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| All That Glisters by Lindelea | 10 Review(s) |
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| Tari | Reviewed Chapter: 72 on 5/25/2007 |
| Had you not mention this story as a prequil to Just Dessets, I would have missed it and that would have been a real shame. Granted, there were parts that were dark and angsy, but that did not stop me from reading. It is a truly wonderful tale. If there were an icon of someone jumping up and down for joy, I would add it to my review. I'm glad you brought Jack, Wil and Rob back. I so wanted to know what happened to them and hope to read more of them in Just Desserts. Thank you for a wonderful adventure. Tari Author Reply: LOL, I'm afraid most of my stories are related and strung together like pearls on a necklace. This story leads into Just Desserts, and before All That Glisters there is StarFire. And a host of related stories, among them At the End of His Rope and its sister-story A Healer's Tale (which, happily, introduces Jack to a very young Pippin). I'm afraid that Just Desserts is very angsty and difficult for Jack, Will, and Rob, but everything does come out right in the end, I'm happy to say. I do thank you for the encouraging words. Author Reply: p.s. You're welcome! | |
| Nienor Niniel | Reviewed Chapter: 72 on 9/15/2006 |
| I enjoyed this one immensely! There was so much in it: new characters, like Denethor, sub-plots like about Hilly and his wife, evil ruffians... thanks so much for sharing! Nienor Author Reply: Ah, I didn't realise you'd read this already, but if you are proceeding chronologically, you'd have to have read it before FirstBorn! Thanks for dropping by and leaving a note! | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 72 on 1/25/2005 |
| An Ent draught, eh? Wouldn't have thought of that! Laughing. And the pardon is a nice one. Author Reply: Sorry for the belated reply. Was just doing some reading for the sake of continuity and stumbled across your review. Yes, the Ent draught was introduced in "At the End of His Rope" and came back for an encore in "Where the Merlin Cries". A fun thing to imagine! (And inspired by the fact that Pippin and Merry's hurts were healed, more quickly than usual, after drinking from the stream in Fangorn Forest, and the Ent draught they drank gave them a feeling of well-being and growth.) Thanks! | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 72 on 1/23/2005 |
| 'I know that Pippin and Sam return to the shop with bags of gold, and that Pippin thanks Jack personally (and so does Sam!)' From Jack, Will and Rob's point of view, that scene must be such a huge relief - they've spent the last however many years with their heads ducked down and hiding if ever hobbits come to the city, convinced that they'll be dancing at the end of a rope if ever anyone recognises them. To find out that not only are they forgiven, they are held in tremendous respect by the hobbits - for their kindness in the first place, saving Hilly, Diamond and Farry at the risk of their own lives; inadvertantly saving Ferdi from almost certain death; reuniting Elladan and Elrohir with The Flask; and saving Farry and Pip-lad from the kidnappers - well, they must be so relieved that they feel ill with it. From now on they can hold their heads up among their neighbours - even such upright neighbours as Denny. (I should think Denny'll be impressed, too, when he finds out that it is Jack who rescued the hobbitlings he nearly died to protect.) And they'll be wealthy, too, which is not too bad a thing! And to be in favour with the hobbits, is to be in the favour of the King. Another plus. It could almost make a story of its own! Author Reply: Did I not answer this? Sorry! It could almost make a story of its own, indeed! Actually, there's an outline of another "Jack" story, set in the Shire during Pippin's early years. Someday, perhaps, it'll get written. I like your summation; it makes me smile to think of their joy after "fleeing where no man pursueth" for ten years or so. Who knows if they might have further adventures. Why, perhaps Rob is one of those who travels with Farry and Ferdi to Gondor... (one day I'll write that story, I hope) Thanks! | |
| Hai Took | Reviewed Chapter: 72 on 1/18/2005 |
| Splendid! I'm so glad to see what happened to the boys! I'm glad it was Diamond who discovered them. Now they seem to have wonderful lives of their own now. I like how you...extended the names, Gwillam and Robin, they sounded so ordinary when we first started but those were excellent. Also I have to say that I adored you putting in the idea that Bilbo Gamgee was born on Sept. 22nd, very appropriate. I would love to hear more about trips to the Lake. *hint hint* ;) Thank you for the excellent story! Author Reply: Yes, and Jack's "new" name was "Gwill" (thought I forgot to mention it)-- and wouldn't it be funny if it were his "real" name? He did say something about giving the boys names that sounded like their own names, so that they'd come when they were called. Well, there's a trip to the lake in "At the End of His Rope". Not sure about others. The two stories about Farry's trips to Gondor are niggling at my attention, at the moment ("Farry and Ferdi go to Gondor" and "Ferdi and... I forget, is it Regi? ...go to Gondor"). But first I have to finish "While there's breath" and see if I can pick up the stitches of "Thain" again, and there's Rosemary's story to consider. Whew! Thanks for taking the time to comment! Author Reply: oops, I said "Ferdi and Regi" when I meant "Farry and Regi"--the trip that takes place after Frodo Gamgee's wedding in "Comedy of Merrys". Ferdi's blind by then so I doubt he'd be sent to watch over Farry. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 72 on 1/18/2005 |
