Yahoo Forum Archive

Author: Tehta · ID: 185 · Times: First Age and Prior [23]: General
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-17 00:25:56
Never one to let a bad pun slip by unused, Tehta is among the most
ambitious humor writers I've seen in fandom. She writes comedies of
manners and misunderstandings that are truly hysterical, as well as
contemporary given the issues that set up the plots. Although her
characterizations are askew from what one reads in the books, they are
askew in precisely that right way--there's enough of a nod to Tolkien to
get the reader through the door, and then the rest of her quirky
characterization and marvellous sense of humor do the rest of the work
of seduction.

Tehta can also write dramatic pieces, however, when the fit takes her,
and she has a gift for making not terribly likeable characters
sympthetic in their peculiar ways, most of which Tehta has to invent for
them. Although I believe she seems to downplay her narrative voice, I
find it is often very effective and gives a break from the witty
dialogue, as well as allowing her to cover swaths of temporal ground
quickly and so keep the pacing quick.

Even if you're not primarily interested in Elves or the Silm, give
Tehta's work a try!
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Author: Tanaqui · ID: 40 · Races: Men [73]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-17 00:26:11
Tanaqui has drabble-writing down to an art. She knows how to whittle
away at the superfluous to expose the scene she wants highlighted in an
effective way, sometimes even going to half-drabbles. She writes a wide
range of characters, including some of the obscure, 'historical'
characters (read: names in the Appendix), so those who like variety in a
writer should be happy. Gondor, however, is her home turf, clearly, so
look for focus on Faramir very often.

Clean, crisp writing all around!
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Author: Tanaqui · ID: 40 · Races: Hobbits [106]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-17 00:26:26
Tanaqui has drabble-writing down to an art. She knows how to whittle
away at the superfluous to expose the scene she wants highlighted in an
effective way, sometimes even going to half-drabbles. She writes a wide
range of characters, including some of the obscure, 'historical'
characters (read: names in the Appendix), so those who like variety in a
writer should be happy. Gondor, however, is her home turf, clearly, so
look for focus on Faramir very often.

Clean, crisp writing all around!
-----------------------------------------
Author: Tanaqui · ID: 40 · Races: Cross-Cultural [28]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-17 00:26:49
Tanaqui has drabble-writing down to an art. She knows how to whittle
away at the superfluous to expose the scene she wants highlighted in an
effective way, sometimes even going to half-drabbles. She writes a wide
range of characters, including some of the obscure, 'historical'
characters (read: names in the Appendix), so those who like variety in a
writer should be happy. Gondor, however, is her home turf, clearly, so
look for focus on Faramir very often.

Clean, crisp writing all around!
-----------------------------------------
Author: Tanaqui · ID: 40 · Races: Dwarves [12]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-17 00:27:05
Tanaqui has drabble-writing down to an art. She knows how to whittle
away at the superfluous to expose the scene she wants highlighted in an
effective way, sometimes even going to half-drabbles. She writes a wide
range of characters, including some of the obscure, 'historical'
characters (read: names in the Appendix), so those who like variety in a
writer should be happy. Gondor, however, is her home turf, clearly, so
look for focus on Faramir very often.

Clean, crisp writing all around!
-----------------------------------------
Author: Tanaqui · ID: 40 · Races: Villains [6]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-17 00:27:22
Tanaqui has drabble-writing down to an art. She knows how to whittle
away at the superfluous to expose the scene she wants highlighted in an
effective way, sometimes even going to half-drabbles. She writes a wide
range of characters, including some of the obscure, 'historical'
characters (read: names in the Appendix), so those who like variety in a
writer should be happy. Gondor, however, is her home turf, clearly, so
look for focus on Faramir very often.

