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Lúthien's Gift  by Fiondil 13 Review(s)
KathyGReviewed Chapter: 4 on 1/26/2024
Hmm! Most interesting. Too bad Fiondil isn't still with us, or I'd address this review to him. At least his beta-readers still are!

One small problem: the same angel who visited Mary made a previous visit to Zechariah several months earlier, to foretell John's birth. A female Maia would not have visited a man, a priest.

AyalaReviewed Chapter: 4 on 10/18/2016
no so many People dont know how to write stories of Elves because they are
different from human like how they speak ... and only the imagination could do
and i have read two of your stories and i have to say they are great and
interesting and i was excite when i read of the jewess Character and also i like how you wrote correctly her name and the name of god
i hope you will write more stories of she elf main character :)
thank you!!!!!

IsilarmaReviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/15/2013
I've never seen an idea like this, and I didn't know how you were going to do it while staying true to both aspects, but I ended up absolutely loving it. I love how you've tied Melian and the Valar into the Nativity story without making it seem at all jarring, and your thoughts on Eru sending a female to inform Mary makes a lot of sense. I like the details on Melian's reluctance to return to Middle-earth; it's certainly understandable that she wouldn't want to risk getting hurt so badly again, and the Valar handled the situation very well.

I was just wondering, have you ever written the scene where Lúthien and Námo met? It would be fascinating to see Námo's perspective.

Sorry, I know that isn't important. Anyway, I'm terrible when it comes to leaving reviews, but I really enjoyed this piece.

Author Reply: Hi Isilarma. I wrote this when a friend of mine wondered which Maia would've been sent to Mary if Tolkien's Valar and Maiar really existed. I'm glad you liked how I handle the material and the characters. I've never written anything specifically about Lúthien and Námo meeting though in other of my stories Námo does give hints of his reaction to her. At any rate, I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review for this story. Thanks.

curiouswombatReviewed Chapter: 4 on 5/6/2013
What a lovely concept - I like this future/past for Melian a great deal.

Author Reply: I'm glad you enjoyed this, curiouswombat. Thank you for letting me know. I really appreciate it.

TiggerReviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/10/2012
I was using the Author search feature to see if you'd replied to my review of Parting Gifts, as my E-mail's not exactly working all that well anymore, and after I'd read that, stumbled across this lovely little story.

Wow!! I curtsey deeply in your general direction for such a wonderful way of melding Middle Earth and the stories in the Bible together. I too always had a problem w/a Male Angel being the one telling Mary she would be the Mother of the Messiah, but also knew never to outright question it. That is until the Minister we've got now arrived in our area.

The thing I adore about Erwin is he knows that for the most part he has to walk a very fine line around here considering the majority of the people are my Parents ages, 70 to 80 years old *and* also in an area that still acts like it's 1940 instead of 2012. I leave it to your imagination the reaction when the majority of Erwin's flock learned the new Head of the United Church of Canada is an openly gay person who is also married to his long time Partner.

From what I've heard, it wasn't pretty. Anyway...We've had some really amazing conversations over the years and he's also a Ringer. In fact, a few years ago he dressed up as Gimli to give out the candy at Halloween. Which considering he's 6" something had me in hysterics when I saw him that night. My Birthday's the day before and he'd moved into his new house, so down we went w/some of my Birthday Cake and me in my Arwen Red Dress costume.

Come to think of it...He was laughing just as hard as I was when he saw me. What made it even funnier was my Parents standing there not getting the joke. :oD Anyway...He also loves the way Tolkien took on the beliefs of Middle Earth and "The Gift of Men from the One". He also confided to me he got in trouble during Divinity School for questioning that very thing about the Arch Angel coming to Mary being a Man. As you said yourself, would a Male, even a Male Angel, be able to talk about such delicate matters w/a young woman and be taken seriously?

I know I wouldn't have at that age. Erwin also told me the same thing you did. These stories were written by Men and in turn...

