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The Student Prince #1
The Student Prince
A modern day (BBC) Merlin AU set at the University of St Andrews, featuring teetotal kickboxers, secret wizards, magnificent bodyguards of various genders, irate fairies, imprisoned dragons, crumbling gothic architecture, arrogant princes, adorable engineering students, stolen gold, magical doorways, attempted assassination, drunken students, shaving foam fights, embarrassing mornings after, The Hammer Dance, duty, responsibility, friendship and true love...
145,248 Words Complete
145,248 Words Complete
333 pages, ebook
First published July 10, 2010
745 people are currently reading
28.1k people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 650 reviews
March 7, 2018
5 + Stars.
I'm more than giddy after reading this.I just loved every word from beginning to end and this little gem is why I absolutely LOVE reading and LOVE getting swept away in a book that you simply can't put down and don't want it to end.
The writing,characters,story telling .....just brilliant.
A modern twist on the legendary story of King Author and Merlin....yes,I was sceptical because this wouldn't normally be my go to thing but it was brilliantly done with truly engaging characters.
-the setting was perfect.St Andrews,a quaint town in Scotland that I've visited so many times and absolutely love,
-the banter was just delicious and I adored Merlin's inner ramblings and turmoil as he battled his attraction to Arthur,
-the sexual tension was off the charts....and once Merlin and Arthur got going it was super HOT,
-some fantastic supporting characters that fit into the story perfectly,
-magic and mayhem and a sarcastic,no nonsense Dragon who developed a thing for Justin Bieber's music and demanded an ipod.....priceless!!
Without doubt,one of the most enjoyable books I've read this year that I'm sure I'll read over and over.
Favorite quotes:
Highly recommended.
I'm more than giddy after reading this.I just loved every word from beginning to end and this little gem is why I absolutely LOVE reading and LOVE getting swept away in a book that you simply can't put down and don't want it to end.
The writing,characters,story telling .....just brilliant.
A modern twist on the legendary story of King Author and Merlin....yes,I was sceptical because this wouldn't normally be my go to thing but it was brilliantly done with truly engaging characters.
-the setting was perfect.St Andrews,a quaint town in Scotland that I've visited so many times and absolutely love,
-the banter was just delicious and I adored Merlin's inner ramblings and turmoil as he battled his attraction to Arthur,
-the sexual tension was off the charts....and once Merlin and Arthur got going it was super HOT,
-some fantastic supporting characters that fit into the story perfectly,
-magic and mayhem and a sarcastic,no nonsense Dragon who developed a thing for Justin Bieber's music and demanded an ipod.....priceless!!
Without doubt,one of the most enjoyable books I've read this year that I'm sure I'll read over and over.
Favorite quotes:
"Sign me up," he said, firmly, grinning at a bald girl with enough silver in her various cavities to sink a small ship. "I'm a card-carrying friend of Dorothy, and I'm gagging for a shag."
There had been the one, horribly embarrassing morning where his mother walked into his bedroom with a pile of ironed shirts and not-ironed pants, found her son sitting on top of a Polish plumber called Kris(...)
Arthur shrugged. "The GaySoc pin was a big clue," he said. "Also, your phone has a Village People tune as its ring tone. I have amazing detective skills."(...)
Highly recommended.
September 6, 2016
Oh my,my!!What a delicious cocktail this was.
FUN.FUN.FUN.
CRAZY.CRAZY.CRAZY.
And I savoured it till the very last drop.
What can I say,it had all my favourite ingredients....
Magic, warlocks, a Prince (not so charming), dragons, fairies, assassins.....and so on.
See? What's not to like?
This tale is about Prince Arthur and Merlin the wizard.
Now,don't confuse it with old tale we know.
Remember...details do change.
And oh,how they changed!!!**sigh**
So you don't have to worry about an old man with a huge beard and dreadful fashion sense!!I promise.
Anyway,I thoroughly enjoyed this!!
By the way, did I mention that it is FREE???
Click on this link given below....
...And ENJOY!!!
That's all for now,Readers.
Ta-Ta!!
January 31, 2013
Where is the 10 stars rating when I need one?!?
I rarely give out 5-stars, even for books I love. By the time I am writing this down, I only list 86 books out of 2,699 that I have rated here, which means it's not even 5%.
But this book is just BLOODY BRILLIANT. Now, I wonder if I compare all those 5-stars rating books, will they even deserve it? Because it'll be hard for another story to match this one. I can't believe that this is available for readers without having to pay any darn cents!
This is the kind of book, that reminds me of those praises when authors said "I wish I wrote that book". This is the kind of book that I want to see as part of some literary readers choice awards. This is the kind of book that I want to marry and have children with...
For a story that seems to have also been influenced by J.K. Rowling's "Potter" series (as seen in many references to the characters), it's gloriously charming. I look back at series I love, Potter, Dresden, Psy/Changeling, and man, I don't even give those book 5-stars immediately from book #1.This though? This, I can see those sparkling stars at the end of the road from the moment Merlin meets Gwen on their way to St. Andrews. I can list down 101 reasons on why I love this book (I'm not going to, but I will list down some of them ^^)
+ The writing is smart, witty, sharp, engaging, and beautiful ...
"Merlin thought back to the caverns of the sea and the bittersweet delight of floating fathoms deep through water like forgotten tears, listening to whalesong and watching shoals of glinting fish scatter at the kraken's approach..."
+ The pace is well-kept; and this is quite a LONG book but it NEVER falters.
+ The characters are wonderful
+ The banters are fresh and never boring. I can't believe how this author keeps it fresh. NON STOP.
+ The pining is well-done.
+ The romance built-up is amazing.
Then there are these random thoughts...
+ OMG Kraken!!
+ Gosh, this is one of the best stories in university setting without the nerd/joke stereotype
+ OMG the dragon wants iPod. And using Twitter. And think about trolls and flame people *FTW!*
+ Morgana is such a rocking Academic Mother
+ OMG Merlin's power
+ Lance, you wonderful, idiot, guy for not making a move on Gwen early on.
+ OMG Jealous!Arthur
+ THAT ONE IS HOT!! Hmmm, bend on desk :)
+ Second star on the right, and straight until morning *siiiiiiiigh*
And during that one near the end scene, I have tears running down my face. Because what Arthur is saying is bloody powerful and I'm so SO proud of this (version) of Prince of Wales and I want to give him a hug and claim him as my Prince.
LONG LIVE PRINCE ARTHUR!!
I know that this review is not doing this book a justice. Not at all. Not even a bit. But if it can give just tiny contribution to this story being acknowledged by more people, I feel like I'm doing my job...
February 11, 2013
"The Student Prince" had everything I love in a book. Humor? Check. Great chemistry? Check. A quirky or unusual story? Check and check! Oh my, this just was everything for me.
I wasn't familiar at all with the Merlin/Arthur storyline when I started reading this one. I mean, I vaguely remembered them from childhood stories but nothing substantial. Thankfully, I didn't need any prior knowledge of the tale to love this book. And the fact that it was free? Holy mother did I luck out!
I think what really spoke to me was the way FanJay wove pop-culture references, crazy funny one-liners, and magic to make an irresistible mash-up. I mean, this isn't a short book and it just flew by. The pacing was spot on. The story never dragged.
This book was a stand-out and makes my top-favorites list!
**Off to find more Arthur-Merlin fan fiction...**
I wasn't familiar at all with the Merlin/Arthur storyline when I started reading this one. I mean, I vaguely remembered them from childhood stories but nothing substantial. Thankfully, I didn't need any prior knowledge of the tale to love this book. And the fact that it was free? Holy mother did I luck out!
