, and I especially love his friendship with Merlin, and how he really sees Merlin for who he is and thinks so highly of him.  This fic has a lot of that going on, which was one of my favorite parts.  Even though it’s not the main focus of this story, tI’m tagging this as Merlin/Lancelot friendship, because we all need more of Lancelot being the friend Merlin needs in our lives and I’m hoping to fill up that category soon!

This fic is well-written and interesting, with lots of unique plot points that pulled me in right away.  

Go read Creature of Magic on AO3

[merlinficlibrary]

let this road be mine series by ariadne_odair

Title: let this road be mine (series)

Author: ariadne_odair

Pairing/Character Focus: Merlin/Arthur

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 226,862 (the first 221K of that is the main fic of the series, “so close and i’m halfway to it”)

Author’s Summary: Merlin swears he doesn’t go looking for trouble, but it seems to follow him around regardless. After being ambushed by a group of bandits, it’s up to Arthur and Merlin to rescue the rest of the knights. Of course this involves journeying through a forest full of magical creatures- because nothing in Merlin’s life is ever easy.

That would be more than enough for Merlin to deal with, but nights alone in the wilderness and escaping death every five minutes, have a funny way of bringing two people together. Merlin doesn’t want to reveal his true feelings to Arthur, but then he never wanted to reveal his magic to anyone, either.

And look how that turned out.

It's a lot easier to manage Merlin's secrets between them when they're surrounded by nothing but trees. But Arthur and Merlin will have to return to Camelot eventually. Merlin's destiny might just be closer than he thinks.

My thoughts behind the cut...

My Comments: I LOVE this fic.  I joined Merlin fandom reallllllly late - I just watched the show for the first time (and got hooked) this past July.  I stumbled upon this fic as it was being written, and I always looked forward to getting a notification for a new chapter while it was being posted! 

The thing I love about this fic is that it’s a long, soft, slow-burn romance, with a big emphasis on the romance.  I find myself reading a lot of gen fics lately simply because there are a lot of them out there, but it’s really the romance that I love.  There aren’t a lot of fics in Merlin fandom that feel as soft as this one does.  I love seeing Merlin and Arthur being emotionally open and loving with each other - it’s a rare treat.

Ariadne_odair is an amazing writer who clearly takes letting Merlin and Arthur be happy and in love seriously, and I am really grateful for that because the world needs more Merlin and Arthur in love.  In this fic, their romance is well-written and a joy to read.  Their characters are true to their canon selves, but there is also a freedom in their characterization that allows them to do things we wouldn’t think they’d do on screen - such as Merlin sitting in Arthur’s lap, or Merlin and Arthur taking care of each other emotionally - and while those aren’t things we’d imagine them doing when we think of canon, the story is so well-written that it all works and makes perfect sense and is SO BEAUTIFUL!  

AND what a treat that this is such a long fic!  It’s well-written, absorbing, romantic, emotional, and comforting.  If you haven’t read it yet, you’re missing out!  (And a side note - this is the first merthur fic rec I’ve posted - but there will be many, many more - and it feels really fitting that it’s one of my favorites!)

I promise you, this fic is amazing and will suck you right in as soon as you start reading.  (In fact, writing this rec makes me want to go read it all over again... and I just might!)  

Go read let this road be mine on AO3

[merlinficlibrary]

The Last Secret by Jadesfire

Title: The Last Secret

Author: Jadesfire

Pairing/Character Focus: Gen

Rating: Teen and Up

Word Count: 50,680

Author’s Summary: All confidence which is not absolute and entire, is dangerous. There are few occasions but where a man ought either to say all, or conceal all; for, how little so ever you have revealed of your secret to a friend, you have already said too much if you think it not safe to make him privy to all particulars. Francis Beaumont

Merlin has rescued Arthur from Camelot before it fell to Morgana, but when he is forced to reveal one secret, the others come tumbling out as well. Balancing his responsibilities as dragonlord, sorcerer and king’s manservant has never been easy, but doing it all at the same time is going to take a lot of work.

And there is always one more secret to be told.

My thoughts behind the cut...

My Comments: This story diverges from canon during the season 4 finale, while Merlin is taking a will-less Arthur out of Camelot.  The twist happens when they stumble upon Tristan and Isolde’s smuggler gang; the smugglers are trying to capture/harm a dragon (Aithusa).  While Arthur is out of it, Merlin ends up revealing himself as a dragonlord to save Aithusa, but Arthur doesn’t know or care since he has no will.... until he wakes up from the spell and Merlin has a lot of explaining to do.

