Of Swords and Warlords (Merlin Fanfic)

Author: Jae’s Stories

FanFiction ID: 11300978

Status: Complete (24 Chapters)

My rating: 4 of 5

Warning: Rated T for violence/whump

If only Merlin had been a bit more careful about concealing his magical protection of the king and his knights when they were attacked by the mercenaries. Sure, Arthur and the others had never particularly noticed the falling branches and overheating enemy swords, and sure, these mercenaries weren’t the brightest bunch, but the fact was, they noticed that Merlin had magic. And that was something the self-proclaimed warlord whom they worked for was very interested in. Because magic means power–possibly even enough power to take over Camelot. But he didn’t count on Merlin’s stubborn loyalty, and he made the possibly fatal mistake of underestimating Merlin’s power. Will loyalty be enough to convince Arthur when he finds out about Merlin’s magic, though?

I really enjoyed reading Of Swords and Warlords, and I’m looking forward to checking out some of the author’s other fanfics. This particular story starts out pretty whumpy, so fair warning there. The author does a good job of bringing out the individual characters though, and I really enjoyed the way the reveal was handled. I also found it amusing that this one started out with Merlin being discovered completely by accident–not by some group seeking out the legendary Emrys, not even by someone out to get the king, but by a group of mercenaries who happened to see too much. Throughout the story, there’s a nice mix of humor and caring/protectiveness that goes a long way to balance out the violence and the angst (not that this is that angst-heavy of a piece to begin with). A lot of that comes from Gwaine, naturally; the author does a great job with his character, and I really love the friendship sections between him and Merlin. Incidentally, I also love that he already secretly knows about Merlin’s magic; I’ve seen about a 50-50 split in fanfics regarding this, and it’s always amusing to see which direction an author goes with that.  Other random stuff that I enjoyed in this story includes a country doctor in a small independent village between Camelot and Cenred’s kingdom (not something you see much of) and Merlin’s “sleep-magicing” like some people may sleepwalk or talk in their sleep (not the best way to keep his magic a secret!). As for the writing itself, there are a couple minor typos and a bit of a tendency towards run-on sentences, but overall it flows, is quite readable, and is engaging and interesting. Of Swords and Warlords would definitely be among my recommended Merlin fanfics, and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel (which is currently being released).

Note: You can find Of Swords and Warlords at https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11300978/1/Of-Swords-and-Warlords.

Hurt and Comfort in Camelot (Merlin Fanfic)

Author: PenPatronus

FanFiction ID: 8759369

Status: Complete (49 Chapters)

My rating: 4 of 5

You guessed it: here we have a collection of hurt/comfort short stories set in the Merlin-verse. I’m not even going to attempt a summary proper, since the stories are unrelated for the most part, some even contradicting others in the collection. But basically, this is a miscellaneous group of short stories, drabbles, and a few multi-chapter fics (“Throw the Boar”! :D) focusing mostly on Merlin and Arthur, but also including the knights, Gwen, Gaius, and a few other canon characters. The flavor of the stories is generally focused on hurt/comfort, but there’s a nice mix of really dark stuff (lots of angst and even a couple of deathfics–fair warning) mixed with some lighter bromantic, humorous pieces that are pretty cathartic. Also, there are several reveal fics included–again ranging from insanely dark to kind of amusing–and a good bit of whump (again, fair warning).

I love short stories, and I love Merlin . . . so what’s not to love about a collection such as Hurt and Comfort in Camelot? The stories were interesting, developing themes that I enjoy seeing in Merlin fanfiction while also presenting ideas in a different light and providing fresh, interesting scenarios. The writing itself was quite good–very readable with solid grammar and a pleasant style. The author’s understanding of the characters and portrayal of their relationships and personalities was spot on and fun to read, even when it broke my heart or made me cry . . . and there were times that it made me laugh as well. I liked that balance, even though the primary focus of the stories was generally a bit on the darker side. I would definitely recommend Hurt and Comfort in Camelot to Merlin fans just about across the board, but especially for those who enjoy hurt/comfort stories (obviously) with significant themes of angst, friendship, and bromance.

Note: You can find Hurt and Comfort in Camelot at https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8759369/1/Hurt-and-Comfort-in-Camelot.

