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Hi all!

These will be the final two check ballots of author reviews, we still
have about 241 Story reviews left and will be posted the coming days.

Author: Marigold · ID: 98 · Races: Cross-Cultural [28]: General
Reviewer: Llinos · 2006-11-30 20:14:13 Score: 10
Marigold has grown considerably in stature as an author over the last
year or two. Renowned for her tenacious encouragement of others in the
LoTR genre, through challenges, recommendations and tireless betaing of
others work, it is good to see her establish herself as a fine and
skilful writer who can turn her hand to many different styles.

Her drabbles impressed me from the start and now she is proving to be an
adroit writer of short stories too. Certainly her love of hobbits, in
particular of Merry and especially Pippin, shines through in all she
does and that is no bad thing.

Not only that, Marigold has now proved her skill in writing dialogue, an
area she seems a trifle timid of in the beginning. Any doubts about her
ability in this area must surely have been resolved with the sparkling
wit, humour as well as heartfelt feeling she is able to produce. Her
hobbit voices, in particular, always ring true to character and
demonstrate her deep understanding of their personalities.

All these factors link well with her comprehensive knowledge of canon,
which for a long time she has put to good and effective use for the
benefit of others through her betaing and now can call upon to good
effect in her own work.

I, and I imagine the rest of the fandom, trust and hope that she will
continue to write more stories in the future as they are always a breath
of fresh air, as her love of the subject continues, unabated.

-----------------------------------------
Author: Marigold · ID: 98 · Times: The Great Years [56]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Llinos · 2006-11-30 20:15:27 Score: 10
Marigold has grown considerably in stature as an author over the last
year or two. Renowned for her tenacious encouragement of others in the
LoTR genre, through challenges, recommendations and tireless betaing of
others work, it is good to see her establish herself as a fine and
skilful writer who can turn her hand to many different styles.

Her drabbles impressed me from the start and now she is proving to be an
adroit writer of short stories too. Certainly her love of hobbits, in
particular of Merry and especially Pippin, shines through in all she
does and that is no bad thing.

Not only that, Marigold has now proved her skill in writing dialogue, an
area she seems a trifle timid of in the beginning. Any doubts about her
ability in this area must surely have been resolved with the sparkling
wit, humour as well as heartfelt feeling she is able to produce. Her
hobbit voices, in particular, always ring true to character and
demonstrate her deep understanding of their personalities.

All these factors link well with her comprehensive knowledge of canon,
which for a long time she has put to good and effective use for the
benefit of others through her betaing and now can call upon to good
effect in her own work.

I, and I imagine the rest of the fandom, trust and hope that she will
continue to write more stories in the future as they are always a breath
of fresh air, as her love of the subject continues, unabated.

