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The Wars of the Valar by Fiondil	11 Review(s)
Tari	Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 9/24/2008
The first battle is won, but knowing Melkor it is far from the last. Good for Námo and Vairë. They grow stronger every day. Things will not be as easy for Melkor as he thinks (thank goodness). Tari Author Reply: No, this is not the last battle unfortunately. Námo and Vairë are indeed getting stronger. Melkor won't find it so easy the next time he and Námo meet.

Imhiriel	Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 5/22/2008
I was touched and impressed by Námo's courage and calm in facing Melkor. Yes, he was afraid, but he never let it show, instead using his wits and Melkor's arrogance and blindness to true character against him. How Melkor tries to force Námo into submission, his taint and corruption, the struggle and temptation etc. are all evoked extraordinarily effective. A powerful, tense, chilling scene. I loved the description of the Song and what it sang into Being; the connection between music, mathematics and astronomy; the details of the different planets of the solar system and the emotions it evoked, the triumph and glory. I found it intriguing who you chose as "creator" of each planet, and would be very interested in your reasoning for your choices. In another review you wrote that Vairë's and Námo's planet doesn't exist anymore in our time: will we be given more information or an explanation about this in future chapters? I find it such a pity that the planet of our hero, of all people, should not exist any longer... Author Reply: I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter so much. The beginning with Námo and Melkor and Melkor's attempt to suborn Námo is indeed chilling, but the good news is that once Atháraphelun is created, Melkor loses all interest in Námo. Before the creation of the Children's World, to have Námo at this side would have been a boon, but now, there's no point. All of Melkor's focus will now be on dominating and ultimately destroying Arda. As far as the Song goes, Tolkien started it, and I just figured to continue it. There is certainly a correlation between music, mathematics and astronomy and I wanted to evoke that here. As for my reasoning about who created which planet: that would take longer than the chapter to explain. LOL It was essentially a combination of borrowing from classical/medieval mythology and the characteristics of the Ayanumuz themselves. Some are obvious (Aule needing a forge; Manwë and Varda creating the planet named after the King of the Gods in classical mythology) and some are less so (Oromë as the Hunter, and the closest thing to a warrior among them until Tulkas shows up, creating the world(s) which stand sentinel to the rest of the solar system). Námo and Vairë's world is, of course, the Asteroid Belt today. I will definitely tell the story behind that. The War against Melkor is definitely not over.

Nieriel Raina	Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 4/30/2008
Wow. What a confrontation! You had me worried for a minute, but I was so relieved to see Námo relinquish his true self to Atar. I both cheered and quailed in this chapter. And what a fitting proposal of marriage! LOL! Do you have invitations to the wedding yet? I do wonder how Námo will respond to physical intimacy with Vairë after all Melkor has done to him. Or is he all better now? Looking forward to more! This is such an original and fantastic tale! Author Reply: Glances at mailbox No invitations yet, but I keep hoping. grin Glad you liked this chapter in spite of the icky parts with Melkor. But that is over and done with. Now that Arda has been established, Melkor no longer has any use in trying to entice Námo to his side. All his focus is going to be on conquering Arda. As for Námo... we will see in the next chapter the repercussions of the recent battles and confrontations on Námo and Vairë. Thanks for reviewing.

Agape4Gondor	Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 4/29/2008
Well - it is going to be a battle royal, isn't it? I certainly was pleased that Namo was up to it - with a little help from Vaire and his albeit late friends! I loved Namo's response to Melkor's statement about disappointments :-) I was caught 'aw'ing when Namo gave his inner self over for safekeeping - a very wise move... but incredibly sad... being Melkor is one that Eru himself created... and a brother to Namo.... sobs I loved the Cavalry - better late than never! The SONG - the Song sounded spectacular - I could almost hear it in my head. Great writing!!! Just filled me with joy as they subcreated with what Eru gave them... EXCELLENT.... I loved Namo's teasing and felt he well-deserved that bolt of energy! Shame on you, Namo.... Ah sits back in relief - a stunning and wild and wondrous chapter... I loved the evil of Melkor - I just cringed for poor Namo - but to find him hold his own till help came was wondrous - he almost sounds like the Namo we know and love in the future. And that he and Vaire... well, that was great too. As I said, a stunning chapter - full of tension, horror, and joy! Thank you!!! Author Reply: I like to think that Námo finally finds himself in this chapter, especially in giving his inner self over to Atar's safekeeping, something he was unable or unwilling to do earlier. Melkor is certainly full of himself here but he really has no clue. I'm glad you liked the Song.... I always figured that when the Valar finally established Arda and the other planets of our solar system this is how they did it. Námo certainly did deserve that little bolt of energy, but at least he and Vairë are at the 'teasing' stage of their relationship, teasing without rancor. At any rate, I think we are finally seeing the beginnings of the person Námo becomes in the future. I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter and found it stunning with all its tension, horror and joy, especially the joy. Thanks for reviewing.