Merlin (2008 TV Series)

BBC

AKA: The Adventures of Merlin

Status: Complete (5 seasons/65 episodes)

My rating: 4.5 of 5 (if I’m being honest about the show’s merits) or 6 of 5 (if I’m expressing my undying love of this amazing show)

SPOILER ALERT: I’m going to try to make this review as spoiler-free as possible, but there are certain events which are so deeply a part of Arthurian legend that I can’t honestly consider them spoilers and as such, I may discuss the show’s treatment of them, at least a bit. So if you want a completely spoiler-free impression of this show, just go watch it . . . seriously, what are you waiting for?

Into the heart of Camelot, a kingdom where Uther its king has long made the practice of magic a capital offence, wanders a young man for whom magic is such an integral part of his being as his own breath. Merlin. He’s been sent by a desperate mother to be mentored by the one person she trusts, Uther’s court physician Gaius . . . but deeper and more ancient forces of destiny are at work than a mother’s worry. Merlin rapidly becomes fast friends with the Lady Morgana’s serving girl, Gwen, and just as rapidly gets on the bad side of the prattish prince Arthur. But just because Arthur’s a prat doesn’t mean Merlin wants to see him dead, so he manages to save the prince’s life (secretly using magic) and get himself rewarded by becoming the prince’s manservant (what an honor!). Destiny is at work, though, bringing these two together–the Once and Future King and Emrys, the greatest sorcerer to ever live who will help this king unite the land of Albion, little though they may know it. They may, in time, even become friends, although you’d be hard pressed to get Arthur to admit it.

I love Merlin so very much, and it’s one of those shows that gets better with time–both as you get further into the series and as you watch it again. Certainly, it has its faults (which will be discussed in a bit), but the characters grow on you so very much and their relationships are so rich that the problems with the show are easy to overlook (or at least I have found it so). Essentially, this show is a loose retelling of Arthurian legend–and I mean it when I say it’s a loose retelling. There are certain things that carry over strongly from the classic tales such as names/characters (Arthur, Uther, Merlin, Guinevere, Sir Gwaine, Lancelot, etc.) and events (for instance, you can probably guess how the story ends right from the beginning, the tragedies of Morgana and Mordred, etc.). There’s a lot of original material too, though; the Arthurian legends are only a rough framework for what is essentially an original story. As I said above, there are some things this show doesn’t do so amazingly. The first couple seasons can be a bit repetitive (there are memes; just saying) if you’re looking at the plot of each episode in relation to the other surrounding episodes. This does get better as the show progresses, and I also find that it becomes less noticeable as the characters and their relationships grow on you–the episode framework becomes a background on which the characters are displayed, rather than the main focus of the story. The passage of time is a bit strange and hard to keep track of, too; obviously, only about 5 years passes for the actors, but clearly more time does in the lives of the characters over the course of the show . . . it’s just hard to tell how much time, since the actors haven’t aged to match the passage of time (ignoring the times when Merlin goes old, which are fabulous). The other problem I’ve noticed (and I know I’m not the only one) is that certain characters, particularly Uther and Morgana, are (while brilliantly portrayed by their respective actors) written in an overly one-sided sort of way. For instance, I find it hard to believe that Uther could be so utterly single-minded in his hatred of magic as he is portrayed to be. And Morgana’s change of heart seems too abrupt, too lacking in internal conflict, even considering all that she went through to get to that point. But despite its faults, Merlin is one of my absolute favorite shows ever. Merlin’s character is just brilliantly portrayed (thank you, Colin Morgan), with enough internal conflict and richness of character to totally make up for any lacks elsewhere. And there are so many other brilliant characters–Arthur (obviously; Bradley’s work here is fabulous), Gwen (highly underrated; I adore her), Gaius(amazing mentor character), Gwaine (how can you not love him?!), Leon (also highly underrated), and so many others. The relationship between Merlin and Arthur is so good, too. You can clearly see how they both change over time through their growing friendship, going from basically despising each other to “you’re the only friend I have and I couldn’t bear to lose you.” There’s this great bromance between them, full of sass and humor and teasing, but stemming from a friendship that runs deep. And Colin and Bradley do such a great job of portraying this!!! There are plenty of other cool fantasy/legendary aspects of this show, heartbreaking plots, breathtakingly funny bits . . . but it’s their friendship that makes me love this show so very much.