This fic is really unique in terms of the relationships that Merlin has with Kilgharrah and Aithusa, and in how the magic reveal happens.  I also like that Arthur has a kind of complex reaction to the reveal (no spoilers, don’t worry) - so many fics have such predictable reveal moments that they can start to get old, but this one feels fresh and different.  I also like that this fic lets us imagine how the finale could have gone if Arthur and Merlin had worked together and Merlin hadn’t had to hide his magic.  

This fic is part of a series, but I didn’t read the later works because the author’s note for the next fic made me think it might not have a happy ending, and I just cannot take fics that end miserably - we have canon for that!!

Read The Last Secret on AO3

[merlinficlibrary]

When the Nights are too Quiet by mollrach13

Title: When the Nights are too Quiet

Author: mollrach13

Pairing/Character Focus: gen, Merlin character study

Rating: General Audiences

Word Count: 1,231

Author’s Summary: 'It was times like this that he missed people the most; Balinor, Will, Lancelot... Freya. And he hated it because his loneliness tainted his grief for them - He missed the idea of them more than the people themselves'

My thoughts behind the cut...

My Comments: This is one of my absolute favorite fics.  It’s short, but it’s packed to the brim with emotional intelligence.  It’s such a real and vivid description of what it’s like to be lonely.  I think in the later seasons of Merlin, it’s really clear how much keeping his secret keeps him apart from others, and how much others’ lives move on in directions that don’t include him because he cannot include them in his.  I think that’s part of what draws me to Merlin (both the show and the character) - it’s such a parallel to the experience of growing up queer that it’s a really relatable feeling to me.

I think this author does a breathtakingly beautiful job of describing that feeling.  This fic is beautiful even though it’s short, and it makes me want to just give Merlin the hug he needs and deserves.  I can’t recommend this fic enough.  I honestly don’t even bother reading fics this short most of the time, but I’m SO glad I made an exception for this one.  It’s such a gem.

Go read When the Nights are too Quiet on AO3

[merlinficlibrary]

Bobbing Along on the River of Destiny by Talis_Borne

Title: Bobbing Along on the River of Destiny

Author: Talis_Borne

Pairing/Character Focus: gen

Rating: Teen and Up

Word Count: 28,118

Author’s Summary: Arthur’s been sent to negotiate a trade treaty with Ergyng, a kingdom where magic is perfectly legal. He’s been on diplomatic missions before, but never one that made him feel like he’d made a wrong turn and left reality behind. With Uther desperate enough to even consider such a treaty, much less send his son into a kingdom where sorcery is openly practiced, their Queen could ask for anything vaguely reasonable and Arthur would have to grant it. So why is she only interested in Merlin?

My thoughts behind the cut...

My Comments: So, this fic has a lot of interesting and unique things going on - namely, a reveal of Emrys in a totally non-reveal way... I don’t want to say more and give anything away, though, and I’m aware that sentence probably doesn’t make sense if you haven’t read the fic.

Anyway, this story has a villain of the week feel, even though the “villain” (the Queen of Ergyng) is more of just a regular antagonist/foil type character rather than like a baddie with a vengeance and a chip on her shoulder, but it has that whole feel of tackling an obstacle where Arthur sees one side and Merlin sees another.  It feels like it could be an episode, which is why I’m tagging it villain of the week even though it’s a little different than most in that category.

I liked the secret magic moments Merlin has in this, and I love the whole “Merlin connecting to others with magic in secret” thing that I wish we saw more of in the show.  This fic has a very canon-esque feeling going on, and an interesting/unique premise.

Read Bobbing Along the River of Destiny on AO3

[merlinficlibrary]

Peace for Our Time by angrypurplefire

Title: Peace for Our Time

Author: angrypurplefire

Pairing/Character Focus: gen (although I think there might be some Merlin/Mithian towards the end; I don’t really read non-canon het pairings, but this was inconsequential so don’t let that keep you from reading this!)

Rating: Teen and Up

Word Count: 91,060

Author’s Summary: Merlin froze for several seconds before squinting at Arthur across the table. “I feel like I’m definitely misunderstanding the situation here.”

Arthur sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “I really don’t think you are.”

“You want me to learn magic?”

My thoughts behind the cut...

