marguerite_26 | Entries tagged with merlin big bang

First - Panty Melting Gwaine fics
Untitled Arthur/Merlin/Gwaine by

leashy_bebes [ NC17], (~650 words)

But before you go (Merlin/Gawain) by

b_b_banana [NC-17] (4k)
Summary: ngl this is mostly just porn. but, umm, for a proper summary... no, you know what? it really is just porn. (SPOILERS! for 3.04, as this is a little missing scene.)

Now... Merlin/Arthur goodness...

The Sorcerer and the King by

misswinterhill [NC-17] (85k)
Summary: Canon AU -- Merlin's death is only the beginning; with no-one to protect the kingdom, Camelot falls to an enemy sorcerer and Arthur is forced to serve in the court that he once ruled. When an escape attempt goes horribly wrong, Arthur is rescued by someone he never expected to see again -- and it's their destiny to put things right.

This is a Merlin Big Bang that I forgot to rec! *irons ears* I only noticed when frogspace recced it and I was all ‘oops!’ – This is a canon fic that takes all the stability of canon and stands it on its head. It begins with Merlin’s death. Arthur allowing Uther to execute Merlin. It twists my gut just to type that because I don’t want to believe that that is IC for Arthur. But ... IDEK. It could be. We don’t want it to be, but the author gives us an Arthur who is as horrified as the readers by his own actions. He’s confused and disillusioned and obviously hopeful that Merlin will save himself. But Merlin doesn’t. Needless to say, the fic start on an angsty note. And it gets worse. Camelot falls to a Sorcerer King shortly after Merlin’s death and yes... more angst. Some bits were difficult reads, but the tale is fascinating and engaging. It is about politics and scheming and playing a game of chess with the devil. Merlin and Arthur’s relationship is complicated and confusing, full of trust issues and guilt but they need each other more than ever if they are going to take Camelot back. Wonderful, unique story.

( MORE M/A RECS... )

I Keep Going Over the World We Knew (Over and Over) by

mellacita [R] (54k)
Summary: When Merlin Emrys is sent on a 'round-the-world assignment, he begins remembering a life of magic, dragons, and kings. To make matters worse, a strange woman starts stalking him along the way. And that's before he even meets Arthur Pendragon, whose answer to climate change is going to save the world. Because apparently just saving Britain won’t be enough this time around.

I almost didn't read this fic. The warnings of modern-era reincarnation and immortality; flashbacks to happy and tragic canon-era events including Arthur's fall at Camlann; are things that make me really uncomfortable. But enough people who I share fic tastes with adored it, and I quite like this author's writing so I gave it a chance. It was a wonderful tale. The reincarnation is woven in beautifully to the plot and the characterisation. I could see the camelot!Merlin in modern day!Merlin and feel the bleed of the two personalities merging. I loved Merlin's 'round the world adventure and all his struggles with researching something that was private and sacred and asking people to share with an outsider. I loved Arthur who was still a prat and an arse but a noble one still (and very good at what he does - which to me is very important in modern AUs). An excellent story with an excellent cast of characters both new and old.

Another Merlin/Arthur Big Bang rec.

Quick rec today, more to come tomorrow when I hope I have more time. :)

Light of Arthur by

venivincere and the gorgeous art by

itzcoatl [NC-17] (63k)
Summary: An epic tale of gods and man, destiny and choices, darkness and light, and eternal love that's fixed as the stars to the celestial sphere.

This fic is truly amazing. The author does an incredible job of world building, taking Arthur and Merlin out of Camelot and through Albion on an epic Quest to bring back sunlight and save the kingdom. It is truly enchanting in every sense. The world is beautiful and complex and compelling. The author clearly did massive research for this, and yet it was well balanced – sprinkles of details rather than info dumps. And the journeys of both Arthur and Merlin as characters are wonderfully done, romantic and erotic.

All my Big Bang recs are here

paperlegends recs, all Merlin/Arthur:

Missed Connections (Glory, Glory, Holelelujah) by

tourdefierce [NC-17] (51k)
Summary:Glory-Hole Romantic Comedy.

