Seeking Merlin recs

[tardis_stowaway]

I'm still not all the way caught up with Merlin, but I have a hankering to sample some fic and/or vids.  I just watched "The Nightmare Begins" (2x03).  Merlin-watching people on the flist, do any of you have any recs for fics, vids, etc. with NO SPOILERS past that point?  Or maybe something I can read after just one or two more eps?

I'm not picky about genre or ships.  Any shipping combination of Merlin, Morgana, Gwen, and Arthur is fine by me, as is genfic, though I suppose I'm most interested in some Gwen/Morgana.  Quality crack!fic would also be appreciated.

Morgana seems to be inhabiting a decidedly less fluffy show than the rest of the cast.  The way that others, especially Gaius, keep silencing her, treating her like a helpless child, and refusing to listen to her was really starting to make me want to step through the screen and kick them in the shins.  Or other body parts.  I'm glad to see her finally realize that she has power, and I'm glad that Merlin showed some empathy and tried to help her, even if he won't open up enough to tell her his own secret.  In canon mythology, Morgan le Faye is evil; if they take Morgana down this route it's going to break my heart.  Sigh...with my fondness for the Whoniverse and Whedon, I'm used to duct-taping my heart back together.

Meanwhile, Arthur really is a royal prat.  He must be the least committed peasant-impersonating royalty EVER.  Merlin continues to be adorkable.  Gwen is amazingly patient to put up with all these high-maintenance people around her.  

Comments

[kaydeefalls.livejournal.com]

crack_van is my go-to for Merlin recs at the moment. A vast majority of the recs there are pre-S2 (or canon-indifferent) fics, and the few that aren't are marked as such as easily avoidable. (I put off watching the second series for a while, and had no problem finding plenty of fic in the meantime.)

The only downside is that it tends to lean heavily toward Arthur/Merlin, but that's reflective of the fandom as a whole. And isn't really a downside (I'm exceedingly OTEVERYONE in this fandom, so), except for when you're trying to branch out a bit.

such_heights also has many recs on her journal, and mostly Gwen&Morgana-centric; check her tags.

[tardis-stowaway.livejournal.com]

Hooray! Thanks so much for the tips.

[skalja.livejournal.com]

My favorite Merlin fic so far is rageprufrock's Drastically Redefining Protocol series, a modern AU in which Arthur is the Prince of Wales and Merlin is a medical resident. It's hilarious, epic and unapologetically wish-fulfilling, but I should warn you it's also quite explicit.

[tardis-stowaway.livejournal.com]

I've just read the first story in that series, and I wanted to thank you for this rec. I wouldn't have read a modern AU on my own, since I find the concept of transplanting the characters to a totally different context to be excessively gimmicky.* However, this story is more than wonderful enough to make up for it. The LOLs and awwww factor are both epic.


*Perhaps I am spoiled by Doctor Who fandom, where you can set a story where ever and whenever you damn well please, and it's perfectly normal.

[skalja.livejournal.com]

So glad you liked it! It's actually my favorite Merlin fic currently, even though I don't generally like setting-change AUs for similar reasons as the ones you cite. I think what makes rageprufrock's story work is that she has a very good grasp on what makes the Merlin characters tick - how they would be the same and how they'd be different in modern times - along with a distinctive narrative voice of her own. A lot of setting-change AUs make the characters almost unrecognizeable, in which case what's the point?

(Also, I enjoy fiction for escapism, which is why I like sff and action and even crime stories. "Star Wars characters in high school" [random example, I haven't read any] - not escapism.)

ETA: Although I have been known to try setting-AUs just to see how the author manages. In that sense, Star Wars in high school MIGHT actually be entertaining. Would the Emperor be the Principal? Is the Rebellion the A/V club?

And it just occurred to me that I love not one, but TWO comic book series about Spider-Man characters in high school, and one of them really is a shoujo manga written by Americans, so clearly I am a liar.