Yahoo Forum Archive

Title: Too Many Names · Author: Tanaqui · Races: Men: Aragorn
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 866
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-08-19 05:08:10
It's impressive how much story you manage to capture in just 50 words
each. The snapshots are all fully-rounded on their own, and together
they form a caleidoscope of impressions and spot-on characterisations of
Aragorn and the people that are important to him throughout his life.
I especially like how you find fresh interpretations for many of the
(nick-)names.
It's difficult to pick a favourite, but I think I like ["Elfstone"] and
["Stick-at-Naught"] best.
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Title: The Hours of Waiting · Author: Nesta · Times: The Great Years:
Gondor · ID: 909
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-08-19 05:10:29
The narrative has good pacing, balanced between dialogue, description,
and driving the plot forward. The language is formal, but flows smoothly.

The well-known motif of the cage in connection with Éowyn gets a fresh
perspective here, and the robin is a lovely touch. Faramir intending to
send Éowyn to safety is an unusual premise, but plausibly presented.

The characterisations and emotions at this particular point in time are
captured skilfully: Éowyn resentful of all kindliness, but intrigued by
and attracted to Faramir nevertheless, and Faramir skilfully, subtly,
slowly, drawing her out despite herself, like coaxing a skittish animal
to trust.

As I have a soft spot for the Warden of the Houses of Healing, I am
particularly delighted that your lovely portrayal of him agrees so well
with my own image of his character.
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Title: The Healer and the Warrior · Author: Madeleine · Genres: Romance:
Lothíriel & Éomer · ID: 140
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-08-19 05:14:42
Though the prospect of the Prince of Dol Amroth allowing his only
daughter to become a professional healer is rather a stretch for me,
stranger things have happened in Middle-earth. Besides, the situation
sets up some lovely dialogue here, as Lothiriel and Eomer meet each
other as healer and very reluctant patient, both ignorant of each
other's true station.

Good knowledge of medical details helps this pleasant and romantic
vignette sparkle. Excellent pacing, too. And what a romantic, sexy Eomer!
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Title: Inheritances · Author: Marta · Genres: Drama: The Steward's
Family · ID: 651
Reviewer: Linda Hoyland · 2006-08-19 05:22:30
A delightful story as Aragorn reflects on baby Boromir and the futures
that might await them both.He feels a certain unease about the child and
the way he grasps at his rattle, foreshadowing how he will one day try
to grasp the Ring.
Aragorn reflects too on his own circumstances. I think Arwen most likely
would have him if he asked her to elope but he is too honourable a man
for that.
I especially like the way this explores Aragorn's reasons for not taking
the throne at that time.
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Title: Home Again · Author: Súlriel · Times: Early Third Age:
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 863
Reviewer: Linda Hoyland · 2006-08-19 05:45:24
I loved this charming drabble ,showing that even the cats of a Queen
might look at handsome tom !I love the way the cat is so loyal to her
mistress despite the attractions of the opposite sex.A treat for someone
ownded by cats like myself.
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Title: Aglarond · Author: annmarwalk · Races: Dwarves: Fixed-Length
Ficlet · ID: 68
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-08-19 09:14:26
A perfect and beautiful drabble. I love the notion of Dwarves as poets
writing their verse with stone and hammer, bringing forth beauty from
stone. The concept of skill in carving being as delicate an art as any
bard's work fits the dwarves, and Gimli, who seems a particularly
broad-minded one, excellently. And there's a lovely echo of Gimli's
devotion to Galadriel!
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Title: Today · Author: annmarwalk · Genres: Romance: Rohan · ID: 199
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-08-19 09:26:15
Spoiler ahead:

What I find most notable here is the last paragraph, the terrible but
also joyous recognition by Theodred that he and his lover have no need
to father heirs, that death is lying in wait for them and will take them
in their prime, and that their fate will be to live on in glorious
legend. It's very Rohirric.

The sense of moments of romantic and sensual joy seized and treasured
when they come is also conveyed quite well.
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Title: The Road Not Taken · Author: Branwyn · Races: Men: Vignette · ID: 104
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-08-19 11:48:37
J.R.R. Tolkien, meet Robert Frost. Well, sort of. Frost's lovely lines
about taking the road less travelled by, and that choice making all the
difference, weaves seamlessly into this vignette.

Boromir's final leaving of the lands he knows, as he faces the road that
will take him from Rohan and the young Rider who has escorted him there,
is both splendid and sad. The use of the swan, ancestral sigil of
Boromir's mother's Dol Amroth line, as herald and harbinger, is a lovely
touch. Indeed, the connection between the trumpeter swan, Boromir's own
horn-call and his eventual fate, is almost magical, the writer's use of
the Old English word for swan is just perfect. There's a fitting tinge
of melancholy in the fair autumn landscape, and a touch of suspense as
to where Boromir's road will lead him.

