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| Truce by meckinock | 89 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| grumpy | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/20/2007 |
| Oh joy, oh joy, another story by you. You have made my day, and I have taken my time reading and enjoying the first chapter. Poor Denethor, he has his problems, and not all brought on by the ale he drank last night. Must have gauled him to left so many glasses in Thorongil's name. Plus he has lady troubles too. Meanwhile Thorongil (Aka Aragorn), has taken to flying off of cliffs. Maybe it is the water down below that holds the attraction for him. Felt in need of a drink or a bath. Looking forward to more. Author Reply: Grumpy! You always make my day. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Poor Denethor, yeah. Not only does he have a hangover; he got it from drinking toasts to Thorongil LOL. Re the clifff: I don't know if Aragorn EVER wanted a bath that badly... | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/20/2007 |
| Poor Denethor. The idea of the golden boy turning up and winning everybody's love and admiration is much sadder when you see it from Denethor's side of the fence. And especially so when you see him fearing that the one heart that matters to him most - his father's - is being offered to Thorongil. And I love the way he is up to all the twists and turns that might follow his deciding to leave the dilatory Thorongil out there in the field to enjoy Mettare in the mud. Maybe he's just a little too aware of all the potential political ramifications - but then again, maybe he has reason. On the other hand, I rather hope that he is at least a bit concerned about his relationship with his future wife! And that he is slowing down enough to allow himself to be caught. Especially if he is about to feel the weight of Dol Amroth's wrath towards one toying with the loyalties of its princess! Turgon is a little - direct, I think, for Denethor's taste. But if he's in the family, he's in the family! (I wonder if he manages to be a good deal more suave and charming with the ladies. Not at all impossible.) But action-Denethor! Riding off to the rescue and helping save unhygienic slaves - and shadows of another cliff-top adventure! I hope Thorongil isn't down the bottom of the drop being snogged by another horse. (Although that was the best part of that interlude by far!) Loved this. And, what is more, was very pleased to see the 'in progress' tag! I'm looking forward to furthering my acquaintance with pre-Palantir Denethor! Author Reply: "Poor Denethor" really sums it up. I really think part of his downfall is that he was so good at thinking and analyzing five steps ahead, he became addicted to knowledge - thus the attraction of the Palantir. He's very like Saruman, in that way. On the other hand I do think he's concerned about Finduilas - beyond the Dol Amroth war party making its way to Minas Tirith :-) I hope Thorongil isn't down the bottom of the drop being snogged by another horse. (Although that was the best part of that interlude by far!) LOL. I did enjoy that, too. Thorongil's horse is a bit past snogging at the moment, though -perhaps he can settle for a turtle. Thanks, Bodkin. | |
| jack bauer | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/19/2007 |
| A new Meckinock story. I just might die of happiness. (Yes, this review served major constructive criticism, noteworthy praise, and otherwise useful feedback purposes, I know.) Author Reply: I might just die of flattery. Thank you so much, and all the concrit and useful feedback is duly noted :-) | |
| Linda Hoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/19/2007 |
| What a treat to find a new story from you. Great writing,I felt as if I were there and you have me worried about Aragorn. Author Reply: Thank you so much, Linda. It is a treat for me that you enjoyed it. | |
| Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/19/2007 | |
| A new story! By yoooooouuu! *does a dance* I believe that adequately sums up my feelings at the moment. Author Reply: I think the closest approximation of my reaction to this is *stares at screen, grinning stupidly.* I deeply appreciate all reviews, and the long, thoughtful, detailed ones are special and treasured in their own way, but you make me feel like I just got one of those little paper Valentines like you used to get in grade school. And I haven't gotten one of those in a long time. | |
| Nienor Niniel | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/19/2007 |
| Oh, this is a great start! It's always interesting to see a young Denethor, and yours seems to have developed the character traits he has later, but not that harshly - it's like a glimpse of who he might have been without the Palantir. And he was brought to marrying like that? Who'd have thought... The relationship between Denethor and Thorongil seems to be quite complex, so I'm looking forward to see how this develops in the story - surely Denethor has no other option than to go looking for Thorongil, although it must be bothersome to have to save someone you don't like. A very good beginning! Take care, Eva Author Reply: Thanks, Eva. Denethor is one of the most interesting characters in LOTR, I think. Once I started poking at him, I just couldn't stop :-) My take on his courtship of Finduilas is necessarily speculative, but I think it fits with my picture of his personality and it fits my plot, and it sounded fun. While I do think Denethor was initially annoyed to have to go after Thorongil because it ruined his plans, he was all business once it was clear that there was serious danger. Thorongil was a captain of Gondor and that's all that mattered. | |
