Yahoo Forum Archive

Title: Fun with Farm'n · Author: Súlriel · Races: Villains: Drabble ·
ID: 269
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2007-12-29 01:37:41 Score: 2
Here Sulriel indulges in one of her favorite passtimes--writing about
the life and times of Orcs.

Delightfully gross and hideously amusing.

Title: Sticky Sweet · Author: SheBit · Races: Men: Gondor Drabble ·
ID: 196
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2007-12-29 01:40:43 Score: 2
Graphic, sad and sweet. Harshly luscious: Pure description captures
the dissonance between past and present.

Title: Jewel · Author: Aranel Took · Genres: Romance: Drabble · ID: 325
Reviewer: Tanaqui · 2007-12-29 01:41:24 Score: 3
Oh, I really like the Dwarven tradition that Aranel Took has created
in this drabble. It seems entirely convincing that a male Dwarf would
have to convince a female Dwarf â€" in such short supply! â€" of his
craftsmanship as well as his personal charms. This really is a lovely
notion and Aranel does a very nice job of expressing it here. Good work!

Title: Black Eyes · Author: Lialathuveril · Genres: Romance: With
Rohirrim · ID: 177
Reviewer: Súlriel · 2007-12-29 01:56:16 Score: 3
A truly engaging tale. it's been so long since I've read this, I had
forgotten how much I enjoyed it. I really like your Lothiriel, you
give her a nice balance of attitude and competence.

Title: The Waves' Song · Author: Branwyn · Genres: Drama: General
Drabble · ID: 6
Reviewer: EdorasLass · 2007-12-29 02:04:31 Score: 4
This is a lovely, heartbreaking drabble - I can almost feel the weight
of despair. The imagery is both beautiful and bleak, and it somehow
reflects Arwen's regret, as well as the fact that she is perhaps
ashamed of regretting her choice. I've always found Arwen's choice to
be not only haunting and painful, but terribly unfair as well, and
this piece really brings that home.

Title: The Witch-king's Cloak · Author: Radbooks · Genres: Humor:
Parody · ID: 106
Reviewer: Súlriel · 2007-12-29 02:06:04 Score: 1
Haha! Of course, one must have a properly flowing cloak to
appropriately inspire fear!

Title: Conjuror · Author: Branwyn · Races: Men: General Drabble · ID: 432
Reviewer: EdorasLass · 2007-12-29 02:12:13 Score: 5
This drabble is very uneasy, because I can easily see Denethor
thinking that a mystical army would be an excellent thing to try,
which would certainly be a horrible idea. It seems to me that once the
notion was raised, Denethor would spend more and more time looking
into the palantir, hoping that he would find some hint there as to how
he could get himself some sort of created army, both in hopes of
having a fighting force that would be more difficult to defeat, and to
keep from sacrificing men of Gondor.
A very nice depiction of both Denethor's dislike of Gandalf, and his
lack of understanding as to how the mystical actually works.


Title: An Unexpected Party · Author: Branwyn · Genres: Humor: Drabble
· ID: 16
Reviewer: EdorasLass · 2007-12-29 02:17:49 Score: 5
*giggle*
This could not be more perfect! [ “Doc son of Dorc], indeed!

I love how you include all seven - I can't imagine a group of more
unlikely adventurers, and I'm now wondering if Bombur was related to
any of these dwarves because honestly, how on earth did he get picked
to make that journey? I'm sure he'd rather have stayed at home with
his Disney cousins, although perhaps they would have made him work in
the mines.

And now I'm picturing these dwarves, singing the Hi-Ho song, with the
elves of The Hobbit, singing the Trally-Lally song. Poor Thorin, if
he'd had to have let them come along!



Title: Mischief in Imladris · Author: Alassante · Times: Mid Third
Age: 2851 - 3017 TA: Other Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 525
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2007-12-29 02:20:10 Score: 3
You bad girl! These identical twin conflicts were just waiting to be
written.

But I think something is missing? Isn't there a fourth? Something
that, as I remember, causes the steam to rise from the ears of us
Dunedain fanciers? What, have you lost your nerve??

