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Title: Here's To The King! · Author: Jael · Genres: Humor: Elven
Lands · ID: 204
Reviewer: Nieriel Raina · 2008-11-29 23:35:04
One of my absolute favorite stories! Jael is a mastermind when it
comes to writing the elves of the Greenwood and Thranduil and Legolas
in particular. In this instance Legolas finds the Elvenking in a
rather unprecedented situation, and all for the good of the kingdom!
Full of ribald humor, this fic continues to make me smile. And I
continue to find myself at odd times humming 'Gler' i aran'.

Title: At the Last Minute · Author: rhyselle · Races: Cross-Cultural:
Elves and Men · ID: 544
Reviewer: Nieriel Raina · 2008-11-29 23:38:17
Spoilers!
A charming holiday fic. Rhyselle manages to get a couple elf warriors
doing what we rarely see them doing: baking cookies and other domestic
chores, all to cheer a young friend. A good reminder that sometimes we
need to celebrate not just for ourselves, but for others. Wonderful!

Title: Not Yet · Author: erobey · Genres: Romance: Elven Lands · ID: 712
Reviewer: crowdaughter · 2008-11-29 23:43:06
Good story about the troubles of expecting to find some past love in a
person who resembles one of the former beloved - but can never be it,
I love the end of this. Very fitting. :)

Title: Boromir at the Bat · Author: White Gull · Genres: Poetry: Late
Third Age · ID: 632
Reviewer: Rhapsody · 2008-11-29 23:44:25
I really had no idea what to expect from this poem and perhaps some
things are lost on me, but I like this approach of Boromir's demise,
caught in such verse. The pacing is nice and apt, the wording quite
colourful. Nicely done!

Title: The Captain's New Clothes · Author: Raksha the Demon · Genres:
Humor: Other Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 421
Reviewer: Branwyn (Lady Branwyn) · 2008-11-29 23:44:56
Spoilers!
The prompt for this fic is an illustration of Faramir from one of the
Hildrebrandt calendars published in the 1970s. Well will fans of d'un
certain age remember the illustration of Robin Hood!Faramir clad in
green and unrangerly orange. This fic gives a clever explanation of
why Faramir would ever don orange leggings. He shows himself to be a
wise commander, willing to sacrifice a little pride in return for the
happiness of his men. His final comment about the clothes scaring the
enemy made me laugh. Maybe that is why the hobbits look so astonished
in the calendar illustration.

Title: Dispelling the Fog · Author: fantasyfan · Races: Other Beings ·
ID: 642
Reviewer: crowdaughter · 2008-11-29 23:57:05
Spoilers!
Vrerty good story which poises a question that has driven many a
fandom discussion and has never been resolved: Who is Tom Bombadil?
Frodo is very bright, in this, indeed to poise the question, and I
like the way you go about having Tom give (or avoid...) an answer.
Very lovely little tale, and very good executed. applause!

Title: Coming Home to Crickhollow · Author: calanthe11 · Genres:
Romance · ID: 445
Reviewer: Keiliss · 2008-11-30 00:43:53
Spoilers!
Dear heaven, this was stunning. What an absolutely amazing fic. I
write and normally read elves, so this was on a shot list of stories
with interesting summaries that I kept to look at if I had time.
Tonight I was sorting out which ones to bookmark and which to scrap
and glanced at the first paragraph… and was lost.

To say this is about friendship, love, and how to pick up a life when
you are no longer the people you were a handful of years ago barely
scrapes the surface. At regular intervals while I was reading, I would
stop and wonder how on earth they were ever going to fit back into the
world they had left and be content and whole again. They have
travelled so far, seen so much, grown and changed in ways that have
nothing to do with age. The memories of other places and times
contrast with the present, underlining the difference, the otherness
that has become part of them.

The writing itself is almost sensually inviting, pleasing to read,
with some quite breathtakingly lovely phrasing. The way words are used
to paint pictures with clear light and subtle shading is pure joy. I
wanted to include a few passages I particularly enjoyed but that would
necessitate pasting half the story here, so I'll rather say how they
made me feel. Reading this, I could see the countryside, smell the
air, shiver from the cold breeze on my skin. I could picture an
ordinary kitchen scene, note the incongruity within it of a knife with
the crest of the white tree on the hilt. I sat with Merry on the
windowsill, seeing and smelling the night. And I could feel the subtle
(and not so subtle) dance of sensations and emotions taking place
between Merry and Pippin. Anyone who has ever fallen in love, anyone
who has ever desired someone and not been certain of the level of
desire in return, will recognize those moments when breathing is
difficult and the heart hurts and the world shrinks.

