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The Journey Home by Fiondil	12 Review(s)
Fadesintothewest	Reviewed Chapter: 40 on 6/24/2013
This chapter was a bit melancholy, though to be expected. It is always strange seeing your childhood home, if you have been gone from it for a time, to think how much it meant and to see how life has taken you so far from that. I was really struck by Maglor's sense of nostalgia, added to the culture shock, to being on display as it were. Totally understandable. You really are ratcheting up the suspense! He has to wait to see his family, all his brothers reborn. What a meeting it will be, so good for all of them. I hope his children get an opportunity to see aspects of their father they had not considered. Maybe this will help them adjust a bit better. Great stuff. Author Reply: Hi Fades. Yes, there's a lot of melancholy here and it just shows that you can never really go home again even when you do. A lot of conflicting emotions here on all their part. We'll see how things go in Valmar. Thanks for leaving a review. It's always appreciated.

Monalex	Reviewed Chapter: 40 on 6/22/2013
Yeahhhh So Maglor's whole family is already reborn???? That's great, going to be a very special meeting... also I would love for Estel to be apprenticed by Aule, both of them would enjoy it mightily playing in th smithy, Russandol with Orome and Miriel with Ulmo jajajajajaja, the Valar would be terribly delighted to apprentice this grandchildren of Feanaro with such skills and intelligence, making it sweeter that they are always ready to use them for the benefit of others. So from your comments below to the others saying that Feanaro is not yet reborn, I'm guessing Finwe is still not reborn too, for he would not be willing to be reborn if his son is not... and grandma Miriel is still dead too or did you decide for her to be reborn???? I somehow can't see Finwe being reunited with Indis, I have always thought that he never did love her as much as he did Miriel or even his son Feanaro and that she deserved better, I would prefer for him to stay with his first wife in death if that is still her choice... Ohhh will we see Celeborn and Galadriels daughter???? And will Elrond be meeting his foster father and his family???? I can't wait for the next chapter!!!! I may not review as much as a I should (this is my first review I'm ashamed to say), but I'm always reading.... :D Author Reply: Hi Monalex. According to the Silmarillion, Finwë gave up his right to be reborn so that Míriel could live again, so he has to remain in Mandos until the end of time. However, Míriel wasn't technically reborn. She simply reentered her original body which the Valar had been kept inviolate in Lórien and once she was re-embodied she went to live with Vairë and cannot rejoin Elven society. She spends her days (according to Tolkien) helping Vairë weave tapestries depicting the history of the Elves. We'll have to wait and see who else Maglor meets now that he is in Valmar. I'm happy to hear from any of my readers whenever they can do so, so I appreciate you taking the time to leave this review and letting me know that you are reading and enjoying the story. Thanks.

Laer	Reviewed Chapter: 40 on 6/22/2013
So glad that Mandos has released his brothers, perhaps some day Namo will release his father. But I am willing to bet not for a very long time. Formal dinners have got to be the bane of any free spirit. which fork do you use for what meal, don't place your knife like that, or my favorite "we do not slurp we sip". Yeah I'm 3 and you have no idea how many strokes they had when I got bored and started to do somersaults in my dress while barefoot. Or when I burped. (It was a "married to relative" that is no longer married into the family. Thank goodness) Maedhros flipping his hand around and shoving it in everyone's face. That would have been hilarious to see. I am sure that the others had a good natured laugh about it with him. :) it was a nice calm time for them. It will be interesting to see what happens afterwards as I am sure that not everyone will be as according as the ones they have met so far have been. Author Reply: I don't think Fëanor will be released until the End, Laer. Or at least that's my interpretation of Tolkien's writings. I remember being in England with a bunch of other students and we were having lunch at the refectory of one of the Law Inns of London (can't remember now which one) and most of them had no clue what all the silverware was for and ended up using the wrong ones, which meant that the servers had to go get them the right one for a particular dish, much to their disgust. I, of course, had been properly brought up and knew which fork or spoon to use with what dish and I was very amused by everyone else's faux pas. bad me LOL! Anyway, we'll see how the rest of the visit with the Valar goes. Thanks for leaving a comment. I appreciate it.

