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

While the Ring went south...  by Thundera Tiger 8 Review(s)
JanvpalsReviewed Chapter: 21 on 5/16/2022
THANKS so much for this fic!!! I'm SO here for the fellowship content <333
Some of my favorite things from this chapter include the Ranger Responsibility Syndrome - I LOVED the idea that Aragorn considers himself responsible for everything that will go wrong, it fits in very well with his personality.
And I loved that Boromir throws a snowball at Legolas - I laughed SO MUCH!!
Thanks so much for this fic again :))

Estel_Mi_OlorReviewed Chapter: 21 on 10/17/2012
What! I can't believe I never left a review to this story! Very bad of me! I know I left a review recently on "During a Journey in the Dark," and I appreciate your answer! It's good to know that you are still working on the story, and I happy to praise it again : ) I have to confess, this is one of my favorite fics...pretty much ever. I like to reread it periodically for many reasons.

Firstly, I think that you have chosen to write about one of the more interesting gaps in Tolkien. I mean, if we think about it (which you obviously have), this is perhaps the only moment in The Fellowship of the Ring in which the Fellowship is actually a Fellowship. Of course, they were still together through Moria, but I think the special circumstances of that location deserve extra attention. And how did they act as a Fellowship? Truly, it is slightly ridiculous to imagine that everybody would get along and be best friends right off the bat, or be so businesslike that conflicts wouldn't arise. I am delighted that you handled that in detail. Gimli and Legolas are just hilarious, and I love the slow burning friendship that is cooking. I like how Aragorn and Boromir are at odds every now and again, since that is in keeping with both their characters. Moreover, it is just so interesting to see how they all act and react to each other. I mentioned this in another review, but I love the kaleidoscopic effect of third person limited POV, since I really feel like part of the group when I'm reading : )

Secondly, the story itself is just so well-written, then it continues to be a pleasure to read even though I already know what happens! I love your sarcasm, especially how you've written it in Gandalf (wanting to throw certain members of the Company off cliffs, etc). The feud between elf and dwarf is also quite funny at times, although I do feel sorry for Aragorn.

Thirdly, how well you interweave your story/characters with the original Tolkien. I've gone on about this at length elsewhere, so I won't again, but it still deserves a shout-out.

And finally, I guess perhaps because I've read this so many times, but I've come to agree with you that this is exactly what happened in the gap during this chapter : ) So much so, in fact, that I found myself subconsciously rewriting your story during a recent attempt at a fic. I hadn't read this story in a while, and so it didn't hit me immediately that my own idea was so closely related to yours. But then, I got into writing a chapter about rain, and as I was describing Gandalf in the rain, it hit me that this sounded rather familiar...and then I remembered, oh yeah, someone's already written this! : )

Anyways, apologies for the ramble! Thanks again for this great story and I always look forward to updates!

Lily-AnnabethReviewed Chapter: 21 on 12/7/2004
I finally finished this fic :) (took me about three days) I love the humour here, esp. things like the Ranger Responsibility Syndrome, and I am in awe of your ability to recreate Tolkien-esque dialogue and description (I realise that you used his dialogue in places, but yours was so good I almost could not tell the difference) I enjoyed the story very much and I hope that Journey in the Dark is finished soon -- I am most impatient :) Off I go to start reading that one...

Excellent job.

Author Reply: I'm impressed it only took you three days! This fic is in serious need of revision, so I'm glad the first few chapters didn't put you off entirely. Glad you liked the dialogue and the description. They were things I worked on throughout, and by the end, I think I was actually succeeding in places. I'll work on updates for the sequel. Many thanks for the review!

grumpyReviewed Chapter: 21 on 8/25/2004
hi there, just spent the last several days reading your wonderful story. I love how you have written the characters, from the ongoing battle between Legolas and Gimli, to Aragorn's, Ranger Responsibility Syndrone. I agree with Gandalf's and Boramir's thoughts on wanting to push the elf off the mountain. Living in a snow belt part of the country myself, anyone that can be happy arround that much snow really needs to see it up close.
anyways thanks for the great read, and now I am off the read your next part

Author Reply: Many thanks for your review! I actually grew up with snow for eight or nine months out of the year (sometimes more) and I've seen what it can do to people. For myself, I actually relate more to Legolas because I love the snow. It makes me feel like I'm at home again. Nostalgic, I suppose. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the story and the little quirks that went into it. Definitely light-hearted fare, but enjoyable to write. Thanks again!

docmonReviewed Chapter: 21 on 8/12/2004
hi Thundera, I couldn't reply to the review-reply (wasn't surprised) so I'm pasting my response here...
You're welcome!! I enjoy your stories so much, it's more than a pleasure for me to tell you. Your stories are so rich and full of detail and suspense, and characters are authentic... I could go on and on again, but I do look forward to more of your writing (anxiously!). especially after starting "During." I really shouldn't do these things when I know I will pay - I hate to start unfinished stories. But I went ahead anyway. And now I'm left just when they enter Moria!! argh!! Well, I do hope the next chapter is soon! I can't wait to see how Legolas is going to deal with being shut in this cave... And how Gimli will respond in turn... yay, I can't wait!!

