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In Shadow Realm  by Legolass 14 Review(s)
TariReviewed Chapter: 31 on 10/10/2007
I don’t even know where to begin. Reading this story has been a truly awesome adventure for me. I hated to see it end. It was masterful, powerful, scary and beautiful. I love how the friendship grew between the men and elves. You gave Celeborn’s remaining behind real purpose. Legolas will always remain number one in my heart. Like you (I think), I consider myself to be an Elf. The strength of friendship shown is beyond anything I have ever experienced.

I feel a bit lost now because there are no more of your stories to read. I only hope that someday time will allow you to write more.

I would love to meet you in person someday. You will always remain one of my favorite authors, right up there with JRRT.

I am sending this without having read the final chapter which I go to now. I don't know if there will be much more to say, just.....

Thank you so much

Tari

Tiari ClovisReviewed Chapter: 31 on 5/30/2007
The has to be your best chapter yet! I absolutely LOVE your discriptions. You really are a very good writer. The way Legolas helped Aragorn was great and very original{at least I've never seen that idea before.}

I writing is just incredible. This chapter had my heart thumping. {Sighs in happiness.

Well this is what I noticed

Pippin sat up in alert and frowned
Sat up in alert just doesn’t sound right to me. Perhaps sat up in alertness instead.

~~~
“Baw!” Legolas cried defiantly to the Shadows that tried to wrench him from his friend. “Begone, I will not be taken from him!”Fighting the darkness, he spoke firmly to Aragorn. “Listen to me, Estel,” he said. “Your memories are not lost. Lo, they are here – all around you. Listen to them, Estel!”

You just need to put a space just before the word fighting
~~~
Quickly, Legolas drew apart from Aragorn to face him, and what greeted him was a vision more welcome that- {I think you want than instead of that?} light in this dark realm: the familiar features of the King – the features Legolas had been afraid he might never see again – were taking more visible form.

OH before I forget: Are you planning another story after this one? Please say yes. Also I will get around to review Lord of the white tree.
Talk to you later, Tiari


Author Reply:
Hi Tiari,

I was so tired and pressed for time when writing and posting this last chapter that I knew there would be typos here and there. :-)

Pippin was supposed to have sat up in ALARM, and yes the vision of Aragorn's features were more welcome than light. :-D Thank you for catching those. As for the missing space, however, it's the fault of the site. All the spaces are there in my word document but when I paste it here and post it, some spaces go missing (I am sure what you caught was not the only one) - but I was too tired to keep fixing and resubmitting - such a bother. But I will fix the typos though.

I'd love to write a new story after this one, but there is still one more chapter to go here and it's hard to get THAT finished, let alone write a new tale! You can rest assured though, that our beloved Elf and Ranger are NEVER far from my mind, and if I can write a new story, I will.

Thank you for your compliments! See you in the next chapter - and I look forward to your reviews for "For the Love..." (Email review alerts for this site are not working at the moment, but I hope it will be fixed soon.)

Legolass

Red SquirrelReviewed Chapter: 31 on 5/11/2007
I'm terribly sorry, I just realized you missed my regular if erratic review - how sweet of you! I actually wrote you a private mail, most probably it got lost in your spam, but I will try again.
In the meantime, hugs and big thanks for the brilliant chapter!
Your rodent

Red SquirrelReviewed Chapter: 31 on 5/10/2007
I knew it! I knew there would be an update while I was away! But probably its a very good thing that I had the next chapter already there for me to read, after that fearful ending of the last one. I don’t think I could have lived through the wait for this – you’ve kept me glued to the screen (almost like Legolas did to Aragorn), and I’m still trembling. You did it so wonderfully well, I felt the power of the shadows and the curse as opposed to light and life so intensely all the way. I loved the idea of the sound of life, slowly evolving into the voices of Aragorn’s memories – what a beautiful conception! And the tantalizing glimpses of those memories, each a great story in itself, how I would have liked to be able to examine them all. It reminded me a bit of the Orpheus myth, he who tried to reclaim his bride from Hades but failed, because he could not bear not to look back and see if she really followed him – well I’m glad Legolas succeeded!! And now that you have me reduced to a pair of big wet eyes, a snotty nose and bits of spiky, half-torn-out fur, I need a big cup of steaming hot tea – and a final chapter to sort out all those emotions…

Author Reply:
My dear, dear bushy-tailed, bright-eyed, MUCH MISSED Rodent!!!

