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Concerning Sam by Kara's Aunty	77 Review(s)
Elflingimp	Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 10/12/2008
I know I didn't review every chapter and I don't usually read Hobbit stories, but I loved this one and yes what did happen in that tent??? LOL! Hugs The Imp

Agape4Gondor	Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 10/11/2008
Bravo! Very nice job. I do so hope you continue writing things like this. I don't go to ff.net and so this is my first 'encounter' with your writing. I've enjoyed myself thoroughly. I do so love reading of 'new' ideas, and having poor Sam attacked by the Ring was truly a 'new' idea for me. This chapter with ARagorn continues the same vein of great writing that began at the beginning and never flagged. You did good! Thanks for sharing. Oh! And a belated welcome to SoA - one of the nicest sites on the web. Author Reply: Hello again Agape4Gondor, I am SO glad you enjoyed Concerning Sam, for the subject matter was dear to my heart and (in my opinion) needed to be shared. It has afforded me much pleasure to hear from reviewers and know that they are not only reading, but appreciating this very under-tackled subject. I hope that others may be inspired to write their own stories of Sam and the Ring, for there truly aren't enough of them and it's a subject begging to be explored in depth. Not only his encounter with the Ring, but how he lived with the Sea longing and if it affected his family adversely, how the effects of his time as Ringbearer may impact those who love him and of course, the parallels of suffering he may have shared with Frodo. So many issues that authors could really sink their teeth into.... Thank you for the compliment on my writing (blushes). That means so very much to me because I was nervous about misrepresenting the very thing I wanted so much to write. It's always nice to hear from you and thanks for the welcome onsite! SoA is indeed a great place to be! All the best to you :) Maureen.

Agape4Gondor	Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 10/11/2008
A great chapter. I loved the interaction between Sam and the Elves... and especially Merry's tirade about 'sharing' needs! Author Reply: Hello Agape4Gondor, Hobbits and Elves - don't think anyone can go far wrong there, it's such a great mixture! Penning Merry's tirade was very cathartic. There's nothing worse than someone you love not unburdening themselves when they're in trouble, it makes us feel powerless to ease their pain and angry when they get into serious bother that could have been avoided. Sam needed to realise this and Merry was the perfect person to show him the error of his ways! See you soon :) Maureen

Antane	Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 10/11/2008
You are thanking me for all those reviews, and I do thank you for that, but it's really me and all of us who should be thanking you for such a wonderful tale! More, more!! Harthad Uluithiad indeed - the Ring doesn't have a chance! The Enemy and his demons "prowl the world seeking the ruin of souls", always seeking a way in, but it will be harder next time. How wonderful that Sam knows the truth know about everything and that he will see his treasure again and love how Aragorn explained that Rose would be fine with that because she wouldn't trust anyone else to take care of Sam but Frodo. You say you wrote this for your own enjoyment, but not so, my dear, not so. Many have enjoyed it! Looking forward to anything else you write! hobbity hug Namarie, God bless, Antane :) Author Reply: Hello Aunty Anne! Wow, what a fabulous review. Many, many thanks! Concerning Sam was a real labour of love for me. I had many questions regarding Sam and his time with the Ring (and had had to supply the answers to them myself because there was no fic out there to do it for me), so this gave me the chance to air my views and test them out - see what reception they got. And the reception has been quite overwhelming! It seemed sensible to me that Aragorn and the others would react in the way they did to any threat It may pose to Sam and I'm delighted that so many others have not only agreed, but enjoyed the tale I spun. Your reviews have been a delight from start to finish and such things make all the hard effort of writing, plotting, scripting and losing several hours of sleep more than worthwhile. I hope that this story has made people stop and think - and I hope even more that others will take up the idea and write their own version because then I get the chance to read them without having to do all the hard work, ha, ha! I will do a wee oneshot of Farlibar, Merry and Pippin at some point, but when exactly - I'm not sure. As for other stories: that will take further thought. I'm not sure I trust myself yet to undertake something as intensive as this quite yet, but the possibility that I will do more is as certain as the Sun rising! Thank you for reading, reviewing and enjoying this. That means a great deal! All the very best to you and yours. Maureen :)

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 10/11/2008
What a delightful ending for this! I had been looking forward to this encounter greatly! And I'm so pleased that Faramir and Eowyn were able to be there! And I appreciate your acknowledgement of my comments. Reviewing stories is something I enjoy very nearly as much as reading or writing them. It is seldom that we see new hobbit-writers among us, and I am so very glad to see you in our midst!

