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Title: The Essence of Fire · Author: Rhapsody · Genres: Drama: General
Drabble · ID: 278
Reviewer: Linda hoyland · 2007-08-02 20:58:17
A well written and thought provoking drabble on the ambiguity of fire.
Fire is the most mysterious element,both creative and destructive and
Curufin's character shows all these ambiguities both in passion and
destruction.

Title: Thinking of Marigold · Author: grey_wonderer · Genres: Humor ·
ID: 349
Reviewer: Linda hoyland · 2007-08-02 21:00:39
An amusing tale concerning the folly of thinking of pretty girls while
naked for young Hobbits.Maybe Pippin should think of flowers instead !
I don't think, from what I recall of the book though, that frodo lost
his clothes,just the other three. Naughty but nice !

Title: Could Will Have Its Way · Author: Nancy Brooke · Races: Men:
Gondor Drabble · ID: 286
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-08-02 22:19:18
Intriguing look at Denethor's reason for starting to look into the
palantir. The reason revealed in this drabble makes a lot of sense,
given Denethor's life and what he has most prized.

Excellent characterisation of Denethor; I could almost hear him
thinking the words...And good framing with the first and last lines.


Title: The Lesson · Author: Branwyn · Genres: Drama: Gondor Drabble ·
ID: 29
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-08-02 22:25:20


This drabble is one of the best-crafted I have seen of this very
specific form of ficlet. The craftsmanship is subtle; the reader
doesn't realize it, but if you look, it's there; and adds to the
effect. The drabble is a wonderful bit of introspection perfectly
framed by an action sequence - beginning, middle and end all linked by
the lesson that Faramir has learned and is now putting to use.

Faramir is written perfectly in character here - he is at once the
calm, seasoned, warrior and hunter of foes, and the philospher-prince
who understands the price that warriors pay, and regrets it, though he
knows there is no choice. There's a faint tinge of irony and regret
that is very Faramirish...

Beautiful, quiet and effective.


Title: Geometry · Author: Branwyn · Genres: Drama: Gondor Drabble · ID: 80
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-08-02 22:28:38
This piece is a stark drabble that uses geometry as Faramir's metaphor
to summarize the relationships between himself and his father and
brother, and the effect on that [lopsided triangle] when one side is
removed.

The days of Boromir's absence must have been increasingly hard on the
father whose favorite son he was; and the brother who loved him. This
drabble presents, with a minimum of well-chosen words, the sorrowful
spectacle of a broken family, in geometrical shapes, and the naked
truth of [diverging angles].

The excellent characterisation of Faramir and Denethor seems
effortless. Faramir's thoughts are particularly well-written, and,
well...Faramirish. Denethor's reaction to Boromir's loss seems right
on target.

Excellent use of the challenge prompt!

Title: A Song of Silence · Author: Nessime · Races: Men · ID: 156
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2007-08-03 13:39:41
Wow. This is quite a moving tale. It unfolds nicely and at just the
right counterpoint to the near panic of the city's evacuation. Your
women are so strong, and it is very touching to me that the narrator
would think of her mother-in-law's greatest treasure at a time when
their very lives are at stake. There is so much love in this story,
and it is well expressed in very few words, which I sometimes find
hard to do as I write. I actually grew misty eyed when her son
returned and mounted, then again when Deorwyn made so clear her
perspective without any words. An excellent short piece.

Title: The Case of the Purloined Mushrooms · Author: Inkling · Genres:
Mystery · ID: 298
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2007-08-03 13:48:39
You have no idea how delightful I find this story! Believe it or not,
my family owned a mostly black beagle which hunted mushrooms for my
father in the woods near our house. He never ate any since some, of
course, are dangerous, but my father and I are *quite* fond of wild
whites, and have had a hard time finding them since the dog passed
away. This tale of yours brought back so many happy memories for me,
I'll be bookmarking it as a favorite.

As for the story itself, your narrator is quite engaging, though I am
most impressed by how well you write cranky old woman hobbits. Lobelia
and Dora squaring off in front of the fireplace is an image that
promises to stay with me for days! All the complexities of the Baggins
and Brandybuck families were present in a very nicely understated way,
and already Sam's loyalty to Frodo is apparent, as is his honesty and
trustworthiness. It was just so... hobbity! A great pleasure to read,
and I am sure I will do so again.

Title: Belonging · Author: Bodkin · Genres: Romance: Second Age or
Earlier · ID: 422
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-08-03 20:11:21
A sweet interlude in the marriage of Elrond and Celebrian, as they
camp out and enjoy the beauties of nature and each other. There's a
wistfulness underneath it all, in that the author succeeds in driving
home the couple's happiness and their hopes for the future and the
reader knows that this happiness will be, ultimately, bittersweet.

