News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
| About Us News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
|
| A Question of Duty by daw the minstrel | 58 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 6/11/2015 |
| Family resemblances can be useful at least from time to time. Love Aragorn's mischievous side! Author Reply: I have a hard time wrapping my head around the way Elves must have seen time. Think of all the heirs of Isildur fostered in Elrond's house, leaving, growing old, and dying. The Elves saw them all as one family but they probably knew next to nothing about the ones 5 or 6 generations back. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 6/11/2015 |
| Indeed, fortune (or more likely divine providence) has its distinct place in the happenings within Middle Earth, as we well recognize. Author Reply: Yes, exactly! I wonder where Tolkien stood on the question of free will. I suppose they all could have refused the opportunity here. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/11/2015 |
| He is still ignorant of the fact that he is not the only "unexpected" guest present in Elrond's dwelling, and that he has far more of a part to play than he realizes. Author Reply: It seems to me that most of the Fellowship walked into Imladris totally unaware that they were walking into their destiny. Elrond didn't "call" that council, after all. The Valar sent them all. | |
| elliska | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 6/7/2015 |
| Oh my gosh! I am really seeing this. Happy Birthday to Meckinock! And what a present for all of us! I can't believe it. These are the scenes I've most wanted to see. And I love them. At least, he was the last time I saw him. This is not something I'd want to say to Thranduil! And facing Ithilden was not any easier! I loved this conversation. Well-written tension that depends on character development. And Thranduil's final words (in this part) to Eilian are perfect. Given the sum of your fanfic, this trust he places in who Legolas has become is perfect. As for the last part, it is so goos to see how everyone came through the war. Thranduil's reaction to Gimli and Legolas's Sea longing...perfect. I absolutely loved this. I am so glad you gave us this. Thank you! Author Reply: Thanks for the kind words, Elliska. I love Thranduil. I think sea longing would be almost beyond his comprehension (as would being best friends with a dwarf), but for one of his sons, he hides his own pain and does what that son needs. | |
| Dreamflower | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 6/5/2015 |
| Ah, how lovely to see something new in your Mirkwood! You are one of the handful of Elf-writers who always delight me. In fact, I think you have influenced some of my own interpretation of Legolas. I love the way you portray Thranduil's reactions. He keeps his dismay to himself, and only allows his pride in Legolas to show. I also love his reaction to Gimli as well. I've always thought he'd be more reasonable about his son's friendship with a Dwarf than some portray him. I miss your stories, but congratulations on being published! Author Reply: Thank you, Dreamflower. It's funny how we Tolkien fanficcers divide into tribes sort of like the people of Middle-earth. At the end of THE HOBBIT (Tolkien's, not PJ's, bless the man's brilliant but twisted heart), Thranduil seems to me to be willing to make peace if only for practical reasons. Of course, later in Tolkien's timeline, Legolas is still hostile to dwarves, so I suppose Thranduil could have been sharp tongued in private. But surely by the time Legolas came home, Thranduil had put some things in perspective. All out war might do that for you. IOW, I share your view. :-) I miss writing these stories. At some point, I'll probably see what else I can do. It's too much fun not to. The Hobbit writers awe me by their continued productivity. | |
| Ces | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 6/2/2015 |
| Oops! That should have read I'm now going to go back and read all your stories! Author Reply: LOL. I thought that might be what you meant. | |
| Ces | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 6/2/2015 |
| I think you'll find that there are a lot of fans still around waiting for another story of our favorite family! Thanks so much for giving us this look into what happened in Mirkwood while Legolas was away. It's always good to see Beliond again and the long friendship he and Thranduil share. Elian is still the same I see and of course came through without a scratch. Thranduil's welcome to Gimli shows just how far he has come. Not totally accepting dwarves but seems to realize what Gimli means to Legolas. Please think of doing another story with all our old friends! I'm not going back to read all of your stories. Author Reply: I love Thranduil. And I've never made a big thing of it, but he, Beliond, and Maltanaur call one another "old friend," because that's what they are to one another. They go back a long way and have a deep sense of the way evil comes and goes. I'd like to write more fanfic. At the moment, I'm outlining a new original story and I have trouble generating more than one story at a time. I'll finish the outline and see if I can come up with some fanfic ideas I like. Ithilden does have that daughter waiting to be born. Thanks for the review, Ces. | |
| Dot | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 5/31/2015 |
| My nerves have just about recovered from the excitement of seeing an alert for a new chapter by you. I miss these characters! Well, mainly Ithilden, but all of them really. And the world and lives and relationships that you built for us. Thranduil's anxiety about Legolas really came across but I was particularly moved by the way he sees empty spaces where his son should have been. And poor Beliond. Having to leave Legolas and then tell not only Thranduil but Ithilden and Eilian too. I love that Thranduil and Beliond can read each other so well - Beliond answering what Thranduil really wanted to know and Thranduil realising, depsite his own shock and fear, how difficult it is for Beliond. They're both doing a hard thing trusting in Legolas to be the warrior they've made him. "Ithilden's office," Eilian said. Hee! Eilian hasn't changed too much ;-) Legolas' return was gorgeous. Particularly the way Thranduil is restless and seems to feel something is going on. Then when he touches his son to reassure himself, it was a lovely gesture that tells us what a void he'd left. Though I was braced for him discovering Legolas isn't back forever. Gimli! His appearance made me smile. Thranduil, of course, is wonderful. But my own heart lurched when he caught the look that told him all is not well. The ending was heartbreaking. They're both being brave in the leaving and the letting go. A poignant image to finish on but a really great chapter that's the perfect addition to the story and such a fantastic surprise for us all! Best of luck with the book. I'm dying to get my hands on it. I found your short story 'Winterturn' on Goodreads and really enjoyed the glimpse of your original characters so will be looking forward to more! Author Reply: I figure this was the first time Legolas was away from Mirkwood for an extended time. They'd miss him even if he weren't doing something insanely dangerous. Thranduil had to have felt helpless, and for him in particular, that's a horrible feeling. Poor Beliond. It's not like he thought this was a good idea, and he's a father who's lost a son. But again, Thranduil comes through. It's very odd but the look between Gimli and Legolas about sea longing was something I really liked writing. I like character with secrets, and while this wasn't exactly a secret, it was something Thranduil didn't know and needed to be told. Glad you liked it, Dot. It was fun to write these guys again. | |
| Fantasia | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 5/30/2015 |
| OMG, OMG! I will consider this my early Chritmas present, Thank you, I will always read your stories. I have missed them a lot. Finally your book is out. Good luck, I'll buy iy for sure. Will you be writing more fanfic? Author Reply: You're very kind, Fantasia! I'd like to writer more fanfic. I've one other idea sort of stirring around too, and I do miss Thranduil and his family. The trouble is I seem to be able to work on (obsess over?) only one thing at a time, and lately, it's been whatever original fic I'm trying to write. I'm glad you liked this. daw | |
| Lyllyn | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 5/30/2015 |
| Always delighted to read your stories. What is your original fic about? Author Reply: It's a YA fantasy. I call it my Mayan Calendar book. The calendar is about to change to the year 4000 and bad things will happen unless the kid and the girl thief who recruits him can save the day. I think of the MC and his older brother as younger versions of Eilian and Ithilden, born into a different world. Their father is dead and their mother has vanished, so the older brother keeps frantically trying to keep the younger one safe. Author Reply: Lyllyn: I meant to tell you the other day and totally forgot. I wrote a short story about the characters in my book. It's posted on my web site, where people are welcome to read, download, share, whatever they like. No obligation, of course. Turns out most people have lives to lead. :-) http://dawinsor.com/winterturn | |