Yahoo Forum Archive

Title: The Right to Bear Arms · Author: Pearl Took · Genres: Humor:
Elven Lands · ID: 653
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2008-07-26 05:10:18
I very much like that your arrogant Boromir is knocked down a peg or
two. I didn't so much like the ending. It felt a bit heavy-handed
narratively, as though it were forced into an ending instead of
finishing itself. Still, a very enjoyable read.

Title: Cuts Gone Wrong · Author: Dwimordene · Times: Mid Third Age:
Eriador · ID: 156
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2008-07-26 05:10:28
I think this is the first piece I've read about young Aragorn as a
Ranger and liked. It comes off as comforting and homely rather than
fluffy or insipid. A very nice job.

Title: My Precious · Author: SheBit · Genres: Romance: Drabbles · ID: 14
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2008-07-26 05:10:37
You write a good, creepy but still almost sympathetic, Grima. Still, Ew.

Title: Hidden Watcher · Author: kitt_otter · Genres: Drama · ID: 702
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2008-07-26 05:10:51
Spoilers!
Ooh. This was nice. You made great use of the idea of keener than
human elvin senses and filled in a gap. I love that he smelled him
first. And this {"But… Too much thought finds the guard dead."} is an
awesome line.

Title: Not Quite Any Other Day · Author: Pearl Took · Races: Hobbits:
Family · ID: 631
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2008-07-26 05:11:04
Spoilers!
This reminded me of a family story of my youngest aunt running after a
limo, yelling for her new sister-in-law to bring back her brother! How
very sweet, especially since we get to see Estella start to follow in
her brother's footsteps once again.

Title: The Nag · Author: celticbard · Races: Men: Steward's Family ·
ID: 347
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2008-07-26 05:11:13
We need a follow up to this of Denethor's reaction when he meets his
new mount.

Title: Out of the Blue · Author: Jael · Races: Elves · ID: 205
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2008-07-26 05:12:37
Spoilers!
Not sure if the Bonnie Rait song reference at the end of the prologue
is intentional or not, but having read and fallen in love with "Not
Fade Away" in last year's MEFA, I would almost expect it. That said, I
was hoping for another novel length journey into the inner workings of
the River's corporation as well as their family, and I was a little
sad that we didn't get it. But, I LOVE what's here. Hal deserves a
girl after all he's been through, and the idea of Orville and Rudy
enjoying Nascar made me crack up hard! I love that Mr. Rivers reads
"The Onion" and watches Bob the Builder on repeat. I love that Leif
pitches in with cleaning the litter box and breaks off in business
phone calls because he's home for the weekend with his kid, and the
name of that troublesome client made me snort Pepsi out of my nose.
(My monitor needed cleaning anyway.) But the implication of the towers
story was just a stroke of genius. If anything would make a CPS worker
take note, it's something like that, and yet, when you know the back
story... I really can't say enough about how stunning it is to see
this sort of creative thinking and playfulness in the fandom. It has
been growing thin, I think, in many places. Please keep giving us more.

Title: Trinity · Author: pandemonium_213 · Times: Modern Times · ID: 51
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2008-07-26 05:13:00
Spoilers!
["With that, Fionn and Saunders simultaneously tossed the jewels and
the ring high into the air where they swirled around each other until
they could no longer be seen. Then the sky exploded with the radiance
of a thousand suns."] Awesome moment. Great writing.

Title: Cinnamon and Chocolate · Author: Cuthalion · Genres: Romance ·
ID: 264
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2008-07-26 05:13:34
This one always makes me hungry! In *at least* one sense of the word.
*giggle* I think the playfulness between the two of them, like over
the icing bowl, is what makes this so delightful. They never, even in
very heated or passionate moments, misplace that humor. And also, too,
you touch here on how love, or at least contentment, can be contagious
with the second batch of cinnamon rolls made in the Shire that day. I
don't think I've ever said this either, but thank you for not working
too hard at making it 'hobbity'. The subtle way you do it: focusing on
food, on simple joys, on surroundings, are far better story telling in
my mind than too many references to tantalizingly curly foot hair. :)
You invoke the spirit of simplicity that I like about Tolkien's
hobbits, even when they're doing things that Tolkien himself would
almost definitely *not* have written about!

Title: The Keys of the Realm · Author: Larner · Genres: Drama:
Featuring Aragorn · ID: 477
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2008-07-26 05:14:03
Spoilers!
Okay, I'll admit to being a little morbid in more than a few ways, so
the choice of words here struck me as sort of darkly-comic. ["They
assaulted the walls and--and sought to dishearten us by sending proof
of their hatred for the Men they caught abroad." Faramir paled. "I can
too easily imagine." "They made little *headway*, however, during the
night,"] The falcons on the window sill were also a nice touch,
bringing a bit of the wildness Elessar used to know into his new life
in the city. Gimli and Legolas working together on the circlets for
Frodo and Sam is a wonderful move as well; as if the relationship
between the two, and subsequently their peoples, needed more cementing
from those two, it was probably not since Celebrimbor and Narvi that
such a project was undertaken by such a pair.

