Title: To You I Pledge
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: Romance, Hurt/Comfort
Length: Epic (~45,000 words)
Warnings: imprisonment

Author on LJ: beren_writes
Website: Author's List of Merlin Fic

Summary: Merlin lays his life on the line to save Arthur yet again, only this time there are witnesses, lots of them. Only Arthur prevents him going to the headman's axe straight away, but Arthur alone cannot save him. That is up to both of them.

Review:
This is a excellent take on the classic "Merlin is outed as a warlock" trope. The plot is exciting and well-paced, and I found myself on the edge of my seat as Merlin's trial commenced. As is required in all good Merlin fics, there's some soul-bonding and magical shenanigans and a sinister plot on one of the royals' life. I found Uther's characterization in this fic quite compelling, and the conversations between Merlin and Uther are the best parts of the story for me. Although the writing tends to lean heavily on fandom tropes (see: soul-bonding), don't let that deter you. Even then, I found this to be a well thought out and interesting fic, full of drama and intrigue.

To You I Pledge

Title: To You I Pledge
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: Romance, Hurt/Comfort
Length: Epic (~45,000 words)
Warnings: imprisonment

Author on LJ: beren_writes
Website: Author's List of Merlin Fic

Summary: Merlin lays his life on the line to save Arthur yet again, only this time there are witnesses, lots of them. Only Arthur prevents him going to the headman's axe straight away, but Arthur alone cannot save him. That is up to both of them.

Review:
This is a excellent take on the classic "Merlin is outed as a warlock" trope. The plot is exciting and well-paced, and I found myself on the edge of my seat as Merlin's trial commenced. As is required in all good Merlin fics, there's some soul-bonding and magical shenanigans and a sinister plot on one of the royals' life. I found Uther's characterization in this fic quite compelling, and the conversations between Merlin and Uther are the best parts of the story for me. Although the writing tends to lean heavily on fandom tropes (see: soul-bonding), don't let that deter you. Even then, I found this to be a well thought out and interesting fic, full of drama and intrigue.

To You I Pledge

Title: To You I Pledge
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: Romance, Hurt/Comfort
Length: Epic (~45,000 words)
Warnings: imprisonment

Author on LJ: beren_writes
Website: Author's List of Merlin Fic

Summary: Merlin lays his life on the line to save Arthur yet again, only this time there are witnesses, lots of them. Only Arthur prevents him going to the headman's axe straight away, but Arthur alone cannot save him. That is up to both of them.

Review:
This is a excellent take on the classic "Merlin is outed as a warlock" trope. The plot is exciting and well-paced, and I found myself on the edge of my seat as Merlin's trial commenced. As is required in all good Merlin fics, there's some soul-bonding and magical shenanigans and a sinister plot on one of the royals' life. I found Uther's characterization in this fic quite compelling, and the conversations between Merlin and Uther are the best parts of the story for me. Although the writing tends to lean heavily on fandom tropes (see: soul-bonding), don't let that deter you. Even then, I found this to be a well thought out and interesting fic, full of drama and intrigue.

To You I Pledge

Title: To You I Pledge
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: Romance, Hurt/Comfort
Length: Epic (~45,000 words)
Warnings: imprisonment

Author on LJ: beren_writes
Website: Author's List of Merlin Fic

Summary: Merlin lays his life on the line to save Arthur yet again, only this time there are witnesses, lots of them. Only Arthur prevents him going to the headman's axe straight away, but Arthur alone cannot save him. That is up to both of them.

Review:
This is a excellent take on the classic "Merlin is outed as a warlock" trope. The plot is exciting and well-paced, and I found myself on the edge of my seat as Merlin's trial commenced. As is required in all good Merlin fics, there's some soul-bonding and magical shenanigans and a sinister plot on one of the royals' life. I found Uther's characterization in this fic quite compelling, and the conversations between Merlin and Uther are the best parts of the story for me. Although the writing tends to lean heavily on fandom tropes (see: soul-bonding), don't let that deter you. Even then, I found this to be a well thought out and interesting fic, full of drama and intrigue.

