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Title: Of Numenor That Was · Author: Marta · Genres: Drama: Other
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 424
Reviewer: Elena Tiriel · 2007-12-29 11:09:00 Score: 10
(Possible spoilers within:)

This is a breathtakingly chilling series of drabbles about Numenor's
decline into evil under Sauron's influence after he persuaded them to
build a temple in worship of Morgoth.

The first drabble is from the point-of-view of a proud eagle of Manwe,
and we feel his utter shock and revulsion when he realizes that the
Numenoreans are sacrificing their own in the temple.

Another drabble details the experience of a girl who is being
sacrificed on the altar. My heart goes out to her, so eloquent in her
fear and drug-enforced silence.

But in the next drabble, we discover that she is not one of the
Faithful -- that it was, in fact, a close kinsman who arranged for her
to be put to death, and who actually lit the fire. Here the real power
of the writing shines through even more clearly, as we begin to
understand just how thoroughly the people of Numenor have been
beguiled by the traditions of worship espoused and enforced by Sauron
in the guise of Annatar, the Giver of Gifts. Here we see how easily
piety can be corrupted into profound depravity, and the picture
chilled me to the bone. And even more horrifying, the character lights
the fire despite his misgivings -- he brushes his contrary emotions
aside to reassure himself, based upon the lies (called "[ancient
truths]") that Sauron spewed, that he is doing the right thing.

And the last drabble is from the point of view of a Maia, a vassal of
Ulmo, who enters the temple after the wave and thinks it grand --
until she confronts the evidence of the evil that occurred there. With
Marta's usual deft command of language, the temple transforms in her
mind from beautiful to tainted and ugly in a heartbeat.

What stands out in this series is the absolute terror at what Numenor
became under Sauron's corrupting influence, told from the eyes of
original characters who are pictured so clearly in so few words.

This is a work of extraordinary brilliance!

Title: Mardil Goes A-Courting · Author: Le Rouret · Genres: Humor:
Gondor or Rohan · ID: 366
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2007-12-29 11:38:27 Score: 6
There is something remarkably entertaining about imagining Legolas as
a matchmaker and midwife. Dipping his fingers into pies and twiddling
them to manipulate people to his liking. A puppet-master par
extraordinaire - only, if his own romantic experience is anything to
go by, he is a little ... unpracticed in some areas. He might be an
elf, and consequently very old and reputedly wise, but his choice of
marriage partners sounds a bit suspect! 40 and 14? It is, maybe, not
much of an age gap for an elf (although he could perhaps have learned
from his own experience with barely-adult brats) but it is pretty wide
for men - and kids. Still - it all worked out in the end. But I must
confess to a sneaking desire to see Legolas tangled up in a mesh of
others' making. He can be just a bit too sure of himself!!


Title: The Case of the Purloined Mushrooms · Author: Inkling · Genres:
Mystery · ID: 298
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2007-12-29 11:43:42 Score: 3
Abelard did a good job here. And didn't allow himself to be suckered
by superstition and ridiculous accusations. (Those
Sackville-Bagginses! Nasty pieces of work, the lot of them!) While
what better reward could he receive than the recipe for Bilbo's
mushrooms on toast! Far more valuable than gold - to any
self-respecting hobbit, anyway.



Title: Pippin's Little Experiment · Author: Budgielover · Races:
Cross-Cultural: With Pippin · ID: 291
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2007-12-29 12:10:22 Score: 5
That takes not drawing attention to yourself to a whole new level of
'not'. I don't think any of the occupants of the Pony - or come to
that, those hanging about in the street outside ... or quietly resting
with their laces loosened in what were supposed to be private rooms -
will be able to forget the vision of a young Pippin hanging out of the
window and the passage of four hobbits. Fortunately, Black Riders,
unlike Rangers, are not good at sneaking around spying on people,
preferring the riding-them-down approach to getting information. But
I'm quite surprised Pippin didn't find himself on a cart home after
this demonstration of his talent for trouble.