-----------------------------------------
Author: Nancy Brooke · ID: 105 · Times: Late Third Age [26]: General
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-11-30 21:45:41 Score: 10
Nancy is someone who has an excellent grasp on the technical side of
writing and grammar: if you are doubting about something or wonder if
something reads right: you can always ask her. As an author I am used
with her honest and concrit reviews which always either gives you a good
insight where to improve. Nancy is often called, quite affectionately,
the Queen of grammar and punctuation on OSA. Besides that, Nancy writes
a great Boromir, but I love it when she expands her characters to the
House of Dol Amroth, important (historical) figures of the race of men
or yes& hobbits! But I know that Boromir remains her favourite
character. What I find so great about her skills as a writer is that she
can simply write an incredible background setting where she simply finds
the refined balance where simply knows where the writer ends and the
reader starts to imagine. This balance is sometimes hard to find, but
with her, it never feels overdone. Combine this with superb dialogue and
an in-depth characterisation where you are quite often treated to
aspects of a character that you never considered before. From drabbles,
vignettes to longer stories: she can do it all, which makes her an
incredible all round author.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Nancy Brooke · ID: 105 · Races: Men [73]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-11-30 21:45:58 Score: 10
Nancy is someone who has an excellent grasp on the technical side of
writing and grammar: if you are doubting about something or wonder if
something reads right: you can always ask her. As an author I am used
with her honest and concrit reviews which always either gives you a good
insight where to improve. Nancy is often called, quite affectionately,
the Queen of grammar and punctuation on OSA. Besides that, Nancy writes
a great Boromir, but I love it when she expands her characters to the
House of Dol Amroth, important (historical) figures of the race of men
or yes& hobbits! But I know that Boromir remains her favourite
character. What I find so great about her skills as a writer is that she
can simply write an incredible background setting where she simply finds
the refined balance where simply knows where the writer ends and the
reader starts to imagine. This balance is sometimes hard to find, but
with her, it never feels overdone. Combine this with superb dialogue and
an in-depth characterisation where you are quite often treated to
aspects of a character that you never considered before. From drabbles,
vignettes to longer stories: she can do it all, which makes her an
incredible all round author.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Nancy Brooke · ID: 105 · Races: Hobbits [106]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-11-30 21:52:05 Score: 10
Nancy is someone who has an excellent grasp on the technical side of
writing and grammar: if you are doubting about something or wonder if
something reads right: you can always ask her. As an author I am used
with her honest and concrit reviews which always either gives you a good
insight where to improve. Nancy is often called, quite affectionately,
the Queen of grammar and punctuation on OSA. Besides that, Nancy writes
a great Boromir, but I love it when she expands her characters to the
House of Dol Amroth, important (historical) figures of the race of men
or yes& hobbits! But I know that Boromir remains her favourite
character. What I find so great about her skills as a writer is that she
can simply write an incredible background setting where she simply finds
the refined balance where simply knows where the writer ends and the
reader starts to imagine. This balance is sometimes hard to find, but
with her, it never feels overdone. Combine this with superb dialogue and
an in-depth characterisation where you are quite often treated to
aspects of a character that you never considered before. From drabbles,
vignettes to longer stories: she can do it all, which makes her an
incredible all round author.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Robinka · ID: 598 · Times: First Age and Prior [23]:
Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-11-30 22:06:17 Score: 10
Drabbling a Valar is always something special. There is a certain tone
you have to catch, but when I read Robinkas drabbles and other stories:
she always gives the character the right voice to speak with. This is
just example of the great skills Robinka has as a writer. With ...and I
will follow you, my Captain she immediately places you on the
battlefield and the same feat she repeats skilfully with Nan Elmoth or
the First Anarchist. In her stories, Robinka loves to write her two
special marchwardens the most, but she really knows to place the elf in
the right age so to speak. There is almost nothing Robinka doesnt know
about the Sindarin elves, but the same applies to the proud Galadhrim in
the third age. I am sometimes so amazed when she tells me that in rapid
succession and with the aid of friends, she learnt the English language
rapidly which shows to me that she has a knack for comprehending
languages and knows how to master it skilfully. Of all her stories, I
love her longer stories the most because she knows how to set up
plotlines so incredibly well and she sometimes plagues you with
cliff-hangers which keep you on the lookout for the next chapter. But
her drabbles and vignette always have that specific moment as if she can
capture it with a crucial timing that makes her shorter works a treat to
read.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Robinka · ID: 598 · Times: The Great Years [56]: General
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-11-30 22:06:34 Score: 10
Drabbling a Valar is always something special. There is a certain tone
you have to catch, but when I read Robinkas drabbles and other stories:
she always gives the character the right voice to speak with. This is
just example of the great skills Robinka has as a writer. With ...and I
will follow you, my Captain she immediately places you on the
battlefield and the same feat she repeats skilfully with Nan Elmoth or
the First Anarchist. In her stories, Robinka loves to write her two
special marchwardens the most, but she really knows to place the elf in
the right age so to speak. There is almost nothing Robinka doesnt know
about the Sindarin elves, but the same applies to the proud Galadhrim in
the third age. I am sometimes so amazed when she tells me that in rapid
succession and with the aid of friends, she learnt the English language
rapidly which shows to me that she has a knack for comprehending
languages and knows how to master it skilfully. Of all her stories, I
love her longer stories the most because she knows how to set up
plotlines so incredibly well and she sometimes plagues you with
cliff-hangers which keep you on the lookout for the next chapter. But
her drabbles and vignette always have that specific moment as if she can
capture it with a crucial timing that makes her shorter works a treat to
read.
-----------------------------------------
Author: vladazhael · ID: 644 · Genres: Humor [50]: General
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-11-30 22:33:33 Score: 4
Vladazhael has this delightful sense of humour, which always shines
through in her drabbles, although I know she can write more genres than
humour alone. Vlad has this great subtleness in her works, but on the
other hand knows how to portray heart-rendering moments in a very down
to earth manner: there is no embellishment, but raw emotions that really
get to you. In that respect, Vlad has a broad range in what she can
write, but what I really appreciate in her is her clear-headedness that
always keeps you grounded.
-----------------------------------------
Author: vladazhael · ID: 644 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-11-30 22:33:50 Score: 4
Vladazhael has this delightful sense of humour, which always shines
through in her drabbles, although I know she can write more genres than
humour alone. Vlad has this great subtleness in her works, but on the
other hand knows how to portray heart-rendering moments in a very down
to earth manner: there is no embellishment, but raw emotions that really
get to you. In that respect, Vlad has a broad range in what she can
write, but what I really appreciate in her is her clear-headedness that
always keeps you grounded.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Inkling · ID: 283 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-30 22:37:37 Score: 9
Inkling's two stories display her deft hand at characterization and at
setting the mood. She does very well to use two characters with opposite
temperaments as foils--one of them confident, the other insecure, one
humble, the other proud. Although sometimes we know where our sympathies
lie immediately (and this gives us a slightly different view, perhaps,
on Shakespeare's heroes), in others, we find ourselves able to see the
way the psychological dynamics and the bad situation work to ensure that
a generous gesture could never be accepted.

Her ability to set the mood is particularly noticeable in her crossover
piece, where she conjoins Shakespeare and Tolkien to bring Tolkien's
vision of Birnam wood marching on MacBeth's stronghold to life. She
chooses her devices well--the eerie crone-witch so appropriate to that
play and symbol of the uncanny at work in the drama, is tied up with the
'old wives' tales' about the woods, which recalls the discussion between
Theoden and Gandalf. The seams between the worlds are reknit without a
trace, and the wood's effects upon the poor peasant lad leading the
too-proud army to MacBeth sets us up marvelously for the climax.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Inkling · ID: 283 · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond [31]: General
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-30 22:37:49 Score: 9
Inkling's two stories display her deft hand at characterization and at
setting the mood. She does very well to use two characters with opposite
temperaments as foils--one of them confident, the other insecure, one
humble, the other proud. Although sometimes we know where our sympathies
lie immediately (and this gives us a slightly different view, perhaps,
on Shakespeare's heroes), in others, we find ourselves able to see the
way the psychological dynamics and the bad situation work to ensure that
a generous gesture could never be accepted.

