Reviews (506)

Elendiari22 · 22 April 2004

This is great! I can't wait to find out what happens next. Thanks for sharing!

Crimson · 22 April 2004

My reply to your reply: I'm so glad you took my compliment for what it was! Yes, it is noticeable, and your dream research is also very admirable. I'm sorry I didn't mention how much I liked your description of Eomer's dream ("fighting in a land he didn't recognize, against a people he knew nothing about, and even though they did not resist, he couldn't win.") I've had that dream myself a few times... And the composition of that sentence is exactly what I mean by improvement from "very good" to "exceptional" writing. That one sentence states everything we need to know about what's going on in Eomer's mind. As for Don Juan Shadowfax -- don't be too hard on him; he doesn't get out much these days. I was half expecting him to wink at the mares and neigh, "Come here often?" But seriously, I like how you're developing Eowyn's character by having her experience hobbit cuddling and stallion flirtation, etc. because it seems that despite the fact that she was raised among men of war, she doesn't really understand men much and that's partially why she's so nervous around Faramir. I might be totally wrong here, so ignore me if I am; but if this was your intention (i.e. making Eowyn's character a little naive about men) than I think it's brilliant. You've shown us that she trusts Eomer because she has known him all her life (just as she had Theodred); she trusts the hobbits too (Merry in particular) because they are transparently honest and good. But I think she would have been much less trustful if she knew that Pippin wanted to peek in on her while she was dressing; however, an older (and married) Eowyn wouldn't have minded much because she would understand that it was essentially harmless -- just as Faramir's amorous interest in her is also harmless. So, the way I see it, you're slowly evolving this tense and inhibited Shieldmaiden into the Lady in Faramir's prophetic dream. If this is your intention, great work! If you have no idea what I'm talking about, great work still. Here's another thought I had while reading your story; and again, I might be totally off base on this. But it seems like you've depicted Gondor's social mores as being a little more liberal, or perhaps a better word would be relaxed, than Rohan's. I like that and think it makes sense. Most fanfic writers would fall for the cliche of portraying Rohan as the more free-wheeling/"anything goes"/authentically earthy culture, and Gondor as the more genteel, prudish, and traditional culture. But if you look to actual history, I think you'll find the exact opposite to be true. Older cultures tend to be more decadent and younger cultures more disciplined. Roman culture (which is what Tolkien patterned Gondor after) was much more decadent than Anglo-Saxon. Not that Romans (Gondorians) were "immoral" or Anglo-Saxons (Rohirrim) "prudes" -- it's just that a younger culture has to be more disciplined to survive, and an older culture has been around long enough to experience moral decline but, if it's wise and given a second chance for recovery (like Gondor), it does its best to find a happy medium between decadence and austerity. There are any number of anecdotal examples of this in real life. Compare urban culture to rural culture, and you'll inevitably find that although urban culture is more "refined," it is also more "decadent." (I'm using these terms loosely.) And although rural culture is less "refined" (i.e. no operas or trendy nightclubs, etc.) and less inhibited by fancy etiquette, it also tends to be more morally disciplined. In my anecdotal rural culture, you could get away with using the wrong fork at the dinner table or even getting fall-down drunk after dinner, but you couldn't get away with giving your fiancé a hickie. And in my anecdotal urban culture, a gal could get away with sitting at the breakfast table with a love bite on her neck, but if she's dressed in men's riding clothes she'll be mocked and shunned by the more refined ladies. With that in mind, it makes perfect sense that Eomer and Eowyn are shocked by Faramir's brazen sexual behavior; and Faramir is shocked by their rough-edged habits of arguing with each other at the top of their lungs in front of strangers. Again, I'm not sure if this was your intention, but if it was, I like it. If it wasn't, I still like it. All in all, keep writing!