I think what really spoke to me was the way FanJay wove pop-culture references, crazy funny one-liners, and magic to make an irresistible mash-up. I mean, this isn't a short book and it just flew by. The pacing was spot on. The story never dragged.
This book was a stand-out and makes my top-favorites list!
**Off to find more Arthur-Merlin fan fiction...**
January 5, 2015
Very British.
A true delight if you're into puns and sexual tension and skinny boys with long limbs and a fetish for bacon butties.
I liked that it's not precisely a fanfic; it owes as much to The Sword in the Stone as to The Mists of Avalon, and I think co-opting the Merthur iconography (Merlin's big ears, Arthur's posh condescension) was a successful gambit—especially since it's set in modern Britain, not the Dark Ages.
Many, many UK references. In fact, pretty much all the humor is UK-derived, so if you haven't seen Stephen Fry, Eddie Izzard, or Monty Python, or read Susan Cooper, Oscar Wilde, or Charles Dickens...
...well. Best see for yourself, I suppose.
We chavs aren't always bloody great big pillocks, y'know.
A true delight if you're into puns and sexual tension and skinny boys with long limbs and a fetish for bacon butties.
I liked that it's not precisely a fanfic; it owes as much to The Sword in the Stone as to The Mists of Avalon, and I think co-opting the Merthur iconography (Merlin's big ears, Arthur's posh condescension) was a successful gambit—especially since it's set in modern Britain, not the Dark Ages.
Many, many UK references. In fact, pretty much all the humor is UK-derived, so if you haven't seen Stephen Fry, Eddie Izzard, or Monty Python, or read Susan Cooper, Oscar Wilde, or Charles Dickens...
...well. Best see for yourself, I suppose.
We chavs aren't always bloody great big pillocks, y'know.
May 6, 2015
Re-read -- the podfic this time, woo! -- for the holidays *megawatt smile*.
November 2013 Oi! I’m sure my UK based friends will snort at this confession, but the scones and English Breakfast tea that I had bought especially for a dreary November afternoon on the sofa with The Student Prince, made reading this truly and thoroughly British book an even more dorktastic experience. Repeat after me, my pillocks: fanfic is free, fabulous and few published fics are more fantastic!
An ode to fanfic!
...an ode to this free stuff that you have to hunt for in obscure corners of the internet. Diamonds, both polished and in the rough, that are hidden away on websites that looked fine in the late 90’s. That thrill of adrenalin when you’ve finally found a website that lets you either download your preferred format or export to Flagfic (does the L in Flagfic really serve a purpose?). The excitement when the link to a blurb you fancy is not broken and not for a WIP…and suddenly you find yourself bouncing up and down screaming: OMG JARETH THE GOBLIN KING DITCHES THE BABY FOR A TWINK?! and DEREK AND STILES AS PORN STARS?!, ARTHUR WANTS TO SEE WHAT MERLIN'S MAGIC WARD CAN DO??
Yeah, yeah, I know that’s all well and good, but are these stories actually worth reading? This is where I’m going to jump in and shout: yes! Yes you guys!
Take The Student Prince. A 387 pages long modern day, character-driven adventure in which a young Merlin suddenly finds himself sharing a room on the University of St Andrews with the nation's ideal son-in-law; Prince Arthur. There’s only one little problem. The Arthur in Merlin’s wank fantasies wasn’t an arrogant prat and a very much straight boy...
Almost every single sentence in this book is a feast of innuendo and wit injected delight. It’s typically British, with references to all things British (Blackadder, deep fried Mars bars, The Famous Five) and chock-full of sympathetic insults (plonker, git, twatwazzle, massive eejit) that I, of course, must learn by heart. Each and every character comes with a knock-you-out personality and is able to carry on an alcohol fueled conversation that makes your jaw hurt from smiling too much.
And now that I have started to ramble, I might as well tell you about the incredible unreleased sexual tension (UST) between Arthur and Merlin. The author managed to keep it up for a hot and heavy 50% of the book. I was wallowing in delight and amusement. Few writers manage to carry on with the good stuff in a way that keeps it from getting stale or feeling ridiculously stretched out (*cough* Loaded March *cough*).
It hardly mattered when the UST came to an end and the reward didn’t entirely live up to my greedy expectations. Who cares when there’s so much to enjoy otherwise, right? And honestly, the thingy with the plane perhaps went a bit too fast and too furious to suspend my disbelief, but a stoic dragon wanting an iPod to listen to Justin Bieber made up for that. And it’s entirely possible that this book would have been even better if the author had ramped up the danger and angst during the assassination attempts that Merlin had to prevent. The Harry Potter vibe was there: a thicker plot would have suited this book too.
How I could pointedly ignore a steady stream of gushing reviews on my feed all this time? I have no clue, but I deserve to do the Hammer Dance for the rest of my lame existence. In my defense, Arthurian legends, the films and that hot TV series everyone goes on about? Flew right under my radar. So if your unfamiliarity with Merthur is what’s holding you back, don’t let it. It’s okay to not know heck about these legendary guys and still love this book to pieces.
Don’t make the same mistake I initially made, my Baldricks!
November 2013 Oi! I’m sure my UK based friends will snort at this confession, but the scones and English Breakfast tea that I had bought especially for a dreary November afternoon on the sofa with The Student Prince, made reading this truly and thoroughly British book an even more dorktastic experience. Repeat after me, my pillocks: fanfic is free, fabulous and few published fics are more fantastic!
An ode to fanfic!
...an ode to this free stuff that you have to hunt for in obscure corners of the internet. Diamonds, both polished and in the rough, that are hidden away on websites that looked fine in the late 90’s. That thrill of adrenalin when you’ve finally found a website that lets you either download your preferred format or export to Flagfic (does the L in Flagfic really serve a purpose?). The excitement when the link to a blurb you fancy is not broken and not for a WIP…and suddenly you find yourself bouncing up and down screaming: OMG JARETH THE GOBLIN KING DITCHES THE BABY FOR A TWINK?! and DEREK AND STILES AS PORN STARS?!, ARTHUR WANTS TO SEE WHAT MERLIN'S MAGIC WARD CAN DO??
Yeah, yeah, I know that’s all well and good, but are these stories actually worth reading? This is where I’m going to jump in and shout: yes! Yes you guys!
Take The Student Prince. A 387 pages long modern day, character-driven adventure in which a young Merlin suddenly finds himself sharing a room on the University of St Andrews with the nation's ideal son-in-law; Prince Arthur. There’s only one little problem. The Arthur in Merlin’s wank fantasies wasn’t an arrogant prat and a very much straight boy...
Almost every single sentence in this book is a feast of innuendo and wit injected delight. It’s typically British, with references to all things British (Blackadder, deep fried Mars bars, The Famous Five) and chock-full of sympathetic insults (plonker, git, twatwazzle, massive eejit) that I, of course, must learn by heart. Each and every character comes with a knock-you-out personality and is able to carry on an alcohol fueled conversation that makes your jaw hurt from smiling too much.
And now that I have started to ramble, I might as well tell you about the incredible unreleased sexual tension (UST) between Arthur and Merlin. The author managed to keep it up for a hot and heavy 50% of the book. I was wallowing in delight and amusement. Few writers manage to carry on with the good stuff in a way that keeps it from getting stale or feeling ridiculously stretched out (*cough* Loaded March *cough*).
It hardly mattered when the UST came to an end and the reward didn’t entirely live up to my greedy expectations. Who cares when there’s so much to enjoy otherwise, right? And honestly, the thingy with the plane perhaps went a bit too fast and too furious to suspend my disbelief, but a stoic dragon wanting an iPod to listen to Justin Bieber made up for that. And it’s entirely possible that this book would have been even better if the author had ramped up the danger and angst during the assassination attempts that Merlin had to prevent. The Harry Potter vibe was there: a thicker plot would have suited this book too.
