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Many fruitless victories by perelleth	35 Review(s)
aiholic	Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 4/9/2016
I read this story almost a decade ago when it was first written and it is still as melancholically beautiful as I first read it. Unlike most I love elves in the modern world au fics but only in the capacity of elves trying to integrate with the humans and ended up being bemused elders at the antics of the younger ones. It goes without saying your end of the world fic is by the far the only realistic one I've read, as realistic as it goes with doom prophecies and elves but it is a lovely amalgamation with cool scientific facts. I love the atmosphere you've created with Thranduil and Celeborn, I can almost visualise the world dimming as time passes, which I'm not sure if its your intention but it works nevertheless. All I can say at this point is, thank you for the lovely fics you've written so far=)

Vana Tuivana	Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 9/6/2005
You know how you read some stories and you know you can never forget the feelings and the images they create in your soul? You know how sometimes you forget you're reading at all, so caught up in the moment are you, and think that you actually experience the story? You know how your heart feels full to bursting after reading such a story and your only desire is that everyone in the world should read the story and have that experience as well? That's how I feel right now. What a powerful ending, what a magnificently-told tale. There are honestly no words for the emanations I'm getting at this moment, but they involve lots of sitting and staring at my computer screen in awe. You, Perelleth, are truly a gem among writers, one whose abilities are so far above my own that I can't even comprehend it. Marvelous, fantastic, stirring, powerful, evocative, no more and no less than perfect. Author Reply: Ypu're way too kind , Vana. I'm only older thatn you, and have ,conequently, lived more. Anyway, I'm truly rewarded by your words, for it is what i felt, too. The story somehow hit me and I jsut simply poured it down. It is good that it made an impression, for I just wanted to share those images and experiences and the message within... I'm glad that you liked it, I, too, had very intense moments writing it and reading reviews from readers, so, again, THANKS for your words! :-)

Vana Tuivana	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 9/6/2005
Wow, do I ever want to live there. Wish you were my Environmental Science professor, Perelleth - you would make it all so interesting. :) Want to move north? Okay, so a real constructive review now: fantastic as ever. In this chapter especially, the dialogue between Celeborn, Thranduil and Feldman is so real, it's as if I can hear it rather than read it from the page. Wonderful writing, once again! Author Reply: Wish you were my Environmental Science professor, Perelleth I cannot believe that you've ever had a dull, boring environmental professor.. that should be punished by law! It is our future at stake, there! Sigh! that's how life goes.. See, the whole thing was a challenge to me, it was my first multi-chaptered story and I had no idea how it would come out. Dialogues, descriptions, plot advancement and all that stuff worried me little, because I was, and remain, blatantly igonorant of the rules of story writing, so I was lucky that it was all quite clear in my head, although I'm sure it could do with some more revisions and polishing up.. yet the message seemed to came through, and I feel that I was able to convey what I meant, the difference between elves and mortals in relation with life, the world and death... Thanks again!

Vana Tuivana	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/6/2005
You, my dear, are simply amazing. I love how you tie together so many little details so smoothly that the bindings go almost unnoticed - with the South American myths, current and future environmental issues, and of course our favorite Elves. Of course, it wouldn't be me without the grammar nitpick, so here it is. In the last paragraph, "had ringed" sounds awkward; a change to "rang" would be more concise and 'feel' better as well. And it's on to the next chapter for Vana! Author Reply: Thanks for the nitpicking, as usual, Vana! :-) I'm so glad that you found this interesting, It kind of hit me, but I was worried that the foot notes, the modern, future times! and all that strange stuff would make no sense to anybody except me...:-)

Tinnuial	Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 7/7/2005
Hi... Your story moved me to tears. It was so utterly mind blowing and tragic and beautiful and bittersweet at the same time. Your skill at weaving in the bits of myth and legend from the so-called "real world" as well Tolkien's Arda is marvellous. I find myself wishing that the story would never end. I loved the characterizations, I loved the ending. Thank you so much for sharing this with us all. Author Reply: Well, thanks, Tinnuial, I'm glad that you had a good time reading it...( not sure if moving you to tears is something I should be glad of, but it's kind of flatering, anyway..) At first I was afraid of writing a modern-day setting, but then i remembered what Tolkien said about an agreement between C.S.Lewis and himself, that LEwis would write space-travelling and tolkien himself would write time-travelling, so in the end it wasn't all that "sinful", provided that I managed to stay more or less true to his characters... and environmental preservation seemed quite accurate to the elvish character... Thanks again for your words!(I ,too, felt a bit disheartened when it all came to an end...I became shamelessly fond of their characters, too ;-)

