Yahoo Forum Archive

Title: Nine Riders <http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2350522/1/> · Author:
Rabidsamfan
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=38
0> · Races/Places: Villains: Drabble · ID: 791
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=791>
Reviewer: Marta
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=16

> · 2005-07-10 06:05:33 Score: 3

I like the different personalities that you have given to the different
nazgul here. They are all basically compatible with how I envision the Nine,
and some are downright eery in how close they come to what I have personally
imagined to fill in the gaps Tolkien left.

Title: Giving <http://www.henneth-annun.net/stories/chapter.cfm?STID=1870>
Gifts · Author: Dwimordene
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=8>
· Races/Places: Villains · ID: 241
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=241>
Reviewer: Marta
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=16

> · 2005-07-10 06:21:28 Score: 8

I said that your drabble about the Haradrim chilled me to the core; this one
did, too, but in a different way. So much of the religious rhetoric is
twisted versions of the hints Tolkien gave us for what Elves and Men
believed. Or even Christian tenets, sucha s "The Lord giveth, and the Lord
taketh away" (usually used to describe death, as you describe it here).
There's such a warrior culture portrayed throughout here.

I'm a sucker for symbolism of colours. One of the strongest memories I have
from the Catholic side of my upbringing is making the easter cake, with its
three coloured layers: red for the blood, yellow for the sun, green for the
grass. That was what I thought of when I read of Nharadh and his thoughts on
the burial ceremony. All the elements had such meaning to them! But the
thought that one lived to be a worthy sacrifice on death -- it's just so
different from what we believe (and to me personally, offencive). But it is
also very believable for Harad, and you did a first-rate job here of
developing a culture for a people we only see from the other side of the
sword, so to speak.

Title: The
<http://www.henneth-annun.net/challenge/chapter.cfm?STID=2681&NGID=40>
Cornfield · Author: Tanaqui
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=40

> · Races/Places: Villains · ID: 530

<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=530>
Reviewer: Marta
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=16

> · 2005-07-10 06:39:24 Score: 9

I suppose I am predisposed to like this piece, both because (as is mentioned
in the notes) my description of corn/maize helped the author write it, and
also because this is the piece that introduced us to each other, and the
first one for which I provided feedback. If I knew her writing like I do
now, I would be pleasantly surprised to find such a good writing about
hobbits, and in movieverse no less!, from her. She generally writes
bookverse and Gondor, but make no mistake: even if this isn't her usual
corner of canon, she writes it well.

Tanaqui starts out with a question that never occurred to me as a problem (I
suppose because I'm an American). What is a cornpatch doing in the middle of
Tolkien's very British Shire? And she goes on to give us a good explanation,
dipping into book-canon. Maggot's grudging respect for Lotho (and you can
tell it isn't genuine) was a nice touch, as was Maggot's very practical
concern about who would buy the strange plant. But I think my favourite part
was probably how Sam reacted to the corn. The whisper of the wind, the
length of the leaves, the "bite" of the husks -- it was all brilliantly
written, and every inch Sam. Thanks for such a great read, Tanaqui.

Title: Servant of
<http://www.storiesofarda.com/chapterlistview.asp?SID=2574> Elbereth ·
Author: Beethoven's
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=28
9> 7th · Races/Places: Villains · ID: 796
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=796>
Reviewer: Marta
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=16

> · 2005-07-10 12:25:44 Score: 3

This was a great idea. I loved the thought of an orc who was not completely
abandoned by the Valar: that he had a purpose besides killing. It also gives
new meaning to Elrond's words that the Fellowship would find friends on the
road in the least likely of places. The POV on this piece worked especially
well.

Title: Narn
<http://www.storiesofarda.com/chapterview.asp?sid=2962&cid=11361> Niben ·
Author: Werecat
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=83

> · Genres: Adventure · ID: 140

<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=140>
Reviewer: Chathol-linn
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=23

> · 2005-07-10 16:01:21 Score: 7

I liked the use of the minor character Radagast and the story’s
characterization of the brave little bird. There was even some character
development, which is hard to achieve in a short story. Also I liked seeing
the camaraderie among the various animal tribes, because I don’t normally
think of animals having such attributes and one of the reasons for fiction
is to have new experiences. I also liked the sparing but effective use of
Sindarin - great names!. I would have liked to read more about Niben’s
adventures across the waves. He (Niben would have made a great “she”) had a
lot of help on the way and arrived in pretty good shape. I would have
enjoyed the appearance of a bird-eating shark, say, or Ossë having a
whirlwind of a temper tantrum at Niben’s expense. But I realize that would
have been inappropriate for a nursery tale. Nice job!

