Yahoo Forum Archive

Title: A new tradition · Author: Tanaqui · Races: Dwarves: Fixed-Length
Ficlet · ID: 869
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-08 00:13:59
This is very sweet--Yule gets a Dwarven twist, and Gimli gets a bit of a
holiday headache for his newly created tradition. It's a different look
at Gimli, and I quite enjoyed it. I also liked seeing Legolas'
reaction--nice to know that 'Santa' will also be taken care of!
-----------------------------------
Title: [untitled] He: Gimli fic prompt #84 · Author: Thevina Finduilas ·
Races: Dwarves · ID: 718
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-08 00:14:29
Thevina gives us a dwarven romance, taking up the line that there are
few dwarf women and using it to good end. Gimli's relationship with
Vram, long-standing and intimate, poses a problem when it comes to the
quest. It's hardly satisfying to say farewell via a letter, even less so
when the stakes are so high. Lovely last line, Thev!
-----------------------------------
Title: The Tea Party · Author: AngieT · Races: Hobbits: Children · ID: 633
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-08-08 00:14:34
I love this sweet little story of an indignant Pippin and his
understanding mother, as well as Pippin's very special little guest.
It's just adorable.
-----------------------------------
Title: The Heads of One Thousand Goblins: A Love Story · Author:
SickleYield · Races: Dwarves · ID: 644
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-08 00:15:05
It's an untraditional courtship, but one I can see rather well. Poor
Gimli, and poor Wiri, both of them caught in the trammels of unrequited
love. I'm not sure that the switch at the end quite works--the pronouns
have been too consistent throughout, but nevertheless...

Gimli's isolation from other dwarves, as a result of his encounter with
Galadriel, is well portrayed, and one feels for him--well, one would if
there were any hint that he is in the least self-pitying. Desiring
recognition or not, he doesn't seem to be terribly bitter; rather he
simply seems resigned and a bit abstracted. Finding someone who can
share in his memories and value them for what they are seems to be enough.

Nicely done! I'd say this does help make up for the poor use of
movie!Gimli noted in the author's notes.
-----------------------------------
Title: Gandalf returned · Author: Rabidsamfan · Genres: Drama: General
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 990
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-08-08 00:15:20
A perfect explanation: why WAS Gandalf sent back to the top of
Caradhras, rather than directly to Lothlorien, which would have saved a
good deal of time? The author answers the question brilliantly and
plausibly.

I loved the description of Gandalf's re-imbodiment as well: I could
visualize it so easily!
-----------------------------------
Title: Too Few Words · Author: annmarwalk · Races: Dwarves · ID: 311
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-08 00:15:31
This is quite unique, and I very much enjoyed this look at the
understated courtship of Dwarves. Work forms the context, the
restoration of Gondor's gates, and the opening of Aglarond--Gimli's
animation is evident, while Zei remains a quiet presence. She has a
definite dignity, and there's no question she's attracted to Gimli, but
it is not quite enough, it seems--not when, perhaps, there's an elf in
the way, a friend who might come to dominate all other relationships.
The turn-down line is classic, and the sketch that ends up in Elessar's
private papers a poignant testimony to Zei's skill and love: that she
should draw Gimli with Legolas, the block to her own relationship,
speaks volumes of her character.
-----------------------------------
Title: Swan Dance · Author: Rhapsody · Times: First Age and Prior:
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 797
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-08-08 00:15:51
Although I have read The Silmarillion a couple of times, I am not nearly
so familiar with its events as I am those of LotR. Nevertheless, I could
still understand and realize what the author described here.

The pride and haughtiness of the slayer, and his own regret at what he
felt compelled to do for his father's sake is very well depicted.
-----------------------------------
Title: Antiphon to Light · Author: Thevina Finduilas · Races: Dwarves ·
ID: 155
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-08 00:16:00
Thevina continues her stellar exploration of Gimli's personality, in all
its dwarvishness, in this follow up to [The Stone's Lament.] Dwarves
seem to be a very private, secretive people in many ways, and Gimli's
need to withdraw a bit, to process things in his own mind after having
been utterly stunned by Galadriel's welcome of him and her hommage to
his people and their art, seems very much in character.

