Reviews for "Rebirth"

Thu Feb 17, 2005 11:13 am

There's something incredibly poignant about this piece, the interweaving of description and imagery draws the reader in in an amazing way. I was able to experience the rebirth along with Idhreniel, truly a captivating piece, brilliant Maria! Very Happy smiley face

Thu Feb 17, 2005 12:15 pm

I was slightly sceptical about the Valar having an elf re-inbodied in Middle-earth, and her being all alone middle of the wood.

However, the descriptions were lovely and by the end of the chapter you'd pulled me into the story. Now Thranduil has his wife back! That must give him even less reason to go to Valinor, 'though I supposed they'd want to join Legolas eventually. Smile smiley face

Thu Feb 17, 2005 5:55 pm

I completely agree with everyone, and I can't wait to read more. Very Happy smiley face

Fri Feb 18, 2005 5:47 am

As an earlier reviewer suggested, the Valar would not have had Thranduil's wife reborn into Middle-earth. The Firstborn weren't generally allowed to return to ME once they had left Mandos. Glorfindel appeared to have been allowed this leeway, but there are still arguments as to whether Glorfindel of Gondolin, the Balrog Slayer and Glorfindel of Imladris were intended by Tolkien to be the same elf. However since Glorfindel was a great and ancient Elven warrior, it is feasible that he would have been allowed back to help Gil-galad and the Elves left in ME in the battle to come. I doubt, however, that Thranduils' wife, whose only apparent achievement in life was to marry him and give birth to Legolas, would have been given the same grace when many of the ancient Elven warriors who would have been of more use to ME (like Ecthelion of Gondolin for example who brought down Gothmog in the fountain and drowned with the Balrog) were *not* given that grace. Is you story AU by any chance? Even so, there is very little chance that Thranduil's wife would have reappeared in Mirkwood, just dropped there naked by the Valar. The Valar were sometimes thoughtless and made some awful mistakes (they weren't gods and therefore were fallible) but I doubt very much that they would take one of their beloved Firstborn and drop her unprotected in the midst of still dangerous territory. The Orcs still roamed in groups, even after the Ring was unmade in Mount Doom. It's a nice fluffy idea to bring handsome Thranduil, Legolas and the mother together as a family, but I personally think it would have been better to bring her back to life when Thranduil and Legolas were both safely back in Valinor. The very same atmospheric descriptions could have been used and for me it would have made more sense. Unless she's been brought back to Middle-earth for a special reason of course, but then what help could she possibly be? She's been out of touch with reality in Mandos for possible millennia and knows nothing of Middle-earth and it's troubles. Having said all of this I agree with others that your piece is indeed atmospheric and well written, although once again I find that yet another LOTR fanfic author spatters the dialogue with odd Elvish phrases which just detract from the story. I realise that it's popular among LOTR fanfic authors to do this and it's supposed to be a sign that the author has at least done some research, but it's unecessary. We the readers can readily assume that it would be one of the Elvish dialects that two Elves would speak to each other.

Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:57 pm

Wowsa! that was such an awesome story. I was also confused about an elf returning to M.E. but it was AMAZING!!!! Keep up the good work!

Tue Feb 22, 2005 2:03 am

I personally disagree with the idea that a reborn fea coming back into M-E is special. LaCE does not speculate at all on where the reborn are sent. It says they are rebodied through childbirth (very rarely to the same family) and enjoy two childhoods and are therefore doubly enriched. But it does not say one word on whether the fea would stay in Aman or be reborn in M-E. Indeed we really do have very few examples of rebodied Elves. For that reason I think it is not possible to conclude from those examples where an Elf would be rebodied. That would be something open to exploration in fan-fic, as in this story.

I liked this fic quite a bit (shock there--I love Thranduil fics) and I found it perfectly believable. I personally follow a religious practice that believes in reincarnation and am very interested in the process of remembering past lives. LaCE specifically says that Elves will remember past lives and I like the way the author showed that experience in this piece. Great story. Lovely description.

