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| Good Enough by The Karenator | 11 Review(s) |
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| elliska | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/9/2005 |
| Sorry for not reviewing. I hurt my back and the drugs have me too stupid to even follow a fan fic. But I can't stand not reading anymore, so I am trying anyway. I am very impressed at how well you do first person. Of course, Serious Trouble was all first person, but it was one voice. Now you are doing multiple ones. Wow! That would scare me to try but you are doing a great job. I liked the obvious friendship here--the bet (always fun) and the: “Did you kiss her?”! Really! Such a question! :) And the 'war campaign' and hunting descriptions were fun too! That was a good conversation. Liked it. And of course the conversation with Elenna was wonderful! But all the talk of spiders cannot be good. Author Reply: Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear about your back. I hope you're feeling better. Leaving a review is above and beyond the call of duty! I'm touched that you would do this when you're feeling so bad...and drugged to boot! Thank you for the kind comments on POV. I like first person, but it can be tricky. I decided to go with every chapter being from a different character's POV to help me get to know them better. Daeron is such a strong personalty that I felt like he overshadowed everyone else. I wanted to 'hear' the others. I'm contemplating giving third person a try next time. Now that scares me! Aldamir and Seregon are close. I just knew they weren't as dull as Daeron kept telling me. I enjoyed getting to know them a little more intimately. Eventually, their personalities came out. I'm so glad that you're enjoying it. Thanks again for reading and reviewing, especially since you're not feeling well. Take care of yourself and I hope you're back in the pink soon. Karen | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/7/2005 |
| I love Seregon and Aldamir as big brothers - they are so affectionately cynical about their little siblings. And getting them onto the subject of Daeron and spiders makes my toes curl - I am keeping my fingers crossed for some big spider action here. And the lovely Elenna! Aldamir is such a serious bunny - he needs the delights of falling for a maiden. And such a maiden! I hope it will not take him too long to 'evaluate the situation'. There are some lovely references to past indiscretions: 'the wine pantry incident', the gardening sentence . . . I hope to discover more. Sitting next to Elenna at table! 'Suddenly it dawned upon me that my naneth’s hand was written all over this arrangement.' The poor boy is lost! He seems to be a willing victim, though, so I'll withhold sympathy. Author Reply: LOL! I love your reviews. Yes, spiders.... I can't even wrap my brain around what it must be like to run into such big spiders. I'm sure Daeron will react better than I would. At least he'll be armed! I'd want a can of Raid! A very BIG can! I think you're right about Aldamir; he's a goner. And for as good a warrior as he is, he's a complete novice in the affairs of the heart. In a discussion about writing, a friend told me about attending a writer's conference where the speaker said that you should have your character do something he would never think of doing. This is sort of the tact I've taken with Aldamir in this situation. He would never fall in love so quickly and completely, so of course, that's what I let him do. And with a maiden who will give him a run for his money! So, a 'willing victim'? Great way to put it. Elenna came along at just the right time. He was ready and got on that rollercoaster as fast as a kid with a free ticket! Past indiscretions have a way of popping back up, don't they? The wine pantry incident is written and needs to be cleaned up. I did it some time ago to try and get hold of the personality of poor, long-dead Tarondor, the father of Seregon and Daeron. I address the gardening episode briefly in this story's latter chapters...unless my beta rips it out! Thanks, Bodkin. Your review started my day off great! Karen | |
| Elena Tiriel | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/6/2005 |
| Ah, I love Aldamir and Seregon together. "The decks are awash with testosterone," to offer the single good quote from an otherwise execrable movie, whose name I (fortunately) don't even remember. I love that these guys are so comfortable with each other, and that Aldamir doesn't feel any need to protect himself from his buddy's prying questions. Then, there's Elenna. Aldamir doesn't know what to make of her at all! It's awfully difficult to respond to observations that are extremely accurate, and for them to come from someone he hardly knows (and a *gasp* female, too!) must have made for an awkward feeling... LOL! Look forward to the next chapter, Karen! - Barbara Author Reply: Everyone needs a good buddy. Aldamir and Seregon have always had each other and this is a good thing, I think. I imagine it would be tough, in their position, to make many really good friends outside of the family. Not impossible, just tough. Being in command sets one apart by itself, but the fact that they are the king and queen's son and nephew puts more pressure on them. Elenna did shock him. For starters, she was awfully bold to say something so personal to him. The icing on the cake was that she was also accurate in her assessment of him. Took him completely off-guard. But he sure does like her! We'll see.... Thanks, Barbara. I'm so glad that you're reading. And it's very kind of you to take the time to review. Karen | |
