Reviews (60)

Imrahoil · 21 December 2005 · Chapter 21: Day 21 - The Dice-Maker

Mensch, Soledad, das ist schon irgendwo eine Pervertierung eines Adventskalenders. Ich weiß auch, daß das Leben nicht nur aus Weihnachtsgeschenken, Schokolade und Schnee besteht, aber uns diese ganzen Leute nahezubringen, um sie dann im Nachsatz fast durch die Bank umzubringen, tut weh. Daß es wehtut, spricht natürlich sehr für die Geschichten. In diesem Sinne frohe Weihnachten und ein gutes, gesundes Jahr 2006.

Bodkin · 20 December 2005 · Chapter 21: Day 21 - The Dice-Maker

Interesting - toymakers of Dale gone south. Fascinating background. Dangerous times, though - not even staying in Halabor is enough to keep Breach safe. I like the gambling / drinking / fighting Rohirrim who sit in the background.

Bodkin · 20 December 2005 · Chapter 20: Day 20 - The Beggar and the Dimwit

I like Galhir. A brave man, making the best of a difficult fall of the dice. And Meurig is kind - I can see why Angharad would decide he would make her a good husband.

Bodkin · 20 December 2005 · Chapter 19: Day 19 - The Farmer

I love the inter-connections between all these people. What a hard life this family has. And seventeen children! At least Sydnius is a good son-in-law and a kind husband. The honeymen and the Yule candle are a lovely touch.

Bodkin · 17 December 2005 · Chapter 16: Day 16 - The Honey-Maker

What an interesting trade. Although I agree that the smell of honey must get a bit much - and drive you to crave savoury things. Like people who work in sweet shops and chocolate factories being told they can eat all they want - and stuffing themselves for a week or two before they decide they never want to touch the stuff again.

Bodkin · 17 December 2005 · Chapter 17: Day 17 - The Book-Seller and His Wife

This is such a detailed world - with everybody in it having a background and emotional life. I love this family. But at least they all died together, I suppose.

Bodkin · 17 December 2005 · Chapter 18: Day 18 - The Lord's Bailiff

Well - it would seem that Peredur chose an excellent moment to reconcile with his half-brother and send him and his children to Dol Amroth. And that Odhrain has probably acquired himself a family to look after. Peredur's mother sounds an unpleasant old lady - and his brother and sister as if they spent too much time listening to her. Especially the sister. Who is safely off to Belfalas, terrorising her own family. How did Peredur escape and develop into a pleasant person, I wonder? Probably thanks to Iorwen.

Dreamflower · 16 December 2005 · Chapter 6: Day 06 - The Old Fisherman

I love old Craban--he makes a very plausible "St. Nick" figure, and the scenario was very plausible as well. I think this is what I am loving about these stories, in spite of a lack of hobbit, that your people are real and human and believable. You make their circumstances realistic, but they are not simply actors there to fill out your "historical village", if you know what I mean. And of course, the footnotes make each one poignant in its own way. A remarkable series of vignettes.

Dreamflower · 16 December 2005 · Chapter 5: Day 05 - The Charcoal Burner and His Family

I tried to leave a review earlier, but was using my husband's laptop, and for some reason, it thinks the review box is a pop-up, and blocks it! What a sad little family! Such hard workers, such hard circumstances, and yet as fate would have it, it's the very thing that made their life sad that also made it *survivable*. A very nice bit of irony that most of the family not only survived but benefited from the disaster, something that does occasionally happen in the real world.

Bodkin · 15 December 2005 · Chapter 15: Day 15 - The Tax Collector

He was expecting it to be his last Yule - and it was, though not in the way he imagined.

Bodkin · 15 December 2005 · Chapter 14: Day 14 - The Head Scribe

Well, it's not surprising that Odhrain is bitter - but he has had more opportunities than most and is in a better position than many. Curious as to how this one works out.

Bodkin · 15 December 2005 · Chapter 13: Day 13 - The Chandler

Fascinating tradition.

