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| The River by Indigo Bunting | 317 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/21/2005 |
| That must have been just the hardest night - to cook and eat and sleep, knowing that Sam and Legolas had been battered by the river and could be freezing to death downstream. I don't know how they could! And then to find Sam's pack - and Legolas's bow! Two things that speak of their bearers. I hope they find them soon. Even Legolas's elven endurance must be at its end. Author Reply: Yes, that was meant to be a hard night. There wasn’t much else they could do; Sam and Legolas were traveling much faster in the water than the Fellowship could go on foot, and the day was ending. What’s more, Gandalf was right – Frodo is more important than anyone else, and he had to be warmed and dried. So they were forced to sit and eat their hot food and feel useless. | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/21/2005 |
| Just keep searching! You'll find them! (Too bad Legolas and Sam don't have Boromir's horn with them.) Author Reply: Hmm. Yes, that horn would have come in handy, wouldn’t it? Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t send Boromir down the river with Sam; then the story might have been over too soon. :-) The sad thing about the search is that what remains of the Fellowship can really only look so long. Despite the fact that they want to look, they have to be practical. Gandalf is the one who – lucky him – is the voice of pragmatism for the Fellowship. It's not an enviable job. | |
| TithenFeredir | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/20/2005 |
| I've lurked through two chapters now. This is a good adventure tale! You did an excellent job of putting the reader right in the river with Sam. Looking forward to reading more! ~TF Author Reply: If you’ve reviewed chapter 2, then I suppose that means you’ve only lurked through one chapter. I understand! Sometimes it takes a while before I know that I want to stick with a story. I’m getting much better about reviewing, myself. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to leave your comments! I’m so glad you found yourself there with Sam. Every writer has their strengths, and I think that one of mine happens to be description. I usually get myself in a tizzy all over again after re-reading this chapter. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/20/2005 |
| Oh my. This started so pleasantly - loved the fishing spears and the discussions over fire and food. But Sam and Legolas! They cannot have escaped from this without being badly hurt. I hope the cavalry arrives soon - they need help. Legolas is driving himself hard. Author Reply: Yeah… it did start out nicely enough, but it didn’t last. As I mentioned in my reply to Dreamflower, Legolas ended up being Sam’s companion on the river mostly because he could push himself and still come out alive. And as the next chapter points out, most of the other members of the Fellowship take a good deal of comfort from that. | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/19/2005 |
| That was pretty scary. Oddly enough, what really made me cringe was how cold the water was. But the rapids, rocks, etc. were pretty scary too! Author Reply: I’m glad you could feel Sam’s fear, daw. Not that I wanted to freak anybody out, but I did want to clearly convey what he experienced. Before I wrote this chapter I spent a long time thinking about what it would feel like to be caught by that kind of unappeasable force – something that almost can’t be fought, it’s so strong. ‘Terrifying’ would be a good way to describe it. | |
| Dreamflower | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/19/2005 |
| This was a utterly *AMAZING* chapter! So much suspense and so much angst! I could *see* every single bit of it in my head, and I found myself wincing each time either Legolas or Sam hit the rocks. I had wondered last chapter which of the Big Folk had grabbed them, but of course it would have had to be Legolas. I do not believe that any of the mortals, even Aragorn, would have had the strength and endurance to hold on through such a wild ride. This was just *brilliant* and I am so looking forward to more!!! Author Reply: Thank you, Dreamflower! Your excitement is contagious, and your reviews put a big smile on my face. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the story. As I’ve told some of the other reviewers, I am very pleased with this chapter. You make an astute observation regarding Legolas being Sam and Frodo’s anchor. When I first started putting this story together in my mind, I did not know that Legolas would end up going down the river with Sam. But as the plot took shape, I realized that Legolas would surely be the best person to try to swim the river, because he’d be the most likely to survive it. If it hadn’t been wintertime, then I think that either Aragorn or Boromir could potentially have done it, but to fight both the current and the cold seemed to require greater stamina than the mortals of the Fellowship have. Yes, you’ve hit the nail right on the head. | |
| Starfire_Moonlight | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/19/2005 |
| I'm never going swimming in a river ever again, lol. That was very exciting chaper. Was on the edge of my seat all the way through. Author Reply: Just don’t go swimming in any flooding rivers. :-) Some of my favorite treasures when I was little were the Little House on the Prairie books, and I’ll never forget that chapter in On the Banks of Plum Creek when Laura disobeys her father and nearly drowns in the swollen stream. That’s not where I got the inspiration for this story from, but I took from it the clear understanding that floods are not to be trifled with. | |
| Jay of Lasgalen | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/19/2005 |
| I very nearly didn't read this - I'm not a particular fan of hobbit fics. I'm so glad I looked! I love the relationships you write between the fellowship, and you have the characterisations spot on. I'm an elf girl, and I love Legolas in this - he's just as Tolkien wrote him. His selfless courage is exactly right. And now he's hurt?? Update soon, please! Jay Author Reply: Your name does suggest that you’re a Legolas fan, Jay, although not that you’re a girl. :-) I’m glad you looked, too; Sam is the main character in this story, but Legolas figures as a very strong secondary character. This is actually a roving POV story. The next chapter is seen through Aragorn’s eyes, and after that comes Legolas. I’m not sure at this point whether I will be able to have a chapter from the POV of everyone in the Fellowship, but I am going to try. Sam and Legolas will each have the most chapters, since the action primarily follows them. I did make an effort in the story summary to show that the entire Fellowship factors in, but I wonder if that’s enough. I think people may skip it because they think it’s only about Sam. Maybe I’ll revisit that summary. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/19/2005 |
| Swept away indeed, and I suspect Legolas will need all of Aragorn's gift and skill. I felt as if I were there in the river with them. Author Reply: I’m glad you liked it, Larner. I happen to be very proud of this chapter, mostly because the description and the action came together so nicely. I wonder if the title made anyone think of a certain critically eviscerated Madonna movie (which I have not seen, so I can’t say whether it deserved its knocks). I did think that "Swept Away" was very fitting; I'm very glad you noticed it. | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/19/2005 |
| Oh my, how exciting! I hope Frodo, Legolas, and Sam get lots of warmth, comfort, and hot food when this is all over. Author Reply: Thanks, shirebound! Just writing this chapter got my pulse pounding. It didn’t need too much revision on my part, either; the action flowed very smoothly, and I’ve been very satisfied with it since the very beginning. | |