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I added to each story the characters I counted in Word (without blanks)

The Lord of the Rings

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Cross-cultural

LCC2: Horses and Verses by Altariel and Isabeau

352 characters

This is a rather humorous piece. I like how Isabeau and Altariel
accomplished to portrait the rather different characters of Eomer and
Faramir. Two quibbles though I have: Faramir seems often at a loss of words
(though he is the most articulate man in the whole LotR) and I do not agree
with the view that Numenoreans could be ordered to marry as Faramir
suggests. Some words chosen are too modern: e.g. Romantic, schoolroom.



Cross-cultural

LCC6: River of Fallen Stars by Fileg

605 characters

Very nice story with the Gondorian constellations Archer who defends and who
hunts to support a family (representing in my mind Faramir) and the
Swordsman (aka Orion) who defends Arda from the dark (evocating in my mind
Boromir). Nicely done is Boromir's explanation why he and not Faramir came
to Rivendell, that he hoped to be as an broadsword a means to end the war
but that he wanted to ensure that Faramir as the healers knife would be
there to lead Gondor back to life. Very haunting is the last paragraph where
the Swordsman below the waterline reaches for the Archer who has a foot
below the water but who managed through the years to somehow keep his head
above water. This story has the precursor "As Truly as the Arrow Flies".



Gondor

LG1: All of Them Together by Fileg

141 characters

Very evocative piece. Poems haunting and beautiful. Nicely done story line
from a play of Boromir over ransom to pay by Thorongil to a song slowly
remembered by Aragorn.

Gondor

LG2: As Truly as the Arrow Flies by Fileg

347 characters

The story "River of fallen stars" has this precursor wherein Faramir recalls
how his grandfather taught him about the Gondorian constellations Archer who
defends and who hunts to support a family (representing in my mind Faramir)
and the Swordsman (aka Orion) who defends Arda from the dark (evocating in
my mind Boromir). Small Faramir still craves for battle glory while his
grandfather explains that fighting


Gondor

LG3: Breathe by Fileg

429 characters

Finely crafted series of pieces connected by the Anduin. Boromir learns to
swim (breathe before you dive) and uses his skills after the fall of the
Osgiliath bridge. The brothers help each other. Faramir sees his dead
brother in the Elven boat and has to get without support out of the water.
Faramir sends his experiences as drawings and words in a little paper boat
down the river accounting to his brother all what has changed. Minor
quibble: IMO paper boats are modern inventions. Evocative and beautiful
worded.



Gondor

LG5: Queen's Gambit by A L Milton

271 characters

An accomplished story. Though due to the rather cool and lacquered surface I
have more the feeling of an Japanese Middle-Ages story than of a
Middle-Earth story. One could ascribe this to Arwen's Elfishness. Yet I miss
the emotional background produced by Tolkien's words. Nevertheless well
written with a good story line.



LI3: Messages by Shakes

1170 characters

This is for me the best OC-story I read until now. Sadly Shakes has not
updated it for nearly a year now. Nevertheless, as it ends after the
destruction of the bridge of Osgiliath it achieves to give a feeling of
completeness. The rather well rendered original characters are the messenger
boy Anakil and his tutor the Poet. Very convincingly described are also the
brothers Boromir and Faramir and indirectly Denethor through the brothers
and the Poet. Very nicely done is the insecure boy who transgresses
boundaries as carefree youth and is educated through the story to become a
responsible rules-abiding messenger, while the Poet is a very well spoken
wise man turned grey with honour. Never have I read a better description of
the Gondorian military. One has really the feeling to live through the days
of suspense before the loss of Eastern Osgiliath and through the battle to
ensure the destruction of the bridge to secure the rest of Gondor. One has
the feeling to go through Osgiliath with Anakil, who knows every corner,
every ruin, every healers tent, and every stable because he first was an
errand boy. Very well done is the explanation why Faramir is in Osgiliath
together with Boromir. My only quibble is technically: there are many shifts
in the Point of View. Sometimes one is quite at a loss which persons POV has
just started. Kudos to Shakes for this accomplished story filling a small
book.



