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Msg# 9370
MEFA Reviews for Monday, August 11, 2008 (Part Two) Posted by annmarwalk August 11, 2008 - 21:00:10 Topic ID# 9370Title: Terra Incognita · Author: Branwyn (Lady Branwyn) · Genres:
Humor: Drabbles · ID: 723
Reviewer: Linda Hoyland · 2008-08-07 05:30:17
Spoilers!
A touching look at how Tolkien's fellow soldiers viewed him during his
time in the First World War,which even manages to include a little
humour.A lovely drabble.
Title: Wormtongue · Author: Mariole · Races: Villains · ID: 240
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2008-08-07 05:40:14
The depth of degradation Grima has reached here is heart-wrenching. He
has even his manhood taken from him at the whims of the fallen wizard,
and still betrays the closest thing he has to a friend out of that
twisted servile streak. In this story, I pity Grima, which I do
rarely. Well done.
Title: Birthday Outing · Author: Tanaqui · Times: Fourth Age and
Beyond: Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 386
Reviewer: Larner · 2008-08-07 05:41:03
Spoilers!
It may be a very advanced birthday, but our beloved Aragorn is
unstoppable and as remarkable as ever. How Barahir must have marveled
at the Man's stamina! As for Eldarion, one gets the idea he has long
accepted he'll never fully rival his father out in the wild. Lovely!
Title: Shelter From the Storm · Author: SlightlyTookish · Races:
Cross-Cultural: Friendship · ID: 315
Reviewer: Larner · 2008-08-07 05:45:04
I've always felt that it was on Caradhras that Boromir was shown to
his best advantage--his experience and forethought, and his caring for
his companions, particularly for the Hobbits.
And this is a particularly nice expansion of the scene by one whose
writings on Merry and Pippin I've always loved.
Title: Silenced · Author: Illwynd · Genres: Horror · ID: 31
Reviewer: Larner · 2008-08-07 05:54:08
Spoilers!
A most fascinating Might-Have-Been in which we see one taken by the
Ring who is truly being consumed by Its power, almost as if the Ring
Itself were kin to Shelob and sucking out the vitality and intellect
as well as the integrity of Its victim. And to see the Shadow so
manifesting itself....
A remarkably effective AU.
Title: Risk Assessment · Author: pandemonium_213 · Races: Elves · ID: 665
Reviewer: Marta · 2008-08-07 06:06:20
I was a little cautious to begin reading "Risk Assessment" because I
have not yet read the longer WIP "The Apprentice." Not having read the
longer WIP "The Apprentice" or even being that familiar with the canon
on second age Eregion, I wasn't sure how well I'd be able to follow
it. (And I knew my own worn-out-ed-ness wouldn't help matters.) Yet
the distinctions between the Sindarin elves and the various varieties
of the Noldor in Ost-in-Edhil were immediately clear. Pandemonium did
a fine job of making the pertinent aspects of the original characters
clear to the new reader, which is something I can appreciate the
difficulties of. I find that I struggle to do that, both with my
original characters and the original aspects ("fanons") of my
interpretations of canon characters. Pandemonium deserves commendation
for making original characters from an extended piece relevant here;
it's not that easy to do.
Even more than that, though, I really enjoyed the discussion between
Midhel and Melamire. I could see their differences of opinions
developing quite naturally, and the discussion of how a natural
skeptic should approach any kind of faith in the super-natural (by
which I mean beyond-natural, something that's beyond what we can
sense, not even necessarily implying something divine). The one thing
I would suggest is that Melamire perhaps push the discussion even
further. Is the idea that the lembas plant contains a toxin proof that
Yavanna did not design the plant well, or could that toxin be the way
Yavanna carries out her design (similar to the argument made by
Christian evolutionists that God used evolution to design the world)?
It might be nice a few years down the road when Midhel is more
comfortable among the Noldor, for her to have a more prolonged debate
with Melamire. I wouldn't mind seeing more of these two in any
context, they seem to have a very natural chemistry that could turn
into quite a friendship.
Nice work, Pande! I enjoyed this, even in my slightly
mentally-befuddled state.
