Welcome to A Month of Merlin, where Hypable honours the end of the epic BBC series. On the eve of the finale we bring you, the Merthur fandom, a way to keep the dream alive.
We don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that the faction of the fandom that have always seen Merlin and Arthur’s relationship as a romantic one and have been hoping for the pair to get together are probably suffering the most. Not only was their ship never legitimized in canon (and even though that was hardly to be expected, it still stings a little), but the end of the show also means that there are no more stolen glances or telling quotes to analyse and infuse with alternative meanings, and no more bromance moments between the two to use for gif sets and music videos.
But the good thing about fandom in general is that we will always have fanfiction. No matter how Merlin ends, no matter how the magic reveal goes and what happens to the characters in the show, we can always revisit the story, and make it exactly the way we would have liked to see it go. If Merlin and Arthur die, well, there’s always reincarnation right?!
So now, at the end of all things, we’re bringing you everything you need to survive: a collection of the best Merthur fanfics on the Internet, everything from canon era and reincarnation AUs. If you’re new to fanfiction this is a good place to start, and for the veterans, you can rediscover the classics (and hopefully some unexpected picks, too) and share your own recommendations in the comments!
NOTE: Fanfiction, and fandom in general, tends to lean on the explicit side of fiction, i.e. there’s a lot of sex. In explicit details. There’s also a lot of romance and other genres. The most epic, most popular stories will generally be sexually explicit and/or contain sexually explicit scenes. ALWAYS check the rating of a story, ALWAYS read the warnings.
This list was put together by the amazing MJ, who runs the Dirty Bookshelves Merthur fanfiction index. It is one of the most comprehensive guides you’ll find to the best stories available, so if you need any more after working through this list, that’s the place to go!
Canon / Canon AUs
1. Doubt Creeps In and Chills the Air (by junkshop_disco)
Genre/trope: Winter, quests, post-series 2
Rating: Mature (for sexual content)
Summary: (~6K words) Winter falls on Camelot. It falls to Merlin to keep Arthur company as the search for Morgana becomes increasingly desperate.
Why this story is awesome: A perfect example of stories that explore the missing scenes and moments from the show. The cold landscape and weather, the bleakness of it, mirror perfectly the desperation in Arthur, his need to find Morgana, and the guilt living in Merlin due to his role in her disappearance. They are each other’s comfort in this, and it might be a bit bittersweet, but it feels real and in character.
2. The History of Two Conversations on Paper (by takadainmate)
Genre/trope: Magic reveal, series 2
Rating: PG-13
Summary: (~11K words) Books are defaced. But it’s all for a good cause. Really.
Why this story is awesome: The idea of Merlin revealing his magic to Arthur is one of the major tropes within Merthur fanfiction, and has been explored in dozens of ways. Here, Arthur discovers Merlin’s magic by finding his magic book, in which Merlin has made several annotations in the margins. What then transpires is a sort of passive-aggressive communication through note-leaving, and clipped dialogues, so that Arthur can work through his feelings and anger. It’s funny, and at times touching, and definitely entertaining.
3. The Truth in Your Broken Hands (by Fuzzytomato)
Genre/trope: Pre-slash/friendship, hurt/comfort
Rating: G
Summary: (~1.3K words) Arthur notices the blisters on Merlin’s hands. (From fighting with Excalibur.)
Why this story is awesome: A very short scene where, for once, it’s Arthur who takes care of Merlin. Little stories like these are always fun to read: they’re short, comforting, often domestic in nature or tone, and explore in-between moments between characters and events, romantic or not (in this case, non-romantic), that aren’t shown in the show. It’s also a very nice example of the hurt/comfort trope which is very common in fanfiction.
4. Lost a Gesture and a Pose (by mad-poetics)
Genre/trope: Magic reveal, pre-slash/friendship, bit of angst, post-episode 2×13
Rating: PG
Summary: (~9.3K words) Deprived by circumstances of anything else to do, Arthur asks a great deal of questions. Eventually, Merlin answers.
Why this story is awesome: This story is sort of a huis clos where circumstances force Merlin to eventually divulge his secret(s). It’s well-done and deals with every event up to that point, from Merlin saving Arthur in the first episode, to Arthur learning about his birth, to poisoning Morgana and freeing the dragon. It’s a really nice magic reveal that deals mostly with the dynamics between Merlin and Arthur without getting romantic, or trite.
