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In Darkness Bound  by Fiondil 11 Review(s)
MonalexReviewed Chapter: 60 on 6/30/2013
Hello!!! I'm re-reading this story and have one question. Why does Findarato refer to Feanaro as his cousin when He is his uncle??

Author Reply: Hi Laer. Sorry about that. It should be uncle and I've made the change. I think because earlier in the chapter I kept referring to Findaráto's cousins, the word just stuck. Thanks for pointing out the error. You're the first to do so. If you find any others of like nature, please let me know so I can make the appropriate correction. Thanks for reviewing.

TariReviewed Chapter: 60 on 4/26/2011
How can anyone who thinks they can best Melkor not be mad? Even given the little power he has left, he is still more powerful than the strongest elf.
Melkor is not the only one who has lost his grip.


Author Reply: Very true, Tari. Obviously Feanor isn't playing with a full deck, as they say. *grin* Thanks for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it very much.

6336Reviewed Chapter: 60 on 3/31/2011
Hi Fiondil,
Reading through the reviews, I just had the wild thought, that if Feanor had been a President, rather than a king, they would have impeached the little sucker!
Huggs,
Lynda

Author Reply: You're probably right, Lynda. LOL! And wouldn't the Press have had a field day if they had impeached him. *grin*

SitaraReviewed Chapter: 60 on 3/30/2011
Great. Elbereth Gilthoniel is a hysterical female. ˝falling backwards with laughter˝ I love this new perspective and it would certainly keep it in mind next time I’d read Frodo’s adventures. And it looks like the Valar handled also this case with their usual competence. And responsibility, of course. The Valar seem to forget that whatever they would do now it’s bound to give rise to suspicion among the Eldar. The Eldar have now every reason to distrust them and for that they could only blame themselves, not Melkor, nor Fëanáro. Guarding Aman was their responsibility, at which they failed, and, technically speaking, despite of what Ingwë may believe, the Trees are dead rather thanks to them than to Fëanáro. After all, if I don’t accept grief or selfishness as a valid excuse, should I consider…..ah, carelessness?

I would pay my gold debt to Ingwë in diamonds and I won’t tell him a couple of things he would really deserve to hear. But we’re even now. “grin” So, out of pure malice and only to spit Ingwë, Fëanáro practically cursed himself to the Eternal Darkness? And because he was such a sane person, the poor fool rushed to swear this vile, nefarious and altogether wretched oath before the whole crowd and tools to be used for his evil goals, nearly scaring them off and starting another swordfight (a real one this time) and, to sum it up, endangering the whole endeavour before even starting, endeavour which was pretty much his only remaining purpose in life? Not to mention that he marched off to heroically slay Valar and get back some fates of Arda, only to remember down the road that he has yet to decide how would they actually get there. Ummm….it doesn’t sound very much sane to me.

Without making a rebuke of it, Ingwë is clearly outdated by the events and he can only give his assesment of this situation, which I daresay it’s even beyond the Valar’s understanding. Fëanáro was dying even as he uttered his oath and he’d have died anyway, either in Aman or in Middle-earth. Whatever it was, it was definitely not sanity. Not utter madness as it was on Ered Wethrin, but not sanity either.

I was and would be always glad to see Fingon. Olórin, on the other hand….after all, after more than three Ages, he would admit to one Peregrin Took a little thing which I find now extremely revealing. “grin”


Author Reply: Well, at least you admit that Fëanáro wasn't working from a full deck, Sitara. Ingwë, of course, is trying to make sense of the senseless and none of the Elves at this point have ever experienced seeing someone go insane. They have the vocabulary but not the understanding. The Valar, of course, are equally clueless but for different reasons, and their mistake was shoving Fëanáro off to Formenos instead of dealing with the problem head-on. Which just goes to show that no one is perfect. *grin*

Thanks for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it.

Erulisse (one L)Reviewed Chapter: 60 on 3/29/2011
"I have a feeling that events are spiraling out of our control."

Gee.....do you think??? The path is made and the people will walk it. And I, for one, am looking into the future and thinking that the next chapters will be very interesting indeed, especially once Feanaro and the others are away from Valinor. I can't wait to see where you take this story once you're able to steer away from canon...

- Erulisse (one L)


Author Reply: *Snicker* They are endearing in their confusion, aren't they? Hopefully you won't be too disappointed by the direction I take this story once we move away from the Rebellion and focus on what might have been happening in Aman afterwards, especially with Ingwe and Arafinwe. Thanks for reading and reviewing, Erulisse. I greatly appreciate it.

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 60 on 3/29/2011
We begin to see the formation of the different camps now. Certainly Artanis is already planning her conquests in this new world. I am glad someone is at least realizing that they may not be as welcome in Middle Earth as they would like to think themselves. And I'm glad Arafinwe did decide in the end to turn back.

Author Reply: The camps, as you say, Larner, are forming and already the Noldor are making some very hard decisions as to whether to go or to stay. And certainly few ever asked themselves if they would even be welcome in Middle-earth by their long-lost kin. Certainly, Fëanáro never did. And I'm glad Arafinwë turned back, too, or I wouldn't have much of a story to tell. *grin* Thanks for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it very much.

EllynnReviewed Chapter: 60 on 3/28/2011
"But he’s the king," Írissë exclaimed. "He cannot just run off willy-nilly as he pleases. He has responsibilities here. We need him."

