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| When Shadow Touches Home by daw the minstrel | 105 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| meckinock | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/28/2004 |
| Ahem. Rolly says hi. Where was I? Oh, yeah. Ithilden gets invited in for a nice cozy chat with wine again, and will undoubtedly get credit for his enormouse INSIGHT into Legolas's problems; meanwhile Eilian is just a big problem for everyone. Ithilden and Thranduil keep having these big grown-up alcoholic male-bonding sessions, and Legolas keeps getting hugs and night-night kisses, and Eilian just keeps getting pushed aside. Poor Eilian. Author Reply: Hi, Rolly! You're not getting cat hair in the keyboard, are you? Yeah, I know, poor Eilian. This is one reason he needs Legolas so much. | |
| meckinock | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/28/2004 |
| "and you could not have saved Nana even if you had had a sword. Believe me. I know." They sat for a moment in silence. "But I will be a warrior some day," Legolas murmured into Ithilden's tunic. Ithilden's grip tightened again. "Probably you will," he said, and to Legolas's ears, he sounded sad. Oh, that is sad. Now, onward - Ithilden shrugged. "Perhaps it is all connected," he said. Oh, sure. This is going to be like a STROKE OF GENIUS Author Reply: See I knew you were going to be that way! You Eilian lover you! | |
| meckinock | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/28/2004 |
| Legolas looked at him wonderingly. Sometimes he did not understand grown ups. Of course a dagger was dangerous. He knew that. That was why he wanted one. ROTFL!!! I'm sorry; I have to do this one in two parts. Up until now the recurring reference to Turgon's getting a sword has been simply amusing; now things are getting serious. And poor Eilian - again nobody wants to listen to him. Legolas's sudden fascination with bladed weapons is intriguing, and again you nailed his boyish curiosity about the contents of his older brothers' rooms. I liked his observation that Eilain's room was less interesting than Ithilden's because Ithilden usually put everything away. ROTFL again! Author Reply: I knew there was a reason I liked you, Meckinock! I thought that line was hilarious and I swear no one commented on it! Again this is the kind of chapter I love writing. Getting into this kid's head is so much fun. The most bizarre things seem natural. | |
| meckinock | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 11/28/2004 |
| The bread and jam scene was just adorable. You have an amazing ability to see the world through a child's eyes and focus on the things a child thinks are important - like being able to smear his own bread with jam and getting it right up to the edges. It was cute when Thranduil showed up and Legolas got jam all over his cloak. And their father-son bonding session at the pond was sweet. The one I still feel bad for is Eilian. When Ithilden shows up, he has a nice reunion with Legolas and Thranduil and they have that nice banter about the pony, and then he gets invited back to the den for wine and adult discussion. Thranduil makes one half-heartd stab at chastising him for countermanding his orders and then backs down. Eilian would have spent a week on his knees for a stunt like that! Author Reply: I loved writing about the "orcs" shrieking down the hall and "attacking" Annael's mother. I've been there! Three little boys in the house and the noise is bouncing off the wall. But then they're warriors, which I take as a sign of progress anyway. If you're sympathizing with Eilian now, I can't imagine what you're going to do when you see how Thranduil reacts to *Ithilden's* insights about Legolas. | |
| meckinock | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 11/28/2004 |
| Wow, I don't think I've seen Ithilden being quite such an ass before! So he thinks he's going to keep Eilian out of the Southern Patrol? Hmmm. That should be interesting. I hope his revelation about not being able to control everything brings him to his senses. It was amusing that Maltanaur deprived him of the opportunity to summon him to the "having it out" session. Go Maltanaur! Celuwen and Eilian's little make-out session was lovely. Too bad we have to wait a few hundred years for the real thing. Author Reply: Go Maltanaur indeed. Boy did Ithilden need to hear that! And he needs to go home and he needs to get a damn grip on himself! Although in some ways, he's got way too tight a grip. Poor guy. "The real thing." Yes. I enjoyed writing that too, scary as it was to post it! | |
| meckinock | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 11/28/2004 |
| Thranduil's memories of his last night dancing with Lorellin were just heartbreaking. I can't help it, though - you've got Bad!Legolas nailed so well it makes me laugh. The scene with Thranduil trying to get him dressed for the dancing where he was going on about his clothes being too tight and ada using the wrong-color brush was so painful it was funny. Oh, and the outright tantrum at the dance, complete with being hauled away sobbing hysterically. But back to the dance for a minute - it's painful seeing Eilian and Celuwen's attraction to each other and know how long it will be before it comes to fruition! And I chuckled at Eilian's casual assumption that Celuwen always understood when he had to be somewhere else. Eilian's empathy for Legolas and his gentleness with him is really touching. It was cute to see him trying to put Legolas to bed. The one I really feel sorry for here