Yahoo Forum Archive

Author: Elena Tiriel · ID: 247 · Races: Men [73]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 13:00:15 Score: 7
I think Elena Tiriel is one of the best drabblists in the fandom. She
certainly knows the canon well enough to include details just as Tolkien
wrote them. She also has an ability to get a lot of details in a very
few words, without it feeling rushed. Equally important, it never feels
like a single word is there as a "filler" -- hitting exactly one hundred
words can be a real skill, and Elena Tiriel makes every word worthwhile,
just like it seems like every necessary skill is there. But what I
probably love most about her drabbles is the way they are self-contained
scenes, imaginatively chosen to hint at the larger story. This is a
style of plotting that is not always easy. By choosing small enough
moments the drabbles can be very effective, but they are also large
enough to feel like she's said something of note. I always like her
drabbles and appreciate the amount of work she has obviously put into them.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Gandalfs apprentice · ID: 175 · Races: Men [73]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 13:03:07 Score: 4
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.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Gwynnyd · ID: 186 · Races: Men [73]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 13:03:32 Score: 10
I'll admit that before I first read Gwynnyd's fiction I did not feel
that deeply for Aragorn. He always seemed a bit boring, I guess because
we never see him going through any sort of growth in the corpus of Lord
of the Rings. The material's there, but it's buried. However, through
discussions with Gwynnyd and through reading her stories, I have begun
to see more of the gaps that ferment into story nuzguls for her.

Gwynnyd's stories range from the events surrounding Arathorn's death and
Aragorn's moving to Rivendell, through his reign as king of Gondor. In
all of these different situations she is very aware of the real-world
historical precedents that faced similar situations and uses these
models to good use. Of course Aragorn and Gilraen both living in
Rivendell would be a tip-off to Aragorn's identity. But I did not even
think that this was a difficulty that needs to be explained until I
started reading Gwynnyd's fiction.

The best thing about her plots is that they do not *add* to Tolkien in a
way that feels artificial. Instead, reading one of her stories is like
going on an archaeological dig and discovering what was already there,
just waiting to be unearthed. Reading one of her pieces is always a treat.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Isabeau of Greenlea · ID: 182 · Races: Men [73]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 13:08:17 Score: 4
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.
-----------------------------------------
Author: juno_magic · ID: 358 · Races: Men [73]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:15:02 Score: 8
Juno is not an author that I have read much of simply because her work
is usually longer than I like to read. Imagine my joy at finding that a
friend had written some shorter pieces on topics I enjoyed. And these
are very *deep* pieces. I think that's what gets me so much. "I Will
Lift Up Mine Eyes" not only develops a religion of Gondor and regional
differences, but it gives us a hero who dares to go against the norm.
That evoked a *squee* from me, but of a somber and academic sort (so
much as a *squee* can be) -- she has taken many of my favourite ideas
and built them into a fascinating story that hints at a whole world in a
piece that didn't take a great effort to read. But thinking effort was
another question. I found I couldn't get it out of my head for days.
"About Legends or Whisperings of Ghosts" stands out similarly, but this
time the question isn't rebelling against the religious norm, but about
the trustworthiness of history. Both of these take a situation or
premise that is far from common and turn it on its head, but never do so
unconvincingly. That's not an easy feat, and I admire Juno for her success.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Karenator · ID: 10 · Races: Men [73]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:16:20 Score: 3
Karenator has this skill for writing children in a way that makes them
distinct to the culture they are from and the canon character they will
become, but while still making them seem like children. It's hard to do,
a skill I admire.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Kenaz · ID: 244 · Races: Men [73]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:17:01 Score: 5
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.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Katzilla · ID: 631 · Races: Men [73]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:17:35 Score: 2
Katzilla really captures the spirit of the Rohirrim. Eomer and Eowyn
seem to fit so well with what Tolkien wrote of them.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Nancy Brooke · ID: 105 · Races: Men [73]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:18:47 Score: 3
Nancy writes all aspects of Boromir's life in a way that is fun to read
and emotioanlly meaningful. Whether it is an AU drabble after his death
or as a child in Dol Amroth or others remembering him, Boromir's
personality is strongly felt in Nancy's writing.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Raksha the Demon · ID: 178 · Races: Men [73]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:19:23 Score: 4
Raksha is one of the few authors who have made Aragorn approachable for
me. As I mentioned in another review I found him too perfect before
fanfic, but through her stories I have seen him warts and all, presented
in a way that makes him seem to have more in common with me without
becoming less than the king Tolkien wrote. Its a very thin line to
walk, but Raksha does it well, providing us with a character who
resonates emotionally but still feels tied to the canon character.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Tanaqui · ID: 40 · Races: Men [73]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:20:06 Score: 10
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.

