Yahoo Forum Archive

Title: The Blessing · Author: Mews1945 · Genres: Drama: Featuring
Frodo or Sam · ID: 228
Reviewer: nancylea · 2008-08-31 01:37:35
mews1945, okay, i did a quick re-read to remind me why i choose this
out of all the entries; i'm crying again. this has to stop. i am not
allowed to cry because everything swells shut and i end up needing
medical assistance. the sad thing is so many people think i'm kinding.
the pathos of the situation is so exquisite. you bring every nerve to
the foreground and then begin to expose them to the air. here is joe
ordinary and he just wants to understand what has happened and what is
going to happen. he doesn't deal with the world at large just the part
he lives in. he doesn't have any clue what rings of power are, he just
knows that his entire life has had THAT as the foe, now the foe is
dead and as a country he and his fellows have to pick up the little
pieces and start again. you write just enough detail to give us the
scene and then you lead us on a soft waltz through some very tough
terrain. thank you for letting him acknowledge how and why women will
be an important part of retraining and reprogramming the lives of so
many. i myself feel that it is entirely possible that the walking
wounded would be encouraged to help in tending to their fellow
soldiers, i think that there is no way to bring in enough back up
support for any kind of war. thank you for the two sided exchange of
graditude, if frodo and sam never felt like heros could this simple
man feel eny more comfortable with their thanks?

Title: Wherever You Go · Author: Tena · Genres: Drama: Featuring the
Noldor · ID: 537
Reviewer: nancylea · 2008-08-31 01:57:16
Tena, such a common phrase and how many places you have managed to get
it into. elrond while not the longest lived of tolkiens characters,
certainly was one that had many chances to use and hear this phrase, i
enjoyed your method of mixing a present usage with the memory of a
usage; his twins to glorfy- he and his twin to gilgalad.you show a
wonderful grasp of the reality of live forever and the danger of it
could end so suddenly. your backdrop is sketched with a deft hand and
lets daylight reflect through in a way that adds a dimension of its
own, the plot line is never the over riding concern, it is amazing
flexible in its appeal to our senses. pardon the way this may sound,
you give each character the oppurtunity to expose themselves to us in
many different ways and yet you maintain their modesty to the point it
wold take a bible thumper to find your writing objectionable. you
bring up times when it may feel like he doesn't carry through with the
simple idea; and show how it is really only a postphonement not an
abondonment. your use of three couples is discrete and complex and
just so very touching. thank you for your time and the excellent use
of your taste to keep this matter so generic and multi- age group
readable.

Title: Baker's Dozen · Author: Tanaqui · Genres: Drama: General
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 372
Reviewer: Elena Tiriel · 2008-08-31 01:57:21
Spoilers!
Each drabble in this series is about a person in Middle-earth pursuing
his own career. And what a wide-ranging collection of careers!

These drabbles show Tanaqui's talent at populating her works with
compelling characters, and describing their situations in language
that is uniquely tailored to the point of view of that individual.

A great character is "The Maker", about a Dwarf creating an
articulated doll, causing echoes of two fairy-tales: Gepetto creating
Pinocchio, and Aule creating the Dwarves.

My favorite career is in "Studious": a marine biologist returns to a
tidepool to study its denizens, whose names are a delight to translate
into real-world creatures.

And the funniest drabble is "The Little Sister", in which a
pulp-fiction-style detective is approached by a dame needing help.
Tanaqui's talent for getting the voice just right truly shines in this
one!


