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| In Darkness Buried Deep by GamgeeFest | 138 Review(s) |
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| Grey Wonderer | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/6/2005 |
| I love this one! I love the bit where Frodo is playing with the spider. (Shelob will get revenge later.) I love how pleased Saradoc is when Frodo mentions running in the race and training. I love Esmeralda's stern reaction to Gil's confession. I love the fact that Frodo knows who fancies who when the older lads have completely missed the signs. I loved the spooky story of the Took lad who died a year after going into the Old Forest! (Nice little Urban legend, Shire-style.) I can't wait to see what's going to happen next! Author Reply: Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed this! *grins* Spider/Shelob - look for that to come up again later. :) Saradoc has been waiting for a long time for Frodo to show interest in something, and that Frodo has picked something that Saradoc once participated in understandably elated him. Esmeralda is a bit of a mama bear when it comes to her charges. She's not one you want to cross! (Must be that Took blood ~_^ ) Frodo's very observant and more than a bit intuitive. He notices things others overlook, and of course the older lads aren't paying attention to *anything* lol. There are a lot of urban legends in this one it seems. | |
| TheHobbitWaffle | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/6/2005 |
| What is Frodo up to? Hmmm, the lad certainly can be tricky! You so a great job with the OC's, they are very believable. Another great chapter. As Rena said, I can never get used to people calling him Sara. That's my name, exactly the way I spell it. So weird. Author Reply: Well, Frodo was originally up to nothing more than what he told Saradoc. But that little brain of his is ticking now and that's not necessarily a good thing. :) Tricky indeed. Where do you think Merry learned it from? lol It's always odd for me to see my name in stories or hear it on tv shows or movies. It is weird. :) | |
| Dreamflower | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/6/2005 |
| I love the beginning of this, and Sara's delight at the thought of Frodo coming out of his melancholy, and then Esme jumping to his defense and scolding Gil, although it might have been better for Gil if he had caught up with Frodo and made his apology. The idea of maintenance on the High Hay is a good one--it makes sense, and would explain why there is a gate, and why Brandybucks would be going in. And I loved your tale of Hildigard, and your explanation of how he died young. Frodo is such a dear at this age. I love the way he has noticed the other lass who seems to like Edon. And somehow I get the feeling that Frodo is going to escape the vigilance of the Bounders...(well, of course he is, you said so in the summary...) *grin* Author Reply: Saradoc and Esme have been hoping for Frodo to improve for so long, that Saradoc jumped at the first possible sign that it was happening. As such, he didn't stop to wonder about *why* Frodo suddenly wants to be more active. He would have been wise to insist that Frodo wait for him before going off to the field, but his elation clouded his judgment temporarily. Esme is just as much a mama bear as any other mother. She has come to consider Frodo as one of her own and she isn't about to stand by and let someone get away with saying such things to Frodo. Yes, Gil would have been better off if he had gone after Frodo, but he had his reasons for staying and talking to Esme. First, she could have been pretending that she didn't know what had happened the day before. Gil has reasons for believing people would be suspicious of him and try to catch him in a lie, though of course Esme isn't like that. And if Frodo didn't tell her, it would only be a matter of time before someone else did. So, he told her the truth up front. Hildigard came in quite handy in building the legend surrounding the forest. Merry might be flippant about it, but the other hobbits of Buckland rightly feared the forest. The book mentions that gardeners constantly tended the Hedge and that's why it grew so high. They would have to tend the other side also, if they didn't want that side to grow wild and heavy, possibly causing part of the Hedge to collapse. Frodo is the sweetest scamp and scoundrel that ever there was. :) Children tend to be more observant than older people, even tweens, and Frodo has the bonus of being intuitive and compassionate. He would have noticed Piper's starring and what it meant. Frodo? Get past the Bounders? *grins* | |
| RenaissanceGrrl | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/6/2005 |
| Teeheehee, wee!Frodo's more of a scamp than Merry and Pip ever were. Piper indeed. I don't like Gil. Is that going to change? Author Reply: I've always considered Frodo as a bigger scamp than his younger cousins. Of course, we all know, from Farmer Maggot, that Frodo used to be one of the worst scoundrels in Buckland in his younger day. Merry and Pippin have a lot to live up to. :) Children often see things us older people don't notice, especially when we're obsessing, as Edon is about Fuchsia. You don't like Gil, huh? I don't know. *Is* it going to change? ^_^ | |
| Isilhen Daegol | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/5/2005 |
| Hmmm... I really like how you can develop characters so quickly, and they're not one dimensional. It's always better when there's not a clear cut "bad" or "good" guy. I can see Edon's point, but I can also see Gil's point, and I think they're both right. And that's the way it usually works in the real world. That's what I like about your writing so much. Your characters are so real, if you disregard the fact that they're usually hobbits. Anyway, good job with this chapter. I know it took me a while to read this, but don't keep me waiting too awful long for the next chapter, or I'll have to come after you with my plastic lightsaber! Author Reply: I try to keep away from "good" and "bad" guys. Even the bad guys can have good parts about them, and vice versa. Realizing that and expanding on it can make the bad guy not only more interesting, but more realistic also. And, the "bad" guy might not necessarily be the most obvious one, unless of course, he is. :) | |
