Reviews (272)

Eärillë · 7 January 2010 · Chapter 14: Into the Wilderness

*wince* I thought something worse had happened... I wonder what the fire was about too... Ah. The first day in the wilderness was ruined. I was surprised that one could talk softly into a walkie-talkie, though. One could do it into a mobile phone... but a walkie-talkie? I am still a bit confused about what the ranger - Paul? - meant by the tracks having been set up for the students. How could the tracks of animals be set up? I did not expect Glorfindel's prayer for the wolves would be answered. It was sweet when it was! And his fascination on the wolves... Wow. It had been so long and yet he still found great fascination in them. I suppose he had only run with them once? I remember that, although I forget if it was in Book 1 or 2 of Elf, Interrupted. And what did he mean by his obvious negative answer on the question of running with the wolves? LOL I cannot understand anyway why Glorfindel seemed irked with Paul about the pretences... After all, he (as he had admitted to himself) had commanded the twins to behave like mortals, and he had breeched that 'code of conduct' himself. I suppose nobody is perfect, eh? LOL It was in a way... weird... that now people began calling each other by names which should not have existed there. I would imagine it felt also weird for the Elves, although they enjoyed the change. I guess this one is the plan from the two Valar who had visited Glorfindel (Meddlesome Powers...) to 'loosen' Glorfindel a bit? *grin* How ironic is that, that 'Aragorn' asked what happened in a place which should have felt home for the true Ranger... Wow. This chapter was indeed full of irony of various kind. I felt a pang of simpathy when Zacque tried on his guise as Finrod. I had forgotten that he was Glorfindel's roommate. Poor, poor Glorfindel... He held himself admirably well on the face of his brother-in-all-but-blood's identity being shared to a mortal... and when said mortal performed the act so innocently. It was morbidly, painfully, ironically humorous. It was great that Paul warmed up to Glorfindel quickly. Heh. It was the hardest, I guess, in Glorfindel when it came to his age... He could not stop being the person in charge and the protector that people wondered about how he was not quite older than anyone else. :) It was kind of amusing... in its own way. Their being put shoulder to shoulder like that, I began to view Glorfindel as someone looking far older, somehow. LOL But Paul took to all the mysteries of the Elf very well... That made me rather surprised, I guess. Things are getting quite interesting! Hmm. I wonder if I have to stay up all night to finish it in one go... LOL - Rey

Eärillë · 7 January 2010 · Chapter 13: ‘Pine Cone’ Is Not an Elvish Name!

Haha! Oh my. The Elves took control of the student population again... It was not a lesson this time, true, but it was just as... grand. :) I wonder what the teaching board - all the people in charge - thought about this constant invasion... Wow. LOL But it was fun! And amusing, to say the least. Hah! A black-and-tiny Galadriel! And Zaque was Finrod! (Hmm. I wonder if Finrod and others would not be offended... Heheheheh. The Valar were probably tickled pink by then. I was! (And nearly choked on the potato fries several times. *grumble* If you had warned that this chapter would be more funny than the others, I would have restrained from eating... Good that I was not drinking.)) But hey, Pine Cone is actually a rather nice name... Picky Daeron. *sniff* I would not have been caught dead with Sugar Plum on my name tag, though. *grin* Come to think of it again, I love Snowflake... :) I was surprised that Rolland (Uh. I think I misnamed him in last review... :embarrassed:) allowed names of film characters/actors to be picked by the students... It kind of did not make sense. The actual event of name-picking was truly great, however. All the waiting was paid off! - Rey

Eärillë · 7 January 2010 · Chapter 12: The Second Half of the Term Begins

You cut off the lectures when they became interesting! *groan* Meany Fiondil... Hahaha! Elves colouring picture books! That is surely a sight to behold! And the twins were so consistant too in that they kept behaving like Elflings... *sigh* Well, that does add to the amusement. And Glorfindel even half-surrendered to their antics... (Ah, I wish 'Esther' was there... Poor Glorfindel. I had thought that the cafe was not open yet, though... I lost track of time again. :) Still, I wish the disguised Valië had been there. The poor Elf was suddenly morose... Can understand that.) And I never knew that there could be any difference between stuff sold in a cafe and in a cafetaria... It is always amusing when you made the Elves did or bought mandane things. I was kept reminded that they lived in the modern world and surely needed to do 'modern' things! (Hahaha! Glorfindel and the toothpaste...) I love the ex-marine. Even though he is a minor character who was made alive only by Glorfindel's perception, he looked... very alive to me. Nicely done, and I love how he talked and carried himself. (Then again, the fact that he was probably an ex-marine would have attracted me to him even if he were just plain. LOL) Ronald did not look 'wordy' to me. Then again, we were only shown a very small part of his lecture, the one in which you put in all the essentials. Surely this second half of the semester was much more interesting than the first! I can't wait till they were let loose in the wilderness... - Rey