Title: Five Turnings of the Year · Author: Dana · Races: Hobbits:
Post-Ring War · ID: 685
Reviewer: Larner · 2008-08-07 06:18:21
Five Yules in a row are described from Pippin's point of view, from
the one before Frodo learns the nature of the Ring, when all of the
conspirators are more convinced that Frodo will merely slip away to
find Bilbo again and see a bit of the wide world outside the Shire, to
the one just after Frodo has left both the Shire and Middle Earth.
I love how in each one Pippin appears to be watching out of the corner
of his eye to see to it Frodo's enjoying himself, too. The caring he
feels is so well expressed.
Title: Burdens · Author: Meril · Genres: Drama: General Fixed-Length
Ficlets · ID: 219
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2008-08-07 11:27:13
This drabble series brings the "Flight of the Noldor" to a very close,
personal level we can all relate to in reminding us of the
preciousness of memory and identity. It is very effective in invoking
emotions by drawing our attention to the small, everyday objects that
possess a worth far exceeding their material price because they form
part of our past, our identity, our memories and emotions.
But the ["burdens"] the Noldor carry are no longer pristine memories
of a happier past; stained as they are with more recent memories
fighting and killing and rebellion.
The various items and their history is each poignant in its own way;
and each character featured is distinct and memorable, each with their
own background and personal stories and motivations for their decision
to join Fėanor's rebellion.
What makes it even more resonating is the contrast between what is
said and what isn't, and the demonstration, again and again, how
fractured everything and everyone is - sundered families, people
pitted against people, shattered trust.
Title: Saruman of Many Colours · Author: Tanaqui · Genres: Drama:
General Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 439
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2008-08-07 11:27:26
This drabble really captures Saruman's personality. His smug
arrogance, his disdain for everything and everyone else, his greedy
and exploitative search for power.
["Constraints"] was a poignant contrast while reinforcing his overall
attitude. The way he chafes at the fact that there is still one thing
better than him, that Sauron can easily overpower him, his almost
petulant certainty that in the end, *he* will be the master.
["The bones of the earth"] just about had me shuddering in revulsion.
I would never have thought of this twist, but now it seems absolutely
logical!
I really liked the ambiguity of the last lines in ["Greedy for news"],
because it echoes Gandalf's steadfast belief - or hope - that
redemption might have been possible for Saruman even at the very end.
Title: Hammer · Author: Aranel Took · Races: Dwarves: Drabbles · ID: 468
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger · 2008-08-07 17:27:37
Spoilers!
Oh, so THAT'S what the dwarves are calling it nowadays. Good to know.
Ah, nothing like a bit of dwarven impropriety to make one smile.
Anyway, very clever! I love the way this plays on current conventions
to make a tale that is very dwarven (the fire stoking in the forge was
a great tidbit) but also very, very understandable. I have no doubt
but what Gloin isn't the only dwarf taking advantage of parental
absences. I guess when it comes down to it, youth is always youth. And
kudos for taking the time to share with us a remarkable depiction of a
young Gloin.
Title: Home · Author: Aranel Took · Races: Dwarves: Drabbles · ID: 533
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger · 2008-08-07 17:27:55
Spoilers!
I love the little snapshots in time that drabbles can create, and this
is a brilliant one. The transition of stepping away from one's roots
and creating an actual home is a big step, and this gives us a small
glimpse into what it must have been like for Gimli to do so. Very
effective.
Title: Sunset Gates · Author: Ignoble Bard · Races: Dwarves: Drabbles
· ID: 342
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger · 2008-08-07 17:30:23
Spoilers!
So I was happily reading this drabble, being carried along by glowing
descriptions and a superb narrative. Then the final line dropped its
bombshell. I will freely admit that it took me quite a while to stop
laughing, and I'm still grinning even as I write this review. Humor is
really all in the timing, and this drabble has timing down to an art.
More than that, though, there are hints of a broader story that we can
only begin to glimpse. I'm shaking off the nuzgul even now, and I
can't seem to get rid of a certain Mark Twain novel that may have
involved some Yankee from Connecticut winding up in a strange medieval
court. Only slightly reversed, of course, because in this instance,
the court (or at least one member of it) is moving to New York.
