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Elf Academy 3: The Enemy Within by Fiondil	19 Review(s)
Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 6/23/2014
Of course Alex needs to keep his anger under better control, but I can understand him – the Elves still often enough tend to brush these two men off, give them the feeling they look down their nose at them. Seeing that Alex isn't an average man, but a highly trained agent with experiences way past what most other Mortals will ever have, it's clear he won't take that too well. Derek's idea is interesting, and rather amusing how he tried to sell them his idea. Boot camp for zombie hunters, indeed! But it's not a bad idea at all, they can make money with it and at the same time train themselves and others. Wrapped in that label, it's much more inconspicuous. Alex' idea is another good one, I think. It would give many of the unemployed Elves something useful to do and help them economically, so the Wiseman Elves don't have to pay for so many. Not to mention the chance to interact more with the Mortals in both cases. Author Reply: Zombie apocalypse is very popular here in the State. I've even written copy describing archery targets with zombie themes and such, so the zombie hunter boot camp isn't too far-fetched an idea. I'm sure it will prove successful if they pursue the idea. And selling stuff on Ebay or the other websites like it would prove beneficial as well. We'll just have to see how it goes. Thanks for the review, Kitty. It's appreciated.

Tari	Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 2/26/2014
Zombies!!!! Brrrrrr! That would be enough to scare me far away. I don't watch or read anything with them in it. Author Reply: Hi Tari. Yeah, they don't attract me either, but zombie hunter is a popular game and the Elves will be smart to take advantage of the popularity in setting up their training camp. Luckily, zombies don't really exist in this world or in Middle-earth. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

MJ	Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 2/22/2014
It's taken me more than a day to stop laughing at the "zombie hunters." Of course, you couldn't have known that my sister and I have been calling this The Zombie Apocalypse Winter, since whenever we think we have it licked, here it comes again. I'm glad to see the Elves taking the advice of Alex and Derek, since even the Elves who have never left Middle-earth still can't have quite the same perspective toward living in a Mortal world as Mortals themselves. (Though Esty might be a better choice for arts-and-crafts oriented sales than eBay, lol.) Excellent work — I'm looking forward to seeing how these plans are implemented. Oh, and does Derek happen to think that Námo's last name is "dude"??? ;D Author Reply: Hi MJ. Yeah this does seem like the Zombie Apocalypse Winter, doesn't it? And you're not the only reviewer to mention Esty, which, frankly, I've never heard of since I'm not into that sort of thing. I'm sure the ELves will learn about it on their own. We'll see how things go with them. And I wouldn't be surprised if Derek did think Námo's last name is 'Dude'. LOL! Thanks for reviewing. I really appreciate it.

Soledad	Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 2/22/2014
Sorry, but I 'm completely behind Alex. Ever since he's set foot into Wiseman, the Elves showed the same condescending attitude towards him and, frankly, towards all other Mortals. Alex is just reacting more sharply because he is more aware of his own considerable abilities. I find him fairly tolerant towards elvish snobbery than the Elves deserve. I would have washed my hands on the whole lot a long time ago. Liked Derek's ideas, though. Elves on eBay - it has a nice sound to it. Author Reply: Hi Soledad. Oh, I totally agree with you. But Alex does have issues and we will see how they will affect him and the Elves later in the story. Ron was right to take him down and remind him just who the Elves are because the stakes are much higher than he realizes. At any rate, we will see how the Elves are also called on the carpet for their attitude towards Mortals and Alex in particular in a later chapter. Trust me, they don't quite get it all their own way. Glad you liked Derek's ideas. Thanks for reviewing. It's always appreciated.

obsidianj	Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 2/22/2014
Whoa, Vorondur. That was kind of surprising... or not, come to think of it. I hope Alex gets his attitude checked and Derek also. Love the idea of a Zombie bootcamp... I'm not so sure they get the right people to sign up for it, but it really could improve tourism for the town and that would make the elves more palatable to the towns people especially when there is more employment opportunities to be had for all. The craftshop idea is also a great idea. I think one of the reasons why tensions are running so high is that most of the elves are bored. They were sent to Wiseman on an exciting mission, but now reality sets in in that they have a long way to go before they can do anything and they are just sitting around with too much time on their hands and nothing to do in a strange culture. I bet a lot of them wish they never left Aman especially not for this... Author Reply: You're absolutely right, obsidianj. The Elves are indeed bored and they are feeling exactly as you describe. Hopefully, though, with employment idea like the zombie hunter boot camp and setting up shops and the like, they'll become less bored and they're feelings of anger and frustration will dissipate. We'll just have to see. And Vorondur is cool here... we see a side of him that he rarely displays any more and it's a side of him that Alex and Derek both needed to see so they could readjust their attitudes toward him and the other Elves. Thanks for reviewing. It's always appreciated.

bookworm	Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 2/22/2014
Zombie Boot Camp! glee Alex & Derek have the right idea - small business is the way to go - the internet has been a boon there. Also I thought I would let you know, I have the same Myers-Briggs as Nienna glee Author Reply: Hi Bookworm. Small businesses should help them get set up and integrated into society and show the Mortals that they are contributing positively to the community. Cool that you have the same type as Nienna. She's one of my favorites among the Valar, at least the way I write her. Thanks for reviewing. It's always appreciated.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 2/21/2014
A zombie-hunter boot camp? Oh, good grief! But it'll sell! Author Reply: You bet, Larner. LOL! And who better to run one than those who once hunted down orcs? Thanks for reading and reviewing.

