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Growing Under Shadow  by daw the minstrel 26 Review(s)
Asms2Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 4/12/2016
Nice story! I enjoyed reading about the rafting and hunting adventures of the kids. And that last scene where Thranduil takes Legolas into his lap and realizes that soon his son will be too old for it, but not yet…so adorable! I really enjoy reading about family dynamics and you do a great job with it! :)

Author Reply: Thanks, Asms2. I think Thranduil has a soft spot for his youngest, partly because he raised him as a single parent while Naneth was around for the older two. He has a hard time letting his baby go. They all do really. They overprotect him. He was the anchor that kept them all grounded when Lorellin was killed.

daw

endorearwenReviewed Chapter: 10 on 8/7/2013
Oh, Daw! What I wouldn't give to be Alfridin!! You promised Ithilden would get what he needed and I am absolutely delighted by the introduction of this character into the story! Dare I wonder what lovely scenes of romance I might encounter as I move through the coming tales? - sentence would be punctuated by hearts and flowers if I could but figure out how to make them using the keyboard! But I digress...

Enjoyed this story as much as the others, though, I did share in Thranduil's sadness at seeing his youngest elfling quickly slipping away into adulthood. Thranduil's character has always been a favourite of mine. He is so self aware that he makes the task of balancing wisdom with justice look almost easy - even when dealing with those he loves! His discipline where Legolas was concerned was perfect! I was almost as astonished as Ithilden when his father gave such open and sincere praise for the Prince he has become - long overdue recognition if you ask me (but I might be a tad prejudiced...)! Never did I doubt Thranduil carried these feelings for his eldest, but I certainly didn't expect him to 'gush' them forth as he did at the end! :-) Kudos again on another very well written story!

Author Reply: There will be romance, but it will take a while because, competent as he is, Ithilden is not smooth with the ladies. He needs lessons from Eilian!

Thranduil must be a difficult father to live with. The overlap between king and father must be confusing sometimes from both sides. And as you say, he's not usually "gushy." Is this the story where Legolas switches from Ada to Adar? I remember my son changing to Dad from Daddy. It's a big moment.

GilraenReviewed Chapter: 10 on 3/1/2007
Thank you for reply! I respect your opinion. Your whole story is very well written and I like it very much, I also liked, how Thranduil handled Legolas´ previous disobedience, this was in my opinion very good and fitting, only the in the last chapter he was too strict with so sweet and mild child as Legolas is. (My motherly instincts are in work now.)

GilraenReviewed Chapter: 10 on 3/1/2007
Am I the only one who think, that Thranduil was too strict with Legolas? Yes, Legolas misbehaved, but that´s what children in his age do. Yes, he deserves to be punished, but not so strictly!!! He is 11 years old (in human age) and he is a prince after all! Whole month of mopping vomit is not fitting punishment for 11 years old child nor for prince! (I would like to see Thranduil doing it himself!) And also expect 100% obedience from 11 years old child is steep expectation. Children this age have every right to be sometimes a bit disobedient and to be sometimes a bit irresponsible. Of course, Legolas deserved punishment, but this was too strict!

Author Reply: You could be right, of course, Gilraen. I'm trying to remember what I was thinking when I wrote this story. I think what sent Thranduil over the edge was that Legolas did the same thing twice, not learning his lesson the first time. And then, Legolas scared him too. He did something really dangerous. And the finally, Thranduil thinks of his sons as born to serve his people, so working in the infirmary is the kind of thing someone might do.

Anyway, that's what I think I was thinking. You may be thinking I was wrong! LOL.

pipinheartReviewed Chapter: 10 on 9/21/2005
Eilian has finally gotten his father's aproval he has sought many years... His father has seen him chage from a recless to responsible... and he is now Captain. Getting Tinar out of his company and getting his friend the sword he wants. Though he till loves the young Elf Maiden, but she is to hurt to see him and him leave...

Great story... I love Eilian' s Character, glad you wrote him...

Author Reply: Every once in a while, Thranduil and Eilian can declare a truce. And becoming captain will be good for Eilian. He won't take chances with his warriors that he might take for himself. But the loss of Celuwen is painful for the poor guy.

xsilicaxReviewed Chapter: 10 on 1/6/2004
*Happy sigh*
Every time Eilian calls Legolas "Brat" with so much love, I just want to wrap him up in my arms.

Things I enjoyed the most about this tightly written piece:

Seeing Ithilden standing up to Thranduil and not changing his opinons just because his father and superior disagrees. I thought that showed a great strength of will.

Legolas, knowing that it would get him into trouble, admitting to having seen the Man and the swords. Self-sacrifice is a trait that will stand him in good stead when he fights for his kingdom.

Watching Thranduil realise that his youngest is growing up. I particularly liked the 'ada' 'adar' touch.