Poetry

LP7: Tickle the Ranger by Alawa

288 characters:

Nice poem. Really feels like a children's rhyme with a round-about-play
attached. The two sides of firstly the ranger outside moving around the
circle and secondly all the other children forming the circle of the normal
populace are well drawn. When the stanza of the ranger stops I expect the
ranger to tickle that child standing where he stops.



L2: A True Dwarf by PoweroftheBook

185 characters

Good, good, good. Gimli gets a dwarven bride inclusive facial fluffy hair.
Well rendered insecurities of the bride and convincingly done assurances by
Gimli who compares his love for Galadriel with the love for a mother.



AUTHORS (remember to comment on the writer as regards to the category, not
the story, here):



Poetry

LPA1: Alawa

Tickle the Ranger

121 characters

Nicely done poem which invokes the feeling of a children's play somewhere in
Gondor or Arnor. Has a humorous touch and agrees very well with LotR.



LA1: A L Milton

Queen's Gambit

203 Characters

Due to the rather cool and lacquered surface I have more the feeling of an
Japanese Middle-Ages story than of a Middle-Earth story. One could ascribe
this to Arwen's Elfishness. Yet I miss the emotional background produced by
Tolkien's words.



LA3: Altariel and Isabeau

Horses and Verses

422 characters

The authors wrote a rather humorous piece depicting the relationship of
Eomer and Faramir. I like how Isabeau and Altariel accomplished to portrait
those rather different characters. Two quibbles though I have: Faramir seems
often at a loss of words (though he is the most articulate man in the whole
LotR) and I do not agree with the view that Numenoreans could be ordered to
marry as Faramir suggests. Some words chosen are too modern: e.g. Romantic,
schoolroom. All in all the story agrees well with LotR.



LA12: Fileg

River of Fallen Stars., All of Them Together, As Truly as the Arrow Flies,
Breathe

818 characters

Evocative stories. Finely crafted in words and story lines. "As Truly as the
Arrow Flies" is the precursor of "River of fallen stars". Both stories use
the Gondorian constellations Archer who defends and who hunts to support a
family and the Swordsman (aka Orion) who defends Arda from the dark to evoke
Faramir (archer) and Boromir (swordsman). Very haunting is the last
paragraph in "River of fallen stars" where the picture of the Swordsman
below the waterline reaches for the Archer who has a foot below the water
but who managed through the years to somehow keep his head above water.
"Breathe" takes up the brothers' relation in connection with the Anduin,
while "All of Them Together" only hints at the very end on the yet unborn
brother Faramir. Very beautiful poem describing aspects of Boromir and
Thorongil. Both learned this special nursery rhyme from their father,
Boromir remembers it well and Thorongil only vaguely grasps this memory. All
stories complement LotR.



LA24: PoweroftheBook

A True Dwarf

172 characters

Good gap-filler concerning Gimli's bride. Well rendered insecurities of the
bride and convincingly done assurances by Gimli who compares his love for
Galadriel with the love for a mother. Fits into LotR.



LA26: Shakes

Messages

1271 characters

This is the last of my imaginary Appendix G stories. It fits so well in the
Tolkien universe that of all the stories in this section for me it is the
best. Sadly Shakes has not updated it for nearly a year now. Nevertheless,
as it ends after the destruction of the bridge of Osgiliath it achieves to
give a feeling of completeness. The author renders rather well the original
characters: the messenger boy Anakil and his tutor the Poet. Very
convincingly he described also the brothers Boromir and Faramir and
indirectly Denethor through eyes of the brothers and the Poet. Very nicely
done is the insecure boy who transgresses boundaries as carefree youth and
is educated through the story to become a responsible rules-abiding
messenger, while the Poet is a very well spoken wise man turned grey with
honour. Never have I read a better description of the Gondorian military.
One has really the feeling to live through the days of suspense before the
loss of Eastern Osgiliath and through the battle to ensure the destruction
of the bridge to secure the rest of Gondor. One has the feeling to go or run
through Osgiliath with Anakil, who knows every corner, every ruin, every
healers tent, and every stable because he first was an errand boy. Very well
done is the explanation why Faramir is in Osgiliath together with Boromir.
My only quibble is technically: there are many shifts in the Point of View.
Sometimes one is quite at a loss which person's POV has just started. Kudos
to Shakes for this accomplished story filling a small book.



This category ends on October 30th at 11:59pm Central US time