Her ability to set the mood is particularly noticeable in her crossover
piece, where she conjoins Shakespeare and Tolkien to bring Tolkien's
vision of Birnam wood marching on MacBeth's stronghold to life. She
chooses her devices well--the eerie crone-witch so appropriate to that
play and symbol of the uncanny at work in the drama, is tied up with the
'old wives' tales' about the woods, which recalls the discussion between
Theoden and Gandalf. The seams between the worlds are reknit without a
trace, and the wood's effects upon the poor peasant lad leading the
too-proud army to MacBeth sets us up marvelously for the climax.
-----------------------------------------
Author: The Bookbinder's Daughter · ID: 658 · Races: Elves [38]: General
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2006-11-30 22:38:02 Score: 5
Marvelous characterization skills, here, with one of the most enigmatic
and difficult characters in LOTR. The Bookbinder's Daughter shows a
sensitivity to the very different kinds of beings that are involved in
this drawn-out, out-of-time, and out-of-order relationship. In so doing,
she breathes life into Goldberry, who becomes an elemental creature in
her own right, with her own voice; Glorfindel meanwhile shows us the
temptation to too much patience, to waiting too long and missing the
moment of action. Atmospheric, flowing, and beautiful style, all brought
to bear on a very unusual interaction.
-----------------------------------------
Author: digdigil · ID: 558 · Genres: Alternate Universe [22]: General
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-11-30 22:51:48 Score: 8
Jenni is such an amazing writer: from light-hearted tales to tragic
romance stories she simply knows how to keep your eyes glued to the
screen. Her stories are mostly about the Feanorians and she spins her
tales in such a daring way that she can leaves you utterly shocked, but
when realisation sinks in, you are deeply touched by the way she brought
it. Her most recent story Whispers in the stream is a fine example
where she mixes the tragedy of Haleth with a steamy romance that this
character has with Caranthir. The ending of this story is full-circle,
but yet you want to read it again to savour the special bond between
every pairing she writes. Jennis writing flows and is so graceful where
her narrative gives the reader a wealth of information, but not too
much. The dialogue of every character she writes feels so well paced,
almost Tolkien-like. But most of all she excels in stories, and those
are not always set in the alternate universe, which creates a feeling
where you as a reader think: hmmm what if this or that happened. I am
always looking forward to more stories written by her.
-----------------------------------------
Author: digdigil · ID: 558 · Races: Elves [38]: General
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-11-30 22:52:07 Score: 8
Jenni is such an amazing writer: from light-hearted tales to tragic
romance stories she simply knows how to keep your eyes glued to the
screen. Her stories are mostly about the Feanorians and she spins her
tales in such a daring way that she can leaves you utterly shocked, but
when realisation sinks in, you are deeply touched by the way she brought
it. Her most recent story Whispers in the stream is a fine example
where she mixes the tragedy of Haleth with a steamy romance that this
character has with Caranthir. The ending of this story is full-circle,
but yet you want to read it again to savour the special bond between
every pairing she writes. Jennis writing flows and is so graceful where
her narrative gives the reader a wealth of information, but not too
much. The dialogue of every character she writes feels so well paced,
almost Tolkien-like. But most of all she excels in stories, and those
are not always set in the alternate universe, which creates a feeling
where you as a reader think: hmmm what if this or that happened. I am
always looking forward to more stories written by her.
-----------------------------------------
Author: digdigil · ID: 558 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-11-30 22:52:30 Score: 8
Jenni is such an amazing writer: from light-hearted tales to tragic
romance stories she simply knows how to keep your eyes glued to the
screen. Her stories are mostly about the Feanorians and she spins her
tales in such a daring way that she can leaves you utterly shocked, but
when realisation sinks in, you are deeply touched by the way she brought
it. Her most recent story Whispers in the stream is a fine example
where she mixes the tragedy of Haleth with a steamy romance that this
character has with Caranthir. The ending of this story is full-circle,
but yet you want to read it again to savour the special bond between
every pairing she writes. Jennis writing flows and is so graceful where
her narrative gives the reader a wealth of information, but not too
much. The dialogue of every character she writes feels so well paced,
almost Tolkien-like. But most of all she excels in stories, and those
are not always set in the alternate universe, which creates a feeling
where you as a reader think: hmmm what if this or that happened. I am
always looking forward to more stories written by her.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Phyncke · ID: 599 · Times: First Age and Prior [23]: General
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-11-30 22:57:50 Score: 3
Phyncke is new to the fandom, but her story Voices on the Wind is
strongly written by her. Recently she started on a new story in which
she, just in the story that competes now for the MEFAs, starts with
such an amazing setting which draws you in immediately and makes you
want to read more.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Oshun · ID: 589 · Genres: Humor [50]: General
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-11-30 23:08:48 Score: 3
Before the MEFAs I never had read a work of Oshun before, but after I
read Of All the Pretty Little Horses I was hooked. Recently Oshun
ventured into the First Age with excellent short story, so I do think
that the coming months I will be pleasantly occupied with her works,
especially her longer ones.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Gandalfs apprentice · ID: 175 · Races: Cross-Cultural [28]: General
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-11-30 23:14:41 Score: 4
Oh, I really wished I had more time to read all of Gandalfs apprentice
works that are nominated for the MEFAs. So far, I have read just a
fraction of her works, and most of those were parodies or another story
fitting in the humour category. Yet, her Celebrimbor piece shows she can
write more than humour alone, so I hope that the coming time I will be
spending more time in exploring her broad variation in stories.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Gandalfs apprentice · ID: 175 · Races: Elves [38]: Fixed-Length
Ficlet
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-11-30 23:15:06 Score: 4
Oh, I really wished I had more time to read all of Gandalfs apprentice
works that are nominated for the MEFAs. So far, I have read just a
fraction of her works, and most of those were parodies or another story
fitting in the humour category. Yet, her Celebrimbor piece shows she can
write more than humour alone, so I hope that the coming time I will be
spending more time in exploring her broad variation in stories.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Gandalfs apprentice · ID: 175 · Races: Cross-Cultural [28]:
Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-11-30 23:15:47 Score: 4
Oh, I really wished I had more time to read all of Gandalfs apprentice
works that are nominated for the MEFAs. So far, I have read just a
fraction of her works, and most of those were parodies or another story
fitting in the humour category. Her Bilbo for example is simply
delightful! Yet, her Celebrimbor piece shows she can write more than
humour alone, so I hope that the coming time I will be spending more
time in exploring her broad variation in stories.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Gandalfs apprentice · ID: 175 · Genres: Humor [50]: General
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2006-11-30 23:16:14 Score: 4
Oh, I really wished I had more time to read all of Gandalfs apprentice
works that are nominated for the MEFAs. So far, I have read just a
fraction of her works, and most of those were parodies or another story
fitting in the humour category. Yet, her Celebrimbor piece shows she can
write more than humour alone, so I hope that the coming time I will be
spending more time in exploring her broad variation in stories.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Rhapsody · ID: 279 · Genres: Humor [50]: General
Reviewer: Alassante · 2006-11-30 23:39:47 Score: 10
Rhapsody is one of the most versatile and amazing writers in Lord of the
Rings Fan Fiction that I know. She writes about so many characters and
manages to pull it off every time. Some people can only write hobbits.
Others can only write men or elves. Shes written men, elves, women,
hobbits, HORSES, even Valar and managed to nail it. In the time that I
have known her I have watched her grow so much as a writer, I am in awe.