Magical Modern AU - I was a little afraid this might be 51k of smut, which is a bit much, even for me. But despite the summary, this is a brilliant fic with an interesting story and a Merlin that was engaging enough to pull me through the entire fic in a few short hours. Merlin is a gay porn writer who finds inspiration and relief from his writer’s block after a shockingly intimate glory hole experience. The author manages to take that PWP premise and give it backbone, make me care about these characters and see passed the smut. The porn is titillating, Merlin’s magic is brilliant, his writing woes are both painful and hilarious and the relationship between Merlin and Arthur is romantic (glory holes and all).

Crash Into Me by

dreamdustmama [NC-17] (27k)
Summary: At the end of their first year of university Arthur decides to take Merlin on a road trip, and holds on to the hope that before it's over they'll be more than just friends. Morgana decides she and Gwen are going to come along, and Merlin and Gwen decide they're both insane. Along the (admittedly short) road to true love there are roller coasters, flat tires, chocolate, sheep, pillow fights, food fights, keychains, and memories that will last a lifetime.

Non-magical Modern AU – This is a sweet, sweet friendship turned more tale. The OT4 are perfectly charming, with Arthur wanting to seduce his BFF and Morgana wanting to seduce her BFF and Merlin and Gwen, respectively, are both clueless as to the real purpose of the road trip. It’s silly and fun and so very sweet. Great friends-on-a-road-trip fic.

Little Thief by

scribblemoose [NC-17] (30k)
Summary: When Leon's still suffering from the dragon's attack several months later, Merlin is anxious to help. Meanwhile Arthur goes hunting, Merlin dabbles in things that he shouldn't, and they find themselves on a quest with an unusual companion....

Canon Adventure – Merlin sets out on a quest for ingredients to cure Leon, but gets foiled when Arthur decides to come along. A few OCs show up and they are not all that they seem and Merlin’s stuck trying to keep his many secrets from Arthur. This is a charming fic. I loved the adventure, the mystery of the OC and what exactly they were after, but mostly I loved adorable banter between the boys which I can never get enough of.

Also -

paperlegends has posted their Masterlist for easier navigation.

Other Big Band Recs

STEAMPUNK REC!!!

HELLO, MY STEAMPUNK LOVIN' LADIES!!! I know you are out there. *pokes you* I have a rec for you. (and if you don't reply to say: DUDE, I SEE THIS, I am going to email each of you individually. I know who you are and don't think I won't. ;)

I just read the most awesomely amazing Merlin/Arthur Steampunk fic. While it's set in the BBC Merlin universe, you don't need to be in Merlin fandom to appreciate this (though knowing and loving Merlin and Arthur and Arthurian legend is certainly a bonus.) But GOD, this world is so fabulous. And the plot is solid, the charactersation is beautiful. But the engineering... you know what I'm talking about, I'm sure... It's fascinating. Intrigued? Official rec below:

Steam by

new_kate [NC-17] (40k)
Summary:It's been centuries since King Arthur united Albion and lifted the ban on magic. Ruled by Pendragon dynasty, the kingdom had prospered till a feud between the magicians and King Uther the Second drove the country to the brink of collapse. Now it's up to Prince Arthur and his Knights of the Engine to harness steam power to replace the magic Albion had lost, and it's up to Merlin to protect Arthur while he fulfills his destiny.

The premise of this fic is absolute GENIUS. It's not a Steampunk AU. It's a Merlin canon future!fic, and a tale of history repeating itself. Merlin and Arthur lived their lives and created their united Albion and years later, generations later, Camelot is almost decimated when King Uther (the second) chases all Magicians from Camelot and bans magic. The kingdom had become so dependent on magic that they no longer knew how to till their own soil and harvest their own grain. Desperate, they turn to engineering to fulfill the tasks they once relied on magic for. Enter the dawn of steam powered machinary: where the greatest power in the land is no longer the best swordsman, but the cleverest engineer. A young prince Arthur wants nothing more than to bring property to his kingdom, as his legendary namesake did so many years before. An amazing premise and the author delivers on all counts: plot, world building and spot-on characterisation. One of the most fascinating tales I've ever read.

