Because, you know, I need a new fandom like a hole in the head

[such_heights]

Dear LJ,

Today I slept a great deal and watched four episodes of Merlin. It was a good day.

Okay, I should have trusted you all in your infinite wisdom from the get-go. IT'S AWESOME. I love Merlin, he's adorable! I love the way all the plots are incredibly predictable! I love Richard Wilson and Anthony Head! I LOVE Gwen and Morgana!

I can has Morgana/Gwen recs now, plz? I mean, yes yes, the Arthur/Merlin, oh it is blatant, and omg Merlin/Gwen is so cute I can hardly stand it, but I am blindsided by the Gwen/Morgana. Like the episode where everyone's dying of the icky plague thing, and Gwen gives one flower to Merlin (n'awwww) and ALL THE REST TO MORGANA, hee! ♥ ♥ ♥

Also, I hear tell the episodes actually get a lot better soon? I am excited! :D

***

Also, though I'm not allowing myself to dive into the exchange properly until my own story is finished and submitted, grah, rs_small_gifts has started posting! And all looks wondrous. What I did manage to read was the following, and it was excellent:

Waiting For The Great Leap Forward, by woldy
Harry Potter ; Remus/Sirius ; PG-13
Four winters in Remus' life, told backwards.

This is a wonderfully intelligent story, on class differences and politics and how Remus and Sirius fell apart. It's quite a bit heartbreaking, but in such a plausible way, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Comments

[rosiphelee.livejournal.com]

Hmm, if they modernised that, he'd be called Ambrose.

Somehow, that doesn't quite fit the mood of the thing. ^_^

[lorannah.livejournal.com]

:D

You might already know this, but a significant figure in post Roman Britain was Ambrosius Aurealis who many think may have been an early inspiration for Arthur.

Pretty close to Ambrose.

[rosiphelee.livejournal.com]

*nods* I always quite liked Mary Stewart's take on it in The Crystal Cave, where Merlin was supposed to be Ambrosius' illegitimate son (can't remember if it was clearly announced in the novel or just unmissable implications).

Aurealianus is a fascinating figure - a sort of precursor of Arthur. I'm intrigued enough by him that I pinched his name for one of the key characters in my novel.

[lorannah.livejournal.com]

Hee.

I thought you might have known.

I've not read the Mary Stewart book, I think I'll put it on my reading list for next year. I'm actually horrendously badly read on Arthurian stuff, just the Once and Future King and a few kids fantasies that use it as backstory, so if you have any recomendations they'd be greatly appreciated.

I have been geekily enjoying reading about 'sub-Roman' Britain recently - although I hate that name for it, silly archaeologists and was really intrigued by Aurealis, enough so that he worked his way into my nano novel this year. His bits definitely going to be rewritten though, once I have time for better research.

Nano is too rushed.

[rosiphelee.livejournal.com]

I like most of The Crystal Cave, but I got quite irritated with the later books.

My favourite pseudo-historical Arthurian novel is Catherine Christian's The Sword and the Flame (Some editions were called The Pendragon). It's Bedivere's perspective and it's beautiful and satisfying and heart-wrenching. Sadly, it's also out of print, but there are secondhand copies around.

a few kids fantasies that use it as backstory, - Susan Cooper?

*waves at such_heights* Sorry for hijacking your post with Arthurian geekery.

[such_heights]

But it's so educational! *grins* I am amused; do carry on.