How I could pointedly ignore a steady stream of gushing reviews on my feed all this time? I have no clue, but I deserve to do the Hammer Dance for the rest of my lame existence. In my defense, Arthurian legends, the films and that hot TV series everyone goes on about? Flew right under my radar. So if your unfamiliarity with Merthur is what’s holding you back, don’t let it. It’s okay to not know heck about these legendary guys and still love this book to pieces.
Don’t make the same mistake I initially made, my Baldricks!
December 27, 2022
|| 2.0 stars ||
I’m going to be honest here and start this out by saying that I skimmed a lot of this book. I noticed early on that the writing was juvenile and that I did not feel very interested in the overall story. Thus, I decided I wasn’t going to get very caught up in the details and only tried to read the parts that featured Arthur and Merlin’s romance. Unfortunately, not even their relationship could make me very happy. It was too simple and too� mweh. It was nothing to write home about.
I watched the BBC show years ago and I never really thought about Merlin and Arthur as a romantic ‘ship� while watching. However, their bromance was always amazing.
I’m definitely thinking about re-watching the show now with this new perspective: I’m sure it could be very lovely and swoon-worthy. After all, their chemistry has always been insane and their dynamic is filled with potential.
Anyway, this was the first fan-fiction I have ever read, and I really like the idea of trying more. I mean, reading a story with characters I already know and love sounds awesome! But� This one unfortunately did not really work for me. It felt a bit empty and surface-level to me. I’m hoping I’ll have better luck the next time I might try some fan-fiction. Fingers crossed!
I’m going to be honest here and start this out by saying that I skimmed a lot of this book. I noticed early on that the writing was juvenile and that I did not feel very interested in the overall story. Thus, I decided I wasn’t going to get very caught up in the details and only tried to read the parts that featured Arthur and Merlin’s romance. Unfortunately, not even their relationship could make me very happy. It was too simple and too� mweh. It was nothing to write home about.
I watched the BBC show years ago and I never really thought about Merlin and Arthur as a romantic ‘ship� while watching. However, their bromance was always amazing.
I’m definitely thinking about re-watching the show now with this new perspective: I’m sure it could be very lovely and swoon-worthy. After all, their chemistry has always been insane and their dynamic is filled with potential.
Anyway, this was the first fan-fiction I have ever read, and I really like the idea of trying more. I mean, reading a story with characters I already know and love sounds awesome! But� This one unfortunately did not really work for me. It felt a bit empty and surface-level to me. I’m hoping I’ll have better luck the next time I might try some fan-fiction. Fingers crossed!
February 28, 2018
5 “This fanfic needs to be published, like, yesterday!� Stars
FayJay states in her bio that she loves narrative - and I have to say, I loved her narrative with a fiery passion that cannot (and will not) be contained!
This review will (hopefully) make sense to those who have read this story, but to those who have not, the following may appear to be nothing more than the incoherent ramblings of a seemingly deranged book-lover. Either way, buckle up, because I have shit to say!
Firstly, this is an outstanding modern retelling of the Arthurian Legend. I may have gone into this slightly bias, with my already established soft spot for the whole King Arthur myth, but that doesn’t diminish this particular stories brilliance. The narration was sooo good, and executed with such effortless precision, that it was � simply put � an utter joy to read. And may I just say, pish-posh to the whole “fanfiction isn’t real writing� rubbish, because this is a prime example of how there are many talented authors out there who are knocking out quality work for the masses � for free � and getting little recognition for their talent and effort.
Secondly, I love books with magic themes and what was not to like about this one? Fairy assassins, Justin Bieber loving dragons, a super-secret-sorcery-society within a prestigious British University, a lonely kraken, spells that invoke true loves kiss � seriously, it was all fantastic!
Thirdly, the characters were so damn good. I could sit here and wax lyrical about my new obsession with Merlin but... actually, I bloody well will!! Here's a quick list of reasons why I loved him so ridiculously:
1. He often uses a questioning inflection in his responses - e.g. He is constantly apologising by saying ٴǰ?� like he’s not actually sure if he is, or should be. It made for quite entertaining, and often hilarious, character interactions.
2. He’s kick ass at, umm� World of Warcraft! Seriously, though, his mad wizard skills made Harry Potter look like chopped liver.
3. He is the master of the stunned codfish expression.
4. He deserves some sort of “danger money� in payment for all his wizard-tastic heroics.
5. His insult vocab was a thing of wonder. There were lots of pillocks and numpty’s, and let us not forget all the twatwaffles.
6. If he wants to go on an emo walk then he will, god dammit!!
The rest of the characters were almost as awesome. Prince Arthur - AKA “His Royal Toppiness�, AKA “the appallingly lickable Prince�, AKA “His Royal Dickishness� � was a fantastic counterpart to Merlin. He gave as good as he got (get your minds out of the gutter) and let’s not forget how amazing he was when giving, what I’m now referring to as, "The Interview". It was absolutely phenomenal and hands down my favourite part of the whole book! And the sexual tension between these two! GAH! So hot! Particularly, all the panty-dropping lust-filled sex-eyes that Arthur was giving Merlin during the Malteser sucking competition and the jelly shots game. I was all in a fluster!
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how badly I wish I'd had a University experience like the one these characters were having. It seemed like so much fun - minus all the assassination attempts and unrequited love dramas, of course. There were three-legged pub crawls for charity, Mad Hatter tea parties with an assortment of hilarious drinking games, whole school foam fights etc. etc., and to top it all off, I then find out that Raisin Weekend is an actual tradition at the real St Andrew’s. Seriously, sign me up!
Here’s a very quick list of the things I didn’t like about this book:
1. NOTHING. There was NOTHING I didn’t like about this book.
So, in conclusion, this was basically the greatest thing to happen in the history of EVER and I shall happily have a goofy grin plastered across my face, for a long while to come, whenever I think about this story.
FayJay states in her bio that she loves narrative - and I have to say, I loved her narrative with a fiery passion that cannot (and will not) be contained!
This review will (hopefully) make sense to those who have read this story, but to those who have not, the following may appear to be nothing more than the incoherent ramblings of a seemingly deranged book-lover. Either way, buckle up, because I have shit to say!
Firstly, this is an outstanding modern retelling of the Arthurian Legend. I may have gone into this slightly bias, with my already established soft spot for the whole King Arthur myth, but that doesn’t diminish this particular stories brilliance. The narration was sooo good, and executed with such effortless precision, that it was � simply put � an utter joy to read. And may I just say, pish-posh to the whole “fanfiction isn’t real writing� rubbish, because this is a prime example of how there are many talented authors out there who are knocking out quality work for the masses � for free � and getting little recognition for their talent and effort.
Secondly, I love books with magic themes and what was not to like about this one? Fairy assassins, Justin Bieber loving dragons, a super-secret-sorcery-society within a prestigious British University, a lonely kraken, spells that invoke true loves kiss � seriously, it was all fantastic!
Thirdly, the characters were so damn good. I could sit here and wax lyrical about my new obsession with Merlin but... actually, I bloody well will!! Here's a quick list of reasons why I loved him so ridiculously:
1. He often uses a questioning inflection in his responses - e.g. He is constantly apologising by saying ٴǰ?� like he’s not actually sure if he is, or should be. It made for quite entertaining, and often hilarious, character interactions.
2. He’s kick ass at, umm� World of Warcraft! Seriously, though, his mad wizard skills made Harry Potter look like chopped liver.
3. He is the master of the stunned codfish expression.
4. He deserves some sort of “danger money� in payment for all his wizard-tastic heroics.
5. His insult vocab was a thing of wonder. There were lots of pillocks and numpty’s, and let us not forget all the twatwaffles.
