Yahoo Forum Archive

Title: A Dragon in Buckland · Author: Pearl Took · Genres: Mystery ·
ID: 206
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2007-12-30 03:41:24 Score: 3
Young Pippin has a secret, and Merry is out to find out what it is!
And what a wonderful secret it is. I love this exploration of Pippin
developing his compassion for others in such a creative way.

Title: If You Should Die Before I Wake · Author: PipMer · Genres:
Drama: With Merry · ID: 277
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2007-12-30 03:41:41 Score: 3
A very sweet and touching Cormallen fic! I think most of all, I love
the title--it captures the angst and uncertainty of those horrible
days so perfectly!

PipMer has a handle on the emotions of Merry and Pippin, and this
story really showcases her understanding of the deep love between the
cousins. It remains one of my favorites of hers.


Title: Not Fade Away · Author: Jael · Genres: Drama: Elves in Later
Ages · ID: 127
Reviewer: Doc Bushwell · 2007-12-30 03:41:48 Score: 10
In contrast to what seems to be a prevailing sentiment among fan fic
readers, I relish creative AU takes on Tolkien. Furthermore, I often
find myself gravitating to stories set in a contemporary milieu since
these offer a platform for commentary on the modern world as viewed
through a Tolkienian prism. Jael's [Not Fade Away] is among the best
of the best in achieving this.

Jael's writing style is immensely appealing - lively, evocative, great
dialog. The pace of the story is superb. When I started reading this,
it rapidly morphed into the electronic equivalent of a novel I could
not put down. Jael crafted Mariposa as a character I genuinely cared
about - which is saying something given my cynicism. I enjoyed
deciphering the clues that Jael offered as to the identity of the
canonical Elves. The overarching plot - an interwoven romance, comedy
and drama - kept me engrossed. With regard to "the bad guys," in the
context of our modern world, it was all too believable. The original
characters - from minor bit parts (Sid and Morrie - and Morrie's wife,
Tovah - very poignant) to larger roles (Mariposa - obviously, Felice)
- are richly drawn.

[Not Fade Away] is also deliciously subversive in the greater context
of Tolkienian fan fic. Jael takes a wildly AU setting and demonstrates
how well informed she is by canon but that she is not enslaved by it.
This allows her to instill true creativity in her work. It's not just
another tired old chestnut of a...well, I'd better stop now lest I
offend others. I'll simply say [Not Fade Away] is a vividly refreshing
and creative story. I mean, how many authors comment on the nature
Aman via a highly germane quote from Mark Twain?

As an aside, Jael's portrayals of Thranduil, Galion and Legolas
throughout the Ages (including way back when) are excellent, and I'm a
fan of her 'verse/canon. I'm hoping to see some of her more recent
offerings nominated for the 2008 awards, in particular "King Stag."
(Check out HASA!)

Title: Taters and Thyme · Author: Cuthalion · Genres: Romance · ID: 499
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2007-12-30 03:41:57 Score: 3
Another appearance by Cuthallion's OFC Lily, the midwife--she would,
of course have been a frequent visitor to Bag End! Sam's a bit nervous
this time around, so she sends him off to the kitchen to cook! And a
recipe fic!! My joy is complete! I adore recipe fics!

Title: The Oarsman · Author: Tanaqui · Times: Late Third Age:
3018-3022 TA: Other Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 357
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2007-12-30 03:42:13 Score: 2
A powerful pair of drabbles--how would the slaves at the oars feel on
being freed from their piratical masters? This seems very right.

Title: Could Will Have Its Way · Author: Nancy Brooke · Races: Men:
Gondor Drabble · ID: 286
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2007-12-30 03:42:30 Score: 1
Oh my! I had never thought of Denethor looking to see *that*! Wow.

Title: To Represent the Elves · Author: Nieriel Raina · Genres: Humor
· ID: 810
Reviewer: Dreamflower · 2007-12-30 03:42:55 Score: 3
There is something *very* appealing about interactions between Legolas
and Pippin during the Quest, and this one is delightful. I love
Pippin's stunned reaction when he figures out Legolas' age, LOL!

Title: Warriors' Scars · Author: Marta · Times: Early Third Age:
1-2850 TA · ID: 648
Reviewer: White Wolf · 2007-12-30 03:49:49 Score: 2
Revenge, in the end, usually does more harm than good to those seeking
it. Glorfindel, wise elf that he is, understands that. Good piece.

