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| Elf, Interrupted: Book One: Glorfindel Redux by Fiondil | 9 Review(s) |
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| hawkeye | Reviewed Chapter: 56 on 1/25/2015 |
| "Not sure how to address this elf who had become a stranger to him overnight." This is exactly how I feel. Finrod has, as you say, definitely grown in stature and I absolutely loved him in this chapter. Not only has he grown up he finally seems to be comfortable with who he is and who he was, and I think we are finally getting a glimpse of what he was like in Endore. It's easy to see why he was so loved. It's also significant that the elves who were present at the oath taking are seeing him in this different light. In the long run I think it will help the perceptions of the reborn, and how they are treated by the elves of Aman. The respect shown by the Maiar was also a surprise. The effect of the oath on Manwen was pretty extreme, and disturbing on some levels. It's hard for us, I think, as humans to understand the implications of that kind of an oath. I think it's interesting that, despite his not wanting his wife to take the oath, that afterwards Laurendil seems to feel much more at peace. It's almost as if Manwen makes it possible for him to take up his apprentice duties. In some ways maybe witnessing his wife's oath taking, Laurendil was able to confront some of his own fears or at least put them to rest. Thank you for another amazing chapter, Fiondil. I loved the new insights on the characters :) | |
| tkid | Reviewed Chapter: 56 on 8/2/2011 |
| "First of all, my lord, you ordered me here and second..." Finrod’s eyes glinted with some undefinable dark emotion, yet there was a hint of humor in them as well. "Sauron said the same thing... just before he set his werewolf on me." Glee! Author Reply: Glad you liked this passage, tkid. It's one of my favorites, too, and shows Finrod can hold his own even against the Valar, which is why I like him so much and enjoy writing about him. He is definitely a force to be reckoned with. | |
| Kaylee | Reviewed Chapter: 56 on 8/10/2008 |
| And once again Meneldil got told where he could take himself *snicker* And I loved the matching set of jewelry for Laurendil and Manwen!!! Well done, meldonya!!! Ah, so now Manwen's off to Nienna's, is she? Without her husband? I hope she'll be back soon! ~Kaylee! Author Reply: I think Finrod had some foresight about Laurendil and when he had the ring made for him he did so knowing that Laurendil would someday need it in his capacity as a healer. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 56 on 2/13/2008 |
| With a bit of humor to him and perhaps some humility as well, I suspect he'd do well enough. Right now he's a pain in the patoot, however. Author Reply: Meneldil does have his good side and he is an excellent Healer, he just needs to relearn compassion. In The Last Messenger I mention that Laurendil and Manwen are now good friends with Meneldil and that all their children studied herbology with him, so obviously over the millennia, he did learn. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 56 on 3/24/2007 |
| Finrod is growing up! And dealing remarkably well with those around him who would rather treat him as a simple apprentice - or a king. He's really pretty good at being all things at the same time. And Manwen is growing in to her new relationship with him, too. While his choice of jewellery seems very apt! Still, Manwen will probably be better with Nienna for a while. (And it will give Laurendil more leeway for getting up to ... mischief with Finrod!!) Author Reply: Finrod is definitely growing up. In fact, he's probably already there for the most part, having been released earlier than Glorfindel and Sador (how much earlier, I've left purposely vague). It will take Manwen some time to reconcile herself to her new relationship with Finrod, but she will accept it eventually and Nienna will be a great help to her in that regard. It also helps when your husband has a similar relationship and can help you with it as well. | |
| hanci | Reviewed Chapter: 56 on 3/24/2007 |
| "Laurendil, for his part, found that being an apprentice was not as onerous as he had thought, or hoped." - that's a good formulation. Good to see he's changed his opinion. I think he can help much, he knows what the Reborn elves have gone through - not the dying part, of course, but the living. He can understand them better than Amaneldi. And Finrod, of course, is a king again. What a shock for the Lóriennildi. It can be a motivation for them, to see an elf who was in their care fare this well, a healed patient, if you will. Sauron said the same thing - what, "You’ve been nothing but trouble since you arrived" ? :o) Sorry. I admire Finrod for his apology, not everyone would do that. Author Reply: Yes, Laurendil is finally beginning to claim a part of himself that he's been denying for centuries. Now that he's stopped running, he's able to fulfill his destiny — to succor the Reborn and the elves of Middle-earth because he's been there and done that (at least the living part). And Finrod is also coming into his own as he was meant to — to show that Reborn are not to be despised and that their former lives had meaning. Having been a king, and the kind of king he was, he could not do anything else but apologize the way he did. He's also not above making caustic remarks that leave a trail of blood, either. *grin* | |
| Kitty | Reviewed Chapter: 56 on 3/18/2007 |
