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Before the Battle  by Ellynn 6 Review(s)
AldwenReviewed Chapter: Prologue on 10/25/2023
Great twist and perspective! To contribute to the cause... regardless of the side one is fighting on.

Author Reply: Thanks dear!
I like to play with twists :)))

demeter dReviewed Chapter: Prologue on 9/26/2023
I found that old story! I had the author on my favorites list. Author is Chris, from this site. The story is "Groth Mor". It was published on 11/2/2004 as an All-Hallows-Eve horror story. I thought the author kept the mystery going until the last line. Enjoy!


Author Reply: Thank you! :)))

LarnerReviewed Chapter: Prologue on 9/23/2023
In the book what Faramir wonders aloud are actually being thought by Sam. It was well done that PJ managed to get those thoughts into the dialogue as they look on the body of the fallen Southron warrior.

Author Reply: Yep, I love that moment and those lines.

LarnerReviewed Chapter: Prologue on 9/23/2023
Am uncertain as to which race this warrior is from, but I suspect he's right that he'll most likely not survive the battle. Was rather surprised he even now realizes he's not that well up on the histories of his Master's previous battles and strategems in his ongoing attempts to take over all rule of all of Middle-earth. He will probably learn soon that having the more powerful army isn't always the right strategy to gain the victory.

Author Reply: It is an orc, and the idea to show things from the perspective of "the other side" was fun and attractive.

shireboundReviewed Chapter: Prologue on 9/3/2023
You totally fooled me! Well done, and well written.

Author Reply: thank you! 😊

demeter dReviewed Chapter: Prologue on 9/3/2023
Oooooohhhhh Hoooooo! You had me right up until 'the walls of the city of men'! The voice of the young soldier, his view of history, sounds like any war in history; young people are encouraged to go to war with tales of the demon "other".
In fact, it sounds much like the description of the education of Boromir, son of Denethor. He preferred tales of battles and weapons training to any other school subject. I have long thought that if he and Faramir had both survived the War of the Ring, Boromir as Ruling Steward would have had to depend on his brother for peacetime negotiating! I would have to look through my lists of favorites to find it, but I recall a several year old story here showing a mother trying to hide her daughter from invaders, only to find out it was not a Greenwood elf mother, but a Mirkwood Spider mother hiding from the elves! I believe that Obi-Wan from another set of stories had a good point; everything depends very much on one's point of view! I am not a huge fan of what P.J. did to Faramir's character, but I do awfully like the scene in Ithilien where the very young Haradrim soldier has fallen off the oliphant right in front of Frodo and Sam. David Wenham very effectively speculates on whether the young man had been threatened or lied to to get him to leave his home to go to war. Of course, we know what the young Orc soldier does not, about the effect of the coming battle on his way of life! Very well done.

Author Reply: Thank you so much!

In the beginning of my fanfiction-life (I don't know a better word to call it, but you understand what I mean ;) ), I stumbled upon some ficlets/short stories with very clever and funny plot-twists in the end, and as the time passed, I wondered - hm, could I do something like that? And I did, I wrote several stories with a surprise in the end :))) It is so funny to write them! :)))

Yes, the detal with young Haradrim is a good one.

Wow, I love this idea about invaders in Mirkwood and spider-plot twist! If you ever find it again, please send me a link. ;)

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