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Title: Reconciliation · Author: willow_41z · Genres: Romance · ID: 229
Reviewer: Lialathuveril · 2007-12-31 00:00:00 Score: 6
This story is unusual in that it starts where most other stories about
Eomer of Rohan and Lothiriel of Dol Amroth finish: at the wedding of
the two. I enjoyed reading this realistic look at an arranged marriage
between them, how the understanding between them grows only slowly and
not all at once.

What the author also does really well is to supply small everyday
details of life in the Riddermark, like the way Lothiriel and her
ladies occupy themselves with weaving. Then of course there is the
large supporting cast which includes the orphans that Lothiriel
decides to help by building an orphanage.

The details of how Lothiriel goes through her pregnancy and the birth
are also well researched and realistic. And through it all weaves the
relationship between Lothiriel and Eomer, so that despite the
misunderstanding thrown at them by the 'evil author' they find each
other in the end. Well done!

Title: Second Mum · Author: Larner · Genres: Drama: The Shire · ID: 82
Reviewer: Lily · 2007-12-31 00:00:00 Score: 6
This is the best portrait of Esmeralda I have ever seen. Not only is
she a caring, loving mum for Merry; no, she is the wise Mistress of
Buckland (to be), a loving wife, and, most importantly, the best
surrogate mum Frodo can wish for.

She never wanted to take Primula's place but tried her very best to be
a 'second mum' for her cousin - and succeeded in many ways. In Saradoc
and her Frodo had someone to turn to and it becomes clear from the
very first lines of this story that Esmeralda would set everything in
motion to protect her beloved son(s), even if it means to let Frodo go.

She is a character who has her own will, a good amount of
hobbit-sense, a way of dealing with matters and people, and yet she
knows when it is better to keep quiet as well.

All in all, a lovely portrait of a minor character.

Title: Second Mum · Author: Larner · Genres: Drama: The Shire · ID: 82
Reviewer: grey_wonderer · 2007-12-31 00:00:00 Score: 6
This author's work never fails to entertain me and to draw me into the
story. This is a wonderful look at Frodo's relationship with Esmeralda
Brandybuck and her efforts to be there for him as a mother would after
his own parents' death. All of the characters are so well done and so
believable that you never find anything that jars you away from the
story. The style is lovely and there is drama, humor, friendship and
adventure enough for everyone in this tale. Esmeralda is a wonderful
character in this story. You get an idea of what she wants for Frodo
and of how she comes to accept that her wishes for his future are not
to be. I enjoyed the way in which the author included events from
Frodo's childhood and Frodo's interactions with his younger cousins as
well as with Bilbo. And I will not give away the ending but I found it
very apt and very moving.

Title: The Dwarf Dagger · Author: Dreamflower · Genres: Drama: The
Shire · ID: 85
Reviewer: grey_wonderer · 2007-12-31 00:00:00 Score: 4
In this story, it was the string of innocent events that caught my
attention and held it and later had me asking myself, what if? If no
action that we perform in our lives fails to leave a mark on someone's
future then this little story serves to show us all that very well
indeed. The chain of events that actually lead to a very sad event in
this story are never pieced together by those involved and that makes
it all the more chilling. A startling and unforgetable story by a very
talented author.

Title: The Vigil · Author: sleepy-orange · · ID: 741
Reviewer: pipkinsweetgrass · 2007-12-31 00:00:00 Score: 3
This is one of those stories that just tug at my heart. Even though it
is told by a ghostly Boromir, the story is really about brotherhood
and fellowship. even from beyong the grave. Stuff like this gets me
every time.

Title: Breath of Spring · Author: Ribby · Races: Men: Gondor Drabble ·
ID: 763
Reviewer: csevans8 · 2007-12-31 00:00:00 Score: 5
As any good drabble, this is simple and concise but it also has a
lovely poetic quality that really sets it apart. The use of the
language is wonderful. I particularly love the image of Faramir
sitting and waiting. So often this is depicted as falling further and
further into blackness, but it feels so true to his character that if
looking for a way out isn't working that he wouldn't continue a futile
search. It's almost contemplative or meditative and says Faramir to
me. I also love that it's not just Aragorn's voice but ["the scent of
spring"] that calls him home. Absolutely beautiful.

Title: Good Rest Ye Merry · Author: Llinos · Genres: Poetry · ID: 798
Reviewer: grey_wonderer · 2007-12-31 00:00:00 Score: 4
This made me want to sing. That's rather dangerous for anyone
listening but fortunately there was no one here. This is humorous,
lyrical, inventive, and the author has a very wicked sense of fun. I
enjoyed every stanza. This is brilliant poetry and in keeping with the
character of each hobbit, elf, man, dwarf and wizard mentioned. I may
just have to sing this one during the holidays.