To You I Pledge

Title: To You I Pledge
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: Romance, Hurt/Comfort
Length: Epic (~45,000 words)
Warnings: imprisonment

Author on LJ: beren_writes
Website: Author's List of Merlin Fic

Summary: Merlin lays his life on the line to save Arthur yet again, only this time there are witnesses, lots of them. Only Arthur prevents him going to the headman's axe straight away, but Arthur alone cannot save him. That is up to both of them.

Review:
This is a excellent take on the classic "Merlin is outed as a warlock" trope. The plot is exciting and well-paced, and I found myself on the edge of my seat as Merlin's trial commenced. As is required in all good Merlin fics, there's some soul-bonding and magical shenanigans and a sinister plot on one of the royals' life. I found Uther's characterization in this fic quite compelling, and the conversations between Merlin and Uther are the best parts of the story for me. Although the writing tends to lean heavily on fandom tropes (see: soul-bonding), don't let that deter you. Even then, I found this to be a well thought out and interesting fic, full of drama and intrigue.

To You I Pledge

Title: To You I Pledge
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: Romance, Hurt/Comfort
Length: Epic (~45,000 words)
Warnings: imprisonment

Author on LJ: beren_writes
Website: Author's List of Merlin Fic

Summary: Merlin lays his life on the line to save Arthur yet again, only this time there are witnesses, lots of them. Only Arthur prevents him going to the headman's axe straight away, but Arthur alone cannot save him. That is up to both of them.

Review:
This is a excellent take on the classic "Merlin is outed as a warlock" trope. The plot is exciting and well-paced, and I found myself on the edge of my seat as Merlin's trial commenced. As is required in all good Merlin fics, there's some soul-bonding and magical shenanigans and a sinister plot on one of the royals' life. I found Uther's characterization in this fic quite compelling, and the conversations between Merlin and Uther are the best parts of the story for me. Although the writing tends to lean heavily on fandom tropes (see: soul-bonding), don't let that deter you. Even then, I found this to be a well thought out and interesting fic, full of drama and intrigue.

To You I Pledge

Title: Patience, a Steady Hand by Helenish
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Arthur/Eames
Categories: AU, Angst, Drama, Romance, Slave
Length: Epic (43,502 words)
Warnings: the author warns for "Rape, attempted rape, coercive sex, dubiously consensual sex, physical and emotional abuse, violence, sexual violence, and sexism," and I'll add a warning for a relationship/plot of 'rape that turns into love.'

Author on LJ: helenish / helenish
Author Website: Helenish

Summary:
821 A.D. Arthur is in the nightmare business. Eames is a thief, a liar, and versatile with a pen.

Review:
This is one of those stories that the setup (Viking AU!?!) sounded so crack-y, and the warnings (lots about rape) sounded so daunting, that I avoided it for a while despite seeing it recced around and constantly popping up on my delicious bookmark network. When I was finally in the right frame of mind, I was so glad I'd read it. The warnings are all appropriate and should be heeded, but helenish takes the set up and uses it to explore all the problematic concepts inherent in it. Somehow, the Arthur and Eames are still very much themselves, despite Arthur now being a Viking berserker and Eames an artistic monk-turned-slave.

Arthur (the Viking!) captures Eames as his slave, saving him from slaughter, but forcing him into a life he doesn't want. Their relationship is long and complex; they're both pretty messed up, and in a messy situation. My favorite parts are during the long winter, when they're holed up inside away from the rest of the village and Arthur is learning Saxon from Eames and Eames is drawing. I also really liked the character voices and settings. The village and life there is vivid, though I have no idea if it's historically accurate. The ending is happy and a bit unexpected and I love where helenish takes us. There's a clever symmetry to it.

( Click here to read an excerpt. )

Patience, a Steady Hand

Title: Patience, a Steady Hand by Helenish
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Arthur/Eames
Categories: AU, Angst, Drama, Romance, Slave
Length: Epic (43,502 words)
Warnings: the author warns for "Rape, attempted rape, coercive sex, dubiously consensual sex, physical and emotional abuse, violence, sexual violence, and sexism," and I'll add a warning for a relationship/plot of 'rape that turns into love.'

