Stories of Arda - Lord of the Rings Fan-Fiction Archive


	About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

For a Better World by Ellynn	9 Review(s)
Lady Forlong	Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 10/20/2026
Poor little guy. He just found out what love is and then he gets another dose of hate. And to be honest, I don't blame him for his reaction to kissing. I always thought that was kind of a weird way to show affection. I wonder if he'll ever learn the word "hug." Till then, "body-squeeze" works just fine LOL BTW, Yes I do see the italics on my computer (desktop). Author Reply: If I say that I don't remember my opinion on kissing when I was a child, does that mean I'm old? 🤣 There'll be more doses of hate. After all, they are orcs. But as I promised in the notes in the beginning, there will also be many nice moments 😊 Thank you for the review 😘

Lindelea	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 10/10/2026
(I have got to get back to reading... I carved out a bit of writing and revising time today but found myself out of energy by the time I'd finished. So I'm going to take myself off and listen to an audiobook going forward. But I hope to return to this story as soon as tomorrow [Sunday, I mean, if you happen to read this note later]. I'm thinking positive thoughts about the prospect, anyhow. From the number of chapters you've posted since the last time I looked at it, you're making good progress! I can hardly wait to see how the story unfolds...) Author Reply: Yay for writing and revising! 😊 Congratulations 😊 And thanks so much for the interest for this story 😘

Lady Forlong	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 10/10/2026
"Thank you." What a concept! They probably don't have a word for that in Orkish. And not only that, he's starting to figure out that he's been lied to. Author Reply: Of course they don't have it 😉 That's why the word is written in italic - it's one of the cases when italic is used to show that a certain word doesn't exist in Black speech (as I said in the notes in the first chapter). Anyway, I hope that the italics are properly displayed - both on computers or cell-phones, or wherever someone is reading. He'll discover more lies and more new words and many more interesting things in the future... 😊 Thank you 😘

Lady Forlong	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/3/2026
So little Murtash has learned the Golden Rule, and he's teaching it to his little brother. That concept could revolutionize Orkish society if it catches on. But I doubt if the "Master" would be very happy about it ;) Author Reply: He wouldn't be happy, of course 😀 While preparing for writing this novel, I did some research about Sauron's (and earlier, Melkor's) influence on orcs' minds, and though they did have influence, I doubt that they had the time to read every orc's mind and intentions, so Sauron won't notice 😀 The change will be very small and slow, but it can't be any other way. Baby steps. And many of them. Thank you so much 😘

Lady Forlong	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/26/2026
Wow! Major culture clash and cliffhanger all in one chapter. It can be traumatic when you learn that what you've believed all your life isn't true. Interesting how he doesn't want to find out at first -- trying to resist the temptation to go out and look. This little orcling has a kind heart -- doesn't want to see anyone get hurt. Unusual for his kind. I find myself liking him more and more. Author Reply: Oh, it'll pass much more time before he truly realizes that what he's believed isn't true. I think that one does what s/he's seen and learned, and that one can't do what s/he hasn't seen and learned. Murtash has seen kindness and compassion, so he acts that way. If he hadn't seen compassion, I believe he would have been like all other orcs. There will be a dark side in Murtash, and he will do some things that we wouldn't, but he will be different from the others - thanks to his interaction with Men. I am happy to hear you like him 🥰 Thank you 💜

Lady Forlong	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/21/2026
Kids will be kids -- no matter what species. Nice depiction. I love the way they both think their religious beliefs are right and the other one is wrong. And the Orkish religion is pretty much what you'd expect. It makes sense that they would have nightmares about the sun, too. I get a kick out of his reaction to the "booze" LOL Author Reply: Yes, kids will be kids. That's why I chose seven-years-old as a start. Or should I say seven-years-young? Because being young mattered in this novel. Ok, younger than seven seemed too young to me; let's be honest - most of us have no memories (or very few) at all from that earlier period. But older than seven - it seemed to old and too late, at least in orcs' case. Too late to accept different views and influences. Seven felt just right. As for Orkish religion - I hope you'll forgive me a little bit of SSP 😀 While I was writing this novel, I was deep into Orkish world, and I wrote two short stories about the orcs (which probably wouldn't have happened if I hadn't written this novel). So, as for Orkish religion - I'll recommend my story Origin. 😉 And if you don't feel like reading it - no problems, just skip it, no hard feelings 😉 Haha, booze. I'm sure that it won't be a surprise that, some chapters and some years later, when Murtash will be a teenager, he'll change his opinion about it! 😂 Thank you so much 💜

