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Title: Kindness Rewarded · Author: White Wolf · Races: Elves:
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 494
Reviewer: Larner · 2007-09-10 00:13:33
When Legolas saves a small bird fallen from its nest, its mother
rewards him in keeping with her kind, to his amusement.

A nice, gentle fluffy piece, and well worth the read. Well written.

Title: Waters of Life · Author: Linda hoyland · Genres: Romance:
Gondor · ID: 423
Reviewer: Larner · 2007-09-10 00:19:04
An offshoot of "A Time to Reap" in which Aragorn and Faramir bring
Arwen up Mindolluin to see the blessed lake that lies there,
surrounded by niphredil. A lovely, spiritual story, with a gentle
sensuality to it.



Title: A Little Knowledge Can Be A Dangerous Thing · Author: Tanaqui ·
Races: Men: Other Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 352
Reviewer: Larner · 2007-09-10 00:25:02
Ah, how marvelous a compilations of drabbles regarding the books
Elrond sent as part of Arwen's dowery, and that Aragorn had copied for
Faramir (in part to limit the rapid expansion of his royal wardrobe!).
Well written, each one a gem in its own right, and together marvelous
indeed.

Title: A Passing Troll · Author: Dreamflower · Genres: Humor: The
Shire or Buckland · ID: 210
Reviewer: Larner · 2007-09-10 00:29:36
One of the most marvelous short humor pieces Dreamflower has written,
she who has several such things to her name.

Now, where has Reginard Took's banished and shamed bride disappeared
to? She just went outside to finish a task--and never returned to her
brother's home, much to the relief of brother and sister-in-law. And
then Pippin and Merry bring Sam Gamgee to see the surprising sight of
a troll petrified by being caught out as the sun rose, apparently
caught in a great moment of digestive distress!

Well, well done, and a fitting ending for Hyacinth and her unholy
ambitions. Let the ivy grow!

Title: Celebration · Author: Tanaqui · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond:
Drabble · ID: 139
Reviewer: Larner · 2007-09-10 00:33:07
Ah--a wonderful Midsummer celebration within Ithilien. Now, in tale
telling Faramir, who's kept himself out of the day's competitions, is
likely to shine. How nice to see the love of his people for their Prince!

Title: The Steward's New Clothes · Author: GypsieRose · Genres: Humor:
Gondor or Rohan · ID: 511
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-09-10 03:16:59
A funny story that is based on, and pokes good fun at, Denethor's
penchant for wearing black.

Gypsie-Rose starts with her own adaptation of a verse from Dr. Seuss,
and the comedy proceeds from there.

Denethor is visited by his tailor, a wily merchant who apparently has
customers all over Middle-earth, from hobbits to Rohirrim. The tailor
keeps trying to get Denethor to buy and wear something that is not
black, while also bringing new wares for Finduilas and the children.
Their dialogue forms the heart of the story, and is crisply written,
broadly humorous but not totally out of character. The milieu is
apparently Movie-verse, due to the reference to Boromir's eyes being
green; but it can easily be applied to the characters in the book as well.

I particularly liked the sly reference to the Blue Wizards.

All in all, a fresh and lively piece; which is quite a feat
considering that Denethor stories usually aren't known for being perky.

Title: Too Many Adverbs · Author: Branwyn · Genres: Humor: Drabble ·
ID: 660
Reviewer: Nancy Brooke · 2007-09-10 14:41:06
Very cute! This shows us nothing new about the Steward's Heir but his
teachers is a wonderful character, struggling to find a way to reach
his student without being led too far afield.

Title: Circumstantial Heroes · Author: Gwynnyd · Genres: Drama: Minas
Tirith · ID: 684
Reviewer: Garnet Took · 2007-09-10 18:09:11
This is a fascinating look at the behind-the-scenes manoeuvrings
within Aragorn's court in it's earliest days.

One of the things I liked best about this story is that Pippin appears
as more than comic relief. He is wise and loyal and honorable to a
fault. He is also very sweet as a sleeping drunk.

Aragron also shows that he is more than just a warrior from the
back-woods north. He handles Pippin's concerns and his own misguided
employees with wisdom and good grace, and just a bit of humor.

This has just enough of the elements of a good thriller to keep it
interesting. Great read.

Title: The City and Star Island Line · Author: lipstick · Genres:
Mystery · ID: 524
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2007-09-11 06:21:30
A gem of a Faramir & Eowyn story, with a lovely, ironic and
imaginative style that I really like. It's unusual, I can't quite put
my finger on why, though I know it's not just because of the
story-within-the-story...

This paragraph, wherein Eowyn thinks of Faramir, is particularly
delightful:


[When she fell in love with him the world suddenly stretched out
before her again, as full of possibilities as it had been when she was
a child. She fell in love with an island species mutilated and mutated
by a million years of inbreeding in pale cities always under attack.
She thought him as exotic as a dragon and as secret as the heart of
the forest.]


And of course I adored Arwen's wedding gift, which is even more nifty
than a sword or a tree...