Title: To the Sea <http://www.scribeoz.com/fanfic/story.php?no=1479> ·
Author: SilverMoonLady
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=34
3> · Genres: Adventure · ID: 770
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=770>
Reviewer: Chathol-linn
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=23

> · 2005-07-10 16:57:08 Score: 7

This is the only tale I’ve run across that tells of the Hobbit who ran away
to the sea. I thought the story presented plausible motivation for Isengar’s
departure. I liked how his character developed as the years passed, and I
thought that the search for Isengar by his relatives, and the meeting with
Gorbadoc was realistic for both characters. The fleeting reference to the
sailor who did not age was intriguing – lots of potential there for more
stories. I would have liked a characterization of the sea that was different
from “fickle” which is something of a cliché. And near the end of the story
I was put off by one line that suggested that having sisters was a burden.
I’d prefer to read about societies that value women, complete with all their
faults. But these criticisms are a matter of taste, not technique. The story
successfully told us about the Hobbit who went to sea, and I enjoyed it.

Title: Bitter
<http://www.west-of-the-moon.net/servlet/ReadGenStory?storyID=369> as Willow
· Author: Nickey
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=37
4> · Races/Places: Villains · ID: 801
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=801>
Reviewer: Marta
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=16

> · 2005-07-11 04:37:30 Score: 7

There's something truly spooky about the point-of-view to this piece. You
did a great job of getting into Old Man Willow's thoughts, how he might have
felt about the hobbits being in the Old Forest. The way you worked in the
battle between the Bucklanders and the Trees of the Old Forest, how Old Man
Willow almost showed mercy to Pippin, all of that... it was brilliantly
done.

Though I was a bit puzzled as to why Old Man Willow didn't see even a little
taint of Brandybuck blood in Pippin. Perhaps not recent blood, but I think
the Brandybucks and Tooks were both supposed to be descended from the
Fallohides. And given that there was a fair amount of intermarrying between
the two I would imagine that Tookish blood also played some role in the
massacre in the Old Forest.

Regardless, this piece was well told. You provided some good insight into an
enigmatic character.

Title: Sweet Meat
<http://www.henneth-annun.net/stories/chapter.cfm?STID=2336> · Author:
Ijemanja
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=28
5> · Races/Places: Villains · ID: 1073
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=1073>
Reviewer: Marta
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=16

> · 2005-07-11 04:52:07 Score: 3

Very well done. I liked the portrait you painted here, of Shelob evil in her
own right but indifferent to other evil, not even mourning Sauron's passing.
The fact that her cold, exactling influence will mar Middle-earth into the
Third Age drives home the point that not all evil has passed.

Title: Red Fire,
<http://www.henneth-annun.net/stories/chapter.cfm?STID=2794> Black Blood ·
Author: just_sphinx
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=92

> · Races/Places: Villains · ID: 1121

<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=1121>
Reviewer: Marta
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=16

> · 2005-07-11 05:17:00 Score: 5

I don't read much Silmarillion-based fanfic, least of all about the
villains, but this one was spectacular. Maedhros has always had a special
place in my heart because it seems like he is a living contradiction. You
captured that well.

I think my favourite line was: "The heart. What a wonderful invention for
torture. I must thank Eru for creating it the next time I meet him." How
quintessentially Morgoth! That he would value those parts of creation tht
serve his own ends. Well done.

Title: Justice <http://www.henneth-annun.net/stories/chapter.cfm?STID=263>
· Author: Dwimordene
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=8>
· Races/Places: Rohan: Vignette · ID: 244
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=244>
Reviewer: Marta
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=16

> · 2005-07-11 06:00:36 Score: 7

There have been several stories out there that have tried to address the
question of whether Eowyn was a heroine or a deserter. And they have
addressed that question with a certain amount of success, presenting one
position or the other or something in between. What makes "Justice" stand
out in my mind is that it does not offer an answer on whether Eowyn was
right or not to leave Dunharrow. Eomer has to pass judgment on Elfhelm, of
course (and that judgment seems right, in my mind; even if the mean had a
good end, the mean is not completely excused). But as for Eowyn's fate,
Eomer is honest enough with himself to admit that he does not know the right
answer. That to me is a sign of great wisdom, even if Eomer does not
recognise it as such. It was nice to see a measure of ambiguity inserted
into this question, though I've come to expect no less from this author.

Title: Among the
<http://www.tolkienfanfiction.com/Story_Read_Head.php?STid=222> Fields of
Green · Author: ErinRua
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=26
7> · Races/Places: Rohan: Vignette · ID: 280
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=280>
Reviewer: Marta
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=16

> · 2005-07-11 12:10:27 Score: 4

This piece was very nice. It had an element of quiet grief about it, which I
would expect for a battle-hardened warrior, even one who has just lost his
commanding officer and his prince. But it also had an embracing of life: he
breathes in the meadows and does what Theodred cannot now do. The way you
move from grief to hope (yet hope still tainted by grief) seemed rather true
to form, and your weaving in of details from the books was particularly
appreciated.

