Yahoo Forum Archive

Title: Trinity · Author: pandemonium_213 · Times: Modern Times · ID: 51
Reviewer: Jael · 2008-11-29 19:09:07
Spoilers!
Forgive me for lacking the words to do this story justice. It is such
a brilliant mixing of Tolkien's and our world, with a heavy dose of
science and philosophy thrown in.

Sauron, Feanor . . . and Oppenheimer. I think anyone who has these
three as heroes is a person after my own heart.

However, my favorite line, [ Hell, look at his goddamned eyes. Didn't
you feel it when you shook his hand? He surely has the alleles, just
like Jim and the others."] echoes one I wrote myself. It is so
wonderful to find another writer who shares the same world view.

Thank you for this one, Pandemonium!


Title: The Lost Restored · Author: Larner · Times: Late Third Age:
Gondor · ID: 59
Reviewer: Radbooks · 2008-11-29 19:09:33
Spoilers!
This is an incredibly moving tale of loss, hurt, redemption,
forgiveness and reconcilation with those who have hurt us the most -
and sometimes that is ourselves as much as it is others. I mean that
sometimes we have a hard time forgiving ourselves or getting over
hurts and moving on from them even if we can forgive others.

But this tale of Frodo and also of Smeagol coming to terms with the
events of the Ring War and the things that happened on Mount Doom
moved me in ways that I can't explain. The arrival of the third eagle
at Mount Doom was always something that I had imagined was for Gollum
and to read a story that recognizes that was very enjoyable. To read
of the recovery of Frodo was expected and not unusual, but to read of
Smeagol's redemption in the afterlife was a treat. And, to read of
their ultimate reconcilation brought tears to my eyes.

I highly recommend this story to others.

Title: Kin-Strife · Author: Isabeau of Greenlea · Genres: Drama:
Incomplete · ID: 92
Reviewer: Elena Tiriel · 2008-11-29 19:10:12
Spoilers!
Isabeau of Greenlea's story, "Kin-strife", is about her version of a
nineteen-year-old Imrahil, heir to the Prince of Dol Amroth, and her
(very) original male character, Andrahar, a Haradric former slave and
street-rat that Imrahil rescued from Umbar and brought home to Dol
Amroth a few years before.

It was written for the HASA Brothel Challenge, so it is an adult story
which contains some relatively explicit sexual content.

I really like all the characters that Isabeau writes about, whether
original or drawn from canon -- or a mix (for example, Imrahil is a
canon character that we know little about, so Isabeau's Imrahil has
become the standard by which I judge all others). But my favorite of
her original characters is Andrahar. She writes him as a strait-laced
Haradric male with a rigidly-ingrained sense of honor. In gratitude
for Imrahil having saved him from a certain, painful death in Umbar,
he has pledged to serve Imrahil as his self-appointed bodyguard. They
begin this stories as esquires, in training to become Swan Knights,
Gondor's elite corps of cavalry. The bulk of this story happens
because he has not completely assimilated into the culture of Dol
Amroth, and is resented by many of those in the palace and in the Swan
Knights.

Imrahil is sometimes strong-willed and reckless, and he leads them
into a dangerous situation in a brothel. Andrahar saves him from
death, but his actions are misunderstood and he is attacked. The rest
of the story deals with the widening consequences of those events.

I enjoy the well-drawn relationships between the characters. Their
actions and emotions seem to suit their ages and relative levels of
maturity very well.

All in all, this is a great story that I truly enjoy reading often.

Very well done!

Title: WOUNDS: Invisible Scars · Author: Fiondil · Races: Elves: House
of Finwe · ID: 57
Reviewer: rhyselle · 2008-11-29 19:10:16
Spoilers!
I think that this is the best of these bits of Fiondil's collection of
short fics so far. This glimpse into Finrod's second life brings out
some very intriguing issues that I hadn't thought about before.

One would think that having scars, which are normally defined as a
defacement of a person's body, removed wouldn't be an emotionally
traumatic thing, but when one's memory is not trustworthy, the lack of
a physical sign of the events that occurred to oneself can be very
uncomfortable.