Bejai	Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 6/29/2005
Perelleth, this was brilliant. I've been following it for some time now, and haven't had a chance to review properly. (Lots of traveling back and forth across the country of late, and it isn't over yet). I will go back and give this the kind of review it deserves when things settle down. But I wanted to let you know how much I've enjoyed and admired this story. Bravo! Author Reply: Hi Bejai! thanks for reviewing even when you're so busy! Comments, suggestions, critics, are welcome, if you have the time to spare.. If you don't, it is more than enough for me to know that you're still out there, and that you have enjoyed the story! I've recently found out that traveling is a good source for inspiration, so maybe in your busy cruising of the country you may find the lost thread for Deific Flame? pretty please?(hotel lobbies and delayed flights are irresistible to me...;-) Sorry for the pestering...;-) and good luck with your traveling!

Nilmandra	Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 6/28/2005
I like how this ends, with the mariner coming back for the last of the great elven lords. The light at the end can be interpreted many ways, and I think I have settled on my interpretation and am very happy indeed ;) Author Reply: I'm glad that you liked the ending, Nilmandra. À la carte, isn't it? I,too, have my personal interpretation of it.And Eärendil needed company, por one, now that his job had come to an end... Thanks for your kind words. Any god news to report about HLIII?

Nilmandra	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/28/2005
As I was thinking of Estel here, I thought they better hope that when Arda ended the rest of the solar system did not! I am with the humans - better to die than see it end, and I am glad that Cyrus did. It is interesting to think of the fate of the elves beyond Arda, but I especially liked the way they faced it, as an inevitablity and something met gracefully. Author Reply: Yes, good point! :-) With Tolkien's more than mythical cosmology it was very difficult to find a credible trasposition of that prophecy of the end! That's why Thranduil was so irked with Pengolod and artists' mystifications! All in all, the sun did come down indeed and the moon was as good as gone, with all that dark cloud covering the atmosphere....:-)

Redheredh	Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 6/27/2005
Having Earendil come for them was marvelous! Loved Thranduil’s vitality being reborn. Celeborn’s hesitation was so telling of his dedication and own hope. Poor Maglor, discovering he might still face judgment. And Daeron, poor fellow, still cluless... ;) Your description of the End convinced even me that it was finally over for Earth. How hard it must be to witness your old, beloved home going up in flames and becoming ash despite it having served its purpose. Ah but, then the Light captured inside the Silmarils was released! Arda gave up the other two jewels and their music along with Earendil’s flowed back together in harmony with the music of Ea. A song in which the elves themselves perform a special part. Your descriptions of that restoration through the rhythmic waves of light felt very genuine - that it would happen just that way. I’m coming, my lady, I’m almost there. Once again, I saw the weary albatross winging to meet his patiently waiting mate. A beautiful ending. Thanks for sharing this excellent story. Author Reply: The open ending was all I would dare!;-) Not even Tolkien himself saw it fit to disclose what Eru had in store for his ( maybe her? ;-)) firstborns! We can only guess. Eärendil had to come, why, he wouldn't face whatever end was to come alone in the skies, and.. two out of four of those elves were his relatives! :-) It seemed fair that they would make the journey together... Thanks again for your kind support!

