2005 Author Reviews for
Nilmandra

In my mind, Nilmandra is the inventor of Elrond, Elrohir, Elladan, Arwen, Aragorn, Glorfindel and Erestor. Her stories about Elrond's family and history have made those characters more real for me than Tolkien did and when I read Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit, it is Nilmandra's characters that I see. History Lessons were some of the first fanfiction I ever read and I was amazed by how rich a history Nilmandra created based on detailed study of canon and great world-building skills. Her stories are true to canon, true to the characters that Tolkien created but even better because they allow us to see the details of Elrond's life and personality as Tolkien did not. I am greatful that the MEFAs gave me an opportunity to de-lurk for a moment and finally tell Nilmandra how much I have enjoyed her stories and her world.

Nilmandra's "History" series is one of the most elaborate and complicated series I've ever come across. This isn't just a retelling of the events in the Silmarillion. This is a series of memories framed by some very compelling present day action. Nilmandra does a fabulous job of establishing the different time periods and making them different. Perhaps most impressive of all is that the people in the flashbacks are subtly different from those telling the events. They're younger, and though none of them are exactly innocent by the time the Second Age rolls around, they're not as weary of the fight yet. They're still fresh. The differences are subtle, but Nilmandra makes sure that they're there. And they make all the difference. Beyond that, the "History" series is obviously a work of much time and effort, including research into the events themselves and then exhaustive outlining to make sure the history and the framing story match up. Fantastic writing. Some of the best I've ever seen!