I think exactly the same. He has responsibilities. A person who puts his own desires in front of the needs of his whole people - and so called "desires" are just that: he is not saving, for example, a member of his family, that is, he is not saving a life - he is chasing mere jewels instead - well, such person is not a good person and does not deserve to be a king.

Great chapter, just like several previous chapters. I am looking forward for more, but at the same time, I am really sad for what is going to happen in Alqualonde. :(

Author Reply: Very true, Ellyn. Fëanáro did not leave Aman for a good reason but for selfish reasons that only got himself and a lot of people killed, including all but one of his sons. Glad you liked the chapter. I don't think anyone is looking forward to the Alqualondë chapter, but it's coming eventually. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it greatly.

FantasiaReviewed Chapter: 60 on 3/28/2011
It seems that not all wanted to part; it will be interesting to learn what make them to change their mind. Fingon, Galadriel and her two brothers are the only ones willing so far. Poor Amarie, she will have a long wait for their reunion.

Love the mention of Namo and the starts; he was so afraid and insecure after his captivity with Melkor. That was a great story.

My only comfort is that something good came after this madness, the Numenors and their descendents one of those good things.

I wonder the shock of all the ones that stayed behind, when they learn the deeds, glorious or not, of those that left.


Author Reply: Hi Fantasia. Well we know that one-tenth of the Noldor originally remained behind, not for fear of the road or its dangers, but for love of the Valar, and I doubt they really trusted Fëanáro all that much.

Glad you liked the mention of Námo and the stars. I thought that was a fun touch and I don't think Eönwë in his distress realized what he was saying or how insulting it was. *grin*

And that is everyone's comfort, that in spite of all this madness some small good did come out of it, but it's a pity that so many had to suffer in the meantime.

Thanks for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it very much.

6336Reviewed Chapter: 60 on 3/28/2011
Poor Eonwe, I am glad that Olorin and Manwe were able to comfort him, that oath is terrible and will bring much evil and change to Aman and to Endore.
I think if the Valar try to stop Feanaro from leaving it will only reinforce his words about the elves being being thralls of the Valar.
Does Finderato go only to protect his brothers and sister, as he does not seem to be to keen at the moment, or does he go to support his father?
Huggs,
Lynda

Author Reply: Hi Lynda. Yes, poor Eönwë. Luckily he had Olórin to help him and give him strength. And you are correct that if the Valar try to stop Fëanáro they would just be playing into his hands and they don't want to do that however much it hurts them to see the Children destroy themselves.

We will see what motivates Findaráto to join in the Rebelliono some chapters down the road.

Thanks for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it very much.

ShemyazaReviewed Chapter: 60 on 3/28/2011
"We will have to see what develops," Manwë said. "It may be that once the first flush of enthusiasm passes, cooler council will prevail and the Noldor will come to their senses."

Oh dear oh Lord....Poor old Manwe...ain't gonna happens hun! You are going in the direction that I would have gone with in this story. At least Ingwe has recognised the truth of the matter with Feanor and the oath. It was done deliberately, but I have a feeling it was fulminating around in that fevered brain of his ever since the death of Finwe and the theft of the jewels. I think the actual madness only really hits properly when Olwe refuses to give him the ships; that is the point of no return for Feanor and for everyone else in Valinor as it happens. At the moment while he's plotting it is still a kind of insanity but a rational form, if it could be called that. Look at other dictators in the real world, nobody is going to tell me that they were sane while they were calmly plotting the demis of millions.

Interesting little vignette between Amarie and Findarato though. The seeds of the dissent between the two love-birds is being sown. Nothing much is said in Tolkien's work about how Amarie never came to follow Findarato but they do make it up and marry after his return to life in Valinor. However I imagine that Amarie would not have been pleased that her betrothed followed the others to Middle-earth. That wasn't in her plans and I would have thought that Findarato wouldn't have wanted her there, not because he didn't love her, but because he thought she was safer in Valinor...and of course he would have been right.

Nice dark little picture of the mad, bad and dangerous to know Feanorians huddled over maps in the flickering lights of the candles and plotting their next move. It reminds me a bit of the Guy Fawkes conspiracy in England a few centuries ago!

Eonwe...poor soul...gets the sticky end of the wicket every time. Still I doubt that Feanor's oath was any worse than anything he has heard in modern times! ;) I can't help thinking that Manwe's words of reassurance about not every oath being held to wouldn't really reassure him much. He probably ended up thinking "Well why am I bothering then?"

Ingwe must be feeling dreadful, leaving the remaining Noldor to stew in Feanor's juice, but he needs to get home tout de suite!

Author Reply: Hi Shemyaza. So, great minds think alike, is that it? *LOL* Actually, I'm glad you approve of how I've been handling this material. It's not been easily and I've had to think long and hard to decide just how various characters would react to the situation. So, Manwë is still a bit naive about it all and Ingwë is only just wising up to the reality of what is happening.

We will see in subsequent chapters what happens to Amarië and how it is she could end up feeling the way she did when she had her little 'talk' with Námo in Elf, Interrupted 1. All I will say is that this will not Findaráto finest hour by a long chalk.

Eönwë probably does wonder at times what the point of it all is, but he has faith in Atar that all will be revealed in its proper time and that his duties will be justified and his steadfast devotin to his duties will be rewarded.

Glad you liked the end where we see the Fëanoreans in their little cabal. I thought it was an interesting scene myself and a good contrast between them plotting and everyone else reeling from the effects of the Oath.

We will see how Ingwë fares once he leaves Tirion soon enough. It may not be what you expected.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read and review. I appreciate it very much.

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