Brilliant drabble.
Title: Dreamscape · Author: Tanaqui · Races: Dwarves: Drabbles · ID: 442
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger · 2008-08-07 17:30:57
You know what I love most about this drabble? The title. Which
probably sounds a little strange, but when you pair the title with the
drabble proper, it creates such insight into the dwarves! This is
their dreamscape, and they bring it with them everywhere they go.
Sometimes they can't make it as bold or as magnificent as they'd like
to, but they are going to make it, nonetheless. And these images are
going to be a part of their dreams for as long as dreams endure.
Title: O Kheled-zāram fair and wonderful! · Author: Imhiriel · Races:
Dwarves: Drabbles · ID: 354
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger · 2008-08-07 17:31:41
The great thing about this drabble is the way that every line hearkens
back to something in the dwarven heritage. It gives it a very grounded
feel and enriches what would otherwise be just another romance
snapshot. This goes beyond that and carves out a niche for itself in
the dwarven world. Very well done.
Title: The Westering Fire · Author: Aprilkat · Races: Hobbits · ID: 200
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-08-07 22:12:08
Spoilers!
This is a short piece exploring what things might have been like for
hobbits in the Shire during the occupation by ruffians employed by
Lotho and Saruman. Rosie deals with the fact that a number of the
women of the Shire have been brutalized by the ruffians - and wishes
that Sam would return. When he does, she's been changed enough by her
experiences to want to meet him on equal terms. A lovely look at the
thoughts behind one of the few lines she has in canon.
Title: To Sleep, Perchance to Dream · Author: Ariel/Auntie
Meesh/Budgielover/Cathleen/Dreamflower/Gryffinjack/kellyfrankenfield/Lindelea/Pearl
Took/Rosie Took/SlightlyTookish CoAuthors · Times: Late Third Age:
Gondor · ID: 496
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-08-07 22:18:06
A really neatly done collaborative effort! I found this enjoyable from
start to finish - from Pippin's desire to sleep more and asking
another guard rather than family or friends for aid, to the
unfortunate effects of his 'sleep aid,' to the medical treatment
rendered. The various authors' styles mesh extremely nicely. A
wonderful story!
Title: Elanor of Westmarch: Still There · Author: Baranduin · Genres:
Drama: Final Partings · ID: 183
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-08-07 22:24:05
Spoilers!
I love, love, love Baranduin's Elanor. This particular story looks at
her final farewell with Sam, and her emotions following that. The
image of her sitting on the floor with a quilt that once belonged to
Frodo is a gorgeous one, and you can really feel how torn she is by
whether she should follow her father or stay with her family. Her
ultimate decision feels really gut-level honest. Gorgeously done, and
I loved this story very much.
Title: National Treasure · Author: Baranduin · Times: Modern Times ·
ID: 201
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-08-07 22:29:37
What a fun read! This sort of makes me want to pick up and visit
Scotland, just to see if what these archaeologists found is still
there. The details are wonderfully written and make it clear to anyone
who's seen the movies precisely what location the husband and wife
archaeologist found, even if they don't know themselves. Wonderfully done!
Title: The Citadel · Author: Claudia · Genres: Mystery · ID: 732
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-08-07 22:46:34
Wow, this is a really unique story that's both alternate universe and
not simultaneously - sort of a dream-sequence, sort of a Claudia-verse
- difficult to describe. Frodo, Faramir, Strider, and Halbarad are all
in a village called the Citadel. It's revealed to Frodo that this
means all of them are on trial for some offense, although he's not
certain at first what his might have been. A variety of dark things
happen to Frodo in this village - but at the end, he awakens in his
bed post-Quest. It leaves us all to wonder at the end whether it
really happened or not - and if it did happen, why? Was it perhaps
some sort of self-imposed penance for events Frodo feels guilty for?
And did it only happen to Frodo, or were the Rangers only figures in
his dream? Really intriguing, an interesting read.