As another small criticism, this phrase is also used *a lot* in
chapter 4: ["or so Master Meriadoc assured me"]. In that chapter,
though, the awe and respect with which Faramir speaks of the hobbits
is very powerful, and an idea I've never seen mentioned before in a
fiction. I really enjoyed this. Thanks for writing it.

Title: Dirty Jobs · Author: Pearl Took · Genres: Humor: Shire · ID: 232
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2008-07-26 05:14:18
Spoilers!
Like most, I'm sure, my first reaction to these chores of his was
'ew'. I've smelled dirty chicken coops and mucky ponds and dirty dairy
barns and... well, Pippin must truly love his mother... or getting
messy. Thanks for making me smile.

Title: With Many "Fond" Acknowledgments · Author: Thundera Tiger ·
Genres: Humor · ID: 472
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2008-07-26 05:14:29
An excellent example of the truth behind the old adage "Too many cooks
spoil the broth."

Title: Took Broth · Author: Pearl Took · Genres: Humor: Shire · ID: 543
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2008-07-26 05:14:38
That's a neat idea, and illustrates how wonderful things happen when
differences are embraced.

Title: The Conscience of the King · Author: Raksha the Demon · Genres:
Humor · ID: 649
Reviewer: Linda Hoyland · 2008-07-26 05:52:19
Spoilers!
This story is a light hearted look at a very difficult subject that
concerns most of us at some time or other, or at least it did until
most couples were sexually intimate with each other prior to the
wedding. We,or at least the older of us, have all been at a wedding as
friends and relatives of the bride, I should think and wondered if the
bride would enjoy the coming night and if the groom were worthy of her
and would treat her with kindness and respect.

Eomer is no different where his sister is concerned and at her wedding
is both happy that she has found joy and uneasy at the thought of her
as a married woman.

As a Faramir fan, I'm sure Eowyn's bridegroom will treat her very
kindly,be patient with her if needful and make her a happy wife.He
will hardly act on his wedding night like a bull in a china shop. I
think deep down Eomer knows this, but he finds it hard to imagine his
little sister as a wife and no longer under his protection,but that of
another man.

Eomer is wise enough to let his sister go and wish her joy in her
marriage but cannot help still feeling protective of her as this inner
conversation he has with himself proves.

This is a very well written story, much better than the usual
fanfiction fare of eomer does not like Faramir and makes his life a
misery,fights with him ect.

Wisely, Eomer decides to stop fretting and have some more ale!



Title: Reflections in the Smoke · Author: Raksha the Demon · Times:
Late Third Age: General Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 294
Reviewer: Linda Hoyland · 2008-07-26 06:23:40
Spoilers!
It took me a while when I first discovered Tolkien's Masterpiece to
realise that Sauron was of the same race of powerful beings as
Gandalf. I did not know,though until I read this excellent ficlet just
how many names Sauron had. I suppose it is not surprising as Sauron,
like the Christian Devil, who also has many names,is a fallen angelic
being.

Tolkien never tells us what Gandalf feels when the Ring is
destroyed.Raksha makes an excellent job of filling in the gaps here.

It must feel very strange for Gandalf no longer to have the weight of
Middle-earth's future upon his shoulders and no longer bear a Ring of
Power,but simply an ordinary ring.

It shows Gandalf's greatness that he can feel a moment's sorrow for
Sauron while at the same time seeing him for exactly what he was.

I especially loved the comparison between Sauron and a cat, the cat
being a far wiser creature!

I envisage Gandalf as feeling rather 'flat" and drained at this point
in the story as well as happy that Sauron is gone,the Ring is
destroyed and he can finally go home. Until then, he can sit by the
fire and smoke his pipe,for not being mortal, smoking cannot damage
his health,and rejoice in the victory and that his friends are safe.
A well written and thought provoking story.

Title: The Rescue of Celebrian · Author: NeumeIndil · Genres: Drama:
Incomplete · ID: 382
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2008-07-26 06:47:15
Spoilers!
What a harrowing account of Celebrian's rescue, and the after-effects
of her ordeal! The reader is shown, not told, the trauma that she has
endured, in shadowy bits and pieces of her own recollection and the
misery she endures even after returning home. The injection of some of
the orcs involved, with individual personalities, and Celebrian's
familiarity - caused by her long captivity, is an excellent
storytelling touch.

I hope to see this story finished one day.

Title: Feeling Safe · Author: shirebound · Races: Hobbits · ID: 633
Reviewer: Linda Hoyland · 2008-07-26 08:02:16
Spoilers!
A very sweet story in which Frodo is a sleepwalker.On the way to
Rivendell,one night FRodo sleepwalks then falls asleep again propped
against Aragorn. The King to be is touched by this unconcious
expression of trust. A heartwarming and likeable tale.