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 10/11/2008
I think attempting to "usurp his confidence" is exactly what you did show, here--Sam's love for the others was never in doubt, but It could try to make him doubt the love of the others. And It could twist Sam's natural sense of humility into feelings of worthlessness. As to feelings of guilt, I think that all of those who went on that journey probably suffered them to a certain extent. It is very easy for anyone who feels protective of others to take that too far, and extending it into a feeling of failure if he cannot protect the others from every bad thing. Normally, Sam would brush aside those feelings with his innate hobbit-sense, but under assault and exhausted, he needed help to do that this time. I have really enjoyed this--it is unusual to get a chance to see Sam be the recipient of some h/c, and it was very nice to read about for a change.

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 10/11/2008
As I have always suspected, the Ring cannot fight love, friendship or hope. It is formed from Sauron's mind and will, and since he did not understand those things, neither did the Ring. When push comes to shove, the Ring has much less power than It gives Itself credit for. It's good to see Sam get his hope and determination back. I think that if he had not already been physically exhausted, it could never have overcome his innate hobbit-sense to begin with. And I have to say how much I love seeing Elladan and Elrohir give It fits as well!

Celeritas	Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 10/11/2008
Since this is the last one I thought I'd just go through as I read and make the review really really long again... the heady scent of woodland trees and rain dampened earth Ahh. Lovely bit of description there. He’d been left to do it alone last night when they refused to go to sleep without hearing the tale of how he’d first met the Hobbits at Bree - again. Ah, small children. Bane of their parents' sleep, but adorable nonetheless. He’d seen the multitude of Hobbits who’d accompanied Merry, Pippin and himself to the Bridge staring at him in awe after that. Life was going to be a bit awkward for a while when he got back home. Understatement of the day! Poor Sam, although I imagine his bumbling attempts to avoid such fame will make many a nice fireside tale for Frodo when they're reunited. XD The reappearance of Farlibar was a very pleasant surprise. I love hobbit OCs. And Merry and Pippin are at it again? tsks Some folk never learn... I'd like to think, though, in later years Farlibar will realize exactly what's going on and give as good as he gets! ...Scratch that, he just did. grins Given the parallels you've been drawing between Frodo's post-Ring afflictions and Sam's, I'm glad you gave him a comfort jewel, too. It fits with the rest of the story very well, and has some nice tie-ins with the old gem-craft of the Silm. “But I don’t want to wound Rosie any more when I look West. I don’t want her to feel like I’m just whiling away the time here ’til I leave, it‘s not fair on her!” sniffle Aragorn's response to that is a really good comfort to Sam--the idea that Rosie knows she won't be leaving Sam alone when she passes! Never quite thought of that before. “Sorry ‘bout that sir, it’s just...well, you know...” “That you are self-effacing to the point of frustration and blush at the mere thought of gratitude? Yes, I know.” Hee hee hee! Yay for Sam's brown eyes! hearts canonical eyecolor The coda at the end was simply inspiring--nothing like Sam's native tenacity to leave a smile on your face. Thanks so much for citing me at the end--I didn't realize that my commentary was so appreciated. I enjoyed getting to read this entire story. A number of parts weren't easy for me to enjoy because they went against my expectations/interpretations and they made me think. Which is good, because if I were to click the back button every time I disagreed with someone's interpretation I'd only read my own writing, which is very stifling! And added to that your interpretations were fresh and (I believe) never set forth on SoA before. That's what I look for in an author--one who expands and challenges the reader's thoughts on canon and fanon alike, but always making sure that she stays true and cleaves ever closer to the original. I hope you have a number of stories left in you (especially looking forward to the oneshot!) and that your style and confidence improve and flourish over time--I love looking at authors' early works and comparing their progress with later ones. And if this is just your first fic, as long as you always strive to better yourself and your original interpretations I can guarantee that I'll read and review whatever you put on this site in the days to come. Welcome again to SoA and I wish you many happy returns to the site! ~Celeritas