Title: Blackest Fate · Author: Branwyn · Times: Mid Third Age: 2851 -
3017 TA: Drabble · ID: 476
Reviewer: EdorasLass · 2007-12-29 02:24:59 Score: 5
Oh, the poor, stolen horses of Rohan! We do often tend to forget that
it wasn't only humans who suffered at Mordor's hands, that all the
creatures of Middle Earth were affected. And I can't think of a worse
fate for these horses, especially since that for most of their lives
before being taken, they were likely treated with nothing but
kindness, patience, consideration, and near-adoration. I love how,
like all creatures taken from their home, they communicate to each
other their longing to return, even though they do seem to realize
that the chances of returning are slim to none. It's somehow worse
with these horses as well, for it isn't as if they can truly
understand what's happened to them.





Title: Naming Places · Author: Elen Kortirion · Genres: Romance:
Drabble · ID: 447
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2007-12-29 02:25:04 Score: 1
A classic example of how it's more effective and erotic to NOT name
the parts.

Title: Reunion · Author: Fawsley · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond:
Drabble · ID: 489
Reviewer: Tanaqui · 2007-12-29 02:25:32 Score: 4
In this portrait of an ageing member of the Steward's household,
Fawsley has created a handsome picture of the ravages of old age, the
bonds of willing service and the vagaries of memory - in which the
deeds of one's youth are closer than the events of yesterday. I'm
strongly reminded of the story from the Odyssey of Odysseus's dog
recognising his returning master after waiting twenty years, even
though Odysseus arrived in disguise. In short, very nicely done! (And
credit for the use of the name Falborn, too. *g*)

Title: Too Many Adverbs · Author: Branwyn · Genres: Humor: Drabble ·
ID: 660
Reviewer: EdorasLass · 2007-12-29 02:31:39 Score: 5
Oh, the frustrating task of trying to teach Boromir proper verb
construction! I feel for this poor loremaster, being charged with
teaching Boromir grammar when I'm sure it is clear to everyone
(including his parents), that Boromir has absolutely no patience for
such dull tasks - why do I feel as if the loremaster probably lost
some sort of bet, in being given this job? And I love how Boromir is
*certain* someone else will write anything he needs written, and how
he perks right up at the notion of being surrounded by orcs! Sounds
fairly typical young boy to me, and equally as typically Boromir.





Title: Strange Stars · Author: Jael · Races: Cross-Cultural · ID: 120
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2007-12-29 02:33:10 Score: 5
This is a wonderfully entertaining tale that hits all the right notes,
at least for this irreverent reader. The characterizations are full
and the writing is lively.

Jael is one of the few fanfic writers who keep to Tolkien's universe
while making it somehow wholly their own. It's rare, and a treasure
for readers like me, who are little interested in canon-slavery or AU
wildness.

I especially love the end of this story, where Legolas finally
succeeds in sorting out something of his feelings about Gimli. I guess
for Elves, who don't have to worry about running out of time, it's
okay to be so slow in the uptake.

Title: Web of Treason · Author: Linda hoyland · Times: Fourth Age and
Beyond: Gondor or Rohan · ID: 124
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2007-12-29 02:37:57 Score: 4
Linda Hoyland is the queen of Aragorn angst. If you have not-so-secret
sadistic urges toward the King, here's your tale!

Somehow the author keeps up a steady pace of complicated plot and
never fails to surprise us with what's coming next. And at the end she
leaves us on a big cliff, begging for the next installment!

As she is very prolific, I'm sure the wait will not be long.

Title: Geometry · Author: Branwyn · Genres: Drama: Gondor Drabble · ID: 80
Reviewer: EdorasLass · 2007-12-29 02:41:08 Score: 5
This is one of the most concise, true fics of the days immediately
after learning of Boromir's death that I've ever read. I like this
particularly -
[He had pictured his family as a lopsided triangle, with Boromir
having the longest side ] - it's not only a lovely bit of imagery, but
seems very Faramir in its conception, not just that Boromir has the
longest side, but by virture of the mathematical-ness of it. For all
that he has a very dreamy side, it has always seemed to me that
Faramir would appreciate the precision of mathematics.

And it's a strangely affecting image as well, a broken triangle, for
reasons I'm not sure I can even articulate. Very well done.

Title: What Was That Job Description? · Author: Larner · Genres:
Crossover · ID: 523
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2007-12-29 02:52:07 Score: 1
Very clever scene--the misunderstandings abound.

