News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
| About Us News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
|
| A Matter of Honor by meckinock | 23 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Thundera Tiger | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 9/16/2005 |
| One of the most remarkable things about this story is its tone. In this chapter, it picks up almost precisely where it left off in the last chapter, and even more amazing is the fact that it does this while at the same time changing characters. Dudo is not as aware of the growing danger for Aragorn, but the actions of the other characters makes up for his ignorance. And he's not entirely naive. He can tell that something's up, even if he's not sure exactly what or how dangerous it is. And once again, the humor is still there, though as before, it's lost power. And it continues to lose power as the chapter progresses until it is a very dark, very demanding chapter. The jests don't have the same ring. The wry remarks lack substance. It's all spiralling downward, and the characters, the tone, and even the weather all combine to support it. It's a beautiful coming together of events, people, and places to push Gandalf and Halbarad into very extreme action. The decision to amputate was bold. Very bold. But it was a decision arrived at through extreme circumstances and increasingly desperate efforts. It felt right. Halbarad's inability to do it felt right. His objections felt right, and the fact that he moved past them in the end felt right. I was screaming at them to stop it, but at the same time, I couldn't offer them any alternatives. You managed to back the characters into a seemingly inescapeable situation, and all the tension and all the darkness you were building suddenly focused itself into one horrible moment. And then you jerked the rug out from under our feet. It was perfectly timed, and that's another thing I have to compliment you on: the timing of this piece. You've got a nearly perfect sense of timimg for the humor, the drama, the entrances, the exits, everything! It has made me not a little bit jealous. Which brings us back to Elladan's arrival. And I thought the Rohirrim liked to cut it close on the rescues. The arrow, the slight delay, and then the reveal of who the newcomer was had a brilliant flow and timing to them, and I loved Elladan's response of "near enough" when Tillfield proclaimed him an elf. Now there's an element of hope in the story, and the darkness isn't nearly as dark. But it's still there, and the sense of urgency that was always underlying the chapter has now been brought to the forefront by a means of acting on this urgency. I applaud you on maintaining mood while making both Elladan and Elrohir into the brothers, the friends, and the near-enough-elves that they are. On to the next chapter! Author Reply: Again, I am humbled! I have to actually go back and read the chapter along with the review - I'm having trouble believing I actually did all this, and I'm certain it was not as well thought-out as you give me credit for! Most of this was a chain reaction of soup-seasoning. This part of the story was challenging because I needed a certain amount of travel time prior to the party reaching Rivendell to set up/reinforce conflicts, establish themes, and let the characters have a bit of fun, but having done that I needed a way to ratchet up the sense of urgency or they'd be tra-la-lalling all the way to Rivendell. Well, a near-amputation seemed like just the thing. Then of course I needed a way to stop it. Enter E2! I wanted their arrival to lighten the mood of absolute despair without deflating the sense of urgency. It felt tricky so I'm glad you liked it. | |
| lindahoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 7/23/2005 |
| This was a wonderful chapter just packed with angst and excitement.You did have me bieling that Aragorn was being attacked by a wolf and would lose his leg ! Brilliant writing,you have me very sorry for poor Aragorn.I also liked the way you had Halbarad rage at Gandalf as I feel like that in the books at times and used that in one of my own stories,though he gave cryptic advice to help then ! Author Reply: Well, Dudo has a bad case of the "what ifs". He can't quite believe he actually did something heroic. And I'm glad if I had you half-believing Gandalf was going to do the...ahem...Deed That Shall Not Be Named. With Halbarad and Gandalf feeling frustrated and helpless about to the end of their ropes, I had to let one of them snap. What story was this with the acting-out rage? It sounds intriguing; I'd love to read it. My e-mail address should be on the author page, I think. Thanks very much for such a kind review. | |
| Leaward | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 7/20/2005 |