| Nilmandra | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/6/2005 |
| Please tell me he kissed her! He is being obstinate, not seeing what she is trying to say (I got it *hmmphh*). Well, he is certainly head over heels in love, and soon he will know it too. I am looking forward to seeing Daeron's reaction when he meets his first big spider. Author Reply: Well...not in this chapter. No kissing yet. Give the boy time. He's a little shy...and obstinate. Nah, he didn't get it. Elenna scares the dickens out of him, but he's a goner. Oh.h.h.h. the spiders.... They're so big and ugly. And they hiss and talk. They give me the creeps too. Poor Daeron. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate you taking the time to do this! Karen | |
| Karri | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/6/2005 |
| Nice chapter. :-) Your OCs are very real and likeable. Great work! That is not always easy to accomplish. Author Reply: Thanks, Karri. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. For me, I think it's probably easier to write OC's since no one has any expectations for them like they do canon characters. I'm really pleased that my OCs have come across as likeable and realistic to you. And I've enjoyed writing them. Thanks again! Karen | |
| perelleth | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/6/2005 |
Oh my! The king's heir's being tracked and hunted down! Game, Set and Match? Thanks Seregon gave him useful advice, pity he did not have the time put it into practice... the girl is quite shrewd! She's doing a far better job in this! Any chance he might be regaining his footing anytime soon? And poor Daeron. They should have noticed by now that his phobia could be turned into something very useful, like an elven spider detector, or something? I'm afraid when Aldamir says "his time is running out" he truly means his time is running out... Has Aldamir been plotting with Authoress? Author Reply: LOL! I'm not sure that Aldamir has a chance. He's a little unschooled in the wily ways of the female folk. Mainly, he hangs around with grunting, aggressive warriors. But his mama did teach him manners. He'll muddle through. And Elenna is very perceptive about him. Match point--Elenna. Daeron would be a good spider detector! He must have spidey-sense. Unfortunately, he goes to pieces when he runs across one. Poor guy. His time is running out! I just happen to know this. Aldamir is putty in my hands. Thank you so much for your encouraging words. I'm tickled to death that you're here and enjoying this story. Karen | |
| Manderly | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/6/2005 |
| My, Elenna is rather bold and poor Aldamir is reduced to putty in her hands. I certainly hope that her interest in him is genuine and that she's not just playing with him. She's a very interesting character and I can't quite decide how I feel about her yet. So bring on more chapters so that I can make up my mind about her. The little discussion between Aldamir and Seregon at the beginning was very entertaining. Daeron as an automatic spider sensor of all spiders within a hundred leagues of him? His fellow novices should consider themselves lucky to have him around then as they can do away with scouting, at least when spiders are concerned anyway. The very idea of Daeron's would be guard holding him up and battling spiders at the same time was certainly enough to send me into giggles. Great chapter! Author Reply: Hello Manderly! Elenna is a bit bold, isn't she? She's got Aldamir's number, and he's completely off balance with her. I don't think he's used to this feeling. We'll have to see how this 'crush' turns out. There's always more to people than we see at first glance. I'll not say more because I'm very interested in how you react to her as the story progresses. I enjoyed allowing Aldamir and Seregon to have a discussion without anyone else around. My hope was that their personalities would emerge when they were not playing the role of commanders. Poor Daeron. He sure did pick a bad phobia considering where he lives. Like Aldamir said, Daeron has a little time yet before he has to battle the nasty beasts. A little time. Oh, poor Daeron. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I love your reviews and always enjoy hearing from you. | |
| French Pony | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/6/2005 |
