2004 Author Reviews for
meckinock

If only professional mystery writers were this talented. Meckinock shows an amazing ability to dangle just enough information that we leap to conclusions only to find that the conclusions are just the tip of the iceberg. With deft pacing and remarkable OCs, Meckinock portrays a mystery/drama story that kept me glued to my screen for the duration of the ride and still has me somewhat speechless. What a story! The plot itself is superb, and Meckinock throws in ties to pre-LotR left and right, giving us a rich foundation for the fic and tying it into events that will happen later. There's some great foreshadowing mixed in as well, but I think what I like best is Meckinock's ability to characterize. Characterization can take place throughout the story as a continuing arc, or it can happen briefly with but a few well-placed words. Either way, both canon characters and original characters are full, complete individuals. Even those who never actually appear in the fic (Elladan and Elrohir, in particular) are characterized well. It makes the drama that much more vivid and real, and the reader becomes just as obsessed about solving the mystery as Halbarad is.

I think In the Hands... was the first story by meckinock that I've ever read. And not knowing his/her gender, I will have a hard time expounding on his/her ability to write. Well, the ability was shown to be of high callibre, with an intricate plot, few mistakes or typos, wonderful characterizations and a flare for both supreme angst and laugh-out-loud humor. Meckinock is a fine author and one to look out for. Even if he/she didn't write about Legolas....