5. An Unnecessary Freezing of Water (by shinetheway)
Genre/trope: Winter/hypothermia, hurt/comfort, magic reveal, hunting
Rating: Mature (for sexual content)
Summary: (~8.2K words) The next time he opened his eyes he was as cold as he’d ever been in his life.
Why this story is awesome: The atmosphere of this story is wonderful. The cold of the snow, the ice, is a perfect backdrop for Merlin’s desperation as he tries to save Arthur. It uses the often-used, but always-loved, ‘falling in icy water body heat is the only way to survive’ trope perfectly and beautifully. The magic reveal is a quiet affair, tempered by the weather, the close brush with death, and the overwhelming fear of loss.
6. Cost/Benefit Analysis (by derryere)
Genre/trope: Established relationship, POV fic
Rating: PG
Summary: (~3.8K words) Arthur is trying to figure out how much Merlin is costing him.
Why this story is awesome: A very nice, absolutely in-character exploration of Merlin and Arthur’s relationship, from Arthur’s point-of-view. It looks at Arthur’s process in accepting, and embracing, what Merlin means to him. Because it is very well-known that while Pendragons can have lots of feeling, they’re not the brightest at acknowledging them, accepting them, or showing them. It’s full of warmth and will make you smile.
7. To Be Known (by sometimesophie)
Genre/trope: Magic reveal, pre-slash
Rating: PG
Summary: (~3.5K words) “So this is what it felt like to be normal. Merlin opens his eyes to the cool, shining metal of Arthur’s unsheathed blade. ‘Sorcerer,’ Arthur spits.”
Why this story is awesome: Another non-romantic story exploring the magic reveal trope (quite frequent and popular in canon fanfictions). This one is more focused on Arthur’s anger, bordering on violence as he struggles with his sense of betrayal, what he knows of Merlin, and what he believes sorcerers are. Of course, nothing adds up. It’s an interesting narrative, especially since it’s very much about Arthur’s feelings, but told from Merlin’s point-of-view, where we get to see his love and devotion and fear. It’s short, but powerful.
8. In Time of Trial (by shine)
Genre: Magic reveal, adventure, battles/war, Druids
Rating: Mature (bordering on explicit, but easily skippable)
Summary: (~37K words) Uther fears his son’s power, and Merlin has helped Arthur flee to escape imprisonment. Now the two of them must fight to regain Arthur’s rightful place in Camelot.
Why this story is awesome: An excellent example of a Canon AU. The story still happens in the world of the show, but diverge at one point from the canonical storyline to tell another story altogether. Here, Uther turns on his son, forcing Arthur to flee. What follows is a story of loyalty, love, war, alliances (magical and not), treasons and more. It’s exciting and well-paced and very, very enjoyable.
9. As Falling Snow (by i_claudia)
Genre: Future fanfiction, Merlin as court sorcerer, winter, hunting
Rating: PG
Summary: (~5.3K words) Arthur could never be lost in Camelot, not on these lands he’s ranged over since boyhood, this soil he’s fought and lost and bled for.
Why this story is awesome: Future!fics as they are called, generally explore events in the, you’ve guessed it, future. In the case of Merlin, this usually means when Arthur is King and Merlin Court Sorcerer (something we will most probably not see on the show). This story is interesting because it deals with the idea that even though Arthur has accepted magic, doubts still sometimes linger in his mind, pesky remnants of his youth and education, and show how very hard it can be to completely rid oneself of what was so deeply ingrained. Of course, being stuck in a cave with Merlin during a snowstorm helps (or doesn’t).
10. The Knights Have a Thousand Eyes (by stakeaclaim)
Genre/trope: Magic reveal (Arthur knows), adventure, conflict, other characters’ POVs, knights shenanigans
Rating: Mature (for sexual content)
Summary: (~71K) In which Arthur attempts to teach his knights, his knights attempt to woo Merlin and Arthur is definitely not jealous…
Why this story is awesome: A long fanfiction with a twisted and complex plot, loved mostly for its large cast involving lots of well-done original characters (all of them knights of Camelot, based on knights from the legends). Interesting also, is that it uses the trope of ‘Arthur knows,’ meaning it goes with the idea that Arthur knows about Merlin’s magic, though Merlin doesn’t know that Arthur knows. Secrets are kept and discovered, the knights meddle a lot, there’s adventure and lots of action, side stories, and funny moments.