| Thundera Tiger | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/18/2007 |
| *slinks in furtively* Yes, yes, I'm a horrible reviewer. Atrocious, really. And you more than deserve reviews for the absolute brilliance that was "A Matter of Honor." Unfortunately, I don't see me coming through with those in the near future, so hopefully I can keep up with this one and call it...truce? (Pun partially intended.) Anyway, once again, we set off on another adventure, and I'm very intrigued to see your portrayal of Denethor. He's not unlike other characterizations I've seen, but at the same time, there's a...a twist, if you will. Something that is very much Meckinock in flavor. Kind of a subtle, dark humor, except that it's almost too wry to be called humor. Perhaps more along the lines of cynicism, though I'm not sure it even extends that far. Regardless, I've completely fallen in love with your version of Denethor. And even more than that, I've completely fallen in love with the way everyone interacts with him. In one short chapter, you've set up quite the beaurocracy. There's the terrified messenger boy, the various captains with their varying levels of respect, fear, and obedience, and the completely irreverent Turgon, whom I am anxious to get to know better. He had me smiling. And of course there's Thorongil, who doesn't even make an appearance in this chapter but is nevertheless a very strong presence. In fact, I would say this chapter had almost as much characterization of him (through Denethor's eyes at least) as it did of those who WERE in the chapter. Through some very clever narration, you've painted a remarkably complete picture of Gondor's political scene, the major powers, and the situation with Mordor. And here, I have to make many bows to your ability as a writer, because all of this is conveyed with a combination of dialogue, inner musings, and flatout narrative. The balance between the three prevents the exposition from ever feeling like exposition. In fact, it felt as if the story was moving throughout the chapter, which it certainly was at the end. But even in the beginning, there was a feeling of action. Speaking of action, loved the build you put together for the latter half of the chapter. The mood shifts were gradual but steady, and by the end, the tension you had going was brilliant. Excellent pacing went a long to helping that, as did battle details that came out of various soldiers found along the way. It established a way for you to back sell the action without making it seem contrived. In fact, at times it felt almost like a mystery, which made the latter half of the chapter very enjoyable thematically. And now this means I must anxiously await the next chapter, so I shall do so and hope for the appearance of Thorongil. I'm most anxious to see him interact with Denethor, especially given the way you've set up their personalities. So hats off to you for yet another promising venture, and I'll try to keep up on my reviewing duties! Author Reply: Truce - LOL. Don't worry; I won't make you sign a three-chapter contract or anything. Drop in and out as you please. Wow, I've never seen myself used as an adjective before. I think I could be insanely flattered by that, even if it does mean I'm admitting to being twisted. I hadn't tried to quantify my take on Denethor but something subtle and dark that's too wry to be humor but not quite cynicism yet nails it pretty well. I found myself liking him very much so it's nice to hear he has that effect on others as well. Thank you also for your comments about the various character interactions and backstory set-up. Bureaucracy, regrettably, comes naturally to me :-) but once I committed to using Denethor's POV exclusively, which really appealed to me, exposition overload was a very real threat. If I avoided taking that bullet between the eyes, I'm grateful. Thanks for reviewing! | |
| The Karenator | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/18/2007 |
| Wow! I've spent all afternoon trying to find that blasted dog. When I finally located the lazy hound, he was laid out in front of the fireplace, all warm and toasty. He informed me he does not know squat about Gondor; he's a Dunedain Dog. No need to explain sunken continents and scattered kin to a pooped pup. So, I dangled Aragorn's precarious position in front of him. He snorted a curious sound somewhere between a snore and disgust. "Aragorn doesn't need my help or the flat-foot's. That Meckinock has been trying to throw Aragorn over a cliff since I've known her. Let her get wet rescuing the chief." I'm really sorry. I planned to call the pound in the morning to see if they have any available...rooms, but I can't seem to find the phone. There are paw prints, however, on the base unit. Muddy ones. Hmmmm. Danielle Spaniel offered to say a few words, but every time I mentioned Aragorn, she fell down and rolled over. Sir Percy has a speaking engagement at the Pink Poodle. I'm afraid I'm all that's left. Denethor has gotten such a bad rap. PJ really didn't do him justice. Of course, by the time the camera was turned in Denethor's direction, he had already frayed a little around the edges. I love your portrayal of him in his younger years. He's a little grumpy, but he's obviously a good captain-general and probably commands more affection from his men than he realizes. The men are soldiers of Gondor and I need not own their hearts to command their allegiance. Great line. But it's hard to compete with Thorongil's shine. Everyone looks slightly tarnished next to him. And Denethor suspects there's more to the wandering Captain Thorongil than meets the eye. You've really given Denethor depth, a complex personality, and a complex situation. There is only one heart that I