My Comments: I love a good BAMF!Merlin magic reveal fic, and I especially love when the magic reveal is interesting and unique.  This is a fun twist on that, with Arthur coming up with the idea of asking Merlin to learn magic so they have a chance in fighting against it.  (It makes sense when you read the story, I promise.)

The characterization in this story was solid all around, and it is well-written and engrossing.  The plot is interesting, and I loved watching Merlin navigate making it look like he was just starting to learn magic for Arthur.  I don’t want to say too much and give anything away, but this is a really unique twist on the magic reveal trope, which made for more interesting reactions from Arthur and more interesting problems and plotlines all around.  

It does have a little bit of “episode re-write” going on, meaning that there are chapters of the story that borrow events from the actual series (hence Mithian’s involvement in the story - the episode where Morgana is disguised as Hilda is one of the episodes written into this story).  I tend to hate fics that just recycle entire episodes, because it gets boring to me to just read what feels like a transcript of the episode, but this fic handles it well and uses show dialogue sparingly, so it doesn’t get boring.  It is NOT a season rewrite - just features plot points here and there in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming.  (But because of that, I will tag this alternate canon, since it’s an alternate retelling of canon events, at times.)

All in all, this fic is interesting and unique and definitely captured my interest!

Go read Peace for Our Time by angrypurplefire on AO3

[merlinficlibrary]

The Five Kingdoms by winterhill

Title: The Five Kingdoms

Author: winterhill

Pairing/Character Focus: Merlin/Gwaine, focus on Gwaine’s character

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 81,416

Author’s Summary: It was meant to be a solo quest — Merlin struggling to find ingredients for a spell to save King Arthur’s life — until Gwaine was sent to check on him and decided to stay. Now he’ll follow Merlin to the four kingdoms of the elements and back to the mortal realm, meet his own destiny at the Green Chapel, and become the willing champion of the most powerful sorcerer to ever live.

My thoughts behind the cut...

My Comments: I came across this fic a handful of times and for whatever reason, I never read it; I’d leave the tab open for ages and finally realize I had no intention of reading it and close the tab, only to come across it in someone’s bookmarks a while later and do the same thing all over again, until finally, I read it the other day - and I realized how ridiculous it was that I hadn’t read it sooner!

I think that because the fic starts out by jumping right in with unfamiliar places and plotlines, it has a kind of AU feel that kept making me think I’d missed something when I first tried to read this fic - but really, that’s not the case; it just doesn’t start out in Camelot, and it has so many unfamiliar and unique plot points happening that not everything is familiar in the beginning.  Once I started reading and got past the fact that I had a lot of questions, it was a great fic, and eventually, all of those questions are answered.

What makes this fic stand out to me is the characterization of Gwaine.  I find Gwaine’s character really interesting, and there are a lot of similarities between him and Merlin in the series, imo.  Both of them have a cheerful exterior and come off as borderline foolish at times, but both of them have something much more substantial underneath, even if that “something substantial” is different for each of them.  This fic really highlights that, and it also really explores Gwaine’s background, and how his tendency to jump from place to place both comes from and creates a sense of insecurity/instability that prevents him from believing that he can connect to others.  

Aside from the amazing characterization, this fic has tons of really cool magical details.  Merlin and Gwaine, who is his champion in this fic (which I LOVE!!), go to various magical kingdoms that represent the elements as part of a quest Merlin is undertaking to save Arthur.  Each kingdom has amazing characters and provides opportunity for Merlin and Gwaine to grow, and I love how the characters (particularly Gwaine) learn and grow throughout the story.

Also, I love that this is a proper Merlin/Gwaine fic where their relationship isn’t just a vehicle for Merlin/Arthur.  (But don’t get me wrong - I love merthur and read a lot of it, but if I read Merlin/Gwaine, I want it to be Merlin/Gwaine without Gwaine being stuck as Merlin’s second choice until something happens and Arthur is ready for Merlin, because Gwaine deserves better than that.)  Their relationship is really beautiful and tender but also hot and complex, and I couldn’t get enough of it.  

All in all, this story has solid and realistic characterization, an amazing plotline (oh - and it also features details from the legend of Gawain and the Green Knight on top of everything else, if you’re into that), fantastic magical ideas and concepts, and a realistic romance full of growth and doubts and reassurances and love.  Go read it!

Read The Five Kingdoms by winterhill on AO3