Title: Promise and Sorrow · Author: Virtuella · Times: Late Third Age
· ID: 607
Reviewer: grey_wonderer · 2008-08-07 23:47:58
This story touched me deeply, especially the first part of it. All of
the characters contained in this fiction have something to say to the
reader and the author allows them all to have their say. I don't
believe that I have read anything like this before and I am very
pleased to have found this while looking through the nominated stories
this afternoon. Within this story there is sorrow, hope, love, pride,
regret, and a few interesting twists. Once, in particular, a
character's tale turned in a direction that I was not remotely
expecting. I love when that happens. This is very clever writing and I
enjoyed every single word of it.
Title: The Language of Waves · Author: Claudia · Races: Hobbits · ID: 193
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-08-07 23:48:48
The imagery in this is absolutely gorgeous - Claudia's given us a
lovely friendship fic in which Frodo and Gildor have become friends in
Tol Eressea and are going swimming. She paints a vivid word-painting
that calls to mind beautiful tropical islands and hidden coves and
beaches. Lovely!
Title: The Elanor Bloom · Author: Claudia · Genres: Drama: Incomplete
· ID: 194
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-08-07 23:50:59
This looks like a promising beginning and I hope it's updated soon!
Title: Land of the Moon · Author: Claudia · Genres: Alternate
Universe: Incomplete · ID: 308
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-08-07 23:54:30
A lovely tale full of unresolved romantic tension. It's a bit AU, and
a bit slashy, but nothing even remotely graphic - just hope and longing.
Title: In The Midst Of Summer · Author: Cuthalion · Genres: Drama:
Final Partings · ID: 270
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-08-07 23:56:22
This is a gorgeously heartbreaking tale exploring the emotions of a
very freshly widowed Samwise Gamgee. The love he had for his Rosie is
clearly evident and his grief is almost palpable. Beautifully done -
but I expect no less from Cuthalion.
Title: The Wedding Gift · Author: annmarwalk · Genres: Romance: Other
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 40
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2008-08-08 01:21:02
Spoilers!
A lovely vignette about Gloin's wedding gift for his bride. Ann uses
her considerable gift of descriptive writing to exquisite purpose as
she reveals to the reader the shape and color and substance of the
gift, culminating in the bride's joy and Gloin's joy in his bride. The
story, like the gift, is well-crafted.
Humor: Drabbles · ID: 723
Reviewer: Linda Hoyland · 2008-08-07 05:30:17
Spoilers!
A touching look at how Tolkien's fellow soldiers viewed him during his
time in the First World War,which even manages to include a little
humour.A lovely drabble.
Title: Wormtongue · Author: Mariole · Races: Villains · ID: 240
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2008-08-07 05:40:14
The depth of degradation Grima has reached here is heart-wrenching. He
has even his manhood taken from him at the whims of the fallen wizard,
and still betrays the closest thing he has to a friend out of that
twisted servile streak. In this story, I pity Grima, which I do
rarely. Well done.
Title: Birthday Outing · Author: Tanaqui · Times: Fourth Age and
Beyond: Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 386
Reviewer: Larner · 2008-08-07 05:41:03
Spoilers!
It may be a very advanced birthday, but our beloved Aragorn is
unstoppable and as remarkable as ever. How Barahir must have marveled
at the Man's stamina! As for Eldarion, one gets the idea he has long
accepted he'll never fully rival his father out in the wild. Lovely!
Title: Shelter From the Storm · Author: SlightlyTookish · Races:
Cross-Cultural: Friendship · ID: 315
Reviewer: Larner · 2008-08-07 05:45:04
I've always felt that it was on Caradhras that Boromir was shown to
his best advantage--his experience and forethought, and his caring for
his companions, particularly for the Hobbits.
And this is a particularly nice expansion of the scene by one whose
writings on Merry and Pippin I've always loved.
Title: Silenced · Author: Illwynd · Genres: Horror · ID: 31
Reviewer: Larner · 2008-08-07 05:54:08
Spoilers!
A most fascinating Might-Have-Been in which we see one taken by the
Ring who is truly being consumed by Its power, almost as if the Ring
Itself were kin to Shelob and sucking out the vitality and intellect
as well as the integrity of Its victim. And to see the Shadow so
manifesting itself....
A remarkably effective AU.
