Yahoo Forum Archive

Title: Moira · Author: illyria-pffyffin · Races: Hobbits · ID: 676
Reviewer: PipMer · 2007-08-31 17:51:45
This little story is splendid. The imagery it evokes is wonderful,
and the descriptions of the little folk are fascinating. The author
explains the strengths of the hobbits by pointing out how their
weaknesses are really not weaknesses at all, but defenses against the
Dark Lord.

Well done!

Title: Three Turnings of the Year · Author: Ruby Nye · Races: Hobbits
· ID: 37
Reviewer: PipMer · 2007-08-31 18:18:09
How sweet and sad, all at the same time The journey Pervinca makes
from michievous tween to married matron, through joy, sorrow and back
again, brings tears to one's eyes. This story is bittersweet, and yet
hopeful at the same time. It shows that good things can come from bad
times, and that life does, indeed, go on.

Well done!

Title: First Flight · Author: Isabeau of Greenlea · Times: Mid Third
Age: 2851 - 3017 TA: Other Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 513
Reviewer: Nancy Brooke · 2007-08-31 22:16:20
This was a great idea, well executed, reminding me how many stories
there remain in Middle Earth untold. It was nice to see this moment
in the life of a Great Eagle family, and nice to see Radaghast with a
having a respectful and respected place in it.

Title: Journey's End · Author: Altariel · Genres: Drama: Ithilien ·
ID: 442
Reviewer: Nancy Brooke · 2007-09-01 17:25:36
What a terrific tale, taking right off from where Tolkien left Gondor
and building forward so naturally and easily. The pacing of this
story was gentle, the style economic, and yet brought the reader a
wonderfully full story, packed with details that only added to the
central focus, never detracted. The characters were beautifully
conveyed through actions and circumstances, the writer cleverly
subsumed in the narrator's voice telling us everything we needed to
know to feel this time and place.

Title: An Unexpected Party · Author: Branwyn · Genres: Humor: Drabble
· ID: 16
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2007-09-01 18:33:39
Although I've only seen "Snow White" once long, long ago, I
recognised the names of the Dwarfs, erm, Dwarves: what a charming
idea! And you managed to make each of the Dwaves distinct. It's a
pity it's "only" a drabble, I very much like this idea for a
crossover in a longer story... Even so, the picture you give of the
scene and some hints of how and why the Dwarves came to be there, is
sufficient to make the readers imagine an entertaining story beyond
the drabble.

I can very well imagine Thorin's face as he interviews these
potential candidates for the venture to the Lonely Mountain... And
I'd really like to know if it was really Gandalf who was behind it
all.

Title: Journey's End · Author: Altariel · Genres: Drama: Ithilien ·
ID: 442
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2007-09-01 18:36:32
The passage of time since the end of the WotR is implied subtly,
there is really no need for much exposition, it's all clear from the
way people think and behave, and the fact that the Rangers are no
longer so much in evidence (and needed).

Intriguing background for the PoV-character, and one I can very well
see as something in the New Age. It's also fascinating to be witness
to her thoughts and memories of the war, how she coped with her
losses and was brave enough to let herself be happy again, how she
made a new life for herself.

I liked how you went with and developed the idea of how similar and
yet different Aragorn and Faramir are; shaped by quite differing
lives and having different quirks (Aragorn's smoking, Faramir's
fingers revealing his interest in music) and yet with the common root
of the Dúnedain and similar character traits. It's wonderful to see
just how vivacious your Faramir has become as the shadow of his
earlier life has lifted in the intervening years.

My favourite detail was the idea of the ["impossible courtesy all his
kind managed no matter what the journey had been like"].

Title: Night of Love · Author: Linda hoyland · Genres: Romance:
Gondor · ID: 617
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-09-02 04:03:23
Linda takes the idea, that Aragorn and Arwen's wedding night was not
utterly perfect, and spins it into a sweet and tender romantic idyll,
making gold out of straw, at least metaphorically.

It is reasonable to assume that Arwen might have been nervous of the
traditional wedding night consummation in a city whose cold stone
frightened her. Aragorn has a few worries of his own as well. How
this most famous bridal couple transcends their fears and finally
consummate their union should make most readers smile...

Title: The Horses of Eorl · Author: Branwyn · Races: Cross-Cultural:
Drabble · ID: 477
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-09-02 04:08:36
A sequel to Branwyn's drabble [Blackest Fate], this drabble is more
hopeful, dealing as it does with the fate of some of the horses of
the Mark, stolen and abused by the forces of Mordor and now freed and
back in Rohirric hands.