Author on LJ: helenish / helenish
Author Website: Helenish

Summary:
821 A.D. Arthur is in the nightmare business. Eames is a thief, a liar, and versatile with a pen.

Review:
This is one of those stories that the setup (Viking AU!?!) sounded so crack-y, and the warnings (lots about rape) sounded so daunting, that I avoided it for a while despite seeing it recced around and constantly popping up on my delicious bookmark network. When I was finally in the right frame of mind, I was so glad I'd read it. The warnings are all appropriate and should be heeded, but helenish takes the set up and uses it to explore all the problematic concepts inherent in it. Somehow, the Arthur and Eames are still very much themselves, despite Arthur now being a Viking berserker and Eames an artistic monk-turned-slave.

Arthur (the Viking!) captures Eames as his slave, saving him from slaughter, but forcing him into a life he doesn't want. Their relationship is long and complex; they're both pretty messed up, and in a messy situation. My favorite parts are during the long winter, when they're holed up inside away from the rest of the village and Arthur is learning Saxon from Eames and Eames is drawing. I also really liked the character voices and settings. The village and life there is vivid, though I have no idea if it's historically accurate. The ending is happy and a bit unexpected and I love where helenish takes us. There's a clever symmetry to it.

( Click here to read an excerpt. )

Patience, a Steady Hand

Title: Patience, a Steady Hand by Helenish
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Arthur/Eames
Categories: AU, Angst, Drama, Romance, Slave
Length: Epic (43,502 words)
Warnings: the author warns for "Rape, attempted rape, coercive sex, dubiously consensual sex, physical and emotional abuse, violence, sexual violence, and sexism," and I'll add a warning for a relationship/plot of 'rape that turns into love.'

Author on LJ: helenish / helenish
Author Website: Helenish

Summary:
821 A.D. Arthur is in the nightmare business. Eames is a thief, a liar, and versatile with a pen.

Review:
This is one of those stories that the setup (Viking AU!?!) sounded so crack-y, and the warnings (lots about rape) sounded so daunting, that I avoided it for a while despite seeing it recced around and constantly popping up on my delicious bookmark network. When I was finally in the right frame of mind, I was so glad I'd read it. The warnings are all appropriate and should be heeded, but helenish takes the set up and uses it to explore all the problematic concepts inherent in it. Somehow, the Arthur and Eames are still very much themselves, despite Arthur now being a Viking berserker and Eames an artistic monk-turned-slave.

Arthur (the Viking!) captures Eames as his slave, saving him from slaughter, but forcing him into a life he doesn't want. Their relationship is long and complex; they're both pretty messed up, and in a messy situation. My favorite parts are during the long winter, when they're holed up inside away from the rest of the village and Arthur is learning Saxon from Eames and Eames is drawing. I also really liked the character voices and settings. The village and life there is vivid, though I have no idea if it's historically accurate. The ending is happy and a bit unexpected and I love where helenish takes us. There's a clever symmetry to it.

( Click here to read an excerpt. )

Patience, a Steady Hand

Title: Patience, a Steady Hand by Helenish
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Arthur/Eames
Categories: AU, Angst, Drama, Romance, Slave
Length: Epic (43,502 words)
Warnings: the author warns for "Rape, attempted rape, coercive sex, dubiously consensual sex, physical and emotional abuse, violence, sexual violence, and sexism," and I'll add a warning for a relationship/plot of 'rape that turns into love.'

Author on LJ: helenish / helenish
Author Website: Helenish

Summary:
821 A.D. Arthur is in the nightmare business. Eames is a thief, a liar, and versatile with a pen.

Review:
This is one of those stories that the setup (Viking AU!?!) sounded so crack-y, and the warnings (lots about rape) sounded so daunting, that I avoided it for a while despite seeing it recced around and constantly popping up on my delicious bookmark network. When I was finally in the right frame of mind, I was so glad I'd read it. The warnings are all appropriate and should be heeded, but helenish takes the set up and uses it to explore all the problematic concepts inherent in it. Somehow, the Arthur and Eames are still very much themselves, despite Arthur now being a Viking berserker and Eames an artistic monk-turned-slave.