Clean, crisp writing all around!
-----------------------------------------
Author: Werecat · ID: 83 · Genres: Drama [107]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-17 00:27:38
Ah, Werecat, whose work never fails to find that unexpected angle, most
often associated with the animals of Middle-earth, or their main Istari
proponent, Radagast. Werecat does a great job of showing us a
Middle-earth we would not otherwise see, or which we see only in moment
in Tolkien's writing--as when the fox passes the four hobbits on the
road, and thinks how strange it is to see hobbits sleeping outside. Like
Tolkien, Werecat depicts the fauna of Arda with great dignity, and her
animal characters act from motives both like and unlike our own, but
which always feel absolutely proper to them. She is also not afraid to
do a little cross-fandom importing to creating a menagerie that will no
doubt prove interesting.

But even when she isn't writing animals, Werecat's human, elven, and
dwarven (and wizardly and orcish, even) characters are always worth
reading. She again privileges those perspectives given less attention in
the books, or uses them to open up the more major characters.

If you're looking for work that's a bit off the beaten path, or if you
like side views or animal narrators, Werecat is the author to look to. I
have never yet found a story of hers that I have not enjoyed.
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Author: Werecat · ID: 83 · Genres: Humor [50]: General
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-17 00:27:52
Ah, Werecat, whose work never fails to find that unexpected angle, most
often associated with the animals of Middle-earth, or their main Istari
proponent, Radagast. Werecat does a great job of showing us a
Middle-earth we would not otherwise see, or which we see only in moment
in Tolkien's writing--as when the fox passes the four hobbits on the
road, and thinks how strange it is to see hobbits sleeping outside. Like
Tolkien, Werecat depicts the fauna of Arda with great dignity, and her
animal characters act from motives both like and unlike our own, but
which always feel absolutely proper to them. She is also not afraid to
do a little cross-fandom importing to creating a menagerie that will no
doubt prove interesting.

But even when she isn't writing animals, Werecat's human, elven, and
dwarven (and wizardly and orcish, even) characters are always worth
reading. She again privileges those perspectives given less attention in
the books, or uses them to open up the more major characters.

If you're looking for work that's a bit off the beaten path, or if you
like side views or animal narrators, Werecat is the author to look to. I
have never yet found a story of hers that I have not enjoyed.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Werecat · ID: 83 · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond [31]: General
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-17 00:28:08
Ah, Werecat, whose work never fails to find that unexpected angle, most
often associated with the animals of Middle-earth, or their main Istari
proponent, Radagast. Werecat does a great job of showing us a
Middle-earth we would not otherwise see, or which we see only in moment
in Tolkien's writing--as when the fox passes the four hobbits on the
road, and thinks how strange it is to see hobbits sleeping outside. Like
Tolkien, Werecat depicts the fauna of Arda with great dignity, and her
animal characters act from motives both like and unlike our own, but
which always feel absolutely proper to them. She is also not afraid to
do a little cross-fandom importing to creating a menagerie that will no
doubt prove interesting.

But even when she isn't writing animals, Werecat's human, elven, and
dwarven (and wizardly and orcish, even) characters are always worth
reading. She again privileges those perspectives given less attention in
the books, or uses them to open up the more major characters.

If you're looking for work that's a bit off the beaten path, or if you
like side views or animal narrators, Werecat is the author to look to. I
have never yet found a story of hers that I have not enjoyed.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Waltraute · ID: 625 · Times: The Great Years [56]: General
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-17 00:28:25
Waltraute does a good job of finding the gaps in Gondor's story and
filling them in a bit, using a minor character's perspective to give us
a sense of life in Minas Tirith prior to the siege, as well as the
danger of its streets once Mordor's armies arrive. Her original
character is depicted well, and adds to our sense of the city being a
real place, with people whose problems and lives we can understand and
recognize. She never breaks character, and that lends a lot to the sense
of the solidity of the Minas Tirith that comes into focus for us. She
keeps the suspense high when she needs to, and brings everything to a
satisfying close by the end.
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Author: Vana Tuivana · ID: 588 · Genres: Romance [51]: Poetry
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-17 00:28:39
I always feel awful when I review poets, because I simply lack the
vocabulary to talk about what it is that they do when they do 'it' well.