But what I liked best in here was seeing Arafinwe and his son
connecting in a way that we didn't see in Elf Interrupted. Learning to
live again is a lesson that both of them had to do--even though
Arafinwe never passed through Namo's halls, he essentially had to
readjust to his life after he returned from the War of Wrath, just as
Finrod did after his re-embodiment.

And Fiondil managed to get yet another naked elf into his collection
of tales. Snicker! I'm sure some psychologist would have fun trying to
interpret something significant from that...

I really liked this piece!

Title: The Last Messenger: A Tale of Numenor · Author: Fiondil ·
Times: Second and Early Third Age · ID: 8
Reviewer: Elena Tiriel · 2008-11-29 19:14:33
Spoilers!
Fiondil writes very detailed stories featuring the Elves and Ainur of
Aman. In "The Last Messenger: A Tale of Numenor" he writes of one of
his Elven original characters, who is sent by the Valar on a mission
to Numenor.

The characters are interesting and detailed, and the story line is
intricate. I enjoyed reading this story.

Well done!


Title: Cuts Gone Wrong · Author: Dwimordene · Times: Mid Third Age:
Eriador · ID: 156
Reviewer: Radbooks · 2008-11-29 19:15:41
Spoilers!
A fun tale of the very early days of Aragorn as a Ranger learning
their ways and the way things work in the world at large -
specifically in the area around Bree. It had to be hard for a Man
raised in an elven stronghold to be out in the rough world of men and
then to be dispised by most of those men - especially as he was trying
to safeguard those men. I really enjoyed this as it was a gapfiller to
a comment that appears in Lord of the Ring when Aragorn tells the
hobbits that his shortcuts don't don't go wrong. I really like the
older Ranger here - his quiet wisdom as he trains this lord... HIS
lord. It must have been very difficult for him.

A wonderful tale - as all of Dwimordene's stories are - and I highly
recommend it.

Title: Waterloo · Author: Lady Bluejay · Genres: Romance: Gondor · ID: 158
Reviewer: Radbooks · 2008-11-29 19:24:14
Spoilers!
Lady Bluejay writes wonderful Lothiriel / Eomer romance stories and
this is one of her finest short stories in the genre. There are
several things in this story that made it unique from other stories
for me, most notably the idea of having horses 'stabled' everywhere in
the streets to keep them safe. I think that that makes sense - even
more sense then having them on the Pelennor which would have been torn
up from the battle and Minas Tirith certainly didn't have stables for
all of them. I enjoyed the tension between the two of them as they
spoke at the dinner table... saying things almost in code so that
others didn't understand them. It was a marvelous scene.

An altogether wonderful story that I truly enjoyed.

Title: A Moment Away · Author: Elen Kortirion · Races: Men: General
Drabbles · ID: 474
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2008-11-29 19:25:24
Thoughtful and evocative.

Title: Out of the Blue · Author: Jael · Races: Elves · ID: 205
Reviewer: Elena Tiriel · 2008-11-29 19:34:48
Spoilers!
Jael's story, "Out of the Blue", is about an original character, a
caseworker from the Department of Child Protective Services, who is
sent to evaluate the young son of some wealthy but crazy cultists. He
turns out to be the son of Legolas, and the crazy cultists are Elves
of Mirkwood, living in modern-day Chicago under Thranduil's leadership.

The details of the protagonist and her concerns are realistic, and her
puzzlement at meeting these odd people is well-drawn. She never quite
understands why they are so odd, but very slowly learns to accept
them, perhaps under the radical influence of lembas.

I enjoyed reading this story very much... it is far more detailed,
three-dimensional, and convincing than any other "Elves in modern
times" story I have ever read.

Very well done!


Title: The Keys of the Realm · Author: Larner · Genres: Drama:
Featuring Aragorn · ID: 477
Reviewer: Radbooks · 2008-11-29 19:37:38
Spoilers!
This is an amazing story about a character this is very, very seldom
written about - Hurin of the Keys. I loved seeing the whole return of
the king from such a unique perspective... not quite a commoners
perspective but certainly not one you see often. I've always enjoyed
the stories that take such familiar things and are able to give us a
different and wonderful take on it and this story definitely does
that! There are many behind the scenes things going on as Hurin has to
do the little things that lead up to the coronation... finding the
crown and helping Faramir with things. I also enjoy the conversations
that take place with the lords about whether or not they will accept
Aragorn's claim as King. It really rings true to me as I'm sure that
such conversations must have taken place and that there were some
lords opposed to him.