The horses suffer from having been abused, just as humans would. But
Radagast, who makes a heckuva horse whisperer, is there to help...

A lovely drabble on a subject not often touched on by Tolkien
fanfickers. Good work on showing (not telling) Radagast's patience
and skill with animals, even stressed ones, and his fundamental
humility.

Title: The Right Choice · Author: Linda hoyland · Races: Cross-
Cultural: Drabble · ID: 437
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-09-02 04:09:10



Arwen re-connects with her mother in this elegant, lovely and quite
poignant drabble.

Though she does not, and cannot, see Celebrian, Arwen realizes that
she is now able to share her mother's feelings through her love for
her own new baby.

Arwen's knowledge that she and her mother are sundered until the
ending of the world makes a good counterpoint to the joy she feels,
showing the reader that Arwen understands her loss as well as her
gain, and yet has found joy and contentment. The hint that Arwen had
to choose between returning to her mother and the creation of her
future children, between the past and a strange future, is fascinating

The last line really makes me smile and want to cry a bit, too.



Title: Tradition · Author: Tanaqui · Races: Cross-Cultural: Drabble ·
ID: 691
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-09-02 04:16:08
A good look at a minor ROTK character - Gleowine, Theoden's minstrel,
who sings the last lament for the fallen king and then silences his
song.

What is particularly noteworthy here is the glimpse of Eowyn in a
rare conciliatory mode; presaging future success in diplomacy, as
befits the Lady of Gondor's Steward as well as the first Princess of
Ithilien.

Title: A Mother's Work · Author: Dreamflower · Races: Hobbits:
Vignette · ID: 134
Reviewer: Marta · 2007-09-02 15:49:26
Cute! I could see these scenes very well, and they did a good job of
portraying life in the Shire. I particularly liked how you developed
the various familial relations. Nice job.

Title: Cultural Exchanges In Gondor · Author: Llinos/Marigold
CoAuthors · Times: Late Third Age: 3018-3022 TA: Other Fixed-Length
Ficlet · ID: 94
Reviewer: Marta · 2007-09-02 15:52:08
Delightful. What I love most about this series of moments involving
the hobbits in Minas Tirith is how you develop so much of the
Gondorian culture. Of course hobbits wouldn't have had shellfish
before, but I can easily imagine them in Gondor. And as for the
Haradric dance of the veils, that was pure genius -- hilarious to see
the different hobbits' reaction to it. And even though the hobbits
are in a foreign land, they still remain hobbits to the core -- just
as I would expect from these two authors. I really enjoyed these.

Title: A Useful Skill · Author: EdorasLass · Genres: Humor: Children
· ID: 46
Reviewer: Marta · 2007-09-02 16:10:15
This story does a good job of pointing out something I (and many
people) forget: Denethor is *old*. Not by historical standards to
marry, but certainly by modern standards, and he might have forgotten
more of what it was like to be a boy. Good of Faramir (and Nanny) to
remind him of that, even if it wasn't intentional. And it's a fun
read anyway. :-)

Title: 13th Birthday · Author: stefaniab · Races: Men: Gondor · ID:
138
Reviewer: Marta · 2007-09-02 16:12:43
This story has some really cute moments in Faramir's thirteenth
birthday. Of course it's mostly about the brothers 'mir, but I found
the scene with Denethor at the ery end really touching. It was all a
fun read.

Title: Great Books · Author: Lady Aranel · Genres: Humor · ID: 149
Reviewer: Marta · 2007-09-02 16:19:17
Oh, now that was funny! I love tales that investigate LACE, and this
story takes a new angle -- and one that seems surprisingly plausible,
at least to me. And I loved the hint of Arwen getting involved in
this group. She may not be as "safe" as her brothers think.

Title: Green · Author: annmarwalk · Times: Late Third Age: 3018-3022
TA: Gondor Drabble · ID: 461
Reviewer: Marta · 2007-09-02 16:20:59
What I love so much about this drabble is the way it uses sensory
details to really pull the reader into the scene. That's not always
easy to do within the hundred-word constraints of a drabble, but
annmarwalk manages it marvellously. The smells she describe were ones
that, while reading, I swore I could smell too, and it's probably one
of the most affective descriptions of the scent of athelas that I've
ever come across. Juxtaposing that with the description of the scents
I assume annmarwalk meant me to associate with the Ringwraiths was a
powerful moment, and it made that terror all the more powerful to me.
This is a fine example of just how a drabble and a gapfiller should
work.

