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Title: A Tisket, A Tasket · Author: grey_wonderer · Times: Late Third
Age: The Shire · ID: 570
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-08-18 13:56:58
Appearances of Pippin's stuffed bunny Errol are always fun, but this one
is funnier than most. I love Pippin's convictions in this one--when he
decides he's right, well, he's right--even if he's not.
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Title: A Rabbits Tale · Author: grey_wonderer · Times: Fourth Age and
Beyond: The Shire · ID: 982
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-08-18 13:59:03
In this story, we actually get the POV of Pippin's bunny, Errol, and we
learn that he is really no ordinary toy, but a friend, confidante and
protector. Merry has always had an uneasy relationship with the rabbit,
but I love the accommodation they come to in the end.
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Title: In a Tent Somewhere Near Whitwell or The Truth About Merry ·
Author: grey_wonderer · Genres: Humor: The Shire · ID: 472
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-08-18 14:01:16
I nearly howled myself sick over this one. The number of euphemisms that
the author came up with for what didn't happen was amazing, and all of
them funny and apt. She tweaked a lot of noses with this in a very funny
way.
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Title: Inside Out · Author: grey_wonderer · Genres: Humor: The Shire ·
ID: 636
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-08-18 14:06:55
In the war of practical jokes between cousins, this one stands out as
one time that Pippin "got" Merry. But the star of this is Freddy Bolger,
who seems to know more about it than he should have. And I loved Frodo's
line at the end.
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Title: Concerning Hobbit's Feet · Author: grey_wonderer · Genres: Humor:
The Shire · ID: 828
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-08-18 14:16:50
This is another of those very strange situations that GW has the ability
to come up with, and keep me laughing until my eyes water. And once
more, Freddy solves all arguments.
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Title: If I had a Hammer · Author: grey_wonderer · Times: Late Third
Age: The Shire · ID: 162
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-08-18 14:22:21
I love this story. It is funny and touching, hilarious and sad, all at
the same time. And woven throughout is the deep love of friends and
family. The premise is simple: Pippin is to have carpentry lessons while
staying at Bag End. But there are complications, not the least of which
is that both he and Merry are at a rather prickly age, and are a bit at
odds with one another. Poor Frodo tries to deal with it all, but the
star of the story is Sam, who is calm, patient and wise. Of course all
comes out well in the end. I also really enjoy the OCs, and particularly
seeing Tobias Tunelly get his comeuppance.
-----------------------------------
Title: Return to Me · Author: Dawn Felagund · Genres: Drama: First Age
Elves · ID: 266
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-18 14:24:02
This story deserves major kudos for the description of the Halls of
Mandos. There is torture of a sort, and it is not pretty -- and just
because the pain is in its way restorative does not take away from the
pain of it all. I love the way that even the gardens are sickly with the
touch of all the death, and the way that Arafinwe's horse would not go
through. That reminded me of the paths of the Dead in LOTR.

You also give us some touching father-son moments, especially in the
garden at the end. I really liked the moral ambiguity in their
conversation. Is martyrdom for a noble and worthwhile cause worth the
death, or is that familial kinship the only cause that matters (if it
can even be described as a "cause")? I think Arafinwe is right that he
should never be willing to sacrifice another, but Findekano also has his
points. Definitely made me think!
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Title: The Return of the Shadow · Author: juno_magic · Genres: Alternate
Universe: Incomplete · ID: 330
Reviewer: Isil Elensar · 2006-08-18 19:33:13
I have come to adore what I've read out of the Juniverse, and this story
is definitely third on my list, under 'Only A Game' and your
Elrond/Nihil story (of which I've stupidly forgotten the title).

The characters in 'Return' come alive for me and I love that in a story.
Elentar, while very prickly and angsty, is a delightful male lead, and
worthy of being the son of Elrohir and Jarro. And I love Mina: so
thoroughly in the modern/real world, but able to believe in the
possibility of something... more. Admittedly, I am not as caught up as
I'd like to be, but I'm very certain this story will leave me smiling at
the end, and very happy. ;-)

This story is loaded with enough mystery/intrigue to keep the reader
turning pages, enough romance to satisfy a hopeless romantic's heart,
and enough action/adventure to get one's heart racing. This is a
wonderful story, Juno, and I can't wait to finish it!

Well done!
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Title: Paradox of the Fourth Age · Author: Alassante · Genres: Alternate
Universe: Incomplete · ID: 106
Reviewer: Isil Elensar · 2006-08-18 19:39:46
I have tried to keep up with this story as much as I can, but I am still
sorely behind. I will make that up as soon as I can!

This story is wonderfully written and has served to interest me more in
a character I hadn't really noticed before. Glorfindel. He is a proud
Noldorin elf, who has found his heart and soul in Indil and with their
love, they create Laureanna, the unwitting savior of Middle-earth. The
characters are very real to me, and I have also grown to admire Elrohir
a lot more through your story.