It is SO good to hear from you again. I HAD wondered where you'd been traipsing and which part of present-day Middle-earth you were perhaps lost in. :-) (But I finally got your email and now I know that you were digging up interesting stuff - I'd love to know what you actually found!)

I will reply to your email as soon as I can, but it's 1 am here and I ought to to be in bed, so I'll just take this chance to say thank you for the review. I'm delighted you found the chapters and that they still make your fur bristle. :-) Ah, now you make me want to read up on Orpheus... but instead of big, wet eyes like yours, mine are drooping with sleepiness - so it will have to wait. zzzzzzzzzz

Till I write you via email - here's a big HUG. Hope you'll be sticking around a bit after this.

HUGS
Legolass

grumpyReviewed Chapter: 31 on 4/29/2007
Alright Legolas snatched Aragorn back from the evil shadows, who wanted to keep him for themselves. No can not have that, the man belongs in the light, where I can see him. Touch him, feel him. Ok I have maybe gone a little over the edge there.
Anyways loved the story, and enjoyed reading each and every chapter. Thanks for writing it, so I could read it.

Author Reply:
You're welcome, Grumpy, and I'm glad to see you happy about Aragorn's return. You can take care of him now as he recovers. :-)

Thank you for your visit. See you in the final chapter!

legolass

EilenachReviewed Chapter: 31 on 4/27/2007
A wonderful rescue chapter. I like the idea of all of Aragorn's memories being there in the darkness, but it takes Legolas to give them back to him. Near the end, I love this line: “And how shall I not know part of my soul, Legolas?” the man replied softly.

Once again, you have written a great story showing the nobility, purity, and intensity of the friendship between Aragorn and Legolas without making them seem maudlin or silly. I know that men would never speak such things in today's world, but in the world of Tolkien, it just seems right.

Author Reply:

Thank you for your kind review of this chapter, Eilenach, and even more so for your validation of the kind of tale I try to write: one that keeps true to the spirit and feel of the Tolkienian world, and that honors a great friendship that, in my humble opinion, could well have existed in that world. Thanks for appreciating the dialog. :-)

I don't believe I've had the privilege of 'meeting' you before, but I'm glad I got the chance even though it's near the end of the tale. (And if I have heard from you before - my apologies.)

Hope to see you next update,
Legolass

Silivren TinuReviewed Chapter: 31 on 4/26/2007
*wet puddle crawls out of bucket, settles down with a splash and grabs keyboard*

*SIGH* I feel very much as if I had spent some hours battling the darkness inside the Shadow Realm myself. I'm so glad that both of them got out there in one piece - having to stay in such a place forever does not bear thinking about.

I loved how Legolas became aware of the Sound and was finally led to Aragorn's memories by it. The place and the happenings you describe here are entirely strange and fascinating, and both frightening (the darkness) and beautiful (the way you describe Legolas and the memories). As usual, you make me feel like being there right beside the two of them. I liked how you switched back and forth between the friends waiting outside of the gate, and the two being trapped inside, and allowed us to see all that happened from two perspectives.

I would have very much liked to read in Aragorn's memories right along with Legolas, there must be countless tales untold to be found there. ;-) But the most wonderful thing was the hope and the determination they inspired in Legolas. The moment when Aragorn finally began to react was so sweet - I think I was just as relieved as legolas was. I was really grateful that the elves outside were able to help Legolas fight the Darkness, or at least support him.

