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| In the Hands of the Enemy by meckinock | 153 Review(s) |
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| perelleth | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 6/23/2006 |
| Now that my head doesn't hurt anymore, after a long session of desk banging, (how could I have missed this!)I think I can write this so long due review. I am too picky with my ff reading, I have not much time and I am easily bothered by small details that, to my view, are out of character. So it is absolutely my fault that I let pass jewels like this. (Although I must say that I discovered ff about a year and half ago, so my knowledge is far from vast...and closer to limited by my own prejudices.. :-) It was Daw who pointed me to your stories some weeks ago, saying that you were the best fanfiction writer she knew of, so it was a worthy recommendation! And then I read Karen's tale for the last birthday's party and that kind of finally did the trick. I really loved the tale, Meckinock. I'm deeply amazed and healthily jealous of your writing, how fluently description puts the nail into the mood of the situation, how landscape becomes a part of the tale, and how characters interact in such a natural way.Dialogues are fast and significant and the quick retorts and the dry sense of humour always manage to catch me. And then the characters. Your Halbarad is an archetype, and a good man in essence, with an urgency, and a mission, and a great, generous view on life and his own place in it, despite his own misjudgings and his close-to-earth approach. Rolly was deep in his conflict and a fantastically well-developed character. Dudo is simply amazing, I cannot fathom how you managed to get into his mind like that but he is superb, and Aragorn is very much Aragorn, and that's all that is needed. Yet to me the most amazing surprise was Gandalf. He comes out exactly as I always guessed he would be, and there are glimpses of his own nature, his own conflict, his inability to be what he may instinctively know he is, a great being confined to a mortal -and old- body, and yet he stubbornly does what he thinks needs to be done with what he has at hand. His dry sense of humour, his brusqueness, his compassionate approach to the task at hand really moved me, and I think that you nailed him down perfectly, the only Maiar who kept true to their mission, selfless service to the forces of good in Middle-earth. It has been a really rewarding reading, and I must say that since I rather enjoy reading stories as a whole, for the chapter to chapter thing at times makes me lose concentration ( I'm a greedy reader...) I do not mind that it took me so long to find this out, for I had the pleasure of reading it in long shots during a few days! Congratulations for such an excellent tale. I'm now trying t decide if I go to the next one or just give you time to finish it, although I doubt I shall have the willpower to resist! :-) Author Reply: Give your head a rest, Perelleth! I'm sure there are plenty of gems out there that I've overlooked or simply don't have/make time to read. Multi-chapter stories, especially, get to be a commitment and sometimes with our busy lives we tend to shy away from one more of those, I think. And then we all get into our genre ruts. I know I do! I must remember to thank Daw for pointing this out to you. I'm very glad you enjoyed it. Sounds like you could use a diversion after all your globe-trotting. It's actually extra special to get such a nice review so long after the story was originally published. You know, these things are our babies, and sometimes it seems like fan fiction is performance art - once a story leaves the front page it's gone and forgotten, and oftentimes when people find an older story there's not the same inclination to leave a review because it's not the flavor of the day. Writing this story was one of the single best experiences of my life - I felt like a kid in a toy store and I really tried to stretch my meagre skills as far as they would go. So glad you enjoyed it! The sequel is about 3/4 done. If you normally like to read straight through, I'm hoping to finish it by the end of July. But I'm notoriously unreliable. | |
| Ainu Laire | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/3/2006 |
| This is really bugging me. I swear I left a review for this story, yet I cannot find it anywhere. *frowns* well, thought you should know that I've probably read this fan fic more times through than any other fan fic, ever. It's brilliant. But I *swear* I left a review... *frowns* And I found Karenator's reviews. I split a gut laughing. XDD Must continue reading those. Author Reply: It's OK. I'm not even sure what day it is at the moment, much less remember something I did two years ago. You made my day, though. I'll have a smile on my face the rest of the day, which will really confuse everyone... | |
| Levade | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 12/28/2005 |