Good and evocative descriptions heighten the power of this quiet but
significant moment in the life of Denethor's heir.
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Title: Elves Do Skate · Author: Caporal · Genres: Humor · ID: 135
Reviewer: Isabeau of Greenlea · 2006-08-19 12:56:51
It's good to know that even those superior, ethereal Firstborn love
nothing better than a good, salacious bit of gossip. Amusing and
well-written.
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Title: The Green Flash · Author: DrummerWench · Genres: Drama: Featuring
Frodo or Sam · ID: 277
Reviewer: Isabeau of Greenlea · 2006-08-19 13:04:34
A very nice gap-filler, and a good explanation for Narya possibly
remaining in Middle-earth and what its greatly reduced powers might do.
This was a Sam story primarily, and his voice is strong and true, though
Cirdan's grief and patience are also well-depicted.
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Title: Gandalf returned · Author: Rabidsamfan · Genres: Drama: General
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 990
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-19 14:56:15
This is a great little drabble for those of us who like to see corners
of canon explored that Tolkien only gave us peaks at. I particularly
love the phrases like ["birthblind"], the way the signs of age are seen
as very much a part of who he was. Also the role Narya plays in
reminding him of his purpose in being sent back. Truly those rings have
a preservative value if nothing else. Well done.
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Title: Was It For This? · Author: aervir · Genres: Drama: General
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 204
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-19 15:19:08
*whimper* I had never thought about the similarities between the two
heirs, but you drew them out so well here that I'm not sure how I ever
missed them. And the point of the whole thing, the comparison between
how [tall and proud] they were to their [cold death in the mud] was just
fantastic. It seemed very Tolkienesque and very in keeping with the idea
that Frodo and the halflings and other dark horses did what the heroes
could not.

I can see how the funereal songs would be kind to Boromir, and I think
it is right that he should receive credit for what he did *before* his
death. But this drabble made me wonder how that was a kindness to
Theodred? For he had nothing to be ashamed of, did he? Unless maybe that
he did not act with more decision to rout the Worm earlier. See, you've
taken me to new fertile grounds of Tolkien exploration - quite a feat
for 100 words.
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Title: The Household Accounts · Author: Branwyn · Genres: Drama: Gondor
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 50
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-19 15:41:19
Powerful. I love how you use objects and heirlooms to introduce Eowyn to
the family history she has just united herself with. The ending wasn't
what I was expecting, but it felt somehow appropriate for her.
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Title: Servant of the Tower · Author: Branwyn · Genres: Drama: Gondor
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 95
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-19 16:54:06
Ouch. This works on some level because it at least acknowledges what a
weakness it would be to let Faramir die. And the servant is at the least
obviously twisting from the shame enough to want to turn it outward.
Somehow, though, I'm left with a disgust for the "ordinary" Gondorians
like thim. Thank God for Beregrond, and no wonder PJ's version suffers
for his absence! And I guess that disgust is the point of it all - not a
pleasant one, but one worth experiencing nonetheless.
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Title: The Steward and the Wizard · Author: Acacea · Genres: Drama:
Gondor Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 522
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-19 17:41:49
This really makes me feel for Denethor. Not that it excuses how he
handled his sons at certain key moments, but he is dealing with an
*awful* lot: ruling a country in decline and gearing up for war, the
death of his wife and father just a few years earlier, and now sole
father to two sons. And probably too proud to ask for help, and too
high-born and austere for others to easily offer it. I can see very
easily how his relationship with Faramir would take on the chill that we
see in this little ficlet. And it would certainly explain his later
jealousy and poor feeling toward Mithrandir. You've made me feel bad for
all of them, which is good in a story of this type.
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Title: For Arda · Author: Dreamflower · Genres: Drama: Poetry · ID: 885
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-19 17:53:08
Nice job exploring the way that good and bad seems to mix in Arda by its
very nature. "Bittersweet" really is a fine description for the land as
a whole, when you think about it.
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Title: By The Light of Earendil's Star · Author: Branwyn · Genres:
Adventure · ID: 83
Reviewer: annmarwalk · 2006-08-19 18:26:02
This powerful story begins with a simple premise. A ranger patrol, led
by young Faramir, is overrun and captured by orcs; Boromir organizes
their rescue. In hands of this marvelously skillful writer, this becomes
a tale of action, horror, suspense, and humor. Brimming with
meticulously researched detail, vivid description, and finely drawn
characters (both canonical and original) this extraordinary tale never
wanders down the twisted path to A-U, nor descends into hurt/comfort,
but remains true to its roots as a gripping action-adventure yarn.

The most outstanding feature of this tale is its fine characterizations:
Boromir is young, somewhat reckless, but imaginative and resourceful.
His impetuous decision to steal boats and ambush the orcs who have
captured Faramir and his companions is completely in character. Faramir,
badly wounded, is still able to inspire his companions to unimagined
acts of strength and courage. Original characters, such as Boromirs
longsuffering second-in-command / bodyguard, Haldan; and Boromir and
Faramir's cousin, Eldahil, serve as excellent counterpoints (and
occasional comic relief). Even the orcs have their own personalities and
rivalries which are integral to the plot.

