Reviews (316)

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When horrors strike Gandalf is there fighting them alongside those who face them, while Saruman either hides from them or watches from the margins or ignores them completely. He would have praise for doing what comes easily to him, but doesn't soil his hands. And you are perfectly right about the curse--definitely clever and not grand. The plague that brought down Osgiliath at the end was described as having come in black clouds from the east--and in thinking of that black cloud the image came to me of insects--tons and tons of biting insects, and naturally enough, mosquitoes. But how would it have been treated? Well, if the ship explorers of the north brought potatoes and squashes from the new world, might not those of Gondor have brought back quinine and other such healing herbs? After all Tolkien indicated that the Dunedain ship explorers did circumnavigate the globe in search of the remains of Atalante and a possible approach to Aman, finding the world was indeed now a globe and no longer a disk. And that a form of our historical black plague might have also struck the world and also at Sauron's instigation seemed just too likely. And once more in the habit of showing off his cleverness Saruman has given the Enemy a means to more easily strike out at the center of Numenorean civilization in Ennor.

Author's reply

I can certainly see Saruman, the "Man of Skill," coming up with ideas intended to try to make folk beholden to himself, seeking praise and wonder. Thinking ahead to how those systems might be used against the folk who put them into practice, however, is something quite else. And am sorry the war comes off more dry. I'll consider revising it, but hope you don't mind if it's a while before I do so. I know what you mean about many history texts being dry, and I suspect that's why this section in the Appendices tends to get skipped over quite a bit.

Author's reply

A difficult part of the Appendices to work through, I found. So glad it has appeared to help you and Dreamflower especially to appreciate what happened there better. Thanks, Harrowcat. Hope Anna's mom is doing well.

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The rhyming reviews are so delightful! I am honored! Castamir was a rotter from the word go--no empathy to the Man at all, which makes him a BAD choice as a candidate for any office in which he holds authority over others. No empathy and no respect for tradition or history. And Saruman's lack of foresight indeed worked to the detriment of Gondor. Gandalf takes the advising part of his job seriously, but doesn't care who takes credit for the actions taken as a result as long as they get made. Saruman is still too full of himself.

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Yes--as Bodkin noted in an earlier review, absolutely too much self in Saruman's makeup. But he's not all bad, after all. Thinking of using sewers as entranceways into strong places hasn't yet been something he's considered, although he's now learned the lesson he'll refer to down the road when looking at how to breech the Deeping Wall. And he failed to appreciate just how EVERYONE in Middle Earth has a role to play as time goes on.

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Yes, I suspect the idea of having to deal with someone capable of sifting through thoughts would be difficult for most of us to handle, but especially someone as insecure as Saruman is. And how Elendil's descendants could lead to the likes of Castamir is difficult to appreciate.

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I can get onto FFN at times, but am still using the SIL's computer, and he likes to wipe out the system and reset it every few days, it seems. I hope to read some more there today or tomorrow, but time will tell. As for Saruman--his priorities are a bit skewed, unfortunately.

Author's reply

Castamir is described in the Appendices as cruel and heartless, not only ordering the death of Eldecar's eldest son and heir but also wantonly ordering the destruction of much of the capital. This is part of the weakening of the guard on Mordor, leading to the loss of Minas Ithil to the Nazgul (had to do some corrections to a previous chapter when I realized I'd anticipated the loss of the city by a few hundred years). Yes, definitely leading up to a cataclysm of sorts. And Saruman has nothing on Gandalf--never had, in fact. Those who are capable of empathy tend to know more joy in life than those who aren't, you'll find. Good luck on this year's study and your CCB project.

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In the Appendices Castamir is described as cruel, and the combination of how he treated Eldecar's eldest and the tragic damage he ordered wreaked on Osgiliath itself helped lead many who'd originally supported him to fall away back to Eldecar's side. We weren't given the details on how he treated Ornendil, only that he cruelly had him killed. And it was due to the damage Castamir's folk caused that the tower by the Dome of Stars that held the palantir of the city was felled, losing the seeing stone into the Anduin below. The final blow to Castamir's popularity was when he decided to remove the capital of Gondor to the Pelargir, effectively abandoning those provinces that had supported his rival cousin to whatever predations might be sent their way, as well as turning his back on the site from which Elendil, Isildur, and Anarion ruled together. For a people that loved their own history so, that must have been a terrible blow. As for Saruman--yes, not willing to appreciate other sentient beings at all--not this one. And Gandalf, somewhat similar to the Hobbits he came so to love and admire, tended to hide many of his concerns under light words and tones, pondering on them in his own thoughts but keeping them close when exposing them might work to the detriment of others.

Author's reply

It's because of that detail about the Elendilmir and locket I originally planned to write this a year ago. It's just taken a while to get it actually posted--the first chapter was roughed out months ago. At least it's finally getting the Nuzgul out of my jewelry box, which image gave this story its title. Now to get control of the one who's been into the tinfoil and fitting everyone with circlets and crowns. And yes, Saruman hasn't learned discretion; and more of what he told will come back to haunt Gondor.

