Reviews by Aganuzir

Gandalf's No Good, Rotten, Really Bad Day · Sun Apr 02, 2006 5:12 pm

Very funny story, and clever also. Indeed Gandalf's letter was a model of indiscretion!

Thanks for posting it here.

The Circles: Book Two: Journey of Sorrow · Sun Apr 02, 2006 3:26 pm

Great story.
The "Forgoil: is so unusual: the POV of Dunlandings. Very touching and believable story, standing on its own.

And I absolutely loved the first chapter- the field of Pelennor after the battle. Congratulations, Elfhild!
Powerful writing.

Keep it going, Angmar and Elfhild!

Agan

To Aid a Comrade · Sun Apr 02, 2006 6:50 am

Well written, Elfhild! Smile smiley face

Short and moving.

"The Worst of All His Deeds..." · Fri Mar 31, 2006 5:19 am

Excellent writing as usual, Elfhild! Smile smiley face

The Circles: Book One: The Triumph of The Shadow · Sat Mar 11, 2006 3:02 pm

Congratulations, Angmar and Elfhild, for finishing the first book of the Circles! Smile smiley face

I liked the last two chapters, the punishment dealt to those who failed.

Poor philosopher Kourosh...I liked his last conversation with Doungha - about Gods. Faithful Doungha, who was denied the same fate, should remember and learn to hate the Dark Lord.

Great scenes in the Gondorean hospital - I especially liked how the chief surgeon acknowledged that that was the beginning of slavery in Gondor, even it the captives' condition were disguised in fair words.

Aragorn still sounded a bit naive hoping for a truce and exchange of prisoners with Mordor.

And the chastisement of the nazgul... "The silence in the Dark Tower" is awesome. There is no crueler torture than the total mind-control. Humiliation...Having that possibility via his Ring, it is understandable that Sauron had no real need of physical torture.

But what about nazgul women and dependants? Were they killed yet again?

Great work, all the first book is wonderful and beautifully written. Now back to the girls! Smile smiley face

The Circles: Book One: The Triumph of The Shadow · Thu Feb 23, 2006 5:29 am

Chapter 41.

To begin with, I am glad that you skipped the gruesome description of Sauron's punishment for Minas Morgul population and the nazgul themselves. On one hand, it is perhaps ever more frightening, as you left it to the reader's own imagination. On the other hand, it will permit the punishment of the nazgul after the Second battle of the Helm's Deep not to be a repetition.

Angmar's perseverance is admirable. After being tortured and nearly killed himself, after seeing all he had been attached to perish, after having lost his Ring and his very freedom, he still has the will to live and to continue on!

The three nazgul, the traitors, were sent to Dol Guldur - an independent place, while the rebels were kept in Morgul under surveillance. It makes perfect sense. It also explains a curious thing: why six nazgul (the "mightiest of Sauron's servants") sat together in M. Morgul and were not used as independent commanders e.g. in Nurnen, at the Morannon, at Durthang at Barad Dur etc. It seems Sauron had not much faith in them.

"presences could be sensed, dim, lurking, rapacious maws for the unknowing, and no man made his way there." Were they the unquiet fëar of those killed in the last assault? Or also the wraiths and ghosts who lived there already before?
And what about wraiths - morgul knife products, who abode in Morgul before the siege? Were they also punished?

"The glorious statues that once stood in the gardens and around the fountains had been twisted and warped into graven foul shapes that were both fantastic and loathsome."

Hmm, the statues on the bridge that Frodo and Sam saw were twisted and loathsome, but they were there while M. Morgul was ruled by the nazgul. I always thought that the statues, as well as the pale flowers and the poisoned water of Morgulduin were sort of defensive measures against the intruders.

"We know well, Eighth, your fondness for Námo." "We have much in common," the other laughed dryly."
As I remember Namo from the Silm, I can't see why Skri has much in common with him. Probably his dark moods? Or you base your picture of Mandos on Tolkien's earlier writings?

"It is kismet, fate," Gothmog murmured, "and there is naught that we can do to prevail against it."
Where did you get this word, "kismet"? And what was Gothmog's nationality?

"a new road curving through the mountains all the way to northern Nurn"
Will this new road branch from the one going by Cirith Ungol, or will it take an entirely different route through the Mountains?

The fountains in Angmar's sketches... Aren't most of the nazgul afraid of water? Or Morgulduin water was somehow "disinfected" of Ulmo's influence?