Title: Moon Over Water · Author: Avon · Genres: Drama: Final Partings
· ID: 518
Reviewer: nancylea · 2008-08-31 02:23:55
the author of this story, has build a legend within a legend and makes
use of the grand tapestry of many cultures, to bring us a small
measure of comfort that started for faramir when he was first bereaved
and then sheltered him through the changes that are part of the
culture of growing up, fortunately our author lets faramir keep his
faith and he is eventually rewarded by the one thing that may let him
release the greif and guilt of his brothers death. many of the stories
in this nature leave me feeling, no, faramir wouldnot buy into that so
easily; he's going to hold on to the guilt even after this. this story
without giving us one on one interaction between boromir and faramir
leaves me with the feeling that he might be able to see the release in
boromirs spirit and let himself understand that what was was and that
now we need to move on to what can and will be.it is mildly amusing to
see the different ways people have managed to work boats floating down
a river into a tribute to the dead especially on an assigned day or
seasonal event. it plays into something i am coming to appreciate more
and more as i delve deeper into fandom and tolkienism. there is a lot
of redundancy in the works we get to see. some of it is oh so
redundant and some of it is the repeating of something to good to let
go of. you get to be in the too good to let go of class. thank you for
sending this out to the world.

Title: Creation Myths · Author: Tanaqui · Genres: Drama: General
Drabbles · ID: 300
Reviewer: nancylea · 2008-08-31 02:48:12
Spoilers!
drabbles amaze me and they confound me. how do you limit yourself to
one hundred words and still express such profound thoughts. now i have
to find a way to say in more than one thousand characters just how
wonderfully you managed to do something so grand.i'm just going to go
ahead and check the dreaded box i don't have any hope of complimenting
you without giving the story away.

two different creators, two different processes and two so intertwined
results. you need to begin with the creators. our first creator
acknowledges from the beginning that he is not alone in making this
world. he was the song writer, he was the conductor, and he had the
privilege of making his musicans. but he never claims that he alone
was responsible for singing the world into existence. now on the other
hand it seems that we have a polar opposite quandry. if he doesn't
realize how much he depended on others doing their portion of the job,
can anyone force him to share the glory.

this is an actor standing on stage accepting an emmy without saying
thank you to the original author at the very least. the rules may
limit how long he talks but he should at least get a few others
thanked for giving him the chance.

so in closing thand you tanaqui for writing an inspiring drabble for
me to babble about.

Title: Birthday Present · Author: Aranel Took · Genres: Drama: General
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 441
Reviewer: nancylea · 2008-08-31 03:08:03
aranel took has written a marvelous light hearted story of our dear
pippin and his at the moment favorite older cousin. of course he will
revert back to third place at the end of this story, only proper you
must not misplace merry for long or he may not be merry long. as any
aunt or uncle, honorary or not, knows around birthdays there is no
sharper tack than the youngest of children they will remember exactly
who has not yet given them their just rewards. and they are still
honest enough to come remind you of your mistake and give you the
oppurtunity to correct the error of your ways, big of them don't you
think? now before some of you get all bent out of shape with paladin
and elegantina, you need to slip in and take a look at just how
unmaterialistically pippin handles this reminder. it is a laugh or two
away from show stopping but it will give your belly muscles a light
workout. bilbo might never have gotten good marks as a father, but he
would have been homerun king as a grandfather.knowing that we are
familar with the over all background aranel just lightlybrushes in a
scene that has comfort and security written into the fabric of its
existence, she keeps her characters in a very tolkienish fashion and
lets them exchange a light dialog that covers all the bases and leaves
us standing in the aisles hoping for more.

Title: Heavens' Embroidered Cloths · Author: Tanaqui · Genres: Drama:
Gondor Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 292
Reviewer: nancylea · 2008-08-31 03:28:27
what lovely possibilities for a young courting couple of varying
cultures to use to find connections and reaffirments of their beliefs,
even nicer for a newly wed couple to explore their ability to co-exist
in each others culture. most of us probalby can think of star gazing
as a pleasant way to spend an evening with no pressures and no
hassling, some few will try to make star gazing a religious supplement
and spoil our moment. lets ignore them. for the purposes of her story
tanaqui gives this two at least a passing knowledge of the stars. it
is probably very fitting in as much as both cultures were largely
civilized, they had a far chance that someone in their culture had
taken the time to formalize the formations as recognizable symbols.
both cultures would have had lots of oppurtunities to teach the
symbols to their children as markers of the passage of time and as
guidepost to navigate by. both eowyn and her husband would have found
the time in their lives to spend quiet moments of personal reflections
and build up the legends of their cultures for their own
entertainment, the presentation of the story leaves you with the
feeling that even yet in their relationship there is a little rivalry.
you can see them playing with each other and pointing out one more
over there, well heres this little factoid, oh yeah well how about
these apples. there are moments of carefully feeling each others
tenderspots and quiet pokes in the ribs to nusge us bakc into playful.
well conceived, well executed, just plain well done.

