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| Destiny's Child by Mirkwoodmaiden | 3 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 39 on 11/15/2025 |
| MM! Such a lovely Saturday treat as I while away a quiet weekend afternoon. Today will be more of a day of rest than tomorrow, when I'll have family visiting and so will be chatting and cooking, with no time for reading. Her meeting with the Lord Faramir had completely flummoxed her. I should imagine she's never met anyone quite like Faramir before. Not even Aragorn, really, who has his own unique qualities. Bless Alyrin and her gossip, filling in some valuable background information for Éowyn. "blue eyes that had no reason to dissemble" and "true to his word": Apt descriptions of Faramir, for sure! I beamed with delight when Merry appeared! But oooh, how interesting that she can perceive when someone has been touched with the Breath! (And that Merry sees it as well in her.) And I like Alyrin's practical attitude, "...where better to remember so that they can be eased." And Merry brings out his pipe, which forevermore will invoke memories of Théoden King. (Did Faramir pick up pipe-smoking from Gandalf a while ago or perhaps more recently?) During Merry's conversation with Faramir, I was struck with the thought: How different things might have been if Merry had not reached the Pelennor! For it was his blade of Westernesse that "dealt that foe a wound so bitter, cleaving the undead flesh, breaking the spell that knit his unseen sinews to his will". As he said, he and Éowyn together killed the Witch-king. Watching the connection grow between Faramir and Éowyn is eminently satisfying. The two of them deserve each other. (((hugs))) Lin Author Reply: Lin! Hello! Sorry this replies is late but the Chapter 40 plot bunnies were very insistent that I write. They were nipping at me! And as you well know plot bunny bites can be pretty nasty! :-) but upshot of that "ordeal" is that Chapter 40 is now in the editing stage and will soon be headed to my beta/hubby!! Thank you so much for the review! My favorite portion of the story and what drove me to write Eowyn through some pretty rough times, but she did not suspect anything no matter how many times Holdlith told her!! She would not hear tale of it! LOL! But I digress! "I should imagine she's never met anyone quite like Faramir before. Not even Aragorn, really, who has his own unique qualities." I think you are right. Being niece to the king would not leave a lot of trust in a man's sincerity. Also her opinion and examples of love have not been overly positive. Her mother died of a broken heart. Her aunt died in childbirth and her friends turned from vibrant young women into matrons who seemed to subsume themselves into their husbands' lives. Faramir unlike anyone she has known is breaking through all of that gently but inexorably. *sigh* "Bless Alyrin and her gossip, filling in some valuable background information for Éowyn." Exactly! She is becoming a favourite character! Eowyn now knows some of Faramir's life. "blue eyes that had no reason to dissemble" and "true to his word": Apt descriptions of Faramir, for sure!" True! True! "I beamed with delight when Merry appeared! But oooh, how interesting that she can perceive when someone has been touched with the Breath! (And that Merry sees it as well in her.) And I like Alyrin's practical attitude, "...where better to remember so that they can be eased." I think that those touched will bare the mark on their spirit. Each will deal with it differently but a trace will always appear in their eyes. It taught Merry wisdom, eventually. :-) Because of what they endured they can see it in others and maybe know to extend empathy and compassion to the other survivors. My own theory. Of course Alyrin interjected common sense into the situation! "(Did Faramir pick up pipe-smoking from Gandalf a while ago or perhaps more recently?)" Within the Legendarium it is possible that Gandalf introduced Faramir to pipe smoke but within my stories it is Merry in "Bound by Duty; Bound by Joy" Admission time: I have taken portions of that story when both Faramir and Eowyn are in the Houses of Healing and used them here. They said exactly how I wanted it said and couldn't seem to rewrite it better. So there is that. but I have used that as seed for these last few chapters! "During Merry's conversation with Faramir, I was struck with the thought: How different things might have been if Merry had not reached the Pelennor! For it was his blade of Westernesse that "dealt that foe a wound so bitter, cleaving the undead flesh, breaking the spell that knit his unseen sinews to his will". As he said, he and Éowyn together killed the Witch-king." So true. More of the Professor's idea of disobeying authority to good end. It is a theme that runs throughout the books. "Watching the connection grow between Faramir and Éowyn is eminently satisfying. The two of them deserve each other." Exactly! I am having a wonderful time writing about their relationship in bloom! *happy sigh* Thanks again for writing! Chapter 40 in the next couple days I'm thinking!! (((hugs))) MM | |
| Fimbrethil | Reviewed Chapter: 39 on 11/4/2025 |
| “a man of such qualities” Yes! — Film: “A chance for Faramir, Captain of Gondor to show his quality.” “Captain Faramir. You have shone your quality, sir…the very highest.” Book: “Now’s a chance to show your quality.” “So it seems….A chance for Faramir, Captain of Gondor, to show his quality! Ha!” […] “You took the chance, sir.…and showed your quality: the very highest.” Not to mention all the other times he gains their friendship. I see Éowyn learns somewhat of the Denethor/Faramir relationship…. Finally confirmation Éowyn does actually switch rooms! And Merry smokes in Éowyn’s presence now… Pretty good combining, but because you skipped the part of the conversation about Pippin and Merry getting the pipes out, it is a little glaring when their pipes just appear. “Or if she were honest she was afraid of marriage even before that because of what it did to her mother. Within a year of her father’s death she and Éomer had lost her as well. Her mother died of a broken heart. She left them. But what Faramir's eyes offered was beyond any of these experiences and when she attempted a tenuous wave she was rewarded with the brightest, warmest smile that began in small part to take down the wall she had constructed around her heart, seemingly whether she willed it or no.” Good point about the love. I hope that love happens here, but that the death of the one doesn’t cause the death of the other. But except for possible danger in wars, which I doubt will happen in Elessar’s reign, Faramir will probably outlive Éowyn because he is more Numenorean (and a tiny but Elvish:)) Faramir getting to her heart—awwww. | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 39 on 11/4/2025 |
| Merry paused here, “I would not see her hurt anymore. If you can help her, I will be forever in your debt.” Faramir held the hobbit’s earnest eyes for moments longer, “She is in my heart, Master Hobbit, I can only hope she will let me into hers. I love that passage. What an important, peaceful, and healing time this is for all three of them, trusting in friendship bonds and glimmers of hope. Author Reply: Shirebound! Exactly! This is a time to start the healing process and it may be slow going at first. But everyone will get there! Yay! Thanks for writing! (((hugs))) MM | |