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| A Matter of Honor by meckinock | 322 Review(s) |
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| Suzelle | Reviewed Chapter: 15 on 11/10/2019 |
| I cannot tell you what a treat it has been to read this fic over the past week. As I said, I have no idea how I missed it when it was first published, but I am glad that it came to me now. You craft tension so well and so vividly--just when I was sure things were on their way to rights with Aragorn this secret comes out from the dark and just wrecks him. You've got the stubborn idiot in him down as well--if he'd just TALKED to some people maybe he wouldn't have gotten them all in all that trouble :P. But it is good that it happened the way it did. I love all of your women so much, SO much. It's been kind of funny comparing/contrasting them to the women of the Dunedain in my own fic writing, whom I have come to know so well, but it's been incredibly cool to see someone else's take on them that lines up so much with my own vision (fittingly, since Hands of the Enemy had such a lasting impression on me!). You have nailed what I've always loved about this group: no matter the personalities of the individual women, they all have such inner strength, and loyalty, and their own bonds that they've formed in the absence of the men fighting on patrol. I adore the grannies playing dice together, and Eirien! Even Falathren; I've got quite a clear sense of and can see how much she is Halbarad's daughter (and, for that matter, how much his sons are his too!! I so appreciated that Hurin was so competent and collected even though he's an untested dreamer). This all wrapped up in such a bittersweet, heartfelt way, and I am very glad for the scene we got at Gilraen's grave. And this line: It will be good to have some company this time. You were right to say I spend too much time alone. I do not know how long I will be gone; but I suppose you are not surprised to hear that, either.” my BOY!!! Thank you for this story. I am so very grateful. | |
| Suzelle | Reviewed Chapter: Epilogue 2 on 11/10/2019 |
| I will be leaving a longer review of the whole story later but please know that this epilogue absolutely WRECKED ME. Wrecked!!!! Me!!!!!! | |
| Suzelle | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 11/8/2019 |
| This is a review of both this chapter and the last, which!!! oh my god!!! You write Elrond so WELL, and that conversation between him and Aragorn was just perfect. I didn't realize how much I wanted a story where Elrond truly comes to terms with Arwen's choice until I have read it here, and it's so bittersweet and lovely. Then this chapter, which had me CACKLING. MORE ELLADAN DRINKING SONGS PLS. | |
| Suzelle | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 11/6/2019 |
| Hello! It's me again, lol. So, I have no way of remembering how my teenage self organized/searched for fic to read back in the day, but I SOMEHOW never actually read this story or knew it existed until I went back to your author page the other week??? I think it is fate, because I need this far more right now than I did when I was sixteen. It is SO GOOD, and experiencing it for the first time, not knowing what is going to happen, is an unmitigated delight. You craft the tension so beautifully that I spent chapters 2 and 3 quite convinced Aragorn was going to die (even though that obviously was not happening!!). All the interpersonal relationships in this chapter have me cackling with delight. Elladan, Elrohir, Glorfindel, aaaaah. And I am SO happy you've delved into Elrond's POV about all of this--I feel like that's something I still so rarely see. It's perfect, so perfect, and I cannot wait to see where this goes. Thank you for being a bright spot in a really tough IRL month. | |
| Laeriel Oranor | Reviewed Chapter: 999999 on 6/30/2011 |
| I have just re-found this story and have re-read it start to finish. I loved it and was thrilled to be able to read it once again! Thank you so much for the wonderful read. | |
| EllyBaggins | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/27/2010 |
| I know I'm very late in reviewing, but I just had to say that this story, and In The Hands of the Enemy, are ones that I can read over and over again. It is so well written and the characters I think are just spot on. Fantastic story! Author Reply: Thanks for the very kind review, EllyBaggins. I'm sorry I haven't replied until now, but I appreciate you reading the story and I'm glad you enjoyed it. meckinock | |
| LisaG | Reviewed Chapter: 15 on 2/1/2010 |
