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| Four Hands Around by French Pony | 28 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Dawn Felagund | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/2/2007 |
| Finally, I get to read the fourth chapter! Blessed be Internet access at work! I will admit that when I read the first line, I thought, "Did I click on the wrong story?" I went back to the prior chapter...nope, I was in the right place. :) But the jump between Chapters Three and Four worked well for me: After the rather light first three chapters (though I'm not sure that Nerdanel will agree that -all- was light and pleasant *grin*), the fourth comes something of a shock, but it serves as a nice reminder of exactly what was lost because of the exile and the Oath and the dark deeds of the Feanorians. Maglor's comment about "one whole brother"...ouch. That was cruel. Though justifiably so, and I thought that Maglor's emotions were handled well: honest but not too sappy-gushy. And I will confess that I got a little tear in my eye when the "Whoop Whoop Whoop" song appeared in this particular context, and this line was one of my favorites in the story: > It was a rough, raw sound, as if each word was a blade piercing Maglor’s body. The Elrond and Elros's behavior was portrayed quite well, I thought, as one would expect from small children just emerging from a traumatic experience. And some of their gestures--like when one reaches for the candy and then stops and looks to Maglor for permission--really added a nice touch. A lot of writers have drawn comparison between Ambarussa's death and Maglor's adoption of Elrond and Elros, but this is the first time I've seen it turned on its head to consider what -Maglor- replaced for the little ones: > Maglor nodded. "I know. And I am not Eärendil. We have all lost someone we loved. Perhaps our wounds will heal together in time." In all, this chapter was surprising at first, but I can't imagine a better conclusion to this story. Very nicely done! Best regards, Dawn | |
| MithLuin | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 4/13/2006 |
| It is a measure of how affected I was by this last chapter that I could barely type. To go from the peace of Aman to the bitter dregs of the Third Kinslaying was... gut wrenching. And as soon as Maglor began to comfort the twins, I -knew- what song he would sing them. Maitimo is quite scary here. | |
| elliska | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 4/2/2006 |
| Wow! I just got a chance to read this today while catching up. I am bawling my eyes out. The change from lovely family scenes to the harshness of the battle was very powerful and the death of the twins was very well written. But I lost it entirely when I got to the whoop song. Great story, FP. | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/25/2006 |
| I liked this concluding chapter, FP. Maglor's need to love, the return of the whoop-whoop song, the saving of one set of twins and the death of the other--all were beautifully done. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/24/2006 |
| Ahh. Last sons of Feanor. And the first shall be last. Poor Maglor. He's really not designed for this Kinslaying malarkey. He's more of a carer. I'm so glad that the tragedy of Elured and Elurin combined with the death of the Ambarussa(s) to make him demand the lives of Elros and Elrond - and impel Maedhros to grant them. It's hard to see how the Maedhros of the first chapters developed into the elf he did - love of his father and a desire to please, perhaps. Despair. I don't know. Feanor must take a good deal of the blame - but Maedhros didn't make the decision that what he was doing was wrong and stop, which he could have done. Better be cursed for rejecting an oath like that than for upholding it. Such a tragic family. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/22/2006 |
| What an ending from such a promising beginning. To lose two sets of twins and save one--one which will be particularly special. And then to give them Turkish Delight! Shades of Narnia! | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/22/2006 |
| Yes, when the family comes to see the new little ones it is both a time of pride and stress, and I see, a level of jealousy as well. Lovely details here. | |
| Molly | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/22/2006 |
| I knew the twins' fate, but to read it from Maedhros's point of view was so sad. At least they died as they had lived: together. He might deserve it the least, but I felt the worst for Maedhros, losing his two youngest brothers and having Maglor turn on him in anger. I think the last chapter was fitting because when I first saw the story summary, I thought it was about the two oldest brothers, because they were the last alive, not the two youngest. And to make myself feel better after reading this I'll just hold on to what Maedhros said: "Perhaps their fëar are already reuniting with Father and Celegorm and Caranthir and Curufin." No one ever writes about it, but I like to imagine the House of Finwe made whole and living in peace someday in the far-off future. | |
| perelleth | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/22/2006 |
| Wonderful, FP. The beginning shocked me for a moment, I even went back to see if I had missed a chapter! It was such an abrupt change, from the delight they caused with their birth to the shame and hatred they brough about in their own death... Your battle scenes are powerful as usual, and the gory little details are very vivid. One can almost feel the weariness and confusion in the remaining, last sons,(nice touch, that) and how they might have turned against each other at that moment. And that silly song! I suppose even Maedhros must have felt like crying at hearing that! Hopeless, yet very moving. Well done | |
| elliska | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/18/2006 |
| I find seeing Feanor interact in such intimate ways with his family, while still seeing the conflicts and attitudes that we expect, quite fascinating. This was a really well done set of interactions. The children were all adorable. I loved the gifts, especially the booties. And I loved the ending part where Nerdanel stays firm about their mother names and we see Feanor's final assessment of the day. Great chapter. | |