Title: Primum Non Nocere (First, Do No Harm) · Author: febobe ·
Genres: Drama: Hurt/Comfort · ID: 628
Reviewer: nancylea · 2008-08-31 03:51:16
febobe, i must i may be spending too much time on the other side of
your site, i missed this one there. i've read a couple of stories that
said something about ewoyn as a healer and for the most part i would
have to say that i would need to be pretty hurt to let her treat me.
she does not engender the compassionate healing side very much. now in
this case you have made it not only likely but terribly tempting to
remember where i have an owwy. you keep her the strong, sword-sy,
horse-sy, out-of-door-sy, in control and what are you going to do
about it girl that she is and yet she really comes across as
sympathetic, and caring, tender, and compassionate. by starting out
from sams point of view you get to lay the ground work of the scene
and bring all three players to the field. then you change to frodo and
we begin in that bubble of pain that leaves no room for filling in
background there's pain and nothing but pain, and it plot really takes
over here. we are willing to let the river carry us along because each
moment brings us closer and closer and closer to relief. its as if you
had lived that kind of pain and knew just how irrational and childlike
a victim becomes, yes an adult should be able to deal with some pain
but then there's PAIN.and i think we can assume frodo is in PAIN. so i
geuss that would make her the wraith-slayer and PAINkiller.

Title: ...and the sound of a battered heart, beating · Author:
Lindelea · Genres: Drama: Ring War Drabbles · ID: 690
Reviewer: nancylea · 2008-08-31 04:15:26
Spoilers!
lindelea, i have to begin this review with the side comment--you are a
genuis,,,deep bows in sublimation. your last sentence may be the
wisest to be lived by phylosiphy {spelling sucks} after the advice of
my doctor that told me to learn to live with my disease or die from
it. i am in constant awe over the fact that some of you can take one
hundred words and may the whole idea stand up and shout.Thse use of
estella as the major player was a landslide of emotions, here is a
female who depending on your source has been after one of our boys for
quite a while and may not have any indicators that she has any hope,
and then she lives through things that she never dreamed were
possible, her brother goes from missing probably dead to found but may
not live. and we don't know if she's reconnected yet with her parents
and she finds out that frodo doesn't have any problem forgiving the
person she can most blame for all these things, don't you imagine that
they will be carrying this conversation on for hours and hours. she is
going to need to vent for a long long time before she gets to that
level of acceptance. it might be fun to take this to the next chapter
to see just how good a student frodo was, did he learn from the wizard
how to help people reach the plateus that he has come to rest on. did
he listen to the underlying reasons or has he just been burnt to the
core and has no other option. good luck and keep writing.

Title: On Hobbits · Author: Aratlithiel · Genres: Non-Fiction · ID: 457
Reviewer: stefaniab · 2008-08-31 04:34:57
Aratlithiel's short essay makes some important points about Hobbits as
a society among all races in Middle Earth. She points out how all of
Tolkien's main character Hobbits save Sam are rebels against the
extreme insularity of their society. Finally, she shows how the
strictures of Hobbit society ultimately work against Frodo's remaining
in Middle Earth after the destruction of the ring.

