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Msg# 9643

MEFA Reviews for Tuesday, December 2, 2008 (Evening Set, Part One) Posted by annmarwalk December 02, 2008 - 19:45:48 Topic ID# 9643
Title: Old Friends · Author: Marta · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond:
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 651
Reviewer: Ainaechoiriel · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 1
Spoilers!
Good drabble of Gandalf's feelings just as Legolas and Gimli arrive.

Title: The Librarian · Author: Jay of Lasgalen · Races: Elves: Family
· ID: 700
Reviewer: Ainaechoiriel · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 2
Cute story. Every once in a while I need a cute Legolas elfling story
to balance out the heavy stuff and this one did the trick nicely.

Title: Seas of Fate · Author: Thundera Tiger · Races: Cross-Cultural:
Elves and Men · ID: 487
Reviewer: Ainaechoiriel · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 3
Spoilers!
I think I liked this tale of Imrahil, Legolas, and the sea better than
any other I'd read. Imrahil reaches to Legolas with understanding and
Legolas hears no reproach but wise counsel. Very nicely done.

Title: Upon the Pebbled Shore · Author: aranelgoldenflower · Genres:
Drama: Final Partings · ID: 171
Reviewer: Ainaechoiriel · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 1
Spoilers!
Sad to think the twins should part, but intriguing as it ties to their
father and his twin.

Title: With Many "Fond" Acknowledgments · Author: Thundera Tiger ·
Genres: Humor · ID: 472
Reviewer: Ainaechoiriel · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 3
Spoilers!
Oh, funny indeed! Yes, it can be hard to write about your friends
(without changing the names to fool them) without them wanting to
change what you write! So funny to see the three Hunters bickering
with Sam over it, and then Faramir, too. Lots of fun!

Title: With Hope and Without Hope · Author: docmon · Genres:
Adventure: Incomplete · ID: 466
Reviewer: Ainaechoiriel · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 3
Spoilers!
This story has me on the edge of my seat. The despair is real and hard
to take but the author throws the reader a bone now and then, the
cheer of a hobbit, the escape of two. I hope this one gets updated and
finished ASAP! I keep hoping for a Ent to show up. Or Gandalf. I still
hope for a happy ending despite all the non-happy middle.

Title: The Prisoner of Dol Guldur · Author: Soledad · Genres: Drama:
Final Partings · ID: 102
Reviewer: Ainaechoiriel · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 3
Spoilers!
This was a beautiful, hard story to read. It was deeply sad and yet
hopeful as well. I loved the history Soledad brought out in it, the
very old Faithful, the notes from the text to remind us, the Ents
coming north. There was no quick fix for the poor Prisoner and it
would have been wrong if there was. Trauma doesn't just shake off.
Well done.

Title: Switch · Author: Tena · Genres: Humor: Valar & Maiar · ID: 562
Reviewer: Sivan Shemesh · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 4
I love the way you wrote in this particular story, made me laugh all
the way.

Sometimes though i wonder if anyone of them just wish to stay in that
state and remain in other shoes (imagine how funny that will be plus
to play that with the twins...)

Great story, and i'm glad that they were together in the end...

Tena, write more humor such this one, as i love to read all your fics.

Title: A Sleep Over · Author: Phyncke · Times: First Age and Prior:
House of Finwe · ID: 160
Reviewer: Jules14 · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 4
Very funny! This story is a perfect portrayal of two little girls
playing together: Galadriel's bossiness, the way Galadriel loves to
scare people, and Aredhel getting upset and running to tattle to her
father. It reminded me that even the most powerful people in "The
Silmarillion" were little children at one point, with all the positive
and negative personality traits of little children. I admit, though,
it is hard to connect this portrait of Aredhel with the brave,
impetuous elf-woman she'd eventually become! Excellent job.

Title: Orc Dreams · Author: Tanaqui · Races: Villains: Fixed-Length
Ficlets · ID: 448
Reviewer: viv · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 2
Well, it stands to reason that orcs would have dreams. I'd just never
imagined one before. What a fascinating peek into the mind of an orc!

Title: The Waker · Author: Nancy Brooke · Races: Villains:
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 287
Reviewer: viv · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 3
Words like "plunk" and "flick" and "slish" evoke the setting, the
mood, both dark and sad. And that last line confirms that the sad note
was intentional. It wanted a name! You know, this could be the lament
of any number of Tolkien villains. Misunderstood, all.

Title: Moon Over Water · Author: Avon · Genres: Drama: Final Partings
· ID: 518
Reviewer: pipkinsweetgrass · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 4
Tis is an absolutely beautifully crafted story written with as much
love of the craft as of the source material and characters. Moreover,
is is written with respect, a thing rare and delightful to find in fan
fiction, and I cannot praise this work or the author enough for it. It
is almost mythopoetical form, use of language and imagery and is an
altogether good read.

Title: Shelter From the Storm · Author: SlightlyTookish · Races:
Cross-Cultural: Friendship · ID: 315
Reviewer: pipkinsweetgrass · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 4
Okay, okay, everybody knows it, I'm a sucker for just this kind of
story with exactly these three characters, but I'm not about to let
that stop me, mainly because this is a fine example of just such a
story! Boromir is the only member of the Fellowship with no knowledge
of Hobbits, so he is the perfect character to bounce hobbity writing
off of. Among other things. Ahem.

Title: The Stranger · Author: Nieriel Raina · Genres: Drama: Featuring
the Noldor · ID: 560
Reviewer: viv · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 6
There's a lot to like in this ficlet, so I'll just tick off the ooohs
without trying to be orderly (or even coherent). First, I much liked
the notion of elves wearing "britches." That word just set the scene
so well, really lulled me into the point-of-view character's mind.
Because, after all, this isn't *entirely* modern-day, is it? *grin* I
grinned when Jack initiated one of those comparing-scars games with
the, er mystery man on the beach (will restrain myself from giving
vital details, because I really don't want to have to check this
review as containing spoilers). The last couple of paragraphs were
also very touching, a promise of a happy ending where Tolkien didn't
give us much to hope for. Thank you for that. And the footnote about
Jack: hee!