Nicely done, as usual, from this excellent writer.

Title: Worship · Author: Marta · Genres: Drama: General Drabble · ID: 586
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-08-03 20:12:43
Tuor is unfortunately not written about as much as some of Tolkien's
other Men; which is unfair, since he was a great and influential hero.
In this drabble, Marta spotlights Tuor's thralldom in the hands of the
Easterlings.

Marta skillfully reveals Tuor's intransigeant, independant and brave
spirit. He cannot directly fight the superior physical force of his
captors; but finds a way to circumvent them and keep his hope, and his
beliefs, alive.


Title: The Bearing of Burdens · Author: Larner · Races:
Cross-Cultural: Gondor · ID: 792
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-08-03 20:17:27
I think this might be the only time that Larner has written a story
from the point of view of Faramir.

I hope it will not be the last.

Larner writes the Captain-Steward-Prince with her customary blend of
sensitivity and perception. His conversation with Sam is well-written,
as I would expect from someone as skilled with dialogue as is Larner.
Sam and Faramir came through troubled waters to a state of
understanding and mutual respect in TTT, and it is nicely reprised
here, now that both are safe and the Enemy fallen (and that pesky Ring
gone for good).

I love Sam's emphasis on how important Faramir's kindness and
friendship was to Frodo in Ithilien. I agree; and have always thought
that Faramir gave spiritual sustenance to the weary hobbits as well as
physical provender - but Larner, through Sam, expresses it much better
than I can here.

Title: Great and Terrible · Author: Tanaqui · Races: Men: General
Drabble · ID: 721
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-08-03 20:18:55
Tanaqui shows us, in a mere hundred words, how great and terrible
Aragorn could truly be as Lord of the Ring, in this Alternate Universe
drabble.

Of course he takes it with the best of intentions. And thereby wends
the road to Hell.

I particularly liked the line about Denethor bowing to Aragorn - it
kind of brought chills to my spine...

Very good sketch of the consequences of well-meant but poor judgement.






Title: The Company of Heroes · Author: annmarwalk · Races: Hobbits:
Children · ID: 393
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-08-03 20:20:23
I love the way Annmarwalk captures the dynamic of the Gamgee children
- happy, busy, and fanatics for stories, like their father. Stories
where the true events of chronicled in LOTR are translated into
children's tales and legends for others fascinate me; and this is a
fine example; especially since Sam is present.

I disagree with Sam's conclusion that he and Boromir [were all like
mummers in a play], their parts chosen before they ever were born - I
have seen this before in various other LOTR fanfics; perhaps because
so many love Boromir, whose courage and heroic death is undeniable, as
a character. However, it makes sense that Sam might come to this
conclusion; and the story works very well.


After all these years, thinking about how it all happened, and how it
might have happened differently, I can see that Lord Boromir had a
part to play, just like that stinking Gollum did. Maybe it was all
written out for us, long before we were ever born, and we were like
mummers in a play.

Title: First Flight · Author: Isabeau of Greenlea · Times: Mid Third
Age: 2851 - 3017 TA: Other Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 513
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-08-03 20:22:03
A spirited ficlet about the first flight of two famous Eagles;
attended by their (OC) proud parents and a radiant Radagast.
Well-written, lively and quite entertaining; with the Eagle family
behaving like, well, wise, sentient giant birds of prey.

Nice characterisation of Radagast as well, in his role as protector of
birds and beasts.

Title: Comforting Silence · Author: Radbooks · Times: Fourth Age and
Beyond: Gondor or Rohan · ID: 157
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-08-03 20:24:18
A good and perceptive look at the characters of Faramir and Aragorn as
seen through the lens of intense grief - Faramir's for the loss of
Eowyn. The grief process differs for everyone, and the author
recognizes that, and paints a vivid picture of a bereft widower
exhausted by the aftermath of his beloved wife's death. Aragorn is
well-written here; he knows just how to handle Faramir's grief and
weariness.

I liked Faramir's frustration about not being able to find the right
words, when words had always come so easily, to voice his feelings for
Eowyn. That would be typical of the character...

Title: Foreign Ways · Author: annmarwalk · Genres: Humor: Gondor or
Rohan · ID: 54
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-08-03 20:35:13
A heart-warming (and stomach-warming!) paean to the multicultural
bridges forged by love of interesting foods. Mag the Cook is a
beguiling, credible OFC who has appeared in several of the writer's
stories, and is delightful as the narrator in this piece, interacting
with Eowyn in the early years of the Fourth Age.

And the culinary snippets and tips are well-researched, and only add
to Mag's considerable charm.