| I was wondering how you were going to stop them from taking Aragorn's leg! Trust the twins to come in in the nick of time! I like how Halbarad dodges Dudo's question about what he is afraid of, but also how Halbarad admits that he does fear things. And of course we later find out one of his fears when Aragorn gets even more ill. A very nice, subtle touch. "...a little trouble in Bree..." what a masterful understatement, LOL. Well done, Meckinock. On to read the next chapter now ... Author Reply: Love those twins. Now if I could only get them to show up every time I'm about to mess up something... Halbarad isn't afraid to admit he's human, but he's a guy. Talking too much about feelings makes him queasy! Thanks, Leaward! | |
| pipinheart | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 7/20/2005 |
| A arrow piecing the tree befor Gandalf was reading to ccut off Aragorns leg. His brothers appear and seem to save him from that fate,but time is of the essence...Great job... Author Reply: Thanks, Pipinheart. A little bit of contrived drama there, but I didn't want you to get bored! | |
| laerien | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 7/19/2005 |
| (Bear with my English!) Wow, at last! A sequel! I simply loved 'In the Hands of the Enemy'! It was so different than other fanfics, had a certain Tolkien athmosphere, yet reamined light and very enjoyable with an amazing storyline! I have been waiting for this for soo long! I love your characters, every one of them is shaped (?), and really themselves. The conversations are real and fantastic. You know, this is one of the few fanfics ( along with In the Hands of the enemy) that the Professor would be proud of, I think and that's the greatest compliment I can give to a Tolkien fan. Now, about the story... I was just sitting in the chair, gaping, not breathing... For a moment, I forgot that they just CAN'T cut off Aragorn's leg. Then the arrow came along with my sigh. I would rather have them fighting with a horde of orcs... #sigh# I have to calm down... In the first chapter, the incident with the farmer was simply magnificent! The noble rangers running for their lifes #chuckle# I can't resist to write something about the characters. Dudo behaves in a way I would in a situation. His thoughts are of the simple man, who became dragged into some mess. Halbarad... It is pleasure to find a story that mentions Halbarad, but one that has it as a main character! He is my favourite with Aragorn and Faramir (though I love all of them)! His reactions to Gandalf's idea was so much like a REAL friend's! I'm sure you have heard this befor :o) but 'Your' Aragorn is... Aragorn. Like in the books with just a tiny film style. And Gandalf is purely the Gandalf I'm used to and love. This is a bit long now. Just... I am delighted and like Dudo when he knew about elves (excited, shifting in the chair and so on). Please, update as soon as possible!!! P.S. Is this story finished? Or work in Progress? Author Reply: Laerien, Thanks, first of all, for your kind words about "In the Hands of the Enemy." I hope very much that with this sequel I'm not disappointing readers who has been waiting much too long to see Aragorn FINALLY get to Rivendell. That Professor Tolkien might be proud of my feeble attempts at interpreting his ideas is for me, one of my highest aspirations and I humbly thank for for suggesting it. I really can't imagine what he would think about all this, but I do write out of a serious respect and admiration for his original work and ideas (and yes, even his religion.) My writing style will never be more than an Americanized, contraction-contaminated abomination (in his eyes, certainly!), but I hope that at least I can render some of his principal themes - friendship, loyalty, self-sacrifice, self-determination, mortality, redemption, in a fashion that would not horrify him. I'm thrilled to hear you were on the edge of your seat! Reviews like yours are such a joyful reminder of how gratifying writing can be. To some extent a writer has to write for her own fulfillment, but still, it's exhilarating to realize that by putting a bunch of words on paper here at my desk, it's possible to transmit a sense of excitement and tension to someone on the other side of the world. I really enjoyed writing the goat story. It was a little easier to mix the humor and the serious drama in my first story because there were two parallel narratives. In this story there's really no way to avoid it getting just plain bleak for considerable stretches (Chapter 3 angst alert), so I wanted to insert some humor while I still could. I liked the idea of the boys innocently blundering into a situation they had a hard time getting out of (or explaining.) A lot of us can sympathize with Dudo, I think. The camping trip sounded like a fun idea, but after one night he was looking for the Holiday Inn Express. Even a poor orphan hobbit from Bree has SOME standards! Halbarad is enormously fun to write, probably because there aren't too many canonical guardrails to hem him in. I enjoy exploring Gandalf and Aragorn as well because canon provides interesting suggestions about what this period might have been like for them, and I enjoy exploring it. I'm sure you have heard this befor :o) but 'Your' Aragorn is... Aragorn. Like in the books with just a tiny film style. OK; true, he does look like Mr. V.M. Why not! If you mean he seems a little bit more angsty and self-doubting than Aragorn of the Fellowship, I plead guilty. I imagine this period, 10-years pre-Fellowhip, would be a low point for him. I didn't care for the movie notion that Aragorn would reject his heritage or his destiny, but I think it might be hard to keep up the enthusiastic flag-waving for 68 solid years, given the challenges he faces. I decided like an evil author to stick him in the middle of a bump in the road so I could figure out how to get him out of it. Sorry for the long reply, thanks again for the lovely review. It really made my day! PS The story is definitely not finished! Chapter 3 should be up tonight (US Central Time - GMT minus 6.) | |
