Stories of Arda Home Page
About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

Unwritten Tales: Into The Dark Again  by Wayfarer 3 Review(s)
meckinockReviewed Chapter: 2 on 11/17/2004
I actually read the whole thing in one sitting but I'm a lousy reviewer on a good day and these haven't been good days lately. It's a shame to review such a beautifully written story with sentences that don't quite string together coherently but I didn't want to hold off any longer. So I'm going to just abandon propriety here and do a squeeing fangirl review.

ALL OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS IN ONE CHAPTER SQUEEEE

The reunion between Aragorn and Gandalf and their subsequent conversation was so beautifully done, and the setting was perfect. You captured the Prancing Pony and Butterbur wonderfully. I was moved by Aragorn's reaction when Gandalf told him the Ring was found and he realized his doom was at hand at last. His reaction was so believable, his friendship with Gandalf was so real, their discussion so well thought out. Everything was perfect. And just when I thought it couldn't get any better....HALBARAD! SQUEEE!

He's wonderful, too. So real, so, uh, manly; so loyal to Aragorn and yet conflicted by the prospect of spreading his resources more thinly.

The characters' observations ("for he had never seen anyone got rid of so effectively"), your description and dialogue are all delightful. I loved Gandalf asking for "thin slivers" of Aragorn's adventures. The morning shadows at the Prancing Pony unexpectedly giving Aragorn the willies: the flickering flames harboured shadows that sidled in and out of every nook and cranny. In the waning light, Barliman and his serving men, busy laying the breakfast spread, were as wraiths wandering under a dim sickle moon.

This is a fantastic story in all respects, and I'm already sorry that there's nothing more to read. I hope RL has released its stranglehold so you can finish this!






Author Reply:
Hi meckinock,
Sorry for the late response. I had to go away and mull over your review because an intelligent SQUEE!Anything requires some composure (I was that overwhelmed by your lovely review), especially since musie is easily excitable and gets smuggish whenever we gets niccce reviewss.

Sadly, despite stewing over your enthusiastic review for so long, all I can muster is a plain "Thank you!" And RL is again partly to blame for my addled brainwaves. *SIGH*

On the bright side, if you like our rangers, you should seriously consider checking the works of Windfola - our Halbarad!template is really made from a mould of hers and Aragorn, well, let's just say she fostered him for a bit in the early chapters =) Windfola posts here and in ffnet and HASA under the same.

Happy reading and thank you! =D
~W

grumpyReviewed Chapter: 2 on 11/5/2004
great second chapter. I liked how you wrote of the Breelander's waryiness of the rangers, and the part about the Fernys. I wonder who Halbarad was mourning, he is a good second in cammand. Gandalf is great, liked his little gifts of the miruvor in the ale, and the pipeweed. So now they are off to hunt for Gollum.

Author Reply:
Hello grumpy,
Thank you for your review.

As for Halbarad's grief, frankly, who knows? I like to texture and layer my narrative and make it as three-dimensional as I can. And that includes giving characters plausible lives apart from the story, which means the way they act and react will be influenced by their lives. For him I saw a lot of hardships in his position as second-in-command and he is, as you say, a good choice. We've got a hint of his personal experience, but whether we get into the details of his problems depends on how co-operative he is with musie. However, I'll be honest and say right off the bat that those things will not be dealt with in this story, unless they have a direct bearing on events of the Hunt.

Right, so the fearless duo begin the hunt now, hard work it will be too. The next chapter should be out soon. Meantime, I'm thumbing my resources madly to get the next next chapter going.

Appreciate your review and a chance to talk a bit about the characters. Thanks!
~W

EnvinyatarReviewed Chapter: 2 on 11/4/2004
I think I remember this story on ff.net a long time ago, but it seems much more fleshed-out now. I particularly liked the encounter with Bill Ferny - Tolkien makes it clear there's a history there and it's always intrigued me.

Enjoying this very much, looking forward to reading more.

Author Reply:
Envinyatar,

Hi there! Thank you very much! I'm glad to know of your enjoyment in this tale. Especially, that you like the Ferny bit. Next chapter coming up soon. As soon as I finish with formatting it in fact.

And yes, I have to admit, most contritely: this has been on ff.net for forever! Since the 25th of August, in the year 2002 in fact.

The non-progress is, as you may have guessed, due solely to RL issues. Well, before RL hit, I was working really madly at revising the monster, fitting it into canon as snugly as I possibly can; not that I'm a pedigree Tolkien scholar, but that's just another side-story. So, anyway, I am definitely happy you noticed the difference =)

Hope to hear more of your thoughts as we progress,
~W

Return to Chapter List