Crimson · 22 April 2004

Kudos again on yet another great chapter! Forgive me if this compliment sounds in any way patronizing, but I've noticed that your writing style has improved from good to very good to exceptional in the course of this story. The narrative structure of each chapter, the composition of your sentences, the juxtaposition of dialogue with the exposition of a character's internal monologue -- all seem to be tighter (for lack of a better word) in these later chapters. Of course, that's not to say that your earlier chapters weren't good too. It's just that these few seem even better. Also, I really admire your use of Faramir's dreams. It's as if his dreams are an outlet for the Numenorean "clear sight" he is supposed to have. And I have to comment on Shadowfax's attempt at equine flirtation. That was just hilarious! Again, great work. Keep it coming. It's a pleasure to read.

finafyr · 21 April 2004

Boy are those hobbits going to be in trouble when Gandalf gets ahold of them.. (grin) very well done as usual.. it is fun to see what you are going to write next. you are so good at writing the personalities.. and keep to Tolkiens world so well. I love to read your stories... thank you for your talent and your sharing

Elendiari22 · 21 April 2004

This is great! I can't wait to find out what happens next!

fliewatuet · 21 April 2004

Terrific, absolutely terrific! Where do Merry and Pippin get all those weird ideas? Sneaking a snake in Aragorn's bed as a revenge for the trip through the Midgewater Marshes ... I so love their absolute lack of respect for all and sundry. But they get away with it. Even Pippin's more than colloquial greeting of Shadowfax did not offend the mighty lord of horses, and the Hobbits got their wish granted in the end. And it might be not too bad an idea to be far away from Minas Tirith come morning. If I read that previous chapter correctly, Pippin hinted at not only stealing Aragorn's pillowcases, but also at having build a snowman on Aragorn's bed. I only hope they left Aragorn's pillows still intact. I dare not imagine Aragorn in his more than fould mood after having had to separate Faramir and Éomer and taken his share of bruises retiring to his chambers only to find his pillows ripped apart ... Though I'd give a lot for a description of Aragorn's reaction *hint, hint*

Jen · 20 April 2004

Yay, another chapter. This was very funny and cute. Gandalf's eyes narrowing at the end does not bode well for the three.

Jen · 20 April 2004

Wondering if Pippin intentionally tried to be irritating to get Eowyn to agree to anything. Shadowfax! Gandalf will turn them to pipeweed and light them himself.

sqrt(-1) · 20 April 2004

Well, Shadowfax has been successfully stolen. And remarkably easily too. I really thought that it would be harder. And Gandalf knows... I'm glad you told, in brief at least, about Pippin, Merry, Aragorn, and the snake. It was quite funny! Now I feel sorry for Faramir again though, because here it's his last day to see her and Eowyn has gone off with the hobbits and Shadowfax in search of pipeweed of all things. Well, I guess it serves him right, hm? Still greatly enjoying the story, and appreciating the frequent updates!

Éile · 20 April 2004

Gods, I LOVE this story. I've been happily following it since the beginning. I am an admitted lurker. The interaction between characters is very well crafted as is the character development. The dialogue at times has me falling out of my chair. And you're terribly good at keeping readers on their toes... using shadowfax to fetch pipeweed... who have thunk it... I was also impressed Aragorn's "mean streak" at the houses... a very nice touch... I'm happily anticipating the next installment of chaos :)

Crimson · 20 April 2004

I would leave a longer review, but I am too busy laughing out loud. This chapter was hilarious! This line in particular still has me laughing: "You think you can bribe the Lord of all Horses with a carrot." Just great work. Post another one (or two or four) tomorrow please!

EomerofEastfold · 20 April 2004

Oh my goodness, they're not!? Shadowfax!? Gandalf would smite them if he found out. :) Oh, and no, I did not expect Eowyn to change with the snap of a finger. It's just that in reading 28 chapters I forgot that they only covered a few days of time.

sqrt(-1) · 20 April 2004

Oh dear, the hobbits are going to try to steal Shadowfax? Whatever for?!? And they think that Eowyn can help? The title of this chapter was certainly very appropriate. :D

