2004 Author Reviews for
Llinos

Rhyming any two words or phrases is well within the reach of most of us, but to do so as skillfully and elegantly over such length as this author has demonstrated takes true talent and care. A wonderful tale told in rhyme, sacrificing none of the elements or images for the sake of meter is a feat not often seen, and so I find myself in happy awe of this gifted member of our community.

Wonderful characterisations, especially Merry and Pippin, and the plot situations she comes up with are always very entertaining. Llinos has the ability to spin a tale that is both entertaining and yet also often has a moral or lesson. She includes lots of details, and is adept at writing a scene so that it appears before the eyes of the reader. Often she adapts personal experiences into events in her stories, and when she does this lends an even greater sense of realism. Her Merry and Pippin have a wonderful relationship, and their motivations and emotions always have a solid basis. She always stays true to their characters and her own LoTR universe.

Llinos is a fabulous poet. I am so impressed at the way that she is able to write poetry of any type, just right for its intended purpose. Whether it is an epic lay such as The Lay of Peregrin Took or a very personal poem for a friend's birthday, the finished piece never fails to be just exactly right. I was visiting her when the Lay was written, and I will never forget the single-minded creativity and intensity I witnessed when she was working on it, intent on the piece to the exclusion of all else. She knows all of the rules of how many lines, what works and what doesn't, how to inspire a certain feeling. She has a talent and skill that I know I could never master.

Llinos took a simple idea, what would happen if something happened just a little bit differently on the Quest, and has created a wonderful story, my absolute favourite work of fanfiction. It is a labour of love for her, with a huge fan following, and I really appreciate the amount of work that she puts into it. I am very impressed by the way she has caused this, her main story, Recaptured, to evolve over the course of its writing. The chapters started as very short daily updates, and now are approaching 10,000 words, and are posted every couple of months, as she adapted her style to better encompass the scale of the story. It is like those wonderful old serials that they used to show at the cinema, and I admire the depth of enjoyment and reading satisfaction that she is able to put into her stories. In the course of this particular story she has come up with some wonderful and creative ideas, and come up with them when the fandom was just starting, and there was not much fanfiction out there. I love her imagination, and her skill in getting her ideas across, and in a way that entertains the reader. She is able to write hurt/comfort, angst, humour, horror, and drama equally well, and they are all present in just the right amounts in her work. She also knows her hobbits, and is able to write not only them incredibly well, but also Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, Aragorn, Faramir, Eowyn and Gollum, and many others from the books - not too many authors are able to capture so many characters voices so very well. And she is skilled in writing her original characters as well, not just orcs, but also several characters among men. I love the way that she has created unique voices for all the characters, and keeps their voices true. I have no doubt that she will keep this story fresh and wonderful to its conclusion, and then I hope she will consider a sequel!