News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
| About Us News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
|
| Tangled Web by daw the minstrel | 48 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| caz - baz | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 7/15/2004 |
| that was a good story. It sort of carried on the theme of the week of how ugly war is - i watched 'Cold Mountain'. you should find someone temporarily for Legolas he's all alone and i feel sorry for him. i like to know about Eilian's children i bet there would be some funny stories to tell, although to be fair to Eilian i'm sure he would make a great father and Celuwen would add the common sense to the mixture. But at the moment i think i've had my fill of little children. we've been looking after 20 10-11 year olds and they're exhausting, i can do one at a time because my sister's at that age but when they're in a group, arrgghhhhh! they need a warning label - may induce loss of hair, redness of face or early heart attack. Keep away from water or hot objects. We also recently got a trampoline - don't worry my sister's not dead... yet! caz - baz ps: am eagerly awaiting next story. Author Reply: Thank you, caz-baz. I feel sorry for Legolas too. I suppose if it hadn't been for the sea-longing, he would have married after the quest, but he couldn't really do it when he knew he was going to leave. He has friends and family though. And I think I will have to write about Eilian as a father. That will be fun. But my goodness! Taking care of so many at once! That's a very tough job. | |
| The Karenator | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 7/14/2004 |
| Gosh, daw, I go away for a few days and find everything has already taken place in my absence. I can't tell you have much I enjoyed this whole tale. You did a superior job of telling it from the Elves' perspective. Your battles were so well done and realistically portrayed. I think war is a horrible thing and much worse than I can even imagine. I knew we had to expect deaths...that's the way of war...but I can't help but feel bad for the OC's we lost. I think Galelas was the most sad for me. He'd come so far personally and professionally under Eilian's kind guidance. I even felt bad for Tinar. He was shocked back to reality by his brother's death. I suppose even arrogant fools still love their family and friends. I don't know how this will impact him in the future, but at this moment, he's a grieving brother, and I can't help but feel for him at such a time. The whole Woodland Realm will be in mourning for those lost...even the unnamed ones that we simply know died. The main characters were wonderful. Thranduil is indeed the greatest Elven-king. He's shrewd, but wise, nevering losing sight of what was really important. He raised his sons well. Eilian and Legolas stepped up when needed and proved themselves competent and mature. Adar saw his sons in a new light. Sometimes, parents can be the last to see their child as no longer a child. All our energy goes into seeing them to this point and are probably the most surprised when we find they've reached it. If we do our jobs well as parents, we put ourselves out of a job. Good for Thranduil for acknowledging this. You did a great job of showing strong competent Ithilden's weakness. His family. I know Sinnarn was nearly a goner, but I'm glad you didn't let him get killed. I would hate to think of that pain it would have caused Ithilden and Alfirin. (That's the parent in me suffering with them.) There are so many little things about the story that I found just wonderful that it would take me all day and most likely bore you to tears if I were to list them all. Let me just say that you gave such warmth and terror, political intrigue and mystery to Tolkien's tale. Shoot! I think he would even be impressed with the thorough job you did telling the story from the Elves' point of view. I don't think I'll ever read the Hobbit again and not picture your story going on behind the scenes. Thanks, daw. You've given me much pleasure in reading this. I look forward to the next tale. Karen Author Reply: Thank you, Karen. Galelas is the one I felt worst about too. He aroused my motherly instincts because his family was so terrible. I comfort myself by thinking of him in an honored place in the Halls of Mandos. He'll like that. Thranduil sees his younger sons as adult. At least today he does. :-) No guarantee how long that lasts. But I think it was even more important that THEY saw themselves as responsible for others. I wanted that for Legolas, who will soon be on the quest. And oh you are so right. Ithilden's family is his weakness. If his son had died, I'm not sure how he would have born it. Btw, I see that Meckinock was runner-up in action/adventure in the Mithrils. Good for her! Celebrate!!! | |
| LKK | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 7/14/2004 |
| Nithron, Galelas, and (missed most of all by me) Todith -- the roster of named elven dead makes me sad. I will miss them, especially Todith whom I really liked. If there is any good to come from these deaths, perhaps it will be to Tinar who seemed most shocked by his brother's death. This has been a fascinating look at The Hobbit, daw. Have you ever heard of the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead? It's the Hamlet story told from the perspective of 2 of its minor characters. Tangled Web has been like that, for me; The Hobbit told from the perspective of the minor characters. I'm very curious to read what you tackle next. Will you continue to go forward in time? Eilian as a father? Legolas meeting Aragorn? The guarding of Gollum? Or will you go back in time? Give us another glimpse of the brothers childhoods? Or back to Thranduil and his wife's courting? Whatever you tackle, you can be sure I'll be eager to read. :) LKK Author Reply: I thought about "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern" as I was writing this story! It felt that way to me too. The Elves know less about what's going on than the reader does, which is the same experience the audience has with that play. I'm thinking I'll do an elfling Legolas story next. One advantage of that is that the cast of characters is smaller, just Ada and the big brothers and his friends. We'll see. Right now, I'm doing nothing and enjoying it greatly. | |
