Reviews by Viv

Weed Dreams · Mon Nov 22, 2004 4:46 pm

Queen! The rhythm of the song is perfect for the scene, but I'm not sure about the lyrics. Still, it was amusing and very well paced. Smile smiley face

The Other Day... · Mon Nov 22, 2004 4:37 pm

Oh, this was a wonderful take on the passage of time, and very in keeping with Tolkien's somewhat luddite view of progress. The voices of the ents were very recognizable, and I could feel their slow irritation. Original and compelling.

The Battle Hymn of Glorfindel · Mon Nov 22, 2004 4:29 pm

You have the rhyme and meter down! This was a charming read. Might wanna run it through a spell-check (or was "fangrils" intentional? It could be, of course... Smile smiley face

) Also, I'm perplexed by "He faced the foes of Mordor and he did not know defeat". Wasn't *he* a foe of Mordor? Anyway, despite those nitpicks, the poem is terribly cute. Thanks for sharing!

Gold Like Tears · Sat Nov 20, 2004 2:41 pm

[More mad praises for this story .... Here's the comment I left for Gold Like Tears in the MEFA voting.] "'It was like embracing the moon.' Gah. Nothing I can say in a review will do this story justice, so I'll just ramble on here a while until I can collect coherent thoughts. First, the physical doohickie of the bead: thank you, thank you for choosing something so unique and unassuming. Not a ring. Not a sword. Not a jewel. In fact, it's such a simple yet representative thing, Tolkien would probably approve. Like Tolkien's simple golden ring, this bit of gold grows more sinister as the story progresses, and by the end, it seemed to spell certain doom, even if it were given in love. Definitely both unsettling and touching. "

Oath Renewed · Sat Nov 20, 2004 2:37 pm

[So, this is the comment I left for this story in the MEFA voting. Redundant? Yeah. But it's all still true. Smile smiley face

] "How have I never read this story before? I feel like a complete dork, but at least I'm reading it now. Wow, Inglor. This is good stuff! As always, you've captured the spirit, fury, and nobility of those first-age elves, and you've subtly threaded in your Silmarillion knowledge without whacking me over the head with it. Interesting in this piece, though, by the end, the sword has almost become a character on its own. It is invested with such meaning and emotion, and it reflects those feelings: "Gil-Galad grasped the hilt and felt the need for vengeance emanate from the weapon." Creepy, but very cool and very in-keeping with those cranky first-age swords. And of course, as usual, your depiction of Galadriel is utter smoothness. Here you've also added in some wonderful characterizations of Finrod and Elendil, the former both commanding and fated, the latter awed and resolute. If I had a suggestion it would be to make the summary a little more vague... the ending was powerful even knowing the spoiler, but I think it would have struck me a little harder if I hadn't seen it coming."

Of Gold and Wood · Sat Nov 20, 2004 2:36 pm

[How have I never reviewed this story before? Well, happily, the MEFAs were a good excuse for me to finally translate my thoughts into words. What a lovely story. The following was my review in the MEFA voting for this story.] "This story is so bright it's painful to read. The love between Finrod and Amarie grows brilliant and perfect and unbearably sweet, leaving only a tremendous question at the end: How could he possibly leave her, after all that? Argh! "

Finrod's Oath · Sat Nov 20, 2004 2:25 pm

[Yes, more mad praises from me. Get used to it. Wink smiley face

Here's the comment I left for this story in the MEFA voting. Congrats. ] "The beauty of this piece is its subtlety, for there is more than one oath of Finrod: his oath to Feanor, of course, but also his promises to Amarie, Barahir, Andreth. This story is his contemplation of all those oaths, of the devotion he gave so generously and of how that giving spirit has brought him to this end, full of regret. It seems that now, at last, he realizes that seeking happiness is not entirely selfish: "Despite my best efforts all my good intentions have come for naught and every decision I ever made appears to have been wrong... In my long and weary life, I could not save any of those I wished." What a tragedy that this realization should come too late. However, noble to the end, Finrod does not accept his failures resignedly. He fights. The ending of this fic is so appropriate. This may be the most solidly put together interior monologue piece in ficdom."

The Cursed Queen of Angmar · Sat Nov 20, 2004 2:07 pm

[The following is the comment I left for this story in the MEFA voting. I wanted to copy it here because, well, it's all true. And I wasn't sure if you've been reading all those MEFA posts. Take care; I hope you'll continue this story.] "Cursed Queen is one of my all-time favorite fics, which is bizarre since it isn't even completed and I usually prefer stories that have noticable beginnings, middles, and ends. Still, this story starts out swinging and never lets up. From Ariashal's unfortunate marriage history to her unpleasantly dysfunctional family, you've taken cliches and made them into gems. Her dry acceptance of her "curse" is almost a veiled send-up of Mary Sues, and it gives Ariashal a clear voice right from the beginning. Throughout, characterizations are rich and nuanced; action scenes grab the gut and pull; and then there's the witch king himself. Wowza. Who'd've thought an invisible dude could be so darned sexy? But he's more than that, of course. He's magnigifent, and I'm right there with Ariashal, amazed and impressed. The meeting and falling in love chapters were lovely, but my favorite part so far has been the long arc in Rhudaur, with conflict and adversity and a sweet, sweet justice. I can't tell you how satisfying that mini-conclusion was. I'll just admit it now: You've turned me into a witch-king fangirl. Believe me, I was the last one expecting *that* to happen.'

In the Midst of Adversity · Sat Nov 20, 2004 1:59 pm

[This is the comment I left for you in the MEFA voting. Congrats and thank you again for writing this thing. It is special.] : It's been a long time since I read this story, but I wanted to re-read it for this contest. Once again, as before, I'm impressed by your adherence to Tolkien's vision, in terms of both language and events. This whole story is so carefully a faithful retelling of the professor's work, but with one crucial change: Cyrene. However, far from compromising the story like so many original characters do, Cyrene adds a new and intriguing dimension to the tale. She makes the world larger, not smaller, and more identifiable as an alternate history of our Earth. Amazons, after all, appeared in Homeric epics; why, then, could they not have existed in earlier Ages? You've woven the two mythologies together so securely that, at the end of the story, the fabric is strong. Rather like the central romantic relationship. Very nice work, Maram.

Debbie Does the Fellowship · Sat Nov 20, 2004 1:27 pm

The absolute wrongest thing about this fic is that I just put in a DVD of Fellowship, and every time I see a fellowship member pop up on the screen, my initial thought is "Glad I could help. Wanna have sex?" Happily,Debbie was an equal-opportunity, um, "provider" (contest reviews are strictly PG, so shan't use more descriptive terms for Debbie's, er, behavior). At any rate, yay for Debbie. After all, Gimli deserves nookie too. (Comment originally submitted to the MEFAwards voting, but repeating the good stuff isn't so awful Smile smiley face

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Reviews by Viv