Title: No Harm Will Come of It · Author: Marigold · Times: Mid Third
Age: 2851 - 3017 TA: Other Fixed-Length Ficlet · ID: 456
Reviewer: Marta · 2007-12-30 04:09:25 Score: 5
[mild spoilers]
This is some really nice character work, Marigold. I loved the growth
of Hamfast through the various drabbles, from a bit skeptical to
cautiously interested to treasuring this connection with his son, all
the way through to pride at being able to read a letter on his own.
And you still captured a lot of his gruffness, keeping it from getting
sappy. And what's more, each drabble was a nice gapfiller into the
Gaffer's life, each seemed believable, and each functioned well on the
technical aspects that make drabbles so much fun and so challenging to
write. A job well done - you entertained me with this one.

Title: The Unbearable Smugness of Being Feanor · Author: Ignoble Bard
· Genres: Humor · ID: 164
Reviewer: Doc Bushwell · 2007-12-30 04:13:12 Score: 8
The [Unbearable Smugness of Being Fëanor] (USoBF) belongs to the
Comedy Central of creation myths. Ignoble Bard could make a killing if
he booked the duo of Fëanor and Melkor at the Gotham Comedy Club. Just
keep them apart so that a universe-forming singularity doesn't pop
into existence in Manhattan.

Fëanor's pretentious superior loquaciousness is perfect. Melkor's
retorts and his sense of comedic timing are priceless. "I can swim."
*snort!* Not that I have been around the block all that much in
Tolkien fan fic, but more often than not, when I've read attempts of
humor applied to the larger-than-life-of-mythic-proportions dark and
scary characters of Tolkien's legendarium, they've come across as
dumbed down buffoons. Not so here. Ignoble Bard writes these towering
figures intelligently (thank you, thank you, thank you). Fëanor and
Melkor are both sharp as nails.

The last line of this piece - Eru Iluvatar contemplating the paragons
of humanity that we are - invariably sends me into paroxysms. The
USoBF is a hilarious addition to Ignoble Bard's JRRT-flavored comedic
compendium.

Title: A Boy and His Lob · Author: Ignoble Bard · Genres: Humor · ID: 162
Reviewer: Oshun · 2007-12-30 04:23:10 Score: 9
All of IgnobleBard's stories are great and his use of language in his
serious ones, is measured and elegant, but there is something about
his comedies that really seems to cause him to let loose and soar.
This one is no exception. Legolas is charming, snarky, adolescent and
devious. Haldir has--whoops, I cannot specific, for that would blow
the greatest line in the story. I will leave it as this. He is rather
attractve and appreciated by Legolas. The pet spider is a horror
(speaking as a mom; it really set my teeth on edge and scared the
daylights out of me). It is just so big. But what is not to love about
a spider that can write and spell and execute his work in tengwar. The
doilies are wonderfully hilarious and I know of what I speak, I grew
up in a working-class Irish family and in my childhood doilies graced
every available surface. (As I recall they dominated the decor of our
house, but did not make ["it pop."])

Anyway, this is a very funny story and one of the better take-offs on
a children's book that I have read in this fandom. I have a requested
a sequel, but I doubt I'll get my wish. Stories like this one tend to
be one of a kind.

Title: Fire and Ice · Author: NeumeIndil · Times: Late Third Age:
3018-3022 TA · ID: 318
Reviewer: Inkling · 2007-12-30 04:55:10 Score: 8
One of my favorite things about the MEFAs is that it leads me to
corners of the fandom I wouldn't otherwise discover...for example, the
Dragon's Hoard, a tavern/brothel in Edoras populated by a rich cast of
OCs, several minor canon characters and cameo appearances by some
major ones as well. Set in the tension-filled period of Grima's
ascendancy to power, "Fire and Ice" combines romance, human drama and
court intrigue in an engrossing and well-crafted tale.

What makes "Fire and Ice" memorable are the utterly believable, fully
realized characterizations and complex, nuanced relationships, in
particular the compassionate and strong-willed Morwen, who struggles
to accept the possibility of happiness with Gamling, and the
well-drawn friendship between Gamling and Háma.

There are many fine smaller details, such as the incessant tapping of
a trapped bumblebee that underscores a scene's mood, and a wonderfully
vivid pursuit of a wind-blown letter that [started up again like a
frightened grouse as she approached].

While part of a larger series, this story also works well on its own.
An impressive and ambitious saga!


Title: The Tolkienian War on Science · Author: Doc Bushwell · Genres:
Non-Fiction · ID: 444
Reviewer: Dawn Felagund · 2007-12-30 04:55:49 Score: 10
Doc Bushwell made her first appearance this past year as a Tolkien
writer--writing both fiction and non-fiction--and "The Tolkienian War
on Science" is a wonderful example of why she has quickly become one
of my favorite authors. With an impressive knowledge of canon and a
lively style that keeps me reading--and laughing--till the last word,
"Tolkienian" is both hard-hitting and engaging and is well deserving
of the nomination it has received here.

