News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
| About Us News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
|
| Glorious Summer by daw the minstrel | 28 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/10/2004 |
| PS: Like the Shakespearean reference. Author Reply: You're so clever! In this case, it's the sons of Thranduil bringing the heat. (I've always liked that pun.) | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/10/2004 |
| Oh, splendid. I was just beginning to gibber from the lack of one of your stories. Legolas has become so grown-up! Ithilden was right really to give him longer to grown into his role as warrior / son of the king / officer etc. Eilian coped with being thrust into command quickly - but he is a different character; better at taking authority than accepting it. And it would still have been good for him to have the chance to grow more slowly - though after his mother's death, what he needed probably changed anyway. In some ways, it must be really handy for Legolas to have Beliond on hand to observe, because he knows his minder wouldn't let him make a mistake that would kill elves, but, on the other hand, what must it be like to have every step watched and noted! (Do you think that Beliond will end up going to Ithilien?) I hope Sorion's caution doesn't lead to trouble - and that Isendir learns to keep his mouth shut. With luck Riolith will keep him in order. And at least Tinar is far away - just getting used to being squashed by Ithilden, I believe. Love the Legolas half of the story. Looking forward to the Eilian side. Author Reply: You must be feeling withdrawal from finishing your own story, although I guess you have others. Always have a story going! Legolas needed the time to grow into this role, I think. I think he's slow to mature in a lot of ways, which may be normal for elves who in normal times have forever. Eilian probably had kids following his lead from the time he was small. I'll bet that when the other elflings' parents asked them "If Eilian jumped off a cliff, would you follow him?", they all thought "Yes! Yes!" And Eilian's leadership style and instincts were well matched to the Southern Patrol, which Ithilden was smart enough to see. I don't think Eilian would have made a good captain of a border patrol at the same age. In my opinion, Beliond would certainly go to Ithilien. He has no family in ME and I think Legolas is the substitute. Eilian will be in the next chapter. :-) | |
| Rose Sared | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/9/2004 |
| Well it is nice to be back on patrol. Looking forward to spending time in the South again, daw, thank you for your usual action packed writing. Author Reply: Thank you, Rose. As I was writing this chapter, I kept thinking how hard Legolas's life seemed to me. What a stressful way to live! It's amazing they don't all drink, or have ulcers, or go crazy. | |
| Ms. Whatsit | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/9/2004 |
| Yay, a new story! Sorry that I have no time for a long review--school just started last week--but I'm liking this a lot so far. I like the way you describe Legolas's battle-lust especially. It's so easy to cast him and other Elves as ethereally above that sort of thing, but it's much more canonical to acknowledge that wood-elves are feral and deadly. You had me feeling all tense and wanting to hit something right along with Legolas. And I'm looking forward to the resumption of Eilian/Celuwen *g*. Author Reply: Yeah, school started for me too. That's why this story has taken a little more time to get launched. I like the idea of wood-elves as 'feral and deadly.' Tolkien says they're 'more dangerous and less wise' than the Noldor. And if the battle felt tense, I am enormously pleased. I kept going over it, shortening sentences and changing words, trying to make it tenser. Eilian/Celuwen will be along next chapter, as will Thranduil, Ithilden, Alfirin, and let's not forget, Tinar, who is working in Ithilden's office. :-) | |
| French Pony | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/9/2004 |
| I have a favor to ask. Can I borrow Beliond for a few days? I'll feed him well, and he can sleep on my futon couch. See, UPS has been holding one of my birthday presents hostage for three days, and they're threatening to send it back without me even finding out who it's from, all because I live in an apartment and have work and school and can't wait around all day for them and I don't have a car so I can't pick the thing up at the UPS office in the next town over. I need Beliond to come and beat the bejeezus out of UPS and make them cough up this package. Then I'll send him right back, soon as my birthday present is safely in my hands. You'll never miss him, and Legolas might enjoy the time off. Good for Legolas, learning to make a grocery list. It's a skill surprisingly few people have. Nice to get a glimpse of what everyday life as a lieutenant might be like. And the other characters have lovely cameos -- each one is really crisp and clear, like you get a good glimpse of who they are. I particularly like Riolith. He's got to be the grizzled old sergeant of the company, the one who smokes cigarette butts and bosses the fresh-faced young lieutenant around. You get on the good side of one of those guys, and you'll learn the most valuable life lessons. Question: How did Beliond get out of being a captain alive? I mean, you had to kill off Todith to free up his spot. Can