Yahoo Forum Archive

Author: Raksha the Demon · ID: 178 · Races: Cross-Cultural [28]: General
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-11-13 21:54:21
Her characterisations (no matter if it's about Dúnedain, or about First
Age Elves) are tremendously believable, vivid, and insightful. Her
writing style is elegant, smooth, gripping, affecting, regardless of
genre; descriptions and introspection are particularly well-handled.
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Author: Raksha the Demon · ID: 178 · Times: The Great Years [56]: General
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-11-13 21:54:44
Her characterisations (no matter if it's about Dúnedain, or about First
Age Elves) are tremendously believable, vivid, and insightful. Her
writing style is elegant, smooth, gripping, affecting, regardless of
genre; descriptions and introspection are particularly well-handled.
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Author: Dawn Felagund · ID: 602 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-11-13 21:55:06
Her portrayal of the various Fëanorians, and their interactions, is
exquisite: psychologically insightful, multi-layered, believable. Her
stories are rich in details, evocative, moving; the writing full of
elegant imageries.
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Author: Dawn Felagund · ID: 602 · Times: First Age and Prior [23]: General
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-11-13 21:55:21
Her portrayal of the various Fëanorians, and their interactions, is
exquisite: psychologically insightful, multi-layered, believable. Her
stories are rich in details, evocative, moving; the writing full of
elegant imageries.
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Author: daw the minstrel · ID: 176 · Races: Elves [38]: General
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-11-13 21:55:36
Entertaining stories, that all manage to stand on their own, but gain
from the resonances of other stories of her well-developed universe.
Wonderful portrayals of canon- and original characters and their
interactions.
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Author: Tanaqui · ID: 40 · Genres: Drama [107]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-11-13 21:56:10
I very much enjoy Tanaqui's drabbles: in just 100 words, she manages to
tell complex, entertaining stories, with vivid characterisations and
deft details of descriptions. She captures especially well the Dúnedain
of North and South and interactions among them, whether political or social.
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Author: Tanaqui · ID: 40 · Races: Men [73]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-11-13 21:56:31
I very much enjoy Tanaqui's drabbles: in just 100 words, she manages to
tell complex, entertaining stories, with vivid characterisations and
deft details of descriptions. She captures especially well the Dúnedain
of North and South and interactions among them, whether political or social.
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Author: Marta · ID: 16 · Races: Men [73]: General
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-11-13 21:56:44
Marta has the ability to find highly resonant quotes and incorporate
them in her stories, often in a fresh context, making the original
context ring through and adding additional depth to the story.
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Author: Bodkin · ID: 411 · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond [31]: General
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-11-13 21:56:58
Bodkin's writing style is lyrical, full of beautiful and resonating
imageries. She conveys thought-provoking subjects through meaningful
dialogues, deft characterisations (especially of Elves), and nicely
balanced-humour.
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Author: Isabeau of Greenlea · ID: 182 · Races: Men [73]: General
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-11-13 21:57:47
Highly enjoyable, riveting stories. The characers, no matter if canon or
original, are marvellously depicted: full-rounded personalities that
develop with their experiences; their emotions so true that the readers
can easily share them. Excellent world-building, bringing especially the
middle classes and daily life in Middle-earth to life.
Enriching her stories and resonating throughout are others of her
complex universe. The characters always stay true to themselves, while
showing them sometimes from different PoV adds new facets and enable new
insights to them.
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Author: Isabeau of Greenlea · ID: 182 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-11-13 21:58:02
Highly enjoyable, riveting stories. The characers, no matter if canon or
original, are marvellously depicted: full-rounded personalities that
develop with their experiences; their emotions so true that the readers
can easily share them. Excellent world-building, bringing especially the
middle classes and daily life in Middle-earth to life.
Enriching her stories and resonating throughout are others of her
complex universe. The characters always stay true to themselves, while
showing them sometimes from different PoV adds new facets and enable new
insights to them.
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Author: Altariel · ID: 181 · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond [31]: General
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-11-13 21:58:16
Elegant, flowing language; full of lyrical imageries, often subtly
symbolic. Complex, nuanced characterisations and interactions.
Very good extrapolations of how politics might have developed in the
Fourth Age from the few details we know from canon, combining the
mythical with historical experiences. The personal life and development
of the characters fit into this background, blending canon knowledge and
original concepts.
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Author: Raksha the Demon · ID: 178 · Genres: Humor [50]: General
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-11-13 21:58:34
Her characterisations (no matter if it's about Dúnedain, or about First
Age Elves) are tremendously believable, vivid, and insightful. Her
writing style is elegant, smooth, gripping, affecting, regardless of
genre; descriptions and introspection are particularly well-handled.
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Author: Súlriel · ID: 7 · Genres: Non-Fiction [5]: General
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2006-11-14 03:45:54
Sulriel is a unique, amazingly talented voice in the fandom. Her
excellent writing and sense of high drama produce a tale always worth
reading, be it an epic saga or a drabble. Her current WIP, Sinde
Envinyanta, stands alone in its inventive use of the Tolkien mythology.

