recthething | Merlin, Star Trek Kelvin verse, MCU, Star Wars (Reply)

Reprise Series by Elfpen. Star Wars first trilogy. As much as I enjoy time travel as a story type, I have found there is such a thing as too many of them. So what I really enjoyed about this one is the way it defies expectations.

So many time travel stories are fixits which focus heavily on changing key issues in a timeline. I suspect many a reader feels like Mace does, wondering when Ben will give up his secrets and set new pathways in motion. But I really enjoyed seeing that Ben himself needs help in reconciling himself to this role he's been put in, and healing the damage of the past. And I also really loved how his mission dovetailed with getting a new future in motion. An intriguing read that's all about character development and a reminder that when someone returns to the past, a new future is already in motion and extreme caution is needed.
Gwen's Guide to Happiness by jules_evan (julien_avec_rien). "Gwen's fine. Well, she's okay. She could be happier, in her own opinion. But how does one go about getting happier? Fortunately, she has lots of friends to whom she can pose her question: what's the secret to happiness?" Pretty much what it says on the tin. Yet this fic was wonderfully unusual in its thoughtful approach to the question, matching points of view with the various characters, and being very true to Gwen's character as well. Also, a Merlin fic centered on Gwen! Not to be overlooked.
A Chorus of Ordinary Women by kalima, Star Trek Kelvin verse exploration of how things on Hellguard might have turned out differently. Rather tough subject matter and I skipped ahead in one place, but nonetheless rewarding read with both many OCs and a lot of focus on Spock/Uhura. I think the Epilogue proves how connected one becomes to the new characters.
when you wake by sevenfoxes. Captain America.MCU. Time loops are a favorite trope for me, which means I particularly appreciate it when someone does something different with it. Extended ones are a variation for longer stories but I had yet to run into one where the resets might occur at different points in time instead of the same one. It made the story more of a roads-not-traveled sort of tale than one about correcting particular mistakes. And I loved the ending.
when you make it seem, enchanted by somethingaboutwriting. "In a black-and-white television show with a ridiculously small audience, Merlin reunites with his fiancé Arthur Pendragon in the 1950s. This is completely normal, and has nothing to do with how long Merlin has had to wait for the Once and Future King to return. WandaVision AU" Once I read it, it surprised me that I hadn't already thought about how perfectly the series premise would lend itself to an Arthur returns fic.