TolkienFan	Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 4/29/2008
I think overall you have a very intriguing premise for a story here. I'm a bit disturbed, though, by the suggestion that male/male rape has occurred in the past and was about to occur again on a site that's supposed to be slash free. Additionally, the suggestion that Namo was willing to acquiesce to his own rape is quite disturbing and could well be a trigger issure for any of your readers who might have been victimized in the past. I would respectfully suggest that if you're going to leave that material in place you should raise the rating of this story to 'R' and post appropriate warnings. Author Reply: I respect your concerns, however, we are not talking of physical rape here since these are spiritual beings. Also, since we are talking about the Valar, who are not strictly speaking male or female, then we can't really speak of there being an slash involved. What I have been describing, and in the most general terms without any specifics, is psychological and spiritual rape or, if you will, psychological domination and the attempt to suborn the free will of another person. This is what Melkor is all about. Námo is not acquiescing to anything but merely allowing Melkor to believe he is winning as a stalling measure until Manwë and the others arrive. So far, you are the only one to voice any concerns over this, but if others feel the same way than I would definitely consider raising the rating to "R". You may be comforted to know that this is most likely the last personal encounter between Melkor and Námo until the very end of the story when Melkor is taken prisoner by the Valar and sentenced to imprisonment in Mandos. Melkor, at this point, has become too engrossed in his nihilistic (Tolkien's words) crusade against Arda to bother with tempting individuals. And I'm not really giving away any plotlines, since we know how the story actually ends.

Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 4/27/2008
For some reason this chapter left me wishing that, when the Valar finally destroy Angband, Námo is the one to deliver the last blow to Melkor and to take him captive. I so want to do a few nasty things to Melkor for all he did to Námo!! Our dear Námo was very brave here, considering how he had to feel for having to face Melkor again. But he stood his ground long enough that the other Ayanumuz finally could arrive and put an end to Melkor’s attack, and his trust in Atar was touching. As for Melkor ... his attitude is so disgusting. Arrogant and stupid, as he obviously didn’t realise Námo’s trust in Atar and that he gave over his inner self to protect it from Melkor. Oh well, the arrogance of the mighty ... Knowing that this private frequency is forming, watching Námo and Vairë working together and kissing in the end made up for the nastiness of Melkor and his servants. Their bond will give Námo strength and self-assurance, I think. And we got to witness how Arda was sung into being! :-) Author Reply: It will be interesting how the war against Melkor goes and just what role Námo has in it. And Námo has begun to reclaim himself and trust Atar more when confronting Melkor, although we will see in the next chapter that he still has to face certain consequences for his actions against Rushirithir. However, his and Vairë's growing relationship will certainly help and we know what a wonderful couple they make anyway. grin Anyway, Melkor's attitude is indeed disgusting and totally blind to any reality but that of his own making. Seeing Arda Sung into being I think was the highlight of the chapter and the turning point of the story. Thanks for reviewing.

6336	Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 4/25/2008
Oops! Must have clicked next or something! Friday morning fog? O.K. so Ea is the universe and Arda is the planet? Yes? No? What not even a 'Save the day card!'? Vaire is slipping! More please, Lynda Author Reply: Eä is the universe; Arda, while usually referring to Earth, more correctly refers to our entire solar system. I tend to use both meanings depending on context.