| Thorongirl | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 7/12/2005 |
| What!!!??? What? Gandalf was going to amputate Aragorn's leg? Ah, but then the words that causes us all to breathe again: "Unhand my brother, Gandalf." Whew. *Collective sigh of relief from Aragorn fans everywhere* That's right, Meckinock, we were all ready to hunt you down, but thankfully, you (and J.R.R. himself) had enough sense not to let a terrible thing like that happen. And so begins another wonderfully mature review from Thorongirl! Hey, great chapter. I meant to review earlier but was having some major family/angst problems of my own, which are now (thankfully) resolved. Loved your portrayal of Dudo in this chapter and that truly spot-on expression he made about heroism. That was good, very, very good. And Halbarad's retort when asked what he was afraid. Truly priceless. Droll -- but priceless. Oh, and a rough ride ahead. Poor, poor Aragorn. But he'll probably rest a little easier just knowing that there is a group of demented fanfic readers who love reading this sort of stuff and who, while hoping he makes it to Rivendell in one piece, don't mind at all seeing him in agony until such time as he pulls through. (Go ahead. Repeat that sentence three times in a row without pausing for breath. I dare you). See? I told you this would be a mature review! I did rather like Elladan's comment about how worried Elrond is. You sort of slipped that in without much fanfare, but it was nicely done. BTW, there are a few of your other reviewers (one in particular whose pen name starts with a "K") who had me in stitches reading their reviews. Johnny Halbarad, indeed! Too funny. But I love reading things like that. It was almost as brilliant as your story. Absolutely loved this chapter and of course, am waiting patiently *come, come now -- what's with the look of disbelief!*) for the next. Author Reply: It's OK; I know Karen's reviews are actually much more brilliant than the story. I've adored Karen since she first unleashed Johnny Halbarad on about Chapter 4 of In the Hands of the Enemy, and I think the prospect of an encore performance by my favorite PI is what kept me going while I was trying to finish this story! And your review - not mature? Au contraire, Thorongirl! (Besides, I love a reviewer who makes my reviews sound coherent.) I'm glad your family issues got sorted out so you can get back to the really important stuff. Gandalf says nobody was more relieved to hear those words than he was. Gandalf of the Fellowship, for all his wisdom, was neither omniscient nor infallible, so I thought that in a moment of exhaustion and desperation he might be capable of making a well-intentioned but tragically mis-timed decision. Being out of town set me back on posting, but I'm hoping to get Chapter 3 out this weekend. Good to hear from you! | |
| Caroline | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 7/11/2005 |
| Hi there! Well, I just found this today, and I am so excited to see another fic from you! I was a huge fan of 'In the Hands of the Enemy'and after being soo eager for a seqel I am ovjoyed to see that this is shaping up so nicely. Aragorn and GAndalf are so wonderfully in character as always, I still say that your Aragorn is one of the best I have read - and I just adore Halbarad! The most exciting thing about this chapter though is the introduction of E2, two of my favourite ever characters and I remeber in 'hands' just loving the flashbacks you put in involving them and I must say that I loved the beautiful and dramatic entrence. I can't wait for the long - awaited reunion, I liked Ellandan's reference to Elrond being worried, I am giddy with anticipation!!! Looking forward to the next. Author Reply: So you're saying you didn't mind Gandalf as the Butcher of Bree? I promise to actually get Aragorn conscious by the end of chapter 4 so he can better demonstrate how much in character he is. It's challenging when all he does is mumble about making it to the river and pass out! I had fun doing the little E2 flashback in In the Hands of the Enemy, even though I was driving without a license, so I really enjoyed being able to actually give them an on-screen role this time around. I felt that they deserved a big dramatic entrance, although Aragorn might disagree. Elladan is right about Elrond being worried sick, but you know how parents can be when they're worried sick - as soon as they're satisfied you're not dead they make you wish you were. Thanks for reviewing! | |