With this wonderful piece on horses, Sulriel makes her very special and
profound knowledge of horses available for all of us. It is a very
generous and unique thing to do, and I for one have benefited enormously
as both a writer and a reader because of it.

I have to add that this essay towers above all the other entries in the
nonfiction section that it is a tad ridiculous: the competition is so
unfair. In fact, the piece is so good that it is worth reading apart
from the fandom, just for the sheer joy of horses and their
personalities. I learned things I didnt know before, and that is truly
one of the best things any writer can give.

For those who are not interested in portraying horses in their stories:
don't miss this piece anyway! It is extremely interesting, the horses
are astonishingly gorgeous, and you will probably want to create a story
just to use one of them in it! And there are many to pick from: not just
noble steeds of the Shadowfax type, but comical ones who belong in
Farmer Maggots stable. (The donkey is a story by himself.)
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Author: Madeleine · ID: 606 · Genres: Romance [51]: General
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2006-11-14 16:35:26
As I almost always prefer to read about Aragorn, I was somewhat
surprised to find out how much I enjoy reading Madeleines stories. She
artfully blends humor and drama, and draws her characters vividly.

This first installment in her epic series about Eomer and Lothiriel is
just getting her warmed upthe later tales really come into their own. I
especially enjoy the comedy of manners side of the tale, which is
presented with humor and insight. Perhaps my favorite scene in the
series is the wedding night: a wonderful blend of the funny and the
erotic. It read very true to me, sexy and not overwrought nor encumbered
with purple prose. The tortoise was a masterful touch, although its
hard to choose when the competition is a snake named Denethor and the
onion riddle.

Dont miss Madeleine for Rohan and Lothiriel. Oh, and she writes a good
Aragorn, too.



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Author: Branwyn · ID: 240 · Genres: Adventure [10]: General
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-11-15 02:30:13
Branwyn is a multi-talented author, one of a select few who can convey
the everyday details of life in Gondor and Rohan in a fashion that is
not pedantic, but part of the flow of her narrative. Yet she is also
wonderfully skilled at telling tales of action and adventure.

Branwyn writes brilliant scenes of battles, ambushes in multiple
terrains, skirmishes and sieges, with a deceptively quiet tone that
builds up the tension and pulls the author into the drama, pain, fear
and exhiliaration of war. She has enough knowledge of weapons and
strategy and tactics to craft believable battles and those who fight
them, which is not often seen in Tolkien fanfiction.

But though her adventure stories feature enough thrills and chills for
any action junkie, their writer also laces the tales with humor and
pathos and provides standout characterisation. There is humor both dry
and flat-out funny; and the interpretation of core characters such as
Denethor and Boromir is outstanding, and the original characters equally
so. I usually do not care for OC's in Tolkien fanfiction, but Branwyn
creates hers seemingly out of the fabric of Middle-earth itself, so they
blend seemlessly into the tapestry of her work. Even the Orcs are not
depicted as simplistic monsters, but as well-rounded sentient beings
with individual priorities - which makes their fell deeds (and they are
quite horrible) all the more monstrous. And the dialogue is excellent,
from the Orcs' bluster and threats to the interplay between humble
Rohirric grandparents and grandchild, to the light-hearted and quietly
loving conversations that encircle and calm the convalescent Faramir.

Branwyn evokes terror quite well, knowing exactly how long to stretch
the heart-stopping moments without drowning the reader in terror. Her
most terrifying scenes involve young warriors captured by orcs, though
the circumstances, and the characterisations and goals differ widely,
but then there is also the slow torment of a father who fears for the
lives of his children and eventually comes to believe that one of them
is dead.

And the sense of otherness, that intangible more-than-meets-the-eye
quality with which Tolkien also imbued Middle-earth, appears in
Branwyn's stories, at home amidst the prosaic earthy details and the
tension and swagger of brave men and despicable orcs: the Palantir and
its influence is seen, foreshadowing Denethor's eventual fall in the
credence he gives what he sees there, the existence of purposeful
ghosts, and the use of the Tale of Beren and Luthien as both a child's
fairy-tale story and metaphor of hope.
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Author: Oshun · ID: 589 · Genres: Romance [51]: General
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2006-11-15 16:32:54
I have been reading Oshun's stories since she first starting writing.
She has developed enormously as a writer in that short time. Her own
voice is now very individual and true.

Oshun takes her canon very seriously, does heavy research, and it shows
The result is not derivative at all, but places a unique story firmly in
Middle-earth. This, in my opinion, is the best kind of fanfic.

