Stories of Arda Home Page
About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search
swiss replica watches replica watches uk Replica Rolex DateJust Watches

Pearl of Great Price  by Lindelea 2 Review(s)
FantasyFanReviewed Chapter: 20 on 12/31/2003
Ferumbras stands up to his mother! (and so does Pearl!) This is a rare day indeed. I still can't decide what to think about the Thain. I thought him rather distasteful, but now in this chapter, I could almost believe that he has a heart after all. He sounded sincere when he was talking to Ferdinand - he would like to help, he would like to make it as easy as possible, and genuinely please his mother, but he really can't. But how will asking Ferdinand to disown his daughter solve the problem? Will it actually placate Lalia and keep her from throwing them out? Still, somehow I don't really trust his sincerity, and I find myself wondering if it's all an act, and he is uncaring and hardened? I don't know whether to pity him or to dislike him. I really don't.

Author Reply: You really won't know him until nearly the end of the story, I'm afraid. The Muse kind of kept me in the dark as well, but now that I've reached the end I understand much more than I did. I didn't like him when the story started, was expecting hints of sexual harassment as a matter of fact, until the Muse firmly reminded me that such was not a part of hobbits in canon (I keep going back to Tolkien's comments on monogamy--committed and contented, it appears--and all else being "under Shadow" in his world). In any event, all will become clear in time.

Lyta PadfootReviewed Chapter: 20 on 12/31/2003
That explains Rosemary's banishment; it alwaya seemed a bit odd that Ferdinand disowned his daughter when he stuck by Ferdi and even told him he was proud of him while under the ban. The Thain and Lalia really put that family between Scylla and Charybdis, I hope Rosemary doesn't have third thoughts when she learns the consequences for those she left behind - and herself.

Author Reply: Yes, and the reason she stays banished after Lalia's death is explainable too, but may not come out as a plot point, so I'll just tell you. It has to do with the motto of the Tooks: "Honour is all".

Kind of like Thain Paladin did not rescind his putting Ferdi under the Ban, for he would have had to admit he was wrong.

Ferdinand, wrong or not, was honouring his part of the bargain that kept his son "safe" when he needed the safekeeping.

Return to Chapter List