Merlin Magic Reveal Recs
Welcome, all, to the first installment of my Merlin magic reveal recs.
What are those numbers? That, my dears, is my personal rating system. It indicates my take on how good the pOrn-pRose-plot of each story is. It is, in short, the story's ORL rating. A 3 is an "OK, this didn't distract me from the story." A porny 5 means orgasm-inducing, a prose 5 made me laugh out loud and/or quote half the fic to someone, a plot 5 made left me impressed with the writer's genius. If I've left a question mark in the "porn" marker, it probably isn't rated high enough to have porn.
How will this be updated? I'm planning on adding a few fics every week or two until I've run through my current list of Merlin magic reveal recs. Recs are essentially anything I liked enough to save to my hard drive. I am likely missing many shorter fics, as I tend to read those online.
Oh, I know a great fic you should add! First, please wait until I am past the alphabeticasl place where the fic you have in mind would go. Still don't see it? Please send me a PM with a link, and I'll go read it!
Anything else I should know? This rec list is spoilery! Each fic is labeled with which Season, roughly, it happened in. They are also tagged with How It Happened: Merlin tells Arthur, Merlin saves Arthur's life, Merlin saves someone else, Merlin is caught out, Arthur figures it out and Reactions: banishment, execution, threat of execution, imprisonment, prison break, magic supressors, Arthur is angry, Arthur is hurt, Arthur doesn't really care, Arthur is curious, Arthur is horny, Arthur takes drastic action to save/free Merlin, Arthur has the sense that he sort of knew all along. Also, I have not warned for anything. Please read the author's warnings before proceeding!
Alright, go play!
A Fistful of Infinity and Starlight junkshop_disco, 63k
NC-17, Set in AU of S4, Gwaine/Merlin
4-3-4
Summary: Uther’s insane, Morgana’s plotting a new assault on Camelot, and Arthur and his knights are clueless but supposedly in charge. In the midst of it, Gwaine finds himself harbouring feelings for a man who apparently has a destiny, and learns something new about magic: it doesn’t play fair, and serving it shakes everything you hold dear - whether you’re a sorcerer or not. (Gwaine/Merlin, with Arthur/Gwen, Gwen/Lancelot, Leon/mead on the side)
How It Happened: Merlin tells Arthur, Merlin tells someone else
Reactions: banishment, Arthur is angry, threat of execution
A Long Way to Go Before We are Truly Divine Staraflur, 45k
R, AU pre-canon, Arthur/Merlin
4-4-4
Summary: When Uther is killed by Nimueh, Arthur and his men retreat to Ealdor, where they meet Merlin. Merlin is rather annoyed by Arthur's prattishness but Gaius convinces him they have a shared destiny. Slowly, Merlin sees the shape of it and agrees to help Arthur take back his throne.
How It Happened: Merlin saves Arthur’s life
Reactions: Arthur is angry, Arthur has the sense that he sort of knew all along
All Its Splendid Glory lozenger8 8k
PG-13, AU S2, Arthur/Merlin
?-5-4
Summary: In the two years and five months Merlin has known him, Arthur has been enchanted to love people he ordinarily wouldn’t nine times. Merlin simply never expects Arthur to be enchanted to love him.
How It Happened: Arthur figures it out
Reactions: Arthur doesn’t really care
And None But We Can Be Such Kings janne_d 8.8k
NC-17, AU S1, Arthur/Merlin
4-3-4
Summary: Arthur courts a bunch ladies for politics. Merlin tries ease the situation before Arthur explodes.
How It Happened: Arthur figures it out
Reactions: Arthur doesn’t really care
Ascension myashke 66k
NC-17, AU S3, Arthur/Merlin
4-3-4
Summary: Faced with the harsh reality of another attack on his father, Arthur sets out to complete the Rites of Ascension alone and unaided, but, as he and Merlin discover, he was never meant to succeed alone.
How It Happened: Arthur figures it out, Merlin tells Arthur
Reactions: Arthur is hurt, Arthur is angry
#6 August rageprufrock 10,000
R, Complete, AU at S1
3-4-3
Summary: Arthur and Merlin go to visit Hunith. Arthur figures some things out while they're there. Or: (Merlin, shut up, don't judge me) Merlin looked uncertainly to Arthur. “Have you ever made bread?” he asked. / “How hard could it be?” Arthur said.
How It Happened: Merlin tells Arthur, Arthur figures it out
Reactions: Arthur is happy
#7 Beltane (and sequels) astolat, 27.8k
R, Complete, AU at S1
4-3-4
Summary: Merlin saves Arthur with magic, Uther exiles them both when Arthur sides with Merlin, and they get into a ridiculous amount of trouble.