refuse to cede to Thorongil – the Steward’s.” I didn't get the feeling Denethor was thinking about being usurped for the Steward's chair when he made that statement, though I'm sure he had some niggling worries that Aragorn was eyeing his spot. My thought was Denethor was a little hurt that his father was so captivated with Thorongil. His father, not the Steward. Good old Turgon is apparently a pain in the bumpus at times. But what can Denethor do but tolerate his sister's husband? The scene in the tent before they left in search of Thorongil told us a lot about their relationship. Denethor finds Turgon most annoying, but he's family. Denethor copes the best he can. “There is no time to bury him now,” Denethor said, trying to be gentle. “We will come back and do it later, if we can.” It was a fiction. I like this insight into Denethor's character too. He was also very kind to the slave. What a terrific characterization you've done with Denethor. He's likeable with just enough of the rough edges to visualize the Denethor we saw in LOTR. Really, a brilliant man. And a loyal soldier of Gondor. Plus he knows how to maneuver in the political arena! We'll see how well he does in the romance department...after we fish Thorongil out of the river. This is just wonderful, Meckinock. I've read it now several times, and with each read, I find something new. Thank you so much for doing this. I'm sure Ainu Laire is as pleased as I am. Happy birthday to Ainu Laire! I can't think of a better present to share with her and with all the readers. It's a win-win situation. Thanks again, Karen Author Reply: That Meckinock has been trying to throw Aragorn over a cliff since I've known her. LOLOL. But I restrained myself for over three years - I get credit for that, don't I? I like your observation that Denethor was probably better-liked by the troops than he realized. I think that's probably true, and his belief that the men didn't love him turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy. It would be like Denethor, I think, to decide that if he couldn't win the competition, he wouldn't play at all. If he was going to be second-best in the men's eyes, well, screw the men. But his father was a different story. Denethor finds Turgon most annoying, but he's family. Denethor copes the best he can. LOL. Only a Southerner could put it so well! I'm glad you like Denethor. This is my first outing with him, and we're still getting to know one another :-) | |
| perelleth | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/18/2007 |
| What most impresses me of your stories (apart form great plots and masterful charactrizations)is the great pace. There is a feeling of movement from the very first paragraph, and I can very well feel the freezing cold of that morning. I had never before read a fic about Denethor's youth, but I'm liking your portray here very much. Uneasy with the captain's growing influence in a field that was his own, yet fair enough to see all things involved. I liked his reasoning of the consequences of leaving Thorongil behind. Practical, realistic assessment of the situation and the implications. And yet fair enough to begin pondering, once he has calmed down. Human, as he must have been once. IN my opnion, you nailed him down here: "The men would follow you anywhere. They would die for you.” and Denethor's answer: “But no matter. The men are soldiers of Gondor and I need not own their hearts to command their allegiance" Knowing that he could not challenge Thorongil's popularity, he chose the other point, not caring if he had or not his men's love. That surely led him slowly but steadily into isolation and into trusting only his own counsel. And still they obeyed him till the bitter end. He was indeed powerful, and wise, but he somewhat froze in his pride at a certain point. I like how it came out here. Author Reply: Tolkien put so much great stuff in the appendices. Reading the section on Denethor just gives me chills. Here is a guy who's essentially Thorongil's alter ego - but with slightly less "it" and considerably more pride and ambition. He wanted to be a hero and save the world; or at least his corner of it. It just wasn't ordained for him. Knowing Tolkien's religious beliefs, it seems kind of biblical- Aragorn humbled himself and was raised up, while Denethor exalted himself and was cast down. You have to feel like poor Denethor was set up a bit, though. I think you're right, telling himself he didn't care if he was loved isolated him and embittered him. Although losing his wife probably changed him, also. frozen in pride what a chilling image (npi). Glad you enjoyed it, Perelleth, and for sharing your insights. | |
| Nilmandra | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/18/2007 |
| I like that you're in Denethor's POV - Denethor is such a complex character, it is interesting to see the world through his eyes. Everything is a competition, his life is ordered military style with campaigns, sides, orders that must be followed and agendas to complete. His views on Finduilias are rather funny, but I hope we get to see him interact with her! And of course the best part is seeing Thorongil through Denethor's eyes. And the impression of the men. And of course Thorongil wouldn't let the orcs just get away with the slaves, no matter who they are. I am so glad you're writing again. This looks like it will be a great story. Author Reply: He is so complex, isn't he? I'm really digging being in his POV, and you're right about the competition and order. I think he saw his life all laid out, and he did everything right and according to plan, and he really got rattled when unexpected monkey wrenches got thrown at him - like Thorongil. Or marriage pressures... Thanks | |