At first I was always impressed with the fact that she was an ESL writer
and does it so well now, most people would never know English wasnt her
first language. Now that I know her as well as I do, I realize her
writing has so much of her heart and her love for each character in it.

She will research something to the very smallest detail but still
manages to put so much emotion into her writing; you dont even realize
how much research she might have done for it. Her brain and her heart
work in perfect concert together to write a story, whether it is one
hundred words long or multi-chapters, you always feel the full impact of
what she was trying to convey. I have not read one of her stories and
felt like something was missing which in drabbles and short stories is
so difficult. I personally struggle with writing short stories at all. I
cannot get all my characterizations, details, and the events all in just
a few pages. Rhapsody does not have this problem.

I also love the way she takes an itty-bitty detail or gap filler and
turns it into a real gem. Writing about a dog or horse, Fëanors letters
(Letters in the Sand), Arathorn delivering tragic news to a new widow
and her children, Bilbos growing obsession with the ring, all little
plot bunnies that she turned into a brilliantly engaging story.

Of all of her stories the one that struck me the most is Oaths
Foresworn. I do not think I can rave about this one enough. Why it
struck me so much was the emotion in it. A story that can make me cry
every time I read it and if anyone asks about stories about Maglor, it
is the first one I recommend.

Her Maglor became my Maglor in my head. She has claimed that character
and every time I read something she has written with him as her
character I know what to expect. I know him as well as I know the movie
versions of the other characters just because she has explored him in so
many different ways and from different angles, I have seen how he will
react under different circumstances. I think certain people claim
characters so well and she has done that with Maglor and is starting to
become that way with Celegorm. Her knowledge of their history is
immense. In fact her Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings knowledge in
general is extensive. I have not ever talked to her about The Hobbit
because I havent read that one yet but Im sure she has knowledge in
that as well.

I like to think of Rhapsody as the lil writer that could. Give her a
book, movie, or TV show and she will find something to write about. I
constantly wonder if she lays awake at night analyzing what was missing
from HoME that she can write about. And everyone knows about her rabid
plot bunny attacks and thankfully we all get the joy of reading about
them sooner or later.


-----------------------------------------
Author: Rhapsody · ID: 279 · Genres: Romance [51]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Alassante · 2006-11-30 23:40:10 Score: 10
Rhapsody is one of the most versatile and amazing writers in Lord of the
Rings Fan Fiction that I know. She writes about so many characters and
manages to pull it off every time. Some people can only write hobbits.
Others can only write men or elves. Shes written men, elves, women,
hobbits, HORSES, even Valar and managed to nail it. In the time that I
have known her I have watched her grow so much as a writer, I am in awe.

At first I was always impressed with the fact that she was an ESL writer
and does it so well now, most people would never know English wasnt her
first language. Now that I know her as well as I do, I realize her
writing has so much of her heart and her love for each character in it.

She will research something to the very smallest detail but still
manages to put so much emotion into her writing; you dont even realize
how much research she might have done for it. Her brain and her heart
work in perfect concert together to write a story, whether it is one
hundred words long or multi-chapters, you always feel the full impact of
what she was trying to convey. I have not read one of her stories and
felt like something was missing which in drabbles and short stories is
so difficult. I personally struggle with writing short stories at all. I
cannot get all my characterizations, details, and the events all in just
a few pages. Rhapsody does not have this problem.

I also love the way she takes an itty-bitty detail or gap filler and
turns it into a real gem. Writing about a dog or horse, Fëanors letters
(Letters in the Sand), Arathorn delivering tragic news to a new widow
and her children, Bilbos growing obsession with the ring, all little
plot bunnies that she turned into a brilliantly engaging story.

Of all of her stories the one that struck me the most is Oaths
Foresworn. I do not think I can rave about this one enough. Why it
struck me so much was the emotion in it. A story that can make me cry
every time I read it and if anyone asks about stories about Maglor, it
is the first one I recommend.

Her Maglor became my Maglor in my head. She has claimed that character
and every time I read something she has written with him as her
character I know what to expect. I know him as well as I know the movie
versions of the other characters just because she has explored him in so
many different ways and from different angles, I have seen how he will
react under different circumstances. I think certain people claim
characters so well and she has done that with Maglor and is starting to
become that way with Celegorm. Her knowledge of their history is
immense. In fact her Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings knowledge in
general is extensive. I have not ever talked to her about The Hobbit
because I havent read that one yet but Im sure she has knowledge in
that as well.