Arthur (the Viking!) captures Eames as his slave, saving him from slaughter, but forcing him into a life he doesn't want. Their relationship is long and complex; they're both pretty messed up, and in a messy situation. My favorite parts are during the long winter, when they're holed up inside away from the rest of the village and Arthur is learning Saxon from Eames and Eames is drawing. I also really liked the character voices and settings. The village and life there is vivid, though I have no idea if it's historically accurate. The ending is happy and a bit unexpected and I love where helenish takes us. There's a clever symmetry to it.

( Click here to read an excerpt. )

Patience, a Steady Hand

Title: Patience, a Steady Hand by Helenish
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Arthur/Eames
Categories: AU, Angst, Drama, Romance, Slave
Length: Epic (43,502 words)
Warnings: the author warns for "Rape, attempted rape, coercive sex, dubiously consensual sex, physical and emotional abuse, violence, sexual violence, and sexism," and I'll add a warning for a relationship/plot of 'rape that turns into love.'

Author on LJ: helenish / helenish
Author Website: Helenish

Summary:
821 A.D. Arthur is in the nightmare business. Eames is a thief, a liar, and versatile with a pen.

Review:
This is one of those stories that the setup (Viking AU!?!) sounded so crack-y, and the warnings (lots about rape) sounded so daunting, that I avoided it for a while despite seeing it recced around and constantly popping up on my delicious bookmark network. When I was finally in the right frame of mind, I was so glad I'd read it. The warnings are all appropriate and should be heeded, but helenish takes the set up and uses it to explore all the problematic concepts inherent in it. Somehow, the Arthur and Eames are still very much themselves, despite Arthur now being a Viking berserker and Eames an artistic monk-turned-slave.

Arthur (the Viking!) captures Eames as his slave, saving him from slaughter, but forcing him into a life he doesn't want. Their relationship is long and complex; they're both pretty messed up, and in a messy situation. My favorite parts are during the long winter, when they're holed up inside away from the rest of the village and Arthur is learning Saxon from Eames and Eames is drawing. I also really liked the character voices and settings. The village and life there is vivid, though I have no idea if it's historically accurate. The ending is happy and a bit unexpected and I love where helenish takes us. There's a clever symmetry to it.

( Click here to read an excerpt. )

Patience, a Steady Hand

Title: Patience, a Steady Hand by Helenish
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Arthur/Eames
Categories: AU, Angst, Drama, Romance, Slave
Length: Epic (43,502 words)
Warnings: the author warns for "Rape, attempted rape, coercive sex, dubiously consensual sex, physical and emotional abuse, violence, sexual violence, and sexism," and I'll add a warning for a relationship/plot of 'rape that turns into love.'

Author on LJ: helenish / helenish
Author Website: Helenish

Summary:
821 A.D. Arthur is in the nightmare business. Eames is a thief, a liar, and versatile with a pen.

Review:
This is one of those stories that the setup (Viking AU!?!) sounded so crack-y, and the warnings (lots about rape) sounded so daunting, that I avoided it for a while despite seeing it recced around and constantly popping up on my delicious bookmark network. When I was finally in the right frame of mind, I was so glad I'd read it. The warnings are all appropriate and should be heeded, but helenish takes the set up and uses it to explore all the problematic concepts inherent in it. Somehow, the Arthur and Eames are still very much themselves, despite Arthur now being a Viking berserker and Eames an artistic monk-turned-slave.

Arthur (the Viking!) captures Eames as his slave, saving him from slaughter, but forcing him into a life he doesn't want. Their relationship is long and complex; they're both pretty messed up, and in a messy situation. My favorite parts are during the long winter, when they're holed up inside away from the rest of the village and Arthur is learning Saxon from Eames and Eames is drawing. I also really liked the character voices and settings. The village and life there is vivid, though I have no idea if it's historically accurate. The ending is happy and a bit unexpected and I love where helenish takes us. There's a clever symmetry to it.

( Click here to read an excerpt. )

Patience, a Steady Hand