Author Reply: Hello Celeritas, I'm really glad you enjoyed CS because it was a work of passion for me. It was the story I have always wanted to read, but that no one wrote. For what seems like ages I've had so many questions about the One Ring's possible effects on Sam - but they weren't being answered, the scenario remained unexplored by fanfiction authors; so I realised if I was ever to see such a story, I'd have to write it. But that meant I'd have to forgo the pleasure of finally discovering it by a much more experienced author; that there was a likelihood I'd probably ruin the entire thing with my gauche attempts at storytelling. Plus I wouldn't be able to read and truly enjoy it myself as I'd written it - can you imagine: finally there's a fanfic with the questions I'd wanted answered, the scenarios I'd envisaged - and there's no rush of happiness or satisfaction at the discovery because I wrote the bloomin' thing myself. Grrr! Still, I've enjoyed writing Concerning Sam. I had absolutely NO IDEA how much hard work even a couple of thousand words could be when the subject matter was LOTR (I'd written 2 HP oneshots before but they were easier to write because the HP world isn't anywhere near as complex). All the bloomin' research I'd have to do for even the smallest of things (e.g. where Lake Evendim lay in relation to Annúminas; the layout of the Citadel in Minas Anor; which towns/cities/regions the Great East Road crossed)! Then I had to be so smart and include just about every race in ME - and as a result was stuck with trying to imagine their individual (as a race)- then combined - interactions and manner of speech! Aagh! This was why I'd rather have read someone else's, because I wouldn't be doing all the hard wor myself (I know, I'm a lazy so-and-so). However, it also meant I had complete control over each and every detail of the story - that I could finally voice what's been running through my mind (unanswered) for a few years now. It just never sat right with me that Sam had worn and USED the Ring on the edge of Mordor - at the height of Its power - yet lived a long life apparently free of consequence until his wife died. if he had to leave for the Undying Lands at all, the Ring must have presented a danger to him in ME throughout his life. Did the remaining Fellowship members never think about what peril Sam may face because of his Ringbearer status, given what they knew of It's affect on Frodo - or did they not believe him to be under any sort of similar threat? Also, how did the Sea longing affect Sam and his family? Now the story's over, I'm glad I had the opportunity to explore the many questions that have annoyed me forever! That I have made people think about new interpretations or challenged them with my ideas is a boon I could never have hoped for! And to be able to post here on SoA where the quality of work is ever high and the reception recieved ever warm and friendly! I am so very glad that you enjoyed Concerning Sam, even when it made you stop and think about what you yourself thought/believed. I am grateful for each and every review sent and appreciate the time you took to do so. It's always nice to get feedback and feel appreciated. Reviews give authors a feeling of justification/vindication in their work that money can't buy, so each one is precious no matter its length. On that note, I bid you adieu (for the moment) and remind you that tomorrow's Monday - your posting day. I'm looking forward to reading more about a certain Hobbit lass... Maureen :)

Celeritas	Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 10/11/2008
Hurrah, Sam's back to his normal self! I loved the homemade Gaffer aphorism, and Merry and Pippin's typical banter with its (probably intended) side effect of cheering Sam up. The whole chapter was quite lovely and a nice release to all of the tension of the last chapters. About the only thing missing was Rosie, but since the poor dear must have been exhausted, especially in her condition, I'll forgive her her absence. I'm anxious to see how you tie all of this up!

Celeritas	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 10/11/2008
The Ring may be powerful, but It is one and we are many. It cannot sustain It's assault indefinitely against such a united front. Yes! Finally Ring!pwnage! What I quoted above pretty much sums up for me this entire fic, and the theme ties back into LotR so very nicely that I must commend you! I'm glad, though that there's the last mention from the Ring that this isn't over. Too often with any sort of hurt/comfort fic (which this is to an extent) once the fic is over it's assumed that the problem is gone, which when it's something this psychologically damaging is quite naive! But hopefully the next attack will be easily rebuffed because Sam will no longer be alone.

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