Title: The End of
<http://www.henneth-annun.net/stories/chapter.cfm?STID=2600> Hope · Author:
ErinRua
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=26
7> · Races/Places: Rohan: Vignette · ID: 289
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=289>
Reviewer: Marta
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=16

> · 2005-07-12 14:38:56 Score: 2

This is a nice slice of life in Rohan during the siege of Gondor, when all
the people were holed up in Dunharrow. Your OFC's thoughts seemed very
natural.

Title: Alas,
<http://www.storiesofarda.com/chapterview.asp?sid=3581&cid=13574> Poor
Ufthak! · Author: Elena
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=24
7> Tiriel · Races/Places: Villains: Drabble · ID: 200
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=200>
Reviewer: Nancy
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=10
5> Brooke · 2005-07-13 14:57:20 Score: 2
This is a very clever piece, mostly because it's based on such a small
nugget of text. I love that even small details can inspire fic, and that
that small detail has been fleshed out so well here.

Title: Sheathing
<http://www.henneth-annun.net/stories/chapter.cfm?STID=769> Sting · Author:
Celandine
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=24
3> Brandybuck · Books/Time: The Hobbit · ID: 203
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=203>
Reviewer: Nancy
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=10
5> Brooke · 2005-07-13 15:03:21 Score: 1
This is a nice little vignette, creating a nice and probable scene, but
somehow lacking in heart.

Title: A <http://www.storiesofarda.com/chapterview.asp?sid=3581&cid=13572>
Long Tradition of Ancient Lore · Author: Elena
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=24
7> Tiriel · Races/Places: Gondor: Pre-Quest Drabbles · ID: 206
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=206>
Reviewer: Nancy
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=10
5> Brooke · 2005-07-13 15:08:38 Score: 2
This is a lovely scene, sounding easy and nicely paced - not a rushed or
crammed drabble. A good relationship between Faramir and Denethor is a
welcome bonus.

Title: Challenge
<http://www.storiesofarda.com/chapterview.asp?sid=2998&cid=11572> · Author:
Cheryl
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=25
2> · Races/Places: Rohan: Drabble · ID: 207
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=207>
Reviewer: Nancy
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=10
5> Brooke · 2005-07-13 15:10:10 Score: 1
This is a nice story with some good details but a little wordy, actually.

Title: The
<http://www.henneth-annun.net/stories/chapter_view.cfm?STID=4065&SPOrdinal=1

> Willing Teacher and the Apt Pupil · Author: Elen

<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=25
1> Kortirion · Genres: Humor: Aragorn · ID: 209
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=209>
Reviewer: Nancy
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=10
5> Brooke · 2005-07-13 15:13:08 Score: 1
This is a great big wink, cleverly written.

Title: A <http://www.storiesofarda.com/chapterview.asp?sid=2199&cid=9011>
Merry Meeting at Bree · Author: maranya14
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=12
0> · Books/Time: Post-Ring War · ID: 211
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=211>
Reviewer: Nancy
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=10
5> Brooke · 2005-07-13 15:20:36 Score: 1
Great! Charmingly woven into Tolkien's text and with a real ear for high and
lower speach alike!


Title: Jessed <http://www.henneth-annun.net/stories/chapter.cfm?STID=4016>
· Author: Cupiscent
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=25
4> · Races/Places: Rohan: Romance · ID: 213
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=213>
Reviewer: Nancy
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=10
5> Brooke · 2005-07-13 16:30:08 Score: 3
This is a wonderful and poignant portrait. None of this is hinted at in
Tolkien's text, but is here drawn so well and fully it seems entirely
plausible. This Hama is a wonderfully straightforward but complex character,
serving ever as he is able.

Title: A
<http://www.henneth-annun.net/stories/chapter_view.cfm?STID=3877&SPOrdinal=1

> Mantle of Silver Stars · Author: Nrink

<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=19
4> · Races/Places: Gondor: Denethor and Finduilas · ID: 214
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=214>
Reviewer: Nancy
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=10
5> Brooke · 2005-07-13 16:37:14 Score: 3
This is wonderful. I liked that the simplicity of giving the cloak is the
catalyst for many complex themes - Boromir's future, Faramir's future,
Finduilas's Illness, Denethor's sternness and his future hurt. There are a
number of rich details also; Finduilas's hair and earrings in particular
give us a glimpse into a rich culture present but unexplored.

Title: Garden
<http://www.storiesofarda.com/chapterview.asp?sid=2998&cid=11573> · Author:
Cheryl
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=25
2> · Books/Time: Post-Ring War: Ithilien Drabble · ID: 220
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=220>
Reviewer: Nancy
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=10
5> Brooke · 2005-07-13 16:41:10 Score: 2
It's nice to see Legolas here, so hopeful and practical; engaged for once in
such a simple action. I found Faramir actually extraneous here.

