Yahoo Forum Archive

Title: The Cloak · Author: Elen Kortirion · Races: Men: Gondor · ID: 177
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2006-10-28 12:35:22
A most enjoyable story. I do like hearing about Melleth and her effect
on Boromir's life - she is a most remarkable character. I look forward
to finding out more about her!
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Title: Until the King Returns · Author: Marta · Races: Men: Vignette ·
ID: 540
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-10-28 12:47:48
This story portrays Mardil's thoughts of Eärnur's final challenge when
he rode to meet the Witch King in a kind of analogy comparing Brutus'
thoughts as he takes a lead in the murder of Julius Caesar. An
intriguing analogy, which works almost, if it were not that Eänur's
personality and political greatness cannot be compared to that of Julius
Caesar who was a military mastermind and an excellent strategist, but
hot-headed? No.

What remains standing is Mardil's internal struggle who if he knew
Brutus would ever exist, could sit down next to and find a soul mate in
this decision both had to made for the good of an empire/kingdom. This
tale makes it a great read although I have the feeling hes keeping us
at bay as if we cannot touch the true motivations of Mardil and his
decisions. Marta writes about his political motives and maybe he is used
to keep people around him at bay like that. At a royal court this could
make a huge difference after all. Most definitely foreshadowing of
Denethor & his sons here. The only personal note we do get to see is the
mentioning of his sons, which makes it for a reader a bit frustrating to
connect with the main character. Why is he still haunted by the heritage
of Numenor for example? I would love to see a further expansion on this
to get to know the real Mardil. But who knows!
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Title: Unfolded · Author: Tanaqui · Races: Men: Fixed-Length Ficlets
With Children · ID: 906
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2006-10-28 12:50:49
Oh, lovely. Bergil is a very perceptive youth. I love the idea of
Faramir unfurling and sprouting like the White Tree under the King's care.
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Title: Maturity · Author: Tanaqui · Races: Men: Fixed-Length Ficlets
With Children · ID: 899
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2006-10-28 12:54:39
So charming! And I am glad to see that Boromir has developed an
understanding of the adult skill of delayed gratification - and that
Faramir has developed an appreciation of willing females. (Poor Boromir
- it can't have been easy to be hunted across the dance floors of Gondor!)
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Title: The Steward's Dream · Author: Marta · Races: Men: Fixed-Length
Ficlets With Children · ID: 647
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2006-10-28 12:58:19
Yes. The thing about attempting to return something a thousand year
defunct is that it must displace what is here and now. The romance of it
is great - the actuality ... probably not. It's a good thing it turned
out the way it did; King and Steward together. But I can understand
Boromir's doubts.
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Title: Keeping an eye on the enemy · Author: Tanaqui · Races: Men:
Fixed-Length Ficlets With Children · ID: 871
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2006-10-28 13:06:17
Such a sweet tale! I can just see little Faramir hiding behind those
flowers to keep an eye on Mithrandir. I'll bet he was most indignant
that big brother had crept up on him! While Denethor will have wished
both of them miles away!
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Title: Lobelia's List · Author: annmarwalk · Races: Hobbits: General
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 201
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2006-10-28 13:22:35
Mean-spirited besom! Shame she didn't last long enough to see Sam as the
Master of Bag End. How she would have hated that!
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Title: Last Defence of the City · Author: Branwyn · Times: The Great
Years: Gondor Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 96
Reviewer: Tanaqui · 2006-10-28 13:22:42
A well-executed AU story, that cleverly weaves moments and phrases from
the book to create a powerful alternative that almost makes me wish
Tolkien had chosen this route! Nicely done.
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Title: The Tenth Walker · Author: Lindelea · Races: Cross-Cultural:
Incomplete · ID: 198
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2006-10-28 14:01:28
I am not doing well on reviewing this - I think this is my fourth
attempt. I am enjoying Bill's perspective on the members of this hobbit
walking party - especially his descriptions of the youngest. Pippin
comes over so well in his evocative language! And I like the
appreciation of Sam - Bill can certainly see the strength within that
rather modest member of the group.
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Title: A Bath-time Song · Author: SlightlyTookish · Races: Hobbits:
Children · ID: 133
Reviewer: Aranel Took · 2006-10-28 17:11:53
This is a very fun story. It really captures the voices of the
hobbits--lighthearted and casual--and it sounds like how hobbits would
talk to each other. Bilbo's encouragement of Pippin having fun in the
bath seems very in character for him -- I imagine Bilbo was very popular
with the hobbit children! The worry about Pippin singing about beer to
his mother gave me a laugh. Little Pippin is sweet and the 'bubble
potion' is a nice detail. This is a very cute story about how Pippin
learned Bilbo's bath song.