Sun Feb 27, 2005 12:21 pm

"...We may presume that Glorfindel returned to Middle Earth before the shadow fell on Numenor, and while the Numenorians were welcomed by the Eldar as powerful allies." (The Peoples of Middle Earth', 'Last Writings', 'Glorfindel', pg 382)

"He came to the conclusion that Glorfindel of Gondolin, who fell to his death in combat with a Balrog after the sack of the city, and Glorfindel of Rivendell were one and the same: he was released from Mandos and returned to Middle-earth in the Second Age."

Tsk tsk, one should read all the research before making presumptuous blanket statements regarding what the prof. thought, said, did, not just what we find in Thain's.

Thu, I love this so far. I'm with you on the issue of being allowed to ask, "what if." If not for what if, we'd be living in a rather unsettling, Orwellian world of one person's perspective being the only right perspective. I base this freedom to speculate on words straight from the prof. himself, as opposed to presuming to speak for him.

"Once upon a time I had a mind to make a body of more or less connected legend, ranging from the large and cosmogonic to the level of romantic fairy-story - the larger founded on the lesser in contact with the earth, the lesser drawing splendour from the vast backcloths... I would draw some of the great tales in fullness, and leave many only placed in the scheme, and sketched. The cycles should be linked to a majestic whole, and yet leave scope for other minds and hands, wielding paint and music and drama."

J.R.R. Tolkien

That said:

I love the way you describe her discovery of her body. It reminded me of watching a foal learning to use its limbs for the first time and I thought it was a wonderful analogy. Her being drawn to seek out Thranduil was a very lovely concept considering they would have been bound to each other for eternity, and the fact that he sensed her presence as well made it all the more beautiful. Your mastery of the language is astounding, as usual. Hehe, imagine all the time and trouble Tolk could have saved himself inventing the languages of ME if he had only taken the sage advice that he should not intersperse his fiction with dialogue in strange languages. Shocked smiley face

Very beautifully done my dear, please continue.

Sun Feb 27, 2005 2:04 pm

Thu, my Sindarin Goddess, what a wonderstand start to a story. I don't care what anyone says about the reimbodied. As you said as an opening - it is extremely rare and this is a What if? story. I think it is lovely. I like the idea of Thranduil having his wife back as well as Legolas having his mother back. I think that is great. Thranduil is portrayed so many ways and usually they are not good so it is nice to see the guy protrayed in a positive light! I love it. As far as your elvish being included - You being the Sindarin Goddess, I would be disappointed if you didn't include it! Love it! Keeping watch on this story cannot wait for the next chapter! Very Happy smiley face

Sun Feb 27, 2005 4:27 pm

I've been meaning to read this for a long time. It's so good to see a 'what if' fic - I do like those. I love stories that take ideas about which we know very little and then give such a colourful and interesting description of it. I loved your opening paragraphs in particular. Very evocative and beautiful.

I'm also relaly chuffed that you have started this story and featured Thranduil, as he is one of my favourite characters, and knowing how good your canon knowledge is, I was really interested to see your portrayal of him.

All in all, I really enjoyed this, and it does make a change to read proper, grammatically correct Sindarin Very Happy smiley face

Sun Feb 27, 2005 7:52 pm

I will be brutally honest. I do not particularly care if a story STRICTLY follows canon, nor do I give a rats behind if LaCE is followed to a tee. What if suits me quite nicely to be totally truthful. The most important thing to me is believability and ease of visualizing what someone has written.

Kudos, madam. You did it.

I will not go on and on and bore you about would have should have could have. It is YOUR story and no one elses. Your imagry is beautiful and gorgeous and I love what you have so far. I love her waking, her discovery of herself, the pinging of memory, the wonder of Thranduil. (Thank you. I have not been so kind to that noble Elf in the past and hope to remedy that situation soon.)

So. When is the next chapter?

Login

Navigation

RSS Feeds

Reviews for "Rebirth"