-----------------------------------------
Author: Thevina Finduilas · ID: 87 · Races: Men [73]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:20:33 Score: 6
Thevina does such interesting work with those less-explored corners of
canon. In most of the entries in this year's awards this is most evident
in her handling of dwarves. There's a quiet gruffness to them that seems
very in keeping with the other races of the north and what Tolkien told
us of them, yet through Thevina's writings I see a vulnerability
underneath that needs to be exposed. And Thevina does expose it, through
Gimli's wonderings about how he is changing over the course of the
Quest, but this does not make him seem week or effeminate. She also
develops a tantalizing glimpse into Rohirric sexual values that once
again build where there just isn't canon, but feel very in-keeping with
the spirit of what Tolkien wrote. Reading her stories always leaves me
thinking, something I really enjoy.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Elena Tiriel · ID: 247 · Races: Villains [6]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:21:23 Score: 7
I think Elena Tiriel is one of the best drabblists in the fandom. She
certainly knows the canon well enough to include details just as Tolkien
wrote them. She also has an ability to get a lot of details in a very
few words, without it feeling rushed. Equally important, it never feels
like a single word is there as a "filler" -- hitting exactly one hundred
words can be a real skill, and Elena Tiriel makes every word worthwhile,
just like it seems like every necessary skill is there. But what I
probably love most about her drabbles is the way they are self-contained
scenes, imaginatively chosen to hint at the larger story. This is a
style of plotting that is not always easy. By choosing small enough
moments the drabbles can be very effective, but they are also large
enough to feel like she's said something of note. I always like her
drabbles and appreciate the amount of work she has obviously put into them.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Tanaqui · ID: 40 · Races: Villains [6]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:22:19 Score: 10
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.

-----------------------------------------
Author: Acacea · ID: 196 · Times: Early Third Age [7]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:23:04 Score: 4
When I think of Acacea's writing the word "Gondor" comes to mind very
quickly, because she can write the brothers 'Mir so affectively. She has
done angst from time to time, but mostly she writes the normal everyday
moments of family life, and it really has a nice relaxed quality to it.
There are some fine explorations of Gondorians among this year's
writings, but she also shows her depth as a writer by writing varied
races and time frames. A truly versatile author indeed, and all with a
light touch that makes it feel very natural.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Elena Tiriel · ID: 247 · Times: Early Third Age [7]:
Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:23:36 Score: 7
I think Elena Tiriel is one of the best drabblists in the fandom. She
certainly knows the canon well enough to include details just as Tolkien
wrote them. She also has an ability to get a lot of details in a very
few words, without it feeling rushed. Equally important, it never feels
like a single word is there as a "filler" -- hitting exactly one hundred
words can be a real skill, and Elena Tiriel makes every word worthwhile,
just like it seems like every necessary skill is there. But what I
probably love most about her drabbles is the way they are self-contained
scenes, imaginatively chosen to hint at the larger story. This is a
style of plotting that is not always easy. By choosing small enough
moments the drabbles can be very effective, but they are also large
enough to feel like she's said something of note. I always like her
drabbles and appreciate the amount of work she has obviously put into them.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Súlriel · ID: 7 · Times: Early Third Age [7]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:28:20 Score: 3
Sulriel joins her knowledge of the first age with her feel for writing
villains in many of her works, to give us a portrait of what life would
have been like for elves in the Elder Days. Its just different enough
to be really interesting. This year she shows us that she can write
non-fiction well, too, and provides a useful resource for other writers.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Tanaqui · ID: 40 · Times: Early Third Age [7]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:29:18 Score: 10
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.

