Merlin Big Bang Rec

Why We Fight by pallorsomnium
Merlin/Arthur [NC-17, warnings at main post] (94k)
Summary: Canon!AU Fusion with Carol Berg’s Transformation. Age-old prophecies foretold the descent of Albion into chaos after the fall of Carmarthen. Only with the King and Warlock can Albion be saved. All his people believe that Merlin is Emrys, the Warlock in all the prophecies. But when the kingdom Carmarthen actually does fall, Merlin is taken as a slave and stripped of his magic. All hope for Albion is lost. Thirteen years later, Merlin is bought as the personal writing slave to the prince of the kingdom responsible for Carmarthen’s fall—Prince Arthur Pendragon of Camelot. He soon finds himself caught in the middle of a plot to take over not only Camelot, but all of Albion.

This fic is a brilliant bit of storytelling. I read the summary and the warnings and I really was ready to skip because it's a fusion with a fandom I do not know, the warnings made me nervous and I found the summary overwhelming. BUT!!! Then I decided to read the first 'bit' and I was floored. It's a beautifully written, incredibly compelling, fast paced story. The plot is complex but not convoluted. I had no problem understanding the politics, despite the fusion (I just pretended it was original concepts in the author's head and that worked for me). It felt like a fully fleshed out original novel, but yet the characters were truly Merlin characters. Hmmm... not sure I'm doing it justice. But definitely, if you enjoy politics and world-building and a completely fresh look at Arthur and Merlin's journey towards uniting Albion and bringing Magic back, then I highly recommend this amazing fic. re: warnings, this is a slave fic and Merlin's treatment did make my heartache. There are part that were hard to read, but it was within my tolerance level - feel free to PM me if you want details.