2006 Author Reviews for
AWing

Awing characterizes her Elves extremely well, lending life and nuance and interest to characters who often can seem fatally distant to the reader of [The Silmarillion]. Her psychological portraits are nuanced, individuated, and lend to the atmosphere of the piece wonderfully. There\'s no excess here--what is said needs to be said, what is shown, needs to be shown. In addition to excellent characterization, she manipulates theme very well, which I always appreciate, and her descriptions of the scene are wonderful. I\'m particularly impressed by her descriptions of Elvenhome and of the cities that have grown up there over the immensely long time that has passed since the Noldor departed--they help set the tone and by putting a character in that vividly described physical space, she highlights the psychic space he also occupies in the face of this setting. There\'s a lovely, windswept sort of feeling for that place that seems just right; likewise, when she describes Beleriand before its fall, it is a gritty, grim presence that serves as a background against which characters stand out. Definitely worth the read, particularly for those of us for whom the Silm Elves are generally too distant to generate much interest in themselves, Awing is a writer to look up.

AWing is a very talented writer with two quite different stories nominated for the MEFAs: One ends ambiguously in despair and sorrow, the other definitively in hope and forgiveness. Maedhros figures prominently in both of them, although he is in very different \"stages\" of his life in each story. The author captures both characterizations extremely thoroughly and believably. In each case, his interactions with the other figures in the story were perfect and expressive. The many individuals are clearly drawn and multi-faceted. She uses what canon details Tolkien has given us to great effect, cleverly and deeply extrapolating between them. The settings, too, could not be more varied, but AWing has the ability to immediately immerse me into the scene and set the tone of her story. Her attention to detail and \"atmosphere\" never overpowers or muddles the difficult themes being explored - and she has chosen very powerful and moving themes indeed in these particular selections. No shortcuts are taken, no improbable resolutions are made. Both darkness and light are given equal treatment here.

AWing has a marvellous feeling for atmosphere, both of the physical surroundings and the thoughts and feelings of her characters. And she shows the inner and outer world interconnected, reflecting off each other, but always in a natural flow, not forcing the similes and comparisons. The narrative voice is all the more poignant and affecting for being unobtrusive and quiet.

Awing characterizes her Elves extremely well, lending life and nuance and interest to characters who often can seem fatally distant to the reader of [The Silmarillion]. Her psychological portraits are nuanced, individuated, and lend to the atmosphere of the piece wonderfully. There\'s no excess here--what is said needs to be said, what is shown, needs to be shown. In addition to excellent characterization, she manipulates theme very well, which I always appreciate, and her descriptions of the scene are wonderful. I\'m particularly impressed by her descriptions of Elvenhome and of the cities that have grown up there over the immensely long time that has passed since the Noldor departed--they help set the tone and by putting a character in that vividly described physical space, she highlights the psychic space he also occupies in the face of this setting. There\'s a lovely, windswept sort of feeling for that place that seems just right; likewise, when she describes Beleriand before its fall, it is a gritty, grim presence that serves as a background against which characters stand out. Definitely worth the read, particularly for those of us for whom the Silm Elves are generally too distant to generate much interest in themselves, Awing is a writer to look up.

AWing is a very talented writer with two quite different stories nominated for the MEFAs: One ends ambiguously in despair and sorrow, the other definitively in hope and forgiveness. Maedhros figures prominently in both of them, although he is in very different \"stages\" of his life in each story. The author captures both characterizations extremely thoroughly and believably. In each case, his interactions with the other figures in the story were perfect and expressive. The many individuals are clearly drawn and multi-faceted. She uses what canon details Tolkien has given us to great effect, cleverly and deeply extrapolating between them. The settings, too, could not be more varied, but AWing has the ability to immediately immerse me into the scene and set the tone of her story. Her attention to detail and \"atmosphere\" never overpowers or muddles the difficult themes being explored - and she has chosen very powerful and moving themes indeed in these particular selections. No shortcuts are taken, no improbable resolutions are made. Both darkness and light are given equal treatment here.