I like to think of Rhapsody as the lil writer that could. Give her a
book, movie, or TV show and she will find something to write about. I
constantly wonder if she lays awake at night analyzing what was missing
from HoME that she can write about. And everyone knows about her rabid
plot bunny attacks and thankfully we all get the joy of reading about
them sooner or later.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Rhapsody · ID: 279 · Times: First Age and Prior [23]: General
Reviewer: Alassante · 2006-11-30 23:41:03 Score: 10
Rhapsody is one of the most versatile and amazing writers in Lord of the
Rings Fan Fiction that I know. She writes about so many characters and
manages to pull it off every time. Some people can only write hobbits.
Others can only write men or elves. Shes written men, elves, women,
hobbits, HORSES, even Valar and managed to nail it. In the time that I
have known her I have watched her grow so much as a writer, I am in awe.

At first I was always impressed with the fact that she was an ESL writer
and does it so well now, most people would never know English wasnt her
first language. Now that I know her as well as I do, I realize her
writing has so much of her heart and her love for each character in it.

She will research something to the very smallest detail but still
manages to put so much emotion into her writing; you dont even realize
how much research she might have done for it. Her brain and her heart
work in perfect concert together to write a story, whether it is one
hundred words long or multi-chapters, you always feel the full impact of
what she was trying to convey. I have not read one of her stories and
felt like something was missing which in drabbles and short stories is
so difficult. I personally struggle with writing short stories at all. I
cannot get all my characterizations, details, and the events all in just
a few pages. Rhapsody does not have this problem.

I also love the way she takes an itty-bitty detail or gap filler and
turns it into a real gem. Writing about a dog or horse, Fëanors letters
(Letters in the Sand), Arathorn delivering tragic news to a new widow
and her children, Bilbos growing obsession with the ring, all little
plot bunnies that she turned into a brilliantly engaging story.

Of all of her stories the one that struck me the most is Oaths
Foresworn. I do not think I can rave about this one enough. Why it
struck me so much was the emotion in it. A story that can make me cry
every time I read it and if anyone asks about stories about Maglor, it
is the first one I recommend.

Her Maglor became my Maglor in my head. She has claimed that character
and every time I read something she has written with him as her
character I know what to expect. I know him as well as I know the movie
versions of the other characters just because she has explored him in so
many different ways and from different angles, I have seen how he will
react under different circumstances. I think certain people claim
characters so well and she has done that with Maglor and is starting to
become that way with Celegorm. Her knowledge of their history is
immense. In fact her Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings knowledge in
general is extensive. I have not ever talked to her about The Hobbit
because I havent read that one yet but Im sure she has knowledge in
that as well.

I like to think of Rhapsody as the lil writer that could. Give her a
book, movie, or TV show and she will find something to write about. I
constantly wonder if she lays awake at night analyzing what was missing
from HoME that she can write about. And everyone knows about her rabid
plot bunny attacks and thankfully we all get the joy of reading about
them sooner or later.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Rhapsody · ID: 279 · Races: Elves [38]: General
Reviewer: Alassante · 2006-11-30 23:41:26 Score: 10
Rhapsody is one of the most versatile and amazing writers in Lord of the
Rings Fan Fiction that I know. She writes about so many characters and
manages to pull it off every time. Some people can only write hobbits.
Others can only write men or elves. Shes written men, elves, women,
hobbits, HORSES, even Valar and managed to nail it. In the time that I
have known her I have watched her grow so much as a writer, I am in awe.

At first I was always impressed with the fact that she was an ESL writer
and does it so well now, most people would never know English wasnt her
first language. Now that I know her as well as I do, I realize her
writing has so much of her heart and her love for each character in it.

She will research something to the very smallest detail but still
manages to put so much emotion into her writing; you dont even realize
how much research she might have done for it. Her brain and her heart
work in perfect concert together to write a story, whether it is one
hundred words long or multi-chapters, you always feel the full impact of
what she was trying to convey. I have not read one of her stories and
felt like something was missing which in drabbles and short stories is
so difficult. I personally struggle with writing short stories at all. I
cannot get all my characterizations, details, and the events all in just
a few pages. Rhapsody does not have this problem.

I also love the way she takes an itty-bitty detail or gap filler and
turns it into a real gem. Writing about a dog or horse, Fëanors letters
(Letters in the Sand), Arathorn delivering tragic news to a new widow
and her children, Bilbos growing obsession with the ring, all little
plot bunnies that she turned into a brilliantly engaging story.

Of all of her stories the one that struck me the most is Oaths
Foresworn. I do not think I can rave about this one enough. Why it
struck me so much was the emotion in it. A story that can make me cry
every time I read it and if anyone asks about stories about Maglor, it
is the first one I recommend.

Her Maglor became my Maglor in my head. She has claimed that character
and every time I read something she has written with him as her
character I know what to expect. I know him as well as I know the movie
versions of the other characters just because she has explored him in so
many different ways and from different angles, I have seen how he will
react under different circumstances. I think certain people claim
characters so well and she has done that with Maglor and is starting to
become that way with Celegorm. Her knowledge of their history is
immense. In fact her Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings knowledge in
general is extensive. I have not ever talked to her about The Hobbit
because I havent read that one yet but Im sure she has knowledge in
that as well.

