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New beginnings  by perelleth 7 Review(s)
KloseReviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/11/2007
I loved the... discussion of Galadriel and Celeborn being depicted from the perspective of the guards, their irreverent observations are easy to relate to, and give it the right touch of humour.

And I'm not sure how you managed to do it, but that has to be the best dinner party scene I've ever read! (And you do have me intensely curious about just how exactly things went down for Fingolfin during the Mereth Aderthad! Any chance we will ever see that? :D) All your carefully wrought threads of tension came together very nicely, and despite there being quite a number of them, I think it's indicative of your talent that I could keep up with everything without being too confused.

I have to say, Elros is quite an endearingly obnoxious young man, isn't he!

Author Reply: THe poor guards were looking for a dignified way ou of that tight spot!

(And you do have me intensely curious about just how exactly things went down for Fingolfin during the Mereth Aderthad! Any chance we will ever see that? :D) LOLOL! The plot bunny has been jumping around for some time, so perhaps!

I do not think that Finarfin would agree with your appraisal of his dinner party, but I for one are pretty proud of it! Thanks again, Klose, you are a trooper indeed!

elliskaReviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/15/2005
Oh my God this was a riot! (Almost literally in some places, I think). There is too much in here to comment on--poor Gil-galad and all the problems involved in getting all these people to live and work together and satisfy their needs. That was extremely well done. And his horse and tunic--you are just cruel!

That dinner! I can not think of a sinlge way that you could have made that worse. I was choking by the time I got to the end of it. Not leaving the ships because of Feanor's burning of the ships! The arrangements the Men of Numenor, elves of Middle Earth and elves returning to Valinor faced and Elros's attitude towards Gil-galad! And the way you showed it all from Cirdan's POV. Cirdan is a wicked, mischievous thing to take such pleasure in all this...wait, I did too. :-)

But the end with Celeborn and Galadriel--that was extremely well done! The poor guards!

This was a fantastically written chapter!

Author Reply: I'm glad you found it amusing! A riot describes it well, I believe....a strenuous dinner wasn't it? That's why one must choose carefully whom to invite to dinner! Poor Finarfin will need some time to overcome this!

Círdan is the most ancient elf in ME, and he was there when the parents and greatparents of all these younglings were trying to convince everybody to move away to Valinor, so I believe he has the age and distance enough to watch with amusement as they all appease their egos and find a way to work together. And enjoy it in the process :-)

You know, as the story grew and the cast swell I was getting more and more afraid, so I'm particularly glad that you found it entertaining.

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/12/2005
I feel sorry for Finarfin. This is definitely not one of those dinner parties he is going to want to remember. But it will haunt him until - eventually - all parties are rehoused and reunited in Valinor. And even then, he will cringe at the prospect of having this mentioned in front of Earwen.

I really like Ereinion, poor kid. Elros has all the sensitivity of a Feanorion. (Loved it when Finarfin couldn't tell who was which.) And Ingil - 'the Vanyarin heir' - still seems to have the intellectual capacity of a turnip.

But the guards hovering in earshot of the - er - activities in Celeborn and Galadriel's tent are just the best. (Although it's just as well, really, that Galadriel was too miffed to return to the open prison of Tol Eressea. Her presence in Arda was probably a good thing in the long run. Bearing in mind that I like Galadriel.)

Most enjoyable.

Author Reply: I must confess that I ended up feeling sorry for everybody, but FInarfin raking the tablecloth was my favourite. Such a mess! Cross cultual meetings always have such effects! :-)

ANd the poor guards shal be asking for a raise in their pay, or something, but they were having a great time, before the ice began melting, didn't they? :-)
Glad you liked it!


ElemmíreReviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/12/2005
hehehe...nice chapter. :)


Elemmíre

Author Reply: I'll take it that you had just as much fun reading as I had writing! ;-) THanks!!!!

French PonyReviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/11/2005
Oh, my, the tsuris of being a young King, respected by precisely no one, with a million things to do, and a formal dinner awaiting. Poor old Ereinion is not having a fun day here, is he?

The dinner was wonderful. Half the guests are so determined not to hurt anyone's feelings that they can't do a thing, and the other half are equally determined to provoke everyone around them. Sounds like a family get-together at my house.

And good ol' Galadriel. Always knows just what to do with her Celeborn, doesn't she. Finarfin would be horrified.

Author Reply: YOur family, too? :-) I thought I was writing about mine!
YEp, respected by precisely not one. The deeper I got involved in the story, the more I dreaded Ereinion's job. I wouldn't be in his shoes for anything! Who needs the enemy, with friends and realtives like his? But he somehow succeeded, so I'm optimistic about the outcome...

LEt's hope the guards never think of informing the High King of the Noldor, or he would have a fit!!!!

NilmandraReviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/11/2005
I am ROFLOL at Elves (and Peredhel) behaving badly! Between Elros's lack of good sense and Ereinion's bad mood and all the Noldor and Sindar and Vanyar and Teleri politicial bickering....oh my, they were funny.

Ah, to be a guard....they must absolutely feed the gossip machine.

Author Reply: I'm so glad to read that the chapter made you laugh, NIlmandra, you surely may need it, taking into account what you are supposedly writing at this time... :-) I, too, had great fun writing it. The deeper I got into this story, the more nightmarish Ereinion's role looked to me. Trying to make that camp, city, kngdom work was an extraoridnary achievement indeed!

Poor guards, indeed.Who would ever believe them?

daw the minstrelReviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/11/2005
Ereinion is such a great character. He's so young for the responsibility of being king. You show him acting like a kid (running through the camp) but also with real leadership, someone people want to follow.

Ah! but Finarfin had not taken into account the doom of the Noldor
I laughed out loud at that. Cirdan is so wicked! Poor Finarfin.

And drunk Elros is a hoot. It's like dinner theater!

But what a stroke of brilliance to show the Galadriel & Celeborn conversation from the POV of the guards.

Author Reply: WEll, yes, I suppose that at 140 he's quite young, and even younger if you compare him with all those around him. Taking into account how the age ends, I guessed he must have had some good qualities as a leader..
I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. I had great fun writing it, especially the poor guards, but it was Círdan's wicked, experienced view what made me laugh. HE's wicked indeed! :-)

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