Title: Risk Assessment · Author: pandemonium_213 · Races: Elves · ID: 665
Reviewer: Marta · 2008-08-07 06:06:20
I was a little cautious to begin reading "Risk Assessment" because I
have not yet read the longer WIP "The Apprentice." Not having read the
longer WIP "The Apprentice" or even being that familiar with the canon
on second age Eregion, I wasn't sure how well I'd be able to follow
it. (And I knew my own worn-out-ed-ness wouldn't help matters.) Yet
the distinctions between the Sindarin elves and the various varieties
of the Noldor in Ost-in-Edhil were immediately clear. Pandemonium did
a fine job of making the pertinent aspects of the original characters
clear to the new reader, which is something I can appreciate the
difficulties of. I find that I struggle to do that, both with my
original characters and the original aspects ("fanons") of my
interpretations of canon characters. Pandemonium deserves commendation
for making original characters from an extended piece relevant here;
it's not that easy to do.
Even more than that, though, I really enjoyed the discussion between
Midhel and Melamire. I could see their differences of opinions
developing quite naturally, and the discussion of how a natural
skeptic should approach any kind of faith in the super-natural (by
which I mean beyond-natural, something that's beyond what we can
sense, not even necessarily implying something divine). The one thing
I would suggest is that Melamire perhaps push the discussion even
further. Is the idea that the lembas plant contains a toxin proof that
Yavanna did not design the plant well, or could that toxin be the way
Yavanna carries out her design (similar to the argument made by
Christian evolutionists that God used evolution to design the world)?
It might be nice a few years down the road when Midhel is more
comfortable among the Noldor, for her to have a more prolonged debate
with Melamire. I wouldn't mind seeing more of these two in any
context, they seem to have a very natural chemistry that could turn
into quite a friendship.
Nice work, Pande! I enjoyed this, even in my slightly
mentally-befuddled state.
Title: Five Turnings of the Year · Author: Dana · Races: Hobbits:
Post-Ring War · ID: 685
Reviewer: Larner · 2008-08-07 06:18:21
Five Yules in a row are described from Pippin's point of view, from
the one before Frodo learns the nature of the Ring, when all of the
conspirators are more convinced that Frodo will merely slip away to
find Bilbo again and see a bit of the wide world outside the Shire, to
the one just after Frodo has left both the Shire and Middle Earth.
I love how in each one Pippin appears to be watching out of the corner
of his eye to see to it Frodo's enjoying himself, too. The caring he
feels is so well expressed.
Title: Burdens · Author: Meril · Genres: Drama: General Fixed-Length
Ficlets · ID: 219
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2008-08-07 11:27:13
This drabble series brings the "Flight of the Noldor" to a very close,
personal level we can all relate to in reminding us of the
preciousness of memory and identity. It is very effective in invoking
emotions by drawing our attention to the small, everyday objects that
possess a worth far exceeding their material price because they form
part of our past, our identity, our memories and emotions.
But the ["burdens"] the Noldor carry are no longer pristine memories
of a happier past; stained as they are with more recent memories
fighting and killing and rebellion.
The various items and their history is each poignant in its own way;
and each character featured is distinct and memorable, each with their
own background and personal stories and motivations for their decision
to join Fėanor's rebellion.
What makes it even more resonating is the contrast between what is
said and what isn't, and the demonstration, again and again, how
fractured everything and everyone is - sundered families, people
pitted against people, shattered trust.
Title: Saruman of Many Colours · Author: Tanaqui · Genres: Drama:
General Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 439
Reviewer: Imhiriel · 2008-08-07 11:27:26
This drabble really captures Saruman's personality. His smug
arrogance, his disdain for everything and everyone else, his greedy
and exploitative search for power.
["Constraints"] was a poignant contrast while reinforcing his overall
attitude. The way he chafes at the fact that there is still one thing
better than him, that Sauron can easily overpower him, his almost
petulant certainty that in the end, *he* will be the master.
["The bones of the earth"] just about had me shuddering in revulsion.
I would never have thought of this twist, but now it seems absolutely
logical!