Yet he isn't gruff about it, or touchy, either--he is tolerant of
Pippin's curiosity, though he remains somewhat withdrawn, unable to
speak of his experience in a way Pippin would understand. But it doesn't
obsess either of them, and Thevina uses this interlude to draw out a
little more how Dwarves might be perceived versus Gimli's own sense of
himself and his people.

The final move puts us in a vein of thought Thevina has mined before,
but seems to be getting more and more deft in handling: the relationship
between Gimli and Legolas. This marks, to me anyway, a major advance
over earlier efforts--there's a new quiet and spareness to their
interaction, that nevertheless conveys so much without need of extensive
dialogue. You can feel these two have reached an understanding--basic,
perhaps, and they don't know each other so well that Gimli can be
confident Legolas would not take Galadriel's gift in the event of
Gimli's death, but there's a trust and respect there that doesn't need
words.

Any Legolas-Gimli fans should read this for the final segment alone, and
anyone with any interest whatsoever in Gimli or Galadriel ought to enjoy
this.
-----------------------------------
Title: Midwinter Rites · Author: Tanaqui · Races: Men: Aragorn
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 868
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-08-08 00:16:12
It's so interesting, the different customs that have been devised for
each land that Aragorn has dwelt in--each different, yet plausible for
Middle-earth, and not just an imitation of modern customs.

And of course, the last was best.
-----------------------------------
Title: Aglarond · Author: annmarwalk · Races: Dwarves: Fixed-Length
Ficlet · ID: 68
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-08 00:16:26
Nice incorporation of book quotes - the [small chip of rock and no more,
in a whole anxious day] and that Gimli [tends these glades of flowering
stone] recalls his conversation with Legolas very well. I like the
comparison of the stonewright with the poet, and the idea that the
hammer is Gimli's stylus, all of Aglarond but his way of writing a
single them: Galadriel.
-----------------------------------
Title: The Stone's Lament · Author: Thevina Finduilas · Races: Dwarves ·
ID: 53
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-08 00:16:52
Thevina deftly captures the essence of dwarvish sentiment in this
vignette, giving Gimli a voice worthy of him. His excitement as he
approaches the ancient dwellings of the Dwarves, his slips into his
native tongue and melody, heighten the sense of anticipation.

All the more shocking, then, is Legolas' intrusion into Gimli's
homecoming with his observation of the speech of the stones--a speech
that Gimli feels he ought to hear before any elf. There's loss on more
than one level in this story, and perhaps a hint of some ground for
future relations between him and Legolas. Well done, Thevina!
-----------------------------------
Title: The Groomsman · Author: Elen Kortirion · Races: Dwarves:
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 44
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-08 00:17:18
Ok, nice play on the *groom* in groomsman--it had all the hallmarks of
an entirely other fanfic convention, so I wasn't expecting this, so it
made for a twist at the end. Very clever!
-----------------------------------
Title: Hewing Naught But Wood · Author: Thundera Tiger · Genres: Humor:
Parody · ID: 825
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-08-08 06:39:36
Clever, unusual exploration of Dwarven wordplay and martial skill.
Gimli's pride as a craftsman is visible even in battle.

It was amusing to see a discussion of battle that drove Eomer to want to
be somewhere else.


-----------------------------------
Title: Cacophony · Author: Gwynnyd · Genres: Humor: Parody · ID: 929
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-08-08 06:43:10


An amusing account of the Valar's cacophonous musical forays.

I don't blame Eru for threatening Namo's maia pop band with an asteroid
if they didn't expand their repertoire - how many repitions of 'Yummy,
yummy, yummy I've got love in my tummy' could the supreme being stand,
anyway?!
-----------------------------------
Title: Nothing but Dreams · Author: Unsung Heroine · Genres: Drama:
First Age Elves · ID: 659
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-08-08 06:59:49
Haunting tale of Caranthir at the end of both his wits and his hope. I
am not sure whether Haleth is supposed to really be there, or a produce
of Caranthir's somewhat stressed mind, but it doesn't seem to matter.

