2006 Author Reviews for
Aliana

I greatly envy the authors who have a unique tonal style that doesn\'t sacrifice precision for content; Aliana has that sort of style and uses it to great effect. Like other authors I\'ve mentioned in my reviews, this seems to come from an intuitive sense for both the meaning of a word but also how it fits with others. What\'s unique about Aliana\'s work is her ability to characterize without need of a name or a face--she has a knack for capturing the emotional heart of the matter and giving it expression without having to rely on these sorts of mundane trappings. Her work is reflective, highly emotionally colored, yet it\'s not overwhelming, and there\'s usually a lovely bittersweet flavor to them when she\'s not putting her readers through the oppressive bleakness appropriate to a siege. She\'s great when using a retrospective perspective, cutting in and out of memory and the present without any difficulty or rough transitions. Her work is well worth reading, particularly for fans of Gondor and the Houses of Healing.

Aliana has very predictable writing - in a very good way! She is always concise and understated, allowing her story and characters to elaborate her points quietly but firmly. A single line can be used to great effect, conveying reams of information or setting the tone for an entire scene. She can pack in a lot of information and observances without disrupting the pace and structure of the story, weaving many times and voices into the narrative without muddling or overwhelming any of them. Aliana also writes very engaging and well-constructed OCs, allowing both her major and minor characters to change and develop realistically within the context of the storyline. They are strong, distinct individuals that I have come to care about deeply, as much as I do some of my favorite canon characters. She has done an excellent job of world-building in her longer story [\"Fallen\"], of which part of her current MEFA-nominated story draws upon. Her version of the Houses of Healing and the politics and administration thereof are thorough, logical and completely believable.

Aliana\'s stories develop a complete sub-culture for the healers in the Houses of Healing. Their world is touched by the larger events of the War of the Ring but in a very non-personal way. What I mean is that the war brings with it hard choices on how to best handle those who are injured beyond healing, but for the healers themselves life seems to go on more or less as it always has. Aliana\'s story competing in this year\'s MEFAs continues that tradition by giving us a glimpse at how life proceeds for her original characters in peacetime. It is a beautiful tale and seems to fit the characters as they\'re presented in her larger works very well, but it also has an almost mythic quality. This shows the full breadth of Aliana\'s skill as an author. I knew she could handle medical detail, humour (oily!Faramir, anyone?), cultural details, pacing, and other aspects of good writing. This shows that she can spin a good yarn that transcends the day-to-day. This is another author who I look forward to updates and often find myself rereading.