Title: Shadowfax, Lord of all Horses · Author: grey_wonderer · Races:
Cross-Cultural: With Pippin · ID: 597
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2007-12-29 12:11:27 Score: 4
Yet another example of your consistently entertaining and enjoyable
story-telling. I just love the characterisation of Shadowfax. He has a
wisdom to match that of the White Wizard - and his treatment of Pippin
is just so . . . parental.

But apparently even humiliation can be forgiven in exchange for free
beer! That landlord deserves to do well - his marketing and public
relations skills are very well advanced.

Such an enjoyable story

Title: Dissonance · Author: EdorasLass · Races: Cross-Cultural: Gondor
· ID: 450
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2007-12-29 12:16:37 Score: 3
Sad. And it's at times like these that an observer can see that
they're all just boys, caught up in the machinations of those to whom
individuals are unimportant. Led by propaganda and upbringing to
follow one side or the other, convinced of their own rightness. I'm
glad she gave him water rather than dissolving into hysteria.

Title: The Bearing of Burdens · Author: Larner · Races:
Cross-Cultural: Gondor · ID: 792
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2007-12-29 12:19:55 Score: 4
Faramir and Frodo would get on well, I think. They have a lot in
common, even without Faramir's rejection of the Ring and consequent
boost to Frodo's courage. And Sam would probably see and appreciate
those Frodo-like qualities in the man.

But Sam is just such a star. Selfless. And brave. And, doubtless,
frequently a considerable surprise to those who pigeonholed him and
dismissed him from their consideration.


Title: Just Deserts · Author: Gwynnyd · Races: Hobbits: Drabble · ID: 505
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2007-12-29 12:28:13 Score: 3
Good thing only Merry was there to hear Pippin's moans! While Merry's
been hanging around enough recently that waiting somewhere with a
relatively healthy Pippin doesn't seem too bad. And the eventual
outcome - was a surprise for both!

Title: Letting Go · Author: SlightlyTookish · Races: Hobbits:
Post-Ring War · ID: 230
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2007-12-29 12:29:51 Score: 3
I like understanding-Paladin. Although Pippin should note that his
parents have to KNOW before they can understand. At least to a certain
degree. And Pippin will be better with Merry for a while - and they
will both be better away from the crowded Great Smials and Brandy Hall.



Title: Tillecking Night in Bree · Author: Elen Kortirion · Races: Men:
General Drabble · ID: 455
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2007-12-29 12:38:48 Score: 4
Oh, that is delightful! I wonder if the elf remembers when the words
were clearly distinguishable - before they degenerated into a
tradition that nobody understands. Hobbit children are the perfect
characters for tillecking, too - cakes and ale are suitable recompense
for their efforts. While they are good at tradition and loyalty, even
if they don't know what they are singing for!

Title: Inroads · Author: Raksha the Demon · Races: Men: Other
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 45
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2007-12-29 12:46:09 Score: 4
It was never going to be easy for Eowyn to break through the
exclusiveness of the Gondorian aristocracy - helps that she's a king's
sister, but still ... they have centuries of inbred pride to overcome.
Still, having killed the Witch King can't but help. I like the girl
who got straight to the point and hope she had a truly successful
career ahead of her with the Princess of Ithilien or the Queen of
Gondor. Her reminder was sorely needed. And Eowyn's response showed
her class.

Title: Droplets · Author: Dawn Felagund · Times: Multi-Age:
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 566
Reviewer: Tanaqui · 2007-12-29 12:48:39 Score: 10
Dawn Felagund has created an extremely impressive sequence of double
drabbles for this series about Elrond's life. It's hard to know where
to start, because there is so much to praise. For one thing, the motif
of water is used throughout the series in so many different, clever
and evocative ways: tears, rain, waterfalls, fountains, the sea �" each
in turn expressive of fear, joy or grief.

For another, the language is rich and beautiful and finely turned.
It's hard to single out any particular phrases when there are so many
lovely notions, although I have to admit being stopped dead by the
wonderful description of the sea as [a bolt of cobalt silk unfurled
between the Eastern and Western shores]. How did Dawn manage to pack
so much beautiful language into just 1800 words? Each drabble is also
well structured and paced, carrying the reader forwards.