And then we are back to the present, to the Second Battle of Helm's deep. So the next chapter - the nazgul meet with Sauron?

I liked the chapter very much. Thank you for posting,

Agan

The Circles: Book One: The Triumph of The Shadow · Wed Feb 15, 2006 8:05 am

Chapter 40.

Great chapter, Angmar.

I loved your tale of the fate of the three traitors... Sauron is far from being a loving father, and perhaps they have miscalculated turning back to him.

I especially liked how you made Zag reach for Khamul's hand for comfort, when they waited for the final blow, it was so touching and made me feel sorry for them, even if they proved to be base-hearted villains. Great touch, Angmar.

Liked your description of the battle and destruction in Minas Morgul. Faramir's words in LOTR always puzzled me "shapeless fear lived within the ruined walls" Why would the walls of Minas Morgul be ruined? Surely, in about a thousand years, the nazgul had time to repair the fortress after the siege of 2002. And they did reconstruct it, adding the rotating section to the Tower. and the "grinning gates". So, it seems Minas Morgul had been ruined again, rather recently, for Faramir to know about it. The battle for the nine rings might be a good explanation for that.

Interesting plot development to make Angmar try to send his women and children to safety, but fail. Hmm, the next chapter shapes up as really horrible...*shivers*.

Awesome battle of spells and lightning. Angmar is weaker, of course, but still he tries...Sauron is "cautious" as ever, sending his minions to die for him until Angmar's power is spent.

Great touch to give the dying Angmar these visions of Numenor : Meneltarma with eagles, the sea, the pastures of Emerië. I hope there will be more to come!

Very well written dialogue: Angmar is defiant to the very end. " The face of Mandos is far fairer than Thine" Twisted Evil smiley face

Thank you for the chapter.

Agan

The Circles: Book One: The Triumph of The Shadow · Fri Feb 03, 2006 2:48 pm

Chapter 39

It is a very interesting chapter, especially for me. I was wondering, how exactly you will "flesh" some of the vague ideas we share. And you did it quite well. Not the way I would have written it myself (I would have had some of the nazgul loose their Rings to the Necromancer at a much earlier date, before the Fall of Angmar). But your way works as well, of course.

"The one who held the Ring of greatest power - he who would become known in later years as the Witch-king of Angmar - eventually made his way to the north of Eriador."

Here we have no canonic evidence, but I am not sure that the Witch-King had the strongest Ring. I feel the 9 rings might well be of equal power, but "each ring gives power according to the measure of its possessor". The WK was the strongest of the Nine initially, so, with their respective power multiplied, the gap between him and the others increased even more. It is just my opinion, of course, and it is not meant as a criticism.

I always wondered what did the WK do after the fall of Barad Dur and before he came to Angmar. Perhaps he has been in Umbar? Gondor conquered Umbar in 933 and Harad in 1050. Perhaps that caused the WK to transfer his base North?

So very true about Earnur. Really, why didn't they even tried to offer ransom? No, Mardil the Good Steward didn't want his King back!

I loved the part about Skri. Quote poignant and creepy.

What is a water organ? I am curious. Does it really exist?

I liked your idea of the wells in the fortress and stocks of provisions. Strange, though they didn't have an escape tunnel somewhere.

I liked the parley. Great dialogue. Also liked the way Sauron used the three captured nazgul in the parley.

Who made the plague? Or was it natural? This: "Now he dares steal My plans and My designs! He has purloined the Great Plague from Me!" is invaluable. Very Happy smiley face

.

Very good ending: "And thus was the fellowship that had lasted almost a thousand years sundered forever."

Thank you for the chapter.

Agan

The Circles: Book One: The Triumph of The Shadow · Fri Jan 13, 2006 4:31 pm

Angmar,
Thank you for the interesting new chapter (Thirty-Eight)

This chapter reminds me strongly of Italian Renaissance literature, like "Decameron". The tales of nazgul adventures and misadventures in Gondor are hilarious. They really "did all in their power to ensure fertility" in depopulating Gondor! Very Happy smiley face

The question of nazgul fertility is difficult.
By the way, I have recently found this quote from Morgoth's Ring: "Evil is fissiparous. But itself barren. Melkor could not 'beget', or have any spouse (though he attempted to ravish Arien, this was to destroy and 'distain' her, not to beget fiery offspring)."
But, I know, it is inconclusive. Nice that you left the question open.

