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| When Winter Fell by Lindelea | 175 Review(s) |
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| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 39 on 2/20/2026 |
| I'm tougher than they think! It behoved him to be cleverer, as well. He certainly is growing into a thoughtful and clever lad, with deeper thoughts than his peers. What a lot to a absorb from Isen's tale! Author Reply: It's no wonder that Gandalf had his eye on Bilbo from his youth! I just re-read some of Unfinished Tales, specifically the parts that talk about Gandalf becoming interested in Bilbo in his early years and maintaining contact with the hobbit until just before he came of age. In fact, according to those accounts, Gandalf had formed such a positive impression that he recommended Bilbo to the Dwarves sight-unseen, only to find that Bilbo had grown rather fussy and complacent over the years the wizard had been away, such that he double-guessed himself but ended up forging ahead because of a feeling that the Dwarves' quest would only succeed if Bilbo was a part of it. He is thoughtful and clever, and I seem to remember that Gandalf was especially impressed with his kindness as a youth. (It's late, and I'm tired, so take that observation with a grain of salt.) Anyhow, wouldn't it be interesting if Bilbo's actions in defense of his uncle are part of what Gandalf remembered so favorably about him? Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it. | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 38 on 2/14/2026 |
| So Bilbo's handwriting was always spidery, was it? Very nice detail. Oh dear, something ominous is on the horizon... Author Reply: Thank you! I'm not completely sure what a "spidery hand" might look like, but Tolkien said it so I'm sticking with it. What is it that hobbits like to say? "Can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs...", I think it is. Thanks for coming along on the ride and putting in a good word or three along the way. I do appreciate hearing from you. | |
| Erulissé | Reviewed Chapter: 38 on 2/14/2026 |
| Oh no. I was afraid of that when the chapter started out so jolly and ‘warm’. Three cheers for Bilbo, figuring out such a clever solution to their problem. It would be dreadful to be locked away from all the fun! But now I really worry for Isen! I wonder, has anything been happening behind the scenes that we don’t know about yet, or is it the Bagginses being overly cautious? I would dearly love to see Isen’s perspective on this whole fraught journey to the Smials! I loved that Bilbo, when he caught on to the ‘act’ here, even though he was annoyed with his parents in the moment, he didn’t react childishly. He brought himself back and reminded himself of the frightening reality and played along masterfully. I truly hope Isen is alright! I’m afraid for him too. Or die trying indeed. Author Reply: Oops, I said you'd see inside Isen's head in the "next" chapter (this chapter), but I misspoke. I hadn't realised it while knitting the draft, but I dropped a stitch and almost left off an essential plot point. Thus, this chapter got inserted to smooth the narrative flow and provide better support for Bilbo's actions going forward. With that taken care of, we can jump out of the nicely warming frying pan and into the fire. If I'm reckoning right, Bilbo is at about the equivalent age of a 14yo human. Thus, he's capable in some ways and still rather childish in others – which has the double-edged potential to both get him into and out of trouble. I'm sure Isen would thank you for your concern, probably with the same wry twist to his mouth that shows up when he thanks his big sister when she worries about him. He's doing his best to put a good face on the matter, but I think he's worried too. Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to share your thoughts! I really appreciate it. Author Reply: (p.s. By "seeing inside Isen's head", I mean you'll get to hear his thoughts from Bilbo's POV. Hope that suits.) | |
| Erulissé | Reviewed Chapter: 37 on 2/10/2026 |
| Ahhh. Poor Bilbo, Bella, and Bungo! Such worries! It is so hard to pretend to be happy and cheerful when faced with such stress and worry. I too am wondering how things go for Isen! I wonder if they’ll have a sort of family conference with the four of them after the banquet? Or maybe we’ll get to see some of the celebration from Isen’s perspective? That’d be neat! Thank you so much for the lovely updates!!! Author Reply: You're very welcome! The next chapter provides a glimpse of Isen's perspective in retrospect, so hopefully that will suit. The upcoming family conference should be rather interesting, though maybe not what you're thinking... Thanks! | |
| Erulissé | Reviewed Chapter: 36 on 2/10/2026 |