I really liked the ambiguity of the last lines in ["Greedy for news"],
because it echoes Gandalf's steadfast belief - or hope - that
redemption might have been possible for Saruman even at the very end.
Title: Hammer · Author: Aranel Took · Races: Dwarves: Drabbles · ID: 468
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger · 2008-08-07 17:27:37
Spoilers!
Oh, so THAT'S what the dwarves are calling it nowadays. Good to know.
Ah, nothing like a bit of dwarven impropriety to make one smile.
Anyway, very clever! I love the way this plays on current conventions
to make a tale that is very dwarven (the fire stoking in the forge was
a great tidbit) but also very, very understandable. I have no doubt
but what Gloin isn't the only dwarf taking advantage of parental
absences. I guess when it comes down to it, youth is always youth. And
kudos for taking the time to share with us a remarkable depiction of a
young Gloin.
Title: Home · Author: Aranel Took · Races: Dwarves: Drabbles · ID: 533
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger · 2008-08-07 17:27:55
Spoilers!
I love the little snapshots in time that drabbles can create, and this
is a brilliant one. The transition of stepping away from one's roots
and creating an actual home is a big step, and this gives us a small
glimpse into what it must have been like for Gimli to do so. Very
effective.
Title: Sunset Gates · Author: Ignoble Bard · Races: Dwarves: Drabbles
· ID: 342
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger · 2008-08-07 17:30:23
Spoilers!
So I was happily reading this drabble, being carried along by glowing
descriptions and a superb narrative. Then the final line dropped its
bombshell. I will freely admit that it took me quite a while to stop
laughing, and I'm still grinning even as I write this review. Humor is
really all in the timing, and this drabble has timing down to an art.
More than that, though, there are hints of a broader story that we can
only begin to glimpse. I'm shaking off the nuzgul even now, and I
can't seem to get rid of a certain Mark Twain novel that may have
involved some Yankee from Connecticut winding up in a strange medieval
court. Only slightly reversed, of course, because in this instance,
the court (or at least one member of it) is moving to New York.
Brilliant drabble.
Title: Dreamscape · Author: Tanaqui · Races: Dwarves: Drabbles · ID: 442
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger · 2008-08-07 17:30:57
You know what I love most about this drabble? The title. Which
probably sounds a little strange, but when you pair the title with the
drabble proper, it creates such insight into the dwarves! This is
their dreamscape, and they bring it with them everywhere they go.
Sometimes they can't make it as bold or as magnificent as they'd like
to, but they are going to make it, nonetheless. And these images are
going to be a part of their dreams for as long as dreams endure.
Title: O Kheled-zāram fair and wonderful! · Author: Imhiriel · Races:
Dwarves: Drabbles · ID: 354
Reviewer: Thundera Tiger · 2008-08-07 17:31:41
The great thing about this drabble is the way that every line hearkens
back to something in the dwarven heritage. It gives it a very grounded
feel and enriches what would otherwise be just another romance
snapshot. This goes beyond that and carves out a niche for itself in
the dwarven world. Very well done.
Title: The Westering Fire · Author: Aprilkat · Races: Hobbits · ID: 200
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-08-07 22:12:08
Spoilers!
This is a short piece exploring what things might have been like for
hobbits in the Shire during the occupation by ruffians employed by
Lotho and Saruman. Rosie deals with the fact that a number of the
women of the Shire have been brutalized by the ruffians - and wishes
that Sam would return. When he does, she's been changed enough by her
experiences to want to meet him on equal terms. A lovely look at the
thoughts behind one of the few lines she has in canon.
Title: To Sleep, Perchance to Dream · Author: Ariel/Auntie
Meesh/Budgielover/Cathleen/Dreamflower/Gryffinjack/kellyfrankenfield/Lindelea/Pearl
Took/Rosie Took/SlightlyTookish CoAuthors · Times: Late Third Age:
Gondor · ID: 496
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-08-07 22:18:06
A really neatly done collaborative effort! I found this enjoyable from
start to finish - from Pippin's desire to sleep more and asking
another guard rather than family or friends for aid, to the
unfortunate effects of his 'sleep aid,' to the medical treatment
rendered. The various authors' styles mesh extremely nicely. A
wonderful story!
