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| No Better Name by Cairistiona | 13 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Lily Baggins | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 11/5/2011 |
| Oh, I've been remiss in not reviewing earlier! But anyway... gosh, I loved how Bowen wept in this chapter after seeing his baby son for the first time. That was lovely! And especially after Halbarad---big strong strapping masculine ranger Halbarad---warned him that would happen. I knew there HAD to be a reason Strider went home with Bowen, and it seems it was indeed good fortune! Poor Denlad---he must have been a nervous wreck! "Sporting ladies" had me giggling... that's a good term for it that seems very Middle-earthish! Now poor Aragorn must recover some more... but I'm sure he thinks it was worth it. LOVELY chapter! Author Reply: Thank you, Lily! So glad you liked this. :) I must be honest: picture Halbarad holding his own newborns makes me melt into a completely useless puddle of goo! Any Ranger holding a baby tends to press all my warm fuzzy buttons. I found "sporting ladies" in a list of synonyms for prostitutes... I thought it sounded like something Bowen would use. *g* And yes, Aragorn once again has worn himself out playing the healer, but at least this time with a better outcome! | |
| Nath | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 10/23/2011 |
| And so it turns out that Bowen's concerns were not entirely spurious, and a big yay for hidden kings doing mystical things *g* Bowen wants his peace back... now if that doesn't sound like a cue for more disturbance;-) even if it's only the rest of the Rangers turning up. Author Reply: Don't you love it when Mysterious Kings Are Mysterious? *g* And yes, eek, more Rangers! (Which for me, wouldn't be a problem!) Thanks for the review! | |
| Suzelle | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 10/21/2011 |
| I will have you know that I have been so dying to catch up on this fic all week that I am breaking my time-honored rule to never read fanfiction on university computers...but you know, it's the first spare half hour I've had all week, it's Friday, and gosh darn anyone who judges me for reading fic in the library!! *ahem* Anyway... As always, I loved this. A lot of info is finally revealed to us, but it's done with such a deft and touching hand. Thank goodness Strider was there indeed, and no wonder Denlad was so distressed during the birth itself!! And it was a relative of Bowen's who so harmed Denlad and his mother, after all...I just want to give more hugs to Denlad, but hopefully this revelation will help him to gain some closure and move on. And more Rangers, hah! Author Reply: Oh wow, you read this on university computers! Eek! Well, hopefully no one will judge you. *g* Call it "literary critique and examination via fiction" instead of "fanfiction" and even the snootiest academic won't have much to say. *G* Glad you enjoyed the chapter... wouldn't it have been be awful if you sneaked online at the university and read it only to think at the end, "Well, that sure wasn't worth it. :P" LOL I do think you should go ahead and give Denlad some hugs, just to make sure he REALLY feels okay about life again. :) | |
| phyloxena | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 10/20/2011 |
| Such a touching story! I couldn't help thinking that if Strides was too sick to help the baby, rangers would've been blamed on the unhappy birth. But of course the whole point of a hero is that he is always on time and adequate to the task. Author Reply: Thanks, phyloxena! Glad you're enjoying the story so far. :) I don't know if Flora or Bowen would have blamed the Rangers, necessarily... Flora is a midwife, after all, and knows that sometimes births go wrong. So she's not in the same sort of mindset as the family that Strider helped, not understanding and ill and eager to find a scapegoat, etc. Fortunately this time around, things went the right way for all concerned, and Strider had a heroic moment after all. | |
| Layne | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 10/20/2011 |
| Owen Estel is a *perfect* name :) I wondered a bit why Strider seemed weak when Bowen went in to see his son, I thought he was getting a better. No wonder, he had been calling the little one from the dead ... Was Bowen's uncle the one from Denlad's backstory? I thought he wasn't but I'm a bit unsure from his reaction there. Yay, more Rangers! Heheh, poor Bowen. Uhm, I hope he knows how to make pot roast ;P Author Reply: Thanks, Layne! And pot roast!! LOL!! I wonder if Bowen could manage pot roast...? Maybe Denlad could teach him. *g* (and anyone reading this who's wondering about the joke, friend me on LJ at "cairistiona7", where you can hear me wax poetic about pot roast... *g*) And yes, Rowen Rushlight was the one that caused all the problems with Denlad and his mother. I left it more or less unspoken, though, because a) we can't see into Denlad's mind because the point of view of the chapter is Bowen's and the way I write, we only get to see into one head at a time; and b) I didn't feel it entirely necessary to spell it out since there's a lot of clues pointing toward the fact that it was Bowen's uncle, when you compare what we hear Denlad say to Halbarad and what Bowen reveals here. As for Denlad's reaction, he realizes again that he can't hold it against Bowen and that he has to let it go--and when you've long held anger toward someone and find out it really doesn't matter anymore, it can leave you a little flat, emotionally, before the sense of freedom sets in... which we see when Denlad mutters to himself that it doesn't matter, but then shortly after that gives Bowen the sunny smile and the complement. Denlad's going through a real storm of emotions here, but since we're looking at the Rangers, except for Halbarad, through Bowen's eyes, I wanted to only show what Bowen saw here, which serves to reinforce his opinion that Rangers are highly secretive and a bit of a pain in the neck to try to talk to! Hope that clears things up! | |