| Nelsonia | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 7/14/2004 |
| Hello Daw Thanks again for such a great story, you have outdone yourself girl! I loved every bit of it, great pace great battle (even if it was a horrible one you portrayed the horribleness v well, which I think was the point). Looking forward to something lighter though he he he I will side with Bodkin on the "do not kill any more OCs" group he he he. Still v busy with the phd here so I apologize again for not reviewing nearly as often as I would like, but I always look forward to read your stories! Keep up the good work Best wishes Nelsonia Author Reply: Thank you, Nelsonia. This is the third "no more dead OCs" message I've gotten this morning. I think someone is trying to tell me something! I'm glad you liked the story. The battle was horrible. Tolkien was really good at putting in details like the bats, and when you show them from a character's point of view, they're really creepy. A lighter story is an excellent idea! | |
| Beny | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 7/14/2004 |
| This story is a masterpiece and you are the BEST. I’d like to join to Bodkin’s No OC Pruning campaign. Your OC are so wonderful that you could afford Eilian and Ithilden stories without Legolas! Again, thank you for this great story! Author Reply: Thank you, Beny. You and Bodkin made me laugh about the OCs! OK. They get to live. I have to admit to being very fond of Eilian and Ithiden myself. I'd love to write about them before Legolas came along, but it doesn't feel very LOTR to do that. Thank you for your kind words. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 7/14/2004 |
| No OC pruning. I'll start a campaign. The OCs are too good to lose. (Some can just go off on short trips during stories so they don't need to appear, if they must.) Just remember - no deaths and none of them are to sail west. Until Legolas does. The family that plays together, stays together. With elflings. Thank you. Author Reply: Bodkin, you're wonderful! OK. No pruning (that I know of). And elflings. | |
| Yav14 | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 7/13/2004 |
| I just wanted to write and thank you not only for this story, but for all your work. You have created a backstory for the Wood-elves that is so vivid and intricate that it has become "canon" in my own mind. Your original characters are so compelling that at times I have been shocked to find myself more interested in them than what is happening with Legolas. This is no small feat. Anyway, cheers, and I hope you continue this series. Chris Author Reply: Thank you, Yav. I confess to being shamelessly fond of my OCs. They are out of control at the moment and I need to prune them back because the cast is getting too big. I think I'll write an elfling Legolas story next. That should keep things to the core family, which will be a lot easier. I'm glad you are enjoying the stories. Thank you for letting me know. daw | |
| Ithildin | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 7/12/2004 |
| Great story daw! I enjoyed it thoroughly! Well done. I really enjoyed seeing this part of ‘The Hobbit’ from the Elves’ point of view. I loved the interaction between all the OC’s and with the canon characters as well. I’ve become quite attached to all the OC’s in the ‘daw-verse,’ so I do hope at some point you will consider coming back and continuing the story from here. :) Already looking forward to the next story (whatever the timeframe), Ithildin *( Author Reply: Thank you, Ithildin. This story was tricky to write and took me far more chapters than I expected, but in the long run, I was pleased with how it came out. I think I'll do a little Legolas story next, though. I need something not quite so intense as the big battles that Tolkien writes. A little orc skirmish is as much as I can handle! | |
| tigerlily713 | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 7/12/2004 |
| Wonderful chapter, and wonderful ending to a lovely story. It was very nice to have this take on the events of The Hobbit. I love the characters and relationships that you have created and I can't wait to read more! Author Reply: Thank you, Lily. Now that the story's finished, I can say I enjoyed solving the puzzles involved in writing it. Figuring out what the elves were up to was not always easy. I think I'll do an elfling tale next. They're easier! | |
| Rose Sared | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 7/12/2004 |
| Naughty daw, I go away for two weeks to visit the South Island and when I come back I find you have finished this wonderful work! In my absence, just so I would miss reviewing it as it went. Well bah, it was wonderful, the perfect fusion of canon and fanon. Clever writer you, and thanks for the ride it was the best. I annoyed my family mightily, whilst idling amongst the film sets, by noting at every opportunity that Nz's pristine forests and mountains would be mightly improved by importing a few hundred elves to enliven the greeness. They will live on there in my imagination at least. More, more, she cries insatiably. Rose Author Reply: Thank you, Rose. My husband and I have actually been talking about a possible vacation in NZ, and my main interest is in seeing Elves. Or at least imagining them! Now that this story is over, I can say I enjoyed writing it, although there were a few times there when I wondered what in the world I had been thinking to start it. | |