Yahoo Forum Archive

Author: Gandalfs apprentice · ID: 175 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-25 15:55:50
Gandalfs Apprentice can always make me lap with the matter-of-fact
streak she brings to her humor. I can just see her characters with a
very deadpan expression on their faces as they deliver the lines she
gives them. Even in her more serious works, the slightly funny quality
is still under the surface. You just know that her characters thoroughly
enjoy life, and that makes for a fun read.
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Author: Gandalfs apprentice · ID: 175 · Genres: Drama [107]:
Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-25 15:56:48
Gandalfs Apprentice can always make me lap with the matter-of-fact
streak she brings to her humor. I can just see her characters with a
very deadpan expression on their faces as they deliver the lines she
gives them. Even in her more serious works, the slightly funny quality
is still under the surface. You just know that her characters thoroughly
enjoy life, and that makes for a fun read.
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Author: Lindelea · ID: 27 · Races: Hobbits [106]: Poetry
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-11-25 17:02:43
Lindelea is not only a talented writer of tales, but an excellent poet,
as well. She has a sure handle on scansion and rhyme scheme, and
constructs poetry that can be as easily sung as spoken.

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Author: Lindelea · ID: 27 · Races: Hobbits [106]: General
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-11-25 17:04:06
Lindelea is one of my favorite authors. She has created a complex
universe in her Shire, with a richly detailed social network, and dozens
of wonderful and memorable OCs, who have personalities strong enough to
stand with the major canon characters--especially Ferdibrand Took, but
there are a number of others as well--Woodruff the Healer, Jack the
Conjuror and others. She often will go to the same scenario from
differing POVs, giving us a look at the same events through new pairs of
eyes. She has a great handle on h/c and angst, but she also remembers
that hobbits tend to speak lightly of such things, and she has a very
dry and sometimes wicked sense of humor. I always look forward to
updates and new tales from her.

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Author: GamgeeFest · ID: 269 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-11-25 17:06:10
I really like Gamgeefests light-hearted tales of Sams home-life at
Number Three, but in addition, she also writes some excellent angst and
h/c involving the other hobbits, such as "To Tell a Tale" and "In
Darkness Buried Deep". I have been especially taken with the way she has
shown the friendship between Merry and Sam evolve, so that when the time
comes for the Conspiracy it will seem only natural for Merry to turn to
Sam. She writes some lovely humor as well, and I have also recently come
to enjoy her take on the relationship of the Fellowship to the hobbits
in their midst.

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Author: Larner · ID: 242 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-11-25 17:14:56
Larner is an author who is guaranteed to make her readers think. She has
developed a highly evolved backstory for Frodo and his kin, and for
Frodos and Sams relationship to Aragorn that is both unique and
intriguing. There is a spirituality and sense of light about her
stories, no matter how much angst is also present. And she can come up
with some truly fascinating scenarios.

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Author: Marigold · ID: 98 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-11-25 17:17:21
I have to say that Marigold is a treasure to the Hobbit fanfic
community. Her skills as a beta and a breeder of plot bunnies are
legendary; she is a good friend to many, and an encourager of new
talent. Her monthly challenges have resulted in literally hundreds of
lovely hobbit stories. But that often eclipses the fact that she is a
skilled writer herself--especially of drabbles and other short ficlets.
She has a firm understanding of what is hobbity and what is *not*, and
her love for hobbits shines through in every word.

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Author: Llinos · ID: 25 · Genres: Romance [51]: Poetry
Reviewer: Marigold · 2006-11-25 22:15:36
Llinos has not written much in the way of romance, save for her Uruk-hai
poem Ddraigspelt, but it is one of the most beautiful and fierce
expressions of a lost love that I have ever read. I have never read
anything like it! She captures the fierce aggressive emotion and lust
perfectly, and while that may not sound romantic, for an Uruk-hai it is
the height of starry-eyed love. She writes the descriptions of their
lust filled encounter flawlessly, and never breaks character.

Llinos writes all genres exceedingly well and I absolutely love all of
her stories!

