Archived fic rec - The Knights Have a Thousand Eyes

[sakura_no_miko]

Title: The Knights Have a Thousand Eyes

Author: stakeaclaim

Fandom: Merlin

Rating: R

Pairing: Arthur/Merlin,

Warnings: some violence, allusions to sexuality, sexism (historical context), slut shaming/pregnancy shaming (historical context), brief threat of rape

Other notes: lots of original characters, magic reveal, alternate universe, ensemble cast, romantic comedy, action adventure

Length: Long

Summary: In which Arthur attempts to teach his knights, his knights attempt to woo Merlin and Arthur is definitely not jealous….

 

Well, I like this story. I think the ending might tie things up just a little too well–particularly Uther’s very uncharacteristic bout of kindness–but I also find the progression of the plot interesting. It starts off as a bit of a character study, looking into how Arthur and his many knights interact, and how Arthur has developed his style of leadership. Then it takes a sudden left turn into romantic comedy territory, turning into a comedy of errors as the knights take it upon themselves to matchmaker Arthur with his servant. The final third, though, is part action adventure, and partly a very angsty look at how a magic reveal might be handled, with all of these characters torn between their loyalty to the king and their loyalty to Merlin.

I like how the characters are handled. The author flits from one person’s point of view to another’s without breaking, and while there are a lot of knights, most of them get at least a few defining characteristics. It feels like a solid story that touches on a lot things, not always delving deeply, but enough that there’s some substance. In particular, Arthur is haunted by an affair that ended badly when he was younger, and the event ends up not only showing a piece of Arthur and how he’s matured, but it also shows the tenuous place that women had, the social structures that dictate what everyone cando. it’s a constant reminder that, even though this is fic, and you expect a happy ending, it’s not a story set in an especially happy time.

It’s a nice story. I feel kind of odd about writing more notes on the short porn pieces than an actual long story with plot, but–well, it’s a good story, I enjoyed it. Not much else to add.

 

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Originally posted on 01/17/13