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Title: Relief · Author: Acacea · Genres: Drama: Pre-Fellowship · ID: 518
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-07-27 19:46:23
A good evocation of the perils that Denethor's sons faced on a frequent
basis.

I would have liked to see a mention of what kind of enemy Boromir and
his men were fighting - presumably Orcs, but some kind of reference
would have heightened the realism.

I was glad to see that palantir good for something other than leading
Denethor into despair.
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Title: A Little Thing · Author: Acacea · Times: Early Third Age:
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 75
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-07-27 19:49:32
Interesting drabble about the Ring's danger even when buried at the
bottom of a river - the [little thing]'s influence is still powerful
enough to scare the other denizens of its watery grave.

Clever and well-written piece.
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Title: Avoidance · Author: stefaniab · Genres: Romance: Incomplete · ID: 674
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-07-27 20:25:08
One of the most interesting and innovative, in terms of plot and
characterization, movieverse Faramir stories that I've seen.

Faramir, though still far removed from the bookverse original, is much
more comprehensible and likeable than PJ's movie version. In this story
he is a man of strength and courage, a seasoned warrior who actually
rode out to Osgiliath with a strategy that had a chance of winning,
rather than just flinging himself and many valuable lives into the path
of death merely to please Daddy. Interesting use of the original
character's visionary capacity as well.

The writer pays good attention to details; the bathing chambers are a
great addition to the architecture of Minas Tirith, and the details of
the geological/seismic/meteorologic reactions to the fall of Sauron and
eruption of Orodruin are very well written.

All in all, a good yarn - I anxiously await its conclusion.
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Title: Inheritance · Author: Acacea · Races: Men: Steward's Sons
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 524
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-07-27 20:26:03
Well-written drabble that delivers an emotional punch. I'm always
pleased by fanfic that shows Faramir to be as perceptive as his father,
and share his father's stony toughness, mitigated by the compassion that
Denethor lacked, and this drabble does very well by him. Gandalf's
viewpoint is a plus.

-----------------------------------
Title: Forlorn Hope · Author: Nancy Brooke · Races: Men: Steward's Sons
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 301
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-07-27 20:28:33
A clever, evocative way of bringing home the hopelessness of Faramir's
mission to Osgiliath in the ROTK movie. I particularly liked the line
comparing Hope to the sound of Boromir's horn - very appropriate.
-----------------------------------
Title: The Fords of Isen · Author: Branwyn · Genres: Adventure · ID: 41
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-07-27 20:32:55
I do not normally care much for ghost stories, even if set in
Middle-earth, but this one is really outstanding.

Using the framing device of a Rohirric grandfather telling his young
grandson a story of the days of his youth, when he rode with an Eored
during and after the Ring War, a tale of battle, danger, and friendship
beyond death is splendidly woven.

The physical details of the story are wonderfully written - such as the
sound of the old grandmother's loom, the atmosphere in the old people's
house, the clash of arms and the difficulty in fighting in and around a
river, and the barnacles on the shield of a dead warrior.

I almost felt sorry for the Orcs - they must have had such a shock when
Theodred awakened to do some house-cleaning.

Theodred and Boromir are scary ghosts to their enemies, dead yet fully
physically present, and kind to the terrified young Rider who is telling
the story. I loved their conversation, old friends talking of battles,
and their full, rather ironic knowledge of their own deaths.

The bit with Boromir's problem in starting a fire is funny in a low-key
way that is typical of the touches of humor in the story.