Title: Elanor of Westmarch: Still There · Author: Baranduin · Genres:
Drama: Final Partings · ID: 183
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-08-07 22:24:05
Spoilers!
I love, love, love Baranduin's Elanor. This particular story looks at
her final farewell with Sam, and her emotions following that. The
image of her sitting on the floor with a quilt that once belonged to
Frodo is a gorgeous one, and you can really feel how torn she is by
whether she should follow her father or stay with her family. Her
ultimate decision feels really gut-level honest. Gorgeously done, and
I loved this story very much.
Title: National Treasure · Author: Baranduin · Times: Modern Times ·
ID: 201
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-08-07 22:29:37
What a fun read! This sort of makes me want to pick up and visit
Scotland, just to see if what these archaeologists found is still
there. The details are wonderfully written and make it clear to anyone
who's seen the movies precisely what location the husband and wife
archaeologist found, even if they don't know themselves. Wonderfully done!
Title: The Citadel · Author: Claudia · Genres: Mystery · ID: 732
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-08-07 22:46:34
Wow, this is a really unique story that's both alternate universe and
not simultaneously - sort of a dream-sequence, sort of a Claudia-verse
- difficult to describe. Frodo, Faramir, Strider, and Halbarad are all
in a village called the Citadel. It's revealed to Frodo that this
means all of them are on trial for some offense, although he's not
certain at first what his might have been. A variety of dark things
happen to Frodo in this village - but at the end, he awakens in his
bed post-Quest. It leaves us all to wonder at the end whether it
really happened or not - and if it did happen, why? Was it perhaps
some sort of self-imposed penance for events Frodo feels guilty for?
And did it only happen to Frodo, or were the Rangers only figures in
his dream? Really intriguing, an interesting read.
Title: Promise and Sorrow · Author: Virtuella · Times: Late Third Age
· ID: 607
Reviewer: grey_wonderer · 2008-08-07 23:47:58
This story touched me deeply, especially the first part of it. All of
the characters contained in this fiction have something to say to the
reader and the author allows them all to have their say. I don't
believe that I have read anything like this before and I am very
pleased to have found this while looking through the nominated stories
this afternoon. Within this story there is sorrow, hope, love, pride,
regret, and a few interesting twists. Once, in particular, a
character's tale turned in a direction that I was not remotely
expecting. I love when that happens. This is very clever writing and I
enjoyed every single word of it.
Title: The Language of Waves · Author: Claudia · Races: Hobbits · ID: 193
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-08-07 23:48:48
The imagery in this is absolutely gorgeous - Claudia's given us a
lovely friendship fic in which Frodo and Gildor have become friends in
Tol Eressea and are going swimming. She paints a vivid word-painting
that calls to mind beautiful tropical islands and hidden coves and
beaches. Lovely!
Title: The Elanor Bloom · Author: Claudia · Genres: Drama: Incomplete
· ID: 194
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-08-07 23:50:59
This looks like a promising beginning and I hope it's updated soon!
Title: Land of the Moon · Author: Claudia · Genres: Alternate
Universe: Incomplete · ID: 308
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-08-07 23:54:30
A lovely tale full of unresolved romantic tension. It's a bit AU, and
a bit slashy, but nothing even remotely graphic - just hope and longing.
Title: In The Midst Of Summer · Author: Cuthalion · Genres: Drama:
Final Partings · ID: 270
Reviewer: SurgicalSteel · 2008-08-07 23:56:22
This is a gorgeously heartbreaking tale exploring the emotions of a
very freshly widowed Samwise Gamgee. The love he had for his Rosie is
clearly evident and his grief is almost palpable. Beautifully done -
but I expect no less from Cuthalion.
Title: The Wedding Gift · Author: annmarwalk · Genres: Romance: Other
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 40
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2008-08-08 01:21:02
Spoilers!
A lovely vignette about Gloin's wedding gift for his bride. Ann uses
her considerable gift of descriptive writing to exquisite purpose as
she reveals to the reader the shape and color and substance of the
gift, culminating in the bride's joy and Gloin's joy in his bride. The
story, like the gift, is well-crafted.
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