As a bonus? Stunning art.

As an aside: ~~I'd love to offer a micro-drabble (approx 30 words) to any one with the time and talent to make me an icon out of~~ gorgeous pic that Bubba linked me to yesterday. ZOMG!!! Thank you,

hermette

paperlegends recs. Both Merlin/Arthur Modern AUs and both simply fabulous.

Not In This Land Alone by

torakowalski[R] (38k)
Summary: Modern AU. When Merlin Emrys gets a summer job at Buckingham Palace, he doesn't expect to even meet King Arthur, let alone become involved in protecting him from a plot to overthrow the monarchy.

A really fantastic Modern King Arthur story. I simply adored this fic from beginning to end. It’s a tightly written, perfectly charming epic AU using a trope that's already been done brilliantly a few times over and yet the concept of this one felt new and breathed new life into it for me. Arthur is young – 21ish, and newly crowned (Uther had died only a few months before this fic begins) . Arthur must learn his place in a world where for many reasons no one close to him treats him as if he’s truly King.

Timshel by

ems [R] (35k)
Summary: Merlin is definitely supposed to work for Arthur, but spends most of his time mocking Arthur's dress sense, berating him via IM with Morgana, sending Gwen capslock-filled emails about him and, most of all, trying not to fall in love with the shiny-shoed ponce. Arthur, meanwhile, is definitely supposed to be taking over his father's company some day, but instead spends most of his time scowling at Merlin, making lists about him, trying to find excuses to fire him and, most of all, trying to pretend he is totally not head-over-heels for the jumped up little upstart. Someone's got to make some difficult choices eventually, and this can only lead to one thing: angst. Or hilarity. Or, embarrassingly enough, self-discovery.

There are so many absolutely hilarious moments in this fic that I read through the summary and just laugh to myself remembering them. But it’s far more than just giggles. It an achingly romantic tale of friendship and love and people that are truly good for each other. Arthur and Merlin’s relationship is slow and realistic and painful at times. An excellent read.

Other Merlin Big Bang Recs

paperlegends recs:

all Merlin/Arthur

The Tournament of All Magicks by

corilannam [ NC-17] (41k)
Summary: Merlin is invited to compete in a tournament of magic. Sure, he'd like to become the champion of all Albion, but first he has to get past giant creatures, a seductive sorceress, and the crown prince of Camelot.

First you MUST watch the Trailer for this fic by mamoru. It’s simply fantastic. Then go grab a cup of tea and snuggle into this epic fic. A wonderful depiction of a Magical tournament with everything you could expect lots of gorgeous magic and Merlin being damn impressive. And to make things even more exciting, Arthur foils Merlin’s plans by deciding to join him in checking out the marvels of a magical tournament. Does that stop Merlin from wanting to participate? Not so much. Great depth, great OCs, wonderful Merlin/Arthur dynamic. A fantastic read.

A Warlock's Worth by

ella_bane [NC-17] (21k)
Summary: When a visiting prince sets his sights on Merlin, Arthur is not amused. A story of love, loyalty, and secrets too-long kept.

This fic is simply lovely. It’s sexy and romantic and really well done. I adore this Arthur and all his jealousy and protectiveness towards Merlin. And the OC (Prince Steffan) is quite delicious, interesting and clever and petty. He understands both Merlin and Arthur too well and plays them perfectly.

Other Merlin Big Bang Recs

ETA: Does anyone know of a masterlist of this fest? There are a lot of posts in the comm and with both artists and authors posting separately and various pairings I am not interested in... I'm finding it very hard to navigate. I'd love a simple list that says

Fic Title - Author - Artist - Pairing

This exists yes? Somewhere? Shut up and do it yourself, Maggie. You know you want to?