Eärillë · 7 January 2010 · Chapter 11: Interlude

(I am back... And this time onwards I will try not to be nitpicky. :sheepish:) Oh! Gingerbread Imladris! Wow. No wonder it was a wonder in the class! *grin* If only it were made here in our world somewhere... *sigh* :dreamy: Ah... Glorfindel the champion of the weaker (or not so LOL)... One might wonder how he kept being a protector even after those millennia... Wow. He is so consistant. *grin* I love the clothes hunting. In a way, it was just like hunting game! You magicked what should have been a rather boring activity into a grand adventure! Hah, and this chapter did not look like an interlude at all... *roll eyes* It had quite many things inside! So many interesting things... Hmm. I wonder if things will tie up soon. I dearly hope you will not leave threads hanging loose in the end of the story. *glare* (Ah yes. And that reminds me that I must go on to the next chapter...) The choosing of the names for the students will be interesting to read, I am sure! I hope it comes soon. (Heh. The women in charge griped about the thing they had caused themselves... Hmm. I think they deserved it. :evil:) Will the Valar (any of them) make an appearance in later chapters? - Rey

Baggins Babe · 6 January 2010 · Chapter 19: An Unexpected Encounter

what a fantastic chapter! I loved Manwe and Varda as almost Dickensian Spirits of Christmas, and I was so glad that Olorin also turned up. At least some of the Mortals now understand about the Higher Powers and the Elves. This story also seems really credible - not easy to place the Elves in our modern world but you have achieved the near impossible and managed it brilliantly.

Baggins Babe · 6 January 2010 · Chapter 20: The Return of the Elves

Well I'm glad some people appreciated Zach and I hope Ms Henderson realises what an excellent job he did. A real Elf Academy - where do I sign up? Though the prospect of the looming Dagor Dagorath is not a pleasant thought, the way our world seems to be going it shouldn't surprise anyone. We really need some Elves on hand if that is about to happen. A wonderful Yule read, Fiondil. I could hardly wait for each new chapter (patience not being one of my virtues) and I certainly hope you give us an update on the Academy as and when the Muse permits.

Tari · 6 January 2010 · Chapter 13: ‘Pine Cone’ Is Not an Elvish Name!

For the elves not to walk on the snow had to be very tricky. How did they make themselves sink down? Too bad they didn’t have a website that converts names in to elvish. That’s how I got my board name. The lottery was a good way to handle the situation. Had I been there, I would have wanted to know how they came up with all those names.

Arasinda · 5 January 2010 · Chapter 20: The Return of the Elves

Dear Fiondil, I wish to add my voice as for a continuance of the "Elf Academy". With the diary of Finrod and the Loom in work, as well as, Glorfidel's story in Aman, I find it a wonder and joy that you were able to give us such a delightful and thoughtful Christmas gift. Hopefully, next year, if we are all very good, you will be generous to continue the story line with new adventures and words of wisdom. A great deal of the time, in conjunction with my career, I'm not overly impressed by the current electronic communication methods. Twitter, Facebook, You-Tube, and etc. may connect us faster but leave no lasting impressions as does true human contact. However, reading your works based on Tolkien, even though found on the internet, has allowed me to enjoy the creativity of another, to stop and dream for awhile, and remember that life is so beautifully full of magic moments shared by others. Thank you for bringing all this to me. Sincerely, Arasinda

Radbooks · 5 January 2010 · Chapter 20: The Return of the Elves

A very enjoyable tale and a nice holiday gift! Thank you! I'll look for the Academy if I make it to Alaska this summer. :)

nancylea57 · 4 January 2010 · Chapter 20: The Return of the Elves

a well composed and plotted twist of events, kudos for your talent. makes me want more; so what's on the sketch pad--- can't wait to see what you could do if you got to bring an elven army back from valinor for that final battle(hint?)

Sunny · 4 January 2010 · Chapter 20: The Return of the Elves

It seems that everyone is clamoring for a sequel. I think I will add my voice to the chorus - sort of. You could start a short story collection similar to the Tapestry series - that would give you a lot of scope for creativity. :-) It might have been interesting to see what an Amanian elf would make of the modern world, with rock music, TV, cell phones, Internet, e-books, airplanes and so on. If someone, sort of stumbled through a wormhole or something - talk about culture shock!!