-----------------------------------------
Author: ann_arien · ID: 645 · Times: First Age and Prior [23]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:30:06 Score: 3
I have only read one story by this author ("On Frozen Shores"), but if
it is an indication she has a knack for coming up with new plot lines
and making them feel natural. I'd like to read more by her.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Dawn Felagund · ID: 602 · Times: First Age and Prior [23]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:30:34 Score: 4
Dawn really brings the First Age-elves to life. She takes these
characters that to readers like me who have only read the Silm once or
twice are little more than names, and really forms them into characters
that I can feel the emotional weight of the situation. Her characters
always jump off the page and seem very, very real to me, and more
importantly make sense without an excessive amount of knowledge of the
backstory.
-----------------------------------------
Author: elliska · ID: 143 · Times: First Age and Prior [23]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:31:11 Score: 10
Elliska is an author that I have really discovered since the 2005 MEFAs.
I did not have the time to read her stories like I should, but I found
the time over the winter. Thereby breaking several of my own rules,
against reading epic, elf-centred series. I have nothing against any of
these types of pieces on principles, but I don't tend to have the
patience for long works, and elves tend to bore me no matter how well
they are written.

Elliska changed all that. I suppose those rules ["is more what you'd
call "guidelines" than actual rules"], but elliska's pieces still
overcame all of my doubts about whether I would enjoy the "Interrupted
Journeys" series. I think it was her avatar at Open Scrolls that
convinced me to look at them
[(http://www.scribeoz.com/fanfic/authors/profile.php?no=650)], because
her complaints about fanons regarding Thranduil are so similar to my own
about Denethor. The fact that she saw a need to fight such similar
mischaracterizations is actually what made me give Thranduil a second look.

And what a look! Her pieces give us a convincing picture of a realm in
upheaval after the death of Oropher in the Last Alliance. There are
politics and personal drama and all in all an extremely convincing world
that manages not to toe-step on Tolkien but at the same time not
over-dwell on those areas "The Hobbit" led him to develop. I really look
forward to seeing how she continues to develop this saga.

-----------------------------------------
Author: Haleth · ID: 495 · Times: First Age and Prior [23]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:31:52 Score: 2
Haleth has a minimalist style that is surprisingly effective and lets
the reader feel the full brunt of what she's portraying.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Imhiriel · ID: 702 · Times: First Age and Prior [23]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:32:30 Score: 4
Imhiriel brings such a sense of humanity to the earlier ages. (Not in
making the elves mortal, but in making the drama and the angst
approachable for this modern reader). And her prose is always beautiful
and displays a passion for finding just the right word to communicate an
emotion that I think Tolkien would approve of. This is especially
important in shorter pieces like drabbles, and it makes for a read that
really appeals to my inner language geek.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Imhiriel · ID: 702 · Times: First Age and Prior [23]:
Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:33:09 Score: 4
Imhiriel brings such a sense of humanity to the earlier ages. (Not in
making the elves mortal, but in making the drama and the angst
approachable for this modern reader). And her prose is always beautiful
and displays a passion for finding just the right word to communicate an
emotion that I think Tolkien would approve of. This is especially
important in shorter pieces like drabbles, and it makes for a read that
really appeals to my inner language geek.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Raksha the Demon · ID: 178 · Times: First Age and Prior [23]:
Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:34:04 Score: 4
Raksha is one of the few authors who have made Aragorn approachable for
me. As I mentioned in another review I found him too perfect before
fanfic, but through her stories I have seen him warts and all, presented
in a way that makes him seem to have more in common with me without
becoming less than the king Tolkien wrote. Its a very thin line to
walk, but Raksha does it well, providing us with a character who
resonates emotionally but still feels tied to the canon character.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Rhapsody · ID: 279 · Times: First Age and Prior [23]:
Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:35:00 Score: 6
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.