I like to think of Rhapsody as the lil writer that could. Give her a
book, movie, or TV show and she will find something to write about. I
constantly wonder if she lays awake at night analyzing what was missing
from HoME that she can write about. And everyone knows about her rabid
plot bunny attacks and thankfully we all get the joy of reading about
them sooner or later.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Rhapsody · ID: 279 · Times: First Age and Prior [23]:
Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: Alassante · 2006-11-30 23:41:47 Score: 10
Rhapsody is one of the most versatile and amazing writers in Lord of the
Rings Fan Fiction that I know. She writes about so many characters and
manages to pull it off every time. Some people can only write hobbits.
Others can only write men or elves. Shes written men, elves, women,
hobbits, HORSES, even Valar and managed to nail it. In the time that I
have known her I have watched her grow so much as a writer, I am in awe.

At first I was always impressed with the fact that she was an ESL writer
and does it so well now, most people would never know English wasnt her
first language. Now that I know her as well as I do, I realize her
writing has so much of her heart and her love for each character in it.

She will research something to the very smallest detail but still
manages to put so much emotion into her writing; you dont even realize
how much research she might have done for it. Her brain and her heart
work in perfect concert together to write a story, whether it is one
hundred words long or multi-chapters, you always feel the full impact of
what she was trying to convey. I have not read one of her stories and
felt like something was missing which in drabbles and short stories is
so difficult. I personally struggle with writing short stories at all. I
cannot get all my characterizations, details, and the events all in just
a few pages. Rhapsody does not have this problem.

I also love the way she takes an itty-bitty detail or gap filler and
turns it into a real gem. Writing about a dog or horse, Fëanors letters
(Letters in the Sand), Arathorn delivering tragic news to a new widow
and her children, Bilbos growing obsession with the ring, all little
plot bunnies that she turned into a brilliantly engaging story.

Of all of her stories the one that struck me the most is Oaths
Foresworn. I do not think I can rave about this one enough. Why it
struck me so much was the emotion in it. A story that can make me cry
every time I read it and if anyone asks about stories about Maglor, it
is the first one I recommend.

Her Maglor became my Maglor in my head. She has claimed that character
and every time I read something she has written with him as her
character I know what to expect. I know him as well as I know the movie
versions of the other characters just because she has explored him in so
many different ways and from different angles, I have seen how he will
react under different circumstances. I think certain people claim
characters so well and she has done that with Maglor and is starting to
become that way with Celegorm. Her knowledge of their history is
immense. In fact her Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings knowledge in
general is extensive. I have not ever talked to her about The Hobbit
because I havent read that one yet but Im sure she has knowledge in
that as well.

I like to think of Rhapsody as the lil writer that could. Give her a
book, movie, or TV show and she will find something to write about. I
constantly wonder if she lays awake at night analyzing what was missing
from HoME that she can write about. And everyone knows about her rabid
plot bunny attacks and thankfully we all get the joy of reading about
them sooner or later.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Rhapsody · ID: 279 · Genres: Drama [107]: General
Reviewer: Alassante · 2006-11-30 23:42:23 Score: 10
Rhapsody is one of the most versatile and amazing writers in Lord of the
Rings Fan Fiction that I know. She writes about so many characters and
manages to pull it off every time. Some people can only write hobbits.
Others can only write men or elves. Shes written men, elves, women,
hobbits, HORSES, even Valar and managed to nail it. In the time that I
have known her I have watched her grow so much as a writer, I am in awe.

At first I was always impressed with the fact that she was an ESL writer
and does it so well now, most people would never know English wasnt her
first language. Now that I know her as well as I do, I realize her
writing has so much of her heart and her love for each character in it.

She will research something to the very smallest detail but still
manages to put so much emotion into her writing; you dont even realize
how much research she might have done for it. Her brain and her heart
work in perfect concert together to write a story, whether it is one
hundred words long or multi-chapters, you always feel the full impact of
what she was trying to convey. I have not read one of her stories and
felt like something was missing which in drabbles and short stories is
so difficult. I personally struggle with writing short stories at all. I
cannot get all my characterizations, details, and the events all in just
a few pages. Rhapsody does not have this problem.

I also love the way she takes an itty-bitty detail or gap filler and
turns it into a real gem. Writing about a dog or horse, Fëanors letters
(Letters in the Sand), Arathorn delivering tragic news to a new widow
and her children, Bilbos growing obsession with the ring, all little
plot bunnies that she turned into a brilliantly engaging story.

Of all of her stories the one that struck me the most is Oaths
Foresworn. I do not think I can rave about this one enough. Why it
struck me so much was the emotion in it. A story that can make me cry
every time I read it and if anyone asks about stories about Maglor, it
is the first one I recommend.

Her Maglor became my Maglor in my head. She has claimed that character
and every time I read something she has written with him as her
character I know what to expect. I know him as well as I know the movie
versions of the other characters just because she has explored him in so
many different ways and from different angles, I have seen how he will
react under different circumstances. I think certain people claim
characters so well and she has done that with Maglor and is starting to
become that way with Celegorm. Her knowledge of their history is
immense. In fact her Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings knowledge in
general is extensive. I have not ever talked to her about The Hobbit
because I havent read that one yet but Im sure she has knowledge in
that as well.

I like to think of Rhapsody as the lil writer that could. Give her a
book, movie, or TV show and she will find something to write about. I
constantly wonder if she lays awake at night analyzing what was missing
from HoME that she can write about. And everyone knows about her rabid
plot bunny attacks and thankfully we all get the joy of reading about
them sooner or later.
-----------------------------------------
Author: stefaniab · ID: 581 · Genres: Romance [51]: General
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-11-30 23:43:31 Score: 6
Steff has a very pleasing sense of the down-to-earth amidst the magical
elements of Middle-earth, how things sound and feel and smell. She does
not neglect the magical and grand, and her description of the fallout of
the eruption of Mt. Doom is excellent; and her treatment of Faramir's
visionary capacity is interesting, fitting the brisk tone of her story
"Avoidance" perfectly.

