Fandom: Merlin
Fic: Knights of the Air by riventhorn 
Word Count: 30K  Rating: R
Summary: It is the summer of 1940, and the Battle of Britain rages in the skies. As the Luftwaffe sends hundreds of bombers and fighters to prepare the way for an invasion, it is up to the pilots of the RAF to stop them.

I thought this fic was wonderful in a quiet kind of way (considering the historical context the individual storyline kind of has to be I guess), and I was just as interested in the history and the story of it all as the Merlin/Athur storyline, which is saying something as I tend to run away from anything like this usually :)

DarkEmeralds just finished the masterful 'Restraint' (ticking in at >200,000 words, regency J2 AU). This is without a doubt the most thorough, believable and engaging 'historical' fanfic that I have ever read, not to mention just a brilliant read unto itself. If you haven't read it yet, go read it, if you've never read RPS before, go read it anyway (they don't even have the same names!).

http://archiveofourown.org/works/61002/chapters/80646

Here's a fanfic for the OLDEST STORY OF ALL TIME! ;-)


Fandom: Epic of Gilgamesh
Title: In the House of Dust
Author: KindKit
Pairing: Enkidu/Gilgamesh
Summary: Men and cities are made of clay, and turn to dust.
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http://yuletidetreasure.org/archive/22/inthe.html

...It is seriously awesome.
Also available in podfic-format:
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http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/in-house-of-dust


-Indigo

Here's a Merlin fic that does historical far better than canon—the setting is actually medieval! And it's hilarious and cute as well.

Polishing Buttons (http://skellerbvvt.livejournal.com/40415.html) by skellerbvvt (Arthur/Merlin) An oh, oh so clueless (but refreshingly medieval) Merlin.

A couple more from me:

It's been recced in this comm before, but I have to second the rec for Green Ice (http://www.quillsandink.com/fiction/viewstory.php?sid=1048) by Adina. A Jeeves and Wooster story (with a Lord Peter Wimsey cameo) that really places Bertie in the context of the times, and gives a reason for his usual scatter-brained behavior. Lovely and touching storytelling, that highlights the impact of the first World War. Gen.

And I'm pretty sure I've recced this in other Readers' Recs, but I can't resist because I love it! Gingertart's The Fourth Deathly Hallow (http://www.thebejeweledgreenbottle.com/2009%20Mixed%20Games/Fic%20Snitch/snitch-gingertart.html) has Harry, Snape, and Draco flung back at the end of the Wizarding War into Victorian England—Sherlock Homes's Victorian England. Utterly marvelous worldbuilding through Watson's POV—very Victorian—and excellent character development throughout, with a subtle romance developing between Snape and Harry.