This is a woefully inadequate review. Just – of all the stories I have
read for this year's MEFAs (and I have written reviews for 44 so far)
this is the one that has had the greatest impact on me, and is one I
will certainly read again.


Title: Trinity · Author: pandemonium_213 · Times: Modern Times · ID: 51
Reviewer: Aranel Took · 2008-11-30 00:54:13
Spoilers!
I liked this one very much! I'm probably one of the rare readers here
who is actually more familiar with atomic bombs than elves (I figured
out Sauron, but didn't know who Fionn was though I did recognize the
jewels were Silmarils.), but it is still a very enjoyable story even
without detailed knowledge of the characters. It's a very interesting
comparison, the scientists and engineers compared to the elves who
created such great (and terrible) items as the Silmarils and the One
Ring. And it's even a trait passed in DNA (I did get who Jim and
Francis were right away! ;-) ). The part where Oppenheimer describes
their eyes with ["unusual refractive proteins"] -- and Fionn and
Saunder's reactions -- cracked me up! I also like your view of Sauron
being a victim of historical revisionism. I like my villains to be
morally complex! :-D

Title: Dead Steward's Gift · Author: stefaniab · Genres: Mystery · ID: 572
Reviewer: Cathleen · 2008-11-30 01:08:32
Spoilers!
Oh, lol! Where do I begin? A very cool blend of so many elements make
this story an exciting read. I've never seen a fic where the writer
has combined aspects of not only movie verse and book verse - but her
own "verse" as well! Stef's lotr universe is quite a place! She has
created not only a thrilling mystery here, but stuffed it full of
surprises. The kitty is endearing and seems like an appropriate
companion for Faramir. I can easily picture him as a cat person. I
love the ghostly feel to the story and I think using the palantir
added just the right touch. I admit, the palantiri have always
fascinated me and I love seeing one turn up in a story. It's nice,
also, to see Faramir portrayed as more of an emotionally settled
person that he sometimes is. This story started out as a Halloween
story for the G-Fic group and I was delighted to see that Stef
continued it firther and turned it into such a wonderful tale for all
of us to enjoy! Very well done, Stef!

Title: Trajectory · Author: Galadriel · Races: Men: General
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 153
Reviewer: Savageseraph · 2008-11-30 01:20:40
Spoilers!
I really love the texture of the description here, of the water and of
the sense of drowning. It also love how it foreshadows Aragorn\\\'s
fall into the river in the films and works as a lovely metaphor for
despair. More foreshadowing in the powerful image at the end of the
story. Throughout, the alliteration gives the fic a musical quality. I
also enjoy the more perilous aspects of loving that are reflected in
the fic and seem appropriate for warriors.

Title: Generations · Author: Bodkin · Genres: Drama: Featuring Aragorn
· ID: 508
Reviewer: Linda Hoyland · 2008-11-30 01:33:56
Spoilers!
I just loved this story which gives a somewhat different version of
Eldarion than we are accustomed to.
Aragorn feels his son is far too pampered and needs a spell with the
Northern Rangers to learn their ways.It is obvious that Aragorn still
feels most at home in the North and is puzzled by his son's emphasis
on cleanliness!
I liked the way that Eldarion thought Faramir understood him and that
he is better mannered than his friend.
A very well written and enjoyable story well worth reading.

Title: The Warmth of Morning · Author: Spindle Berry · Times: Late
Third Age: Gondor · ID: 148
Reviewer: Marigold · 2008-11-30 01:36:02
Spoilers!
This is a stunningly beautiful story, and even those that dislike
slash can read it safely as the suggestions of slash are described
simply and there are no graphic descriptions as such. This story
certainly deserves to be read and reviewed as the writing is lovely
and so is the content and overall message.

