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Interrupted Journeys 12: To Fall into Shadow  by elliska 10 Review(s)
LindeleaReviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/21/2014
Aha. Thanks for the warning note at the top of the story. I will put this one on the shelf, on my "want to read" pile, and seek out the earlier material to read first.

c_belle_aReviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/15/2014
Elliska! You have no idea how happy to see that you are back- I'm so sorry that you were sick- are you feeling better now? As always, I loved this chapter so much- I can not believe that Thranduil is actually letting Galithil go to Marti's village! I'm really nervous for him; hopefully, he will be okay though!

Also, I just wanted you to know that while I think Thranduil's halls in the second Hobbit movie were done well, I kept shaking my head at the screen because I have come to associate your description of Thranduil's stronghold as what it actually ought to look like. I kept waiting for the woodland paintings in the hallway and the tapestries in the Great Hall in the movies, but obviously, they didn't come. I'm probably very biased, but I personally liked your description of Thranduil's home better than Peter Jackson's, and I think the way you described it in your second installment (or was it the third? Wow that was so long ago!) will always be how I imagine it!

Author Reply: Sorry to be so long in replying. I'm very glad to be back! Things are fairly well settled out, so I hope to keep to a relatively regular pace. Relatively! :-)

You should be nervous for a lot of people. This is a rough story.

:-) I'm glad you visualize 'my' Hall. That made my day to read. :-) I loved what PJ did. It was really pretty. I just find it hard to believe woodelves would have that skill. But I definitely see why PJ did it that way. Great movie visuals.

Thanks so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them!

picaraReviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/6/2014
As others have said, nothing can go wrong here. You certainly showed us the dangers involved. Why do I fear they will turn out to be even worse.

But the thing I loved were the character interactions. Engwe was a surprise. The hints of Legolas and Thranduil's relationship were great. And I liked the part with Lindomiel in the beginning.

Looking forward to more.

Author Reply: Sorry to be so long in replying. I'm glad you liked the family interactions. Thranduil has a lot to lose, with such a truly good family. And this will be a tough story. :-)

Thanks so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them!

FantasiaReviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/5/2014
I have missed this new story. So glad that you have posted.

I have to go back and re-read, because I remember something about the missing spy, it was Legolas use of the secret entrance to go to the games, wasn't it? I can't remember.

They had grown so much as warriors and become wise and loyal princes.

This was a very good and tense scene, all the plotting and the willing to sacrifice themselves for the Kingdom. Hopefully, the elves really know how lucky are they to have such commanders and royal family

And Engwe is unsupportable, but he is Thranduil's uncle and loyal to him without any doubt, he will go to Hell for his nephew.

It will be too good to be true if Glilavan has a lucid moment and understands how crazy and twisted are his actions...We can always hope....

Now, to wait....


Author Reply: Sorry to be so long in replying. They have grown and in this story, they'll get a chance to show how much. Thranduil will be proud of them. I'm glad it came across as tense and I hope to keep that building throughout--willingness to sacrifice is what we are going to see here. You're right about Engwe. And I'll let you wait and see about Glilavan.

Thanks so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them!

NoraReviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/5/2014
I've been waiting for this chapter. So glad it's finally here.
That plan will not go well. I'm looking forward to reading more.

"...Thranduil countered, leveling a cool glare on his son that he was surprised to see did not make him so much as look away."

I love that line!




Author Reply: Sorry to be so long in replying. Quite right this plan will not go well. :-) I'm glad you liked that line. I see Legolas as respecting his father, certainly, but not being particularly impressed by a glare. At least not unless he knows he really deserves it. And that would have to throw Thranduil off a bit. :-)

Thanks so much for the reviews! I appreciate them so much!

KuraReviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/3/2014
(I don't know if we can reply to a reply so I'll just let another review. )
Oh give me as many details as you're willing to give ! I am really interested by your opinion about the movie. I also find it a bit weird that Thranduil won't let Legolas marry a "lower elf" maybe he wasn't really serious or was doing some trick I don't know, you can see it by the look of Tauriel's face that something is wrong and it's so out of character that I think PJ wouldn't do something like this. It really goes against Thranduil and Oropher's perception of the world and their actions to live in a more modest life style than the Sindar elves. Anyway (I'm talking too much) I believe we will see way more of Mirkwood and the realm in the extended version. Like the party that was originally in the books.
Oh and I am French by the way :D, so it's ok if we stick to English.
Anyway ! You saved me from boredom when I was with my family in the Sahara this summer and had nothing to do. I struglled to find some wi-fi spots in the desert because I didn't have all the chapters. I'm really talking too much.
I just can't say how much I love your fanfiction. I just want it to become canon ! I've drawn some of the characters and everything. Well thank you for replying and "bonne merde" for the future :D. (In French we don't wish good luck or it will attract bad luck so we say "hope you get some crap" I don't know. I'm just really ridiculously exited about talking to you and basically being annoying)

Author Reply: I don't think it allows replies to replies. :-)

I really hope you are right about there being more of Mirkwood in the extended edition. That would be great. And maybe some of Thranduil's reactions to the Silvan will make more sense there too. Often, when they cut things, it makes some parts harder to understand.

I'm glad my stories entertained you, even in the Sahara. That's pretty cool to think someone was reading my stories in such an exotic place! I'd love to see your drawings. You can always email me at: elliska67 at yahoo dot com (just replace at with @ and dot with . obviously). I also love talking about Tolkien. :-)

MornReviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/3/2014
Glad to see you posting another chapter.

I love the chapter title, really made me laugh.