| Wow...fascinating story! Leave it to the ever honorable Aragorn to do the right thing and try to find his supposed older brother...I'm just glad things worked out...I could never imagine him trying to become king if there was still a question of who fathered Bega's son and where he was. So did Aragorn confess what happened to Elrond? With their improved relationship, I would hope he's more open and honest with his adoptive father. And I hope A&A got some time to cuddle and coo! ;) Author Reply: Thanks for reviewing A Matter of Honor - it was very kind of you to take the time to let me know you enjoyed the story. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to reply - I missed a bunch of reviews somehow. meckinock | |
| Shrimp | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 3/4/2008 |
| I love how you write Halbarad. You make him SUCH a true, strong, wonderful character. I also admire how you write the feelings between Elrond and Aragorn. He really does love him as a son, but you paint it a bit painfully and really realistically. They love each other, even though love usually has a tad of pain mixed in - fortunately the love is greater than the pain. Also - 'Aragorn would indeed take such a loss to heart. “Estel has yet to accept that all things cannot be saved.” “Maybe that is his gift,” said Gandalf.' That is utterly beautiful. Lord bless the idealists. Author Reply: Oh, Shrimp, thank you so much for your very kind review. I haven't looked at this chapter in such a long time, but it was one of my favorites and I'm so glad you took the time to let me know you enjoyed it. God bless the idealists, indeed. And I'm so tickled that you enjoy this interpretation of Halbarad, too. It was such a pleasure writing him because Tolkien leaves so much to the imagination, and I imagined he was quite a guy. Thanks so much, you really made my day. | |
| phyloxena | Reviewed Chapter: 999999 on 11/23/2007 |
| I finally got to read this story (and a prequel, too). Probably my favorite line was Halbarad's "Not again" , upon second well-timed arrival of Hurin. It has something Hemingway-ish to it, suddenly dropping the whole fantasy to the level of realistic uncertainty. It is good for us readers to know that the good will prevail, but also good to feel by means of the story that characters do not. Besides, it is terribly funny. I wonder what Aragorn would have done if Bega's son was indeed his half-brother, alive or dead. Numenorian customs are similar to elven, but psychophysiology (what a suitably misusable term!) is human; it is actually doesn't matter much if Aragorn even is Elros's descendant, as long as everybody acts as if he is. You see, I love Tolkien's Numenorians, but very much dislike blood- and birthrights under normal circumstances. My pet AU idea is Aragorn who is nobody, very talented abnormality whom Elrond first took in for protection, later honed to his purposes and even later had to rip what he saw. To everyone else's benefit. Sorry, I am not talking about your beautifully balanced story. Dudo was great. I am glad he didn't make into any impact on the book events -- only I felt some emphasis on the fact that Halbarad was dead by the time the Shire came to harm was missing. Dudo was so bitter he seemed to miss hints. Halbarad, loyal but not at all tame, was even greater. I loved his animated and totally heartless admiration of Aragorn's beheading stroke (in the first part), as well as his abused reluctance to kill people. I loved old witch's proverb about walking in darkness. Rangers' wives were just precious. Did I mention I read this for two nights in a row? Author Reply: Hello again, Phyloxena, and thanks so much for your very interesting and insightful review. I'm so glad you enjoyed the "Hands" and "Honor" saga - two nights in a row? Was your cable out? Just kidding. I loved your comment about realistic uncertainty. When readers already know how everything will turn out in 3019, it's a challenge to will them to suspend that knowledge in order to invest in the characters' uncertainty. And I'm glad you thought it was funny. I like your pet AU. I've always been a little squirmy about M-e notions of racial superiority and birthrights, too. Even leaving aside the Numenorean master-race premise, the whole idea that Aragorn's descent from Elros/Elendil is somehow unique among Men of his age, and that his Numenorean after 40 generations is just biologically nuts. Unless he's inbred enough to have five eyeballs, Aragorn's mathematically just as descended from Elendil as probably every other Dunadan alive in his time - 40 generations from Elendil to Aragorn gives Elendil nearly a trillion potential descendants of the same generation. You might as well crown Randy Schneider of Ottumwa, Iowa the king of the restored Holy Roman Empire because out of the potential billion or so living descendants of Charlemagne, he's the only one with an intact all-male line of descent. Oh, wait, Aragorn can't