I'll have to print this out for him to read and enjoy. Which I know he will.

Can't believe I never read this one before, but very glad I did. Love, love, love it and will be adding it to my Favourites. Well done mellon nin!! :o)

Now to find something else to distract me while listening to the Men's Final of the US Open. Huge Andy Murray fan, but I'm just a tad...Chicken shall we say...to watch what's happening in New York at the moment. Listen, yes. Watch? LOL

This worked well as a distraction though. ;o)

Author Reply: Hi Whispy. I'm always amazed and pleased when people discover some of my earlier works and this one was only my second attempt at writing fanfiction and I wrote it in answer to my beta's question of which Maia I thought the Angel of the Annunciation would have been in Tolkien's universe. The answer to that was obvious to me and hence the story.

Irwin sounds like a fun guy. You'll have to let me know what he thinks of this story. I'd be very interested in hearing his thoughts.

I'm glad you enjoyed this story and I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know. Thank you.

Glory BeeReviewed Chapter: 4 on 5/2/2012
This was beautiful! I wept when Melian danced before the Lord. I was not at all offended by your sacred gap filling.

Author Reply: Hi Glory Bee. The story was written in response to the question: which of the Maiar was the "angel of the Annunciation" and this is what came of it. I might write it differently if I were to do so today, but I guess it still works as is. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it.

6336Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 11/30/2008
Yes, I can see this happening this way, Jewish customs are very specific about how men and women can interact. Having a female angel come to Mary, especially to tell her of the gift that had been given to her, makes a lot of sense, she is very young after all.
Somehow the Arch Angel Michelle, with her Flaming sword does not have quite the same ring to it!
Oh I do like Manveru and Erunaro, they are two of my favotite Mair.
Hope you have plans to write more of Elrond and his family.
I can see Galadrial reacting that way to Celebrian's distress and dismay at none of her children coming with their father, her arrogance was part of the reason she was not allowed to return to Aman after all.
Listening to Christmas music as I write this, Celtic Women and a couple of instrumental ones I picked up at Macy's of all places!
More please,
Lynda

Author Reply: Hi Lynda. Didn't expect anyone to be reading this after all this time. I always thought that sending a 'male' angel to Mary didn't seem right so when Alassiel asked me who I thought could've been the Maia of the Annunciation, I knew just who it had to be. *grin*

As to whether I ever write more about Elrond and his family is up to the muse.

Thanks for reviewing.

TariReviewed Chapter: 4 on 10/16/2007
I was sooooooo excited when I found the New Testament woven into your story. How AWESOME. This was a wonderful story.

I intend to read Elf Interrupted someday soon.

Tari
P.S Did I see your name somewhere on Prim's board as having visited the Cleveland, Ohio area? If so, I would have loved to have met you. If it was you, and you ever pass this way again, let me know.








Author Reply: THanks Tari, I'm glad you enjoyed this story. And I don't know who Prim is, but yes I did visit Ohio in July and saw Agape, Marta, Rhyselle and Edlyn. Perhaps if I ever get that way again, I'll be able to meet you as well.

TiraReviewed Chapter: 4 on 5/30/2007
Wow. That was awesome, and quite frankly, felt so...right? I am a christian, yet that didn't bother me in the least. I love how you...transmuted...the story of the annunciation. It just seems to fit somehow. Much kudos to you.

~Tira

Author Reply: Thanks, Tira. I'm glad you enjoyed this story. My beta-reader asked me who I thought the Maia of the Annunciation might have been and I knew right away that it would be Melian, thus the story. If we take Tolkien's word that Middle-earth is merely our own world in a remote and distant past then it stands to reason that our history is just a continuation of the story begun in the "Silmarillion", so there really is not conflict, merely a look at the same story from a different, more mythological (in the original sense of the word) viewpoint.

Aislynn CrowdaughterReviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/5/2006
Hi! Beautiful story, and wonderfulsolution. I love it!

Aislynn

Author Reply: Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the story.

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