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Neath Anor, Ithil, and Gil  by Larner 11 Review(s)
AntaneReviewed Chapter: 100 on 9/19/2010
An interesting story and a cute reason for the original creation of the Stones and of course the little ones would use them to spy on their siblings. Sorry to be so late in reviewing here. So busy...

Namarie, God bless, Antane :)



Author Reply: I had intended to make this humorous, but the story refused to stay that way. In the end, Feanor's eventual obsession with the Silmarils led to so much grief and pain, not least between himself and the woman who loved him. Thanks so, Antane.

TariReviewed Chapter: 100 on 9/13/2010
Well done, Larner. My heart always goes out to Nerdanel. She led such a tragic life. Fëanáro's obsession with the Simarils was the beginning if his downfall. However, had she not requested the palantiri things might have turned out quite differently; but where Fëanáro's involved, who knows.

Author Reply: I've always wanted to explore the beginnings of things, and now it was the turn of the Palantiri. And you are so right. But things were not always tragic for her--there was warmth once there between her and her husband. At least she has that she can cling to.

ArmarielReviewed Chapter: 100 on 9/4/2010
Pity they didn't have cellphones back then.;)

Odd juxtaposition of humor and tragedy here, but neat story on the whole.

~~~~~{~@

Author Reply: I know. Originally this was to be totally a comedic piece, but it refused to stay that way. Thanks so, Armariel.

SurgicalSteelReviewed Chapter: 100 on 9/4/2010
I wanted to like this - it's certainly a charming notion that the stones would've started out as a way for a busy family to communicate with one another. Two things really niggled at me, though. The first is the fact that you've consistently misspelled Fëanáro. It's a tiny thing, I know, but it stood out for me. The other is your description of the stones as basically a handspan in size, something that the boys can easily carry around in their pockets. This is in direct contradiction to the material in Unfinished Tales in which it states:

At smallest they were about a foot in diameter, but some, certainly the Stones of Osgiliath and Amon Sűl, were much larger and could not be lifted by one man.

Even if you haven't read that material, in The Two Towers, the Orthanc stone was heavy enough that Pippin seemed to be carrying a great weight when he retrieved it from the ruins of Isengard, and it seems to take him two hands to lift it when he pilfers it from Gandalf.

It's a cute idea, but it doesn't fit with canon - and I am aware of the extreme irony that is me quoting canon.

Author Reply: I have done some corrections, and hope you find them better suited to canon.

I'd always thought a span to be the distance between thumb and little finger with the hand open and fingers at their widest range, which would be definitely too large for the object to be carried in one's pocket. Such an object measured originally to an Elf's hand, and particularly those of the High Elves with the greatest stature, would be larger than most Men might measure a span, and definitely large by a Hobbit's standards. But as Pippin was able to find a stone and settle it under Gandalf's hand without detection, I suspected that the actual weight of the palantir might be comparable to the stone but that it might well feel heavier to Pippin due to the weight of its magic, much as the malice borne by the Ring caused it to become a far heavier weight than its actual mass when Frodo and Sam sought to carry It within Mordor.

I'd considered each palantir being carried in a specially crafted bag carried over one's horse's withers, or perhaps by a pack animal amongst luggage and supplies for a journey. If you will remember, the first cell phones were huge and had to be carried in large bags. One certainly couldn't carry one in a pocket or purse or briefcase. This would add to the reason why the sons of Feanor and Nerdanel would choose to leave them behind when heading for the Mortal Lands, as they'd be very bulky to pack and would greatly lessen the amount of supplies to be carried that might be needed for the anticipated journey.

Thanks so for the corrections--my mind does not always remember details of spelling well, and particularly as I rarely write stories based on the Sil.

UTfrogReviewed Chapter: 100 on 9/4/2010
This is one of your very best stories in some time. The development is excellent. Thank you so much. Nice to know the stones had such a loving and simple original use. That rings very true true to what had been a loving family.

Author Reply: Too bad it didn't say a loving family! The equivalent of mobile phones and baby monitors in Aman! Thanks so!

Kara's AuntyReviewed Chapter: 100 on 9/4/2010
Hello Larner,

great story; very, very interesting. It really brought the Palantíri to life for me, and gave them a depth (no pun intended) and history I had never before imagined.

Great work,

M

Author Reply: It was strongly indicated that Feanor created the Palantiri, so I wanted to imagine how they might have come to be. Thanks so, M!

SunnyReviewed Chapter: 100 on 9/4/2010
I liked this! The idea of a practical-minded woman wanting to have a way to monitor her babies (who. once they reached toddlerhood would definitely get into trouble as soon as any adult's back was turned, and being twins, would get into at least four times of trouble the amount any singleton could manage) as well as have a means of contacting her older babies - for no matter _how_ old they get, they will always be Nerdanel's babies. :-)

The palantíri would be somewhat harder to haul around than my cell phone, though. ;-)

Author Reply: Yes--Tolkien indicated even the smallest was about a foot in diameter, so they'd be pretty bulky--although Denethor had managed to hide his under a pillow on the embalmer's table where he'd planned to kill himself and his son. But when the idea of the story first struck me I definitely thought of cell phones and baby monitors!

EllynnReviewed Chapter: 100 on 9/4/2010
Very interesting story of how the palantiri were made. I like the explanation for the master stone and those two "twins", which explains why the palantir of Emyn Beraid sees only across the sea.
And I really really love the sentence "The nurse curtseyed with relief and fled to her own chamber, leaving master and mistress in charge of the two terrors of her life, vowing secretly that she would herself never give birth—and certainly not to two at once!" *lol*

Author Reply: The story started life as a comedy, but refused to stay that way. Am so glad others appreciate this possible beginning to the Palantiri, too.

Linda HoylandReviewed Chapter: 100 on 9/4/2010
A fascinating account of how the palantiri came into being.They seem the sort of thing Fenor might have crafted.

Author Reply: Tolkien indicated he was the most likely one to have created them. Thanks so!

shireboundReviewed Chapter: 100 on 9/3/2010
What a gentle and innocent beginning to the legendary seeing stones! I'm just charmed by the idea of one of them being in a nursery like a "baby cam" might be used today. This is a wonderful back-story.

Author Reply: I'm so glad you like the idea, too, Shirebound. Yes, I had the idea of cell phones and baby monitors in mind when this story started in on my ankle! Heh! But even the most mundane objects can take on other uses and connotations over time.

Thanks so!

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