-----------------------------------
Title: 'Til we meet again · Author: Dot · Races: Elves: Featuring
Mirkwood Elves · ID: 817
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-07-27 22:18:11
Good exploration of the subject of sea-longing versus staying in
Middle-earth.
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Title: The Hobbit and the Man: "All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter" ·
Author: Gandalfs apprentice · Races: Cross-Cultural · ID: 351
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-07-27 22:19:03
Delightful tale of the first meeting between Bilbo and Aragorn. The
characters are captured perfectly. It gives the feeling of many more
tales to tell just beyond the narrative.
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Title: Elfstone · Author: Gandalfs apprentice · Races: Elves: Other
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 252
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-07-27 22:20:51
Very evocative and lyrical - you really capture the beauty of the
Elessar and its powers. Also a good example for Elven magic. And the
little invocation is lovely and fitting.
-----------------------------------
Title: To Learn His Letters · Author: GamgeeFest · Races: Hobbits:
Children · ID: 977
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-07-27 22:22:13
Good characterisations, well-handled dialogue. I especially liked this
passage: ["He'd always loved the Bag End parlor. There was something so
stately and yet accessible about it, though why that was Fred couldn't
say. All he knew was that he needn't fear touching anything here for
fear of smudging it and that he could sit wherever he liked, even here
in the Master's favorite rocking chair."]
-----------------------------------
Title: Years After and a Sea Between · Author: Dana · Genres: Alternate
Universe: Post-Grey Havens · ID: 39
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-07-28 02:35:31
This story is just absolutely and positively stunning! I generally read
very little slash, but the slash in this is very mild, and is
overshadowed by the beautiful imagery and the gentle love. I think, even
among many of this author's stories that I enjoy, it has to remain my
very favorite.

It is an Alternate Universe story, in which, as Merry and Pippin are
nearing the end of their lives in Gondor, and Pippin finds himself
thinking more and more of Frodo. He is longing to see his dear cousin,
and he is missing him more than ever. He Tookishly decides that the
solution is to sail West in search of Frodo, and Merry goes along with
the mad idea.

With the support and blessings of their friends--Aragorn, Arwen,
Faramir, Eowyn, Gimli and most of all Legolas--the two hobbits prepare
their little boat and set sail on their greatest and riskiest Adventure.

This story is written in the author's trademark lyrical and dreamlike
style, its use of present-tense heightening the poetical turn of the
language. It makes the reader feel as though he or she is inside a dream
as well, and lends a certain immediacy to the story, as we are inside
Pippin's mind.

The ending is so very touching and so very right and so very perfect!
-----------------------------------
Title: Nothing of Note · Author: Primsong · Times: Late Third Age: The
Shire · ID: 43
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-07-28 02:35:53
I loved this story from the beginning. First of all, it is that rarity,
a Bilbo story. For some reason there are very few fics featuring Bilbo
as the main character, and as far as I know, this is the only long one.
The author has written a couple of other stories featuring him, but none
so long as this beautifully crafted and loving epic.

Taking place a year before Bilbo adopts Frodo, it begins with him
experiencing an attack of spring fever, and a longing once more for
Adventure. Not, of course, another journey with Dwarves. But a nice long
ramble all over the Shire suits his mood admirably. He has found himself
beset with unsatisfactory relatives, and wants to escape.

During his journey, the Shire is beautifully described, in a detailed
manner that really calls to mind Tolkien himself. Bilbo is soothed and
exhilarated by the scenery. He also encounters several other people,
wonderfully well done OCs, who put him in a thoughtful mood about his
future.

Chapter six, Fool's Gold, has one of the sweetest moments I have ever
encountered in a fic, involving Bilbo and a very tiny OC.

In addition, this story also contains one of the most adorable wee!Sams
it has ever been my fortune to encounter--he is sweet and shy and
enthusiastic and loving, and I could just eat him up with a spoon.

I adore this story, and highly reccommend it!
-----------------------------------
Title: Dana's Annotated Tale of Years · Author: Dana · Genres:
Non-Fiction · ID: 274
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-07-28 02:36:36
How often I have been working on a fic, and taken out my paperback copy
of The Lord of the Rings to check the date on which some important event
occurred, only to find myself squinting and trying to make out what I'm
seeing in the small print. Perhaps it is just me, and my tired old eyes,
but it can be frustrating--and embarrassing as well, if I should make a
mistake! Now I have the Tale of Years on my computer screen, where I can
make the print as large as I need it to be! Not only that, but it is
quite handy for a quick search instead of dragging the book out.

In addition to simply recording the events as Tolkien did in his own
Tale of Years, Dana has also done a few other things--she has, for
example, annotated any inconsistencies she found between the events in
the Tale of Years and information elsewhere in the Appendices. One such
inconsistency is Sam's Date of Birth, given in the Tale of Years as T.A.
2983 (S.R. 1383) this contradicts the Long-father Tree of Master
Samwise, in which Sam's DOB is given as S.R. 1380--since the text refers
to Merry being younger than Sam, it is clearly a mistake in the Tale of
Years. She has also included significant events which were *not*
recorded at all, such as the births of Merry and Pippin.