Interesting how different nazgul personalities prove to be in love affairs. Angmar always keeps aloof, not much romantically involved with his women, and not even interested in his possible bastards. Udu falls in love sometimes, but then loses interest (and the women herself becomes a stake in a game). And Skri is faithful even beyond death.

In the pale tower of Minas Morgul (which was not unlike Bablon of the East) the nazgul were "drinking and feasting throughout the idle days and nights, serenaded by troubadours and surrounded by servants and sycophants, lovers and mistresses".

Interesting where all these sycophants come from? Harad, or Nurn? And where all the food and wine come from? The problem of Minas Morgul is that it lies all alone at the very border of the enemy territory. Behind the city is a difficult pass to the barren plain of Gorgoroth, and there is still a long way to the fertile plains of Nurn (provided that the Nazgul in Minas Morgul ruled Nurn). The road South, to Harad, that goes along Anduin, passes through Gondor territory. So bringing provisions for a large population seems quite difficult.

Perhaps, considering all this, there might be something in your idea of a secret pact between the Morgul Lord and the Stewards. There was indeed a long peace, until the times of Denethor I and Boromir I. I think it was more like an unwritten tacit agreement, though. Simply the few people and soldiers who remained in Ithilien learned from bitter experience that those who venture past a certain particular place in the vale never return. So the boundaries became well known to all, though unmarked. However, since 2475, there was never real peace. Probably, by this time, the Stewards have forgotten the treaty, or, alternatively, the orcs in Mordor became more numerous and needed more hunting grounds in Ithilien. Maybe, the nazgul learned that Sauron returned to Dol Guldur in 2460 and started breeding black uruks to increase the army they kept in Mordor.

I see you suggest that the growth of the pale flowers in the Morgul Vale was caused by spells made with the help of the Nine Rings. The Morgul Vale was somehow alike to Lorien, though twisted. Lorien was made by Nenya, Galadriel's ring, while the unusual atmosphere of the Morgul Vale might have been caused by the Nine. I always took it as a proof that the nazgul kept their rings throughout most of the Third Age.

Best wishes,

Agan

The Circles: Book One: The Triumph of The Shadow · Fri Jan 06, 2006 6:00 pm

Chapter 37

Delightful insight into the animosity of the fellow nazgul, Krith and Skri.

Krith is definitely not an endearing person, but he is delightfully venomous. I loved this sentence: "Should you offer me a draught of blood from the skull of a slain enemy, which had lined in gold and crafted for a cup, I would decline it!" Very descriptive!

We learn that Krith was not a member of the "clever group who fancies themselves so close to the King". No wonder here, strange that Skri belonged to it - I thought it comprised only the Numenoreans. Is it because of Skri's sharp wit and humor? Or simply because he was "fawning upon the Captain instead of our rightful Master"?

But I had difficulties to understand the following jibe:
"Tell your feelings to Khamûl." Skri knew that Krith would take this as an insult, a taunt. The Eighth felt justified. "I am sure he would understand. You two are so... close."
Why was Krith offended? Didn't he choose to spend 2000 years in Khamul's and Zagbolg's company?

Very funny way to use the Fell Beast to intimidate an opponent. The nazgul indeed act like fellow pilots in an Air Corps would. As a side note: it seems that taking wineskins on a flight was common practice among nazgul, not only Udu's little weakness.

Interesting story of the ancient rivalry of Skri and Krith. The story, how Sauron corrupted those two Easterlings is quite believable. Indeed,the two rivals must have provided Sauron with lots of fun. I agree that Sauron at this time possibly could change shapes, at least could inhabit dead bodies for some time.

I was wondering about this "Golden Lord" ("Then there arose to the east of them across the mountains a mighty people not of their race, whose overlord was vicious and savage.") Did he also become one of the Nine?

I agree of your interpretation of nazgul actions in the Second Age - when they were ultimately controlled by Sauron, but "held with a not-too-tight rein". And indeed in the Third Age, finally free, they must have followed their own wishes, very probably each moved closer to his own people. At least, I believe, the Witch-King chose to settle close to the Dunedain not because he hated them, but because they were the only people he wished to rule, all the others being inferior.

And I think you are quite right here:
"None of the others had been able to come to his aid, though some had wished. The power of Dol Guldur was far too great for their forces to face, and Sauron had blocked all the passes into Eriador."
No help has come to Angmar from the East, very probably, because Sauron feared the Witch-King's growing strength. In TA 1974 he was in one step from becoming the Third Age's Dark Lord, supplanting Sauron.

Thank you for the interesting chapter,
Agan

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Reviews by Aganuzir