Yahoo Forum Archive

Title: Lessons from the Mountain · Author: MithLuin · Races: Elves:
Incomplete · ID: 221
Reviewer: Dawn Felagund · 2008-10-30 01:33:18
Spoilers!
One of my favorite topics as a reader, writer, and researcher is the
halls of Mandos and Elven afterlife--cheerful, I know!--so MithLuin's
story enticed me from the first. And it quickly proved worthy of my
attention.

"Lessons from the Mountain" is chiefly a story of healing. Maedhros
awakes to find himself in the halls of Mandos, facing judgment of the
Valar and an eternity in the company of the dead. He must come to
accept his deeds and the terrible guilt they bring with them.

But within this central narrative are dozens of smaller stories.
Maedhros encounters Elves he knew in life--from his brothers to the
soldiers that served under him in the Battle-under-stars--each
striving to discover his own sense of peace. Through their memories,
each begins to achieve this, and Maedhros assumes a role almost as a
healer, arranging that those he cares about should find comfort, even
if it means that they will depart and he will lose them forever.

What attracts me to stories about the halls of Mandos is that this is
an area of canon largely shrouded in mystery. Authors are given a good
amount of freedom to envision the halls however they please and to
convince readers of their particular visions.

MithLuin does not skimp on this, and her ideas about Mandos are as
entertaining as they are insightful. I felt the strangeness of the
place as Maedhros grew acclimated, growing accustomed--as did he--over
time with the idiosyncrasies of a place where none have bodies and yet
live. Some of her ideas--like the symbolic role of Maedhros's left
hand--are unique and well-developed, and she presents some of the most
compelling Valar of any author I've read.

In conclusion, though, "Lessons from the Mountain" is exactly what a
longer story should be: It is vivid, with intriguing plot turns and
memorable characters, with scenes of great beauty and insight tempered
by moments where I literally laughed out loud. It is a fine piece; I
look forward to its completion and give it my highest recommendations.

Title: WAR: A Promise Before Dying · Author: Fiondil · Times:
Multi-Age · ID: 55
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2008-10-30 02:29:03
Spoilers!
An interesting story of Gil-galad that begins with his death and ends
with his reunion, at the end of the Third Age, with his once-herald
Elrond. Much of the story concerns the relationship of Ereinion and
Elrond, and issues of trust and oaths between them. Fiondil explores
the friendship, and the death of Ereinion and centuries of separation
between him and Elrond, with his customary grace.

Title: The Dark of Night · Author: Ellie · Genres: Horror · ID: 484
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2008-10-30 02:45:48
Spoilers!
An exciting, juicy, action-packed horror story; Elves v. Spawn of
Ungoliant, in the trees and caves of the early Third Age. Great
descriptions, good plotting; and I loved the explanation of how/why
Galadriel procured the light of Earendil's star which will one day
serve Frodo and Sam so well.

Title: Black Memory · Author: mrkinch · Races: Villains: Fixed-Length
Ficlets · ID: 603
Reviewer: Raksha the Demon · 2008-10-30 03:01:16
Spoilers!
There are not enough drabbles, or even good fanfiction pieces in
general about Luthien; which is understandable, since she is more
powerful even than Galadriel, and possibly more influential in
Middle-earth history. Here, a cleverly written drabble captures the
rising, rushing horror of Luthien's confrontation with Sauron's
dreadful master. The method of writing the entire drabble as one
sentence works well; the end does not disappoint, it makes sense, and
captures Luthien's own otherness as well.


Title: Eagle of the Star · Author: Neoinean · Genres: Adventure:
Incomplete · ID: 327
Reviewer: Linda Hoyland · 2008-10-30 03:21:02
Spoilers!
This is one of my favourite stories which I hope very much will be
completed.I just love Aragorn here,the caring healer as well as the
great warrior and I my eyes were too moist to keep reading when the
woman died in childbirth.
This story conveys like very few others the true horror of war and
battle,burning and slaughter.

I especially liked Aragorn's courage and also the fact he is shown
here as very human and badly effected at times by the horrors he sees.

This is a truly outstanding story which I would certainly buy if it
were in the shops. I highly reccommend it.

Title: To See A World · Author: Nightwing · Genres: Adventure:
Incomplete · ID: 330
Reviewer: Linda Hoyland · 2008-10-30 03:25:20
Spoilers!
This is a gripping and beautifully written story which has me hooked
even though I'm not a fan of Aragorn and Legolas adventure stories!
This one is just so good it is impossible not to love. The scene of
Aragorn in the snow even inspired me to attempt a similiar scene in
one of my own stories with Nightwing's kind permission.
There is never a dull moment in this story and the reader is kept
gripped throughout. I loved the original characters which greatly add
to the reader's enjoyment,not least the sock hunting cat! I look
forward to seeing how this story ends.