Title: A Very Good Teacher · Author: Cathleen · Races: Hobbits: Merry
and Pippin · ID: 700
Reviewer: Allee · 2007-12-31 00:00:00 Score: 5
This entertaining short story is a creative gap-filler that provides a
seamless extrapolation of both book and movie verse. The writing style
is engaging, and the interactions between the characters, especially
between Pippin and Merry, are insightful. Without a doubt, the most
exceptional quality of this short story is its wonderfully
well-crafted dialogue. The subject of this story, the altercation
between Merry and Pippin, is entertaining in and of itself, and it
serves as the perfect showcase for the dialogue and the
characterization. This short story is exceptional and makes a
wonderful contribution to Lord of the Rings fan fiction.

Title: Nerdanel's Story · Author: Istarnie · Races: Elves: Incomplete
· ID: 656
Reviewer: geek_chick · 2007-12-31 00:00:00 Score: 10
[Contains Spoilers] [I have been reading this story as you posted it,
and while I don't have time to go back and read it all again now, I
will skim through it because I wanted to make sure I reviewed it
before the voting is over!]

I've enjoyed this story ever since I first started reading it, and it
is one of my favorite Feanor stories that I've read so far. You do a
good job with the language, of making the tone sound formal and
Tolkien-esque, without going overboard so that it sounds awkward or
difficult to understand. I like the format of the story, how Nerdanel
is reflecting on the past, because sometimes she able to give us a
different perspective on the events than what she saw at the time they
were actually happening. Beginning each story with a scene in the
present gives the story a more somber tone (at least in the early
chapters), contrasting with the happy rest of the chapter where she is
developing her relationship with Feanor. Overall it creates a very
bittersweet effect, because we know how her happy love story is going
to end!

At the beginning of the story, I love Nerdanel's meeting with Miriel,
and Miriel's gift that [was not embroidery]! When she first meets
Feanor I think it's interesting that she doesn't know who he is
initially, it gives the story a bit of suspense and lets the reader
smile at inside knowledge of some Feanor's comments, and her mother's
comment that this mystery person was too "arrogant"! It's also
interesting that we find out later that Feanor actually sought her out
-- I found that rather surprising and had always assumed they met
accidentally! But I still like your version of the story.

The scenes with Gaerion are sweet, though if I may offer a bit of
constructive criticism, sometimes it feels a bit like a Mary Sue in
the sense that multiple men are falling in love with the main
character! However, I still think you did a good job with Gaerion's
character, and I liked how you made him an important part of this
story and some of the spin-off stories.

When Nerdanel learns who Feanor is and begins to act more proper, I
like Feanor's reaction. It seems fitting that he should like a woman
who was not as concerned with being a proper lady and acting formal
around him.

As I mentioned in another review, I found the encounter with Lord
Valdon very interesting. I had always imagined life being happy for
everyone in Valinor except for Finwe (from that quote along the lines
of [Finwe alone of the Eldar knew sorrow in Valinor]), especially
while Melkor was still imprisoned. Yet this scene is very believable,
and I can definitely see that there are those who still mourned for
those they lost in Middle-Earth and on the Great Journey! It's also a
good scene to give young, naive Nerdanel something to think about.

Finally, I liked the scene where they met Orome. At the time of
writing this review you have only posted Chapter 6, and I would love
to hear what Nerdanel has to say to Orome in the next chapter!

Title: Flame Rekindled · Author: Istarnie · Races: Elves: Incomplete ·
ID: 370
Reviewer: geek_chick · 2007-12-31 00:00:00 Score: 10
[Contains Spoilers] [I have been reading this story as you posted it,
and while I don't have time to go back and read it all again now, I
will skim through it because I wanted to make sure I reviewed it
before the voting is over!]

I have been very impressed with this story from the start! As with
your other stories, you do a good job with the language, of making the
tone sound formal and Tolkien-esque, without going overboard so that
it sounds awkward or difficult to understand. The language of this
story also sounds very much like how I would imagine Feanor's words
and thoughts.

However, what really makes this story stand out is the way you handle
the subject matter. Your description of the utter emptiness and
timelessness of the Halls of Mandos was very moving -- I almost felt
as if I was there, and I felt sorry for Feanor for being so very alone
with only his thoughts for company!

It's interesting that you start the story with Feanor being
reincarnated -- it makes us anxious for the ending, to see how he
finally achieves healing (since we now know he will be healed).

At the beginning of the story, Feanor's anger and arguments with
Mandos are very believable. That's just how I would imagine Feanor
acting in the Halls of Mandos!

His memories of his family are all very interesting. I love how he
remembers the scene where he tells Nerdanel that he had forgotten how
much he loved her -- that was one of my favorite scenes in the story
in which it originally appeared!