Steff mingles the elements of movie-LOTR and the book with her own
considerable imagination; and comes up with a stronger and more
believable Faramir than Peter Jackson did.

But it is her short story, [17 Cunning Corsairs], that really caught my
eye. There, she takes the reader into the mind of a young girl, in a
Middle-earth moment never scripted by Tolkien or filmed by PJ, and
illuminates it with great charm.

I look forward to seeing more stories of varying lengths from her in the
future.
-----------------------------------------
Author: stefaniab · ID: 581 · Genres: Humor [50]: General
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-11-30 23:44:25 Score: 6
Steff has a very pleasing sense of the down-to-earth amidst the magical
elements of Middle-earth, how things sound and feel and smell. She does
not neglect the magical and grand, and her description of the fallout of
the eruption of Mt. Doom is excellent; and her treatment of Faramir's
visionary capacity is interesting, fitting the brisk tone of her story
"Avoidance" perfectly.

Steff mingles the elements of movie-LOTR and the book with her own
considerable imagination; and comes up with a stronger and more
believable Faramir than Peter Jackson did.

But it is her short story, {17 Cunning Corsairs} , that really caught my
eye. There, she takes the reader into the mind of a young girl, in a
Middle-earth moment never scripted by Tolkien or filmed by PJ, and
illuminates it with great charm.

I look forward to seeing more stories of varying lengths from her in the
future.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Nesta · ID: 595 · Races: Men [73]: General
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-11-30 23:57:48 Score: 3
Nesta is a fiercely book-canon Faramirist, and a multifaceted, extremely
talented writer. Her main strengths are dialogue and the conveyence of
emotion in a subtle but strong way that shows, rather than tells, and
enraptures the reader instead of overpowering the reader.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Nesta · ID: 595 · Genres: Romance [51]: General
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2006-11-30 23:59:01 Score: 3
Nesta is a fiercely book-canon Faramirist, and a multifaceted, extremely
talented writer. Her main strengths are dialogue and the conveyence of
emotion in a subtle but strong way that shows, rather than tells, and
enraptures the reader instead of overpowering the reader.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Rhapsody/Robinka CoAuthors · ID: 643 · Times: First Age and
Prior [23]: General
Reviewer: Alassante · 2006-11-30 23:59:59 Score: 10
Rhapsody is one of the most versatile and amazing writers in Lord of the
Rings Fan Fiction that I know. She writes about so many characters and
manages to pull it off every time. In the time that I have known her I
have watched her grow so much as a writer, I am in awe.

At first I was always impressed with the fact that she was an ESL writer
and does it so well now, most people would never know English wasnt her
first language. Now that I know her as well as I do, I realize her
writing has so much of her heart and her love for each character in it.

She will research something to the very smallest detail but still
manages to put so much emotion into her writing; you dont even realize
how much research she might have done for it. Her brain and her heart
work in perfect concert together to write a story, whether it is one
hundred words long or multi-chapters, you always feel the full impact of
what she was trying to convey. I have not read one of her stories and
felt like something was missing which in drabbles and short stories is
so difficult. I personally struggle with writing short stories at all. I
cannot get all my characterizations, details, and the events all in just
a few pages. Rhapsody does not have this problem.

Her Maglor became my Maglor in my head. She has claimed that character
and every time I read something she has written with him as her
character I know what to expect. I know him as well as I know the movie
versions of the other characters just because she has explored him in so
many different ways and from different angles, I have seen how he will
react under different circumstances. I think certain people claim
characters so well and she has done that with Maglor and is starting to
become that way with Celegorm. Her knowledge of their history is
immense. In fact her Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings knowledge in
general is extensive. I have not ever talked to her about The Hobbit
because I havent read that one yet but Im sure she has knowledge in
that as well. I love her Feanorians in this story. Each are uniquely
wonderful and she brings so much to their characters.

Robinka is a newer writer and she has done amazingly well. I can
remember her someone shy entry into writing Lord of the Rings fanfiction
in English. She worked so hard to learn so much and so quickly. She find
out a smaller character in the Silmarillion to latch onto and it was
Beleg. I did not even remember him that well from the Silm until I
started reading him through her eyes. Then he really made an impression
on me. She has really outdone herself in this story. Taking her love of
Beleg one-step further and creating the epic what if he didnt die story.

I cannot wait to see where the two of them go with this story. With
Robinkas love of Beleg and Rhapsodys love of the Feanorians combined
in one story, its going to be wonderful. They have meshed their writing
together beautifully so that it is almost seemless. Once again, two ESL
writers kicking butts in LOTR fanfiction. Pouring heart, research,
creativity, and damn hard work into every line and working it masterfully.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Indigo Bunting · ID: 590 · Races: Cross-Cultural [28]: General
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 4
This is the only story by Indigo Bunting with which I am familiar, but I
hope someday to come across more fic by her, for she is extremely
talented in writing action/adventure. Her descriptions of action are
very vivid, and place one right in the scene, wincing at every blow, or
rejoicing in every rescue, right along with the characters. She also has
a wonderful grasp of the canon characters of the Fellowship, and a sure
handle on their interactions.
-----------------------------------------
Author: grey_wonderer · ID: 62 · Genres: Humor [50]: General
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2006-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 5
If there is one writer who can be counted on to not merely put a smile
on my face, but to give me an outright, ROTFL belly laugh, it has to be
Grey Wonderer. She has such a skewed way of looking at things, that
result in the most hilarious situations--she excels at slapstick, banter
and practical jokes. And yet, underneath it all, there is the deep core
of love between the characters, most especially Merry and Pippin, but
for Frodo and Sam and others as well. No matter how much they tease, or
what sort of prank they play, at the end of the day, they know they can
rely on one another to come through. There are a number of excellent
tales from her nominated, but she's got so many more lovely, funny
stories worth exploring!
-----------------------------------------
Author: Nilmandra · ID: 444 · Times: Multi-Age [6]: General
Reviewer: dkpalaska · 2006-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 10
Nilmandra has a lock on some characterizations in my mind, namely
Elrond, Celebrian and Arwen. Aragorn, Glorfindel, Erestor, the twins and
Celeborn and Galadriel carry pretty strong impressions for me as well,
but I think my vision of E/C/A will always be colored to some extent by
her interpretations, no matter which author's story I am reading.