6. If he wants to go on an emo walk then he will, god dammit!!
The rest of the characters were almost as awesome. Prince Arthur - AKA “His Royal Toppiness�, AKA “the appallingly lickable Prince�, AKA “His Royal Dickishness� � was a fantastic counterpart to Merlin. He gave as good as he got (get your minds out of the gutter) and let’s not forget how amazing he was when giving, what I’m now referring to as, "The Interview". It was absolutely phenomenal and hands down my favourite part of the whole book! And the sexual tension between these two! GAH! So hot! Particularly, all the panty-dropping lust-filled sex-eyes that Arthur was giving Merlin during the Malteser sucking competition and the jelly shots game. I was all in a fluster!
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how badly I wish I'd had a University experience like the one these characters were having. It seemed like so much fun - minus all the assassination attempts and unrequited love dramas, of course. There were three-legged pub crawls for charity, Mad Hatter tea parties with an assortment of hilarious drinking games, whole school foam fights etc. etc., and to top it all off, I then find out that Raisin Weekend is an actual tradition at the real St Andrew’s. Seriously, sign me up!
Here’s a very quick list of the things I didn’t like about this book:
1. NOTHING. There was NOTHING I didn’t like about this book.
So, in conclusion, this was basically the greatest thing to happen in the history of EVER and I shall happily have a goofy grin plastered across my face, for a long while to come, whenever I think about this story.
December 20, 2018
One thing I think you should know about me: I hate the Arthurian legend. I despise it. If it was possible to throw a party to its demise and watch as it slowly drowned in a vat of maple syrup, I'd be the happiest man on the face of the planet. I don't like the original source material (stupid English 101) and I have wanted to burn just about every movie, tv show, and book, play, or song sung by the wino on the corner, to ash.
Except I kinda have a thing for the BBC Merlin series. I wouldn't call it love. But it's more than tolerance and bordering on reluctant affection. Even if Arthur's dungeons seemed like the easiest place to escape from in the universe. So it wasn't that hard to talk me into reading this book. It was free, it was highly rated...and let's face it, I'm so totally behind the whole Merlin/Arthur thing it is not funny (they would look seriously cute together). And the ending of the show kinda broke my heart into about three million pieces...even though I really haven't got through more than the first series--tumblr is the mother of all spoilers.
So I picked up this book and well...
...Look, I know this is sudden, and you don't really know me or anything, but, FayJay, could I have like all of your babies? I know I don't really like children, and would prefer to like not be within a five-mile radius of one, but it would totally be worth it to bear into this world something that possess your freaking magical DNA of Awesomeness.
This book is pure fucking macrame (which I admit, I'm still not entirely sure what macrame is when it's at home...) and gut clenching, omg can I just die now and go to heaven cause this has to be the most perfect thing on earth and nothing before or after this could measure up to it so why even try? When I was laughing, I was laughing so hard I forgot I needed to breathe. And when I was crying, I was watching parts of my heart curl up and die 'cause life isn't a freaking fairy-tale and there was no way that Merlin was going to have his Arthur and can I die and end this fucking pain? But then they kissed and I didn't want to die cause I never ever wanted to stop reading about the perfection that was Arthur grabbing Merlin's ass and going at him like all he needed to breathe was Merlin. Then Merlin did that thing and I was pretty sure there was no god and that the emptiness inside me would only be filled with tears and chocolate that I force-fed myself to make myself believe that there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo.
Then...then that bloody speech and I was quite literally dancing around my room, punching the air and trying to get my grumpy cat to dance with me because hallelujah there is a god and he is one gay motherfucker who brings gifts of lube so you can pound your hot boyfriend over the desk while he screams out your name.
...
...uh, I think I, uh, let that get away from me there...
But, still. Totally fucking awesome.
I don't care if you don't like fanfics. I don't care if you would rather eat marmite while listening to Justin Bieber than have anything to do with King Arthur and merry band of been-there-done-that. I don't care if you are blind and have to pull a random dude off the street so he can read it to you (or, you know, even if you aren't and you want to do that anyways)...
YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK.
Except I kinda have a thing for the BBC Merlin series. I wouldn't call it love. But it's more than tolerance and bordering on reluctant affection. Even if Arthur's dungeons seemed like the easiest place to escape from in the universe. So it wasn't that hard to talk me into reading this book. It was free, it was highly rated...and let's face it, I'm so totally behind the whole Merlin/Arthur thing it is not funny (they would look seriously cute together). And the ending of the show kinda broke my heart into about three million pieces...even though I really haven't got through more than the first series--tumblr is the mother of all spoilers.
So I picked up this book and well...
...Look, I know this is sudden, and you don't really know me or anything, but, FayJay, could I have like all of your babies? I know I don't really like children, and would prefer to like not be within a five-mile radius of one, but it would totally be worth it to bear into this world something that possess your freaking magical DNA of Awesomeness.
This book is pure fucking macrame (which I admit, I'm still not entirely sure what macrame is when it's at home...) and gut clenching, omg can I just die now and go to heaven cause this has to be the most perfect thing on earth and nothing before or after this could measure up to it so why even try? When I was laughing, I was laughing so hard I forgot I needed to breathe. And when I was crying, I was watching parts of my heart curl up and die 'cause life isn't a freaking fairy-tale and there was no way that Merlin was going to have his Arthur and can I die and end this fucking pain? But then they kissed and I didn't want to die cause I never ever wanted to stop reading about the perfection that was Arthur grabbing Merlin's ass and going at him like all he needed to breathe was Merlin. Then Merlin did that thing and I was pretty sure there was no god and that the emptiness inside me would only be filled with tears and chocolate that I force-fed myself to make myself believe that there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo.
Then...then that bloody speech and I was quite literally dancing around my room, punching the air and trying to get my grumpy cat to dance with me because hallelujah there is a god and he is one gay motherfucker who brings gifts of lube so you can pound your hot boyfriend over the desk while he screams out your name.
...
...uh, I think I, uh, let that get away from me there...
But, still. Totally fucking awesome.
I don't care if you don't like fanfics. I don't care if you would rather eat marmite while listening to Justin Bieber than have anything to do with King Arthur and merry band of been-there-done-that. I don't care if you are blind and have to pull a random dude off the street so he can read it to you (or, you know, even if you aren't and you want to do that anyways)...
YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK.
April 4, 2012
This book may just have officially entered my top 10 of awesome free reads. 'May' because I don't actually have a top 10 written down anywhere and I am not about to take time to make one now, but, believe me, it's up there. It is that good. And by good I mean funny and entertaining. Not 'wow, that's deep, let me reconsider the choices I have made in my life' kinda good. Which is good, really, because who has time for that kinda good? Maybe when my kids have gone through college and are out of my hair. Which is kinda late to be reconsidering choices, ok, I am rambling. This book made me giddy and rambly.
I started out amused, but wary. Every single character from the Arthur legends seemed to get dragged into the story and when you've read as much Arthur as I have (Mallory, Chretien de Troyes, Stewart, White, Zimmer Bradly, etc.) the last thing you want is to watch everyone go through the same old patterns as they go everywhere else. Again. So, for me, it was good that most of those characters were pretty much irrelevant to the story. I guess you could complain about characters like Elaine, with her unrequited love for Lance, being introduced in the story and then completely disappearing, but personally I was relieved to not have to watch the drama of the Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot/Elaine mess play out here.
