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In Darkness Bound by Fiondil	14 Review(s)
Tari	Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 4/1/2011
This is getting down right scary. That Fëanáro would not give his oath to the high king is not good. I'm sure he already has something evil in mind. Author Reply: Hi Tari. Yes, it is scary and gets scarier. We'll see in the next chapter what Fëanáro is up to. Thanks for reading and reviewing. It's much appreciated.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 3/24/2011
That many beg the Valar's mercy is very interesting. And the speech before the offering of fealty in his own right? Hmmm. Author Reply: Those are probably the people who elected to remain behind while the others left. And the speech... yes... interesting, isn't it? Thanks for reviewing, Larner. I appreciate you taking the time to do so.

Praveen	Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 3/21/2011
I have been reading this story with interest. Fiondil, thank you for a nice pastime. I read the 'debate' about the comments here. I would agree with Hector and you that the characters have long ago been decided by Tolkien, and this space is just for reviewing 'your' story, or how you tell it. However, I think it has been a feature in stories of arda reviews that often readers comment about characters. eg: "Poor valar, poor elves"..."melkor is so evil" and so on. If such comments have space here, so must the comments which go against the mainstream opinion. In the end, it is best to remember that this is just a story, a story which has already been written by a great author, and the characters are his creations. In any story, and indeed in real life, nobody is completely good or evil anyway. Lets just appreciate the author's efforts. Author Reply: Hello, Praveen. Thank you for your comments. I actually have no objection to people commenting on the characters, even those that go against the mainstream, as you say, but there is a fine line between commenting and ranting and I think we can all do without the rants. If they are commenting on the characters within the scope of the story as written, that's fine, but if they are only using this space as a soapbox for their particular viewpoint without any regard for the story as written, that's not so fine. I only ask that people keep the rhetoric at home. We've all formed our opinions about certain characters long ago and so we're unlikely to change our minds on that because someone offers an alternative view. And you are correct that in any story, as in real life, nobody is completely good or evil and I've done my best to show some of Fëanáro's good qualities as much as this story has allowed me. Anyway, thank you again for reading and reviewing. I appreciate you taking the time to do so.

Sitara	Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 3/20/2011
Ah. So I saw. Sorry for the inconvenience but as usual, I couldn't resist. "grin". Hopefully I should be able to not bother you anymore in the future and acknowledge this place for what it is: your own playground for which you're setting the rules. I never intended to be disrespectful but sometimes my enthusiasm does carry me away. I apologize again for expressing my opinions using a space destined for reviews strictly concerning the story, which can reflect only the author's own opinion. The fact that he spent time writing down those opinions is certainly worth of respect and that's the reason for which I will stop here and not answer back with my own argumentation. That, and of course, because this English language still eludes me. "grin" Oh, and I cannot but thank Fantasia for giving her input (in an excellent English, in my opinion, but, well...I'm in the same boat) and especially to Hector the Hero, who in my view has amazing eloquence and such clarity of view that I'll be looking forward in the future to read his/her comments and reviews of the story, when he/she'll be posting, of course. Well, I apologize one more time for using your space to convey my message to the people who commented and I hope to not bother you with my ramblings for now on. I hope very much. "grin" Sincerely, Sitara Author Reply: Thank you, Sitara. And keep in mind that the opinions expressed by various characters in this story are not necessarily mine; they are the opinions of the characters who can be very opininated. grin

bladwedd	Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 3/19/2011
Fantasia Its wrong, double standards. You compare: "Then King Felagund spoke before his people, recalling the deeds of Barahir, and his vow and he declared that it was laid upon him to aid the son of Barahir in his need, and he sought the help of his chieftains... And now they murmured that Finarfin's son was not as a Vala to command them, and they turned their faces from him. " ...is unpardonable to me, because not matter what, the main and most important task and duty to a leader, it is the welfare of the people that deposited their trust, life, hopes and future in him. Author Reply: Sorry Bladwedd, but this is not the place for this. I would appreciate it if everyone would just review the chapter and leave your personal opinions about the various characters out of it. We all have our opinions about them and few of us are ever going to change them regardless of what others say. I'm just trying to tell a story, nothing more. If people don't like the way I portray certain characters or events, then they are free to write their own version. In the meantime, let's leave the soapboxes at home, please. Thank you.