Redheredh	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/27/2005
Oh perelleth, there were tears in my eyes, both happy and sad, as Cyrus lived out his final years. I am so glad things came to some clarity for him and he was able to see that the cycle of life and death in which he found comfort would go on. That the cause he had fought for and worked towards all his life was simply moving outward and was not lost. Now, I understood why he could not suspect the ultimate goal of Greenwood Great until the time was right for the story to unfolded it. However, as a fan of Dr. F, there were times I wanted to shake him and say ‘Think, man!’. Oh yes of course, he was focused on his duties and there was no concrete evidence to make him really suspect anything more until his talk with Silvertree. I know he had to find out the way he did... but geewhiz... The other people around him seemed tuned into it. Well, perhaps he proved more courageous then they to keep going without knowing what he should hope for. Nonetheless, I am still not sure myself whether it would have been morally wrong or not for Slivertree and Greenwood to offer their solution before there was the best odds of it happening. Cyrus did make up for not catching on by confronting Slivertree and asking for the truth. That was great how you wove together the collective-unconsciousness and consciousness about music and harmony in science - and faith. Their conversation was very satisfying to someone like me. You have to know already that I liked that remark about Celeborn being more than a king. ;) Cyrus actually helps us all come to terms with so many things about his and our lives and the world’s coming End. For someday it shall in either ice or fire. By our swift, careless hand or God's slow and sure touch. With Cyrus, you made me think of how the Numenorean kings were given the privilege of choosing their time to let go. For in my eyes he was a long-lived, courageous and noble heir to what had gone before, one of the best of Men. His people, those who kept the friendship of the elves, boarded their ships and sailed before the storm of destruction that engulfed their former land to start anew, carrying their legacy with them. The events of long exodus was a grand closing to human life on Earth. We can only hope that mankind will show such dignity in its actual demise as you allowed the inhabitants in your tale of the End. Clarke’s influence with you really showed here in the way things happened as future history. The regeneration of humanity with its new myths was nicely described. Neat how the elves were commemorated in the names of things and how that lends the object some of their power. And so the four of them were remembered along with Cyrus after all. ;) Also, imho you never went too far with your Notes on a story such as this. Most of us needed the quick education. "This way, the myth dissolved into daily use and embedded itself in the deepest layers of human conscience, to remain there as a familiar and indescribable feeling, as part of an atavistic memory that had once been truth and was now but the stardust of a legendary past." A moving, cautionary tale with a lovely, poetic ending. Now, all that’s left is the epilogue. I wonder what it all looked like from the moon... Author Reply: I'm glad you liked it, Redha, although I'm not sure if I must apologize for bringing about tears, but, as Gandaff says, not all tears are bad, aren't they? (this,fom the woman who more often than not stops rereading LOTR at "the steward and the king"...) As for Dr. Feldman's blindness.. well, it may not be very clear in the story, but the thing is nobody knew. New Future was devoted to tracking the world's environmental state and work in the soil regerneration. It served many purposes, but resettling in the moon was not all that clear then. By the time Cyrus dies, the generation of scientists who would direct the Great March was yet to be born. Greenwood Great had been helping spread the zero ecological footprint experiment, in the hopes that it would help stop or slow down the process, and to crete a solid background of experience and proven knowledge in case moving was needed. In chapter 3 "Silvertree" is "away to Paris and other unknown destinations". As the midyear report showed a pre established alarm threshold, their next step had to be set in motion, and Celeborn began a tour of the facilities that were separately working in logistics, zero gravity building, and so on, to urge them. Their ecological settlement network did not yet know that they were to provide shelter, food and soil for the new home to human kind. THey did not know yet that they would be in time with the energy project. So Cyrus was quite shrewd to guess with the only clue of the type of experiments he had been conducting and the hopeful words Silvertree was feeding him... ;-) But this was probably only clear in mind, so apologies there...:-) It's nice that you comapared Cyrus' death with the gift of Numenorean's king's, for it was somehow in my mind. In draft n+1, of their conversation, Celeborn hinted to Cyrus they might even be related. After all, it was said that the line of Luthien would be never be extinguished... but in essence, yes, I think that, his longevity being artificially granted, the gift of graciously surrendering his long life was something Cyrus had earned. I've always seen the numenorean gift, not exactly as choosing when to leave, but clear-sightedness to understand and accept without bitterness when their time had come. As we move further from our nature, and become estranged from the pulsing of our natural being, we become unable to recognize some signs... And yes, Clarke's is there, from the title of the chapter to the dignity of the final years. Some things simply come out unexpectedly when they're most needed, I suppose. This story was a shameless attempt to purge some frustrations out of my system and find meaning in apparent meaningless day-to-day situations while enjoying myself, of course! and Clarke's "Songs", as well as "End of Childhood" came to visit, I'm sure. Depicting the father to child's tale of the magic that had saved humnakind and giving their names to common things was for personal amusement, I loved the idea... And yes, I knew you would like that line about Celeborn. See, I had never thought much about him until I began reading fanfiction last year, and it struck me as one of those "movers" of things: he had always been there, but the tales did not talk much about him. The true power usually lies there...and, as one of the reviewers said, it was as if he was the presence that gave cohesion to the whole thing. That's how I see him. Thanks for your kind and supporting reviews, Redha, I'm so glad that you enjoyed the story. ON my part, I enjoyed each of your thoughtful reviews! ;-)

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