| Well. I am SO glad Nilmandra pointed me towards this story! It's better than good. Not only do you have a solid plot, you write believable OC's who come alive and write the canon characters so well it's an easy jump to see this as an add-on to Tolkien's canon. I love the details too -- from the burrs that Halbarad pulls off after scouting, to the Ranger CSI. Gandalf is just how I imagine and Halbarad is terrific in his grumpy, crusty, tough-as-nails but still loveable Ranger Tough Guy. It's just so easy to picture this all happening, and that, among other things, is what makes this so great. And you're continuing it! Wonderful story, Meckinock. I hope you share many more with us. Author Reply: Hi, Levade! Glad you're enjoying the story! I had a great time writing it. | |
| RS | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 12/4/2005 |
| PERFECT!!! What a magnificent way to end this lovely story!! Aragorn laughing. Such a jovial ending after reading so much angst and sadness. I wanted to leave a review after each chapter but I just got into "the groove" and didn't want to ruin it (although I still had to stop and make dinner for my family...I didn't forget this time!). I've fallen in love with Dudo. I wish he would spring to life so I can pick him up and hug him!!! Your OC's are wonderful and so realistic!! I was saddened by Rolly's decision. I couldn't help but feel for him. What a powerful character! His last statements to ARagorn...WOW!!. Such loyalty! Halbarad has become one of my favorite characters (next to Aragorn of course). I enjoyed Halbarad's tracking of Aragorn and his admiration for Aragorn's skill for decapitation (I got a kick out of that one)! I love the comradery and loyalty between Aragorn and Halbarad. Their quick wittedness had me in stitches. They are the definition of true friendship. Gandalf of course was true to character. I marvel at such a wonderful story and at the person who wrote this. I hope there's more plots and stories in that brilliant mind of yours so we can read more gems like this in the future. Can't wait for your update on "A Matter of Honor". Bob Pearblossom....Hmph!!..BWAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! Author Reply: Wow. Forget feeding your kids; you keep throwing around words like "perfect" and "brilliant" and I'll just start having food delivered to your house every night. I love Dudo, too (although it was totally an accident) and I hated losing Rolly. But I kept his options open until the end and decided that Saruman had such a strong hold on him that he couldn't find his way back, even though he wanted to. I had such a wonderful time writing this story, and it thrills me to no end when someone discovers it after all this time -especially someone as enthusiastic as you! Halbarad isn't terribly fond of that nickname - he's going to try to hand it off soon. I'm so glad you found both stories, and thanks for your reviews. They put a big grin on my face. | |
| lindahoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 9/13/2005 |
| This was such a touching chapter,especially the foreshadowing and Aragorn's scenes with Halbarad and Dudo. I have loved this story and am eagerly awaiting your next chapter of "A matter of Honour" Thank you so muchfor a wonderful read. Author Reply: Linda, I'm so sorry; I just came to the review page to answer a review and saw that I did'nt reply to this review. Thanks for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed the story, and I apologize for taking so long to respond. meckinock | |
| lindahoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 9/13/2005 |
| What a wonderful chapter ! I asume that Roly wanted the wolf to kill him?It was so noble of Aragorn to still try and protect him ! YOu created the suspense well but my favourite part was Halbarad's devoted care for Aragorn.I would much rather read about him than Legolas,for Tolkien suggests they were close. | |
| lindahoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 9/10/2005 |
| I guessed Roly was up to no good though he had me fooled in the last chapter.The ranger boy's death and Aragorn's grief was heartrending.Totally gripping. Author Reply: Rolly's fate was an open question even to myself for a long time. I knew, of course, that he was Teburic's master, but he was also a kid who had been warped by an extremely bad influence. He came close to making the right decision. | |
| lindahoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 9/7/2005 |
| What a dreadful dilemma for poor Aragorn, I hope Gandalf and Halbarad hurry to the rescue,wizards are handy when wolves are around ! Brilliant writing,how I wish i had your skill ! Author Reply: We'll see how handy Gandalf is with the wolves! | |
| lindahoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 9/7/2005 |
| Poor,poor Aragorn,this is just dreadful for him and he is so brave!I'm wondering if Roly is asking questions when he is delirious at the beginning ?How dare that monster beat him so ?Beautifully written and compulsive reading. Author Reply: Yup, Rolly is a sly creature and Aragorn is having trouble telling which way is up! You're a sweetheart - thanks for reviewing. | |
| lindahoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 8/25/2005 |
| I just LOVE the Halbarad and Gandalf double act, it is quite unique ! The description of Aragorn's decapication technique was just so droll. I am more worried than ever about poor Aragorn as even in his sleep he is tormented and then to be beaten up again by another nasty kidnapper !You are a very talented writer indeed. Author Reply: Hi, Linda, I loved writing Halbarad and Gandalf together. Thanks for the review! | |