Sazza · 4 January 2010 · Chapter 20: The Return of the Elves

Well, talk about plot twist! The last few chapters were amazing! The scene with Manwe and Varda, wow - just, wow. I am loving this story, it's truly fantastic.

Dreamflower · 4 January 2010 · Chapter 20: The Return of the Elves

Goodness! I know you said it was nearly over, but there is still so much more to the story! This was a lot of fun. Thank you for a very delightful holiday reading experience!

Larner · 4 January 2010 · Chapter 20: The Return of the Elves

Aha! Well done. Love the town's name--tell me God doesn't have a sense of humor! Heh! Loved it!

Larner · 4 January 2010 · Chapter 19: An Unexpected Encounter

Quite the surprise there--and not all of it pleasant. Now--to gather the remaining Elves of Middle Earth to them! Maglor is one of them, I must assume....

Fantasia · 4 January 2010 · Chapter 20: The Return of the Elves

Thanks Fiondil for this story. It starts as a very funny story and has ended with a very sober message. I wish that we all , mortals, know that we are not doing good in this world. You know what I would like to read? the reactions of the ones in Valinor, Finrod and the IE gang, Elrond, Legolas, the other family members, I'm sure that is hard for them not to see their family and friends in Middle-Earth, I'm sure that they interviewed the Valars after their return. Thanks again and looking for more...

6336 · 4 January 2010 · Chapter 20: The Return of the Elves

WOW!!! More please? Lynda

ellie · 4 January 2010 · Chapter 19: An Unexpected Encounter

I was not expecting Manwe and Varda themselves to be the ones who met them at santa's grotto. That was cool! And to see Olorin again, yay! Caleb was cute, the poor little guy. I was amused to see Manwe and varda dressed like the ghosts of Christmas present, though. It was interesting to see the others in amazement of the fact that Glorfy was on his knees before Manwe and how much this simple act of his shocked them. Very cool chapter!

MJ · 4 January 2010 · Chapter 20: The Return of the Elves

I haven't said anything thus far for several reasons, one being that I really prefer to comment on the work as a whole rather than on its unfinished parts, and the other being that I'm not really a fan of "Elves in the Modern World" stories. But, back in the days when I was an editor, I told people that if they gave me a good story and wrote it well, I could enjoy nigh onto anything. You gave me a good story, and you wrote it well. One of the biggest problems I've had with Modern World Elf stories is that too many authors either have the Elves doggedly trying to live in a long gone past, or going "native" to such a degree that they might as well be modern human young adults. They wind up being either silly or bitter -- yet yours are neither. I think you did an excellent job of balancing the Elves' need to adapt to the ever-changing mortal world with their need to hold onto the truth of who and what they are. This could so easily have been a fluff piece, going just for the joke of real Elves playing at being Santa Elfs (not that I would have expected that from you), and you very neatly avoided that. More importantly, to me, you took the concept and made it serve a greater purpose, by bringing in the twist of the impending Dagor Dagorath and the need for the Elves to come forward and aid humankind for the difficult times to come. An excellent job, Fiondil. One of the best I've seen. Bravo! Considering the clamor for more, you might at least consider a one-chapter epilogue, just to show how things are going a few years down the road. That certainly would be quicker than an entire new epic. :) A happy and blessed new year to you and yours!

ellie · 4 January 2010 · Chapter 20: The Return of the Elves

Awesome awesome chapter and conclusion to the story! I loved it that the twins finally have someon younger than they are. I can imagine how relieved and renewed the elves felt to who came to elf haven and found more of their kind. I was very surprised to see Amroth show up and was glad for Nimrodel. I really hope you do find inspiration for a sequel. excellent story and a fun one, too. What a great holiday treat!

Larner · 4 January 2010 · Chapter 18: Blizzard

Elves to the rescue! Hooray! Now, run, Glorfindel!

utfrog · 4 January 2010 · Chapter 20: The Return of the Elves

Thank you for the BEST holiday story! All of this was excellent. I continue to enjoy your Aman stories,but this is really special.

harrowcat · 4 January 2010 · Chapter 20: The Return of the Elves

Hmm.... *heaves a very satisfied sigh* When can I join?

Dreamflower · 3 January 2010 · Chapter 19: An Unexpected Encounter

Oh my goodness! Now THAT was unexpected! I did expect the encounter-- but not the reasons behind it! Wow!

Sunny · 3 January 2010 · Chapter 19: An Unexpected Encounter

Heh. I _did_ have a sneaking suspicion Manwë was going to show up, ever since Kevin told Santa "I would like a telescope so I can see Elbereth’s stars more closely." And just _what_ happened to Glorfy's second-best sword?? Sounds like there might be an interesting story there... ;-)