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

Fallow  by Ariel 8 Review(s)
MechtildReviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/19/2006
This was a splendid opening chapter, Ariel. Your story-telling skills have never been better. I was brought in immediately into a world completely Tolkien-like, yet concerning a part of the Shire I never have visited in canon.

You intrigue me about Lalia. Will she be the 100% bad'un she sounds in "Letters", or will we learn more about her, that she's got a good side in there somewhere, or, at least, how she became such a curmudgeon? If she really is that wicked a person, I fear for Pearl.

All of the characters you have created seem just right: Paladin, Eglantine, your Bilbo. Pearl is just spoken about, but you have made us ready for her entrance. You are letting Frodo hang back, which is good for me. I am such a Frodo-gawper, if he were heavily featured in the opening chapter, I might have missed half of this great stuff!

Author Reply: Well, I don't want to make Lalia all bad - how dull - but I intend to make her credible and make her actions defensible from her POV, but chilling from ours. She's a powerful woman who is growing older and her son has no heirs. She is needs to find an heir (preferably of HER blood) to pass on her power to, but she is running out of time.

LOL! I'm a bit of a Frodo fancier myself, as you know. ;) I have written so many chapters from his POV because I like him and because I want build up anticipation for the chapters from Pearl's POV. I think, from your other responses, I have managed that!

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/18/2006
Poor Pearl, able to run free and now expected to become a lady. I, too, want a gander at the contract and wonder about the motives of both Pearl and Lalia at this point.

Author Reply: Well, I am afraid Pearl is the one being duped - but then I am afraid Lalia is a very persuasive lady. Stay tuned. The next chapter will explore Pearl's side of the situation.

InklingReviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/8/2006
Nice set-up so far...Frodo in paragraph three, family intrigue, and what promises to be an interesting dynamic between Lalia and Pearl. As always, great description and dialogue!

Author Reply: *Wags tail*

Thank you, my dear! Funny, those are exactly the kinds of things I enjoy about your writing. ;) I'll try to post the rest asap for you!

SurgicalSteelReviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/7/2006
This is a really intriguing beginning. I'll be very curious to see how this pans out, because Tolkien's words really do suggest something much more sinister than a clumsy attendant and an accidental death.

Author Reply: Tolkien's words really do suggest something much more sinister than a clumsy attendant and an accidental death.

Exactly! This passage has always intrigued me and I just knew there had to be much more to it than that!

I've had a ball writing Lalia. She's become someone you love to hate, but who is quite honest in her beliefs and motivations. She's a woman made hard by circumstance and who built herself up. While I can't see any hobbit being out right evil, we have met ones who were mean, greedy and spiteful, so why not ruthless? I hope you enjoy the story as much as you have the beginning.

Grey WondererReviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/5/2006
I love your discription of Pearl covered with mud. This is so different from other stories that I have read about Paladin and the Thainship. In most that I have read he doesn't actually want the title but has no choice. I like the fact that he is seeking it in this. I am looking forward to more of this.

Author Reply: Really, she is a very different Pearl than any I have yet read. In fact, most of the hobbit women I have seen are either stage props, harpies or unrelateably demure. (I am not counting the many Mary Sues, though I'm a lot more pro-OFC than most) I just wanted to make a readable, believable and empathetic heroine... and then give her a whole pile of angst. hehehehe

LilyReviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/5/2006
I loved this from the first time I read it on the Spring Challenge site and I'm glad to see you working on it again. It reminds me a little bit of "Fear" (which you know I adored!) ... not the theme but the intrigues and I kind of have a feeling that there are many different layers to this story as well.

I'm looking forward to reading more of it.

Author Reply: Yeah, it feels a lot like Fear as I am writing it too, though Pearl is far from Dody. I think you'll see a lot of similarities between her relationship with Lalia and what Dody almost had with Clearwater (without the psedo-abusive suggestions). Good villans (and villanesses) are SO much fun to write! (and I even get to kill this one off! It's CANON! Heheheheh!

ArmarielReviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/5/2006
My, this looks interesting! Anxious to see what happens next.

Author Reply: *Waves*

I should tell you that I wanted to reply earlier, but something in your reply told the site software that I wanted my replies in... well, I am not sure what language it was... Some Asian something.

Nilmandra deleted your little sword thingy at the end of your sig and I can now reply to it. I thought I might let you know that in case you've had problems getting people responding to your reviews in the past. Something about that little string of characters "~~~{~@" really seems to freak out the system! LOL!

In reply to the encouragement, thank you! I will try to get new chapters posted as soon as my beta gets done with them! Thanks for reading. :)

lovethosehobbitsReviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/5/2006
Oh, I am delighted to see you are penning another fic! This sounds very interesting and I can't wait to see what happens. Lotsa Frodo, I hope.

Author Reply: High time, eh? Seriously, I've been betaing like mad but haven't had ANY time to write for myself. This one has been on the back burner for about a year - which in Ariel-time means it's about ready to be put on 'paper' - LOL!

Return to Chapter List