When it turned out we weren't going to accidentally produce children with half sisters, the story got me good. I am sucker for witty banter and the bitching and bickering between Arthur and Merlin is really top notch. Toss in some extended UST and creative magic and you have something that I, at least, find hard to put down. Is it for you? That depends on you tolerance for this type of writing. Did you like ? ? Chances are you'll like this:
*Arthur and Merlin on top of a tower on a winter night*
"Bloody hell," Arthur said at last, half-laughing at himself. "I think my
arse has frozen solid. And my toes are numb. Crikey. This stone really is
pretty damned chilly, isn't it?"
"Can I say 'I told you so' yet?" asked Merlin.
"Only if you want to put your Peter Pan skills to the test when I throw
you over that wall," Arthur said. "God, I wish I'd thought to bring some
whisky. Whisky would have been an excellent idea. Damn it."
Merlin smiled hugely in the dark. "Mmm," he said. "So, just out of
curiosity, what would you give for a wee dram of Glayva right now?
Hypothetically speaking? I mean, I know it's more of a liqueur than a
whisky, but...?"
There was a rather pregnant silence, and then Arthur was sitting up and
staring over at Merlin's shadowy form in the moonlight.
"Are you pulling my leg?"
"I'm not pulling your anything," said Merlin. More's the pity. "I'm just
asking, in the spirit of inquiry, what the going rate would be. A
knighthood, perhaps? A Caribbean cruise? A Terry's Chocolate Orange?"
"Merlin, if you have a bottle of Glayva somewhere about your person and
you're holding out on me, I shall have you declared a traitor to your
prince, and exiled from Wales."
"I'm already exiled from Wales, pretty much."
"Permanently! And from Scotland, and England, and Northern Ireland
too! I'll have you deported to Canada, to work as Celine Dion's cabana
boy."
"Oh, well now you're definitely not getting any," said Merlin. "God, what
even is a cabana boy when it's at home?"
"I think it involves being shirtless and making cocktails," said Arthur,
vaguely. "There may also be some moose-wrangling duties, in Canada.
Possibly."
"There's a beaver joke in there somewhere, I just know it," Merlin said.
And, then, of course there is the pure exquisite Britishness of the whole thing. With the Blackadder references (I can't help but laugh every time Arthur calls Merlin 'Baldrick') and The Famous Five, etc. Not to mention all the new words I learned. Like chav, pillock, plonker and, my personal favorite, twatwaffle.
I started out amused, but wary. Every single character from the Arthur legends seemed to get dragged into the story and when you've read as much Arthur as I have (Mallory, Chretien de Troyes, Stewart, White, Zimmer Bradly, etc.) the last thing you want is to watch everyone go through the same old patterns as they go everywhere else. Again. So, for me, it was good that most of those characters were pretty much irrelevant to the story. I guess you could complain about characters like Elaine, with her unrequited love for Lance, being introduced in the story and then completely disappearing, but personally I was relieved to not have to watch the drama of the Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot/Elaine mess play out here.
When it turned out we weren't going to accidentally produce children with half sisters, the story got me good. I am sucker for witty banter and the bitching and bickering between Arthur and Merlin is really top notch. Toss in some extended UST and creative magic and you have something that I, at least, find hard to put down. Is it for you? That depends on you tolerance for this type of writing. Did you like ? ? Chances are you'll like this:
*Arthur and Merlin on top of a tower on a winter night*
"Bloody hell," Arthur said at last, half-laughing at himself. "I think my
arse has frozen solid. And my toes are numb. Crikey. This stone really is
pretty damned chilly, isn't it?"
"Can I say 'I told you so' yet?" asked Merlin.
"Only if you want to put your Peter Pan skills to the test when I throw
you over that wall," Arthur said. "God, I wish I'd thought to bring some
whisky. Whisky would have been an excellent idea. Damn it."
Merlin smiled hugely in the dark. "Mmm," he said. "So, just out of
curiosity, what would you give for a wee dram of Glayva right now?
Hypothetically speaking? I mean, I know it's more of a liqueur than a
whisky, but...?"
There was a rather pregnant silence, and then Arthur was sitting up and
staring over at Merlin's shadowy form in the moonlight.
"Are you pulling my leg?"
"I'm not pulling your anything," said Merlin. More's the pity. "I'm just
asking, in the spirit of inquiry, what the going rate would be. A
knighthood, perhaps? A Caribbean cruise? A Terry's Chocolate Orange?"
"Merlin, if you have a bottle of Glayva somewhere about your person and
you're holding out on me, I shall have you declared a traitor to your
prince, and exiled from Wales."
"I'm already exiled from Wales, pretty much."
"Permanently! And from Scotland, and England, and Northern Ireland
too! I'll have you deported to Canada, to work as Celine Dion's cabana
boy."
"Oh, well now you're definitely not getting any," said Merlin. "God, what
even is a cabana boy when it's at home?"
"I think it involves being shirtless and making cocktails," said Arthur,
vaguely. "There may also be some moose-wrangling duties, in Canada.
Possibly."
"There's a beaver joke in there somewhere, I just know it," Merlin said.
And, then, of course there is the pure exquisite Britishness of the whole thing. With the Blackadder references (I can't help but laugh every time Arthur calls Merlin 'Baldrick') and The Famous Five, etc. Not to mention all the new words I learned. Like chav, pillock, plonker and, my personal favorite, twatwaffle.
April 25, 2013
What a delight. This book is funny, sweet, and entertaining with a warm heart and a few moments of understated angst. It's very British in tone and language and that's part of its charm. I'm told it's fanfic, but I have no knowledge if the fandom from which it is ficked, and that felt unnecessary, as long as the Arthur/Merlin referents are generally recognizable. Those are definitely part of the fun. Although, in fact, I bet this could be read without the cultural references (of which there are many) and still be a good if somewhat less funny book.
This story features fairly believable college students (although I wish my college days had been half that much fun.) They are young, uncertain, and spreading their wings. The blend of magic and the modern world is well done, and the characters are distinct, interesting and well-depicted. There are a few moments I questioned, but over all it was an excellent urban fantasy with, for once, a light tone to it. I laughed over the bit with a popular singer, and the kraken,and the dragon, oh yes, the dragon (even if he was one of my tiny niggles.) So much fun,
I loved the opening, which has a YA feel, with creative insults being the most common mode of interaction between the young male MCs. There is sex present but completely off page for the first half. The more on-page sex is well done when it does show up, but I almost wish it had stayed just a little less graphic, because I'm going to have to tag this with the "explicit sex" tag for the YA group. It's really borderline as acceptable for YA at all, but is such a great story, and so upbeat, fun, and positive, that I think it needs to be on our YA bookshelf.
This was the first story in awhile that I immediately turned around and started rereading the good bits. Definitely five stars, a comfort reread and a favorite.
This story features fairly believable college students (although I wish my college days had been half that much fun.) They are young, uncertain, and spreading their wings. The blend of magic and the modern world is well done, and the characters are distinct, interesting and well-depicted. There are a few moments I questioned, but over all it was an excellent urban fantasy with, for once, a light tone to it. I laughed over the bit with a popular singer, and the kraken,and the dragon, oh yes, the dragon (even if he was one of my tiny niggles.) So much fun,
I loved the opening, which has a YA feel, with creative insults being the most common mode of interaction between the young male MCs. There is sex present but completely off page for the first half. The more on-page sex is well done when it does show up, but I almost wish it had stayed just a little less graphic, because I'm going to have to tag this with the "explicit sex" tag for the YA group. It's really borderline as acceptable for YA at all, but is such a great story, and so upbeat, fun, and positive, that I think it needs to be on our YA bookshelf.
This was the first story in awhile that I immediately turned around and started rereading the good bits. Definitely five stars, a comfort reread and a favorite.
October 7, 2015
As a member of TeamPeen! (a subset of Club Perv) I would've liked some of this a little earlier and more often:
But other than that and some other minor complaints, it was adorable, funny and so very fluffy.