-----------------------------------------
Author: Tehta · ID: 185 · Times: First Age and Prior [23]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:38:01 Score: 5
Tehta has taken the few hints Tolkien gives us about life of Gondolin in
the canon, and woven it into a complete world. And what a hilarious
world it is. These elves are not so old and tired they have forgotten
what it means to fall short of the mark. Still very much elves, but
misunderstandings do arise. They bring a sense of humor to these days
before the fall that I found worthy of an out-loud laugh or two. Pity
Turgon, for having such subjects. Its a great set of scenarios that are
told well, resulting in some upbeat stories that keep you reading and
smiling.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Altariel · ID: 181 · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond [31]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:38:52 Score: 4
Altariel shows here that she can build effectively on the writings of
other fanfic authors and make them distinctly her own. The Brand stories
are some of my favourites in her shared universe, and the story of
Faramir meeting Brand is really convincingly drawn. And her story "Red
River" has a similar touch of politics that makes the events feel robust
and realistic. That's what I really love about Altariel's world, that it
is impossible to forget that these folks are nobles and so their actions
always have larger implications.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Aramel · ID: 227 · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond [31]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:39:18 Score: 3
Aramel's stories always feel fresh to me. They take a commonly
misunderstood part of canon, or one that people haven't thought to
explore at all, and turn it around. Her pieces stay with me for a while
after I've read them, and I find myself turning them over in my head
wondering how her interpretation would affect other parts of the canon.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Bodkin · ID: 411 · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond [31]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:39:49 Score: 2
Bodkin does a good job of capturing the elves in the Undying Lands. I
always thought paradise would be boring, but not her version!
-----------------------------------------
Author: Claudio · ID: 508 · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond [31]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:45:40 Score: 5
Elladan playing Nintendo with an iguana on his head really should be so
out-of-character that it would annoy me at the very least, right? Yet
somehow this authors pieces really tickle my funny bone. I think its
the fact that, under all the modernization there are still hints of the
tensions between different groups of elves that underlie the canon. So
it feels somehow connected to what Tolkien wrote, but not in a
straightforward way or even as a parody of it. At the same time, the
situations poor Elrohir has to face are so like my own life, its a
scary commentary. However it works, it always makes me laugh, and Im
glad to read this authors latest additions. Well done, Claudio.
-----------------------------------------
Author: grey_wonderer · ID: 62 · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond [31]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:46:08 Score: 4
Grey Wonderer has a way of writing Pippin especially but all the hobbits
that is simply hilarious. Pippin is so honest and forthright in the
questions he asks, but those questions are more than a bit embarrassing.
He takes his time getting to the point but keeps pushing. Really, it's
brilliantly true to life and laugh-out-loud hilarious throughout. I've
only found the time to read a few of the stories but I'm going to try to
read more after the awards are over.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Gwynnyd · ID: 186 · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond [31]:
Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:46:47 Score: 10
I'll admit that before I first read Gwynnyd's fiction I did not feel
that deeply for Aragorn. He always seemed a bit boring, I guess because
we never see him going through any sort of growth in the corpus of Lord
of the Rings. The material's there, but it's buried. However, through
discussions with Gwynnyd and through reading her stories, I have begun
to see more of the gaps that ferment into story nuzguls for her.

Gwynnyd's stories range from the events surrounding Arathorn's death and
Aragorn's moving to Rivendell, through his reign as king of Gondor. In
all of these different situations she is very aware of the real-world
historical precedents that faced similar situations and uses these
models to good use. Of course Aragorn and Gilraen both living in
Rivendell would be a tip-off to Aragorn's identity. But I did not even
think that this was a difficulty that needs to be explained until I
started reading Gwynnyd's fiction.