Well, everything has been carefully considered, meticulously planned and thought out. Now the rest of this story will watch it all unravel, I presume.

Really liked seeing the conflict in the elves between loyalty to family and loyalty to the realm and where the two conflict. Galithil volunteering really shows this understanding. But I can't help but think it won't end well for him and his brother....

One thing I always enjoy about your story is the depth to the characters. Golwon's history in battle showed this.

I also really liked the lines on Engwe's loyalty and proves , after all thesw chapters, just why the King puts up with him. Although I feel for poor Conuion with so many of his charges in the most dangerous part of the forest!



Author Reply: I'm glad the title gave you a laugh. I couldn't resist it. It was such an obvious title to me, because you are absolutely right that if stuff gets this well laid out, it can't possibly mean that's how it will turn out. :-)

Golwon and Engwe. Sigh. If I was where I should be in posting my First Age story, we'd have seen a lot more of them. Maybe I should go work on that a bit too. I love all the history Tolkien built. I have so much fun with that stuff myself.

Thanks so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them!

KuraReviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/3/2014
Great chapter, thrilling as always ! (Sorry I can't give you a really structured review since English isn't my native language)
But may I ask you a question ? What do you think about Peter Jackson's Hobbit and obviously Lee Pace as Thranduil, his character design as well as for Mirkwood ?

Author Reply: I appreciate any and all reviews, so thank you very much. I'm glad you are enjoying and I hope you continue to.

Wow! PJ's Hobbit and Lee Pace's Thranduil! I could say a lot about that. I have, overall, enjoyed the two Hobbit movies so far for the Alternate Universe fanfics that they are. I especially liked the last one, because I thought the pacing was much better in it. Mirkwood went by too quickly in it for me. I would have liked to have seen more of the forest and of the feasting elves and Thranduil's magic. Thranduil's Halls were not at all what I imagined, but they were very pretty. I loved them. I just don't find them believable, b/c the stronghold was supposed to be built with very little, if any, help from dwarves. But I don't blame PJ for making them more elaborate for the movie. More multi-level and carved out than I think elves could have done alone. But they were very pretty. I'd have liked to see more.

As for Thranduil himself, I think they have made Lee Pace up into a very handsome Thranduil, though, again, not as I pictured him. I don't much like the crown. I picture something much more organic (literally--like actual leaves and berries made from real plants). I liked the scene were he executed the orc. I was less surprised by that action than movie-Legolas was. I doubt Thranduil would give an orc any quarter. And I thought they did the questioning of Thorin very well. I was really worried Thranduil would look very evil in that part and I thought he came off as very reasonable, so I was pleased. I did not like how PJ portrayed Thranduil as unwilling to allow Legolas to get together with a 'lowly Silvan elf' though. I think that is out of character. Thranduil and Oropher went back to the forest to join with the Silvan. And I am too loyal to Thranduil to enjoy hearing the guards with the barrels and Tauriel badmouthing him. I didn't like those parts. I am VERY much looking forward to seeing Thranduil in the Battle of the Five Armies.

That is probably more detail than you wanted. :-) I enjoy talking about it though.

Again, thanks so much for the review! I really appreciate it. (Can't tell your native language from your screen name, but if it's Spanish, Portuguese or Italian, feel free to use it anytime. I speak those well enough. And I can struggle through French if you don't make it too fancy.) :-)

rikkiReviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/2/2014
Good new indeed! But a mystery to find that one last spy. If I was Thranduil, I would be chewing my fingernails to the quick sending in Dolgailon and Galithil into the viper's nest. Anything could set this off into another fight to the death. And Thranduil traveling near Dol Guldur with Engwe is also a scary thought. Legolas and Berior are both still considered children, but I have a feeling that the search in the stronghold is going to involve them in a very dangerous game. Great beginning to a 'sit on the edge of your seat' story. Glad to see you back.

Author Reply: Thranduil is not happy at all right now. He is soon to be much less happy. Along with everyone else. The phrase 'very dangerous game' sums up very well exactly what I am going for in this story. And I very much hope it is an 'edge of your seat' experience. We'll see. This story really pushed my writing skill. Hopefully I have pulled it off. :-)

Thanks so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them!

daw the minstrelReviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/2/2014
This opening chapter promises a lot of danger and tension. For one thing, the characters lay it all out in its horrifying detail! I'm quite concerned about this unknown spy. I look forward to seeing them ferret him out. I like a good mystery. :-)

Galithil continues to impress as he moves with determination into adulthood and serving the realm. I'm also impressed by Thranduil's kingly realization that he owed it to his people to kill the betrayers himself, even though many of his people would be horrified. With privilege comes responsibility for him as well as Galithil, I guess.

The moment when Thranduil values Engwe's loyalty is a nice touch, suggesting the long history between them. I also liked Legolas's "outstanding advice" comment. It makes him sound appropriately young.

Author Reply: Hopefully, this one will be tense. It is always impossible for me to tell. The plan is laid out in chapter 1, so that has to be a sign it will go nothing like that. ;-) Hopefully I made it suspenseful. We'll see.

Galithil and Legolas are not quite adults, but they get tested pretty thoroughly in this one.

Interesting you pointed out Thranduil's decision that certain tasks are for him alone. I have cut massively from this part of the story and that's one bit I left in, hoping to be able to leave something else connected to it in at the end. Your comment here motivates me even more to leave it.

Poor Engwe. He's a pill. But he's a good person at heart.

Glad you liked 'outstanding advice.' That was a last minute add that just sounded like something Legolas needed to say.

Thanks so much for continuing to read and for the reviews, daw! I appreciate it so much!

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