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| Fear No Darkness by Thundera Tiger | 106 Review(s) |
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| Mordaen | Reviewed Chapter: 30 on 5/28/2005 |
| A Elbereth Gilthoniel! What happens next?! You are very good at cliffhangers, did you know that? Author Reply: I've been told that. Personally, I didn't think this was as big a cliffhanger as some I've done, but I understand that we're in the middle of some rather intense action. Patience! I'll get the next chapter out soon! | |
| TithenFeredir | Reviewed Chapter: 30 on 3/24/2005 |
| Oh, man. Your description of the continued battle with all the strategy involved was remarkable. You must have studied something of warfare. The fight between the Mouth of Sauron and Thranduil was excellent. The ending of this chapter was the most chilling part, with the Mouth of Sauron laughing as he died and then the darkness boiling up into that smoke. I wonder now if something also changed with Merry and Legolas at that moment. Hopefully Haldir and Orophin have already gotten them out of the cave by then so that the smoke can't smother them there. This story just keeps getting more and more exciting! ~TF Author Reply: Well, "studied" is much too strong a term. I've read a lot about battles and strategies, but I'm by no means an expert. Far from it, actually, and I'm always extremely nervous when I have to lay out battle particulars. Fortunately I've never been caught TOO far off base, so I'll take that as an encouraging sign. Glad you liked the part with Thranduil! It was one of the hardest things to write, but I felt the poor guy needed to let off some steam. | |
| TithenFeredir | Reviewed Chapter: 29 on 3/23/2005 |
| Wow, this was good. The description of Elrohir's charge and the hand-to-hand combat was excellent. You really created an authentic impression of a chaotic, dangerous situation. I really like the way you put it in Aragorn's point of view, since it combined a warrior's perspective on the battle with Aragorn's anxiety about Elrohir. This is a small thing, but I loved the difference in character between the orc-horns and those of the elves. There were some neat touches in the Haldir/Orophin part of the story. It was a neat little moment where Orophin was suddenly hit again by the effect of Rumil's death because he was no longer there to distract Haldir from his restlessness. That bit with dropping the leaf to get someone's attention was ingenious as well. Also it's very scary that they are going into the cave like that, as it is for Celeborn's recue party. The description of Merry's and Legolas' mental state was really nightmarish, though it's encouraging that they still have a little bit of memory and sense that they have connections with others of some sort, even if it feels to them that those are lost things. Great chapter! I hope your muse is operating. I'm running out of chapters! TF Author Reply: The decision to show the battle from Aragorn's perspective was something of a risk, as he wasn't actually *in* the battle for much of it. But I like the end result. It's slower and not quite as rushed as it could be, but I enjoy seeing what's happening from someone a bit more removed from events. At least for the beginning part. Orophin and Haldir have a fairly large part to play. Perhaps one of the more crucial parts, though it's not evident now just how crucial that part will be. And it's made possibly by Rumil's death, which is going to affect them throughout the rest of their role. So I'm glad it's not quite wearing thin yet. Sometimes I wonder if I'm overusing it. But it was a traumatic moment for both brothers. | |
| TithenFeredir | Reviewed Chapter: 28 on 3/20/2005 |
| I think this chapter had great tension to it, but of a different sort than previous ones. Everyone is still on edge as before, but now it seems overshadowed by pre-battle anxiety. They have found their objective and have a plan, but they are also very aware of the danger they face. It's like the quiet before the storm. I really liked Gimli's comment to the hobbits that they had the best assignment, relatively out of harm's way. That seems like something an experienced warrior would really say. This was good. On to the battle... TF Author Reply: I'm glad the tension evolved somewhat. I dragged far too much out during the last few chapters, and the only saving grace was my hope that the tension didn't stay constant. I wanted it to mutate into different forms of fear. So your comments were very reassuring. I still need to do some drastic revisions, but that probably won't happen for a while. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the battle. It does get underway, though it's also a bit drawn out. | |
| TithenFeredir | Reviewed Chapter: 27 on 3/17/2005 |
| "He did not know how his foster brother did it, but somehow, Elrohir managed to give the perception of motionless shock without breaking stride. It was rather impressive, actually, and had circumstances been different, Aragorn would have tried to startle Elrohir into doing it again." This just cracked me up! It looks like an occupational hazard associated with having a Man for a foster brother---he messes with you. LOL! That said, there are some interesting and disturbing developments in this chapter. I'm wondering if Elladan's strange visions are a device of the enemy or some sort of connection to Legolas. Since Haldir and Orophin have found the cliffside entrance to the cave, Elladan's impressions have some accuracy, but the uncertain souce makes it worrisome. I wonder if the main force are sniffing at the wrong orc-hole, if Haldir and Orophin are in really big trouble and if Elladan will pay a price for his visions. I wonder even more how you find the threads to weave into an intricate plot like this. It's just amazing. TF Author Reply: Glad you liked that line! It was one of my favorites from the chapter. As for Elladan's "visions" or whatever they might be, you're on the right track in some of your suspicions but a little off in others. Hopefully more things will be explained in subsequent chapters, but Elladan's impressions will play a role soon. | |
