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| History Lessons: The Second Age by Nilmandra | 18 Review(s) |
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| Elenluin | Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 12/6/2004 |
| Another great chapter! I like the loving way you describe Elrond, without neglecting his power. The one thing I would like to read about is the passing of Vilya to Elrond before Gil-Galad's death, but if you don't have time for it, I'll still gladly read every other story you write! Author Reply: Thank you, Elen-luin. The epilogue will focus on Gil-galad and Elrond..and Vilya! There were many dark years left in the Second Age, unfortunately. | |
| sqrt(-1) | Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 12/6/2004 |
| I've enjoyed this story so much! I'm glad you're doing an epilogue, I'll look forward to it! Author Reply: Thank you! I am working away on the epilogue, a good place to quickly cover the rest of the 'dark ages' of the second age. | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 12/6/2004 |
| Magnificent, Nilmandra, as always. Thank you for ending this on such a hope-filled chapter, where (even though there are dark days ahead) Elrond has found love and someone to lighten his spirit... and help him to make Imladris the refuge and sanctuary he knows it must be. *applauds* Author Reply: Thank you, Shirebound. They have so many dark days ahead, yet nothing directly happens to alter the course of things, so it seemed a good place to stop. I'll cover that dark time in an epilogue. | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 12/6/2004 |
| And at last, many people who have struggled against the darkness are rewarded with a chance for some happiness. I'm so glad for Elrond and Celebrian, of course, as well as for the many others who came to the refuge that they all created under Elrond's leadership. People like Erestor made it and then let it heal them. The return to the Third Age was lovely. As I told you, I had tears in my eyes when I read it. Author Reply: I am glad I made you cry :-) They are home, and no matter what adjustment they have to make, there is no where else they would rather be. | |
| Jay of Lasgalen | Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 12/6/2004 |
| How very practical Tollyn and the young man are being! This may be a marriage of convenience, but I have the feeling it will work well. I loved how besotted Elrond was when he first saw Celebrían, and would like to see more of their courtship in the epilogue. Their wedding, and especially the birth of the twins, as already requested, (also the moment when they realise they are expecting twins) is top of my wish list. Seeing Elrond with Aldric was sweet, and showed Celebrían that he would be a good father - once she'd got over her initial assumption. The discussion about who should lead Imladris seemed odd - Elrond is so inextricably linked with the place, I cannot imagine anyomne else there. Good chapter, Nilmandra, and I look forward to the epilogue(s). Jay Author Reply: I think everyone thought like you did, Jay - it was hard for anyone to imagine anyone being in charge of Imldaris except Elrond. But, Galadriel was not there yet, and I was thinking that Gil-galad took counsel from all (even if his mind was already made up! He had some time to campaign for Elrond, so to speak, to ensure that the people there would follow his chosen leader - someone loyal to him). I think the humans were very practical - their survival depended on them being so. The humorous part was while Elrond is pondering a marriage based on many things, but not perhaps love at first sight, he immediately falls in love and then waits forever to marry! I am looking forward to writing more about this family in the Third Age. I will try to sneak in a little courtship, marriage and birth of the twins - maybe in a story that will bridge us to the next age. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 12/6/2004 |
| 'Story is now complete' - No! I don't want it to be complete! (Although I concede that it does have to end sometime.) What a lovely hopeful chapter. Yes, I know Sauron will rise again, but at the moment the idea does not dominate the ideas of love and reconciliation and progress. A fifteen hundred year courtship, huh? (Takes us back to around the fall of Rome . . . that's quite a long time.) Elrond / Celebrian must have taken on the Galadriel / Celeborn idea of courtship. Most of Elrond's ancestors seem to have been a bit quicker off the mark. Mind you, most of them also came to sticky ends one way or another. Seeing Elrond gently tending a little one would have been quite appealing, I should think - especially once Celebrian knew the child was not his - and gave her a good reason to get rather closer to him than would otherwise have been proper! I'm glad Galadriel is in favour of the marriage - Celeborn (as proud and loving Ada) is bound to be a bit less willing. He gets long enough to adapt to the idea though. And I love and thoroughly approve of Galadriel's attitudes towards marriage and responsibility and sacrifice. Obsessive romantic love is only bearable in books - and most of them are tragedies. (And most of the participants would have been better for a cold shower!) 'Galadriel smiled, sadly it seemed.' I hope her foresight is not too clear. What happens is not something she should have to live with over the next 4000 years. 'The gift of foresight: I wouldn't have it as a gift,' to completely adapt and misquote something else. Elrohir, Arwen and Elladan were gripped by the story. (Old enough and young enough not to find yucky the idea of their parents falling in love.) “Hope is often found in unexpected places.” - A comment full of all sorts of possible interpretations. “Adar, are the stars brighter near Imladris, or am I imaging that?” asked Elrohir. (You need an 'in' in 'imagining'.) I love the remark - Imladris is somewhere that hope and kindness and generosity of spirit are a major part of its philosophy of being. The stars shine more brightly metaphorically as well as in reality. And hint of Vilya. Great for them all to be home. Author Reply: LOL at Elrond tending the little one - how was he to know that a male holding a child was a babe magnet? It drew Celebrian right to him and made her get a little closer than she might have otherwise :-) Smart Elrond! Thanks for help with the typo - fixed that right away. I have been listening to the Silmarillion on CD and heard that passage about the stars shining brightest over Rivendell and couldn't help but use that here. Earendil keeping an eye out for his son, perhaps? Vilya is of course the Ring of Air, and the sapphire a sign of the earth and its place in space...so an influence there too. It was wonderful imagery, if nothing else. I am glad they are home too - and it is time to wrap this up, so we can move on to something else. Thanks for your support! | |
| Karri | Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 12/5/2004 |
| Quite the romantic chapter -- an interesting contrast to the past few chapters of despair and fading hope. Excellent, as always. Author Reply: Romantic, but nothing happens! Oh, that elven (and half-elven) self control. Hard to imagine how much time passes between this and their actual courtship and wedding. | |
| Nikara | Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 12/5/2004 |
| Wow! This chapter was really amazing. As soon as I realized that Celebrian was coming in this chapter I became very excited. I really want to see a decent amount about Gil Galad's death. He has been so instrumental to Elrond's life that I am sure that his passing will have a huge impact. I would love to see the courtship, especially the wedding. They are just so perfect together. The birth of the twins would also be happy! When there is the glint of sadness in Galadriel's eye, is it a result of her sensing her daughter's early death? Author Reply: I wasn't clear how much Galadriel could see of her own future, but she does perhaps sense some sadness in her daughter's future. I'm not sure if she would know detail, that Celebrian is attacked by orcs and has to sail west, or if it would be more general sadness, like a permanent parting from her daughter. Sad, regardless, but one of the things I like about Galadriel is that she never seems to shirk from pain or bad things. After all, she is the one that dressed Aragorn like a young lord, gave him the elfstone, and sent him to Arwen at Cerin Amroth. :/ | |