Title: The Dark of Night · Author: Ellie · Genres: Horror · ID: 484
Reviewer: nancylea · 2008-08-31 04:41:28
ellie, this was a story that appealled to me because it shows that
even the strongest, wisest in the mix has moments when they must look
to others for help because the thing that makes them so special is
exactly the thing that makes them most vulnerable.you define a
respectable plot you use long established characters with specifically
detailed strengths and then you exploit them to the extreme. you do
use a few names i don't recognize but they may be from the silm or
even your own invention. you move us through many locales and never
take long to make each independent and exciting. you keep a nice sense
of tension running through the entire story you don't let up, when we
think one idea is going to win the day, you bring in a twist or turn
that could only happen with life lived on the edge. i'm not a big
galadriel fan but if she keeps up like this i may have to reconsider
her possibilities. you write a pretty story, thank you for writing
elves without resorting to the elitism that so many stories i read for
this award seemed to feel was their due. your notes at the beginning
of each chapter let us keep up to pace with what was being protrayed.
i am glad you took the time to write such a fine story and thank you
for sharing it with us readers.

Title: In the Van · Author: Branwyn (Lady Branwyn) · Genres: Humor ·
ID: 72
Reviewer: nancylea · 2008-08-31 05:08:05
Spoilers!
Lady Branwyn, i understand and i forgive you this one time, if you let
me get all my male bashing out and over with. yes that sentence
definitely needed referred to. and i know that you don't as a rule try
to make to many trips this close to reality. and when you do you are
so smack down drop dead on target that we might let you aim the
howiser next. you might suggest to gandalf individual viewing screens.
they now come one per seating unit in the back seats i think the most
i saw was ten in a stretch limo. there are some cute possibilities in
the masterpiece for this kind of kinky connections. but i think that i
will always end up comparing them to this. of course if you have rear
seat entertainment, shouldn't you have sprung for gps tracking and
satellite navigations. or was this one of those cases of i'm a man i
don't need to get directions i will find it on my own. interesting
that the two who are reading the map are two who should have some
first hand information of the area, both of them could easily have
reconintered the area in person or on maps in the war room at some
point in their military careers with gondor. i think you are pandering
to the obvious making the dwarf want world wrestling while the elf
wants emeril, elf-fruity-food show; dwarf-mindless male
warrior-mindless wargames.and of course your going to let
boromir-warrior join him in the back seat as soon as possible.

Title: There Was A Hobbit · Author: agape4gondor · Genres: Humor:
Drabbles · ID: 111
Reviewer: nancylea · 2008-08-31 05:27:50
Agape4gondor, drabbles is so hard to write one thousand character
reviews for. but i guess some of them are worth it, i'm not clicking
the spoilers button because if readers can't geuss the next line i'm
not sure they are smart enough to manipulate the buttons of the sites
to get here. there was a story to be told and you told it in your best
one hundred words. let us hope that haldir and boromir were able to
lighten celeborn up, i'm sure if they take him to frodo frodo will
help him get over the face. after all hobbits have humor and they
understand the value of a good laugh and they would probably be the
first to offer to sing it as ... what do they call the way you sing
row, row ,row your boat? hobbits are very good singers also.so maybe
they could get celeborn to quit with the attitude. this is really,
really cute and i think you need to be rewarded for the play on words
you have pulled off and i'm running out of babble and i'm not any
where near where i need to be, just think if you had had more words i
could congratulate you for choosing to set this somewhere other than
in lothlorien, and i know you are there because you said flet.if you
had had more words i would know why boromir was hanging out with
haldir who does not like any other race.