All in all, this is a delightful story and one I have re-read. [Thanks
for writing and dedicating this to me, Larner!]

Title: WOUNDS: Invisible Scars · Author: Fiondil · Races: Elves: House
of Finwe · ID: 57
Reviewer: Radbooks · 2008-11-29 19:45:06
Spoilers!
This is moving on many levels and hard to review because of that. It
is wonderfully written and the conversation between Finrod and his
father is well done as Fiondil captures Finrod's confusion and
Arafinwe's concern beautifully. As Arafinwe notes at the end, it is
the invisible scars in life that take longest to heal.

Very nicely done.

Title: Second Best · Author: Tanaqui · Races: Men: Gondor Drabbles ·
ID: 384
Reviewer: Elena Tiriel · 2008-11-29 19:45:25
Spoilers!
Tanaqui is the mistress of misdirection, and this drabble, "Second
Best", is a fine exemplar of that.

The drabble vividly describes a Steward's son who is always treated as
second best; no matter what he does or how admirably he does it, he is
always unfavorably compared to another.

We think we know who he is, but it's not until the last few words of
the final sentence that we realize that we are reading about someone
else. It's fascinating, because there is likely a direct link between
the son's treatment at the hands of his father, and the similar
treatment of the person whom we thought the drabble was about.

The language clearly conveys the main character's dilemma, and the
unfairness of the situation. Very well done!

Title: Broken Star · Author: pandemonium_213 · Races: Villains:
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 54
Reviewer: Elena Tiriel · 2008-11-29 19:50:57
Spoilers!
Pandemonium-213's double drabble, "Broken Star", is a wrenching
depiction of the last hours of Celebrimbor's life, as Sauron tries to
torture him into revealing the location of the three Elven Rings of Power.

What is especially disturbing about this is the familiarity and
intimacy between the two, and the resulting sense of betrayal on the
part of Celebrimbor.

And what is not said is as devastating as what is said.

This is chilling and powerful work. Well done!

Title: Tide of Destiny - Part One: Choices · Author: Lady Bluejay ·
Genres: Drama: Incomplete · ID: 159
Reviewer: Radbooks · 2008-11-29 19:52:58
Spoilers!
This is a story that I look eagerly for the updates for from week to
week. I have enjoyed the way Lady Bluejay has switched from Lothiriel
to Eomer's point of view over the course of the story. This is also
the first Eomer/Lothiriel story that I've read that has shown them at
a young age and has shown the characters growing up. I've been
touched, horrified, saddened, and then also laughed at times
throughout the course of this story. Lady Bluejay has truly shown the
growth of the characters as people. I've also enjoyed the secondary
characters in the story, both in Rohan and in Dol Amroth. Although, I
truly despised the men from Harad - although I was supposed to do
that. [smile]

A very enjoyable story and I highly recommend it.

Title: Wind and Fire · Author: elfscribe · Times: First Age and Prior
· ID: 539
Reviewer: Keiliss · 2008-11-29 19:54:55
Spoilers!
No matter how many times I read this, I am still struck by how simply
and clearly Feanor's obsession with the Silmarils is explained – not a
materialistic desire for possessions, but something far deeper and
more potent, going beyond symbolism to explain how in their making a
part of himself became one with them, and why. I remember mentioning
when this was first posted that I was reminded of Sauron leaving part
of himself within the One…

Loved the descriptions, something at which Elfscribe excels, and the
pervading sense of too little, too late. The atmosphere in the camp
when Manwë arrives feels as it should, and Feanor is – beautiful. That
was the first thing I noticed when I first read this, that he is
beautiful. Most writers don't bother to mention that fact, but how
else would he be, considering who and what he is? I loved the way the
passions of the flesh took Manwë almost by surprise and carried him
away in a manner that kept him coming back, hungering for more. Sadly
he is in many ways very similar to Zeus, and like Zeus he has no
courage when faced with his wife's anger and tears, and the stage was
set for the long tragedy of the Noldor to play itself out.

