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In Darkness Bound by Fiondil	7 Review(s)
Imhiriel	Reviewed Chapter: 103 on 7/8/2013
The scenes among the Valar in this chapter may be my favourite scenes of the story overall so far. I like the sense of community and purpose.The way you combine the mythological and the astronomical about re: Sun and Moon in a way that it makes sense. And including that lovely - and educational - quotation in the author's notes. I liked the tender scene between brother and sister; it's good to know the Consoler can also help "She who weeps". I was also intrigued by this: "You are one of our greatest strategists, Námo," Oromë said before Manwë could reply. "You could teach him what he needs to know to be a good leader and commander." A role we have Námo seldom seen take on, and perhaps at first sight incongruous. And yet, his foresight gives him insight and oversight (pun intended) over the bigger picture. And how interesting that so early on there was already a discussion about Ingwion as Námo's apprentice. Two things I wanted to add from remarks in the comments: 1) If I recall correctly, Tolkien modelled the "gender" of Sun and Moon from German custom; here, it's indeed "die Sonne & der Mond". 2) I nearly threw my Laptop on the floor when I burst out laughing at the image of Námo having a hairdresser! I can just see him, all prim and proper, flitting about the Lord of Mandos with his scissors, round and round, cutting one hair at a time one millimetre at a time, all the while going "hmmm, hmmm, hmmmmmmm...", and "tsk, tsk, tsk...", with his head held to the side in an earnestly assessing and disapproving manner at what atrocities Námo has managed to do this time to "his" oeuvre. Author Reply: Hi Imhiriel. I think a lot of readers enjoyed this chapter. I like blending the mythical and scientific aspects of creation together, trying to see how I can adapt Tolkien's cosmology and make it fit today's cosmology. I think I've succeeded for the most part. If you want to know why Námo is considered one of the Valar's greatest strategists you have to read my "Wars of the Valar" to find out. And of course, Námo is merely showing brotherly concern for his sister here. Thanks for your comments. I very much apprecaite them. And loved your image of Námo's hairdresser. grin

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 103 on 8/29/2011
Hmm. A fascinating look at Sun and Moon and the purposes of each. And Ingil will become a guest of Namo's all too soon, undoubtedly at Ingoldo's instigation. More and more Ingoldo has to answer for, in some cases even before it quite happens. It's hard to realize he is Ingwe's brother at times, so different are the two of them. Author Reply: Hi Larner. I think that Tolkien was rather ahead of his time and he would've been quite comfortable with the "New Cosmology" promulgated by such people as the Brian Swimme and the late Thomas Berry. And yes, Ingil will soon become a guest of Namo. And it isn't too unusual for siblings to be radically different from one another. Even in my own family none of my brothers and I even look alike and our personalities are completely different and we all have different interests and talents; you wouldn't even think we were related. grin Thanks for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it.

Laikwalâssê	Reviewed Chapter: 103 on 8/29/2011
you have changed my view of the Valar with this chapter. Sitting back and not intervene is not the same as doing nothing. Liked the creating of sun and moon very much. I´ve never considered that the moon has no own light. Thank you for a very interesting astronomy lesson. Lai Author Reply: Hi Lai. I'm glad I've changed your view of the Valar here. As you say, sitting back and not intervening is not the same as doing nothing. And I'm glad you liked the astronomy lesson. Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it.

Sunny	Reviewed Chapter: 103 on 8/26/2011
i see you are preparing for Arafinwë and Ingwion to join forces. I also see that the Valar aren't all that specific about Arafinwë's curriculum - or Valaring tutoring methods. ;-) I gather that "interesting times" have already started in Mandos - although things are certainly not as "interesting" as they will be during Finrod and Glorfindel's stay. Hmmm - I wonder if any other of Námo's guests will be as ... inventive ... as they? If so, I am sure Námo will be the first in Arda to invent hair dye! (Henna and indigo will give blue-black hair in a two-step process, so he won't need to put up with any noxious chemicals, either! Author Reply: Hi Sunny. Yes, the events described in this and the previous chapter are very close to the 'present', which is Manwë describing all of these events we've been reading aboutlately to Arafinwë while sitting in Nienna's dining room. And the Valar never volunteer information that is not specifically asked. That allows them great lee-way in how they present certain information to the Elves. grin I have no idea if the times in Mandos are interesting or not or even if they are more or less interesting for Námo and his Maiar than when Finrod and Glorfindel show up, but I'm sure it's proving to be a learning experience for them all. They've never actually done anything like this before; all is new. And if Námo resorts to henna and indigo... well, only his hairdresser knows for sure. LOL! Thanks for reading and reviewing. I appreciate you taking the time to do so.

