2005 Author Reviews for
Azalais

Looking at the list of stories on Azalais' list, I see so widely varying things. There are several stories about Legolas and Dwarves, and a few about Gandalf, but none seem to fit a pattern. And then "An Unexpected Party is in a class all its own! What they do have in common is good writing and unexpected perspectives, the ability to make me look at Middle-earth with new eyes. For me that's the single most important aspect of a good fic, and I'm always pleased with what Az comes up with. Keep it up!

As a drabbler, Azalais of necessity finds the moments that will sustain such a short exposition. They're not always the ones you'd imagine, either?she can give us the clash of Gandalf's memories of being in his natural, unembodied state with his present conditions, and also the return of Bilbo and its effects on the astonished denizens of Hobbiton, and we don't miss the other however many words might be spent upon those moments. She's great at framing, at isolating an event or an image and then making it evoke the rest without actually writing it.

Looking at the list of stories on Azalais' list, I see so widely varying things. There are several stories about Legolas and Dwarves, and a few about Gandalf, but none seem to fit a pattern. And then "An Unexpected Party is in a class all its own! What they do have in common is good writing and unexpected perspectives, the ability to make me look at Middle-earth with new eyes. For me that's the single most important aspect of a good fic, and I'm always pleased with what Az comes up with. Keep it up!

Azalais does a remarkable job of setting scenes very quickly, which is essential in a drabble, but what is even more remarkable are the different ways in which this is done. In "There and Back Again," it was for the most part dialogue that carried the drabble, with a hobbity tone establishing the mood. But in "Father to Son," it was Gandalf's silent observations of the suffering around him that made for a very powerful and very dark drabble. Interesting contrast of styles, and kudos to Azalais for being able to do them both.

As a drabbler, Azalais of necessity finds the moments that will sustain such a short exposition. They're not always the ones you'd imagine, either?she can give us the clash of Gandalf's memories of being in his natural, unembodied state with his present conditions, and also the return of Bilbo and its effects on the astonished denizens of Hobbiton, and we don't miss the other however many words might be spent upon those moments. She's great at framing, at isolating an event or an image and then making it evoke the rest without actually writing it.

Looking at the list of stories on Azalais' list, I see so widely varying things. There are several stories about Legolas and Dwarves, and a few about Gandalf, but none seem to fit a pattern. And then "An Unexpected Party is in a class all its own! What they do have in common is good writing and unexpected perspectives, the ability to make me look at Middle-earth with new eyes. For me that's the single most important aspect of a good fic, and I'm always pleased with what Az comes up with. Keep it up!

As a drabbler, Azalais of necessity finds the moments that will sustain such a short exposition. They're not always the ones you'd imagine, either?she can give us the clash of Gandalf's memories of being in his natural, unembodied state with his present conditions, and also the return of Bilbo and its effects on the astonished denizens of Hobbiton, and we don't miss the other however many words might be spent upon those moments. She's great at framing, at isolating an event or an image and then making it evoke the rest without actually writing it.

Looking at the list of stories on Azalais' list, I see so widely varying things. There are several stories about Legolas and Dwarves, and a few about Gandalf, but none seem to fit a pattern. And then "An Unexpected Party is in a class all its own! What they do have in common is good writing and unexpected perspectives, the ability to make me look at Middle-earth with new eyes. For me that's the single most important aspect of a good fic, and I'm always pleased with what Az comes up with. Keep it up!

In my review of "An Unexpected Party", I waffled on whether I thought this was really a crossover, but I suppose in hindsight, that if it isn't one, I'd be unable to give it any other generic description. That out of the way, it's very difficult to mix two canons, where the rules and boundaries are different, without doing a disservice to one of them at least. Azalais is able to maintain a convincing English, modern day pub setting while simultaneously presenting the Fellowship as recognizably themselves (minus their self-knowledge, which is the major thing that made me waffle on the cross-over question). That takes a great deal of skill and attention, and Azalais comes through for us with a heart-warming tale. Thanks, Az!

Looking at the list of stories on Azalais' list, I see so widely varying things. There are several stories about Legolas and Dwarves, and a few about Gandalf, but none seem to fit a pattern. And then "An Unexpected Party is in a class all its own! What they do have in common is good writing and unexpected perspectives, the ability to make me look at Middle-earth with new eyes. For me that's the single most important aspect of a good fic, and I'm always pleased with what Az comes up with. Keep it up!

Looking at the list of stories on Azalais' list, I see so widely varying things. There are several stories about Legolas and Dwarves, and a few about Gandalf, but none seem to fit a pattern. And then "An Unexpected Party is in a class all its own! What they do have in common is good writing and unexpected perspectives, the ability to make me look at Middle-earth with new eyes. For me that's the single most important aspect of a good fic, and I'm always pleased with what Az comes up with. Keep it up!

I love the way that this author is able to take small moments from the books and paint such complete and satifying scenes for us using just 100 words. Truly a master of the drabble! I am so glad to have discoved this author through these awards.

Looking at the list of stories on Azalais' list, I see so widely varying things. There are several stories about Legolas and Dwarves, and a few about Gandalf, but none seem to fit a pattern. And then "An Unexpected Party is in a class all its own! What they do have in common is good writing and unexpected perspectives, the ability to make me look at Middle-earth with new eyes. For me that's the single most important aspect of a good fic, and I'm always pleased with what Az comes up with. Keep it up!

One of Azalais's strengths in the story "Night and Fog" is the use of ordinary things in not-so-ordinary ways. The one telling the story tried to reassure himself several times. He would say it was only the wind or that it was only the fog. And those would be normal, ordinary night time things, except that here, they've changed. They familiar concepts are now different and frightening. Change is something most people fear, and when comfortable things start changing in the middle of the night (particularly things already loaded with allusions like fog and wind) then their fears are compounded. And it works on the readers as well as the characters in the story. Good work by Azalais in a very tricky subject.

Looking at the list of stories on Azalais' list, I see so widely varying things. There are several stories about Legolas and Dwarves, and a few about Gandalf, but none seem to fit a pattern. And then "An Unexpected Party is in a class all its own! What they do have in common is good writing and unexpected perspectives, the ability to make me look at Middle-earth with new eyes. For me that's the single most important aspect of a good fic, and I'm always pleased with what Az comes up with. Keep it up!