Title: Heart of Lamedon · Author: Nancy Brooke · Races: Men: Gondor
Drabble · ID: 288
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-08-03 20:38:52
A fine drabble from the viewpoint of Angbor, through whose domain
Aragorn brings hope and horror on the way to save Minas Tirith.
Angbor's pride and courage when facing a frightening situation are
nicely brought out here. I loved the line: [Death comes down in a cold
gale driven by this ragged eagle of a man.]

This is an uncommon subject for a Tolkien drabble, and well worth a
second, and third, look. Also, it's one of my favorite pieces by its
skilled author.

Title: Comforting Silence · Author: Radbooks · Times: Fourth Age and
Beyond: Gondor or Rohan · ID: 157
Reviewer: Linda hoyland · 2007-08-04 00:55:17
This is a deeply moving story about a topic,whic many of us shy
from,the agony of losing a loved one. At such times friends often say
the wrong thing,or worse avoid the breaved person.
In this story, the writer shows how Aragorn is able to offer the
bereaved Faramir comfort,simply by being there as a comforting presence.
The reader is left with the impression that the widowed Steward will
in time be able to deal with his loss.We could all do with a friend
like Aragorn in times of need !

Title: "Dumpling" · Author: grey_wonderer · Genres: Humor: The Shire
or Buckland · ID: 777
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-08-04 01:51:35
Young Merry has a bad day with a recalcitrant sheep, a bored dog,
Pearl Took and her little brother.

Funny, though not for poor Merry, who just cannot get any respect from
hobbit or beast...

Title: The Stranger · Author: mistycracraft · Races: Men: Eriador or
Rivendell · ID: 89
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-08-04 01:54:00
Excellent vignette about a young man's first encounter with the
mysterious Ranger Strider. The author makes wonderful use of Strider's
capacity to appear sinister, the aura of danger that surrounds him,
and his frankly dangerous look; all of which would at least intimidate
many provincial men.

But the story is not all about danger, and picks up on one of
Tolkien's themes that one should not always judge a book by its cover...

Title: The Third Eagle · Author: Imhiriel · Times: Late Third Age:
3018-3022 TA: General Drabble · ID: 630
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-08-04 05:57:15
A bird's-eye view of the rescue of Frodo and Sam from Mount Doom -
that is to say, a very BIG bird.

I would have liked to see an expanded version, if only because
Tolkien's Eagles are such neat critters, but this drabble works well
as it is, with an excellent last line. Meneldor's determination,
compassion, and disappointment are credibly written.

Title: Rauros, golden Rauros-falls · Author: Imhiriel · Genres: Humor:
Drabble · ID: 624
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-08-04 05:59:12
Boromir lives!

Oops. Well, maybe he should have stayed dead.

Excellent variation on the familiar fanfic theme of Boromir! Lives!
Dramatic, logical, and so tragic. And I still laugh every time I read it.

Title: Knave of Hearts · Author: grey_wonderer · Genres: Humor:
Children · ID: 252
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2007-08-04 12:22:08
This is why I no longer baby sit! I can't imagine having to try to
keep up with a hobbit faunt in *any* way, let alone keeping him away
from food! A delightful little slice of life story that gave me a good
chuckle. Very nicely done.

Title: Still Waters. · Author: Ellie · Times: First Age and Prior:
House of Fingolfin · ID: 529
Reviewer: Istarnie · 2007-08-04 14:18:30
I have enjoyed every story I have read by this author. She has a way
of conveying the personality of the characters that is realistic,
interesting and beautiful. This story I find particularly poignant. It
is one of only three tales I have read that focuses on Anairë, wife of
Fingolfin. She is a character about whom little is known; yet Ellie
manages to give her a history and background in this short piece. She
convincingly conveys the little we can glean from HoME 12 about the
anguish of Anairë's choice to abandon her husband and children on the
journey from Valinor, and her abiding friendship with Finarfin and
Earwen. But the heart of the tale is her love / hate relationship with
water, as the title suggests. I read this story a couple of times
before it totally sank in, just how much pain Ellie manages to convey
through the medium of water. The contrast between Anairë's
pre-rebellion love of rain, fountains and the sea, and her
post-rebellion association of those natural elements with the shedding
of tears and the slaughter at Alqualondë is thoughtfully expressed.
The story starts with a storm; both physical and emotional, and ends
with the irony that it is only in the still and scented waters of her
bath that Anarië finds solace - a very fitting conclusion. From
reading this tale, I feel as if I have finally gained a better
understanding of Fingolfin, and an understanding of a lesser-known
character; one that I would like to know more about. I am hinting here
that Ellie should write further stories featuring this lady of the Noldor!


Title: Three Turnings of the Year · Author: Ruby Nye · Races: Hobbits
· ID: 37
Reviewer: annmarwalk · 2007-08-05 02:07:06
This memorable sequence follows Pervinca Took as she celebrates three
Yules: before, during, and after The Troubles, each tale illustrating
how she grows and matures during those years as a result of her
experiences, and those of her fellow hobbits.

