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| With Hope and Without Hope by docmon | 6 Review(s) |
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| Linda Hoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 9/19/2008 |
| I loved Eowyn in this gripping chapter.How scary a Nazgul is around!I hope Gandalf will save them all. Author Reply: So glad you enjoyed my Eowyn! And the Nazgul! Scary is good! I've had a talk with Gandalf. He knows what he needs to do, now that he's shown up! | |
| Thundera Tiger | Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 8/19/2008 |
| I love how much presence Eowyn has in this chapter. She's certainly a more central figure than she ever was in the books at this point, which is part of what makes AUs so much fun. We get to see her mettle much earlier. And she's definitely in her element. I love the way she's set up alliances among the guards and how she uses them to get in to see Merry and Gimli. That conversation is a thing of beauty. I love Gimli's caution throughout it. It's a match of Eowyn's own, and the give and take between the two is thrilling. Merry's own addition to the conversation is just as savvy as Gimli's, and for the first time in a long time, it feels as though something good is going to come out of all this. Eowyn's conversation with Aragorn and Pippin achieves the same thing. She's like a catalyst that sets all the little wheels in motion. What Merry, Gimli, Aragorn, and Pippin have been unable to achieve on their own, Eowyn is able to do. And in the end, she brings them together, which is perhaps the biggest accomplishment of the chapter. I have high hopes for what a reunited Fellowship can do! And with the arrival of Legolas and Gandalf, the gang's all here. Not all together. Not yet. But they're all in the same place, and that has to help. Hama is just as willfully disobedient here as he is in the books, and I can only hope that it will serve just as well. Superb chapter! On to the next! Author Reply: If I had only known how much fun AUs were! I think I'm hooked. That conversation between the dwarf and woman was actually quite fun to write. I sometimes worry when I'm having fun writing a scene that I'm indulging myself too much. But after taking a step back, it turned out to be just what they needed. And hey, a hint of something positive! I don't want to depress my readers for *too* long! But high hopes, hmm, perhaps I've been too positive. Don't want readers *too* happy - I have a reputation to maintain. >:-D Eowyn was always a catalyst for this chapter, and I kept having to prevent her from taking over the chapter. Sorry, Eowyn, this is not your story! Maybe next time! She didn't care for that, but she's above pouting and put everything into what I would give her in these scenes. And overall, she wasn't difficult to write. It was fun writing her. Yes, everyone's in the same place, but coming together.... heh-heh-heh... | |
| Cairistiona | Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 8/18/2008 |
| Drat that real life ... it's made me fall a couple chapters behind! This chapter's as good as all those preceding it. And finally, a glimpse of Aragorn. It's good to see all the fellowship back together, more or less, and I love, again, how solicitous and loyal Pippin is toward Strider. And it's good to see glimmers of the "real" Strider finally re-emerging. He still seems so very lost, but that he's already wanting to slash and hack at Saruman and Company is a very very good sign. And Legolas ... he's quite taken with Eowyn's hair, isn't it? LOL Very interesting, very very interesting! Author Reply: Thank you, Cairistiona! Yes, a glimmer of the true Aragorn. "Slash and hack," hm, I might be able to arrange that... ;-D Legolas is a bit... distracted, but he could use the distraction. Glad you enjoyed the chapter. There's more to come, so keep reading! | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 8/15/2008 |
| A crisis looms, and Saruman's army is defeated ere it faces the Riders of Rohan. Friends reunite, and balance begins to be restored. Excellent. Author Reply: Oh, thank you, Larner. So glad you like it! | |
| ziggy | Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 8/15/2008 |
Oh wow! Suspense!!! So the Nazgul and Saruman are within, the rest of the fellowship is together in a cell. Legolas (positively smouldering!) and Eowyn are off to look after Legolas –I hope she is gentle with him- he is very vulnerable at the moment I feel and not at his best certainly! And for her to tell him of the others I expect. This just had me rapt. I loved the way Gandalf finished off his rather tongue-tied sentence!! Eowyn is wonderful- but I am not entirely sure that Legolas is simply going to go off and leave Gandalf alone with a Nazgul AND Saruman. After all, he has lost everyone else and Gandalf has just been returned to him- I have a feeling he won’t take this lying down!! Of course, I could be really really wrong and he just gets smitten with Eowyn and forgets everyone else. Gimli is written with such