Created by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Johnny Capps, & Julian Murphy/Written by Julian Jones/Produced by Julie Gardner & Bethan Jones/Starring Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Angel Coulby, Katie McGrath, Richard Wilson, Anthony Head, Nathaniel Parker, & John Hurt/Music by Rob Lane & Rohan Stevenson

Often So Much (Merlin Fanfic)

Author: Ultra-Geek

FanFiction ID: 8840901

Status: Complete (One-shot)

My rating: 5 of 5

For centuries, Arthur has waited in Avalon for the time ordained for him to return. Waited patiently. Okay, we all know that’s a lie. Truth is, his royal pratness is about to drive Freya crazy, so she sends him back to Merlin a decade ahead of time.

I cannot tell you how much I love this adorable little one-shot. I love post 5×13 stories in general (because the ending of Merlin makes me sad and I need something after to cheer me up). And Ultra-Geek’s stories in general are quite well written and interesting; I would recommend any and all of them. But Often So Much in particular hits a sweet spot for me. The descriptions of the interactions between Arthur and Freya are perfect, and especially the way Freya’s personality is fleshed out and her reactions to Arthur play out are golden. Arthur’s attitudes are spot on as well. And the reunion between Arthur and Merlin is just perfect, nearly enough to make me cry through my grin . . . because it’s touching but a smidge funny too. In any case, for anyone looking for a solid, amusing, and sweet post 5×13 Merlin story, I would highly recommend Often So Much.

Note: You can find Often So Much at https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8840901/1/Often-So-Much.

A Fresh Perspective (Merlin Fanfic)

Author: dr4g0ngrl

FanFiction ID: 8495208

Status: Complete (14 Chapters)

My rating: 5 of 5

An innocuous (if extremely annoying for Merlin) hunting trip with Prince Arthur turns into something drastically different when the two find themselves attacked by a group of sorcerers who manage to shove a suspicious potion down Merlin’s throat. After dealing with their attackers, Arthur turns around to find . . . an unconscious Merlin who is now a little kid of around four years old. Oops. Unsure what to do with a child, Arthur makes the natural decision–take the kid back to his mother. So the two of them show up on Hunith’s doorstep, and Merlin’s poor mom gets dragged into the mess, trying to comfort her confused son while also keeping his magic a secret from Arthur and the rest of the magic-hating world. But for a little child to keep secrets, especially a secret as big as this one, is not exactly easy, and Arthur is in for more than one surprise on his way back to Camelot.

A Fresh Perspective is just about everything I wish for in a fanfic–or in any story, for that matter. The writing flows well, uses excellent grammar, shows a very readable use of third-person narrative, and is just generally pleasant to read. The plot, as the author admits directly, is basically an excuse to write Merlin-as-a-kid fluff. And the result is absolutely adorable. The author’s grasp of Merlin’s character, as well as how that would display as a four-year-old kid, is excellent if flavored towards a highly favorable view of his personality and character (just as I like it). This view of him and his utter devotion to Arthur and to Camelot is vital to the way in which the plot develops, especially after Arthur and the knights discover Merlin’s magic. I also love that the knights (Gwaine, Percival, Elyan, and Leon, specifically) are heavily included in this story, because they’re fabulous and they’re individual reactions to kid-Merlin are important in developing their own personalities, histories, and relationships with each other and with Merlin. The bromance between Merlin and Arthur, as well as between Merlin and Gwaine, is well crafted here, and I think the way in which the author handled that uncertainty of relationship at the point where Merlin is suddenly a child and has no memory of Arthur or Gwaine was very well done. Honestly, I would change nothing about this story, and will probably re-read it many times over. I just want to find more stories by the same author!

Note: You can find A Fresh Perspective at https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8495208/1/A-Fresh-Perspective.