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Well, the question of how the clothing of the Istari seemed to stay in relatively proper repair had occurred to me; wouldn't Elrond be the teeniest bit curious if Gandalf never seemed to carry more than the outfit he wore and never surrendered it to the laundresses of Imladris? (Grinning) The ONLY ones who paid attention to Hobbits were Gandalf, some from Elrond, and the northern Dunedain. EVERYBODY else appears to have underestimated them or overlooked them totally, if they realized they actually existed. Saruman wasn't the only one who appears to have ignored them. Trying to communicate regarding long-term concerns must have been very difficult between Elves and the mortal races. Just the differing views of time must have seemed insurmountable at times--an Elf may feel he's dealing with a situation quickly by setting in motion an action that takes a hundred years to complete, while a Man sees the same action as being so slow the situation will endanger his children and grandchildren, and a Dwarf doesn't see it as affecting his folk as they don't share the same environment at all. And so in the end they all end up feeling with one another because they aren't threatened to the same degree or able to act in the same timeframe. Only at the end did all races end up with representatives at the Council of Elrond, and then because the situation had finally reached THE crisis point, and they couldn't afford to look any more at long-term policies--the action had to be begun in the following few months or it would be too late for everyone. And at this one they did have Hobbits involved as well as Men. Saruman did managed to deflect Aelric's questions, and I'm so glad you caught that. The wizard had reported on his trip eastward and found it raised uncomfortable questions and found a good way to derail the conversation. And of course the twins would want their sister to not be bargained away by the likes of this Istar!

Author's reply

Mortals and immortals have such different experiences with time. Just think of Treebeard concerned with the hastiness of Hobbits; Elves would be more delicate and private in their evaluations of Men's apparent impatience; but when an Elf realizes he can meet a particular goal within a hundred years while for a Man that goal won't be reached until the negative situation is endangering his grandchildren, I can certainly see why Men and Dwarves would feel they were unable to fully communicate the feelings of urgency they had. And so in the end it's the Elves and Istari who form the White Council, perhaps with some input from the line of Isildur....

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When I was trying to figure out why Wizards would carry their staves the only reason that made sense to me was to accept some of the Maia nature each had; that this made the staff analagous to Sauron's Ring then only made sense. In wielding the power of his staff a Wizard is dealing with a power that has been native to him and is therefore very familiar; but one of the Rings of Power would be external holding power from some unnamed source and allowing the wielder to draw on it. Sauron could most easily use his own Ring because he put a good deal of himself into it; of the Rings of Power his would be the one most similar in kind and purpose to a Wizard's staff; but he also apparently charged it with external power as well from whatever source Celebrimbor used and that he might have used in making his own lesser Rings as I've postulated. Therefore with the Ring Sauron would be far more powerful than a Wizard, who has only his native power as the Maia he was created to draw on. And it was Tolkien who indicated Saruman was experimenting with his own rings of power, I think indicated in FOTR when Gandalf looks back on his visit to Isengard when he ended up being imprisoned on top of the tower. Am rereading LOTR at the moment, but am just in the House of Tom Bombadil at the moment.

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No, and this is how rule by committees usually go. So glad you feel this is a good read, Surgical Steel. Thank you.

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Yes, so often he saw his brother's children die and their heirs step up to assume their place. It must have been pretty devastating for him, at least at times.

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The idea came from my brother and the lecture he gave me as we sat watching the DVD of ROTK one night. I don't know the names or stories of most of the Maiar who followed Morgoth, only that most appeared to freeze in whatever fell shapes they took once they'd actively rebelled against the rest of the Valar. But to my knowledge all the Balrogs began as rebellious Maiar, and those surviving the War of Wrath were imprisoned beneath mountains in Middle Earth.

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Gandalf said before the gates of Moria he once knew every opening spell used by Men, Elves, and Dwarves--so obviously at one time Men used magic; and the Black Numenorians were described as having sorcerors among them and wielders of black magic. Yet we see almost none used by either Aragorn's people or those of Gondor; somehow the use of magic fell off somewhat in preference for the use of technology. The question of why none of these folk never seemed to need to worry about the state of their clothing is an interesting one, so I decided to explore a bit of whimsy regarding Istari laundry methods, and this came out. I didn't remember the runes of protection on the Great Gate, so thank you; but I do remember the runes of ruin and words of destruction uttered by the Witch King laid on Grond that finally brought the gates down. And Saruman continues to be pretty insufferable, doesn't he? And so glad you appreciated the comparison he used to explain how the Rings would enhance power as they do. /Larner prepares a chocolate cream to aim alongside your pumpkin.

