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| By the Light of Earendil's Star by Branwyn | 4 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Eilenach | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 7/31/2004 |
| Well, I'll admit, I had a problem with this chapter because of Boromir's actions. I do see your point that if Boromir was desperate enough to take the Ring, he would show this quality earlier in his life also. On the other hand, I would argue that the Ring itself had an effect on Boromir that would not be present here -- in the book, Boromir recognized after Frodo escaped that he had been suffering from a sort of madness, but that it had passed. I just think that Boromir would have appealed to his cousin with the truth first, and then escalated from there if he was still denied. Other than that, your story idea is definitely gripping! Author Reply: Maybe after Chapter 3, this chapter will seem more reasonable (I hope so, anyway.) A couple of things to keep in mind in this chapter. First, Boromir does not know this cousin very well. I tried to make that clear in the narrative (but may or may not have been successful, LOL). Also, as you find out in the next chapter, Boromir does not have a very high opinion of Eldahil. Since he is not sure this cousin is to be trusted, he doesn’t want to let him in on his plans. Second, Boromir is close to losing control at this point—he has to get out of Osgiliath very soon (if any of the higher-ups find out about this, they will stop him) and his cousin has the misfortune to be in the way. He does not feel he has the time to talk Eldahil into volunteering, and he (unfairly) doesn't think it would work, anyway. I don't see Boromir as regularly strong-arming people to get his way, but in this case, he is very, very upset, in a big hurry, and at his wit's ends. Gandalf describes Boromir as a “masterful” man; to me, that means someone who is used to being in control and having his way in all things, even without the influence of the ring. Thanks for writing! Branwyn | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 7/25/2004 |
| OK. This was really grim. But I thought you handled it well. And Faramir is right that this was like dying in battle. But wow. Boromir is doing stuff I might not have predicted. You can see how upset he must be. Great tension in this story. Author Reply: Regarding Boromir's willingness to run down everyone in his way (so to speak), remember that he is quite a bit younger in this story than in LOTR; in my mind, like many young men, he is somewhat wild and heedless. By the time we meet him in the books, he has had time to settle down. ;-) Also, while he is very concerned with right conduct, he does believe that if the situation is serious enough (and very, very few situations would qualify), the ends justify the means. I don't think he would have tried to take the Ring if he hadn't already had that mindset (just my opinion). However, I did wonder, while writing this story,to what extremes he would actually go to save his brother. Regards, Branwyn | |
| annmarwalk | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 7/25/2004 |
| Branwyn, I too am new to the site and am not familiar with the etiquette. I agree, though, a story with too many chapters might scare away readers (It would have scared me.) Perhaps add a chapter or two every few days? You might post this question on the message board too. It you think of it, could you let me know when you post more chapters? (Sorry to have hijacked your review page - I couldn't find your email on the members list) Ann | |
| annmarwalk | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 7/25/2004 |
| Excellent! I don't often read action/adventure stories but this is quite enjoyable. When will we see more? Ann Author Reply: Thank you for the kind review! The story is written through Chapter 7 (of 11 or 12); however, I thought it might scare readers off if I posted it all at once since it is fairly long (currently at 20,000 words). Please let me know if I am wrong about that--I am new to this site. | |