Celeth	Reviewed Chapter: 40 on 6/21/2013
Maglor's family has been released from Mandos? Including Maedhros? And who else, I wonder. There's a whole story (and more than one) there. I hope you will have time to write it sometime. Looking forward to the judgment... Author Reply: Hi Celeth. All the brothers have been reborn, but not Fëanor for any number of reasons including the fact that neither Eru nor Námo have agreed to release him just yet. And while there is a whole story and more behind it all, I very much doubt I will ever write about it. You'll have to be content with just imagining how it all went for each of them. Thanks for commenting. I really appreciate it.

obsidianj	Reviewed Chapter: 40 on 6/21/2013
Oh, man. The formal dinner must have been trying for the Harthadim youngsters. Do they even know how to behave at table at such a feast? And all these formalities... I think Orome was wise to leave them alone for a night. It is too much too fast. So, Maglor's family is re-born. His father, too? Or just his brothers. Loved the bit about Maedhros waving his hand around. Must be something to discover that you have a hand again. Author Reply: I bet the formal dinner was trying on them all, obsidian. It's been a very long time for even the older Harthadrim since any of them attended such a feast. Having them spend the night in Oromë's mansion was a good move on the part of the Valar. And only Maglor's brothers have been reborn. Thanks for reviewing. It's much appreciated.

Kevana	Reviewed Chapter: 40 on 6/21/2013
The first few opening paragraphs of this struck me ferociously. How long had it been since he looked on that orchard? How many things had changed in the outer world? Entire Ages come and gone. And yet he returns and finds it unchanged on the outside, but completely different on the inside. Not unlike himself perhaps. That sudden parallel caught me off-guard and, wow. It also makes you realize just what it must be like for Elves and their immortal lives, that he could return and remember so many details after, I'm guessing, tens of thousands of years? Yet it's the simple little things he remembers, too, and maybe that says even more. It really calls into play that entire concept of their memory structure and tendencies. Also it's really poignant. :P Over the course of reading your stories it's become my fervent opinion that Finrod makes everything better and, like jello, there is always room for Finrod. And here we see him in his natural environment, making everything better. Of course he'd understand that Maglor was probably too afraid to ask about his family's whereabouts, and simply stepped up to fill in the blanks. Also, I giggled at him being the stern adult to a vanity of impatient Valar. I can just imagine him scolding them and telling them to stay out of it and leave Maglor and the Harthadrim alone for five blessed minutes. He's like a translator/diplomat between the Elves and the Ainur, as much as he was between the Elves and Men. So his family's Reborn then. Like one of the other reviewers I'm a bit surprised but happy! I guess this is later in the timeline than I had imagined, just trying to mentally put it in perspective. Of course it wouldn't have been as much fun (heartbreaking fun) if they weren't Reborn yet and we didn't get that real reunion that Maglor deserves. And given that they're Reborn it can't be anything but a clean slate reunion. I imagine death would do that even to the Fëanorians. Arthalion's really come into his own. It's so good to see him not only long recovered from what he went through but grown into such a wise and caring person. Same with Denethor. I love that you wrote about Oromë and Vána's mansion, I don't think we've seen your take on it before! And love the mention of Herendil and family. Ahaha, dressing up's not so bad when trying to impress the ladies, huh, Estel? And the idea of Fëanor's grandson coming home to work with Aüle, oh ouch, my heart. Ouuuch. By the way, I think we found Manwë's truck. Have a great weekend and thank you for the fantastic chapter! -Kevana Author Reply: Hi Kavana. Yeah, that definitely looks like Manwë's truck. LOL! Your comments about the orchard vs. Maglor's rooms are very interesting and I hadn't thought about it in that way, but it certainly makes psychological sense. Thanks for pointing it out. I love it when readers find things in a chapter that never occured to me when I was writing it. And I love your comments about Finrod. How very true. I have not had the chance to explore Oromë and Vána's mansion before this, so I was happy to be able to do so here. It's rather unique, but then all the mansions of the Valar are unique in one way or another, each reflecting the owner's (or owners') personality(ies). Have a great weekend yourself and thanks for taking the time to read and leave a comment. It's very much appreciated.