| fliewatuet | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 7/3/2005 |
| The brothers E2 have made an impressive entrance. Now I'm wondering how impressive their crossing of a flooded river will be. I mean, I do sincerely hope they make that crossing and that this story does not lead to a wicked meckinock-A/U where Strider is not named Strider but Limper and sports a pirate-style wooden leg ... Aragorn seems quite stupid in hindsight. With his training as a healer, he should have been well aware that leaving that leg wound untreated for so long would eventually lead to disaster. But then, he is only human after all ... I cannot really say that I loved the scene where Gandalf is about to chop Aragorn's leg off ('love' would not be appropriate, given the circumstances), but it drove the grimness of the entire situation home for me. And Dudo's observation that none of them was willing to put a name on what they were doing (and that Gandalf was unwilling to use Aragorn's own knife for the task) where so very fitting. Needless to say that I am somewhat impatiently awaiting more :-) fliewatuet Author Reply: I promise that the river crossing will not result in any further damage to...Strider. Although it's fun to think up new nicknames for him, isn't it? The story is not AU. At least not intentionally! Aragorn definitely wasn't using his best judgement when he refused to go back to Rivendell after he took the orc arrow. But at the time, he had pretty much just had it with everything. He had just returned from a long, grueling, and fruitless search for Gollum to find that the Ranger settlement in the Angle had been attacked, so he already had to delay his meeting with Gandalf in Bree to lead the pursuit. After that situation broke bad, the last thing he wanted to do, at a time when he felt very far from achieving all the expecations and demands Elrond has heaped on him, was deal with Elrond. On the other hand, his relationship with Gandalf lacked the same complications and Gandalf was waiting for him in Bree. So he ended up with a bad case of "get-there-itis" (an aviation term frequently associated with fatal crashes.) As far as Dr. Gandalf was concerned, he should have known it was too late for amputation to do any good. But they really were between a rock and a hard place, and Halbarad was pushing him to do something. So he did the only thing he could. And besides, I had to make the twins' arrival matter! Just got back in town, thanks for the review and sorry for the late reply. | |
| Estelcontar | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 7/3/2005 |
| Your Halbarad is wonderful! I'm in love with him, which is not surprising as I've been in love with him and with Aragorn for the past 35 years. But I'm also in love with your Dudo, and that is surprising because I was never much in love with hobbits. And you managed a miracle - your Aragorn sounds like Aragorn even when he's nearly unconscious. I can hardly wait to see him in Rivendell because I've been always fascinated by the glimpse the Professor allowed us of Aragorn and Elrond's relationship. So, I've always wished we could have had more of it. I'm sure you will do a great job of portraying the bittersweetness inherent to their love for one another. I can hardly wait for chapter three! Author Reply: Thanks, Estelcontar! Sorry for the tardiness in replying; I've been out of town. 35 years! How can ordinary men possibly compare? Halbarad kind of snuck up on me out of the blue, but wow, he sure did it with a vengeance. I never want to let him out of my sight now. Yeah, I need to give Aragorn a break, really. I really just want to front-load his reunion with Elrond so that neither of them can sort of side-step some issues they've been avoiding for a long time (my interpretation of canon - not necessarily everyone's.) | |
| Lily Baggins | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 7/1/2005 |
| As a total Aragorn h/c NUT, and one who also has spent much too much time gleefully watching the grisly surgery scenes in Civil War movies, I ADORED this chapter. Infection, misery, pain . . . all of my favorite things when it comes to Aragorn. I anticipated something happening to distract Gandalf . . . and what a pair of nice distractions, too. Your Dudo is just adorable . . . as someone who reads a lot of hobbit fic, I think you have him down beautifully. I'm eagerly awaiting the next chapter! Will we be treated to more tending/treatments/elvish medicine in future chapters? I'm hoping . . . no, actually, I'm pining for it! :) You write it so very well. Author Reply: Hi, Lily, Sorry for the tardiness in replying; I've been out of town for a week. Glad you like the wee bar-wiper; I've gotten kind of attached to him myself. Surgery scenese in Civil War movies? Whew, you really are an h/c addict! Aragorn definitely has an appointment with Elrond coming up, but after that I feel like I should give the poor guy a little break, don't you? He has to be fit enough to go back after Gollum by next spring. | |