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

A White Shell  by Celeritas 5 Review(s)
VirtuellaReviewed Chapter: 4 on 1/28/2010
This is the first time that I feel real empathy for Kira's mother. What desperation must have driven her to take such a risk, and now to have her hopes destroyed thus! The fragility of the plants is a very good symbol for the fragility of our existence.



Author Reply: What I actually found most telling about Rosemary's character here was that in the face of actual hardship she did not chastise Kira for not noticing the warning signs because she was reading (and she repeats this at the beginning of the next chapter as well). Thanks for reading!

Raksha The DemonReviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/6/2009
Fascinating dream - I'm glad that Kira seems to be becoming open to the idea of a fate involving a male hobbit (the hobbit of her dreams? Heeee). And then Tom turns up with romantic designs on Kira!

Ah, the joys of growing up!

Looking forward to more, and of course how Kira and her mother are going to survive this bad spell...

Author Reply: It's taking its sweet time, but Kira's romantic self is starting to unfurl its petals. No doubt it's getting sped up by the pressures of society and the alarming news of Tom!

I'm sure that ages and ages hence Kira will be able to look back on these events with a wistful chuckle, but currently she's more in a brick-throwing mood. And I honestly don't blame her.

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/1/2009
Finally I got a chance to read this chapter!

Poor Kira! Of course I knew that sooner or later she was going to realize how Tom felt, but I loved her panicked reaction when she finally did! "But he's Tom!" Much more like an annoying brother or cousin than someone she could possibly take seriously in that way-- even if she were interested in *anyone*!

And I loved his refusing to explain himself, and his terror of her. In one way, this gives her an upper hand with him, but I doubt she would take advantage of that-- she's not that sort of girl.

The dream at the beginning was wonderfully surreal, and yet full of meaning at the same time.

And it looks like hard times for Kira and her mom...

Author Reply: I tend to put Kira through a lot of trouble, but this was one of the few times where doing so was genuinely fun. *ignores furious glares from Kira directed at self* And yeah, she has every right to be panicked. Someone who's annoying and out to suppress an integral part of your life because he's a stubborn jerk--fine. Someone who's doing that because he likes you... time to run screaming in the other direction.

But the only thing better than that is watching Tom, who might even have been attracted to her before the book nonsense even started, trying to come to terms with the fact that he's still attracted to someone who's maddeningly queer and may never even return his affection. And you know that if he loves her with all of that insanity added on top, he's got to be in head over furry feet. Woe to him if he ever tries to act on it.

Next chapter she'll confront him over the whole thing. It should be interesting. Tween drama generally is.

And I always like getting to play around with Kira's dreams, especially the idea of pairing her very slow psychological awakening to romance with the sudden onslaught of realizing exactly what's up with Tom.

And yeah, it's going to be a rough season, at least for a little while. Anything can happen in a chapter or two.

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/1/2009
That is definitely quite a dream--the children, the flooding library and disintegrating Red Book, the escape; the fuzzy faced youth carrying the phial; the hope for an identity....

Then to realize Tom is sweet on her? Poor lass. I can understand the flight, but at the same time want to smuck him up alongside the head! Selfish git!

As for all that work lost....

Hope Nienna just brushes the snow away and grazes and is there when she comes again.

Author Reply: Kira still has some pretty vivid dreams, but the second half (waking up to being kissed by a figment of her imagination) is completely new to her and is rather frightening. That on top of all the Tom drama... Kira is definitely entering into a new dimension of life.

Tom is a selfish git, but at least he put himself under enough pressure to apologize to Kira for something she doesn't even remember him saying. That is pretty entertaining! (And if Kira weren't so caught up in the implications of that act she'd be pretty amused too!)

Next chapter of course will deal with the aftermath of the frost.

SunnyReviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/31/2009
So that *censored* Tom is sweet on Kira, is he? Considering their history, I suspect there will be a "not even if he was the last Hobbit on Arda" feeling from Kira's side, though.

I do hope Kira won't be forced into some kind of unwanted marriage in order for her and her mother to just survive.

Author Reply: Goodness no! Kira is far too spirited to let anything of the sort happen, and remember, she's got other means for supporting herself.

No, if she ends up marrying Tom it'll only be because the attraction's mutual.

If it even lasts that long on Tom's end, of course...

Return to Chapter List