even claim that. Stop me, I'm ranting :-) I guess what I'm saying is that I agree that Tolkien's world requires a very considerable suspension of our 21st century sensibilities and cynicisms. Maybe because I'm generally so cynical about politics, I sometimes enjoy the escapism inherent in the "Good King" mythology. I think he does redeem Aragorn from that cliche at least partially through his long years of trial and sacrifice, and his willingness to lay down his life in the end. But hey, I'm off on a major digression again. I haven't gone back and re-read the story since I finished it - I rarely do that because sometimes I think I'll turn into a pillar of salt at the horror of it - but I you could have a point that the impact of the revelation that Halbarad was already dead when the ruffians took over the Shire might not have been fully exploited with Dudo. I don't usually edit after the fact but I might go back and take a look at that passage. I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed Halbarad's personality, and the dice-playing grannies. It was a nice change to write some female characters and I enjoyed trying to round them out as people. Thanks again for the very kind and thought-provoking review. Author Reply: Oops, editing glitch. somehow unique among Men of his age, and that his Numenorean after 40 generations is just biologically nuts should have read something like: ...somehow unique among Men of his age, and that he's uniquely Numenorean in his DNA makeup after 40 generations is just biologically nuts. | |
| Klose | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 2/16/2007 |
| Hurin was a dreamer, a poet. Eru knew where he got it from. From Grandpa Halagarth, perhaps? Heehee. It's a testament to your writing skills that despite me meeting all these characters in one chapter, I can't help but love them. Even Hurin and his older brother, despite only being referred to in this story, are brought to such life. I'm not sure if it's wise for me to start a rambling discourse on why exactly all these characters are so awesome - I mean, you've got Elanor, whose cuteness is nicely balanced with her spunkiness ("The child was diplomatic, at least." - !!!), and man, I have so much love for our dice-playing grannies. Almost makes me wish I lived in this loving (if slightly coarse) Ranger camp. It figures that Nelaer would be as caustic and fiery as she is! And I can't help but admire Meneliel. Meanwhile, Halbarad's reunion with Eirien was just perfect. Nice to see that she isn't dainty and conventionally beautiful, and the depth of Halbarad's love and affection for her because/despite that. I just loved that entire scene with her, it's so just so subtle and tender and beautiful, despite the, ah, indelicateness of the setting, LOL. All in all, a very captivating look at Ranger life. It's absolutely understandable that the Dunedain themselves might not necessarily feel the Shire is as important as their Chieftain thinks it is, especially considering the general unfriendliness towards them in those parts... and also interestning to see how the Northern Dunedain view Aragorn, and I do wonder where these guys were (Halbarad excepting) when Aragorn claimed his inheritance. Author Reply: Oh, now you've done it. *Totally melts at hearing Klose loves the characters* (wow - even Halbarad's mother? Most people don't seem like her much at first LOL) I could just never imagine Halbarad with a dainty wife LOL. Wever since the moment Halbarad admitted (in my earlier story) that his wife was the one who made him get back up on his horse and go after Aragorn, I imagined her as this no-nonsense, independent woman who nevertheless loved him deeply; while understanding his deep loyalty to and faith in Aragorn. She knows he has to fulfill his duty to Aragorn because that's who he is. I'm glad you loved that little mud-wrestling scene - I sort of indulged myself there. I imagine the Dunedain think the Shire is important, but at some point they just don't have the resources to protect it anymore, and that point is now, in this story at least. They don't see any great danger to the Shire that would require them to divert resources from areas that need protection just as much (like their own settlements!) As far as how they view Aragorn, I imagine most of them do see something special in him; something that they didn't see even in his father, but they aren't really sure what will come of it. I don't think most of them imagine that the Return of the King will happen in their lifetime, although I like believing that Halbarad does. His mother, I think, is not blind to Aragorn's destiny as much as she has simply hardened her heart to it out of bitterness. But I think inside she sees more than she lets on ;-) thanks again. | |