I can't wait to see this finished, Alassante. Keep up the good work!
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Title: He walks among the greenèd bowers · Author: Dwimordene · Genres:
Drama: Poetry · ID: 669
Reviewer: Vana Tuivana · 2006-08-18 22:20:26
Wow, this poem is so full of emotion and power. The simple rhythm and
rhyme scheme belie the seriousness of the topic: how to live life as a
survivor, when other people, even family and friends, are killed.

These lines, particularly, are resonant with grief:

[The price to pay, to be that one,
To bear the cost of living won.]

The rhythm does seem a bit off in some of the lines, but the words ring
so true that it scarcely matters. Great writing, and a beautiful poem.
-----------------------------------
Title: Nothing but Dreams · Author: Unsung Heroine · Genres: Drama:
First Age Elves · ID: 659
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-19 00:05:28
Caranthir is not a character that I had spent one thought on before
reading this story - but I know now that I won't be able to get my mind
off him for at least the next few days, thanks to you. Anyone who has
ever struggled with clinical depression will recognize the fixation on
those thoughts, the need to blame oneself, and the wish that the world
would just not be there when you wake tomorrow. And yet it was done
skillfully without pulling us out of Middle-earth by resorting to modern
psychiatric terminology. And even more, it fits in with the devastation
he could very well have felt at this point. Wonderful job.
-----------------------------------
Title: Distant Lands · Author: Acacea · Genres: Romance: Fixed-length
ficlet · ID: 76
Reviewer: annmarwalk · 2006-08-19 00:09:20
What a sweet story! Of course Faramir the dreamer, Faramir the bookworm
would want to know of distant lands, and what a deft touch to have
Gandalf as the one who now knows Faramir better than anyone in the
world. Aragorns longing for friendship with his Steward is quite
understandable and his seeking advice about Faramirs interests is
endearing. I love the twist at the end  that at this particular moment,
besotted Faramir is only interested in the history and lore of a land
that is not so far away.
-----------------------------------
Title: Quality Time · Author: EdorasLass · Genres: Drama: The Steward's
Family · ID: 205
Reviewer: annmarwalk · 2006-08-19 00:10:51
What a complex, and original, view of Denethor youve given us! I like
that youve taken that well-known ominous air of his, that coolness, and
shown us how he uses it to manipulate those around him. At the very same
time, though, there is that hidden flame, that warmth that he would
share with only those very nearest and dearest to him. He wants to be a
close and loving father to his children, but circumstances, and his own
nature, prevent him from participating in their daily life as fully as
he would like. The very premise of the story, that Denethor would take
advantage of the Nannys day off to spend some time with his sons (and
begin to put his child-rearing theories to the test) is quite a
startling one, and not anything Ive ever read before.

I particularly like the interaction between Denethor and Nanny:
haughtiness and respect; wariness and surprising gentleness. They have
both have the opportunity to learn a bit more about each other this
night; the knowledge theyve gained will help them in the loving and
raising of those two dear boys.
-----------------------------------
Title: Servant of the Tower · Author: Branwyn · Genres: Drama: Gondor
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 95
Reviewer: annmarwalk · 2006-08-19 00:13:34
Loyalty, fear, guilt - I can very easily imagine the thoughts that have
been going through this courtier's mind; not only during the horrific
events of the siege but the reflective time afterward. I hope that
Faramir will be able to help him expiate his guilt, and that he will be
able to find a measure of peace.
-----------------------------------
Title: Come When You Are Ready · Author: EdorasLass · Genres: Alternate
Universe · ID: 795
Reviewer: Branwyn · 2006-08-19 00:19:25
In this slightly AU tale, Denethor survives the flames of the funeral
pyre but only for a short while before succumbing to his injuries. The
first hint that something is not as it should be is when he hears
Finduilas' voice and then the low voice of an adult Boromir.

The plot unfolds slowly but relentlessly until the full horror of the
situation is revealed. The description of the ugly wounds, impossible to
treat, and the stench of the sickroom are very effective. Edoraslass
cleverly uses the detail of Denethor's bare feet--the one part of his
body left unscathed--to convey the extent of his injuries. To his son
Faramir, the bare feet also seem to show how vulnerable this stern,
distant parent actually was. I love the dream-like quality of Denethor's
thoughts, how he wanders the Citadel looking for Faramir, as if in a
nightmare. Mercifully, he is not fully aware of his attempt to kill his
son, though his confused concern about Faramir argues that he has some
vague memory of the event.

Though this story is filled with suffering (on both the part of Denethor
and his remaining family), it ends with the reconciliation with Faramir
that Tolkien never gave us. A very satisfying if grim piece of reading.
-----------------------------------
Title: Earth, Water, Fire and Air · Author: Fileg · Genres: Drama:
Fixed-Length Ficlet Series · ID: 469
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-19 00:26:54
What really makes these drabbles work for me is the word play, like
Faramir's [a white staff of ash, come to me through ashes] and Aragorn's
[newly tempered, quenched, and sharpened]: such great analogies for both
of them. And not that I would reduceeither man so bluntly, but they're
really great analogies for their characters.

