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| The River by Indigo Bunting | 18 Review(s) |
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| shadowolf | Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 3/28/2009 |
| I am sort of new here. Your story is amazing. Although I haven't finished the entire thing just yet, I am getting ready to go to the store so I don't want to forget to review. I really love Legolas and you portrayed him and the other characters extremely well. Also, your descriptions and dialogue made it seem as if I truly was there! Keep up all the great work! Author Reply: Thank you, Shadowolf, and welcome! If you are new to this site then you are in for a treat. There are lots of fun stories around here. I'm so glad to hear that you've enjoyed reading the story. I certainly enjoyed writing it, and hearing other people say that they took pleasure in the work is very gratifying. I have always liked the books and the characters so much, and I always wished Tolkien had written more about the Fellowship together. One day the threads of a plot just started arranging themselves in my head, and I figured I'd try and see if I could actually write something. I have a few other half-formed ideas, too, so we'll see if I ever get another story down. Thanks again for reading, and also for the review. It's been a long time since anyone left a note for this piece. | |
| ziggy | Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 6/11/2007 |
| uh.. Indigo? January.... its now June? Hello? PLEASE dont go! It's like a drought out here... sob. Author Reply: Hey, Ziggy! Sorry, I didn't realize you'd left another note. Good news. I'm posting the next chapter RIGHT NOW! :) | |
| ziggy | Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 4/8/2007 |
| I have ti really apologise for not reviewing this chapter- have read and re-read the whole story twice since January (hint hint!) and just checked if I reviewed and have not. Which is sinful considering how much enjoyment I have had from this story. There is so little good stuff being posted now that we faithful Tolkien fans have to treasure our good writers and give them al the encouragment we can. I love the way you reveal the story, the way Legolas awakens slowly, realsing what he rest of the fellowship are doing building a fire pit. The muted voices and care they take is built up beautifully- the details are what give such a vivid image to the reader.But best of all is the reaction from the hobbits to their first killings- and the way the warriors support them having seen it often before. I love the way you develop Legolas' relationship with Gimli; that sort of watchful trust, not quite sure of each other but the respect from fighting and working with each other on the Quest. The details and precision of movements and conversation are wonderful.You reference back to earlier conversations, like the left and right handed snippets. But the BEST bit is the bit where good old Pip blurts it all out- is cross with Gandalf, and Frodo is trying to stop him. The gradual dawning of understanding from Legolas, as first he tries to comprhend Aragorn getting to the top, and then the fact that they saw what happened, but crucially, DID NOT intervene. When he murmurs 'you alone know what you could and could not do', you get the feeling that he is not used to thinknig critically of Gandalf, but is more than a little taken aback/ feels oddly about this. It cant be good to realsie fully that the Quest does come first, even thoiugh Legolas would have experienced this before as a warrior. It is a bit different when you have been tortured and onlookers do not intervene - Aragorn's shot was dodgy at best, but Gandalf could have stopped it. Oh I love the way you write LEGOLAS! He is kicking and sensitive and everything you want. Brilliant! Sooooo..... 5th Jan. I guess real life is getting in the way a bit??? Could you spare a few hours to update?? This is one of the few good fics around so its a bit like slowly starving!!!!!! Author Reply: Hello, Ziggy! Wow, you’ve read the story twice since the last posting? Dang. That reminds me – I need to re-upload pretty much all of the chapters. The changes I have made are mostly small and cosmetic, but they are improvements nonetheless. One thing I have noticed upon multiple re-readings is that I tend to get wordy, and I have excised some sentences that didn’t impart any new information. You’d probably have to be me to really notice the difference, though. I am sorry that I have not updated recently! I am aware that time is passing, and I don’t like it to take so long, but this chapter is experiencing some growing pains. There are three reasons for this. First, I’ve had some trouble nailing Sam down. He’s such a jumble of thoughts and emotions that sorting it all out into a coherent narrative has proven to be difficult. Second, I’ve had a few other story ideas rolling around in my head, and I’ve had to take some time to write out the scenes in question to avoid losing them. All throughout the writing of this story I have avoided thinking about other potential tales – I didn’t want to get distracted from the task at hand – but now that the end is in sight, it’s nearly impossible not to let my imagination go a little. Finally, life has been very busy! I know I’ve been saying that with just about every new chapter uploaded, but that’s because it’s true. When I started the story I had more free time in all areas of my life. I think that my mind is being used more now than it was then, so I have less energy to spend being ‘creative’. It’s