Vana writes in a variety of forms: couplets, free verse, and she turns
drabbles into appealing verse lines that are both visually and
poetically interesting. She never wastes a word that I can see, and she
manages to sustain several different moods when writing. Foreboding,
sardonic, blackly humorous, and all of them in service to stories we
might have thought we knew, but which attain a fresh perspective with
these poems. Lyrical and compact, give Vana's work a try.
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Author: Vana Tuivana · ID: 588 · Genres: Drama [107]: Poetry
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-17 00:28:58
I always feel awful when I review poets, because I simply lack the
vocabulary to talk about what it is that they do when they do 'it' well.

Vana writes in a variety of forms: couplets, free verse, and she turns
drabbles into appealing verse lines that are both visually and
poetically interesting. She never wastes a word that I can see, and she
manages to sustain several different moods when writing. Foreboding,
sardonic, blackly humorous, and all of them in service to stories we
might have thought we knew, but which attain a fresh perspective with
these poems. Lyrical and compact, give Vana's work a try.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Unsung Heroine · ID: 657 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-17 00:29:21
Unsung Heroine does an excellent job portraying that borderline
perspective, where madness and melancholy run together, and one is
simply not certain what the character's actual state is. It's like
James' [Turn of the Screw] or the ghost in [Hamlet], when Hamlet
confronts his mother in her chambers and begins speaking to someone
Gertrude cannot see. It's an excellent device for keeping suspense high,
and for bringing out aspects of the character's life that one might not
otherwise see. It also tends to generate sympathy for even the least
likeable character, and frankly, the sons of Feanor need all the help
they can get if they're not Maglor or Maedhros.

The enclosure within memory and the sense of the stifling of life and
hope, overlaid with erotic tenderness, is well-sustained throughout
Unsung Heroine's writing--she knows how to create atmosphere and make
that count for more than just a moment. Give her work a try!
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Author: Thundera Tiger · ID: 86 · Genres: Humor [50]: General
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-17 00:29:35
Thundera often writes lengthy epics, with casts of thousands, and needs
at least a considerable part of a continent to set her stories in.
However, she can also write shorter pieces, particularly when Legolas
and Gimli or the Three Hunters feature prominently in them. She can then
use the group dynamics developed in that closed pair or trio as a
humorous foil agains the outside viewer. Readers in the know can't help
but laugh at the hapless individual confronted with the in-jokes and
patterns of Elf, Dwarf, and occasionally Ranger.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Make It Stop/Princess Faz CoAuthors · ID: 637 · Races: Men [73]:
General
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-17 00:29:50
Take two comedic minds and put them together, and you end up with
something frighteningly aslant from what you might expect to find in
Middle-earth. These two authors do such a good job of forcing
Middle-earth to translate into a contemporary caricature, it's
off-the-wall unbelievable. And hysterical. I hope to see more from their
collective pen soon.
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Author: annmarwalk/EdorasLass CoAuthors · ID: 611 · Genres: Romance
[51]: General
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-17 00:30:04
Although they have only one story entered into this year's MEFAs, the
co-authors of the series it belongs to do fine work with Theodred and
Boromir, creating memorable character interactions between the two, with
Theoden, and also (later) Theodred's OFC young daughters. Good, sensual
fun for those of us who like slash, and also appreciate some sense of
cultural setting to pick out one warrior from another, neither of whom
had nearly enough lines in the books.
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Author: Elanor · ID: 591 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-17 00:30:21
I began trying to read [A Secret Gate], but simply did not have time to
get past more than the first chapter or two. I did not feel that I could
review the story, therefore, though I did quite like what I saw.

