Ashes, Embers, Flames

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Fanfiction
Title: Ashes, Embers, Flames
Author(s): unpossible
Date(s): 11 January 2012 - 12 February 2012
Length: 65,453 words
Genre: slash fanfiction
Fandom: Merlin
External Links: Ashes, Embers, Flames (AO3)
Cover art by unknown artist, used on Goodreads

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Ashes, Embers, Flames is a Merlin/Arthur Modern AU by unpossible.

Summary: Merlin sees him across a crowded living room and promptly spills his beer down the back of the couch and over some hapless stranger's neck.

Recs and Reviews

"To Merlin fans on my dash: if you haven’t been following the WIP Ashes, Embers, Flames on the AO3 for whatever reason, it has just completed and I cannot recommend it enough. ~65,000 words of Arthur/Merlin modern AU with an exciting plot and so much pining and so much love and some of the best AU characterizations I have run across. Do yourself a favor and give it a read!"[1]

"Basically Merlin needs a place to live and Arthur has plenty of space in the house he’s renovating. Arthur has a complicated backstory as well… (this one is a bit more angsty)"[2]

"Merlin meets Arthur at Gwen's house party, and Arthur offers up a spare room in the house that he's renovating. Arthur's got some secret past he refuses to discuss, which eventually gets in the way of them turning their relationship into a Relationship. I love this story as it's got all my favorite things: a mystery, Uthur being batshit insane and being called out on it, Merlin still having his magic in a contemporary world, a nice long plot, and a happy ending."[3]

"This is a friends-to-lovers fic in a modern setting. I don’t really want to give anything away at all but it has UST up the wazoo and angst and domesticity/forced proximity and secrets and a big mystery and possessiveness and love and amazingly well-rounded characters. AND RIDICULOUSLY HOT SEX. And and and. I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLAIN TO YOU HOW GOOD THIS STORY IS. Just. Go read it. And then please come talk to me about it because I am overflowing with feelings. I don’t know boo about this author but I assume he/she is a pro or on the way toward writing pro because it’s that good. If you love Arthur you will love this. If you love Merlin you will love this. It’s just. GOD."[4]

"As Will (Merlin’s best friend, flatmate, ex) moves to Switzerland, Merlin has to find another flatmate or another place to live. Luckily, Arthur offers him a place in his flat. Deep friendship ensues—along with misunderstandings, angst, relationships, and revelation of some deep dark secrets. Comments: [...] Seriously. I like how this fic started off as easy and light but got extremely deep, heavy, mysterious, and dark halfway through. There’s barely any magic, really. I keep forgetting it’s there. Ohmylord, THAT HANDJOB. It drove me insane!"[5]

"It's so good, seriously. Its kind of new, so you probably haven’t read it yet. Its an AU. Merlin needs a place to live, Arthur invites him to live in his house, they hit it off immediately, but there are some horribly angsty secrets that get in the way. Seriously tense, heart-rending, and emotionally satisfying. And there are some absolutely scorching scenes in there as well."[6]

I read another fic by this author (Ashes, Embers, Flames) a while ago, and loved it. I think I made a note on Delicious that it was Jane Eyre meets Merlin for the almost gothic-romance kind of modern day intrigue, and it was also a fic I almost didn't read when first posted. This is the thing about fandom -- authors are required to warn readers for anything, and I mean literally anything, and that fic had a warning for 'underage prostitution.' At the time, I thought I wasn't in the mood for another hooker!Merlin fic and almost gave it a pass. Of course, the warning applies to a minor character that isn't there for very long if at all. Dangers of fandom misrepresentation.[7]

References

  1. ^ theladyragnell. To Merlin fans on my dash, 12 February 2012. (18 March 2012)
  2. ^ oolongteamix. 1am Merlin Fic Rec (brought to you by Angry Orchard Hard Apple Cider). (Accessed 18 March 2012)
  3. ^ mimbleful. Pinboard description, 24 February 2012. (Accessed 18 March 2012)
  4. ^ lolafeist. uber Merlin rec, 19 March 2012. (Accessed 20 March 2012)
  5. ^ colsandbradders. Ashes, Embers, Flames - Fic Rec, 21 March 2012. (Accessed 25 March 2012)
  6. ^ anedumacation. Z:Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go. (Accessed 25 March 2012)
  7. ^ kianspo. Recs (from a tired person), 07 April 2012. (Accessed 27 April 2012)