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| Lighting Fires by Gwynnyd | 27 Review(s) |
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| perelleth | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 9/11/2006 |
| I'm delightfully engrossed, but I would not like to forget this when reivewing at the end. Estel's conclusions were simply perfect! I so understand Elrohir's despair! Just when you think they've learnt they come up with one of those and you remember that NOTHING can be taken for granted when helping a child learn his lessons, for their understanding is totally diferent from ours! I was ROTFL at this! Great! | |
| grumpy | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/10/2006 |
| Just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed reading this story. It was great, and I was right there with Elrohir and Estel on their misson. I do believe that Elrohir got through to Estel, on why he needs to learn. Thanks for the good read. Author Reply: You're welcome! And thank you for the kind comment. We know that Aragorn did grow up to be a wise king, but I know he could not have been born that way. It was a lot of fun thinking of ways he could be nocked down a peg by a caring big brither without damaging himself or anyone else. Glad you enjoyed it! | |
| viggomaniac | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/10/2006 |
| I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The plot could have been predictable but you gave it a wonderfully unique twist. It might have seemed at times even to himself, that Elrohir was being a bit harsh with Estel but that wasn't the case at all. He simply needed Estel to truly understand what the realization of his desires would mean in a true life situation. The way Elrohir teaches Estel his lesson (and the value of lessons) made for very entertaining reading. Despite his mistakes, Estel still shows good qualities throughout though at times it may have been a little hard to see them. When Estel thinks that he has 'killed' Elrohir by his inattentiveness and poor judgment I, along with Elrohir, felt terrible for him. A very touching moment there. Poor Estel. It must indeed have been difficult to comprehend why his own lessons were so much more complicated than those of others near his age (another point brilliantly brought out in your story, BTW) and frustrating for Elrohir to hold in. That Elrohir has the inner strength to withhold comfort from Estel during some of the more difficult parts of this 'lesson' seemed very realistic. And what valuable lessons Estel learns this day! When Elrohir makes it known to the boy that he descended from kings and the difference between being a good soldier and a leader of men, I could almost picture Estel's change of demeanor. The ending was very satisfying. Thanks so much for sharing your story. I would recommend it to anyone who likes LOTR fiction. Author Reply: Thank you! I do think that you never know what might be useful. I shamelessly cribbed the geometry from a biography of Julius Caeser I read once. The way I remember it, one of Caeser's lieutenants gave him a quick estimate of how wide a river was that way on one of his campaigns. I think Aragorn grew into the man he became, and was a quite normal child (as much as he could be under the circumstances). I'm not even sure JRRT realized what a hard life he was giving this Man. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/9/2006 |
| This is a lovely tale. Elrohir makes a great big brother - and I think he is right to question Estel's lonely development. The kid is growing up so quickly and outgrowing his friends so that he is always alone. Estel reacted very well to the 'test' - and even picked up the idea that education had some value. Very responsible of him! (Although it's unlikely to endure beyond a few tedious lessons.) I thoroughly enjoyed this - and think that Elrohir makes a great teacher. His adar should be proud of him. Author Reply: Yes, I am sure Elrond was proud of Elrohir, after he stopped damning him for his interference. Elrond was probably carefully planning out how soon Estel was exposed to things and Elrohir upset the applecart. LOL Estel does have to grow up to be Aragorn, so he can't be stupid. And yes! I'm sure he still skipped when he felt it 'necessary'. Thank you! Gwynnyd | |
| demeter d | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/8/2006 |
| I like the quote from Yeats at the beginning. I think this one is a good bit on fire already, but he needs to know there are many kinds of learning. I like your descriptions of the valley, the day. And Estel is a very real boy. This should be good. i just put you on my notification, and just got the latest chapter, but will not read it yet until I read all of them, to not spoil anything. Author Reply: It is a completed story. Feel free to read it all at once. I'm glad you're enjoying it. Gwynnyd | |
| Jay of Lasgalen | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/8/2006 |
| Elrohir was too hard on Estel here. Yes, it was an important lesson he had to learn, but he's only 11! It was funny when Estel began to argue the point Elrohir had been making though :) This has been a lovely tale. I like anything with the twins, but this one with just Elrohir and Estel was a refreshing change. Jay Author Reply: Having Elladan and Elrohir double-teaming poor Estel seemed like too much. Yes, I think Elrohir was hard on Estel, but as a brother, he could get away with being harsher. He'd also given Estel several chances to get the point and the kid missed all of them, the way kids do (my kids at least! LOL). Thank you! Gwynnyd | |
| Jay of Lasgalen | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 9/8/2006 |
| Estel is learning some harsh lessons here - like the one about leaving injured companions till last to ensure the message gets through. Mind you, I can't see either of the twins abandoning the other in these circumstances! | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/8/2006 |
| Nice story, Gwynnyd. One of the things I liked best was the way it put a new twist on a common fanfic story idea. I've seen stories before where Estel believes he's ready to fight orcs and thinks the adults are holding him back needlessly. Almost invariably, in these stories, he runs away and gets in trouble. Your story was much more realistic. Elrohir behaves like a wise elf, as does Erestor really. And Estel is a more realistic kid. I also liked the way concealing his identity from him meant he had a hard time understanding why he was being educated as he was. That was something I hadn't thought of. Author Reply: I am very much of the 'be as realistic as possible - this is history' school. The idea of a hidden prince is very romantic, but it must have been very hard to be that kid. I am tickled pink that I worked in an idea that you had not thought of. Thank you! Gwynnyd | |
| Jay of Lasgalen | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/8/2006 |
| I felt very sorry for Estel here - he tried so hard and didn't give up, but he still couldn't solve the problem. He should have asked Elrohir to start with - his brother was injured, but not unconscious; and he has far greater experience. Author Reply: Yes. He should have asked! I know how kids get 'an idea' of the way things ought to work and what it takes to disabuse them of the notion. Estel was very caught up in the exercise. Gwynnyd | |
| Jay of Lasgalen | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/8/2006 |
| Ah, now I understand! All the same, it's still a useful training exercise for Estel. I loved the opening paragraph - Elrohir sounds so delightfully elfy! I liked Elrohir's 'shoulder wound' and his play acting - though the real thing sounds far more unpleasant :( Have you ever written that tale? Jay Author Reply: No. I wanted to have some wound, and it seemed unlikely that Elrohir had escaped completely unscathed during hundreds of years of orc hunting. I dithered about a scar, but then decided I needed him to have one. Between Elrohir having some mannish genes and the severity of the wound, I thought I could get away with a scar. Gwynnyd | |