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A White Shell  by Celeritas 3 Review(s)
VirtuellaReviewed Chapter: 7 on 7/8/2010
This was all deligthful, but I liked the encounter with the dwarf woman best. The idea of the birth gifts, and what they meant in the decades leading up to the war, was fascinating. And so there's a dwarf philospher in the making? That should be interesting! The dream, as usual, was spot on. Thanks for a great chapter!

Author Reply: The encounter with Asa is probably the favorite thing that I have written this year, so I'm glad you like it!

I only have very vague ideas about her child right now, but he also doesn't need to enter anything I'm writing about the moment. I'm content to let him remain an enigma now.

Thanks for reading and reviewing! Your feedback means a lot to me.

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 7 on 7/6/2010
This is a fascinating chapter!

I was in suspense for most of it, in fear that she was going to get caught out, by her mother or someone who'd tell her mother: her time with Kerry, her storytelling, her evening with the Dwarves-- all those things pose a danger to her that a reader just can't forget. And yet I was immensely relieved when no such thing *did* happen. I know it's inevitable, sooner or later, and the later it is the worse it will be-- and yet I'm quite content to see it postponed yet again.

Her story of Sancho was delightful! I love the idea of a secret rebel, sneaking food to the prisoners-- and Sancho is the perfect one for that, as we know he enjoyed digging for treasre at least, from canon!

That the Dwarves enabled her to dance was beautiful! It's so sad that she cannot share that joy with anyone. And the encounter with Asa was very mystical, and filled with foreboding. I also love the revelations about Dwarven culture-- it's so fun to see how people fill in the considerable blanks about Dwarves differently.

As to Kira's dream: I don't think it *was* Tom. Not to begin with anyhow. Hope I'm right.

Author Reply: Today was definitely Kira's riskiest day, but fortunately nothing's happened yet. I think the biggest stroke of brilliance was the dwarves, since Kira would be expected to visit them the next day and now she will be able to be Perfectly Well-Behaved.

I think the Shire had a lot of secret rebels, although many of them were not in the position to be particularly active. Perhaps stretching Sancho's character from one isolated incident in his youth was a little unfair from a canonical perspective, but since he comes out with a better reputation as a result I'm pretty sure he doesn't mind.

And dwarves!!! XD

Honestly, if I wrote dwarf-centric fiction I'd approach the entire species quite differently. But for the purposes of this fiction they needed to fill in this "other" gap, that is so strange and beautiful precisely because it is not Hobbit.

I steadfastly seal my lips concerning Kira's dream. There are a lot of interpretations to it, and not even Kira's sure which one's correct.

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 7 on 7/6/2010
Ah, so there is something there in Tom of Frodo that draws her to him! Perhaps he needs first to awaken to his own special nature before she can open to him fully!

Love the visit with Asa! I'm so glad she was so honored! Perfect!

And I love thinking of Sancho tunneling into the Lockholes to help those who were imprisoned within, and the Hobbit who told him he wouldn't escape at the expense of the rest of the prisoners. Excellent!

Author Reply: I don't know if that's what that dream at the end means--although I do write them intentionally ambiguously. I just don't see the connection to Frodo, and I don't know if the 'draw' is the same.

The visit with Asa is probably my favorite bit in all that I've written of this story so far. In a way, Kira lucked out precisely because the rest of her people are cutting themselves off from the world, but there are a lot in the world who are eager to know at least one of the race that saved them. She could probably go on a tour beyond the Bounds and never have to worry about earning her keep!

And I, too, love the idea of silent heroes within the Shire during the Troubles. It's fun to add the Proudfoots to that list since a lot of authors tend to give them short shrift.

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