As to the content: again, there is so much that is fresh and
thought-provoking. I love the notion of Elros angrily screaming
defiance at the seagulls to [“Get gone!”] and carry the message to
their mother that ["She left us and we hate her!”]. The chapter about
Elros ageing while Elrond remains unchanged is heartbreaking, and yet
so subtly conveyed in the image of water wearing at stone. And I
laughed at Elrond's thought in the final drabble that [Perhaps I am
the only fool in this land who thinks it most beautiful when it rains.]

In short: a fabulous series! Bravissimo!

Title: Three Cups of Kindness · Author: Elen Kortirion · Times:
Multi-Age: Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 448
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2007-12-29 12:59:39 Score: 2
Three incidents showing care - vastly different times, but all
offering a degree of warmth to help a man deal with death. Very touching.

Title: Foray · Author: Raksha the Demon · Times: Mid Third Age: 2851 -
3017 TA · ID: 55
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2007-12-29 13:05:44 Score: 4
Aww, Boromir is a darling boy! He's trying to be father and mother
both to his little brother - and experiencing all the angst of the
mothers who are sending their nestlings off for the first time ...
only with far greater personal knowledge of the likely outcomes. And
he really, really doesn't want Faramir to become orc-bait - this is
not a moment for Boromir to have a moment of foresight! Delightful.

Title: Unstrung · Author: Tehta · Times: First Age and Prior · ID: 161
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2007-12-29 13:09:31 Score: 10
This series sparkles like a little jewel, each facet a different
color, and how it blends at the end depends on so much...mood,
interpretation, thought--like a string of pearls, perhaps, is more the
description I'm looking for. The writing is superb, drawing me in from
the beginning. Tehta has created a work of art here in invoking Maglor
the artist, surely the most interesting son of Feanor. Well, at least
to me.

The artist, the brother, the man (as in hominid-type creature, not
After-comer, please) all speak together--and against each other--their
voices blending and clashing. That's so true to our experience, it
emphasizes the universality of Tolkien's rather grand and distant myth
in a way that is hard for many to grasp.

I am not usually a reader of Silmarillion stories, but Tehta is the
one great exception. She has the very special talent of making the
extraordinary Elves into creatures you can identify with, while at the
same time they remain extraordinary. This is really hard to do, and
she can achieve both high comedy and high tragedy. (I found, reading
the Children of Hurin, that I couldn't put Tehta's story Beleg's Doom
out of mind.) I found myself wanting more of each situation, and yet
what is stated is just enough.

Title: Heart of Lamedon · Author: Nancy Brooke · Races: Men: Gondor
Drabble · ID: 288
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2007-12-29 13:13:36 Score: 2
A drabble catches the voice of Angbor of Lamedon faced with the King
and the army of ghosts. Gripping, chilling, well done. Fine example of
the art of drabbling.

Title: Calm after the Storm · Author: Imhiriel · Genres: Adventure:
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 350
Reviewer: Elena Tiriel · 2007-12-29 13:14:34 Score: 6
(Possible spoilers within:)

This is an absolutely delightful bit of fantasy! *Barbara pauses to go
all dreamy-eyed....*

The language in this story is incredibly evocative: I so enjoy
descriptions like [the shimmering moonstone-and-pearl sky]. And I can
almost feel the merciless heat of the becalmed day.

But the author has an eye for the small details that tell us so much:
for example, the description of the meager possessions in the hold,
that shows that the villages the Corsairs raided were poor subsistence
fishers.

But the fangurl in me especially enjoys the slow striptease and the
entirely gratuitous (not!) graceful swan-dive (as befits a Prince of
Dol Amroth) into the ocean to cool off.

Now, if the readers could only cool off, too....

Well done, Imhiriel! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this!