But what truly sets Doc Bushwell's writing apart from many other
canon-savvy writers with a gift for their craft is the knack she has
for taking the same facts that the rest of us study and use and
turning them on their heads to generate conclusions and a version of
Middle-earth quite unlike any I have ever seen. While "Tolkienian" is
non-fiction, it serves as a basis, almost a mission statement, for her
work that follows. She jumps with both feet into one of the most
popular debates among those who study and write about the First Age:
were the Valar justified in their treatment of Feanor? Did they have
the right to demand access to the Silmarils, or did Feanor have the
right to refuse? Who is truly morally and ethically just in his
demands of the other?

Looking at Feanor--and the Noldor as a whole--as a
scientist/technologist used and abused by the society in which he
lived, Doc Bushwell makes a strong argument in his favor. Drawing
modern comparisons to the treatment of scientists and technologists by
the "morality"-obsessed and fundamentalism-fueled politics in the
modern U.S., she connects these attitudes with the treatment of Feanor
and the Noldor in _The Silmarillion_ and, furthermore, Tolkien's own
attitudes towards practitioners of science and technology. She asks
readers--many of whom may never have questioned the superiority of
Tolkien's idyllic, pastoral vision devoid of "technology"--whether
this is truly the proper path to take. Is this the world that we want?
She adroitly gives voice to the arguments one can easily imagine
Feanor making and shows a side of the debate oft-neglected both by
Tolkien's "histories" and the writers who study them.

"Tolkienian" is guaranteed to be controversial, and many readers, I
know, have walked away without being fully convinced. But regardless
of the conclusions one comes to embrace, it certainly deserves credit
for taking on a difficult question (and an unpopular view) in a
skillful, well-informed, and very entertaining manner. And to all who
find themselves nodding furiously as they read, Doc Bushwell's
fiction--based largely on the same ideas--comes with heartiest
recommendation.

Title: Drawing Straight With Crooked Lines · Author: Fiondil · Genres:
Drama · ID: 76
Reviewer: Radbooks · 2007-12-30 04:57:21 Score: 6
This was the first story of Fiondil's that I read and it got my hooked
on his stories. I especially enjoy the way he writes the Valar. This
particular story I enjoyed because it really rang true for me... that
Boromir's actions at Amon Hen had been necessary. If he hadn't
attacked Frodo, then the consequences would have been horrible for the
Fellowship. The interaction between Namo and Boromir here was moving
as the Vala helps him see what could have happened - Namo doesn't
excuse what he did - but he helps Boromie see that sometimes our
actions have results that we don't always see and sometimes those work
out far better than we could ever have imagined. This story was very,
very well written and something I often go back and read.

Title: The Stranger · Author: mistycracraft · Races: Men: Eriador or
Rivendell · ID: 89
Reviewer: Radbooks · 2007-12-30 05:03:33 Score: 5
This is one of my favorite stories that Misty has written. I love the
original character, Edric, and the very real fear that he feels toward
a scruffy Ranger. It is such a natural reaction that most of the
people of Middle-earth feel towards the Rangers and Misty caught the
young man's internal struggles very well. And then Aragorn was kind to
him and smiled a little and all of Edric's prejudices were challenged
and he looked at the Ranger in a new light. It just seemed so real to
me - how a simple thing can change your perceptions. The story is very
well done.

Title: The Return · Author: mistycracraft · Races: Men: Eriador or
Rivendell · ID: 90
Reviewer: Radbooks · 2007-12-30 05:06:52 Score: 4
This is the sequel to 'The Stranger' and I enjoyed it as well. Edric
is now a middle aged man and the man he knew as Strider has returned
as king, though he is unaware of who he is and they spend a pleasant
evening together just talking about their lives. I enjoy stories that
give Aragorn a chance to just be a man and not 'the king'. The story
is well written, as are all of Misty's stories.

Title: Conversion · Author: Pentangle · Genres: Drama: With Aragorn ·
ID: 169
Reviewer: Radbooks · 2007-12-30 05:19:54 Score: 6
Original characters are often difficult to write, but Pentangle does a
very good job here. You can feel the anguish and the pain that Talion
is going through at the end of the War of the Ring when his son has
been killed by his own men - the men of Gondor. His village is in
ruins and so many men are missing and now the king is coming. The
bitterness pours out of Talion and onto Aragorn and Talion knows he'll
be killed or imprisoned but he doesn't care. But, Aragorn is the king
of the books and can take someone speaking back to him and helps the
man in his pain. In fact, calls on him to help stabilize the village.