I hope that the writer considers creating original fantasy or other
types of fiction of her own, because I would dearly love to read it.

Title: Geometry · Author: Branwyn · Genres: Drama: Gondor Drabble · ID: 80
Reviewer: Larner · 2007-09-11 09:01:37
A wonderful drabble looking at the loss of Boromir from Faramir's
point of view, with himself and his father as now barely connecting
line segments without Boromir to tie them together. Excellent
evocation of mood.

Title: Perchance To Dream · Author: Cathleen · Genres: Drama: The
Fellowship · ID: 386
Reviewer: Garnet Took · 2007-09-11 16:19:56
This is a different sort of view of Pippin having some sort of gift
than most other stories have. He dreams of a strange futere where no
one but he exists and a cat talks. Makes one wonder what would have
happened had he not gone on the quest.

All in all, this is a positive story, but with a sadness to it as well.

Title: The Lady's Offer · Author: pippinfan88 · Genres: Drama: The
Fellowship · ID: 805
Reviewer: Garnet Took · 2007-09-11 16:45:51
Short and to the point, this sums up very well what it must have been
like to have Galadriel herself look into your deepest thoughts.

Pippin blamed himself so much for what happened in Moria to Gandalf
that to have the wizard returned to life must have been very tempting
to the young hobbit. I have to wonder if the realization that he
himself would not get to see Gandalf's return might have played just
the tiniest role in his final rejection of the Lady's offer. Yes, he
wanted to help Frodo and he would never turn from that, but he also
would not have wanted to miss a chance to see the wizard again. It's
so nice that he later got to.

I like this version of what Pippin was offered very much. It is quite
believable. It makes me wonder what the author would have had Merry's
exchange with Galadriel be like.

Title: The Smile That Wins · Author: Marta · Genres: Romance: Other
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 258
Reviewer: Altariel · 2007-09-11 18:10:07
Beautiful drabble, shot through with blue and white fire (like a
certain starry mantle). I think Faramir would compare her to fire,
facing and conquering a very particular fear of his.

Title: Summer Daze · Author: Marta · Genres: Romance: Pre-Ring War ·
ID: 471
Reviewer: Altariel · 2007-09-11 18:11:04
Thoughtful and well-written account of a young man's exploration of
sex within the context of a morality different from our own.

Title: Circumstantial Heroes · Author: Gwynnyd · Genres: Drama: Minas
Tirith · ID: 684
Reviewer: Altariel · 2007-09-11 18:13:19
Oh, splendid! A story that needed to be told, and an absolutely
fascinating glimpse 'below stairs' in the Citadel. I don't doubt that
Jeeves - sorry! - Hithdol will prove *very* satisfactory. The thought
of him serving Aragorn in the Houses of Healing before Aragorn even
knew he existed is tremendously touching. I hope we and Aragorn get to
hear his account of how he bested Brithnír.

The whole story is so well-conceived and executed, but a particular
nod to your excellent characterizations of the canon characters.
Pippin really is the hobbit that does the most growing up in the book,
and those hours spent watching Denethor decline into madness must have
been pivotal in this process. Faramir's cameos were very sensitively
handled, and without falling into melodrama. And as for your Aragorn...

["Aragorn tilted his head to the side and inquired, "Were you this
theatrically deferential to Denethor, or," he recalled something
Pippin had said earlier, "do you think this 'ragged upstart' will not
understand the insult?"]

Yes, that's definitely the King of the West talking!

Splendid stuff, thank you.

Title: Adrift · Author: fantasyfan · Times: Late Third Age: 3018-3022
TA: Gondor · ID: 313
Reviewer: White Gull · 2007-09-11 18:13:25
I hardly know where to begin in reviewing this fic. When I first
discovered LOTR fanfic, the first ones I searched for concerned
Frodo's awakening in Ithilien. Canon was too reticent, for me, and I
wanted to read more! Of course, I imagined my own versions, but
there's something more tangible to the senses in reading a
well-written account. There were a few well accounts that I found,
though none stayed with me without some gnawing, trifling
imperfections. I considered writing one of my own, but didn't think I,
or anyone else, could better, or add to what had already been written.
But then, I read this one.

Talk about tangible. The words fairly move with life and feeling. As
vague consciousness returns to Frodo, moving to sound, smell, taste,
then touch, then full memory, I feel with him every step of the way.
And it all seems so natural and so Frodo and so right. His pain at
full memory was truly painful, but it was also inescapable. And then,
to find the comfort of Aragorn was perfection.

My one complaint is that this story is - too short! But maybe that
just adds to its power. In some sections the prose almost reads like
poetry, the words are so well-chosen and well-placed. I am very
thankful to have read this lovely story. It complements canon as one
fan's idea of what Tolkien simply ran out of time to say. I agree.



Title: Marking Fours · Author: Raksha the Demon · Times: Multi-Age:
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 1
Reviewer: Altariel · 2007-09-11 18:13:54
Beautifully conceived and written drabble sequence. Grief can only be
put aside for so long, and it seems right that becoming a father would
make Faramir reconceive his relationship with Denethor.