Her Elrond is so well developed and well thought-out that he seems
straight out of Tolkien's mind. Nilmandra thoroughly and believably
shows his growth in mind, body and spirit over the ages. For all that,
however, my favorites are how she has crafted Arwen and her mother. Both
are given so little time in Tolkien's works that there is a lot of room
for interpretation, and I love that Nilmandra has shown them as strong,
capable, intelligent beings in their own right, perfect compliments to
the powerful men they marry.

The other feature I adore in Nilmandra's stories is her exhaustive
research into everything Tolkien wrote on the subjects/era that she is
exploring. She constantly pulls in obscure references and makes
interpolations that are not only plausible, but often end up striking me
as *having* to be the "right" way to view things. I think this is
particularly impressive in her ["History Lessons: The Third Age"]
because she is filling gaps left in the very thorough and very well read
LotR trilogy, and I never felt even the semblance of a conflict or
"smoothing over" with the canon story. I enjoy reading her author's
notes and responses to reader questions, as I always come away having
learned something or seeing a connection where before I had not.

Nilmandra's writing style is personal and warm, drawing me in and making
me feel like I am part of the family life and friendships that she
portrays; and her stories are populated by noble characters that I would
love to know in real life, even if they *weren't* Elrond and crew.
-----------------------------------------
Author: daw the minstrel · ID: 176 · Races: Elves [38]: General
Reviewer: nau_tika · 2006-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 4
This author has done an amazing job of creating a family and an extended
family for Legolas. She has brought him from childhood, after his
mother's death to Imladris and the Council of Elrond and beyond. She's
educated me and entertained me. I highly recommend her stories, which
are of various lengths and are sometimes heart-breaking and sometimes
hilarious.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Dreamflower · ID: 115 · Genres: Non-Fiction [5]: General
Reviewer: Lindelea · 2006-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 4
Dreamflower is one who does her homework. She combs canon for subtleties
and nuances of meaning, as well as outright statements, and brings new
insights to familiar characters, especially the hobbits she holds dear.
I especially appreciate her bringing to our attention parts of JRRT's
letters that add depth and wealth to a fanfic author/reader's
understanding of Shire customs and background.
-----------------------------------------
Author: Branwyn · ID: 240 · Genres: Adventure [10]: General
Reviewer: dkpalaska · 2006-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 4
I had not read much, if any, of Branwyn's works before the MEFAs, but I
have definitely added her to my list of authors that I check on
frequently. She is deft with descriptions (full and evocative without
being overwhelming), characterizations and PoVs (powerful, distinct,
often utterly delightful), and tone and style (fitting for whatever
subject she is addressing). I particularly enjoyed her Denethor. A
talented and well-rounded author!
-----------------------------------------
Author: Branwyn · ID: 240 · Genres: Drama [107]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: dkpalaska · 2006-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 4
I had not read much, if any, of Branwyn's works before the MEFAs, but I
have definitely added her to my list of authors that I check on
frequently. She is deft with descriptions (full and evocative without
being overwhelming), characterizations and PoVs (powerful, distinct,
often utterly delightful), and tone and style (fitting for whatever
subject she is addressing). I particularly enjoyed her Denethor. A
talented and well-rounded author!
-----------------------------------------
Author: Branwyn · ID: 240 · Genres: Romance [51]: General
Reviewer: dkpalaska · 2006-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 5
I had not read much, if any, of Branwyn's works before the MEFAs, but I
have definitely added her to my list of authors that I check on
frequently. She is deft with descriptions (full and evocative without
being overwhelming), characterizations and PoVs (powerful, distinct,
often utterly delightful), and tone and style (fitting for whatever
subject she is addressing). I particularly enjoyed her Denethor. For
this specific category, I'd like to add that she also exhibits a
wonderful talent for depicting sensuality in a form both tasteful and
entertaining. A talented and well-rounded author!
-----------------------------------------
Author: Branwyn · ID: 240 · Races: Men [73]: General
Reviewer: dkpalaska · 2006-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 4
I had not read much, if any, of Branwyn's works before the MEFAs, but I
have definitely added her to my list of authors that I check on
frequently. She is deft with descriptions (full and evocative without
being overwhelming), characterizations and PoVs (powerful, distinct,
often utterly delightful), and tone and style (fitting for whatever
subject she is addressing). I particularly enjoyed her Denethor. A
talented and well-rounded author!
-----------------------------------------
Author: Branwyn · ID: 240 · Times: The Great Years [56]: Fixed-Length Ficlet
Reviewer: dkpalaska · 2006-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 4
I had not read much, if any, of Branwyn's works before the MEFAs, but I
have definitely added her to my list of authors that I check on
frequently. She is deft with descriptions (full and evocative without
being overwhelming), characterizations and PoVs (powerful, distinct,
often utterly delightful), and tone and style (fitting for whatever
subject she is addressing). I particularly enjoyed her Denethor. A
talented and well-rounded author!
-----------------------------------------