Yahoo Forum Archive

Title: Where The Shadows Are · Author: Kenaz · Genres: Drama: Elves in
Later Ages · ID: 776
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-15 18:02:04
It is the nature of Middle-earth societies that the woman can stay
private if she chooses to do so (and in some cases has no choice *but*
to do so), but duty more often than not keeps the man bound to the
public sphere. For this reason slash, especially between lords like most
of the characters in Tolkien's books, can never be a purely personal
relationship. How nice to read an author that gets this! This piece,
while touching and romantic in its own way, is very properly placed in
the drama category just because of those warring obligations and the way
that the outside world cannot be kept outside of Gil-galad's tent. I
don't think I'd ever read Elrond/Gil-galad slash that worked for me,
until I stumbled across this little gem. Very erotic and technically
brilliantly done with lots of sensory details that make you feel the
scene, but even more than that it's a great glimpse into the despair
these men must have been feeling even without the romantic component.
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Title: Preparing The Way · Author: Lady Aranel · Genres: Drama: Elves in
Later Ages · ID: 284
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-15 18:50:22
*sniffle*

Legolas's last parting with the mortal friends he acquires during the
Fellowship have become almost a sub-genre in this fandom. Some have been
done so often (and well) that it is hard to imagine learning anything
new about the characters through reading the latest one. But "Preparing
the Way" is not such a piece. If anyone has ever written Arod's death
before, it's news to me.

And Legolas's character comes shining throlugh. He is a sensitive enough
soul to be touched profoundly to the point of wordless grief not only by
the speaking races, the people that we as humans think opf as our own
evolutionary parallel, the ones we would form an attachment with. He has
formed a bond with his faithful horse at least equal to the others. And
that speaks highly of his character, beyond a doubt. And the fact that
he stays in Ithilien instead of moving back to Mirkwood after knowing
exactly what friends with mortals will cost him also speaks highly of
his courage.

And it's all told so beautifully! The language here is probably the best
I've ever seen this author write, which is really saying something. I
think it's what she *doesn't* say. She doesn't try to over-explain
Legolas's grief but just let it be. Anyone familiar with losing a pet or
loss in general will be deeply moved by this vignette.
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Title: The Green Flash · Author: DrummerWench · Genres: Drama: Featuring
Frodo or Sam · ID: 277
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-15 19:31:09
This was an interesting encounter, and I especially liked the story of
Earenwen. I think it would have been interesting to write Cirdan
actually telling it, because that would have given us the story and more
interaction between hobbits and elf. Still, it was a neat way to
approach the beginnings of Sam's sea-longing.
-----------------------------------
Title: Love Me Now, Forever · Author: iorhael · Genres: Drama: Featuring
Frodo or Sam · ID: 419
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-15 21:28:42
This little one-shot evoked a serious "aww" response from me. We know
that Frodo never married, and it seems fitting that his love was instead
given to his entire world - symbolized very nicely here by his home.
-----------------------------------
Title: Fair-weather Friends · Author: pippinfan88 · Genres: Drama:
Featuring Pippin or Merry · ID: 126
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-15 22:52:38
How nice for Merry, that he has a wife with the courage to try to
understand.
-----------------------------------
Title: Midsummer's Day · Author: MysteriousWays · Times: Late Third Age:
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 980
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:28:25
Nice to see Frodo get a moment of peace post-war.
-----------------------------------
Title: All Is Well · Author: Gryffinjack · Times: Late Third Age: The
Shire · ID: 969
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:28:55
Interesting bit of foresight for a very young Pippin.
-----------------------------------
Title: On the Fair Hill · Author: Imhiriel · Times: Late Third Age:
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 946
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:29:19
Imhiriel evokes the beauty of an evening on Cerin Amroth, deftly
describing the scene, with its birds and breezes and flowers in a few
short lines. In so doing, she creates a wonderful place for a pair of
lovers who will draw two sundered peoples together in their love.
-----------------------------------
Title: Unchanged · Author: Marta · Times: Late Third Age: Fixed-Length
Ficlet · ID: 926
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:29:44
Thank you, Marta, for my birthday drabble! I enjoyed reading this one,
because Rory doesn't find in aging simply the pains and aches and all
the other assorted ills of old age. Those exist, and he has to deal with
them, of course, but there's more to age than pain--there's wisdom and
the benefit of experience, and a life lived well, all of which he'll
gladly set against being unchanged or frozen in youthfulness.
-----------------------------------
Title: Home At Last · Author: Dreamflower · Times: Late Third Age: The
Shire · ID: 883
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:30:09
Dreamflower continues her filling in of the edges and interludes of the
quest of [The Hobbit] with a bit of the aftermath. Poor Bilbo's
adventurous ways, however they began, have cost him his place in the
family as tutor, much to his dismay. But the quest has clearly changed
him, for despite disappointment, he can't regret the adventure.