6336	Reviewed Chapter: 103 on 8/26/2011
Ah, something of a bridging chapter, Ingwion is being encouraged to patience, Olwe to understand that the Valar are as deeply greived about the events at Alqalonde as he is, a little bit of encouragement for Earwen, hang in there Honey, he will be back soon and then you can give him what for! Yes, that will take some creative mathmatics to place the sun and the moon in their respective positions but they seem to have done a pretty good job of it, even if they did get the spin on Arda wrong, be interesting to see how they correct that! Thankyou for the little interlude with Nienna and Namo, most people seem to forget that one of Namos roles, and I think his favorite, is that of Consoler. I think Nienna will enjoy her time in Mandos playing with the faer of those elves who are on their way to healing. Do you have any plans for a fic on how the first elf to be Reborn was? (I know, I know, as if you need another Bunny! Stick it in the hutch and I will send you some virtual carrots to feed it!) Once again, thankyou, Huggs, Lynda Author Reply: Hi Lynda. Yes, we're coming to the point where all the threads begin to come together for real, hence this bridging chapter. I'm not even going to touch the way in which the Valar 'correct' the earth's rotation. That's too much for me to handle. Let us just allow that somehow they managed without causing people too much trouble and leave it at that. grin I'm glad you liked the interlude between Námo and Nienna. Thank you for the idea. I enjoyed writing this scene. It gave me a chance to write a 'tender moment' between these two. At this point I don't have any plans to write about the first Reborn Elf, though you never know. My Muse can be pretty tricky about these things. At any rate, I'll stick it into the hutch and we'll see. grin Thanks for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it.

Fantasia	Reviewed Chapter: 103 on 8/26/2011
Wow Fiondil, thanks for the lesson, really. My only question is that even if the Moon creates her own light, she needs the Sun to feed her with photons. I know that Tolkin has the Moon as a male Maia but I keep calling the Moon as female, first because in my language the name is female, Luna, and second, because Artemis, Diana and Selene. I remember Varda vow of having Arien as the guarding of the Sun. If I'm not reading too much, the Valars at some point did change the rotation of the Earth, that was after the last glacier? Or after the Diluvium? I'm last, but the most important, so sad about Ingalaurë's fate, Manwe was really affected. I wish that they can change the future...(I will ask Namo to tell you to rewrite al your stories and save him :)) Author Reply: Hi Fantasia. As Brian Swimme points out in the passage quoted, if the Sun goes out, the Moon will go dark as well, so yes, the Moon does need the Sun to feed her photons, but the photons that we see leaving the Moon are not the same photons that the Sun sent; they were entirely created by the Moon. And I think in nearly every language, the Moon is feminine and the Sun is masculine. However, Tolkien says that Elves and Hobbits reverse the genders (the implication being that it is Men who do not). Yet, we have English nursery rhymes about the "Man in the Moon", never about a "Maid in the Moon" so it goes both ways. The change in the rotation of the Earth occurred very early in the First Age according to the Silmarillon. How they accomplished it, I have no idea, but if combining myth with science, some things have to be taken on faith. I wish I could rewrite Ingalaurë's fate, but alas, I cannot. I tried desperately to find a way to avoid it, but the characters all acted in a particular way and there was nothing I could do about it. Yet, in a manner, his death will save him: save him from Ingoldo's poison, save him from his doubts about his worth, save him from his resentment of being the second twin. One has to look at it in that light to see that death was probably the best thing that could've happened to him. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it.

Rhyselle	Reviewed Chapter: 103 on 8/26/2011
I really liked this chapter. Part of me wants to swat Ingwion for his attitude, despite knowing where it comes from. Also, despite knowing that Inglaure's days are numbered from having read previous works; it still hurts to know that something is going to send him to Mandos. I like to think that there is a greater purpose in all of this, though, and that we might one day see what it is. The discussion between the Valar about what to do about Arafinwe made it possible to connect the two story threads together in regards to time passing, and the subsequent discussion about the last flower and fruit of the Trees was such a nice connection back to Wars of the Valar. I especially loved Namo's comforting of Nienna. The idea of the first of the Children to have come to him now being awake and playing made me smile, and I'm sure that will help cheer up Nienna. :) As always, an enjoyable read! Thank you! Author Reply: Hi Ryselle. Foreknowledge does hurt and yet we know that it works out at the end. I think, if nothing else, death will cure Ingalaurë of his resentment towards his brother for being the firstborn twin. Ingoldo's poison will have been extracted from him and he will be content to be the secondborn and not the heir. And I try to connect the various threads of the stories once in a while to give readers an idea of chronology as well as a reminder that things are going on all the time but we only see parts of these stories instead of the whole, yet they are all coming together to a central point, as we will see fairly soon. And with Lynda's request about Námo comforting Nienna, it gave me the opportunity to write a 'tender moment' among the Valar, which I don't get to do to often. grin Glad you enjoyed this chapter, Rhyselle. Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it.

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