I'll definitely be rereading this one.
Thanks for the BR, Otila & Jen! (And Meags, Meep & Maygirl7!)
Read
March 17, 2018DNF @43% and no rating
It's totally on me, I probably never should have started to read it in the first place since I'm not a fan of YA/NA. I know I'm disappointing a lot of people and I'm really sorry.
Fans of YA/NA stories will love it. It's absolutely well written and funny as hell, but the story is not my thing and after the umpteenth drinking game I'm giving up. 🙁
It's totally on me, I probably never should have started to read it in the first place since I'm not a fan of YA/NA. I know I'm disappointing a lot of people and I'm really sorry.
Fans of YA/NA stories will love it. It's absolutely well written and funny as hell, but the story is not my thing and after the umpteenth drinking game I'm giving up. 🙁
February 22, 2013
To all the m/m lovers out there this is a hard sell , recruiting review! READ THIS BOOK YOU TWATWAFFLES, ITS BLOODY BRILLIANT AND IT'S FREE. Come on, what more could you ask for? Here follows a list of why this book should be read:
1. Merlins sexy and gay... That's awesome in itself!
2. Arthur's sexy and gay ... That's even more awesomerer! ( ok not a word but it sounds good)
3. It's FREE.. ( I know said that already but its a biggie), it's really decent length and it's well written and its FREE - sorry but I can't get over that
4 Theres a talking dragon who wants an iPod, yes... An iPod.
5 The Hammer Dance. Dooo doodoodoo! Doodoo! Doo! Hammer Time!
6 Proper Magic and lots of ( funny )Harry Potter references
7 Witty banter, repartee and snarky comments ... Lmao!
8 Morgana and a leather wearing kick ass Morgeuse
9 Appearances from all the characters we know and love including Gwen, Lance, Gaius, Kay, Percival, Gawain ..All present but not always correct!
10. Sexual Tension that makes you quiver, sizzling chemistry, hot man love, true love and the warm fuzzies..* phew* , * fans self*, *drools *, *swoon*, * sigh *
So, what are you waiting for? Go get it! If you don't pee your sides laughing then you're just Numpty's .... I love that word .. Numpty :D. FayJay you are either mad as a box of frogs or a genius or both. Who cares - this is a must read. You made me write in capitols and I don't do that for just any book haha! Thank you for giving away such a fabulously funny, should become a cult classic story, and thanks to my buddy Bev for sending it to me! :)
1. Merlins sexy and gay... That's awesome in itself!
2. Arthur's sexy and gay ... That's even more awesomerer! ( ok not a word but it sounds good)
3. It's FREE.. ( I know said that already but its a biggie), it's really decent length and it's well written and its FREE - sorry but I can't get over that
4 Theres a talking dragon who wants an iPod, yes... An iPod.
5 The Hammer Dance. Dooo doodoodoo! Doodoo! Doo! Hammer Time!
6 Proper Magic and lots of ( funny )Harry Potter references
7 Witty banter, repartee and snarky comments ... Lmao!
8 Morgana and a leather wearing kick ass Morgeuse
9 Appearances from all the characters we know and love including Gwen, Lance, Gaius, Kay, Percival, Gawain ..All present but not always correct!
10. Sexual Tension that makes you quiver, sizzling chemistry, hot man love, true love and the warm fuzzies..* phew* , * fans self*, *drools *, *swoon*, * sigh *
So, what are you waiting for? Go get it! If you don't pee your sides laughing then you're just Numpty's .... I love that word .. Numpty :D. FayJay you are either mad as a box of frogs or a genius or both. Who cares - this is a must read. You made me write in capitols and I don't do that for just any book haha! Thank you for giving away such a fabulously funny, should become a cult classic story, and thanks to my buddy Bev for sending it to me! :)
June 19, 2019
4.25 stars**
So good, and sweet and funny and deliciously hot! I enjoyed this book throughly and I’ve never even watched the show! It kinda of reminded me a tiny bit of Harry Potter just because of the magic.
Anyway “the student prince� was a pleasant surprise. I loved both MC Merlin and prince Arthur. When they first meet at school they don’t like each other but their banter was so funny with their British slang it really had me cracking up. Their relationship was slow burn regardless though you felt their chemistry especially because prince Arthur was supposedly straight. It was so much fun reading this book it felt like a big fun adventure even the dragon was funny with his iPod obsession. Lol! Merlin, was a hoot but so protective of his prince. There was a few times I wanted to shake prince Arthur, but he came through for Merlin in a spectacular way. My only complaint is a certain character I could of done without it wasn’t a big deal but I’m just so jealous of my characters. The other thing is maybe a little more magic just because I loved seeing Merlin in action. Other than that it was bloody brilliant. ♥️
July 29, 2015
Okay, not exactly perfect. The slooooow burn didn't pay off because fade-to-black first time sex(booo). There were other explicit sex scenes but I would've preferred the first one.
I also would've liked to see more magic stuff. Merlin mentions all the magical baddies that he fends off but we don't see it. Some time in his classes also would've been great.
Other than that, though, I loved it. It was funny and sweet. I loved Arthur and Merlin's relationship. From enemies to friends to lovers. Their banter was hilarious.
So, not perfect but still awesome. Apparently I've found one more fandom to add to my never ending TBR list.
Thanks to Rosa, Jen and everyone who joined in for a fab BR!
May 13, 2015
I'm so happy, and grateful to my friends for brining this story to my attention.
Everything about this story makes me happy. The writing, characterization, plot, and sense of humor just do it for me.
How I much do I love this story? Let me give you a few examples that I did not already use as status updates.
"Oi! Enough with the stereotyping, thank you very much! We don't all get handed a sheep at birth, you know!" Merlin said, in mock-outrage. "We could only afford a picture of a sheep, in our house. A second-hand picture. Of an ugly sheep. We were saving up to buy a plastic one to put in the garden one day, next to the garden gnome." Merlin
"He's an evil, anti-royalist, man-hating ninja baby," said Arthur, with feeling. "I've still got the scars from his last assassination attempt. I've given Leon orders to shoot him on sight." on Mordred the kitten
"Everything. More or less everything," said the dragon, smiling. "It's marvelous. Very thought provoking. The number of phone-in shows quadrupled overnight, you know, after 'Arthurgate' � I've had some fabulous arguments with stupid people. Very exhilarating. I made one woman sob like a baby! It was almost as invigorating as breathing flames all over a screaming maiden."
Ok, I'll stop now, or I'm going to end up reading it all over again instead of looking for quotes.
In conclusion the perfect blend of humor, sexy, and heartfelt emotion.
Another thank you to my friends. I have no words to express my appreciation.
Everything about this story makes me happy. The writing, characterization, plot, and sense of humor just do it for me.
How I much do I love this story? Let me give you a few examples that I did not already use as status updates.
"Oi! Enough with the stereotyping, thank you very much! We don't all get handed a sheep at birth, you know!" Merlin said, in mock-outrage. "We could only afford a picture of a sheep, in our house. A second-hand picture. Of an ugly sheep. We were saving up to buy a plastic one to put in the garden one day, next to the garden gnome." Merlin
"He's an evil, anti-royalist, man-hating ninja baby," said Arthur, with feeling. "I've still got the scars from his last assassination attempt. I've given Leon orders to shoot him on sight." on Mordred the kitten
"Everything. More or less everything," said the dragon, smiling. "It's marvelous. Very thought provoking. The number of phone-in shows quadrupled overnight, you know, after 'Arthurgate' � I've had some fabulous arguments with stupid people. Very exhilarating. I made one woman sob like a baby! It was almost as invigorating as breathing flames all over a screaming maiden."
