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| Blood and Fire by Clodia | 41 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 10/19/2009 |
| And the Noldor search in vain for what has been carried away. Ah, dear--at least they are safe now. Alas, though, for her brothers. Author Reply: Alas indeed; really, this was a battle that everyone lost, which makes Doriath's fall all the worse. As ever, thank you so much for reading and for all your kind comments! It's really very much appreciated. ^^ | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 10/18/2009 |
| At least these have survived, and made it to freedom. I only wish they'd found the twins.... Author Reply: The loss of the twins is a particularly tragic aspect of Doriath's fall, I think. As ever, thank you so much for reading and commenting! | |
| Calenharn | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 10/17/2009 |
| I have to say that I almost didn't read this story; the summary wasn't all that enticing (made Dior sound like an idiot) and I like a *story*, not "fragments". However, I DID start reading it (because I liked your 'Goldilocks and the Three Balrogs' so much - though I am still scratching my head over that title (and sorry for not reviewing on that story)). I never had any sense of who Dior was (other than the obvious) and you've done a nice job of portraying him. You've done an even better job of the whole pitched fighting-off-the-barbarians-at-the-gate (because, seemingly, that is what these Noldor have become), and I am enjoying seeing the canonical characters whom we know well (Galadriel, Celeborn) in this story. (I have to keep reminding myself that it is millenia too soon for Galadriel to be whipping out any Ring, though under the circumstances she is doing her best to be queenly and commanding. Too bad that the Noldor aren't listening...) Perhaps with the focus on Dior and the battle and the jewel and the fate of Dior's children (I think I know where that jewel is at), I am missing much of a sense of Oropher's character. We see that he is brave and loyal, and capable of working in the trenches with the other Dark Elves (hence, he will be capable of ruling them), but I do not get a sense of a "prince of Doriath" in this tale. (I'm not even sure what I mean by that, either - just that I am missing some sort of a defining connection here with this particular character.) Neither do I get a sense of his rashness (or whatever it was - perhaps merely intense dislike and mistrust of the Noldor?) that led to the disaster at the Last Alliance. (Though maybe that is one fallout of this entire sad episode...) Erestor and Melinna, of course... what a wonderful background you have given Erestor, and how can one not like Melinna? And the whole gallery of women archers - now that was wonderful. Looking forward to more... Author Reply: I have never been particularly good at summaries; I'm so glad you started reading anyway! And thank you so much for such a detailed and thoughtful review! My response is probably a little lengthy, I hope you don't mind. ^_^ In case it isn't clear enough by this point, I *don't* think Dior was an idiot at all and in fact my sympathies throughout this piece are entirely with the Sindar; but I will retain the 'fragment' description, because while the story is perhaps more coherent than that implies, in the long run it *is* about Doriath being smashed into pieces and that proved surprisingly hard to write as a single coherent story. (I originally meant it to be more or less an exact companion piece to one of my other stories, Nightingales and Starlight, i.e. roughly 10,000 words plus a brief epilogue, but it simply wouldn't write itself that way.) This may be why Oropher's characterisation is a bit sketchy; the fragments are loosely arranged around his experience of the sack, but my real interest is in the sack itself and Dior's fate (and Dior's family), rather than the Oropher who will eventually die regrettably in a different battle. There seems to me plenty of time and plenty of other experiences (settling Sirion, the sack of that settlement, rebuilding Middle-earth after the War of Wrath, and so on) for Oropher to develop into the King of Eryn Galen who died in that later battle. But perhaps this reasoning is more convincing to me than to anyone else. I'm glad you like Dior and Galadriel and Celeborn, though! And I'm immensely glad you like my background for Erestor and (of course) Melinna. It's always terribly reassuring to hear that she works as a character, firstly because one is naturally nervous when creating OFCs and secondly because she and Erestor are the common theme in all my stories. The gallery of women archers seemed only sensible; Menegroth was initially conceived as a fort and no fort without a way to make successful intruders very sorry indeed deserves the name, and putting those women who could use bows and arrows in a relatively safe place seemed like a sensible allocation of forces. (But this is me babbling about my imaginary reconstruction of Menegroth, so possibly I should stop now.) Again, thank you so much for a wonderful review! PS. I'm very glad you liked Goldilocks as well. ^_^ That title comes (mostly) from the children's story mentioned in the epilogue; I have actually written that, although I'm not entirely sure whether I'll archive it here, but in any case it can be found on my FFN and LJ accounts. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 10/17/2009 |
| If only Maedhros had come first. Now we know precisely why he searched so assiduously for the children afterwards. Alas that he did not find them. Author Reply: Yes, the fate of Elured and Elurin is yet another of those tragedies sprinkled through the Silmarillion. As ever, thank you for reading and commenting! | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 10/17/2009 |
| Faithless and accursed were they called before? Now they prove it! Author Reply: Tragically, yes. Again, thank you so much for reading and for all your comments! It was a lovely surprise when I woke up this morning. ^^ | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 10/17/2009 |
| Two sons of Feanor down, then? Celegorm fell so very far. Author Reply: Indeed, Celegorm's later life was less than heroic. Again, thank you! | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/16/2009 |
| Why isn't there a secret exit? Good grief! What a fool's paradise they have lived in! As for the bargain--doesn't sound like a bargain to me. Author Reply: We-ell, Menegroth was delved as a fort (this is why I allow myself archers' galleries: any fort that lacks a way to make successful intruders very sorry indeed is not a fort worthy of the name) and secret exits tend to be problematic in times of siege. Perhaps the defence would have been more successful if the defenders had had more time to prepare it. You're quite right, it's not much of a bargain. I think the Noldor were not particularly used to bargaining and this one was not meant seriously anyway. Again, thank you! (I know this phrase becomes repetitive, but seriously: I do appreciate you reading and your comments!) | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 10/16/2009 |
| It does appear a retreat would be preferable. How utterly senseless this seems now, and it must have seemed then as well. Author Reply: I think it was precisely the senselessness of a war over a shiny stone that made the Sindar think that the Noldor might not carry through with their threats. They could equally well have tried negotiating for it, rather than merely demanding the Silmaril with menaces. Dior was not Morgoth Bauglir, after all. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/16/2009 |
| At least these ones DID survive! Author Reply: Yes, it was an interesting experience to write a story in which who lived and who died was fixed in stone from the outset. Again, thank you! | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/16/2009 |
| Again, denial of the inevitable will not stay it. I don't quite understand Nimloth's attitude. She should see the writing on the wall, one would think. Author Reply: We-ell, the inevitable is always more obvious with hindsight. I think perhaps it would have been less obvious to the Sindar that the Noldor (whose kingdoms and armies, after all, had fallen after Nirnaeth Arnoediad) were not merely issuing empty threats at this point. Thank you for reading! | |