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| Enter the Ranger by Larner | 207 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Freyalyn | Reviewed Chapter: Author's Notes on 9/22/2019 |
| Just discovered your comments here. Thank you for sharing this story with us, and also your thoughts as to how you came to your own vision of Tolkien's sub-creation. I've enjoyed every word you've written, and will be keenly awaiting more. Author Reply: It's satisfying to explain how the stories came to be, Freyalyn, and it was fun to bring this story full-circle with Eldarion coming north to himself ride with the Rangers of Arnor, as well as to refer once again to the people of Camaloa and to see them coming at last to recognition and prominence in the world. Thanks so! | |
| Matt | Reviewed Chapter: Author's Notes on 9/15/2019 |
| As you know I'm not visiting SoA as much as I used to. I stopped by today and was both glad and sad to see this story completed. An excellent job. Out of curiosity, as I too like "returned Aragorn" stories a great deal, what stories other than Radbooks' excellent piece and Aspects of Aragorn (which I know isn't truly a return of Aragorn tale by itself) can you recommend? I know I've read others but can't find them in my ffn favorites right now. I would be very interested in that elopement fic you mention in the notes as I think it would give us a tremendous view of the differences (in your universe at least) between what are in some ways the most and least sophisticated (or at least economically complex) parts of Middle Earth. Thanks again for your hard work on this, looking forward to future tales in this direction...and any recommendations you can offer. Author Reply: Nor am I visiting as often as I did, Matt. I'm a half year from turning seventy, and it's making itself known to me. The Shire and the rest of Middle-earth still enchant me, but it's taking so much longer to get things written and posted! I'm still working, and it's once more not being as much fun as it once was. As for the governments of the U.S. and Britain--it appears that Lotho has put himself in charge of both lands! I didn't read as many Aragorn stories on FF.n as I did on HASA, and as I said, that has closed down. I've not sought for them on AnArchiveOfOurOwn, so what I remember from HASA I haven't learned whether or not they were transferred as my stories were. One was called something to the order of "In the Bloody Cottage," and in it was told the birth of Aragorn. It was a rather dark tale in which the Northern Dunedain were depicted as dwindling, with the women devoted to producing sons to protect their land with few seeking to produce daughters to continue their people. Rather nihilistic, I thought. Halbeleg was the name given Gilraen's brother in an Aragorn Returned story I read there, and it was from that I took the name, although my brain insisted on spelling it with an /a/ rather than the initial /e/. I fear that I remember little of the details of that story, other than the spelling of the name, of course. But in it Aragorn came back to the Angle to learn the rule of their people from this uncle. I hope to eventually write the story of Gilthor and Arien--but first I have so many tales to finish! Thanks so much for following this tale, and perhaps I'll add more of young Aragorn as time goes on. Have you read Fiondil's story of Aragorn among the Rohirrim? It's here on SoA. And Virtuella, I think, did one of that time as well, in which Aragorn was not introduced as quite as accomplished as he was in Fiondil's tale. Take care and God bless. | |
| Matt | Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 7/27/2019 |
| When SoA was more active than it is now I was a close follower of this story. I was pleased to see you'd finished it recently and like what you did with it. As I have noted in earlier reviews I think the treatment of prisoners etc too gentle but can see your reasoning for this. Your characters are generally very strong and well developed. I wish others would follow your efforts in this area. Thanks so much for your hard work on this, As I stop by, I'll be watching for other long works from you to either complete or begin. Author Reply: I am reworking "Or Perchance, When the Last Little Star..." now, and hope to get it started reposting soon. And--who knows? Perhaps I might one day get Eorl to the Battle of the Celebrant, a chapter I'm stuck on in "Stirring Rings." I'm glad that you find yourself understanding why Aragorn seemed too gentle with the Angmarians. I do try to do decent characterizations, and find I've been inspired by writers such as Charles Dickens and, more importantly, Rosemary Sutcliff, who doesn't repeatedly bonk the reader over the head with it as Dickens did. Thank you for continuing to check up on this tale, and am glad you enjoyed it in the end. Thanks so, Matt! | |
| Bookworm | Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 7/13/2019 |
| Ah, I loved this! And the epilogue is just perfect, tying everything neatly together Author Reply: Am so glad you have liked it so, Bookworm. And it was fun to see Eldarion establishing what may well become a family tradition for the descendants of Elessar Telcontar, entering the Rangers incognito so as to get the idea as to what it truly means to serve in both realms. Thanks so much for the comments! | |
| iboneki | Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 7/8/2019 |
| Larner, I cannot say enough about this absolute gift of a story. You've been such a prolific writer for this fandom, your works always equally as technically well-written as they are perfectly characterized. But this one is probably my all-time favorite. Aragorn is an endlessly fascinating character but I find that the most interesting parts of his life are not from LOTR itself, but the small tidbits mentioned in the appendices. That you took the mention of Aragorn returning to his people and imagined it in this fashion, weaving such a complex story that explores all of the skills and characteristics we know he must have both trained for and embodied. And not just this, but also exploring Aragorn's real fears and anxieties as he copes with the expectations and pressure of being such a young chieftain. I especially loved along the way how his companions grew to either realize who he was, or had their deserved embarrassment when finding out at the end, hah! The epilogue, coming full circle with Eldarion and two of Aragorn's original companions was perfection. I appreciate your effort in writing and finishing this, and it made my day every time a new chapter appeared in my inbox. I'll miss this story but will certainly read it again and again. Hope you find room in your writing for more exploration of Aragorn in the future. Author Reply: Thank you so, Iboneki. I'm not as prolific as I once was, but between my work, my beasts, and admittedly my age, I find too many distractions from writing. I am so glad that this tale has caught so positively at your imagination. Thanks so very much for your comments and letting me know how much the tale has pleased you! | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 7/8/2019 |
| What an absolutely marvelous epilogue. As his father served in humility, skill, and secret in the South, 'Elda' now serves in humility, skill, and secret in the North. This entire conclusion beautifully shows us the future of the Dunedain, and the tapestry of citizens woven from all parts of Middle-earth. Well done, my friend. Author Reply: I hope that it is many, many generations before the Dunedain begin to deteriorate, Shirebound. I've loved writing this story, and felt that Eldarion ought to follow his father's example at least a bit. Thanks so for your continued appreciation for my writing. | |
| mystarlight | Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 7/8/2019 |
| Breathtaking story. Love the plot and characters. Thank you for sharing. Author Reply: Thank you so, MyStarlight. I've loved Aragorn since I was thirteen, and find that now that I'm approaching seventy I still love him! | |
| KathyG | Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 7/8/2019 |
| So, this is the final chapter! You did a great job with this story! Is it also posted on Fanfiction.net? BTW, it's still listed as "in progress." If it really is finished, you might want to change its status to "complete." Author Reply: Yes, this was the final chapter, and I hope that you realize that I like to "complete" my longer works with my author's notes. Am so glad you liked it. Yes, it's complete on Fanfiction.Net as well, but think I have to add the author's notes to it on A2O3. Hope to get back to your and Dreamflower's story within the next week. Life had become so distracting in the last few years! | |
| UTfrog | Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 7/7/2019 |
| Love this ending! Thank you so much. Author Reply: Well, what better ending than that the son should follow the father to prove he is worthy to serve both North and South Kingdoms? Thank you so much for following this story, UTfrog! | |
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 7/5/2019 |
| Oh, hurrah! I just dropped by the SoA website to check something while writing the next "Bill" chapter, and saw this update! Will leave an actual review later... Author Reply: Am so glad you did. Hope your trip east went well. And am so looking forward to the next Bill chapter! | |