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Brethren  by Ecthelion of the fountain 4 Review(s)
FimbrethilReviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 6/10/2025
Oh my. What feelings...and it was Fate that Éomer married and probably loved the same and only maiden whom Théodred had seen and perhaps fallen in love with. --Even if she was about 20 years younger than Théodred.

LindeleaReviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 6/5/2025
p.s. I just now remembered that a couple decades ago, I wrote my own Boromir "ghost story", starting immediately after the battle before the Black Gate and finishing in Ithilien. Here's the link if you might be interested:
http://www.storiesofarda.com/chapterview.asp?sid=3065&cid=13460

LindeleaReviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 6/5/2025
The changes, though seeming subtle compared to my memory of the original chapter, do the trick. You've given just enough space to separate the Pelennor temporally from the events that took place on Mount Doom.

I'm curious about your other Rohan-centric story, to be sure. However, for my part, if it is set too far in the past (by "too far" I mean beyond reach of the late-Third Age characters I'm familiar with), I might have trouble reading it. I should expect you'd have other readers, though, who share your interests! I've found your writing quite enjoyable.

Time constraints over the past two-and-a-half decades have kept me reading and writing pretty much in the Fourth Age and the last few centuries of the Third Age, with a few rare exceptions, such as Fiondil's Elf Academy series. In my current story about Bill the Pony, I mentioned Eorl in passing, but I really know little about him or his culture. In my story about driving the Witch King out of Angmar, I've done a lot of searching for the "princes of Rhovanion" to be able to include them in the Army of the West, but I haven't found much in the way of historical detail to hang my hat on.

Another difficulty would be if Gríma features heavily. Even the bare mention of his name (like my writing the name just now) makes me queasy.

Actually, that's why I haven't read the other stories you've posted, in case you wondered. The names of the characters in the story summaries mean about as much to me as the names of historical figures I was forced to memorize in school, just names with little context or meaning. I recognize many of them as coming out of the Silmarillon. I know there are quite a few fanfic authors and readers who find inspiration there! More power to them, I say, even as I have no inclination to dip into the Kinslayings or various rebellions.

For my part, I read the Sil decades ago (probably in the 1970s) and was never tempted to revisit it as a whole, though I have read a few parts here and there in isolation. I found many of the themes depressing rather than inspiring, but then so much of JRRT's inspiration was based on epics filled with blood and gore and betrayal and tragedy, and not much about triumph or uplifting thoughts to lighten the content. (Believe me, I had my fill of epics in my literature studies. In one class, we read Beowulf in the original language. Fascinating, but I'm glad to have left that story behind.) I even find the tale of Beren and Lúthien depressing, though it has its high points. Added to the time constraints I mentioned earlier, the fact that I've found a haven of sorts in fanfic over the years is another reason that has limited my subject matter area of interest.

In JRRT's legendarium, I can't remember much in the way of happy endings. Shoot, even his unfinished snippet set in the Fourth Age after Elessar's death is depressing, and I'm actually glad he didn't write more about the return of Shadow. I think that's probably what keeps me stuck in the late Third Age (I know who's going to win) and the early Fourth Age (such a time of joy and promise and growth and relief, that it might be described as "the calm after the storm"). Maybe it sounds trite, but "happy" (or satisfying or, at worst, bittersweet) endings are what I need in my reading material these days.

I'll stop ranting now. Hopefully none of what I've said here will be taken as criticizing others' preferences. Tolkien's world is so broad and deep and rich, there's room for all sorts of us.

LindeleaReviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 5/31/2025
Your summary of the last part of the War of the Ring is stately, as if one is reading the historical record. I have one small quibble: the flow of the narrative (without any timing clues) makes the charge of the Rohirrim on the Pelennor sound as if it happened at the same time as the Ring going into the Fire. Reading from one paragraph to the next feels a little like missing the last step when walking down a staircase or stepping off a curb you didn't realize was there as you were walking.

I love the description of rebuilt Osgiliath, along with Éomer's perceptions (I can relate to his "stifled" feeling). Hearing that Éowyn anticipates bringing a new life into the world adds a nice note of joy. And hurrah! Éothain survived all the battles that lay between my last glimpse of him and the Black Gate! hahaha, his happiness in love motivating him to push his king in the same direction is so true to life.

Lothíriel! I was right!

Ah, yes, I will always think of that as Théoden's song, even though Aragorn said it was about Eorl the Young. It feels especially poignant, woven into the narrative here.

I found myself tearful as I read from there to the end of the chapter, thinking of too many cut off much too young. And the losses continue to mount in our world.

The last line feels fitting, like a proper tribute.

Author Reply: Thanks, as always!

I agree the transition needed work—I made a small update and wonder if it reads more smoothly now. 😄 I’m totally open to rephrasing or enriching the description further if it still feels abrupt.

And yes, it was Lothíriel! It was implied in the ghost story, but never outright stated. That said, it’s hardly love though—more a moment of recognition. He saw in her what he had once glimpsed in his youth; there was no romantic involvement between them in any real sense.

And the losses continue to mount in our world. —That's the saddest part. 😢 For the fanfic, since I’ve written the ghost story, I hope it offers some solace—a second chance, at least in fiction. But in the real world, there is little we can do. :(

Author Reply: Also—I’m wondering if there might be interest in my other Rohirrim-centered fic, Dark Horse. It’s a bit longer than this one, so translating it would be another month’s work or so. :)

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