She excels at showing imaginative, but canon-based, cultural differences
between north and south Gondor and the Belfalas coastal area and between
the different races--as well as between peredhil and true Elves;
Imladris compared to Mirkwood and the Silvan elven influence.

Lothiriel is a living, breathing young woman here: motivated, principled
and committed (particularly on her desire to help in the reconstruction
of Arda) but often low on judgment--which provides a lot of the fun of
the tale. Like real life, it is serious and funny all at once.

Characterization is oshun's strength. She especially likes to people her
tale with handsome and fascinating men. Faramir is gorgeous and has a
lighter side--young by Numenorean standards and in love--not all
angst-ridden and insecure. Legolas is "Elven" all the way--whimsical,
arty and dead-serious with his bow. Aragorn (always my favorite) is
in-character also, wise and funny.

Oshun has a lot of fun with her story, and the reader will too. It's
different and unexpected--a Middle-earth soap opera of sorts, but never
making light of the important things. And the sex is really, really fun,
and done with just the right touch of erotic but not raunchy.
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Author: Súlriel · ID: 7 · Genres: Non-Fiction [5]: General
Reviewer: Lindelea · 2006-11-15 17:38:20
Sulriel knows horses, and generously shares from a wealth of knowledge.
I know that my stories have benefited!
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Author: Madeleine · ID: 606 · Genres: Romance [51]: General
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-11-15 19:31:27
Madeleine's portrayal of Éomer and Lothíriel, from their first sight of
each other, their unusual courtship, their marriage and beyond, is
funny, touching, sexy and sizzling; always highly enjoyable. Not only
the protagonists, but the rest of the cast, too, is vividly portrayed,
as are social and political customs of Gondor and Rohan. The dialogues
are excellent, especially the witty repartee between various characters.
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Author: meckinock · ID: 615 · Races: Cross-Cultural [28]: General
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-11-15 19:34:29
With the one nominated work ["A Matter of Honor"] and its prequel ["In
the Hands of the Enemy"], Meckinock shows a profound knowledge of
cultures and races in Eriador and how they might interact - peacefully
or not. Fully-realised characters and environments make her well-paced
plots not only gripping, but also engaging and evocative.
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Author: Thevina Finduilas · ID: 87 · Races: Dwarves [12]: General
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-11-15 19:41:26
Thevina has captured the Dwarvish soul perfectly. How behind a gruff
exterior lies hidden a sensitive heart with a keen appreciation for life
and beauty; rather like gems and precious metals hidden in the deeps of
the mountains that is their home.
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Author: Beethoven's 7th · ID: 289 · Genres: Drama [107]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Súlriel · 2006-11-15 20:09:34
I always enjoy reading B7's work and have been sad not to find so many
new ones recently. All her writing, and especially her drabbles, are
insightful - as many people write drabbles well - but her's seem to have
a special personal touch that is her own style, and I know that's
difficult to do in so few words.
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Author: Gandalfs apprentice · ID: 175 · Races: Cross-Cultural [28]:
Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Súlriel · 2006-11-15 20:18:55
Hm, what to say about GA's work? ...what not to say? :) She's taken many
hours of my life and kept me sitting and reading instead of doing
laundry or dishes - kudos to her for that!

I stumbled onto one of her stories, quite innocently, not knowing what I
was in for. Her writing is clear and concise, her deeply layered
characterizations mesh wonderfully with what I have in my mind after
reading JRRT's original works. I first read her some of her humor works,
but have since learned that there isn't much of anything she writes that
I don't enjoy on several levels, be it action, drama, humor or even AU.
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Author: Gandalfs apprentice · ID: 175 · Races: Cross-Cultural [28]: General
Reviewer: Súlriel · 2006-11-15 20:19:37
Hm, what to say about GA's work? ...what not to say? :) She's taken many
hours of my life and kept me sitting and reading instead of doing
laundry or dishes - kudos to her for that!

I stumbled onto one of her stories, quite innocently, not knowing what I
was in for. Her writing is clear and concise, her deeply layered
characterizations mesh wonderfully with what I have in my mind after
reading JRRT's original works. I first read her some of her humor works,
but have since learned that there isn't much of anything she writes that
I don't enjoy on several levels, be it action, drama, humor or even AU.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Gandalfs apprentice · ID: 175 · Genres: Humor [50]: General
Reviewer: Súlriel · 2006-11-15 20:20:27
Hm, what to say about GA's work? ...what not to say? :) She's taken many
hours of my life and kept me sitting and reading instead of doing
laundry or dishes - kudos to her for that!

I stumbled onto one of her stories, quite innocently, not knowing what I
was in for. Her writing is clear and concise, her deeply layered
characterizations mesh wonderfully with what I have in my mind after
reading JRRT's original works. I first read her some of her humor works,
but have since learned that there isn't much of anything she writes that
I don't enjoy on several levels, be it action, drama, humor or even AU.
-----------------------------------------