Title: Droplets · Author: Dawn Felagund · Times: Multi-Age:
Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 566
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2007-12-29 13:23:19 Score: 4
Moments in Elrond's very long life, told in drabbles, from (almost)
the beginning to the final reunion with Celebrian in Valinor.
Evocative and poignant, especially the scenes with Elros.

I would have wished for more, to fill in the huge gaps still left, for
example, about Arwen's choice and how Elrond felt about the failure of
Vilya after the destruction of the Ring--to name two.



Title: Stone of the King · Author: Rowan · Races: Hobbits: Drabble ·
ID: 309
Reviewer: Elen Kortirion · 2007-12-29 13:40:08 Score: 3
I like the portrayal of melancholy that Frodo feels, but he is far
from overcome by his fate; with fortitude he knows he will continue on
the quest, even if he never looked to carry this burden.

Title: Coda · Author: Imhiriel · Times: Second Age: Drabble · ID: 627
Reviewer: Elena Tiriel · 2007-12-29 13:41:17 Score: 8
(Possible spoilers within:)

This is a hauntingly beautiful -- and also chilling -- drabble about
the Downfall of Numenor, rich with imagery from Tolkien's writings.

The small details add so much to this work, like the [furious waters],
with a lavishly-illuminated book floating in them. But somehow the
part of the destruction of the book that saddened me the most was that
music, not merely literature, was being lost forever. That broke my heart.

And then we find that the book was a gift from Maglor, to me the most
tragic of the seven sons of Feanor, and the one most redeemed by his
care for the brothers Elrond and Elros, who was the gift's recipient.
But the fact that the lost heirloom was valuable for being inscribed
by its author and composer, and gifted to the first King of Numenor,
is dwarfed by the absolute loss of the understanding of history... the
fall of the Noldor was because of their own arrogance, and the
Numenoreans repeated that history blindly. And that is the saddest
part of all.

A breathtaking and, at the same time, heartbreaking work!

Title: Emmaus · Author: Dwimordene · Genres: Drama: Vignette · ID: 636
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2007-12-29 13:42:50 Score: 4
Dwimordene writes her tale of Aragorn's healing of Faramir, and as is
her wont, it is a fresh and new perspective.

Here death is shown as full of light and warmth, and Faramir must
choose to go back to the pain of life--as he rightly does.

I didn't know the reason for the title until I googled it and
discovered it to be a Christian road to renewal. Well, the Christian
part is apt for Tolkien, the renewal part for the tale.

I only wish there were a bit more of Aragorn in the tale--but then,
I'm kind of obsessed with him.

Title: The Northmen · Author: SheBit · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond:
Drabble · ID: 451
Reviewer: Elen Kortirion · 2007-12-29 13:45:50 Score: 3
Soldier's banter between allies is traditional - slightly barbed, but
well-meaning. Shebit captures that very eloquently here. Each thinks
themselves the more fortunately born as regards country... perhaps
there are more than a few readers here who wouldn't mind being born in
either place.

Title: Vocabulary Lessons · Author: Larner · Times: Late Third Age:
3018-3022 TA: Gondor · ID: 521
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2007-12-29 13:48:33 Score: 3
Arrogant little brat. Been a big fish in a tiny pond for far too long
- and needs taking down a whole ladderful of pegs. And Elessar is the
king to do it. With a little help from his friends.

Title: The Wink of an Eye · Author: Linda hoyland · Times: Mid Third
Age: 2851 - 3017 TA: Drabble · ID: 664
Reviewer: Elen Kortirion · 2007-12-29 13:49:49 Score: 2
Funny, quirky and a very original take on Sauron's malice, plus a nice
little glimpse of how Denethor's mind might have been slowly and
delibrately unhinged! Nicely done.

Title: Comforting Silence · Author: Radbooks · Times: Fourth Age and
Beyond: Gondor or Rohan · ID: 157
Reviewer: Bodkin · 2007-12-29 14:00:13 Score: 3
This is beautiful - Aragorn is offering just the warmth and solidity
that Faramir needs at this time. Faramir is a man of words, but
language fails him at this point and Aragorn recognises this and gives
him precisely the silence he needs.