Clouded Leopard	Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 2/21/2014
Hi Fiondil, The title threw me off until I started reading this chapter, but then again you do give interesting titles to your chapters. On Vorondur, if I remember correctly other than Finrod knowing Ron's past I don't think anyone else knows about how he lost his sons. One to mother nature and one to war (arrow in the back). So Alex and Derek would not know about Ron being a warrior ages back in our history. Why people underestimate Ron I will never know. Randall and Manuela? I thought Laurendil and Manwen were going by Randall and Amanda. It looks like dinner was uncomfortable for the youngsters when they came home all excited about their day. Good for Alex and Derek taking the initiative to break the tension at the table and Derek's interesting take on what to call the training camp. It seems he has some wild ideas but does have a point. Their are a lot of gamers out there that would love to improve survival instincts. Alex, Derek and Ron also have the right of it when they said the elves could open up a shop to sell handicrafts, show how their crafts are made and start classes. Great chapter Fiondil. Author Reply: Hi Clouded Leopard. Oh, I'd forgotten that I originally gave Manwen the name Amanda. When I came to write EA3 and was assigning Mortal names to various Elves, I decided on "Manuela" for her. And as I've used that name consistently throughout this story (and I've passed the number of chapters from EA2), I've decided to keep "Manuela" for her and went back and changed it in "Christmas" since it occurs only the one time there. Thanks for pointing out the inconsistency. You have a better memory than I. As for Vorondur, obviously, those Elves from Valinor (other than Finrod) would not know his past except in general terms, i.e., he once lived in Nargothrond, fought in the War of Wrath, that sort of thing, but more than likely the Wiseman Elves do know about him losing his sons. Alex and Derek, of course, wouldn't have a clue, so it would be easy for them (Alex especially) to underestimate him. Well, that won't happen again, not after this. Derek is smart to suggest using the "zombie card" as he puts it, since it's very popular now among the paintball players and all and that's a good way to disguise what they're doing. And maybe most of their clients would never learn the truth and join the cause, but they'll be making money and training those that need to be trained and that's all that matters. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and especially pointing out the inconsistent naming. I appreciate you doing so very much.

rikki	Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 2/21/2014
Loved the title. Such humor and so true. Its nice that the alpha dogs have decided on a pecking order here and seem to be settling down on the porch again. Though I am getting the impression that elves all seem to be alpha. Is this because of their long life experiences or are they just normally that way? Alex and Derek are naturally alpha if you look at their careers and experiences. So I may have just answered my question. Getting taken down by Vorondur must have been an eye opener to Alex. Better even than Amroth talking to Alex, this points out not all the big dogs look like big dogs. And great ideas in expanding the earning capacity of the elves. I loved the idea of the boot camp, though I am wondering what the elves will say when they see zombie hunters for the first time. That presents a mental picture that is just funny. The ideas for selling on Ebay and craft shops is also good. I am sure when the elves get started they will really start getting ideas. It might even be a good idea if some of the elves travel around some of the craft shows in the lower 48. They might even get lucky and find other elves. But even though there has been some progress on uniting the Valar and Wiseman elves, it seems like there is a long way to go to get past some of the issues that are arising. And some issues may never get resolved. But I look forward to see how you have the elves countering the gossip that is flying around Wiseman right about now. Author Reply: Hi rikki. I had fun coming up with the title. And yeah, I think they're all alphas to one degree or another, so it makes it hard for there to be just followers instead of leaders. Being taken down by Vorondur drove the lesson home more than any talk by Amroth since it was so unexpected. Hopefully, both Alex and Derek will remember this lesson long enough to revise their own attitudes. I'm sure the Elves will be a little bit nonplused when they meet their first "zombie hunters" especially the type who spend their days doing accounting or tax returns or other "meek" jobs and then turn into hard-as-nails warriors on the weekend ready to "kick zombie butt". LOL! You're right, though, that the Elves do have a long way to go to get past certain issues and we'll see this throughout the story as they continue to find their way. Thanks for reviewing. I really appreciate it.

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 2/21/2014
Ooh, the "Zombie Boot Camp" thing sounds like a cool idea! And selling Elven craft is just as cool! Let me know when the website opens--I'd buy their stuff in a heartbeat! It's still pretty clear that the Valinor Elves need some grounding in mortal history and especially in mortal pop culture! Maybe they should have a "movie night" at Edhellond or something. There are so many references to things that we take for granted that everyone knows, yet it's almost like another language to those who don't! I loved Vorondur's take-down of Alex. These are not "tame" Elves, Alex! Author Reply: Hi Dreamflower. I think everyone enjoyed Vorondur's take-down of Alex. You're right. These definitely are not "tame" Elves. LOL! And movie night sounds like a good idea. You can learn a lot about a culture that way, though it's sometimes exaggerated, but it would certainly help them to understand the references that are made. Thanks for reviewing. I appreciate it very much.

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