Fantasia	Reviewed Chapter: 40 on 6/21/2013
Well, until Monday then. So his family is reborned already, that is good, also I doubt that Feanor is. I can't wait for him to see his Mother. Everything is so splendid that it is a little unsettling. For all the beauties of Valinor, it sounds so constricted, so enclosed and timeless, slow. I can see why the Noldors wished to leave, or it is maybe my Human spirit, I think that we are born adventurous and conquistadors. Author Reply: Hi Fantasia. Amanian society does sound a bit restrictive and timeless, but these are Elves, after all. I'm sure the Harthadrim will eventually settle in. The Elves often referred to us Mortals as 'The Guests" because of our restlessness, but that's not necessarily a trait among the Firtsborn. Anyway, thanks for reviewing. I appreciate you taking the time to do so.

Sunny	Reviewed Chapter: 40 on 6/21/2013
Lovely, peaceful chapter here - i suppose it's meant to give us a "breather" between two more excitement-filled chapters? Young Russandol definitely need a couple of Amanian friends with whom he can get into some trouble... ;) Though perhaps Estel don't mind the finery quite as much when he sees how pretty Ivorwen is in her new gown. :) About the Harthadrim finding a nice, isolated island of their own - I've been thinking a bit off and on about Arda and Arda-in-the-10th-dimension. The latter is supposed to be more or less a carbon copy of the former, isn't it? That is at least the impression I got from the Wars of the Valar. So, does Arda-in-the-10th-dimension have other continents than Valinor? You haven't written anything about that, but I suppose that if you need Elves in Valinor in the 10th dimension to go exploring, you still have that option open. :) So Maglor's brothers have been reborn? I was a bit surprised at that, I had not really expected most of them to be Reborn until near the Dagor Dagorath - and I'd guess that this means this story is AU with respect to your other stories that mention the fates of the Fëanorionnath. The image of Maedhros running around Lórien waving his restored hand under everyone's noses must have been too amusing to resist, though! And I really loved the way Finrod described the Valar as impatient elflings. (Well, he's had a lot of experience with interfering Valar, so I guess it's reasonable he would be able to describe them like that!) I also giggled a bit over the way Amarië and Glóredhel came over and hauled their husbands out of the corner where said husbands had been sitting drinking their wine and gossiping, and hauled them over to the dance floor instead. Males are the same everywhere, it seems! Author Reply: You might consider this chapter a "calm before the storm" type since it is more a transitional chapter than anything, getting them from Tiron to Valmar. While I try to keep my stories consistent, I am not obliged to do so all the time. If you want to consider this story AU with respect to other stories that mention the sons of Fëanor, go ahead. On the other hand, perhaps the OTHER stories are AU to this one and this is the correct timeline. Take your pick. grin And describing Maedhros with his new hand was too amusing to resist. Anyway, I suppose you're right about males being the same everywhere. At least the ellith would claim it to be so. grin Thanks for leaving a comment. I much appreciate it.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 40 on 6/21/2013
Bless Finrod for his care for them, and particularly for Maglor. And I rejoice that Maedhros has his hand once more! Excellent. Now, for the children sleeping on the flets will be a new experience! Author Reply: Yes, Finrod is quite the caregiver. And I think sleeping on Lord Oromë's flets will be a new experience for them all. Thanks for revieing, Larner. It's much appreciated.

Cairistiona	Reviewed Chapter: 40 on 6/21/2013
Such a peaceful delight, this chapter. The poignant moments were lovely--Maglor in his room for the first time in ages, Maglor asking after his mother, and Maglor simply seeing it all again for the first time in so very long. I loved that they finally played dress up. :) I can just imagine how handsome Maglor must have looked in his finery, and how beautiful he must have looked dancing. iz crushing a little And you gave me a couple of good chuckles, the first with the picture of Maedhros running around waving his hand in everyone's faces, and the second, Arthalion's "We look like an invasion" line. The descriptions of the Valar's homes made me want to book my own See the Valar's Homes tour. And OlÃ³rin! Testy as ever! Maglor might not be looking forward to the meeting with the Valar, despite Roimendel's assurances, but I definitely am. Author Reply: I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter, Cairistiona. There are a lot of neat scenes in it and you've highlighted just about all of them. Maedhros running around Lórien and Arthalion's comment are certainly giggle-worthy. I'm glad you're looking forward to the meeting with the Valar even if Maglor isn't. Thanks for leaving a comment. I really appreciate it.

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