| “And if she does not return this?” I said, feeling my chest tighten. “Then you will have the answer to where this might have gone. If you do not try, then you will never know.” Best advice ever given. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. Seregon is a very wise Elf, and Aldamir should be very grateful to be related to him. And it looks as though Elenna has been the one to take Seregon's advice about going out to get what you want. If courtship is a hunting game, Aldamir suddenly finds himself the prey. You snooze, you lose. Daeron's issues with spiders have foreshadowing written all over them. I sense, with my spidey-senses, upcoming Wacky Hijinks. . . Author Reply: Hi French Pony! You're absolutely right! If one does not ask for what they want, then the chance is gone. Aldamir does recognize how fortunate he is to have Seregon. In the past, I think he's probably been a little to content to confine his time to family and having Seregon around has made this a little too easy. But everyone needs a good friend. Seregon is certainly that. He's loyal and devoted and probably a little more willing to take risk of the heart than Aldamir. And yes, Elenna is not afraid to go after what she wants. She wants to know what makes Aldamir tick. He's like no one she has ever known before. I laughed when I read what you said about Aldamir being the prey. Yes, indeedy. Your spidey-senses are well honed. Daeron will not be pleased. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I'm always pleased to hear from you. Your reviews are always so much fun. Karen | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/6/2005 |
| Oh, oh. Aldamir and Elenna sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. They wish. She seems so good for him. And her understanding of his character is so sharp. I also like the scene with Aldamir and Seregon. They really are comfortable with one another. You do the change of voice with the different first person POV quite well. That's hard, I think. Author Reply: Hi Daw! Elenna's got his number. Scared him, though. I don't imagine many people outside of the family talk to him so freely. Fortunately, he found this fascinating. I'm surprised that you didn't notice your contribution to the scene. I recall a warm summer day on a porch in the mountains when you suggested that Thranduil would find his son amusing when he told the lovely lass that he had been commanding a long time. Daw's thumbprint is all over that one. Thanks for the idea. And thanks for the kind words about changing voices. One of the reasons I did each chapter from a different POV was to try and get hold of each character's personality. I felt like I was struggling with individual voices, and I'm glad to hear that Aldamir's was distinct. I appreciate you reading and reviewing...and adding your kind suggestions back when the days were warmer and the company great. Karen | |
| meckinock | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/6/2005 |
| I bet Legolas and Daeron aren't the only Elves in Mirkwood to think Aldamir and Seregon are a couple of dull (as a rusted blade!), serious and duty-bound bookends. Frequently that's how people in positions of great responsibility appear to the outside -- so it's quite intriguing to peel back the dress uniform and catch them where they're most comfortable -- with each other! Where would a guy be without a buddy to tell him he doesn't know anything about women, or to offer to whip him into shape before the training officer finds out how soft he's gone? These guys are a hoot. I like their wager over the outcome of the Melda-Celelion re-match, and their comparison of courting to warfare and hunting. The male outlook is universal, isn't it? It's all the same - hunt, kill, mate. The only thing they lack is football... Naneth's not-so-subtle matchmaking was cute. Poor Aldamir; he's trying to make the moves on a girl with his father watching. Ouch. Quite the tactical challenge. Elenna sure seems impressed with him, though. Can't wait to see where that goes...I liked the conversation about a commander being responsible for what happens; for good or ill. That one'll come back and haunt him, I'm sure. And I do hope we get to read about the infamous Wine Pantry Incident sometime. Great chapter, your Queenliness! Author Reply: Howdy Ranger, I like the idea of seeing the two dull commanders on their private turf. What the public sees and what goes on behind closed doors is often quite different, I think. And Aldamir and Seregon know one another so well that when they are alone, pretense would be a waste of energy. I like what you said about the universal male outlook. Hunt, kill, mate! Oh so true.... Maybe the skills trial will make up for not having any pigskins and pads to get their jollies. I believe the queen is itching to get out that old rocking chair. All she needs is a cooperative son and a willing maiden. She's just doing her job, ya know. I kind of cringed a little too at Thranduil listening to Aldamir and Elenna's conversation. I don't think the king is normally an eavesdropper, but this conversation was just too good to ignore. I can trace this scene directly to a porch in the mountains, a minstrel rocking contently and saying: "I know! You should...." This close parental involvement adds to the tactical challenge that Aldamir's love has always been. Oh, so wise, Ranger of the Barren Wasteland. Yes...for good or ill. That will come back to haunt him. The Pantry Incident? I'll see if I can reveal this at some point without being assigned night duty for a month. Some commanders are so touchy. Thanks for the review and for all your help. Author Reply: tactical challenge that Aldamir's love has always been. Love LIFE! His love LIFE! Where's my beta? I can't even write an author's reply without screwing it up! | |