kind of funny – I really enjoy reading my own writing, so I am annoyed by the fact that the story hasn’t been finished yet. I want to read it, too! I know I’ve said this in replies to other reviews (perhaps even one of yours), but here it is again: it’s sometimes hard for me to find the kinds of stories I want to read, so I’ve been writing what I wish I could get more of. My favorites aren’t solely Fellowship stories, but I love the Fellowship as a whole, and I was always sorry that they had so little time together in the books. I wanted more writing between the time the group set out and when it fractured. I gather from your comments that you are enjoying the characterizations. Writing from nine different points of view has helped me get to know the players better, more so than I can really express. Some have been very difficult (Gandalf) and some have been very easy (Sam), but the experience as a whole has been nothing but enjoyable. I think the best fan stories are the ones where the characters have depth and aren’t there solely to engage in action or angst. You mentioned the scene where Pippin faces off with Gandalf. I like that scene, too. Pippin is often written as stupid or incompetent, and he is anything but. I think the movies really got him wrong that way. When he’s angry with Gandalf, he’s seeing things in black and white: Merry’s life is priceless, and Gandalf chose to jaw on with Garan instead of just putting an end to him. Pippin failed to see that there was really more to the situation than just what he saw, and this is not a fatal flaw. We all see the world through our own lens. Pippin seems to be the sort of person who thinks with his heart rather than his head, but his intentions are always for the best (and his head will catch up as his age – and the Quest – progress). I also see Pippin as gutsy, which I was intending to illustrate with this scene. Surely he wasn’t the only person to wonder what Gandalf was blathering on about, or why he chose to do nothing to help Legolas on the clifftop, but no one else dared to call him on it. About Legolas. In many ways, this character is a quasi-blank slate. Tolkien didn’t give us much information about him, but what we do know has led me to draw some inferences. He’s a warrior out of Mirkwood, so he ought to be a skilled fighter. Elrond wouldn’t have sent him to represent the Elves if he wasn’t. As far as the whole ‘prince’ thing goes, I’ve chosen to leave it as a secondary aspect to his character. I can tell that this adds to his appeal for many Legolas fans, but Tolkien made little but a passing reference to it, and Legolas never plays the ‘royalty’ card. When he objects to being blindfolded outside of Lothlorien, it’s on the basis of his being an Elf, not who his father is. Though his birthright surely factors into just who he is and why, it has little bearing on this story save for his value to his captors. Legolas was smart to conceal his full name from Garan, and he was right to guess that of all the Fellowship, only ‘Boromir’ would have meant as much to the Men as ‘Thranduil’. But I am digressing! Despite the sea-longing Legolas declares that he will stay in Middle-earth for Aragorn’s sake, and he and Gimli forge a rare friendship, one that draws a Dwarf all the way to Valinor. These two pieces of information alone make me think that Legolas was unusual among the Elves. Opening himself to such bonds with mortals must have resulted in a great deal of pain and sorrow when they had passed on, but he obviously thought that it was worth the price. Tolkien does not say much about Legolas’ (or Gimli’s) relationships with the hobbits after the Quest, but I have always assumed that the circumstances they endured would have made them all lifelong friends. If Legolas was willing to entwine himself so thoroughly with folk other than Elves, then he must have been possessed of a brave heart and a kind soul. In fact, this is something that everyone in the Fellowship seems to have in common. I did want to comment briefly on your thoughts regarding Legolas’ reaction to the news that the Fellowship (through Gandalf) deliberately opted not to help him in his hour of need. He was certainly disturbed by the news, but he could not have been wholly surprised. He was surprised to learn that they had seen what happened, yes, but not that they had decided not to act. He’s been around the block enough times to know that lives must occasionally be sacrificed for the greater good, and that there are some situations that can only be resolved painfully. Still, you are right – it is one thing to know something objectively and another to experience it. Who could ever be comfortable with the idea of being a sacrificial lamb? Knowing that Gandalf may have made the best decision for Middle-earth could only give Legolas so much comfort, especially considering the bitter end he was headed for. He definitely avoids thinking about the subject, and turns to wondering how Sam will take the news. At some point he will have to make what peace he can with it. So there is my very long-winded response to your review! I am spending time on the story, just not as much as I would like. I am going to try to put more effort than usual into it in the near future – you know, make some real progress. I have to thank you for your comments, Ziggy. They were intelligent and thoughtful… just the kind that I like to get and respond to. I’m very glad to hear that you have enjoyed the story so much. It warms my heart to know that something I’ve put so much time and effort into is giving other people pleasure. Yours is the kind of feedback that gives a difficult chapter new life! ~ I.B. | |