Title: Duty, Honour, Country · Author: Rhapsody · Races: Elves: Other
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 81
Reviewer: Robinka · 2008-10-30 08:39:17
As always when Rhapsody plunges into the thoughts of her favorite
character -- Maglor -- she brings a skilfully crafted gem of a story,
and this set of drabbles is no exception. She explores Maglor's
motivations and decisions with care and deep knowledge that shines
through the story, not matter what form for it she chooses. I can only
applaud her wonderful choices of words and inspirations. Bravo!

Title: Moon of the Sea · Author: pandemonium_213 · Times: Second and
Early Third Age · ID: 213
Reviewer: Dawn Felagund · 2008-10-30 20:54:45
Pandemonium has a knack for taking the characters that no one else
writes about and making them her own. In "Moon of the Sea," she seizes
the most neglected age in Tolkien fanfic—the Second—and sketches one
of those characters who must have existed yet goes unmentioned in the
text: Isilme, the mother of Isildur. As with all of Pandemonium's
writing, "Moon of the Sea" overflows with the intrigue that comes of
visiting unfamiliar lands. Even in a few short vignettes, Rommena and
the cultures of Númenor begin to come to life, as do the characters
she so skillfully crafts. This is a series I look forward to following
to completion.

Title: Risk Assessment · Author: pandemonium_213 · Races: Elves · ID: 665
Reviewer: Dawn Felagund · 2008-10-30 20:56:15
Spoilers!
As the site owner for whom this particular piece of Pandemonium's
hackery was written to amuse, I must admit a personal affection for
this story. However, it is a fine story, particularly to those
familiar with her novella "The Apprentice." All fan fiction, of
course, takes and shapes canon to its purposes, but more than any
other author, Pandemonium's writing also challenges canon in the
process. Although I sometimes think her incapable of writing a story
that is compliant to both canon and the popular fan interpretation of
it (and that is intended as a compliment), nowhere does this show more
than in "Risk Assessment," in which one of her central female
characters, Melamire, challenges the idea of lembas as food with
magical properties. Instead, she proposes an explanation of how lembas
has all of the strange properties it does that is perfectly rational
and, therefore, also deeply upsetting to the story's PoV character.

Gandalf famously accused Saruman in FotR for breaking the color white
to make a rainbow, ["And he that breaks a thing to find out what it is
has left the path of wisdom."] Much Tolkien fan fiction has been
content to follow this ideal, and among many insightful and expansive
stories, few have "broken" the mythology underlying Tolkien's
subcreation and challenged its truth. Pandemonium fills this niche,
and "Risk Assessment" is a story that presents characters and a
culture that are fully realized, soundly written, and certain to leave
readers thinking in new ways about the fundamentals of Middle-earth.

Title: Tales of the Eldandili · Author: Alassiel · Genres: Drama:
Incomplete · ID: 502
Reviewer: Dawn Felagund · 2008-10-30 21:10:05
A clever way to blend the myths of Middle-earth with modern life!
Also, this story is chock full of obscure canon goodies. An
interesting concept, I look forward to its completion.

Title: Possessing the greatest powers · Author: Tanaqui · Times:
Multi-Age: Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 387
Reviewer: Dawn Felagund · 2008-10-30 21:16:44
Spoilers!
A beautiful series, each drabble is lovely in its own right, but the
last one--wow! When Frodo's success is revealed in the "death" of
Narya, it is once bittersweet and triumphant. Truly lovely work, Tanaqui!

Title: In This Far Land · Author: Encaitariel · Races: Elves:
Incomplete · ID: 191
Reviewer: Dawn Felagund · 2008-10-30 22:14:11
I really enjoyed reading the start of this. I particularly liked the
inclusion of the Laiqwende, who often get forgotten in Silmfic.
Encaitariel sets up a cast of characters that promises a lot of
intrigue in chapters to come.

Title: Dark Light · Author: Makamu · Races: Villains · ID: 585
Reviewer: Dawn Felagund · 2008-10-30 22:21:53
Some of my favorite Tolkien stories are those that show the story
through the eyes of the characters disfavored by history. Each
character in his own mind justifies his actions. "Dark Light" is one
such story that shows how even the two most loathed characters in
Tolkien's world are capable of love.

The concluding lines to this piece are moving and very sad at the same
time. Nicely done.

Title: Flickers · Author: Meril · Times: Multi-Age: Fixed-Length
Ficlets · ID: 390
Reviewer: Dawn Felagund · 2008-10-31 01:01:21
Each of these ficlets is a glimpse--naught but a few seconds--into the
life of Nerdanel. Yet with unfailing insight into which are the
moments of importance and her impeccable skill in this short form,
Allie forms those few seconds into a work representative of a
lifetime. Superbly done!

Title: A Sleep Over · Author: Phyncke · Times: First Age and Prior:
House of Finwe · ID: 160
Reviewer: Dawn Felagund · 2008-10-31 01:09:45
Ah, this was charming! Poor Galadriel! Or, better yet, poor Aredhel!
This humor piece definitely comes with an edge to it.