the captains just retire? Or was he promoted straight from captain to bodyguard? Gelmir seems to be feeling a little like a fifth wheel here, and who can blame him? He must feel that it's nice to have Legolas around, but Legolas isn't Eilian, and he probably reminds Gelmir even more that his best friend isn't there. Poor old Gelmir. He does seem to end up as the odd Elf out quite a bit. Author Reply: Oh how evil! My husband is an e-bay addict so our UPS guy knows us by name and will leave things on the porch. Of course, he's probably encouraged to do so by the way I yank the door open and snarl, "Now what has he bought?" You may borrow Beliond if you think he could help. I'm sure he'd be happy to come over and straighted out anyone who was annoying you and you too. I'm so glad the characters come through here. One of the functions I wanted this chapter to serve was introducing the characters in Legolas's life now. Riolith has been in my stories before but only as a kid. He was Tynd's buddy in "Growing Under Shadow," the story in which Legolas was learning to hunt and the older guys told them to clear off, that the deer they were stalking belonged to them. And he was in "The Novice," doubting Legolas's reliability while they were on a novice exercise. So he's not much older than Legolas, but he does have that mind set you describe, I think. Beliond became one of Thranduil's spies during the Watchful Peace. He was in his "I want to be alone" phase and spying was good for that. I think a captain could retire though. Mirkwood doesn't seem to have a draft. Gelmir is in an interesting situation, the opposite of the one Riolith is in. He was the patrol's old captain's buddy. With the change in leadership, Gelmir's role changes a little too, and not just personally. | |
| Manderly | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/9/2004 |
| It's so nice to come back after being away (battling Hurricane Frances, no less) to see a new story from you. So Legolas is an adult again in this new story. It's almost a shock to see him acting so much like a seasoned warrior here when in the last story he was but an adolescent being sent to his room for misbehaviour. The joys of fanfics! I can really feel the maturing in Legolas in this first chapter. There's a certain hardening about him while he's in battle. Beliond must approve of the change as he managed to squeeze out a praise for his charge. I am looking forward to see how you will weave the two different storylines of the brothers. Personally, I think Legolas will have the easier job adjusting to his position as the new leutenant than Eilian as the new husband. Author Reply: I hope all the hurricane stuff leaves you well, Manderly. It seems as if the people in Florida are really getting battered over and over. When I switch ages for Legolas, it always takes some readjustment on my part to remember what he can do now. Actually that's true for my other characters too. They should be different when Legolas is little than a couple of hundred years down the road. They're still learning too. Glad you liked the "hardening" of Legolas in battle. I've been trying to write him with a sort of concentrated fury in battle. It's there in his brothers too. It's like they enter another zone. Eilian will turn up in the next chapter and we'll see how he's doing now. :-) | |
| meckinock | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/9/2004 |
| I can't even imagine how hard it must be for Beliond to not just step in and take over the battle from all these wet-behind-the-ears elflings. He shows remarkable restraint! But Legolas has good training and good instincts; he's showing himself well in his first turn at command. Sorion seems to have mastered the first principle of management: delegate the crap work! Riolith and Isendur look like they will be a couple of interesting personalities to watch. Hope Legolas keeps an eye on them. Thanks for posting so soon; what a pleasant surprise! Author Reply: Beliond is focused mostly on Legolas's safety now, so I suppose that helps him let go of command a little. And he was one of Thranduil's spies for a long time before he was given charge of Legolas, so it's been quite a while since he commanded this patrol. Ithilden was a young lieutenant in it when Beliond was captain. :-) I think Legolas can be a good leader but he's a very different kind of leader than either Ithilden or Eilian is, so it's going to take him a while to learn his own strengths. And I think that as the king's son, he's probably unconsciously assumed he was supposed to be a leader all along. Sorion is new as a captain too, so I imagine this isn't easy for him either. Thank you for all your advice on this, though. It was just invaluable. | |
| LOTRFaith | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/9/2004 |
| Horray! A new story from Daw:-) Very exciting chapter to begin with:-D A battle, but I think perhaps that the next chapter will be a little slower and move to Eilian.. Am I correct? :-P I don't care if I'm not, I always did like Legolas fic's :-P lol... Great chapter and looking forward to more! Author Reply: This is the first review I've gotten of a brand new story. :-) Yes, in the next chapter, I'll show how things are going at home with Eilian and the rest of the family. But I like to start with Legolas. I'd like to keep him the center of the show if I can, but Eilian sometimes comes in and steals the scene. Thank you for the welcome for this story, Faith. | |