Making it even more useful, she has also included the Shire Reckoning
alongside the Gondorian dates, making the messy math unnecessary--not so
messy in the Third Age, but a distinct pain in the Fourth!

This is really a very useful tool for anyone writing LotR fic, or even
for someone who simply wants to quickly check on the date of some event.
-----------------------------------
Title: The Little Hobbit · Author: Claudia · Genres: Alternate Universe
· ID: 680
Reviewer: Budgielover · 2006-07-28 03:14:02
I can think of no other author who departs from canon so joyously and
has managed to create so unique a 'universe' with our beloved
characters. Claudia has a special gift in writing hobbits, their
relationships with each other (as demonstrated in this fic by Frodo
taking care of his younger cousin Merry and Merry returning the care)
and their ventures into other races' worlds. Though based on "The Little
Mermaid," this story is a happier one; though Frodo does not achieve his
heart's desire, the love of his friends is strong enough to return him
to the hobbit world. (In the original "Little Mermaid," the mermaid
becomes foam on the waves when her love is not reciprocated.) Not only
is this fic a good read, it manages to engage the heart - not the
easiest of tasks to achieve in alternate universe writing.
-----------------------------------
Title: Rivendell 9 to 5 · Author: Claudio · Times: Fourth Age and
Beyond: Incomplete · ID: 562
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-07-28 03:15:50
This series of stories has really grown on me as I've read them. The
premise of elves in a Middle-earth tht's really rather modern isn't one
that is naturally appealing to me, but it's hilarious in these author's
hands. And every now and then we see just enough of a hint of
Middle-earth to where it still seems like fanfic. Farse, obviously, but
there are tie-ins like how a Noldorin elf woould view Silvan culture
(and vice versa).

Here we see Elladan as the de-facto ruler of Rivendell now that Elrond
et al have sailed for Valinor. One would think that Elrohir would
mature, but he is still so... well, Elrohir as he is in all the earlier
stories. Iguana, Nintendo, and all. The stress of working in an office,
the idiocy of income taxes, the frustration with bureaucracy and the
realization that even if you are the prime minister you can't get two
bowls of soup - well, it made me smile. I look forward to more.
-----------------------------------
Title: Unspeakable · Author: White Gull · Genres: Romance: Poetry · ID: 822
Reviewer: Budgielover · 2006-07-28 03:20:14
In this poem, the author manages to achieve two things - not only
producing pleasing verse but carrying an emotional thread through it.
Written from Rosie Cotton's point of view, she allows the reader to see
through her eyes, to see Frodo's suffering through her eyes, and her
desire to see him healed. This desire does in no way lessen her love for
Sam, but we the readers come to understand Rosie wishes Frodo healed out
of love of Sam, and of Frodo. This is a romantic poem, strongly touched
with sorrow and yearning. It is as lovely in verse as it is in concept.
-----------------------------------
Title: Detour · Author: xylo · Races: Hobbits · ID: 844
Reviewer: Budgielover · 2006-07-28 03:39:59
This AU is absolutely engrossing. I read it twice again before reviewing
because it is so rich in detail and authentic in its 'voice.' The first
person perspective never faulters, and the writing is technically
brilliant. The author sprinkles just enough 'realisms' like 'traumatic
amputation' in the story to make the reader believe, but doesn't overdue
the medical terminology or alienate the reader. The description of the
'LGs' is just as a Big Person would see them. The best point of this
story is how the author manages to describe the LGs's lostness in
relation to the world they have fallen into, and how closely they cling
to each other in face of all this strangeness. We know who the LGs are,
of course, but the author's confusion and yet compassion bring us into
the story. Of special note is the format chosen for the fic - e-mail as
a story vehicle! This story is delightful in conception and execution,
and leaves the reader with the wistful hope that the LGs have found a
way to go home, together.
-----------------------------------
Title: Flotsam · Author: Salsify · Times: The Great Years: Vignette · ID: 85
Reviewer: Budgielover · 2006-07-28 03:45:59
Written from Merry's viewpoint after the destruction of Isengard, this
fic brings to light an aspect of the drowning of Orthanc that the vast
majority of us never thought about. It was a brillilant stroke to tell
this story in first person from Merry's POV - it would be him that would
ponder his discovery, and also grieve over it. His intellect would
function just as written in the fic, as would his compassionate heart.
This fic is very short, but it doesn't need to be longer. It achieves
perfectly what it sets out to do - remind us of consequences beyond the
obvious.
-----------------------------------
Title: The Pippin · Author: GamgeeFest · Races: Hobbits: Poetry · ID: 937
Reviewer: Budgielover · 2006-07-28 03:50:51
This delightful poem not only manages to retain the pacing and
foreboding of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven," it infuses the meter with
humor and hobbit-ness. One can well understand the trepidation of the
poet upon finding a perpetually hungry Pippin at his door! This sweet
and endearing verse provides the reader not only a smile, but a nod to
the world of hobbitry at the same time.
-----------------------------------
Title: A Spring Day At Cormallen · Author: Marigold · Races:
Cross-Cultural · ID: 746
Reviewer: Budgielover · 2006-07-28 03:57:56
The greatest joy of this fic is the absolutely faultless 'Tolkien voice'
telling the story from King Elessar's point of view. Written in first
person, Aragorn marvels over the recovery of Pippin from his slaying of
the troll and allows the reader a glimpse into the close-knit circle of
hobbits. Each hobbit's actions and reactions are perfect to the
character, and the interaction between them described with such a loving
eye that the reader understands how much the Ranger - turned - King
loves these four small people. The reader loves them through Aragorn's
eyes, and rejoices in this snippet of happy time given the readers and
hobbits both.
-----------------------------------
Title: Following Orders · Author: EdorasLass · Times: The Great Years:
Gondor Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 54
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-07-28 13:01:38