Title: The Horses of Eorl · Author: Branwyn · Races: Cross-Cultural:
Drabble · ID: 477
Reviewer: EdorasLass · 2007-12-29 02:53:13 Score: 4
I have a sneaking fondness for Radagast, and we certainly don't see
enough or know enough about him. This is a lovely way portrayal of
him, . I particularly like this:[ The horses listened quietly as he
told them tales of their sires, for he had lived in Rhovanion when
Eorl rode from the North.]
And I find it deeply relieving to think that perhaps some of those
horses taken from Rohan were indeed able to find their way home, where
they will once again be well-looked after and cared for with respect
and love.

Title: Standards · Author: Marta · Times: Late Third Age: 3018-3022
TA: General Drabble · ID: 541
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2007-12-29 02:56:07 Score: 2
Another take on how the standard passed from Arwen into the hands of
Halbarad.

I particularly liked his calling her "my queen," thus showing that he
understands it all.

Title: The Lesson · Author: Branwyn · Genres: Drama: Gondor Drabble ·
ID: 29
Reviewer: EdorasLass · 2007-12-29 02:59:45 Score: 4
Ah, this is a wonderful drabble, and it seems very, very true to
Faramir's reluctant solider nature as well. I like how in his
learning, he progressed from feeling sorry for the animals he hunted,
to thinking it was only necessary to protect helpless creatures from
predators, to the rather bleak realization that all the teachings he
had acquired were inexorably leading him towards the inevitable:
taking men's lives with his hard-won skill.




Title: Fire and Ice · Author: NeumeIndil · Times: Late Third Age:
3018-3022 TA · ID: 318
Reviewer: Súlriel · 2007-12-29 03:02:24 Score: 4
I adore all your Morwen and Gamling tales and this is no exception.
You write a wonderful balance of realism and romance. It makes it easy
to fall into the world and follow the stories along. I like the focus
on Hama on this one, and Folcwyn and young Scarlett and all the others.

I especially love that you include lines like this: [I wasn’t born for
this. I wasn’t supposed to live hand to mouth, night to night under
some hairy, sweaty sailor or lily-white scribe who couldn’t find a
pretty boy and decided I’d do well enough instead.] That reminds us of
the contrast between love and life and makes the romance stronger for
standing through it.


Title: Ten Thousand Years · Author: Marta · Times: Late Third Age:
3018-3022 TA · ID: 565
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2007-12-29 03:06:04 Score: 4
Marta takes on yet another of those challenging gaps, this time
speculation on what interaction Arwen and Boromir could have had in
Rivendell before the departure of the Fellowship.

That there are so many of these gaps is due, of course, to the fact
that Tolkien inserted Arwen into the story at the very end. Surely she
must have been a commanding presence at the time, and we are left to
imagine it all.

Marta's story is a strong possibility.

Title: Iron to Iron · Author: mrkinch · Times: Second Age: Drabble ·
ID: 662
Reviewer: Súlriel · 2007-12-29 03:15:11 Score: 2
I found this to be chilling and disturbing in a profound way. I love
alternate points of view and this is one that I haven't read before.
Ver well done!

Title: ...To the Edge of Night: Seven Tells of a Moment · Author: Elen
Kortirion · Races: Men: Other Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 439
Reviewer: EdorasLass · 2007-12-29 03:17:29 Score: 5
These are just *painful*, one and all. I love the structure, seven
different points of view of one moment, and as it turns out, six of
those perspectives are not all that different - all are varying
degrees of shocked and-or horrified by what Denethor has demanded of
his remaining son, and not a one of them even considers for a moment
that Faramir and his men will emerge from the battle alive.

Denethor's piece is no less painful, but more for his lack of emotion
than anything else: [ Death waits for all; yet in this game, to hold,
the pawn must be sacrificed when the knight is taken.]
In these words,one can see that the Steward of Gondor also already
convinced that there will be no victory, but that he apparently
doesn't truly care, which is very consistent with movieverse. Very
nicely done.

Title: Farewell · Author: Vilwarin · Genres: Drama: With Aragorn · ID: 706
Reviewer: Súlriel · 2007-12-29 03:19:55 Score: 3
This is a haunting but heart-warming moment that I was glad to read.
It has always broken my heart that Halbarad had to die and I like to
think that he and Aragorn did get to say their farewells.