is Eilian. He seems to desperately need a hug from his ada and ada is disapproving of him, as usual. It was too bad that Thranduil wouldn't listen to Eilian when he was trying to explain Legolas's feelings. Thranduil is doing his best but if he would listen a little better he might gain some insight into all his sons. Eilian's realization that he wasn't ready to die and that he was behaving recklessly, particularly the part about not wanting to die with the stink of orc blood in his nostrils, really made me think about his reaction to Elladan and Elrohir in "Good Neighbors". Already Eilian is analyzing his behavior and deciding to focus his anger constructively. Not that he won't continue to have his reckless moments for centuries to come, but at least he's examining his behavior and attempting to look at it in the context of his relationship to his family and his place in his society. It seems that E2 maybe didn't gain that perspective due to the isolated nature of Rivendell. Once they started down the path of professional orc-exterminators, there were no larger concerns pulling them back. Makes you wonder if Elrond was asleep at the wheel, though... Author Reply: Bad!Legolas is a ton of fun to write. Nilmandra says I can think like a kid with such ease that it's scary. I feel bad for Eilian too. Karen once wrote me an analysis of him that was right on. He looks self confident and easy going, but he's painfully in need of someone to love and approve of him. Legolas fills that role in some ways, but he needs Celuwen. And what you say about E2 seems right too. Eilian's relationship with his father and Ithilden may be troubled, but at least they're on top of what he's doing. Also, I'm thrilled that you're reading this, Meckinock, but you don't really have to review it all. :-) | |
| meckinock | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 11/28/2004 |
| I really liked Ithilden getting put in his place by Maltanaur. That doesn't happen very often. Poor Legolas, he's acting out big-time; and Eilian is on one big self-destructive downward spiral, too. Eilian's recollection of being fed breakfast porridge at lunchtime was cute. Author Reply: I love Maltanaur. He tells the truth and is completely impertubable, no matter which of Thranduil's sons he's dealing with. He's like a force of nature. Is this the chapter where Legolas confesses to setting the fire? He must have scared his family big time. And yes, this is where I saw Eilian at his most self-destructive. | |
| meckinock | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 11/28/2004 |
| Hey, Daw! Karen got me thinking about titles, so I went back and looked at all of your story titles, and then this story dragged me in. I flipped through it briefly right after I started to read your stuff, but mainly to get caught up and figure out who everyone was. I couldn't resist taking another look today and now I can't drag myself away. Wow! I don't think I've ever seen Thranduil angry at all three kids at the same time before. This is truly a family in meltdown. And the sucker punches being thrown right and left are red-hot-- Eilian telling Ithilden he can't save his mother because she's dead; Thranduil bringing up Dagorlad... All of them are suffering so; together and separately. Legolas is the worst - the ache he feels when he sees Annael's mother kiss him is heart-wrenching. My favorite scene of the whole chapter is where Legolas won't eat and Thranduil puts him on his lap and hand-feeds him like a small child. It comforted both of them. Author Reply: I'm really thrilled that you're caught by this story, Meckinock. It was the first time I'd ever written about Legolas as an elfling, and I got so into it that I was really sorry when it ended. I loved being in his little kid head. All of my characters really got on edge in this one and I got to know them a lot better. I feel so sorry for Thranduil. He's trying his best but he's suffering too and there's no one to comfort him. Having Legolas to cuddle is important for him (and for Eilian too). | |
| Larien Elengasse | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 7/13/2004 |
| This was wonderful, a real page-turner. I loved how you portrayed young Legolas, and the interactions between him and his family. His precocious nature was so endearing, and his emotions were very believable. I also appreciated how you portrayed Thranduil, as I am a fan of his and find that too few authors do him justice. The family dynamics were wonderful in this story and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Well done, truly. Author Reply: Thank you, Larien Elengasse. I love showing Thranduil as a shrewd ruler and a good father. Ican't imagine how he got the bad reputation he has in fanfic. So far as I can see, there is NO evidence for it. And I have to admit that family dynamics is what I enjoy writing the most. Battles are more or less inevitable in a Tolkien story, but Ada and the kids? That's just fun. daw | |
| FaerieQueen | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 1/2/2004 |
| That was a nice fic. I love reading about Legolas's early childhood. This was an especially moving story, as it took place so close to his mother's death. I go now to continue reading more Legolas stories. Thank you. FaerieQueen Author Reply: Thank you, Faerie Queen (are you a Spenser fan?). I really enjoyed writing about little kid Legolas. Seeing things through his eyes was a kick. I especially liked writing about him being mothered by Annael's mother. Thank you for letting me know that you liked the story too. | |