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| Smoke and Steel: Smoke Nights by MissMilton | 12 Review(s) |
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| swan-of-a-kind | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 4/25/2018 |
| Oh. My. God. I have been looking for this story for so long! I used to follow you on Henneth Annun, got out of the fandom for awhile, and have been looking for this story, not remembering it's title or author, since coming back a few months ago. Can't wait to dive back in! | |
| Denise | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 3/15/2007 |
| OK, I really do know better. Absolutely, positively, I should never start a WiP when the last update is in a different year than the current one, especially when I know the author to be an exceptional writer who will suck me right in. But there I was, innocently trolling for Imrahil stories, when this intriguing tale popped up and… You’ve laid out such an interesting perception of Denethor (his asexualism), and it does fit well with canon, so kudos to the revealing and unique portrayal. I also love your strong, elusive, intelligent Finduilas, and the rich, languid atmosphere of Dol Amroth in general – another rather unique portrayal for me. It is highly political but with dramatically different rules than Minas Tirith. I kept having this real-world vision of a straight-laced New York businessman being tossed unsuspecting into old-time New Orleans. The moist heat, the slow, oblique nature of the politics, the canals, the people all seem to share attributes with the Big Easy (or maybe that’s just me, former Southerner that I am). Keen, wicked conversations, and keen and evocative descriptions, too. Your characterizations are superb. I love your phrasing and writing style; favorite lines just kept piling up, one after another. You led marvelously up to Finduilas getting under Denethor’s skin in the first chapter (poor, confused fellow – I never thought I’d be feeling sorry for *Denethor*), and then step back and let us learn a little more of your Denethor’s history and mind. He knows Aragorn’s real identity and purpose, he has some skill at probing minds (I particularly love the imagery you use in describing this), he loves M.T. above all. His starting to think of Finduilas in terms/images of his beloved city is a telling way of indicating the depth of his feelings for her. I really enjoyed the whole of their gradual coming together: the deepening trust, the realization of true feelings, Finduilas’ independence and why she appeals so strongly to Denethor. I dearly hope you find the time and inclination to continue this – there are so many issues to explore, and I very much want to know how you see their lives evolving from this point, given what little is described in canon of their relationship. Please? *gives best hopeful puppy eyes* Author Reply: Hi Denise, Thank you for your wonderful, wonderful review. I don't have time to answer in more detail right now, but I just wanted to let you know that I *am* working on the rest of the fic. I'm sorry it's taken me so long, but unfortunately I have a very demanding RL occupation and only recently (ie, in the past month or so) have I had time to write fic again. The next chapter takes place when Denethor is sixteen and details his relationship with his grandmother and what he learns from her. I'll reply in more detail to your review as soon as possible! Cheers, Anna | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 12/20/2005 |
| I do like strong, intelligent, wily Finduilas. I think she might get round Denethor .... at least twice. I feel sorry for Denethor, really. I'm not surprised he was jealous - he seems to have been treated rather shabbily. But Finduilas will defend him - and that will do him good. Author Reply: I do like strong, intelligent, wily Finduilas. Thanks. I'm very glad people seem to be liking my interpretation of Finduilas. I think she might get round Denethor .... at least twice. Well, she does get him to be rather more... flexible as it comes to what he's willing to do in order to make her happy. I feel sorry for Denethor, really. I'm not surprised he was jealous - he seems to have been treated rather shabbily. But Finduilas will defend him - and that will do him good. You'll see a lot of interaction between Denethor, Finduilas, Ecthelion, Thorongil and Denethor's sister Celebwen in upcoming chapters. The relationship between Denethor and his father is quite complicated, and I think that quite a lot of its problems stem from the fact that they have very different personalities, as you'll see. Thanks once again for reading and reviewing! -----Anna | |
| halewyn aredhel | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 12/19/2005 |
| Yes! I had been reading this on another site, and have waited forever for an update. This is such a terrific story, and your portrayal of Finduilas is unique and wonderful. I'm intrigued by why you've chosen to portray Denethor as asexual, though... Can't wait for the next chapter! Author Reply: Yes! I had been reading this on another site, and have waited forever for an update. I'm really sorry about the huge delay between updates. Lots of RL stuff getting in the way, I'm afraid. The next chapter should be up much quicker. This is such a terrific story, and your portrayal of Finduilas is unique and wonderful. Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying this and that you like my Finduilas. I've always thought that, for Denethor to love her, she'd have to have a rather... arresting personality. Like I said below, she owes quite a bit to Carole Nelson Douglas's interpretation of Irene Adler. I'm intrigued by why you've chosen to portray Denethor as asexual, though... Like I said to Nilmandra, it's just the way he's coded in canon. There's no particular significance to it, other than the fact that this fic is my attempt to conciliate my reading of him with the fact that he, well, had children. I knew that, with someone like Denethor, it would take quite an intense relationship for him to be willing disregard his boundaries like that, and here we are. *g* Thank you once again for reading and reviewing! ----Anna | |
| Nilmandra | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 12/17/2005 |
