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The Rider: Pestilence  by Branwyn 3 Review(s)
Raksha The DemonReviewed Chapter: 8 on 10/26/2007
I forgot to mention that Wulfgar's laughing commentary on his chess game with Grima is some seriously (though unwitting) scary foreshadowing!

As for why Boromir didn't stop to ask Saruman for directions to Imladris and a map - well, Boromir's a man, isn't he? Since when do men stop to ask for directions, especially a man who's Captain-General of Gondor and Lord High Warden of the White Tower, LOL?!

annmarwalkReviewed Chapter: 8 on 10/24/2007
Your writing is pure elegance - there's just no other way to describe it.
Eomund took one of the obsidian pawns and turned it over in his hand. Its leering face reminded him of an orc.

“The next move is Grima’s, though I fear my defeat will be swift,” his cousin told him with a laugh and a shrug. “He will soon destroy my housecarls, leaving my king unprotected. He plays with great cunning.” On the chessboard, the ivory king stood alone, his few remaining retainers scattered across the board.

I could bash my head against a keyboard for a thousand years, and never come up with anything as perfectly perfect as that.

He disliked the need for secrecy in the matter of the palantir, and though Saruman was an old and trusted ally, the thought of his mind laid bare to another filled him with unease.

I don't recall ever coming across another fic wherein Boromir uses the palantir, and setting this in Isengard under Saruman's watchful eye was a stroke of genius! How serendipitous that your fellow writers were able to follow your lead so skillfully, stitching in the details, as it were, of the tapestry you designed. I'd be quite intrigued to see a sequel, or a companion piece to this - I'm not sure Denethor would be entirely pleased to learn that his Firstborn had been introduced to the sinister, alluring power of the palantir.



Author Reply: I think Denethor would hit the ceiling when he learned that Boromir had been using the palantir! *tries to duck the flying plot bunny* I liked the idea of putting Saruman and Boromir together because they are both prima donnas. It would be a contest to see who was bossiest. Thanks for the kind review, but no need to bash your head on the keyboard--your own writing is perfectly perfect all the time!

Raksha The DemonReviewed Chapter: 8 on 10/24/2007
A masterful final chapter; the seeds of treachery are sown and sadly reaped, in the deaths of Linhir, Wulfgar and Eomer and in Grima's rise to power. Linhir's death was especially sad; he tried with his dying breath to tell the truth of the danger in Isengard.

And good for Boromir, choosing skirt Isengard on his way to Imladris.

I feel much better knowing the final fates of Grima and Saruman.

Author Reply: Thanks so much for your kind review!
Boromir wanders around Eriador for days and weeks looking for Rivendell. Why doesn't he stop in Isengard on the way to the Gap of Rohan and ask Saruman the Wise for a map or at least directions? Actually, why don't he and Denethor ask Saruman the meaning of the riddle before sending Boromir on a quest in the wilderness? When I wrote the opening chapter, I was wondering what the reason was for their evident mistrust of Saruman and wizards in general. (Though Denethor is mistrustful of anyone who might be more intelligent than he is.) I was also wondering how Grima gained a place of influence among the Rohirrim. He must have had some accomplishments (real or faked) to his name or it is doubtful he would have gained entry to the king's court.
Yes, this was a gloomy ending to the story (even Boromir doesn't last much longer), and I had to console myself with the thought that Saruman and Grima get their just desserts in the end.

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