Good job getting inside Caranthir's head.
-----------------------------------
Title: Elven Braids · Author: viggomaniac · Races: Men: Featuring
Aragorn · ID: 808
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-08-08 07:04:36
Harrowing vignette with Aragorn being manhandled (and facing far worse)
by the orcs who have suddenly captured him.

I would really like to see this story expanded; but it's taut enough and
tight enough to work as a brief one-shot.
-----------------------------------
Title: The Hobbit and the Man: "All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter" ·
Author: Gandalfs apprentice · Races: Cross-Cultural · ID: 351
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-08-08 07:18:12
A quietly fitting first meeting of Aragorn and Bilbo. It makes a lot of
sense that they would meet and bond over pipeweed!

Aragorn is well-written here, but Bilbo's characterisation is superb -
very hobbitish and yet distinct for his love of things beyond hobbit
ken, and his curiosity.

The last lines are wonderful.
-----------------------------------
Title: The Gardener's Wife · Author: Vistula the Dunadan · Races:
Hobbits · ID: 720
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-08-08 07:20:12
Well-crafted story of what could have happened to Sam's mother. The
writer captures the characters of Sam and the Gaffer quite credibly and
well. The speech patterns of the son and father seem not just hobbitish,
but quite right for those two characters.

The ending is quite lovely, with a bittersweet quality that ties the
strange threads of this story together, not so much neatly as the way,
one feels, they were meant to be.
-----------------------------------
Title: Bedtime Story · Author: Gandalfs apprentice · Genres: Humor:
Children · ID: 355
Reviewer: obsidianj · 2006-08-08 15:43:37
This is such a delightful little story. Eldarion playing Sam at the
Prancing Pony is just too cute. So much for bedtime stories to calm down
the child. I loved the last line by Legolas ["Dont worryIll let him
practice on me first.] Now I wonder what he will let him practice...
Aragorn should be concerned ;-)
-----------------------------------
Title: The One · Author: Linda Hoyland/Raksha the Demon CoAuthors ·
Races: Men: Featuring Aragorn · ID: 852
Reviewer: obsidianj · 2006-08-08 15:48:19
Interesting idea. Faramir showing up in a vision of Aragorn. But that
would explain why Aragorn instantly trusted this stranger. That Faramir
is Denethor's son and Boromir's brother is not really a great
recommendation after Aragorn's experiences with Denethor.

I like the way how Aragorn with every new member of the stewards family
searches for the man of his vision. And every time he is disappointed
until the end.
-----------------------------------
Title: Good Neighbors · Author: daw the minstrel · Genres: Adventure ·
ID: 818
Reviewer: obsidianj · 2006-08-08 15:49:37
This is a delightful story about the elves of Mirkwood and their
interactions with the men around them. Although the story has only a few
canonical characters, the richly drawn, original characters paint a
vivid tapestry of what life in King Thranduil's kingdom is. There are
several interwoven storylines, starting with young Legolas who rescues a
mannish child out of the woods and tries to hide it with the help of his
friends,King Thranduil dealing with a greedy human merchant who attacks
the elves to get a better price for his wares, to an orc raid on a camp
of humans. Elrond's twin sons make an appearance and help Thranduil's
son Eilan (one of my favorite original characters in Daw's stories) see
how dangerous grief and self-centeredness can be for the people around.
All the story lines come together in the end and now we know why the
enchanted river is enchanted ;-) I like how the seemingly unrelated
story lines come together naturally without the reader feeling that the
connection is forced.
-----------------------------------
Title: Heirlooms · Author: annmarwalk · Genres: Drama: Remembering · ID: 72
Reviewer: Madeleine · 2006-08-08 20:07:41
No doubt, these heirlooms are of a rather different kind. A lovely idea.
Im just surprised those toy horses survived nearly unscathed the
devotion and love of several children.
-----------------------------------
Title: The Falcon and the Star · Author: Raksha the Demon · Times: The
Great Years: Gondor · ID: 57
Reviewer: Branwyn · 2006-08-08 22:58:29
Tolkien says that Aragorn had to "walk afar in some dark vale" to
retrieve Faramir to the world of the living; this story explores that
journey. I like how Raksha describes the dark vale as a place that is
supernatural but is also influenced by Faramir's sensations in the real
world--the thirst from his fever, the heat and smell of fires. Very nice
that it isn't the physical hardship that disturbs him; from years of
travelling in the wild, he knows how much and how long he can endure
that. He is most frightened because he cannot see the stars, Tolkien's
symbol of hope.
The disembodied voices are fittingly eerie--