Title: The
<http://www.storiesofarda.com/chapterview.asp?sid=2998&cid=11571> Steward
and the Brother · Author: Cheryl
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=25
2> · Races/Places: Gondor: Drabble · ID: 224
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=224>
Reviewer: Nancy
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=10
5> Brooke · 2005-07-13 16:45:33 Score: 2
Together these form a very nice portrait, easily and gracefully told.
Boromir's 'conversion' is cleanly and convincingly told, Faramir's
perceptiveness - an often forgotten facet - a nice touch here.

Title: The Errand
<http://www.livejournal.com/users/rabidsamfan/149289.html> Lad · Author:
Rabidsamfan
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=38
0> · Books/Time: The Lord of The Rings: Incomplete · ID: 884
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
o&navbar_page=0&markpage=33&form_story_filter=884>
Reviewer: Dwimordene
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=8>
· 2005-07-14 02:31:23 Score: 10
Sometimes you read a story and you feel as if you've been waiting for
someone to write it. This is one of those stories for me, incomplete as it
is. Bergil deserves some kind of attention, and here he gets it. First
things first: Rabidsamfan gets the age right; Bergil's tone suits his years.
Bergil is a child, but a clever child who's had a number of experiences
that'd cause an adult to break down. He's also feeling rather in over his
head amidst the hobbits he's been tasked with serving, out of place amid new
names and titles, and not surprisingly suffering from the things he has seen
in the war, from Nazgûl nightmares, and especially from the nasty rumor mill
concerning what his father might have had a hand in when Lord Denethor died.
Rabidsamfan does justice to a child's perspective without resorting to the
sort of sickly sweetness or innocence that some fall prey to; Bergil's too
wise, and he's seen too much, for that. And yet he isn't grim, either—his
original, cheerful and brave personality come through, as does his capacity
to cry and be upset when things get overwhelming.

On a more general note, the dialogue is marvelous—the characters feel at
home in their speech, as it were. Also, in terms of plot, although the story
so far takes place over just a few hours and is mostly taken up with the
necessary chores of getting ready in the morning, those larger emotional and
political events are always moving in the background, pulling one out of one
boy's chores and thoughts and into something at once larger and more
troubling.

This time, however, rather than the hobbits being on the edge of things, and
getting hints and whispers of tales larger than they are, they're right in
the thick of it, and it's Bergil who is on the outside of the story that
matters most to him: whether his father did something terrible on Rath
Dínen. Worse, he can't even find a way into it, because of his youth and his
sense of where he belongs in the order of things. Sympathetic, cheerful,
with a strong undercurrent of intrigue in the new court, this is a wonderful
story for any LOTR fan. Take the time, you won't regret the read, and even
to those who shy away from WiPs, I'd say give it a try. It's just
fantastically well written. Thank you very much, Rabidsamfan, for writing
this, and I hope you take it up again soon!


Title: Spellbound
<http://www.storiesofarda.com/chapterview.asp?sid=3323&cid=12667> · Author:
Shirebound
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=31
5> · Books/Time: The Lord of The Rings · ID: 880
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=reviewsBrowse&show_all=n
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Reviewer: Dwimordene
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=8>
· 2005-07-14 02:32:27 Score: 7
Shirebound went and filled a very undernoticed gap in the tale. I've not
seen anyone else do much with the Barrow-wights, nor attempt to enter the
mind of one of them. A most enjoyable experiment... from a safe distance, of
course! Although the adventure on the downs gets a full treatment here, I
think that opening section was really the most effective and creepy for
me—the wights are brought close, yet they remain "opaque", as it were, and
in their mystery and their enslavement, they retain the full force of
horror. It makes that run for the bottom of the hill that much more
effective. And of course, being the completely helpless Aragorn fangirl that
I am, I loved the epilogue, and the light-hearted contrast to the darkness
of the previous chapters. The extraction of a promise that neither he nor
Arwen will burden a child with a name like "Meriadoc Telcontar" was quite
amusing.

Title: Cormallen
<http://www.livejournal.com/users/talechallenge03/11000.html#cutid1> ·
Author: Frodo
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4> Baggins of Bag End (Febobe) · Books/Time: The Lord of The Rings · ID: 799
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Reviewer: Dwimordene
<http://gabrielle.sytes.net/MEFA2005/index.php?page=authorDetails&form_id=8>
· 2005-07-14 02:33:21 Score: 4
Although all the Fellowship are present (well, minus one, inevitably), this
is really a story about Frodo, the only member whose thoughts we do not see
because he is the focus of everyone else's attention. There are some lovely
little moments—I particularly liked Gandalf's memory of his introduction to
a young Frodo, and Pippin's need to see Frodo eat because that's a measure
that Frodo is real was nicely done.


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