Crimson · 20 April 2004

Again, great chapter, but I have to comment on one small thing that made me go "hmmm." Although I too think Eomer would be a formidable opponent, when matched against Faramir, I think Tolkien's money would have been on Faramir, not Eomer. Here's how Tolkien described Eowyn's first perceptions of Faramir: "And she looked at him and saw the grave tenderness in his eyes, and yet knew, for she was bred among men of war, that here was one whom no Rider of the Mark would outmatch in battle." (LOTR, Book VI, Ch. 5) This observation (that Faramir could outmatch any Rider of the Mark) comes from no less an authority than Eowyn herself. That's a pretty strong endorsement. But perhaps I'm jumping the gun here and you intend to show Faramir "outmatching" the Riders of the Mark later in your story when he finally gets to Rohan. But I just wanted to mention this because it really struck me (no pun intended) as odd that Faramir would get his ass kicked so thoroughly (yeah sure he broke Eomer's nose, but if the fight continued there was no question that Eomer was going to succeed in killing Faramir). After all, Faramir is Numenorean, and that has to count for something. Also, I forgot to review Chapter 23. I loved the fact that you made Faramir an artist. I was half expecting him to offer to draw her (a la DiCaprio and Winslet in "Titanic"). I was thinking -- oh great, Eomer's going to find a nude drawing of Eowyn and flip out! Well, that's all for now. Please do continue! I'm totally engrossed in your story.

sqrt(-1) · 20 April 2004

I'm glad Eowyn went to the hobbits - when she thought she couldn't go back to her own room, my first thought was "she should go take refuge with the hobbits" and then she did! I still feel so sorry for her. Hopefully she'll get her feelings all sorted out soon. I don't feel at all sorry for Eomer and Faramir. They need to learn that fighting like school boys doesn't solve anything, just causes pain for everybody involved. You're updating today already? Yay for quick updates!

fliewatuet · 20 April 2004

I feared that they would fight, but I had no idea how ferocious they would be getting. Could it be possible that Aragorn is a tad bit peeved? Denying his fellow King and his Steward any remedies that might relieve the pain of getting broken bones set. But the pain of the injuries will go away rather soon, but I have no idea how long it will take both Faramir and Éomer to reconcile with Éowyn.

Jen · 19 April 2004

Ouch! Men do tend to throw their fists at one another before thinking about it. Although I like the chapter, I am not sure about Faramir saying what he did about Eowyn. I always thought he was a very cultured and measured man who did not say or do anything without thinking through all the consequences.

EomerofEastfold · 19 April 2004

Man, that was an awesome fight! It was inevitable anyway, the way things were going. But, man, Eowyn sure is taking her time coming around.

Anzie · 19 April 2004

This story is awesome. It's funny and angsty all together. I love it. And I really appreciate how you go through and use the Old English. You could just itlalize something and say it's Rohirric, but you go the extra step and put in another language. That shows you're really dedicated to this story and adds to its excellence. I also like trying to understand the Old English without scrolling down and reading the translations. It's a nice addition. Thank you so much for writing this fic and putting so much work into it. Update soon!

sqrt(-1) · 19 April 2004

Well, at least Aragorn tried... Poor Eowyn, it must have been most unpleasant to watch your intended husband and beloved brother beat each other up. And poor Aragorn - he tried to fix things, and got a black eye for his pains. Although these lines: " “Come on.” Aragorn snapped. Then, as they moved to follow he stopped and facing them, said coldly, fully meaning it, “And, if you two decide to start something again, I’ll call for the guards and throw you both in the cells for the week without so much as a hunk of bread! I don’t care who you are!” “Yes, sir.” They said meekly, the fight gone out of them." were just too funny! This story continues to be well-written and great fun, I look forward to the next installment.

Crimson · 19 April 2004

You are incredibly good at building tension in your story and not letting up! Great work. Keep it coming!

EomerofEastfold · 16 April 2004

I love all the Old English you're learning to put in this story. Please, tell me, is there an online translator or dictionary you have found? I would really like to know! I have a feeling Pippin and Merry are trying to bail out Faramir somehow, but I can't say for certain. Oh, and I loved this, "I’m bigger, heavier than she—makes me harder to kill in general." I'd love to see you write of Eomer and Eowyn's childhood together. :)

Jen · 16 April 2004

The story is developing well. I like how you've created various layers using different characters, while keeping the main story line clipping at a good pace. Can't wait to see how all of it ties up together.

BKB · 15 April 2004

All I can say is that Faramir is not the only one who can be called "inwitful". It can also be apply to author who stretch out the suspense for maximum effect.

sqrt(-1) · 15 April 2004

Ah, they are finally behaving properly...or at least mostly properly. I really hope that Eomer doesn't catch them (Am I right in guessing that Aragorn is helping them out? Good for him! But then, he might understand slightly overprotective family members, hm?). I wonder what Pip's up to? Can't wait to find out!