I have always felt the slash pairing of Merry and Pippin to be a
believable one – really the only believable one in Lord of the Rings
to me – because of their closeness in bookverse; they are soulmates
and a physical/romantic relationship seems to me to be just a step
further on from their canon relationship. And, unlike some readers, I
have no trouble in separating slash universes from canon/gen ones so I
have no problem in enjoying stories in both – they are just different
possibilities, if you see what I mean.

The Merry and Pippin in this particular slash story have kept the
characterisations of bookverse Merry and Pippin to a far greater
extent than the majority of slash stories that I have read. The author
obviously has a very good understanding of the bookverse characters
and so has been able to bring a believability to their relationship in
this story that not too many slash authors have been able to.

The emotions in this story are palpable. The dream-thoughts of Pippin,
being kept alive by Merry's presence though he doesn't understand it
at the time, are chillingly real – that they are described in such a
perfect and simple way makes the knowledge that he could go either way
worrying for the reader even though we know that he ultimately survives.

His distress and confusion upon awakening is also very well described
and so is his interaction with Merry. The dialogue is believable and
so are the thoughts and emotions described. The descriptions are
excellent and don't overshadow the emotion of the story in any way.

This is a story not to be missed; it's beautifully written. Do give it
a try!


Title: Whatever Harm Encroached · Author: Nieriel Raina · Times:
Second and Early Third Age · ID: 708
Reviewer: Linda Hoyland · 2008-11-30 01:36:35
Spoilers!
It was maybe not a good idea to read this story on a freezing day as
it made me feel all the colder,but that is a tribute to NiRi's skills
as a storyteller.I enjoyed seeing Thanduril as a king concerned with
the needs of his people.

Title: Child of Hope · Author: Galadriel · Races: Men: Steward's
Family · ID: 97
Reviewer: Savageseraph · 2008-11-30 01:52:30
Spoilers!
This was a quiet, lovely fic, and there are many things that I enjoyed
about it. First, it really captures how children think and act. When I
read through young Boromir's thoughts (and Faramir's actions), they
seem appropriate for his age. Faramir's toy horsey...loved that! I
want one too. I also really, really, really enjoy how Boromir's
reflections both point to the moment at hand and provide lovely
foreshadowing of the events to come. That gives the ending of the fic
an extra punch.

There's a certain sense of wistfulness that comes not from the fic
itself, but from seeing the family as they are in the fic and knowing
the shadow that will fall over all of them.

Title: Oathbreakers · Author: Thundera Tiger · Times: Late Third Age ·
ID: 470
Reviewer: obsidianj · 2008-11-30 01:57:16
Spoilers!
This is an interesting conversation. I never thought about Eowyn in
connection with the place where she finally decides to follow the men.
Elladan and Elrohir are astute observers. The comparison of the
oathbreakers with the fates of the elves is something else I never
thought about. It gave me a chill.

Title: Only Water in Your Veins · Author: Michelle · Races: Men · ID: 154
Reviewer: obsidianj · 2008-11-30 01:57:55
Spoilers!
What a thoroughly harrowing experience for Thorongil. The way you
describe the slow death from lack of water made me feel thirsty. It
sounded very realistic, complete with fata morgana, and
hallucinations. The Haradric rescuer made a nice touch. This guy did
more for Harad's future than he will probably ever know.

Title: Reparation · Author: Isabeau of Greenlea · Races: Men · ID: 296
Reviewer: obsidianj · 2008-11-30 01:58:36
Spoilers!
I love reading about Andrahar and this story fuels my craving for
more. The dynamic between Andrahar and Brand is delightful and I liked
that Andrahar found the same expression on Hethlin's face that he
didn't like on Brand's face. It was a difficult decision to apologize,
but Hethlin's reaction confirmed that it was right.

I love the way you show the thought process of how Andrahar unravels
his unease with the help of Brand.

Title: Blue · Author: red lasbelin · Races: Elves · ID: 563
Reviewer: obsidianj · 2008-11-30 01:59:08
Spoilers!
Blue is an apt title for this bittersweet vignette. Glorfindel feels
the burden of his new position before he even starts. Although I don't
know much about the Silm, I got a good feeling of who Glorfindel and
the most important people around him are.

