2005 Author Reviews for
ErinRua

Whenever ErinRua gets hold of contrasts, amazing things happen. Simply put, she takes writing to new heights. This is an author who knows how to strike balances and then keep the reader painfully poised on the edge of greatness before striking the final blow. She works slowly in building to a climax, whether emotional or action-oriented, and as she builds, she characterizes in simple, almost understated ways that blend so well into the narrative that before a reader realizes it, they've been introduced to an entire world, complete with quirks, strengths, faults, and backstory. And then ErinRua finds a balance and holds it. It reminds me of nothing so much as music, actually, when a suspension is caught and held until the final resolution. It creates a yearning sensation, and when the end comes, it's that much more fulfilling. I wish I could paint contrasts as beautifully as ErinRua does. For her, it seems effortless and I can only shake my head in the face of such tremendous talent.

ErinRua is probably known best for her devotion to the Rohirrim. She certainly gravitates to them, as many of her stories demonstrate. Probably the finest of them, in my opinion, is her "Turning the Page", which gets inside ?omer's skin and reflects on his friendship with Aragorn with a candid, good-natured tone that I tend to think of as distinctly Rohirric. But Erin writes about many other corners of Middle-earth, too?some of her best work revolves around Aragorn and Halbarad, or Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. The tone of her stories is always very rich and idealized, a quality that lends itself to Rohan and the more lofty emotions that Tolkien's characters can come to express.

One of ErinRua's biggest strengths is her ability to portray and characterize the Rohirrim, but in "Beyond the Door" and "Boys to Men." ErinRua proves that she can also do other men, such as Rangers and Citadel Guards. And just as she does with the Rohirrim, she manages to give the Rangers and the Guards a culture of sorts by working through a few representative individuals. The nobility in Halbarad during his drabble speaks very highly of the rest of the Rangers while the indecisiveness in Beregond was, I suspect, very typical of people in Minas Tirith during those times. My hat is off to ErinRua, who can make generalizations stick and work with canon characters.

ErinRua writes friendships very well, whether it's the connection between Aragorn and Halbarad or between Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli or any other group you could imagine. She seems to grasp both the characters as individual and have a real head for interactions, which isn't as common or as easy as it should be.

ErinRua writes friendships very well, whether it's the connection between Aragorn and Halbarad or between Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli or any other group you could imagine. She seems to grasp both the characters as individual and have a real head for interactions, which isn't as common or as easy as it should be.

ErinRua writes friendships very well, whether it's the connection between Aragorn and Halbarad or between Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli or any other group you could imagine. She seems to grasp both the characters as individual and have a real head for interactions, which isn't as common or as easy as it should be.

ErinRua is probably known best for her devotion to the Rohirrim. She certainly gravitates to them, as many of her stories demonstrate. Probably the finest of them, in my opinion, is her "Turning the Page", which gets inside ?omer's skin and reflects on his friendship with Aragorn with a candid, good-natured tone that I tend to think of as distinctly Rohirric. But Erin writes about many other corners of Middle-earth, too?some of her best work revolves around Aragorn and Halbarad, or Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. The tone of her stories is always very rich and idealized, a quality that lends itself to Rohan and the more lofty emotions that Tolkien's characters can come to express.

ErinRua writes friendships very well, whether it's the connection between Aragorn and Halbarad or between Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli or any other group you could imagine. She seems to grasp both the characters as individual and have a real head for interactions, which isn't as common or as easy as it should be.

One of the hardest things for an author to portray is believable character growth, and even harder than that is the end result of character growth while skipping all the in-between steps. And of course ErinRua is able to make something like that look easy, which makes me not a little jealous. The story "Turning the Page" is a look at a very old Eomer who both is and is not the Eomer from LotR. He's changed. He's matured. And yet he's still Eomer. The seeds of his youth have grown into something else, but it's still recognizeable. ErinRua takes what he is, pushes it forward into old age, and creates something both new and familiar that presents itself as the only logical characterization of an older Eomer. As always, I bow before her skill. Thank you, ErinRua.

What always impresses me about ErinRua?s work is how carefully the language is chosen, which makes these pieces a delight to read. While I would use the word ?spare? to describe the form and expression of these pieces -- a trait I admire immensely -- the sentiments portrayed are never lacking depth or hackneyed.

ErinRua writes friendships very well, whether it's the connection between Aragorn and Halbarad or between Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli or any other group you could imagine. She seems to grasp both the characters as individual and have a real head for interactions, which isn't as common or as easy as it should be.

ErinRua writes friendships very well, whether it's the connection between Aragorn and Halbarad or between Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli or any other group you could imagine. She seems to grasp both the characters as individual and have a real head for interactions, which isn't as common or as easy as it should be.

ErinRua writes friendships very well, whether it's the connection between Aragorn and Halbarad or between Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli or any other group you could imagine. She seems to grasp both the characters as individual and have a real head for interactions, which isn't as common or as easy as it should be.

ErinRua is probably known best for her devotion to the Rohirrim. She certainly gravitates to them, as many of her stories demonstrate. Probably the finest of them, in my opinion, is her "Turning the Page", which gets inside ?omer's skin and reflects on his friendship with Aragorn with a candid, good-natured tone that I tend to think of as distinctly Rohirric. But Erin writes about many other corners of Middle-earth, too?some of her best work revolves around Aragorn and Halbarad, or Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. The tone of her stories is always very rich and idealized, a quality that lends itself to Rohan and the more lofty emotions that Tolkien's characters can come to express.

ErinRua writes friendships very well, whether it's the connection between Aragorn and Halbarad or between Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli or any other group you could imagine. She seems to grasp both the characters as individual and have a real head for interactions, which isn't as common or as easy as it should be.

What always impresses me about ErinRua?s work is how carefully the language is chosen, which makes these pieces a delight to read. While I would use the word ?spare? to describe the form and expression of these pieces -- a trait I admire immensely -- the sentiments portrayed are never lacking depth or hackneyed.

ErinRua writes friendships very well, whether it's the connection between Aragorn and Halbarad or between Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli or any other group you could imagine. She seems to grasp both the characters as individual and have a real head for interactions, which isn't as common or as easy as it should be.

ErinRua writes friendships very well, whether it's the connection between Aragorn and Halbarad or between Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli or any other group you could imagine. She seems to grasp both the characters as individual and have a real head for interactions, which isn't as common or as easy as it should be.

ErinRua is gifted in many things: narrative, emotions, perspective, pacing, characterization, etc. And no matter what she does, she manages to apply all of those gifts and create a rich, full story. But she seems to apply them best when working with the Rohirrim, and once again, she's come through with beautiful, vibrant stories that create worlds within themselves and fit seamlessly into Tolkien's canon. I think part of it is the way Erin is able to wedge herself so tightly into the thoughts of her Rohirrim characters. Their thoughts become the reader's thoughts, and a powerful talent for narrative ensures that the story comes across cleanly and smoothly. It would be so easy to become tripped in some of these situations; all three of her stories in the Rohan section have a darker feel for much of the plot. But ErinRua is constantly pulling the reader along with a promise of hope toward the end. Or if not hope entirely, a resolution of sorts. And that's one of the things I like best about her. She never leaves a story mired in angst. Without ever breaking the mood, she gives readers either a glimmer of hope or the full realization of it. And whichever way the story runs, that hope comes naturally. One of the best authors in the LotR world, I humbly bow before her greatness. Thank you for sharing your gifts.