Cooler heads, higher courage, and it could all have ended quite
differently.


Title: Tangled Webs · Author: Ribby · Races: Men: Gondor Drabbles ·
ID: 100
Reviewer: Elena Tiriel · 2008-11-29 19:57:28
Spoilers!
Ribby's drabble, "Tangled Webs", uses tatting lace with a broken
thread as a metaphor for how those people we have lost remain with us,
even if only in our memory. It is beautifully done, and worth a read.

Well done!

Title: An Elf-lord Revealed · Author: Tanaqui · Times: Multi-Age:
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 406
Reviewer: Keiliss · 2008-11-29 19:58:09
Spoilers!
I really enjoyed these drabbles showing different aspects of
Glorfindel's life from his awakening in Mandos onward. I liked the
sense of confusion followed by bitter memory in the first one, and how
he takes note of his unscarred skin. My favourites though were
probably [A Shining Light] and [Fulfilment]. The first shows his
power, an elf lord of immense potency, able to stand against the Nine
at need, and the second is a lovely reminder of time passed and his
very `elvenness'. Too often Glorfindel is portrayed as a warrior
without regard to his other role as the vessel of the Valar. It must
have been a personal satisfaction for him to see his words come to pass.

Title: My Oaths I Will Keep · Author: Encaitariel · Races: Elves:
House of Finwe · ID: 298
Reviewer: Dawn Felagund · 2008-11-29 20:00:19
Spoilers!
What a wonderful story! There is so much to praise about "My Oaths I
Will Keep." Encaitariel's story sparkles with original characters who
bring life and humor to the pages; likewise, the canon characters,
while true to the shapes Tolkien gave them, are very well depicted and
given added depth. Finrod's nobility, Orodreth's quiet desperation,
and the fey magnetism of the Feanorians are all perceptible in this story.

But what I liked best is that it is, literally, a page-turner; once I
started reading it, I found that I could not stop. There is always
something going on, and the pacing is perfect to move the story
forward. Yet it is not all action: Encaitariel handles the emotions of
her characters exceptionally well. Although this event has always
comes across as rather stiff to me in The Silmarillion, Encaitariel
breathes new life into it and shows convincingly how it probably was:
a king deserted by his people, twelve companions bound to each other
by loyalty on a quest that will result in almost certain death.
Finrod's silent exchange with his foster-son showed the compassion,
desperation, and humanity of the king; the wives and children as they
bid their husbands and fathers farewell was heartbreaking, all the
more so with knowledge of the end that all of them will meet.

I am very glad to have found this story and would like to pass along
my recommendations.

Title: Orc Dreams · Author: Tanaqui · Races: Villains: Fixed-Length
Ficlets · ID: 448
Reviewer: Elena Tiriel · 2008-11-29 20:07:57
Spoilers!
Tanaqui's drabble, "Orc Dreams", is a fascinating descent through the
fevered nightmare of an Orc, physically exhausted from a long march,
perhaps to a battle somewhere. As befits corrupted Elves, his dreams
center around the heavens. Tanaqui names the constellations very
creatively, yet it is obvious that the dream is deeply disturbing to
the Orc.

Beautifully done... well, maybe "beautiful" isn't quite the right
word.... Powerfully done... yeah, that's it!

Bravo!

Title: Young Fëanáro Makes A Stone · Author: Oshun · Genres: Humor:
Valar & Maiar · ID: 77
Reviewer: Keiliss · 2008-11-29 20:12:30
Spoilers!
Oh yes, the trials of the Tolkien fan fiction writer – get an idea,
haul out the books to glance quickly over the canon before you start
writing it, and three days later you have read so many versions in so
many different places saying so many contradictory things that you
barely remember what you were planning to write in the first place.

Oshun paints a convincing picture that suggests this is the only
possible way it could have happened. She also has no difficulty
convincing the reader that this is precisely how Aulë would have
appeared to his young apprentices. I enjoyed the touches of humour and
found the description of how one went about `making a stone' extremely
interesting.


