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| By the Light of Earendil's Star by Branwyn | 7 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| brego | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 12/19/2004 |
| i love this story :) | |
| fliewatuet | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 12/12/2004 |
| I have no idea how I could pass by this story for so long. Once started, I had to read it in one go. I loved the tension during the siege and the seemingly futile battle. But more than that I love to see Eldahil alive:-) I must admit that I have grown quite fond of him and his slightly bohemian ways. | |
| mirthor | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 12/11/2004 |
| Boromir's brooding over the dead seemed realistic. This mission of dragging many men into almost certain death on the very far-off chance of saving one man, regardless that man's identity, is much different than the inevitable battles for the good of Gondor. Though even at this young age he had to have been a seasoned warrior, I can imagine his feelings of guilt once the initial fear for his brother had worn off. You depicted this well. I admit I thought it unrealistic for Eldahil to live - it sems likely for at least one 'important' person to die in a skirmish - but I also liked Eldhil, so that's cool. I enjoyed the Denethor/ Faramir memory & that Denethor didn't treat him like a heathen, as in so many other tales. Thanks! Author Reply: Mirthor-- Thanks for your kind (and honest) review! I have been trying to follow reasonable casualty rates for this story, and I came to the conclusion early on that one of the major characters would either be seriously injured or die during that fight at the farmhouse. Running around on the rooftop with no armor, Eldahil was the logical candidate. I went with injured though he could just as easily have been killed. And I have to admit that I REALLY wanted to do that resurrection scene! This has been, at times, a rather grim story to write, so I beg your indulgence in this matter of Captain Eldahil. :-D Thanks again for writing! Branwyn | |
| Lackwit | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 12/11/2004 |
| I am so happy that Eldahil is alive- and his comrades made aware so in what seemed to me a very Eldahil-sort of way :) Just how much trouble is Boromir going to get into back home? Excellent story and imagery- the fact that I am *still* bothered that the poor chess playing Ranger got eaten shows how strongly it affected me. Author Reply: Lackwit-- I did not realize how well-liked Eldahil was until after he had apparently died! Happily, reports of his death were greatly exaggerated (though the other characters thought he was dead, if you read very carefully, the author never said so). However, I am afraid that Faramir's friend the chessplayer is truly gone. :-( Thanks for writing! Branwyn | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 12/11/2004 |
| Omigod. Eldahil is alive! Had to get that out of my system. I like the juxtaposition of Faramir's encounter with Denethor and his thoughts about the herb that carries such contradictory powers. "Then this is the afterlife? Eldahil thought in dismay. I am doomed to drink wretched brandy-wine with a troop of horse soldiers from Minas Tirith?" LOLOLOL Author Reply: Daw-- Thanks for your kind review! Regarding the exaggerated reports of Eldahil's demise--never did the author say he was dead, though the other characters (men AND orcs) may have said and thought that he was a goner. :-D Learning, like that plant, will bring him both good and evil. Faramir loves learning for its own sake, and he knows that he will need specialized knowledge to fulfil his future duties in life. However, he is now realizing that, as he pursues more advanced studies, his father may come to see him as an intellectual rival. (Possibly part of the reason for their difficult father/son relationship.) Thanks again for writing! Branwyn | |
| annmarwalk | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 12/11/2004 |
| This is marvelous! A very nice change of pace. I loved the details with the healing herbs, especially the scene with Denethor testing Faramir. And your final lines: As the old captain and the ranger discussed him as if he were a side of beef, Boromir looked at him and smiled, clearly overjoyed and relieved. In spite of himself, Eldahil could not help grinning back at his noble and annoying cousin. Priceless! Author Reply: Ann-- Thanks for your kind words! This story was definitely overdue for a happy chapter! But why would Eldahil or anyone else find Boromir annoying?? LOL Branwyn | |
| Raksha The Demon | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 12/11/2004 |
| Wonderful chapter - I'm awed at the realism with which you imbue the details of battle, medicine, and herb-lore. I loved Faramir's flashback to his lessons in leechcraft, and his dialogue with Denethor was very true to the characters - brownie points to you on the herb's name in Sindarin and Quenya. And I laughed out loud at Eldahil's awakening and subsequent musings and dialogue. I can see him trying out a stand-up comedy act in Minas Tirith after the War... Author Reply: Thanks for the kind review! Willow bark is an old folk remedy and is the natural source of that old stand-by aspirin. From what I have read, it tasted absolutely horrible and was very hard on the stomach. The active chemicals were synthesized during the 19th century by a chemist named Bayer (as in "Bayer aspirin", LOL!), and luckily, the synthetic version proved to be much more palatable. The bit where Faramir names and describes the foxglove plant is modeled on the dialogue of that annoying loremaster in the Houses of Healing chapter in ROTK. Actually, I think the herbmaster in my story is probably the same person as in the book. :-) Glad you liked the scene with Eldahil! It was a lot of fun to write. Branwyn | |