2005 Author Reviews for
Joan Milligan

What Joan Milligan does so well in these Silmarillion stories is to find the twist. The catch. And she does it in a variety of ways. She showcases the other perspective in both "Alqualonde" and "The Song of the Rock," making readers wince and think. Then in "Rejoin the Dance," Joan give readers a different variation on the twist. She shows them the relationship between Thingol and Melian and she works into it a fascinating dichotomy of awe and confidence that is almost beyond understanding but somehow feels as though it might be within reach. Great exploration of different takes on what might be considered well-known Silm events.

Joan Milligan does some beautiful contrast work in the poem "To Sing of Her," but what makes this contrast so effective is that it's done with a very light touch. You have to look for the contrasts to see them. They play in subtle undertones that give the poem a richness with both joy and sorrow, and considering that the city in the poem is Gondolin and regarded as somewhat bittersweet, I find that very fitting. Great writing.

Joan Milligan presents a rather dark, divided elven world in both "The Far-Reaching Hand" and "One Word," and I've fallen in love with it. The elves seemed to be doing more grieving than celebrating for a good portion of both LotR and the Silmarillion, and that's something that can never truly be forgotten. The other thing I've fallen in love with is Joan's use of simple things to summarize bigger things, such as the hand or the word "kinslayer." By using these as focal points, Joan is able to create layered metaphors that represent an entire history without having to repeat it via narrative or dialogue. And the effect is powerful because it's packed so tightly into a single punch. Great writing technique, and done perfectly here.

Joan's brilliance in the poems "Melkor" and "Sauron" is the ability to portray them at their extreme. Melkor makes a far more intriguing and sympathetic character than I would have imagined, and Sauron is almost a polar opposite to that, rejoicing in Numenor's fall even if it means his own ruin. By playing these two against each other, Joan manages to cover both ends of the spectrum as well as everything in between. She gives the villains depth and breadth, and I don't think I'll ever view them the same way again.