History FanficRecs / Merlin2008

[[https://archiveofourown.org/users/astolat/pseuds/astolat]]

[[https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehoyden/pseuds/thehoyden]]

''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/40569]]'' by astolat

[[WMG: [[{{AlternateUniverse}} Alternative Universe]]]]

''[[http://community.livejournal.com/tongueincheeky/6104.html Keep Calm and Carry On]]'' by chibirhm
* Recommended by kph2pt0 and Twilight Shimmer

* ''Pairing'': Arthur/Merlin
* ''Synopsis'': How Arthur Pendragon, Director of Communications for Prime Minister Gaius, and his assistant, Merlin Emrys, fell in love - a story in goldfish, cats, webcomics, cups of tea, and sharpies.
* ''Comments'': A hilariously funny Corporate AU.

''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/62458 Strangers on a Plane]]'' by ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/users/Mad_Maudlin/pseuds/Mad_Maudlin Mad_Maudlin]]''
* Recommended by Goodwrench and bubbletea

* ''Synopsis'': It's bad enough that Arthur has to fly business class--why does he also have to sit next to this guy?
* ''Warnings'': Pre-slash
* ''Comments'': Modern AU in which Arthur and Merlin meet up by accident, and their reactions to each other are pretty amusing.

''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/47843 Lord Drake's Bequest]]'' by Pennyplainknits
* Recommended by Goodwrench

* ''Synopsis'': "To my great-nephew Arthur, I bequeath Tintagel Distribution, wholly and without reserve, save for one condition. You must marry, and stay married, for a period of no less than six months. You're a wonderful businessman Arthur, but a full life needs love and companionship, not just a string of affairs. Settle down young Arthur, and your life will be the richer for it."
* ''Warnings'': Slash
* ''Comments'': Modern AU. How Arthur ends up married to Merlin. Most modern stories in this fandom fall flat on their faces, but not this one.

''[[http://merlinkinkmeme.livejournal.com/12537.html Pairing: Pendragon/Merlin]]'' by Anonymous
* Recommended by Reebism, @/AcrossTheStars, TheCorsair20, Aylis

* ''Synopsis'': Pendragon is a BNF in the ''Starz: Camelot'' fandom. Merlin is a beta-reader who answers an anonymous request for a beta -- and who happens to be Pendragon's biggest fan.
* ''Warnings'': Slash, Arthur/Merlin, Gwen/Lancelot
* ''Comments'': It works beautifully both as a story and as meta-commentary on fandom.
** Seconded. This is a must-read.

''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/91885/chapters/125138 The Student Prince]]'' by [=FayJay=]
* Recommended by @/AcrossTheStars

* ''Pairing'': Arthur/Merlin, side Gwen/Lancelot
* ''Synopsis'': "A Modern day Merlin AU set at the University of St Andrews, featuring teetotal kickboxers, secret wizards, magnificent bodyguards of various genders, irate fairies, imprisoned dragons, crumbling Gothic architecture, arrogant princes, adorable engineering students, stolen gold, magical doorways, attempted assassination, drunken students, shaving foam fights, embarrassing mornings after, The Hammer Dance, duty, responsibility, friendship and true love..."
* ''Warnings'': Slash, Arthur/Merlin, Gwen/Lancelot
* ''Comments'': This fic is what would happen if you set the show ''Merlin'' in the modern era. '''Brilliant.'''
** Agreed: it had this firmly anti-royalist troper pretty much cheering for the Prince of Wales at the end. Quite an achievement.
* Now has [[Fanfic/TheStudentPrince its own page]].

''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/4350257 We're a Storm in Someone Else's Teacup]]'' by paperclipbitch.
* Recommended by [=WhatAShame=]

* ''Pairings'': Arthur/Merlin, Gwen/Lancelot
* ''Synopsis'': In which Gwen’s passive-aggressive revenge leads to, amongst other things, Merlin making a new friend.
* ''Warnings'': Slash, Arthur/Merlin, slight Merlin/Will and Arthur/Lancelot, Gwen/Lancelot, character death, some violence.
* ''Comments:'' Modern day AU which starts out as a fun, lighthearted read involving Merlin and Morgana bonding over mutual superpowers, develops a plot and gets surprisingly angsty at times. Ridiculously long (something like ''87,000 words''), but definitely worth it.