| TithenFeredir | Reviewed Chapter: 26 on 3/16/2005 |
| The part with Rosie and Arwen in the Hall of fire conjured up a real feeling of quiet and melancholy; it felt sort of like the eye of the storm they're all in. The discussion of elven memory and sorrow sort of lingering in that place was lovely. As for the rest of the chapter, it looks like you are moving all the players into place for a confrontation soon. TF Author Reply: I've always been fascinated by the Hall of Fire. I haven't been able to play with it a lot during this fic, but the few times it has come up, I've really enjoyed it. | |
| TithenFeredir | Reviewed Chapter: 25 on 3/15/2005 |
| Oooo, where do I begin? It was neat the way you had the Mouth of Sauron sort of tenderly smooth the creases from Legolas' brow, the only outward evidence of his inwardly chaotic and traumatized state. The comparison of elvish complexity and a hobbit's simple toughness was intriguing, as was the way their strengths were in the end used to defeat them. I can't wait to see to what use the MoS puts them. BTW, I admire the way you juggled your various terms for the Mouth of Sauron. That had to be difficult, but it worked well. Too bad he didn't have a regular name like Bob or Fred or something, LOL! Orophin's internal dialogue was simultaneously sad and frightening, to see how the darkness wove into his grief to create such delusional thinking. Then to have him and Haldir exchange such hurtful words, Orophin in his grieving rage and Haldir trying to snap him out of it. It was an excellent emotional crescendo before you broke the dam and let them grieve together. Powerful stuff! TF Author Reply: Well, Bob/Fred/Man-Who-Was-Not-Quite-A-Man definitely made narrative work a challenge. He taught me that it was okay to fall back on pronouns now and again, something I've never been very comfortable doing. As for Legolas and Merry, it was stated several times in LotR just how different hobbits were from the rest of the group, and I thought I'd drag that in here, too. It's going to affect how Merry and Legolas ultimately get over this, because they'll have very different reactions and motivations once they get back to Rivendell. As for Orophin and Haldir, I'm glad you liked that scene as it was one of the most difficult I've ever had to write. Orophin proved harder to provoke than I first anticipated, and both Haldir and I seemed reluctant to push him. It was an interesting section, but I'm very grateful that you enjoyed it. Thanks for the review! | |
| TithenFeredir | Reviewed Chapter: 24 on 3/8/2005 |
| A broken body and a mind devoid of all hope...and the purpose to turn Merry and Legolas into something similar to an orc. You create sonme real foreboding in that. It's good that the four groups have at last devised a plan of sorts, but the tension is still getting thicker all the time. I really liked the battle of wills between Thranduil and Celeborn...I imagine the air crackled around them! I'm hoping that you are going to write Mery and Legolas' healing after this is over! TF Author Reply: I had great fun putting Celeborn and Thranduil...well, not at odds, but not entirely on the same side of the issue. They're very similar in many respects, but they're also worlds apart, so it's itneresting to see where they stand with one another. At least, I think so. Not all of that came out in the chapter, but it was fun to explore for me. | |
| TithenFeredir | Reviewed Chapter: 23 on 3/8/2005 |
| Wow. It was good the way Haldir came to his senses. The bit about Orophin trembling like a human was a neat way to convey the extremity of his distress. I really like the way you are handling Thranduil. He is wise enough to set aside his prejudices in light of new information and has the self-control to be patient when the circumstances demand it in spite of his urgency to rescue Legolas. The stuff about Legolas and Merry was hard to read. Surely Merry is under the influence of another mind. Surely he didn't REALLY stab Legolas! Say it ain't so! TF Author Reply: Thranduil has been very much a work in progress throughout the fic, but at this point, he's starting to come into his own. The funny thing is, though, that there's really not a significant difference between Thranduil here and Thranduil earlier. He's a bit more patient now that time has passed and the initial shock has worn off, but by and large, he's still the same Thranduil. It's everyone else who's starting to lose it, which I was hoping would show just how composed and calm Thranduil could be. (He lets it all loose in Chapter 30, but that's later.) As for Legolas and Merry, that section was hard to write, but I think it turned out in the end. Thanks for the comments! | |
| TithenFeredir | Reviewed Chapter: 22 on 3/5/2005 |
| Hmmm, a lot happening in this chapter. I felt for Elrohir and the stirring memories of Celebrian. And poor Haldir...he has surely gone looking for Orophin. Loved the comments about personal hygiene between Aragorn and Elrohir. The tension is really getting thick. Good chapter! TF Author Reply: Many thanks! I tried to lighten the tone a bit with some of the dialogue between Aragorn and Elrohir, but I didn't want to lighten it too much because the tension is what should be driving the story at this point. Who knows if it actually worked... :) | |