She skilfully varies her style as is appropriate, depending upon what
she is writing and whose *voice* she is writing it in, whether it be a
drabble, a poem, a limerick, a song, or a long or short story. Whatever
the style, type of piece, plot or subject matter, her work never fails
to be just exactly right!

She is able to believably write from the point of view or in the voice
of any character, be it hobbit, elf, eagle, or orc, and stay completely
true to that character, something that is exceptionally difficult. She
is equally gifted at writing parody.

Her choice of subject matter is always highly original, her knowledge of
canon vast, and I absolutely love her dialogue! Llinos never overwrites,
and she never needs to; she always knows just what to say!

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Author: Llinos · ID: 25 · Races: Hobbits [106]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marigold · 2006-11-25 22:29:49
That Llinos knows and loves hobbits, especially Merry and Pippin, is
obvious in all that she does! Her depictions of these characters are
just wonderful! And she is equally able to capture the voices of every
other character that she writes, whether canon or OC. Her Gollum for
example is just stunning! He leaps off the page!

She is able to write all genres exceedingly well and I absolutely love
her writing!

She skilfully varies her style as is appropriate, depending upon what
she is writing and whose *voice* she is writing it in. Whatever the
style, type of piece, plot or subject matter, her work never fails to be
just exactly right!

She captures the enthusiasm and nature of the hobbits, both as a race,
and as individuals, every time. Whether she is writing them at home in
the Shire, or mingling with other races beyond its borders they never
cease to remain hobbits to their core. Through glimpses of them doing
everyday things, to exciting scenes of danger and death, they retain
their characters perfectly. Her choice of subject matter is always very
original, and I absolutely love her dialogue!

Llinos has an extensive knowledge of canon, and she grew up in the Shire
at the time that Tolkien was writing LoTR. This adds an exceptional
realism to her work; she has the real Shire all around her, knows the
flora, fauna, and food that Tolkien would have been familiar with,
understands the class differences. Details and nuances like this really
enhance her work.

I look forward to everything that Llinos writes!


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Author: Llinos · ID: 25 · Races: Hobbits [106]: Poetry
Reviewer: Marigold · 2006-11-25 23:01:09
I absolutely love Llinos' writing! Her ability to bring life to songs
and poems *written* by the hobbits is a rare gift indeed! She not only
writes the songs or poems themselves spot-on perfect, she also manages
to let the reader see the joy and enthusiasm that the hobbits have for
making songs in the first place! Her nominated work in this category is
a stunning example of this ability.

She skilfully varies her style as is appropriate, depending upon what
she is writing and whose *voice* she is writing it in. Whatever the
style, type of piece, plot or subject matter, her work never fails to be
just exactly right! She is able to capture the style of one of Tolkien's
nonsense songs perfectly. She captures the enthusiasm of hobbits, both
as a race, and as individuals, every time. That Llinos knows and loves
hobbits, especially Merry and Pippin, is obvious in all that she does!
Her depictions of these characters are just wonderful, whether as
children or as adults.

Llinos has an extensive knowledge of canon, and she grew up in the Shire
at the time that Tolkien was writing LoTR. This adds an exceptional
realism to her work; she has the real Shire all around her, knows the
flora, fauna, and food that Tolkien would have been familiar with,
understands the class differences. Details and nuances like this really
enhance her work.

I look forward to everything that Llinos writes!



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Author: Llinos · ID: 25 · Races: Hobbits [106]: General
Reviewer: Marigold · 2006-11-25 23:28:53
I absolutely love Llinos humorous stories, especially when the hobbits
are the stars! As they almost always are! Whether they are at home in
the Shire or out in the wide world she never fails to write them exactly
as they should be written. Her characterisations of the hobbits as
individuals and members of their extended clans are as astute and
enjoyable as the way that she depicts them as a race. She has a
wonderful way of describing little quirks of personality that really
bring her characters to life!

Llinos grew up in the Shire at the time that Tolkien was writing LoTR
and this adds an exceptional realism to her work; she has had the real
Shire surrounding her all of her life; she knows firsthand the flora,
fauna, and food that Tolkien would have been familiar with, she
understands the class differences in a way that would be impossible for
most authors. Details and nuances like this really enhance her work and
make her depictions of hobbit society spot-on!