| It’s good to see the three more at easy with their new function as apprentices, and rather satisfying to know they are able to help others. And I think it is not too surprisingly that Finrod has matured a bit more after what happened. It brought his responsibilities more clearly to mind. It seems to make a great difference to the ones he is talking to if the former King of Nargothrond is taking care of them or only someone they don’t know, and who possibly doesn’t truly know and understand why they are so desperate. As for Meneldil ... well, tactfulness isn’t his first name, isn’t it? The way he reacted to Manwen’s crying left me wondering why he is already Master, if he can’t be more understanding. Finrod, on the other hand, was wonderful with her. The necklace was the perfect way to distract her, I’d say. But well, Meneldil apologised and accepted Finrod’s apology in return, and he thought about it afterwards, so maybe he has learned something from it. Author Reply: Finrod is definitely maturing at this point and taking his rightful place in Amanian society. He will be a force to be reckoned with and many who remember him as a confused ellon newly Reborn are going to be in for a surprise. Meneldil, I think, has been at his profession for too long. Maybe he needs a career change. *lol* | |
| vaske | Reviewed Chapter: 56 on 3/18/2007 |
| Finrod must have been an amazing king! It's one thing to elves to show respect by bowing but now some of the Maia are too... I'm really enjoying the parts with Meneldil, he reminds me of lecturers who are really knowlegdeable about their field but have no idea how to teach. Author Reply: I imagine that Finrod was more amazing than we know, and I hope I am able to show that to some degree. Meneldil reminds me of some medical practitioners who have zero people skills and you wonder why they are in the "healing" profession. | |
| Rhyselle | Reviewed Chapter: 56 on 3/17/2007 |
| I'm very pleased to see that Eärnur was able to get past his initial awkwardness with Finrod after the oathtaking. I love how Finrod seems to have the gift of turning disquiet and discomfort and embaressment into laughter. I take it that this language lesson was a bit more practical than teaching Sindarin insults? *grin* And it is good to see Laurendil finally recognizing that being a healer has always been a calling he held inside and just never recognized. :) Good for him! You warned me that Finrod would be maturing very quickly and I can see it here. And while he is so good for those returned from Middle-earth, he is the perfect caregiver for the Reborn... he has stood in their shoes and they have the same experiential 'vocabulary'. "Awakening" has a much different meaning to a Reborn elf than it would have to one who had never died. And I do love the mental picture of him playing and singing the lullaby to the restless Reborn. The scene of Manwen's crisis was amazing--almost as powerful as the oath-taking itself. Finrod stepping in with kingly authority when Meneldil got angry about Manwen's hysterics had me riveted. His explanation of just what she had done was certainly not sugarcoated, but she needed the unvarnished truth of it. I did think for a moment he could have also reminded her that living for someone is much more difficult than dying for someone... and then he made that dry jest about be soaked with his people's tears doing nothing for his image... and the laughter brought her back from the panic. I really liked that. The gift and meaning of the necklace was lovely and I rather liked Finrod telling her that it was beautiful now because she wore it. :) The line about matching jewelry was fun. I love how even in the most solemn of scenes there's always these little bits of humor that sneak in. Oh boy! Manwen is already living up to her oath! I can just hear her say the warning to Meneldil--no need to raise the voice to get her anger across--and then to have it confirmed by Lord Irmo! Wow! The best conversational exchange in this chapter is between Irmo and Finrod: "Honestly, I’m beginning to regret ever having asked you here, Findaráto," the Vala said in feigned exasperation. "You’ve been nothing but trouble since you arrived." "First of all, my lord, you ordered me here and second..." Finrod’s eyes glinted with some undefinable dark emotion, yet there was a hint of humor in them as well. "Sauron said the same thing... just before he set his werewolf on me." How many of the Eldar in Aman know of just how Finrod died anyway? I'm reading the part of the Silmarillion where Finrod was captured and brought before Sauron and they had that battle of songs of power. It's so easy to forget just what abilities that the Noldor king had when we've been seeing him be an adolescent ellon through most of this story so far... and now I am reminded, in these most recent chapters, about his gifts and graces and his magic--although in general, I've noticed that a lot of fanfic writers seem to be reluctant to incorporate the magic that Tolkien described the elves using. His power to soothe the feär through his music and song is a magic as strong as that he used in his musical contest with Sauron, if not stronger. Meneldir's apology does seem sincere, even though he had to be urged to it by Lord Irmo. And Finrod's apology to him was just classy. :) I thought that Nienna taking Manwen to her home to recover and to learn was wonderful. And I liked that she, too, has a sense of humor. Most people paint her as ever sad--but as you say about Lord Namo, can anyone who has sung before the Throne of Eru Iluvatar not have a core of joy within him or her? And you got me to laugh with the last line too. When Master Meneldir went off wondering if he were in the right profession, I had to giggle again. He did need humbling... perhaps he will in the end find his own life happier by getting rid of his stuffy pride and snobbish attitude. One can hope. Thanks for a great chapter! Off to read the next new one! Author Reply: Finrod has been "out" longer than either Glorfindel or Sador, so it stands to reason that he would be maturing more quickly than they. Not that he doesn't have his moments, but they are becoming rarer as time goes by and his responsibilities increase. And, as you can see from the exchange between him and Irmo, he's not afraid of the Valar and is beginning to treat them on equal terms. And I doubt that too many Amaneldi know exactly *how* Finrod met his death or by whose hand. I imagine this little exchange will be grist for the rumor mill for some time to come. *grin* | |