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| To Rescue a Damsel by Lindelea | 44 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Lady Forlong | Reviewed Chapter: Author's Notes on 3/9/2025 |
| I love the way you weave in the original story of Frodo and Sam's adventures, and the way it's remembered and told to the next generation of hobbits, as well it should be. And to answer your question, I vote for author's notes at the end of each chapter, when it's still fresh in the reader's mind, and the last chapter being the end of the story instead of just notes. But I don't mind it either way, as long as I get to read the story, because your stories are so good :) Author Reply: I'm so glad you enjoyed the story! And thank you for your vote! (And many thanks for your encouragement. I really appreciate it.) | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 3/2/2025 |
| 'And this,' he said, 'this is the promise. It's what we can look forward to becoming...' Beautiful. Thank you for this lovely story. Author Reply: You're very welcome! Thank you for reading, and for your wonderful comments. | |
| Leithian | Reviewed Chapter: Author's Notes on 3/2/2025 |
| Umm, notes at the end of each chapter are better, I think, as they answer a lot of questions and we can get the reference and backstory immediately (rather than pestering you in the comments as I do). Ultimately, do as is easier for you. Your work is delightful either way. Author Reply: Thank you for your input! It's very helpful. I'm also glad for your encouraging words today. | |
| Leithian | Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 3/2/2025 |
| Yippee!! Party time!! Loved those mathoms. Author Reply: Woohoo! I'm glad you loved the mathoms! Two of the not-so-wee hobbits have given me artwork in years past, treasure, indeed. Thanks! | |
| Leithian | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 3/1/2025 |
| '𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘺𝘦𝘵,' 𝘋𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘲𝘶𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘍𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘪 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘌𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘢𝘯. Our Strider, a ruffian? Oh, there must be a backstory to this. Or does he consider all Men as ruffians? I can understand that. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘺, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥, 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘶𝘮-𝘴𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘧𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦, 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳. '𝘔𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘚𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴,' 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯. '𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶.' Poor Sandy. That must've been awkward lol. This chapter was so sweet, I loved it. But are you sure you didn't add some sugar and chocolate to the batter? Thanks for the reading list. Yes now I have enough to occupy me for some time. Oh, and dear Lindelea, I haven't any discipline either. I click on a title thinking that I'll read only a couple of chapters or so and then don't stop till the end. Author Reply: LOL, Sandy is very professional and discreet! He understands how difficult it is for people in such positions to find private moments. They're surrounded by servants not because they seek to be served or because they inherited wealth but because servants free up their time to deal with all the demands they face in trying to watch over a multitude of others and do what's best for everyone. Therefore, he fiercely guards their privacy, in part because he loves them like family and in part because he knows they're giving their all for the good of Shire-folk. It's always fun to catch a glimpse into these playful moments. (grin) I usually aim to write such scenes on two levels simultaneously so that readers can take away what they wish. A straight reading should yield a "G" or "PG" experience, while those who wish can use their imagination to approach an "R" rating. I hit on this stylistic technique when I was teaching writing classes for children and teens, some of whom were aware of my fanfiction. As Anne of Green Gables might have said, kindred spirits! I can't tell you how many nights I started out with a chapter at bedtime and ended up reading to the end of the story. Author Reply: p.s. At this point in his life, Ferdi has interacted with the worst of Men: Lotho's (and then Sharkey's) ruffians, and then later, the rogue Men who entered the Shire in defiance of the King's edict, trying to steal the Thain's gold. Ferdi's view of Men is an ongoing joke amongst his cousins. When the topic of Men comes up, he says under his breath, "Ruffians, all." Then a cousin teases him, saying, "All Men are ruffians, eh, Ferdi?" And insulted, he replies, "I never said that!" Which is true, strictly speaking. Not in so many words, anyhow. In contrast, among the Tooks, his cousin Hildibold comes to appreciate Elessar, and his cousin Tolibold actually has friends who are Men (as told in "One Who Sticks Closer Than a Brother"), and Reginard sees Men in black-and-white terms: Kingsmen are good and all other Men are evil until proved otherwise. And, of course, Pippin counts certain Men among his friends, which is inexplicable to Ferdi, at least before he travels to Gondor with one of Elessar's kinsmen. Even later in his life, he becomes fast friends with a former ruffian, upending his world. After he gets to know Elessar better, the stubborn hobbit still won't admit the Man isn't a ruffian but insists he hasn't made up his mind yet, even when he's grown comfortable in Elessar's company. | |
| PSW | Reviewed Chapter: Author's Notes on 3/1/2025 |
| Um … I just finished Jewels (or what there is posted of it). Really enjoyed it, though you left poor Pip in kind of a bad place. I hope you get back to it at some point, but either way I much enjoyed it! Author Reply: Oh, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed what is there. I've been working away at the beta notes for the last part of the story since you first mentioned you were reading it, and now that I've finished publishing two of the WIPs I've been posting, there's room to start posting the rest of the edited chapters of that one. Thanks for reminding me! | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 3/1/2025 |
| The children -- ALL of them -- will never forget this. O yes, bring on the party! Author Reply: Woohoo! Party time! Where's the confetti? O there it is... The drinks are poured, the teapots are costed for those who prefer tea, and the platters are absolutely groaning with hobbit-approved food. Final chapter is posted. Let's celebrate! (((hugs))) Author Reply: "costed" should be "cosied"! Silly autocorrect! Author Reply: (Well, for technical reasons, I broke up the last chapter into two pieces, but the last bit of the story is posted anyhow.) | |
| Leithian | Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 3/1/2025 |