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Title: Blood Brothers · Author: Elana · Races: Villains: Fixed-Length
Ficlet · ID: 149
Reviewer: Tanaqui · 2006-10-28 20:12:49
A wonderful drabble exploring the relationship between one of the
Haradrim and his mumak. Elana cleverly shows us the honour, value and
nobility in the culture of Harad; I'm strongly reminded of Sam's
thoughts about whether the Swerting who died in the Rangers' ambush in
Ithilien was truly evil. The use of language and sentence structure is
poetic and rich. Excellent writing!
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Title: Pearl of Great Price · Author: Lindelea · Races: Hobbits:
Pre-Quest · ID: 804
Reviewer: Aranel Took · 2006-10-28 20:38:52
This is a wonderful story. I read it all in one sitting--the story kept
pulling me along. The characters are very well developed, with very
distinct personalities. They are very realistic and feel like real
people. The dialogue is very good--I can 'hear' it as something that
people would actually say. The details of life in the Shire are
excellent. The secondary story of Rosemary blends nicely into Pearl's
story. I love this peek at Pippin's family before his father became
Thain. A nice backstory to explain the hints that Tolkien gave of the
circumstances of Lalia's death and how Pearl fits into it.
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Title: Bilbo's Nursery Rhyme for Merry and Pippin · Author: Llinos ·
Races: Hobbits: Poetry · ID: 882
Reviewer: Aranel Took · 2006-10-28 20:49:59
The rhyme is adorable and sounds just like something Bilbo would make up
for little hobbits. I can clearly hear little Pippin shouting out the
words. Very cute!
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Title: Stones · Author: Marigold · Races: Hobbits: Friendship · ID: 571
Reviewer: Aranel Took · 2006-10-28 21:11:57
This is a fun story and very sweet, too. Picking up stones as memories
seems a very hobbity thing to do. I love the description of Boromir and
the trout. Hehe. I can just imagine the hobbits laughing over that!
Merry picking up the stone at the end was a nice ending.
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Title: Safe? · Author: Ainu Laire · Genres: Drama: Featuring Frodo or
Sam · ID: 271
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-10-28 21:37:47
This was a chilling read. First, we follow Frodo's already slippery mind
when he wonders where he is truly safe. With grace, the story continues
into Aragorn's haunting nightmare, which leads to the sage advise at the
end of it. Besides that this is an excellent gap filler, this short
story has incredibly intense angst. Frodos almost paranoid state of
mind while he is worried about who will take the ring from him, but the
nightmare of Aragorn that was just scary. And yes, his doubts of failing
will follow him still: magnificently done. Just as Aragorn was relieved
that the nightmare ended, I felt the same pressing feeling slipping away
too. And this is just superb writing. The narrative is incredibly vivid
and evocative, with efficient word use the author shows you Lothlorien,
and the characters feel spot on. Specifically I love the different
perceptions of the Elven realms by both characters. The story flows and
the style is very engaging: it simply gains your attention immediately
and the end is well timed with a very fitting conclusion. This story is
a great read!
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Title: The Importance of Being a Hobbit · Author: Lamiel · Races:
Hobbits: War of the Ring · ID: 961
Reviewer: Aranel Took · 2006-10-28 21:44:20
A very enjoyable story. The characters are well written and the dialogue
is very good. Poor Merry, worrying about being a warrior. I liked how
Legolas explained the importance of the hobbits on the Quest to
him--that they provide a reminder of hope for the others. Legolas and
Gimli's insults--and Merry keeping score--was a nice detail.
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Title: The Standard-Bearer · Author: Thevina Finduilas · Races: Men:
Vignette · ID: 716
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-10-28 21:47:01
Ah Halbarad& what a great vignette Thevina. I love the explorations of
Halbarads mind and I think you have captured him very well here.
Aragorn is summoning Halbarad and he simply does not question his
leader. This is a well-written gap filler, which explores loyalty and
friendship; I somehow feel that Aragorn will feel strengthened with his
captain next to him. I love your almost poetical prose in this piece
that makes this a pleasant and graceful read. I am very curious though
what exactly is drawn on the map he holds and I do feel a bit sad that
his son will be an orphan when the war is over. But I do think Aragorn
will take care of this boy and will undoubtly tell him that his father
was a pillar of strength to him during difficult times. This is a great
characterisation of Halbarad, which gives us also a peek into the life
of a ranger. A gem of a vignette Thevina, I enjoyed it immensely.