Ok, I'll stop now, or I'm going to end up reading it all over again instead of looking for quotes.
In conclusion the perfect blend of humor, sexy, and heartfelt emotion.
Another thank you to my friends. I have no words to express my appreciation.
February 9, 2013
Okay, so I'll try to get this out of the way quickly without making a huge fool of myself: this is review #100. I feel so fucking accomplished. FUCK YEAH!
Moving on.
I believe this is the most enjoyable:
- fanfic
- fantasy
- romance in general
- M/M more specifically
- book
- piece of writing of any kind
- ...whatever else comes to your mind
EVER. Honestly.
And by enjoyable I mean that it gives that pure feeling of happiness. It does have its faults: I found a couple typos (but that's like three in a 387-pages ebook, which is quite the feat) and some things were a wee bit unrealistic and came out of nowhere (Val??) but it just gives me this warm fuzzy feeling in my tummy that asks for wine and chocolate to conclude the evening in an even better way. It talks about love, sex, magic (hell yeah baby!), and it talks about longing and friendship and family and gay marriage and Christmas and money and private jets and music.
So many people have reviewed this, and they've said wonderful things, and this is such a bloody big thing that I don't actually have the words to tell you about it right now. What I can tell you is:
You want funny? Here it is. You want romance? Here it comes, and it's freaking hot, and romantic too. You want fantasy? There you go, we've got that too.
And it's free.
What is this world?
Moving on.
I believe this is the most enjoyable:
- fanfic
- fantasy
- romance in general
- M/M more specifically
- book
- piece of writing of any kind
- ...whatever else comes to your mind
EVER. Honestly.
And by enjoyable I mean that it gives that pure feeling of happiness. It does have its faults: I found a couple typos (but that's like three in a 387-pages ebook, which is quite the feat) and some things were a wee bit unrealistic and came out of nowhere (Val??) but it just gives me this warm fuzzy feeling in my tummy that asks for wine and chocolate to conclude the evening in an even better way. It talks about love, sex, magic (hell yeah baby!), and it talks about longing and friendship and family and gay marriage and Christmas and money and private jets and music.
So many people have reviewed this, and they've said wonderful things, and this is such a bloody big thing that I don't actually have the words to tell you about it right now. What I can tell you is:
You want funny? Here it is. You want romance? Here it comes, and it's freaking hot, and romantic too. You want fantasy? There you go, we've got that too.
And it's free.
What is this world?
January 5, 2015
What a read, what a read.
So much for my new reviewing policy--I'm breaking my no 5 star rule before the end of the month with the second read of the year, but when a book is that good (I want to marry it and have its babies), intentions be damned.
I want everyone to read this awesomeness. One of the best books I've read in a long time, I fell in love with the banter and the tension and the slow burn and the dragon, and the fantasy, and the everything.
Only my second book of 2015 and I know it'll be one of my absolute faves of the year. Jeez has this FREE fic set the bar high.
I cannot thank the author enough for the amount of work that must have gone into crafting this, and for their generosity in sharing the story for free. Respect.
Thank you Ami for suggesting the read (I'm about to go through your bookshelf and raid all your 5 stars for my To Read list), and to Meags who was fun chatting with over status updates! Also, if anyone has recs for reads with fun banter and great tension and general awesomeness like this, please send me a rec. I want to drown in worlds like this.
I'll do it smiling.
:)
May 3, 2012
I'm giving 5 stars because of:
1) the humor. I laugh a LOT read it, and it's now easy write a protagonist so funny as Merlin is
2) the protagonist, Merlin, is one of the best main character I ever read. He is clumsy, extremely powerful and clueless about it, and of course funny, as I said before.
3) all secondary characters are perfect to the story
4) all magic and magic creatures are perfect too... The best was the dragon. Twitter account? IPod? Hilarious!
5) it's a LOOOOOONG freebie, and I devoure it. Couldn't stop reading. All the time asking myself if the prince of England would or not correspond Merlin love. Can a future king be gay? Can Merlin have a break, from all his mad magic world, and have finally a boyfriend?
Amazing freebie... Can't give less than 5 stars, and it's a pity I can't give more.
So yes, 5 stars
August 18, 2014
Very amusing and smile inducing.
When I started this I was like...you have got to be kidding me---Prince Arthur, Merlin, and Gwen?! *exaggerated eye roll* But as ridiculous, or maybe because of it, I actually got into the groove with this fanfic Round Table in modern Scotland story. If it had tried to be serious, it would have failed, but it had just enough tongue-in-cheek to keep it amusing--not lame.
Meet Merlin, warlock extraordinaire and Arthur's roommate. A mere commoner, but gotta love his description of home:
Faithful and dogged friend Gwen:
Prince Charming himself making a fine second impression:
Academic mother and Arthur's cousin, Morgana's objets d'art, aka fashion sense:
The legendary Great Dragon:
The frightening and wise, Morgause:
This is wildly entertaining if rather heavily British. The language, pop culture references and general inter-British country sniping about how one's better than the other are all full force, all the time. A fun read, sweet and just taunting in the teasing for a good portion. So like a slow burn or go home.
When I started this I was like...you have got to be kidding me---Prince Arthur, Merlin, and Gwen?! *exaggerated eye roll* But as ridiculous, or maybe because of it, I actually got into the groove with this fanfic Round Table in modern Scotland story. If it had tried to be serious, it would have failed, but it had just enough tongue-in-cheek to keep it amusing--not lame.
Meet Merlin, warlock extraordinaire and Arthur's roommate. A mere commoner, but gotta love his description of home:
"Yeah. Gnome-napped. It's a rough estate � no gnome is safe."
Faithful and dogged friend Gwen:
"He's � you � he � what?" Gwen looked like a five year old whose sugar high had just been interrupted by the news that Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy had all been massacred."
Prince Charming himself making a fine second impression:
"There must be some other clueless drooling yob out there with the conversational skills of a ring-tailed lemur who needs to be given a place to rest his weary head, and who wouldn't try to use me as a comfort blanket like a blithering infant when I was in the middle of trying to keep him from choking on his own vomit."
Academic mother and Arthur's cousin, Morgana's objets d'art, aka fashion sense:
It looked very much like a peacock and an ostrich had engaged in a bloody battle to the death, and the scattered remnants had been haphazardly woven together into hat form.
The legendary Great Dragon:
'No' seems such a flimsy and inadequate little word to express how very little interest I have in hearing you rambling on about that particular topic," said the dragon. "Your mating rituals are roughly as fascinating to me as the eating habits of snails."
The frightening and wise, Morgause:
"Life doesn't have to be all 'Romeo and Juliet', you know, unless you let it be. It can be 'Twelfth Night' instead, and everyone can stay alive and have their cakes and ale, even if they don't end up with the one they thought they wanted."
This is wildly entertaining if rather heavily British. The language, pop culture references and general inter-British country sniping about how one's better than the other are all full force, all the time. A fun read, sweet and just taunting in the teasing for a good portion. So like a slow burn or go home.
February 13, 2019
Re-read - Still makes me grin :D
.. ..
Doesn't matter how many re-reads/listens this story still makes me laugh and leaves me grinning. Fun, feel-good, touching and sweet.
-- -- -- --
Great fun, lots of pop culture references, several from the eighties or before. At the risk of being cliché this book made me LOL!, I genuinely couldn't read it in work, the risk of farting laughter was too great!
Note - I've only watched a few Merlin so read this as original (mostly ignoring legend!).
Lots of great characters, I thought Gwen was under used for a supposed best friend though. Morganna is great with her World of War-craft versus Macramé. The Dragon is fun, I'd have liked there to be more random Hammer dancing - just because! Hope those special macramé knots can save livers though - there's a lot of drinking in this ;)
The romance *sigh* slow but special.