And although not all of his relatives welcome him home with open arms,
there is at least one cousin, one of Bilbo's more promising former
students, who shows himself to be an unexpected receptacle for Outside
tales. It seems Drogo has a hankering for stories of adventures, so at
least we know in part where Frodo gets his interests. In between
catching Bilbo up on the doings of the family and neighbors, Drogo drops
hints of interest til he at last insists on hearing Bilbo's story.

As Dreamflower notes, it may be the first, but it's not the last time
he'll tell it. Very well done and highly recommended.
-----------------------------------
Title: A Merry Old Inn · Author: Dreamflower · Times: Late Third Age ·
ID: 881
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:31:03
Dreamflower convincingly imitates the tone of [The Hobbit] and fills in
a gap in the journey of Bilbo and the Dwarves quite delightfully. The
Dwarves feel like Dwarves, though a few of the more peripheral of them
get a little more time in the limelight: Gloin, Dori and Nori, and Balin
are mostly about. Bree feels a little fuller and more solid, but still
essentially a cheerful place with a peculiarly good set of relations
amongst the Big and Little Folk.

Bilbo's dream, which stands behind the song Frodo will later sing in the
Prancing Pony, is well done. It appears Frodo is also not the only
Baggins with a predilection for climbing onto tabletops, though he never
did get a chance to indulge in quite as much of Barliman's beer as Bilbo
did.

Fans of [The Hobbit], to say nothing of fans of 'our' hobbit or just
hobbits in general, should greatly enjoy this. Those who like a little
more of the Dwarves, too, should give this story a try. Excellent job,
Dreamflower!
-----------------------------------
Title: How Grima Lost His Eyebrows · Author: NeumeIndil · Times: Late
Third Age: Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 800
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:31:27
Ah, that movie scene gets some good fanfictional employment here! Yes,
never meddle in a wizard's business without announcing oneself as
instructed, for sometimes the wizard is also a chemist.
-----------------------------------
Title: Call yourself Thorongil · Author: Nilmandra · Times: Late Third
Age · ID: 731
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:31:53
Nilmandra writes a wonderful Gandalf--appropriately wizardly, enigmatic,
proud, and deceptively, abrasively straightforward at times, he also has
a Holmsian streak which he employs to good advantage. She has an
excellent grasp of his voice, and of his immediate willingness to dive
right into a situation and get his hands dirty with camp work.

Aragorn's situation is also well-drawn--I liked the bit about talking to
himself, and learning to be self-reliant in the Wild as perhaps a first
expression of his need to go beyond what the Rangers ordinarily would
do, and so what they can teach him. Gandalf's advice to him, to broaden
his concept of who his people are, and so where his duty lies, enables
Aragorn to take the steps necessary for his sojourns among the Rohirrim
and Gondorrim.
-----------------------------------
Title: Object Lessons · Author: Marta · Times: Late Third Age:
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 668
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:32:28
Somehow, I don't know that Faramir's lesson will prevent future
incidents, given Boromir's energy and competitiveness...
-----------------------------------
Title: A Tisket, A Tasket · Author: grey_wonderer · Times: Late Third
Age: The Shire · ID: 570
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:35:10
In the [kids do the darnedest things] category, Pippin waits expectantly
for a stuffed toy rabbit, designated 'he', to have babies. Naturally
there's much nesting material spoiled (and so also garden grass) in the
effort, and much amusement for the onlookers who don't catch on to the
project's meaning immediately. Eventually, someone does and out of pity
plays stork. Cute!
-----------------------------------
Title: Inheritance · Author: Primsong · Times: Late Third Age: The Shire
· ID: 310
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:35:29
Oh that's brilliant! I remember how disappointed Lobelia was when she
found Bilbo's will all in good order, seven red signatures all neatly on
their proper lines. Had things gone just a little differently--if
Gandalf had left before ensuring Frodo knew the Ring had been left to
him, if the will had been claimed by Lobelia (and possibly altered?
Replaced? Or is it really a simple error on Bilbo's part?), the
consequences could've been absolutely devastating for Middle-earth's
history.