Title: Clothes Make the Man · Author: Gandalfs apprentice · Genres:
Humor: Drabble · ID: 625
Reviewer: Marta · 2007-09-02 16:29:47
Hee! Oh, this was a fun little glimpse into that moment. I love that
Celeborn still prefers the simpler things, but is smart enough to
know Galadriel needs to be humored. And that hopeful look of
Aragorn's at the end was priceless.

Title: Daybreak · Author: Raksha the Demon · Times: Late Third Age:
3018-3022 TA: Gondor Drabble · ID: 705
Reviewer: Marta · 2007-09-02 16:31:25
Beautiful! There's such carefree joy in this; it's a really great
portrait of Faramir.

Title: The Dryad · Author: Imhiriel · Times: Late Third Age: 3018-
3022 TA: General Drabble · ID: 71
Reviewer: Marta · 2007-09-02 16:38:11
This was nice. I liked the way the Dryad fought the shadow in her own
way, and her reconizing of Faramir.... I hadn't thought of that, but
it's nicely poetic that Ithilien itself would recognize something in
Faramir. It works well.

Title: Romance · Author: Greywing · Genres: Humor: Other Fixed-Length
Ficlet · ID: 375
Reviewer: Marta · 2007-09-02 16:40:15
What I love most about this drabble is the way it uses irreverent
details and juxtaposes some very romantic language with actions that
just aren't that. For instance, when Lothiriel's [raven locks] are
falling into her desert plate. There's a great bit of understatement
going, from when they danced [and did a great many things besides],
and then the understated conclusion of the whole thing -- I could
completely see it happening and found myself chuckling throughout.
Good work, Greywing.

Title: Comforting Silence · Author: Radbooks · Times: Fourth Age and
Beyond: Gondor or Rohan · ID: 157
Reviewer: Marta · 2007-09-02 18:10:23
Very nice moment between Faramir and Aragorn here. I can very easily
see this hard time for Faramir happening just this way.

Title: First Flight · Author: Isabeau of Greenlea · Times: Mid Third
Age: 2851 - 3017 TA: Other Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 513
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2007-09-02 19:01:00
I love your Eagles! Every single one has their own personality and
individual quirks, and although one can recognise behaviour similar
to those of humans and human families, they are still clearly birds,
with mannerisms appropriate for them.

And it's so much fun to see the mighty Windlord and his brother as
young eaglets! And to see the difference in the brothers - Landroval
impetuous and rash, Gwaihir deliberate and systematic - was a very
nice touch.

Loved Gwaenur's insistence on courtesy, as known from CMC and also,
more general, from canon in both LotR and TH.

Radagast's wince at the screeching, and his discomfort at the height,
were funny details. I'm very fond of the Brown Wizard, and you have
drawn him exactly as I imagined, very approachable and kind and down-
to-earth (pardon the pun).

Title: Missing · Author: conniemarie · Races: Hobbits: Vignette · ID:
731
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2007-09-02 19:02:11
The idea/legend of the Tookish Faery blood is one I always like
reading about, and your take on this was beautiful. I liked how Merry
sees it clearly in Pippin and Frodo, and also sees the differences in
how it manifests itself in each of them, but doesn't see - as Sam
does - that he has a touch of it himself.

Adding knowledge and practice of ["The Old Ways"] to the usually
mundane world of the Hobbits was very intriguing combined with this
idea of Faery blood. I love the idea of the Widow Rumble as a some
sort of Wise Woman.

This otherworldy thread - together with well-chosen descriptions of
the environment - gave the story an atmospheric, slightly eerie feel.

Insightful and precise characterisations for all the Hobbits. The
fact that these portrayals are shown as thoughts of the Hobbits about
each other makes it an even more intrinsic part of the narrative, as
opposed to "mere" exposition.

Title: The Archives Incident · Author: Dreamflower · Genres:
Adventure: Minas Tirith · ID: 38
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2007-09-02 19:02:58
It was a wonderful idea to let Frodo find Isildur's scroll, and to
picture the table with the documents on it as being left this way
when Gandalf hurried away from his discovery.

I think my favourite part was actually the (suitably dreadful and
terribly funny) heroic poem about Thorongil's exploits. And I'm right
with Frodo in wishing I could see Aragorn's face when he discovers
this poem!

Title: An Expansion of the Family Influence · Author: Auntiemeesh ·
Times: Early Third Age: 1-2850 TA · ID: 819
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2007-09-02 19:03:38
This story contains careful and realistic details about the project
of building a smial. It makes it interesting to follow the progress
(or lack of progress) step by step.

Unfortunately, apart from the main protagonist, the characters stay
rather remote, especially in the first half, where there is no
dialogue, only exposition.