insight and real sympathy. He is not just a gruff dwarf but is sensitive and diplomatic with the Rohirrim. And he never patronises Merry- in fact, I think Merry grows truly significant as a character. I was about to say that he grows the most but actually, both hobbits become the significant characters in supporting their two Big People as it were. I also started thinking about the way Legolas changes – the aftermath of his torture is convincing and even more painful to witness because he is seemingly so adamant- the last line of the last chapter – ‘the light went out of his eyes’ (not an exact quote) reflects the sheer physical awfulness of it. He hesitates before giving Gandalf back his cloak – ashamed, hurt, just in pain, whatever that mix of emotions in his eyes as he looks back at Gandalf before he crosses the threshold, is a subtle way of conveying the immensity of what he has endured. So he has changed for the worse- but I have faith hat he will be restored, as will Aragorn. In fact, Aragorn is already reasserting his own character. He is aware of the danger to Théoden and has told Eowyn to guard the king- so you have set up his full re-emergence brilliantly. I love this line: ‘It appeared that all those on the terrace of Meduseld had rooted themselves to their places to defy the urge to flee and hide.’ Author Reply: Thank you for writing again, ziggy! What a wonderful review! And you liked Gandalf's line! Terrific! I'm afraid it was one of those lines I would have had trouble letting go of if I had to. Still, I worried about that whole scene. You are so insightful, it is really a pleasure to read your review of my characters and story. You seem to see the story as I intended, for from the beginning, I've planned various changes for the characters to undergo, as a result of the events of course. But I wanted the changes they went through to be part of the story. So it is gratifying to hear you describe these transformations as I intended them! And it is quite thrilling to be quoted as well! :-D thank you! | |
| Ainu Laire | Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 8/10/2008 |
| Oh, oh! The trees have destroyed the orc army and everyone is in Edoras together! Things are finally turning out a bit better! *bursts into tears* Staff Elf: ... *pats her awkwardly on the shoulder* And despite the fact that my anxiety levels have lessened quite a bit- Aragorn: Fiction brings her anxiety. -I thought I'd bring my two favorite Muses with me, anyways. Don't tell the rest of them that, either. It was just so lovely to see Aragorn acting like himself briefly. His wish for Anduril and to face the Nazgul and Saruman, especially since the latter has wronged him so- I missed that stubbornness! Aragorn: Stubbornness? Yes. Manly stubbornness, mind you, but still... Anyways, it is great that Eowyn is so involved in the happenings in Meduseld; if it weren't for that, Aragorn and Pippin may have not escaped from Saruman, even if their escape is a bit... unusual. In the end, it's really nice to see the four of them together. Figures that Grima intercepted Gimli and Merry, though. Very typical. Staff Elf: Prison is a lovely place to recover. Aragorn: Better than Orthanc. Mmhmm. Moving on.. even if a Nazgul is lurking around, this is still one of more hopeful chapters for all of them in general. I, for one, am so, so happy that Eowyn is on their side, Legolas is getting some attention to his wounds, and that Gandalf is there! Gandalf should definitely be able to help, I'd imagine. Help with both Theoden's and Aragorn's poisoned minds. And perhaps some Nazgul-disposing moves, as well... Aragorn: Hama annoys me. He treated us with less respect when we came. Well, Hama just watched one of the Nine burst on through like Sauron already won the war. Can you blame him for being a little bit nicer? Staff Elf: Mortals and their petty annoyances. *sigh* Shush, now, Aragorn's going to chop you through if you talk like that. Knowing you, dear authoress (right gender, right?), there shall be even more action that will not disappoint. I am sure the Nazgul shall cause some disturbance... he has a mission and I doubt he wants to disappoint. In the end, I hope Saruman learns about his defeated orc army soon :P Aragorn: *snickers* Until next time! Author Reply: LOL, AL, your reviews are always entertaining. Your muses do their job, I suppose. Though your Staff Elf has strange ideas on ideal places for recovery. It does sound like there's a little bit of a rivalry between your muses, though. Might want to keep an eye on that. There is a glimpse of hope here, isn't there? I kept telling you, I'm not entirely cruel! (or did I forget to mention that?) So, you're a bit happier with Aragorn now, hm? Good to hear. See, you just had to give him some time. Now watch and see what's in store... Yes, there's more action to come. What else can result from a lurking Nazgul, and well, all else that's coming together now? And that's all I'll say about that! And yes, authoress is just fine. ;-) Thanks for writing! | |