2006 Author Reviews for
Nilmandra

Excellent characterization from Nilmandra; she knows how to mine the minutiae of the Arda-verse in order to craft interesting stories that expand on Tolkien\'s world from the sideviews. She does very well to reconcile incongruous elements within Tolkien\'s own work, while shedding light on the personalities of favorite characters.

Nilmandra does a wonderful job of filling out her version of Aragorn in her stories of him as a child and a young man. As usual, her characterizations are spot-on, consistent and blend well with the Aragorn we see much later, both in her stories and in Tolkien?s books. This is true of all the individuals who we see interacting with Aragorn. One feature I adore in Nilmandra\'s stories is her exhaustive research into everything Tolkien wrote on the subjects/era that she is exploring. She constantly pulls in obscure references and makes interpolations that are completely plausible and believable. I enjoy reading her author\'s notes and responses to reader questions, as I always come away having learned something or seeing a connection where before I had not. Nilmandra\'s writing style is personal and warm, drawing me in and making me feel like I am part of the family life and friendships that she portrays; and her stories are populated by noble characters that I would love to know in real life, even if they *weren\'t* Aragorn, Gandalf, Elrond, etc.

Nilmandra does a good job of writing Aragorn throughout his life. His reactions are age-appropriate in all her stories, but connected to one character.

Nilmandra\'s writing style is personal and warm, drawing me in and making me feel like I am part of the family life and friendships that she portrays. She also has a lock on some characterizations in my mind, namely Elrond, Celebrian and Arwen. I think my vision of them will always be colored to some extent by her interpretations, no matter which author\'s story I am reading. Her Elrond is incredibly well thought-out. Nilmandra thoroughly and believably shows his growth in mind, body and spirit over the ages. I love even more how she has portrayed Arwen and her mother. She has shown them as strong, capable, intelligent beings in their own right, perfect compliments to the powerful men they marry. Another feature I adore in Nilmandra\'s stories is her exhaustive research into everything Tolkien wrote on the subjects/era that she is exploring. She constantly pulls in obscure references and makes interpolations that are completely plausible. I think this is particularly impressive in her [\"History Lessons: The Third Age\"] because she is working with the very thorough and well-read LotR trilogy. I never felt even the semblance of a conflict or \"smoothing over\" with the canon narrative. I enjoy reading her author\'s notes and responses to reader questions, as I always come away having learned something or seeing a connection where before I had not.

Nilmandra is another author on my \"want to read\" list, especially her \"History\". I find her Elves very true to LOTR, and am even drawn to learn more about the characters she writes about.

Nilmandra has managed to cover three Ages fo Middle-earth from the viewpoint of Elrond\'s family. But it isn\'t the many world-changing events, but rather the emotions, personal interactions and growth and change of the characters, that are at the heart of her writing.

Nilmandra does a good job of writing Aragorn throughout his life. His reactions are age-appropriate in all her stories, but connected to one character.

Excellent characterization from Nilmandra; she knows how to mine the minutiae of the Arda-verse in order to craft interesting stories that expand on Tolkien\'s world from the sideviews. She does very well to reconcile incongruous elements within Tolkien\'s own work, while shedding light on the personalities of favorite characters.

Nilmandra does a wonderful job of filling out her version of Aragorn in her stories of him as a child and a young man. As usual, her characterizations are spot-on, consistent and blend well with the Aragorn we see much later, both in her stories and in Tolkien?s books. This is true of all the individuals who we see interacting with Aragorn. One feature I adore in Nilmandra\'s stories is her exhaustive research into everything Tolkien wrote on the subjects/era that she is exploring. She constantly pulls in obscure references and makes interpolations that are completely plausible and believable. I enjoy reading her author\'s notes and responses to reader questions, as I always come away having learned something or seeing a connection where before I had not. Nilmandra\'s writing style is personal and warm, drawing me in and making me feel like I am part of the family life and friendships that she portrays; and her stories are populated by noble characters that I would love to know in real life, even if they *weren\'t* Aragorn, Gandalf, Elrond, etc.

Nilmandra does a good job of writing Aragorn throughout his life. His reactions are age-appropriate in all her stories, but connected to one character.