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| The Least of Rings by Dreamflower | 2 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 6/12/2013 |
| Hurrah! Perfectly plausible, something I enjoy in an AU. This reminds me of something I read (JRRT's Letters?) or heard somewhere. Someone asked JRRT why they didn't just send an eagle, or someone on an eagle, to destroy the Ring? I don't remember his answer, but I remember my thought: the story would have been way shorter, way less meaningful, and maybe even pointless. Three cheers for Radagast (I can still hear Saruman's scornful words ringing in my ears -- hopefully he got to eat those words) and Gandalf! Author Reply: I don't recall if he addressed that matter himself, or if it was others, but the truth is simply that the Eagles were Free Folk and not meant to be ordered around by anyone. They granted favors or not as they chose. Plus, they were also the messengers of Manwe, and would not directly intervene, I don't think, without his permission. In this AU Saruman will definitely pay for ignoring Radagast! | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 6/12/2013 |
| Good on you for giving Radagast some dignity, and an important job to do! So he caught a fish, and got a ride to Mordor somehow, and has thrown it in Mount Doom? You know, Radagast is actually a good choice for this job. He's much less powerful than Gandalf, and so less likely to be corrupted, especially since he never has to handle the bare ring. Also, probably less noticeable (unless he's riding in on giant eagles, hard to miss those) given his affinity for the land and general woodcraft. He also has allies that Sauron would discount as unimportant (birds and beasts and other creatures). I hope he has made it through his adventure unscathed, although Pike do have nasty big pointy teeth, and if he's been carrying it around for any length of time, it probably also smells really bad. Best of all, Frodo has not been stabbed with a morgul blade, leaving a toxic, unhealing wound. The hobbits have had a small adventure, but have not lost all innocence. I hope Saruman has been dealt with, in a way that means armies of Uruk-Hai and half-orcs won't invade the northern lands and the Shire won't require scouring. I hope Aragorn has played a part that proves his quality to the people of Gondor, and his kingship will start in peace and prosperity instead of war. (Although there may still be enough cleanup left for him to do that war may not be entirely avoided. After all, not everything sad can become untrue.) But I do hope Theoden and Boromir and Denethor (and Hama and Halbarad and Theodred) won't have to die. Will we see any of that? Author Reply: Pretty much. I imagined it as a sort of relay--one beast handing (or pawing, mouthing, whatever)--it off to another as the situation required, as Radagast accompanied it and supervised. And you are right about Radagast--I don't know that he was less powerful than Gandalf, but it's clear that he was much less interested in power and influence (and Gandalf had very little interest himself, so less would probably be very close to nil). I think you can take it that there was still some fighting to do--Aragorn certainly had to prove his worth to reunite the Kingdoms, after all--but not nearly so much or so bad as in canon! I don't yet know who survived that did not in the original story (except I am fairly sure that Boromir did), but I hope one day to examine some of those untold bits! | |