Click to the next page for the ultimate list of Modern Era and other AU fanfics!
Modern era and other AUs
11. Arthur and the Real Boy (by frantic)
Genre/trope: Fluff, university, art, bookstore, slight reincarnation
Rating: Mature (for sexual content)
Summary: (~16K words) Merlin is an indie geek who works at a used books, cd and record store. Arthur is the average golden-boy-super-jock-perfect-preppy-soccer-captain. He sees Merlin somewhere and instantly starts going out of his way, going to Merlin’s store, reading his weird books and listening to his weird music just to impress him.
Why this story is awesome: One of the most beloved fanfics in the fandom, the summary doesn’t do it justice, at all. It’s lovely and charming and makes you smile a lot. Arthur, a business student, and Merlin, an art student, come together in a very organic kind of way. There are subtle hints at reincarnation in there as well, but has none of the angst most reincarnation fics usually carry. It’s a really cute and believable romance.
12. Lord Drake’s Bequest (by pennyplainknits)
Genre/trope: Pretend boyfriends, marriage of convenience, friends to lovers, fluff
Rating: Mature (for sexual content)
Summary: (~10K words) “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.”
Why this story is awesome: It’s always amusing and entertaining when people take a cliché and truly, and knowingly, embrace it. Here we have a story that was written for a community called Harlequin Merlin which is about stories that use common romance novel tropes. This fic uses two tropes: the ‘pretending to be dating’ and the ‘fake marriage’ one. Arthur must marry to inherit his uncle’s company, and Merlin, being his best friend and the person that knows him best, seems like the best choice. Hilarity and romantic shenanigans ensues.
13. Natural Selection (by minor_hue)
Genre/trope: Fluff, dating, restaurant, humour
Rating: PG-13 (epilogue is explicit, but skippable)
Summary: (~11.3 words) In which Arthur goes on blind dates, Merlin is his waiter, and everyone takes a ride on the crazy train.
Why this story is awesome: A more humoristic fanfiction, it’s an absolute delight. Arthur’s blind dates are incongruous (and slightly frightening), and poor Merlin seems to get stuck in the middle of it all against his will (at first). It’s amusing and light, and will make you laugh with its absurdity and ridiculous turn of events. It will also charm you with its sweetness.
14. Pairing Pendragon/Merlin (by anonymous)
Genre/trope: Fluff, coming out, fandom meta, meeting on the Internet, writing, fanfiction
Rating: PG-13
Summary: (~24.5) Arthur is a BNF and Merlin is his prized beta.
Why this story is awesome: This is the meta fic to end all meta fics (or maybe not, but it certainly is in the Merlin fandom). Arthur writes popular fanfictions, Merlin corrects them, they meet online, there’s plenty of talk on LiveJournal, and they go to Comic-Con, among several other fandom activities. This story is fun. It speaks to being a fan, to interacting with people online a lot, forming bonds, friendships, speculating and talking on an on about your favorite TV show. It’s really, really well done on top of being incredibly entertaining and adorable.
15. Destiny That Darkly Hides Us (by Nympha_Alba)
Genre/trope: Historical!AU, reincarnation, war (WWI), pining, magic, angst
Rating: Mature (for sexual content and historical homophobia)
Summary: It’s 1913, the practice of homosexuality is unlawful, so is the practice of magic. When Arthur Pendragon and Merlin Emrys meet as Cambridge undergrads, they’re both hungry for a real and true connection without secrets. For a short time they believe they may have found it. But war breaks out and separates them, and it seems unlikely that they will meet again. After all, what are the odds?
Why this story is awesome: This is the angstiest fanfiction recommended on this list. A great example of a historical!AU AND of the reincarnation trope. Reincarnations stories tend to err on the angst side of things as they usually go along with the premise that Arthur died tragically at Camlaan, as per the legends tell us. As the characters slowly remember their past lives, they also remember what they have lost. But reincarnation is also about hope, since it’s a second (or third, or fourth, or…) chance to get things right. This one is at turns beautiful, tragic, tender and always, always hopeful at the end, and well worth the read.