Bodkin · 12 December 2005 · Chapter 12: Day 12 - The Beer-Seller

Sydnius and Gennys sound quite a pleasant pair - they're both good husbands and fathers and caring men - how on earth did they manage to end up with a scummy, bullying abuser of a brother like Merryn? And how did they manage to turn enough of a blind eye to let him get away with it?

Bodkin · 10 December 2005 · Chapter 11: Day 11 - The Newborn

Poor baby. That's what you call a short life. I'm glad Dorlas and Craban made it out.

Bodkin · 10 December 2005 · Chapter 10: Day 10 - The Fishmonger's Widow

Now Rhybwrast could be spared - evil old snob. And being dead was probably a relief for her poor daughter-in-law. And possibly even for her son.

Bodkin · 10 December 2005 · Chapter 9: Day 09 - The Weaponsmith's Wife

I'm glad Delbaeth made it out of Halabor, with her daughter Thola - but I wish Selyv had too. Delbaeth had had a hard enough time of it already. Not that massacres and justice have much to do with each other.

Bodkin · 8 December 2005 · Chapter 8: Day 08 - The One-Handed Warden

I like Belegorn! A brave man - and at least his wife survived. Good plan to bring in experienced fighters - and another good plan to get them to marry young widows.

Bodkin · 8 December 2005 · Chapter 7: Day 07 - The Herb-Mistress

Poor little Edwy. Such a sweet lad. I'm glad he enjoyed his cinnamon apples. Crodergh had had a long life, though. She was lucky to survive the ignorance of the dim-witted peasants in her youth. Witches, indeed. It was clearly not a good thing to be a wise woman in the backwoods. I'm glad Angharad and Godith escaped. I'm sure their skills were needed.

Bodkin · 8 December 2005 · Chapter 6: Day 06 - The Old Fisherman

Craban is a tough old man! Seventy-eight - and not only doing well with his eel-fishing, but kind and generous and a survivor. I love seeing other characters twining in with new introductions. Sydnius and Vicana - reminds me of her poor sisters!

Nilmandra · 5 December 2005 · Chapter 5: Day 05 - The Charcoal Burner and His Family

This is a sad look at how hopes and dreams are unmet.... and while some of the wealthy and healthy died, they survived. I hope their life was better in the end.

Imrahoil · 5 December 2005 · Chapter 5: Day 05 - The Charcoal Burner and His Family

These stories are heartbreakingly well done. Will come back to your kind offer of looking up the second chapter of "The Shoemaker's daughter", but have only time for skimming at the moment and I want to read it properly.

Bodkin · 5 December 2005 · Chapter 5: Day 05 - The Charcoal Burner and His Family

I'm glad they survived - and hope that they had a happier life. They had a hard enough time keeping body and soul together - and at least it seems as if Selyn and Nista had a chance of being better off in the future. Melyor - what can you say - unwilling to slave for a pittance, she can only come to a bad end!

Nilmandra · 3 December 2005 · Chapter 4: Day 04 - The Rugmaker

When I visited Memphis, in Egypt, we visited the shops of rugmakers there, and I was incredibly impressed by the looms they worked on and how fast their fingers flew in making the rugs. The smaller the fingers, the greater the thread count and the silkier the threads used. They had their patterns taped up as well. A quick child could earn enough for their family by working only a few hours a day plus receive schooling, as part of a child labor practice. It was fascinating. No orcs to destroy them, thankfully. I woudl have been a glove or purse maker last chapter, but I think I would like to sit in this warm bright house where love was in plenty.

Nilmandra · 3 December 2005 · Chapter 3: Day 03 - The Glovemaker

These two ladies had a much brighter life than the last women we read of. I would have enjoyed stitching gloves or purses, but not tanning leather, either. It is very 'humanizing' to put stories to the names of people who die in a massacre. No longer numbers, they are people with hopes and dreams cut short, people we can identify with.

Bodkin · 2 December 2005 · Chapter 4: Day 04 - The Rugmaker

These are such interesting people - it seems awful that within such a short time they will all be slaughtered. But then, sometimes surviving that kind of disaster is worse that dying. I wonder how Erth coped with losing all his family like that.