Her plots are always clever and original, and her dialogue just exactly
right. I am always able to see her stories play out in my mind. Most
readers wouldnt realise it but many of the words that Tolkien used for
Sindarin translate almost exactly into Welsh words, and her inclusion of
them always enhances the realism of her stories for me!

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Author: Inkling · ID: 283 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-25 23:58:24
The twos tories Inkling has entered in this year's MEFAs both excel, but
in very different ways. "Birnam Wood" is for me one of the best examples
of what a crossover should be. It does not just take elements of
Tolkien's word and elements of another world but really delves inbto how
they would have played out. The fact that the "other world" is not a
popular fandom but a classical work of drama ("Macbeth") only makes it
more suitable to crossing over with something like Tolkien. The tones
just match.

But then in "Better Than Frodo Baggins" Inkling shows that she can write
the dark side of hobbits without crossing so far into angst that it
feels unhobbity. That piece was just vaguely unsettling, with some dark
forecasting of events to come. The varied skills hint at a real
versatility in this author, and I'd like to read more by her.
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Author: Isabeau of Greenlea · ID: 182 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-26 02:42:22
Isabeau was probably the first writer I read who wrote convincing slash.
Andrahar's relationship with Boromir is of course extra-canonical but it
really comments on his character as portrayed by Tolkien and in other
writers in the same universe. It explores all of the implications of
homosexuality within the culture, and makes for a really interesting way
to look at the values of Gondorians.
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Author: Jael · ID: 685 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-26 04:28:04
Jael really gets the way Legolas would have been affected by Legolas.
She writes this emotionally poignant material well, without becoming
maudlin.
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Author: Katzilla · ID: 631 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-26 05:12:09
Katzilla really captures the spirit of the Rohirrim. Eomer and Eowyn
seem to fit so well with what Tolkien wrote of them.
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Author: Kenaz · ID: 244 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-26 05:57:42
What strikes me most about Kenaz's writing is the way that she uses
pacing. "Until the Stars Are All Alight" involves a sword fight and so
the pacing there is crucial. I was sitting on the edge of my seat all
through that. "Where the Shadows Are" relies on a different type of
tension, where the two characters face their own edooms and the
impending battle and the fact that their love is not destined to endure.
But it's a tension that still requires almost frantic action of its
sort, and Kenaz handles it well. This author communicates the necessary
meaning without the story slowing down.
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Author: Lady Aranel · ID: 151 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-26 14:09:21
Lady Aranel gives Legolas a really distinct voice. Somehow he is both
youthful and wise at the same time. In this year's selection you can see
him being an understanding brother, a warrior with the heart of a leader
paralleled to his father, and a person just like any other grieving the
lost of a friend. I had always thought of Lady Aranel as a distinguished
writer of romance (which she undoubtedly is), but the pieces by her I
read for this year's MEFA's show that she has many other talents as
well. Her ability to communicate powerful emotions quietly in a
dignified way is especially noteworthy.
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Author: Marigold · ID: 98 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-26 14:30:48
Marigold has such a special way of writing hobbits. Somehow ordinary
moments of life leap off the page when she writes about them. She writes
the major characters well and I'm sure a lot of readers have enjoyed her
for that, but what has really captivated me about her writing is the way
she handles the mothers and sisters of the major characters.

What stands out among this year's writing is the way she presents
Pippin's mother worrying over him. That piece not only reflected her
missing Pippin but the situation in Tookland with the resistance of
Sharkey's men. And that's another of Marigold's talents. She definitely
knows the canon about hobbits better than anyone else I know, but she
doesn't allow it to overwhelm the piece. Then she adds her own
invention, the idea of Gandalf giving Pippin two special stars, and the
result is a situation that almost feels like something Tolkien would
have written. At a minimum I'm sure he approved.