16. Fundamental Imperfection (by Starlingthefool)
Genre/trope: Writing, academia
Rating: Mature (for sexual content)
Summary: (~12K words) In which an argument about Dickens leads to a Twitter scandal, broken bones, midnight conversations, and transatlantic longing. (Or, an AU with Arthur and Merlin as moderately famous authors.)
Why this story is awesome: More mature in tone, this fic is an absolute must-read. It’s witty and funny and smart. There’s talk of literature, of books and philosophy, and intellectual debate is definitely foreplay. There’s a tangible love for genre literature – and storytelling in general – within its plot and it will make the book-lover’s heart sigh with longing and love. The writing is tight and sharp, as are the characters and the plot. It’s a true gem.
17. Drugstore Flowers (by lady_ragnell)
Genre/trope: Fluff, university, secret admirer
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Merlin starts to receive lovely gifts (and less-lovely flowers) from a secret admirer.
Why this story is awesome: Perfect little romantic story to make you smile. Short, sweet and charming in its characterizations and humour. Those kinds of stories are the best when you need a quick pick-me-up, and this one does it well. Merlin is oblivious and Arthur is both sweet and a prat, as he tends to be, and it’s just a joy to read.
18. Five Days in New York (by giselleslash)
Genre/trope: Established relationship, modern, foreign location, fluff fluff fluff
Rating: Mature (for sexual content, PG-13 if you skip the third part)
Summary: (~6K words) Arthur and Merlin in NYC. Five random days and everything that’s attached to them. (Or, really, just Merlin and Arthur being completely dumbface in love.)
Why this story is awesome: Because we all need something romantic to make us smile, make our tummies warm and our toes curl once in awhile (especially if tragedy strikes in the middle, or end, of your favorite show). This fic provides that. It’s five little scenes of Merlin and Arthur being all cute and adorable and domestic. It eschews the drama of getting together and just offers a glimpse into simple, sweet moments shared between them. This is fluff at its best.
19. The Student Prince (by Fayjay)
Genre/trope: Modern-day royalty, reincarnation, university, magic, coming out
Rating: Mature (for sexual content – easily skippable, short scenes)
Summary: (~145K words) 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…
Why this story is awesome: This is THE fandom classic if there ever was one. It’s novel-length, contains plenty of beloved tropes (probably popularized some as well), is well-constructed, well-paced, and well-written. Arthur is a prince, Merlin is a wizard, they are unlikely roommates and destiny happens. This is the story you can recommend to people who do not like, or know, or watch Merlin, and they would appreciate, and even love, it. It’s funny, exciting, full of UST, and fun adventures, with well-characterized, dynamic characters. It’s really worth reading whether you like fanfiction in general or not.
20. Easy, There (by Syllic)
Genre/trope: Sports, magic, university
Rating: Mature (for sexual content)
Summary: Arthur is an Oxford Blue. Merlin is an Oxford cox. Lancelot is Merlin’s romantic-dalliance-loving friend. Morgana is horribly clever; Gwen is cleverly waiting for Lancelot to grow up. Merlin and Arthur rub each other the wrong way, at first, but it soon becomes clear that Arthur is a university-class rower with a world-class heart (yes, I typed that). Clichés ensue.
Why this story is awesome: Another fic that embraces certain clichés and does it very well. This time it’s the sport-movie one, with the inspirational storylines and the members of the team coming together to try and win the championship. Add to that romance, friendship, a little bit of drama and oh yeah, magic, and you have a very entertaining story. It’s a perfect example of a well-done, well-written sport-story, popular in the fandom (if all the stories involving football are anything to go by, as well as all the ones that were written last summer in honour of the Olympics.)
This list, comprehensive as it is, is not even the tip of the iceberg of the world of Merlin fanfiction. It’s more like the tiniest of grain of sand on the tip of the biggest iceberg in the world. There are thousands of stories out there, dozens of pairing combinations between characters, all kinds of AUs, character explorations, funny stories, sad stories, stories that make you cry with pain, others with laughter, stories that make you smile and your toes curl.
It’s very much a huge library involving your favorite characters in hundreds of different situations, events and locations, written by fans, for fans, all for free. You’ll be amazed and entertained… and yes, sometimes shocked. But it’s all worth it, to keep the Merthur relationship going strong even after the series ends. Go explore!