| Lynn H | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 10/18/2011 |
| Born on Estel's OWN Birthday, when he has the choice of Death - no wonder Death could not take the babe! Happy Birthday Estel & Estel! Author Reply: Estel's own birth month, at least, yes! The 25th is the day the Ring was destroyed and now Owen Estel's b-day, and the 1st is Aragorn's b-day... so let's have a month-long party! *tosses confetti* | |
| Darkover | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 10/18/2011 |
| dear Cairistiona: To sound like Bowen for a moment--another excellent chapter, and no mistake! This chapter was just as enjoyable as the others. Strider came to the rescue, Halbarad had his inside jokes, Denlad had his childhood mystery solved, and not least of all, the baby was born--all delightful! The passage in which Bowen holds his newborn son was just great, especially your description of the baby and how he made a perfect "O" with his mouth--that is just what tiny babies do, and how they look! Very well written! I also loved the lines; "Bowen's relief was vast. Odd trances and terrible voices were all completely beyond him, but a man tired and hungry, in need of cake, that was something he felt he could handle." I very much like your OCs, and you have portrayed Strider and Halbarad equally well. Moreover, although I admired the fact that Denlad apologized for his earlier cold behavior, it is much more understandable in view of the great likelihood that the creep who beat up Denlad and his mother was Bowen's uncle. I also really loved Bowen's epiphany, when he realizes that not only are the Rangers not a bunch of murdering rogues, but they are good men, who have become friends. Still, between the fact that they are still a strange people by Breeland standards, plus Strider's uncanny abilities, it is understandable that they make Bowen nervous, and that he wishes they would move on soon. Now other Rangers have shown up at his door. I can hardly wait for the next chapter! This story is all the more remarkable for the fact that it grew out of what you originally intended to be a one-shot! Thanks for writing and posting this. Take care! Sincerely, Darkover Author Reply: Thank you so much, Darkover! I don't say it enough, but I love your very detailed reviews... it's nice to hear just what exactly works for you in a chapter (and yes, what sometimes hasn't!). The baby I based on one of my friend's sons... he would just stare so intently at anyone that held him, you wondered what he must have been thinking, and about the time you expected him to smile, he'd yawn and fall asleep, and you'd realize that what he apparently thought was that you were utterly boring! LOL And yes, Bowen is really at sixes and sevens as far as his feelings about the Rangers, poor man. Isn't it funny how a one-shot can grow into something much bigger! Thanks again for the review. :) | |
| Estelcontar | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 10/18/2011 |
| I see it was after all Bowen's uncle and not Bowen's father who was the villain. I'm glad Denlad has at least come to terms with that part of his past. I'm also very glad that saving young Owen Estel Rushlight's (Loved the name!) life has helped and made it easier for Aragorn to come to terms with the young girl's death. You've managed to tie up these incidents very neatly. I see Bowen is going to be a great father. The scene in which he holds Owen Estel is very sweet and sounds very true to life (Can't get enough of that name. *g*)I also loved Aragorn's reaction when Owen was named Estel. And it goes without saying that the ending was priceless. Wonderful chapter! Author Reply: Thanks, Estelcontar! So glad you liked this chapter... and isn't it interesting how an Elvish and a Mannish name can flow together so well? Aragorn was just really taken aback at Halbarad's suggestion of "Estel" and of Bowen's ready acceptance of it, even with a tiny little dig at the "outlandish" nature of it! *g* Poor Bowen... he'll never really think anything outside of Bree could ever be considered normal! | |
| Mirach | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 10/18/2011 |
| I knew something will go wrong with the childbirth! (It's quite predictable when Aragorn is around...) I actually realized what happened in the 2nd paragraph, but I just love reading about Aragorn in "healer mode" and in the aftermath =) And it's so sweet that the child got named Estel, and that it was born on March 25th! Author Reply: Thanks, Mirach! Hee hee... yes, it's funny how situations always seem to arise for Aragorn to use his healing hands! Owen Estel will forever have a lot of connections to Strider. :) | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 10/18/2011 |
| Happy Birthday, Owen Estel Rushlight! And born on such an auspicious day. Odd trances and terrible voices were all completely beyond him, but a man tired and hungry, in need of cake, that was something he felt he could handle. Such a good and simple man. A delightful chapter. Author Reply: Thank you, shirebound! I see Bowen as a very good man who prefers his world to be very ordered and well-defined, a lot like a hobbit and a lot like many real farmers, which makes having Rangers showing up at all hours doubly troubling! But at the same time, he has a strong hospitable streak so hopefully he won't be giving these two the Denlad cold-eyed stare! And yes, happy birthday to Owen Estel! It will be interesting to see how his 24th birthday goes. ;) | |