["Go back, West-Man," said a thin sharp voice. "This is not your road.
The Son of Gondor is ours."]

Sad but true that the appearance of Denethor would be the one thing that
could break Faramir's spirit. Even in this other world, Aragorn and
Faramir at once recognize each other's worth. The details about their
dress are so telling--Faramir is dressed as a simple ranger, which is
how he views himself, and Aragorn is wearing the Elendilmir because he
must bring the healing powers of the king into this place. Faramir shows
a characteristic combination of resilience and humility; I loved him
asking, as he is about to keel over, if there is anything he can do to
help Aragorn!

Though I do not think that Aragorn was reluctant to become king, it does
seem reasonable that he would have doubts about his own abilities. He
says in "The Two Towers," after the breaking of the Fellowship, ["All
that I have done today has gone amiss."] The burden of leadership fell
to him after Gandalf's death, and he feels he has failed the test.
Before he can claim the kingship, he must resolve his own lingering
doubts about his fitness to be king (though when the Dead answer his
summons, that is one validation of his claim), and this story provides
an interesting exploration of that process. I especially like when
Aragorn takes Faramir's hand between his two hands ["in token of the
vows of fealty we would exchange one day."] A few of Faramir's men
watching from the hallway, showing how loyal they are to their beloved
captain, and Beregond hugging Bergil and crying---awww!

In this tale, Aragorn says, ["It was well that I had begun my kingship
with the saving of so worthy a Steward."] How true that is! And thanks
so much for sharing this wonderful tale with us.

-----------------------------------
Title: The Princess and the Horse Lord · Author: Oshun · Genres:
Romance: Incomplete · ID: 425
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-08 23:36:18
This story has a lot of potential, and I particularly liked the
characterization of Lothiriel and Eomer. Those conceptions seemed very
true to how someone might have developed if they went through in their
formative years what those two went through. The sense of destiny and a
most hasty desire to rebuild Arda in the new age were palpable and very
well told. I also liked how the three main characters (Lothiriel, Eomer,
Imrahil) all had faults and strengths. Just when I though the tale was
venturing dangerously close to Sue-land, you ssurprised me and managed
to center it again.

I did feel like the story was too personal and not political enough
especially in chapters 8-10. The marriage of the Rohirric king and the
most important born Gondorian lady would not have been a personal
choice, and I wish that Aragorn had expressed more of a political
opinion here - especially after Aragorn has just been taken off the
marriage market in Imrahil's eyes at least, those political
considerations would be even more important. However, over all I liked
the piece and will look forward to reading more when it is finished.
-----------------------------------
Title: Lord of Werewolves · Author: Raksha the Demon · Genres: Humor:
Parody · ID: 255
Reviewer: Branwyn · 2006-08-08 23:53:59
Being an evil overlord isn't all it's cracked up to be, as Morgoth finds
out in this hilarious ficlet by Raksha the Demon. The lord of the
werewolves discovers to his chagrin that even giant, red-eyed, snarling
hellhounds start out as playful puppies. I laughed out loud at the image
of the poor werewolf chewing on Morgoth's boots.

[He also had one of my boots in his mouth, and a happy look in his
yellow eyes.]

Even worse, trusted lieutenant Sauron can't seem to follow the simplest
instructions and teaches young "Wolfie" to roll over instead ot to rend
and kill. As Morgoth says,
[Good help is truly hard to find.]
Some rather pointed obedience training follows for his errant evil
minion. Raksha doesn't write humor very often, but when she does, the
results are very funny.
-----------------------------------