Title: Aftermaths and Consequences · Author: Gwynnyd · Times: Fourth
Age and Beyond · ID: 268
Reviewer: Linda Hoyland · 2008-07-26 08:18:52
Spoilers!
I'm not usually a fan of stories that don't have Tolkien's original
characters in them, but these two characters won me over completely to
the extent that I would love to read more about them. The war left
many victims,not all on the battle field.This moving and well written
ficlet shows how two survivors deal with peace and hope for a brighter
future.The reader is left feeling optimistic.

Title: Frogdom · Author: Neilia · Genres: Humor: Elven Lands · ID: 192
Reviewer: Inkling · 2008-07-26 08:40:10
Spoilers!
There's something I've always found irresistibly charming about tales
of people magically turned into beasts, beginning with A.A. Milne's
hapless Prince Udo in "Once on a Time." And "Frogdom" is no exception,
as Neilia imagines the delightfully droll consequences of Gandalf
making good on a threat.

Among my favorite moments: the Pippin-frog going eyeball to eyeball
with Lord Elrond, Merry emptying the distasteful contents of his
pocket to grudgingly accept custody of his enchanted cousin ["Give me
the little sod, then"] and Frodo's vague frog-care instructions:
["Just make sure he gets something to eat and drink and keep him warm,
cool, wet – whatever frogs like."]

A very nice first fanfic effort!


Title: Pippin-Frog For A Day · Author: Neilia · Genres: Alternate
Universe: Incomplete · ID: 115
Reviewer: Inkling · 2008-07-26 08:54:06
Neilia's sequel to "Frogdom" is off to a promising start, especially
Pip-frog's hilarious encounter with the Elf maiden: ["Are you
comforted by my heart beat, little one?"] But in ditching Merry's
pocket to go exploring, the fool-of-a-frog may find more adventure
than he bargained for...



Title: The Craft of the Elven Smith · Author: Larner · Times:
Multi-Age · ID: 1
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-07-26 16:24:16
I really enjoyed this story. The premise that items made by Nerdanel
played a role in the healing of Middle Earth is a really appealing
one. I was drawn to the fact that most of what Nerdanel created were
really tools for others to use in their creative pursuits. It also
seemed fitting that she recieved a sort of healing for herself as a
result of her work. Very nicely done!

Title: Sunset Gates · Author: Ignoble Bard · Races: Dwarves: Drabbles
· ID: 342
Reviewer: Larner · 2008-07-26 20:21:04
Oh, but this is TOO cute! We knew that Gimli went west, but to THIS
west? He sees the Lady standing tall--and then is greeted....

Thanks so for the laugh! Excellent use of misdirection.

Title: Wind of Change · Author: Raksha the Demon · Genres: Drama:
General Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 47
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2008-07-26 21:19:40
Spoilers!
Raksha manages to draw in three perspectives that ordinarily wouldn't
be anywhere within dramatic proximity of each other at the same time.
The juxtaposition of Witch-king, Eomund, and Glorfindel has prophecy
at its center: the birth of a daughter is the realization of prophetic
utterance in history, and from this moment on, the future can develop
out of the present.

The storm that seems to cover all of Middle-earth is also used well as
a physical linking of the three perspectives, otherwise so far from
each other geographically. Ulmo is the Vala whose reach into
Middle-earth is greatest, other than Manwe's, if I recall correctly,
so the fact that it is a storm and the wind - water and air - that
herald the arrival of the future in the presence seems very
appropriate to me.

Evocative, spare, no extraneous words - well done, Raksha.

Title: Birthday Present · Author: Aranel Took · Genres: Drama: General
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 441
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2008-07-26 21:20:03
Spoilers!
This was very sweet, but not cloyingly so. I love the choice of gift
here - I am sure that those who have small children will instantly
identify with Bilbo before Pippin's demand. And of course, it is not
as if we ever truly outgrow the desire to relive our favorite stories,
or else we wouldn't be fanficcing, now would we?

Title: Mournful Fords · Author: Imhiriel · Genres: Drama: Ring War
Drabbles · ID: 368
Reviewer: Dwimordene · 2008-07-26 21:20:17
Spoilers!
Imhiriel notes that she wished that Tolkien had given some description
of Theoden's reception of the news that his son has died. I am sure
many fans share her regret that it never was shown, but this drabble
helps to make up for the lack.

Theoden's reaction seems very plausible, given the situation in Rohan.
His imaginative stepping into his son's shoes amply displays his own
regrets and sense of responsibility for the near-collapse of his
court. The pragmatic (and one likes to think, trusting) last words of
his son are transformed - by extracting them from their tactical
setting, Imhiriel transforms them into an accusation.

Very bleak and sad - just as one imagines it would be, Imhiriel!