| I like your strong Finduilias.. she knows who she is and what she wants, and she is no one's pawn. The references to Thorongil and the speculation as to what Denethor knew.. and how much he grew to despise him, is fascinating. Denethor's admittance of his lack of sexual desire was also very interesting... I am glad we know they eventually had two children, which I assume are his and therefore, somewhere, he found that desire for her. Author Reply: I like your strong Finduilias.. she knows who she is and what she wants, and she is no one's pawn. Thanks. I like her a lot myself--she owes quite a bit to Irene Adler, actually, both from the Conan Doyle short story and (mostly) from the Carole Nelson Douglas Irene Adler series of books, which I heartily recommend. The references to Thorongil and the speculation as to what Denethor knew.. and how much he grew to despise him, is fascinating. I'm glad you liked that; we'll see a lot more of who knows what about whom and the interactions between those characters when the action moves to Minas Tirith. Denethor's admittance of his lack of sexual desire was also very interesting He just strikes me as asexual in the canon (though not quite as much as Boromir). I know that when he see him in RotK he's suffering from clinical depression, but in my view, even the remarks about his early life lend themselves to this interpretation. I am glad we know they eventually had two children, which I assume are his and therefore, somewhere, he found that desire for her. Yes, Finduilas's children are all Denethor's. *g* I think you'll find there are some hints already in this chapter of how that came to be... after all, Denethor tells Finduilas that all they can do is lie together like brother and sister, but I don't know a lot of brothers and sisters who lie together in the same way they do--not outside of Faulkner, anyway--and what I was intending to do was that he loves her enough to start tweaking his boundaries a little in order to make her happy. | |
| Denethor's Angel | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/10/2005 |
| Hi! Just a little note to tell you that I have greatly enjoyed your story so far! I love good Denethor/Finduilas stories and yours is original and very well written! I can't wait to read more of it! Good work and please update soon! Denethor's Angel | |
| mirthor | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/3/2005 |
| Splendid writing, despite the borrowed phrases, which add only slightly to your obvious talent. I am looking forward to this in depth look at the Hurin family. You've brought a great sense of understanding to Denethor, as well as a remarkably refreshing Finduilas, and I enjoyed Irien and Adrahil, as well. If your take on the personality of the most intriguing character in ME is this interesting, I can only fathom the intricacies we'll get to enjoy from your Boromir and Faramir. Author Reply: Splendid writing, despite the borrowed phrases, which add only slightly to your obvious talent. I am looking forward to this in depth look at the Hurin family. Thank you for the vote of confidence; I'm tremendously flattered that you enjoy my writing style and that you want to read the rest of the series. There will be ten fics in the sequence, incidentally. You've brought a great sense of understanding to Denethor, as well as a remarkably refreshing Finduilas, and I enjoyed Irien and Adrahil, as well. Thank you. I'm really glad people are enjoying the characters, because I always find that it's the characters who really make or break a story. If your take on the personality of the most intriguing character in ME is this interesting, I can only fathom the intricacies we'll get to enjoy from your Boromir and Faramir. Boromir and Faramir will start being central to the narrative from the fourth fic onwards. I really hope their portrayals don't disappoint! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing and leaving such interesting comments. -----Anna | |
| Sulriel | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/3/2005 |
| Very nice. I don't usually read Denethor, but I especially enjoyed your Faramir/Arwen game and am interested to follow this one along. I like your Finduilas very much; and the realistic, business-like manner you show in the courts, relationships are more than money, entertainment and appreciation are learned skills. *LOL*. I find it refreshing to read the strength of the undercurrents in the negotiations. Author Reply: I don't usually read Denethor, but I especially enjoyed your Faramir/Arwen game and am interested to follow this one along. Yay, I have assimilated someone else into the Borg! *g* Seriously now, I'm very glad you enjoyed "Queen's Gambit" and that it lead you to read something you'd not usually be interested in -- very flattering! I like your Finduilas very much; and the realistic, business-like manner you show in the courts, relationships are more than money, entertainment and appreciation are learned skills. I'm so happy you like Finduilas and the politics in the fic. I really like fantasy-of-manners and I was aiming for that sort of feel for this fic. Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to leave a review. It is very much appreciated. -----Anna | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/3/2005 |
| She's so tempting to him! How could he resist her? She's like him but also tantalizingly different. And he does need a friend. And she is better suited that he is to light the lamp because she knows where things are. Author Reply: She's so tempting to him! How could he resist her? He can't! *g* She's like him but also tantalizingly different. And he does need a friend. I like to say that my view of Denethor/Finduilas is a sort of adult, M-E version of the Special Friends from girls' fiction. Which is rather amusing, but probably true... And thanks once again for taking the time for reading and reviewing the fic. I really appreciate your comments. ----Anna | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 2/3/2005 |
| Finduilas's send that they're alike is pleasing because it's unexpected. In general, I like the relationships here, the way they show people's sense of themselves as well as one another. I am thinking of Denethor with Imrahil, but it's true all the way through. The imagery in this story is very evocative. In this chapter, I particularly liked: "He was somewhat scruffy in dress, but had an aura of neatness about him, his mind a dapper thing with polished drawers and organised ledgers." And I forgot to say that I liked the fact that he has the dream of Numenor. Author Reply: Finduilas's send that they're alike is pleasing because it's unexpected. In general, I like the relationships here, the way they show people's sense of themselves as well as one another. I am thinking of Denethor with Imrahil, but it's true all the way through. I'm very happy you should say that because I really dislike writing "romance", but I enjoy stories about people and how they interact -- that's what I wanted to write, and it's very nice to see readers thinking of the story in those terms. You'll see a lot more about the dynamics between Denethor and Imrahil in the third fic. They have a very unusual relationship, to say the least. The imagery in this story is very evocative. In this chapter, I particularly liked: "He was somewhat scruffy in dress, but had an aura of neatness about him, his mind a dapper thing with polished drawers and organised ledgers." Thanks. I'm never very sure about my similes, so I'm glad to see you enjoy them. And I forgot to say that I liked the fact that he has the dream of Numenor. I wasn't really sure about whether or not it was a dream of Numenor or a sort of prescient vision concerning the future of Gondor. I think the two things are connected and really just want each reader to make up her own mind on the dream. -----Anna | |