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Lesser Ring by Larner	15 Review(s)
GoodyWuss	Reviewed Chapter: 51 on 10/17/2022
I thorooughly enjoyed this story. Thank you.

Soledad	Reviewed Chapter: 51 on 1/15/2008
This was another endearing story of yours - as I'm getting more familiar with your recurring original character, each new story is like another piece of a wonderful puzzle, waiting to be put together. BTW, I found "Go out of Joy", but where is the other story into which Bartolo has managed to worm himself? I don't seem to be able to find it. Author Reply: So, you've now come to know Ruvemir. Am so glad you enjoyed this one. Bartolo is a slight mention here and there; his name appears briefly in "For Eyes to See as Can" where Frodo and Bilbo don't go to his wedding to Delphie but send a gift, and spend the time fighting over whether or not Frodo's going to receive a lavender waistcoat Frodo doesn't want; he's mentioned briefly again in "The King's Commission;" he's a main character in "The Tenant from Staddle," appears in "Second Mum," and in the short story "A Matter of Record" in the collection "'Neath Anor, Ithil, and Gil," and I think may have a mention in "Stricken from the Book" in "Moments in Time." We see him briefly in both "The Choice of Healing" and "The Acceptable Sacrifice." He's a bit more of a presence in the second one. He's only mentioned in "The Ties of Family," if I recall correctly. As I've been writing "The Tenant from Staddle" around a number of other shorter stories I've written, he and Delphie and their family tend to get more play in the more recent short stories I've written. Ruvemir has appeared in "The King's Commission," "The Ties of Family," "Lesser Ring," and a short story in "Moments in Time called "Memorium." I'm starting to look more at some of your stories as well--when the ISP from Mordor accommodates it, of course. NEVER use Hughes.net--it's REALLY the pits.

Tari	Reviewed Chapter: 51 on 5/16/2007
This chapter is by far the icing on the cake. It is beyond description. Beaitiful and awesome just don't seem to be enough. The last paragraph brought me to tears. Thank you so much for this wonderful experience. Tari Author Reply: I am so very glad you liked it. I'd written this chapter long before I got anywhere near the end of the story, and even wrote it before I got to the chapter where Aragorn knows his own vision of Frodo with the butterfly. I've long felt there was such a relationship between Frodo and Aragorn, different from that he shares with Sam, that susptained both King and Ringbearer over the years.

Christina	Reviewed Chapter: 51 on 3/16/2007
Once again you made me cry. I have enjoyed your stories and look forward to more. I'm also enjoying "The Tenant from Staddle" and "Stirring Rings." (Hint) Author Reply: Now that "Go Out in Joy" has been finished (I HOPE, although the nuzgul that sparked it has been MOST tenacious) I've resumed work on Rings, and should be back to posting a chapter from one of the other at least once a week again. Although one doesn't know, does one, with nuzguls taking to masquerading as simple plot bunnies. And am so very glad this story so moved you. Thank you indeed. I'd been prompted in reviews that Pippin's idea that Frodo and Earendil might manage to meet ought to be at least looked at, and so it was that this chapter wrote itself several weeks before I was done with the actual main story line.