''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/488100 The Lonely King]]'' by Cori Lannam.
* Recommended by [=Musicalcroc=]

* ''Pairings'': Arthur/Merlin.
* ''Synopsis'': The Prince of Wales at his school. Merlin was sure it was all just a very bad joke.
* ''Warnings'': Slash.
* ''Comments:'' Modern royalty AU with Arthur as the [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething royal who actively gets a day job]], and Merlin as an irreverent teacher with anti-monarchist tendency. The way the author weaves Merlin's position as Arthur's unofficial advisor in canon into the AU is interesting, and Arthur's sincere effort to be useful is moving.

''[[http://archiveofourown.org/series/9979 Loaded March]]'' by Footloose
* Recommended by Licyan

* ''Pairings'': Arthur Pendragon/Merlin
* ''Synopsis'': Captain Arthur Pendragon has put together the best team of specialists that the SAS has ever seen, but when his superiors assign Lieutenant Merlin Emrys as his communications officer, Arthur does everything to make him feel unwelcome. Arthur's job is to protect and guide his team through dangerous missions, and he worries that he can't do that when the newest member has a mysterious background and acts suspicious when he thinks no one is looking.
* ''Comments:'' Ridiculously long and equally good. The plot is original and complex, one of the best adaptation of magic to the modern days I have seen. Definitely worth the read.

''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/4166883 Until We Meet Again]]'' by MadAuntieKeith
* Recommended by fruitstripegum

** See the fic [[ here]]

* ''Comments'': An unconventional crossover with a unique pairing, for several reasons. The story justifies how Bo and Kenzi ended up in the past without pushing the issue too much, and then goes on to effectively explore how Bo falls for Merlin and Morgana despite her desire for monogamy, to say nothing of how Merlin and Morgana subtly come to acknowledge their deeper feelings for Bo and each other. As
----

[[http://www.fanfiction.net/u/865303/Ultra-Geek Ultra-Geek]]
* Recommended by KomodoClassic
* Ultra-Geek writes for several fandoms, but a good percentage of them are for Merlin. Mostly one-shots, though there is at least one multi-chapter and a set of 100 100-word drabbles. She writes very good comedy, and she appears to favor Percival and Gwaine.

* Recommended by Veloren, KomodoClassic

** Note: The FF.net links are dead. However, Xanthiae has moved to Archives of Our Own and is rewriting the series there. So far, she's working on "The Stuff of Legend."

* ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6270273/1/The_Stuff_of_Legend The Stuff Of Legend]]'' by Xanthiae

* ''Synopsis'': The moment Voldemort regained his body, the Old Religion cried out. For the first time in more than a thousand years, Merlin is called from the forward to right the balance once more. Disguised as a fifth year student, he must fight to stop Voldemort when it is not his destiny to do so.

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8016336/1/Only-A-Boy Only a Boy]]'' by Riddell Lee

* ''Synopsis'': Merlin Emrys has been waiting thirteen hundred years for this moment to arrive. Can he fulfil the destiny that is required of him? Will Harry learn to trust this mysterious stranger? The fate of the Old Religion and the entire wizarding world depends entirely on them. AU for the last part of Deathly Hallows. Set after Series 4 but written before Series 5.
* ''Comments'': Stays true to character, manages to combine both types of magic seamlessly. Following both 'Martin' and Harry's perspectives keeps the story moving quickly and entertainingly. Regular use of wizard sayings along the lines of "by Merlin's beard" keep the reader chuckling.

* ''Synopsis'': "To my great-nephew Arthur I bequeath Tintagel Distribution, wholly and without reserve, save for one condition. You must marry, and stay married, for a period of no less than six months. You're a wonderful businessman Arthur, but a full life needs love and companionship, not just a string of affairs. Settle down young Arthur, and your life will be the richer for it."

* ''Comments:'' Ridiculously long and equally good. The plot is original and complex,one of the best adaptation of magic to the modern days I have seen. Definitely worth the read.

* ''Synopsis'': The Pendragon's are moving house- but a wrong turn will change Arthur's life forever. Merlin Anime/SpiritedAway crossover AU with beautiful witches, fearsome dragons and ominous shadows. Arthur has to do manual labour, Uther's a pig (literally), Kilgharrah's nicer than he wants you to think and Gaius is definitely not getting paid enough for all this nonsense.