Title: MAGIC: The Password · Author: Fiondil · Genres: Humor: Elven
Lands · ID: 451
Reviewer: obsidianj · 2008-11-30 02:01:12
Spoilers!
This is hilariously funny. I can so understand Thranduil and his fight
with modern technology. His way of dealing with his memory reminded me
of a lot of my coworkers. The password had me laughing out loud. No
wonder he can't remember it. And the last sentence was the icing. I
love how serenely his wife handles him.

Title: The Legend of the Grey Riders · Author: Jay of Lasgalen ·
Races: Cross-Cultural: Elves and Men · ID: 176
Reviewer: obsidianj · 2008-11-30 02:01:48
Spoilers!
Oh, this was hilarious. I love the running commentary of the twins
during Eomer's recitation. The story is mostly told in dialogue to
very good effect. Eomer's and Eowyn's debate while the real heroes sit
right next to them is ironic in that I think they don't really want to
know the truth. Maybe Faramir will let the cat out of the bag at a
future time.

Title: Where Shadows Lay No More · Author: Cathleen · Times: Fourth
Age and Beyond · ID: 358
Reviewer: obsidianj · 2008-11-30 02:02:24
Spoilers!
In this gentle tale all of the Fellowship attend the coronation. I
like Boromir watching the proceedings and being able to see the fruit
of his labor and sacrifice. Pippin's grief for Boromir is very poignant.

Title: A Woman in Few Words: The Character of Nerdanel and Her
Treatment in Canon and Fandom · Author: Dawn Felagund · Genres:
Non-Fiction: Character Studies · ID: 107
Reviewer: Elleth · 2008-11-30 02:02:30
Spoilers!
First considering sometimes hard-to-locate or otherwisely elusive
canon evidence, Dawn Felagund paints a comprehensive and (considering
the dearth of references) extensive picture of Nerdanel, that takes
into account her role as daughter, wife, mother and strong woman in
Tolkien's (hi)stories. The author then goes on to debunk certain
'fanon' myths such as the colour of Nerdanel's hair, considers
possible interpretations of the untranslated name and takes a look at
canon history that yields yet more clues about Tolkien's possible
conception of the character of Nerdanel. Dawn also emphasizes the
popularity of Nerdanel in fandom by comparing and contrasting her
appearances in fanfiction: She shows that despite the few mentions in
the published Silmarillion Nerdanel has nonetheless gained popularity
with fans; reasons enough are cited in the essay itself.

The essay, as may be assumed of nonfiction character studies, could
easily be a dry and boring read, but no such thing has happened here.
The skill of the author as a writer of (fan) fiction and nonfiction
alike easily shows and makes this a fascinating, captivating read. As
one of the SWG reference-reader team who helped review this essay
before its publication on the site, I can only repeat what I said
then. It was a pleasure to help work on it, and it is a pleasure to
read and re-read. This is a great resource for writers and readers who
want or need to know more about Nerdanel, and well worth a look.

Title: DISGUISE: Emissaries · Author: Fiondil · Genres: Humor: Valar &
Maiar · ID: 56
Reviewer: obsidianj · 2008-11-30 02:02:54
Spoilers!
This is a delightful gapfiller on how the Istari got chosen and appear
in Middle-earth in the form we get to meet them. It is a short piece,
but already the different characters of the Wizards can be seen. I
wonder why the Valar let Curumo go, although they were not blind to
his character flaws.

Title: Farewell · Author: agape4gondor · Genres: Drama: Final Partings
· ID: 127
Reviewer: obsidianj · 2008-11-30 02:03:52
Spoilers!
This is a heartfelt farewell between Boromir and Faramir. I loved the
image of the brothers sharing Faramir's bedroll for comfort and the
comparison to the time after their mother's death. I love Boromir's
acknowledgment of Faramir's vision in the subtle change of his words
and his nearly prophetic plea to Faramir not to fall with Denethor but
to save himself. Knowing how the story ends makes this even more poignant.

Title: Meddling · Author: Dwimordene · Times: Mid Third Age: Eriador ·
ID: 695
Reviewer: obsidianj · 2008-11-30 02:04:29
Spoilers!
A story with my second favorite ranger Halbarad. I love your
characterization of him and of Gandalf in this piece. Halbarad is very
brave (or foolish) to confront Gandalf. But I think he instinctively
knew that Gandalf would do him no harm.

I like the vivid picture of the Prancing Pony you painted with a few
words. It gave the right setting for this little piece.