How It Happened: Someone else tells Arthur, Merlin saves Arthur's life
Reactions: Arthur is protective, Exile
What are those numbers? That, my dears, is my personal rating system. It indicates my take on how good the pOrn-pRose-plot of each story is. It is, in short, the story's ORL rating. A 3 is an "OK, this didn't distract me from the story." A porny 5 means orgasm-inducing, a prose 5 made me laugh out loud and/or quote half the fic to someone, a plot 5 made left me impressed with the writer's genius. If I've left a question mark in the "porn" marker, it probably isn't rated high enough to have porn.
How will this be updated? I'm planning on adding a few fics every week or two until I've run through my current list of Merlin magic reveal recs. Recs are essentially anything I liked enough to save to my hard drive. I am likely missing many shorter fics, as I tend to read those online.
Oh, I know a great fic you should add! First, please wait until I am past the alphabeticasl place where the fic you have in mind would go. Still don't see it? Please send me a PM with a link, and I'll go read it!
Anything else I should know? This rec list is spoilery! Each fic is labeled with which Season, roughly, it happened in. They are also tagged with How It Happened: Merlin tells Arthur, Merlin saves Arthur's life, Merlin saves someone else, Merlin is caught out, Arthur figures it out and Reactions: banishment, execution, threat of execution, imprisonment, prison break, magic supressors, Arthur is angry, Arthur is hurt, Arthur doesn't really care, Arthur is curious, Arthur is horny, Arthur takes drastic action to save/free Merlin, Arthur has the sense that he sort of knew all along. Also, I have not warned for anything. Please read the author's warnings before proceeding!
Alright, go play!
A Fistful of Infinity and Starlight junkshop_disco, 63k
NC-17, Set in AU of S4, Gwaine/Merlin
4-3-4
Summary: Uther’s insane, Morgana’s plotting a new assault on Camelot, and Arthur and his knights are clueless but supposedly in charge. In the midst of it, Gwaine finds himself harbouring feelings for a man who apparently has a destiny, and learns something new about magic: it doesn’t play fair, and serving it shakes everything you hold dear - whether you’re a sorcerer or not. (Gwaine/Merlin, with Arthur/Gwen, Gwen/Lancelot, Leon/mead on the side)
How It Happened: Merlin tells Arthur, Merlin tells someone else
Reactions: banishment, Arthur is angry, threat of execution
A Long Way to Go Before We are Truly Divine Staraflur, 45k
R, AU pre-canon, Arthur/Merlin
4-4-4
Summary: When Uther is killed by Nimueh, Arthur and his men retreat to Ealdor, where they meet Merlin. Merlin is rather annoyed by Arthur's prattishness but Gaius convinces him they have a shared destiny. Slowly, Merlin sees the shape of it and agrees to help Arthur take back his throne.
How It Happened: Merlin saves Arthur’s life
Reactions: Arthur is angry, Arthur has the sense that he sort of knew all along
All Its Splendid Glory lozenger8 8k
PG-13, AU S2, Arthur/Merlin
?-5-4
Summary: In the two years and five months Merlin has known him, Arthur has been enchanted to love people he ordinarily wouldn’t nine times. Merlin simply never expects Arthur to be enchanted to love him.
How It Happened: Arthur figures it out
Reactions: Arthur doesn’t really care
And None But We Can Be Such Kings janne_d 8.8k
NC-17, AU S1, Arthur/Merlin
4-3-4
Summary: Arthur courts a bunch ladies for politics. Merlin tries ease the situation before Arthur explodes.
How It Happened: Arthur figures it out
Reactions: Arthur doesn’t really care
Ascension myashke 66k
NC-17, AU S3, Arthur/Merlin
4-3-4
Summary: Faced with the harsh reality of another attack on his father, Arthur sets out to complete the Rites of Ascension alone and unaided, but, as he and Merlin discover, he was never meant to succeed alone.
How It Happened: Arthur figures it out, Merlin tells Arthur
Reactions: Arthur is hurt, Arthur is angry
#6 August rageprufrock 10,000
R, Complete, AU at S1
3-4-3
Summary: Arthur and Merlin go to visit Hunith. Arthur figures some things out while they're there. Or: (Merlin, shut up, don't judge me) Merlin looked uncertainly to Arthur. “Have you ever made bread?” he asked. / “How hard could it be?” Arthur said.
How It Happened: Merlin tells Arthur, Arthur figures it out
Reactions: Arthur is happy
#7 Beltane (and sequels) astolat, 27.8k
R, Complete, AU at S1
4-3-4
Summary: Merlin saves Arthur with magic, Uther exiles them both when Arthur sides with Merlin, and they get into a ridiculous amount of trouble.
How It Happened: Someone else tells Arthur, Merlin saves Arthur's life
Reactions: Arthur is protective, Exile