** Seconded. HypeAversion made me avoid this fic for months, but I finally caved and downloaded the [[http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/drastically-redefining-protocol-audiobook podfic version]]. I spent the entire train ride grinning like an idiot. It's ridiculously charming, and despite the temporal relocation the dynamic between the characters feels like it's quite close to series canon to me. (Apart from, you know, the gay. [[HoYay Maybe.]])

* ''Synopsis'': Arthur and Merlin have an accidental encounter, then one not-quite so accidental.

* ''Commentary'': The dynamic of the friendships between Merlin, Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is absolutely perfect. Teasing, name-calling and the best banter ever. A lovely, light-hearted but realistic look at rebuilding Camelot. Also for an added bonus this story fits perfectly in canon during the year between the end of Season 3 and the beginning of Season 4.

* ''Synopsis'': Set after the end of s3. Their lives have been set out for them from the start. So is there any way to change their fates, would they even want to. Magic, love and friendship. M/M later on, some A/G. The future of Camelot is made here.
* ''Commentary'': this is a truly epic fanfic. the characters stay totaly in character, its just like a diffrent season 4. It is going to be split into three parts we are told, and this is just part one. So much has already happened, i have no idea where else it can go from here. There is not much shipping yet, but that must come later. Tons of hint though. aswell as a very rare, and great Morgana Gwaine and Merlin kind of trinagle. well worth a read.

* ''Synopsis'': Uther discovers Merlin's magic, and a few other surprises. Arthur/Gwen and Merlin/Morgana.

* ''Synopsis'': Arthur finds out that Merlin's magic, and Merlin and Arthur keep sneaking out of the kingdom to go battle magical creatures. Arthur/Merlin pairing.

* ''Commentary'': Insanely long at 132,000 words - though it's so absorbing that you don't notice - this is the best exploration of Merlin and Arthur's friendship that I've read. It's both funny and moving, and follows through with series four's focus on Arthur's character development as he struggles with issues he'd thought resolved a long time ago. Just brilliant.

* ''Synopsis'' : Merlin locks himself into a cell, sneaks out to defenestrate sorcerers and has magical parties to celebrate. Arthur takes a while to catch on.

* ''Synopsis'' : Merlin wakes up in the middle of the forest, alone, bleeding from a head wound. When he gets back to Camelot, he finds to his shock that he tried to kill Arthur last night. As everyone rushes to find out what really happened, Merlin has to face the possibility that he is now a threat to Arthur.
* ''Commentary'' : An amazingly well-written piece, with everyone on character for the whole fic. Set in the break between S3 and S4, so it includes all the knights and Uther. The [[WhamLine wham]] [[WhamEpisode bits]] are some of the best I have ever seen and the angst is delightfully realistic. Highly recommended.

* Comments: A well written story with a complex character that avoids being a MartyStu.

* ''Comments'': A retelling of the show, with a twist. Features a Merlin more experienced Merlin but still manages to remain in character. Very well written.

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8350179/1/Ancient-Relics]]'' by TeenMuggle
* Recommended by Tropers/{{dragoria}}

''[[http://paperclipbitch.livejournal.com/tag/teacup%20%27verse We're a Storm in Someone Else's Teacup]]'' by paperclipbitch.

* Has quite a few Merlin stories, both one shots and multichapter, genres spanning parodies, AUs, angst, a few hilariously blatant self-inserts, OC-Romances, and some surprising original flavor. No Slash.

* Has quite a few Merlin stories, both one shots and multichapter, genres spanning parodies, AUs, angst, and original flavor. No Slash.

[[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2485430/Kitty-O]]
* Recommended by Tropers/{{Inspibrain101}}

''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11143624/1/The-White-Phoenix]]'' by ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4643711/MobBob]]''

'' [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11143624/1/The-White-Phoenix]]'' by ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4643711/MobBob]]''

Proof that [[SturgeonsLaw the remaining 10% is worth dying for]] here:

These are recommendations made by {{Troper}}s for ''{{Series/Merlin}}'', all of which have been signed. After a few samples, you will be able to judge whether you might be interested in the 'fic, based on who recommended it. ''No-name recommendations will be '''{{zapped}}'''.'' Nobody would back up the rec. Discussion of the recommendation is welcome on the discussion page. As such discussion is important, do remember to add the discussion page to the watchlist, if need be.

* ''Comments'': This fic is what would happen if you set the show ''{{Merlin}}'' in the modern era. '''Brilliant.'''