The best thing about her plots is that they do not *add* to Tolkien in a
way that feels artificial. Instead, reading one of her stories is like
going on an archaeological dig and discovering what was already there,
just waiting to be unearthed. Reading one of her pieces is always a treat.

-----------------------------------------
Author: Inkling · ID: 283 · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond [31]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:47:52 Score: 6
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 ("Hamlet") 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.

-----------------------------------------
Author: Isabeau of Greenlea · ID: 182 · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond
[31]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 14:48:19 Score: 4
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.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Minuialeth · ID: 427 · Genres: Drama [107]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-11-29 14:54:33 Score: 10
Minuialeth is an amazing writer and to see here drabbling for a change
is a treat! Erestor is her favourite canon character to write about and
in every story, she writes about him, I get this distinctive feel that a
minor character is being lifted out of a setting and calls upon the
readers attention with great skill. Minu does this actually with every
canon character that she writes about, she puts them in a different
light and shows the reader a different angle.

Whether it is Romance, for example her story the World Within, or in
this case Drama, Minu has the talent to write splendid stories for many
categories. Her voice in her works, poetry or stories, is strong and are
very convincingly delivered. Minuialeth can handle different technical
writing point of views without any visible effort. No matter what she
writes, you as a reader feel a part of the piece as if you can observe
closely what is going on. This is happening in her drabble as well, but
it applies to any work she shares with us.

Minuialeth has a natural way of writing that is truly captivating and it
is really hard to put the work down for a moment because you do want to
know what happens next. Taking her time with writing her tales, she
weaves many story layers that truly baffle you and give you just that
different perspective you did not think of before. Combine this with a
natural gift for pacing in her works, there isnt so much a beta can
correct in her works, besides leaning back and enjoy the fruits of her
creativity. Remaining true to her own writing style, reading
Minuialeths work stand out for me and are always amazing to read.
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Author: Minuialeth · ID: 427 · Races: Elves [38]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-11-29 15:06:28 Score: 10
I was pleasantly surprised to see Minuialeth drabble about a First Age
Elf. I know she most often likes to write in different eras, but she
combines this with a great drabbling technique to make sure her story
comes across. Maybe she shushed Erestor for a while to drabble this, who
knows. A major character or not, Minu lift out the elves out of their
normal stories and manages to drabble about an event we all know, but
gives it a very distinct feeling. With great writing skills, she
commands the attention to her work and keeps the attention of the reader
with an effective style and prose fitting for Elves.

Minu has the talent to write splendid stories for many categories, she
picks her character, and she studies canon and every time she presents
something truly amazing. Her voice in her works, poetry or stories, is
strong and are very convincingly delivered. Minuialeth can handle
different technical writing point of views without any visible effort.
No matter what she writes, you as a reader feel a part of the piece as
if you can observe closely what is going on. This is happening in her
drabble as well, but it applies to any work she shares with us.