But what really got to me was Arwen's seeing herself as a chalice. Great
use of the grail legend, but even more than that, great affirmation of
the value of womanhood. She (and Eowyn, for that matter) are not just
the passive woman, but neither do they necessarily need what men seem to
value. One quibble: Eowyn seemed a little too passive and accepting for
the Dunharrow days, which is where the opening placed me. But besides
that, it's a great series.
-----------------------------------
Title: House of Reeds · Author: The Bookbinder's Daughter · Races: Elves
· ID: 660
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-08-19 00:37:34
Unusual pairing, plausibly and elegantly handled. The romance is
delicately described, never syrupy or overladen, bittersweet; the ending
is sad, but seems only right and inevitable, not merely because of the
canon facts, but also because of how Glorfindel, unfortunately, lets
this opportunity slip through his fingers.
It has a dreamlike quality that seems fitting to the setting in time and
place.
Marvellously lyrical style; full of lovely, poetic, truly _beautiful_
descriptions and imagery.
To pick only two of my favourite lines: ["His mouth had forgotten how to
laugh, but it recalled pieces of old smiles, and patched them together
into a new one."] and ["The sunlight fractured on every surface, making
rippled flames in icicles cored by smoke-dark wood."]

-----------------------------------
Title: Dance Lessons · Author: Tanaqui · Genres: Drama: Fixed-Length
Ficlet Series · ID: 888
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-19 00:37:59
These were all great. The image of the stoic Aragorn trying to ward off
potential matches (or women whose families thought they should be) at
all those points during Aragorn's life is great. It's a motif I like,
but to really carry it out you need to understand the politics in all of
those situations. Which you do, obviously.

I particularly liked the one set in Arnor. Something about the brief
dialogue, I guess. Aragorn and Halbarad were both very well drawn, and I
could see this look of dismay on his face when he thinks he has messed
up the social cues and will now have to offend the young woman - and
then the [I will never be ready] line really pulls at your heartstrings.
That evasion is itself a sort of dance, one that really earns the last
triumphant movement with Arwen.
-----------------------------------
Title: Fire · Author: Aramel · Genres: Drama: Fixed-Length Ficlet Series
· ID: 172
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-19 00:45:09
Ooh, very interesting. The thoughts and memories that inspired
Celebrimbor's choices don't really bode well for the future effects of
the rings, though.
-----------------------------------
Title: Of Stone and Fire · Author: Werecat · Genres: Drama: General
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 124
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-19 03:29:22
That last line ([Stone fears not the fire]) is what makes this drabble
really work for me. It perfectly sums up Gimli's quiet courage which,
when coupled with Feanor's fire, really cuts to the heart of both their
characters.
-----------------------------------
Title: The Fading of a Star · Author: Minuialeth · Genres: Drama:
General Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 219
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-19 03:49:33
I love just what breaks Erestor's heart at the end here: it isn't love
of Arwen so much as hating that her child will not be Elven, and so the
line of Luthien will die off. In a way he's mourning for a whole
history. Very touchingly done.
-----------------------------------
Title: Chivalry · Author: Gandalfs apprentice · Genres: Drama: General
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 374
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-19 04:18:37
You really have captured Shadowfax's proud spirit here. Moving from
disdain to curiosity to willing helper seemed right on for the king of
horses.
-----------------------------------
Title: Necessity and Desire · Author: Gwynnyd · Times: The Great Years ·
ID: 173
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-08-19 04:55:21
This is a story full of gapfiller after gapfiller! Rich, multi-layered,
very well connected to canon or plausibly extrapolated from it.

There are so many things deftly woven into the narrative, making sense
of vague or puzzling allusions of Tolkien's. From Boromir's travel-worn
arrival, to Elladan's and Elrohir's absences during the Council of
Elrond, to Aragorn wearing armour in the Hall of Fire.

And it's a very good story in it's own right. Wonderful
characterisations, vivid descriptions, and very good dialogue.

I very much appreciate the mention of Aragorn grieving at the perceived
passing of Denethor, and Aragorn admitting to feeling tempted by the ring.

And the strategy discussion between Aragorn and his brothers is truly
fascinating; you have managed to impart all this information in a truly
realistic, interesting way, without it ever once becoming static or
overburdened.

-----------------------------------
Title: The gift · Author: Jael · Genres: Drama: Elves in Later Ages ·
ID: 807
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-08-19 05:03:59
I'm not convinced of the pairing, but I find your portrayal of Gilraen
very good. Her strength and courage shine, clear and moving, as, once
again, she forsakes her own happiness for the sake of another. Her
explanation of Death as truly a "Gift of Men" is insightful and resonant.
-----------------------------------
Title: The Burdens of Office · Author: Tanaqui · Times: Fourth Age and
Beyond: Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 865
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-08-19 05:07:04
The premise is really not at all improbable, and the image of the
protagonists actually playing out their different and conflicting roles
in all seriousness is quite amusing to witness.

The way you construct the story adds much to the humour: naming the
titles without giving away the fact that actually some of those are
borne by one-and-the-same persons, and having Beregond as an additional
perspective to further confuse the issue. It is not only Aragorn who has
"many names and many guises"!

I also liked the little hint about Faramir's momentary nervousness and
Aragorn's reaction: it gives, in just a few well-chosen words, an
insightful picture of their relationship.
-----------------------------------