However, I did want to comment on Elanor as an author, since it was
primarily the style of her writing that drew me in at first. Elanor's
characters are well-defined, and she portrays emotion very well: no
overstatement or melodrama, but one can feel the sharpness of those
feelings. The story flows smoothly, and the writing seems very carefully
crafted to avoid excess (which is not the same thing as writing for
brevity). It feels crisp and clean, and sort of... I don't know,
elemental to me. I wish I had had time to read more, but I did want to
commend her for the little bit that I did read.
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Author: Dwimordene · ID: 8 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-11-17 00:45:40
Dwimordene is a writer who can see far into the cracks, nooks and
crannies of Middle-earth with precision and keen wit. She opens up what
Tolkien left out, and handles the intricacies of politics and family
dynamics with subtlety. Her dialogue is excellent.
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Author: Dwimordene · ID: 8 · Times: Late Third Age [26]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-11-17 00:49:21
Dwimordene is a writer who can see far into the cracks, nooks and
crannies of Middle-earth with precision and keen wit. She handles the
intricacies of politics and family dynamics with subtlety. And my hat is
off to her for investing a ficlet about Gandalf and Aragorn with
credible humor.
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Author: Linda Hoyland · ID: 527 · Races: Men [73]: General
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-11-17 05:04:39
Linda Hoyland has a gift for writing heart-warming, canon-friendly
stories. Her favorite characters, Aragorn and Faramir, are written as
two men who have finally found peace and prosperity and develop a close
friendship with each other, of the sort that Tolkien would have
doubtless approved and probably intended - definitely not slash. She
also employs excellent research skills to enrich the ambiance in her
tales, as seen by the bits of Celtic and Viking folklore in the
observance of Yule customs in [At The Rising of the Moon].
-----------------------------------------
Author: Linda Hoyland · ID: 527 · Genres: Humor [50]: General
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-11-17 05:05:50
Linda Hoyland has a gift for writing heart-warming, canon-friendly
stories. Her favorite characters, Aragorn and Faramir, are written as
two men who have finally found peace and prosperity and develop a close
friendship with each other, of the sort that Tolkien would have
doubtless approved and probably intended - definitely not slash. She
also employs excellent research skills to enrich the ambiance in her
tales, as seen by the bits of Celtic and Viking folklore in the
observance of Yule customs in [At The Rising of the Moon].
-----------------------------------------
Author: annmarwalk · ID: 177 · Times: The Great Years [56]: General
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-11-17 05:22:26
Annmarwalk always manages to bring out beauty, in places humble or high.
Her command of language is wonderfully fresh and lyrical. And, as
another reviewer has noted, her interest in craftsmanship, of stone, of
fabrics, sewing and other womanly arts, adds a patina of grace and
elegance to stories written about a place and time that is far away, but
brought closer to our hearts by her words.
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Author: annmarwalk · ID: 177 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-11-17 05:24:02
Annmarwalk always manages to bring out beauty, in places humble or high.
Her command of language is wonderfully fresh and lyrical. And, as
another reviewer has noted, her interest in craftsmanship, of stone, of
fabrics, sewing and other womanly arts, adds a patina of grace and
elegance to stories written about a place and time that is far away, but
brought closer to our hearts by her words.
-----------------------------------------
Author: annmarwalk · ID: 177 · Genres: Humor [50]: General
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-11-17 05:25:25
Annmarwalk always manages to bring out beauty, in places humble or high.
Her command of language is wonderfully fresh and lyrical. And, as
another reviewer has noted, her interest in craftsmanship, of stone, of
fabrics, sewing and other womanly arts, adds a patina of grace and
elegance to stories written about a place and time that is far away, but
brought closer to our hearts by her words.
-----------------------------------------
Author: AWing · ID: 594 · Races: Elves [38]: General
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2006-11-17 08:21:54
AWing has a marvellous feeling for atmosphere, both of the physical
surroundings and the thoughts and feelings of her characters. And she
shows the inner and outer world interconnected, reflecting off each
other, but always in a natural flow, not forcing the similes and
comparisons. The narrative voice is all the more poignant and affecting
for being unobtrusive and quiet.
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