| Isilhen Daegol | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/5/2005 |
| Hmmm... An interesting start... You've done a good job with portraying Gil as an unlikeable character. And Frodo is sweet and smart as ever. OC's aren't a bad thing. Edon seems fairly nice. Good job... And I vote for the wind. Author Reply: I would say wind also, as I did almost have a strong gust of wind knock me over once. Gil is quite the bully here. His rivalry with Edon doesn't bring out the best in him. Edon can sympathize with Frodo, which is why he lets Frodo tag along. It helps that Frodo is a bit of a trouble maker, even if he is sweet and smart. | |
| RenaissanceGrrl | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/5/2005 |
| I know that Sara is the logical nickname for Saradoc and that Sarah wasn't a name in their language, but every time I read a fic where Saradoc is referred to as such, it catches me off guard. ^_^ wee!Merry! *WaFF* For some reason having the flashback in italics made me think of the little sound effect they play for flashbacks on Lost. Lol... NOW the OCs have my attention. I still don't understand the full connection between their story and Frodo's, but I'm extremely curious as to what's going to HAPPEN to them. ^_^ Author Reply: I've seen Doc used as a nickname for Saradoc, but that always brings up images of Bugs Bunny munching on a carrot for me. ^_^ As I so often do, you won't see the connection until the very end of the story, and it's not necessarily a direct connection. The OCs wound up having a story of their own to tell, and it will help Frodo later on, as Frodo's story will help theirs. Glad I have your attention though. :) | |
| RenaissanceGrrl | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/5/2005 |
| I think my favorite part thus far was the bit where it mentioned that Frodo thought of Merry as a brother. I think that relationship tends to get overlooked (even, admittedly, by me) in the light of the Frodo/Sam and Merry/Pippin friendships. (Well, okay, Merry and Pip are cousins, but you know what I mean.) Frodo is so sweet and so smart. *fights fangirlishness and leaves a REAL review* I can understand why you were nervous; it's a lot of OCs in a small amount of time, but you handled it very well--just enough characterization so that I'm interested, but not so much that it's difficult to keep track of who's who. I'm still unclear as to WHY there needs to be so many of them, but I'm sure that'll become obvious as the story unfolds. ^_^ Good beginning! Author Reply: I've always thought that Frodo, Merry and Pippin think of themselves more as brothers than cousins, and have mentioned it in previous writings. Merry especially will grow up seeing Frodo as an older brother, which will make Frodo's leaving so hard for him. The problem Frodo has is realizing his own worth and abilities. It's a problem that will plague him the rest of his life, but especially now at this time, when he's in such a vulnerable state. I'm glad this chapter didn't give you OC-overload, lol. As to why there has to be OCs, it's the same reason I stated in the prologue. A glance at the Brandybuck family tree shows that there aren't any other children close to Frodo's age. The younger ones either haven't been born yet or are toddlers and infants. The older ones, Frodo would see more as authority figures, since they are all past their coming of age. As such, Frodo wouldn't be friends with them. Hence, the need for OCs. ^_^ | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/4/2005 |
| Not a happy hobbit. It's interesting to see what most upset Frodo. And that he is struggling to conceal his emotions from those round him. He is nowhere near back to stability after his parents' deaths, whatever he might pretend. And Gil and Edon. Squaring off to each other and baying as their testosterone-poisoning takes over. What a pair of . . . of tweenagers! Author Reply: Frodo has a long way to go before he can go on with his life. Trying to hide how he feels and not talking about his fears is only making it worse for him. Esme and Saradoc notice more than they let on, but they too are struggling - with a child who doesn't truly trust them and with not really knowing how to give him the comfort he needs. They are just newly parents themselves, and the role of Frodo's guardian was rather thrust upon them. It's taking them all a long time to adjust. Those hormones! lol Though there is a lot more to Gil and Edon's rivalry that just tween horomoes run amok. :) | |
| Periantari | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/3/2005 |
| I love this story so far~ an interesting selection of names you've picked for the OFCs. ;) Gil is interesting "mean guy" of the group and what he said to Frodo was so mean in the other chapter. Nice angst in this one~ awww poor Frodo! THe part where he was about to find out and of him reminiscing about his parents was oh so sad. :( I can't wait for more... especially to see what spurns Frodo to go into the Forest. Author Reply: Hello Peri! I'm glad you're enjoying this so far. Gil did go overboard. That he realizes that speaks a lot about him, as does Edon's actions say a lot about him as well. Frodo will be having many memories plague him throughout this story, some sad, some frightening, and some happy. If he pays attention, he might learn something from them. ;) It will be awhile before Frodo disappears, and then a bit longer before we find out why. ^_^ | |