What is your favourite Merlin fic?

[mithborien]

Hi everyone!

Happy new year and thanks to everyone for joining my little comm. I knew there were still Merlin fans around!

To get things started, I have a question:

What is your favourite Merlin fic?

However, you can choose only one... for now. We have 16 years of fanfic to get through so I figure we should space things out a bit.

My current favourite is a recent fic, first published in 2021.

Seeds of Darkness (115359 words) by N16
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin & Mordred (Merlin), Arthur/Gwen (background)

Everything seems to be going well; Camelot has enjoyed three years of peace, the queen has been cleansed from Morgana’s brainwashing, and the future looks bright. But Arthur begins to realize that even as Camelot flowers, the seeds of her destruction are being sown. His sister's vengeance draws nearer. One of his most loyal knights is dead, and another is destined to kill him. A sorcerer is protecting him. And his closest friend is losing the battle against a darkness Arthur never even realized he was fighting. And soon it will all end, one way or another.

N16 is a fantastic writer of Merlin genfic and I definitely recommend all their fics. I especially enjoyed this one because while I loved the series finale, I always wanted to see more of what Arthur and Merlin's relationship would look like after a magic reveal and this fic is immensely satisfying in that regard.

But it's always an amazing story in it's own right, with a great exploration of Arthur & Merlin, and while it goes AU after s05e10, some days I wish it were actually canon.

Leave a comment with your favourite Merlin fic!

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

I honestly can't say as I've read so many over the years, and the ones I particularly enjoyed were recced soon after.

I haven't been reading much Merlin fic lately, as it's just become harder to find stories with a novel approach to the same themes. But I am currently reading Hiraeth by Beautiful Fiction https://archiveofourown.org/works/41358030 It has an interesting premise and I think has been quite good at spinning out a story with unexpected turns. It's a very long work and not yet complete but has been updated regularly.

[evilinsanemonkey]

Pairing: Pendragon/Merlin is probably my favorite. It's hard to pick, but this is one I reread fairly regularly.

[spiralicious]

I'm not sure it is my favorite, but this is the fic I rec most often:

The Boy Next Door by lady_ragnell, rated Teen and Up, pairing: Merlin/Arthur, In which there is pining, Merlin bakes, Arthur borrows batteries he doesn't actually need, and did I mention the pining?, modern setting AU

[vexed_wench]

I love Merlin fic but I will always rec this one given a chance.
Coffeeshop Muffins by skellerbvvt

Summary:
Wherein Arthur And Merlin Are Dating, Save For the Part Where They Aren't. Also The Girl Version Of Bromance Is Fresbians. But That Isn't Applicable As Morgana And Gwen Are Actually Sleeping Together.

Notes: Prompt Arthur/Merlin, Arthur and Merlin are best friends and everybody knows they will never be as important to the boys as they are to each other...Sophia comes to Merlin to ask how she can make Arthur pay more attention to her and he makes her realize that Arthur gets all his emotional fulfillment from Merlin already.

[cardiovorus]

I've never read Seeds of Darkness and I'm looking forward to it!

My recommendation is an astolat fic that probably a lot of us have already read: Emblazoning. I really like this one in particular because it has such an indulgent wish-fulfilment vibe that scratches a mix of little itches in my hind brain. I just really like Arthur, Morgana, Merlin and Gwen as a single unit that flees Camelot together to make a new life somewhere else, with roaring success. I also really like the way Morgana's foresight is treated in this fic. It's a small thing, but it's very cool.

[mekare]

Oh I definitely haven‘t read it though I‘ve read a lot of astolat‘s fics. I enjoyed this AU so much! Thank you for the rec.

[mekare]

I think one of my favourites is definitely versaphile‘s Falconry series. I was there when it was being posted and struck up a lovely conversation in the comments. I also made fanart for it. It has stuck in my mind all these years.