Fantasia	Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 3/18/2011
It is a shame that English is not my first language, so I have a lot of limitation in what I would like to say, but I will like to say in response to the large review that Sitara left, than even if Feanor was a great elf, even if he was a victim of the circumstances, he has no right, absolutely no right to take a personal revenge over the welfare of his people. I sometimes, if you read my comments, sympathize with him, with his genius mind, his boldness, his passion, his restless desire of knowledge, but there is a line, like Hector the Heroe so eloquently said, between madness and genius and he crossed, many times. Despite the resent that he had to his step-family, justified or not, there is no excuse to attempt against the life of your brother, worst, when it was unfair. He, like everybody in the world, mortasl and immortals alike, can make mistakes, can believe what Melkor said, but to try to kill a brother as result of those lies, it is very grave indeed, and to not show repent, worst. Also, to break the laws, the same laws that he should respect and defend as a crown prince, it is a grave fault; it is like to encourage rebellion. Now, to take the kingship with the purpose to take revenge, without taking in consideration his people, without thinking what the consequences of defying the Valars and abandoning Valinor to the land where their worst and superior enemy is, will be to his people, is unpardonable to me, because not matter what, the main and most important task and duty to a leader, it is the welfare of the people that deposited their trust, life, hopes and future in him. I cannot conceive a leader that will not sacrifice his personal desires for his people. And, as we know, to kill and encourage his people to kill their own kin, is a capital sin, almost like genocide. I'm sure, if you study the biography of the war criminals, they all have, in their mind, excuses, and problems that justified their actions, does that make them less criminals? No. Can we go and kill people because they oppose our intentions? no, of course no. So, yes, I think that we can judge him, he did wrong, and he failed his people and has not justification and excuses for that. Finodil, thanks once again for this tale. Author Reply: Hello again, Fantasia. You explain yourself very well and I appreciate you taking the time and effort to comment. Thanks again for reading and reviewing. I'm glad you are enjoying this tale.

Erulisse (one L)	Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 3/18/2011
A frisson of foreboding indeed. So, now Feanaro is King and all have sworn fealty to him. Yet he has sworn fealty to none. Nor, do I think, does he intend to. It's like watching an accident in slow-motion. These next few chapters will be painfull, I suspect. I'm looking forward to Monday. - Erulisse (one L) Author Reply: Hi Erulisse. You're right about the imagery: it is almost like watching an accident in slo-mo the way they do it in the movies and you can see every excruciating detail of the event. And yes, I imagine the next group of chapters will be painful for many to read (they were painful for me to write), but hopefully they will be entertaining as well. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it very much.

Hector the Hero	Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 3/18/2011
In response to Sitara's comments: Fëanáro was tainted by Morgoth as were all of the inhabitants of Arda due to Morgoth's influence in the Music. The greater the potential, the greater the responsibility, and the greater the potential to fall for the great have greater heights from which to fall. There is a fine line between genius and madness and Fëanáro clearly crosses it multiple times. He goes from using his gifts for the glory of his people, the glory of Eru, and the sheer pleasure of making to becoming so ego-centric that even his wife who has joined with him in fëa parts from him. Fëanáro commits crimes which not only violate the PAX Valinora so to speak (laws for maintaining peace set forth by the Valar) but he also breaks the laws set forth by his own beloved atar made for the good of all the Noldor when he threatens his own flesh and blood with grievous bodily harm, namely his half brother Nolofinwë. Not only is it evil for brother to be set against brother, it is wrong and dishonorable to a king for the crown prince to break the laws which the king has set forth. Where is the love of father in that? In returning to Tirion, Fëanáro sinned again, and again it was by his own choice though this time more deeply pre-conceived that living out what in all likelihood was long a fantasy to rid himself of his annoying little brother. The taint of Morgoth runs deep indeed in Fëanáro. It also runs in Finwë and in Miriel, too. Finwë forsook his responsibility to his people for the single-minded venture of giving in to the temper tantrum of his adult son (who himself has adult sons and a grandson), and Miriel refused re-embodiment which is against the Eru-made nature of elves who have forsaken their bodies in death. As for Indis and the lawfulness of her marriage to Finwë: if it were not Eru’s will, it would not have been allowed to happen. You can’t argue with that. It simply must be accepted for Eru saw what would become of the union all the way through Finrod and Galadriel and Eärendil and the kings of Numenor and Aragorn and Arwen and beyond. One of the overall problems Tolkien presents is that the Valar do not understand how deeply the taint runs in Arda and the elves do not perceive how deeply the taint runs. And this is a taint in the Valar themselves, their blindness to the depth of the influences of Morgoth and their blindness to their own limitations no matter how good their intentions. Fëanáro is a product of this taint as well as a victim just like every other elf in Arda is a product and a victim of the taint. Fëanáro went further in bringing evil fruit to this taint though by consciously and willfully using his great power and influences to bring as many others into his downward spiral as possible. However, Eru has a wonderful way of creating unexpectedly good things out of that which Morgoth taints. We see this time and again throughout the Silmarillion and the Lord of the Rings. Gollum and his role in destroying the ring is a prime example of this. Sitara, it would be far more productive to Fiondil if you would use the review space in his stories to critique or compliment his work instead of ranting over things Tolkien decided long before any of us were even born. Author Reply: Hello Hector. Thanks for your comments. They are very insightful and I'm sure others will find them interesting as well.