| Oh Lindelea! These 2 chapters had me completely on edge, and there were so many times when I held my breath waiting for the Doom to be pronounced. Thankfully, the affair wrapped itself up, with little consequences, but I think that none of the youngsters will try to make mischief for a long time now. '𝘛𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘥... 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘜𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘍𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘪...' 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴. '𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥-𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦.' OMG... I see now what you meant by 'character-building experiences'. Poor hobbits! Believe me, after reading this, I was more worried for the consequences for the adults, rather than the children. Eagerly awaiting Farry's birthday! Thanks for the explanation on Ferdi and Rudi's backstory. Are there any of your stories about the Troubles, and/or Ferdi's relationship with Nell? Thanks in advance, Take care Author Reply: It's too true that these chapters were not as fluffy as the ones that came before, but they were necessary to ensure there were no plot holes in the story. At least, it seemed to be the right thing to include them. I can tell you that Faramir certainly straightened up after the previous incident, when he had his own "ripples in the pond" awakening. So it's quite likely that the young hobbits in that room will stick to minor mischief going forward, pranks and jokes and such (for the Professor did mention that hobbits are fond of such things). And Pippin has been learning to keep his temper and look before he leaps for some years now, so there's much hope for him, I should say. Let me offer the following list of titles that fit your question, all of which are in my list of stories on SoA. Some stories are long (having many chapters, but all the early stories have short chapters of about 1000-1500 words because our dial-up connection balked at files that were any larger), and some are short, so that you can plan any reading you might do based on the time you have available. (For my part, in those early days, and even now, I typically read a chapter or two, at most, per day per story I'm reading. That way, I avoid the temptation to stay up half the night reading a gripping tale. Basically, I either have much self-discipline, or none at all.) Some of the longer works in the list are complete, and some are in progress but due to be updated a chapter at a time to the end since I've been writing chapters for numerous stories every week (hoorah for a sudden wealth of free time!); in fact, some of my WIPs are already complete on my hard drive, but I'm only posting chapters to a few stories each week since I have to edit them before posting. Hopefully that's not TMI. I hope the list isn't daunting! It does give you a wide choice of reading matter, depending on what you're wanting in a quiet moment. Multi-chapter stories that center around the Troubles: Flames (A very early story about Ferdi during and after the Troubles; ends with Ferdi and Nell's wedding) The Rebel ("Fatty" Bolger and Lobelia Sackville-Baggins in the Lockholes) One Who Sticks Closer Than a Brother (a flashback storyline includes Tolibold's experiences in the Troubles) The Proposition (Ferdi asks his sister to take on a dangerous mission) The Rescue (Ferdi escorts Estella Bolger to safety in the free Tookland) The Farmer's Son (follows an alternate timeline where Paladin is not soured by becoming Thain) Honour (post-Quest, but focuses on the Battle of Bywater) Other multi-chapter stories where Ferdi and Nell's love is an influential plot point: While There's Breath... Where the Merlin Cries Truth A Comedy of Merrys On Solid Ground And short stories (found in the collection "This and That"): The 25th of March, S.R. 2019, The Woody End They Also Serve Sheepdog Trials March 25th, S.R. 2019, The Great Smials Something to Be Thankful For (Frodo and Sam during the Scouring of the Shire) And drabbles: (found in the collection "Drabbles"): March 25 SR 1419 (Rosie Cotton) The Battle of Bywater The Battle of Bywater, afterwords The Return ...and the sound of a battered heart, beating (set during the Scouring of the Shire) Gathering and Sharing Seeds of friendship sown (Ferdi tells Elanor Gamgee about his lost love) Eleni sílar antalyannar! (Ferdi is missing Nell while escorting Farry to Gondor) Remembering the Departed As Long as Hope Remains Author Reply: Two other multi-chapter stories just crossed my mind, including "A Matter of Appearances", which has quite a lot about Ferdi and Nell, as well as a very young Faramir coping with murderous ruffians. However, the story is more violent and disturbing than I usually write (because it was a birthday present and written on request, which gave the birthday person a certain amount of power in suggesting scenes to include). Still, I think it turned out to be a powerful exploration of choice and character, as well as courage, and the result is probably a better story than I ever could have imagined it would be. It definitely stretched me way beyond my comfort zone. The second story, which like "A Matter of Appearances" also has a disturbing ruffian, making it darker in tone than most of my writing, is "As the Gentle Rain". This story explores the themes of good and evil, as well as justice and mercy. It was interesting to take the "ruffian" stereotype and turn it on its head, in a manner of speaking. Anyhow, now you've got enough reading material to last you a long time, along with the other excellent fanfic that's out there. Author Reply: (Forgot to add, "As the Gentle Rain" also features Nell and Ferdi quite heavily. And now I will stop spamming you.) | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 15 on 2/28/2025 |
| He brightened at the fairly recent memory of being asked to sample various tea sandwiches and savouries, as well as biscuits and teacakes that the cooks had turned out, and give his carefully considered opinion of each. How delightful. Oh my, what a very suspenseful and grown-up experience this is for the children. Author Reply: Very suspenseful! But hopefully it'll turn out to be more educational than traumatizing. It was so much fun to think up "tasks" that Pippin and Diamond would set for their son, at his young age, as part of the long and painstaking preparation process on his journey to adulthood! Thanks for reading and stopping to leave your encouragement. Only two chapters to go! (And I just posted the next chapter after this one, so technically there's only one chapter to go. I missed my goal of posting the entire story in February by just one day. But the final chapter is ALL fluff, so that counts for something. I think.) | |
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/27/2025 |
| PLEASE NOTE that the mystery "reviewer" attacked this story today. I've left the bogus reviews in place for the site admins to take a look at, just in case this is a symptom of an attempted hack. Author Reply: Update: The plethora of false reviews have been removed. | |