In the first tale, [Follow Me in Merry Measure] we meet a bored and
somewhat willful Vinca. She's apparently a bit of a sexual
adventuress, and the momentary object of her affection is young
Samwise. Sam, though, is flustered, now that he has discovered the
true identity of the young lass whom he'd kissed with such vigor the
night before. ["It was grand fun, and you as lovely and as wild as a
stream at snowmelt. But it's not just tween games to me. I like it to
mean more."] he tells her. There's a beguiling wistfulness, yet an
emptiness to Vinca; she's trying to fill it with music and dancing and
flirtation, but we sense her chagrin, and just a bit of shame, as she
bids him farewell.


The second tale, [Winds Were Blowing, Stars Were Glowing] is quite
different in mood, for Pippin and Frodo and Merry and Sam are gone,
who-knows where, and no-one will talk about them, and Men are
prowling, [in their swaggering insolence, in their dangerous numbers].
This is not a Yule for carefree celebration: there is little visiting,
if any, and some hobbits , lad and lasses, have already taken up arms
to patrol the borders of the Shire. Vinca, as a daughter of the Thain
and Took, has been been fulfilling the traditional woman's role:
providing [tea and dry clothes and sometimes a warm shoulder to the
hobbits fleeing in from outlying villages.].

Yet Vinca is a Took, through and through, and longs to do more. Her
new husband, Everard, senses this, and fears that one day she will
leave him, and the safety of her hearth and home, to take a more
active role in the defense of the Shire. (In another wonderful Ruby
Nye story, "Snare", we see that she did just that.) But in this tale,
she appears to set aside these urges and be a dutiful wife, for the
moment, at least.

[Sing With Hearts Aglow], set immediately after the War, is
heartbreakingly beautiful. Vinca has abandoned the luxury of the
traditional Tookish Yule to travel, simply garbed, throughout the
Shire. She needs to see for herself how her countrymen have fared, and
seeks to give such assistance as she can. Vinca stops in at a simple
Yule celebration at Bywater and meets a group of musicians and their
sister, Betony, a survivor of imprisonment and torture in the
Lockholes. Betony tells Vinca of her sister Dittany: ["She sang like a
lark at sunrise, she shouted cheer to the lads we could see across the
way. When they brought her back the last time she was in a very bad
way; she smiled at me, but in the morning when I woke she was cold."]
Dittany's courage comes to symbolize for Vinca the strength and
resilience of her people.

Ruby Nye's wondrous descriptive skills are showcased throughout the
three tales: she vividly describes the Great Smial's Banquet Hall
where [a thousand candles blazed nearly bright as day, and the ceiling
echoed with merry singing while pipers and fiddlers played with a
mighty will], a frigid winter garden where [... a sleet-storm had
passed, leaving the hummocks and needle-trees glittery in the
starlight], and a simple, in hobbit terms, post-war Yule: [The little
round tables along the walls were covered with plain linen and perhaps
a few less dishes and bowls than they might in years past, but the
crowd round them was cheery and bright as any Yule celebration could
wish.] In contrast to her lush descriptions of the settings, rich with
color and scent, Ruby's description of her characters, and her
dialogue, is understated, subtle. These hobbits are no longer jolly
and carefree, blissful in the belief that no evil will ever befall
them. They are survivors, no less than the Men of Gondor or Rohan.
Their war was just as brutal, and their triumph, just as inspiring.

Title: Temptation · Author: Linda hoyland · Times: Mid Third Age: 2851
- 3017 TA: Other Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 419
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-08-06 18:44:50
One of the reasons why I like this ficlet is that it goes where I
personally haven't seen any Tolkien fanfic go before - Aragorn being
overtly sexually tempted not just by a woman other than Arwen, but an
OFC who is young, attractive, but very common and not particularly
worthy of him. I have seen stories where Aragorn is tempted by women
more beautiful, or exalted in station, or both.

A lesser writer might have made the girl, whose affections are for
hire, totally unlikeable in character, a greedy strumpet trying to
take advantage of ol' Tall-dark-and-long-legged. But Linda shows that
the girl is not soliciting sexual favors, and money, totally of her
own free will. There's a subtle grace, and a delicacy, in this ficlet
that I really like, that does not diminish the sensuality and slight
overlay of sadness.

Aragorn cannot free the girl from her unhappy life; but he does what
is in his power to mitigate her unpleasant circumstances - I really
like it, Aragorn's actions are very typical of the character. And the
girl is well-written, half-predatory, half-pathetic. The sexual
attraction felt by Aragorn is written particularly well, and is very
believable. Linda convey's Aragorn's human failings, and human nature,
as well as his more-than-human heritage and training.

Excellent response to the challenge prompt!