One of the moments I loved most in this chapter was the one when Aragorn finally said Legolas' name. *sighs and melts* Somehow it is more than fitting that he would remember his friend first, and use that memory to retrieve and reclaim all others. *purrs* It was wonderful to see him return to his usual self, I can only imagine how Legolas and Aragorn himself must have felt. I liked your use of Theoden's sentence, it was perfect.

"“You came for me,”he said unexpectedly, surprising Legolas. “Into this dark… you came.”" - I loved Aragorn beginning to worry about Legolas again! *happy purr* I really would have liked to jump in there and help them fight the Darkness, but I guess a terrified wet puddle running around like a headless chicken in the Shadow Realm and screaming on the top of her lungs would probably not have been that much help. *ahem*

I loved the two moments when Aragorn added his voice to Legolas' fight, and when he simply made his presence known after Legolas thought he had lost him. And of course I did a lot of purring and melting when they were finally reunited on the other side of the holding gate. ;-)

"“And how shall I not know part of my soul, Legolas?” the man replied softly." - *sighing wet puddle melts back into her bucket with a silly grin on her face, dragging the keyboard in after her* Do I need to mention that I LOVED that chapter?! *g* I would like to huggle an exhausted elf and ranger - well, king - now... *unobtrusively drags bucket into story and settles down comfortably right beside her elf and ranger* I think I'll just sit here and keep an eye on them until the last chapter. :D

*BIG HUG*
Duckie *currently transformed into a very wet, molten puddle*

Author Reply:

Lol - you must be very, very, very wet, Duckie! I don't think there's a mop big enough in Middle-earth to swipe you up, so the bucket was an excellent idea. :-)

The Shadow Realm IS a horrid place, and it really did take an elf like Legolas to inject some kind of beauty into it, but it would have killed him to stay on there - and it would have been painful, with all that dark *shudder*

You know what - I would have liked to see Aragorn's memories of Legolas too, mm-hmmm! :-) Very tempted to put some of those in the final chapter...

Which reminds me, I still have to get it written *eeep!* You might want to empty your bucket before that! :-D See you then, Wet Puddle. Thank you for the review - somehow a chapter without one from you doesn't feel complete. :-)

Hugs,
Legolass

Linda HoylandReviewed Chapter: 31 on 4/25/2007
A truly gripping chapter.The Shadow Realm is a very scary place.I love the way you show Legolas's devotion.This chapter has an almost Biblical feel to it.Very well written.

Author Reply:

Thank you, Linda. I know what you mean by the Biblical feel, though it wasn't intended - the deliverance from evil theme was there.

Thanks for the review. I think you get to see Faramir next chapter. ;-)

Legolass

eliza61Reviewed Chapter: 31 on 4/24/2007
Didn't I tell you before you are going to have to have medical warnings at the beginning of your chapters. I think I needed some thing a lot stronger than coffee. What a great ride, even knowing that these two would make it out ok (only because I know you would not be so cruel as to send me into therapy by not having a happy ending) the emotional struggle between every one came across loud and clear. Great, great story.

I'll chat with during my "monthly" update.

Your fan & friend

Eliza

Author Reply:
*stops roller coaster*

Lol - yes you did ask for medical warnings, Eliza! I'll keep you mind when and if that becomes necessary in future. But with one chapter left, and no other story started yet (though I've been mulling over something) - the warning may be quite a while in coming. :-)

Thank you for dropping in here, and I will wait for your monthly mail.

Your friend,
Legolass

ElflingimpReviewed Chapter: 31 on 4/23/2007
I bow down in awe of you,I think this whole chapter put me into shock!! I feel like I ran ten miles or something,that was awesome! Need I go on?(and I have tinnitus and I was thinking qbout it when the part about the sound came up.LOL)

Author Reply:

You feel like you ran ten miles? I wouldn't mind all that exercise, lol. But I think this whole story has been one marathon race for me. :-) And it's people like you who make it worthwhile. Thank you for loving the story and the characters as much as I do.

Oh, and that ringing in your ears is me saying: see you next update!

Legolass (hugs for Jacob)


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