Merlin Recs

[marguerite_26]

I am in a ‘read all the canon AU and canon fics set during S1’ phase. Maybe it’s a bit of denial about what S5 is going to give us, but I don’t care. I adore this ‘just getting to know you’ dynamic of M/A. [ETA: That is not based on spoilers of any sort. I don't know of any spoilers at all for S5]


Winterbloom by Shinybug [NC-17] (6k) Merlin/Arthur
Summary: Deep in the woods in the frozen heart of winter, a careless comment leads to a redefinition of Arthur's relationship with his manservant.

This is set during a winter quest, in the first year of Merlin being Arthur’s manservant. I love how they are close but still unsure around each other. Arthur is delicious in his restraint and patience. It perfectly paired with Merlin’s eager innocence. Fantastic first time fic.

a coin toss and a fork in the road by qwerty* [Nc-17, genderswap] (4k) Merlin/Arthur
Summary: A sorcerer casts a curse to enchant Arthur into a woman's shape, with the only thing that can save his life being to have sex. One of two things happen.

The reader in me love this sort of genderbending fic, with the ‘changed’ person getting used to a new body and those around him (her) having to react. And the writer in me loves that the author took one simple trope and told two versions of this story. (ie: same plot but one with Merlin changed, one with Arthur changed).

*who I just figured out last night was xsmoonshine after trawling through all qwerty’s fics on A03. hi.


also...

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Comments

[subtlefire.livejournal.com]

You've mentioned a couple of times a worry about Season 5. Are there sad-making S5 rumors?

Also, thank you for your recs. I'm so new to Merlin fic that they comprise about 90% to 95% of my readings :)

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

No, I'm spoiler free atm for S5 (mainly because there are no spoilers to be had right now!) But nah, as the date approaches and my mind starts to wander about what S5 will bring... well...

I'm not worried about the show. I'll enjoy it, I think, no matter what.

But I do love writing codas or ep inspired fics and for me Arthur being married means I likely won't be writing that stuff, or reading it.

Time will tell. But I think I ignored 4.13 for the last few months and now it's finally sinking in. Arthur got married. and Lancelot is dead, so Gwen is likely his HEA as far as the show is concerned.

I'd like to be in denial of that but my brain's not letting me. :/

and yay! hope you like the fics.

[subtlefire.livejournal.com]

Yes, that darn marriage! I am (normally) one who cannot completely ignore canon, especially in the midst of it, so I'm wondering how the stories are going to play out once the season starts, and if I'll be happy with them.

I'm reading lots of stories, but I really don't have a sense of the fandom yet. Is there currently a rush of fic before the new season starts, wherein the wedding was just a dream, or drug induced, or suddenly 5 years have passed and Gwen and Arthur realize they don't have what they thought they did and it's obvious Arthur and Merlin should be having all the sex instead?

Maybe there will be a MWM (Marriage, What Marriage?) movement, like EWE in the HP world :)

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

Funny thing is that I remember last year, there were plenty of Merlin/Arthur post-S3 fics during the hiatus. This year... um... I can't really think of one.

With HP, I adore EWE - it's so easy to say the epilogue just didn't happened, it was so far in the future anyway! Anything could have happened in those 19 years.

The thing we Merlin fandom is that mordern AUs, historical AUs, reincarnations are all pretty common and very popular. As are canon aus (where it's the canon time frame but events of canon are altered). And frankly I love all those!

It means that the effort to make take 'canon' and just pretend Arthur isn't actually married doesn't appeal to me very much. At least not right now.

Same thing happened to me other fandoms were a character I love died. I just couldn't write current season and 'pretend' he was alive. it was ... too off.

however, I love the idea of Marriage, What Marriage... possibly that is pre-S5 comment fest in the making. ;)

[seths-dream.livejournal.com]

Those fics sound delicious. Off to read!

Also the new comm sounds fun! I think I should participate sometime, start crafting my writing skills. ;)

[xsmoonshine.livejournal.com]

ahaha. I just woke up and saw. thanks!

haven't seen your first rec before, going to read now. :)