A well-written, thought-provoking drabble on a subject rarely tackled in
fanfiction - Faramir's feelings towards the servants who enabled his
father to nearly burn him alive.

[Men I had known since I was a child, men I trained with or helped train
 all but one would have let me burn.]

I'm not sure that Faramir would have trained with these particular
servants - Tolkien calls them "six men of the household", which implies
that they are household servants. Yet he also has them bearing swords in
the "Pyre" chapter. Tolkien never calls them men-at-arms, only 'servants'.

I also wonder whether Faramir expresses this anger towards the servants
because it is easier than being angry at his father.

Very good work, especially in the framework of only 100 words.
-----------------------------------
Title: Teatime in Rivendell · Author: Gandalfs apprentice · Races:
Cross-Cultural: Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 373
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-07-28 13:04:21
Turnabout is fair play, as Legolas discovers when he meets Bilbo. A fine
drabble about a pair not often seen together in fanfic or LOTR.

And I loved the last line - very true!
-----------------------------------
Title: Claws · Author: Elena Tiriel · Races: Villains: Fixed-Length
Ficlet · ID: 835
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-07-28 13:05:56
A wicked little piece about flying thieves, among whom there is neither
honor nor mercy. Very true to the character of Smaug! Bilbo was
fortunate in his cleverness and very good luck.
-----------------------------------
Title: Lay of Lord and Lady · Author: Vana Tuivana · Genres: Drama:
Poetry · ID: 629
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-07-28 13:06:43
Any poem this long that manages, as this one does, to hold my interest,
has my respect. The poem flows well, and I can well imagine it being
sung in later years by the survivors of Gondolin.

This line is particularly beautiful: [And he taught her the beauty of
night.]

-----------------------------------
Title: On the Fair Hill · Author: Imhiriel · Times: Late Third Age:
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 946
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-07-28 13:16:47
This ficlet is exceptionally pretty. Lovely usage of description,
bringing to life the glory of Lothlorien's fairest hill, the visual
splendor of the unusual Elf-nurtured trees and flowers. It's like a
picture, only done in words instead of paint. Very fitting method of
conveying the sheer beauty of the Elven hill. Made me want to be there.
And the end was a particularly graceful one.
-----------------------------------