| vaske | Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 3/8/2007 |
| I just stumbled across this story and couldn't stop reading! It's nice how Sam has overcome some of his awe of Legolas and how you've started to reveal Sam's hidden depths that develop later in LOTR. I hope you finish soon, I can't wait... Author Reply: Hello, vaske! Thanks for your review. Lucky you - you have come in at the very end of the story instead of having to read and wait like everyone else. I am so glad to hear that you like the relationship between Sam and Legolas. It has been very enjoyable to write. I also hope to finish soon; though it has been a while since my last posting, I have been working on the next chapter. It's just not coming very quickly. Sam is such a jumble of thoughts and feelings right now that it has proven difficult to get the chapter, as a whole, to jell. | |
| Jedi_Bant | Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 2/8/2007 |
| This is a great fic, just what i've been looking for, though more angst for Legolas while with the men would have been nice :P please update soon JEDI_BANT | |
| Nightwing | Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 1/14/2007 |
| Ah, what a wonderful chapter! I enjoyed receiving further glimpses into the realtionships Legolas has with Aragorn, Gimli and Sam, and more insight into the different people. This story has been such a pleasure - a perfect blending of quiet conversation, character exploration, and exciting action. Amazed at Pippin, facing Gandalf with his anger and questions! That takes some guts, but Pippin is an impulsive, emotional little guy. He is also maturing, and that is a pleasure to see. Good conversation amongst the Fellowship. More bravery exposed - Sam swimming and dragging an injured Legolas with him. Who'd have thought? I loved the last part, when Legolas goes to Sam. Poor Sam. He must talk, and then Legolas can assure him that he is not the only one to have felt such fear and entertained such thoughts. The dear Hobbit is entirely too hard on himself. I am glad that he has such a good friend in the elf now. Perfect concluding sentence. You do write so well. I eagerly look forward to the two conversations the elf will have on the morrow. | |
| Lamiel | Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 1/10/2007 |
| It says something for the quality of this story that every chapter -- whether action packed or more introspective -- is engrossing and entertaining. I greatly enjoyed this update, as I have every chapter. We are winding toward the end, and I shall be sorry when the story is over, but I've enjoyed the road immensely. It was nice to have a recap and explanation of everything that's happened so far -- and I'm sure it's a relief to the author as well, as now everyone is pretty much on the same page in their knowledge of events. Poor Sam. He's really having a hard time of it. I thought the moment when Legolas touched his shoulder and he crumpled was very well done -- the same sort of thing has happened to me more than once. It seems that whatever shell one constructs against the pain crumples instantly upon the offer of comfort. It's nice to see how the bond between him and Legolas endures and helps them both in the aftermath. I am looking forward to the future conversations between them -- and between Legolas and Gimli! | |
| Althea | Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 1/8/2007 |
| Thank you for another wonderful chapter. One of the features that makes this story so interesting and strong is that each of the fellowship is well represented and characterized. This chapter's rich dialogue gives each character a chance to shine. I especially enjoyed the tension between Legolas and Gimli who both feel the need to lose some hostility toward the other. Pippin's questioning of Legolas and Gandalf was wonderful. I'm glad Pippin asked his questions because they were some of the very ones I had. I am also glad that Sam was able to find a bit of release. I hope his future conversation with Legolas leads to more healing. As always, I am eagerly looking forward to the next installment. | |
| Althea | Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 1/8/2007 |
| Thank you for another wonderful chapter. One of the features that makes this story so interesting and strong is that each of the fellowship is well represented and characterized. This chapter's rich dialogue gives each character a chance to shine. I especially enjoyed the tension between Legolas and Gimli who both feel the need to lose some hostility toward the other. Pippin's questioning of Legolas and Gandalf was wonderful. I'm glad Pippin asked his questions because they were some of the very ones I had. I am also glad that Sam was able to find a bit of release. I hope his future conversation with Legolas leads to more healing. As always, I am eagerly looking forward to the next installment. | |
| Silivren Tinu | Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 1/8/2007 |
| I have just come across your story and I had to take a moment to tell you that I love it! It is wonderful to see that you take the time to heal not only physical, but also emotional wounds. The relationship that has developped between Legolas and Sam is precious and touching, and I liked how sensitively you described Aragorn's emotions and reactions when he treated Legolas. Thank you a lot for all the work you have undoubtedly invested in this story, I'll add you to my author alert right away. :) Tinu | |