Title: Nerdanel's Sons · Author: Istarnie · Races: Elves: Incomplete ·
ID: 659
Reviewer: Dawn Felagund · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 6
I was once told that stories set in Aman before the Darkening must be
boring because nothing much was going on. Istarnie's distinctively
lyrical fiction disproves that. With an impressive knowledge of canon
minutia and an undeniable skill at weaving it into a tale uniquely her
own, Istarnie begins to breathe life into the enigmatic and
controversial Feanorians in her start to this novel, often breaking
fanon in surprising and delightful ways.

Even better, the story is told from the point of view of Nerdanel, a
character much-written and rarely captured in a way that feels truly
genuine to me. Istarnie's Nerdanel is well done: wise and strong, a
fitting wife for the fiery Feanaro, both a craftsperson and a mother.

For fans of the House of Feanor, this novel is definitely one to watch.

Title: Ed'ledhron · Author: Elanor Silmarien · Races: Hobbits · ID: 392
Reviewer: Jules14 · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 2
A very pretty story about Frodo learning to trust Iluvatar. The idea
of Elrond comforting Frodo was lovely as well.

Title: Don't Explain · Author: gwidhiel · Races: Elves: Incomplete ·
ID: 289
Reviewer: NeumeIndil · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 6
Spoilers!
I'll be the first to admit a decided weakness in my knowledge of the
Silmarillion. I've read it, once, and it stuck in the way of history
books or classics for my college literature classes: the major
happenings are fresh enough in my mind, but the details are gone. I
don't quite remember who half of these characters are, and their
Quenya names are mostly unfamiliar to me, but that difficulty was
untangled by the second or third chapter. This piece seems driven by
detail in combination with a strong undercurrent of curiosity,
striking me as very innately elvin. I love that Feanaro's first word
was actually "light"; it says much of what his character must have
been like then as well as what wonderful and terrible things he would
do later.

Title: Child of Hope · Author: Galadriel · Races: Men: Steward's
Family · ID: 97
Reviewer: Avon · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 2
A sweet story with a slight surprise at the end. I couldn't honestly
understand why what was happening was happening - but the descriptions
were great.

Title: Renewal · Author: Elena Tiriel · Times: Late Third Age: General
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 208
Reviewer: viv · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 1
There's a rhythm to this piece when you read it out loud, almost like
poetry. Nifty!

Title: Pirates Ye Be Warned · Author: Imhiriel · Races: Men: Gondor
Drabbles · ID: 353
Reviewer: viv · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 3
The blood spatter, I suppose, should be enough to remind us that the
pirate wasn't a jolly smexy sort like Capt Jack. But still, Imrahil
felt really *stuffy*. I wanted to pull the pole outta his ... well,
suffice to say I had some sympathy for the pirate who, after all,
offered to share his swill! hee.

Title: Last Stroke · Author: Elena Tiriel · Genres: Alternate
Universe: Drabbles · ID: 465
Reviewer: viv · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 2
Wow, that was a lot of old-timey nautical verbiage (and old-style
semicolon usage) right there! You were channeling the professor,
weren't you? hee

Title: Taking Roots · Author: Imhiriel · Genres: Romance: Drabbles ·
ID: 367
Reviewer: viv · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 2
This is a fresh take on Galadriel and Celeborn: her being timid and
uncertain, and him being reassuring and confident. Interesting and
well-realized!

Title: Old Friends · Author: Marta · Times: Fourth Age and Beyond:
Fixed-Length Ficlets · ID: 651
Reviewer: viv · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 4
This has to be one of the best drabbles I've read in this contest (and
I've read a few). It has the crucial twist at the end, though it's a
gentle twist, and it boasts the excruciating attention to detail in
word choices that make drabbles – good drabbles – an art form. For
instance, I loved how his [bushy] brows [furled]: I knew right away
who the point-of-view character was when I read that line. And the
metaphor "[The exiles pounded against Valinor's shores as persistently
as the waves]" summed up his mental state and thousands of years of
Valinorean history in one pithy, perfect sentence. Excellent drabble!

Title: Sharing Good News · Author: Imhiriel · Genres: Humor: Drabbles
· ID: 216
Reviewer: viv · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 5
I almost skipped this one after reading that sort of bumpy first line
(was it intended as a metaphor? but something so dark and serious
wouldn't really sit with this story, or would it?), but I'm so glad I
stuck with it and read the whole thing. The characterizations of both
Bilbo and young!Aragorn were charming, and I can totally believe,
given the hints at their friendship that we saw during the Council of
Elrond, that Aragorn would have wanted Bilbo to know this nugget of
information. Lovely work (though I would go back and give that opening
line a second glance)!

Title: Incarnation · Author: Gandalfs apprentice · Genres: Humor:
Drabbles · ID: 242
Reviewer: viv · 2008-12-01 00:00:00 Score: 5
Poor Gandalf! It must have been a bit of a transition for someone with
floaty only partially substatial "raiment" to get used to having a
mortal body, with all the accompanying frailties. You've captured
excellently the level of sacrifice he endured for the sake of his
mission. (I wonder if Tolkien thought of God incarnating as Christ
when he did a similar thing with Gandalf? When I read this drabble, I
had a fleeting thought of Christ as a character who might have endured
similar incarnation pitfalls.) At any rate, all theological supposings
aside, this was a charming drabble and a provocative look at Gandalf
(who, at least in my opinion, isn't written nearly enough in fic).
Good work!