Catch Me Now (Supernatural Fanfic)

Author: BatTitan

FanFiction ID: 8980147

Status: Complete (35 Chapters)

My rating: 4.5 of 5

With one misstep, Ariel finds herself falling, not down the stairs at her school as she thought, but right out of her safe college life and into an airplane . . . right next to the Winchesters! Of course, she knows they’re the Winchesters (and not Jared and Jensen); she’s enough of a fan of Supernatural to know that. Also, enough of a fan–and in enough shock at being dragged from her own universe into theirs–to attract their attention. Not necessarily the best of things when they’ve just been dumped on the same plane themselves and are still reeling from the madness of it all. Things get sorted eventually,  and Sam and Dean decide to keep Air (as she prefers to be called) around since she must have been dragged into their world for a reason–possibly something to do with the impending Apocalypse ? Ariel becomes almost a part of the extended Winchester family, offering her opinions readily, helping where possible, and trying not to be too obvious of a Destiel fangirl whenever Dean and Cas are around each other. And then there are the dreams she begins having. . . .

So, the premise of Catch Me Now may be the sort that is both overdone and consistently messed up . . . but in this story, it works and does so brilliantly. A lot of that is due to the author’s obvious talent in spinning a quality tale; the writing itself is excellent. Equally impressive was the character of Ariel and the way her story was woven into the plot of Supernatural so seamlessly. Because this fanfic is essentially season 5, and other than the character insert, it pretty much sticks to canon (even when I really wish it wouldn’t!). Ariel is a really well-written OC, and I truly appreciate the work the author took to create someone who would work in the context of the story and the already existing characters, adding flavor and character without completely altering the course of the story. I especially appreciated that she wasn’t 1) a completely flat self-insert sort of character, 2) overly stereotyped in some way as OCs often are, 3) an awkward love interest for Sam or Dean, or 4) somehow automatically a great fighter or otherwise equipped to be a huge help in the fight. She’s funny, quirky, opinionated, smart, geeky, and compassionate–which is just what is needed for these guys–but she’s also just a normal college girl. As for the plot, the first few chapters are basically just the associated episodes as seen through Air’s eyes, which is interesting enough as it is. But as the story develops, we get more of her own story, sometimes as a part of whatever is going on in a certain episode, sometimes elsewhere, doing her own thing (often with Gabriel–I adore the amount of Gabriel we get in this story, it’s brilliant). The author did make a couple choices here and there that threw me a bit–like changes the person in which the story is written partway through (for a really good reason) and sticking with the plot where I would have loved to see some divergence (see above)–but in all those instances, there were solid reasons behind those choices and I respect them. They certainly didn’t reduce my enjoyment of the story, and I would highly recommend Catch Me Now to anyone interested in a fun, engaging Supernatural fanfic.

Note: You can find this story at https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8980147/1/Catch-Me-Now.

Restricted (Supernatural Fanfic)

Author: cirobert

FanFiction ID: 12383537

WARNING: Mature Audience/Mild Slash

My rating: 3 of 5

Recently, Castiel has been feeling the restrictions of being an angel cooped up in a human’s body. It’s making him grumpy and short, even with the guy he (not so) secretly loves. Really, Cas desperately needs a chance to spread his wings, just for a while . . . but there are all sorts of complications that make that less than practicable. Lucky him, Sam and Dean think they might have a solution–assuming it actually works.

So, I was in the mood for some Supernatural stuff (which, on a side-note, sorry for totally spamming SPN right now), and I found this adorable little fanfic. It’s mostly a happy and fluffy means to a cute Destiel end, despite the issues presented with Cas’s vessel and the complications of the spellwork the boys have to go through to make things work. I feel like the author captured the characters well, and I enjoyed the overall tone of the story. The concept was interesting too; in canon SPN, we get so little of what’s going on in Cas’s mind at any given time that it’s nice to see that explored more. Plus, the development of the relationship between Dean and Castiel was tasteful and convincing. On the downside, there were some mild grammatical issues, but then, it’s nearly impossible to find fanfiction without that. More outstanding was that the author has a bad tendency toward certain sentence structures which, while great for adding color and variety to writing, become kind of repetitive when used all over the place. Still, this was a fun story which I enjoyed, and I’ll probably read more of the author’s work.

Note: You can find this story at https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12383537/1/Restricted.

On a side note, it’s been ages since I’ve read fanfic at all, but recently I’ve just been in the mood for more stories about the characters I love. I’ve found some pretty good ones, too. So I may be including some more reviews (which will be clearly labeled, so you can skip them if desired)–mostly SPN, Merlin, Doctor Who . . . possibly some Superwholock if I can find some good ones (the concept does fascinate me). Anyhow, point being that I’m planning to include these as Media Reviews and stick review links on my Media Room . . . yeah.