Mari is an author who never fails to satisfy, and whose pieces have just
the right balance of light and dark to portray hobbits as Tolkien meant
them. Not frivolous children, but curiously resistant to despair.
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Author: Nilmandra · ID: 444 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-26 14:56:07
Nilmandra does a good job of writing Aragorn throughout his life. His
reactions are age-appropriate in all her stories, but connected to one
character.
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Author: Perelleth · ID: 465 · Genres: Drama [107]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-26 14:58:24
Something about the way Perelleth writes makes her story have a lot of
emotional weight. I've thought about it and can't quite identify it,
except that her own writing tends to be pretty similar to my own.
Whatever it is, I found myself smiling, giggling, and even snorting at
different points in "Mathom", and tearing up a little at "Last Goodbye
Series". Her writing is powerful and I look forward to reading more by her.
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Author: pippinfan88 · ID: 331 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-26 15:21:27
Pippinfan88 really nails the way that Merry and Pippin and everyone they
knew were impacted by their ties with Gondor and Rohan. Nowhere is this
more obvious than in "The Falcon's Watch", which is about their children
reacting to news of their death. It's also one of the most effective
stories I've ever read dealing with the topic of grief, it handles that
difficult topic really sensitively but at the same time without pulling
any punches. I look forward to reading the stories I didn't get around
to yet, because this is an author I definitely want to read more of.
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Author: Rabidsamfan · ID: 380 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-26 15:35:39
As always, RSF writes hobbits in a way that makes them feel real. In
both her stories and her essays she extrapolates from what Tolkien wrote
to create a tale or essay that feels genuine.
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Author: Rhapsody · ID: 279 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-26 15:54:05
It amazes me that Rhapsody, as an author who writes English as a second
language, should write it so affectively in short forms like drabbles. I
don't think that I've read a multi-chaptered piece by her because I tend
to more or less stick to Third Age stuff, and I'm sure she can write
longer pieces just as convincingly. But when you're writing drabbles or
pieces that aren't that longer, then every word has to count. And
Rhapsody is one of the best drabblists I know; her pieces always pack a
punch in their short length and never feel rushed.

More than that, she is one of those authors that has made the Third Age
come to life for me. Her characterizations are vivid and fallible in
ways that fit the elves she's writing about. I had a hard time
remembering which son of Feanor was which before I read stuff by authors
like Rhapsody. She has definitely enhanced Tolkien's world for me.
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Author: Tanaqui · ID: 40 · Genres: Drama [107]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-26 19:42:05
Tanaqui is a long-time friend and beta reader, so it feels a bit odd to
be reviewing not something that she wrote but how she functions as an
author. I hold her writing abilities in the highest regard and always
like to read what she has written in the Tolkien fandom because she has
a knowledge of canon that transcends individual facts. Of course, once
you try to jump from facts that Tolkien explicitly wrote to broader
worldviews about how a culture would have operated you enter the realm
of interpretation. And I have not agreed with every assertion Tanaqui
has made, but I have been able to accept her inventions as something
Tolkien would have approved of; they are very much in the spirit and
letter of his Middle-earth.

Tanaqui uses an exquisite amount of physical detail in her works,
without her pieces feeling like an infodump. That's what I remember when
I think about her, how rich the world she creates is. She once joked
that in a drabble we are allowed seven words for a title, one hundred
for the body of the text -- and three thousand for the requisite
footnotes and forenotes documenting the historical precedents, canon
sources, and the thoughts that led up to the drabble. That really
summarizes her approach to writing in general: not that she uses too
many footnotes(!) but that for every bit she puts in, there's much more
going on below the surface. I'm not sure how much she'll appreciate a
comparison to movieverse, but her writing really does remind me of
WETA's dedication to crafting props that were works of art, even if they
barely made it on to screen or not at all. It creates a very rich
backdrop for her stories, and this reader loves it.
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Author: Werecat · ID: 83 · Genres: Drama [107]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-26 19:59:53
Werecat really has a knack for writing less popular characters and
races. And her treatments of them would feel fresh even if hundres wrote
about dwarves, orcs, and her other subjects the way they do about elves
or Gondorians. She sees the world toward a very earthy point of view,
and it makes for a unique vantage-point.
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