Another noteworthy feature of the tale is the meticulous research and
wealth of detail. Fight scenes are realistically and accurately
described, providing marvelous visualizations. Medicinal herbs,
structural and architectural features of a surgical room, and Gondorian
hangover cures round out the corners of the tale. Faramirs feverish
dreams (particularly an exquisite vision of stargazing expedition, as a
small child wrapped securely in his fathers arms) provide lovely
stories-within-the story, each of them as intricately detailed as the whole.

Special recognition must be made of Branwyns characterization of
Denethor. Far from the cartoonish madman of the film, her Denethor is a
loving and compassionate father who has felt himself forced to present a
powerful, controlled persona to his people. Every parent can empathize
with his despair, when he believes Faramir to be dead; and his elation
and then worry when he discovers his child alive, though severely wounded.
-----------------------------------
Title: Here You Cannot Leave Me · Author: Alassante · Genres: Drama:
Poetry · ID: 356
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-19 18:35:27
Touching, but in a very minimalist way that lets the reader fill in a
lot of the details for themselves. Which is probably the only effective
way to tell a final parting. It worked well here.
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Title: Seabird's Cry · Author: Primsong · Genres: Drama: Poetry · ID: 898
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-19 19:10:46
Concrete poems always amaze me, when theyr're well done. Here you
capture the feeling of the sea waves' waxing and waning not only in the
length of your lines but in their meanings and strength. The longer ones
seem almost to languor in their soft, gentle longing for the sea, and
you can feel it invading all of Legolas's thoughts as the lines crest.
But on the descent toward the shorter lines there's a power that anyone
caught in the undercurrent of the ocean would recognize. It is almost as
of those thoughts and sentiments have a gravity that cannot be escaped
and will pull anything those thoughts touch on to their center,
represented by [Ah-] and [Alas!] Those exclamations are telling in
themselves, as if Legolas is incapable of anything more eloquent at the
heart of the sea's pull. Nice job crawling into his headspace.
-----------------------------------
Title: Inheritance · Author: Acacea · Races: Men: Steward's Sons
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 524
Reviewer: annmarwalk · 2006-08-19 19:20:48
I really like the way youve highlighted the similarities between
Faramir and Denethor. Phrases like stone-cold gaze, piercing quality
and acidic bitterness really pack a lot of punch into just a few
words, the way great drabbles should. The gentleness of the last line,
though, reminds us that Faramir was not *only* his father's son; there
was also a good bit of his mother, her kindness and compassion, in him
as well. Wonderfully done!
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Title: At Last · Author: SlightlyTookish · Races: Hobbits: General
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 238
Reviewer: annmarwalk · 2006-08-19 19:30:17
Such wonderfully vivid glimpses! And your characterizations are spot-on:
Merry and Pippin, unexpectedly separated, lonely and isolated, trying
valiantly to conceal their fear from their preoccupied companions.

Each one of the four double-drabbles stands perfectly well on its own.
Joined together, they provide a simple yet powerful and honest depiction
of the events surrounding the charge of the Rohirrim as viewed from
within and without the City. Well done!
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Title: In the Houses of Healing · Author: Elen Kortirion · Races: Men ·
ID: 877
Reviewer: annmarwalk · 2006-08-19 19:39:28
I had read a bit of this before, just a foretaste of its power and
beauty, its rich and passionate detail. This tale is like an ancient
tapestry newly restored to glory, a story that has existed for thousands
of years, rediscovered.

The two women are fabulous: Melleth: bearer and keeper of secrets,
friend, and confidante of heroes, fiercely protective of those to whom
she sworn her loyalty and given her heart. The intriguing Gil-forod,
female elf-Ranger, loving and beloved of Faramir, adds interest but does
not overwhelm. This is not her story, but her presence is warm, a
necessary comfort to Faramir as he fights his way back to life.

Your descriptive skills are sublime: Faramirs various wounds, scars,
his mans body viewed with an appreciative gleam by the woman who
changed his clouts as a babe. An overgrown moonlit garden, scented of
greenery and roses; a white fur-lined cloak, stolen to settle a debt.
Each of these elements carry their own stories within them; I eagerly
await the day youll be able to tell us those stories too.
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Title: Lothlorien · Author: laiquendi · Genres: Drama: Poetry · ID: 925
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-19 19:41:52
This is hauntingly beautiful. In this poem the flowering and fading of
Lothlorien seems to parallel the elves themselves, and the choice of the
seasons as a metaphor was very effective.
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Title: I'm Writing This With My Left Hand · Author: Vana Tuivana ·
Genres: Drama: Poetry · ID: 641
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-19 20:25:24
Good job capturing Maedhros' state of mind here. The fact that he
remained so eloquent even here speaks highly of him.
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Title: I Yessë En Mentë · Author: Rous · Genres: Drama: Poetry · ID: 739
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-08-19 20:57:27
It's not easy to write a form as complicated as Rohirric alliterative
verse -- believe you me, I've tried! -- and I am always impressed when
an author pulls it off in a way that seems effortless. I know that it
couoldn't have been, but this is one of those pieces that feels like it
really was written by a bard school in that time. The language is rich
on both the tongue and in the images it brings to mind, and it gets at
the gravity of the situation without being overly angsty.
-----------------------------------