Title: Legolas' Seat · Author: erobey · Genres: Humor: Elven Lands ·
ID: 671
Reviewer: nancylea · 2008-08-31 05:48:18
Erobey, i can not tell you how very much i enjoyed this story. your
opening note lays the ground work nicely, legolas is a messanger
between the kingdoms and fairly well known, comfortable in his role.
you take a few minutes and give us beautiful serene setting,
evverything laid out to encourage healing and health. and then, every
sentence and each chapter was so much fun as i watched poor sam dig
himself such a large hole to bury himself in. here you are a small
town person with very firm upbringing for modesty in behavior and
maybe just a little naive, you are a trusted servant and know that
gossip is not the way of life you should choose. you overhear two
adult males discussing what is an obvious body part, you see that the
owner of said part is also a male, questionable on age but most likely
adult, there are just certain ideas that come to mind. and of course
while you are wuite shocked you let slip a thing or two to the
rascally youngsters who really are adept at gossip.they add their own
interpretationsa and we are off and running. you let the tension
build, you bring in a few twist of your own and then add a little
jealousy, a little spite, and quite a few semi-guilty on-lookers and
just wait for the powder keg to explode.

Title: Surprise Inspection · Author: AmandaK · Genres: Humor: Gondor ·
ID: 207
Reviewer: nancylea · 2008-08-31 06:11:04
Amanda, this story has so many possibilities as a repeatable theme, i
believe that the nasty minded of us might call this a short arms
inspection but this is supposed to be a family ratings award so cut
that theme short. this was one of those days that boromir should have
called off last week. i was always amazed when i worked for a company
with nation wide shops just how aften we had more than twenty four
hours to prepare for a surprise inspection, sometimes by so simple a
trick as the secratary calling to leave a message with us for when the
owner arrived. or the one where the owner called ahead and asked which
ski area had the most new snow so he could call in a reservation, ah
and could one of us pick him up at the airport. yes true surprise
inspections can be surprises for both sides.i loved the way you
handled it from the garrison officer who wanted notice to the actual
spot where the inspection was supposed to happen and then i just fell
off the plane with how the inspection and its aftermath went. if this
is your style of writing, you are a writer that i shall look for in
the coming year. i hope you have lots to say and say it frequently. i
may not personally like boromir but this is one more reason why i have
to respect him he looked at the situation and saw more then the
surface, he noticed details that let him find reasons and rewards for
jobs done and done well.

Title: Last Stroke · Author: Elena Tiriel · Genres: Alternate
Universe: Drabbles · ID: 465
Reviewer: Marta · 2008-08-31 15:52:06
Spoilers!
This drabble does a good job of inverting the expectations developed
in the reader both by the quote at the beginning and the line, [though
none be left to remember]. One would expect the character in question
to be a man making some last heroic stand, and that would have been
enough. Yet the revelation that this is no man but an elf, and Círdan
at that, sent a chill down my spine. Nice reversal, Elena.

Title: Wayward Sons · Author: Jael · Races: Elves · ID: 408
Reviewer: crowdaughter · 2008-08-31 20:59:45
Spoilers!
I think, there are few stories that show what the process of "fading"
of the Elves is all about, and what fighting the long defeat really
meant for them, with greater impact than the first paragraphs of this
story. The long years in the ever changing world, and what it means to
someone who, for all he knows, is going to live forever except the
consummation of his body by the fea gets him first, is driven home
most poignantly. So is the visualization of that very process, here
brought home in a telling scene with great impact.

All the more delivering, then, is the second part of the tale, that
gives the details to some scene hinted at in another of Jael's
stories, [Not Fade Away] - the most unlikely and hopeful reunion with
his loved ones the Thranduil of this story arc is allowed to
experience, as so many of the Elves who had their loved ones travel
across the Sea in Tolkien's world did not. The symbolism we see
entwined with that, here - the rejuvenation not only of Tranduil, but
also of his connection with the forest - is another great element of
this story.

All in all, a great gap-filler to Jael's later story arc of NFA, and
at the same time a most poignant statement to the question what
staying behind and surviving in a changed world of Men might have
meant for those Elves who remained in Middle Earth in the later
centuries of the Fourth Age and refused to sail. A great tale, greatly
done!

