hells_half_acre

Camelot is being plagued by attacks from mysterious creatures from another world. At a loss for what to do, Merlin goes to the dragon and is given instructions to summon two great warriors from the same world as these creatures, men who fight these beings, men who show up in the legends of Camelot as heroes. When they arrive, the two brothers aren’t exactly what Merlin expected–nor are they particularly happy to have been summoned across dimensions. But once Sam and Dean understand the situation, they get on board with Merlin and together the three devise a plan so that King Arthur will let them lead the hunt for these mysterious creatures without knowing that the brothers are truly the legendary hunters from his childhood stories. Meanwhile, Sam and Dean are geeking out at being in Camelot with King Arthur, Merlin, and the knights of the Round Table–people who are just as much legends in Sam and Dean’s world as Sam and Dean are in Camelot!

I was very impressed with Men of Legend. The concepts are really well worked out. I mean, putting the two stories in alternate universes makes so much sense and is honestly more reasonable than making Merlin take place in Supernatural‘s history. Especially considering how much Sam and Dean seem to get dragged into AU’s anyhow. And the whole aspect of making each group be legendary to the other was quite interesting, especially as they got to spend time together and see each other as real people. The things that are legend-worthy are brought out, but so is the humanity, which is cool to see. I enjoyed the characterizations, which seemed pretty spot-on, as well as the interactions between the various parties. The story itself is a pleasant blend of genres, mixing some adventure and some hurt/comfort nicely–there’s enough action to keep things going, but you get Arthur and Dean being protective, too. And we’re working up to a reveal, which I believe is to be handled in a sequel–yay! Definitely a recommended fanfic, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.… (meer)

When Sam and Dean Winchester were in Camelot–summoned there by Merlin himself to help handle a supernatural threat dragged over from their world into his–they gave Merlin some advice. Sound advice, probably, but advice he’s having an awfully hard time following through with, nevertheless. Because the brothers told Merlin to take fate into his own hands (yay, Team Free Will!), trust Arthur, and tell the king his secret–that Merlin has magic. Only, telling Arthur goes against everything Merlin’s been raised to do since he was a child, against everything the Great Dragon has told him to do. Not an easy decision to make. . . . So when Merlin does decide to go to Arthur about his magic, he is understandably nervous about the whole thing.

I loved this short fanfic exceedingly, as I did the previous volume in this collection, Men of Legend. Unlike the first volume, The Butterfly Effect is really just a Merlin story, with the SPN part limited to references to Sam and Dean’s time in Camelot–although those references are important since they influence not only Merlin’s decision but also Arthur’s and Gwaine’s reactions. I love the way we get a chapter each from Gwaine’s, Merlin’s, and Arthur’s POV, with each bleeding into the next a bit and giving a different perspective on the events as they unfold. And I love (and this is something I love about this author’s work in general, not just in this story) the insights into the characters that we get–the motivations behind Merlin’s fear, the loyalty and insight hidden behind Gwaine’s usual goofiness, the wisdom and understanding of Gwen, the uncertainty of Arthur and the tiny things that shape his decisions. It’s those insights that transform this from just another fanfic to something powerful and lasting. Another thing I loved about this story is the fact that Merlin actually tells Arthur about his magic. Like, that never happens. In almost every magic reveal I’ve ever read, as well as in canon, Merlin is forced to reveal his magic, shows Arthur by accident, something along those lines. He almost never willingly trusts his friend with his deepest, scariest secret, even though that is the way that it should happen. So it’s nice to see these friends getting it right. Fabulous story.… (meer)