Etharei	Reviewed Chapter: 51 on 11/3/2005
How do you find the time and energy to write so much? g One can barely keep up with you- not that that's a bad thing, o' course :-D So sorry for taking so long to finally comment here, and I haven't even started on your new story yet! First of all, let me say that I would have to write several pages worth of review to do your story any justice. There's just so much to applaud, from the way you portrayed a race of Men only vaguely mentioned by Tolkien, to presenting such wonderful ideas such as Frodo's meeting with Earendil, which would have been a sight indeed. I must admit to being a little anxious at the start of the story, because I've seen any number of depictions of the Haradrim- and there are some really bizarre ones out there, let me tell you- and I was greatly relieved when you portrayed them as not evil, but oppressed by evil. Like in The King's Commission, you manage to combine a gripping narrative with convincing characterizations and an exploration on the themes of honour and dignity. Strangely enough, looking back on the story as a whole, I have found that my favourite bit was actually the choice of Setra'amun to return to the Light, even though when I was reading it I initially felt that it was diverging from the main plot (until I got to the end and realised what it was there for, of course). I guess I am a sucker for the concept of second chances ^_^ I love the sense of depth in the culture of the Haradrim, especially as I have a long-standing interest in Egyptian mythology. Your reasoning behind making them 'proto-Egypt' makes sense, and I'm surprised that not many have thought of it that way. Mostly I've seen Haradrim culture being based on Arab/ Islamic tradition, which has a beauty of its own, but this is a refreshing change. On that note, after reading your Author's Notes I was very impressed with the research that went behind the writing of the story, and the effort you went through in making the less conventional threads of the story relevant to social and cultural history. I find the idea of the 'black Dunedain' intriguing. It is entirely possible that other ships left Numenor near the end (maybe even before the King set sail for the West), and the Akallabeth only covers the ships from Romenna under Elendil's care. My only criticism- and it's a very minor one that you can ignore, really- is that at times the narrative either begins to drag or feels rushed; I felt the latter particularly in the second to the last chappy. I was also sorry that we didn't really see much of Ruvermir here, though I know that it's mostly Aragorn's story. At times I also felt that the praising of Frodo, whilst justified, begins to sound a little over-the-top. Personally I like characters who seem real, with vices to balance the virtues, and at times Frodo is being made into a saint-like figure. I still love it, though, and the character deserves it, but I thought I'd mention it. Hopefully you haven't fallen asleep yet ^_^ Thank you for yet another wonderful story, I guess I have to do some quick reading to catch up the your new one. Please, don't ever stop writing (or I'll throw chalk sticks at you)! Author Reply: I have been writing almost obsessively, perhaps in part to hide from a RL that is alternately chaotic and totally boring. Gets interesting, I must say. And I've been trying to publish a chapter every day or two for quite some time, although on occasion it has dragged on longer, particularly last winter and spring when the computer kept going down--and down--and down.... (Very long ago when my husband and I got started working with computers we learned the hard way that one of the first things one learns is how to swear fluently in a number of languages, including (for me) Basic, dBase, and MBasic.) I think most folks are basically pretty good people, but find themselves either in situations where one bad choice leads to another and then more in turn; or they decide they know better than everyone else and are going to show everyone else how it's done, and then grow increasingly divorced from reality. I also have seen Aragorn as portrayed by Tolkien as being the Sacred King who stands between the Creator and the nation, and thus does his best to represent the best from each side to the other. That in his trips to Harad and Rhun he should come across those who will become leaders of their lands in the future when he has come into his own seemed a logical premise; and that Iluvatar would seek to use him to prepare them to do a far better job of ruling their folk than they are allowed to do under Sauron also seemed logical. And so StarEagle and later Staravion in The King's Commission manage to prepare those who will rule Rhun and represent Rhun before the Western lands; and in this one Horubi'ninarin saves the younger prince of Harad and serves as an example for him, his father, and his older brother, helping them prepare for the day when Sauron no longer rules them. I'd already portrayed the folk of Rhun as basically Arabic in nature; to have two such cultures seemed to be too much, so I went with an Egyptian model instead for those from the South (and a Mongol model for the folk of Mundolie). And I, too, grew up learning about the Egyptians, and was thrilled to go through the Tutankhamen exhibit when it was touring the US in the seventies and actually see the items I'd studied for so long. I have quite few books on Egyptian history, archaeology, mythology, and cosmology; it was fun to play with the culture, tweaking it a bit to better fit with the world of Middle Earth. That you found yourself in the end most appreciating the chapter on Setra'amun in the temple when at first you didn't like it is very gratifying, for it is one of the themes of the Christian concept of redemption I think Tolkien would have appreciated greatly. And if you'd like to point out specific places particularly in chapter 50 where you think things could be done better, I'd truly appreciate it. I do appreciate constructive criticism which is relevant (I have had one person on HASA who has consistently criticized elements which s/he consistently sees as going counter to my intent and how all others who've read the same material have taken it, and that individual seems to have read almost every piece I've put up for review--that person's criticism is an example of what I see as "irrelevant" if you know what I mean). I won't always promise to change everything suggested, but will try to do my best to not repeat the same things elsewhere. As for Frodo being portrayed as saintly--I agree. I don't see him as saintly, and I doubt Sam completely convinced himself of that; but I suspect that many others would tend to idealize him. In my current story you WON'T see him as completely saintly--not by a longshot. Hope you can forgive me for the portrayal in Lesser Ring. Thanks for the in depth analysis, for I do appreciate it.

Grumpy	Reviewed Chapter: 51 on 10/11/2005
Love Frodo and the butterflies in this chapter. I had a great time reading your story of Aragorn's two trips to Harad. I have loved all your stories, and am looking forward to more. You write the king, his family and friends so well. Thanks for the lovely read. Author Reply: Thank you so much for appreciating it, Grumpy. I try to write them well, and am sorry that at times I appear to let some characters slide into obscurity. Thanks so much for all the feedback--it keeps me writing.

Radbooks	Reviewed Chapter: 51 on 10/11/2005
This was a beautiful ending. I loved the image of Frodo dancing with the butterflies here, I could more easily picture it here than I could from Aragorn's end. Very wonderful story, though I am very sad to see it end and look forward to whatever offering you might have next! Author Reply: Yes, Frodo and the butterflies are there in my own imaginary picture gallery--if only I could draw it as well as I see it in my mind's eye! So glad you enjoyed it. The plotbunny with the wine bottle finally won out, as you'll note if you read the latest in Moments in Time. Hope all continues to go well with you. Next time I head across the Sound we'll have to see if we can meet somewhere.

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 51 on 10/8/2005
I loved the butterflies. And the meeting with Earendil! How special. But the contact with Aragorn was the best. Probably. I can't be easy being the only mortal in the Undying Lands, with your heart's friends across the Sundering Seas. And have you got your next story in the pipeline? Author Reply: Yes, being alone amongst the immortals could be lonely at times, with the heart sometimes needing mortal bread and mortal love. And glad you like Earendil and the butterflies; but for me, also, it was the moment of communion with Aragorn that would mean the most to me, were I Frodo. Yes, am working on a couple and have another rather motherly nuzgul that keeps peering into the bedroom door. Am not certain if I like what the plotbunny that wants my bottle of wine is turning into--Think I'll work on that one a while. But the pathetic nuzgul who's been into the bandaids is shaping up nicely, I think.

Tigger	Reviewed Chapter: 51 on 10/7/2005
Oh what a wonderful and lovely way to end this beautiful story. Loved, loved, loved it Larner. It truly is the perfect ending. Frodo meeting Earendil...Simply a lovely way to end the tale. As you know, I really enjoyed this story and will be rereading it at some point. Thanks so much for this jewel of a story. Looking forward to your next story. :o) Author Reply: Thank you, Tigger, for appreciating it so. And yes, meeting Earendil must have been an unexpected joy for Frodo, as it must have been for Elrond to have been reunited with him after so very many years and to have brought the two of them together. Thanks so much for all the reviews and all.

Raksha The Demon	Reviewed Chapter: 51 on 10/6/2005
Lovely visuals here; I particularly liked the description of the mallorn trees. Author Reply: I'm glad you did, Raksha. For Frodo and the immigrants from Lothlorien these must have been a familiar element to hold as they integrate themselves into the society of Aman and Tol Eressea particularly.

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