Stories of Arda Home Page
About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

Lesser Ring  by Larner 3 Review(s)
KittyReviewed Chapter: 15 on 8/10/2005
Standing near the King and Queen was the small figure of the Hobbit guard.  How could someone so small serve to protect his lord and lady?  It must be a position of honor alone.
*Now* I can't wait until Nefiramonrani is witnessing Pippin sparring with Aragorn or Faramir or another of the men! And I would like to see her face when she finds out how badly she has underestimated the littlest Captain of the Guard of the Citadel! *eg*

Ruvemir had guessed quite fast what Nefiramonrani wanted to know with her question and gave her a thoroughly answer. She seems quite surprised about his knowledge. But then, she doesn't know *anything* about other races than her own, so she should be quite impressed how much he knows.

She looked at King and Queen with their small guard behind them, and shook her head, wondering if she’d ever take it all in. She is not the only one to wonder ... I fear she has still a lot to learn. But it is quite interesting to see our beloved characters through the eyes of someone so different from them!

Author Reply: Yes, learning about new peoples can be bewildering, and it's fun to see people learning about our favorites from a newcomer's point of view.. And she will be able to see Pippin sparring in today's chapter. I think it's likely to be more interesting to many than yesterday's.

lindahoylandReviewed Chapter: 15 on 8/9/2005
Another interesting chapter.Is there anywhere that Tolkien says how long those in the South of Numenorian lineage live?I wonder if Faramir at 120 reached a good age for his people ?
The Harad must find their visitors very strange.

Your editions sound fasinating,you have told me a few things I did not know.I try hard too to suit the language to the characters which is hard at times.

I am still debating whether or not I could post Shadow and Thought and Burden of Guilt here as I have no wish to break any rules.I like this site better than fanfic.net as you can talk to your reviewers..

Author Reply: I agree, as I like being able to answer comments. As they have accepted The King's Commission here with the discussion of what happened to Vorondil's apprentices, I think you would have no difficulties with your stories as well, as they do not picture gratuitous slash relationships.

I kept my Ace edition of ROTK, and sometimes wish I'd kept the entire set. My mom bought me The Hobbit and FOTR first, with FOTR in the original edition and reportedly The Hobbit in the second edition. She got me TTT and ROTK a few months later for my birthday, both in the second edition. Then my husband in 1980 bought me the special Redbook Edition of LOTR with all in a single volume, which had the addition of the word "Envinyatar." I've checked it against my single volume ROTK from 1965--it was definitely added later. Other than the changes to the beginning of the appendices and the deletion of the threat to trade Gimli for an orc I really didn't notice the rest of the differences between the editions, as most of the changes have to do with distances and directions. Oh, in the first edition Aragorn died at age 190--in the later editions he lived to 210. I had never looked that up in anything but my Ace paperback--when I learned it was different last year while posting Light on the Way I was shocked. Tolkien himself loved to fiddle with his own stories so!

When Mom died I inherited the companion volume of The Hobbit to go with the Redbook LOTR--it's also slipcovered and bound in green leather while LOTR is in red leather. There were a lot of changes between it and my original copy of The Hobbit, mostly in phraseology, as I learned when I was reading the book with a former student, each of us with one of the two volumes.

In the last two years I've added the Alan Lee illustrated centenary editions, and I find no differences in text between them and the Redbook or Greenbook editions.

I'd love to have a full first edition set of LOTR, and perhaps one of the copies of FOTR in the 1965 edition to go with the two I have from that set. I've reread those volumes so often they are almost worn out, though. I have hopes of finding a FE set the next time I go to England, if I can ever wangle it.

Author Reply: Forgot to answer one question--no, I haven't found any place where Tolkien told how long the southern Dunedain lived--I admit I arbitrarily chose the age I did, as he indicated that few lived beyond the span of normal men any more. So I indicated for Faramir's folks they lived to 120-130, which would indicate Faramir was pretty good for his own lineage. Tolkien had indicated only that few in Gondor lived much beyond the age of normal men due to increased intermarriage with those not of Numenorean descent, and that the Steward's family and that of Dol Amroth which apparently had some Elven blood in it were purer than most.

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 15 on 8/9/2005
Ah, yes, Nefiramonrani has a lot to take in, doesn't she. If she can only wrap her brain around believing in the age differences, perhaps she will not have so difficult a time believing in the rest. Ruvemir is very patient in explaining to her--really, he is probably the best one to explain it, as he had to go through all that process himself at one time.

Author Reply: Yes, Ruvemir also had to learn such things firsthand. You are right that he would be best suited to explain to others. Ankhrabi's wife is now well into her education regarding other peoples.

Return to Chapter List