Sitara	Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 3/18/2011
Nobody has the right to accuse Fëanáro. To people who would feel like it, I strongly recommend them to put themselves in his shoes and try to walk around for a little while. After that I’ll be perfectly willing to heed their charges, be them of Elvish or Valarin sources. It’s fairly easy to hurl accusations but I would like to see anyone who dares to do that how much better would have done in his place. No Elf and no Vala could ever understand Fëanáro because they won’t be ever likely to experience the things Fëanáro had gone through. No Man either for no Man would be bound to Arda for its lifetime. Respect for the rules of the Blessed Realm or for the Valar? Do they deserve at this point any trace of respect from Fëanáro when they didn’t even blink when one of Eru’s most sacred rules, the bond of matrimony, was blatantly broken? Furthermore, they even provided the means for those three foolish Elves to shun that particular rule. You just stay in Mandos forever and you two could live happily forever after. There, problem solved. And they would ask themselves afterwards why Eru forfeited their rights as guardians of Arda: to have in their keeping the fates of Arda. Respect when they exiled him in the utmost illegal manner or when their incompetence or idiocy allowed Melkor to kill his only living parent and his only remaining thread of sanity when they brought them all to Aman specifically to be guarded against Melkor? I dare them or anyone to judge him or the state of his conscience after living his life for a little. The Valar or others would condemn and blame Fëanáro for all their woes but have they ever stopped to ask how much of his madness was the result of their own actions or lack of it? They speak of his lack of regard for others but who could really know how many of his creations were and would be bettering the lives of both Elves and Men? Starting with his tengwar , with his lamps, followed by the palantiri for which generations of Kings of Men should thank him and ending with the Silmarili. Created not to be shiny toys to be gawked at but because of a foreknowledge of darkness threatening them all, knowledge which wasn’t given even to Valar themselves. And in this particular case, he undoubtedly might have thought to use the Noldor and the Teleri for his own purposes but in fact he was the one who ended up used by them. He became the ideal scapegoat for both tribes and when the things would turn sour, they won’t have to do else but to point a finger at him and say:” He made me do it!” What point to think about my own shortcomings and soul tainted by Melkor’s darkness when I’m just a poor innocent victim "besotted as with wine" by fell Fëanáro? Why should I think that I ended up hoarding ships for their own sake when I'm too busy to whine all my way through the First Age and possibly further, because of what that wretched Elf has done? But, in the end, one thing would remain: that this psychopathic, self-absorbed individual shall be the one who would sacrifice his heart for Arda to be Remade. And that’s Eru’s Judgement of Curufinwë Fëanáro. Okay, that’s not a review, obviously. That’s a pure rant and I would apologize if I were in the least bit sorry. Sorry for making you skimming through this, yes, but I’m not sorry for what I’ve said. Well, you do know what to do if it bothers you too much. On the bright side, they say (I think) that a successful writer is a writer who manages to make his readers act like all would be reality not fiction. “grin” Author Reply: I think by now we're all aware of how you feel about Fëanáro, Sitara. grin Thank you for reading and reviewing.

Fantasia	Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 3/18/2011
I don't know what he will say, but I'm sure than Ingwë will regret his generosity later. Maybe he will proclaim his desire to go back to ME, and his insubordination towards the Valars. I think that after that, there is not point to take an oath; Ingwë won't tolerate that kind of behavior. I was thinking that they still underestimate Feanor, "child"? He is anything but a child, even with all his twisted goals, he was one of the greatest Elves ever, I think that we have here some of the old generation incredulity to see the value of the new generation. I don't know the age difference between the heirs, but it seems to me that Ingwion is much younger than Feanor, or at least, he acts as a younger elf. There you can see the difference between their characters. Thank you and I'm waiting to see how the exodus will start. Author Reply: Hi, Fantasia. Ingwion is older than Fëanáro, though probably not by much as Elves would measure such things, but he is speaking contemptuously of someone whom he just doesn't like so he disparages him by calling him a 'child'. Ingwion seems younger than Fëanáro because he is more innocent of things and that is mostly Ingwë's fault for not giving his sons greater responsibilities early on. Now the crisis at hand is forcing all the Elves to leave Paradise, so to speak, and grow up in ways they never imagined. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it.

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