| This was such a wonderful chapter, in an exciting, half rebellious, half conspiratorial way! I always am so excited to see updates to my (almost! I said almost, don’t look at me like that Ferdi!) favorite story! I feel so much for Isen and I am ever eager to see how this goes for him. For some reason he (and his story) really resonates with me. Poor Bella! What a sad thing! I’m curious, is this story of Bungo’s suit and eventual marriage of Bella as well as the sundering between Bella and the Old Took a written story? If so, I would love to read it! I love the continued ‘conspiracy’ between Bungo and Bilbo here! It’s so delightful, to see a proper father/son representation! No sundering between them, not constant rebellion from Bilbo, not overbearing roughness from Bungo. Just a lovely, unspoken communication and a little teasing/give-and-take that should be more normal in our society. It’s lovely! Author Reply: I'm so glad you liked it! I love living in the Shire part-time, whether the hobbits I'm spending time with are celebrating some festive occasion or just having a quiet picnic in the meadow. I actually think Ferdi doesn't mind too much. I'm sure I've mentioned before how he does his best to sneak out of the great room when someone starts telling stories about his exploits... Bungo and Bella's story, which starts with their first meeting and goes on up to Bilbo's birth, exists only as a story outline at the moment. The draft may get written, but there are a lot of WIPs that are already written in draft form and just need beta-reading and polishing lined up ahead of it as things stand right now. I'm encouraged to hear that you'd love to read it; that's a motivating thought. Thanks! | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 37 on 2/1/2026 |
| What a beautifully-written blend of lighthearted celebration and deep thoughts. And feasting and traditions and family interactions! I'm greatly enjoying Bilbo's observations and ponderings. It brings us much closer to understanding him. Happy February, my friend! Author Reply: It has been rather fun to write mostly-fluff with just a little bit of disquietude. (Is that last word actually a word?) Happy February back at you, dear friend! Can you believe it's time to change the calendar already? I'm only halfway through January. At least, it feels that way. Thanks! | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 36 on 1/11/2026 |
| You give such a wonderful description of this marriage, and especially what a wise and good father Bungo was. How terribly Bilbo must have missed his parents when they passed on. Author Reply: I was shocked to find out how young they were (and how relatively young Bilbo was) when they died! (It was also a surprise to discover that Uncle Isen would still have been alive when Bilbo returned from his adventure... Just imagine the conversations he might have had with his uncle afterwards...) Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to share your thoughts! I do appreciate it. | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/4/2026 |
| the LOL! Author Reply: It can be so frustrating to be able to use long words in speaking yet not be confident of spelling them correctly... but young Fortinbras is figuring out how to work around what he wants to say but cannot quite spell. LOL, indeed! | |
| Mirkwoodmaiden | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/18/2025 |
| Lin! LOL!!! A snarky young Bilbo!!! I can see it now!!! (((Hugs))) MM Author Reply: Bilbo seems quite articulate in The Hobbit, even when he's rather at a loss for words! Perhaps he inherited his talent for finding the right words from his great-great-grandfather Fortinbras? Thanks! Author Reply: p.s. and (((Hugs))) ! I'm off to read your birthday mathom now! Author Reply: Oops, I just realised that the chapter title got left off this chapter, leading to understandable confusion! So I've fixed it. Thanks! I wouldn't have noticed the issue if it hadn't been for your review. (((hugs))) | |
| Mirkwoodmaiden | Reviewed Chapter: Prologue on 12/18/2025 |
| Lin! About the explanation, this is one of the things that I love about your writing. You make wonderful stories but they are also always find a niche in the Professor's world. You make sure that it does fit into the world. It is what I think fan fiction is all about. We are playing in Tolkien's world. As for the prologue, wonderful as always. You paint such a vivid picture of the world of Hobbits. I love the passage about how Tooks generally do not find themselves in libraries except when it is raining and that would be the children playing on the ladders! LOL! Must dash! (((hugs))) MM Author Reply: MM! I'm glad the explanation makes sense and suits the purpose behind posting it. I try really hard to write "true to cannon", and I also hate having to do any extensive revising. (I'd much rather be moving ahead than looking behind. Good thing I'm not Gandalf, or Bilbo and the Dwarves might have become the Trolls' supper!) Yes, I think you're exactly right – we are playing in Tolkien's world, and long may playtime continue! I once heard someone describe fanfic as "playing in Tolkien's sandbox". It really feels that way sometimes! Even when I'm writing something angsty, because I am always writing towards a good outcome, I find respite from real-world problems in the process. That said, I seem to be incapable of writing a story with a sad ending; bittersweet is about as far as I can go in that direction. Contemplating a story that leaves me sad paralyzes me, and I can't write anything at all for several days. Thus, I've put my "Marcho and Blanco" story on hold until I can figure out just how to end it on a high note. It's my own fault, too, because Tolkien doesn't say what happened to the brothers. The notations made 20-some years ago on my timeline of Shire people and events, as to their birth and death dates, must have been my own invention after seeing how their founding of the Shire fit into surrounding events in the Tale of Years. (Deep, dark secret: I was once a small child playing with my brother on the rolling ladder of a floor-to-ceiling library in someone's "great house" on a rainy day. The novelty and downright fun was well-worth the scolding we got afterwards.) Thank you so much for reading and for taking the time to share your thoughts! I come away feeling encouraged and energized. (And believe me, any energy that comes my way these days is very welcome!) (((hugs))) Lin | |