Title: Tree of Knowledge · Author: Nancy Brooke · Times: Late Third
Age: Gondor Drabbles · ID: 172
Reviewer: Elena Tiriel · 2008-11-29 20:13:24
Spoilers!
Nancy Brooke's drabble, "Tree of Knowledge", is a fascinating glimpse
at the mind of Denethor. His knowledge about what awaits Faramir at
Rivendell is perceptive, but we don't learn what he speaks of until
the very last sentence.

The language is rich with metaphor, and clearly shows the depth of
Denethor's understanding, and the depth of his reluctance for his sons
to understand, as well.

Very well done!

Title: Refuge · Author: Raksha the Demon · Races: Elves: Noldor
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 423
Reviewer: Keiliss · 2008-11-29 20:34:10
Spoilers!
Such a good – and chilling – picture of this first meeting. The scene
was very well set with Elrond prepared to defend his brother and
himself, even though the reader knows it's a hopeless instinct, and I
liked the fact that there was no sugar coating – a major slaughter
occurred at Sirion, and it can be assumed that almost everyone the
twins knew had either been killed or had fled. Seeing it through a
child's eyes makes it even more horrifying.

[The world is broken. His mother must be dead too.] is exactly how a
child in the midst of trauma might think, and it would be natural for
the boys to cling onto someone whose first action made it clear he was
prepared to defend them. Hearing only the Feanorian version of events,
I can imagine how they would have later grown to love him without
guilt despite the blood that had been spilt. I also liked the link
from Elrond's childhood experience through to the founding of
Imladris. I don't think I've seen it done before, but the psychology
makes sense. Nice touch.


Title: Aulë the Smith · Author: Oshun · Genres: Non-Fiction: Character
Studies · ID: 530
Reviewer: Gandalfs apprentice · 2008-11-29 20:37:57
One of Oshun's great services to the Tolkien fanfiction community is
her carefully researched biographies of characters in the legendarium,
featured at the SWG Web site. Oshun scours the volumes hunting down
references, but she doesn't just regurgitate the professor's words:
she interprets the tales and comments on the events.

My own personal favorite among the loathsome Valar (I'm rather
anti-god in general) is Ulmo, who seems to be the only one who
actually does out of his way to help out the hapless Children in
Middle-earth. However, Oshun makes a good case for Aule. While he
doesn't leave his safe haven in Valinor, he shows an active interest
in the Noldor and encourages their scientific curiosity.

Aule, however, is married to the insufferable Yavanna. Poor thing.

My one complaint about this useful essay is its neglect of the
Dwarves. While Oshun mentions Aule's creation of the Dwarves, we don't
learn much about how the Dwarves themselves see him.

Title: Wave-Singer · Author: Branwyn (Lady Branwyn) · Genres:
Alternate Universe: Drabbles · ID: 33
Reviewer: Keiliss · 2008-11-29 20:45:18
Spoilers!
This sent ice cold chills down my spine and raised gooseflesh on my
arms. It is an an excellent piece of writing and I'm sure it would
stand on its own really well even completely divorced from Tolkien's
universe, but of course the fact that it gives us a tiny glimpse into
a well-documented life after many-thousands of years of wandering
alone is what makes it complete. The word choices throughout are
immaculate, the speakers are so well defined I could probably describe
them, and the picture of him singing his sorrow on the shore - utterly
alone for all time - will stay with me for a very long time.

This was quite wonderful.


Title: Name Calling: Group Identity and the Other among First Age
Elves · Author: Angelica · Genres: Non-Fiction · ID: 322
Reviewer: Elleth · 2008-11-29 20:51:42
A very helpful resource for fanfiction-writers, researchers and
Tolkien-linguists alike, Angelica summarizes the 'HoMe' writings on
[Quendi and Eldar] and brings some order and structure into the
sometimes confusing source material. The resulting essay, not merely a
reappraisal of the material, lists differences in the Eldarin groups
with regard to linguistics, historical and cultural developments and
draws sharp conclusions that serve to further understanding of
'elvendom' as a whole, between and within the different groups that
set out (and those that did not) from Cuivienen. In short: A treat
that I will definitely come back to, and well worth a read.