For all the laughter the moment watching tv was special (spoiler free) Would have been nice to read the 'meet the parents' scene, but there's an Olypmic ceremony extra, and it's listed as a series, so maybe it'll get written yet.
LOVED IT - the perfect mix of funny, sweet and heart.
EDIT - and Fayjay has done a podfic for this! :D ...pity Merlin doesn't sound welsh and Gwen is a bit gushy, but it's really good and I love the purr of the Dragon's voice.
.. ..
Doesn't matter how many re-reads/listens this story still makes me laugh and leaves me grinning. Fun, feel-good, touching and sweet.
-- -- -- --
Great fun, lots of pop culture references, several from the eighties or before. At the risk of being cliché this book made me LOL!, I genuinely couldn't read it in work, the risk of farting laughter was too great!
Note - I've only watched a few Merlin so read this as original (mostly ignoring legend!).
Lots of great characters, I thought Gwen was under used for a supposed best friend though. Morganna is great with her World of War-craft versus Macramé. The Dragon is fun, I'd have liked there to be more random Hammer dancing - just because! Hope those special macramé knots can save livers though - there's a lot of drinking in this ;)
The romance *sigh* slow but special.
For all the laughter the moment watching tv was special (spoiler free) Would have been nice to read the 'meet the parents' scene, but there's an Olypmic ceremony extra, and it's listed as a series, so maybe it'll get written yet.
LOVED IT - the perfect mix of funny, sweet and heart.
EDIT - and Fayjay has done a podfic for this! :D ...pity Merlin doesn't sound welsh and Gwen is a bit gushy, but it's really good and I love the purr of the Dragon's voice.
December 16, 2024
Audio Re-Read, 2024
I'm sort of bummed here. I've listened to this audio a few times and now I don't see it on ŷ. Now, to be fair, I can't recall if it ever was here but I'm about 98% sure it was.
**
First and foremost, this is like the last thing I need in my life, but ah, now that I have gotten one taste, I in fact do need it in my life.
Secondly? I don’t think I have ever used the dictionary feature on my Kindle as much as I did with this book. Stupid American me, ha!
Chuffed, hobnob, boffin, wellied, corker, pillock, plonker, just to name a few�
Never in a million years did I think I would ship anyone besides Sterek but with one book I fell in love with Merthur.
This was an excellent adventure. Slow, slow, sssslllloooowww burn but so worth the wait. Tears and laughter guys, real tears and outrageous laughter.
I think I was frustrated at times but it kind of just made everything better. Things that bugged me actually kind of made sense and probably had to happen. It shouldn’t have been easy because it isn’t going to be easy.
I really couldn’t put this down and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. It’s one of those books that you can’t read fast enough but as you are getting closer to the end you feel panic set in.
I want more magic! I think I would have loved to see more of Merlin in action. The magic kind of action you pervs. Not to say that, well, you know.
I adored the friendships and the setting and really just everything.
Grabbing the podfic ASAP for a re-read, it was just that good.
Thanks Rosa and Otila for letting me crash your Buddy Read! Hey, and thanks to all the cheerleaders cheering us on as we read. More please!
I'm sort of bummed here. I've listened to this audio a few times and now I don't see it on ŷ. Now, to be fair, I can't recall if it ever was here but I'm about 98% sure it was.
**
First and foremost, this is like the last thing I need in my life, but ah, now that I have gotten one taste, I in fact do need it in my life.
Secondly? I don’t think I have ever used the dictionary feature on my Kindle as much as I did with this book. Stupid American me, ha!
Chuffed, hobnob, boffin, wellied, corker, pillock, plonker, just to name a few�
Never in a million years did I think I would ship anyone besides Sterek but with one book I fell in love with Merthur.
This was an excellent adventure. Slow, slow, sssslllloooowww burn but so worth the wait. Tears and laughter guys, real tears and outrageous laughter.
I think I was frustrated at times but it kind of just made everything better. Things that bugged me actually kind of made sense and probably had to happen. It shouldn’t have been easy because it isn’t going to be easy.
I really couldn’t put this down and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. It’s one of those books that you can’t read fast enough but as you are getting closer to the end you feel panic set in.
I want more magic! I think I would have loved to see more of Merlin in action. The magic kind of action you pervs. Not to say that, well, you know.
I adored the friendships and the setting and really just everything.
Grabbing the podfic ASAP for a re-read, it was just that good.
Thanks Rosa and Otila for letting me crash your Buddy Read! Hey, and thanks to all the cheerleaders cheering us on as we read. More please!
October 30, 2014
I don't read a lot of fanfic, but when I do, Merthur AU is my favorite go-to.
This book was hysterical and clever. The characters were smart and smartly written - the kind of characters I would want to call friends. The dialogue made me wish that the whole book was written in conversation form - and also made me wish I could be there to take part! And the enemies-to-lovers relationship between Arthur and Merlin...well, it was sassy and fun and aggravating and hot and gaww...
I try to remember that fanfic doesn't have the luxury of professional editing...but man, I do wish a content editor could sweep through this and make it a little less dense. And to be honest, the Gwen character kinda irked me.
But other than that, this was SUCH a fun read and I enjoyed it immensely!
January 14, 2018
[4 Stars] I enjoyed this one so much. It was the cutest thing, and I totally cheered like a silly person at the end.
November 20, 2014
Fabulous fanfic of the Arthurian legend that gives more than a passing nod to Harry Potter, LOTR, Blackadder, The Famous Five, and every naughty story ever written about boys behaving badly in old English Universities. Merlin is a commoner who has come to St Andrews as a physics student but in reality he is enrolled in their secret Magic course. He finds himself the roomate of the gorgeous, snobbish, and maddeningly straight Prince Arthur. It's funny, witty, politically incorrect, extremely British, and very romantic! I wish there was a sequel. I'd love to be a fly on the wall when Merlin meets Uther.
July 17, 2019
Very clever fanfiction about Merlin and Arthur set at a modern date at the University of St Andrews.
It is inspired by story of the Prince William of Wales who studied at the University of St Andrews and the operetta 'The Student Prince'.
Loved it!
RTC
It is inspired by story of the Prince William of Wales who studied at the University of St Andrews and the operetta 'The Student Prince'.
Loved it!
RTC
March 21, 2018
Well, well, well. What have we here? A little gem!
I enjoyed Merlin and Arthur’s story. Which is a lovely surprise because quite honestly I wasn’t certain I would. I have not read fanfiction before. I was simply going on a high recommendation from the lovely Judith. And it paid off!
Do yourself a favor and check out her review Judiths's review.
I loved lots of things about this unusual tale. Merlin and Arthur of course. The banter. Gwen and Morgana were fantastic too. The magic. The setting. St. Andrews is beautiful. The Chuck, Fuck, Marry comment�.the things Merlin would say. LOL
But the thing I loved most was the chance to escape into a story that I had no expectations about The Student Prince got me through a couple of sleepless nights. �
August 1, 2014
Okay. Whoa. That was good. Like, really, really amazingly awesome. It was one of the funnest and funniest things I've read in a loooonng time. And it is going right on my favorites shelf. It's a modern retelling of the Merlin/Arthur story set in an exclusive British university and it is wall-to-wall fantastic. And free! But that's hardly the point, if this had been published and I knew how good it was I would have paid any amount of money for it. I can't actually give it higher praise than that. It's so well written and so very British. I love the vernacular and the bizarre university traditions. And just about every character is eminently likable. Do yourself a favor and read this, it is aces.
February 28, 2013
Seriously LOVED this. My face hurts from laughing and smiling so much.
Ps: LOVE the dragon!
Ps: LOVE the dragon!
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