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| Dead Steward's Gift by Stefania | 49 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Raksha The Demon | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 6/11/2008 |
| Oh, my favorite chapter so far! I loved it that the first sight Faramir sought out in the palantir was that of Eowyn in Rohan. And the bit with Cirri the cat climbing all over the stone while Faramir is attempting to talk to the King is hilarious - how like a rambunctious pet! One minor quibble - I really don't think Faramir would use the modern term "Okay". I'm glad to see that in the Steff-verse, one of the supposedly lost palantiri survived. Author Reply: Hi Raksha - Thanks for catching "okay." I'll fix it. Raksha and everyone, this story will have some revisions, especially to get rid of some of the modernisms that probably slipped in during my rush to finish the chapter. It's funny, I had the ideas for this chapter from the very start of the story. I knew how it would begin. I knew what the climax would be. But how to get from start to finish was another story. Faramir and Aragorn both searching for bad guys in their respective palantirs and instead, finding each other, is a scenario that gives me the warm fuzzies. It was far more exciting to have Aragorn find the legendary, missing Annuminas stone than have him use the still extant Orthanc stone--even if its not exactly canon, book or film. I'm really glad you liked the image of the cat crawling all over the palantir. Me thinks there is more to teenaged Cirri than meets the eye. Thanks for reading and for nudging me to complete this. Stay tuned for the Epilogue. - Steff | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 5/23/2008 |
| It's about time! Heh! Author Reply: No kidding :) Thanks for keeping up with this, Larner. - Steff | |
| BM | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 5/22/2008 |
| Oh man, Faramir doesn't seem to be thinking very clearly, and I'm afraid of what trouble he's going to find now that he has the stone! Another great chapter! This is an excellent story! Very well written, very engaging. Your characters are vibrant and lively and so very real. I love this and can't wait for more! Thanks so much for sharing it! Author Reply: Thanks so much, BM. I'm glad you are enjoying this tale. It's my first attempt at writing a mystery/comedy. Faramir has solved the mystery "where is it/who has it." He now gets his chance to look into it. Tolkien tells us that palantirs were not evil or very powerful in of themselves. They were merely communications devices, the iPhones of classic fantasy. Evil powers like Sauron or Saruman got their hands on these tools and used them for evil purposes. In post Ring-war Gondor, few people knew of the palantirs. And those who did equated them with the power to drive their users mad (see Denethor). Is Faramir's desperate urge to look inside the palantir due to the insidious, evil nature of the stone? Or is is it just his curiosity getting the better of him? You'll find out in the final chapter, coming up next. - Steff | |
| Linda Hoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 5/22/2008 |
| You had me holding my breath about if the palantir would be found.I hope Faramir is not becoming obsessed with it. Author Reply: Hi Linda - You and Faramir are holding your collective breaths that I finish poor Faz' travails. Thanks to everyone for keeping up with Dead Steward's Gift. Unfortunately, right around the time I finished the last chapter, my elderly mother fell and broke her hip. The good news is, she is well on the mend and walking about with a cane. But the past few months were taking up with Mom issues and cross-country (3000 miles in the US) flights to help get her on the road to recovery. So Faramir has had to wait and wait before he gets his opportunity to use the palantir. Hang on, everyone. - Steff | |
| Antane | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 3/29/2008 |
| This continues to be an interesting story - now finally caught up again! Namarie, God bless, Antane :) Author Reply: Thanks, Antane. And I owe everyone an update. RL has been problematic the past 6 weekw, but I will have some time next week for a breather. Hang in there with me. - Steff | |
| Antane | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 3/29/2008 |
| This continues to be an interesting story - now finally caught up again! Namarie, God bless, Antane :) | |
| obsidianj | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 2/28/2008 |
| That was a beneficial use of the soup, but now I have the "aroma' in my nose after the soup so deliberately was distributed in the tower room So, lovers instead of ghosts. That makes more sense, although in Tolkien's world you never know. Cirri is adorable. He just knows where he would be most beneficial. but why could Bes not just tell Faramir where the Palantir is? Author Reply: Hi Obsidianj - Thanks for keeping up with the story. The staff of the Tower of Ecthelion has a mighty cleaning job ahead of them. Why can't Bes just tell Faramir where the palantir is, you ask. There are a couple of reasons. First of all, Bes is a domestic. To be sure, she manages a staff of other domestics, but giving clear instructions to her lord Steward would tie the poor woman's tongue. She had a close relationship with Denethor but doesn't quite trust his younger son yet. She and Marod deceived the Keeper of the Keys and most of the Tower staff big time to keep their trysting place safe from prying eyes. Secondly, Bes has really hidden that palantir in a secret place that would take a lot of describing. (There's a spoiler for you.) Thirdly, from a story point of view, it's much more fun to have Bes show, rather than tell, Faramir where the palantir lies. Now I just have to finish that chapter. Sigh. - Steff | |
| irene | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 2/25/2008 |
| A ghost story, a mystery, a love story (an unusual one) -- it's getting better and better! And this smart pair of private investigators, Faramir and Cirri, is adorable. Hopefully, there will be some more chapters...? All the best, Irene Author Reply: Hi Irene - There is one more chapter and possibly an epilogue. I wanted to keep this story fairly short and sweet. It's already much longer than i planned. - Steff | |
| Soledad | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 2/19/2008 |
| Took me some time to get back here. Sorry. But I must say, I've laughed my head off when the mystery was revealed. ;)) Author Reply: Hi Soledad - That you laughed your head off at the mystery revealed is just the sort of news that makes me feel warm and fuzzy. Some reviewers have indicated that the story really scared them thus far, but i also want them to not get too scared. I love comedy/mysteries and had a few in mind when I started to write "Dead Steward's Gift." Thanks for reading. Now I need to get back to your "verse," too. - Steff | |
| Linda Hoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 2/19/2008 |
| A delightful mixture of angst and humour.At least the soup came in handy! Why is Bes still being beaten if she is living inthe tower and not with her husband? It is plausible that a devoted servant could have hit the palantir in the film version. As always,I love show stealing Ciri.A cat is indeed soothing at stressful times. Author Reply: Hi Linda - Thank you for your comments and a good catch. I had intended to reveal the circumstances of Bes' recent beating in this chapter but forgot, among all the excitement. Yes, nefarious hubby found her at some place in the city, and beat her. I think Faramir will get the Minas Tirith version of the police on him, but maybe outside the scope of this particular story. At any rate, Bes gets a bit more to do in the next chapter before I wrap up the whole story. Cirri has a bit more to do before I wrap up, as well. Thanks for following along. - Steff | |