It is so very done. I have not read all of Pentangle's stories - not
yet!, but those that I have I've thoroughly enjoyed. She's a skilled
writer who knows how to tell a story. Thanks for sharing this!

Title: The Company of Heroes · Author: annmarwalk · Races: Hobbits:
Children · ID: 393
Reviewer: White Wolf · 2007-12-30 05:24:51 Score: 2
Interesting observations by Sam about why he never talked about
Boromir to his family. It was nice to see him come to an understanding
about it.

Title: The Third Eagle · Author: Imhiriel · Times: Late Third Age:
3018-3022 TA: General Drabble · ID: 630
Reviewer: Marta · 2007-12-30 05:31:27 Score: 5
[spoilers]
This is a really thought-provoking drabble. I had always assumed that
both Gandalf and a hobbit would be too much weight for an eagle, so
the third eagle was intended to carry Gandalf, but after I read this
drabble, I looked it up and realized that I was wrong. I've read this
drabble several times, and each time I was left pondering: did Gandalf
really think Gollum had survived, or was it just to keep up
appearances (so others wouldn't think he had thought Gollum would
die), or what exactly? Whatever the answer, it's a thoroughly original
question, and I love the way this drabble poses it.

Title: Vocabulary Lessons · Author: Larner · Times: Late Third Age:
3018-3022 TA: Gondor · ID: 521
Reviewer: Radbooks · 2007-12-30 05:32:53 Score: 4
A short one shot [though a subsequent, longer story has since been
written] about a young lord who needs to learn that things are not
always as they appear and that he has much to learn about honor and
service and his treatment of other people.

I really enjoy the way Larner writes and this was a story that really
stuck out for me because it applies in so many situations in 'real
life'. So many people are overlooked because of what they look like or
how they dress, etc., and yet sometimes they deserve the most honor.
That was captured beautifully here.

Thanks for sharing this, Larner!

Title: Thyme is a great healer · Author: Tanaqui · Times: Fourth Age
and Beyond: Drabble · ID: 723
Reviewer: Marta · 2007-12-30 05:34:31 Score: 3
Great drabble - I particularly liked the parallel of traditions
between Gondor and the Shire, different befitting each of the
different cultures, but yet not completely dissimilar. And this was a
nice moment of connection between Faramir and Sam. Peace suits both of
them, and I was glad that they were sympathetic to each others' situation.

Title: Reconcilation · Author: Dwimordene · Genres: Drama · ID: 86
Reviewer: Radbooks · 2007-12-30 05:53:16 Score: 7
[SPOILERS]

This is an amazing story to me. I do not know how Dwim. is able to
take Isabeau's characters and make them her own like she does, but she
does it very, very well here. I, too had wondered how Andrahar and
Peloren had become friends and I was so glad that someone wrote that
story for us.

The backdrop of a military school setting and young men trying to find
their way is, in and of itself, a fascinating story, and then adding a
racial issue with all of the undertones with Pel and Elethil and what
they'd done made it a complex story and it was done wonderfully well.
It couldn't have been easy. There was a lot of tension in the story...
not too much, just the perfect amount. I was sure that Elethil was
going to kill himself, the story seemed to be leading up to that and I
was so relieved when he didn't.

I liked the other original characters in the story, especially Aldan,
though the other characters were well written - I just didn't like
them. But, I don't think I was supposed to.

A very enjoyable story and I thank you for writing it for us!

Title: A Boy and His Lob · Author: Ignoble Bard · Genres: Humor · ID: 162
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2007-12-30 06:03:56 Score: 3
I started choking, I was laughing so hard. Somehow this piece is even
funnier than the first time I read it. The ultimate statement on
doilies and interior decorating! I will never be able to read about
Legolas in Haldir's flet without seeing that doily in my mind's eye.

Woo hoo!

Title: A Mother's Wish · Author: Rhapsody · Genres: Drama: General
Drabble · ID: 429
Reviewer: Linda hoyland · 2007-12-30 06:07:38 Score: 3
I loved this idea of a connection between Maglor and his mother that
bridges the Sundering Seas. Poor Nerdanel, I feel for her the most in
the tragic sago of the simarils.As in real life, the women suffer
while the men fight.

Title: Perturbation of Fate · Author: Rhapsody · Genres: Drama:
General Drabble · ID: 428
Reviewer: Linda hoyland · 2007-12-30 06:11:25 Score: 2
A sad and haunting drabble about how Maglor feels he cannot heed the
call of the sea but remain forever bound to his terrible oath.