| I like the way no-one says anything. Nell must be walking away shaking her head in complete confusion. I wonder if anyone will let her in on the details. I'd like to see the meeting between Pippin, Sam and maybe Ferdi and Jack, Will and Rob. Very subtly done. I love Diamond. Author Reply: Thanks! Having been in Nell's position (often!) it was rather fun to know what was going on between the lines for once! It's funny, I haven't yet envisioned that meeting. I know that Pippin and Sam return to the shop with bags of gold, and that Pippin thanks Jack personally (and so does Sam!), but somehow my imagination has drawn a curtain over the scene. Perhaps I was off to tea with Seledrith at the time... | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 72 on 1/17/2005 |
| I totally forgot to ask about Merileth. She was mentioned briefly in the last chapter, and at the time I wondered where the healers and their apprentices had come from. The city is new, the houses of healing are new, so did everyone move north from Gondor, or was the city populated by the Dunedain of the north, or something else random? I just thought it would have been ironic for Denny to end up finding his true-love in a far-away city if she had been under his nose for years in the southlands. Author Reply: The New City was populated from different places: Gondor, Breeland, Dale, the Dunedain. Merileth's name implies that she is either of the Dunedain or Gondor, I think. If of Gondor, she might have been one of a family who moved to the North-land after plans were announced to re-build the City. The "greengrocer" being used as a point of reference implies that he was one of the earliest to set up in the marketplace, at least to my thinking. Either that or he has one of the larger facilities, but to have that, again I think he'd have to be an early settler. He probably early established relations with local Men who had arrived to farm the surrounding land, to sell their produce for a fee, leaving them free on market days to continue to work at their farming. (A farmer's work is never done.) It would be ironic if Merileth was under Denethor's nose all this time, but I don't think it likely. I think he caught her attention on a visit to the marketplace with the hobbits. The irony in my mind is the "small world" aspect of the story. The greengrocer has three daughters. The eldest married Denethor, the middle married Will, and the youngest married the armourer. So for a time, before Denethor was "invalided out", a guardsman and a fugitive from justice (at least Will and Jack thought so) were brothers-in-law. Can you imagine the dancing around certain subjects to avoid exciting suspicion on the part of their friends and relations, and the elabourately casual plans they had to lay to avoid meeting the hobbits on their visits to the Lake? I think Seledrith must have suspected something. Perhaps Jack allayed her suspicion with an excuse that Will was mortally afraid of Halflings due to an incident in his early years, or some such thing. That would make her a co-conspirator in Jack's getting Will out of the shop when hobbits were due on their regular shopping day. Author Reply: p.s. another possibility is that Merileth's family came from one of the seacoasts in the Southlands. Her name has something to do with the sea, I forget exactly what. | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 72 on 1/17/2005 |
| This is a lovely ending to the story. Diamond is a perceptive hobbit, and you can't get much past her. I loved the little glimpse of Jack settled and well-loved, and his boys happy having found their own place. Sometimes good is its own reward, and I think Jack has found his (but a bag or two of gold probably wouldn't go amiss.) A happy ending for all! Author Reply: Yes, I was writing towards this ending for chapter upon chapter, and sometimes it seemed as if I never *would* get there. Whew. I did love the picture of Jack napping with the baby named for Rob. I can just see the baby fussing a little, and Jack, without really awakening, rocking the cradle with his foot to settle things down a little longer. And when he wakens, won't Will have good news to share with him! Thanks! | |
| Grey Wonderer | Reviewed Chapter: 72 on 1/16/2005 |
| Just brilliant! Loved the way Diamond breezed though all of it with no one the wiser and yet, managed to make her point known to Will. All of this has been lovley and I find that my favorite of your original characters is now Denethor with Posey a very close second. Denethor is such a great character and has such a way with the hobbits. Now, I fear you must write something else, maybe more chapters of Thain? LOL I am planning to start "Rope" again in a few days when time allows so you will be hearing from me again. You have been warned. LOL Great story! Author Reply: Ah, thank you! So much of the story was written towards this Epilogue, which was one of the first chapters written after Jack and the boys escaped the Shire. I do look forward to hearing from you again! When you do read "Rope", see if you can spot Hilly. He's not named, but he's definitely there. Thanks! | |
| Connie B. | Reviewed Chapter: 72 on 1/16/2005 |
| That was a sweet ending. I was kind of surprised that Pippin never did see jack again. Will's poor wife probably never did figure out what exactly happened that day.:) This was a very nice story. I look forward to seeing where your new one is going, and I would love to see updates to your Thain story. Thanks again. Connie B. Author Reply: You're welcome! Modified slightly to reflect a slightly later meeting between Jack, Will, and Pippin (and possibly Elessar, though they'd keep things quiet, not wanting to arouse speculation about Men getting into the Shire and getting away with it.) Thanks! | |