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Emissary of the Mark  by Soledad 3 Review(s)
Linda HoylandReviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/9/2012
I enjoyed your description of the feast very much.

Author Reply: Thanks, Linda! If you're interested in the really, really geeky version of this, with all the Old English phrases in it, go there:
http://community.livejournal.com/edhellondawards/20741.html#cutid1

I'm afraid Aragorn won't appear until two chapters later, but then he'll prove very useful for Elfhelm - who, of course, won't have a clue who this "Strider" person really is. *g*

DeniseReviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/25/2007
What an excellent start! The descriptions of the festivities are marvelous. I particularly loved Hama's "imposing" presence. Nice foreshadowing with Grima and Eowyn, and Oh! I was happy to see Aud again. I loved Lady Aelfgifu too. I could definitely see why Elfhelm will allow Eowyn to ride to the Pelennor in five years.

Beautiful use of the old rites, blended with Rohirric customs that Tolkien established.

Author Reply: Hi Denise, I didn't know you visited SoA as well!

Glad you like the story. If you want, you can try the more... nerdy version of this chapter, the one full of Old English expressions. *g* It's posted to the otherworlds_lib LJ community.

RE: Éowyn. I wanted to give her credit. So many writers - even good ones - shun her, calling her a traitor and a deserter and whatnot. People don't seem to understand that one can't judge the charcters in a heroic saga in the same way one would judge someone from the US Marines.

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/28/2006
There's a lot to take in here. I do like Elfhelm - he is a very attractive personality. And I think Grima has definitely suckered him into agreeing to do something that Wormtongue thinks will be the end of the Marshal. I'm going to need to read it again, I think, to understand fully just who everyone is - but I want to get on and read more.

(How can Idis have turned Elfhelm down in favour of his brother? .... Although I suppose his brother might be rather like him. And Aelfgifu ... she sounds an interesting character. You have made this a very interesting background. But I suspect Elfhelm won't be spending too much time in the Golden Hall.)

Author Reply: Yes, I'm afraid this chapter is a bit overloaded with detail. *pulls in neck*
Originally, I wrote it as a writing experiment, to see how much world-building I can weave in, without killing the story completely. I'm not sure that I succeeded, but trust me, this is nothing against the original version, which has all the weird talk in *Old English*! If you are interested, it can be seen here: http://community.livejournal.com/edhellondawards/20741.html#cutid1

The further chapters won't be this... crowded, I swear!

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