For the Ring to pass by accident to Otho, who, without even knowing
what's in the envelope, responds to the quiet compulsion to slip it and
its unusually 'weighty' as it were enclosure into his pocket... I
shudder to think. Well written and wonderfully understated, this story
opens out onto an uncertain and ominous future. Recommended for Ringers
of all persuasions, this is a lovely speculative AU piece that lets your
imagination roam in the unwritten aftermath.
-----------------------------------
Title: Boats To Build · Author: Nancy Brooke · Times: Late Third Age ·
ID: 300
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:35:43
Very touching, and especially powerful to me, given the prevalence of
Alzheimer's in my family. That period of knowing that there will come a
time when you lose the ability to do what gives meaning to your life,
and the turmoil in the family this causes, is very difficult--an
intensification of the natural process of aging and dying. Adrahil shows
the wisdom of accepting this, and planning for it, for the good of all,
himself included. In that, he shows his grandson an image, in the late
days of the Third Age, of the grace and wisdom of the Numenorean kings.
Well done!
-----------------------------------
Title: Just Us Lads · Author: pippinfan88 · Times: Late Third Age: The
Shire · ID: 291
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:35:55
Sweet!
-----------------------------------
Title: Lost · Author: Radbooks · Times: Late Third Age · ID: 260
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:36:14
Ooh, the irony! Pity, old Bill is much more likeable at this stage of
his life. One wonders what soured him so to Rangers, and to this
particular one, later on.
-----------------------------------
Title: Oasis · Author: Radbooks · Times: Late Third Age · ID: 259
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:36:27
A sweltering interlude in the journeys of one Captain Thorongil. Nicely
captures the dangers he would face in Harad, between weather and his own
foreign origins.
-----------------------------------
Title: Butterflies and Caterpillars · Author: Radbooks · Times: Late
Third Age · ID: 258
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:36:40
The caterpillar-butterfly connection is certainly one of the abiding
wonderous discoveries of childhood. It's also a great metaphor for
mortality and afterlife, but that's no doubt reading more than is warranted.
-----------------------------------
Title: Shoot the Moon · Author: mistycracraft · Times: Late Third Age ·
ID: 233
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:36:52
A trip down memory lane--back to astronomy and fourth grade! But I liked
the lesson, and Estel's questions make quite enough sense to me, at
least! The stars would be such an important way for a Ranger to orient
himself, even at night, that of course it would be more than mere
pleasure and a history lesson or a lesson in myths to teach him to
stargaze properly. Thanks for filling out Middle-earth's nightsky,
mistycraft.
-----------------------------------
Title: Regret · Author: mistycracraft · Times: Late Third Age · ID: 232
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:37:13
Well written, and while one suspects that Legolas' original hypothesis
about the woman and child can't be correct, the actual tale works out
well to cover the facts. Bregor's friendship with Aragorn is
well-sketched, and it would probably be the most deeply traumatic event
of Aragorn's first years among the Dúnedain to face up to the fact that
people he loves are essentially committed to die for him--and then
actually go through with that. Although the AU element means I can't see
this form of reaction to that event, I do think he would have taken some
time to reconcile himself to this aspect of his life.
-----------------------------------
Title: Birthday Kisses · Author: Raksha the Demon · Times: Late Third
Age · ID: 59
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-08-16 02:37:30
Aww, sweet and melancholy! I'm not much of a dog person, either, but
puppies are of course the exception to every category and Faramir's
delight in the new addition to his bereaved family is infectious.
Denethor's stiffness and inability to reach out in any clear way to his
younger son portends the long affectionate deprivation Faramir will
suffer into adulthood where his father is concerned. Nice use of Imrahil
as POV.
-----------------------------------
Title: Fugitive · Author: Gandalfs apprentice · Genres: Drama · ID: 366
Reviewer: Linda Hoyland · 2006-08-16 05:05:40
An unusual and likeable story about Aragorn's young daughter,
Gilraen.The little princess runs away,as she feels and neglected at
Faramir's home and wants her mother.
IT concludeds delightfully when her father,having lost none of his old
ranger skills, tracks her down and tells her why mummy,isn't there, as
she is soon to have a little brother !
-----------------------------------