I loved how Mandos made Feanor "begin" by thinking of Nolofinwe. I
love how initially, Feanor is determined to prove to Mandos how wrong
he was about Nolofinwe. Feanor's initial memories of Nolofinwe,
tainted by his own jealousy and anger, are very well-done and again is
just how I would imagine that Feanor would remember him.

I also liked how Mandos gradually revealed to Feanor what had happened
to his sons and Nolofinwe, and Feanor's reaction to each scene.

Finally, I loved when Feanor saw Nolofinwe die fighting Morgoth. If
there was one thing that could make Feanor realize that all of his
ideas about Nolofinwe, ideas that he had embraced practically his
whole life, were at least partly wrong, seeing Nolofinwe so dedicated
at fighting their common enemy (Morgoth) would be that one thing!

Overall, everything about this story just "feels" like Feanor to me.
In some fan-fictions I get the feeling that the characters only share
their names with Tolkien's characters but are otherwise the author's
own creations, but I never get that feeling about Feanor in your story!

I am looking forward to future chapters, where I assume Feanor will
begin to think about other members of his family!


Title: Warriors' Scars · Author: Marta · Times: Early Third Age:
1-2850 TA · ID: 648
Reviewer: geek_chick · 2007-12-31 00:00:00 Score: 4
[Contains Spoilers] This was a lovely little story! You were able to
convey a lot of emotion with so few words. I like how Elladan is
suddenly able to put his grief into perspective and is able to take
the first step towards healing. Likewise, the interaction between
Glorfindel and Elrond is interesting -- Elrond'’s silence makes you
wonder if he has yet to experience the same understanding that Elladan
has. I also like your use of language and word choice, it seems very
Tolkien-esque!

Title: An Expansion of the Family Influence · Author: Auntiemeesh ·
Times: Early Third Age: 1-2850 TA · ID: 819
Reviewer: geek_chick · 2007-12-31 00:00:00 Score: 6
[Contains Spoilers] I don’t normally read hobbit stories but this one
piqued my interest since it was about a character that is not normally
addressed in fan fiction. I like the idea of the story: how Brandy
Hall was originally conceived as a home for a new family, and how a
disaster (the flood) proved to be the catalyst for building the hall
that would become such a happy place! The language you used was
excellent and very fitting for a hobbit story. There were a few parts
where I thought you could have expanded more, but otherwise the pace
was very good. You also did a good job of choosing very hobbit-like
names for your original characters. (Since I am currently reading
History of LOTR for the first time, I also like your use of the name
Hamilcar Bolger!)

Title: Beneath a Gibbous Moon · Author: Bodkin · Races: Cross-Cultural
· ID: 4
Reviewer: elliska · 2007-12-31 00:00:00 Score: 6
Several thing amaze me about this story. The first is how much about
the characters that Bodkin can build into just dialogue. Bodkin has a
real gift for dialogue, as she demonstrates in many of her stories,
but this particular is fascinating because the characters reveal so
much about themselves and some of what they reveal is all the more
poignant because the reader knows what lies before them. The second
thing I love about this story, like all Bodkin's stories, is the
imagery. She throws in a few lines and with them paints a very
beautiful picture in the reader's mind. Lastly, I like the surpirses
in this (being made to guess who the speakers are until the end and,
of course, we could assume several pairs). And of course I love the
characters, so this is, for me, a perfect story. I love it!

Title: Sorgbyrðen · Author: Aranel Took · Races: Men · ID: 275
Reviewer: Marta · 2007-12-31 00:00:00 Score: 4
[spoilers]
These stories do a really good job of telling several moments from
Eomer's and Eowyn's childhood. The moments are thoroughly canonical
but with their own unique twist, and the one about their father's
death was particularly affective - so much so that it made me feel
physically ill. I also liked the detail of Theodred's wife, it was a
creative and developed an even more three-dimensional world. This was
a good read.

Title: Holding onto Hope · Author: Alassante · Times: First Age and
Prior · ID: 368
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2007-12-31 00:00:00 Score: 4
Celebrimbor as a youthful and pleading elf who deep down fears to
loose more than he already has. Fingon lingers somewhere on the
background and steps up plate at the end(and you know me and you can
smack me later), I miss those other six dearly here (although they’d
probably would give poor Maedhros a headache as large as Anor). :) It
is good to see that this young elf talks some sense in him and gives
Maedhros that thread he just needed! Well done!

Title: Sarn Gebir · Author: agape4gondor · Genres: Adventure:
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 398
Reviewer: Nancy Brooke · 2007-12-28 22:30:33 Score: 3
I really enjoyed this. It is rich in detail but curtailed in
perspective thus giving us Boromir's own narrowed view of the crisis.
And not until the end does that perspective relax to let in that final
knell of the ongoing inner crisis.