Title: Bilbo's Dark Psyche · Author: Curious · Genres: Non-Fiction ·
ID: 519
Reviewer: White Gull · 2007-09-11 18:15:23
Where do I begin? I love this small essay; there is so much conveyed
in relatively few and very readable words. The subject is deep -
Bilbo's (and Gollum's and Frodo's) exposure to darkness and what they
do with it. Curious displays an equally deep understanding of Tolkien
and Bilbo and Gollum and Frodo, and an equally deep love for each.
Well, except maybe for Gollum!

The similarities between Bilbo and Gollum's backgrounds and experience
with the Ring and the Misty Mountains are striking. The choices they
made are not in any way similar, which Curious makes very clear. Tying
in Frodo's experience in the Barrow mound is effective and
thought-provoking.

I also liked the references to the 1937 version. That is something I
don't study on my own, and I appreciate the chance to learn from it.

That we all have a dark psyche is unavoidably true. What we each do
with it is pure choice, as Curious deftly leaves us thinking. I'd like
to think I'd choose as Bilbo and Frodo chose.

Title: Fourth Age, Year 13 · Author: Dwimordene · Times: Fourth Age
and Beyond: Gondor or Rohan · ID: 628
Reviewer: Altariel · 2007-09-11 18:51:40
Oh how delightful! With just a faint bittersweet hue behind: he is
managing to savour every year, but how quickly they are passing by
and, behind it all, questions about the fates of Men and Elves.

Title: Osgiliath · Author: Dwimordene · Times: Late Third Age:
3018-3022 TA: Gondor Drabble · ID: 626
Reviewer: Altariel · 2007-09-11 18:52:09
It's the alliteration that makes this drabble so punchy; that, and the
terrible insight which we the reader share with Boromir: that no
matter how undefeated he has been so far, it will not be enough. Or,
ObEliot: "After such knowledge, what forgiveness?"

Title: Mastering Men · Author: Imhiriel · Times: Late Third Age:
3018-3022 TA: Gondor Drabble · ID: 623
Reviewer: Altariel · 2007-09-11 19:01:13
That will be the Captain indeed: calm under pressure, courageous,
inspiring others to the same. Well-characterized, and a good moment to
pick for the request.

Title: Thinking of Marigold · Author: grey_wonderer · Genres: Humor ·
ID: 349
Reviewer: Garnet Took · 2007-09-11 19:03:46
This story, like almost all of Grey Wonderer's stories, is hysterical.

Poor Pippin. Only he could look at a bunch of flowers and end of with
a problem not related to flora at all. Flowers lead to names, names
lead to lasses and lasses lead to.... Need I say more?

The humor in this story is so sweet. Young love really can be quite a
laugh, for those not in it.

As with almost all of Grey Wonderer's stuff, this is not to be missed.

Title: Drawn With Love · Author: MerryK · Genres: Drama: Youth · ID: 569
Reviewer: Altariel · 2007-09-11 19:19:00
A piece written with a great deal of love, I think, which shows in the
lovely characterizations ["Boromir was in charge now, and everything
would be all right"], and most of all in the descriptions, in
particular, of the artistic process, but also in scene setting ["the
usual unswervingly quiet breakfast"].

I'm entirely persuaded that Boromir - educated as a nobleman - would
be able to draw, and I like the insight in the author's note that it
comes from the practical side of his nature. And, on this occasion,
and for his brother, he achieves something beyond accomplished copying
or draughtsmanship. As the quotation from Jung at the start suggest, I
think that 'inner necessity' would help him find a creative spark to
produce something really special to help his younger brother remember
their mother.

A gentle and beautifully written delight; thank you.

Title: Thyme is a great healer · Author: Tanaqui · Times: Fourth Age
and Beyond: Drabble · ID: 723
Reviewer: Altariel · 2007-09-11 19:25:23
A lovely, gentle piece: both of them have lost the person with whom
they shared the greatest trials of their lives, both of them,
together, are able to share that loss and find some comfort.

She's not central to the piece, but I like the deft little cameo of
Eowyn in the first line, proudly showing her herbs to a master gardener.

Title: Keeper of the Jewels · Author: Cuthalion · Genres: Adventure:
Minas Tirith · ID: 64
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2007-09-12 01:01:21
Clear descriptions of the environment and the scenes, as well as the
characters and their actions; the emotions were captivating. I liked
the interactions between the members of the Fellowship. Artanis was a
very engaging original character, and I was glad she found healing and
contentment at the end.

The plot and its mystery was developed well, including red herrings
and unexpected twists and problems.

The way the topic of jewels was interwoven into the narrative was
lovely, from the office of "Keeper of the Jewels", to the colours of
clothes and furniture, to metaphorical gems for various characters.

There were some grammatical or vocabulary errors, but on the whole
these things didn't detract from my enjoyment (although I have to
admit that I didn't like the uncanonical princedom of Lebennin).