Any scene with Eilian *g*

What I would love to see: Legolas learning to say no to Turgon! He is exactly the kind of friend that children love to have and parents hate to see. But he is fun!

Thoroughly enjoyed each and every moment of this,
Congratulations,
Cathy.
xx



Author Reply: This story had a nice, tight plot which made me happy and made it easier to write. Legolas's brothers both can differ from their father more easily than Legolas can just yet, which I think is a sign that their parents did a good job with them. They are their own people. And Legolas grows into that too. I am so glad you liked the story.

FaerieQueenReviewed Chapter: 10 on 1/3/2004
Congratulations, another charming Legolas story. I really enjoyed reading about Legolas maturing, and Thranduil having to let go of him, in a way. I liked the whole Dwarf-sword plot. I found it very amusing. Keep writing.

Author Reply: This story had a nice tight plot. I wish all my stories did! But kid Legolas was enjoyable to write about. He thought he was so grown up and he just didn't have a clue.

SofiaReviewed Chapter: 10 on 1/2/2004
And heres yet another great story. Turgon just cant seem to stay out of trouble and Legolas just cant say no. Now i go to read the story i purposely avoided until now to read. The Warrior is the last story you have right now, and I hope you come up with more idea's and start on other stories. Your a good author and im anxious to read your stories.

Author Reply: Turgon is a fun friend who must make every parent in sight cringe. And I suspect that the things he suggest appeal to Legolas. Turgon suggests them, but Legolas is always intrigued. And, as you say, he can't say no.

I am outlining another story right now! I'll be away all next week, but after that, I hope to be posting again.

brynReviewed Chapter: 10 on 10/22/2003
Yikes! Angry Thranduil is one Elf I would not want to face... Legolas seems to have barely avoided the King's full blown wrath. At the same time, I have to give him credit. It took a lot of guts for Legolas to admit what he'd seen, especially considering it meant implicating himself. I suppose that says something about Legolas' sense of duty.

*cringe* Thranduil almost hit him? And how would Eilian know what an almost-moved-to-blows Thranduil looks like? Has Thranduil ever hit him? Probably grabbed him by the front of his tunic and given him a good shake or two--that, I could see. Thranduil hasn't actually raised a hand to any of his sons... has he?
Eilian's advice to Legolas was wise, and so was Legolas' decision to follow it. Of course Thranduil would recognize where the advice came from... :)

Oh I absolutely love how you inserted Alfirin into it all. *LOL* Good GRIEF is Ithilden thick-headed! The line, "Ithilden was suddenly aware that he had duties to attend to that did not include continuing to hold on to the healer’s daughter." is priceless! *lol* He wouldn't know love if it hit him smack upside the head. (Which it sort of appears to have done.) I bet Alfirin made the first move on him. *grin* Given Ithilden's I-Am-Strong-And-Stoic-Protecter ego, that's an even more amusing thought.

I'm always saddened when your stories end, because I enjoy reading them so much. You could stretch these tales on forever as far as I'm concerned. Your development of Legolas' family is one of the strongest and best written on the web. I've yet to find another author who captures the mind and heart so profoundly. I would gladly--willingly--read tales consisting only of your OC's. They're so real and engaging... It's hard to imagine Legolas' family any other way without things seeming terribly un-canon. :)

LKKReviewed Chapter: 10 on 10/12/2003
Thank you for being gentle, daw. :-)

I'm very impressed with how you had Thranduil handle Legolas' punishment. I firmly believe that if Thranduil had given in to his urge to thrash Legolas, he would not have accomplished his goal of making Legolas understand the dangers and the wrongeness of his actions. (Hm, is "wrongeness" a word??) I feel that at Legolas' age, a thrashing would have bred resentment. Legolas would have focused on the punishment itself, not on the message the punishment was meant to teach.

By detailing the real dangers of life beyond the palace and then by forcing Legolas to view the results of those dangers by working with the healers, Thranduil finally managed to get his son to understand the reality of what he said. It's said that Legolas will no longer simply accept his father's word on these issues, but that is a part of what all parents and child must go through -- despite what Thranduil wants. You depicted this eternal conflict nicely.

Finally comment: Gelmir gets a dwarf sword!! *smiles happily*

Wonderful story, daw. Loved it from beginning to end. :-)

LKK

Author Reply: LKK--

Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate your thoughtful analysis of how Thranduil should best treat his son. I thought about it quite a bit, actually. I thought that Thranduil lived in a world where Men probably did beat their children and that he would have done whatever he thought would keep his child from danger. But I also thought about how deeply Elves treasure their children and how clever they were. And I decided that Thranduil would hit Legolas only in a momentary loss of control, not when he had had time to think about it and that he would wish to act wisely with his son. So the kid gets to mop up vomit and empty bedpans. I think a sheltered son of the king might learn something from that!

Anyway, thanks for the review.

daw

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