Title: Foray · Author: Raksha the Demon · Times: Mid Third Age: 2851 -
3017 TA · ID: 55
Reviewer: Nancy Brooke · 2007-12-28 22:30:57 Score: 4
I thought this story was great. All the details were well-placed, from
Faramir's 'modest' uniform to Boromir's unease, but it was those
character details which were simultaneously most inventife and most
true that really made this piece. Boromir's mixed feelings of uneasy
parenthood, a soldier and captain, and Steward's Son and Heir were all
spot on though the plausibility of them barely hinted at in Tolkien's
text. Brava.

Title: The Turn of the Tide · Author: Altariel · Genres: Alternate
Universe: Gondor or Rohan · ID: 72
Reviewer: Nancy Brooke · 2007-12-28 22:31:29 Score: 3
I found this a fascinating weaving of U and AU as it were, changing
characters but not situations skillfully. There was some beautiful
writing, but I liked best and was happily surprised at first by the
similarities Eowyn finds between herself and Denethor. Very
illuminating and sensitively rendered.

Title: Sea Food · Author: annmarwalk · Genres: Humor: Children · ID: 53
Reviewer: Nancy Brooke · 2007-12-28 22:31:45 Score: 2
This was lovely, and perfectly captures both the knowingness and
naivete of children. Well done.

Title: Osgiliath · Author: Dwimordene · Times: Late Third Age:
3018-3022 TA: Gondor Drabble · ID: 626
Reviewer: Nancy Brooke · 2007-12-28 22:32:16 Score: 3
I love this heroic vision, and its aftermath. This is a crucial
moment: Boromir's first face-to-face encounter with the darkness
within and without him, and drabbles are ideal for such subjects. Well
done.

Title: The Unbearable Smugness of Being Feanor · Author: Ignoble Bard
· Genres: Humor · ID: 164
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2007-12-28 22:35:35 Score: 6
It has been a while since I read this piece, and it still makes me
giggle uncontrollably. Of all the things Eru could have done to
Fëanor, he gets to spend his time with Melkor in the Void, even though
it is AU, it is a brilliant parody nonetheless. This line (besides
some others, but I am not going to cite half the story), is one of my
fav's:

["What are you gonna do about it, Elf boy?" Melkor challenged.]

Yeah I can imagine that a Fëanorian would be pissed off about that.
Taunting and teasing, these two are quite a match and, here is the
bonus, it was all predestined in Eru's mind. I still have all my bets
on Feanor having the upper hand in this battle though and yay, we live
in a world created by Eru (now that is why they discovered the Homo
floresiensis ("Man of Flores", nicknamed Hobbit)!). Simply brilliant
Ignoble Bard!


Title: A Truth Universally Acknowledged · Author: annmarwalk · Genres:
Humor: Gondor or Rohan · ID: 556
Reviewer: EdorasLass · 2007-12-28 22:47:48 Score: 9
This ficlet is really just so much *fun*. It's an inspired, clever
take on the responsibility of Gondor's Heir to find a wife by way of
Shakespeare and Jane Austen, and it works marvelously. Lothiriel is
perfect as the sweet, young thing pestering her eldest cousin about
getting himself a wife - I love how her definition of
"responsibilities" in this context seems wholly focused on nothing but
marriage, to Boromir's irritation, how she demands a laundry list of
things Boromir wants in a woman (presumably so Lothiriel can go find
him one), and I love how Boromir reels off that list in a manner that
would do Benedick proud.

I also like how amused Faramir is by the whole thing, laughing at both
his cousin and his brother - though if I were him, I'd take care, for
I'm sure Lothiriel will turn her match-making skills on him next!

And this [“Well, that’s the point, isn’t it? What is there to
choosing? You could toss a dart in that room and take whichever one
claimed to be pierced in the heart. And make a good marriage of it as
well. What is there to marriage, anyway?” ], while perhaps it comes
across as a bit cynical, is extremely pragmatic of Boromir as well,
for it's quite likely that he'll have to marry for political reasons,
he knows it, and doesn't actually seem to be all that bothered by it.
Even if he does have a penchant for tall, blue-eyed blondes. *giggle*

Title: The Personification of Evil: The Corruption of Angband ·
Author: Aeode · Times: First Age and Prior · ID: 527
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2007-12-28 23:00:09 Score: 4
Aeode explores a reason why Melkor turned away from his brethren when
Arda was created. At its very core, it is unrequited love and yet it
is answered. Nienna decides to turn away and decides on her gift for
Arda. The story at itself has the feel of the [Valaquenta/Ainulindalë]
and might not be easy to follow for some. Still it enhances to the
authenticity of the piece and gives us a nice explanation how some of
the Valar chose their own province. This is a very intriguing read.