I'm going to add something I thought about yesterday while thinking about what you may have in store for us. (See? can't get this story out of my mind.) I've only seen the movies, so bear with me. But after Gandalf falls, the Company escapes Moria to a rocky area and catch their breath. But considering what has just happened, I felt a little disappointed in that only Boromir gave any acknowledgement of the need for grief. Aragorn, of course, is all business. Legolas appears a bit bewildered. I would LOVE to get better insight into the reactions of these characters' response to Gandalf's apparent death, especially now that I understand better how long those two characters had known Gandalf. I realized your story would be the most likely place for me to get this, considering your attention to detail and to each characters response to events. So, I just thought I'd mention it. Hope this is the appropriate place.

And I now have a copy of the three books, and can begin reading!!! Very excited about that. Already read the Silmarillion and the Hobbit, so I am SO ready! Thank you for your writing and all your care you take in your craft. It is truly a joy to read your work.

monica

Author Reply: Hello again! First of all, another round of thanks are in order but I should warn you that you've sent me ego somewhere into the upper atmosphere and it's taking me a while to find it. Who would think that something so big would look so small from space?! ;)

Anyway, the scene of mourning you describe is set to go in at the end of "During" and it will be following book format rather than movie format. You'll catch the differences easiliy when you come to that part in the books, but essentially, the Fellowship sits outside of Moria (far enough away to give them a measure of safety) and they grieve. All of them. Aragorn *is* the one who eventually rouses them, but he does it when they're more or less ready. Contention between the Ranger and Boromir doesn't come in until later when they're about to enter Lothlorien. But we'll certainly be getting viewpoints from everyone as they mourn. Very quick and very brief glimpses, but there will be something.

docmonReviewed Chapter: 21 on 8/8/2004
Thundera, this was terrific! I really enjoyed seeing the development of the friendship, and I felt it rang true to the characters (although I have yet to read the 'trilogy' - working on it! Read the Silmarillion and the Hobbit already...) You managed to create a story with humor, drama, angst, and excitement. And so well written! As someone else has said, I really, really appreciated how you included most characters' reactions to an event. I like knowing the look on Frodo's face, or how Boromir felt uncomfortable, even though they're not involved in what's happening!

If I am going to complain about anything, it's that while I'm happy to see you've updated the sequel, this means you're not working on Land of Light and Shadows!!! I'm itching for another installment, and I don't know how I'm going to make it through the wait. I know you must do a lot of research and painstaking work for that story, so I should be patient, but... it's so hard!!!!

Anyway, I had more to say about this story, and I should have commented after each chapter, because now I can't remember what I wanted to say. Just know that it was terrific. And I'm going to move on now to During a Journey in the Dark, even though I know I'll regret it, because it's not complete, and that means waiting... Your stuff is just too good to wait!

monica

Author Reply: Many thanks! The final objective of the piece was to give insight to some of the players in the Fellowship who seemed to be overlooked from time to time, and I'm very glad you felt that this happened. It was great fun for me to imagine, and I hope it was equally enjoyable for you to read.

As for LoLaS...well, I'm working on it. Actually, I'm working on another story right now, but it's in the update rotation, don't worry about that. Actually, that story doesn't require nearly as much research as some of the others, but you are right. There is research involved and the chapters are difficult to write. What makes it slow is the fact that I have to check and recheck all the political developments so ensure that I'm following the outline and that I've given the information that needs to be given.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy "During" and thank you so much for the kind words. The mean a lot to me!

Kitt of LindonReviewed Chapter: 21 on 1/18/2004
After days of interupted reading on various computers, I have finished your story. There is much I would like to comment on, and I find it hard to begin. For starters, I love the bits of humor you put in. I have always found Legolas and Gimli's original relationship hilarious-and you have made it all the more enjoyable for me. The side stories in the character's thoughts are well researched and believable, adding a depth and greater enjoyment for the story. I will never be able to read The Fellowship of the Ring again without thinking that *this* is how it happened in the gaps. The way you write each of the Fellowship's reactions and comments to things, I think, are exactly how they would have acted in Tolkien's works. Keeping the characters themselves in fan fiction is something you find to rarely, and I am glad to see it here.
This is not an ordinary piece of fiction, this is the kind that I will read over and over again. It is the kind that will stick in my mind, and I think it is because it is well researched and done by someone who truely loves Tolkien's works. That is why it stands out. It is not written just to torment the characters, (as too many fics out there seem to be) or just by copying another's idea. You have written a different kind of fiction, mature with the unfangirly touch.
Summed up, this is one of the best pieces of fan fiction I've ever read. I look forward to the sequals. Cheers to you!

HaiReviewed Chapter: 21 on 8/23/2003
It was a wonderful story and you gave a lot to put into the gaps! Thank you for all the time I'm sure you invested in this. I will eventually get around to reading your sequels. I liked how you developed Gimli and Legolas's relationship, even though I don't usually care for stories about them I found this most delightful! Thank you! I also liked how you developed Boromir though I more thought him curious then predjudice (sp?) around other races. I hope to see him a little more firendly in the sequels, and he seems to be at a good start! Thank you for such a lovely entertaining story! The path over the mountain is one of my favorite sequences, thanks!

Return to Chapter List