Author's reply

Isn't this true of every committee--hashing around the generally known before looking at even the least proper of new and needed information, and paying more attention to protocol than business? And as little as most Elves deal with mortals, I doubt many of them beyond Elrond or perhaps Cirdan have any idea how Men deal with time or the constraints it places on them. Only mutual cooperation will work against Sauron, as was proved in the last battle as each played his or her own part, and it was the sum of those parts together that in the end brought about the end to the power of Mordor and Sauron's downfall.

Author's reply

Yes, sometimes after the officious chairman leaves the true business gets enacted. I doubt that Saruman truly felt that mere mortals would be any proof against someone like Sauron, ignoring the fact that the Last Alliance managed to bring him down before. Dwarves have always been indicated to be insular in nature; and only their dealings with Bilbo and their eventual respect for his cleverness and integrity in the end led them to send anyone to the Council of Elrond; and I doubt many among Men other than the northern Dunedain would come to a council including Elves and Wizards in its participants. As for the Hobbits, I think you hit the nail on the head here. Ungoliant was apparently a Maia who'd taken the form of a great spider according to what I take from the Silmarillion; and the different shapes Sauron could take are what I remember from reading it. As for him being able to take the shape of a Balrog--in the Council of Elrond his hand is described as being hot as a glede, which I learned means hot as a glowing coal, and that was why the Ringspell could be discerned and copied by Isildur when he took the Ring; he theorized It missed the heat of Sauron's hand. Much of the discussion of how Gil-galad died is rather a paraphrase of what was told years later in the Council of Elrond, in fact. Then later after they confront the Balrog in Moria Legolas makes a reference to the one sitting in Barad-dur, comparing it to the one with which Gandalf fell. As for why other Maiar, once they'd taken fell shapes they'd remain in them indefinitely, that's my own speculation on known facts. I suspect Gandalf didn't actively campaign for the leadership of the White Council. As I've already had Manwe indicate he felt Olorin would have more freedom to move effectively if he wasn't first among the Wizards, that Olorin/Gandalf would feel much the same way regarding the Council seems logical.

Author's reply

I'm so glad you did, Linda. Gandalf and Galadriel uncoubtedly had several memories shared, I think, and it's often restful to be with such folk.

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Yes, Bilbiolo has been lost in the defense of others, much as his father died. I'm certain Merlin will do his level best to see his vow fulfilled. You're certainly right about the complementary natures of Galadriel and Celeborn. At least the Council will begin the process of getting folk together, which is needed by all. And at first I think Saruman TRIED to be true, of course. Am having some difficulties with the next chapter, which keeps snaring up. Reminds me of the analysis Christopher Tolkien gave of the progress of his father's work.

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I'm stretching canon just a bit, I think, as the first White Council was held somewhere around 1100 and I've made this about 1350 or so. The Istari first began appearing at the end of the first millenium of the Third Age, so I have them coming over a period of about 150 years or so, and taking stock before they settle to this. The Tale of Years and Prologue indicate the Hobbits were first truly noted in Eriador about 1150 or so, and that they came in groups--first Harfoots, then Fallohides, and finally Stoors. That a few Fallohide scouts might have gone back and forth across the passes and encouraged others to follow them on to lands not disturbed by the evils of the lands they left seemed logical; and that those with strong Fallohide tendencies should serve as guides to other parties also seemed logical. Now for you to get caught up not only reading the rest of my stories but in posting yours. We've had more Trojan activity--I truly hate and loath hackers any more, you must realize; and I've been afraid to go back to FFN to read the latest chapters of Rebecca and Thomas's story there. I'll have to check it out on TFF. Good again to see you back.

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Apparently you're now caught up with school starting and all. Good to see you back! I've tried to imagine what the three lineages would have been like from Tolkien's descriptions, and so this came out. So glad you feel this helps you see it all better. And yes, Bilbiolo is an ancestors to Tooks, Bagginses, Brandybucks, and Sackvilles. Someone else wrote a short story in which Elrond first met a Hobbit entering Eriador, and so I tried to imagine what kind of time such Hobbits must have known in the crossing of the passes. And you know, I hope as well as I do, what wildfires and avalanches can do, as close as we live to the mountains ourselves.

Author's reply

Yes, one to seek not to just learn information, but to own it and control it, leading him to steal scrolls as well as read them. And I try to imagine what Mordor must have been like in those days when a skeletal watch was still being kept. And he was insecure about his own accomplishments, to the extent he undervalued his creation and destroyed it lest it be compared to anything else and be found wanting. I agree about Aule's maiar--they do seem to be terribly self-centered. And I certainly agree about Tom and Gandalf. So glad to see you back.

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Saruman just isn't particularly good at being a student, much less admitting sometimes positive submission is necessary and more freeing than self-determination and trust in ones own perceived mastery and skills. I, too, could do with Radagast's help. The former tenants left a right mess here about the barn. And Osse and Olorin have an appreciation for one another. I'll try to explore Cirdan more if I can in this story. But as he remained so much there in the Havens he's hard to think of stories for sometimes.