Minuialeth has a natural way of writing that is truly captivating and it
is really hard to put the work down for a moment because you do want to
know what happens next. Taking her time with writing her tales, she
weaves many story layers that truly baffle you and give you just that
different perspective you did not think of before. Combine this with a
natural gift for pacing in her works, there isnt so much a beta can
correct in her works, besides leaning back and enjoy the fruits of her
creativity. Remaining true to her own writing style, Minuialeths work
stand out for me and are always amazing to read.
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Author: jodancingtree · ID: 296 · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond [31]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 15:14:17 Score: 3
jodancingtree does a good job at keeping the reader's attention over a
long tale. She has built an entire world around the AU premise that
Frodo does not sail west, and even her epics based on her OC Canohando
are an intriguing commentary on Middle-earth.
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Author: Lady Aranel · ID: 151 · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond [31]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 15:15:12 Score: 5
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: Lindelea · ID: 27 · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond [31]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 15:15:51 Score: 2
Lindelea is good at keeping a long tale interesting over several
chapters. Her hobbits are relaxing and fun, and I enjoy what I've read
of hers.
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Author: Ottis413 · ID: 635 · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond [31]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 15:17:13 Score: 4
Ottis writes dark really well -- so well that I started but found I
could not finish the one piece in this category (for personal reasons).
It sent shivers all down my spine, and the events progressed so
naturally that it was all too easy to see how Bree could have ended up
like this. It's a great skill needed in an AU. Because AU isn't an
excuse to throw canon out the window, but to change one specific fact
and let the story unfold from there. Ottis has clearly mastered that
art, and I wouldn't mind seeing more AU's from this author in the future.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Raksha the Demon · ID: 178 · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond [31]:
General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 15:17:35 Score: 4
Raksha is one of the few authors who have made Aragorn approachable for
me. As I mentioned in another review I found him too perfect before
fanfic, but through her stories I have seen him warts and all, presented
in a way that makes him seem to have more in common with me without
becoming less than the king Tolkien wrote. Its a very thin line to
walk, but Raksha does it well, providing us with a character who
resonates emotionally but still feels tied to the canon character.
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Author: Tanaqui · ID: 40 · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond [31]:
Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 15:18:02 Score: 10
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: Dreamflower · ID: 115 · Times: Late Third Age [26]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 15:19:20 Score: 2
Dreamflower writes hobbits well, keeping them light and cute but still
giving them depth. Her writing develops relationships that seem to fit
into the canon nicely.
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Author: Imhiriel · ID: 702 · Times: Late Third Age [26]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 15:21:12 Score: 4
Imhiriel brings such a sense of humanity to the earlier ages. (Not in
making the elves mortal, but in making the drama and the angst
approachable for this modern reader). And her prose is always beautiful
and displays a passion for finding just the right word to communicate an
emotion that I think Tolkien would approve of. This is especially
important in shorter pieces like drabbles, and it makes for a read that
really appeals to my inner language geek.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Nancy Brooke · ID: 105 · Times: Late Third Age [26]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 15:21:56 Score: 3
Nancy writes all aspects of Boromir's life in a way that is fun to read
and emotioanlly meaningful. Whether it is an AU drabble after his death
or as a child in Dol Amroth or others remembering him, Boromir's
personality is strongly felt in Nancy's writing.
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Author: Nilmandra · ID: 444 · Times: Late Third Age [26]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 15:22:35 Score: 2
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: pippinfan88 · ID: 331 · Times: Late Third Age [26]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 15:23:24 Score: 5
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.
-----------------------------------------
Author: annmarwalk · ID: 177 · Times: The Great Years [56]: General
Reviewer: Marta · 2006-11-29 15:24:54 Score: 10
It's a little hard to know how to describe Ann as a writer, because if I
*just* talked about what she writes then I would be ignoring the
encouraging affect she has had on so many authors, myself included,
because she is a world-class beta and reviewer. It's a truly rare
combination to find someone who can do all three effectively, but Ann
definitely qualifies. If I had to choose which of the three she's best
at I would probably choose betareading because she has it down to an
art, and I have never felt like I was losing control of my story.

Anyway, back to her writing, I do not want to underemphasize that
aspect. Her writing is always crisp as one would expect from a fine beta
reader. The mechanics are all there and her word economy i such that her
pieces never feel rushed (even in her non-drabbles, though this really
stands out in her drabbles). But what I love most about Ann's writing is
the quiet humor that seems to invade her writing, will she or no. If
there's anything I hope Ann never writes it's angst. Her stories just
all have this very natural feel to them of everyday life. From the hawt
quality of new love to the comfort of a long-stranding relationship to
the gentle jostlings of siblings to the tenderness of new parenthood --
it all feels so like real. And that makes for a very three-dimensional
world she writes.

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