Title: The Dance · Author: Dawn Felagund · Genres: Romance: Elven
Lands · ID: 128
Reviewer: elea24 · 2008-08-31 21:54:07
Spoilers!
I thought this was a really beautiful story, and was only sorry that
it ended so soon. I loved Nerdanel's characterisation. The awkwardness
in her own appearance and feelings of inadequacy were very realistic
and charmingly written. I particuarly like the contrast between
Nerdanel and the other ladies mentioned. Nerdanel's inner beauty
shines through and it is a lovely interpretation of the qualities that
Feanor was attracted to in her.
I also liked the obvious youth of the couple. Feanor still has
remnants of teenagehood in his reluctance and and his slightly timid
behaviour with Nerdanel was very touching.

Title: The King's Colors · Author: Dwimordene · Genres: Alternate
Universe: Steward's Family · ID: 482
Reviewer: Marta · 2008-08-31 22:04:49
Spoilers!
Tolkien tells us in the appendices that Faramir was more like Denethor
than was Boromir, yet as I was reading this piece what I first noticed
was how similar Boromir's reaction to Aragorn was to how I imagine
Denethor's would have been. It's an AU that almost doesn't read like
one – Boromir stays in Minas Tirith and Faramir goes to Rivendell, but
the main focus on this piece is how Boromir comes to accept Aragorn.
As such, it feels delightfully canonical and shows a more reserved,
more calculating Boromir that I can very easily see being Denethor's
son. Nicely told, Dwim.

Title: The Dark of Night · Author: Ellie · Genres: Horror · ID: 484
Reviewer: Larner · 2008-09-01 00:09:29
Spoilers!
A nice tale of horror and mystery as Elves about the southern borders
of Imladris are assaulted by creatures they cannot see, creatures that
appear to come out of the trees and that the trees identify as "dark
of the night." When even Glorfindel is assaulted and wounded near to
death, the decision is made to seek help from Amroth of Lorien and his
advisors, Celeborn and Galadriel. How to help heal Elves of Noldorin
extraction when both their Light of Being and their blood appears to
being drained?

Ancient stories come under scrutiny, and the stories told of the
voyages of Earendil before he left Middle Earth appear to hold the key.

Well told with a good use of tension. It appears that when Elves from
Lothlorien team up with those from Imladris they get things done and
seriously whup the behinds of their mysterious foe! And the twins
attempt heroics but find themselves requiring rescuing--and a
satisfactory rescue it is.

Recommended.

Title: Enticements · Author: annmarwalk · Genres: Drama: Featuring
Boromir or Faramir · ID: 266
Reviewer: Marta · 2008-09-01 00:33:18
Spoilers!
There is an awful lot to love in this short ficlet about Galadriel's
testing of the Fellowship. The scenes we are offered – Faramir's
reconciliation and the more intimate glimpses of Boromir and Théodred,
especially – are evocatively portrayed in Ann's usual sparse style.
Yet what really caught my attention was a scene Ann seems to pass over
without comment: the page who delivers Théodred's message to Boromir,
in full view of Denethor.

I think that Boromir would have found this personal space and freedom
from responsibility even more enticing than a guaranteed military
victory. It shows a real perceptivity about Boromir's character that
Annmarwalk grasped this; the fact that Boromir resisted this
temptation and yet fell to the Ring shows both his and the Ring's
strength. Nicely told, Ann.


Title: Cinnamon and Chocolate · Author: Cuthalion · Genres: Romance ·
ID: 264
Reviewer: Larner · 2008-09-01 01:05:02
Spoilers!
I've been teased by how much I love "Hobbit-porn," but I do find
myself loving the Frodo-finds-a-love stories about, although I've
never quite written one of these myself.

And this is one of the best and most erotic. To find my beloved Frodo
is also an expert lover is--well, delightful, delightful and rather
exciting; and I find myself rather wishing I could find my way to the
Hill and see the light shining there for me.

Icing, chocolate, cinnamon--and Frodo Baggins's love. Lily Proudfoot
has it all!

Now, if I could bring all this to Aragorn.... Heh!