Kaylee	Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 4/25/2008
Oooooooh! Melkor again! And she was there! shudder But it looks like Namo and Vaire are finally ready to be espoused...YAY! yay, yay yay! And smart of Namo to give himself into Atar's keeping. Being in Atar's keeping is a VERY. GOOD. THING. Nod Manwe sure took his time showing up, though... Oh, I just loved how they made the planets and Melkor was just standing there probably thinking "What are you doing?" lol. I recognized them, of course...Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto with its other little dwarf planet friends. And when they placed the new Earth in I cheered. But this one confused me... "Námo and Vairë came next, singing their own duet, and the next planet to emerge after that was much larger and quite beautiful with oceans and land. It also had a ring system and three satellites." Oceans? But, but Earth has oceans and land. But no rings and only one Moon. frowns and shakes head, confused What is their little project? It's not Aman, is it? frowns deeper Ai Atar, I'm so confused. ~Kaylee! Author Reply: You are ignoring the order in which the planets are Sung into being. Námo and Vairë's planet comes after Irmo and Estë's planet (Mars) and before Manwë and Varda's planet (Jupiter). Of course that planet no longer exists in our time and perhaps that's where you are feeling confused.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 4/25/2008
Evil, evil, evil--and as banal as only evil can be! He would have realized he held not the part of Namo he wished only when swatted by Atar himself for his foolishness, I suspect. Ah, Melkor--you have MUCH to learn, for all your apparent power! Author Reply: Evil is blind to much about its own banality and so in his arrogance, Melkor never realized that he did not hold any part of the true Námo and never would. I suspect that not even Atar would be able to disabuse him of such self-inflicted blindness.

Rhyselle	Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 4/25/2008
What a wonderful chapter to awaken to on this gorgeous spring morning! I admit that you caught me by surprise when Atharaphelun began to emerge. You gave hints when Namo reminded Vaire where they were, but I was totally clueless! And while I could rhapsody on and on about the beauty of the description of the creation of Arda, I have to say that my favorite bit in this whole chapter was this: Námo steeled himself as best he could, refusing to allow Melkor’s taint to touch his most inner self which he silently gave over to Atar for safe-keeping. That apparently small action seems to be the crux of the entire chapter to me, although at the moment I don't have the words to explain why. I liked Namo's wondering if the private frequency was the beginning of the bond that the espoused Ayanamuz had, and I really loved how together, he and Vaire were stronger than they could be apart. "If it served a greater purpose, he would," Vairë replied. "Your problem, Melkor, is that you think Atar won’t or can’t act against you, when in fact, he is merely waiting for you to return to him." This line got to me too--When we read about Melkor in the SIL, and the horrible things he did in his pride and seeking for utter lordship over creation, it's easy to forget that he, too, was a beloved child of Atar, and that he, Melkor, was never abandoned by Atar, but still had a home in Atar's heart that was waiting for him to repent, reform his life, and return. Had that little black hole been just a bit off in its location, a lot of Arda's grief would have been erradicated before the world was born... But then we wouldn't have such a wealth of tales to write our fanfiction about! Hmmm. So it was Namo and Vaire who created the fifth world that is an asteroid ring in our time. Now you've got me thinking again.... grin Námo looked upon Atháraphelun with wonder and realized that Manwë had decided to wait until the planet was firmly established in its fated place in Eä before attempting to shape it into the Vision they had all seen while in the Timeless Halls. You've given us a taste of the Song here that is just marvelous. It was just what I needed after my insanely busy weeks leading up to the conference which finally came off on Tuesday and Wednesday, and I kind of feel that this is my reward for getting through it all. I'm sitting here with a smile on my face, and feeling wonderfully lighthearted. As a final thought: Námo just couldn’t resist whispering to her across their private frequency: Acairis, Acairis, Acairis. She responded by throwing a mild bolt of energy his way, easily fended off with a negligent thought and then he was wrapping himself around her. You were splendid. I think I’ll have to marry you. You think? she retorted with a smile and then they were kissing, forgetting that they had an audience until quiet laughter distracted them and they turned to see everyone looking on with indulgent smiles. What a wonderful marriage proposal and reply! Just perfectly in character for these two! Thanks so much for this. I hope that you got at least as much satisfaction from writing this as I got from reading it. Author Reply: Námo steeled himself as best he could, refusing to allow Melkor’s taint to touch his most inner self which he silently gave over to Atar for safe-keeping. This is indeed the crux of the chapter, for it marks the turning point in Námo's relationship, both with Atar and with Melkor. However much Melkor's presence sickens him, Námo now has the wherewithal to resist Melkor's allurements, knowing that as long as he puts his trust in Atar all will be well. We will see how Námo and Vaïrë's world does become our asteroid field in a later chapter. Anyway, I'm glad you found this such an enjoyable chapter especially with the crazy work week I know you've had. I did indeed get a lot of satisfaction in writing this chapter, primarily because everything that's gone before has led up to this defining moment, both in Námo's personal history and in the history of Arda. Thanks for reviewing, Rhyselle. I really appreciate it.

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