Lady Forlong	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 9/13/2026
This little guy is nothing if not persistent. Not to mention creative. It will be interesting to see if he manages to make friends with a human child. Author Reply: And he is also very curious 😀 What how why when... 😂 Thanks for reading and reviewing! 😊

Lady Forlong	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/8/2026
Oh goody! Another one of your stories. It's been a while -- I'm glad you're still writing. I love the compassionate way you portray orcs, as not just evil villains. We tend to de"humanize" the enemy and forget that they're people too, with mothers and children and their own redeeming qualities. Author Reply: Awww, thank you so much, it's so great to hear something like this! Although, I have to say, my muses have been quiet for a long time now; this novel was written and edited 2021-2024, and then the translating started. As you will see, most of my orcs are not compassionate. But some of them will be, let's say, not evil - but simply trying to live and survive. I won't reveal more than this for now 😀 Thank you for reading and reviewing.

Lindelea	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/7/2026
Ooooo! What a fascinating topic! I look forward to reading more of your imaginings, especially after reading through the notes at the top of the story. Notes 1. through 3. Your conjectures make sense. Note 4. Thank you. Notes 5. through 7. Good to know. Ooo! Maps! I find maps quite helpful. Your update schedule sounds promising. (I too have an update schedule, but RL keeps getting in the way...) Time and place: Math and I are not at all on a first-name basis. ("Numbers were a weird thing." I quite agree.) Am I right in guessing this chapter is set 7 years before Frodo leaves Bag End? Also, numbers instead of names for villages sounds quite Sauronish/Orkish. The first few paragraphs, especially, are skillfully wrought – your descriptions have me feeling sympathy for the child. Even though he's an Orc! His visits to the Cage at first brought "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" to mind, but the slaves don't seem to resemble the prisoners in that kind of labor camp. I'd always thought Sauron's slaves would be beaten-down and miserable. This story is interesting in the different circumstances you portray. So these slaves have enough to eat, and adequate clothing and housing, etc.? Does Sauron believe that relatively-well-fed slaves are more productive and thus will contribute more to his war effort? How much autonomy do they have within their Cage? Author Reply: > Your update schedule sounds promising. The big majority of my works have always been short stories, and only 3 novels. And as for the novels, I've never posted until the novel is finished (and it applies to "For a Better World" too), so there is no danger of me starting to post and then abandoning the project (which, I believe, many readers hate). > Time and place: Am I right in guessing this chapter is set 7 years before Frodo leaves Bag End? Yep! > The first few paragraphs, especially, are skillfully wrought – your descriptions have me feeling sympathy for the child. Even though he's an Orc! Oh, thank you so much! This means so much to me! Creating a likable protagonist and capturing readers on the first page are the most important things in writing, and I am so happy to hear I made it 😊 > I'd always thought Sauron's slaves would be beaten-down and miserable. (…) The slaves are miserable, as you will see little by little, in the next chapters. Ok, I didn't portray them as miserable as the poor people in WWII concentration camps – I think that people that hungry and in that bad shape can't really work hard – but they are not well-fed, they have little to eat, and they are beaten and whipped and sometimes tortured (but, as I said, it will not be explicitly described). They do need some roof above their heads so they have it, but their huts are very small and poor (it will be shown in one chapter). As for the autonomy – when they are locked inside, they can have their autonomy – it's not that the orcs care what humans do when they are inside. They go out of the cage only to work in the fields, and the rest of the time they are locked in the cage. But I somehow think that children are children, no matter the circumstances. I believe that even slaves-children would play – it's in children's nature. What more can I say? Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it.

Return to Chapter List