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Tales from Halabor by Soledad	9 Review(s)
Elena Tiriel	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 2/17/2009
I really enjoyed these vignettes, Soledad! Especially the glimpses into what life might really have been like, for example, for the farmer who lost his best oxen-caller to the military needs of the community. And the soft cheese sounded yummy.... LOL! Very nicely written! - Barbara Author Reply: Thanks. :) I've just realized that I never answered this review. So sorry. But I'm glad you like these little... things.

illereyn	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 1/3/2009
Hey Soledad! I leave in awe of the phenonmenal amount of research that must have gone into this! illereyn Author Reply: Well, it cost me the one or other afternoon and no mistake; I can only hope that the actual story didn't go under among all that trivia. g But honestly, medieval life is a great interest of mine, and I'm happy when I can use my hobby for other purposes, too. With Tolkien's world, I can even cheat a little, since it's clearly medieval-like yet not entirely medieval, so it's even more fun.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 12/30/2008
I find I quite like young Herumor. And again the research you have done is phenomenal! Thanks for the lesson in how it was (and still is in some places) done! Author Reply: If I think about having visited Sarlat, without knowing there was a medieval oil mill to be seen, I could scream with frustration. ;) Well, perhaps next time. Herumor needs to learn a lot before he'd be worth becoming the Lord of Halabor. Alas, we know how it ends...

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/24/2008
I love the research you have done into the process of producing the rose attar. Wonderful stuff! Only one correction I see--TWO-wheeled cart rather than TOO-wheeled cart. And this young lord shall indeed prove a good one! Thanks for this, Soledad. Author Reply: I thought it was time for something different. g Thanks for spotting the typo. runs off to correct

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: Prologue on 12/24/2008
Will try to get these read over the next week or so. Have so many irons in the fire, though! Heh! Author Reply: Don't I know the feeling! Will try to catch up with your stuff, too; always hope to do so during holidays but when I first get done all those things I didn't have time to do during term, somehow the holidays are always over. sighs

Raksha The Demon	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/20/2008
Poor Herumor, what a good Lord of Halabor he would have become. These are great vignettes of everyday life in this Gondorian town. I enjoyed the descriptions of cheese-making. Author Reply: Thanks. :) I'm very fond of Herumor myself, and I do believe he'd have made a good Lord of Halabor eventually. At least he was willing to learn. As for the cheese-making, it required an ungodly amount of research, and I'm still not sure I got it right, but it was fun to try putting the process together.

ecrm	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 12/13/2008
I really loved this chapter, a wonderful view into the lives of your little town. I feel sorry for Herumor, it must have been incredibly difficult for a town near Anduin in the buildup to the ring war, presumeably they all had to be evacuated otherwise they probably all would have ended up dead and I think neither Herumor nor Denethor would let that happen. One point, I don't believe the court at Dol Amroth should be called Royal, rather perhaps Princely. They are not after all what would be called Princes of the Blood. Instead they are nobles who have been given a title, like the Esterhazy family to quote an example. If the late Kings of Gondor were suspicious enough of their kin to send them fleeing into exile in Umbar, I suspect that they would not have permitted a noble family to use the term royal to describe themselves. I look forward to future chapters, you're amoung my favourite fanfiction writers on the internet. Author Reply: Thanks for your kind words and for taking the effort to write such an in-depth comment. If you've read "The Last Yule in Halabor" you'll know what end these people have found. I'll consider your opinion about the court at Dol Amroth. I've seen it called royal in fanfic elsewhere, and as I'm not as secure in English as I'm in my mother tongue or in German, I thought it was okay. But what you say has its merits; and as a Hugarian, I find it interesting that you quoted the Eszterházy family as an example. ;)

Elena Tiriel	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/2/2008
Ah, what a fascinating and satisfying chapter! I never even thought before about how rose oil (or any herbal essence, for that matter) was distilled, so I enjoyed reading the details. And I like how most of the inhabitants of your Halabor are the hardy stock of the Men of the White Mountains, and how Herumor and his father and grandfather genuinely respect their ways, despite their noble position. Very nicely done, Soledad! - Barbara, who shall try to carefully avert her mind from the future doom of the town.... Author Reply: Thank you, Barbara! :) I must ruefully admit that the actual reason to come up with this story was that I wanted to write about making rose oil, because I simply found it too fascinating not to include. Look out for the oil mill in the next part! g Yes, Lord Orchald knows all too well that he is supposed to serve his people to the same extent his people serve him, and he intends to teach his only son the same lesson. In Part 3, we'll see a bit more of that aspect, as there will be soldiers, instead of craftsmen, for a change.

Fantasia	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/1/2008
Hi Soledad, I don't need to tell you how much I enjoy your stories. I certainly learn a lot, you give us so many details about the Middle Ages times, rose oil industry, never knew anything related to that...I'm from Cuba, not Middle Age, no lavender, roses or anything like that, a lot of sugar, cigars and coffee though, from the plantations thru distribution...now I live in USA, which doesn't improve my knowledge about medieval times at all...now that I recall, are you not Hungarian or Bulgarian?, I remember that back in Cuba, both countries were very famous for their roses. (If you are not for those countries, then take not offense...) Anyway, I read your Halabor stories with some sadness, to think that the town was destroyed and the Lord died defended his castle and his son died even before, it made me sad and wondering about the town people...nevertheless, I always wait for your stories, (the shoemaker’s daughter??? any update?) Thanks, Fantasia Author Reply: Hi hon, Thanks for the review, and I'm glad that the slightly overdone details haven't frightened you away. Yeah, I'm Hungarian all right, but even if I weren't, it wouldn't be an offence. :) I intend to continue The Shoemaker's Daughter as soon as these Advent stories are out of the way.

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