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Title: Ships Passing · Author: Marta · Races: Men: Vignette · ID: 302
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-10-28 21:54:54
Faramir holding a vigil at Halbarad's bier? I at first wondered... did
that happen? And yes, in this vignette I read how this would serve as an
excellent gap filler while the armies ride for the Black Gate, leaving
Faramir behind to heal which he, in a way also finds here. What I like
about this piece specifically is how Faramir deals with the information
he gathered about the leader of rangers, he wonders and ponders about
the differences and similarities. I have to say it really works nice in
this vignette to read how Halbarad lived his life and earned the loyalty
of his men and leader. The wee bit of insight in Faramirs life makes
you only wish that with the King back in Gondor, much happiness will
await him. This is a great character piece Marta: I enjoyed it a lot!
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Title: Shin to Toe to Thigh to Mind · Author: Talasi · Genres: Romance ·
ID: 369
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-10-28 22:00:52
Oh my goodness. This is a short story for ever Haldir fangirl out there
to read. Besides that this appeals to me, being a Haldir-fan, I love the
way this is written. Elegantly, with smooth descriptions of the
mentioned elf: this piece simply emenates the love this elf lady feels
for her brave Marchwarden.
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Title: To Become A Queen · Author: Madeleine · Genres: Romance:
Lothíriel & Éomer · ID: 157
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-10-28 22:01:15
Quite an entertaining installment in the writer's series of Eomer &
Lothiriel romance tales. The customs and physical locations and people
of the Mark are well-described, names are chosen with care, and
Lothiriel's coming is written nicely, the reader seeing with her eyes
how it is to be a competent young woman embarking on a new phase of life
that is tiring, confusing, and very exciting.


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Title: Flotsam · Author: Salsify · Times: The Great Years: Vignette · ID: 85
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-10-28 22:34:30
A taut and tragic comment on the cruelty, however necessary, of war.
There are always innocent victims, somewhere. The hobbits wouldn't be
hobbits if they didn't notice the least of the casualties and all that
the death of so small and so potentially dangerous a person implied.

Eloquently, but not sentimentally, written.
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Title: The Circle · Author: Karenator · Races: Men · ID: 778
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-10-28 22:38:50
This is a really cleverly-conceived story. I like the way you kept me
guessing at just what the circle that the title alluded to was. Is it
the endless march of time as Halbarad watches his own mature, the
contrast that the rangers experience between the times they camp where
Hurin first sees his "ghosts", or the clearing itself? This is a story
that really makes you think even after it's done, besides the
interesting glimpse of life among the Northern Rangers.
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Title: Rejection · Author: Tanaqui · Races: Men: Aragorn Fixed-Length
Ficlets · ID: 903
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-10-28 22:43:37
Ouch. I can really relate to this, having been on the search for those
elusive entry-level jobs all too recently. Those non-answers that you
get as rejection can really sting. It's an area that I never expected to
see in Middle-earth, but seeing Aragorn going through the same thing
certainly made me feel for him. As another reviewer said, royal pedigree
only helps if you can broadcast it. Poor bloke!
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Title: Hope Eternal · Author: Gwynnyd · Races: Men: Featuring Aragorn ·
ID: 930
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-10-28 23:02:39
This reminded me of nothing so much as the trolls Hagrid describes in
"Order of the Phoenix". It's a hilariously described image of this
enclave of orcs, but at the same time very sad that they could not be
"saved". Yet I still find it more satisfying than stories that overlook
the banality of Mordor's inhabitants. Very nice use of the challenge prompt.
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Title: Not Fair · Author: Tanaqui · Races: Men: Fixed-Length Ficlets
With Children · ID: 902
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-10-28 23:06:05
I have a special connection to this ficlet because I helped the author
brainstorm the concept a little. Not that I am taking credit for the
finished product -- I am distanced enough that I can still highly enjoy
it as a reader. It's a brilliant little father-son moment, and I can
just see Eomer's wicked smile when he tells that last line to his son.
Neat little exposition of the trials children who look "different' from
their peers (like the Rohirric son of Lothiriel) might have faced.
-----------------------------------